We investigate the modal logic of stepwise removal of objects, both for its intrinsic interest as a logic of quantification without replacement, and as a pilot study to better understand the complexity jumps between dynamic epistemic logics of model transformations and logics of freely chosen graph changes that get registered in a growing memory. After introducing this logic (MLSR) and its corresponding removal modality, we analyze its expressive power and prove a bisimulation characterization theorem. We then provide a complete Hillbert-style (...) axiomatization for the logic of stepwise removal in a hybrid language enriched with nominals and public announcement operators. Next, we show that model-checking for MLSR is PSPACE-complete, while its satisfiability problem is undecidable. Lastly, we consider an issue of fine-structure: the expressive power gained by adding the stepwise removal modality to fragments of first-order logic. (shrink)

This well crafted volume provides unflinching assessments of the philosophical values that are beginning to unite - and that continue to divide - the cultures of America and Europe. Its contributors offer arguments that are once timely, provocative, and accessible. - Larry A. Hickman, The Center for Dewey Studies, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale IL American and European Values is a far richer book than a misreading of its title might suggest: it is truly a both (American)-and (European), not an (...) either-or. The perspectives of its contributors range over time and place, from the anarchic California of Gold Rush days to modern Poland, Russia, and Turkey. Eclectic in the best sense of that word, it combines philosophy, literature, history, and even religion without ever straying far from its central theme. And, somewhat incidentally, it also demonstrates just how multifaceted and complex is the idea of pragmatism. - William McBride, Ph.D. is Arthur G. Hansen Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Purdue University, Indiana. (shrink)

Herman J. Saatkamp’s _A Life of Scholarship with Santayana: Essays and Reflections_ gathers together his work of a lifetime. There are twenty-three pieces, in three sections: “Santayana and Philosophy,” “Editorship,” and “Genetic Concerns and the Future of Philosophy.”.

The 1989 revolutions in Central and Eastern Europe and the subsequent transitions have commonly been interpreted in political terms, as movements towards democracy, or in economic terms, as escape from the command economy towards the free market. We revisit the problem to suggest a different reading. We argue that in the legitimization crisis of real socialism, a pivotal role was played by the burden of social oversaturation and bureaucratic arbitrariness, which met its desired alternative in social imaginaries of impersonal, objective (...) social system. For the citizens of Central and East European countries, this fantasy was matched by the promise of the free market, which was morally contrasted to the experience of daily life under late socialism. We argue that this desire to escape from arbitrariness to objectivity is a particularly strong motive in the imaginary of modernity which found one of its historical manifestations in the disappointment with real socialism. (shrink)

[McLuhan meets Derrida and cholera in the study on science] The present text is a special kind of an introduction to the study “Visualization and Cognition” by Bruno Latour, structurally referring to the “A prologue in form of a dialogue between a Student and his (somewhat) Socratic Professor” by the same author. There emerges a picture of one of Latour’s two most important works on science, the source of his most important findings in this field, a classic of the area (...) of visual anthropology. As shown by the authors, “Visualization …” gives us an opportunity to comprehend the broadly understood images of the anthropology of science and the Actor-Network Theory, and can be a starting point for the moral and political reflection on modern science, including attempts to deal with the question: how to do science in a reasonable manner. (shrink)

How Do People Resolve Conflict Between Implicit and Explicit Attitudes? How do implicit attitudes influence behavior when they are in conflict with explicit attitudes? In Study 1, smokers' negative implicit attitudes and positive explicit attitudes towards smoking were activated. Then emotions were measured. The stronger the negative implicit attitudes that the smokers held, the stronger the conflict experienced. Study 2 showed that cognitive capacity allows for this conflict, as positive explicit and negative implicit attitudes may be applied simultaneously. The stronger (...) the negative implicit attitudes the smokers held, the stronger the conflict experienced. Smokers resolved the conflict through the inhibition of implicit attitudes. Without cognitive capacity, only implicit attitudes were applied, and thus no conflict was aroused. Study 3 confirmed that smoking cigarettes inhibited negative implicit attitudes. (shrink)

In this paper I am analyzing Peter Unger’s famous argument in favour of mereological nihilism (according to this view elementary particles are the only existing objects), called: „Sorites of Decomposition”. This argument is based on the fact that we can remove one, single atom from a compound object without making it ceased to exist.

The paper defends the view that that a significant part of metaphysics should be understood as conceptual engineering, and explores its epistemological advantages and metaphysical implications. It discusses the challenge raised by moderate modal skepticism, which points out the lack of reliable methods for verifying modal statements through thought experiments. As I argue, a normative stance on metaphysical methodology, understanding it as engaging in conceptual engineering project, justifies the use of this method. By adopting an approach where the method of (...) cases offers reasons for adopting specific normative constraints on concept usage, the method becomes justifiable. Consequently, it can be employed to justify the revision of conceptual schemes and, in turn, validate certain modal claims about entities falling under the scrutinized concepts. The paper explores how this approach can methodologically enrich conceptual engineering-focused perspectives in metaphysics and examines its metaphysical consequences. In particular, it demonstrates that despite the mind-dependency of the method of cases results, it still leaves room for a metaphysically realistic viewpoint. (shrink)

According to a prevailing view, conceptual engineering introduces a revolutionary philosophical methodology, challenging traditional conceptual analysis. However, in our paper, we argue that closer scrutiny reveals not only the falsity but also the inherent ambiguity of this narrative. We explore four interpretations of the "Anti-Novelty Claim", the claim that conceptual engineering is not a new way of doing philosophy. Discussing the Anti-Novelty Claim from the perspective of a text’s producer, the text’s consumers, and the exegetical potential of the text, we (...) examine each perspective’s metaphilosophical implications and demonstrate that taking each perspective requires different methods. Adopting these different methods, we argue that the different interpretations of the Anti-Novelty Claim range from nearly trivially true to unlikely but untested. Importantly, we emphasize that each interpretation offers unique philosophical insights, yet addressing them requires diverse types of evidence, preventing a singular, straightforward answer to whether conceptual engineering is new. (shrink)

We will prove that there exists a model of ZFC+"c = ω 2 " in which every $M \subseteq \mathbb{R}$ of cardinality less than continuum c is meager, and such that for every $X \subseteq \mathbb{R}$ of cardinality c there exists a continuous function f: R → R with f[X] = [0, 1]. In particular in this model there is no magic set, i.e., a set $M \subseteq \mathbb{R}$ such that the equation f[M] = g[M] implies f = g for (...) every continuous nowhere constant functions f, g: R → R. (shrink)

The paper aims at describing the discussion about the model-theorethic argument of Hilary Putnam in the past thirty years. First of all it presents the view of Timothy Bays, who through scrupulous examination of the formal side of the argument demonstrates that in fact it has very little in common with the model-theory. It is rather a simple and purely philosophical argument, which isn't more reliable and conclusive than any other argument in philosophy. Putnam tries to block the answer of (...) followers of the causal theory of reference by insisting that it is "just more theory", which could be erased by argument like any other language structure. In response meta-physical realists, like David Lewis and James Van Cleve, claim that "it is not causal language that fixes reference; it is causation itself". David Leech Anderson agrees with metaphysical realists that in principle causal theory could fix the reference, but in his opinion we do not have reliable and substantive theory of that kind, and it doesn't even seem probable that we will have such a theory in future. In conclusion, I agree with Putnam that the metaphysical realist says that "we-know-not-what fixes the reference relation we-know-not-how", and he doesn't have any chance of avoiding the demolition by the model-theorethic argument, because he still tries to separate sharply the realms of language and reality. (shrink)

Od początku rozwoju stuletniej historii metaetyki rozważania językowe grały kluczową rolę przy wyborze dobrej teorii metaetycznej. Celem artykułu jest ukazanie i wyjaśnienie tego faktu poprzez wskazanie na najistotniejsze motywy rozwoju dociekań metaetycznych. Postawiona została również teza, że główny problem metaetyki ująć należy szerzej, niż uczynił to w ostatnich latach we wpływowy sposób M. Smith. W tym celu zaprezentowane zostały dwa kryteria dobrej teorii metaetycznej postulowane przez M. Timmonsa i T. Horgana: kryterium koherencji i doświadczenia oraz cechy języka moralności, jak również (...) inne istotne, psychologiczne, epistemologiczne i ontologiczne fenomeny, które w kluczowy sposób determinują kształt współczesnej debaty metaetycznej. Następnie ich wpływ zobrazowany został na przykładach kilku najgłośniejszych polemik metaetycznych. (shrink)

The aim of the article is to discover common spaces for cognitive linguistics theories and pragmatics. The starting point for this consideration is the theory of communication series and the counter point enabling the idea of intersubjectivity. Additionally we will try to exemplify our hypothesis on the basis of a transcript of a discussion sample.

Porter and Kramer :78–92, 2006; Harv Bus Rev 89, 62–77, 2011) introduced ‘shared value’ as a ‘new conception of capitalism,’ claiming it is a powerful driver of economic growth and reconciliation between business and society. The idea has generated strong interest in business and academia; however, its theoretical precepts have not been rigorously assessed. In this paper, we provide a systematic and thorough analysis of shared value, focusing on its ontological and epistemological properties. Our review highlights that ‘shared value’ has (...) spread into the language of multiple disciplines, but that its current conceptualization is vague, and it presents important discrepancies in the way it is defined and operationalized, such that it is more of a buzzword than a substantive concept. It also overlaps with many other concepts and lacks empirical grounding. We offer recommendations for defining and measuring the concept, take a step toward disentangling it from related concepts, and identify relevant theories and research methods that would facilitate extending the knowledge frontier on shared value. (shrink)

The introspective devices framework proposed by Kammerer and Frankish (this issue) offers an attractive conceptual tool for evaluating and developing accounts of introspection. However, the framework assumes that different views about the nature of introspection can be easily evaluated against a set of common criteria. In this paper, I set out to test this assumption by analysing two formal models of introspection using the introspective device framework. The question I aim to answer is not only whether models developed outside of (...) philosophy can be successfully evaluated against the set of conceptual criteria proposed by Kammerer and Frankish, but also whether this kind of evaluation can reveal some limitations inherent to the framework. (shrink)

This article examines the question: How do local organizations deal with competing temporal dynamics when building and implementing base/bottom of the pyramid initiatives? Time has been neglected in the BoP literature to date, yet, addressing poverty in a developing country requires a complex perspective of time. An analysis of 21 semi-structured interviews with locally based organizations implementing BoP initiatives in the Philippines revealed that the organizations had an ambitemporal perspective. In particular, we discover that they harmonize multiple temporal pacers by (...) making strategic decisions about the best mechanism of entrainment to utilize to move their community and any stakeholders to a long-term temporal horizon. We find that organizations manage this process by generating what we term a “third time” via a process of push-and-pull entrainment between the communities, the business, and the different temporal pacers. This article develops a conceptual framework for helping organizations to harmonize competing temporal dynamics to generate a bespoke “third time” for each community they work with. (shrink)

This paper is critical analysis of book by Anna Sosnowska, "Zrozumieć zacofanie. Spory historyków o Europę Wschodnią (1947-1994)" [To Understand Backwardness: Historians' Deabates about Eastern Europe (1947-1994)]. Warszawa 2004.

The purpose of this investigation is to define the central issues of the current and future relations between the Western and Chinese civilizations through the evaluation of the myths and realities of these relations. The methodology is based on an interdisciplinary big-picture view of the world scene, driven by the global economy and civilization with an attempt to compare both civilizations according to key criteria. Among the findings are: Today China has become a “robot” of the West. Due to its (...) old culture and ability to invent important civilizational tools, China is becoming an independent developer of its own economic power, and it is very probable that it will surpass its master sooner or later. Due to its transformation to a global civilization, Western civilization has lost its Christian values and adopted new ones based on business. It is probable that the economic success of China will lead to a clash between civilizations, both grasping for access to the strategic resources. Practical implication: Society should elaborate the path to the development of wise civilization driven by a new political system, ecoism.Social implication: It is probable that if the “1%” won’t self-correct its misbehavior, a social revolution by the “99%” cannot be excluded from the current calendar ofWestern civilization. Originality: This investigation, by providing the interdisciplinary and civilizational approach, expands the scope of the traditional relevant approach. (shrink)

Artykuł analizuje zjawisko śmierci w kontekście rozwijającej się sztucznej inteligencji, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem koncepcji „cyfrowego zmartwychwstania”. W pierwszej części tekstu została zaprezentowana platforma Project December umożliwiająca symulację konwersacji z osobami zmarłymi. Platforma działa dzięki zastosowaniu zaawansowanych algorytmów, opartych na sztucznej inteligencji, generujących teksty naśladujące wypowiedzi zmarłych ludzi. Przedstawiono też studium przypadku Joshuy Barbeau, który dzięki tej technologii mógł ponownie „rozmawiać” ze swoją zmarłą narzeczoną. W pracy wskazano na terapeutyczny potencjał tej usługi oraz na etyczne dylematy związane z cyfrowym odtwarzaniem osobowości (...) zmarłych. W kolejnej części artykułu zostały zdefiniowane pojęcia wieczności rozszerzonej i cyfrowego zmartwychwstania w celu pokazania ich roli w nowym postrzeganiu zarówno własnej śmierci, jak i śmierci bliskich. Zostało pokazane, w jaki sposób technologia wieczności rozszerzonej może w najbliższej przyszłości zmienić społeczną świadomość śmierci oraz jakie mogą być długoterminowe psychiczne konsekwencje tego zjawiska wśród ludzi. Wykazano, że w kontekście założeń transhumanistycznych współczesne technologie AI redefiniują granice między życiem a śmiercią oraz wpływają na kształtowanie tożsamości osobowej i relacji międzyludzkich. (shrink)

The article describes the importance of public performance for the image of the Futurists, mainly of Bruno Jasieński. The impressions that the artists gained from Helena Buczyńska’s ‘word-arts’ performance, and Scriabin’s idea of ‘Art Religion’ they were exposed to, inspired the young poets. The article finishes with enumeration of several inspirations that are being found in Jasieński’s texts by modern musicians adapting his poetry.

W artykule zaprezentowane zostały zarówno podobieństwa, jak i różnice w rozumieniu projektu teorii moralnej u Henry’ego Sidgwicka i Johna Rawlsa. W pierwszej części omówione zostało rozumienie teorii moralnej przez autora The Methods of Ethics, w części drugiej przedstawiono koncepcję Rawlsa jako kontynuację, pod pewnymi względami, dzieła Sidgwicka. Według tego ostatniego teoria moralna jest porównawczą analizą różnych metod etyki odkrywanych w potocznej świadomości moralnej. Teoria moralna jest niezależna od metafizyki i psychologii oraz rozstrzygnięć właściwych dla nich problemów, takich jak problem wolnej (...) woli czy źródeł władzy moralnej. Autor Teorii sprawiedliwości bezpośrednio nawiązuje do rozumienia teorii moralnej przedsta-wionego przez Sidgwicka. John Rawls stwierdza: „przez »teorię moralną« rozumiem systematyczne i porównawcze badanie koncepcji moralnych, zaczynając od tych, które historycznie i według obecnych szacunków wydają się najbardziej istotne”. Należy podkreślić niezależność teorii moralnej rozumianej jako etyka normatywna od innych dziedzin filozofii. Zadaniem filozofii moralnej jest rozwiązanie zagadnień powiązanych z tradycyjną problematyką filozoficzną, które dotyczą na przykład istnienia prawdy moralnej. Odpowiedzi udzielane przez filozofię moralną zależą od pogłębienia naszego rozumienia struktur koncepcji moralnych. (shrink)

This article examines the development of Leszek Kolakowski's thought, in the context of changing Polish political landscape; from the early Marxist text, critical of the Catholic Church and its doctrine -- to the late books on Augustine and Pascal and sympathetic analysis of the role of religion in contemporary society. The author attempts to discover a continuity in this development; it may by found, the author argues, in Kolakowski's rationalism, understood first in opposition to religion, but later as fed on (...) religious sources, reason's necessary presupposition. (shrink)

In the article I focus on a few philosophical issues which are characteristic for Fukuyama’s theory, such as: historicalness, idea of common history, freedom, human nature and thymos, being the component of human mentality propelling the course of history, according to Fukuyama’s reading of Plato. We are also able to take a look at the role of natural science in the development of history process and specific mechanism propelling human actions. The mechanism is Hegelian attitude of the struggle for recognition (...) in which an individual goes beyond its biological needs and base motives of actions, at the same time heading for the accomplishment of higher objectives. Reporting Fukuyama’s ideas I also try to verify his hypothesis concerning the end of history which has been approaching since the establishment of liberal democracy; in the further part of the article I try to verify how different his views on human nature are from those of such philosophers as Hobbes, Rousseau, finally Kant and Hegel. (shrink)

The aim of the article is to verify a thesis Fukuyama once advanced: the forthcoming end of history is related to the replacing of human need for appreciation by equality and mutual appreciation last men achieve in liberal democracies. I also analyze the conception of human nature which Fukuyama takes for granted and treats as the base for defining the essence of the last man. Another question I consider concerns the role of Platon’s thymos and can be stated as follows: (...) is it justified to draw such far reaching conclusions from the notion as Fukuyama does in The Las Man? To answer the question I confront Fukuyama’s reflections concerning thymos with Hobbes’ and Rousseau’s understanding of the notion, and the idea of the end of history with the idea of generation proposed by Jose Ortega y Gasset. (shrink)