Most philosophers assume that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’, and most of them hold that this principle is true not only universally but also analytically or conceptually. Some skeptics deny this principle, although they often admit some related one. In this article, we show how new empirical evidence bolsters the skeptics’ arguments. We then defend the skeptical view against some objections to the empirical evidence and to its effect on the traditional principle. In light of the new evidence, we conclude that philosophers (...) should stop unconditionally assuming that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’. (shrink)

A generic extension of the constructible universe by reals is defined, in which the union of ‐classes of x and y is a lightface set, but neither of these two ‐classes is separately ordinal‐definable.

The article deals with the notion of the genetic code and its metaphorical understanding as a “language”. In the traditional view of the language metaphor of the genetic code, combinations of nucleotides are signs of amino acids. Similarly, words combined from letters represent certain meanings. The language metaphor of the genetic code, 171–200, 2011) assumes that the nucleotides stay in the analogy to letters, triples to words and genes to sentences. We propose an application of mathematical linguistic methods on the (...) notion of the genetic code. We provide quantitative analysis of mRNA strings and natural language texts. This analysis is sensitive to the detection of the code units hierarchy. We also take into consideration a representative quantitative analysis of DNA, RNA and proteins. Our analysis of mRNA confirms an assumption that the design of the genetic code cannot analogize DNA bases and letters. The notion of the letter is much more appropriate if analogized with triplets or amino acids, 187–191, 2017). (shrink)

Once widely spread in the Dinaric Mountains part of the Balkan Peninsula, swearing to virginity was a social and cultural custom recorded among all groups inhabiting the area. In the absence of a capable adult man in the household, a daughter would take over his social role by ‘becoming’ a man. The standard explanation is that the function of this practice is enabling the continuation of the household’s economic, social, and religious activities. We argue that this explanation fails. A better (...) explanation is that, because the lack of a particular kind of a man (competent and honourable) was perceived as a shame in these societies, the primary reason for swearing to virginity was saving family honour. (shrink)

The recent proposition to eliminate eponyms from physical publications is discussed. The role of eponyms in research and education is analyzed. We show that eponyms constitute an integral part of physical texts and ensure the continuity of scientific research. Their proposed elimination is dangerous for science and the entire human culture and must be rejected.

Se hace un esfuerzo por interpretar el supuesto fenómeno de los raptos de individuos por naves extraterrestres desde conceptos teóricos žižekianos como _afanisis_, “destitución subjetiva”, “Cosa” de la libido, trauma y “mediador evanescente”.

En este artículo elaboramos una reflexión sobre el arte como actividad productiva, partiendo de las contribuciones filosóficas de Deleuze y Guattari, realizando un análisis de su concepción ontológica caracterizada como un pensamiento de la diferencia, para así señalar los vínculos que se entablan entre filosofía y arte. Iniciamos con una breve introducción en donde enmarcamos la propuesta de Deleuze y Guattari, haciendo hincapié en la “reversión del platonismo” que será de especial importancia en lo que respecta a la nueva concepción (...) del arte que plantearán los autores. Después, analizamos qué significa filosofar a la luz de dicho proyecto. A continuación abordamos la cuestión del arte, analizando dicho ámbito como una actividad que implica pensar y producir la diferencia. Finalizamos con unas algunas conclusiones en las que apuntamos que el arte, al igual que la filosofía, crea nuevos territorios y abre nuevas posibilidades de vida. (shrink)

This book is an edited collection on one of Plato’s most dramatic as well as most complex dialogues, where a defence of the philosopher’s way of life is carried out against the background of interconnected rhetorical and political stances of the time.

L'oeuvre de Vladimir Jankélévitch mêle intimement philosophie et musique, régime de correspondance auquel le philosophe-musicien a toujours aimé se tenir. " La musique, rappelle-t-il, est un art temporel non point secondairement, comme la poésie, le roman ou le théâtre, mais essentiellement. " Son domaine est la " temporalité enchantée ", le mystère de l'instant, le charme de la nostalgie, du nocturne et des parfums de la nuit, du lointain, du silence surtout, puisque la musique, née du silence, y retourne. (...) Ce livre réunit des textes peu connus, inédits ou depuis longtemps inaccessibles. Comptes rendus de concerts et de festivals, évocations poétiques des musiciens chers à son coeur : les musiciens français, particulièrement Debussy, Ravel, Fauré ; les musiciens de l'Europe centrale, Chopin et Liszt, le rhapsode et baladin du monde européen, image même de notre modernité ; les génies de la musique russe, notamment Moussorgski et Rimski-Korsakov. Pour Vladimir Jankélévitch " on ne pense pas la musique ", mais on peut penser en musique, ou musicalement. Le lecteur retrouvera dans ces textes le bonheur de la mystérieuse connivence d'une pensée sur la musique qui donne à entendre musicalement. (shrink)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present implications of the seller's ability to bid in the four classical auction forms, with independent private values: English, Dutch, first‐ and second‐price auctions.Design/methodology/approachUnder each auction form, the identity of the winning bidder and the expected winning bid are compared between the case when the seller may bid and when he cannot, using equilibrium bidder strategies. The seller's incentive to bid is evaluated.FindingsThe strategies and the welfare results differ with auction type and underlying (...) information assumptions – bidders are either aware or unaware of the seller's ability to bid. In the Dutch and the first‐price auctions, seller‐bidding does not affect any classical results. In the English and the second‐price auctions, it leads to no lower expected prices than without it and higher prices with positive probability. In the English and the second‐price auctions, the seller bids above his reservation value and may unintentionally win the auction. These auctions result in inefficiency with positive probability.Practical implicationsThe English and the second‐price auctions are the most common real‐world auctions. In these auctions, the seller's ability to bid – secretly or publicly – redistributes welfare among participants and introduces a possibility of inefficiency. Making this ability publicly known does not solve the latter problem. Auctioneers must prevent the seller from bidding, or must select a different auction form when seller‐bidding is anticipated.Originality/valueThe paper clarifies to regulators, auction designers, bidders, and other readers which auction forms are susceptible to subversion by seller‐bidding and what the potential damages are. (shrink)

Od grčkog pojma sophia do Potterovih pojmova mudrosti i biološkog znanja, autor analizira različite filozofske i znanstvene koncepte znanja. Autor se slaže s Jaspersom u stavu da ono što je »iz filozofije prevodivo u zajedničko mišljenje, to na koncu odlučuje o njezinoj vrijednosti «. Autor zaključuje da novoj epohi i bioetičkoj perspektivi odgovara zahtjev za orijentacijskim znanjem, te ga nastoji definirati ne samo iz povijesti filozofije, nego i u suprotnosti s tradicionalnim stajalištima , te iz zahtjeva nove epohe.From the Greek (...) term sophia to the Potter’s terms wisdom and biological knowledge, author analyses different philosophical and scientific concepts of knowledge. The author agrees with Jaspers on the notion that what is “transferable from philosophy into the common reasoning is what at the end decides on its worthiness”. The author concludes that the demand for an orientational knowledge corresponds with the new epoch and bioethical perspective, and is trying to define this demand not only from the history of philosophy, but in its contrast to the traditional views represented by Descartes and Bacon, and also from the demands of the new epoch itself. (shrink)

A la différence du concept chrétien de la justice en tant que vertu morale, tel que l’avait énoncé Thomas d’Aquin en la définissant comme une attitude par la force de laquelle quelqu’un dont la volonté est forte reconnaît à autrui son droit, Nietzsche trouve l’origine de la justice dans la négociation de forces dont la puissance est approximativement égale ou bien dans la contrainte des moins forts à un accord. Pour présenter un tel point de vue fondé sur l’assertion que (...) pour la vie-même l’appropriation est essentielle, en d’autres mots que la volonté de puissance est en fait le vouloir vivre, Nietzsche s’est servi de la description des Athéniens et des Méliens par Thucydide. Cependant, l’auteur aboutit à la conclusion que Nietzsche n’est pas seulement un penseur de la puissance mais qu’il cherche aussi un nouvel entendement de la justice qu’il veut expliquer par la totalité de sa pensée. (shrink)