The article illustrates the main features of the concept of medicalization, starting from its theoretical roots. Although it is the process of extending the medical gaze on human conditions, it appears that medicalization cannot be strictly connected to medical imperialism anymore. Other "engines" of medicalization are influential: consumers, biotechnology and managed care. The growth of research and theoretical reflections on medicalization has led to the proposal of other parallel concepts like pharmaceuticalization, genetization and biomedicalization. These new theoretical tools could be (...) useful in the analysis of human enhancement. Human enhancement can be considered as the use of biomedical technology to improve performance on a human being who is not in need of a cure: a practice that is increasingly spreading in what might be defined as a "bionic society". (shrink)

Research on hybrid bionic systems (HBSs) is still in its infancy but promising results have already been achieved in laboratories. Experiments on humans and animals show that artificial devices can be controlled by neural signals. These results suggest that HBS technologies can be employed to restore sensorimotor functionalities in disabled and elderly people. At the same time, HBS research raises ethical concerns related to possible exogenous and endogenous limitations to human autonomy and freedom. The analysis of these concerns requires (...) reflecting on the availability of scientific models accounting for key aspects of sensorimotor coordination and plastic adaptation mechanisms in the brain. (shrink)

In this article, an in-depth study and analysis of economic structure are carried out using a neural network fusion release algorithm. The method system defines the weight space and structure space of neural networks from the perspective of optimization theory, proposes a bionic optimization algorithm under the weight space and structure space, and establishes a neuroevolutionary method with shallow neural network and deep neural network as the research objects. In the shallow neuroevolutionary, the improved genetic algorithm based on elite (...) heuristic operation and migration strategy and the improved coyote optimization algorithm based on adaptive influence weights are proposed, and the shallow neuroevolutionary method based on IGA and the shallow neuroevolutionary method based on ICOA are applied to the weight space of backpropagation neural networks. In deep neuroevolutionary method, the structure space of convolutional neural network is proposed to solve the search space design of neural structure search, and the GA-based deep neuroevolutionary method under the structure space of convolutional neural network is proposed to solve the problem that numerous hyperparameters and network structure parameters can produce explosive combinations when designing deep learning models. The neural network fusion bionic algorithm used has the application value of exploring the spatial structure and dynamics of the socioeconomic system, improving the perception of the socioeconomic situation, and understanding the development law of society, etc. The idea is also verifiable through the present computer technology. (shrink)

My anthropological analysis of bionics is basedon the representations of engineers concerningthe definition of humankind and its future. Thedifference between repairing and improving onhuman beings is disappearing and we strive toreach a kind of `perfection', whose criteriaare evolving with technical developments.Nowadays, in the so-called information society,information is described as the best value: aperfect human being would be a free braindirectly connected to the web, and without abody because it is considered as an impedimentto the circulation of information. But what (...) isconsidered as good today won't be good enoughtomorrow. And `improving' the human being moreand more could make it evolve into a verydifferent human being, or even into a newspecies: post-humankind. For some people, thisis not a problem, because the goal is to be`better' than we are, human or not. As for me,I think that we risk losing something veryimportant: our social ability. (shrink)

The topic under consideration is quite relevant in the context of the information society and globalization. In the article the concept of "Smart-technology" in modern design is considered, the influence of information communes and technologies on modern society is investigated. The rapid development, in particular, of smart technology, makes it possible to bring the educational process to a new qualitative level, which will provide better training of design specialists that are necessary for the formation and development of the (...) country in the form of Smart, as well as for the prosperity of our country. The article explores design artifacts, which are differentiated in the cultures of the industrial, post-industrial, information society. The concept of eco-design and smart technologies in the modern design of the city is considered. The scientific novelty and practical significance of the problem under investigation is that the problem of "Smart Technology" as a factor in the development of modern design is considered for the first time in the domestic literature and is of great importance for the transformation of the city and the training of specialists in this field. (shrink)

Actuality of the study is that the rapid development, in particular, of innovative technologies, enables to bring the educational process to a new high level, which will provide a better training of specialists in the field of design, which are necessary for the prosperity of our country. The article explores design artifacts that are differentiated in the cultures of information society. The concept of how the innovative technologies influence on the design of the spatial-object environment is considered. Problems of (...) studying innovative technologies were taught by such scientists as: O.Bazilevsky, V.E. Barysheva, I.S. Rizhova. Problems of studying the design of the spatial-object environment were also carried out by Ukrainian scientists such as S.P. Migal, I.S. Rizhov, V.O. Timokhin, N.M. Shebek, T.V. Malik. Among the Ukrainian researchers, thinking about the existence of the city should be noted T. Voznyak, M.Karpovets, T.Kornienko, M.Prepotenska and others. The realization of this goal requires solving such tasks as outlining different approaches to understanding the phenomenon of space-object environment design; definition of the specificity of innovative technologies in the modern ecological city. Research methods. In theory and practice of research of innovative technologies, methods of structural-system, structural-functional analysis are widely used. Methods of structural-system analysis are used to solve complex problems related to the activities of people in the city, as well as to identify the structure of the city as a dynamic system that promotes self-development of society and personality. Methods of structural-functional analysis are based on the interaction between the structural components of the space-subject environment and their relationship with the functions of the system. The result of the study. In order to solve the problems of the influence of innovative technologies on the design of the spatial-object environment, one should create a concept of the strategy for the development of innovative technologies, aimed at cooperation with leading companies in the industry and the production of domestic analogues in accordance with world standards. Conclusions Innovative technologies as a factor in the development of modern design of the spatial-subject environment represent a synergy of science, technology, cultural development, on the one hand, as well as state, education, creative social entrepreneurship - on the other. That is why innovative technologies represent the basis of intellectual and creative resources aimed at achieving economic and design success, which will represent the socio-cultural progress of society, which will take place thanks to innovative technologies and creativity of designers. The practical significance of the research topic lies in the fact that research designer artifacts that are differentiated in the cultures of the information society. (shrink)

Abortion and embryo destruction prevent a future of value, but that does not make them wrong.Abortion involves the killing of a fetus. One bad thing about killing a fetus is that the fetus is deprived of a future of value. Think of all the things which make your life good and worth living: understanding the world, seeing your children grow into independent, intelligent, and happy people, watching a sunset over the hills, enjoying good times with friends. By killing the fetus, (...) we are depriving it of a future life likely to contain these things. And more. The fetus would likely grow to be a person who would have contributed to the world in many ways—bringing joy to its parents, happiness, and friendship to many. That person would have laboured for society and perhaps even discovered a cure for cancer or developed the first bionic eye.The loss of these possible futures is bad. It makes the killing of a fetus wrong. This is Don Marquis's argument against abortion.1 It is one of the best arguments against abortion which does not rest on theological premises.Another way of putting this is to say that we have a good reason not to kill a fetus. A reason for acting is a fact or circumstance forming a sufficient justification for an action. Or in this case, not to perform an action. We have all sorts of reasons for action. Our reasons often conflict. I may have a good reason to visit my mother and a good reason to take my children to the park. What we have most reason to do is what it is right to do. It is what we should do. If we have most reason not to perform an act, …. (shrink)

Over the past decades, due to the course towards digitalization of all areas of life, interest in modeling and creating intelligent systems has increased significantly. However, there are now a stagnation in the industry, a lack of attention to analog and bionic approaches as alternatives to digital, numerous speculations on “neuro” issues for commercial and other purposes, and an increase in social and environmental risks. The article provides an overview of the development of artificial intelligence (AI) conceptions toward increasing (...) the human likeness of machines: from the key ideas of A. Turing and J. von Neumann, who initiated the digitalization of society, to discussions about the definition of AI and the emergence of conceptions of strong and weak AI. Special attention is paid to the approach of A. Sloman, to ideas about the architecture and design of complex artificial systems are considered, which make it possible to “emotionally” expand the idea of weak/strong AI. In the article's section on the necessity and possibility of incorporating emotions into the architecture of AI, the authors reveal the goals and methodological limitations for creating an emotional artificial agent. In addition, the article briefly presents the main principles of the authors' architectural approach to the creation of emotional intellectual systems on the example of the cognitive-affective model of architecture, which allow modeling the impact of emotions on the cognitive processes involved in decision-making processes. The described architectural approach to modeling intelligent systems can be used as a conceptual basis for discussing and formulating a strategy for the development of neurocomputing, philosophy of artificial intelligence, and experimental philosophy, for developing innovative research programs, formulating and solving theoretical and methodological problems. (shrink)

Purpose – This paper aims to focus on the modern development of bionics and linking new technologies with the human nervous system or other biological systems that cause changes of the human biological structure. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a discursive evaluation of technological progress and new systems where computers and machines integrate, making a single matrix entity – the cyborg. Here fundamental questions arise, such as what it means to be human and what is and what should be a (...) human being? Findings – The paper argues for the value of twenty-first century human enhancement techniques and other emerging technologies that promised to “help” humans become “more than human”, trying to create human beings with greatly enhanced abilities, to improve human mental and physical characteristics and capacities. Modern man is gradually disappearing as a natural being and increasingly turning into an artificial creature “cyborg” that leads into the question, what will ultimately remain human in a human body? Originality/value – The paper contributes to the existing debates about further development of cyborgisation and examines boundaries that will strictly divide man from a cyborg in the near future. In order to protect man from the omnipotence of technology and its unethical application is necessary to establish cyborgoethics that would determine the implementation of an artificial boundary in the natural body. (shrink)

There is a common tradition in European education going back to the Middle Ages which long played a part in providing the curriculum of schools which catered both for the wealthy and for able sons of less well-to-do families. Originally published in 1974, this volume examines the relationship between education and society in the different countries of Europe from which differences in tradition and practice emerge. The countries discussed include: France, Germany, the former Soviet Union, Poland and Sweden.

Part of the educational system in England has been geared towards the preparation of particular professions, while the identity and status of members of some professions have depended significantly on the general education they have received. Originally published in 1973, this volume explores the interaction between education and the professions. It also looks at the education of the main professions in sixteenth century England and at how twentieth century university teaching is a key profession for the training of new recruits (...) to other professions. (shrink)

Originally published in 1972, this book is concerned with education as part of a larger social history. Chapters include: The roots of Anglican supremacy in English education The Board schools of London The use of ecclesiastical records for the history of education Topographical resources: private and secondary education from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.

Originally published in 1971, this volume examines the relationship between the history and sociology of education. History does not stand in isolation, but has much to draw from and contribute to, other disciplines. The methods and concepts of sociology, in particular, are exerting increasing influence on historical studies, especially the history of education. Since education is considered to be part of the social system, historians and sociologists have come to survey similar fields; yet each discipline appears to have its own (...) aims and methodology. (shrink)

For the purposes of this monograph, "by a degree" is meant a degree of recursive unsolvability. A degree [script bold]m is said to be minimal if 0 is the unique degree less than [script bold]m. Each of the six chapters of this self-contained monograph is devoted to the proof of an existence theorem for minimal degrees.

Higher education has been changing radically in recent years, with increasing numbers of students, and complaints about declining standards. This volume brings together leading intellectuals from the US and UK to examine the issues involved.

The rapidly changing field of genetics affects society through advances in health-care and through implications of genetic research. This study addresses the impacts of new genetic discoveries and technologies on different segments of today's society. The book begins with a chapter on genetic complexity, and subsequent chapters discuss moral and ethical questions arising from today's genetics from the perspectives of health care professionals, the media, the general public, special interest groups and commercial interests.

Matteo Bonotti’s book on Partisanship and Public Reason in Diverse Societies is grounded on a theory of partisanship that sees the demands of public reason as internal to the very definition of a party. Bonotti suggests that partisanship is not only compatible with but essential to the stability and legitimacy of a well-ordered liberal society. My paper aims to raise some questions internal to the liberal account of partisanship so as to probe the methodological foundations and plausibility of the (...) liberal framework taken as a whole. My argument is that the assumption of a sufficiently just liberal society on which the book grounds its defence of partisanship makes us ill-equipped to face some of the most critical challenges that liberal societies face in the world that we live. (shrink)

This handsomely produced volume contains 22 contributions from international scholars, which were originally presented at the 2000 Conference of the International Society for Phenomenology, Fine Arts, & Aesthetics. The papers center around the theme of gardens and include a wide range of topics of interest to phenomenologists but also, perhaps, to gardeners with a philosophical bent. A sampling of topics: Leonardo's Annunciation Hortus Conclusus and its reflexive intent; hatha yoga--a phenomenological experience of nature; the Chinese attempt to miniaturize the (...) world in gardens; conflating and compressing time in commodified space and architecture; constructing the deconstructive landscape (the ruin aesthetic); and a phenomenological-anthropological aproach to Zen gardens. The volume is lightly indexed by name (mostly philosophers). Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com). (shrink)

In The Grammar of Society, first published in 2006, Cristina Bicchieri examines social norms, such as fairness, cooperation, and reciprocity, in an effort to understand their nature and dynamics, the expectations that they generate, and how they evolve and change. Drawing on several intellectual traditions and methods, including those of social psychology, experimental economics and evolutionary game theory, Bicchieri provides an integrated account of how social norms emerge, why and when we follow them, and the situations where we are (...) most likely to focus on relevant norms. Examining the existence and survival of inefficient norms, she demonstrates how norms evolve in ways that depend upon the psychological dispositions of the individual and how such dispositions may impair social efficiency. By contrast, she also shows how certain psychological propensities may naturally lead individuals to evolve fairness norms that closely resemble those we follow in most modern societies. (shrink)

The following considerations belong to what has recently been discussed as “social ontology”. The paper deals with Searle’s understanding of the difference between social and natural reality. The thesis is that this differentiation falls short because it supports a wrong ontological hierarchy. Social ontology is mistakenly, as I want to show, designed by Searle as a domain-specific ontology subjected to the ontology of nature. I will cast doubt on the persuasive power of this idea by dealing with Searle’s notion of (...) collective intentionality, which lies at the very heart of his doctrine of social and institutional facts: social reality shall originate from collective intentionality. But this notion stands for a wrong objectification of the social, for it is highly questionable whether the social is really exhausted by being the content of our action plans and truth-apt thoughts. (shrink)