Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Miscellaneous Observations', 'Possible Worlds' and 'Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology'

expand these ideas     |    start again     |     specify just one area for these texts

20 ideas

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 2. Possibility of Metaphysics
13939 No possible evidence could decide the reality of numbers, so it is a pseudo-question [Carnap]
3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 3. Value of Truth
19574 If man sacrifices truth he sacrifices himself, by acting against his own convictions [Novalis]
3. Truth / E. Pragmatic Truth / 1. Pragmatic Truth
19571 Delusion and truth differ in their life functions [Novalis]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / a. Early logicism
13936 Questions about numbers are answered by analysis, and are analytic, and hence logically true [Carnap]
8748 Logical positivists incorporated geometry into logicism, saying axioms are just definitions [Carnap, by Shapiro]
7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 4. Abstract Existence
8960 Internal questions about abstractions are trivial, and external ones deeply problematic [Carnap, by Szabó]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 1. Ontologies
13933 Existence questions are 'internal' (within a framework) or 'external' (concerning the whole framework) [Carnap]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 3. Reality
13934 To be 'real' is to be an element of a system, so we cannot ask reality questions about the system itself [Carnap]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / a. Ontological commitment
13938 A linguistic framework involves commitment to entities, so only commitment to the framework is in question [Carnap]
9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 6. Nihilism about Objects
13935 We only accept 'things' within a language with formation, testing and acceptance rules [Carnap]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 3. Individual Essences
19575 Refinement of senses increasingly distinguishes individuals [Novalis]
10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 2. Nature of Possible Worlds / a. Nature of possible worlds
15793 We can take 'ways things might have been' as irreducible elements in our ontology [Stalnaker, by Lycan]
12. Knowledge Sources / C. Rationalism / 1. Rationalism
19572 Experiences tests reason, and reason tests experience [Novalis]
12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 1. Empiricism
13932 Empiricists tend to reject abstract entities, and to feel sympathy with nominalism [Carnap]
12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 3. Pragmatism
13937 New linguistic claims about entities are not true or false, but just expedient, fruitful or successful [Carnap]
14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 3. Instrumentalism
13940 All linguistic forms in science are merely judged by their efficiency as instruments [Carnap]
17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 1. Physical Mind
19573 The seat of the soul is where our inner and outer worlds interpenetrate [Novalis]
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 2. Abstracta by Selection
19577 Everything is a chaotic unity, then we abstract, then we reunify the world into a free alliance [Novalis]
21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 5. Natural Beauty
19578 Only self-illuminated perfect individuals are beautiful [Novalis]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / a. Religious Belief
19576 Religion needs an intermediary, because none of us can connect directly to a godhead [Novalis]