In this text we offer an overview of Festini’s works on history of Croatian philosophy. The article is divided in five parts in which we discuss Festini’s attitude towards Croatian Renaissance philosophers, eighteenth and nineteenth century Croatian philosophers, and two philosophers from the twentieth century (Vladimir Filipović and Marija Brida). Majority of Festini’s texts were published in the journal Prilozi za istraživanje hrvatske filozofske baštine.

In this article, I give an overview of the Croatian philosopher Gordana Bosanac’s (Varaždin, 1936 – Zagreb, 2019) understanding of utopia. She deals with the topic of utopia in two of her books, Utopia and the Inaugural Paradox. A Contribution to the Philosophical-Political Debate (2005) and The Name of Utopia. Yugoslav Self-Government as a Played Out Project of Emancipation (2015). The second book can be considered a continuation of the first. For better understanding and review, I first present the theses (...) from Bosanac’s first book and then those from the second. Apart from dealing with the concept of utopia in her books, Bosanac deals equally thoroughly with the concepts of inauguration, inauguration paradox, socialism, communism and self-management. Beginning with the concept of utopia itself, she takes the reader from Thomas More through other Renaissance utopians, then Marx, Engels, and Bloch, to anti-utopianism. (shrink)

Život Elze Kučere -- Prva hrvatska knjižničarka -- Kučera kao filozofkinja -- Prva hrvatska eksperimentalna psihologinja -- Dodatak I. Kratak izbor iz proze i poezije Elze Kučere -- Dodatak II. Izbor iz Kučernih knjižničarskih zapisa -- Dodatak III. Kučerin neobjavljen tekst Karakteristika mišljenja i htijenja u vidu eksperimentalnog istraživanja.

Tekst predstavlja analizu situacije sa ženama filozofkinjama u Hrvatskoj tijekom komunističko-socijalističkog razdoblja (1945. - 1989.). Analiza se usredotočuje na dva aspekta: stjecanje doktorata iz filozofije i publikacije. Naša analiza pokazuje da su filozofkinje tijekom tog razdoblja po oba kriterija, odnosno po broju doktora filozofije i broju publikacija, bile proporcionalno na otprilike istoj razini kao i danas u zapadnim zemljama, uključujući današnju Republiku Hrvatsku. Komunistički socijalizam je bio koristan za filozofkinje na dva načina. Prvo, administrativno, uklonio je prepreke za zapošljavanje žena (...) na sveučilištima i znanstvenim institutima. Drugo, komunizam i socijalizam, sami po sebi filozofske i socio-filozofske doktrine, nudili su niz novih tema, istraživanja i elaboracija za daljnji razvoj. Ti čimbenici omogućili su da u Hrvatskoj, koja je u to vrijeme bila ekonomski i obrazovno mnogo manje razvijena od većine današnjih zapadnih zemalja, proporcionalno isti broj filozofkinja ima akademsku poziciju kao danas u zapadnom svijetu (uključujući današnju Hrvatsku). Također smo analizirali sedam najvažnijih filozofskih časopisa koji su izlazili u to vrijeme i utvrdili da je između 1945. i 1989. godine 15,4% tekstova bilo napisano od strane žena. Omjer ženskog autorstva je 0,2. To je impresivan broj ako uzmemo u obzir da je u to vrijeme omjer ženskog autorstva bio veći nego trenutno na JSTOR-u, uzimajući u obzir razlike u postupcima objavljivanja tada i sada. (shrink)

U središtu ovog teksta nalaze se neki filozofski aspekti Elze Kučere (1883. — 1972.). Kučera je 1909. godine doktorirala filozofiju na Sveučilištu u Zürichu i tako postala prva Hrvatica rođena u Hrvatskoj koja je doktorirala filozofiju. No, glavni joj je interes bila psihologija, a kasnije i bibliotekarstvo te su, osim doktorskih disertacija, gotovo svi njezini objavljeni radovi unutar tih disciplina. No, u arhivu Nacionalne i sveučilišne knjižnice u Zagrebu čuvaju se njezina rukopisna i neobjavljena djela, a među njima se može (...) pronaći i određeni broj čisto filozofskih tekstova. Kako bismo prikazali filozofiju Elze Kučere, u ovom tekstu analiziramo dva aspekta njezina filozofiranja. Prvi je njezina diskusija problema uzročnosti kojim se bavi u pregledu epistemologije Thomasa Browna u svojoj doktorskoj disertaciji pod naslovom Spoznajna teorija Thomasa Browna: povijesna studija (Die Erkenntnislehre von Thomas Brown: eine historische Studie, Zagreb, 1909.). Drugi je pitanje nacionalne filozofije kojim se bavimo u kraćem tekstu o toj temi, napisanom vjerojatno 1918. ili 1919. godine i koji nikad nije objavljen. S obzirom na to da Elza Kučera kao prva žena filozofkinja, eksperimentalna psihologinja i knjižničarka u nas do danas nije dobila dužnu pozornost, donosimo i njezinu biografiju. (shrink)

The theory of social representations must be understood in terms of its proper epistemology so that it can accomplish its full potential in social sciences. This is often difficult to achieve because researchers comprehend it in terms of concepts that are part of static and individualistic Newtonian epistemology rather than in terms of dynamic and relational Einsteinian epistemology. This article considers three signposts that Moscovici identifies and analyses in the theory of relativity, namely the relation between epistemology and science, theory (...) and method, and the argument against the explanation of effects by their causes. The following question is posed: are these signposts also characteristic of the theory of social representations? This question is examined focusing on interactional epistemology, theory and method and the diversity of natural thinking and communication. Moscovici's Psychoanalysis shows that natural thinking appears in a plurality of modes according to the situation in which it takes place and according to social groups towards which it is directed. Natural thinking is controversial and communication-centred. Different professionals, groups and lay people use different kinds of speaking and different communicative genres when they try to resolve “the same” problem. The article suggests that bringing together dialogicality, dialogical linguistics and the theory of social representations may open up new possibilities for theoretical developments in social psychology. (shrink)

Frente a las más recientes interpretaciones del Timeo platónico, que procuran reducir el papel de la necesidad o anánke hasta volverlo casi irrelevante en la economía de la génesis del universo, defenderé aquí el carácter decisivo de su presencia en la composición del mundo, su relativa autonomía re..

Is it time for politics and political theory to face the challenge of artificial intelligence (AI)? It seems to be the case that political theory constantly lags behind technological developments. With rapid developments in the field of AI, a common estimate is that technological singularity will probably happen in the next 50 to 200 years. Even regardless of the time frame, the very possibility of superhumanly smart AIs poses serious political questions and calls for some serious political decisions. Luckily, some (...) scenarios are already provided by science fiction. The most common trope is that of a hostile AI taking over and destroying/enslaving humanity. Yet there is another path—AI takes over and makes itself a ruler (openly or behind the scenes), but rules in the genuine best interest of humanity. Such a turn of events, as described in Neal Asher’s Polity novels, may be an improvement compared to present political arrangements. It will, however, probably rob us of politics as such. (shrink)

Insular populations have traditionally drawn a lot of attention from epidemiologists as they provide important insights regarding transmission of infectious diseases and propagation of epidemics. There are numerous historical instances where isolated populations showed high morbidity once a new virus entered the population. Building upon that and recent findings that the activation of the behavioral immune system depends both upon one’s vulnerability and environmental context, we predicted that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, place of residence explains a significant proportion of variance (...) in preferred interpersonal distances, animosity toward strangers, and willingness to punish those who do not adhere to COVID-19 preventive measures. With 48 populated islands, Croatia provides a fruitful testing ground for this prediction. We also opted to explore relations among BIS-related variables and social cognitions in a more natural context than has previously been done. The study was conducted online, on Croatian residents, during April and May 2020. As expected, the BIS variables contributed significantly to preferred interpersonal distances, negative emotions toward strangers, and willingness to punish those who do not adhere to COVID-19 preventive measures. Furthermore, our results showed that geographical location explained a significant amount of variance in preferred social distances and negative emotions toward foreigners. As Croatian islands are extremely frequent travel destinations, these differences between mainlanders and islanders cannot be explained by the lack of exposure to foreigners. Additionally, we found that scores on preferred interpersonal distances, pathogen disgust, and germ aversion were significantly higher compared to those obtained in Croatian samples before the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, men scored higher in perceived infectability than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and women did not, which reflects the objectively higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 for men than for women. Taken together, our results support the notion that BIS is a highly adaptive and context-dependent response system, likely more reactive in more susceptible individuals. (shrink)

This paper attempts to philosophically articulate empirical evidence on the positive effects of illness within the wider context of a discussion of the positive aspects of vulnerability. The conventional understanding holds that to be vulnerable is to be open to harms and wrongs; it is to be fragile, defenseless, and of compromised autonomy. In this paper, we challenge the assumption that vulnerability consists of nothing but powerlessness and dependence on others. This paper attempts to: (1) outline the theoretical conceptualisation of (...) the positive aspects of coping with illness, while simultaneously showing how these findings provide empirical support for some classical philosophical ideas; (2) influence a change in the manners in which the ill are usually perceived (as weak, dependent, robbed of a good life) and (3) point to the importance of modernising the prevalent biomedical conception of illness with the subjective dimension of health. Biomedical understanding of illness focuses on the vulnerable experience of the sufferer, suggesting the importance of philosophical additions. (shrink)

Corporate social responsibility research has burgeoned in the past several decades. Despite significant advances, our review of the literature reveals a problematic gap: We know little about how culture, practices, and interactions shape CSR. On further investigation, we discover that limited research utilizes ethnography to understand CSR, which may provide some explanation for this gap. Thus, the purpose of this article is to illustrate the utility of ethnography for advancing business and society research via a multistage framework that demonstrates how (...) three different types of ethnography may be applied to the exploration of CSR. We specifically focus on the alignment between stages in the research process, or methodological fit, as a key criterion of high-quality research. In doing so, we provide researchers embracing different worldviews a tool they may utilize to conduct and evaluate ethnographies in business and society research. (shrink)

Although the Chunqiu fanlu traditionally ascribed to Han dynasty scholar Dong Zhongshu (c. 195 − 115 BCE) is considered to be an extremely important book for the development of Chinese ethical and philosophical thought, it has been long neglected and has lacked proper non-Chinese scholarly attention. Up to the 2016 translation by Sarah A. Queen and John S. Major, only partial translations of the Chunqiu fanlu had been published in English. Part of the reason for the neglect of the study (...) of the Chunqiu fanlu and consequently its late translation lies in the complexity of the text, connected to a number of obscurities about its origin, authorship and nature. Sarah Queen and John Major have made an important step forward in redressing this neglect. They produced a complete English translation and study of the Chunqiu fanlu. Besides focusing on the first complete English translation of the Chunqiu fanlu, this article reviews central questions and problems regarding that text and attempts to summarize the current state of research on it. (shrink)

Protection motivation theory is a theoretical framework informative for understanding behavioral intentions and choices during exceptional and uncommon circumstances, such as a pandemic of respiratory infectious disease. PMT postulates both the threat appraisal and the coping appraisal as predictors of health behaviors. Recent advances in the field of behavioral immune system research suggest that humans are equipped with a set of psychological adaptations enabling them to detect the disease-threat and activate behavioral avoidance of pathogens. The present study, set within PMT (...) framework and informed by the BIS research, aimed to explain and predict voluntary adherence to COVID-19 guidelines by perceived personal risk and vulnerability to disease as threat appraisal variables, and trust in science as the response efficacy element of coping appraisal. Gender, age, belief in the second wave, perceived personal risk, germ aversion, and trust in science were all found to be significant positive predictors of the intent to adhere to non-pharmacological COVID-19 recommendations, with the belief in the second wave, germ aversion, and trust in science being the most important ones. On the other hand, only the belief in the second wave and trust in science were significant positive predictors of the intent to adhere to pharmacological COVID-19 recommendations. Interventions aimed at enhancing preventative measures adherence should take into account that the psychological mechanisms underlying adherence to these two types of recommendations are not identical. (shrink)

U članku se na temelju teze njemačkoga teoretičara i pionira filozofije tehnike, Ernsta Kappa, o projekciji organa prilikom početnoga stvaranja oruđa, nastoji pokazati kako ta teza ima svoje implikacije još i danas, posebice u pogledu njezine reverzibilnosti. Naime, kada Kapp tvrdi da su sva oruđa nastala tako što je čovjek promatrao svoje organe i njihovu funkcionalnost, a da je među svim organima napose ruka oruđe svih oruđa, onda isto tako valja ustvrditi kako se je danas od projekcije organa prispjelo tome (...) da je čovjek s aspekta tehnike dospio u poziciju da projicira tehnički sofisticirana oruđa za zamjenu ljudskih organa. Sve je prisutnija pojava zamjene ljudskih organa kao pripomoći i u mnogočemu olakšavanja čovjekova života, ali isto tako i svjesne i koordinirane kiborgizacije i robotike s ciljem pospješivanja i unaprjeđenja toga istoga života do razine izazivanja novoga stupnja njegove evolucije. Tako se stvaraju aktualni okviri filozofije tehnike, koja je uvelike započela sa naznačenom Kappovom tezom. (shrink)

In her book Democracy and Truth: The Conflict between Political and Epistemic Virtues, Snjezana Prijic Samarzija advocates that a purely procedural justification which defines the authority and legitimacy of democracy only in relation to the fairness of the procedure itself is not enough for a full justification of democracy. Some epistemic values should also be included. This epistemic quality of democracy depends on the quality of the decisions that the democratic procedures produce. In that sense, the author is advocating a (...) hybrid theory that secures harmony between political and epistemic values, favoring deliberative procedure for this purpose, and thus promotes equal respect for both democratic values. In doing so, she is advocating the specific type of division of epistemic labor that I will attempt to critically re-examine here, as well as to bring into question the privileged role of the experts in democratic decision-making. (shrink)