Change of logic is typically taken as requiring that the meanings of the connectives change too. As a result, it has been argued that legitimate rivalry between logics is under threat. This is, in a nutshell, the meaning‐variance argument, traditionally attributed to Quine. In this paper, we present a semantic framework that allows us to resist the meaning‐variance claim for an important class of systems: classical logic, the logic of paradox and strong Kleene logic. The major (...) feature of the semantics is that the connectives have the same meanings in these systems, so that the meaning‐variance argument is straightforwardly blocked. We discuss the effects of this semantics for two uses of the argument of meaning variance, and also consider its impact on related issues. (shrink)

Some philosophers have argued that putative logical disagreements aren't really disagreements at all since when you change your logic you thereby change the meanings of your logical constants. According to this picture classical logicians and intuitionists don't really disagree, they just mean different things by terms like “not” and “or”. Quine gave an infamous “translation argument” for this view. Here I clarify the change of logic, change of meaning (CLCM) thesis, examine and find fault with (...) Quine's translation argument for the thesis, offer a modified translation argument in its stead, defend my modified argument from a crucial objection, discuss where the CLCM thesis leaves logical disputes, and discuss if and how the thesis coheres with Quine's influential view of logic. (shrink)

The bases for the author's semantic theory include a study of the historical development of word meanings, links in developmental processes, and the various explanations of the facts of a language. The book includes discussions of the function of language, the definition of verbal meaning, and the production and comprehension of speech.

I argue that close examination of Wittgenstein’s remarks on family resemblances shows that he is proposing a theory about the development of language over time. According to this theory, a concept is enlarged to a newly discovered object when it is similar to other objects falling under this concept. However, being empirical, theories of language-development cannot be regarded as philosophical positions. I therefore argue that Wittgenstein puts forward this theory only for therapeutical reasons. He thereby wants to bring the metaphysical (...) question “Why do we call all games ‘games’?” back to its everyday use. (shrink)

Words are changing their meanings in natural language. Even if their extension remains the same, their intension does not, and a sentence often alters in meaning. Whenever such a phenomenon occurs, what is happening in us? Contextualism offers some effective explanation, but is unable to see why even the meaning of a predicate changes, why our “thought” expressed in a sentence undergoes substantial transformation, or why the world changes its "meanings" for us. I explore a theory of semantic (...) determination to describe and explain ways our own selves and the world simultaneously change. This theory consists of such elements as perspective extension, epistemic restriction by our “mental walls,” and role-playing volition, all of which together constitute a multilayered standpoint. (shrink)

This study investigated the relationship between death anxiety and experienced meaning in life. Six hundred and forty-eight Chinese college students were surveyed using the Death Anxiety Scale, the Prosocial Behavior Scale, and the Meaning in Life Scale. The results showed that death anxiety predicted experienced meaning through three pathways: the first one was through search for meaning singly; the second one was through prosocial behavior singly; and the third one was through search for meaning and (...) prosocial behavior serially, which accounted for the highest proportion of the total effect. This study highlights the positive side of death anxiety. (shrink)

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion.

본 고의 논지는 셋이다. 첫째 깨달음은 문제의식과 문제해결의 관점에서 볼 수 있고, 구체적인 맥락적 관점에서 보아야 한다는 것이다. 붓다의 깨달음이라는 구체적인 맥락 하에서 괴로움의 해결이라는 문제의식과 그 해결 과정을 깨달음으로 볼 수 있고, 이를 통해서 붓다의 깨달음은 사성제의 삼전십이행상에 대한 안지혜명광으로 볼 수 있다.BR 둘째 깨달음의 의미는 변화한다. 붓다의 깨달음을 통해서 새로운 요소, 즉 연기가 추가됨으로 인해서 문제의식이 변화하게 된다. 깨달음의 내용 자체에 대한 추구가 문제의식으로 등장함으로 인해서 대승불교의 깨달음은 사성제와 연기성에 대한 안지혜명광으로 폭이 확대됨을 볼 수 있다. 이는 연기성으로 (...) 인해서 나의 괴로움과 타인의 괴로움이 연결되어 있음을 발견하게 되고, 문제의식은 자신의 괴로움의 해결에서 전체의 괴로움의 해결로 변화하게 된다. 문제의식이 변화함에 따라서 깨달음의 의미도 변화하게 된다.BR 셋째 깨달음의 의미가 변화함에 따라서 불교의 목적론에 해당하는 연기, 무아, 공, 불이, 청정, 자성, 무자성 등의 의미가 변화하는 것을 볼 수 있다. 초기불교에서 괴로움의 근원을 찾는 연결고리로서 연기가 대승불교에서는 제법의 연결성을 의미하게 된다. 괴로움을 자기뜻대로 할 수 없음을 보여주는 초기불교의 무아는 대승불교에서는 사물의 비실체성을 의미하게 된다. 괴로움을 점차적으로 제거하는 과정을 보여주는 공은 사물의 연결성을 의미하는 것으로 바뀌게 된다. 이러한 연결성은 불이라는 측면에서 강조되고, 초기불교의 청정과 번뇌의 대립은 대승불교에서 이러한 대립을 떠난 상태로 나아간다. 부파불교의 법의 자성, 대승불교의 법의 무자성성, 선불교의 자성은 각기 법의 특징을 표현한다. 불교의 목적론의 변화는 가장 중요한 방법론이라고 할 수 있는 빤냐 또는 반야의 의미변화를 가져온다. 괴로움의 원인을 꿰뚫어 아는 것에서 제법의 공성, 무아성, 연기성, 불이성, 무자성성, 자성성을 통째로 아는 것으로 변화하게 된다. (shrink)

I argue that close examination of Wittgenstein’s remarks on family resemblances shows that he is proposing a theory about the development of language over time. According to this theory, a concept is enlarged to a newly discovered object when it is similar to other objects falling under this concept. However, being empirical, theories of language-development cannot be regarded as philosophical positions. I therefore argue that Wittgenstein puts forward this theory only for therapeutical reasons. He thereby wants to bring the metaphysical (...) question “Why do we call all games ‘games’?” back to its everyday use. (shrink)

According to the (in)famous fourth law of Kuryłowicz (K4), when a morphological doublet arises in a language, the newer form becomes associated with the prototypical, basic meaning, while the old form takes a secondary meaning. This paper takes a first attempt at a more thorough inquiry of K4 to assess whether prototypicality of meaning has an effect on morphological change. Three studies on historical Dutch are taken on: -enversus -splurals, the apocope of schwa and the apocope (...) of -de.The effects of prototypicality are analysed both on a token level (differences in meaning within lemmas) as well as on a type level (differences between lemmas). As proxies for prototypicality of meaning (psycho)linguistic predictors are used, such as concreteness, age of acquisition, chronology of meaning, meaning frequency and metaphor. Results show no clear effect of prototypicality on a token level, but they do suggest an effect on a type level: more concrete meanings tend to show up more often with the newer variant. Yet these results may also be ascribed to iconicity as the newer variants in these cases are the shorter ones and concrete meanings tend to be represented by shorter words than abstract ones. (shrink)

본 논문은 「홍범」의 오행을 중심으로 『태극도설』에서의 오행 개념의 성립까지를 검토했다. 「홍범」의 오행에서 오행 개념의 성립을 이야기할 수 있다. 오행 개념의 성립은 오행 세계의 성립이고, 따라서 오행에 대한 해석은 오행 세계의 변화를 의미하게 된다. 이러한 오행의 해석으로 상승 개념이 있었고, 그리고 간지나 방위, 사계절과 음양 등과의 관계를 통해서 오행이 새로이 해석되고 있음을 볼 수 있었다. 오행상승이라는 해석은 오행상승과 오행상극이라는 두 단계의 해석이 있었다. 그리고 오행의 세계에 간지와 방위가 들어옴으로 해서 오행의 세계에 시간과 공간의 의미가 부여되었다. 또한 오행과 사계절의 결합으로 오행은 계절의 (...) 순서에 따른 오행상생의 모습을 가지게 되었다. 그리고 오행은 氣로 이해되면서 근본존재에서 분화되는 세계의 한 부분으로 설명되게 되었다. 인간의 내면까지도 오행으로 설명하여 五常도 오행의 세계에 들어오게 되었다. 이렇게 해서 오행의 세계는 세계를 설명하는 보편적인 원리의 세계로 탈바꿈할 수 있었고, 이 연장선상에서 천지에서 바로 오행이 생겨난다고 하는 해석이 나오게 되고, 결국은 『태극도설』에서 해석하는 오행의 세계로 만들어져 갔다. (shrink)

This paper has two goals. The first is to develop a cross-linguistically valid model of modality and mood that captures the most important dimensions along which modal expressions vary. I posit a model with two such dimensions, one of volitivity, and one of event-orientation vs. speaker-orientation, mood being placed at the speaker-oriented end relative to modality proper. The second goal is to provide a new perspective on semantic change of modal expressions on the basis of the proposed model. I (...) argue that unidirectional change along the event-oriented / speaker-oriented dimension is the one overarching tendency of semantic change in modals. This stands in contrast to the widespread perception that change from deontic to epistemic is the dominant tendency. The directionality suggested in this new model is also more comprehensive than previously proposed tendencies of change, such as ‘‘from agent-oriented to epistemic’’, ‘‘from agent-oriented to speaker-oriented’’, and ‘‘from participant-internal to participant-external’’, as it better accounts for various kinds of change that have been previously neglected, including change from epistemic to deontic. (shrink)

Slurs are derogatory words; they seem to express contempt and hatred toward marginalized groups. They are used to insult and derogate their victims. Moreover, slurs give rise to philosophical questions. In virtue of what is the word “chink,” unlike “Chinese,” a derogatory word? Does “chink” refer to the same group as “Chinese”? If “chink” is a derogatory word, how is it possible to use it in a non-derogatory way (e.g., by Chinese comedians or between Chinese friends)? Many theories of slurs (...) answer these questions by assuming that slurs communicate derogatory messages. However, little attention has been paid to the speech acts slurs are used to perform. In this dissertation, I argue that slurs are illocutionary force indicators: words to perform the speech acts of derogation. “Chink” is a derogatory word because its use is to derogate the Chinese, just like the phrase “I promise” has the use to make a promise. To derogate the Chinese is to enforce a norm which assigns to them an inferior normative status. Slurs are also propositional indicators: words that contribute to the truth-conditions. “Chink” has the same referent as “Chinese,” its neutral counterpart. Appealing to speech act theory enables my theory to answer questions about slurs, e.g., slurs can be used in non-derogatory ways because the felicity conditions of derogation are not met. To illustrate the advantage of my theory, I will explain how other theories of slurs fall short because they take positions opposite to mine on certain issues. For instance, Mark Richard’s theory, unlike mine, takes utterances of slurs to have no truth values. It follows from his theory, I will argue, that lying with “Chang is a chink” is impossible. Finally, I will defend the force indicator theory from common objections. My force indicator theory provides a case study of the use theory of meaning and a framework for political philosophers to study the harm of slurs. (shrink)

통일부 통일교육원은 2018년 8월 종전의 통일교육지침서를 대신해 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』을 발간했다. 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』은 현 정부가 통일교육의 방향을 제시하는 지침서이기 때문에 현 정부의 대북통일정책을 잘 반영한다. 새롭게 발간된 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』은 평화를 실현하는 방법으로 통일교육을 해야 한다는 인식에서 ‘평화 · 통일교육’을 하겠다는 의지를 담고 있다. 외형적으로 통일교육에 평화교육이 더해진 것이다. 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』은 평화의식을 바탕으로 북한을 이해하고 협력적인 남북관계를 지향하게 하여 평화로운 통일을 실현하는 데 필요한 능력을 함양해야 한다는 것을 강조하고 있지만 실질적으로는 (...) 이전 정부와의 차별화를 시도한 것이다. 통일교육에 평화교육이 더해짐으로써 일어난 통일교육의 실질적 변화는 흡수통일이나 인위적 통일을 추구하지 않겠다는 의지를 표명한 것이다.BR 이 논문은 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』에서 사용한 ‘평화’의 의미를 파악하기 위해 II.에서는 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』에 새롭게 나타난 ‘평화의식’의 의미를 분석하고, III.에서는 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』에 대해 제기된 비판을 검토할 것이다. VI.에서는 토마스 쿤의 패러다임 이론을 차용하여 보수정부의 통일교육지침서와 문재인 정부의 『평화 · 통일교육: 방향과 관점』이 모두 「통일교육지원법」, 「민족공동체통일방안」안에서 이루어지고 있기 때문에 일부 논자들이 주장하는 것처럼 보수 정부의 지침서에서 진보 정부의 지침서로의 이동은 ‘패러다임의 전환’이 아니라고 주장할 것이다. 이러한 인식론적 분석을 받아들이면 통일정책과 통일교육을 둘러싼 진보와 보수 사이의 갈등은 크게 완화될 수 있을 것이다. (shrink)

This study presents an exploration of the belief changes of prospective teachers through social co-constructivist teaching. The future presumed in-class teaching orientations of the PTs were also estimated by metaphor analysis. A case study was conducted to monitor the belief changes of the PTs and estimate their probable in-class practices. The participants were six PTs involved in a certification in education programme. The data were gathered from the following different sources; interviews, written reflections and metaphor explanations. The data that were (...) analysed interpretatively and specific parts of the analysed data were subjected to quantification. The PTs held considerably conventional and idealistic teaching beliefs prior to the implementations. The PTs improved their reasoning and enlarged their conceptualisations regarding teaching and learning after the implementations. Five types of teaching belief typologies displaying inherently sophisticated nature of the beliefs were extracted. Some of the PTs appeared to have promise in terms of implementing more learner-centred teaching; however, others preserved their traditional teaching practical orientations. It was considered that changes in teaching beliefs may have motivational and attitudinal dimensions. Finally, capturing the metaphors of the PTs regarding teaching and learning appeared to provide more realistic insights into the estimated in-class practical orientations. (shrink)

This paper examines ‘The Natures of Conceptual Change’, the Notre Dame lectures given by Kuhn in 1980. In particular, I aim to examine the content of these lectures which was not published before. This exegetical task will shed light on the sources of the notion of taxonomy used in these lectures for the first time with the explicit philosophical purposes. It also will shed new light on Kuhn's position regarding the causal theory of reference. Reviewing these archival materials paves (...) the way for intertextual comparisons, as Kuhn included part of these lectures in the texts published later and in the book Plurality of Worlds: an Evolutionary Theory of Scientific Development. In recent years, the publication of Kuhn's archival material and the research on these texts increased in quantity and quality. Faced with this encouraging landscape, a comparative examination of the different unpublished texts is crucial to refining both our research tools on Kuhn's intellectual biography and the philosophical work inspired by his proposal. (shrink)

A critical comment to Horwich's deflationary theory of meaning: the deflationary view ignores the fact that the way the subexpressions of an expression are combined is language dependent unlike meaning, which is in a sense 'international'; the link between the grammatical structure and the respective construction is not as direct and simple as it would follow from Horwich's conception.

In recent years, workplace well-being has been a popular research topic, because it is helpful to promote employees’ welfare, thereby bringing valuable personal and organizational outcomes. With the development of technology, the technology industry plays an important role in Taiwan. Although the salary and benefits provided by the technology industry are better than other industries, the work often requires a lot of time and effort. It is worth paying attention to whether a happy workplace will bring subjective well-being for the (...) technology industry in Taiwan. This study explored the influence of workplace well-being, job involvement, and flow on the subjective well-being. The research was conducted by a questionnaire survey. A total of 256 employees in the technology industry in the Nanzi Processing Zone in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan were surveyed. Collected data were analyzed by statistical methods, such as multivariate and structural equation models. The study results indicated that workplace well-being, flow, and job involvement have a positive and significant impact on the subjective well-being. In addition to having a direct impact on subjective well-being, flow is also a significant variable to mediate the impact of workplace well-being to subjective well-being. In addition, job involvement also affects subjective well-being through flow, which means that the state of selflessness at work is the most important factor affecting subjective well-being. Finally, based on the research findings, the researcher provided practical suggestions to the government and the technology industry. (shrink)

ArgumentMuch of the long controversy concerning the workings of electric batteries revolved around the concept of the contact potential (especially between different types of metals), originated by Alessandro Volta in the late eighteenth century. Although Volta’s original theory of batteries has been thoroughly rejected and most discussions in today’s electrochemistry hardly ever mention the contact potential, the concept has made repeated comebacks through the years, and has by no means completely disappeared. In this paper, I describe four salient foci of (...) its revivals: dry piles, thermocouples, quadrant electrometers, and vacuum phenomena. I also show how the contact potential has maintained its presence in some cogent modern scientific literature. Why has the death of the Voltaic contact potential been such an untidy affair? I suggest that this is because the concept has displayed significant meaning and utility in various experimental and theoretical contexts, but has never been successfully given a simple, unified account. Considering that situation, I also suggest that it would make sense to preserve and develop it as a multifarious concept. (shrink)

This study investigates the effects of visual mnemonics and the methods of presenting learning materials on learning visually similar characters for Chinese-as-second-language learners. In supporting CSL learners to build robust orthographic representations in Chinese, addressing the challenges of visual similarity of characters is an important issue. Based on prior research on perceptual learning, we tested three strategies that differ in the extent to which they promote interrelated attention to the form and meaning of characters: Stroke Sequence, a form-emphasis strategy, (...) Key-images, a form + meaning strategy utilizing visual code, Pithy Formulas with Key-images, a form + meaning strategy combining visual and verbal codes. A pretest–posttest equivalent-group design was adopted. The independent variables were the learning strategy, the method of presenting character pairs, and testing time. The dependent variables were learners’ proportions of accurate responses to reading and writing Chinese characters through a posttest and a delayed posttest ; a learner experience survey was also administered to investigate learners’ opinions on each strategy. Sixty-six non-beginning learners of Chinese participated; they were randomly assigned to one of the two groups in which participants learned ten characters via the three strategies, respectively, differing between whether the characters were presented in similar pairs or dissimilar pairs. Data were analyzed via three-way ANCOVAs. The Pithy Formulas with Key-images and the Key-images generally yielded higher writing accuracy than Stroke Sequence immediately after learning. Notably, the advantage of the Pithy Formulas with Key-images over the Key-images on writing was specific to the participants that learned with visually similar pairs rather than those that learned with dissimilar pairs. All strategies were effective for reading, yet learners’ experience ratings favored the two form + meaning strategies over the strategy that focused primarily on form. Suggestions for future research and pedagogical implications on learning visually similar characters were offered. (shrink)

스마트폰 중독과 1인 가구로 예시하는 외로움과 거기에서 파생하는 사회적 위기들이 21세기의 시대 문제로 확산하고 있다. 현대판 외로움의 의미와 양태는 어느 시대나 출현했던 것은 아니고, 근대 이후에 특히 19세기를 거치면서 형성된 역사적 산물이다. 게다가 오늘날의 외로움은 주관적이고 심리적인 파장에 그치지 않고 정치 혐오와 사회에 대한 분노로까지 전이되고 확장하면서 정치 지형을 극우화하는 위기를 낳고 있다. 그래서 이 글은 외로움의 의미가 일률적이지 않았다는 전제 아래, 한나 아렌트의 고독과 외로움을 비교하면서 외로움의 의미가 어떻게 달라져 왔는지를 그리고 21세기 외로움을 낳는 변수는 무엇인지를 살펴본다. 마지막에는 사람들이 (...) 지금까지 누렸던 사회적 지위와 자기 존중감을 상실하게 하는 실존적 상황을 분석하면서 외로움과 정치 혐오가 연결되는 사회신경과학적 기전을 개인적 차원에서 탐구한다. (shrink)

The fundamental tenet of modern empiricism is the view that all non-analytic knowledge is based on experience. Let us call this thesis the principle of empiricism. [1] Contemporary logical empiricism has added [2] to it the maxim that a sentence makes a cognitively meaningful assertion, and thus can be said to be either true or false, only if it is either (1) analytic or self-contradictory or (2) capable, at least in principle, of experiential test. According to this so-called empiricist criterion (...) of cognitive meaning, or of cognitive significance, many of the formulations of traditional metaphysics and large parts of epistemology are devoid of cognitive significance--however rich some of them may be in non-cognitive import by virtue of their emotive appeal or the moral inspiration they offer. Similarly certain doctrines which have been, at one time or another, formulated within empirical science or its border disciplines are so contrived as to be incapable of test by any conceivable evidence; they are therefore qualified as pseudo- [p. 42:] hypotheses, which assert nothing, and which therefore have no explanatory or predictive force whatever. This verdict applies, for example, to the neo-vitalist speculations about entelechies or vital forces, and to the "telefinalist hypothesis" propounded by Lecomte du Noüy. (shrink)

The way comparative law methodology is handled by the variety of experiences of normative complexity around the world is, in itself, a stimulating and promising field of research. In particular, the “hybrid” character of the European Union legislation, being juridical and linguistic at the same time, remains the core of comparative law studies, but the dynamic relationship between law and language is constanlty producing ever-changing scenarios, calling for combined scientific approaches. Along with comparative law, semiotics in particular has ensured the (...) proper reading of the complex juridical and linguistic interconnections between the EU legislation and the national courts interpreting and applying them, thanks to its implicit dynamicity and ability to favor the visualization of the real normative semantic flow. By means of a case study, the opening of this “Pandora’s box” will demonstrate that, despite the lack of correspondence among EU categorical and conceptual structure, legal language, court enforcement and spirit of the people (social group), shared contexts of meanings within the EU and the national contexts are already flourishing and become visible when approached from a specifically comparative and semiotics point of view, that's to say as legal _formants_ and as _signs_ and _meta-concepts._. (shrink)

The analytic/synthetic distinction looks simple. It is a distinction between two different kinds of sentence. Synthetic sentences are true in part because of the way the world is, and in part because of what they mean. Analytic sentences - like all bachelors are unmarried and triangles have three sides - are different. They are true in virtue of meaning, so no matter what the world is like, as long as the sentence means what it does, it will be true. (...) -/- This distinction seems powerful because analytic sentences seem to be knowable in a special way. One can know that all bachelors are unmarried, for example, just by thinking about what it means. But many twentieth-century philosophers, with Quine in the lead, argued that there were no analytic sentences, that the idea of analyticity didn't even make sense, and that the analytic/synthetic distinction was therefore an illusion. Others couldn't see how there could fail to be a distinction, however ingenious the arguments of Quine and his supporters. -/- But since the heyday of the debate, things have changed in the philosophy of language. Tools have been refined, confusions cleared up, and most significantly, many philosophers now accept a view of language - semantic externalism - on which it is possible to see how the distinction could fail. One might be tempted to think that ultimately the distinction has fallen for reasons other than those proposed in the original debate. -/- In Truth in Virtue of Meaning, Gillian Russell argues that it hasn't. Using the tools of contemporary philosophy of language, she outlines a view of analytic sentences which is compatible with semantic externalism and defends that view against the old Quinean arguments. She then goes on to draw out the surprising epistemological consequences of her approach. (shrink)

This paper defends the normativity of meaning thesis by clearing up a misunderstanding about what the thesis amounts to. The misunderstanding is that according to it, failing to use an expression in accordance with the norms which constitute its meaning amounts to changing the expression’s meaning. If this was what the thesis claimed, then it would indeed be easy to show that meaning norms do not yield prescriptions and cannot be followed. However, there is another reading: (...) what is constitutive of meaning is not the norm’s being followed, but the norm’s being applicable. On this reading, some standard arguments against the thesis lose their force. After discussing the alternative reading and its consequences, the paper goes on to sketch a model of how norms of meaning become applicable in the first place. This model supports the view that talk of meaning has its pragmatic home in contexts of linguistic calibration. (shrink)

Supporting families of people with developmental disabilities from culturally diverse backgrounds is receiving increased attention in the era of globalisation. However, there is little information about how disability policy and cultural values work together to support families. This article examined how disability policy and Chinese cultural values influence family care of children and young people with developmental disabilities. By comparing qualitative interview data from Chinese families in Taipei (15) and Sydney (10), we analysed how their expression of cultural values in (...) family care differs by policy context, relative to ethics of care claims for recognition, rights and redistribution. We found that positive expressions of Chinese culture in family care fade if policies do not complement them. Policies can alleviate potential tension with cultural values in three ways: reinforcing family capacity to care; ensuring the rights of both family caregivers and people with disabilities; and extending care choices for families. These approaches resonate with ethics of care principles. We argue that culturally responsive disability policy for families means working with cultural values to achieve ethics of care. This implies that incorporating principles of ethics of care could inform cultural responsiveness in disability policy development. (shrink)

Dongchundang Songjoongil (1606-1672) was a scholar who represented Gihoyeahak and Sanlim (山林) influencing the society of Chosŏn dynasty since the middle of 17th century. This report focus on its contemporary purport and reconciliation spirit on the Kyoung (敬) of Dongchundang. The Kyoung is the core idea that elucidates Dongchundang's philosophy and its characteristic. Dongchundang tried to continue to live the life of 'according knowledge and action' (知行一致) and dreamed the world of 'harmonization but not same' (和而不同) which indicates the principle (...) of heaven, meaning the harmony never following suit without reflection and a just and great cause, going through with his original idea through the Kyoung. In addition, Dongchundang expanded the Kyoung from personal existential problems to social ethic practical ones in the viewpoint of more reason than vitality, and aimed to build the ethic kingdom that came the harmony andreconciliation of all the communities together, interacting his subjectivity and the universal. The Kyoung and reconciliation spirit of Dongchundang is the orthodoxy of Dohak(道學), and it made him live moral intention and through real life and summarized the manner and spirit pursuing the just and great cause beyond factions. In this sense, Dongchundang's philosophy is the concentration of the Kyoung and philosophical expression of reconciliation spirit. As the peculiarity of Dongchundang's philosophy is based on the Kyoung, it is the everlasting principle of what one should do and practice in human life. (shrink)

Dreams were a topic of study even in ancient times, and they are a special spiritual phenomenon. Generations of literati have defined the meaning of dreams in their own way, while Zhu Xi was perhaps the most outstanding one among them. He made profound explanations of dreams from aspects such as the relationship between dreams and the principles li and qi, the relationship between dreams and the state of the heart, and the relationship between dreams and an individual’s moral (...) improvement. He summarized previous generations’ understanding of dreams and infused a new dimension from the School of Principles, pointing out a direction for individuals’ moral cultivation and spiritual pursuit. Zhu Xi also examined the opinions of Zhang Zai, Cheng Yi, Hu Hong and other thinkers on Confucius not dreaming of Duke Zhou in his later years, revealing differences between thinkers in the School of Principles. An analysis of Zhu Xi’s thoughts on dreams will provide deeper insight into the research on the School of Principles. (shrink)

Most theories of slurs fall into one of two families: those which understand slurring terms to involve special descriptive/informational content (however conveyed), and those which understand them to encode special emotive/expressive content. Our view is that both offer essential insights, but that part of what sets slurs apart is use-theoretic content. In particular, we urge that slurring words belong at the intersection of a number of categories in a sociolinguistic register taxonomy, one that usually includes [+slang] and [+vulgar] and always (...) includes [-polite] and [+derogatory]. Thus, e.g., what distinguishes ‘Chinese’ from ‘chink’ is neither a peculiar sort of descriptive nor emotional content, but rather the fact that ‘chink’ is lexically marked as belonging to different registers than ‘Chinese’. It is, moreover, partly such facts which makes slurring ethically unacceptable. (shrink)

I argue against the currently popular view that a radical change in theory affects the meaning of theoretical terms, and hence render pre- and post-shift theories incomparable. I first show how to pose the meaning-change issue without appeal to meanings reified. I contend that arguments against theory-neutral observation languages are faulty, but that even if they were sound, there are semantic devices that allow a theory to refer to the factual basis of a competitor. This suggests (...) a picture of science as the accumulation of truths, with each successive stage being more stable. (shrink)

In this article I critically discuss English-speaking philosophical literature addressing the question of what it essentially means to speak of 'life’s meaning'. Instead of considering what might in fact confer meaning on life, I make two claims about the more abstract, meta-ethical question of how to understand what by definition is involved in making that sort enquiry. One of my claims is that over the past five years there has been a noticeable trend among philosophers to try to (...) change our understanding of what talk of 'life’s meaning' connotes. For example, whereas most philosophers for a long while had held that such talk is about a kind of value possible in the life of human beings, recently some have argued that certain non-human parts of nature can exhibit meaningfulness, which, furthermore, is not necessarily something valuable. The second claim I advance is that there is strong reason to reject this trend, and instead for philosophers to retain the long-standing approach. (shrink)

Through a detailed examination of the basis of the idea of communication - with its semantic core of "commonality" or the transcendence of difference - Chang argues against the tendency of theorists to value understanding over misunderstanding, clarity over ambiguity, order over disorder. To this end the author revisits the thought of Derrida and considers deconstruction in general. Specifically, he uses the critique of the phenomenological tradition emerging from poststructuralism to clarify the commitments and assumptions inherent in models of communication. (...) A seminal work, Deconstructing Communication will serve as the guiding framework for a constructive debate about the future direction of communication theory. Situated at the intersection of current debates regarding meaning and representation, Deconstructing Communication casts doubt on the seeming innocence of the activity of communication. Using poststructuralist literary theory and philosophy, Briankle G. Chang argues that modern theories fail to provide an adequate explanation for how communication is possible. (shrink)

Chinese mind-body exercises are positively associated with executive function, but their effects on EF, from synthesized evidence using systematic and meta-analytic reviews, have not been conducted. Therefore, the present systematic review with meta-analysis attempted to determine whether CMBEs affect EF and its sub-domains, as well as how exercise, sample, and study characteristics moderate the causal relationship between CMBEs and EF in middle-aged and older adults. Seven electronic databases were searched for relevant studies published from the inception of each database through (...) June 2020. Randomized controlled trials with at least one outcome measure of CMBEs on EF in adults of mean age ≥ 50 years with intact cognition or mild cognitive impairment and with or without chronic diseases were included. A total of 29 studies ultimately were included in this study. The results indicated that CMBEs improved overall EF, as well as its sub-domains of working memory and shifting. The beneficial effects of CMBEs on EF occurred regardless of type, frequency of group classes, session time, total training time, and length of the CMBEs, in addition to that more frequent participation in both group classes and home practice sessions resulted in more beneficial effects. The positive effects of CMBEs on EF were also demonstrated, regardless of participants mean age, sex, and cognitive statuses, health status, as well as training mode and study language. This review thus suggests that CMBEs can be used as an effective method with small to moderate and positive effects in enhancing EF, and that more frequent group classes and home practice sessions may increase these effects. However, certain limitations, including strictly design studies, limited ES samples for specific variables, and possible biased publications, required paying particular attention to, for further exploring the effects of CMBEs on EF. (shrink)