I argue that there is tension in Wittgenstein’s position on trivialities (i.e. tautologies and contradictions) in the Tractatus, as it contains the following claims: (A) sentences are pictures; (B) trivialties are not pictures; (C) trivialities are sentences. A and B follow from the “picture theory” of language which Wittgenstein proposes, while C contradicts it. I discuss a way to resolve this tension in light of Logicality, a hypothesis recently developed in linguistic research. Logicality states that trivialities are excluded by the (...) grammar, and that under the right analysis sentences which look trivial are in fact contingent. The tools necessary to support Logicality, I submit, were not available to Wittgenstein at the time, which explains his commitment to C. I end the paper by commenting on some points of contact between analytic philosophy and the generative enterprise in linguistics which are brought into relief by the discussion. (shrink)

Inferences that result from exhaustification of a sentence S depend on the set of alternatives to S. In this paper, we present some inference patterns that are problematic for previous theories of alternatives and propose some structural constraints on the derivation of formal alternatives which derive the observations.

Breheny et al. argue against the structural approach to alternatives. The empirical force of their argument comes mostly from challenges raised against Trinh and Haida. This paper aims to respond to these challenges, showing how they can be met by a natural refinement of Trinh and Haida’s proposal which turns out to capture additional facts previously not accounted for. Another aim of this paper is to recount the debate with enough precision and explicitness in order to enhance understanding (...) and facilitate future discussions. (shrink)

This paper discusses a set of observations, many of which are novel, concerning differences between the adjectival modals _certain_ and _possible_ and their adverbial counterparts _certainly_ and _possibly_. It argues that the observations can be derived from a standard interpretation of _certain_/_certainly_ as universal and _possible_/_possibly_ as existential quantifiers over possible worlds, in conjunction with the hypothesis that the adjectives quantify over knowledge and the adverbs quantify over belief. The claims on which the argument relies include the following: (i) knowledge (...) implies belief, (ii) agents have epistemic access to their belief, (iii) relevance is closed under speakers’ belief, and (iv) commitment is pragmatically inconsistent with explicit denial of belief. (shrink)

The essay examines the intersection between aesthetic the-ory and representations of the city in the periodical essay_ The Spectator_ (1711-1714). Focusing on this intersection allows for an analysis of the cultural work aesthetic pleasure is supposed to do according to _The Spectator_, and also shows key differenc-es between “spectatorial” and later, Kantian aesthetics. In _The Spectator_ aesthetic pleasure has to do with producing a model for how one should relate to the realm of politics—rather than disin-terest, the precondition of aesthetic (...) pleasure turns out to be disengagement. Read through the lens of the city, aesthetic pleasure turns out to be a key component in The Spectator’s vision of how to live a good life as a privileged subject of a modern state. (shrink)

Thomas Aquinas persistently defended the idea that the soul survives physical death. But what exactly is the rational soul that becomes separated from the body at death? When a person’s body dies, do they cease to exist? Over the past few decades, a nuanced debate has developed between “survivalists” and “corruptionists” over whether or not a separated soul is still a person, leading to impenetrable disagreements in which neither side can seem to sway the other. In this research, I propose (...) a previously unexplored answer to this contentious query: that a person whose soul has been separated from their body is an incomplete human being. (shrink)

In this collection of her provocative essays on Third World art and culture, award-winning filmmaker and theorist Trinh Minh-ha offers new challenges to Western regimes of knowledge. Bringing to her subjects an acute sense of the many meanings of the marginal, Trinh examines Asian and African texts, the theories of Barthes, questions of spectatorship, the enigmas of art, and the perils of anthropology. In one essay, taking off from ideas raised earlier by Zora Neale Hurston, Trinh considers (...) with astonishment the search by Western "experts" for the hidden values of a person or culture, a process of legitimized voyeurism that, she argues, ultimately equates psychological conflicts with depth , while inner experience is reduced to mere personal feeling. When the Moon Waxes Red is an extended argument against reductive analyses, even those that appear politically adroit. Feminist struggle is heterogeneous. The multiply-hyphenated peoples of color are not simply placed in a duality between two cultural heritages; throughout, Trinh describes the predicament of having to live "a difference that has no name and too many names already." She argues for multicultural revision of knowledge so that a new politics can transform reality rather than merely ideologize it. By rewriting the always emerging, already distorted place of struggle, such work seeks to "beat the master at his own game.". (shrink)

This paper argues for a comprehensive conception of empathy as comprising epistemic, affective, and motivational elements and introduces the ancient Stoic theory of attachment as a model for describing the embodied, emotional response to others that we take to be distinctive of empathy. Our argument entails that in order to provide a suitable conceptual framework for the interdisciplinary study of empathy one must extend the scope of recent “simulationalist” and “enactivist” accounts of empathy in two important respects. First, against the (...) enactivist assumption that human mindreading capacities primarily rely on an immediate, quasi-perceptual understanding of other’s intentional states, we draw on Alfred Schutz’ analysis of social understanding to argue that reflective types of understanding play a distinct, but equally fundamental role in empathic engagements. Second, we insist that empathy also involves an affective response toward the other and their situation. We suggest analyzing this response in terms of the Stoic concepts of attachment, concern, and a fundamental type of prosocial motivation, that can best be described as an “extended partiality.” By way of conclusion, we integrate the above concepts into a comprehensive conceptual framework for the study of empathy and briefly relate them to current debates about empathic perception and prosocial motivation. The result, we argue, is an account that stays neutral with regard to the exact nature of the processes involved in producing empathy and can therefore accommodate discussion across theoretical divides—e.g., those between enactivist, simulationalist, and so-called theory-theorist approaches. (shrink)

La couverture indique :"L'infini est le sujet le plus vaste que l'imagination puisse embrasser. Il a tout le temps fasciné les hommes, qu'ils soient artistes, philosophes ou scientifiques. Mais l'infini se manifeste-t-il vraiment dans la réalité physique, ou est-il seulement un concept de notre imagination, comme le pensait Aristote? Des artistes comme Escher, des écrivains comme Borges ont tenté de le représenter, mais c'est Georg Cantor qui assoit fermement l'infini dans le paysage des mathématiques et nous dévoile ses propriétés étranges (...) et magiques. L'univers est, par excellence, le lieu où l'infini se manifeste. Dans un univers infini, nous serions confrontés au paradoxe de l'éternel retour, où chacun de nous posséderait un nombre infini de sosies. Les avancées en physique de ces dernières décennies ont donné au mot "infini" un sens nouveau. Il se réfère non seulement à notre univers, mais aussi à une infinité d'univers parallèles, le tout formant un vaste et fantastique "multivers". A ces sujets vertigineux, Trinh Xuan Thuan apporte ses réflexions avec la pédagogie lumineuse, à la fois scientifique, philosophique et poétique qui lui est coutumière et qui fait le grand succès de La Mélodie secrète, du Chaos et l'harmonie, et, plus récemment, du Cosmos et le lotus.". (shrink)

This study contrasts the evidence exclusion principles within the adversarial legal system of the United States, particularly the “fruit of the poisonous tree” doctrine, with the inquisitorial system of Vietnam. The U.S. model, emphasizing the exclusion of unlawfully obtained evidence to protect the presumption of innocence and ensure fair trials, relies on the Fourth Amendment to prevent police misconduct. Conversely, Vietnam, with its focus on uncovering the truth, has started to adopt adversarial elements, including evidence exclusion, to align with international (...) standards and enhance human rights protections within its criminal justice system. The research examines the application of the “fruit of the poisonous tree” doctrine in the U.S. and its implications for Vietnamese legal reforms, especially the proposed amendments to Article 87 of Vietnam's Criminal Procedure Code. These reforms aim to exclude unlawfully obtained evidence while allowing for the use of evidence collected independently from illegal actions. Highlighting the need for a balanced approach that respects procedural rights and promotes justice, the study advocates for comprehensive legal reforms in Vietnam. It suggests amendments to refine evidence exclusion principles, ensuring they reflect both the Vietnamese context and the progressive features of U.S. criminal justice practices, thereby enhancing the fairness and integrity of criminal proceedings. (shrink)

Business Ethics: A European Review, EarlyView.

This work contrasts Giovanni Sartor’s view of inferential semantics of legal concepts with a probabilistic model of theory formation. The work further explores possibilities of implementing Kemp’s probabilistic model of theory formation in the context of mapping legal concepts between two individual legal systems. For implementing the legal concept mapping, we propose a cross-categorization approach that combines three mathematical models: the Bayesian Model of Generalization, the probabilistic model of theory formation, i.e., the Infinite Relational Model first introduced by Kemp et (...) al. and its extended model, i.e., the normal-IRM proposed by Herlau et al.. We apply our cross-categorization approach to datasets where legal concepts related to educational systems are respectively defined by the Japanese- and the Danish authorities according to the International Standard Classification of Education. The main contribution of this work is the proposal of a conceptual framework of the cross-categorization approach that, inspired by Sartor, attempts to explain reasoner’s inferential mechanisms. (shrink)

Recent studies in pedestrian simulation have been able to construct a highly realistic navigation behaviour in many circumstances. However, when replicating the close interactions between pedestrians, the replicated behaviour is often unnatural and lacks human likeness. One of the possible reasons is that the current models often ignore the cognitive factors in the human thinking process. Another reason is that many models try to approach the problem by optimising certain objectives. On the other hand, in real life, humans do not (...) always take the most optimised decisions, particularly when interacting with other people. To improve the navigation behaviour in this circumstance, we proposed a pedestrian interacting model using reinforcement learning. Additionally, a novel cognitive prediction model, inspired by the predictive system of human cognition, is also incorporated. This helps the pedestrian agent in our model to learn to interact and predict the movement in a similar practice as humans. In our experimental results, when compared to other models, the path taken by our model’s agent is not the most optimised in certain aspects like path lengths, time taken and collisions. However, our model is able to demonstrate a more natural and human-like navigation behaviour, particularly in complex interaction settings. (shrink)

This paper aims to uncover the underlying metaphorical expressions regarding the importance of love to human life in English and Vietnamese poetry based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory, which suggests that metaphor is based on human thought as well as on language. For metaphor identification, the authors use a five-step procedure based on Pragglejaz Group’s method for metaphorical expressions and a self-proposed three-step procedure for conceptual metaphors. The findings reveal that love is metaphorically expressed to have a considerable influence on both (...) the physical and mental aspects of human life. This paper is also a comparative investigation showing both similarities and differences in the love-life metaphorical expressions between the two languages. The similarities are explained by the same grounding of metaphor-embodiment and the universality of conceptual metaphors. The differences are attributed to cultural distinction. (shrink)

It is thrilling to think – to know that for any act of mine, I shall get twice as much praise or twice as much blame. It is quite exciting to hold the center of the national stage, with the spectators not knowing whether to laugh or to weep. (Zora Neale Hurston, ‘How It Feels to Be Colored Me').

Deep learning models are powerful tools for representing the complex learning processes and decision-making strategies used by humans. Such neural network models make fewer assumptions about the underlying mechanisms thus providing experimental flexibility in terms of applicability. However, this comes at the cost of involving a larger number of parameters requiring significantly more data for effective learning. This presents practical challenges given that most cognitive experiments involve relatively small numbers of subjects. Laboratory collaborations are a natural way to increase overall (...) dataset size. However, data sharing barriers between laboratories as necessitated by data protection regulations encourage the search for alternative methods to enable collaborative data science. Distributed learning, especially federated learning, which supports the preservation of data privacy, is a promising method for addressing this issue. To verify the reliability and feasibility of applying FL to train neural networks models used in the characterization of decision making, we conducted experiments on a real-world, many-labs data pool including experiment data-sets from ten independent studies. The performance of single models trained on single laboratory data-sets was poor. This unsurprising finding supports the need for laboratory collaboration to train more reliable models. To that end we evaluated four collaborative approaches. The first approach represents conventional centralized learning and is the optimal approach but requires complete sharing of data which we wish to avoid. The results however establish a benchmark for the other three approaches, federated learning, incremental learning, and cyclic incremental learning. We evaluate these approaches in terms of prediction accuracy and capacity to characterize human decision-making strategies. The FL-based model achieves performance most comparable to that of the CL-based model. This indicates that FL has value in scaling data science methods to data collected in computational modeling contexts when data sharing is not convenient, practical or permissible. (shrink)

Purpose This study aims to ascertain the impact of data collecting awareness on perceived information security concerns and information-sharing behavior on social networking sites. Design/methodology/approach Based on communication privacy management theory, the study forecasted the relationship between information-sharing behavior and awareness of data collecting purposes, data collection tactics and perceived security risk using structural equation modeling analysis and one-way ANOVA. The sample size of 521 young social media users in Vietnam, ages 18 to 34, was made up of 26.7% men (...) and 73.3% women. When constructing the questionnaire survey method with lone source respondents, the individual’s unique awareness and experiences with using online social networks (OSNs) were taken into account. Findings The results of the investigation demonstrate a significant relationship between information-sharing and awareness of data collecting, perceptions of information security threats and behavior. Social media users have used OSN privacy settings and paid attention to the sharing restriction because they are concerned about data harvesting. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted among young Vietnamese social media users, reflecting specific characteristics prevalent in the Vietnamese environment, and hence may be invalid in other nations’ circumstances. Practical implications Social media platform providers should improve user connectivity by implementing transparent privacy policies that allow users to choose how their data are used; have clear privacy statements and specific policies governing the use of social media users’ data that respect users’ consent to use their data; and thoroughly communicate how they collect and use user data while promptly detecting any potential vulnerabilities within their systems. Originality/value The authors ascertain that the material presented in this manuscript will not infringe upon any statutory copyright and that the manuscript will not be submitted elsewhere while under Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society review. (shrink)

Physical activity is important for managing the side effects and long-term outcomes of cancer treatment, yet many adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer are not meeting PA guidelines. Body image and social support are two factors that can influence PA behavior and require further attention in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between body image, social support, and PA among AYAs. An online cross-sectional survey administered through the Research Electronic Data Capture platform was (...) used to assess self-reported body image, social support, and PA in AYAs. Based on findings from path analyses, body image and social support were directly associated with PA. Social support was also directly associated with body image. However, there were no indirect effects. These findings provide preliminary support for the influential role of appearance and fitness body-related emotions and cancer-specific social support on PA. The results have important implications for the development of targeted strategies aimed at improving body image and social support, with the overall goal of increasing AYAs’ PA. (shrink)

Most arguments of Applied Ethics are well analyzed. An exception is the argument 'I do not do this because it is not my duty'. It makes sense to call the argument the 'argument of supererogation' : Since J. Urmson's essay Saints and Heroes of 1958, those actions are called 'supererogations' which are not supposed to be duties. The argument is widely used not only in Applied Ethics, but also in ordinary moral everyday life. Nevertheless, there is a need of investigation (...) because it has an indecency-problem. The argument is convincing if an actor does not want to risk his life. It seems indecent, however, if an actor refuses a simple favor or a service of friendship with the 'argument of super-erogation', although they both constitute no duties. This paper reconstructs the 'argument of supererogation' as a syllogism. It analyzes its formal structure by benefitting from current Anglo-American literature on supererogation. The overall aim of this paper is to solve the problem of indecency. (shrink)

La théorie exerce-t-elle une sorte de contrôle axiologique, en plus du contrôle épistémologique? Cela concerne, entre autres, la valeur que peut revendiquer la théorie en tant que théorie, en tant que faire de la théorie est un rôle social. Pour approfondir cet aspect, il vaut mieux opposer la pratique plutôt que le fait à la théorie, s’agissant de son statut pratique. Que se passe-t-il quand une Professeure de sémiotique des médias tue pour la théorie? Cette question dramatise le propos, mais (...) nous renvoie en même temps à la communication pratique ordinaire. C’est en effet le thème de l’épisode 20, intitulé A Space Oddity, de la saison 9 des Experts, Las Vegas ( Crime Scene Investigation Las Vegas ). (shrink)

Le débat scientifique sur la réalité du changement climatique a ses imposteurs. Mais, en matière d'environnement, les plus grandes impostures se situent dans le champ politique.Lorsque l'écologie émerge dans le débat public au début des années 1970, les grandes puissances économiques comprennent qu'un danger se profile. Alors que la mondialisation du capitalisme se met en place grâce à la stratégie du libre échange, l'écologie politique pourrait remettre en cause le productivisme, l'intensification du commerce international et les délocalisations de l'industrie vers (...) les pays à bas coût de main-d'ouvre. Avant même que la communauté internationale ne se réunisse pour débattre des crises environnementales, les tenants de la mondialisation rédigent les conclusions : aucune mesure de protection de l'environnement ne devra entraver le commerce.Depuis plus de quatre décennies, depuis que la question environnementale a émergé dans les débats nationaux et dans les préoccupations internationales, un pacte tacite s'est instauré, qui n'a pas manqué de duper : au sein des gouvernements, des institutions internationales, lors des grands sommets, ne seraient prises que des mesures cosmétiques, ne portant pas atteinte au libre échange et à la mondialisation. Il est grand temps de faire tomber les masques et de raconter en détail l'histoire politique, totalement méconnue, qui révèle la supercherie d'une prétendue conversion à l'écologie des grands de notre monde. (shrink)

Cet article s'attache à analyser la violente controverse qui s'est développée, sur plusieurs années, autour de la diffusion d'images de la mort d'un enfant palestinien par la deuxième chaîne française en septembre 2000. Originale de par ses publics et les vecteurs de mobilisation , cette controverse révèle une forme de débat public complexe, où l'identité sociale et professionnelle des acteurs en cause est redessinée par la circulation des représentations et des arguments.This article seeks to analyze violent controversy that has developed (...) over many years around the dissemination of images of the death of a Palestinian child by the second French channel in September 2000. Original by its audiences and vector mobilization , this controversy reveals a complex form of public debate, where social and professional identity of the actors involved is redesigned by the circulation of representations and arguments. (shrink)

Claude Piché | : Il est symptomatique que Fichte ait destiné la première version écrite de sa Doctrine de la science « à ses auditeurs », c’est-à-dire aux étudiants de l’Université d’Iéna où il venait d’entrer en fonction. En effet, Fichte a toujours cru que la lettre de l’exposé proprement scientifique de sa philosophie devait être accompagnée d’une explicitation orale, privilégiant ainsi un contact direct avec l’auditoire en vue d’éviter les malentendus. Tout au long de sa carrière, il s’est en (...) vérité résolument méfié de l’« écrit » et c’est la radicalité de cette attitude qui explique en partie le différend qui s’est fait jour entre lui et Schiller à propos de l’article sur l’« esprit et la lettre en philosophie ». Ces deux termes prennent sous la plume de Fichte une signification inattendue qui témoigne de manière privilégiée de la façon dont il envisage la philosophie transcendantale et son mode de transmission. | : It is striking to notice that Fichte intended the first written version of his Doctrine of Science “for his listeners,” namely for the students of the University of Jena where he had just taken up his post. Fichte in fact always believed that the ‘letter’ of the scientific exposition of his philosophy should be accompanied by an oral explanation, so as to establish a direct contact with his audience in order to avoid misunderstandings. Throughout his career, he was suspicious of the “written” word ; this radical attitude explains at least in part the disagreement that took place between him and Schiller concerning the article “on the spirit and the letter in philosophy.” Under Fichte’s pen, these two terms take on an unexpected meaning that illustrates, in a priviledged way, how he envisages transcendental philosophy and its mode of transmission. (shrink)

Le tableau de Nicolas Poussin, Paysage avec un homme tué par un serpent (ou Les effets de la terreur), demeure énigmatique pour toute une critique qui oscille entre deux pôles : soit le tableau est mythologique, mais on ne sait pas à quelle histoire il renvoie (l’hypothèse de Cadmus n’étant guère soutenable) ; soit le tableau ne représente que les effets de la terreur, sans renvoyer à aucune histoire. La thèse défendue dans cet article est la suivante : tout en (...) représentant les effets de la terreur, le tableau renvoie à une histoire – non celle de Cadmus, mais celle de Narcisse, cet homme qui meurt près de la source qui le captive, prisonnier de l’amour vain qu’il se porte à lui-même. On se propose d’étayer cette thèse par la découverte de remarquables liens entre Narcisse et Python, non seulement à partir de l’œuvre poétique d’Ovide, mais encore à partir de l’œuvre picturale de Poussin. (shrink)

L’évaluation scientifique a toujours fait partie du paysage de la recherche en sciences exactes si l’on entend par là l’existence de procédures pertinentes d’examen par les pairs – qu’il s’agisse de la soumission d’un article à une revue scientifique, du recrutement et de l’affectation thématique d’un chercheur, ou du financement de programmes de recherche nécessitant..