Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'The Realm of Matter' and 'The Mirage of Social Justice'

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4 ideas

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 6. Criterion for Existence
18521 The criterion of existence is the possibility of action [Santayana]
     Full Idea: The possibility of action ...is the criterion of existence, and the test of substantiality.
     From: George Santayana (The Realm of Matter [1930], p.107), quoted by John Heil - The Universe as We Find It
     A reaction: I rather like this. I think I would say the power is the criterion of existence.
25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice
20543 'Social justice' is a confused idea, and inequalities need no justification [Hayek, by Swift]
     Full Idea: Hayek thinks the whole idea of social justice involves a philosophical mistake, so that inequality doesn't really need justification in the first place.
     From: report of F.A. Hayek (The Mirage of Social Justice [1976]) by Adam Swift - Political Philosophy (3rd ed) 1 'Conc'
     A reaction: It is certainly hard to justify the claim that the state of nature involves equality, making its disturbance in need of justification. But surely inequalities in government policy (such as differential income tax) need justification?
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 5. Education / b. Education principles
13304 Learned men gain more in one day than others do in a lifetime [Posidonius]
     Full Idea: In a single day there lies open to men of learning more than there ever does to the unenlightened in the longest of lifetimes.
     From: Posidonius (fragments/reports [c.95 BCE]), quoted by Seneca the Younger - Letters from a Stoic 078
     A reaction: These remarks endorsing the infinite superiority of the educated to the uneducated seem to have been popular in late antiquity. It tends to be the religions which discourage great learning, especially in their emphasis on a single book.
27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / d. Time as measure
20820 Time is an interval of motion, or the measure of speed [Posidonius, by Stobaeus]
     Full Idea: Posidonius defined time thus: it is an interval of motion, or the measure of speed and slowness.
     From: report of Posidonius (fragments/reports [c.95 BCE]) by John Stobaeus - Anthology 1.08.42
     A reaction: Hm. Can we define motion or speed without alluding to time? Looks like we have to define them as a conjoined pair, which means we cannot fully understand either of them.