The Principle of Sufficient Reason

The Principle of Sufficient Reason PDF Author: Alexander R. Pruss
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139455095
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 317

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) says that all contingent facts must have explanation. In this 2006 volume, which was the first on the topic in the English language in nearly half a century, Alexander Pruss examines the substantive philosophical issues raised by the Principle Reason. Discussing various forms of the PSR and selected historical episodes, from Parmenides, Leibnez, and Hume, Pruss defends the claim that every true contingent proposition must have an explanation against major objections, including Hume's imaginability argument and Peter van Inwagen's argument that the PSR entails modal fatalism. Pruss also provides a number of positive arguments for the PSR, based on considerations as different as the metaphysics of existence, counterfactuals and modality, negative explanations, and the everyday applicability of the PSR. Moreover, Pruss shows how the PSR would advance the discussion in a number of disparate fields, including meta-ethics and the philosophy of mathematics.

The Principle of Sufficient Reason

The Principle of Sufficient Reason PDF Author: Alexander R. Pruss
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139455095
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 317

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR) says that all contingent facts must have explanation. In this 2006 volume, which was the first on the topic in the English language in nearly half a century, Alexander Pruss examines the substantive philosophical issues raised by the Principle Reason. Discussing various forms of the PSR and selected historical episodes, from Parmenides, Leibnez, and Hume, Pruss defends the claim that every true contingent proposition must have an explanation against major objections, including Hume's imaginability argument and Peter van Inwagen's argument that the PSR entails modal fatalism. Pruss also provides a number of positive arguments for the PSR, based on considerations as different as the metaphysics of existence, counterfactuals and modality, negative explanations, and the everyday applicability of the PSR. Moreover, Pruss shows how the PSR would advance the discussion in a number of disparate fields, including meta-ethics and the philosophy of mathematics.

Kant, Hume, and the Interruption of Dogmatic Slumber

Kant, Hume, and the Interruption of Dogmatic Slumber PDF Author: Abraham Anderson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190096756
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 205

Get Book Here

Book Description
Kant once famously declared in the Prolegomena that "it was the objection of David Hume that first, many years ago, interrupted my dogmatic slumber." Abraham Anderson here offers an interpretation of this utterance, arguing that Hume roused Kant not (as has often been thought) by challenging the principle that "every event has a cause" which governs experience, but rather by attacking the principle of sufficient reason, the basis of both rationalist metaphysics and the cosmological proof of the existence of God. This suggestion, Anderson proposes, allows us to reconcile Kant's declaration with his later assertion that it was the Antinomy of pure reason - the clash of opposing theses - that first woke him from dogmatic slumber. For the Antinomy suspends the dogmatic principle of sufficient reason; in doing so, Anderson proposes, it is extending Hume's attack on that principle. This reading of Kant also explains why Kant speaks of "the objection of David Hume" after mentioning Hume's attack on metaphysics. The "objection" that Kant has in mind, Anderson argues, is a challenge to metaphysics, rather than to the foundations of empirical knowledge. Consequently, Anderson's analysis issues a new view of Hume himself-as primarily interested, not in the foundations of experience, but in the problem of metaphysics and theology. It thereby positions Kant and Hume as champions of the Enlightenment in its struggle with superstition. Shedding new light on the connection between two of the most influential figures in the history of philosophy, this volume will appeal not only to scholars of Kant, Hume, and early modern philosophy, but to philosophers and students interested in the history of philosophy and metaphysics generally.

Sufficient Reason

Sufficient Reason PDF Author: Daniel W. Bromley
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691124193
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Get Book Here

Book Description
"Bromley argues that standard economic accounts see institutions as mere constraints on otherwise autonomous individual action. Some approaches to institutional economics - particularly the "new" institutional economics - suggest that economic institutions emerge spontaneously from the voluntary interaction of economic agents as they go about pursuing their best advantage. He suggests that this approach misses the central fact that economic institutions are the explicit and intended result of authoritative agents - legislators, judges, administrative officers, heads of states, village leaders - who volitionally decide upon working rules and entitlement regimes whose very purpose is to induce behaviors (and hence plausible outcomes) that constitute the sufficient reasons for the institutional arrangements they create."--BOOK JACKET.

Sufficient Reason

Sufficient Reason PDF Author: Daniel W. Bromley
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400832632
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Get Book Here

Book Description
In the standard analysis of economic institutions--which include social conventions, the working rules of an economy, and entitlement regimes (property relations)--economists invoke the same theories they use when analyzing individual behavior. In this profoundly innovative book, Daniel Bromley challenges these theories, arguing instead for "volitional pragmatism" as a plausible way of thinking about the evolution of economic institutions. Economies are always in the process of becoming. Here is a theory of how they become. Bromley argues that standard economic accounts see institutions as mere constraints on otherwise autonomous individual action. Some approaches to institutional economics--particularly the "new" institutional economics--suggest that economic institutions emerge spontaneously from the voluntary interaction of economic agents as they go about pursuing their best advantage. He suggests that this approach misses the central fact that economic institutions are the explicit and intended result of authoritative agents--legislators, judges, administrative officers, heads of states, village leaders--who volitionally decide upon working rules and entitlement regimes whose very purpose is to induce behaviors (and hence plausible outcomes) that constitute the sufficient reasons for the institutional arrangements they create. Bromley's approach avoids the prescriptive consequentialism of contemporary economics and asks, instead, that we see these emergent and evolving institutions as the reasons for the individual and aggregate behavior their very adoption anticipates. These hoped-for outcomes comprise sufficient reasons for new laws, judicial decrees, and administrative rulings, which then become instrumental to the realization of desired individual behaviors and thus aggregate outcomes.

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason & On the Will in Nature

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason & On the Will in Nature PDF Author: Arthur Schopenhauer
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 382

Get Book Here

Book Description
Arthur Schopenhauer's 'On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason & On the Will in Nature' is a profound philosophical work that delves into the nature of existence, causality, and the human will. Schopenhauer explores the principle of sufficient reason in four distinct aspects, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of how reason operates in the world. His literary style is characterized by intricate reasoning and meticulous analysis, making this book a challenging yet rewarding read for those interested in metaphysics and epistemology. Set within the Romantic era, Schopenhauer's work challenges the dominant philosophical trends of his time, offering a unique perspective on the nature of reality. Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher influenced by Kant and Eastern philosophies, was driven to write 'On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason & On the Will in Nature' by his deep-seated desire to uncover the underlying principles governing existence. His pessimistic worldview and emphasis on the power of the will set him apart from his contemporaries, making his philosophical work both provocative and enlightening. I highly recommend 'On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason & On the Will in Nature' to readers who are seeking a challenging and thought-provoking exploration of metaphysics and the human experience. Schopenhauer's insights are sure to stimulate intellectual inquiry and inspire contemplation on the fundamental nature of reality.

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason PDF Author: Arthur Schopenhauer
Publisher: Cosimo, Inc.
ISBN: 1602063583
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 413

Get Book Here

Book Description
A disciple of Immanuel Kant, Arthur Schopenhauer took the Kantian concept that all knowledge derives from experience and broadened it to conclude that our experience of the world is necessarily subjective and influenced by our own intellect and biases, and that reality is but an extension of our own will. This is the basis of all of Schopenhauer's thinking, and here, he offers an essential foundation for understanding and appreciating all of his work. First produced as his doctoral dissertation in 1813, these two essays-"On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason" and "On the Will in Nature"-were revised and published by the author in 1847; this 1889 edition represents its first translation into the English language. Students of philosophy and of 19th-century culture will find this a demanding but satisfying read.The writings of German philosopher ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788-1860) were a profound influence on art and aesthetics, music and literature in the 19th century. Among his many writings, The World as Will and Idea (1819) is considered his masterpiece.

On the Fourfold Foundation of the Principle of Sufficient Reason

On the Fourfold Foundation of the Principle of Sufficient Reason PDF Author: Arthur Schopenhauer
Publisher: Livraria Press
ISBN: 3989880241
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 121

Get Book Here

Book Description
A new 2024 translation of Schopenhauer's 1813 Über die vierfache Wurzel des Satzes vom zureichenden Grunde, his dissertation which earned him his Ph.D. This is volume I in the Complete works of Arthur Schopenhauer by Livraria Press. As Marx’s dissertation on an Epicurean version of Hegelianism defined his entire philosophic-economic project, so Schopenhauer’s dissertation on the Principle of Sufficient Reason defines his entire career. This work was his dissertation for his PhD from the University of Jena (also Hegel's Alma motta). Leibniz's Enlightenment Principle of Sufficient Reason, developed from Aristotelianism’s hybridization with medieval Catholicism immediately following the Great Schism, is the basis of Schopenhauer’s criticisms of Kant and the foundation of his later works. This is a distinct variation which builds out Leibnitz's Monadology in four directions- Becoming, Knowing, Being and Willing.

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason and on the Will in Nature: Two Essays

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason and on the Will in Nature: Two Essays PDF Author: Arthur Schopenhauer
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 3752431385
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Get Book Here

Book Description
Reproduction of the original: On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason and on the Will in Nature: Two Essays by Arthur Schopenhauer

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason

On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason PDF Author: Arthur Schopenhauer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy of nature
Languages : en
Pages : 448

Get Book Here

Book Description


Schopenhauer: On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason and Other Writings

Schopenhauer: On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason and Other Writings PDF Author: Arthur Schopenhauer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107079748
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 622

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume of translations unites three shorter works by Arthur Schopenhauer that expand on themes from his book The World as Will and Representation. In On the Fourfold Root he takes the principle of sufficient reason, which states that nothing is without a reason why it is, and shows how it covers different forms of explanation or ground that previous philosophers have tended to confuse. Schopenhauer regarded this study, which he first wrote as his doctoral dissertation, as an essential preliminary to The World as Will. On Will in Nature examines contemporary scientific findings in search of corroboration of his thesis that processes in nature are all a species of striving towards ends; and On Vision and Colours defends an anti-Newtonian account of colour perception influenced by Goethe's famous colour theory. This is the first English edition to provide extensive editorial notes on the different published versions of these works.