Ideas of David M. Armstrong, by Theme
[Australian, 1926 - 2014, Born in Melbourne. Pupil of John Anderson. Taught at Sydney University.]
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1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 5. Metaphysics beyond Science
18390
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All metaphysical discussion should be guided by a quest for truthmakers
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1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 7. Limitations of Analysis
17663
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If you know what it is, investigation is pointless. If you don't, investigation is impossible
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 6. Ockham's Razor
4036
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What matters is not how many entities we postulate, but how many kinds of entities [Mellor/Oliver]
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3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 4. Truthmaker Necessitarianism
18467
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Truth-making can't be entailment, because truthmakers are portions of reality
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18468
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Armstrong says truthmakers necessitate their truth, where 'necessitate' is a primitive relation [MacBride]
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3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 6. Making Negative Truths
15547
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Negative existentials have 'totality facts' as truthmakers [Lewis]
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18377
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Negative truths have as truthmakers all states of affairs relevant to the truth
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18382
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The nature of arctic animals is truthmaker for the absence of penguins there
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3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 7. Making Modal Truths
18384
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One truthmaker will do for a contingent truth and for its contradictory
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18394
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In mathematics, truthmakers are possible instantiations of structures
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18386
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What is the truthmaker for 'it is possible that there could have been nothing'?
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18387
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The truthmakers for possible unicorns are the elements in their combination
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3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 8. Making General Truths
18381
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Necessitating general truthmakers must also specify their limits
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3. Truth / C. Correspondence Truth / 1. Correspondence Truth
4742
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Correspondence may be one-many or many one, as when either p or q make 'p or q' true
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4. Formal Logic / D. Modal Logic ML / 3. Modal Logic Systems / g. System S4
15544
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If what is actual might have been impossible, we need S4 modal logic [Lewis]
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4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 1. Set Theory
18396
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The set theory brackets { } assert that the member is a unit
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4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 3. Types of Set / b. Empty (Null) Set
18393
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For 'there is a class with no members' we don't need the null set as truthmaker
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6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / a. Units
18392
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Classes have cardinalities, so their members must all be treated as units
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7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 6. Fundamentals / d. Logical atoms
18385
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Logical atomism builds on the simple properties, but are they the only possible properties?
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 3. Reality
8507
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Some think of reality as made of things; I prefer facts or states of affairs
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 5. Naturalism
18391
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'Naturalism' says only the world of space-time exists
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 7. Fictionalism
9497
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Without modality, Armstrong falls back on fictionalism to support counterfactual laws [Bird]
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / b. Types of fact
17688
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Negative facts are supervenient on positive facts, suggesting they are positive facts
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 9. States of Affairs
18374
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Truthmaking needs states of affairs, to unite particulars with tropes or universals.
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8. Modes of Existence / A. Relations / 4. Formal Relations / a. Types of relation
17691
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Nothing is genuinely related to itself
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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 1. Nature of Properties
7024
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Properties are universals, which are always instantiated [Heil]
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17679
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All instances of some property are strictly identical
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15550
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Properties are contingently existing beings with multiple locations in space and time [Lewis]
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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 2. Need for Properties
15754
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Without properties we would be unable to express the laws of nature
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18372
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We need properties, as minimal truthmakers for the truths about objects
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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 3. Types of Properties
18379
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The determinates of a determinable must be incompatible with each other
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18378
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Length is a 'determinable' property, and one mile is one its 'determinates'
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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 6. Categorical Properties
9478
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Even if all properties are categorical, they may be denoted by dispositional predicates [Bird]
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12677
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Armstrong holds that all basic properties are categorical [Ellis]
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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 10. Properties as Predicates
4034
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Whether we apply 'cold' or 'hot' to an object is quite separate from its change of temperature
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8535
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To the claim that every predicate has a property, start by eliminating failure of application of predicate
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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / a. Nature of tropes
8537
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Tropes fall into classes, because exact similarity is symmetrical and transitive
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4444
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One moderate nominalist view says that properties and relations exist, but they are particulars
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18373
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If tropes are non-transferable, then they necessarily belong to their particular substance
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8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / b. Critique of tropes
8538
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Trope theory needs extra commitments, to symmetry and non-transitivity, unless resemblance is exact
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4445
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If properties and relations are particulars, there is still the problem of how to classify and group them
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8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 5. Powers and Properties
18400
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Properties are not powers - they just have powers
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8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 6. Dispositions / a. Dispositions
14330
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To be realists about dispositions, we can only discuss them through their categorical basis
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8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 7. Against Powers
17666
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Actualism means that ontology cannot contain what is merely physically possible
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17667
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Dispositions exist, but their truth-makers are actual or categorical properties
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17687
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If everything is powers there is a vicious regress, as powers are defined by more powers
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18397
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Powers must result in some non-powers, or there would only be potential without result
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18399
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How does the power of gravity know the distance it acts over?
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8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 1. Universals
8506
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Particulars and properties are distinguishable, but too close to speak of a relation
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17678
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Universals are just the repeatable features of a world
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4448
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Should we decide which universals exist a priori (through words), or a posteriori (through science)?
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8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 2. Need for Universals
10729
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Universals explain resemblance and causal power [Oliver]
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4032
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The problem of universals is how many particulars can all be of the same 'type'
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17669
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Realist regularity theories of laws need universals, to pick out the same phenomena
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8539
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Universals are required to give a satisfactory account of the laws of nature
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8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 3. Instantiated Universals
17686
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Universals are abstractions from states of affairs
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15442
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Universals are abstractions from their particular instances [Lewis]
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17677
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Past, present and future must be equally real if universals are instantiated
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8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 4. Uninstantiated Universals
4446
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It is claimed that some universals are not exemplified by any particular, so must exist separately
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8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 6. Platonic Forms / c. Self-predication
4442
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Most thinkers now reject self-predication (whiteness is NOT white) so there is no Third Man problem
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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / a. Nominalism
8505
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Refusal to explain why different tokens are of the same type is to be an ostrich
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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 1. Nominalism / c. Nominalism about abstracta
8529
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Deniers of properties and relations rely on either predicates or on classes
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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 2. Resemblance Nominalism
8532
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Resemblances must be in certain 'respects', and they seem awfully like properties
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4439
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'Resemblance Nominalism' says properties are resemblances between classes of particulars
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4440
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'Resemblance Nominalism' finds that in practice the construction of resemblance classes is hard
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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 3. Predicate Nominalism
4031
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It doesn't follow that because there is a predicate there must therefore exist a property
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8530
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Change of temperature in objects is quite independent of the predicates 'hot' and 'cold'
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8536
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We want to know what constituents of objects are grounds for the application of predicates
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4431
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'Predicate Nominalism' says that a 'universal' property is just a predicate applied to lots of things
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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 4. Concept Nominalism
4433
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Concept and predicate nominalism miss out some predicates, and may be viciously regressive
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4432
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'Concept Nominalism' says a 'universal' property is just a mental concept applied to lots of things
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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 5. Class Nominalism
8531
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In most sets there is no property common to all the members
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4436
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'Class Nominalism' may explain properties if we stick to 'natural' sets, and ignore random ones
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4434
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'Class Nominalism' says that properties or kinds are merely membership of a set (e.g. of white things)
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4435
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'Class Nominalism' cannot explain co-extensive properties, or sets with random members
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18371
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The class of similar things is much too big a truthmaker for the feature of a particular
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8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 6. Mereological Nominalism
4437
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'Mereological Nominalism' sees whiteness as a huge white object consisting of all the white things
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4438
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'Mereological Nominalism' may work for whiteness, but it doesn't seem to work for squareness
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9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 5. Individuation / b. Individuation by properties
17668
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It is likely that particulars can be individuated by unique conjunctions of properties
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9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 15. Against Essentialism
15753
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Essences might support Resemblance Nominalism, but they are too coarse and ill-defined
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9. Objects / F. Identity among Objects / 1. Concept of Identity
18389
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When entities contain entities, or overlap with them, there is 'partial' identity
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9. Objects / F. Identity among Objects / 4. Type Identity
10024
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The type-token distinction is the universal-particular distinction [Hodes]
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9. Objects / F. Identity among Objects / 5. Self-Identity
10728
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A thing's self-identity can't be a universal, since we can know it a priori [Oliver]
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17680
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The identity of a thing with itself can be ruled out as a pseudo-property
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10. Modality / B. Possibility / 1. Possibility
15542
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All possibilities are recombinations of properties in the actual world [Lewis]
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10. Modality / B. Possibility / 5. Contingency
17693
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The necessary/contingent distinction may need to recognise possibilities as real
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10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 1. Sources of Necessity
4743
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The truth-maker for a truth must necessitate that truth
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10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 1. Possible Worlds / d. Possible worlds actualism
11003
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The best version of reductionist actualism around is Armstrong's combinatorial account [Read]
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10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 1. Possible Worlds / e. Against possible worlds
18388
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Possible worlds don't fix necessities; intrinsic necessities imply the extension in worlds
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12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / d. Secondary qualities
6498
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Armstrong suggests secondary qualities are blurred primary qualities [Robinson,H]
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7440
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Secondary qualities are microscopic primary qualities of physical things
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12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 7. Causal Perception
3900
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Maybe experience is not essential to perception, but only to the causing of beliefs [Scruton]
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13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 1. External Justification
4253
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Externalism says knowledge involves a natural relation between the belief state and what makes it true
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14. Science / C. Induction / 3. Limits of Induction
17685
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Induction aims at 'all Fs', but abduction aims at hidden or theoretical entities
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14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem
17675
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Unlike 'green', the 'grue' predicate involves a time and a change
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17683
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Science suggests that the predicate 'grue' is not a genuine single universal
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14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / b. Raven paradox
17674
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The raven paradox has three disjuncts, confirmed by confirming any one of them
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / a. Types of explanation
17672
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A good reason for something (the smoke) is not an explanation of it (the fire)
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / e. Lawlike explanations
17684
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To explain observations by a regular law is to explain the observations by the observations
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / a. Best explanation
17676
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Best explanations explain the most by means of the least
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15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / b. Essence of consciousness
7437
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Consciousness and experience of qualities are not the same
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15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 5. Generalisation by mind
18375
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General truths are a type of negative truth, saying there are no more ravens than black ones
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16. Persons / C. Self-Awareness / 1. Introspection
5690
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A mental state without belief refutes self-intimation; a belief with no state refutes infallibility [Shoemaker]
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17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 1. Behaviourism
7434
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Behaviourism is false, but mind is definable as the cause of behaviour
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17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 2. Potential Behaviour
7436
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The manifestations of a disposition need never actually exist
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17. Mind and Body / C. Functionalism / 4. Causal Functionalism
5493
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If pains are defined causally, and research shows that the causal role is physical, then pains are physical [Lycan]
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4600
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Armstrong and Lewis see functionalism as an identity of the function and its realiser [Heil]
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7429
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Causal Functionalism says mental states are apt for producing behaviour
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17. Mind and Body / C. Functionalism / 5. Teleological Functionalism
7438
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A causal theory of mentality would be improved by a teleological element
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17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 1. Physical Mind
7431
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The identity of mental states with physical properties is contingent, because the laws of nature are contingent
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17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 7. Anti-Physicalism / b. Multiple realisability
7432
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One mental role might be filled by a variety of physical types
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18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 1. Abstract Thought
17664
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Each subject has an appropriate level of abstraction
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19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 3. Predicates
8533
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Predicates need ontological correlates to ensure that they apply
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4035
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There must be some explanation of why certain predicates are applicable to certain objects
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19. Language / D. Propositions / 2. Abstract Propositions / a. Propositions as sense
18368
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For all being, there is a potential proposition which expresses its existence and nature
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18370
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A realm of abstract propositions is causally inert, so has no explanatory value
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26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / e. The One
17692
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We can't deduce the phenomena from the One
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26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 2. Types of cause
17689
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Absences might be effects, but surely not causes?
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26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 4. Naturalised causation
18380
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Negative causations supervene on positive causations plus their laws?
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26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / d. Causal necessity
4798
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In recent writings, Armstrong makes a direct identification of necessitation with causation [Psillos]
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26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 1. Laws of Nature
17662
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Science depends on laws of nature to study unobserved times and spaces
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17682
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A universe couldn't consist of mere laws
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26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 2. Types of Laws
17690
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Oaken conditional laws, Iron universal laws, and Steel necessary laws [PG]
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26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 3. Laws and Generalities
17670
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Newton's First Law refers to bodies not acted upon by a force, but there may be no such body
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26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 4. Regularities / a. Regularity theory
8582
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Regularities are lawful if a second-order universal unites two first-order universals [Lewis]
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17671
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A naive regularity view says if it never occurs then it is impossible
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8541
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Regularities theories are poor on causal connections, counterfactuals and probability
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8540
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The introduction of sparse properties avoids the regularity theory's problem with 'grue'
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26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 5. Laws from Universals
17681
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The laws of nature link properties with properties
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16246
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Rather than take necessitation between universals as primitive, just make laws primitive [Maudlin]
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9480
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Armstrong has an unclear notion of contingent necessitation, which can't necessitate anything [Bird]
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26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / e. Anti scientific essentialism
5492
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How can essences generate the right powers to vary with distance between objects?
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27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 3. Parts of Time / e. Present moment
18401
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The pure present moment is too brief to be experienced
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