The logician Kurt Godel in 1951 established a disjunctive thesis about the scope and limits of mathematical knowledge: either the mathematical mind is equivalent to a Turing machine (i.e., a computer), or there are absolutely undecidable mathematical problems. In the second half of the twentieth century, attempts have been made to arrive at a stronger conclusion. In particular, arguments have been produced by the philosopher J.R. Lucas and by the physicist and mathematician Roger Penrose that intend to show that the (...) mathematical mind is more powerful than any computer. These arguments, and counterarguments to them, have not convinced the logical and philosophical community. The reason for this is an insufficiency if rigour in the debate. The contributions in this volume move the debate forward by formulating rigorous frameworks and formally spelling out and evaluating arguments that bear on Godel's disjunction in these frameworks. The contributions in this volume have been written by world leading experts in the field. (shrink)

El artículo muestra las relaciones de amistad que se van tornando en reflexiones filosóficas entre Cioran y el escritor italiano Mario Andrea Rigoni, a partir de su obra: Cioran dans mes souvenirs. Nuestro interés está en dar a conocer las reflexiones que hace Rigoni sobre la obra y el carácter humano de Cioran.

Die unvoreingenommene Suche nach der Wahrheit bildet nicht allein das Leitmotiv der Wissenschaft, sondern kann auch in der Ethik eine entsprechende Relevanz entfalten. Wer eine solche Auffassung näher beleuchten will, ist gut beraten, auf die Realismus-Debatten aus der modernen Philosophie zu rekurrieren und ihre oftmals vernachlässigten Verbindungen in den Blick zu nehmen. Das Buch leistet eine derartige Zusammenführung und macht den wissenschaftlichen und den moralischen Realismus in einem größeren Zusammenhang sichtbar, indem es deren wahrheitstheoretischen Grundgedanken herausarbeitet und sich gegen eine (...) erkenntnistheoretische Überformung der Thematik wendet: Ein Realismus (über Wissenschaft oder Ethik) ist eine Auffassung über Wahrheit, nicht jedoch über unseren Erkenntniszugang zur Wahrheit. Im Zentrum eines Realismus steht die Vorstellung von der Objektivität der Wahrheit - eine Vorstellung, die für unser wissenschaftliches und ethisches Denken gleichermaßen von Bedeutung ist. (shrink)

Inspired by Kit Fine’s theory of arbitrary objects, we explore some ways in which the generic structure of the natural numbers can be presented. Following a suggestion of Saul Kripke’s, we discuss how basic facts and questions about this generic structure can be expressed in the framework of Carnapian quantified modal logic.

In a recent paper T. D. J. Chappell advances the thesis that orthodox Christianity is incompatible with consequentialism. 1 His thesis is grounded on a number of premises; I shall, however, confine my criticism to only one of them, i.e. a consequentialist God could not possibly have created a world. Here is his argument.

The objective of the research project is to determine the incidence of the variables of "Basic motor skills in the learning of mini-athletics in children 4-6 years old, the research is methodologically based under a non-experimental design, by correlational and cutting scope cross-sectional, taken a sample of 300 children distributed in male and female genders of the zonal coordination 1 (Carchi, Esmeraldas, Imbabura and Sucumbíos) The instrument to evaluate the first study variable was the "retest" test validated and considered In (...) order to evaluate the basic motor skills, as well as for the second variable, an observation sheet was used to evaluate the ability of mini-athletics through the A-B-C- of the basics of the race. The systematic process in the application of the technical fundamentals of mini-athletics, allowed obtaining the results that show the highest percentage of the study sample in relation to the basic motor skill levels were at a normal level and in the same way in the execution. of the ability of the basic movements of mini-athletics as a base and training sport to use it in sports initiation, reaching the conclusion of being able to determine that there is a positive correlation between the study variables, accepting the research hypothesis that affirms that motor skills Basic skills affect the learning of the ability to execute movements in mini-athletics in zone 1 of Ecuador. (shrink)

Science education is generally perceived as a key facilitator in cultivating a scientifically literate society. In the last decade, however, this conventional wisdom has been challenged by evidence that greater scientific literacy and critical thinking skills may in fact inadvertently aggravate polarization on scientific matters in the public sphere. Supporting an alternative “scientific update hypothesis,” in a series of studies (total N = 2087), we show that increased science’s epistemology literacy might have consequential population-level effects on the public’s alignment with (...) scientific results. In one exploratory study and a pre-registered national online survey, we first show that understanding scientific epistemology predicts refusal of pseudoscientific beliefs and higher scores in a methodology of science test. We also find and replicate a propensity for epistemologically literate citizens to endorse the norm of belief updating and the communicated scientific consensus following both ideologically congruent and incongruent scientific results. Notably, after 2 months of first being presented with scientific results on politically controversial issues, a one standard deviation higher score in epistemological literacy is associated with a 14% increase in the odds of individuals switching their beliefs to align with the scientifically communicated consensus. We close by discussing how, on the face of ideological incongruity, a general understanding of scientific epistemology might foster the acceptance of scientific results, and we underscore the need for a more nuanced appreciation of how education, public comprehension of scientific knowledge, and the dynamics of polarization intersect in the public sphere. (shrink)

To assess—from a qualitative perspective—the perceptions and attitudes of Spanish rehabilitation professionals (e.g. rehabilitation doctors, speech therapists, physical therapists) about Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) technology. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was carried out by means of interviews and analysis of textual content with mixed generation of categories and segmentation into frequency of topics. We present the results of three in-depth interviews that were conducted with Spanish speaking individuals who had previously completed a survey as part of a larger, 3-country/language, survey (...) on BCI perceptions. 11 out of 15 of these Spanish respondents (survey) either strongly or somewhat accept the use of BCI in rehabilitation therapy. However, the results of our three in-depth interviews show how, due to a strong inertia of attitudes and perceptions about BCI technology, most professionals feel reluctant to use BCI technology in their daily practice (interview). (shrink)

The prominence given in national or state-wide curriculum policy to thinking, the development of democratic dispositions and preparation for the ‘good life’, usually articulated in terms of lifelong learning and fulfilment of personal life goals, gives rise to the current spate of interest in the role that could be played by philosophy in schools. Theorists and practitioners working in the area of philosophy for schools advocate the inclusion of philosophy in school curricula to meet these policy objectives. This article tests (...) claims that philosophy can aid in the acquisition of democratic dispositions and develop critical thinking and considers to the extent to which these aims are compatible with each other. These considerations are located in the context of certain policy statements relating to the curricula of Western Australia and New Zealand. (shrink)

Using the diffusion model associated by the author with the wave equations, a part of current quantum radiation theory is reformulated so that the characteristic divergences in the associated calculations no longer arise. The reformulation does this by stipulating, on purely physical grounds, that a transition involving a “virtual” quantum must include a high frequency “cutoff” factor in its interaction Hamiltonian. For a transition involving a “real” quantum, the stipulation is that the “cutoff” factor is not to be included.

In a work that casts philosophical and theological reflections against a backdrop of personal experience, Leon Wiener Dow offers a learned discourse that elucidates the telos of Jewish law and the philosophical-theological commitments that animate it. To the reader gazing upon the halakha from the outside, this book offers a glimpse of its central, orienting concepts. To the reader who lives amidst the rigor of halakha, this book bestows an insightful glance at the law's orienting ethos and higher aspirations that (...) often remain opaque. (shrink)