« Les vrais paradis sont les paradis qu’on a perdus » : cette formule que l’on trouve dans Le Temps retrouvé fait signe vers deux aspects qui m’ont semblé majeurs dans la conception proustienne de l’incursion du passé dans le présent : l’idée que cette dernière suppose que le passé soit d’abord séparé du présent par l’oubli, et l’idée qu’elle suscite non pas la nostalgie mais une félicité qui, quoique fort féconde, est cerné de tristesse. Je me propose de mettre (...) ces deux idées en perspective avec deux thèses métaphysiques de Schelling : celle de la séparation du passé absolu vis-à-vis du présent et celle du malheur de l’être ou de l’existence. (shrink)

We conceptualise a framework that incorporates psychological and non-psychological factors influencing pro-environmental behaviour. We conducted qualitative investigations in five sectors in South Africa, where individuals and groups are dealing with significant environmental issues, including climate change, biodiversity loss and land-use change. We found three fundamental elements necessary for behavioural change to be realised: awareness (A) is defined as an understanding that society and earth systems are connected; motivation (M) involves the personal and operational drivers that encourage an individual or organisation (...) to respond to new levels of awareness; and pathways (P) recognise the practical solutions and opportunities that facilitate actual change. AMP was built up from thirty-eight variables that cut across between three and five of the case studies, which were further grouped into fourteen categories. The inter-connectedness of AMP suggests that for pro-environmental behaviour to occur, attention cannot be focused on satisfying one of the elements in isolation. This is the first attempt to integrate theory from social psychology, sociology, organisational theory and management in a conceptual framework for pro-environmental behaviour. The AMP framework is useful for supporting practitioners or change-agents designing environmental sustainability initiatives. (shrink)

Festa, E., Roux, S. (2008). The Enigma of the Inclined Plane from Heron to Galileo. In: Laird, W.R., Roux, S. (eds) Mechanics and Natural Philosophy Before the Scientific Revolution. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 254. Springer, Dordrecht.

Cette contribution revient sur le dialogue qui s’est développé depuis dix ans entre des chercheurs en Études théâtrales et des chercheurs en Sound Studies dans le cadre de deux projets successifs. Après avoir rappelé le contexte dans lequel a été élaborée la présente réflexion, précisé ce que j’entends ici par Sound Studies et donné quelques informations sur les Études théâtrales, je montrerai comment la relation intense que les secondes ont entretenue avec les premières a contribué à l’élaboration d’une véritable réécriture (...) de l’histoire du théâtre et comment les théâtrologues ont pu, en s’appuyant sur leur bases disciplinaires propres, opposer des approches critiques au modèle des Sound Students. (shrink)

Cette contribution revient sur le dialogue qui s’est développé depuis dix ans entre des chercheurs en Études théâtrales et des chercheurs en Sound Studies dans le cadre de deux projets successifs. Après avoir rappelé le contexte dans lequel a été élaborée la présente réflexion, précisé ce que j’entends ici par Sound Studies et donné quelques informations sur les Études théâtrales, je montrerai comment la relation intense que les secondes ont entretenue avec les premières a contribué à l’élaboration d’une véritable réécriture (...) de l’histoire du théâtre et comment les théâtrologues ont pu, en s’appuyant sur leur bases disciplinaires propres, opposer des approches critiques au modèle des Sound Students. (shrink)

La contribution s’intéresse aux transitions institutionnelles dans la formation en travail social et aux effets de ces évolutions dans le rapport au travail des formateurs. Elle a pour objet de repérer les mouvements mais aussi les tensions, les difficultés, les transactions nécessaires pour (re) donner du sens à l’activité et construire de nouveaux repères professionnels entre travail prescrit, travail rêvé/idéalisé et réel du travail de formation. Des entretiens ont été conduits dans quatre établissements de formation d’une même région. L’analyse du (...) corpus a permis de mettre à jour quelques grandes problématiques qui traversent le monde des formateurs en travail social, en prise avec les évolutions du secteur. Les résultats donnent à comprendre les remaniements identitaires et les formes d’implication des acteurs. Ils montrent la nécessite de « faire collectif », de retrouver des marges d’action et assurer sa mission de façon plus éclairée et mieux soutenue. (shrink)

The study focuses on the driving instructors of the French Horse and Riding Institute who are confronted with a restructuring of the sector and a reengineering of the training. It addresses professional transitions and their effects in terms of identity dynamics, work and/or training relationships. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results reveal transactions between acquired skills and the change expected by the institution, as well as strong tensions between feelings of legitimacy and forms of recognition by others. Misunderstandings about (...) restructuring blurred the reading of work situations for all the actors. (shrink)

Introduction -- The self-interest based contractarian response to the skeptic -- A feminist ethics response to the skeptic -- Deformed desires -- Self-interest versus morality -- The amoralist -- The motive skeptic -- The interdependency thesis.

I propose to consider the question, "Can machines think?" This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms "machine" and "think." The definitions might be framed so as to reflect so far as possible the normal use of the words, but this attitude is dangerous, If the meaning of the words "machine" and "think" are to be found by examining how they are commonly used it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the meaning and the answer to (...) the question, "Can machines think?" is to be sought in a statistical survey such as a Gallup poll. But this is absurd. Instead of attempting such a definition I shall replace the question by another, which is closely related to it and is expressed in relatively unambiguous words. The new form of the problem can be described in terms of a game which we call the 'imitation game." It is played with three people, a man (A), a woman (B), and an interrogator (C) who may be of either sex. The interrogator stays in a room apart front the other two. The object of the game for the interrogator is to determine which of the other two is the man and which is the woman. He knows them by labels X and Y, and at the end of the game he says either "X is A and Y is B" or "X is B and Y is A." The interrogator is allowed to put questions to A and B. We now ask the question, "What will happen when a machine takes the part of A in this game?" Will the interrogator decide wrongly as often when the game is played like this as he does when the game is played between a man and a woman? These questions replace our original, "Can machines think?". (shrink)

L'évangélisation des Indiens du Mexique fut entreprise dans une perspective messianique et eschatologique, notamment par les missionnaires franciscains formés aux idéaux des 'spirituels' et influencés par les prophéties millénaristes de Joachim de Flore. Dans leur esprit, l'Église, en voie de dépérissement dans le 'Vieux Monde' corrompu, allait 'renaître' dans ce monde 'nouveau', dont les populations semblaient vivre en état d'innocence et qui se laissaient convertir avec tant de docilité. Il fallut bientôt déchanter : l'idolâtrie persistait, les Indiens se revoltaient, ils (...) étaient massacrés, et bientôt décimés par des épidémies de caractère 'apocalyptique'. Alors on s'interrogeait : la violence peut-elle être acceptée comme une nécessité pour extirper le culte des démons, hâter l'évangélisation, consolider la conversion de ces peuples? (shrink)

This collection addresses a post-WWII shift in the hierarchy of scientific explanations, where the highest goal moves from reductionism towards some ...

For the theorists of crisis, the revolutionary state comes into existence through violence, and due to its inability to provide an authoritative katechon (restrainer) against internal and external violence, it perpetuates violence until it self-destructs. Writing during extreme economic depression and growing social and political violence, the crisis theorists––Joseph de Maistre, Juan Donoso Cortés, and Carl Schmitt––each sought to blame the chaos of their time upon the Janus-faced postrevolutionary ideals of liberalism and socialism by urging a return to pre-revolutionary moral (...) and religious values. They are united by three counterrevolutionary principles, all of which are purported to remedy revolutionary violence: traditional constitutional fidelity, the philosophy of the decision, and opposition to bourgeois liberalism. This essay is followed by the first complete English translation and publication of Donoso’s letter of October 24, 1851, which contains Donoso’s only reference to the “discussing class,” a political entity later popularized by Schmitt in his 1922 work Political Theology. (shrink)

Thought experiments being central to contemporary philosophy and science, the following questions were asked in recent literature. What is their definition? Are they heuristic devices, arguments, paradoxes? Are they comparable to real experiments? Do intuition and conceivability intervene? Equally imaginative thought experiments are found in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance texts. Paying attention to prime historical examples of thought experiments, we show that historical perspectives help answer these general questions.

The third volume of the _Adagia_ (Proverbs) of the Amsterdam edition of the Latin texts of Erasmus gives an introduction in German and a critical edition of the Latin text of the first half of the second thousand _Adages_.

This book argues that Plato's Charmides presents a unitary but incomplete argument intended to lead its readers to substantive philosophical insights.

We report an experimental test of the influence of ambiguity on behaviour in a coordination game. We study the behaviour of subjects in the presence of ambiguity and attempt to determine whether they prefer to choose an ambiguity-safe option. We find that this strategy, which is not played in either Nash equilibrium or iterated dominance equilibrium, is indeed chosen quite frequently. This provides evidence that ambiguity-aversion influences behaviour in games. While the behaviour of the Row Player is consistent with randomising (...) between her strategies, the Column Player shows a marked preference for avoiding ambiguity and choosing his ambiguity-safe strategy. (shrink)

One of the most influential contemporary philosophers, Hilary Putnam's involvement in philosophy spans philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, ontology and epistemology and logic. This specially commissioned collection discusses his contribution to the realist and pragmatist debate. Hilary Putnam comments on the issues raised in each article, making it invaluable for any scholar of his work.

Imagism about Phenomenal Thought is (roughly) the view that there is some concept *Q* (for some sensory quality Q) that we can employ only while we experience the quality Q. I believe this view is theoretically significant, is or can be made intuitively appealing, and is explicitly or implicitly accepted by many contemporary philosophers However, there is no good reason to accept it. Or so I argue.

The author has found in Sri Aurobindo a unique synthesis of the Eastern Wisdom and Western Rationalism, and a perfect reconciliation of ancient spirituality and modern thought. This work is essentially a collection of essays on Sri Aurobindo's thought and Yoga, based upon his major works. Brief life-sketches of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are included to give a sense of fullness to it. A sampling of the contents exemplifies the wide sweep covered by the essays: The Philosophy of Life (...) Divine, All Life is Yoga, The Ideal of Human Unity, Education, and Future Poetry and 'Savitri'. (shrink)