Orthodox interpretations of Sperling‘s partial report paradigm support the idea that there is substantially more in our streams of consciousness than we can attend to or recall. I propose an alternative, postdictive interpretation which fails to support any such conclusion. This account is defended at greater length in my ‗Perception and iconic memory‘. Here I focus on the role ascribed to attention by the rival interpretations. I argue that orthodox accounts fail to assign a plausible role to attention. In contrast, (...) I suggest a novel way in which heterodox, postdictive account can assign attention a plausible role. We should therefore prefer such accounts over their orthodox rivals. Consequently, Sperling‘s paradigm fails to probe the true extent of conscious awareness unfettered by limitations on attention or memory. (shrink)

(No abstract is available for this citation).

This article compares Wolfgang Köhler's pioneering field theory of the consciousness–brain relation with Benjamin Libet's conscious mental field theory and Karl Popper's mental force field hypothesis. In the discussion of Köhler's theory we devote special attention to his analysis of problems of sense perception and to his explanation of figural after-effects. Both Libet and Popper take consciousness to causally interact with the brain, and we argue that even Köhler presupposes an interactionist interpretation of the consciousness–brain relation. We argue that nothing (...) necessarily rules out that consciousness as something subjective may causally interact with the brain as something objective. We discuss an evolutionary argument for the theory that consciousness causally interacts with the brain, and we consider some arguments for consciousness having had a survival value. (shrink)

In the circumstances of the revolution in science and technology, the problem of separating out general tendencies in the cognition of objective reality is acquiring increasing philosophical significance, and is becoming the subject of many interesting studies. In these researches, the "eternal" question of the distinctive features of philosophical knowledge has taken on a new character.

The Discourse on the All-embracing Net of Views: the Brahmajala Sutta and its Commentaries translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy 1978. xiii-359pp. Rs. 75, £5.00.

The results of the development of the database of implants and plasma deposition plants in MS SQL Server 2012 are presented. The design of the infological model, the data design, the physical design, the architecture of the software and hardware complex are given. Possibilities of plasma spraying of implants with biocompatible elements are investigated. The system of classification of implants according to the type of application and manufacturing materials has been developed, implants have been classified according to the geometric-topological dimensions (...) of the components. A scheme of plasma spraying of metal and ceramic surfaces of parts and assemblies using a robotic complex is described. (shrink)