It is generally assumed that the developmental program of embryogenesis relies on epigenetic mechanisms. However, a mechanistic link between epigenetic marks and cell fate decisions had not been established so far. In a recent article, Torres‐Padilla and colleagues1 show that epigenetic information and, more precisely, histone arginine methylation mediated by CARM1 could contribute to cell fate decisions in the mouse 4‐cell‐stage embryo. It provides the first indications that global epigenetic information influences allocation of pluripotent cells toward the first cell lineages. (...) BioEssays 29:520–524, 2007. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

In this paper we show that relativized versions of relation set algebras and cylindric set algebras have undecidable equational theories if we include coordinatewise versions of the counting operations into the similarity type. We apply these results to the guarded fragment of first-order logic.

This empirical paper examines individual-level cognitive factors associated with developing an orientation to sustainable development issues among a population of business practitioners from France. Across two studies, we survey 180 financial managers and 83 finance students, as well as 144 managers from other business disciplines and 117 non-finance business students. We consider ability and motivation variables integrated and adapted into a cognitive elaboration model for sustainable decision making. Specifically, we examine the degree of influence of two factors on the ethical (...) sensitivity to sustainability: the moral maturity of the individual, and the perceived moral intensity of a sustainability issue. Our investigation offers insights into how financial managers perceive the importance of sustainability for corporate strategy. (shrink)

Glossolalia (“speaking in tongues”) is a rhythmic utterance of word‐like strings of sounds, regularly occurring in religious mass gatherings or various forms of private religious practices (e.g., prayer and meditation). Although specific verbal learning capacities may characterize glossolalists, empirical evidence is lacking. We administered three statistical learning tasks (artificial grammar, phoneme sequence, and visual‐response sequence) to 30 glossolalists and 30 matched control volunteers. In artificial grammar, participants decide whether pseudowords and sentences follow previously acquired implicit rules or not. In sequence (...) learning, they gradually draw out rules from repeating regularities in sequences of speech sounds or motor responses. Results revealed enhanced artificial grammar and phoneme sequence learning performances in glossolalists compared to control volunteers. There were significant positive correlations between daily glossolalia activity and artificial grammar learning. These results indicate that glossolalists exhibit enhanced abilities to extract the statistical regularities of verbal information, which may be related to their unusual language abilities. (shrink)

Cognitive Science, Volume 46, Issue 7, July 2022.

An increasing number of Muslim asylum seekers and refugees convert to Christianity in Europe. The conversion motifs in these individuals are unknown. In this study, we applied biographical interviews in 124 converts. There were two dominant patterns: intellectual —intellectual plus experimental motifs, and mystical —mystical plus affectional motifs. Pure experimental and affectional motifs were rare, and there were no revivalist and coercive motifs. Demographic parameters did not predict conversion motifs. We found no evidence for social pressure. These results indicate that (...) finding meaning and consolation in Christian religious teachings and mystical experiences with a high emotional content are the two leading religious conversion motifs. (shrink)

The origin of human language is one of the most fascinating and most difficult problems of evolution. Here I argue that pre-hunt communication was the starting context of the evolution of human language. Hunting of big game created a shared interest; animals and hunting actions are easy to imitate; the need to plan created a pressure for increasing complexity; and finally, cultural inheritance of hunting tools and know-how made the transition unique. I further argue that this “first step” was actually (...) a two-stage process where first indexical and iconic signs evolved to coordinate recruitment for the hunt; then later, in the second stage, the complexity of this communication system increased as a response to the increased demand to coordinate group-hunting effort (including division of labor). I provide a review of the fossil record and show that the available evidence is fully compatible with the theory. (shrink)

In this paper, I argue for a novel reading of Spinoza’s position in his exchangewith Boyle about Boyle’s experiment with nitre. Boyle claimed to have shownthrough experiments that nitre ceased to be nitre after heating. Spinozadisagreed and proposed the alternative hypothesis that nitre has changed itsstate and not its nature. Spinoza’s position was construed in the literature asrational scepticism denying that experiments can yield knowledge ofessences because all sensory experience is underdetermined and open tomultiple interpretations. I argue for an alternative (...) reading of Spinoza’sposition which focuses on Bacon’s notion of crucial instance. According tothis reading, Spinoza did not deny the possibility of knowing byexperimentation whether nitre has changed its nature, he asked for a crucialinstance, i.e. an experiment that would refute the hypothesis that nitre haschanged merely its state. Spinoza’s argumentative strategy shows that,contrary to the mainstream reading, the representational content of sensoryideas can be determined even if it does not represent the essence of theobject: we can know with absolute, rather than merely moral, certaintywhether nitre ceased to be nitre without knowing what nitre is. (shrink)

Weather imagery plays a major role in Hosea. Hosea 2 recalls the image of an unfaithful wife; Hosea 4:2-3 describes the withering of the land; in 6:3; 10:12; 14:6, the several types of precipitation draw attention to the utterance of YHWH or the requested righteousness; in 9:10.13.16; 10:1; 13:5; 14:6.8, Israel is symbolised by different plants that blossom and wither, depending on their relation to Yhwh. In all of these instances, weather phenomena contribute to these images. In this article, I (...) try to catalogue and evaluate the metaphors and concepts to look at how meteorological images convey theological and historical messages, and vice versa how historical events or sociological procedures demonstrate their consequences in nature, especially in the weather. It seems that weather imagery is used to describe the consequences of idolatry, injustice and false politics. These cause drought and famine in a concrete sense, but the withering of Israel figuratively, the last word of the book is a call for repentance that could ensure Israel's well-being once again. With these metaphors, Hosea explicitly delivers a plea for monolatry and righteousness, as well as for equality, in an implicit way. These pieces of evidence can provide a basis for further interpretation from the hermeneutical perspective of the notion called 'interconnectedness'. CONTRIBUTION: This article analyses the weather imagery of the Book of Hosea and contributes to a better understanding of the use of these metaphors in prophetic discourses. (shrink)

Traces of thoughts. The place of a theology of the Septuagint in biblical scholarship: In the past decades, research has raised the idea of a theology of the Septuagint (LXX) on various occasions. Important works were recently published on this topic in the Handbuch zur Septuaginta and the Septuagint and Cognate Studies series. The general theological tendencies of the LXX are identified by scholars in eschatology, messianism, anti-anthropomorphism and angelology. These tend to all be regarded as further developments of the (...) theology of the Hebrew Bible (HB). However, one can trace the evolution of these and other main topics of the LXX in the New Testament (NT) and in the later apostolic writings as well. Based on three concise case studies, I point out the evolution of theological ideas from the HB through the LXX up to the NT in this paper. First, I will discuss the importance of the ‘Name of God’-theology which is increasingly present in the LXX and has a key role in the messianic passages of the NT. Then in two points it will be argued that addressing Jesus as κύριος implies theological accents which can be detected in the LXX. These observations aim to show that the development of the religious ideologies of the HB can be followed not only in the LXX but in the NT and beyond as well. The importance of a theology of the LXX goes beyond the HB research, having significant implications for the NT as well. In fact, such theology could build the bridge between the HB and the NT, and should not only be written from the viewpoint of the HB but also considering the NT. Contribution: This contribution traces the routes of three theological concepts originating in the Hebrew Bible developed further in the LXX and finally adopted by the New Testament. Based on these three examples, it is suggested here as a novel idea that a theology of the LXX should not be written only with the Hebrew Bible in mind but also considering the New Testament. (shrink)

In the past decades, research has raised the idea of a theology of the Septuagint on various occasions. Important works were recently published on this topic in the Handbuch zur Septuaginta and the Septuagint and Cognate Studies series. The general theological tendencies of the LXX are identified by scholars in eschatology, messianism, anti-anthropomorphism and angelology. These tend to all be regarded as further developments of the theology of the Hebrew Bible. However, one can trace the evolution of these and other (...) main topics of the LXX in the New Testament and in the later apostolic writings as well. Based on three concise case studies, I point out the evolution of theological ideas from the HB through the LXX up to the NT in this paper. First, I will discuss the importance of the 'Name of God'-theology which is increasingly present in the LXX and has a key role in the messianic passages of the NT. Then in two points it will be argued that addressing Jesus as κύριος implies theological accents which can be detected in the LXX. These observations aim to show that the development of the religious ideologies of the HB can be followed not only in the LXX but in the NT and beyond as well. The importance of a theology of the LXX goes beyond the HB research, having significant implications for the NT as well. In fact, such theology could build the bridge between the HB and the NT, and should not only be written from the viewpoint of the HB but also considering the NT. CONTRIBUTION: This contribution traces the routes of three theological concepts originating in the Hebrew Bible developed further in the LXX and finally adopted by the New Testament. Based on these three examples, it is suggested here as a novel idea that a theology of the LXX should not be written only with the Hebrew Bible in mind but also considering the New Testament. (shrink)

The honesty of animal communication is in the spot lights in the last 30 years. During most of this time the field was dominated by one explanation: Zahavi’s handicap principle (Zahavi, J Theor Biol 67:603–605, 1975 ; Grafen, J Theor Biol 144:517–546, 1990 ). Grose (Biol Philos 2011 ) embarks to explain both the success of the theory and the empirical difficulties that exist despite this success. While I wholeheartedly agree with the criticism offered by Grose and with almost all (...) the claims he makes, the treatment of the issue is far from complete and it still leaves much to be explained. Accordingly, my commentary consist of six sections: in the first section I clear up some technical issues left unexposed, most importantly the role of strategic cost in handicap signalling; in the second section I relate this to empirical testing; in the next section I comment on the historical development of the handicap principle; in the fourth section I review the biological models that came up with conclusions that contradict the handicap principle; in the fifth section I discuss the reasons behind the success of the handicap theory; finally, in the last section I discuss the application of the handicap theory to anthropology and human sciences. (shrink)

The class \ of t rue p airing a lgebras is defined to be the class of relation algebras expanded with concrete set theoretical projection functions. The main results of the present paper is that neither the equational theory of \ nor the first order theory of \ are decidable. Moreover, we show that the set of all equations valid in \ is exactly on the \ level. We consider the class \ of the relation algebra reducts of \ ’s, (...) as well. We prove that the equational theory of \ is much simpler, namely, it is recursively enumerable. We also give motivation for our results and some connections to related work. (shrink)

In this paper we define computationally well-behaved versions of classical first-order logic and prove that the validity problem is decidable.

In this commentary I argue that the notion of incommensurability can be extended to the child's developing theories of mind. I use Carey's concept of Quinian bootstrapping and show that this learning process can account for the acquisition of the semantics of mental terms. I suggest a distinction among three stages of acquisition and adopt the theory–theory of conceptual development.

Through a detailed account of the history of online chat devices, this article shows the emergence, over time, of two distinct interactional formats underlying these social media. They may be captured by two generic metaphors of synchrony: conference (a gathering in a virtual place where unfocused interactions and group sociability occur) and copresence (where practices are centered on the sustainment of contact between individuals who know each other). Internet Relay Chat (IRC) appears as the archetype of the conference format. This (...) notion of chat involves the existence of a relatively persistent shared space—conjured up by various specific metaphors: room, channel, and so on—inside which users get together and through which they are able to find other users, with whom they may weave electronic social ties that may possibly lead to offline relationships. The other format is associated with instant messaging (IM) devices, on the model of “ICQ” software. Although there seems to be a decline in interest for devices based on the former format, those based on the latter benefit from a growing popularity, possibly indicating deeper sociological implications. (shrink)

We show that the equational theory of representable lattice-ordered residuated semigroups is not finitely axiomatizable. We apply this result to the problem of completeness of substructural logics.

Human language and human music are both unique communication systems that evolved in the human lineage. Here, I propose that they share the same root, they evolved from an ancestral communication system yet to be described in detail. I suggest that pre-hunt charade was this shared root, which helped organize and coordinate the hunt of early hominins.

We show that the equational theory of representable lower semilattice-ordered residuated semigroups is finitely based. We survey related results.

It is said that all philosophy is nothing other than a commentary on Plato.Maybe.But was not Plato himself a commentary on Parmenides, Heraclitus, the Pythagoreans, and the Sophists, not to mention Socrates?And conversely, too, the Commentary on Aristotle composed by St Thomas was not the personal philosophy of Thomas Aquinas? Or then again, do Proclus’ Commentarii in primum Euclidis Elementorum librum not embody a new and original neoplatonic philosophy of mathematics?

In his collection of anecdotes, Lives, Opinions, and Remarkable Sayings of the Most Famous Ancient Philosophers, Diogenes Laertius devotes a chapter to the life of Zeno of Elea. Zeno's reputation is based on his celebrated paradoxes, amply discussed by Aristotle: a moving body will never reach its (pre-defined) telos, since it first has to cover half (or more than half) the remaining distance; the faster will never catch up with the slower, since it first has to get to the point (...) from which the slower has just left. Zeno's style is laconic, like that of an Aesop fable. Maxima e minimis: there is no superfluous word. Everything needed to arrive at the conclusion is explicitly stated. (shrink)

The class $$\mathsf{TPA}$$ TPA of t rue p airing a lgebras is defined to be the class of relation algebras expanded with concrete set theoretical projection functions. The main results of the present paper is that neither the equational theory of $$\mathsf{TPA}$$ TPA nor the first order theory of $$\mathsf{TPA}$$ TPA are decidable. Moreover, we show that the set of all equations valid in $$\mathsf{TPA}$$ TPA is exactly on the $$\Pi ^1_1$$ Π 1 1 level. We consider the class $$\mathsf{TPA}^-$$ (...) TPA - of the relation algebra reducts of $$\mathsf{TPA}$$ TPA ’s, as well. We prove that the equational theory of $$\mathsf{TPA}^-$$ TPA - is much simpler, namely, it is recursively enumerable. We also give motivation for our results and some connections to related work. (shrink)

We look at lower semilattice-ordered residuated semigroups and, in particular, the representable ones, i.e., those that are isomorphic to algebras of binary relations. We will evaluate expressions in representable algebras and give finite axiomatizations for several notions of validity. These results will be applied in the context of substructural logics.

In this paper we show that relativized versions of relation set algebras and cylindric set algebras have undecidable equational theories if we include coordinatewise versions of the counting operations into the similarity type. We apply these results to the guarded fragment of first-order logic.

Pride is a status-related self-conscious emotion. The present study aimed to investigate the nature of status behind pridein four studies with using the two-facet model of pride, status maintenance strategies and with differentiating subjective social status (SSS) and objective social status (OSS). In Study 1 and 2 we used questionnaire methods with structural equation modeling (SEM) in order to identify the relationship patterns between SSS, OSS, status maintenance strategies and pride. In Study 3 and 4 we used vignette methods and (...) SEM to identify these links. All four studies gave evidence for the SSS  prestige status maintenance strategy  authentic pride relationship pattern. Similarly consistent result was found regarding the dominance status maintenance strategy  hubristic pride link. Depending on the assessment method (questionnaire vs. vignette) and the evaluative frame of reference (self vs. other), OSS was related to either authentic and hubristic pride, only hubristic pride, or neither of them. Based on these results, one thing can be taken for granted: pride is a subjective status-related emotion. However, the present results suggest that it is not necessarily true for objective social status. (shrink)

For deliberations on the ethical and meta-ethical implications of Alfred North Whitehead's process philosophy, here are abstracts and papers from the Ethics Section of the 6th International Whitehead Conference held at the University of Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria in July 2006. In accordance with the conference schedule, there are three subsections. The subsection on "Metaphysics of Morals and Moral Theory" includes contributions from Franklin I. Gamwell (Does Morality Presuppose God?), John W. Lango (abstract only), Duane Voskuil ("Ethics' Dipolar Necessities and (...) Theistic Implications), and Theodore Walker Jr. ("Neoclassical Cosmology and Matthew 22:36-40). The subsection on "Evaluating Moral Practices" includes contributions from Frederick Ferrè (abstract only), Seung Gap Lee (Hope for the Earth: A Process Eschatological Eco-ethics for South Korea), Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore (Compassion, Creativity, and Form: The Ethics of Institutions), and George W. Shields (Ruse, Altruism, and Process Philosophy). The subsection on "Ethics and Aesthetic Values" includes contributions from Stephen T. Franklin (abstract only), Brian G. Henning (Is There an Ethics of Creativity?), Mihàly Tòth (Art of Life and the Ethics of Life Forming), and Guorong Yang (Problems and Perspectives in the Emerging of Global Society). (shrink)

Demonic composition, demonic refinement and demonic union are alternatives to the usual ‘angelic’ composition, angelic refinement (inclusion) and angelic (usual) union defined on binary relations. We first motivate both the angelic and the demonic via an analysis of the behaviour of non-deterministic programs, with the angelic associated with partial correctness and demonic with total correctness, both cases emerging from a richer algebraic model of non-deterministic programs incorporating both aspects. Zareckiĭ has shown that the isomorphism class of algebras of binary relations (...) under angelic composition and inclusion is finitely axiomatized as the class of ordered semigroups. The proof can be used to establish that the same axiomatization applies to binary relations under demonic composition and refinement, and a further modification of the proof can be used to incorporate a zero element representing the empty relation in the angelic case and the full relation in the demonic case. For the signature of angelic composition and union, it is known that no finite axiomatization exists, and we show the analogous result for demonic composition and demonic union by showing that the same axiomatization holds for both. We show that the isomorphism class of algebras of binary relations with the ‘mixed’ signature of demonic composition and angelic inclusion has no finite axiomatization. As a contrast, we show that the isomorphism class of partial algebras of binary relations with the partial operation of constellation product and inclusion (also a ‘mixed’ signature) is finitely axiomatizable. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to give a new proof for the decidability and finite model property of first-order logic with two variables, using a combinatorial theorem due to Herwig. The results are proved in the framework of polyadic equality set algebras of dimension two. The new proof also shows the known results that the universal theory of Pse$_2$ is decidable and that every finite Pse$_2$ can be represented on a finite base. Since the class Cs$_2$ of cylindric set (...) algebras of dimension 2 forms a reduct of Pse$_2$, these results extend to Cs$_2$ as well. (shrink)

Collection of papers presented at the First Budapest Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy.

Collection of papers presented at the 2nd and 3rd Budapest Seminar in Early Modern Philosophy.