Immanuel Kant is the author of the project of “perpetual peace” as a concept for a global federation of states remaining in peaceful relations towards each other. According to the philosopher, in order for such a federation to be possible at some time in the future, individual states need to be institutions which respect their citizens’ right of self-determination. An additional necessary condition for the future implementation of “perpetual peace” is the appearance of at least one state with a republican (...) system of government. The German thinker saw that as the first step towards realising “perpetual peace”. According to Kant, “perpetual peace” is not only limited to the existence of a certain set of institutions, appropriate laws, or external relations among states and individual people. “Perpetual peace” chiefly demands that people internalise the following obligations: 1. peaceful conduct towards others; 2. hospitality; 3. fairness; 4. respect towards the self-determination of others; 5. self-sufficiency; 6. respecting the freedom of others; 7. refraining from actions which might raise distrust in others. Based on those requirements, the philosopher suggests that the fundamental condition for a future existence of “perpetual peace” is the proper moral education of people. (shrink)

A report on the conference “Ecosemiotic Paradigm for Nature and Culture”.

The paper entitled “Future Conflicts Are Inevitable: Causes of Interpersonal Conflicts According to Immanuel Kant and Thomas R. Malthus” is composed of four parts. The first part outlines the validity and importance of the issue of interpersonal conflicts, as well as the need to unveil their deepest causes. The second fragment is devoted to the vision of discord between people, developed by Immanuel Kant. The author emphasizes that, in the opinion of the German philosopher, due to the “unsociable sociability” of (...) people, one has to take into account the impossibility of eliminating conflicts from interpersonal relations. The next part presents the concept proposed by Thomas R. Malthus concerning the causes of conflicts. The author observes that the Anglican cleric, supplementing Kant’s reflections, identifies non-human conflict-generating factors, among which the key factor is an indelible shortage in the environment of goods and values desired by people. To summarize the reflections made, in the last part of the paper, the author emphasizes that in the light of Kant’s and Malthus’ observations, it seems easier to understand why the dream of building a world entirely free of interpersonal conflicts is a utopian idea. (shrink)

Immanuel Kant is the author of the project of “perpetual peace” as a concept for a global federation of states remaining in peaceful relations towards each other. According to the philosopher, in order for such a federation to be possible at some time in the future, individual states need to be institutions which respect their citizens’ right of self-determination. An additional necessary condition for the future implementation of “perpetual peace” is the appearance of at least one state with a republican (...) system of government. The German thinker saw that as the first step towards realising “perpetual peace”. According to Kant, “perpetual peace” is not only limited to the existence of a certain set of institutions, appropriate laws, or external relations among states and individual people. “Perpetual peace” chiefly demands that people internalise the following obligations: 1. peaceful conduct towards others; 2. hospitality; 3. fairness; 4. respect towards the self-determination of others; 5. self-sufficiency; 6. respecting the freedom of others; 7. refraining from actions which might raise distrust in others. Based on those requirements, the philosopher suggests that the fundamental condition for a future existence of “perpetual peace” is the proper moral education of people. (shrink)

A logical-philosophical approach to the meaning-carriers or meaning-processes is juxtaposed with the anthropological-biological concepts of subjective significance uniting both for the semiotics of culture and the semiotics of nature. It is assumed that certain objects, which are identifiable in the universe of man and in the world surrounding all living organisms as significant from the perspective of meaning-receivers, meaning-creators and meaning-utilizers, can be determined as signs when they represent other objects, perform certain tasks or satisfy certain needs of subjects. Hence, (...) the meaning of signifying objects may be found in the relation between the expression of a signifier and (I) a signified content, or (2) a signified function, or (3) a signified value of the cultural and natural objects subsumed by the interpreting subjects under the semiotic ones. (shrink)

In the article, the issue of national identity is discussed in the context of threats of the process of globalization in the sphere of cultural identity of young generation. They are shown also expectations that are usually formulated in the area of the future upbringing of young generations in the context previously exposed threats. In addition, it is discussed Fichte’s concept of building national identity. The consequences of the analysis are three applications of the author. First of all, in his (...) opinion, the issue of national identity should be considered as important problem in future studies on human being. Second, the Fichtean thoughts are very current, because they are part of the recommendations that are put in the area of education and bringing up young generations in the future in the face of challenges posed by globalization. Thirdly, Fichtean achievements help to set priorities in the perspective of practical future actions that should be taken in these areas in order to eliminate in the future the threats generated by the process globalization. (shrink)

In this article, I present Höffe’s analyses, the most important consequence of which is his claim that the best form of a just state at the present civilisational stage is a democratic state of law. Before Höffe makes a claim like that, he places his considerations in a historical-philosophical context of a discussion on the theory of a just state, as well as contemporary controversies evoked by the necessity of the existence of state as such. It is necessary to present (...) this context because it makes it easier to understand the way leading Höffe to the acceptance of a democratic state of law as a just system. The first part of the article is devoted to this issue. In the second part, I explain the most important anthropological-ethical fundaments on which Höffe bases his theory of a just state. Among them, the most significant seems to be an indication that man is a rational and combative creature by nature, and it is only the theory of a just exchange that helps to justify an obligatory character of basic human rights. The third part shows the way Höffe authorizes the necessity of the existence of the state as such, as well as search for a certain form of a just state, which ends with the perception of a democratic state of law as a just system. (shrink)

The author affirms the need for new evangelization. He claims however that it should focus on internal spiritual dimensions rather than simply on increasing the number of people brought up into evangelization. To evangelize others means to preach either inside a given church or outside it. The former turns out to make people live through the religion, they have been brought up, in the later should consist in preaching the gospel and some general ideas inherent to Christianity. Those who do (...) not belong to any church should have a free choice as for their religious commitments. The goal of evangelization in this sense is to overcome a fear of death, to help others to acquire deeper understanding of the Bible and to reach them how to be an active and self-effacing Christian. (shrink)

The paper entitled “Future Conflicts Are Inevitable: Causes of Interpersonal Conflicts According to Immanuel Kant and Thomas R. Malthus” is composed of four parts. The first part outlines the validity and importance of the issue of interpersonal conflicts, as well as the need to unveil their deepest causes. The second fragment is devoted to the vision of discord between people, developed by Immanuel Kant. The author emphasizes that, in the opinion of the German philosopher, due to the “unsociable sociability” of (...) people, one has to take into account the impossibility of eliminating conflicts from interpersonal relations. The next part presents the concept proposed by Thomas R. Malthus concerning the causes of conflicts. The author observes that the Anglican cleric, supplementing Kant’s reflections, identifies non-human conflict-generating factors, among which the key factor is an indelible shortage in the environment of goods and values desired by people. To summarize the reflections made, in the last part of the paper, the author emphasizes that in the light of Kant’s and Malthus’ observations, it seems easier to understand why the dream of building a world entirely free of interpersonal conflicts is a utopian idea. (shrink)

Stanisław Głąbiński (1862–1941) professor at the Lvov University, the author of a two volume work entitled „National economics” is a representative of the historical-national trend in Polish economics. The subject matter of his concept of national economics is the national economy which is a higher rank entity, encompassing all economic entities in the country that are related materially and spiritually. Bonds that link individuals into a higher rank entity, i.e. a nation, are reflected in the term ‘social resources’. Głąbiński understands (...) them as moral and material heritage of past generations that influences attitudes of the contemporary generation. He divides them into moral and material resources, and especially emphasizes the importance of the former ones. In the concept of moral resources, Głąbiński included his claims concerning the whole socio-ethical conditions of economic processes. He appreciated the influence exerted by the changes in the ethical viewpoint of the society on the economic activity as well as on the shaping of the sense of duty towards the whole society. Special emphasis placed in Głąbiński’s economic theory on the role of ethical motives undoubtedly springs from the influence exerted by the German historical school and, in particular, by Bruno Hildebrand. It also is a result of the effect of Polish economic thought including in particular the views of Fryderyk Skarbek and Józef Supiński. According to Głąbiński, the most important constituent element of material resources was finance, understood by him as stocks of economic goods. (shrink)

In many computer applications we face the following situation: we are given set of objects which are characterized by means of some features like: temperature, height, weight etc., and we want to dene in terms of those features some concepts. For example we have a data le concerning patients suering from a certain disease. State of each patient is characterized by some symptoms like, for example: blood pressure, temperature etc. The question arises whether wa are able to dene this disease (...) in terms of avail- able symptoms. Notice that we identify here concept of a specic disease with a set of patients suering from this disease. Hence the denition of a disease depends upon specic example of a disease under consideration. This approach refers to inductive reasoning, when a concept is built upon the basis of a nite number of examples of this concept. More detailed discussion of problems considered here one { can nd in Pawlak , Pawlak and Or lowska and Pawlak. (shrink)

In recent years, the issue of the determinants of human gender identity has been lively discussed. In such discussions, there are numerous supporters of the belief that a person’s gender identity does not depend directly on a given individual’s biological endowment with sex, but is the result of various socio-cultural circumstances in which a given person lives. This view began to gain popularity in the scientific community in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is now considered paradigmatic in the (...) rapidly evolving interdisciplinary study of cultural gender development, which is commonly referred to as gender studies. Representatives of gender studies often present the findings obtained in the course of their research as brilliant and modern. However, when viewed through the concept of philosophical superstition, authored by the Polish logician Józef Maria Bocheński, it can be concluded that the proponents of gender studies significantly exaggerate the intellectual momentum of their conclusions and postulates. Furthermore, one can even say that according to Bocheński’s concept of philosophical superstition, gender studies is a discipline which only creates a semblance of rationality. This is because gender studies fail all six criteria which, as Bocheński maintains, distinguish beliefs, views, and theories which are manifestly irrational from those which are not philosophical superstitions. The article consists of three parts. In the first part, Bocheński’s concept of philosophical superstition is discussed and, in particular, the criteria are outlined which, in Bocheński’s opinion, allow one to identify philosophically superstitious thinking. This section also provides examples of philosophically superstitious beliefs, views and theories that fall under each of the criteria. In the second part, gender studies are characterized in terms of the basic assumptions adopted within this trend, as well as its theses and postulates. The third part of the article is devoted to the assessment of gender studies with the use of criteria which, according to Bocheński, make it possible to distinguish theories, beliefs and views without the hallmarks of rationality from those that are not philosophically superstitious. (shrink)

In the article, the issue of national identity is discussed in the context of threats of the process of globalization in the sphere of cultural identity of young generation. They are shown also expectations that are usually formulated in the area of the future upbringing of young generations in the context previously exposed threats. In addition, it is discussed Fichte’s concept of building national identity. The consequences of the analysis are three applications of the author. First of all, in his (...) opinion, the issue of national identity should be considered as important problem in future studies on human being. Second, the Fichtean thoughts are very current, because they are part of the recommendations that are put in the area of education and bringing up young generations in the future in the face of challenges posed by globalization. Thirdly, Fichtean achievements help to set priorities in the perspective of practical future actions that should be taken in these areas in order to eliminate in the future the threats generated by the process globalization. (shrink)