Deliberative democracy is now an influential approach to the study of democracy and political behaviour. Its key proposition is that, in politics, it is not only power that counts, but good discussions and arguments too. This book examines the interplay between the normative and empirical aspects of the deliberative model of democracy. Jürg Steiner presents the main normative controversies in the literature on deliberation, including self-interest, civility and truthfulness. He then summarizes the empirical literature on deliberation and proposes methods by (...) which the level of deliberation can be measured rather than just assumed. Steiner's empirical research is based in the work of various research groups, including experiments with ordinary citizens in the deeply divided societies of Colombia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Belgium, as well as Finland and the European Union. Steiner draws normative implications from a combination of both normative controversies and empirical findings. (shrink)

The paper explores the main paradigmatic failures of structural functionalism in anthropology. Structural functionalism explains institutions and social behavior by their contribution to the reproduction of social structure. Starting from Radcliffe-Brown and Malinowski, who represent two main variants of functionalism in anthropology, its main paradigmatic problems are discussed: its inability to analyze social conflict and change, its reducing of society to norms and values as well as its mode of explaining social facts. These failures are illustrated by two functional theories (...) of tribal wars, by Evans-Pritchard and by Rappaport. Various theoretical alternatives emerge from the decline of functionalism in anthropology. Conflict theory as well as game theory, new institutionalism, theories of collective action and evolutionary economics represent true alternatives. This again is illustrated by a theory of tribal war, explaining cooperation both within local groups and between allies against the background of the warlike social environment in which local groups are interacting. (shrink)

We review a proposal of how to complete non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics to a physically meaningful, mathematically precise and logically coherent theory. This proposal has been dubbed ETH-Approach to Quantum Mechanics, “E” standing for “Events,” “T” for “Trees,” and “H” for “Histories.” The ETH-Approach supplies the last one of three pillars Quantum Mechanics can be constructed upon in such a way that its foundations are solid and stable. Two of these pillars are well known. The third one has been proposed quite (...) recently; it implies a general non-linear stochastic law for the time-evolution of states of individual physical systems. (shrink)

'Deliberative politics' refers to the role of conversation and arguments in politics. Until recently discussion of deliberative politics took place almost exclusively among political philosophers, but many questions raised in this philosophical discussion cry out for empirical investigation. This book provides the first extended empirical study of deliberative politics, addressing, in particular, questions of the preconditions and consequences of high level deliberation. Using parliamentary debates in Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States as an empirical base, the authors (...) measure the level of deliberation by constructing a 'Discourse Quality Index'. As deliberative politics moves to the forefront of political theory, this book makes an important contribution to deliberative democracy. (shrink)

Sartori (1970) warned a long time ago of the danger of concept stretching for effective and cumulative theory building. Such concept stretching has happened with regard to deliberation, which has become a very faddish term. For theoretically well-founded empirical research it is better conceptually to distinguish clearly between strategic bargaining and deliberation, although in the empirical political world the two concepts are usually heavily intertwined. Keywords deliberation; concept stretching; strategic bargaining.

ABSTRACT:According to the mainstream bioethical stance, death constitutes the termination of an organism. This essay argues that such an understanding of death is inappropriate in the usual context of determining death, since it also has a social bearing. There are two reasons to justify this argument. First, the mainstream bioethical definition generates an organismal superposition challenge, according to which a given patient in a single physiological state might be both alive and dead, like Schrödinger's cat. Therefore, there is no clear (...) answer as to whether organ retrieval from a brain-dead patient is an act of killing or not. Second, when combined with the dead donor rule, the mainstream position in the definition of death might lead to ethically unacceptable verdicts, since there is a discrepancy between terminating an organism and depriving someone of moral status. (shrink)

In 2017, Michael Nair-Collins formulated his Transitivity Argument which claimed that brain-dead patients are alive according to a concept that defines death in terms of the loss of moral status. This article challenges Nair-Collins’ view in three steps. First, I elaborate on the concept of moral status, claiming that to understand this notion appropriately, one must grasp the distinction between direct and indirect duties. Second, I argue that his understanding of moral status implicit in the Transitivity Argument is faulty since (...) it is not based on a distinction between direct and indirect duties. Third, I show how this flaw in Nair-Collins’ argument is grounded in the more general problems between preference utilitarianism and desire fulfillment theory. Finally, I present the constructivist theory of moral status and the associated moral concept of death and explain how this concept challenges the Transitivity Argument. According to my view, brain death constitutes a valid criterion of death since brain death is incompatible with the preserved capacity to have affective attitudes and to value anything. (shrink)

. We explore a connection between different ways of representing information in computer science. We show that relational databases, modules, algebraic specifications and constraint systems all satisfy the same ten axioms. A commutative semigroup together with a lattice satisfying these axioms is then called an “information algebra”. We show that any compact consequence operator satisfying the interpolation and the deduction property induces an information algebra. Conversely, each finitary information algebra can be obtained from a consequence operator in this way. Finally (...) we show that arbitrary (not necessarily finitary) information algebras can be represented as some kind of abstract relational database called a tuple system. (shrink)

What is the concept of sexuality? And do we still need it today? In the article I discuss problems related to the socio-cultural construction of sexuality, normalization politics and sexual citizenship, sexual segregation and anti-sex paranoia. I show how the division into us (friends) and them (strangers), according to sexual scripts, takes away the right not only to be part of society, but above all to be yourself. I wonder if – following the words of M. Foucault – it is (...) not the time to look for a new solution, for example, to replace the concept of sexuality with the forms of pleasure. I illustrate my considerations with examples from the observation of the public sphere and the reaction of the normative public to non-normative objects appearing in their surroundings. Most of the examples concern contemporary Poland – both in political and socio-cultural contexts. (shrink)

From the local level to international politics, deliberation helps to increase mutual understanding and trust, in order to arrive at political decisions of high epistemic value and legitimacy. This book gives deliberation a dynamic dimension, analysing how levels of deliberation rise and fall in group discussions, and introducing the concept of 'deliberative transformative moments' and how they can be applied to deeply divided societies, where deliberation is most needed but also most difficult to work. Discussions between ex-guerrillas and ex-paramilitaries in (...) Colombia, Serbs and Bosnjaks in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and police officers and locals in Brazilian favelas are used as case studies, with participants addressing how peace can be attained in their countries. Allowing access to the records and transcripts of the discussions opens an opportunity for practitioners of conflict resolution to apply this research to their work in trouble spots of the world, creating a link between the theory and practice of deliberation. (shrink)

Quines These der Unterdeterminiertheit empirischer Theorien, der gemäß es in ihrem theoretischen Gehalt verschiedene, aber dennoch empirisch äquivalente Theorien geben kann, ist nach wie vor mit Unklarheiten behaftet. Eine genaue Analyse der entscheidenden Textstellen zeigt, daß die These offensichtiich nur auf nicht-kompakte Theorienformulierungen angewendet werden kann, daß aber das Kriterium der Kompaktheit recht schwer zu verstehen ist. Darüberhinaus erweist sich der Ausdruck „empirischer Gehalt" als ebenso klärungsbedürftig wie „theoretischer Gehalt". Beide Ausdrücke sind jedoch für das Verständnis der These von entscheidender (...) Bedeutung. Es zeigt sich, daß so dem Versuch einer befriedigenden Interpretation trotz der Modifikationen, die Quine seit der Lancierung der These in On Empirically Equivalent Systems of the World vorgenommmen hat, beträchtliche Schwierigkeiten im Wege stehen. (shrink)

The so called ‘Prose Edda’ or ‘Snorra Edda’, usually dated to the third decade of the 13th century, contains after a short prologue two substantial sections dealing mainly with mythography and poetics and a long concluding skaldic poem. In the extant medieval manuscripts from around 1300 and the beginning of the 14th century, additional material like genealogies, grammatical treatises, etc. is included. The present paper focuses on one of the earliest of these manuscripts, codex DG 11 4to, University Library Uppsala, (...) and analyses some central features of the specific way in which it presents different narrative layers. For the first time, this analysis combines a study of textual and visual aspects of the manuscript, and special attention is given to two of the many illustrations in this codex. Together with later scribal notes, the drawings contribute heavily to the process of framing, which is one of the main features of the ‘Prose Edda’. This process of creating potentially endless narrative and visual frames is part of the text‘s ambition to establish a distance to the traditional pagan myths and to facilitate new fictional possibilities. (shrink)

On the basis of Swiss decision cases it is investigated to what extent politicians are guided by their conscience about the common good or political self interest.

La littérature philosophique sur le modèle de la démocratie déliberative insiste sur la qualité déliberative dont peuvent faire preuve les média. C’est seulement à cette condition que l’on peut avoir une sphère publique où une pluralité d’opinions peuvent émerger. Des recherches empiriques révèlent néanmoins que les média présentent la politique comme un jeu de divertissement avec des gagnants et des perdants, bien loin de l’idéal délibératif d’un échange réfléchi d’arguments. Étant donné la pression du marché sur les média, il est (...) difficile d’y remédier. L’espoir le plus grand se trouve dans de petites niches sophistiquées des débats en ligne. (shrink)

To deliberate is a skill like any other that can be learned. The paper shows how schools can teach deliberative skills.

Archive Materials of Mieczysław Wallis are in the collection of Combined Libraries of Philosophy and Sociology Faculties of the University of Warsaw, the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Science and the Polish Philosophical Society. There are two files devoted to Henryk Elzenberg. They contain a rich historical material, not published before and not known to many people. It is a valuable source of knowledge in the field of the history of Polish philosophy. Wallis’s notes provide (...) a lot of unique informations both on Elzenberg’s private life and also his activity in the scientific community. Furthermore, they present his philosophical concepts, as well as his motions of life and adversities he had to cope with. M. Wallis’s memoirs are an unusual record of the friendship and scientific co-operation of the two scholars that lasted for a few decades. Wallis’s work creates also an intellectual testimony of the epoch, in which they both lived and worked. (shrink)

Somatic mutation plays a key role in transforming normal cells into cancerous cells. The analysis of cancer progression therefore requires the study of how point mutations and chromosomal mutations accumulate in cellular lineages. The spread of somatic mutations depends on the mutation rate, the number of cell divisions in the history of a cellular lineage, and the nature of competition between different cellular lineages. We consider how various aspects of tissue architecture and cellular competition affect the pace of mutation accumulation. (...) We also discuss the rise and fall of somatic mutation rates during cancer progression. BioEssays 26:291–299, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

Questions of research ethics are raised when deliberative research is done in war situations.

Dans la formulation classique habermassienne du modèle délibératif, les arguments doivent être justifiés d’une façon rationnelle, reliant logiquement des raisons à des conclusions. Sur la base de données empiriques, il est montré que les histoires personnelles ont également un rôle à jouer pour une bonne délibération, créant l’empathie à l’égard des besoins des autres. Plus généralement, les émotions ne devraient pas être exclues de la délibération.