4 ideas
1403 | A rational donkey would starve to death between two totally identical piles of hay [Buridan, by PG] |
Full Idea: A rational donkey faced with two totally identical piles of hay would be unable to decide which one to eat first, and would therefore starve to death | |
From: report of Jean Buridan (talk [1338]) by PG - Db (ideas) | |
A reaction: also De Caelo 295b32 (Idea 19740). |
3912 | I must exist in order to be mistaken, so that even if I am mistaken, I can't be wrong about my own existence [Augustine] |
Full Idea: Since therefore I must exist in order to be mistaken, then even if I am mistaken, there can be no doubt that I am not mistaken in my knowledge that I exist…. I know that I exist, and I also know that I know. | |
From: Augustine (City of God [c.427], Ch.XI.26) | |
A reaction: Fine, but the main problem is his over-confidence about a stable personal identity that does the thinking. |
6683 | The contact of spirit and body is utterly amazing, and incomprehensible [Augustine] |
Full Idea: The manner of contact of spirit with body, which produces a living being, is utterly amazing and beyond our powers of comprehension | |
From: Augustine (City of God [c.427], XXI.10) | |
A reaction: This leads to a rather clear objection against a theory which needs a miracle to explain a common natural phenomenon. At least Augustine was beginning to recognise that interaction is a bit of a problem. |
7903 | 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'). |