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All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'On Euclidean Geometry' and 'works'

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4 ideas

1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 3. Hermeneutics

5435	An interpreter of a text, because of wider knowledge, can understand it better than its author [Schleiermacher, by Mautner]
	Full Idea: Schleiermacher proposed that an interpreter of a text may be in a better position to see the author's life and work and historical setting as a whole, and so understand the text better than its author.
	From: report of Friedrich Schleiermacher (works [1825]) by Thomas Mautner - Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy p.248
	A reaction: This sounds like a very quaintly old-fashioned enlightenment view which has been swept away by post-modernism, which is why I agree with it. We have a perspective on Descartes now which he could never have dreamt of.

22028	Unity emerges from understanding particulars, so understanding is prior to seeing unity [Schleiermacher]
	Full Idea: We only gradually arrive at the knowledge of the inner unity via the understanding of individual utterances, and therefore the art of explication is also presupposed if the inner unity is to be found....The task is infinite, and can never be accomplished.
	From: Friedrich Schleiermacher (works [1825], p.235), quoted by Terry Pinkard - German Philosophy 1760-1860 06
	A reaction: [p.235 in ed Bowie 1998] This is the first statement of the hermeneutic circle, which needs whole to grasp parts, and parts to grasp whole. Personally I think the dangers of circles in philosophy are greatly exaggerated.

5. Theory of Logic / K. Features of Logics / 1. Axiomatisation

16886	The truth of an axiom must be independently recognisable [Frege]
	Full Idea: It is part of the concept of an axiom that it can be recognised as true independently of other truths.
	From: Gottlob Frege (On Euclidean Geometry [1900], 183/168), quoted by Tyler Burge - Frege on Knowing the Foundations 4
	A reaction: Frege thinks the axioms of arithmetic all reside in logic.

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').