After discussing in the first five sections the meaning and the difficulties of the principle of relativity we present a new sel of spacetime transformations between inertial systems (“inertial” transformations), based on three assumptions: (1) The two-way velocity of light is c in all inertial systems and in all directions; (2) Time dilation effects take place with the usual relativistic factor; (3) Clocks are synchronized in the way chosen by nature itself, e.g., in the Sagnac effect. We show that our (...) new transformation laws can explain the available experimental evidence in spite of the implied noninvariance of the one-way velocity of light. (shrink)

Fundamental experiments on the dual nature of atomic entities (photons, electrons, neutrons, etc.) can be interpreted in terms of “empty” waves not carrying energy and momentum. Similar points of view were advanced in famous papers by Einstein, de Broglie, Bohr, and Born. Recent proposals could lead to experimental tests of this idea, using low intensity photon beams, thanks to modern experimental apparatuses.

After some considerations about the equivalence of the objective local theories to the deterministic theories of Bell's type, a simple and systematic way to deduce inequalities from Einstein locality is introduced: All the inequalities deduced by Bell and by other authors, as well as several new ones, are so obtained. Some theorems are proven which show how striking the difference is at small angles between a correlation function satisfying Einstein locality and the quantum mechanical one. Experiments at small angles involve (...) weaker additional assumptions than those used up to now in experimental research on Bell's inequality. (shrink)

The experimental evidence for electromagnetic signals propagating with superluminal group velocity is recalled. Transformations of space and time depending on a synchronization parameter, e1, indicate the existence of a privileged inertial system. The Lorentz transformations are obtained for a particular e1≠0. No standard experiment on relativity depends on e1, but if accelerations are considered only e1=0 remains possible. The causal paradox generated by superluminal signals (SLS) in the theory of relativity does not exist in the theory with e1=0. The irrelevance (...) of SLS for the Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen paradox is pointed out. (shrink)

A generalized reality criterion which attributes physical properties to statistical ensembles is used in order to deduce an inequality which is violated by quantum mechanics in realistic conditions. This new form of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox is developed exclusively from the reality criterion and from separability without any use of the previously introduced restrictive assumptions about the probabilistic scheme.

We formulate a model of EPR experiments by including variables determining whether a photon will be detected or not. The resulting deterministic model satisfies Bell's original inequality even though it can agree exactly with the quantum mechanical predictions for the performed experiments. It violates variations of the inequality used in the interpretation of the experiments and deduced with the help of additional assumptions.

The traditional approach to light amplification is shown to be based on the idea that photons of the incoming beam act as independent particles. If atomic stimulation is instead attributed to the action of the wave, a different photon distribution is obtained in the final state. The new distribution turns out to be Poissonian, in agreement with some experimental evidence. The expected rate of coincidences for an empty-wave amplification experiment is calculated, and found up to 30% higher than obtained from (...) the traditional approach. (shrink)

Old and recent ideas concerning the nature of time are reviewed, starting from Mach's refusal of Newton's absolute time. Many experiments show that the slowing down of moving clocks is a real phenomenon. Such must then also be the so-called “twin paradox,” which owes its name to its evident incompatibility with the philosophy of relativism (not to be confused with the theory of relativity). The Lorentz reformulation of special relativity started by postulating physical effects of the ether, but accepted Einstein's (...) clock synchronization. Only because of this Lorentz could not understand the advantages of an easily deducible different theory. As stressed by Popper, one of the main problems of the usual approach is the introduction of a superdeterministic universe. Recent results obtained by the author show that a theory is possible, based on relative time but on absolute simultaneity, in which the conceptual difficulties of relativity are avoided. (shrink)

Popper's idea of propensities constituting the physical background of predictable probabilities is reviewed and developed by introducing a suitable formalism compatible with standard probability calculus and with its frequency interpretation. Quantum statistical ensembles described as pure cases (“eigenstates”) are shown to be necessarily not homogeneous if propensities are actually at work in nature. An extension of the theory to EPR experiments with local propensities leads to a new and more general proof of Bell's theorem. No joint probabilities for incompatible observables (...) need to be introduced. (shrink)

The results of a previous paper for the properties of the correlation functionP(θ) at small angles following from Einstein locality are extended to the general case whereP(0)≠−1. Experimental investigations are suggested to check the validity of some theorems on the behavior of the correlation functionP(θ) which are deduced directly from Einstein locality.

First it is proved that, in a deterministic theory, Malus' law requires that, if a photon is successively transmitted by two polarizers with appropriately chosen settings, the first transmission influences a hidden variable (co-) determining the second one. We derive from this that in an ideal EPR experiment (giving the result predicted by quantum mechanics for two correlated photons transmitted by two polarizers with suitably chosen settings) there has to be a nonlocal influence from the “first” transmission interaction to the (...) second. Subsequently we argue that we can abandon determinism as an assumption so that the locality hypothesis is in any case untenable if the predictions of quantum mechanics are all correct. (shrink)

We show that a method exists for deducing from Einstein locality all the possible inequalities for linear combinations of correlation functions. This allows us to show also that there is a complete observational equivalence of deterministic local theories and probabilistic local theories.

Probabilistic local realism for two correlated systems as formulated by Clauser and Horne in 1974 is shown to be necessarily based on a perfect specification of the state and on an individual definition of probability. All known realistic formulations of probability calculus are instead defined in terms of relative frequencies, and perfect specifications of states are impossible. We reformulate probabilistic local realism by using the relative frequency definition only and show that the Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen paradox still obtains.

This book is about the interaction between literary studies and the philosophy of literature. It features essays from internationally renowned and emerging philosophers and literary scholars, challenging readers to join them in taking seriously the notion of interdisciplinary study and forging forward in new and exciting directions of thought. It identifies that literary studies and the philosophy of literature address similar issues: What is literature? What is its value? Why do I care about characters? What is the role of the (...) author in understanding a literary work? What is fiction as opposed to non-fiction? Yet, genuine, interdisciplinary interaction remains scarce. This collection seeks to overcome current obstacles and seek out new paths for exploration. (shrink)

"Die vorliegende Fassung des Textes wurde anhand des englischen Originalmanuskriptes von Franco Selleri unter Mitarbeit von Roman U. Sexl erstellt."--T.p. verso.

Classification of sciences; Moslem scholars; Africa, North.

In Practicing Safe Sects F. LeRon Shults provides scientific and philosophical resources for having “the talk” about religious reproduction: where do gods come from – and what are the costs of bearing them in our culturally pluralistic, ecologically fragile environment?

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction; de Broglie's paradox.; Quantum theory of distant particles; The EPR paradox; Einstein locality and Bell's inequality; Recent research on Bell's inequality; General consequences of Einstein locality; Nonloeality and relativity; Time-symmetric theories; The Bohm-Aharonov hypothesis; Experiments on Einstein locality; Reduction of the wave packet; Measurements, reality and consciousness; Conclusions.

That Oscar Wilde was a central figure for aestheticism needs no arguing; that he should be taken seriously as an aesthetician is perhaps a less obvious matter. While much of his work concerns itself with the traditional purview of aesthetics as a philosophical discipline, commentators have rarely granted his writings that attention to ideas qua ideas that marks off a philosophical interest in a writer's oeuvre from other types of analysis. A number of attempts to tackle Wilde's pronouncements in a (...) broadly philosophical fashion have been made through the decades.1 Most recent scholarship, however, has regarded Wilde... (shrink)

Con E = m c2 la teoria della relatività ha generato una conquista conoscitiva di enorme importanza. Tuttavia la stessa teoria ha svuotato di significato oggettivo questa scoperta affermando che i punti di vista divergenti dei diversi osservatori inerziali sul valore numerico di Esono equivalenti. Una recente critica della nozione relativistica del tempo ha spostato il baricentro concettuale della fisica dello spazio e del tempo verso l'esistenza di un sistema privilegiato, restituendo alla formula di Einstein tutta la sua importanza.

A new English translation of Schelling’s unfinished magnum opus, complete with a contextualizing introduction by the translator.

Part novella, part philosophy, Clara was Schelling's most popular work during his lifetime, and appears here in English for the first time.

Portraits of Wittgenstein is a major collection of memoirs and reflections on one of the most influential and yet elusive personalities in the history of modern philosophy, Ludwig Wittgenstein. Featuring a wealth of illuminating and profound insights into Wittgenstein's extraordinary life, this unique collection reveals Wittgenstein's character and power of personality more vividly and comprehensively than ever before. With portraits from more than seventy-five figures, Portraits of Wittgenstein brings together the personal recollections of philosophers, students, friends and acquaintances, including Bertrand (...) Russell, G. E. Moore, F. R. Leavis, A. J. Ayer, Karl Popper, Friedrich von Hayek, G. H. von Wright, Rush Rhees, Freeman Dyson, G. E. M. Anscombe, Iris Murdoch, Mary Midgley and Mary Warnock. These authors testify to the life-long influence Wittgenstein had on the lives of those he met. Their fascinating memoirs, reflections and commentaries, often at odds with each other, reveal Wittgenstein's kindness, and how much genuine friendship meant to him, as well as his suffering and despair. They show too how the philosopher's ruthless honesty and uncompromising integrity often resulted in stern advice and harsh rebukes to friends and foes alike. Now available in a single, revised and updated volume, Portraits of Wittgenstein includes new selections, revised contributions, photographs, maps and introductory overviews that provide historical context to Wittgenstein's relationships with his intellectual and social circle. This collection of valuable and hard-to-find material is an indispensable resource for scholars and students of the life and work of Ludwig Wittgenstein. (shrink)

Preface -- Prolegomenon : Hayek's three unsettling theses -- Beyond human nature -- Beyond moral justification -- Beyond human governance -- Three enquiries on the open society -- The rise of a normative species -- A natural history of moral order -- The "starting point" -- The egalitarian revolution -- Self-interest, reciprocity and altruism -- Internalized, enforced, social rules -- The other side of morality -- Cultural evolution -- Part I : the rise and fall of inequality -- A complex (...) moral species -- The diversity and self-organized complexity -- Liberalism and the open society -- Understanding diversity -- Autocatalytic diversity -- Diversity and complexity -- Too much complexity? -- The morality of self-organization -- The social contract -- A self-organization model -- Moral diversity In the open society -- Part II: the complexities of self-governance -- Self-governance -- Macro control -- Macro structure -- Strategic dilemmas and polycentricity -- Meso-level goal pursuit -- Sectoral policy -- Self-governance from the bottom-up : simplifying the problems of governance -- Our moral nature and governance in the open society -- Liberal democracy -- Epilogue -- Appendix A -- Appendix B. (shrink)

Schelling's 1806 polemic against Fichte, and his last major work on the philosophy of nature. The heat of anger can concentrate the mind. Convinced that he had been betrayed by his former collaborator and colleague, Schelling attempts in this polemic to reach a final reckoning with Fichte. Employing the format of a book review, Schelling directs withering scorn at three of Fichte’s recent publications, at one point likening them to the hell, purgatory, and would-be paradise of Fichtean philosophy. The central (...) bone of contention is the understanding of nature: Fichte sees it as lifeless matter in motion, sheer opposition to be overcome, while Schelling waxes poetic in his defense of a living, organic nature of which humanity is a vital part. Indeed, we do not know ourselves without understanding our connection to nature, argues Schelling, anticipating many thinkers in contemporary environmental ethics. Dale E. Snow’s introduction sets the stage and explains the larger context of the conflict, which was already visible in the correspondence of the two philosophers, which broke off by 1802. Notes are included throughout the text, providing background information and identifying the many references to Fichte. Dale E. Snow is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Loyola University of Maryland and the author of Schelling and the End of Idealism, also published by SUNY Press. (shrink)

Summary: A review of the cognitivist/extended cognition and extended mind landscape.

Bredo C. Johnsen: Observation: What Quine calls observation sentences lie at the heart of his reflections on observation and its roles in prompting our theorizing, providing evidence for our theories, and serving as the test of those theories' truth. The first four sections of this chapter – “Observation sentences,” “The two types of observation sentence,” “Introspection,” and “Roles of experience” – are devoted to expounding and clarifying his fundamental conception of these sentences, showing that he recognized both objective and subjective (...) observation sentences, that correlatively he gives introspection an important place in our cognitive lives, and, in particular, that he assigns our introspective knowledge of our sensory experiences three important roles in his epistemology. Since about 1970, Quine's conception of what constitutes our evidence about the nature of empirical reality has been radically misunderstood by almost all his readers, with disastrous consequences for the understanding of his entire epistemology; a final section – “Stimulations as evidence” – is therefore devoted to remedying this situation. (shrink)

Intro -- Title -- Contents -- Publisher's Acknowledgment -- Introduction -- Madhyamaka's Promise as Philosophy -- 1. Trying to Be Fair -- 2. How Far Can a Mādhyamika Reform Customary Truth? Dismal Relativism, Fictionalism, Easy-Easy Truth, and the Alternatives -- Logic and Semantics -- 3. How Do Mādhyamikas Think? Notes on Jay Garfield, Graham Priest, and Paraconsistency -- 4. "How Do Mādhyamikas Think?" Revisited -- 5. Prasaṅga and Proof by Contradiction in Bhāviveka, Candrakīrti, and Dharmakīrti -- 6. Apoha Semantics: What (...) Did Bhāviveka Have to Do with It? -- 7. What Happened to the Third and Fourth Lemmas in the Tibetan Madhyamaka? -- Ethics and the Spiritual Path -- 8. Madhyamaka Buddhist Ethics -- 9. Reason, Irrationality, and Akrasia (Weakness of the Will) in Buddhism: Reflections upon Śāntideva's Arguments with Himself -- 10. Yogic Perception, Meditation, and Enlightenment: The Epistemological Issues in a Key Debate between Madhyamaka and Chan -- Madhyamaka in Contemporary Debates -- 11. On Minds, Dharmakīrti, and Madhyamaka -- 12. Serious, Lightweight, or Neither: Should Madhyamaka Go to Canberra? -- Notes on the Articles -- Abbreviations -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the Author -- Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism Titles Previously Published -- About Wisdom Publications -- Copyright. (shrink)

This chapter first presents two arguments for the permissibility of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia (E) to eliminate physical suffering. I then present a third argument for PAS and E on grounds other than eliminating suffering. The chapter next considers several objections to these arguments that might be raised by Neil Gorsuch, now a US Supreme Court Justice. In the course of this I present a fourth argument for PAS and E. (I assume throughout that a patient’s free and informed (...) consent is required and present.). (shrink)