Immortal Curiosity

Towards a Universal Characteristic, 1677.

“Number is therefore, so to speak, a fundamental metaphysical form, and arithmetic a sort of statics [from OED: "Originally, the science relating to weight and its mechanical effects, and to the conditions of equilibrium as resulting from the distribution of weight. In modern use, the branch of physical science concerned with the action of forces in producing equilibrium or relative rest, in contradistinction to Dynamics in its older sense as the science of the action of forces in producing motion. In recent terminology, Statics and Kinetics (= the older Dynamics) are the two branches of Dynamics." ] of the universe, in which the powers of things are revealed.”

The Phenomenon of Man (my edition)
by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, trans. Bernard Wall; Perennial, 1965.

~Introduction, by Sir Julian Huxley-  Read more... (1950 words, estimated 7:48 mins reading time)

The Bodily Dimension in Thinking, by Daniela Vallega-Neu. SUNY series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy, 2005.

While reading the introduction to the above work (specifically page xiv, in the description of the Cartesian distinction between body as extended substance and mind as thinking substance), I was struck by the following idea: Much of the Western philosophy post-Descartes that I have read seems to be often unable to overcome the dichotomy that he introduced in describing the mind and the body. This inability comes in a number of varieties. Some philosophical systems contain the same division explicitly, some distantly critique it (either because of some sympathy for it or out of a sense of modern philosophical duty). But what is it about his division that makes it so difficult to remove from one’s thinking about mind and body as soon as one has been exposed to the former? Perhaps it is not that “man” is not able to think certain things because of his physical nature, or even his mental nature, but because of the “adhesive” nature of certain thoughts which, by virtue of their coming to be are influential in the course of historical or philosophical thought. Once certain ideas arise, they are very hard to remove from man’s collective epistemological consciousness, and thus make the thinking of certain other thoughts difficult.

03/20/2006 04:26:23 PM
Notes on Psychology The Briefer Course, by William James, ed. by Gordon Allport, Notre Dame edition-

Introductory -  Read more... (1575 words, estimated 6:18 mins reading time)

• The definition of psychology, as given by Professor Ladd: “the description and explanation of states of consciousness as such”.
• Psychology will be treated as a natural science.
• While a single science of truth, Philosophy, may be the goal, currently sciences such as psychology have separate assumptions and problems.
• Psychology assumes particular data:
  • Thoughts and feelings
  • Knowledge
  • Incomplete statements are often practically necessary, in order to make progress.
  • Mental facts cannot be studied apart from the physical environment of which they take cognizance.
  • Older psychology failed by setting the soul apart as an absolute spiritual being. Mind and world have evolved together and are a mutual fit.
  • Mental life is primarily teleological. The essence of mental and bodily life are the same: the adjustment of inner to outer relations.
  • The mental life is for the sake of action of a preservative sort.
  • All mental states are followed by bodily activity of some sort, all states of mind are motor in their consequences.

Notes on Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations, trans. G.E.M. Anscombe-

Preface

Section:  Read more... (987 words, estimated 3:57 mins reading time)

• 1- Augustine; Every word has a meaning.
• 2- A complete primitive language: Person A needs to receive particular items in an order from B. A calls out words, B brings items appropriate to the call he has learned. Compare the system he describes to basic computer languages. Seems to fit perfectly.
• 3- Circumscribed definitions.
• 4- Scripts.
• 6- Uttering a word is like striking a note on the keyboard of the imagination. Ostensive definition, ostensive learning.
• 7- Language-games.
• 10- Signification.
• 11- Application of words.
• 13- When we say “Every word in language signifies something” we have said nothing whatsoever. We must explain what distinction we wish to make.
• 17- Kinds of words.
• 18- Language as orders. “Our language may be seen as an ancient city: a mace of little streets and squares, of old and new houses, and of houses with additions from various periods; and this surrounded by a multitude of new boroughs with straight regular streets and uniform houses.”
• 19- It is easy to imagine a language means to imagine a life-form.