Necessity and Change Necessary facts don’t change. The table never changes from wood to plastic or metal: it is necessarily made of wood so can’t become made of plastic or metal. The number 3 is necessarily odd so can’t change into an even number. But the table can change its location or color and the […]
Attention and Knowledge In chapter XI (“Attention”) of The Principles of Psychology William James makes the point that the empiricists completely omit the contribution of attention in the generation knowledge. The reason is that attention possesses “a degree of reactive spontaneity” that breaks through the “circle of pure receptivity which constitutes ‘experience’” (402). Instead, he […]
Dear Prof. McGinn, I hope you are well. I saw that you recently posted an open call to dialogue on your blog, which reminded me that last year I wrote an essay in reply to one of your posts. You may find it interesting. https://www.thephilosopher1923.org/post/on-cancelling-and-repair Kind regards, Mary Dear Mary Peterson, To be honest […]
Block on Searle Ned Block says: “Searle was a pugilistic philosopher, much more interested in winning than in truth”. This is a nasty comment, coming so soon after Searle’s death. It isn’t so much the imputation of a desire to win as the suggestion that this was more Searle’s interest than the truth. The clear […]
Indictments I welcome the indictments the current administration intends to bring against a list of people; not because they are guilty of anything but because they are not. In each case the allegations will fall apart, thus exposing the meritless nature of the charges. This will not look good for the prosecutors. It will also […]
