Summary In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the Polish geoscientist, philosopher, and statesman Stanisław Staszic (1755–1826) conducted an extensive geological survey of Poland and adjacent areas. In 1815, he completed a book (in Polish), On the geology of the Carpathians and other mountains and lowlands of Poland, complemented by a well-made geological map of Central and Eastern Europe. Early in the nineteenth century, Staszic refined the idea of ‘geological mapping’, though initially he was interested in the exploration of (...) mineral deposits, rock salt, copper and iron ores, and coal. Unlike his predecessors, his book adopted a temporal subdivision of rocks, using a somewhat modified version of Abraham Gottlob Werner's system. He delineated the surface distribution of five rock units and coloured them onto his map. His work gave expression to his view of geological history, and brought the ‘Enlightenment Period’ of geology in Central and Eastern Europe to a close. (shrink)

Introspection, or metacognition, is the capacity to reflect on our own thoughts and behaviours. Here, we investigated how one specific metacognitive ability develops in adolescence, a period of life associated with the emergence of self-concept and enhanced self-awareness. We employed a task that dissociates objective performance on a visual task from metacognitive ability in a group of 56 participants aged between 11 and 41 years. Metacognitive ability improved significantly with age during adolescence, was highest in late adolescence and plateaued going (...) into adulthood. Our results suggest that awareness of one’s own perceptual decisions shows a prolonged developmental trajectory during adolescence. (shrink)

Introspection, or metacognition, is the capacity to reflect on our own thoughts and behaviours. Here, we investigated how one specific metacognitive ability develops in adolescence, a period of life associated with the emergence of self-concept and enhanced self-awareness. We employed a task that dissociates objective performance on a visual task from metacognitive ability in a group of 56 participants aged between 11 and 41 years. Metacognitive ability improved significantly with age during adolescence, was highest in late adolescence and plateaued going (...) into adulthood. Our results suggest that awareness of one’s own perceptual decisions shows a prolonged developmental trajectory during adolescence. (shrink)

[full article, abstract in English; only abstract in Lithuanian] The paper deals with the problem of the “two Barbaras” in the Aristotelian modal syllogistic. The problem consists in Aristotle’s differing views on two at a first sight similar in nature syllogisms of mixed assertoric and necessary premises: Barbara LXL and Barbara XLL. The fact that Aristotle believed the first syllogism to be valid and the second one – not, has been received either 1) negatively, because both Barbaras have been held (...) to be invalid, or 2) negatively, because both Barbaras have been held to be valid, or 3) positively, by giving a reason why the two Barbaras differ. We commit ourselves to the position by proving that modal propositions for Aristotle have their modalities de dicto and that Aristotelian modal operators act according to their own separate rules where only the type of the modality of a major premise is relevant for the modal status of the conclusion. (shrink)

Based on personal experience, interviews, and numerous anecdotal evidence documented in the press, this paper analyzes current practices and focuses on future challenges of business development in Ukraine. In particular, the most recent developments in evolution of business relations and ethics are studied. Business ethics practices are viewed within the current political, economic, and social context. A unique combination of three factors: old communist mentality, new "mafia-style" capitalism, and Ukrainian nationalism have created a situation where applying internationally accepted ethical concepts (...) may not lead to success. The new entrepreneurial spirit and privatization windfalls against the background of cronyism, bureaucracy, and organized crime have produced the new rules of doing business. Business ethics reflect a peculiar combination of the above factors and make them difficult for the outsider to comprehend. (shrink)

Straipsnyje aptariami gimnazijas baigiančių jaunuolių tolesnio gyvenimo pasirinkimų ir studijų regioninėse aukštosiose mokyklose motyvacijos sociologinio tyrimo rezulta­tai. Gilinamasi, su kuo artimiausias gyvenimo perspektyvas sieja Pietvakarių Lietuvos regiono III–IV gimnazijos klasių mokiniai: kiek jas sieja su studijų, darbo, kitų veik­lų pasirinkimu, kokie motyvai lemia studijų vietos ir studijų programos pasirinkimą, ypač regioninėse aukštosiose mokyklose. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad studijų vietos pasirinkimui įtakos turi studijų proceso kokybė, mokymosi sąlygos (kokybės aspek­tas), gyvenimo sąlygos ir pragyvenimo išlaidos, studijų kaina (finansinis aspektas), atsiliepimai apie instituciją (...) (įvaizdžio aspektas). Rinktis studijų programą labiausiai motyvuoja galimybė studijuoti norimą specialybę, geras švietimo įstaigos įvaizdis, ge­ros mokymosi sąlygos, pažangumo lygmuo. Studijų Pietvakarių Lietuvos regioninėse aukštosiose mokyklose motyvai siejami su galimybe rinktis norimą studijų programą, artumu, geromis mokymosi sąlygomis. (shrink)

El presente artículo da cuenta de una instancia de trabajo colectivo con profesores y profesoras de aula, el “Taller de Educadores Autores” (TEA), que tiene como propósito rastrear el proceso de construcción de nuevas subjetividades docentes que permitan dar cuenta de las actuales condiciones en que es desempeñada la docencia, así como proponer otras formas de ser docente. A través del Taller, los profesores y profesoras problematizan acerca de los significados y sentidos de su trabajo por medio de la escritura (...) de relatos de experiencias. En primer lugar, se situará el proceso de trabajo y subjetividad docente en el Chile actual. Luego, se explicitarán algunos aspectos fundamentales de los procedimientos y la metodología que orientó el proceso colectivo de indagación del TEA. Finalmente, se presentarán los principales hallazgos y resultados extraídos del análisis de las sesiones del proceso indagatorio. (shrink)

Being able to categorize objects as similar or different is an essential skill. An important aspect of learning to categorize is learning to attend to relevant features and ignore irrelevant features of the to-be-categorized objects. Feature variability across objects of different categories is informative, because it allows inferring the rules underlying category membership. In this study, participants learned to categorize fictitious creatures. We measured attention to the aliens during learning using eye-tracking and calculated the attentional focus as the ratio of (...) attention to relevant versus irrelevant features. As expected, participants’ categorization accuracy improved with practice; however, in contrast to our expectations, their attentional focus did not improve with practice. When computing the attentional focus, attention to the aliens’ eyes was disregarded, because while eyes attract a lot of attention, they did not vary across aliens. Yet, an explorative analysis of attention to eyes suggested that participants’ attentional focus did become somewhat more efficient in that over time they learned to ignore the eyes. Results are discussed in the context of the need for instructional methods to improve attentional focus in learning to categorize. (shrink)

In this article two homileticians - one from the United States of America (USA) and one from South Africa (SA) - enter into a dialog regarding how the task of prophetic preaching today might be revived, reframed and redefined in light of the Reformation principle of the viva vox Evangelii [living voice of the gospel]. Each author begins by summarising four contemporary approaches to prophetic preaching set forth by Reformed and Lutheran homiletical scholars in their respective contexts. Then each addresses (...) the questions: Where do I particularly see Reformation themes and emphases at work in the work of these homileticians? And how might those Reformation emphases continue to challenge and reframe preaching practices today? Finally, each gives initial reflections on how a comparison between the perspectives deepens and expands his or her understanding of prophetic preaching and its role in church and society. (shrink)

The aim of the article is to present the results of research conducted as part of the project Polonica Philosophica Orientalia: namely, to give an overview of the most important logical and metaphysical treatises written in Vilnius between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries that are currently accessible in some of the Vilnius libraries. Although the research focused primarily on the Vilnius University Library and its resources, some interesting results were also obtained while researching the Wróblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy (...) of Sciences. Most sources containing information about the state and the nature of metaphysical and logical investigations conducted in Vilnius during the period discussed are the manuscripts of lecture courses delivered for the students of Vilnius University and other schools. The analysis of those manuscripts has revealed a strong and long-lasting influence of scholastic Aristotelianism in both logic and metaphysics. Namely, up to the mid-eighteenth century, the main questions discussed in logic were Aristotelian syllogism, the square of opposition and the medieval topics of semantical antinomies, modalities and supposition theory, while investigations into metaphysical issues were limited to commentaries on Aristotle’s theoretical treatises without seriously questioning their main theses. In the second part of the eighteenth century, a moderate shift towards subjectivism and psychologism was observed in both of these disciplines. This was influenced by modern epistemologists. Logicians and metaphysicians of Vilnius University developed an interest in the topics of human understanding and cognition. However, this shift did not take a radical form – while the majority of eighteenth-century authors sought a combination of scholastic and modern ideas, a critical and even hostile stance towards modern philosophy and science is still noticeable in many of the analysed sources. An overview of the research supported by statistical data is followed by some preliminary remarks on how and where investigation of this topic might be continued in the future. (shrink)

Understanding attitudes towards the environment is important because they often determine behaviour that either increases or decreases environmental quality. In this article we investigate the environmental worldview of the young people from Kosovo. The New Revised Environmental Paradigm Scale or New Ecological Paradigm Scale, known as NEP Scale (Dunlap et al., 2000) was used. The study involved 330 young people age 18-20. 150 young people are from secondary schools, and other (180) are from some different faculties at the State University (...) in Mitrovica. The mean score for the full NEP scale in this study was 3.48, which indicates a low endorsement of the NEP among the sample of Kosovo young people. The averages of the sub-dimensions varied between 3.08 (“Limits to growth”) and 3.73 (“Eco-crisis”). Like as others non-industrialized societies, young people from Kosovo tend to believe in the profound connection between humanity and nature, or there are no clear differences between pro-NEP and pro-DSP views. This study confirms the thesis that environmental worldviews differ across cultures. The mean value of the NEP Scale can be feasibly associated with various variables concerning general environmental attitudes. In order to discover the factors that create a pro-ecological orientation of young people in this country, additional researches are needed. (shrink)

Sveikstantys priklausomi asmenys, baigę reabilitacijos programas, dažnai susiduria su socialinio įsitraukimo sunkumais, taip pat neretai nepajėgia tęsti reabilitacijoje pradėto sveikimo proceso ir patiria atkryčius. Todėl aktualu ieškoti, kokie veiksniai daro įtaką sėkmingam socialiniam įsitraukimui. Straipsnyje keliamas klausimas, kaip reabilitaciją prieš 1–3 mėnesius baigę sveikstantys priklausomi asmenys (priklausomi nuo alkoholio, narkotinių medžiagų ir (arba) kompulsyvaus lošimo) praktikoje pritaiko reabilitacijoje išmoktus įgūdžius ir perduotas galimas prisitaikymo schemas. Empiriniai tyrimo duomenys atskleidžia, kad pirminės socialinio įsitraukimo strategijos dažniausiai grindžiamos reabilitacijos metu išmoktais suvokimais ir (...) įgūdžiais. Tačiau tokių strategijų realizavimas yra veikiamas individualių aplinkybių, todėl reabilitacijoje akcentuojamos socialinio įsitraukimo strategijos neretai yra papildomos asmeninių įžvalgų padiktuotais prisitaikymo aspektais. Tekste remiamasi vienoje Lietuvos priklausomų asmenų reabilitacijos institucijų atlikto etnografinio tyrimo duomenimis, surinktais taikant dalyvaujančio stebėjimo, neformalių pokalbių, pusiau struktūruotų interviu metodus. (shrink)

Formalizing categorical propositions of traditional logic in the language of quantifiers and propositional functions is no straightforward matter, especially when modalities get involved. Starting...

This article focuses on hyperreality as a phenomenon used in fashion communication. The paper elaborates on the philosophical approach of Jean Baudrillard towards hyperreality, and Georg Simmel’s ideas about fashion’s role in society. The continuity of these authors’ ideas in later works highlights their cultural longevity. From a philosophical perspective, both fashion and hyperreality derive from dualism. Jean Baudrillard defines hyperreality as a condition in which what is real and what is simulated are seamlessly blended together. Hence, it becomes complicated (...) to distinguish them. Fashion, according to Georg Simmel, is also firmly based upon dualism – one power pushes us to bind ourselves to others while another pushes us to distinction. In fashion communication, hyperreality is often used to create a sense of desire and excitement around the brands and products. The effect of passion and the edge of reality combine and evoke many philosophical approaches. We discuss hyperreality as a new reality dialectically – looking for the opposing ideas that would contribute to answering the main question – do we unconsciously want to be deluded? This paper reveals the link between hyperreality as a philosophical approach and fashion communication uncovering the delusion as a human desire. (shrink)

Biobanks have been recognized as a key research infrastructure and how to approach ethical questions has been a topic of discussion for at least a decade by now. This article explores the characteristics of donors’ participation in European biobanks as reflected in the consent documents of a selection of different biobanks from various European countries. The primary aim of this study is to understand how donors are informed about their participation in biobanking. Also the paper discusses what the most important (...) thematic issues of information are to be given to the biobank participants and how this information should be presented in the consent documents. For these purposes, we analyse consent documents from 14 biobanks in 11 countries for six ethically relevant issues: (1) model of consent, (2) scope of future research, (3) access to medical data, (4) feedback to the participants, (5) consent withdrawal, and (6) role of research ethics committee. In order to compare different trends of informing donors of human biological material and medical data, we interpret the six analysed issues in the context of respect to donor’s autonomy paradigm. Although the results of the paper reflect the heterogeneity of biobank consent document policies applied in different European countries, we uncovered some trends and suggested several examples of good practices to balance the interests of the donors with those of the researchers and future patients. (shrink)

Erratum to: Sci Eng Ethics DOI 10.1007/s11948-013-9481-0Unfortunately, the originally published article contains an incorrect title and author names.

Este ensayo describe una particular experiencia estética, basada en la obra gráfica La confianza, de Goya, perteneciente a la serie de los Caprichos e invenciones, que son paisajes de pesadilla que ilustran la crisis social de la época de las Luces. Desde aquí, desarrollaré una hermenéutica personal que avanza por tres escenarios teóricos sobre lo que implicaría la confianza de una mujer en otra, a partir del soporte de imagen. Las diversas tesis teóricas se sitúan en la órbita del pensamiento (...) feminista de actualidad y en donde se representarán a tres autoras: Muraro, Despentes y Braidotti. Finalmente, este dispositivo de interpretación permitirá relevar el arte de Goya a propósito de una posible revisión de crítica social sobre la virtud de la confianza. (shrink)

Este ensayo describe una particular experiencia estética, basada en la obra gráfica La confianza, de Goya, perteneciente a la serie de los Caprichos e invenciones, que son paisajes de pesadilla que ilustran la crisis social de la época de las Luces. Desde aquí, desarrollaré una hermenéutica personal que avanza por tres escenarios teóricos sobre lo que implicaría la confianza de una mujer en otra, a partir del soporte de imagen. Las diversas tesis teóricas se sitúan en la órbita del pensamiento (...) feminista de actualidad y en donde se representarán a tres autoras: Muraro, Despentes y Braidotti. Finalmente, este dispositivo de interpretación permitirá relevar el arte de Goya a propósito de una posible revisión de crítica social sobre la virtud de la confianza. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:468 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY explanation of this in terms of "Aristotelian" categories is not Plotinus at his most convincing. Certainly Aristotle could not possibly have accepted the use of the categories of potentiality and actuality that O'Daly finds at VI. 2.20.20ff., and it is difficult to see how anyone could regard as seriously illuminatinga solution in which there is a "reciprocal" relationship between part (or particular) and whole such (...) that the whole is potentially the part, which is, actually, while simultaneously the part is potentially the whole, which is, actually. Throughout, O'Daly strives to avoid obscurantistic appeals in explicating Plotinus's thought. As typical of his approach I would cite his philological solution of the puzzling passage at V. 1.7.4-6 where Plotinus seems either to claim that the One produces intelligence by intelligence's acting in a certain way, or uncharacteristicallyto attribute thought to the One. Plotinus is not asking, O'Daly claims, how the One produces nous, but rather how it is that what is produced is nous. The solution is both neat and clear. I was disappointed, for this reason, with the concluding lines of the book. O'Daly is determined, as we have seen, to find the self preserved in the mystical union with the One. Unable to find this in Plotinus's characterization of the self in terms of nous orpsych~ he turns to the One itself to find a clue, for the One is an egregious instance of self. The move renders "selfhood, for Plotinus... in strict contrast to individuality" (p. 91), which is perplexing enough in view of O'Daly's previous stress on the identity of the self at its various levels. But it also provides him with the concept of epibol~, the "simple intuitive approach to Itself" (p. 93) that characterizes the One at VI. 7. 38. 10-39ff. and is used to characterize the approach to the One at III. 8.9. 20ff. O'Daly seizes on this concept to provide a perfectly obscure solution to his problem in these mysterious concluding words: "The term epibol~ links the two passages [III. 8.9 and VI. 7. 38]: both seem to corroborate the assertions that, on the one hand, the One is a Self, and, on the other, that, of the faculty experiencing unio, we can say no more than that it is--'the self'"(p. 94). O'Daly is forced to this pass, 1 believe, by his taking the mystical experience as too central in Plotinus's thought, as the cornerstone of his system, while, in reality, the heart of this system lies in the intelligible realm and its ties to the phenomenal. The union with the super-real, I suggest, serves only to indicate to the individual that he has overreached himself and needs, in good Platonic fashion, to return to the realm of intelligibility,that realm of nous and soul that O'Daly has spent the bulk of his time usefully examining. JEROME P. SCHILLER Washington University Descartes. By Jonathon R6e. (New YOrk: Pica Press, 1975. Pp. 204) Like the Discours de la m~thode, this is an "elegant essay," clear, condensed, and orderly. It analyzes in brief the Cartesian system of philosophy, pointing out that Descartes's approach to science was philosophical, although his philosophy was an attempt to discover the most scientific forms of description. And science for this "nouveau philosophe" was not qualitative but quantitative. The book furnishes an antidote to the myth popularized by Voltaire that misrepresents Descartes as an unscientific rationalizer whose fantastic physics was entirely superseded by Newton's. "The habit of classifying thinkers into warring schools," warns the author, "has resulted in a completely mistaken image of Descartes" (p. 13). Newtonian physics R6e sees as in the Cartesian tradition. After an analytical table of contents, ~t la Descartes, the book starts with a one-page chronological table, from which one regrettably misses the Cogitationes privatae, the Recherche de la v~rit~ par la lumi~re naturelle, the Primae cogitationes circa generationem animalium, and the Trait6 des passions de l'ame. A brief introduction is followed by sixteen short chapters and two appendices. The first appendix... (shrink)

This paper explores the bioethical issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment of vulvar cancer for Indigenous women in East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Based on a qualitative study of a vulvar cancer cluster of Indigenous women, the article highlights four main topics of bioethical concern drawn from the findings: informed consent, removal of body parts, pain management, and issues at the interface of Indigenous and Western health care. The article seeks to make a contribution towards Indigenous health and (...) bioethics and bring to light areas of further research. (shrink)

In recent years modal syllogistic provided by 14th century logician John Buridan has attracted increasing attention of historians of medieval logic. The widespread use of quantified modal logic with the apparatus of possible worlds semantics in current analytic philosophy has encouraged the investigation of the relation of Buridan’s theory of modality with the modern developments of symbolic modal logic. We focus on the semantics of and the inferential relations among the propositions that underlie Buridan’s theory of modal syllogism. First, we (...) review all inferences between propositions of necessity, possibility, contingency, and non-contingency, with or without quod est locution, that are valid in Buridan’s semantics, and offer a comprehensive diagrammatic representation that includes them all. We then ask the question if there is a way to model those results in first order modal logic. Three ways of formalizing Buridan’s propositions in quantified modal logic are considered. Comparison of inferences between the quantified formulas and Buridan’s propositions reveals that, when supplied with a suitable formalization, Buridan’s semantics of categorical statements and immediate inferences among them can be fully captured by the quantified modal system T. (shrink)