Banno

He's aware of Kant's criticism - so go on and explain why he appears to nevertheless use existence as a first order predicate: Beingness.

No, not following. Frodo walked into Mordor. "Frodo walked into Mordor" is true. But Expecting to find the flag of Mordor outside the UN - that'd be a...

There's folk who quote their sacred texts and then explain what they are supposed to mean. Then their's folks who quote their sacred texts and then sa...

Then let's have the discussion. Give me a paper to read.

Do you see the relation to the Private Language argument? Following a rule is essentially a social activity. Following a rule while alone is a back-co...

The second one, yes, obviously. The first, what is the difference, for an individual, between "maximise happiness" and do what you want? It ceases to ...

Not sure what to make of that post. Are you now agreeing with me?

Indeed. Can't see that this helps, if the point is to defend a misuse of language. What would be needed is a new language game in which the use is cle...

OK, let's suppose that it is (it isn't). Then what is welfare? Is it living long? Is it living happily - not the same thing. Is it living with the max...

On your argument, whatever he chooses to do will be ethical. It does nothing. If he chooses to be healthy, that's good. If he chooses to eat nothing b...

Try this: one might argue that being, "is" and so on are of some import, but the whole purpose of philosophy is to answer the great question of what a...

You just did my argument for me. You based your ethical statement on the health of others. Hence, ethics enters into our thinking only when we encount...

The argument against treating existence as a property is, so far as I am aware, first found in Kant's rejection of the ontological argument. Edit: Thi...

How can this be contended? '-ness' forms a noun from an adjective, expressing a state or condition. It's this very move that is contended: treating ex...

Meh. Only because I followed your posts, which made use of it. Earlier I returned the discussion to the OP: The OP asks the question "why is there som...

Ah. Eating well and exercising regularly. These are an issue of ethics? Why ought one do so?

And if you are alone, what is it to flourish? Give an example.

"What is being" is one question among several of philosophical concern. Add "what is knowledge?", "What is beauty?", "What am I?"... and a few others....

Thanks for these replies. I find them puzzling. You suggest that clarification is an outgrowth of science. Rather, science is an outgrowth of clarific...

If you like. Newton's laws set up the notions of force and momentum with sufficient clarity that whole Fields of enquiry followed. More commonly it is...

What is it we want? The OP asks the question "why is there something?" - does it provide an answer? @"Xtrix"? Does your dialogue answer this? What of ...

You might think that. I think it a great improvement, for the reasons already given. It's not new; indeed it is central to Elenchus, and your own firs...

Me. I'm sorry, that should have said "good philosophy is about clarifying concepts". Carry on.

ah - I mistyped. Fixed. My apologies.

What? Where?

"Category" being roughly the same as "predicate". One would presumably take care to remain inside the intensional scope, sure; and then face the diffi...

Not always.

Hm. I've met quite a few folk who are very motivated to live and yet are in constant pain. Not sure what either of you are claiming here.

You shouldn't encourage him. :wink:

The Principle of Relativity is fundamental to physics.

You have an odd way of imputing far more into the posts, arguments and positions you find here than can be found in reality.

It's odd that this point should be contentious. The things you choose to do that do not involve others are simply a question of your preference. Do as...

A couple of points in reply. Philosophy is about clarifying concepts rather than making up a neat story. The examination of existence in the tradition...

Ah, that magical word, "objectively". Folk wave it and think their philosophical errors dissipate. Best avoided. So let's go back to this: The mathema...

Yep.

So let's ask him - "Nothing about me without me" is not just a mantra for disability awareness but a common curtesy. @"Isaac"?

Trite, I know, but there is this:

Thank you, Tully. for providing something so agreeably sweet to accompany my morning coffee.

That's not the impression I've gleaned. Nor is there any obvious reason a realist would think along these lines.

Yep. The very worst thing about dying will be not finding out what happens next.

What gives life value? We do. Values are not found. Nor is meaning.

This looks wrong. That the fork is to the left of the knife is relative to where you sit to table. Do you conclude that the fork does not exist? Of co...

This is like saying it doesn't depend on German, but both Husserl and Heidegger arranged their arguments in German. An inapt argument?

No.

Fixed.

Sorry, you lost me. "It" is the mooted distinction made by Witti between place and time...? I doubt there is much to be found on this. Irrelevant, rat...

One sees (is shown) the cat on the mat as "the cat is on the mat". So, both. Or the question is senseless...

What - about himself? Then they are preferences, and not about morality. ...and so utilitarianism fails to amount to a moral position. Fine. Keep goin...