Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'On 'Generation and Corruption'' and 'Presentation of Self in Everyday Life'

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3 ideas

16. Persons / E. Rejecting the Self / 2. Self as Social Construct
Goffman sees the self as no more than a peg on which to hang roles we play [Goffman, by MacIntyre]
     Full Idea: Erving Goffman has liquidated the self into its role-playing, arguing that the self is no more than 'a peg' on which the clothes of the role are hung.
     From: report of Erving Goffman (Presentation of Self in Everyday Life [1959]) by Alasdair MacIntyre - After Virtue: a Study in Moral Theory Ch.3
     A reaction: A rather unsympathetic expression of his view, but it seems to be a widely held view among students of sociology. But then sociologists are almost committed a priori to a social and relativist view of truth, persons, knowledge, religion etc.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues
The six perfections are giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom [Nagarjuna]
     Full Idea: The six perfections are of giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom.
     From: Nagarjuna (Mahaprajnaparamitashastra [c.120], 88)
     A reaction: What is 'morality', if giving is not part of it? I like patience and vigour being two of the virtues, which immediately implies an Aristotelian mean (which is always what is 'appropriate').
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / f. Ancient elements
Elements are found last in dismantling bodies, and first in generating them [Albert of Saxony]
     Full Idea: On one possible description, an element is what is found last when bodies are taken apart, and what is found first when bodies are generated.
     From: Albert of Saxony (On 'Generation and Corruption' [1356], II.3), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 2.1