Although it is well documented that language plays an important role in cognitive development, there are different views concerning the mechanisms underlying these effects. Some argue that even early in development, effects of words stem from top‐down knowledge, whereas others argue that these effects stem from auditory input affecting attention allocated to visual input. Previous research (e.g., Robinson & Sloutsky, 2004a) demonstrated that non‐speech sounds attenuate processing of corresponding visual input at 8, 12, and 16 months of age, whereas the (...) current study demonstrates that words attenuate visual processing at 10 months but not at 16 months (Experiment 1). Furthermore, prefamiliarization with non‐speech sounds (Experiment 2) resulted in able processing of visual input by 16‐month‐olds. These findings suggest that some effects of labels found early in development may stem from familiarity with human speech. The possibility of general‐auditory factors underlying the effects of words on cognitive development is discussed. (shrink)

This text is a classic of Lenin - his essay explores materialism and its relation to capitalism and how Communism can get over this psychological wish for material and empirical ownership.

ABSTRACT Two models of the Aristotelian syllogistic in arithmetic of natural numbers are built as realizations of an old Leibniz idea. In the interpretation, called Scholastic, terms are replaced by integers greater than 1, and s.Ap is translated as “s is a divisor of p”, sIp as “g.c.d. > 1”. In the interpretation, called Leibnizian, terms are replaced by proper divisors of a special “Universe number” u < 1, and sAp is translated as “s is divisible by p”, sIp as (...) ‘l.c.m. < u”. Both interpretations are proved to be adequate to the Aristotelian syllogistic. They are extended to syllogistic including term negation and term conjunction as well. (shrink)

The commentary discusses three components of the target proposal: (1) analogy as a host of phenomena, (2) relations as transformations, and (3) analogy as priming. The commentary argues that the first component is potentially productive, but it has yet to be fully developed, whereas the second and third components do not have an obvious way of accounting for multiple counterexamples.

There is given the proof of strict embedding of Leniewski's elementary ontology into monadic second-order calculus of predicates providing a formalization of the class of all formulas valid in all domains (including the empty one). The elementary ontology with the axiom S (S S) is strictly embeddable into monadic second-order calculus of predicates which provides a formalization of the classes of all formulas valid in all non-empty domains.

The book by Max Tegmark draws attention to the dangers and benefits that await humanity as a result of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies development. Cosmologist and astrophysicist Tegmark, realizing the impossibility to predict the AI development, offers exciting scenarios of civilization development options for tens, thousands, millions and billions of years. The analysis of the opposite scenarios is aimed at the idea formation that the consequences of creating a general AI, superior to the human level, will be more significant (...) than from all other achievements of civilization. Tegmark is one of the founders and leaders of the “Beneficial AGI” movement, he presents the results of the discussion of the issues he raises with leading experts in the field of AI. Tegmark concludes his book with a call to optimism: “My book urge you to think about what future you would like, and not what future scares you, this way we can find goals for which it’s worth working”. (shrink)

Objects of consideration are various non-classical connectives “hidden” in the classical logic in the form of G˛s with ˛ —a classical connective, and s—a propositional variable. One of them is negation, which is defined as G ⇒ s; another is necessity, which is defined as G ∧ s. The new operations are axiomatized and it is shown that they belong to the 4-valued logic of Lukasiewicz. A 2-point Kripke semantics is built leading directly to the 4-valued logical tables.

Tato stať ("K pojmu "přirozeného zákona" - bytí lidsky jsoucího - v Lockově filosofii") je dodatkem k mé studii "K pojmu "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) v Hobbesově filosofii". Určuji v ní blíže momenty totožnosti pojmu "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) v Lockově filosofii a pojmu "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) ve filosofii Hobbesově, tj. bytný zdroj, (obsažnou) bytnost a (bytostnou) formu "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) a bytný zdroj, (obsažnou) bytnost a (bytostnou) formu (státo-právně) společenského zákona (bytí lidsky jsoucího). (...) A určuji v ní též blíže momenty rozdílnosti pojmu "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) v Lockově filosofii a pojmu "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) ve filosofii Hobbesově, tj. platnost (závaznost) "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího), platnost (závaznost) (státo-právně) společenského zákona (bytí lidsky jsoucího) a vztah "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) a (státo-právně) společenského zákona (bytí lidsky jsoucího). Tato stať ("K pojmu "přirozeného zákona" - bytí lidsky jsoucího - v Lockově filosofii"), jsouc dodatkem k mé studii "K pojmu "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) v Hobbesově filosofii", ukazuje, že pojem "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) v Lockově filosofii je antropologicko-ontologicko-nomologicky širší a hlubší než pojem "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) ve filosofii Hobbesově; a ukazuje též, že pojem "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) v Lockově filosofii, ač antropologicko-ontologicko-nomologicky širší a hlubší než pojem "přirozeného zákona" (bytí lidsky jsoucího) v Hobbesově filosofii, není pojmem mravního zákona (bytí lidsky jsoucího) a nepředbíhá ani nepředjímá ani Kantův pojem mravního zákona (bytí lidsky jsoucího). (shrink)

Tato studie ("K Rousseauově "teorii společenské smlouvy" z pohledu antropologicko-nomologického (ve srovnání s antropologicko-nomologickým pohledem na "teorii společenské smlouvy" Hobbesovu a Lockovu i v jiných srovnáních)") se zabývá oním srovnáním, pokud jde o pojem "přirozeného zákona" (lidského bytí), o pojem (státoprávně) společenského zákona (lidského spolubytí), o vztah (státoprávně) společenského zákona (lidského spolubytí) k "přirozenému zákonu" (lidského bytí) a posléze též o jeho platnost (závaznost). - Tato studie ("K Rousseauově "teorii společenské smlouvy" z pohledu antropologicko-nomologického (ve srovnání s antropologicko-nomologickým pohledem na (...) "teorii společenské smlouvy" Hobbesovu a Lockovu i v jiných srovnáních)") ukazuje, pokud jde o ono srovnání, jímž se zabývá, že v Rousseauově "teorii společenské smlouvy" není žádný antropologicko-ontologicko-nomologický fundament v žádném aspektu onoho srovnání, na rozdíl od Hobbesovy a Lockovy "teorie společenské smlouvy", v nichž nějaký antropologicko-ontologicko-nomologický fundament v každém aspektu onoho srovnání je, jak jsem ukázal ve svých dřívějších studiích o nich. (shrink)

This paper argues that there is only one proof for God’s existence in Avicenna, and only one way for establishing the proof within his metaphysical system. This metaphysical proof is essentially derived from a priori notions, among which the notion of existence has the central role. Avicenna’s proof is structured in such a way that all its concepts are either derived from the meaning of ‘existence’ or are connected with this meaning. In this sense Avicenna’s proof sets out a scenario (...) of discursive a priori knowledge established purely on considerations of fundamental ontological meanings such as ‘existence’, ‘existent’, ‘thing’, ‘necessary’, ‘possible’, ‘impossible’, ‘one’ and ‘cause’. (shrink)

This paper continues the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of ontic structural realism, which begun in the first part of the paper. Non-eliminative versions of this approach are considered, which try to find a compromise between the ontology of structures and the ontology of objects. It is shown that the semirealism of A. Chakravartti and the constructive structural realism of T. Cao have a number of limitations caused by the authors’ desire to strictly distinguish between the nature of the (...) existence of objects and structures. Then the version of the relationship between structures and entities is presented. Firstly, two concepts are divided according to their content: “object” and “entity”. Second, to solve the problem of causality, I suggest that the nature of entities and structures lie in their ability to act. It is this ability that I propose to use instead of the popular concepts of “causal powers”, “causal properties” or “dispositions”. Third, instead of a rigid alternative to ontological primitives – either essence, or causal relations, or structures – the concept of ontological pluralism and inherited existence is proposed. There each entity is represented as a derivative of another structure and, in turn, creates other entities and structures. Thus, both structures and entities at each level of the complexity hierarchy partially inherit the ability to act and a certain degree of existence from the structures and entities of the previous levels. Finally, I am trying to clarify the modal aspects of the ontic structural realism. Following the popular interpretations of quantum theory, the ability to act, and hence the existence of structures and entities, are considered separately in two worlds – potential and actual ones. The potential world is associated with a set of possible objects and structures of quantum theory, and the actual world is associated with a set of real (observable) objects and structures of classical physical theories. The transition from the potential to the actual world is proposed to be considered as a primitive metaphysical event. The proposed concept partially overcomes the objections to ontic structural realism, thereby strengthening its position in the discussion about the reality of quantum objects. (shrink)

This volume explores how Catholicism began and continues to open its doors to the wider world and to other confessions in embracing ecumenism, thanks to the vision and legacy of the Second Vatican Council. It explores such themes as the twentieth century context preceding the council; parallels between Vatican II and previous councils; its distinctively pastoral character; the legacy of the council in relation to issues such as church-world dynamics, as well as to ethics, social justice, economic activity. Several chapters (...) discuss the role of women in the church before, during, and since the council. Others discern inculturation in relation to Vatican II. The book also contains a wide and original range of ecumenical considerations of the council, including by and in relation to Free Church, Reformed, Orthodox, and Anglican perspectives. Finally, it considers the Council’s ongoing promise and remaining challenges with regard to ecumenical issues, including a groundbreaking essay on the future of ecumenical dialogue by Cardinal Walter Kasper. (shrink)

In this comment, I describe how the processes of free giving can be simulated with the help of the Reflexive Intentional Model of the Subject (RIMS). This simulation demonstrates that there are two essential factors affecting the size of a share given to others: limits accepted by the society as “normal,” and the individual's subjective estimation of a mean share donated by other members of the society.

En el presente escrito se intentará mostrar algunos desafíos que el mundo contemporáneo pone a la educación bajo el influjo de la globalización, procesos que afectan muchos ámbitos del pensar y del actuar humano. Expone una serie de conceptualizaciones sobre dicho tema e invita al análisis serio de ese fenómeno por sus implicaciones sociales.