158 ideas
| 2845 | Free and great-souled men do not keep asking "what is the use of it?" [Aristotle] |
| 22521 | Our method of inquiry is to examine the smallest parts that make up the whole [Aristotle] |
| 1570 | Human beings, alone of the animals, have logos [Aristotle] |
| 1574 | Reasoning distinguishes what is beneficial, and hence what is right [Aristotle] |
| 2801 | Intelligence which looks ahead is a natural master, while bodily strength is a natural slave [Aristotle] |
| 22529 | Men are natural leaders (apart from the unnatural ones) [Aristotle] |
| 22571 | 'If each is small, so too are all' is in one way false, for the whole composed of all is not small [Aristotle] |
| 21616 | Truth and falsity apply to suppositions as well as to assertions [Williamson] |
| 21623 | True and false are not symmetrical; false is more complex, involving negation [Williamson] |
| 21602 | Many-valued logics don't solve vagueness; its presence at the meta-level is ignored [Williamson] |
| 21611 | Formal semantics defines validity as truth preserved in every model [Williamson] |
| 21606 | 'Bivalence' is the meta-linguistic principle that 'A' in the object language is true or false [Williamson] |
| 21605 | Excluded Middle is 'A or not A' in the object language [Williamson] |
| 21612 | Or-elimination is 'Argument by Cases'; it shows how to derive C from 'A or B' [Williamson] |
| 21599 | A sorites stops when it collides with an opposite sorites [Williamson] |
| 21601 | A vague term can refer to very precise elements [Williamson] |
| 21596 | Vagueness undermines the stable references needed by logic [Williamson] |
| 21589 | When bivalence is rejected because of vagueness, we lose classical logic [Williamson] |
| 21629 | Equally fuzzy objects can be identical, so fuzziness doesn't entail vagueness [Williamson] |
| 21591 | Vagueness is epistemic. Statements are true or false, but we often don't know which [Williamson] |
| 21619 | If a heap has a real boundary, omniscient speakers would agree where it is [Williamson] |
| 21620 | The epistemic view says that the essence of vagueness is ignorance [Williamson] |
| 21622 | If there is a true borderline of which we are ignorant, this drives a wedge between meaning and use [Williamson] |
| 9120 | Vagueness in a concept is its indiscriminability from other possible concepts [Williamson] |
| 21625 | The vagueness of 'heap' can remain even when the context is fixed [Williamson] |
| 21614 | The 'nihilist' view of vagueness says that 'heap' is not a legitimate concept [Williamson] |
| 21617 | We can say propositions are bivalent, but vague utterances don't express a proposition [Williamson] |
| 21618 | If the vague 'TW is thin' says nothing, what does 'TW is thin if his perfect twin is thin' say? [Williamson] |
| 21590 | Asking when someone is 'clearly' old is higher-order vagueness [Williamson] |
| 21592 | Supervaluation keeps classical logic, but changes the truth in classical semantics [Williamson] |
| 21603 | You can't give a precise description of a language which is intrinsically vague [Williamson] |
| 21604 | Supervaluation assigns truth when all the facts are respected [Williamson] |
| 21607 | Supervaluation has excluded middle but not bivalence; 'A or not-A' is true, even when A is undecided [Williamson] |
| 21608 | Truth-functionality for compound statements fails in supervaluation [Williamson] |
| 21609 | Supervaluationism defines 'supertruth', but neglects it when defining 'valid' [Williamson] |
| 21610 | Supervaluation adds a 'definitely' operator to classical logic [Williamson] |
| 21613 | Supervaluationism cannot eliminate higher-order vagueness [Williamson] |
| 21633 | Nominalists suspect that properties etc are our projections, and could have been different [Williamson] |
| 21630 | If fuzzy edges are fine, then why not fuzzy temporal, modal or mereological boundaries? [Williamson] |
| 22525 | The whole is prior to its parts, because parts are defined by their role [Aristotle] |
| 21632 | A river is not just event; it needs actual and counterfactual boundaries [Williamson] |
| 21621 | We can't infer metaphysical necessities to be a priori knowable - or indeed knowable in any way [Williamson] |
| 21627 | We have inexact knowledge when we include margins of error [Williamson] |
| 22587 | Understanding is the aim of our nature [Aristotle] |
| 21626 | Knowing you know (KK) is usually denied if the knowledge concept is missing, or not considered [Williamson] |
| 22522 | To grasp something, trace it back to its natural origins [Aristotle] |
| 22524 | The nature of each thing is its mature state [Aristotle] |
| 5987 | Alcmaeon was the first to say the brain is central to thinking [Alcmaeon, by Staden, von] |
| 22528 | The nature of all animate things is to have one part which rules it [Aristotle] |
| 21631 | To know, believe, hope or fear, one must grasp the thought, but not when you fail to do them [Williamson] |
| 21600 | 'Blue' is not a family resemblance, because all the blues resemble in some respect [Williamson] |
| 21615 | References to the 'greatest prime number' have no reference, but are meaningful [Williamson] |
| 18038 | The 't' and 'f' of formal semantics has no philosophical interest, and may not refer to true and false [Williamson] |
| 21624 | It is known that there is a cognitive loss in identifying propositions with possible worlds [Williamson] |
| 22570 | Rhetoric now enables good speakers to become popular leaders [Aristotle] |
| 22574 | A community can lack self-control [Aristotle] |
| 2837 | Nothing contrary to nature is beautiful [Aristotle] |
| 2824 | The collective judgement of many people on art is better than that of an individual [Aristotle] |
| 2846 | Music can mould the character to be virtuous (just as gymnastics trains the body) [Aristotle] |
| 2807 | Some say slavery is unnatural and created by convention, and is therefore forced, and unjust [Aristotle] |
| 22582 | Spirit [thumos] is the capacity by which we love [Aristotle] |
| 2810 | Selfishness is wrong not because it is self-love, but because it is excessive [Aristotle] |
| 22555 | The function of good men is to confer benefits [Aristotle] |
| 22557 | Virtuous people are like the citizens of the best city [Aristotle] |
| 2841 | People become good because of nature, habit and reason [Aristotle] |
| 2829 | The law is the mean [Aristotle] |
| 22590 | Virtue is concerned with correct feelings [Aristotle] |
| 2813 | It is quite possible to live a moderate life and yet be miserable [Aristotle] |
| 22553 | Justice is a virtue of communities [Aristotle] |
| 22561 | The rich are seen as noble, because they don't need to commit crimes [Aristotle] |
| 2808 | Master and slave can have friendship through common interests [Aristotle] |
| 2803 | Man is by nature a political animal [Aristotle] |
| 2820 | People want to live together, even when they don't want mutual help [Aristotle] |
| 22586 | Only humans have reason [Aristotle] |
| 22523 | The community (of villages) becomes a city when it is totally self-sufficient [Aristotle] |
| 2805 | A community must share a common view of good and justice [Aristotle] |
| 22526 | People who are anti-social or wholly self-sufficient are no part of a city [Aristotle] |
| 22535 | Friendship is the best good for cities, because it reduces factions [Aristotle] |
| 22584 | A community should all share to some extent in something like land or food [Aristotle] |
| 22532 | A city can't become entirely one, because its very nature is to be a multitude [Aristotle] |
| 22581 | The size of a city is decided by the maximum self-sufficient community that can be surveyed [Aristotle] |
| 22577 | What is the best life for everyone, and is that a communal or an individual problem? [Aristotle] |
| 22578 | The happiest city is the one that acts most nobly [Aristotle] |
| 22579 | The same four cardinal virtues which apply to individuals also apply to a city [Aristotle] |
| 2431 | Every state is an association formed for some good purpose [Aristotle] |
| 22548 | A city aims at living well [Aristotle] |
| 2832 | The state aims to consist as far as possible of those who are like and equal [Aristotle] |
| 22580 | The best constitution enables everyone to live the best life [Aristotle] |
| 22546 | A city is a community of free people, and the constitution should aim at the common advantage [Aristotle] |
| 2821 | The six constitutions are monarchy/tyranny, aristocracy/oligarchy, and polity/democracy [Aristotle] |
| 22558 | Constitutions specify distribution of offices, the authorities, and the community's aim [Aristotle] |
| 22566 | The greed of the rich is more destructive than the greed of the people [Aristotle] |
| 2835 | Any constitution can be made to last for a day or two [Aristotle] |
| 2973 | We must decide the most desirable human life before designing a constitution [Aristotle] |
| 22544 | A citizen is someone who is allowed to hold official posts in a city [Aristotle] |
| 2818 | The virtues of a good citizen are relative to a particular constitution [Aristotle] |
| 22545 | A person can be an excellent citizen without being an excellent man [Aristotle] |
| 22563 | The middle classes are neither ambitious nor anarchic, which is good [Aristotle] |
| 22541 | Kings should be selected according to character [Aristotle] |
| 22542 | People who buy public office will probably expect to profit from it [Aristotle] |
| 2819 | The only virtue special to a ruler is practical wisdom [Aristotle] |
| 22552 | The rich can claim to rule, because of land ownership, and being more trustworthy [Aristotle] |
| 22583 | The guardians should not be harsh to strangers, as no one should behave like that [Aristotle] |
| 22572 | Officers should like the constitution, be capable, and have appropriate virtues and justice [Aristotle] |
| 22543 | In large communities it is better if more people participate in the offices [Aristotle] |
| 22539 | Election of officials by the elected is dangerous, because factions can control it [Aristotle] |
| 2826 | Like water, large numbers of people are harder to corrupt than a few [Aristotle] |
| 2823 | The many may add up to something good, even if they are inferior as individuals [Aristotle] |
| 22567 | Democracy arises when people who are given equal freedom assume unconditional equality [Aristotle] |
| 22560 | Popular leaders only arise in democracies that are not in accord with the law [Aristotle] |
| 22562 | Choosing officials by lot is democratic [Aristotle] |
| 22576 | No office is permanent in a democracy [Aristotle] |
| 22533 | If the people are equal in nature, then they should all share in ruling [Aristotle] |
| 2817 | It is wrong that a worthy officer of state should seek the office [Aristotle] |
| 22549 | In many cases, the claim that the majority is superior would apply equally to wild beasts [Aristotle] |
| 22575 | Ultimate democracy is tyranny [Aristotle] |
| 22531 | We aim to understand the best possible community for free people [Aristotle] |
| 22589 | Citizens do not just own themselves, but are also parts of the city [Aristotle] |
| 22585 | Look at all of the citizens before judging a city to be happy [Aristotle] |
| 22564 | Community is based on friends, who are equal and similar, and share things [Aristotle] |
| 22565 | The best communities rely on a large and strong middle class [Aristotle] |
| 22534 | People care less about what is communal, and more about what is their own [Aristotle] |
| 22538 | Owning and sharing property communally increases disagreements [Aristotle] |
| 22536 | There could be private land and public crops, or public land and private crops, or both public [Aristotle] |
| 22530 | Both women and children should be educated, as this contributes to a city's excellence [Aristotle] |
| 21358 | Natural slaves are those naturally belonging to another, or who can manage no more than labouring [Aristotle] |
| 20092 | One principle of liberty is to take turns ruling and being ruled [Aristotle] |
| 2833 | Equality is obviously there to help people who do not get priority in the constitution [Aristotle] |
| 2834 | It is always the weak who want justice and equality, not the strong [Aristotle] |
| 2830 | We can claim an equal right to aristocratic virtue, as well as to wealth or freedom [Aristotle] |
| 22569 | The Heraeans replaced election with lot, to thwart campaigning [Aristotle] |
| 22550 | It is dreadful to neither give a share nor receive a share [Aristotle] |
| 22568 | Faction is for inferiors to be equal, and equals to become superior [Aristotle] |
| 2814 | Phaleas proposed equality of property, provided there is equality of education [Aristotle] |
| 22540 | Wealth could be quickly leveled by only the rich giving marriage dowries [Aristotle] |
| 2828 | Law is intelligence without appetite [Aristotle] |
| 22537 | Property should be owned privately, but used communally [Aristotle] |
| 2825 | The good is obviously justice, which benefits the whole community, and involves equality in some sense [Aristotle] |
| 22573 | The virtue of justice may be relative to a particular constitution [Aristotle] |
| 22527 | Justice is the order in a political community [Aristotle] |
| 22547 | Justice is equality for equals, and inequality for unequals [Aristotle] |
| 22556 | Laws that match people's habits are more effective than mere written rules [Aristotle] |
| 2806 | Man is the worst of all animals when divorced from law and justice [Aristotle] |
| 2816 | If it is easy to change the laws, that makes them weaker [Aristotle] |
| 22551 | Correct law should be in control, with rulers only deciding uncertain issues [Aristotle] |
| 22554 | It is said that we should not stick strictly to written law, as it is too vague [Aristotle] |
| 2827 | It is preferable that law should rule rather than any single citizen [Aristotle] |
| 2840 | The whole state should pay for the worship of the gods [Aristotle] |
| 2811 | A state is plural, and needs education to make it a community [Aristotle] |
| 22588 | A city has a single end, so education must focus on that, and be communal, not private [Aristotle] |
| 2847 | The aim of serious childhood play is the amusement of the complete adult [Aristotle] |
| 2842 | Men learn partly by habit, and partly by listening [Aristotle] |
| 2844 | Abortions should be procured before the embryo has acquired life and sensation [Aristotle] |
| 2809 | If nature makes everything for a purpose, then plants and animals must have been made for man [Aristotle] |
| 2800 | The best instruments have one purpose, not many [Aristotle] |
| 2836 | God is not blessed and happy because of external goods, but because of his own nature [Aristotle] |
| 2802 | Men imagine gods to be of human shape, with a human lifestyle [Aristotle] |
| 24043 | Soul must be immortal, since it continually moves, like the heavens [Alcmaeon, by Aristotle] |