We show that in the theory of infinite trees the VC-function is optimal. This generalizes a result of Simon showing that trees are dp-minimal.

Recently theorists have developed competing accounts of the origins and nature of protolanguage and the subsequent evolution of language. Debate over these accounts is lively. Participants ask: Is music a direct precursor of language? Were the first languages gestural? Or is language continuous with primate vocalizations, such as the alarm calls of vervets? In this article I survey the leading hypotheses and lines of evidence, favouring a largely gestural conception of protolanguage. However, the “sticking point” of gestural accounts, to use (...) Robbins Burling’s phrase, is the need to explain how language shifted to a largely vocal medium. So with a critical eye I consider Michael Corballis’s most recent expression of his ideas about this transition. Corballis’s view is an excellent foil to mine and I present it as such. Contrary to Corballis’s account, and developing Burling’s conjecture that musicality played some role, I argue that the foundations of an evolving musicality provided the means and medium for the shift from gestural to vocal dominance in language. In other words, I suggest that an independently evolving musicality prepared ancient hominins, morphologically and cognitively, for intentional articulate vocal production, enabling the evolution of speech. (shrink)

In this book, Dalia Nassar identifies and engages with the neglected philosophical tradition that includes the four thinkers that are discussed in the book: Kant, Herder, Goethe, and Alexander von...

While the story of Stanislav Petrov – the Soviet Lieutenant Colonel who likely saved the world from nuclear holocaust in 1983 – is often trotted out to advocate for the view that human beings ought to be kept “in the loop” of automated weapons’ responses, I argue that the episode in fact belies this reading. By attending more closely to the features of this event – to Petrov’s professional background, to his familiarity with the warning system, and to his decisions (...) to defy his protocol – it becomes clear that Petrov was not seamlessly working “in his loop,” but reassessing it entirely. I claim that this exhibits a paradox intrinsic to all automated loops: namely, that their optimum function in fact rests on unforeseen human interventions that cannot be reliably codified ex ante, that is, that good judgment cannot simply be “programmed into” their protocols. This dependence, moreover, reveals automation’s ineluctable need for virtue ethics – not in the usual sense (whereby ethics deliberates about, say, possible damages and loss of life), but in the sense that ethical judgment, rightly understood, entails the reassessment of all of the conditions surrounding a decision, including whether a protocol should be followed at all. (shrink)

The emergence of novelty in the realm of the living remains, despite the long tradition of evolutionary biology, unwelcome, calling for explanation by old, established knowledge. The prevailing neodarwinian evolutionary paradigm approaches living beings as passive outcomes of external (and extraneous, hence “blind”) formative forces. Many teachings opposing Darwinism also take the existence of eternal, immutable and external laws as a necessary prerequisite. Ironically enough, authors who oppose Darwinian theory, and admit that living beings possess a “self”, often accentuate internal, (...) ideal and eternal harmony,which is incompatible with historical changes; moreover such harmony is again imposed by external, atemporal “laws”. I describe here a third approach embodied by the names of two unrelated scholars, Stuart Kauffman (biology, physics) and Juri Lotman (semiotics, culturology). Their approach suggests thatthe evolution of organisms, minds, cultures — is a continuous negotiation (semiosis) of ‘laws’, driving to ever broader spaces of freedom and constantly larger autonomy of existence. (shrink)

The critique of mission history often involves perpetuating the overestimated impact of the missionaries from opposite sides. It was not so much the missionaries who mattered, but what mattered more was whether the people were responding to the message or not. Today we see the translating function of the missionaries in a clearer way and the people’s reception as the crucial factor in the process of modern Christianization. The World Council of Churches in its declaration “Together Towards Life” separates mission (...) from its entanglement with colonialism as a mission from the margins by grounding it in the triune God, but it seems to overlook the contributing factor of the people as the human subject of the Christianization process. Instead of following a simple input-impact model, we have to acknowledge more those who were adapting themselves to the Christian faith from within their own context. (shrink)

Health and beauty are the most important physical ideals. This paper seeks to compare and contrast these ideals, based on a value theory of human abilities. Health is comprehended as a potential ability to act grounded in bodily functions. Beauty is explained as a symbolising reference to happiness, physical beauty as a combination of organic orientation to purpose and virtuous orientation to action. Physical beauty is the implicit symbolic expression of mental and physical health. This teleological theory is tested and (...) exemplified using current stereotypes such as youthfulness, slimness and shapeliness. (shrink)

De l'apathie de l'âme humaine, ou, L'incapacité de l'âme de se sentir, et l'absence de faculté de sentir en elle, alors que notre oragnisme vivant possède ces qualités -- Sur les idées distinctes des choses qui appartiennent soit à notre âme, soit à notre corps organique vivant -- Traité de l'art de philosopher avec simplicité et précision.

El artículo analiza las concepciones nucleares o ideas-fuerza de la Nueva Derecha Europea en sus diferentes versiones, ortodoxa y heterodoxa , y las compara con las concepciones nucleares del fascismo clásico para establecer los factores de continuidad y de divergencia con él. Los ideólogos de la ND difieren del fascismo clásico en diversos aspectos, como por ejemplo en el apoyo a las formaciones populistas de derecha radical, pero comparten una misma visión del mundo y una forma de estar en él. (...) En sus publicaciones muestran, de forma similar a como lo hicieron los ideólogos del fascismo clásico, una misma diagnosis de la situación ; plantean unos mismos objetivos y utilizan unos mismos referentes culturales . Un aspecto central de los factores de continuidad reside, a su vez, en que comparten una similar concepción del hombre, de la naturaleza y de la historia. El hombre como un ser agresivo, jerarquizado y territorializado. (shrink)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Taking as a starting point the existence of an unimaginable large number of human beings, who, because of poverty, are prevented from a life worth of living and the assumption that the origin of action is a certain sense of responsibility, I will draw a general distinction between the responsibility for the past and the responsibility for the future. This is the framework for the fundamental part of the article, in which I will examine the various types of responsibility of (...) ordinary people in our western countries with regard to poverty in the world. The responsibility for taking collective and political actions to solve the problem stems from this analysis. Until this is not achieved, the responsibility for individual actions is maintained. And the meta-responsibility of showing our responsibility for this problem is required for those whose task is to communicate ideas. (shrink)

Comme le dit le titre, l'objet formel de l'étude est d'approfondir le thème de la réception dans l'Eglise. A cette fin, comme il s'agit d'un phénomène religieux, d'une réalité complexe et de caractère interdisciplinaire à l'intérieur de la théologie, des délimitations ultérieures s'imposent, qui se trouvent indiquées dans le sous-titre. On se propose d'approfondir les fondements théologiques de la réception dans l'Eglise et ses processus vitaux toujours actifs à différents niveaux de la communauté ecclésiale. Une fois délimité le thème, il (...) est nécessaire de partir de la notion de réception dans la sémantique ecclésiologique. Cette notion est purement descriptive. L'A. identifie toute une série de notions du phénomène de la réception et les analyse en profondeur du point de vue théologico-ecclésiologique. C'est seulement à partir d'une étude des principaux processus historiques de la réception dans l'Eglise ancienne qu'il est possible de démontrer que la notion proposée est adéquate. Les processus concrets de réception qui sont étudiés sont les suivants : 1. la formation du canon de l'Ecriture ; 2. la traditio symboli ; 3. la praxis de la communion ecclésiale ; 4. les lettres synodales ; 5. le consensus universel en questions de foi ; 6. le patrimoine liturgique ; 7. les conciles particuliers et oecuméniques. (shrink)

The article explores Santayana's views on Greek philosophy and his evaluation of the Greek thinkers that best represent the classical mind: Heraclitus, Democritus, Plato, and Aristotle. His early views on Greek philosophy, traceable in the 1889 Dissertation on Lotze, were revised and formalized in "The Life of Reason", and finalized in his "Apologia pro mente sua" (1951). The principles that figure dominantly in Santayana's philosophy, materialism, scepticism, and the theory of essences, also pervade his interpretation and critical treatment of Greek (...) philosophy. For all his admiration and love of Greek philosophy, Santayana's naturalistic approach remained close to James' pragmatism. (shrink)

Ethics is demanding by nature, telling us what we should or should not do. But one ethical theory in particular, utilitarianism, is more demanding than most, and is often criticized as requiring too much of us. Neither utilitarianism nor deontology requires Superman to care about truth, justice, or the American way. It might not be possible for Superman to be supererogatory since very little is above or beyond the call of duty for him, given our incredibly high expectations. Virtue ethics (...) has the best chance to explain how Superman can perform supererogatory acts, since it doesn't focus on good action as such, but rather good character. While people use the name “big blue boy scout” in a derogatory way with Superman, it is a nice way to capture an ethical theory that might grant Superman’s responsibilities while allowing him a chance to live his own life: virtue ethics. (shrink)

How Biology Shapes Philosophy: New Foundations for Naturalism. Edited By Smith David Livingstone.

This article is dedicated to the theme of Theosophy and Living Ethics Teaching in modern Religion and Oriental Studies. So, in the article, the author surveys problems, which concerned with this theme and describes her condition in Religion and Oriental Studies and academic achievements, which was done for this theme. Essentially, discourse of the article focused on the contexts this theme in post-Soviet Religion Studies and Oriental Studies. According the author's review, the problems for modern academic research of Theosophy and (...) "Living Ethics" are next: - Unascertained place of both teachings in modern classification of non-traditional religions. For demonstration, the author exemplifies various definitions of Theosophy and "Living Ethics" in classifications of non-traditional religions, which are suggested by modern Ukrainian and Russian researchers. He takes note, that in this classifications both teachings have a different and, sometimes, contradictory positions. For solution this problem, the author, however, suggests simply continuation the clearing of criterions for definition of both teachings. - In whole, unsearched by academic tradition ideological content of Theosophy and "Living Ethics". Here, the author acknowledges absence a scientific works, which are dedicated to detail analysis both teachings, with their own philosophy, mythology and ethics. However, the author also admits, which such works may exist in Europe and America, but don't known in post-Soviet countries, because lack of informative connections between Western and post-Soviet sciences still not overcome completely. The author considers that theme of Theosophical and "Living Ethics" ideology as a perspective basis for analytic researches, both for Religion and Oriental Studies. In his opinion, one of these perspective trends is a sphere of comparative researches of Theosophy and "Living Ethics" ideology with ideology of those modern "New Age" teachings, which has connections with the Theosophy of Helena Blavatsky. The author suggests these researches for retrace the basic trends of development of Theosophical ideology and changes, which was caused by such development. For Oriental Studies the comparative researching trend, in the author opinion, also is perspective, because such research let to fix a discrepancy or similarity between Theosophical ideas, taken from Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism and their Oriental prototypes. Also, the author marks the researching successes in sphere of historical studies of Theosophy and "Living Ethics". Exemplify this, he refers works of Western and Russian researchers, and constants that, thanks for these and similar works, the history of Theosophy and "Living Ethics" may be retraced very clear today. (shrink)

This manuscript brings the early writings of M.M. Bakhtin to the contemporary concern over pluralist ethics. Generally, I argue that many ethical quandaries which individuals face cannot be ascribed to a plurality of ethics or a social indeterminacy of morals. I maintain that human valuation, as an ethics of action always already in play, refers to existing individuals'' struggles to participate in their personally proclaimed and endorsed value systems. Thus, I draw upon Bakhtin to suggest that concrete acts of valuation (...) (ethics in everyday practice) are not reducible to theoretically agreed upon ethical systems, but rather, they are inseparable from the emotional-volitional moments within the total context of my uniquely held existence. (shrink)

This article exposes criterial bases of the development of social quality in the USSR and Russia. The causes of the increased volatility of the state-monopoly capitalism emerging in Russia from the 1990s and in the first decade of the twenty-first century are analyzed. Characteristics of social quality such as a high proportion of low-paid employees, a low standard of living and a high economic inequality are considered. The impact of the precarity of employment on these processes is demonstrated. Risk factors (...) of precarity of employment such as type of labor contract, form of employment, working conditions and wages (in particular, volatility and discreteness of payments) are analyzed. The evaluation of scale of the precarity of employment in the formal sector in Russia is made; the distribution of workers in precarity of employment by kinds of economic activity and the deviation of their average wages are introduced. Overcoming the instability of development is linked to the transition to a society of people-humanistic socialism. (shrink)

This book contains 86 essays and papers by the Russian sculptor and hermeneutic philosopher Vladimir Zimmerling (1931-2017) addressed the issues in aesthetics, ethics and cultural history. The apparatus includes the introductory article, the commentary, the name and the subject indexes prepared by the book editor, Anton Zimmerling. The appendix contains 70 pictures of Vladimir Zimmerling's sculptures. Vladimir Zimmerling's conception is build on the combination of the empiricism principle with the elements of hermeneutics and metalinguistic criticism. His essays and papers (...) focus on the foundations of aesthetics and ethics. Vladimir Zimmerling was one of the pioneers of the analytic approach to the poetics of Ossip Mandelstam with his paper "Промер" ["The Measurement"], (1974-1975) devoted to 10 difficult Mandelstam's poems including "Грифельная Ода", "Слепая ласточка бросается к ногам", "Я слово позабыл, что я хотел сказать". (shrink)

O'Donnell, J. R. Anton Charles Pegis on the occasion of his retirement.--Conlan, W. J. The definition of faith according to a question of MS. Assisi 138: study and edition of text.--Spade, P. V. Five logical tracts by Richard Lavenham.--Maurer, A. Henry of Harclay's disputed question on the plurality of forms.--Brown, V. Giovanni Argiropulo on the agent intellect: an edition of Ms. Magliabecchi V 42.--Synan, E. A. The Exortacio against Peter Abelard's Dialogus inter philosophum, Iudaeum et Christianum.--Fitzgerald, W. Nugae Hyginianae.--Sheehan, (...) M. M. Marriage and family in English conciliar and synodal legislation.--Shook, L. K. Riddles relating to the Anglo-Saxon scriptorium.--Boyle, L. E. The De regno and the two powers.--Colledge, E. A Middle English Christological poem.--Gough, M. R. E. Three forgotten martyrs of Anazarbus in Cilicia.--Häring, N. Chartres and Paris revisited.--Hayes, W. Greek recentiores, (Ps.) Basil, Adversus eunomium, IV-V.--Owens, J. The physical world of Parmenides. (shrink)

This is a wide ranging and deeply learned examination of evolutionary developmental biology, and the foundations of life from the perspective of information theory. Hermeneutics was a method developed in the humanities to achieve understanding, in a given context, of texts, history, and artwork. In Readers of the Book of Life, the author shows that living beings are also hermeneutical interpreters of genetics texts saved in DNA; an interpretation based on the past experience of the cell (cell lineage, species), confronted (...) with and incorporating present environmental clues. This approach stresses the history, not only of the digital record saved in the DNA, but also of the flesh - the cellular organization which has a direct time-continuity with the very origins of life. This book is aimed at reconciling two opposite approaches to life. The first strictly sticking to a belief that all phenomena observed in the realm of the living can be explained from laws of physics. The opposite stressing the importance of features characteristic for a given level of description. To bring both views into a common understanding, the first part gives a comparison of the two problem solving strategies. The second part surveys the development of 20th century biology, bringing to light branches that never became part of the research mainstream. The third section of the book reviews a large body of recent evidence that can be interpreted in favor of the hermeneutic arguments. (shrink)