Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'On the Elements of Being: I' and 'Reply to Hellman'

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5 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / a. Nature of tropes

8510	'Socrates is wise' means a concurrence sum contains a member of a similarity set [Williams,DC]
	Full Idea: 'Socrates is wise' means that the concurrence sum (Socrates) includes a trope which is a member of the similarity set (Wisdom).
	From: Donald C. Williams (On the Elements of Being: I [1953], p.119)
	A reaction: Resemblance has to be taken as a basic (and presumably unanalysable) concept, which invites Russell's objection (Idea 4441).

8508	A 'trope' is an abstract particular, the occurrence of an essence [Williams,DC]
	Full Idea: I shall divert the word 'trope' to stand for the abstract particular which is, so to speak, the occurrence of an essence.
	From: Donald C. Williams (On the Elements of Being: I [1953], p.115)
	A reaction: Thus tropes entered philosophical discussion. Presumably the precedent for an 'abstract particular' would be a particular occurrence of the number 7.

8509	A world is completely constituted by its tropes and their connections [Williams,DC]
	Full Idea: Any possible world, and hence, of course, this one, is completely constituted by its tropes and connections of location and similarity.
	From: Donald C. Williams (On the Elements of Being: I [1953], p.116)
	A reaction: Note that Williams regularly referred to possible worlds in 1953. This is a full-blooded trope theory, which asserts that objects are bundles of tropes, so that both particulars and universals are ontologically taken care of.

12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 2. Self-Evidence

9379	A sentence is obvious if it is true, and any speaker of the language will instantly agree to it [Quine]
	Full Idea: A sentence is obvious if (a) it is true and (b) any speaker of the language is prepared, for any reason or none, to assent to it without hesitation, unless put off by being asked so obvious a question.
	From: Willard Quine (Reply to Hellman [1975], p.206), quoted by Paul Boghossian - Analyticity Reconsidered §III
	A reaction: This comes from someone who is keen to deny a priori knowledge, but what are we to make of the expostulations "It's obvious, you idiot!", and "Now I see it, it's obvious!", and "It seemed obvious, but I was wrong!"?

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues

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').