Let A be a formula without implications, and Γ consist of formulas containing disjunction and falsity only negatively and implication only positively. Orevkov and Nadathur proved that classical derivability of A from Γ implies intuitionistic derivability, by a transformation of derivations in sequent calculi. We give a new proof of this result , where the input data are natural deduction proofs in long normal form involving stability axioms for relations; the proof gives a quadratic algorithm to remove the stability axioms. (...) This can be of interest for computational uses of classical proofs. (shrink)

Psychoanalysis sets out to solve the riddles and enigmas of the psyche. For Adorno, however, psychoanalysis itself is an enigma. Why, he asks, have both the theory and its therapeutic applications become entangled in insoluble contradictions? Adorno identifies to a certain extent with the great psychoanalytic riddle-solvers, Freud and Ferenczi, as he probes these contradictions. He hopes, however, to move beyond the limits of a theory that reduces all phenomena to psychological factors, so he also approaches the problem as a (...) sociologist. This perspective enables him to describe the static and dynamic aspects of the social structure within which psychoanalysis developed in the first half of the 20th century. And it frees him, furthermore, from the misconception that Freud passed on to most of his followers: the belief that they were pursuing a natural science of the soul, which would generate its own rigorously scientific psychological technique. (shrink)

Die Abhandlung gibt eine konzentrierte Rekonstruktion der weit verstreut erschienenen Überlegungen des britisch-ungarischen Chemikers und Philosophen Michael Polanyi zur Reduktionismuskritik. Schlüssel der Kritik ist der Begriff der Grenzbedingung. Grenzbedingungen weisen auf Wirklichkeiten hin, die nicht mehr von den Gesetzmäßigkeiten der Stufe, die sie begrenzen, erreicht werden. Seine Anwendung dieses Begriffs auf Maschinen und Mechanismen ermöglicht Polanyi eine überraschende Kritik am biologischen Reduktionismus. Dieser Kritikpunkt wird durch die Entdeckung der DNA noch verstärkt.

-/- Philosophische Texte von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart sind Programm der Philosophischen Bibliothek. Jedes Jahr erscheinen in der »grünen Reihe« nach neuesten wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen erarbeitete Studienausgaben für alle, die es ernst meinen mit der Philosophie. -/- Herausgegeben von führenden Vertretern des Faches, eingeleitet und kommentiert, im Original, in Übersetzung oder zweisprachig, stehen hier neben den Klassikern der Philosophiegeschichte auch weniger bekannte und bisher marginalisierte Texte, die es wiederzuentdecken gilt. Repräsentative Auswahl- und Gesamtausgaben sowie Studien- und Wörterbücher ergänzen das Programm. (...) Gegenwärtig sind über 500 Titel von etwa 160 Autoren aus den letzten 2400 Jahren lieferbar. -/- Die Philosophische Bibliothek (gegr. 1868) ist die älteste und umfangreichste Sammlung philosophischer Texte, betreibt aber keine museale Rückschau auf geistesgeschichtliche Antiquitäten. Jeder einzelne Band schlägt eine Brücke zwischen aktueller Forschung und philosophischem Studium. Sorgfältigste Edition, Erläuterungen, Register und Bibliographien zeichnen diese Reihe aus, die zum Markenzeichen kritischer Textpräsentation geworden ist. (shrink)

A nonlinear partial differential equation is derived which admits plane solitary waves on a conformally flat Riemannian space-time. The metric is determined by the amplitude of these waves. By interpreting these solitary waves as particles we arrive at the following picture: these particles are confined to regions exhibiting singular (very large) amplitudes in an otherwise continuous wavetrain. There is, thus, no distinction between the notion of a particle and that of a wave.

That reality, and in particular the (dynamic) objects of signs, are independent of our thoughts or other representations is a crucial thesis of Peirce’s realism. On the other hand, his semiotics implies the claim that all reality and all real objects are real for us only because of the signs we use. Do these two claims contradict, even exclude, each other? I will argue that both Peirce’s metaphysics and his semiotics provide a natural via media: a structural account of the (...) openness of processes, featuring transitive relations, connects process ontology implicit in his evolutionary metaphysics and the relational, quasi-inferential features embodied in interpretational sequences of signs. It is shown that Peirce’s notion of a sign, its normative role and his account of the directional force of objects implies a sort of logical causality that supports the unity of objects. In this way sign sequences are able to relate flexibly sign use with contextually specified independent objects. That is to say, relational properties of object-oriented chains of interpretations provide sign users with a flexible, fallibilistic instrument able to capture by contingent identity relations (teridentity) of the identity of objects in changing situations. (shrink)

The way physics and other parts of science work can be explained in the framework of radical constructivism. However, this constructivist view itself shows that a uniquily accepted epistemology, constructivism or any other, would not be an advantage for the developmentof science. Unlike physics some parts of science successfully use constructivist concepts inside their theories. Because this is the case particularly in learning theory, constructivist ideas can help to improve physics teaching.

From a classical proof that the gcd of natural numbers a1 and a2 is a linear combination of the two, we extract by Gödel's Dialectica interpretation an algorithm computing the coefficients. The proof uses the minimum principle. We show generally how well-founded recursion can be used to Dialectica interpret well-founded induction, which is needed in the proof of the minimum principle. In the special case of the example above it turns out that we obtain a reasonable extracted term, representing an (...) algorithm close to Euclid's. (shrink)

Jackendoff's account of relating linguistic structure and brain structure is too restricted in concentrating on formal features of computational requirements, neglecting the achievements of various types of neuroscientific modelling. My own approaches to neuronal models of syntactic organization show how these requirements could be met. The book's lack of discussion of a sound philosophy of the relation is briefly mentioned.

Several properties of monotone functionals (MF) and monotone majorizable functionals (MMF) used in the earlier work by the author and van de Pol are proved. It turns out that the terms of the simply typed lambda-calculus define MF, but adding primitive recursion, and even monotonic primitive recursion changes the situation: already Z.Z(1 — sg) is not MMF. It is proved that extensionality is not Dialectica-realizable by MMF, and a simple example of a MF which is not hereditarily majorizable is given.

The concept of “civilization” is likely to call to mind the “Great Civilizations” of world history. There is an inseparable conceptual link between the latter idea and that of “development” — an evaluative standard which is applied to societies and their material and cultural achievements, whether explicitly or implicitly. In this sense, Parsons talks about development towards Western modernity, thus adopting an explicitly evolutionist perspective; the West appears as one of a variety of great civilizations. The central variable in the (...) process of social evolution is ‘adaptive capacity,’ defined at the macro-level. (shrink)

Art can be experienced in numerous ways, ranging from sensory pleasure to elaborated ways of finding meaning (Leder et al. 2004). However, rather ignored by Bullot & Reber (B&R), in empirical aesthetics several lines of research have studied how knowledge of artistic style, descriptive and elaborate information, expertise, and context all affect aesthetic experiences from art. Limiting aesthetics to rather rare experiences unnecessarily narrows the scope of a science of art.

Die Publikation bietet einen geschichtlichen Überblick über die Auseinandersetzung bedeutender Philosophen mit dem ältesten Problem der Philosophie: dem Leib-Seele-Problem. Wenn auch philosophischen Ursprungs, reflektieren die ausgewählten Philosophen die Bezüge zu theologischen, psychologischen, psychosomatischen, naturwissenschaftlichen und medizinischen Dimensionen dieses Problems. Im Vordergrund steht dabei die Herausarbeitung aller Aspekte des Leib-Seele-Problems. So beschäftigen sich die Herausgeber dieses Bandes mit den Fragen, ob Leib und Seele wirklich verschieden oder identisch sind, wie sie aufeinander einwirken und ob die Seele nach dem Tod weiter bestehen (...) kann. (shrink)