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1500 questions
19
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5 answers
What's the difference between Randian philosophy and Objectivism?
I recently encountered a debate about whether Objectivism was the same as the philosophies of Ayn Rand. Wikipedia tells me they're synonyms. Is there another definition of "objectivism"? Has objectivism evolved beyond what Rand defined it as? …
user20
19
votes
4 answers
What are some methods of defining things?
In my experience, many definitions define an object/idea by merely listing it's characteristics. For example:
Avocado
a large, usually pear-shaped fruit having green to blackish skin, a single large seed, and a soft, light-green…
Hugo
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19
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How inaccurate is Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy?
I finished reading A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell a while ago. Not being an expert by any stretch I thought it was very good (informative, accessible, enjoyable etc..). But I have read in a number of different places that it…
Crab Bucket
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19
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If philosophy is based on reason and rationality, then why is there so much disagreement?
If philosophy is based on reason and rationality, then why is there so much disagreement?
Is it due primarily to operating with different premises absent consensus on their truth, so that dissenters tend to concede arguments are valid but disagree…
Just Some Old Man
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Is the “no true Scotsman'” fallacy actually a fallacy?
I have trouble with many so-called 'fallacies', and the 'No True Scotsman' fallacy is no exception.
Let me quote a famous line from Game of Thrones:
Any man who must say "I am the King" is no true King.
Did Lord Tywin commit the 'No True Scotsman'…
gaazkam
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19
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Is the existence of free will even important?
I don't see the existence/non-existence of free will as meaningful, ethically speaking. I'll explain what I mean.
Let's say we have some agent, and the agent takes an action we think is bad. In a world with free will, that agent could have chosen…
philosodad
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Does the focus on "humane" killing of animals distract from the real moral problem of killing?
"Humane" in respect to killing animals means to minimize the animal's pain as they die.
But this seems to completely sidestep the moral issue with killing, which has nothing to do with the pain. Given the choice:
A. Suffer severe, intense pain for a…
causative
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18
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6 answers
What kind of fallacy is it to say if abolition of something isn't possible, we shouldn't attempt to address it at all?
I'm trying to figure out the exact fallacy (or if it even is one) that takes the form:
If abolition of x isn't possible, we shouldn't attempt to address x.
I see this quite often from radical second amendment supporters ("criminals are going to…
N.F.
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18
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If math is so deductive, why is it so hard to discover new math?
Some considerations:
The conclusions of much latter/new math may be said to be already existent within the premises of current math
The importance of deduction changes depending on if math is said to be invented or discovered
Some parts of math…
Xeon
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18
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8 answers
Is "This sentence is written in English" nonsense?
Wittgenstein and many others have said that our language gives the appearance of truth to some nonsense.
Do you think the very simple "This sentence is written in English." is such nonsense which seems true?
It seems true, but if you translate it…
François
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18
votes
12 answers
What is hard about the “hard problem of consciousness”?
By the “hard problem”, I’m referring to the exposition by David Chalmers.
He phrased the hard problem as “why objective, mechanical processing can give rise to subjective experiences.” I find it difficult to think of this as hard.
Imagine the…
J Li
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18
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2 answers
Why did the mid-19th century and earlier thinkers fixate on one-place predicates?
A book I'm reading mentions the following:
A major barrier to the development of first-order logic had been the
concentration on one-place predicates to the exclusion of many-place
relational predicates. This fixation on one-place predicates had…
MWB
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18
votes
10 answers
What is the name of this fallacy: 101 is either binary or decimal?
A similar example would be of binary and decimal number where we are not sure about the number system.
For example, The person who proposed a number is not remotely available to disclose about number system.
e.g. 101. Is 101 decimal? [T/F] or Is…
Ubi.B
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18
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15 answers
Why is the Münchhausen trilemma an unsolved problem?
Why is the Münchhausen trilemma unsolved?
Couldn't anybody find some reasons for proving/disproving it? Or are there other reasons for it being called "unsolved"?
the trilemma
If we ask of any knowledge: "How do I know that it's true?", we may…
user21087
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18
votes
8 answers
Which comes first - truth or provability?
When I'm thinking about mathematics, I usually imagine that every sentence in the language of arithmetic is either true or false, in reality. Thus, I imagine that truth comes first. Afterwards come axiom systems that are intended to prove as many…
goblin GONE
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