Das Cognitive Enhancement, die Steigerung der geistigen Leistungsfähigkeit gesunder Menschen durch Psychopharmaka und andere Interventionen, ist in jüngster Zeit verstärkt in den Fokus sowohl der Ethik als auch der breiteren Öffentlichkeit geraten. In kontrafaktischer Abstrahierung vom gegenwärtig noch sehr bescheidenen Stand der Technik wird dabei unter anderem erörtert, was grundsätzlich für und was gegen den Einsatz von markant wirksamem Cognitive Enhancement sprechen würde. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die einschlägige Diskussion. Zunächst wird der recht uneinheitlich verwendete Begriff des (...) Cognitive Enhancement näher bestimmt; danach folgt eine systematische Übersicht über die verschiedenen Pro- und Kontra-Argumente. Besprochen werden Per-se-Bewertungen des Cognitive Enhancement, etwaige Folgen für die „verbesserten“ Individuen selbst sowie die Konsequenzen, die ein großflächiger Einsatz von Cognitive Enhancement für die Gesellschaft als Ganzes zeitigen könnte. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die Frage gelegt, was für einen Einfluss der Einsatz von Cognitive Enhancement auf unser Menschenbild und auf andere Teile des epistemischen Fundaments unserer Kultur haben könnte. (shrink)

ZusammenfassungDas Cognitive Enhancement, die Steigerung der geistigen Leistungsfähigkeit gesunder Menschen durch Psychopharmaka und andere Interventionen, ist in jüngster Zeit verstärkt in den Fokus sowohl der Ethik als auch der breiteren Öffentlichkeit geraten. In kontrafaktischer Abstrahierung vom gegenwärtig noch sehr bescheidenen Stand der Technik wird dabei unter anderem erörtert, was grundsätzlich für und was gegen den Einsatz von markant wirksamem Cognitive Enhancement sprechen würde. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die einschlägige Diskussion. Zunächst wird der recht uneinheitlich verwendete Begriff des (...) Cognitive Enhancement näher bestimmt; danach folgt eine systematische Übersicht über die verschiedenen Pro- und Kontra-Argumente. Besprochen werden Per-se-Bewertungen des Cognitive Enhancement, etwaige Folgen für die „verbesserten“ Individuen selbst sowie die Konsequenzen, die ein großflächiger Einsatz von Cognitive Enhancement für die Gesellschaft als Ganzes zeitigen könnte. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die Frage gelegt, was für einen Einfluss der Einsatz von Cognitive Enhancement auf unser Menschenbild und auf andere Teile des epistemischen Fundaments unserer Kultur haben könnte. (shrink)

This book presents the psychological basis, methodology, and application of Marton's phenomenographic approach to the theory of learning.

First we prove that the set of countable linear orders of the form I + I form a complete analytic set. As a consequence of this we improve a result of Humke and Laczkovich, who showed in [HL] that the set of functions of the form f ⚬ f form a true analytic set in C[0, 1]. We show that these functions form a complete analytic set, solving a problem mentioned on p. 215 of [K1] and on p. 4 of (...) [B]. (shrink)

Originally published in 1971, this report presents Dr Jánossy’s attempt to demonstrate that all post-war economic ‘miracles’ lasted only until production levels reached the levels they should have done had there been no war and concludes that economic development is extremely consistent. Jánossy also provides a detailed growth theory which suggests that this consistency is reached purely by the development of mankind and occupational structure rather than research or capital development. This title will be of interest to students of Business (...) and Economics. (shrink)

Die zweite bedeutende Schaffensperiode Fichtes entfaltet sich in Berlin, der Hauptstadt Preußens, und ist ständig stärker verknüpft mit dem aufgeklärt-absolutistischen preußischen Staat. Selbstverständlich ist dies in vielerlei Hinsicht ein Anzeichen für eine markante Wende im Wirken Fichtes, bei der es sich aber keineswegs um einen unerklärlichen und irrationalen Gesinnungswandel handelt: die Berliner Epoche ist im Vergleich zur Jenaer Periode gleichermaßen gekennzeichnet durch Kontinuität und Diskontinuität. Bezüglich der theoretischen Philosophie bleibt immer die wesentliche Identifikation von Allgemeinem Ich und Gott aufrechterhalten. Doch (...) während in der Jenaer Periode eher Gott sich im Allgemeinen Ich auflöste, löst sich jetzt immer mehr das Allgemeine Ich in Gott auf. Dies steht im Zusammenhang damit, dass zwar auch in Betracht auf seine praktische Philosophie ständig der theoretischen Philosophie gegenüber deren Priorität bestand - doch während in der Jenaer Periode allgemein-abstrakte Prinzipien von Freiheit und Moral im Mittelpunkt standen, wurden diese jetzt konkretisiert und nehmen damit gesellschafts- und geschichtsphilosophische bzw. religionsphilosophische sowie eschatologische Dimensionen an: Gott erscheint in der Geschichte und handelt, dazu noch mit bestimmten Zielen. Das Ziel der Geschichte ist das Reich Gottes auf Erden. All diese Fragen werden immer enger verknüpft mit dem Problem der Zukunft Deutschlands und innerhalb dessen Preußens - so wie auch das Schaffen jeder großen Gestalt der deutschen klassischen Philosophie, unabhängig von der Herkunft, auf diese oder jene Weise mit dem Schicksal Preußens in Verbindung stand. Königsberg und Berlin waren für Kant, Fichte, Hegel und Schelling gleichermaßen wichtige Beziehungspunkte. Schon der spezifischen gesellschaftlichen und historischen Rolle Preußens, der großen ostdeutschen protestantischen Monarchie, wegen müssen wir also bezüglich der Jenaer und Berliner Periode Fichtes nicht nur Diskontinuität sondern auch Kontinuität anerkennen. (shrink)

Introductory essay / Peter Jones -- The usefulness of the arts and the humanities : the case of Descartes / Gábor Boros -- Roads of remembrance : the treatment of imagination and memory in Gerard's Essay on genius / Zsolt Komáromy -- Diderot's untimeliness / László Kisbali ; transl. Márton Dornbach -- Melody vs. harmony : Rousseau, or, The aesthetics of vowels / Mária Ludassy ; transl. Zsolt Komáromy -- Judgement and taste : from Shakespeare to Shaftesbury / Ferenc (...) Hörcher -- Lord Shaftesbury's "aesthetic freedom" / Endre Szécsényi -- Why one should imitate the Greeks : on Winckelmann / Sándor Radnóti ; transl. Márton Dornbach -- Beauty or beast, or, Monstrous regiments? : Robertson and Burke on women and the public scene / László Kontler -- The concept of nature and the theodicy problem in the Malebranche-Arnauld-Leibniz debate / Dániel Schmal -- Lessing's anti-candide : between reason and revelation / Krisztina Utasi ; transl. Márton Dornbach. (shrink)

The paper addresses the problem whether arts, sciences and humanities can be regarded as useful. First it examines the means-ends relation and argues that some means are not causally but rather constitutively connected to ends. Second, it specifies two dimensions along which the problem of values will be addressed. One is the issue about the relation between values and desirability, the other is the active and affective conceptions of valuation. Third the paper offers a concise reconstruction of the answers to (...) the question of usefulness formulated during the enlightenment. It will be argued that traditionally usefulness was understood causally and not on the individual, but rather on the social level. In the final section the paper contends that values should be understood in terms of activities rather than in terms ofdesire satisfaction and that this interpretation can bring us closer to answering the question whether and why arts and sciences are useful. (shrink)

This paper aims to defend the common-sense view that we exempt compulsive agents from responsibility to the extent that they are unable to choose what they do and hence they cannot control their actions by their choices. This view has been challenged in a seminal paper by Gary Watson, who claimed that akratic agents lack control in the same sense but they are responsible nonetheless. In the first part of the paper, I critically examine the arguments Watson advances for this (...) claim first in his original paper and then in some more recent works. I conclude that his account is based on the widely held assumption that both compulsive behavior and weakness of the will must be understood as a direct result of some inner motivational conflict. In the second part, I argue for an alternative understanding of the difference between weakness and compulsion. My claim is that compulsion is a cognitive rather than a motivational deficiency, since the compulsive, unlike the weak-willed, does not desire to perform the action which she actually performs. Furthermore, I argue that compulsive agents cannot control their actions by their choices because they have a distorted view of their own actional abilities. In the final part of the paper, I discuss a consequence of this account to the conditional analysis of free will as a condition of responsibility. (shrink)

Marxist philosophers have always given great attention to theoretical questions concerning the historical role and significance of the state and to the processes by which the types and political forms of states have changed. As we know, historical materialism demands both concrete analysis of the political organization of the society of a given socioeconomic system and the discovery of certain general patterns that manifest themselves in the course of world history. Marx's thesis that reality can truly be understood only on (...) the basis of a theoretical study of history retains its full significance to this day for philosophical analysis of the complex and diverse problems of the theory of the state. (shrink)

(1990). Redefining the boundaries of the possible: New perspectives on European unification. World Futures: Vol. 29, Transition in Eastern Europe, pp. 3-17.

Homology searches between DNA sequences of evolutionary distant species (phylogenetic footprinting) offer a fast detection method for regulatory sequences. Because of the small size of their genomes, tetraodontid species such as the Japanese pufferfish and green spotted pufferfish have become attractive models for comparative genomics. A disadvantage of the tetraodontid species is, however, that they cannot be bred and manipulated routinely under laboratory conditions, so these species are less attractive for developmental and genetic analysis. In contrast, an increasing arsenal of (...) transgene techniques with the developmental model species zebrafish and medaka are being used for functional analysis of cis regulatory sequences. The main disadvantage is the much larger genome. While comparison between many loci proved the suitability of phylogenetic footprinting using fish and mammalian sequences, fast rate of change in enhancer structure and gene duplication within teleosts may obscure detection of homologies. Here we discuss the contribution and potentials provided by different teleost models for the detection and functional analysis of conserved cis‐regulatory elements. BioEssays 24:564–572, 2002. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

This paper suggests that the classic of Indian theology, the Nyāya-kusumâñjali is in fact two texts: an earlier treatise in 65 ślokas, and Udayana’s commentary on it. Internal evidence consists in: the ślokas read as a continuous text; there are extremely long prose passages without verses; Udayana does not comment on his own verses, only on the ślokas; the basic plan of the two texts are markedly different; different content of some chapters: ch. 1 about karma vs. rituals to reach (...) heaven, ch. 2 about creation vs. eternality of sound, and in ch. 5 Udayana doubles the arguments for God; Udayana deals extensively with atoms and yogic perception and rejects the concept of śakti, in contrast to the verses; there are a few manifest disagreements. External evidence for the thesis: there are mss. of the verses only; there are many commentaries on the verses only; these commentators—with a single exception—do not seem to take Udayana for the author of the verses; the first commentary on Udayana names his own work a subcommentary; in his other works, it is atypical of Udayana to insert ślokas in his text; a legend of the Bhāduṙī Brahmins stating that Udayana “received” the Kusumâñjali. (shrink)

Diese Studie führt einen Dialog mit dem französischen Philosophen Gilles Deleuze, um anhand seines Denkens die Erscheinungsweisen von Ereignis zeit- und sprachphilosophisch zu beschreiben. Ereignis, dieses Begriffswort, das sich jeder Definition naturgemäß entzieht, wird in der jüngeren Praktischen Theologie und in der Systematischen Theologie seit Karl Barth häufig gebraucht und selten bestimmt. In dieser Studie geht Ferenc Herzig dem Ereignis nach, ohne es mit einer „Was-ist“-Frage einzuzäunen. Die Konsequenzen für liturgische und homiletische Grundfragen werden daraufhin ebenso dargestellt wie der (...) Versuch unternommen, die Frage nach Gott unter poststrukturalistischen Vorzeichen zu stellen. (shrink)

This book covers the field of and points to the intersections between politics, art and philosophy. Its hero, the late Sir Roger Scruton had a longstanding interest in all fields, acquiring professional knowledge in both the practice and theory of politics, art and philosophy. The claim of the book is, therefore, that contrary to a superficial prejudice, it is possible to address the philosophical issues of art and politics in the same oeuvre, as the example of this Cambridge-educated analytical philosopher (...) proves. Accordingly, the book has a bold thesis on the general, theoretical level, mapping the connections between politics, art and philosophy. However, it also has a pioneering commitment on the level of the particular, offering the first full-length study into the philosophical legacy of Roger Scruton, probably the most important British conservative philosopher of the late 20th and the first decades of the 21st century. It also allows reader to look into the philosopher’s fascination with Central European art and culture. Finally, it also provides a daring analysis of the late Scruton’s metaphysical inspirations, connecting the arts, and especially music, with religion and the bonds of love. (shrink)

The question of the relationship of the State and the law is one of the oldest questions of the history of the theory of state. It is one of those fundamental issues which can be regarded as real dividing lines: the decision one takes in this theoretical question determines a lot in the thinker's later theory. It is difficult to find the reasons for this phenomenon. One might argue that this is so because these two concepts are so basic, that (...) while one has to use them quite frequently, one would hardly dare to define them. But even if we accept this aversion from clearcut definitions, the explanation of why the relationship of these two concepts is so important is an unavoidable task for a number of reasons. (shrink)

Argument for fatalism attempts to prove that free choice is a logical or conceptual impossibility. The paper argues that the first two premises of the argument are sound: propositions are either true or false and they have their truth-value eternally. But the claim that from the fatalistic premises with the introduction of some innocent further premise dire consequences follow as regards to the possibility of free choice is false. The introduced premise, which establishes the connection between the first two premises (...) (which are about the nature of propositions) and the concept of free choice is not innocent. It creates the impression that the truth of certain propositions can somehow determine the occurrence of certain events. But no proposition can have such an effect since the counterfactuals If proposition P were true, event E would happen does not say anything about determination. The argument for fatalism is, however, not a boring sophism. It does reveal something about the nature of propositional representation. It shows that each proposition represents necessarily the fact what it represents, i.e. it shows that propositions have their truth conditions non-contingently. But from this nothing follows as regards to the contingent nature of the facts represented. On the bases of the first two premises of the argument for fatalism we cannot infer to the impossibility of free choice. The argument for fatalism should not be interpreted as an attempt to prove on purely logical or conceptual grounds that we do not have the ability to influence future events by our choices. But it could be used to show something about the nature of propositional representation. (shrink)

This book provides a critical survey of measurement theories and a clear exposition of the concerning philosophical questions. The author offers a new, constructive interpretation for measurement in both physics and the social sciences, arguing for a constructivist approach.

Various approaches have been taken recently to a reinterpretation of the European reception of China and the sinophilia-sinophobia dichotomy (Hung 2003, Millar 2010, Jacobsen 2013). In the present article, a nineteenth-century approach to China is examined using Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) as examples. It will be argued that this approach differs from earlier attitudes. First, the central currents will be surveyed in the European reception of China between the Jesuit missionaries and early nineteenth-century philosophies of (...) history, introducing an interpretational framework that differentiates between various approaches to China, namely a _universalistic_ and a _progression-based approach_. Then, first Tocqueville's and then Mill's depictions of China in comparison with the concepts of preceding centuries will be analyzed. It will be argued that Tocqueville and Mill's understanding of China represents a third view that I will call _relation-based_. (shrink)

_Freedom of the Will_ provides a novel interpretation of G. E. Moore’s famous conditional analysis of free will and discusses several questions about the meaning of free will and its significance for moral responsibility. Although Moore’ theory has a strong initial appeal, most metaphysicians believe that there are conclusive arguments against it. Huoranszki argues that the importance of conditional analysis must be reevaluated in light of some recent developments in the theory of dispositions. The original analysis can be amended so (...) that the revised conditional account is not only a good response to determinist worries about the possibility of free will, but it can also explain the sense in which free will is an important condition of moral responsibility. This study addresses three fundamental issues about free will as a metaphysical condition of responsibility. First, the book explains why agents are responsible for their actions or omissions only if they have the ability to do otherwise and shows that the relevant ability is best captured by the revised conditional analysis. Second, it aims to clarify the relation between agents’ free will and their rational capacities. It argues that free will as a condition of responsibility must be understood in terms of agents’ ability to do otherwise rather than in terms of their capacity to respond to reasons. Finally, the book explains in which sense responsibility requires self-determination and argues that it is compatible with agents’ limited capacity to control their own character, reasons, and motives. (shrink)

Care left undone, interchangeably referred to as missed care, unfinished nursing care and task incompletion, is pervasive in contemporary healthcare systems. Care left undone can result in adverse outcomes for the patient, nurse and organization. The rhetoric that surrounds care left undone infers it is a contemporary nursing phenomenon; however, a seventeenth‐century Spanish nursing treatise, Instruccion de Enfermeros (Instructions for Nurses), challenges this assumption. Instruccion de Enfermeros was an instructional guide that was written for members of the Congregation of Bernardino (...) de Obregon who worked as nurses at the Madrid General Hospital. The treatise provides a historical commentary on the daily roles, responsibilities and working conditions of the Obregonian nurses. Its content and context suggest the Obregonian nursing resource was consistently time poor due to a confluence of internal and external stressors. Consequently, the Obregonians were under considerable role strain resulting in inferior patient care. This article explores the antecedents of care left undone through a historical lens using exemplars from the 1625 edition of Instruccion de Enfermeros. Factors contributing to care left undone in Obregonian nursing will then be examined to offer insights into the similarities between what a nurse suffered 400 years ago and what exists in contemporary nursing practice. (shrink)

Bekanntlich ging Fichte von der Philosophie Kants aus und zwar von der praktischen Philosophie Kants und ihrer Deklaration des Prinzips der menschlichen Freiheit. Fichte war nämlich der Ansicht, daß die theoretische Philosophie Kants trotz ihrer guten Tendenzen keine zureichende Basis für die Erklärung der menschlichen Freiheit biete, da Kant die richtige Tendenz nicht konsequent weiterverfolgt habe. Fichte war deshalb anfangs der Meinung - und bis zu einem gewissen Grade zu Recht - daß das, was er tat, einfach die folgerichtige Ausgestaltung (...) der Philosophie Kants sei; übrigens hat auch Hegel in seinen die Wissenschaft der Philosophiegeschichte sozusagen allererst begründenden denkwürdigen Vorträgen[...] die historische Stellung der Philosophie Fichtes so eingeschätzt. Ursprüngliches Ziel Fichtes ist also ein »echter, durchgeführter Kritizismus«, die Realisierung einer Philosophie, die die Prinzipien Kants sowohl vom formellen als auch inhaltlichen Gesichtspunkt her gleichermaßen konsequent verfolgt: »Kant hat nach meiner Überzeugung das System nicht dargestellt, aber er hat es im Besitz« - schreibt Fichte in einem seiner Briefe. (shrink)

Bekanntlich ging Fichte von der Philosophie Kants aus und zwar von der praktischen Philosophie Kants und ihrer Deklaration des Prinzips der menschlichen Freiheit. Fichte war nämlich der Ansicht, daß die theoretische Philosophie Kants trotz ihrer guten Tendenzen keine zureichende Basis für die Erklärung der menschlichen Freiheit biete, da Kant die richtige Tendenz nicht konsequent weiterverfolgt habe. Fichte war deshalb anfangs der Meinung - und bis zu einem gewissen Grade zu Recht - daß das, was er tat, einfach die folgerichtige Ausgestaltung (...) der Philosophie Kants sei; übrigens hat auch Hegel in seinen die Wissenschaft der Philosophiegeschichte sozusagen allererst begründenden denkwürdigen Vorträgen[...] die historische Stellung der Philosophie Fichtes so eingeschätzt. Ursprüngliches Ziel Fichtes ist also ein »echter, durchgeführter Kritizismus«, die Realisierung einer Philosophie, die die Prinzipien Kants sowohl vom formellen als auch inhaltlichen Gesichtspunkt her gleichermaßen konsequent verfolgt: »Kant hat nach meiner Überzeugung das System nicht dargestellt, aber er hat es im Besitz« - schreibt Fichte in einem seiner Briefe. (shrink)