Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Chomsky on himself', 'Explanation - Opening Address' and 'Daodejing (Tao Te Ching)'

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28 ideas

1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 2. Wise People
6319 Wise people choose inaction and silence [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
6325 One who knows does not speak; one who speaks does not know [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 7. Despair over Philosophy
6321 Vulgar people are alert; I alone am muddled [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 6. Coherence
17070 Coherence is consilience, simplicity, analogy, and fitting into a web of belief [Smart]
17072 We need comprehensiveness, as well as self-coherence [Smart]
11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 1. Knowledge
6328 To know yet to think that one does not know is best [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
6323 Pursuit of learning increases activity; the Way decreases it [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 3. Evidentialism / a. Evidence
17073 I simply reject evidence, if it is totally contrary to my web of belief [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / c. Direction of explanation
17077 The height of a flagpole could be fixed by its angle of shadow, but that would be very unusual [Smart]
17078 Universe expansion explains the red shift, but not vice versa [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / c. Explanations by coherence
17061 Explanation of a fact is fitting it into a system of beliefs [Smart]
17074 Explanations are bad by fitting badly with a web of beliefs, or fitting well into a bad web [Smart]
17076 Deducing from laws is one possible way to achieve a coherent explanation [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / d. Consilience
17071 An explanation is better if it also explains phenomena from a different field [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations
17062 If scientific explanation is causal, that rules out mathematical explanation [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction
17075 Scientific explanation tends to reduce things to the unfamiliar (not the familiar) [Smart]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 2. Origin of Concepts / c. Nativist concepts
6649 Chomsky now says concepts are basically innate, as well as syntax [Chomsky, by Lowe]
19. Language / F. Communication / 1. Rhetoric
6331 Truth is not beautiful; beautiful speech is not truthful [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / e. Death
6330 One with no use for life is wiser than one who values it [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love
6327 Do good to him who has done you an injury [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / a. Nature of virtue
23402 The highest virtue is achieved without effort [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / c. Motivation for virtue
6324 To gain in goodness, treat as good those who are good, and those who are not [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / g. Desires
6322 There is no crime greater than having too many desires [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / a. Autocracy
6320 The best rulers are invisible, the next admired, the next feared, and the worst are exploited [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 3. Government / a. Government
6329 People are hard to govern because authorities love to do things [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 2. The Law / a. Legal system
6326 The better known the law, the more criminals there are [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 1. War / e. Peace
23401 A military victory is not a thing of beauty [Laozi (Lao Tzu)]
27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 1. Relativity / b. General relativity
17063 Unlike Newton, Einstein's general theory explains the perihelion of Mercury [Smart]