Explanations about the though of a philosophical author or school
Questions tagged [interpretation]
46 questions
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Does Apology's Socrates contradict Crito's Socrates?
In Plato's Apology Socrates clearly indicates he would continue to philosophize even if the court ordered him not to:
if now, when, as I conceive and imagine, God orders me to fulfil the philosopher’s mission of searching into myself and other men,…
Emryss
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Thus spoke Zarathustra, "Even the wisest among you is only a conflict and mix of plant and ghost"
My scope is mathematical philosophy and, generally, epistemology. Hence, Nietzsche's style is quite alien to me, and I started reading his book "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". I am trying to decipher this:
Even the wisest among you is only a conflict and…
user00000
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What is the philosophical status of interpretations of a scientific theory?
What constitutes an interpretation of a scientific theory? Are interpretations subject to scientific criteria like falsifiability, repeatability, etc, or are they philosophical comments? And finally, are they necessary/useful?
This question is…
asmani
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How does philosophy not fall into the confirmation bias?
Daoism and Buddhism in Eastern philosophies emphasize adaptation and flexibility, and critique rationality. They have different frameworks to understand the same phenomenon, and different goals for our reactions to it, and I understand and like…
Ooker
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Why forgive philosophers for bad writing skills?
I happen to believe that strong writing and speaking skills are a non-negotiable requirement for any intellectual and philosophers in particular. While I obviously disclaim that as a personal opinion, I don't see it as particularly controversial…
amphibient
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What did Parmenides mean when he argued that there can be no change and no time?
In the ongoing trouble with Parmenides' cryptic poem, which contains his argument against change, I finally stumbled upon an interpretation that is radically different than the usual one.
It is by Ronald C. Hoy in Parmenides' Complete Rejection of…
viuser
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Have I got Saussure's distinction between the form and substance right?
I've read several texts on the topic but I'm still not sure whether I got the concept right. Saussure says that language is a form, not substance. I understand that as saying that language is closer to a mathematical system (a natural law) than to a…
Probably
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What are some movements and schools inspired by Wittgenstein's philosophy?
Well-known examples are:
Ordinary Language Philosophy (Austin, Ryle, Strawson, ...)
Hacker and Baker (systematic commentary on Philosophical Investigations)
Vienna Circle (highly inspired by Tractatus)
The New Wittgenstein (Diamond, Crary, ...)
To…
a_z_s
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Does Art require an Audience?
Nietzsche consistently throughout his writings argues for a monological conception of art--art that does not seek "witnesses" or an audience. Not only did the episode with Wagner force Nietzsche to have "second thoughts" about art, but to "like…
Paradox Lost
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How to effectively undertake the study of a philosophical work?
I feel like this question gets posed a lot in different ways and was curious if it might be possible to formulate it narrowly enough to get answered here.
For the most part I think the answer is determined by the question -- in other words, you find…
Joseph Weissman
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What does the emergence of different interpretations of Wittgenstein signify?
So I was listening to this Podcast about Wittgenstein the speakers are the Professor of Philosophy of University of South Hampton - Ray Monk, Senior Lecturer of University of York - Mary Macgin and Bary Smith Senior Lecturer of Philosophy London. It…
More Anonymous
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Explain Plato/Shakespeare quotes about overreaching
In the Jowett translation of Plato's Republic, this quote
The moral (good) man would not exceed or overreach or go beyond the just action
- The Republic 349b
is compared with a quote from Shakespeare's "King John I"
When workmen strive to do…
user39390
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How are you intended to interpret x.R and x.S in Davidson "Truth and Meaning"?
I'm entirely unfamiliar with the syntax and corresponding semantics Davidson uses for the four equations at the beginning of Truth and Meaning(https://www.jstor.org/stable/20114563). He states that the following sentences are supposed to be…
Nathan Gabriel
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How to evaluate an argument based on the claim that "intent doesn't matter"?
My friends often get themselves into situations of the following form:
Person A states a sentence.
Person B reads and interprets A's sentence. B states that the sentence has conveyed a meaning which both A and B would disapprove of. Based on this…
JustWhie
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Does Kant think that an evil God is a contradiction?
At one point in Religion within the Limits of Reason Alone, Kant says:
So it is not surprising that an Apostle represents this invisible enemy, who is known only through his operations upon us and who destroys basic principles, as being outside us…
Kristian Berry
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