Methods in experimental science assume objective facts, and those effects are generally independent of the observer or experimenter. This objectivity assumption is not warranted in the field of human studies. Results of psychological experiments tend to be dependent on among other things the expectations of the experimenter. The experimenter effect togther with the replication crisis in social psychology are major issues in experimental parapsychology. We use Houtkooper's Hierarchical Observational Theory to look at a model for dealing with this issue, and (...) conclude that multiple-experimenter projects might be able to sort out experimenter effects from intrinisic effects. Keywords: experimenter effect; replication crisis; psi; parapsychology. (shrink)

This paper is concerned with a recent argument of Jerry Fodor's to the effect that the frame problem in artificial intelligence is in principle insoluble. Fodor's argument is based on his contention that the mind is divided between encapsulated modular systems for information processing and 'central systems' for non-demonstrative inference. I argue that positing central systems is methodologically unsound, and in fact involves a muddle that bears a strong family resemblance to the basic error in dualism. I therefore conclude that (...) Fodor's position on the frame problem should be rejected. (shrink)

Healthcare expenditures account for approximately 9% of GDP in OECD countries and are on an upward trajectory (OECD, 2017). This significant financial burden, combined with an aging global population and increasing demand, emphasizes the imperative for sustained research and innovation to enhance health system efficacy. Key to this transformation are technological advancements, including digital health, which presents novel opportunities for improvement. Emerging digital health technologies, such as virtual consultations, complex imaging procedures, and electronic medical records, are fundamental to modern healthcare (...) infrastructures. However, significant gaps remain in the evaluation and understanding of these innovations, especially for nascent technological areas. This thesis addresses this subject, aiming to delineate how individuals and institutions can bolster their evaluative capabilities, strategic decision-making, and planning for the deployment of emerging digital healthcare technologies. The research methodology amalgamates theoretical exploration, literature scrutiny, and empirical examinations, presenting an integrated perspective that intersects the disciplines of Management & Decision Science, Technology & Innovation, and Health Economics & Outcomes Research. From an applied perspective, this research focuses on developing evidence within the context of pediatric healthcare in Canada — a context notably underrepresented in healthcare management research, despite its disproportionate per capita expenditure. Technologically, the predominant focus is on applications in virtual reality (VR) and three-dimensional (3D) printing and virtualization, though with the aspiration of ensuring the generalizability of results. The current thesis is structured to parallel the progression of the research itself, as three distinct phases; this begins with a comprehensive Background that contextualizes the initial intent, exploring the relationship between technology, innovation, and health outcomes. In this phase, each academic discipline is analyzed to identify base theoretical underpinnings for the research. The second phase of this work includes five empirical studies, each preceded by context-specific literature reviews for the respective technological domain, providing insight into the current state of evidence related to value-based assessment and economic evaluation in that area. Empirical studies included a randomized controlled trial and a cost consequences assessment of VR for pre-procedural preparation for medical imaging. Additionally, novel applications of 3D printing and virtualization are critically analyzed, accompanied by a multi-case study on the implementation of 3D printing in pediatrics, a cost-consequences study of applications for thoracoabdominal surgeries, and an outcomes study on the use of 3D virtualization in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The final phase of this research includes the critical analysis and synthesis of findings into a proposal for a novel value-based assessment and decision-making framework specific to emerging health innovations; this framework integrates insights and resources for clinicians, administrators, and policymakers. The outcomes of this research are skewed toward Knowledge Users, but also aims to advance the theoretical basis for health technology assessment (HTA). (shrink)

Jacob J Golomb; Nietzsche’s Early Educational Thought, Journal of Philosophy of Education, Volume 19, Issue 1, 30 May 2006, Pages 99–109, https://doi.org/10.111.

Jacob J Golomb; Nietzsche’s Early Educational Thought, Journal of Philosophy of Education, Volume 19, Issue 1, 30 May 2006, Pages 99–109, https://doi.org/10.111.

The classical Confucian philosopher Xunzi proposed a naturalistic virtue ethics account of ritual: rituals are practices that channel human emotion and desire so that one develops virtues. In this paper I show that William of Auxerre’s Summa de Officiis Ecclesiasticis can be understood as presenting a similar account of ritual. William places great emphasis on the emotional power of the liturgy, which makes participants like the blessed in heaven by developing virtue. In other words, he has a virtue ethics of (...) ritual closely aligned with that of Xunzi. Xunzi’s writings on ritual illuminate and enrich one’s reading of the Summa de Officiis. But unlike Xunzi, William is not a naturalist with regard to ritual: although much of William’s language about the causal power of liturgy can be explained in Xunzian terms, Christian liturgy has an irreducible supernatural element. (shrink)

Book Information The Architecture of Reason. By Robert Audi. Oxford University Press. Oxford. 2001. Pp. xvi + 286. Hardback, £26.50.

Other than during the Civil War of 19451662), the Spanish (in northern Taiwan, 16261683), the Manchus (16831945), and the Chinese Nationalists (1945independenceunification’. Rather, they should emphasize Taiwan's decolonialization, a process that Taiwan shares with much of the world.

Panpsychism is a solution to the mind-body problem that presumes that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of reality instead of a product or consequence of physical processes (i.e., brain activity). Panpsychism is an elegant solution to the mind-body problem: it effectively rids itself of the explanatory gap materialist theories of consciousness suffer from. However, many theorists and experimentalists doubt panpsychism can ever be successful as a scientific theory, as it cannot be empirically verified or falsified. In this paper, I present (...) a panpsychist model based on the controversial idea that consciousness may be a so called higher physical dimension. Although this notion seems outrageous, I show that the idea has surprising explanatory power, even though the model (as most models) is most likely wrong. Most importantly, though, it results in a panpsychist model that yields predictions that can be empirically verified or falsified. As such, the model's main purpose is to serve as an example how a metaphysical model of consciousness can be specified in such a way that they can be tested in a scientifically rigorous way. (shrink)

Throughout the 20th century, many doctors did not view pain management as an important aspect of their practice. Because pain cannot be objectively measured by the doctor, many doctors found it dif...

Abstract This paper argues that in modern (agro)biotechnology, (un)naturalness as an argument contributed to a stalemate in public debate about innovative technologies. Naturalness in this is often placed opposite to human disruption. It also often serves as a label that shapes moral acceptance or rejection of agricultural innovative technologies. The cause of this lies in the use of nature as a closed, static reference to naturalness, while in fact “nature” is an open and dynamic concept with many different meanings. We (...) propose an approach for a dynamic framework that permits an integrative use of naturalness in debate, by connecting three sorts of meaning that return regularly in the arguments brought forward in debate; cultural, technological, and ecological. We present these as aspects of nature that are always present in the argument of naturalness. The approach proposes a dynamic relation between these aspects, formed by gradients of naturalness, which in turn are related to ethical concerns. In this way we come to an overview that makes it possible to give individual arguments a relative place and that does justice to the temporality of the concept of nature and the underlying ethical concerns stakeholders have in respect to innovation in agriculture. Content Type Journal Article Category Articles Pages 1-16 DOI 10.1007/s10806-011-9359-6 Authors P. F. Van Haperen, Wageningen University and Research Centre, META, Hollandseweg 1, 6707 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands B. Gremmen, Wageningen University and Research Centre, META, Hollandseweg 1, 6707 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands J. Jacobs, Wageningen University and Research Centre, META, Hollandseweg 1, 6707 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands Journal Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics Online ISSN 1573-322X Print ISSN 1187-7863. (shrink)

This paper argues that in modern (agro)biotechnology, (un)naturalness as an argument contributed to a stalemate in public debate about innovative technologies. Naturalness in this is often placed opposite to human disruption. It also often serves as a label that shapes moral acceptance or rejection of agricultural innovative technologies. The cause of this lies in the use of nature as a closed, static reference to naturalness, while in fact “nature” is an open and dynamic concept with many different meanings. We propose (...) an approach for a dynamic framework that permits an integrative use of naturalness in debate, by connecting three sorts of meaning that return regularly in the arguments brought forward in debate; cultural, technological, and ecological. We present these as aspects of nature that are always present in the argument of naturalness. The approach proposes a dynamic relation between these aspects, formed by gradients of naturalness, which in turn are related to ethical concerns. In this way we come to an overview that makes it possible to give individual arguments a relative place and that does justice to the temporality of the concept of nature and the underlying ethical concerns stakeholders have in respect to innovation in agriculture. (shrink)