A Pluralistic Universe
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Bishop Berkeley Exorcises the Infinite
TWELVE Bishop Berkeley Exorcises the Infinite It all began simply enough when Molyneux asked the wonderful question whether a person born blind, now able to see, would recognize by sight what he or she knew by touch (Davis 1960). After George Berkeley elaborated an answer, that we learn to perceive by means of heuristics, the foundations of contemporary mathematics were in ruins. Contemporary mathematicians waved their hands and changed the subject.1 Berkeley’s answer received a much more positive response from economists. Adam Smith, in particular, seized upon Berkeley’s doctrine that we learn to perceive distance to build an elabo- rate system in which one learns to perceive one’s self-interest.2 Perhaps because older histories of mathematics are a positive hindrance in helping us under- stand the importance of Berkeley’s argument against in‹nitesimals,3 its conse- quences for economics have passed unnoticed. If in‹nitesimal numbers are ruled 1. The mathematically decisive event that changed the situation and let historians appreciate the past was Abraham Robinson’s development of nonstandard analysis. “The vigorous attack directed by Berkeley against the foundations of the Calculus in the forms then proposed is, in the ‹rst place, a brilliant exposure of their logical inconsistencies. But in criticizing in‹nitesimals of all kinds, English or continental, Berkeley also quotes with approval a passage in which Locke rejects the actual in‹nite. It is in fact not surprising that a philosopher in whose system perception plays the central role, should have been unwilling to accept in‹nitary entities” (Robinson 1974, 280–81). -
George Berkeley Every Virtue Under Heaven
1 TO BISHOP GEORGE BERKELEY EVERY VIRTUE UNDER HEAVEN “I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation. Between us and everybody else on this planet.” — Ouisa, in John Guare’s “SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION” 1. Cf. Pope’s line “To Berkeley every Virtue under Heaven.” HDT WHAT? INDEX GEORGE BERKELEY GEORGE BERKELEY 1677 The Reverend Cotton Mather, the Reverend Ezra Stiles, and George Berkeley have all tried to decipher the messages chiseled into the 55-square-foot westward-facing flat surface of a 40-ton piece of feldspathic sandstone, a glacial erratic noticed at this timeperiod upside down at the tidewater line on the left bank of the Taunton River at Berkley, Massachusetts, that would become known as the Dighton Rock. Although the sandstone chunk was above water only four hours per day, Stiles of Yale College would convince himself that the inscription on the seventy-degree sloping flat surface was made up of ancient Phoenician petroglyphs. “Dighton Rock is like the rocks you see along the highways, filled with graffiti,” says Jim Whitall. “It’s where everyone wanted to leave a message, and it’s the first stone in America that anyone paid any attention to. It was a bulletin-board for ancients, Native Americans, and colonials alike.” The rock with the mysterious hieroglyphs was moved to dry land a few years ago by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a building was built around it to preserve the inscriptions. Winter ice and constant submergence at high tide under the Taunton River began obliterating some of the older markings. -
“The Sixth Sense”: Towards a History of Muscular Sensation
Gesnerus 68/1 (2011) 218–71 “The Sixth Sense”: Towards a History of Muscular Sensation Roger Smith* Summary This paper outlines the history of knowledge about the muscular sense and provides a bibliographic resource for further research. A range of different topics, questions and approaches have interrelated throughout this history, and the discussion clarifies this rather than presenting detailed research in any one area. Part I relates the origin of belief in a muscular sense to empiricist accounts of the contribution of the senses to knowledge from Locke, via the idéologues and other authors, to the second half of the nine- teenth century. Analysis paid much attention to touch, first in the context of the theory of vision and then in its own right, which led to naming a distinct muscular sense. From 1800 to the present, there was much debate, the main lines of which this paper introduces, about the nature and function of what turned out to be a complex sense. A number of influential psycho-physiolo- gists, notably Alexander Bain and Herbert Spencer, thought this sense the most primitive and primary of all, the origin of knowledge of world, causa- tion and self as an active subject. Part II relates accounts of the muscular sense to the development of nervous physiology and of psychology. In the decades before 1900, the developing separation of philosophy, psychology and physiology as specialised disciplines divided up questions which earlier writers had discussed under the umbrella heading of muscular * The stimulus for writing up this paper, which I had long put off because I hoped to do some- thing more rounded, came from the participants, and especially from the organisers, Vincent Barras and Guillemette Bolens, of a project ‘L’intelligence kinesthésique et le savoir sensori- moteur: entre arts et sciences’, at a conference of World Knowledge Dialogue, ‘Interdisci- plinarity in action: a p ractical experience of interdisciplinary research’, Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, 10–14 October 2010. -
Samuel Bailey and the Question of His “Influence”: a Skeptical View
SAMUEL BAILEY AND THE QUESTION OF HIS “INFLUENCE”: A SKEPTICAL VIEW Samuel Hollander Discussion Paper No. 08-05 June 2008 Monaster Center for Economic Research Ben-Gurion University of the Negev P.O. Box 653 Beer Sheva, Israel Fax: 972-8-6472941 Tel: 972-8-6472286 1 Samuel Bailey and the question of his “influence”: a skeptical view English, Irish and Subversives Among the Dismal Scientists Eds. N. Allington & N. Thompson (Elsevier Press) Samuel Hollander [email protected] 2 I INTRODUCTION: SELIGMAN’S READING OF BAILEY AND ITS RECEPTION Professor Edwin Seligman hoped by his study of “neglected” British economists “to call attention to some of the British writers who undertook to discuss economic theory during the two decades following the appearance of Ricardo’s Principles . It will perhaps surprise many to find in this literature so much that foreshadows the most recent contributions to economic doctrine” (1903: 336). Samuel Bailey’s Critical Dissertation on Value (1825) – written anonymously in reply to the formulation of Ricardian theory in De Quincey’s Templars’ Dialogue (1824) shows the author, Seligman maintained, to be one of the “more acute critic[s] of Ricardo” (352), a “keen and fertile thinker,” having in mind “[t]he opposition to the labour theory of value, the emphasis put on time as an element in value, the broadening of the rent concept, the criticism of the statement that rent does not enter into price, and the importance assigned to productivity in affecting value – all these constitute doctrines of importance in the recent phases of the science” (355; also 534). -
William James, the Life Sciences
The Rise of Empiricism: William James, Thomas Hill Green, and the Struggle over Psychology ALEXANDER MUGAR KLEIN Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy, Indiana University, Bloomington May, 2007 Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Doctoral Committee Elisabeth A. Lloyd, Ph.D. (Chair) Karen Hanson, Ph.D. Cheryl Misak, Ph.D. Frederick Schmitt, Ph.D. Joan Weiner, Ph.D. April 17, 2007 ii © 2007 Alexander M. Klein ALL RIGHTS RESERVED iii For my Mother and Father, Whose own investigations Instigated these. iv And it is important for thinkers of all schools not to go on repeating things about experience and empirical method that have been proved factually false. … And were this the proper occasion, I think it could be shown that two contemporary schools, now exercising considerable influence, the British analytic school and the school of logical positivism, suffer greatly because of their dependence upon pre-Jamesian psychology. …Present-day biological, anthropological and psychological knowledge is required in order to purge the minds of philosophers of antiquated notions— whatever be the direct function of this knowledge in philosophy. … The significance of James for those who take their stand in philosophy upon experience [is that he] … pointed to a new way of analyzing and reporting it. And he did more than point. He opened up paths of access to nothing less than a revolutionary change in traditional empiricism. -
J. S. Mill and the Diversity of Utilitarianism
The central thesis of this paper is that Mill's conception of utilitarianism was much broader than current philosophical usage allows.1 This seemingly modest point has two signifi- cant implications. First, it sheds light on Mill's primary aim in Utilitarianism, which was not to elaborate his own moral theory but to defend a general approach to ethics. He un- derstood this approach capaciously enough to include the diverse views of Bentham, Godwin, and Paley, among oth- ers. Second, the inclusiveness of Mill's conception of utili- J. S. Mill tarianism belies the common tendency to read his work with certain developments of modern consequentialism too much in mind. I will argue that the widespread failure to appreci- and the Diversity ate these points has resulted in a conventional view that dis- torts both Mill's moral theory and the status of Utilitarianism. of Utilitarianism This "little work," as Mill called it, has been accorded a place in his oeuvre that is vastly disproportionate to his own much more modest assessment.2 The conventional reading of Mill as a maximizing act- consequentialist takes the official statement of the Greatest Happiness Principle, in Utilitarianism 2.2, to specify his own Daniel Jacobson moral theory. Although many commentators have noted the substantial evidence that Mill was no ordinary conse- quentialist, no other interpretation has won general accep- tance. In particular, the rule-utilitarian readings advanced by J. O. Urmson and David Lyons have been eclipsed by more 1I would like to thank Roger Crisp, an editor of Philosophers' Imprint, an anonymous referee, and colloquium audiences at Bowling Green State University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, for helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. -
The Origin of Pragmatism in William James
Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1947 The Origin of Pragmatism in William James Charles A. Nash Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the History of Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Nash, Charles A., "The Origin of Pragmatism in William James" (1947). Master's Theses. 600. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/600 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1947 Charles A. Nash THE ORIGIN OF PRAGMATISM IN WILLIAM JAMES BY CHARLES A. NASH, s,J., A.B. A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULF'ILLMEbJT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LOYOLA UNIVERSITY JUNE 1947 VITA AUCTORIS Charles A. Nash., S.J. was born in St. Louis, Missouri., March 2, 1920. He was graduated from William Cullen McBride High School, st. Louis, June 1938, and entered St. Louis University where he studied in the College of Liberal Arts for three years. He entered the Florissant Novitiate., Florissant, Missouri, August, 1941· In 1945 he received the Bachelor of Arts degree from st. Louis University. From 1945 to 1947 he studied philosophy at West Baden College of Loyola University • • TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE LIFE A.ND CHARACTER OF WIILIAM JAMES • ••• l II. -
The Works of George Berkeley. Vol. 1 of 4. by George Berkeley
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Works of George Berkeley. Vol. 1 of 4. by George Berkeley This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: The Works of George Berkeley. Vol. 1 of 4. Author: George Berkeley Release Date: May 20, 2012 [Ebook 39746] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORKS OF GEORGE BERKELEY. VOL. 1 OF 4.*** The Works of George Berkeley D.D. Formerly Bishop of Cloyne Including his Posthumous Works With Prefaces, Annotations, Appendices, and An Account of his Life, by Alexander Campbell Fraser Hon. D.C.L., Oxford Hon. LL.D. Glasgow and Edinburgh; Emeritus Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in the University of Edinburgh In Four Volumes Vol. 1: Philosophical Works, 1705-21 Oxford At the Clarendon Press 1901 Contents Preface . .2 George Berkeley, By The Editor . 10 Errata . 73 Commonplace Book. Mathematical, Ethical, Physical, And Metaphysical . 74 Editor's Preface To The Commonplace Book . 74 Commonplace Book . 78 An Essay Towards A New Theory Of Vision . 181 Editor's Preface To The Essay Towards A New Theory Of Vision . 181 Dedication . 202 An Essay Towards A New Theory Of Vision . 206 An Appendix To The Essay On Vision . 299 A Treatise Concerning The Principles Of Human Knowledge304 Editor's Preface To The Treatise Concerning The Prin- ciples Of Human Knowledge . -
Chapter One James Mylne: Early Life and Education
This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: • This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. • A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. • This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. • The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. • When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. 2013 THESIS Rational Piety and Social Reform in Glasgow: The Life, Philosophy and Political Economy of James Mylne (1757-1839) By Stephen Cowley The University of Edinburgh For the degree of PhD © Stephen Cowley 2013 SOME QUOTES FROM JAMES MYLNE’S LECTURES “I have no objection to common sense, as long as it does not hinder investigation.” Lectures on Intellectual Philosophy “Hope never deserts the children of sorrow.” Lectures on the Existence and Attributes of God “The great mine from which all wealth is drawn is the intellect of man.” Lectures on Political Economy Page 2 Page 3 INFORMATION FOR EXAMINERS In addition to the thesis itself, I submit (a) transcriptions of four sets of student notes of Mylne’s lectures on moral philosophy; (b) one set of notes on political economy; and (c) collation of lectures on intellectual philosophy (i.e. -
John Stuart Mill and the Subjection of Women
JOHN STUART MILL AND THE SUBJECTION OF WOMEN by ARTHUR LAURENCE LAZENBY B. Comm., University of British Columbia, 1954 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of English We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA August, 1968 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and Study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by hits representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada Date ^ffc 3y l<JCC ABSTRACT The Subjection of Women was the last book by John Stuart Hill published during his lifetime. It presented a philosophical analysis of the position of women in society, as unrecognised individuals both in public and domestic roles. Mill exposed the moral and ethical shortcomings' of a system which denied women legal status or moral equality, and he made a number of specific suggestions for reform, particularly respecting legal and educational rights for women. During the following sixty years in Britain, almost all of his suggested reforms were achieved. Because. Mill' s specific pleas were answered, the Subjection of Women has come to be regarded as an out-cf-date argument for conditions which have been corrected. -
Samuel Hollander Fonds
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES Samuel Hollander Fonds Prepared by: Marnee Gamble October 2, 1998 Revised by Tys Klumpenhouwer, April 2012 © University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services, 2012 1 University of Toronto Archives Samuel Hollander Fonds Table of Contents BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ................................................................................................................. 3 SCOPE AND CONTENT ................................................................................................................ 4 SERIES 1 PERSONAL ............................................................................................................... 5 SERIES 2 CORRESPONDENCE............................................................................................ 5 SERIES 3 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION .............................................................. 6 SERIES 4 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO ADMINISTRATION .................................... 6 SERIES 5 TEACHING .............................................................................................................. 7 SERIES 6 PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES ........................................................................... 8 SERIES 7 REVIEWS AND REPORTS TO JOURNALS AND PUBLISHERS ............. 8 Sub-Series 1 Informal Reviews and Marginalia ..................................................................... 8 SERIES 8 ARTICLES AND PAPERS ..................................................................................... 9 SERIES 9 PUBLISHING .......................................................................................................... -
TWS.Diss.Ch3.Pdf (384.8Kb)
Chapter 3: Structures of the Associationist and Common Sense Traditions Chapter 2 established the basic shape of a fairly complex analytical apparatus that can be used to talk about issues surrounding the study of mind in eighteenth and nineteenth century Britain. In that discussion, I introduced an array of tools that have been developed in STS and related fields to characterize scientific and philosophical work. These include notions of paradigms, game-structures, intellectual networks, boundary-work, and historical problematics, among others. As I have demonstrated, these various proposals for structuring an historical narrative are all contestable and, at one level or another, problematic. Nonetheless, one must begin somewhere. In questioning that set of historiographic frameworks, I think a path forward has begun to emerge. If we take seriously the questions that these frameworks pose, and the tools that they offer, we can make a substantive first pass through the history of British studies of the mind in the nineteenth century. Still, it should be understood that the answers that will emerge are the product of a particular analytical machine. The previous chapter has provided a rough language for talking about the development of intellectual work, and in what follows I will use this language as among friends, with all the usual caveats. When I interject terms like ‘paradigm’ into the discussion, it is with the full ugly connotation of the last chapter – where the many facets of the term are held up to the light.1 But analytical terms are only part of the battle. Producing answers to the kinds of questions posed in my historiographic development – about ‘what is science?’ and ‘what is philosophy?’ for example – requires a special set of tools.