Empathy is an integral aspect of human existence. Without at least a basic ability to access others’ affective life, social interactions would be well-nigh impossible. Yet, recent studies seem to show that the means we have acquired to access others’ emotional life no longer function well in what has become our everyday business – technologically mediated interactions in digital spaces. If this is correct, there are two important questions: (1) What makes empathy for frequent internet users so difficult? and (2) (...) What can we do to alleviate the negative consequences? Correspondingly, the aim of this paper is twofold. First, we identify structural differences between offline and technologically mediated interactions that can explain why digital empathy is harder to achieve. Second, drawing on the literature on ‘situated affectivity,’ we consider the idea of modifying digital spaces in ways specifically designed to ‘scaffold’ empathy where our evolved mechanisms fail. Section 2 argues that empathy is requires interpreting the behavior of embodied subjects. Section 3 identifies three factors that are crucial for this interpretative endeavor: the empathizer’s affective repertoire, their perceptual input, and their background knowledge. Section 4 argues that technologically mediated interactions differ from face-to-face interactions with regard to these factors in ways which render our evolved empathy mechanisms less effective in the digital world. Section 5 introduces the idea that situational factors can serve as ‘empathic scaffolds,’ i.e., as ‘tools’ that can ‘shape’ people’s empathic reactions. Section 6 wraps up the main line of reasoning, responds to objections and invites further scholarship. (shrink)

We argue that subjective Bayesians face a dilemma: they must offend against the spirit of their permissivism about rational credence or reject the principle that one should avoid accuracy dominance.

In the judgment of many historians of contemporary philosophy as well as of analytic philosophers of different lines, there is no doubt about the truth of the statement that the philosophy of the Vienna Circle is dead. And since it is dead, some think that the only remaining task could be to find out the cause that led to the downfall of this proud philosophical movement.

This paper studies how the introduction of non-additive probabilities (capacities) affects the solvability of strategic games.

Gnothi sauton - Erkenne dich selbst! Das Streben nach Erkenntnis und Selbsterkenntnis, das nach antiker Auffassung der Gott selbst in dieser Aufforderung dem Menschen ans Herz legt, bildet ein zentrales Moment von Arbogast Schmitts jahrzehntelanger Beschaftigung mit antiker Literatur und Philosophie, die zugleich immer auch eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit modernen Konzepten und Positionen darstellt. Die vorliegende Festschrift vereint zwolf neue Beitrage zur antiken Philosophie, Literatur und Literaturtheorie, in denen Schuler, Freunde und Weggefahrten Arbogast Schmitts dieses Erkenntnisstreben beantworten und fortsetzen. Mit (...) Beitragen von: Wolfgang Bernard, Stefan Buttner, Sabine Follinger, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Andreas Kablitz, Michael Krewet, Joachim Latacz, Thomas Leinkauf, Christian Pietsch, Ernst-Richard Schwinge, Rainer Thiel und Gregor Vogt-Spira. (shrink)

I väntan på den engelska Festschriften, den definitiva biografin eller de självförhärligande memoarerna kommer här för första gången en samling porträtt av den internationellt mest uppmärksammade svenska statsvetaren, den kontroversielle samhällsdebattören Bo Rothstein. Få samhällsforskare har med sådan intensitet tagit universitetens tredje uppgift till intäkt för att ifrågasätta gängse uppfattningar om sakernas tillstånd i riket. Många är de läsare, tittare eller åhörare som knappast kunnat undgå att beröras av hans synpunkter på allt från metoo till tiggeri, något färre är nog (...) de som på allvar tagit del av hans forskningsresultat om korruption och statsförvaltning. I denna bok tecknar ett tjugotal svenska forskare, författare och vänner sin bild av forskaren, debattören och livsnjutaren Bo Rothstein."--Back cover. (shrink)

Indicative conditionals with present tense antecedents can have ‘shifted’ readings that are unexpected given the semantic behavior of the tenses outside of conditionals. In this paper, we compare two accounts of this phenomenon due to Kaufmann (J Semant 22(3):231–280, 2005) and Schulz (SALT XVIII, pp. 694–710, 2008), by reconstructing them in the framework of branching time. We then propose a novel account of indicative conditionals based on the branching time semantics suggested in Rumberg (J Logic Lang Inf 25(1):77–108, 2016), viz. (...) transition semantics. We show that not only is the account of ‘shifted’ readings with present tense antecedents within this semantics very natural, but it also is empirically superior to its rivals in some respects. (shrink)

Vermutlich durch Stumpf und eigene Mitarbeiter wie Mally angeregt, wählt Meinong erstmals 1909 Wissenschaftstheorie zum Thema einer Vorlesung (die Typoskriptunterlage dieses Kollegs ist im Ergänzungsband zur Gesamtausgabe wiedergegeben). Den Hauptteil der so dargelegten Theorie nimmt die Klärung der Begriffe der beiden Arten von Wissenschaften ein, die es überhaupt geben kann: Daseinsfreie und Wirklichkeits- oder Daseinswissenschaften. Alle Wissenschaften, mit Ausnahme der daseinsfreien Gegenstandstheorie, sind auf vollständige Gegenstände gerichtet, beziehen sich auf sie. Das Gebiet des Wirklichen wird erfüllt von physischen und psychischen (...) Gegenständen. Es gibt aber das Gebiet der heimatlosen Gegenstände, die von keiner „beglaubigten Wissenschaft aufgenommen sind". Diese fallen in das Gebiet der Gegenstandstheorie, während sie in den etablierten Wissenschaften nur als Erfassungsmittel von Wirklichem involviert sind. Daseinsfreie Wissenschaften sind nach dem Prinzip der Unabhängigkeit des Soseins vom Sein (Mally 1903) Soseins Wissenschaften. Entscheidend ist angesichts der neuen Aufgabe der Wiederentdeckung unmöglicher und unvollständiger Gegenstände die daseinsfreie Betrachtungsweise der Gegenstandstheorie in bezug auf alle Arten von Gegenständen. (shrink)

This article tells the story of attempts to improve the regulation of lawyers in Victoria, Australia 1975-2012. It also tells the parallel story of one Victorian solicitor, Issac Brott, who was the subject of multiple complaints about his conduct during that same period of time but against whom professional discipline proved both ineffective and irrelevant.

This article is currently available as a free download on ingentaconnect.

Some models of global systems predict catastrophe if certain human activities continue. Unfortunately, these models are less than certain. Despite this uncertainty, some argue for precaution on the grounds that we have an ethical obligation to avoid catastrophe, whatever the practical costs. There is much to say in favor of ethical arguments. Still, some people will remain unmoved by them. Using arguments parallel to those of Pascal and James, I will argue that there are prudential reasons for precaution that should (...) convince those not already persuaded by ethical arguments. This argument for precaution does not presuppose that we are convinced by the uncertain models that predict catastrophe. (shrink)

Idealisierungen sind ein Mittel zur Begriffsbildung, etwa um ungenaue und vage Begriffe zu präzisieren. Idealisierungen sind auch ein Mittel zur Vereinfachung der Darstellung komplexer und komplizierter Sachverhalte. Sind wissenschaftliche Theorien desgleichen bloße Idealisierungen? Und, wenn dies zutreffen sollte, Idealisierungen wessen? Diese Fragen führen sogleich zu den Problemen fiktiver Begriffe und an den Rand metaphysisch belasteter Probleme. Die Untersuchung dieser Fragen erfolgt in einer Auseinandersetzung mit St.Körners Auffassung von der Natur der Idealisierungen.

Auf die Frage nach der Art und Weise von Abhängigkeitsverhältnissen, nach dem Begriffsapparat des Urteilenden und den beurteilten Gegenständen muß unterschieden werden, "was es (hier) zu unterscheiden gibt". Dabei werden die ontologischen Voraussetzungen von erkenntnismäßigen unterschieden. Die Aufgabe solcher Unterscheidungen kommt der Sprachkritik zu, der auch die Aufgabe übertragen wkd, alle 'entia', die nicht Dinge sind, bloßzulegen.

In Wittgensteins früher Ich-Lehre wird die Existenz eines metaphysischen Subjekts, eines von Gott und Welt unabhängigen Ich angenommen, das nicht nur als eine Grenze ontologisch bestimmt wird. Wittgensteins spätere Frage nach dem "diametralen Gegenteil des Solipsismus" gibt einige Rätsel auf: Es kann kein Realismus sein. Was ist es sonst? Wittgensteins Betrachtungen der Jahre nach 1929 ändern die Gesichtspunkte der Interpretation. Unmittelbare Erfahrungen sind so wenig personbezogen wie der Hinweis auf ein Subjekt notwendig ist für die Beschreibung einer Erfahrung. Wittgensteins anti-cartesischer (...) Standpunkt wird dadurch deutlich gemacht, daß er zwei Wege probiert, die Unwichtigkeit des Ausdrucks "ich" aufzuzeigen: erstens, den Weg der Elimination des Ich, zweitens, den Aufweis der Bedeutungslosigkeit der egozentrischen Perspektive, die keinen ausgezeichneten Platz in der Weltbeschreibung einnimmt. (shrink)

This paper is concerned with the ethics of dealing with the dead. In particular, it examines the case of the Kennewick Man—a skeleton discovered in Washington State in 1996. This archaeological find has created a conflict between scientists, who have much to learn by the study of such bones, and some Native Americans, who believe that studying these bones is disrespectful to the dead. A law-suit was launched with the aim of preventing scientific study of the remains of Kennewick Man, (...) but this law-suit was decided in favour of the scientists. I consider three concepts of Selfhood and relate them to the case. First, I consider the concept of Self as an autonomous entity with interests that arise from individual goals. I discuss the limits of such interests after death. Second, I consider the holistic concept of Self described by Deep Ecologists and others. Third, I describe the relational self associated with some feminist philosophers and communitarians to conclude that this idea provides an argument for respecting the dead. It does this in virtue of how it solves “the problem of the nonexistent subject.” Of these threeconceptions of selfhood, only one, the social-relational view, could serve to ground any injunction to leave ancient bones undisturbed. The KennewickMan case could be described as a debate over whether Kennewick Man meets this relational definition of selfhood. (shrink)

Beyond what Colman is suggesting, some residual indeterminacy of Nash equilibrium may remain even after individual rationality is amended. Although alternative solution concepts can expand the positive scope of game theory, they tend to reduce its accuracy of predictions. Moreover, the appeal of alternative solutions may be context-specific, as illustrated by the Stackelberg solution.

At least since Descartes the epistemological turn derived its impetus from the sceptical challenge to provide a justification for all knowledge claims. According to a foundational view, a claim to know something is justified only when the justification refers to ultimate grounds in the form of self?supporting propositions. This paper's title suggests that justification may be seen from a different perspective, namely that of acting. Wittgenstein's examples show that the sceptic's maxim ? doubt everything ? breaks down because some beliefs (...) and judgments have to be accepted unconditionally if one is to believe or judge something else. Wittgenstein concludes that the certainty we are looking for is to be found in the very nature of the language?game. (shrink)

SummaryIn this article the thesis is defended that all objects of intentional attitudes are of one sort, while the thesis is rejected that epistemic attitudes can be assimilated.

Justification as Ignorance offers an original account of epistemic justification as both non-factive and luminous, vindicating core internalist intuitions without construing justification as an internal condition knowable by reflection alone. Sven Rosenkranz conceives of justification, in its doxastic and propositional varieties, as a kind of epistemic possibility of knowing and of being in a position to know. His account contrasts with recent alternative views that characterize justification in terms of the metaphysical possibility of knowing. Instead, he develops a suitable (...) non-normal multi-modal epistemic logic for knowledge and being in a position to know that respects the finding that these notions create hyperintensional contexts. He also defends his conception of justification against well-known anti-luminosity arguments, shows that the account allows for fruitful applications and principled solutions to the lottery and preface paradoxes, and provides a metaphysics of justification and its varying degrees of strength that is compatible with core assumptions of the knowledge-first approach and disjunctivist conceptions of mental states. (shrink)