Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'A Dictionary of Political Thought', 'Elbow Room: varieties of free will' and 'The Upanishads'

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36 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly
An overexamined life is as bad as an unexamined one [Dennett]
2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 9. Limits of Reason
Rationality requires the assumption that things are either for better or worse [Dennett]
10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 4. Conceivable as Possible / c. Possible but inconceivable
Why pronounce impossible what you cannot imagine? [Dennett]
13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 2. Causal Justification
Causal theories require the "right" sort of link (usually unspecified) [Dennett]
16. Persons / A. Concept of a Person / 3. Persons as Reasoners
Self is the rider, intellect the charioteer, mind the reins, and body the chariot [Anon (Upan)]
16. Persons / A. Concept of a Person / 4. Persons as Agents
I am the sum total of what I directly control [Dennett]
16. Persons / C. Self-Awareness / 2. Knowing the Self
We have an apparent and a true self; only the second one exists, and we must seek to know it [Anon (Upan)]
16. Persons / F. Free Will / 1. Nature of Free Will
You can be free even though force would have prevented you doing otherwise [Dennett, by PG]
Can we conceive of a being with a will freer than our own? [Dennett]
16. Persons / F. Free Will / 2. Sources of Free Will
Awareness of thought is a step beyond awareness of the world [Dennett]
Foreknowledge permits control [Dennett]
17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 3. Intentional Stance
The active self is a fiction created because we are ignorant of our motivations [Dennett]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 5. Concepts and Language / a. Concepts and language
Without speech we cannot know right/wrong, true/false, good/bad, or pleasant/unpleasant [Anon (Upan)]
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism
Consequentialism emphasises value rather than obligation in morality [Scruton]
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / c. Value of pleasure
The wise prefer good to pleasure; the foolish are drawn to pleasure by desire [Anon (Upan)]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / h. Respect
Altruism is either emotional (where your interests are mine) or moral (where they are reasons for me) [Scruton]
24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 3. Natural Values / c. Natural rights
The idea of a right seems fairly basic; justice may be the disposition to accord rights to people [Scruton]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 3. Conservatism
Allegiance is fundamental to the conservative view of society [Scruton]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / f. Against democracy
Democrats are committed to a belief and to its opposite, if the majority prefer the latter [Scruton]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics
Liberals focus on universal human freedom, natural rights, and tolerance [Scruton, by PG]
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 2. The Law / d. Legal positivism
For positivists law is a matter of form, for naturalists it is a matter of content [Scruton]
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 5. Education / c. Teaching
Let your teacher be a god to you [Anon (Upan)]
25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 3. Abortion
The issue of abortion seems insoluble, because there is nothing with which to compare it [Scruton]
26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 2. Defining Kinds
By knowing one piece of clay or gold, you know all of clay or gold [Anon (Upan)]
27. Natural Reality / E. Cosmology / 2. Eternal Universe
Originally there must have been just Existence, which could not come from non-existence [Anon (Upan)]
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 1. God
Brahma, supreme god and protector of the universe, arose from the ocean of existence [Anon (Upan)]
28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / a. Cosmological Proof
Brahman is the Uncaused Cause [Anon (Upan)]
28. God / C. Attitudes to God / 2. Pantheism
Earth, food, fire, sun are all forms of Brahman [Anon (Upan)]
29. Religion / A. Polytheistic Religion / 3. Hinduism
The gods are not worshipped for their own sake, but for the sake of the Self [Anon (Upan)]
A man with desires is continually reborn, until his desires are stilled [Anon (Upan)]
Damayata - be self-controlled! Datta - be charitable! Dayadhwam - be compassionate! [Anon (Upan)]
Those ignorant of Atman return as animals or plants, according to their merits [Anon (Upan)]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / a. Religious Belief
Charity and ritual observance distract from the highest good of religion [Anon (Upan)]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / e. Fideism
Do not seek to know Brahman by arguments, for arguments are idle and vain [Anon (Upan)]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / b. Soul
The immortal in us is the part that never sleeps, and shapes our dreams [Anon (Upan)]
The immortal Self and the sad individual self are like two golden birds perched on one tree [Anon (Upan)]