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12 answers

How To Distinguish Between Philosophy And Non-Philosophy?

Surely not all thinking or intellectual effort is philosophy, right? Where to draw line between philosophy and all other thinking? What, if any, feature is present only in philosophy?
DareWithTruth
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Is the fact that ZFC implies that 1+1=2 an absolute truth?

This question is somehow of a follow up to to this other one, and it's something that has bugged me for a while. I understand the notion that there's no "absolute truth" in math, in the sense that every theorem follows from an assumed set of axioms.…
Juan
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9 answers

Does Popper's theory of falsification apply to mathematics?

Mathematics is generally & popularly judged a science in the basic duality: science - humanities. As enemies and collaborationists. The border heavily & fiercely policed. However, it seems to me that Poppers theory, which entitles science-hood by…
Mozibur Ullah
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Why is a set with one element distinct from the element itself?

Why do we consider a set which is treated for all intents and purposes as a 'collection' with one element as being different from the element itself? In this 'collection' there is one element, and only one element, if we have one thing we would…
Confused
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3 answers

Is there any rigorous definition of just one single random choice?

The theory of probability uses random variables, which avoids the need to define what one single random choice means. Yet in everyday conversations about probability, even professional probabilists often talk about making one single random…
Daniel Asimov
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Deontology: Perfect vs. Imperfect Duties

I have a question regarding Kant's deontological Maxim of both Perfect and Imperfect duties. What I know about them is that Perfect duties require a person to perform a certain "action" all the time, while Imperfect duties require a person to do…
AskingQnsPro
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2 answers

Is reductionism the primary means of logical analysis in analytic philosophy?

I was reading a philosophical article about analytic philosophy and I saw the claim: Russell and many philosophers influenced by him asserted that complex statements can be reduced to simple components; if their logic does not permit such…
Robert
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6 answers

Is the Dao a thing or an action?

Studying the Dao as a Westerner, I am constantly perplexed by the ineffability of the Dao. It always strikes me as though I should be able to attach properties to a noun, even if that property is merely "ineffable." Looking at the words people use…
Cort Ammon
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Set theory vs. type theory vs. category theory

IIRC, in the univalent-foundations program (per Voevodsky), category theory is represented as a possible sort of evolution or new wave of type theory. Maybe my memory is off, but anyway, in nlab they say: Type theory and certain kinds of category…
Kristian Berry
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What is the correct, pragmatic, reasoning response to conspiracy theories?

It's established that the burden of proof rests on the party making a claim. The problem I find, is that for any conspiracy theory - the proponent can point to a multitude of conspiracy websites or videos, and say 'Look! Here's the proof! It's all…
dwjohnston
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If the universe is finite does that nullify Godel's incompleteness, halting problem, and Church-Turing thesis?

I'm not well versed on these topics but they all seem to rely on infinity, mainly infinite recursion or infinite space of mathematics. If there is no always "next" algorithm, the halting problem goes away for example doesn't it? Is a finite universe…
J Kusin
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3 answers

How is Kripke-style modal logic distinct from classical propositional logic with additional axioms?

I've been considering the possible-worlds semantics for simple forms of modal logic, such as Kripke modal logic. This reading of modal logic seems to be a reduction to restricted truth-tables, where each row of the truth-table corresponds to the…
Niel de Beaudrap
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Do all systems of ethics boil down to maximizing pleasure and/or minimizing suffering?

I'm struggling to think of one that doesn't. Utilitarianism obviously does, but even others seem to. Take Kant's categorical imperative for example. What is the point in performing one's perfect duties? For instance, in the example given by…
Ryan_L
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Are Hellenistic schools of philosophy also therapeutic regimes?

Martha C. Nussbaum argues in The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics that all three major Hellenistic schools (Epicureanism, Stoicism, Skeptics) shared a practical, therapeutic (as opposed to e.g. theoretic, metaphysical)…
Drux
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Would philosophy be useless if there were a box of answers?

All of the ideas are mine, I don't know a lot about philosophy's terms, I'll be clear and I'll speak in human's terms. Imagine someday everything is normal, kids going to schools, doctors going to hospitals, and philosophers going to their bedrooms…