Textbooks have played the leading role in academic education for centuries and their form has evolved, adapting to the needs of students, teachers and technological possibilities. Advances in technology have caused educators to look for new sources of knowledge development, which students could use inside and outside the classroom. Today’s sophisticated learning tools range from virtual environments to interactive multimedia resources, which can be called e-textbooks. Different types of new educational materials that go beyond printed books are now used to (...) support the academic curriculum, with the most interesting ones exemplified in this article to show their value in medical and life sciences education. Certain interesting attempts by Polish publishers at applying technology to support both self-paced and tutor-paced student learning in the medical profession and related areas are presented. The data was collected through a review of literature, discussions with e-learning specialists and medical students, as well as an analysis of examples of good practices. The article also discusses the results of a countrywide survey on the use of e-textbooks to enhance medical education. The research investigates the targeted academic staff’s attitudes towards the use of e-textbooks, the limitations of their implementation, and the character of e-resources currently used by Polish higher education medical institutions. (shrink)

PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE AND CULTURE AND ITS ROLE IN SHAPING HUMANKIND’S ATTITUDE TO NATURE We live in an era of crises. One of them, the ecological crisis, arose from the fact that the human race plunders nature, destroying, among other things, the Earth’s biodiversity. In my paper I will show that the situation is rooted in a specific worldview. Moreover, I will interrogate the question of how we can deal with the problem. Humankind’s attitude to themselves and to the world (...) (including nature) is based on beliefs and values which make up an unquestioned prejudgment. Individuals absorb it in the process of socialization, as they assimilate the widely understood traditions of the social groups to which they belong. In the Western tradition in particular, our understanding of humanity’s situation in the world and its relation to nature, which we have had since modernity, found its clearest articulation in the views of René Descartes (1596–1650). I will begin by discussing the main characteristics of this position most pertinent to the main problem identified in the title. Then I will discuss the consequences of Cartesianism for the worldview of modern man such as the radical rationalism and anthropocentrism inherent in the European attitude. In this tradition humanity is identified with subjectivity and intellectual cognition. Reality outside of human subjectivity, that is, the whole animate and inanimate nature, is treated as the object of knowledge. Nature should be explored in the spirit of modernity’s maxim “We can do as much as we know” (F. Bacon 1561-1626); it can be used to our purposes, to satisfy our growing needs. This is being done without scruple, precisely because nature is denied being the subject. It has no right to claim moral protection. Today, in the era of globalization, this way of thinking, which originated in the West, has spread over the entire globe and led to the ongoing devastation of nature. We are dealing with an ecological disaster. In the next step I will interrogate how this situation can be changed and what may be the role of philosophy in this cultural shift. Every vision of the world is a construct (the Cartesian vision being a very good example). What philosophy can do is offer a certain vision of reality, in which humanity has a friendly (symbiotic) attitude to nature and does not treat it merely as a means to their ends. Such ecophilosophy could be based on the thesis that subjectivity is the property not just of all human beings, but of all other beings as well. Such an idea can be found in the work of the German scientist and philosopher Jacob von Uexküll (1864-1944), who granted the status of the subject to every living being. He laid foundations to the concept of nature as “a community of subjects” comprising man and the entire animate world, thus breaking away from the Cartesian framework. I am going to outline briefly his position. Finally, I will point out what needs to be done, if people are to change their attitude to nature. A good theory in and of itself will not suffice. It is necessary to instill ecological convictions and values in entire societies, so that these values would eventually come to seem obvious. We need to launch an extensive education campaign of both adults and—perhaps even more importantly—children. In other words, the comprehensive protection of nature can only be promoted through the nexus of ecophilosophy and education. (shrink)

В кінці 2000 р. була заснована Асоціація литовських, українсь­ких істориків. Організова­ний Асоціацією цикл конференцій Чин Святого Василія Великого став важливим стимулом для формування нових центрів україністики, крім вже існуючих: діюча у Вільнюсі парафія Пре­святої Трійці ; Громада українців м.Вільнюса. Такими центрами укра­їністики, що прославляють отців василіян, стали середня школа м. Базильонай, католицька середня школа “Аушра” м.Рєтавас і “Садиба Рейніса” в м.Скапішкіс. Вищезгадані містечка розташовані на різній відстані від Вільнюса: Базильонай - 208 км; Рєтавас - 242 км; Скапішкіс - 162 км. (...) Містечка знаходяться в різних місцевостях Литви: Базильонай - в північній частині Литви; Рєтавас - в Жємайтії; Скапішкіс - в Східній частині Литви. (shrink)

Projections for replacement rate achievable from two mandatory pillars of the pension system indicate a significant reduction in retirement income compared to regular professional activity. The designers of the new philosophy of retirement have made an assumption that all three pillars will play equivalent role in providing retirement income. They have also assumed that the participants of the pension system will be kept informed about the height of the expected benefits derived from the first pillar and the amount of funds (...) raised in the second pillar. Forecast of low (unsatisfactory) benefits from a compulsory part of the system is supposed to persuade people to make informed decisions aimed at increasing retirement income. (shrink)

One way of showing respect for human dignity is providing people with a suitable level of income security. This respect can be manifested by establishing a certain financial minimum that will allow people to function independently in society and use the opportunities offered by civilisation. The awareness of the above gives special meaning to the level of incomes obtained by the elderly. The fact that pensions are the primary resource for the population to meet its financial needs makes the pension (...) insurance solutions particularly important, especially the formula used for calculating the amount of a future pension. Its final amount will affect the pensioner’s standard of living, enabling them to enjoy the same quality of life they had in the period of economic activity or gradually causing impoverishment. The levels of future pensions depend on factors related to the systemic solutions, but pensioner’s personal characteristics also exert strong influence on their amounts. With the responsibility for having decent incomes after retirement being transferred to the insured themselves, it has become necessary to promote pension awareness (the knowledge of how the new system works) that translates into pension prudence prompting people to reduce voluntarily their current consumption in favour of future consumption. The public need to understand that the income replacement rate will be high only for few of the insured persons, i.e. those boasting high earnings and long, unbroken periods of economic activity. People with poorer records of economic activity will draw lower pensions that will not always allow them to live decent lives after retirement. (shrink)

The subject matter of the study is an analysis of the social consequences of increasing the retirement age of women up to 67 years. The discussion on the change in the retirement age is usually focused on its economic and financial aspects, hence a deeper scientific analysis is needed in relation to the social repercussions of this operation. The main subjects of the study are as follows: maintenance of equality tendencies in relation to the principles of social justice, changes in (...) the social structure manifested especially on the labour market, social expectations as to employment security for those approaching retirement and development of flexible forms of working, development of incentives encouraging employers to keep current staff or hire new employees of older age, and changes in social roles. (shrink)

DARWIN’S THEORY OF BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION SEEN FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF MODERN PHYSICS This paper aims to show the influence of 20th century quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity on the philosophical problems of Darwin’s theory of biological evolution. Evolution as a non-relativistic being can be attributed only to the process as a whole. Quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity are not compatible with the evolution process of separate elements of the system. It seems to be in (...) contradiction to Darwin’s theory of evolution as a slow and gradual process of separate elements in the biological system. According to many scientists and philosophers of science the Darwin’s theory does not explain the whole Universe evolution as well as does not explain the origin of life. Explanation of events and processes, reliance on concepts not laws, refutation of typology by Darwin theory of evolution are not established by standards of scientific reasoning. Many scientific facts from modern physics indicate that Darwin’s theory of evolution is in crisis. (shrink)

Dialectical contradictions influence organizational processes in distinct ways and create a unique dynamics in terms of leadership process in entrepreneurialorganizations. We integrate research from charismatic, transformational, and organizational literature, as well as entrepreneurship literature, to create a generalized model of entrepreneurial leadership that is descriptively robust and conceptually distinct from existing concepts. We focus specifically on visionary, transformational, and motivational contradictions of entrepreneurial leadership and conclude by discussing the implications of organizational reconciliation of these three contradictions for leadership research and (...) practice. (shrink)

Epistemology, confronted with a rapid development of individual branches of science, has been pressed to establish its own status and position as well as to define its relation with science. The multiple perspectives on this issue can be grouped into two major positions: integrism (postulates a close co-existence between epistemology and science) and separatism (argues in favour of a full independence of science and epistemology).In the paper I analyse the two views and try to prove that the debate between integrism (...) and separatism cannot be resolved, as the two approaches belong to different and incompatible philosophical traditions: analytical and transcendental. In the article these issues are examined, and arguments in favour of the separatist view are offered. It is argued for the clear separation of epistemology from science. (shrink)

Spór między antropologią naturalistyczną a antynaturalistyczną, w którym każda partia usiłuje wyjaśnić osobliwość człowieka wychodząc z opozycji natura - kultura (człowiek jako byt do natury sprowadzony albo naturze przeciwstawny) jest zasadniczo nierozwiązywalny. Kulturalizm (stanowisko autorki) zakłada realność bytu jako pewnej całości, tzn. realność społeczno-historycznej obiektywności, w której opozycja miedzy naturą a kulturą zostaje zniesiona.

The article is an attempt to place Czesław Miłosz in the tradition of Gnosticism and Manichaeism, to recall the Nobel Prize winner’s literary fascinations which have especially influenced his poetry, as well as to show a possible way of interpretation of his works. The starting point for further discussion is the question posed by the Rev Józef Sadzik in Wstęp (the Preface) to Ziemia Ulro (The Land of Ulro): “co stało się z kulturą europejską w jej «romantycznym przesileniu»” (What has (...) become of European culture at the time of its «Romantic turning-point»), when, generally speaking, the spiritual and material elements separated? In the time when western civilization openly turned against its Christian roots, each artist connected with this cultural tradition was made to make choices. At that time Miłosz took to analysing the motif of unde malum (Where does evil come from?) and had a number of lectures on Dostojewski at the University of California. This led him to the philosophy of Mani, who is widely regarded as the founder of Manichaeism. A volume of poems with the title Hymn o Perle (A Hymn to the Pearl), published by Miłosz in 1982, which, as the poet explains, directly alludes to the apocrypha of Gnostic origin, seems to support this supposition. The next stage consisted in the fusion of the two threads, that is to say, the Manichaean and the Gnostic motifs. The poet finds elements of Manichaeism and gnosis in works by Emanuel Swedenborg, William Blake, Adam Mickiewicz and his relative Oskar Miłosz. Czesław Miłosz seems to me to be the next link in the chain of the same philosophical and religions movement. (shrink)

Background:Women's health has received renewed attention in the last few years including health rehabilitation options for women affected by breast cancer. Dancing has often been regarded as one attractive option for supporting women's well-being and health, but research with women recovering from breast cancer is still in its infancy. Dancing with Health is multi-site pilot study that aimed to evaluate a dance programme for women in recovery from breast cancer across five European countries.Methods:A standardized 32 h dance protocol introduced a (...) range of Latin American dances presented within a sports and exercise framework with influences from dance movement therapy. Fifty-four women (M age 53.51; SD 7.99) participated in the study who had a breast cancer diagnosis 6 weeks, no indication of metastasis, or scheduled surgery/chemotherapy/radiation treatment for the duration of the intervention. Primary outcome data was collected for anthropometric and fitness measures next to cancer-related quality of life.T-tests and Wilcoxon signed ranked tests were used to establish differences pre and post intervention. Cohen's d was also calculated to determine the effect size of the intervention.Results:Statistically significant changes were found for: (i) weight, right and left forearm circumference and hip; (ii) 6 min walking, right and left handgrip, sit-to-stand and sit-and-reach; (iii) the EORTC-QLQ C30 summary score as well as the subscales of emotional and social functioning and symptoms. In all cases the direction of change was positive, while Cohen's d calculated showed that the effect of the intervention for these parameters ranged from intermediate to large.Conclusion:Changes on the above anthropometric, fitness and quality of life measures suggest that the intervention was of value to the participating women recovering from breast cancer. Results also advocate collaborative efforts across countries to further research. (shrink)