Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Upon Nothing: Swansea lecture', 'Letters to a Young Clergyman' and 'Why there isn't a ready-made world'

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11 ideas

1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 1. Continental Philosophy

8988	Two marxist ideas have dominated in France: base and superstructure, and ideology [Scruton]

1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 6. Deconstruction

8987	On the surface of deconstructive writing, technicalities float and then drift away [Scruton]

8992	Deconstruction is the last spasm of romanticism, now become hopeless and destructive [Scruton]

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 9. Limits of Reason

22520

You can't reason someone out of an irrational opinion [Swift]

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 2. Realism

17644

Metaphysical realism is committed to there being one ultimate true theory [Putnam]

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 4. Anti-realism

17648

It is an illusion to think there could be one good scientific theory of reality [Putnam]

9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / c. Statue and clay

17643

Shape is essential relative to 'statue', but not essential relative to 'clay' [Putnam]

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 4. Sense Data / b. Nature of sense-data

17642

The old view that sense data are independent of mind is quite dotty [Putnam]

24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / c. Social contract

8989	The benefits of social freedom outweigh the loneliness, doubt and alienation it brings [Scruton]

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 3. Conservatism

8990	So-called 'liberation' is the enemy of freedom, destroying the very structures that are needed [Scruton]

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / d. Selecting the cause

17645

An alien might think oxygen was the main cause of a forest fire [Putnam]