Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature
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The Philosophy of Physics
The Philosophy of Physics ROBERTO TORRETTI University of Chile PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK www.cup.cam.ac.uk 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA www.cup.org 10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia Ruiz de Alarcón 13, 28014, Madrid, Spain © Roberto Torretti 1999 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1999 Printed in the United States of America Typeface Sabon 10.25/13 pt. System QuarkXPress [BTS] A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available. 0 521 56259 7 hardback 0 521 56571 5 paperback Contents Preface xiii 1 The Transformation of Natural Philosophy in the Seventeenth Century 1 1.1 Mathematics and Experiment 2 1.2 Aristotelian Principles 8 1.3 Modern Matter 13 1.4 Galileo on Motion 20 1.5 Modeling and Measuring 30 1.5.1 Huygens and the Laws of Collision 30 1.5.2 Leibniz and the Conservation of “Force” 33 1.5.3 Rømer and the Speed of Light 36 2 Newton 41 2.1 Mass and Force 42 2.2 Space and Time 50 2.3 Universal Gravitation 57 2.4 Rules of Philosophy 69 2.5 Newtonian Science 75 2.5.1 The Cause of Gravity 75 2.5.2 Central Forces 80 2.5.3 Analytical -
Elisabeth Leinfellner.Indd
Drei Pioniere der philosophisch-linguistischen Analyse von Zeit und Tempus: Mauthner, Jespersen, Reichenbach Elisabeth Leinfellner, Wien [A philosophical school in Tlön] reasons that the present is indefi nite, that the future has no reality other than as a present hope, that the past has no reality other than as a present memory. Jorge Luis Borges, Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius 1. Einleitung: die semantische Rolle der Tempora Unsere alltägliche, ,psychologische‘, aber auch die abstrakte newtonsche oder mathematische Vorstellung von Zeit – die ,klassischen‘ Zeitvorstellungen – laufen darauf hinaus, dass es eine einfache lineare Abfolge von Vergangen- heit-Gegenwart-Zukunft gibt. Analysiert man jedoch natürliche Sprachen, dann bietet sich ein anderes, komplexeres Bild: Würde man der einfachen, klassischen Vorstellung folgen, dann käme man in der Sprache mit drei Tempora aus: Präsens, Präteritum, Futurum. Ein Blick in die Grammatiken verschiedener Sprachen zeigt aber, dass es auch andere Tempora neben die- sen dreien gibt, so im heutigen Deutsch das Plusquamperfekt und das Fu- turum exactum. Gewisse Tempora und auch temporale Ersatzformen lösen mehr oder minder glücklich das Problem, dass z.B. in einer Erzählung im Präteritum manchmal auch im zeitlichen Rückgriff eine Vergangenheit vor der Vergangenheit dargestellt werden muss, oder eine Zukunft in der Ver- gangenheit. Die Ursachen für eine nicht chronologische Darstellung sind vielfältig, z.B. stilistisch-textliche oder dass wir uns an Ereignisse nicht im- mer in der richtigen Reihenfolge erinnern. Weiters muss die Verwendung der Tempora in erzählenden Texten die Rekonstruktion des chronologischen Ablaufs von Ereignissen erlauben, z.B. aus praktischen Gründen. Dass Texte keineswegs immer chronologisch geordnet sind, hat in verschiedenen Disziplinen und oft im Gefolge des russischen Formalismus zu einer Unterscheidung zwischen zwei zeitlichen Achsen geführt, der chronologischen Achse der Abfolge der Ereignisse, und F. -
Foundations of Newtonian Dynamics: an Axiomatic Approach For
Foundations of Newtonian Dynamics: 1 An Axiomatic Approach for the Thinking Student C. J. Papachristou 2 Department of Physical Sciences, Hellenic Naval Academy, Piraeus 18539, Greece Abstract. Despite its apparent simplicity, Newtonian mechanics contains conceptual subtleties that may cause some confusion to the deep-thinking student. These subtle- ties concern fundamental issues such as, e.g., the number of independent laws needed to formulate the theory, or, the distinction between genuine physical laws and deriva- tive theorems. This article attempts to clarify these issues for the benefit of the stu- dent by revisiting the foundations of Newtonian dynamics and by proposing a rigor- ous axiomatic approach to the subject. This theoretical scheme is built upon two fun- damental postulates, namely, conservation of momentum and superposition property for interactions. Newton’s laws, as well as all familiar theorems of mechanics, are shown to follow from these basic principles. 1. Introduction Teaching introductory mechanics can be a major challenge, especially in a class of students that are not willing to take anything for granted! The problem is that, even some of the most prestigious textbooks on the subject may leave the student with some degree of confusion, which manifests itself in questions like the following: • Is the law of inertia (Newton’s first law) a law of motion (of free bodies) or is it a statement of existence (of inertial reference frames)? • Are the first two of Newton’s laws independent of each other? It appears that -
Why Quine Is Not a Postmodernist
University of Chicago Law School Chicago Unbound Journal Articles Faculty Scholarship 1997 Why Quine Is Not a Postmodernist Brian Leiter Follow this and additional works at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/journal_articles Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Brian Leiter, "Why Quine Is Not a Postmodernist," 50 SMU Law Review 1739 (1997). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at Chicago Unbound. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal Articles by an authorized administrator of Chicago Unbound. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WHY QUINE Is NOT A POSTMODERNIST Brian Leiter* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ........................................ 1739 II. LEGITIMACY IN ADJUDICATION, TRUTH IN LAW. 1740 IL. PATFERSON'S QUINE VERSUS QUINE THE NATU RA LIST ........................................... 1746 I. INTRODUCTION ENNIS Patterson's wide-ranging book Law and Truth' has the great virtue of locating questions of legal theory within their broader (and rightful) philosophical context-that is, as special instances of more general problems in metaphysics and the philosophy of language. The book also sets out a position in jurisprudence that has some undeniable attractions.2 Although I have a number of disagree- ments with Patterson's treatment of the substantive philosophical issues at stake, there can be no doubt that he has performed a useful service in forcing legal philosophers to think seriously about the distinctively philo- sophical problems that define the discipline of jurisprudence. I organize my discussion around one topic in particular-namely, Pat- terson's identification of the great American philosopher Willard van Or- man Quine (born 1908) as a pivotal figure in the transition from "modernity" to "postmodernity."'3 This characterization, I will argue, in- volves an important misunderstanding of Quine's thought. -
Nijaz Ibrulj Faculty of Philosophy University of Sarajevo BOSNIA PORPHYRIANA an OUTLINE of the DEVELOPMENT of LOGIC in BOSNIA AN
UDK 16 (497.6) Nijaz Ibrulj Faculty of philosophy University of Sarajevo BOSNIA PORPHYRIANA AN OUTLINE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOGIC IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Abstract The text is a drought outlining the development of logic in Bosnia and Herzegovina through several periods of history: period of Ottoman occupation and administration of the Empire, period of Austro-Hungarian occupation and administration of the Monarchy, period of Communist regime and administration of the Socialist Republic and period from the aftermath of the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to this day (the Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina) and administration of the International Community. For each of the aforementioned periods, the text treats the organization of education, the educational paradigm of the model, status of logic as a subject in the educational system of a period, as well as the central figures dealing with the issue of logic (as researchers, lecturers, authors) and the key works written in each of the periods, outlining their main ideas. The work of a Neoplatonic philosopher Porphyry, “Introduction” (Greek: Eijsagwgh;v Latin: Isagoge; Arabic: Īsāġūğī) , can be seen, in all periods of education in Bosnia and Herze - govina, as the main text, the principal textbook, as a motivation for logical thinking. That gave me the right to introduce the syntagm Bosnia Porphyriana. SURVEY 109 1. Introduction Man taman ṭaqa tazandaqa. He who practices logic becomes a heretic. 1 It would be impossible to elaborate the development of logic in Bosnia -
The Theological Import of the Metaphor of the Book of Nature: Historical Hallmarks and Open Questions
Acta Pintériana 6. 2020. doi:10.29285/actapinteriana doi:10.29285/actapinteriana.2020.6.11 The theological import of the metaphor of the Book of Nature: historical hallmarks and open questions Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti Facoltà di Teologia Scuola Internazionale Superiore per la Ricerca Interdisciplinare (SISRI) Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, Roma. [email protected] Tanzella-Nitti, G. (2020): The theological import of the metaphor of the Book of Nature: historical hallmarks and open questions. A „Természet könyve”-metafora teológiai hozadéka: történelmi fordulópontok és nyitott kérdések. Acta Pintériana, 6: 11-21. Abstract: A tanulmány célja összegezni a „Természet könyve”-metafora kutatásával kapcsolatos kérdések mai állását, különösképpen is a fundamentálteológus szempontjai szerint. A szerző a kérdés másodlagos irodalmának bemutatása nyomán hangsúlyozza, hogy a metafora iránti érdeklődés messze túlmutat a teológia területén. A liber naturae-hagyomány diakronikus szerkezetének elemzése után, a hagyomány aktualizálhatóságának problematikája köti le a szerző figyelmét. A szinkronikus és elemző tárgyaláson belül különösen érdekfeszítő a lex naturalis kérdéskör vizsgálata, amely természetes erkölcsi törvény problematikája szervesen illeszkedik az itt vizsgált tágabb hagyományba. A tanulmány a szerző korábbi írásainál terjedelmesebben kitér a „Természet könyve” – gondolat kortárs tanítóhivatali recepciójára (vö. AP 2016, pp. 55-75). A gondolatmenet a hagyomány aktualizálása szempontjából fontos hermeneutikai kérdéseket is felvázolja, miközben az egész témát elhelyezi a II. Vatikáni Zsinat által felelevenített klasszikus Logosz-teológia horizontján. Nyomtatott formában a jelen angol nyelvű szöveg magyar fordítása is elérhető (In: BAGYINSZKI Á. [ed.] [2019]: A „Természet könyve” mint a „Szentírás könyvének” analógiája. Konferenciakötet, Sapientia Szerzetesi Hittudományi Főiskola & L’Harmattan, Budapest, pp. 21-48). I. Introduction Recent times have witnessed a remarkable interest in the notion of the „Book of Nature” as a locus of divine presence and revelation. -
A History of Women Philosophers Vol. IV
A HISTORY OF WOMEN PHILOSOPHERS A History of Women Philosophers 1. Ancient Women Philosophers, 600 B.C.-500 A.D. 2. Medieval, Renaissance and Enlightenment Women Philosophers, 500-1600 3. Modern Women Philosophers, 1600-1900 4. Contemporary Women Philosophers, 1900-today PROFESSOR C. J. DE VOGEL A History of Women Philosophers Volume 4 Contemporary Women Philosophers 1900-today Edited by MARY ELLEN WAITHE Cleveland State University, Cleveland, U.S.A. Springer-Science+Business Media, B. V. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Contemporary women philosophers : 1900-today / edited by Mary Ellen Waithe. p. cm. -- (A History of women philosophers ; v. 4.) Includes bibliographical references (p. xxx-xxx) and index. ISBN 978-0-7923-2808-7 ISBN 978-94-011-1114-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-1114-0 1. Women philosophers. 2. Philosophy. Modern--20th century. r. Waithe. Mary Ellen. II. Series. Bl05.W6C66 1994 190' .82--dc20 94-9712 ISBN 978-0-7923-2808-7 printed an acid-free paper AII Rights Reserved © 1995 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1995 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover lst edition 1995 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner. Contents Acknowledgements xv Introduction to Volume 4, by Mary Ellen Waithe xix 1. Victoria, Lady Welby (1837-1912), by William Andrew 1 Myers I. Introduction 1 II. Biography 1 III. -
Sign and Object: Quine's Forgotten Book Project
Synthese https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-018-1693-z Sign and Object: Quine’s forgotten book project Sander Verhaegh1 Received: 11 August 2017 / Accepted: 12 January 2018 © The Author(s) 2018. This article is an open access publication Abstract W. V. Quine’s first philosophical monograph, Word and Object (1960), is widely recognized as one of the most influential books of twentieth century philosophy. Notes, letters, and draft manuscripts at the Quine Archives, however, reveal that Quine was already working on a philosophical book in the early 1940s; a project entitled Sign and Object. In this paper, I examine these and other unpublished documents and show that Sign and Object sheds new light on the evolution of Quine’s ideas. Where “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” is usually considered to be a turning point in Quine’s development, this paper redefines the place of ‘Two Dogmas’ in his oeuvre. Not only does Quine’s book project reveal that his views were already fairly naturalistic in the early 1940s (Sects. 3–5); Sign and Object also unearths the steps Quine had to take in maturing his perspective; steps that will be traced in the second half of this paper (Sects. 6–9). Keywords Quine · Word and object · Carnap–Quine debate · Two dogmas of empiricism · Analytic–synthetic distinction · Phenomenalism · Naturalism 1 Introduction More than half a century ago, W. V. Quine published Word and Object, a book that is widely viewed as one of the most influential monographs of twentieth-century philosophy. In that book, Quine presents his seminal views on language, science, and B Sander Verhaegh [email protected] http://www.sanderverhaegh.com 1 Tilburg Center for Logic, Ethics, and Philosophy of Science (TiLPS), Tilburg University, Dante Building (second floor), Warandelaan 2, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands 123 Synthese ontology, and incorporates them in a new and comprehensive naturalistic framework; a metaphilosophy in which all forms of inquiry—philosophy, science, and common- sense—are viewed as part of a single continuous enterprise. -
Following the Argument Where It Leads
Following The Argument Where It Leads Thomas Kelly Princeton University [email protected] Abstract: Throughout the history of western philosophy, the Socratic injunction to ‘follow the argument where it leads’ has exerted a powerful attraction. But what is it, exactly, to follow the argument where it leads? I explore this intellectual ideal and offer a modest proposal as to how we should understand it. On my proposal, following the argument where it leaves involves a kind of modalized reasonableness. I then consider the relationship between the ideal and common sense or 'Moorean' responses to revisionary philosophical theorizing. 1. Introduction Bertrand Russell devoted the thirteenth chapter of his History of Western Philosophy to the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. He concluded his discussion with a rather unflattering assessment: There is little of the true philosophic spirit in Aquinas. He does not, like the Platonic Socrates, set out to follow wherever the argument may lead. He is not engaged in an inquiry, the result of which it is impossible to know in advance. Before he begins to philosophize, he already knows the truth; it is declared in the Catholic faith. If he can find apparently rational arguments for some parts of the faith, so much the better: If he cannot, he need only fall back on revelation. The finding of arguments for a conclusion given in advance is not philosophy, but special pleading. I cannot, therefore, feel that he deserves to be put on a level with the best philosophers either of Greece or of modern times (1945: 463). The extent to which this is a fair assessment of Aquinas is controversial.1 My purpose in what follows, however, is not to defend Aquinas; nor is it to substantiate the charges that Russell brings against him. -
Essays on Monkey: a Classic Chinese Novel Isabelle Ping-I Mao University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Boston ScholarWorks at UMass Boston Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Critical and Creative Thinking Program Collection 9-1997 Essays on Monkey: A Classic Chinese Novel Isabelle Ping-I Mao University of Massachusetts Boston Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/cct_capstone Recommended Citation Ping-I Mao, Isabelle, "Essays on Monkey: A Classic Chinese Novel" (1997). Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection. 238. http://scholarworks.umb.edu/cct_capstone/238 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Critical and Creative Thinking Program at ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. It has been accepted for inclusion in Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ESSAYS ON MONKEY: A CLASSIC . CHINESE NOVEL A THESIS PRESENTED by ISABELLE PING-I MAO Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS September 1997 Critical and Creative Thinking Program © 1997 by Isabelle Ping-I Mao All rights reserved ESSAYS ON MONKEY: A CLASSIC CHINESE NOVEL A Thesis Presented by ISABELLE PING-I MAO Approved as to style and content by: Delores Gallo, As ciate Professor Chairperson of Committee Member Delores Gallo, Program Director Critical and Creative Thinking Program ABSTRACT ESSAYS ON MONKEY: A CLASSIC CHINESE NOVEL September 1997 Isabelle Ping-I Mao, B.A., National Taiwan University M.A., University of Massachusetts Boston Directed by Professor Delores Gallo Monkey is one of the masterpieces in the genre of the classic Chinese novel. -
Right, Morality, Ethical Life: Studies in G. W. F. Hegel's Philosophy of Right
SoPhi Jussi Kotkavirta (ed.) RRight,ight, STUDIES IN MMorality,orality, G.W.F. HEGEL'S EEthicalthical LLifeife PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT Jussi Kotkavirta (ed.) Right, Morality, Ethical Life Studies in G.W.F. Hegel's Philosophy of Right l SoPhi 1 SoPhil2 SoPhi is a publication series at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. SoPhi publishes studies on social policy, sociology, political science and philosophy. Texts are chosen for publication on the basis of expert review. www.jyu.fi/sophi ISBN 951-34-0930-9 ISSN 1238-8025 Copyright ©Authors and SoPhi 1997 Printed at Kopijyva Ltd., Jyvaskyla 2003 Cover design by Carita Hyvarinen Contents Preface 1 Markus Wahlberg : Punishment as Ideal Reconciliation and Real Regeneration 5 Tuij a Pulkkinen: Morality in Hegel's Philosophy of Right 29 Michael Quante: Personal Autonomy and the Structure of the Will 45 Jussi Kotkavirta: Happiness and Welfare in Hegel's Philosophy of Right 75 Markku Maki: Modern Society in Rousseau and Hegel 93 Ossi Martikainen: The Principle of the Subjectivity and Sittlichkeit in He gel's Philosophy of Right 105 Eerik Lagerspetz: Hegel and Hobbes on the Sovereignty of the People 119 Hannu Sivenius: Remarks on Schelling's Criticism of the Hegelian Idea of the State 135 PREFACE ow it is common know ledge that John Raw ls' book A Theory Nof Justice (1971) initiated influentialnormative discourses that during the last two decades have dramatically changed the scene both within ethics and political philosophy. Thus meta theoretical and historical orientations in reseach have been forced to give room to discussions dealing with substantial and normative prob lems of our contemporary modernity. -
WISDOM (Tlwma) and Pffllosophy (FALSAFA)
WISDOM (tLWMA) AND PfflLOSOPHY (FALSAFA) IN ISLAMIC THOUGHT (as a framework for inquiry) By: Mehmet ONAL This thcsis is submitted ror the Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Wales - Lampeter 1998 b"9tr In this study the following two hypothesisare researched: 1. "WisdotW' is the fundamental aspect of Islamic thought on which Islamic civilisation was established through Islamic law (,Sharfa), theology (Ldi-M), philosophy (falsafq) and mysticism (Surism). 2. "Due to the first hypothesis Islamic philosophy is not only a commentary on the Greek philosophy or a new form of Ncoplatonism but a native Islamic wisdom understandingon the form of theoretical study". The present thesis consists of ten chaptersdealing with the concept of practical wisdom (Pikmq) and theoretical wisdom (philosophy or falsafa). At the end there arc a gcncral conclusion,glossary and bibliography. In the introduction (Chapter One) the definition of wisdom and philosophy is establishedas a conceptualground for the above two hypothesis. In the following chapter (Chapter Two) I focused on the historical background of these two concepts by giving a brief history of ancient wisdom and Greek philosophy as sourcesof Islamic thought. In the following two chapters (Chapter Three and Four) I tried to bring out a possibledefinition of Islamic wisdom in the Qur'5n and Sunna on which Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), theology (A-alim), philosophy (falsafq) and mysticism (Sufism) consistedof. As a result of the above conceptual approaching,I tried to reach a new definition for wisdom (PiLma) as a method that helps in the establishmentof a new Islamic way of life and civilisation for our life.