Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'What is an Idea?' and 'How to Russell a Frege-Church'

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6 ideas

5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 2. Descriptions / c. Theory of definite descriptions

11989	For Russell, expressions dependent on contingent circumstances must be eliminated [Kaplan]
	Full Idea: It is a tenet of Russell's theory that all expressions, and especially definite descriptions, whose denotation is dependent upon contingent circumstances must be eliminated.
	From: David Kaplan (How to Russell a Frege-Church [1975], II)

10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 3. Transworld Objects / d. Haecceitism

11990	'Haecceitism' says that sameness or difference of individuals is independent of appearances [Kaplan]
	Full Idea: The doctrine that we can ask whether this is the same individual in another possible world, and that a common 'thisness' may underlie extreme dissimilarity, or distinct thisnesses may underlie great resemblance, I call 'Haecceitism'.
	From: David Kaplan (How to Russell a Frege-Church [1975], IV)
	A reaction: Penelope Mackie emphasises that this doctrine, that each thing is somehow individuated, is not the same as believing in actual haecceities, specific properties which achieve the individuating.

9668	'Haecceitism' is common thisness under dissimilarity, or distinct thisnesses under resemblance [Kaplan]
	Full Idea: That a common 'thisness' may underlie extreme dissimilarity or distinct thisnesses may underlie great resemblance I call 'haecceitism'. (I prefer the pronunciation Hex'-ee-i-tis-m).
	From: David Kaplan (How to Russell a Frege-Church [1975], IV)
	A reaction: [odd pronunciation, if 'haec' is pronounced haeek] The view seems to be very unpopular (e.g. with Lewis, Bird and Mumford). But there is an intuitive sense of whether or not two things are identical when they seem dissimilar.

11991	If quantification into modal contexts is legitimate, that seems to imply some form of haecceitism [Kaplan]
	Full Idea: If one regards the usual form of quantification into modal and other intensional contexts - modality de re - as legitimate (without special explanations), then one seems committed to some form of haecceitism.
	From: David Kaplan (How to Russell a Frege-Church [1975], IV)
	A reaction: That is, modal reference requires fixed identities, irrespective of possible changes in properties. Why could one not refer to objects just as bundles of properties, with some sort of rules about when it ceased to be that particular bundle (keep 60%?)?

18. Thought / C. Content / 2. Ideas

19423	By an 'idea' I mean not an actual thought, but the resources we can draw on to think [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: What I mean by an idea is not a certain act of thinking, but a power or faculty such that we have an idea of a thing even if we are not thinking about it but know that we can think it when the occasion arises.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (What is an Idea? [1676], p.281)
	A reaction: 'Idea' tends to be used in the seventeenth century to mean an actual mental event. It is because Leibniz believes in the unconscious mind that he can offer this rather different, and probably superior, notion of an 'idea'.

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').