Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for Rescher,N/Oppenheim,P, Stephen Wolfram and Blasius of Parma

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4 ideas

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / g. Applying mathematics

20660	At one level maths and nature are very similar, suggesting some deeper origin [Wolfram]
	Full Idea: At some rather abstract level one can immediately recognise one basic similarity between nature and mathematics ...this suggests that the overall similarity between mathematics and nature must have a deeper origin.
	From: Stephen Wolfram (A New Kind of Science [2002], p.772), quoted by Peter Watson - Convergence 17 'Philosophy'
	A reaction: Personally I think mathematics has been derived by abstracting from the patterns in nature, and then further extrapolating from those abstractions. So the puzzle in nature is not the correspondence with mathematics, but the patterns.

9. Objects / C. Structure of Objects / 8. Parts of Objects / c. Wholes from parts

12887	A whole must have one characteristic, an internal relation, and a structure [Rescher/Oppenheim]
	Full Idea: A whole must possess an attribute peculiar to and characteristic of it as a whole; there must be a characteristic relation of dependence between the parts; and the whole must have some structure which gives it characteristics.
	From: Rescher,N/Oppenheim,P (Logical Analysis of Gestalt Concepts [1955], p.90), quoted by Peter Simons - Parts 9.2
	A reaction: Simons says these are basically sensible conditions, and tries to fill them out. They seem a pretty good start, and I must resist the temptation to rush to borderline cases.

17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 1. Physical Mind

16618	Intellectual and moral states, and even the soul itself, depend on prime matter for their existence [Blasius, by Pasnau]
	Full Idea: Blasius argued that prime matter is the subject of all our intellectual and moral states. This implies that such states cannot exist apart from the body, which seems to imply further that the soul itself cannot exist apart from the body.
	From: report of Blasius of Parma (Les quaestiones de anima (lectures on the soul) [1385], I.8 p.65) by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 06.3
	A reaction: It seems that, under pressure, Blasius recanted this view in lectures given eleven years later.

27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 4. Substantival Space

20659	Space and its contents seem to be one stuff - so space is the only existing thing [Wolfram]
	Full Idea: It seems plausible that both space and its contents should somehow be made of the same stuff - so that in a sense space becomes the only thing in the universe.
	From: Stephen Wolfram (A New Kind of Science [2002], p.474), quoted by Peter Watson - Convergence 17 'Philosophy'
	A reaction: I presume the concept of a 'field' is what makes this idea possible.