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All the ideas for 'Pragmatism - eight lectures', 'Subjective and Objective' and 'Course of Positive Philosophy'

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26 ideas

1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 2. Positivism
7491 The phases of human thought are theological, then metaphysical, then positivist [Comte, by Watson]
3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 9. Rejecting Truth
18986 Truth is just a name for verification-processes [James]
3. Truth / C. Correspondence Truth / 3. Correspondence Truth critique
18983 In many cases there is no obvious way in which ideas can agree with their object [James]
3. Truth / D. Coherence Truth / 1. Coherence Truth
18972 Ideas are true in so far as they co-ordinate our experiences [James]
18973 New opinions count as 'true' if they are assimilated to an individual's current beliefs [James]
3. Truth / E. Pragmatic Truth / 1. Pragmatic Truth
18984 True ideas are those we can assimilate, validate, corroborate and verify (and false otherwise) [James]
9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 6. Nihilism about Objects
18987 A 'thing' is simply carved out of reality for human purposes [James]
9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 2. Substance / e. Substance critique
18981 'Substance' is just a word for groupings and structures in experience [James]
11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 5. Aiming at Truth
18974 Truth is a species of good, being whatever proves itself good in the way of belief [James]
12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 4. Sense Data / d. Sense-data problems
3296 Sense-data are a false objectification of what is essentially subjective [Nagel]
12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 3. Pragmatism
18989 Pragmatism accepts any hypothesis which has useful consequences [James]
14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 2. Aim of Science
18971 Theories are practical tools for progress, not answers to enigmas [James]
14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 3. Instrumentalism
18985 True thoughts are just valuable instruments of action [James]
18982 Pragmatism says all theories are instrumental - that is, mental modes of adaptation to reality [James]
15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 1. Mind / a. Mind
3295 Inner v outer brings astonishment that we are a particular person [Nagel]
16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 4. Presupposition of Self
3293 If you assert that we have an ego, you can still ask if that future ego will be me [Nagel]
16. Persons / F. Free Will / 1. Nature of Free Will
3292 The most difficult problem of free will is saying what the problem is [Nagel]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 3. Ontology of Concepts / b. Concepts as abilities
18975 We return to experience with concepts, where they show us differences [James]
23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 3. Universalisability
3294 As far as possible we should become instruments to realise what is best from an eternal point of view [Nagel]
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 3. Divine Perfections
18980 If there is a 'greatest knower', it doesn't follow that they know absolutely everything [James]
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 4. Divine Contradictions
18978 It is hard to grasp a cosmic mind which produces such a mixture of goods and evils [James]
28. God / B. Proving God / 1. Proof of God
18991 If the God hypothesis works well, then it is true [James]
28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / c. Teleological Proof critique
18977 The wonderful design of a woodpecker looks diabolical to its victims [James]
18979 Things with parts always have some structure, so they always appear to be designed [James]
28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / d. Religious Experience
18976 Private experience is the main evidence for God [James]
29. Religion / C. Spiritual Disciplines / 3. Buddhism
18990 Nirvana means safety from sense experience, and hindus and buddhists are just afraid of life [James]