Kauzalno objašnjenje obično se smatra paradigmatskim slučajem objašnjenja u nauci, a brojni filozofi smatraju da je pojmovna analiza njegov sastavni deo. Upravo je na toj pretpostavci konstruisan argument čiji je cilj da pokaže da postoji eksplanatorni jaz između fizičkog i mentalnog. Jedna moguća strategija za fizikaliste, koji odbacuju postojanje eksplanatornog jaza, jeste pokušaj da pokažu kako pojmovna analiza nije nužan uslov za valjano objašnjenje u nauci. Dženis Dauel je u tom smeru ponudila primer u kom je semantička premisa (...) kauzalnog objašnjenja zamenjena premisom u kojoj se koristi referencijalna upotreba deskriptivnog izraza. Autor, analizirajući moguće interpretacije referencijalne upotrebe deskriptivnog izraza, smatra da ovaj primer nije dovoljno ubedljiv. (shrink)

Izhodišče analize, kot njeno vlogo dojema Bertrand Russell, še zlasti v obdobju, ko izdela teorijo opisov, je vselej nekaj enostavnega. Od sežete, zapletene strukture nas analiza kot znanstveni model vodi k njenim porizlikovanim, dobro pregledanim delom. Doseči enostavnost na takih osnovah pa pomeni prevzeti nekaj izhodišč: na ontološki predpostavki utemeljeni spoznavni model, razlikovanje med popolnim ter nepopolnimi simboli, itd. Vselej imamo razdelitev med ravnijo enostavnega ter med ravnijo izvedenega, in odločilni model je reprezentacionalističen. Takšen idilični pričetek pa kmalu zadane (...) ob svojo mejo, ki ni nič drugega kot pripoznanje komunikacijske vloge govorice. Se več, paradoks analize bo moral najti svoj ključ v subjektovi izreki: v družbeni vezi. (shrink)

This paper discusses main issues concerning Toulmin’s theory of evolutionary development of scientific knowledge. The reconstruction of Toulmin’s assumptions, which underlie the theory, and the presentation of the theory itself, is followed by the analysis of the difficulties of the conception in general. The author tries to show that these difficulties consist primarily in the discrepancy between what Toulmin aimed at and what he actually achieved. The problem is that although incorporating the means of Darwin’s theory may itself be — (...) in the context of describing the growth of scientifi c knowledge — justifi able, it is not consistent with Toulmin’s demand for the rationality of science. The purpose of creating the evolutionary theory was, as Toulmin claimed, to give an account of the development of scientific knowledge which would be non-relativistic and rationalistic. However, this purpose is, as the author argues, not achievable on the grounds of Toulmin’s accounts of rationality. Key words S. TOULMIN, SCIENCE, EVOLUTION. (shrink)

The article is devoted to Vilfredo Pareto’s reflections on socialism and dicusses thoroughly his important work Les syst`emes socialistes, especially its first part dealing with so called real socialist systems. This large treatise edited in 1901-1902 played an important role in the evolution of Pareto’s ideas. It brought the early version of his famous theory of social elites that was strictly connected with his refutation of historiosophical progressivism. Pareto examined many historical examples– from ancient to some tendencies in contemporary policy (...) – in order to elaborate the precise typology of the systems of real socialism. He tried to demonstrate that real socialism was an obstacle to economic and cultural development. Socialism was for him on the one hand utopian, and on the other hand – immoral. He didn’t exclude however that in the future the well organized socialist movement would come into power. (shrink)

Frege's category of unsaturatedness (incompleteness) is a central concept of his ontology. By means of it Frege divides the realm of all entities into functions and objects. In this paper I try to show some fundamental difficultes relevant to the concept in hand. First of all I am interested in difference between incompleteness of the propositional functions (especially concepts) and incompleteness of the non-propositional functions (particularly arithmetical functions). I also discuss a few other problems closely conected with the above, namely: (...) 1) distinction between unsaturatedness of expressions and unsaturatedness of entities to which these expressions refer; 2) possibility of ontological and epistemological interpretation of incompleteness; 3) interpretation of Fregean semantical category of sense from Frege's dualistic ontology point of view. (shrink)

In the recent years we can observe a sort of renaissance of the philosophy of mathematics. More and more papers and books are published. A few years ago a new journal (Philosophia Mathematica) devoted exclusively to the philosophy of mathematics started appearing. In the contemporary discussions - especially in the context of the question of the applicability of mathematics to the description of the physical world - the issue of the existence and the ontological status of mathematical objects plays a (...) particular role. Many new conceptions have appeared - both realistic and antirealistic. In the paper one of the antirealistic conceptions formulated in the recent years is presented - namely a conception by C. Chihara [1990]. The author rejects both Gödel's and Quine's arguments for the realistic standpoint. First, these standpoints will be briefly summarised, since they play a significant role in the contemporary philosophy of mathematics - and are particularly important in the context of the discussion upon Chihara's conception. Next, Chihara's arguments will be analysed in detail. As a result it will turn out that these arguments are not conclusive. Chihara's system relies on certain unjustified assumptions. Moreover, the philosophical difficulties that it encounters are not sufficiently discussed. (shrink)

In this paper the life phenomenon is analysed from cybernetic point of view. The Korzeniewski’s approach is discussed and complemented. The analysis is based on autonomous systems theory and information metabolism theory. Philosophical aspects of the problem are taken into consideration as well.

The paper is intended to discuss main semantic presuppositions of language, being of service to express the philosophical problem of idealism/realism in its various versions. At the beginning, the author shows that the terms „idealism” and „realism” are polysemic. The fact of this polysemy makes impossible to construct precise definitions of both the opposed notions. Then there are characterized four types of reasonings, constituting the ground for formulating the question of idealism/realism. It appears that in order to discuss the problem (...) idealism/realism, we must have at our disposal a specific metalanguage. The author reconstructs main semantic presuppositions of this metalanguage: these presuppositions constitute the so-called „possible-world” semantic schema. The general thesis of the papers goes like this: a language for expressing philosophical discours, concerning the question of idealism/realism, is a bearer of semantic presuppositions, stating the existence of possible worlds, mutually connected with the aid of various relations. (shrink)

In the paper the author tries to show that semantico-categorial analysis in the traditional Ajdukiewiczian application as a tool of evaluating semantic completeness of complex expressions is ineffective. There is, however, another application, to which the analysis is much better fitted. Namely, it allows to precisify the actual uses of natural language - in all those cases in which on the one hand precision is a superior value, and on the other hand, the formalisation is not possible and one has (...) to stay within natural language. Obviously, in order to achieve this aim many particular problems, sometimes not at all trivial, have to be solved. Amongst the most important the author sees determining a binding canon of the rules of analysis and determining pragmatic criteria of the admissibility of paraphrases and of filling in ellipses. (shrink)

Dowód pierwszej tezy Gorgiasza jest dedukcyjnym wnioskowaniem nie wprost, skon-struowanym przez wielokrotne użycie schematu modus tollens. Te z jego przesłanek, które przyjęte są bez dowodów, są łudząco podobne do niektórych prawd logicznych lub analitycznych. Gdyby rzeczywiście nimi były, w dowodzie musiałyby pojawić się sprzeczności. W czasach Gorgiasza dowód mógł uchodzić za poprawny; możliwość jasnego wskazania i opisania jego defektów poja-wiła się dopiero z wynalezieniem logiki formalnej. Gorgiasz mógł ogłosić swą tezę serio –jako tezę skrajnego nihilizmu metafizycznego –nie obawiając się kompromitacji. (...) Jeżeli dowód jest sofizma-tem, to wśród sofizmatów jest arcydziełem, najwybitniejszym osiągnięciem sofistów w tej dziedzi-nie. (shrink)