Economics Dictionary of ArgumentsHome | |||
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Miracles: A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a supernatural or preternatural cause. See also Mysticism, Magical Thinking, Time Travel._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
Author | Concept | Summary/Quotes | Sources |
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David K. Lewis on Miracles - Dictionary of Arguments
V 46 Miracles/wonder/similarity/possible worlds/counterfactual dependency/Lewis: the similarity relation between possible worlds should not require miracles to be needed in deviant worlds. Similarity relations/Lewis: I don't think they often guide our explicit judgement, but the overall similarity must be part of the similarity relation we are looking for.- Consistency of local facts is not important, but avoiding major violations of natural laws is. >Laws of nature/Lewis, >Determinism/Lewis, >Similarity/Lewis, >Possible world/Lewis, >Similarity metrics/Lewis, >Identity across worlds. For example a small miracle: Nixon presses the button, but the signal is suppressed. Big miracle: in addition, all traces are covered, Nixon's memoirs are falsified, etc., i.e. the worlds become indistinguishable. V 48 Small wonder: deviation is allowed. - Big miracle: convergence is allowed. V 49 Divergence is much easier to achieve than convergence. - Counterfactual asymmetry: exists because the appropriate standards of similarity are themselves symmetrical and correspond to the asymmetry of miracles. >Counterfactuals/Lewis, >Counterfactual conditional/Lewis. V 53 It is very much a question of weighting different similarities._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Lewis I David K. Lewis Die Identität von Körper und Geist Frankfurt 1989 Lewis I (a) David K. Lewis An Argument for the Identity Theory, in: Journal of Philosophy 63 (1966) In Die Identität von Körper und Geist, , Frankfurt/M. 1989 Lewis I (b) David K. Lewis Psychophysical and Theoretical Identifications, in: Australasian Journal of Philosophy 50 (1972) In Die Identität von Körper und Geist, , Frankfurt/M. 1989 Lewis I (c) David K. Lewis Mad Pain and Martian Pain, Readings in Philosophy of Psychology, Vol. 1, Ned Block (ed.) Harvard University Press, 1980 In Die Identität von Körper und Geist, , Frankfurt/M. 1989 Lewis II David K. Lewis "Languages and Language", in: K. Gunderson (Ed.), Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol. VII, Language, Mind, and Knowledge, Minneapolis 1975, pp. 3-35 In Handlung, Kommunikation, Bedeutung, Georg Meggle, Frankfurt/M. 1979 Lewis IV David K. Lewis Philosophical Papers Bd I New York Oxford 1983 Lewis V David K. Lewis Philosophical Papers Bd II New York Oxford 1986 Lewis VI David K. Lewis Convention. A Philosophical Study, Cambridge/MA 1969 German Edition: Konventionen Berlin 1975 LewisCl Clarence Irving Lewis Collected Papers of Clarence Irving Lewis Stanford 1970 LewisCl I Clarence Irving Lewis Mind and the World Order: Outline of a Theory of Knowledge (Dover Books on Western Philosophy) 1991 |