How do people imagine the possibilities in which an assertion would be true and the possibilities in which it would be false? We argue that the mental representation of the meanings of connectives, such as "and", "or", and "if", specify how to construct the true possibilities for simple assertions containing just a single connective. It follows that the false possibilities are constructed by inference from the true possibilities. We report converging evidence supporting this account from four experiments in which the (...) participants had to list the true and the false possibilities for various sorts of assertion. Their systematic errors, response times, and think-aloud protocols corroborated the theory's predictions. Not even true possibilities are immediately available for complex assertions containing two or more different connectives. The task of listing the true possibilities then becomes difficult, and the task of listing the false possibilities almost impossible. (shrink)

Edward Mooney describes Continental philosophy of religion as “marked by labor under the shadow of Nietzsche’s death of God, under the associated threats and realities of loss of unified authors, selves, texts, and ethics, and under the loss of confidence in epistemology, ontology, and representation” . The question this anthology of nineteen essays raises is what this labor may be after the deaths of Derrida, Deleuze, Foucault, and Levinas. Is there a future for Continental philosophy of religion? What labor do (...) philosophers who are part of this tradition want to take up? The editors organize the essays to focus on three current directions and select a single guiding concept for each of these directions: the messianic, liberation, and plasticity. Each of these sections is also framed by the work of one philosopher. While this organization is helpful, the book would have benefitted greatly if the editors had developed a concluding essay for each section that pulled the essays int .. (shrink)

While sympathetic to Tilley’s call for a practical philosophy of religion, I raise three questions: Does Tilley think that one can do philosophy of religion from a position other than that of a committed believer? Does Tilley’s description of the ordinary believer disburden most people from doubt and answerability? Does Tilley’s description of the role of the theologian place too much trust in the theologian? I suggest that some insights from contemporary phenomenology and hermeneutics would lead to a clearer understanding (...) of the role that philosophy of religion can play in the development of a practical philosophy of religion. (shrink)

This article reviews four papers presented at the 33rd Annual Richard R. Baker Colloquium in Philosophy that was held at the University of Dayton on March 6-8, 2008. The second section reflects on the current form of these papers from a pedagogical perspective that emphasizes the importance of continual reflection on the conceptualization of intersectionality, the importance of reflecting on practices which may prevent us from the practice of intersectional understanding and action, and the theoretical and pedagogical need to continue (...) to be attentive to the discourse of the dominant and how this discourse constructs our social and political realities as well as our individual identities. (shrink)

This paper examines the importance of the concept of Incarnation for the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer. The first section traces the role of the Incarnation in his work on the center or medium of language. The second part examines the threefold description of human finitude that Gadamer develops and shows the continuing importance of the concept of Incarnation. The third part discusses the implementation of this understanding of human finitude for the experience of divine infinitude. The final section outlines implications (...) of Gadamer’s work for contemporary work in the philosophy of religion. (shrink)

SummaryThe Gainj of highland Papua New Guinea do not use contraception but have a total fertility rate of only 4·3 live births per woman, one of the lowest ever recorded in a natural fertility setting. From an analysis of cross-sectional demographic and endocrinological data, the causes of low reproductive output have been identified in women of this population as: late menarche and marriage, a long interval between marriage and first birth, a high probability of widowhood at later reproductive ages, low (...) effective fecundability and prolonged lactational amenorrhoea. These are combined with near-universal marriage, a low prevalence of primary sterility and a pattern of onset of secondary sterility similar to that found in other populations. Of all the factors limiting fertility, by far the most important are those involved in birth spacing, especially lactational amenorrhoea. (shrink)

This article will provide an introductory discussion of the feminist concept known as `secular womynism'. Secular Womynism, developed by Patricia-Anne Johnson, a.k.a. `Medusa', a professor of Womyn's and Theological Studies at California State University at Long Beach presents an alternative approach to the study of 'classical, or traditional' Christian Womanism. It is a non-Christo-centric philosophically ecumenical treatment of Womynism, the fundamental purpose of which is to disrupt the established boundaries of 'traditional' Womanism and to de-center and challenge its (...) classical limitations and existing perimeters. (shrink)

This volume, part of the significant Hegel scholarship which has been stimulated by the Hegel Society of America, presents the papers and commentaries which were delivered at the Society’s eighth biennial meeting. The theme of this meeting, as the title of the volume indicates, was Hegel’s philosophy of spirit. While this material takes only 201 paragraphs in the 1830 Encyclopedia, Hegel unfolds this material in many of his other books, in early writings, and in his lecture series. The scope of (...) the nine papers and eight commentaries in this volume extends over the wealth of this material. The volume offers general essays on Geist as well as essays which focus on specific issues relevant to subjective, objective, and absolute spirit. (shrink)

Hegel says that the task of the philosopher in history is to follow the trace of Reason in history, to discern the realization of the freedom which Spirit is. Hegel’s own discerning of Reason in history is tinged with a teleological optimism which is unconfirmed and perhaps even denied by history. This does not mean that the task which Hegel presents should be set aside. Today’s philosopher must still attempt to understand history. The question which seems to focus present attempts (...) to do so is: How can an understanding of history provide us with a grasp of the world in which we live so that we can do what is possible to provide that world with a future? This question reflects a strong sense of finitude. Yet, the questions which guide Hegel are very similar: What is the relation of the finite and the infinite? How does this relation appear on the scene in history? (shrink)

Dunayevskaya is a unique thinker for the twentieth century. She combines an involvement in freedom struggles with a very deep commitment to philosophical ideas and exploration. She served as secretary to Leon Trotsky in 1937–38, but then broke with him in 1939 during the Hitler-Stalin pact and developed a very sophisticated analysis of state capitalism. “She argued that Roosevelt’s New Deal, Hitler’s Germany, and especially Stalin’s Russia represented varieties of a new stage of global capitalism”. This volume presents her life-long (...) thinking, showing how influential her reading of Hegel was for her interpretation of how humanity works to make itself free. She used Marx and Hegel to think through how the movement of negation promotes human freedom. She explored “the positive within the negative, to express philosophically the yearning of women, children, and men to be whole human beings. (shrink)

Presents a plethora of approaches to developing human potential in areas not conventionally addressed. Organized in two parts, this international collection of essays provides viable educational alternatives to those currently holding sway in an era of high-stakes accountability.