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All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'Principles of Nature and Grace based on Reason' and 'The Meaning of the Word'

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8 ideas

3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 2. Defining Truth

6710	You can only define a statement that something is 'true' by referring to its functional possibilities [James]
	Full Idea: Pragmatism insists that statements and beliefs are inertly and statically true only by courtesy: they practically pass for true; but you cannot define what you mean by calling them true without referring to their functional possibilities.
	From: William James (The Meaning of the Word "Truth" [1907], p.2)
	A reaction: I think this clarifies an objection to pragmatism, because all functional definitions (e.g. of the mind, or of moral behaviour) are preceded by the question of WHY this thing is able to function in this way. What special quality makes this possible?

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

22305	If the hypothesis of God is widely successful, it is true [James]
	Full Idea: On pragmatistic principles, if the hypothesis of God works satisfactorily in the widest sense of the word, it is true.
	From: William James (The Meaning of the Word "Truth" [1907], p.299), quoted by Michael Potter - The Rise of Analytic Philosophy 1879-1930 35 'Prag'
	A reaction: How you get from 'widely satisfactory' to 'true' is beyond my comprehension. This is dangerous nonsense. This view of truth seems to be a commonplace in American culture. Peirce hurray! James boo! James accepted verification, where possible.

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 5. Reason for Existence

5062	First: there must be reasons; Second: why anything at all?; Third: why this? [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: We rise to metaphysics by saying 'nothing takes place without a reason', then asking 'why is there something rather than nothing?, and then 'why do things exist as they do?'
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Principles of Nature and Grace based on Reason [1714], §7)
	A reaction: Wonderful. This is what we pay philosophers for - to attempt to go to the heart of the mystery, and then start formulating the appropriate questions. The question of 'why this?' is the sweetest question. The first one seems a little intractable.

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 6. Fundamentals / c. Monads

19377	A monad and its body are living, so life is everywhere, and comes in infinite degrees [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Each monad, together with a particular body, makes up a living substance. Thus, there is not only life everywhere, joined to limbs or organs, but there are also infinite degrees of life in the monads, some dominating more or less over others.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Principles of Nature and Grace based on Reason [1714], 4)
	A reaction: Two key ideas: that each monad is linked to a body (which is presumably passive), and the infinite degrees of life in monads. Thus rocks consist of monads, but at an exceedingly low degree of life. They are stubborn and responsive.

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 1. Perception

19353	'Perception' is basic internal representation, and 'apperception' is reflective knowledge of perception [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: We distinguish between 'perception', the internal state of the monad representing external things, and 'apperception', which is consciousness, or the reflective knowledge of this internal state, not given to all souls, nor at all times to a given soul.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Principles of Nature and Grace based on Reason [1714], §4)
	A reaction: The word 'apperception' is standard in Kant. I find it surprising that modern analytic philosophers don't seem to use it when they write about perception. It strikes me as useful, but maybe specialists have a reason for avoiding it.

15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 7. Animal Minds

5061	Animals are semi-rational because they connect facts, but they don't see causes [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: There is a connexion between the perceptions of animals, which bears some resemblance to reason: but it is based only on the memory of facts or effects, and not at all on the knowledge of causes.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Principles of Nature and Grace based on Reason [1714], §5)
	A reaction: This amounts to the view that animals can do Humean induction (where you see regularities), but not Leibnizian induction (where you see necessities). I say all minds perceive patterns, but only humans can think about the patterns they have perceived.

21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 8. The Arts / a. Music

5063	Music charms, although its beauty is the harmony of numbers [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Music charms us although its beauty only consists in the harmony of numbers.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Principles of Nature and Grace based on Reason [1714], §17)
	A reaction: 'Only'! This is a super-pythagorean view of music, as you might expect from a great mathematician. Did he understand the horrible compromises that had just been made to achieve even-tempered tuning? Patterns are the key, as always.

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').