Author: Mamzer Henryk Title: TRANSFORMATION OF PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS INTO THE CULTURAL STUDIES ONES AS THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE PROCESS OF WORLD’S HUMANIZATION (Przekształcanie się problemów filozoficznych w kulturoznawcze jako wyraz procesu humanizacji świata) Source: Filo-Sofija year: 2011, vol:.12, number: 2011/1, pages: 263-278 Keywords: NOTION OF CULTURE, CULTURAL STUDIES, PROCESS OF WORLD’S HUMANIZATION Discipline: PHILOSOPHY Language: POLISH Document type: ARTICLE Publication order reference (Primary author’s office address): E-mail: www:This text is inspired by main research problem undertaken by Jerzy Kmita (...) in his book Konieczne serio ironisty. O przekształcaniu się problemów filozoficznych w kulturoznawcze (Poznań 2007). The mentioned problem is related to this area of culture to which „The human being had invaded and thanks to this started to construct both the world and himself”. Beginning from this moment the way followed by humans equals the process of the world’s humanization. This is not a continuous process. Each epoch, each culture, has its own vision of own functioning and the way which surrounding world functions, the world in which the social actor participates and creates. The practice proves that usually ethnocentric human attitudes influence the way in which original assumptions are introduced into the life. Reaction to this fact is giving up practicing philosophical practices related with the notion of “absolute” and, as consequences, moving into the field of cultural studies. This process is the demonstration of the world’s humanization. The notion of culture is the superior one. In a way – a priori – of all types of human activities. The science and philosophy are produced by the culture as well, and they are shaped by the values and expectations present in given culture. Because of this cultural studies (knowledge on the culture) appears to be “broad meaning type of knowledge”, exceeding the borders of the philosophy. (shrink)

Artykuł ma charakter polemiczny – wyraża wątpliwość wobec potocznego przekonania, że materialne pozostałości po społeczeństwach minionych, skoro są jedynym o nich źródłem informacji, mówią „same za siebie”. Przekonanie to znajduje wsparcie w upowszechniającym się ostatnio w humanistyce światowej i europejskiej ukierunkowaniu badań nad kulturą materialną. Istotą owego ukierunkowania - jak twierdzą jego zwolennicy posługujący się hasłem „powrotu do materialności” lub „powrotu do rzeczy” - jest osłabienie czy wręcz wyeliminowanie nieuzasadnionej asymetrii między ludzkimi działaniami intencjonalnymi a nie-ludzkim, materialnym światem relacji przyczynowych. (...) Jednakże odczytywanie pradziejów z uporządkowanych przez archeologa materialnych wytworów jest ich odczytywaniem w języku wspólnotowym, a więc takim, w którym nadana została owemu zbiorowi wytworów treść dziejowa. Treść dziejowa uporządkowanego na muzealnej wystawie zbioru wytworów to rezultat uzgodnień wspólnotowych, literalne odniesienie przedmiotowe, „widziany społecznie” fragment rzeczywistości minionej, jej ujęcie z punktu widzenia akceptowanego kulturowo wcześniejszego zespołu stwierdzeń. Bez uzgodnień w języku wspólnotowym nie jest możliwe nadanie treści dziejowej porządkującej materialne wytwory, tak jak nie jest możliwe jej odczytanie bez znajomości języka wspólnotowego. Beduini czy australijscy aborygeni - przykładowo - nie uczestniczą w „umeblowaniu” świata kultury zachodniej, a więc bez znajomości jego języka wspólnotowego nie są w stanie odczytać treści dziejowej ze zbioru wytworów przedstawiającego ową treść. Język wspólnotowy ma charakter przedustawny; w sensie logicznym wyprzedza zarówno nadawanie materialnym wytworom treści dziejowej, jak i jej odczytanie przez odbiorcę. Materialne przedmioty, podobnie jak i miniona rzeczywistość, w której funkcjonowały, łączą się nierozerwalnie z kontekstem myślowym badacza, z jego kontekstem kulturowym. W związku z tym oddzielenie ich obiektywnego charakteru od kontekstu kulturowego, za pośrednictwem którego są one postrzegane, okazuje się niemożliwe. Nie jest więc możliwe oddzielenie rzeczy od naszego sposobu myślenia o nich. Przedmioty materialne w sensie przyrodoznawczym same w sobie nic nam nie mówią. „Tylko my to robimy” - by użyć sformułowania R. Rorty’ego. Główna teza artykułu ugruntowana jest więc w dokonaniach takich myślicieli jak: Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz, Jerzy Kmita, Hilary Putnam czy Willard Van Orman Quine. Upowszechniające się dziś urzeczowienie badań nad kulturą jest wyrazem mityzacji sposobu myślenia najbardziej czytelnego w kulturze popularnej, a polegającego z jednej strony na antropomorfizowaniu świata natury, z drugiej zaś na równoczesnej reifikacji kulturowego obrazu świata. (shrink)

BackgroundIn the context of translational research, researchers have increasingly been using biological samples and data in fundamental research phases. To explore informed consent practices, we conducted a retrospective study on informed consent documents that were used for CARPEM’s translational research programs. This review focused on detailing their form, their informational content, and the adequacy of these documents with the international ethical principles and participants’ rights.MethodsInformed consent forms (ICFs) were collected from CARPEM investigators. A content analysis focused on information related to (...) biological samples and data treatment (context of sampling and collect, aims, reuse, consent renewal), including the type of consent. An automatic assessment of the readability of the ICFs were performed with the IT program “Flesch Score”.Results29 ICFs from 25 of 49 studies were analyzed after selection criteria were applied. Three types of consent were identified: 11 broad consents, six specific consents, and two opt-out consents. The Flesch Scores showed that most of the documents were too complex to be fully understood by most of the potential research participants. Most of the biological samples were collected during the healthcare routine, but the information content about secondary use of biological samples varied between ICFs. All documents mentioned personal data treatment but information about their reuse was not standardized in the ICFs.ConclusionsOur review of current IC procedures of CARPEM showed that practices could be improved considering new translational research methods. “Old fashion written ICFs” should be adapted to the translational research approach, to better respect individual rights and international research ethics principles. In this context, theoretically, a digital tool allowing dynamic information and consent of participants, through an electronic interactive platform may be a good way to promote more active participation in research. Nevertheless, its feasibility in the complex environment of biological samples and data research remains to prove. The way of a combination of a broad consent followed by dynamic information may be alternatively tested. (shrink)

This article deals with basic changes in Polish society over past 20 years. On the basis of sociological surveys, the author attempts to answer the following questions: to what extent has systemic change brought about significant changes in social stratification? In which dimensions did it take place? What are the consequences of these changes for individuals and the social system? How does Polish society differ from others? As for social stratification, the only clear and unambiguous tendencies were growing inequality and (...) more marked effects of educational credentials on incomes. Contrary to expectations, barriers to mobility have not become more rigid, nor is there any clear evidence of social origins mattering more for educational achievement. Transformations in social structure have been accompanied by rising discontent with material conditions, the government, and the system as a whole. Interestingly, this wave runs counter to positive evaluations in the private sphere, displayed in relatively high self-esteem and satisfaction with friendships and family life. These optimistic attitudes contrasted with disapproval of the political class, and with the workings of democracy. The degree of legitimization of the political system in Poland appears to be the lowest among 21 European societies. When compared with the capitalist West, this constitutes one of the obstacles to modernization along Western lines. (shrink)

W obliczu katastrofalnych skutków antropopresji widoczna staje się konieczność współpracy pomiędzy humanistyką a przyrodoznawstwem. Te dwie sztucznie rozłączone dziedziny nauki, zdążyły w toku historii zbudować swoje metodologie i swoje języki. Obie jednak badają to samo: świat, w którym żyje człowiek. W kontekście narastającej potrzeby troskliwych działań w kierunku przyrody, potrzebne są zintegrowane podejścia. Jest to tym bardziej zasadne, że przecież człowiek jest elementem biologicznego środowiska. Koncepcje posthumanistyczne znoszą podział między kulturą a naturą, proponują zrezygnować z antropocentryzmu i lokują człowieka na (...) powrót w świecie przyrody. Tym bardziej więc powrotne połączenie humanistyki i przyrodoznawstwa jest zasadne. Co więcej, jest ono też konieczne dla efektywnej refleksji na rzecz ochrony środowiska przyrodniczego. (shrink)

Technology Assessment is a new mode of knowledge: it attempts to grasp the impact of large bodies of techniques and processes on large bodies of people and social institutions. We are not yet quite clear what exactly we mean by "impact" which is at the heart of TA judgments. Therefore it is of great importance that we look deeper into the epistemological foundations of TA, and attempt to learn where lie its strengths and pitfalls, under what circumstances it can be (...) best practised, what kind of qualities of mind it requires. (shrink)

The volume collects classics of Marxist historiography of science, including a new translation of Boris Hessen's “The Social and Economic Roots of Newton's ...

We transform the proof of the second incompleteness theorem given in [3] to a proof-theoretic version, avoiding the use of the arithmetized completeness theorem. We give also new proofs of old results: The Arithmetical Hierarchy Theorem and Tarski's Theorem on undefinability of truth; the proofs in which the construction of a sentence by means of diagonalization lemma is not needed.

Ethics is an unconventional field of research for a surgeon, as ethics in surgery owns several specificities and surgery is considered an aggressive specialty. Therefore, the interest of research in medical ethics is sometimes unclear.In this short essay, we discussed the interest of research in medical ethics using a comparison to thermodynamics and mainly, entropy. During the transformation of a figure from one state to another, some energy is released or absorbed; yet, a part of this energy is wasted because (...) of “unordered” reactions: it is Entropy.This “wasted energy” exists in Medical practice and justifies research in Medical ethics. (shrink)

Crises come and go, but it is good if, from the perspective of the past, we can point to some positives of the crisis that has just passed. Indeed, in the article we first find a snapshot of the export activity of the Polish economy in recent years, a picture which is positive, despite the very serious crises in the global economy. This picture may not be complete due to the scope of the study, but it shows what is most (...) important in author opinion – our place in the international division of labor over the last 15 years. This place has steadily improved, with particularly spectacular increases in importance observed during the years of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. The second section of the article presents an analysis of agri-food exports in a broader time frame, dating back to the 2000s. It aims to highlight the rise of agri-food exports as a proportion of GDP and total exports. Equally fascinating is the geographical and commodity structure and the mportance of Polish agri-food imports in the total of those made by selected countries. As a result, an interesting picture of Polish agri-food exports appears to have emerged, allowing positive assessments to be formulated. Quite optimistic prognoses for the future are also noticeable. (shrink)

The 'Discussion' section of this issue contains the following responses to Wilfred Beckerman's article 'Sustainable Development: Is it a Useful Concept?' Environmental Values 3,3 (1994): 191-209. Herman Daly, 'On Wilfred Beckerman's Critique of Sustainable Development'; Michael Jacobs, 'Sustainable Development, Capital Substitution and Humility: A Response to Beckerman'; and Henryk Skolimowski, 'In Defence of Sustainable Development'. These criticisms are answered by Beckerman in Environmental Values 4,2.

In der Zeit als die brüchige Existenz Nietzsches sich dem Ende neigte, entscheidet er sich für eine Retrospektion seines Lebens. Obwohl es ein endloses Ringen mit der Krankheit und Leiden war, Nietzsche bewertet es positiv, ja sogar drückt dafür seine Dankbarkeit aus, daß er sich besser kennenlernte und sein Potential vervollkommen konnte. Empfundenes Leid solidarisiert ihn mit Dionysos, der Schmerz der Zergliederung erfahren hat, aber auch Freude an vielmaliger Geburt zu neuem Leben. Dieselbe Freude ewigen Daseins sieht er beim Christus (...) nicht und Christentum ist für ihn nur ein Ausdruck des Widespruchs gegenüber der Grundlage des Lebens. Nietzsches antichristliche Philosophie zeigt im Symbol des Dionysos eine unbedingte Liebe zum Leben mit allem, was es mit sich bringt. Formel amor fati ist ein Ausdruck schöpferischen Selbstverständnises eines Menschen, dank welchem die einzelne Existenz seinen eigentlichen Sinn aufnimmt. (shrink)

We give some information about new proofs of the incompleteness theorems, found in 1990s. Some of them do not require the diagonal lemma as a method of construction of an independent statement.

The geography of religion is one of the younger areas of religious studies. The subject of her interests is the reciprocal ties that stand between religion and the geographical environment. On the one hand, the influence of the geographical environment on the formation of religious imaginations is investigated, and on the other hand, feedback, that is, what kind of religion does the change in the geographical environment. In addition, this area of ​​religious studies is engaged in the distribution of individual (...) religions, demographic and statistical issues, as well as analysis of the topography of holy places, problems of religious migration, pilgrimage, missions, religious tourism, etc. (shrink)

BackgroundSince 2006, the genetic testing company 23andMe has collected biological samples, self-reported information, and consent documents for biobanking and research from more than 1,000,000 individuals, through a direct-to-consumer online genetic-testing service providing a genetic ancestry report and a genetic health report. However, on November 22, 2013, the Food and Drug Administration halted the sale of genetic health testing, on the grounds that 23andMe was not acting in accordance with federal law, by selling tests of undemonstrated reliability as predictive tests for (...) medical risk factors. Consumers could still obtain the genetic ancestry report, but they no longer had access to the genetic health report in the United States. However, this did not prevent the company from continuing its health research, with previously obtained and future samples, provided that consent had been obtained from the consumers concerned, or with health reports for individuals from other countries. Furthermore, 23andMe was granted FDA authorization on February 19, 2015, first to provide reports about Bloom syndrome carrier status, and, more recently, to provide consumers with “carrier status” information for 35 genes known to cause disease.DiscussionIn this Debate, we highlight the likelihood that the primary objective of the company was probably two-fold: promoting itself within the market for predictive testing for human genetic diseases and ancestry at a low cost to consumers, and establishing a high-value database/biobank for research and personal information).SummaryBy dint of this marketing approach, a two-sided market has been established between the consumer and the research laboratories, involving the establishment of a database/DNA biobank for scientific and financial gain. We describe here the profound ethical issues raised by this setup. (shrink)

Historically, Ehrenfest’s theorem is the first one which shows that classical physics can emerge from quantum physics as a kind of approximation. We recall the theorem in its original form, and we highlight its generalizations to the relativistic Dirac particle and to a particle with spin and izospin. We argue that apparent classicality of the macroscopic world can probably be explained within the framework of standard quantum mechanics.

Henryk Elzenberg is one of the most prominent Polish philosophers of this century. His main publications are: the brilliant Foundations of Leibniz’s Metaphysics of 1917; a philosophical diary published in 1963 as Trouble with Being; and a collection of papers Man and Value. Elzenberg’s principal field of inquiry was axiology, in which he put forward a deep and original conception of his own. That, however, remains still mostly in the form of manuscripts and lecture notes, of which we publish (...) two pieces above: a critique of the utilitarian concept of value, and an analysis of Meinong’s position on the same topic. (shrink)

We take I.Q. tests but not Compassion Aptitude tests. Yet mind and emotions need to be seen as two different parts of the same spectrum if the battered human psyche is to be mended. Skolimowski sees the opportunity for a new order to be brought about if the Western mind can return to, then reintegrate, the spiritual.