25 ideas
23326 | In the third century Stoicism died out, replaced by Platonism, with Aristotelian ethics [Frede,M] |
23335 | In late antiquity nearly all philosophers were monotheists [Frede,M] |
3859 | We do not wish merely to predict, we also want to explain [Newton-Smith] |
3853 | For science to be rational, we must explain scientific change rationally [Newton-Smith] |
3870 | The real problem of science is how to choose between possible explanations [Newton-Smith] |
3855 | Critics attack positivist division between theory and observation [Newton-Smith] |
3854 | Positivists hold that theoretical terms change, but observation terms don't [Newton-Smith] |
3869 | More truthful theories have greater predictive power [Newton-Smith] |
3861 | Theories generate infinite truths and falsehoods, so they cannot be used to assess probability [Newton-Smith] |
3867 | De re necessity arises from the way the world is [Newton-Smith] |
3872 | We must assess the truth of beliefs in identifying them [Newton-Smith] |
3857 | Defeat relativism by emphasising truth and reference, not meaning [Newton-Smith] |
3858 | A full understanding of 'yellow' involves some theory [Newton-Smith] |
3862 | All theories contain anomalies, and so are falsified! [Newton-Smith] |
3863 | The anomaly of Uranus didn't destroy Newton's mechanics - it led to Neptune's discovery [Newton-Smith] |
3864 | Anomalies are judged against rival theories, and support for the current theory [Newton-Smith] |
3865 | Why should it matter whether or not a theory is scientific? [Newton-Smith] |
3866 | If theories are really incommensurable, we could believe them all [Newton-Smith] |
23334 | For Christians man has free will by creation in God's image (as in Genesis) [Frede,M] |
23333 | The idea of free will achieved universal acceptance because of Christianity [Frede,M] |
23337 | The Stoics needed free will, to allow human choices in a divinely providential cosmos [Frede,M] |
23336 | There is no will for Plato or Aristotle, because actions come directly from perception of what is good [Frede,M] |
3871 | Explaining an action is showing that it is rational [Newton-Smith] |
20957 | We don't choose our characters, yet we still claim credit for the actions our characters perform [Schelling] |
23313 | The Gnostic demiurge (creator) is deluded, and doesn't care about us [Frede,M] |