Ideas from 'Modern Philosophy:introduction and survey' by Roger Scruton [1994], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Modern Philosophy: introduction and survey' by Scruton,Roger [Sinclair-Stevenson 1994,1-85619-392-6]].

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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / c. Philosophy as generalisation

3879	Philosophy aims to provide a theory of everything

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 3. Analysis of Preconditions

3891	If p entails q, then p is sufficient for q, and q is necessary for p

2. Reason / E. Argument / 4. Open Question

3894	We may define 'good' correctly, but then ask whether the application of the definition is good

3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 1. Truth

3883	A true proposition is consistent with every other true proposition

3. Truth / E. Pragmatic Truth / 1. Pragmatic Truth

3884	The pragmatist does not really have a theory of truth

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / c. Counting procedure

3907	Could you be intellectually acquainted with numbers, but unable to count objects?

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 10. Constructivism / b. Intuitionism

3908	If maths contains unprovable truths, then maths cannot be reduced to a set of proofs

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 12. Denial of Properties

3906	If possible worlds are needed to define properties, maybe we should abandon properties

10. Modality / A. Necessity / 11. Denial of Necessity

3888	Hume assumes that necessity can only be de dicto, not de re

10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 4. Conceivable as Possible / c. Possible but inconceivable

3903	The conceivable can't be a test of the possible, if there are things which are possible but inconceivable

11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 1. Knowledge

3897	Epistemology is about the justification of belief, not the definition of knowledge

11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 4. The Cogito

3881	In the Cogito argument consciousness develops into self-consciousness

12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 5. A Priori Synthetic

3887	Maybe our knowledge of truth and causation is synthetic a priori

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / c. Primary qualities

3901	Touch only seems to reveal primary qualities

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / e. Primary/secondary critique

3885	We only conceive of primary qualities as attached to secondary qualities

3910	If primary and secondary qualities are distinct, what has the secondary qualities?

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 3. Representation

3899	The representational theory says perceptual states are intentional states

13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 2. Causal Justification

3898	My belief that it will rain tomorrow can't be caused by its raining tomorrow

13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 6. Scepticism Critique

3880	Logical positivism avoids scepticism, by closing the gap between evidence and conclusion

13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 6. Relativism Critique

3878	Why should you believe someone who says there are no truths?

16. Persons / F. Free Will / 6. Determinism / a. Determinism

3892	Every event having a cause, and every event being determined by its cause, are not the same

17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 2. Interactionism

3911	The very concept of a substance denies the possibility of mutual interaction and dependence

19. Language / F. Communication / 4. Private Language

3882	Wittgenstein makes it impossible to build foundations from something that is totally private

23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 5. Free Rider

3896	Any social theory of morality has the problem of the 'free rider', who only pretends to join in

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 2. Duty

3886	Membership is the greatest source of obligation

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 4. Categorical Imperative

3895	The categorical imperative is not just individual, but can be used for negotiations between strangers

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 1. Causation

3890	'Cause' used to just mean any valid explanation

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

3904	Measuring space requires no movement while I do it

28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / b. Ontological Proof critique

3905	'Existence' is not a predicate of 'man', but of the concept of man, saying it has at least one instance