Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Decline of the West', 'Methodological Reflections on Current Linguistic Theory' and 'Explanation and Reference'

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

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8 ideas

5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / a. Names

17505

Using proper names properly doesn't involve necessary and sufficient conditions [Putnam]

9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 5. Essence as Kind

11908

Putnam bases essences on 'same kind', but same kinds may not share properties [Mackie,P on Putnam]

14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 2. Aim of Science

17508

Science aims at truth, not at 'simplicity' [Putnam]

19. Language / B. Reference / 3. Direct Reference / b. Causal reference

17506

I now think reference by the tests of experts is a special case of being causally connected [Putnam]

19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 2. Semantics

15788

Syntax and semantics are indeterminate, and modern 'semantics' is a bogus subject [Quine, by Lycan]

24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 5. Culture

20948

Human cultures are organisms which grow, and then fade and die [Spengler, by Bowie]

26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 5. Reference to Natural Kinds

17507

Natural kind stereotypes are 'strong' (obvious, like tiger) or 'weak' (obscure, like molybdenum) [Putnam]

11904

Express natural kinds as a posteriori predicate connections, not as singular terms [Putnam, by Mackie,P]