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The essay reviews briefly relation of contemporary theoretical physics to the truth and describes various philosophical approaches to physical knowledge.
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The essay reviews briefly relation of contemporary theoretical physics to the truth and describes various philosophical approaches to physical knowledge.
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The article serves as a preface to the special issue on digital humanities of Keel ja Kirjandus. The aim of the issue is to familiarize the Estonian readers with the complex and controversial notion of digital humanities by way of examples. The issue gathers overviews of themes and methods in digital humanities along with empirical case studies representing them. We provide a brief discussion on what digital humanities is and why we need it. We consider that the core of digital humanities is the integration of digital data into humanities research. A growing amount of materials of interest to the humanities are now becoming digitized or digitally born. Archival institutions that maintain it have become recently active in facilitating their use for research purposes. Digital humanities can provide the methods, tools and the research community to take advantage of these opportunities. The digitalization of society is happening on many levels and humanities have a chance to contribute to its understanding and benefit from its opportunities. The label digital humanities itself can work as a pragmatic banner at this stage of development, potentially leading to digital skills becoming the norm also in the humanities departments at some point. The articles collected in this special issue give a good overview of the status quo of digital humanities in Estonia, representing various research directions and methods. The articles offer a variety of different perspectives and practical applications in their respective fields related to digital humanities. We believe that the area of digital humanities can advance via practical examples and an understanding of the developments of digital methods in neighbouring fields. We hope that further developments in this field will provide grounds for the compilation of other such thematic issues in the very near future.
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The aim of this article is to discuss the relation between global and local in the works of certain philosophers of technology. The main focus is the concept of cosmotechnics created by Yuk Hui, a philosopher who is strongly influenced by Peter Sloterdijk and Bernard Stiegler. In the text we examine how Heidegger’s question about technology has led Sloterdijk and Stiegler to introduce their criticisms but also to build their original concepts that view the modern technology more favorably. For Yuk Hui those thinkers are a strong inspiration, however, he criticise them for being too Western-oriented and adds another contexts – the role of China as both a postcolonial state with it’s unique philosophical tradition and as a center for new technologies. Then the introduces cosmotechnics as a form of cultural a priori that is a mixture of moral and cosmological thinking resulting in a locally-specific approach to technology. It also allows him to talk about a local-global dichotomy in a new, interesting way. This however includes also some signs of a new universlaism rooting from the Chinese culture.
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One of the important goals of the philosophy of cosmology is to study the meaningful historical works of Aristotle, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and others. From viewpoint of the history of cosmology, these texts are important not only as examples of understandings of the universe but also because they can be considered as leading historical illustrations of original approaches to the question of scientific rationality and types of scientific controversies. Like many other classic scientifical texts, they are multidimensional works. It can be distinguished many focus points which the books may be explored (history, science, philosophy, literature, and others). In this paper, I consider the possibility of reading the texts concerning the important cosmological issues from the point of argumentative view. In this regard, the key tasks of my research are (1) to explore the central characteristics of the argumentation dimension and (2) to consider some methodological tools that will be useful for scholars studying outstanding historical books from the field of philosophy of cosmology.
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We, as humans appropriated science. A scientist is associated only with a human being. It doesn't have to stay that way. Non-protein scientists may appear sooner than expected. We will be challenged soon. A new legal and ethical code will be needed, and above all, a redefinition of the concepts of science and scientist seems to be urgent to formulate. The appearance of superintelligence and machines in science will mean the need to re-evaluate its operation. Let's start noticing the law of artificial intelligence (AI), to build inclusive science with machines.
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Ectogenesis (artificial wombs) might soon become a reality. This paper will analyse how the development of such technologies will affect Judith Jarvis Thomson’s defence of abortion, and what the potential consequences of this will be for society. Thomson attempts to justify abortion by appealing to the mother’s right to bodily autonomy. We will argue that once these technologies have been developed, the right to abortion can no longer be justified by such appeals. As a result, when justifying abortion, Thomson-style arguments will no longer work, and a very different strategy will have to be adopted by those wishing to justify its permissibility. Anticipating a consequent weaker position of the pro-choice view, we briefly consider some of the practical implications of ectogenesis for society: effects on parental dynamics, governmental expenditure, research, and gender equality.
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We present the model theoretic concepts that allow mathematics to be developed with the notion of the potential infinite instead of the actual infinite. The potential infinite is understood as a dynamic notion, being an indefinitely extensible finite. The main adoption is the interpretation of the universal quantifier, which has an implicit reection principle. Each universal quantification refers to an indefinitely large, but finite set. The quantified sets may increase, so after a reference by quantification, a further reference typically uses a larger, still finite set. We present the concepts for classical first-order logic and show that these dynamic models are sound and complete with respect to the usual inference rules. Moreover, a finite set of formulas requires a finite part of the increasing model for a correct interpretation.
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Contrary to the finitary case, the set Γ(A) of all the non-generators of an infinitary algebra A is not necessarily a subalgebra of A. We show that the phenomenon is ubiquitous: every algebra with at least one infinitary operation can be embedded into some algebra B such that Γ(B) is not a subalgebra of B. As far as expansions are concerned, there are examples of infinite algebras A such that in every expansion B of A the set Γ(B) is a subalgebra of B. However, under relatively weak assumptions on A, it is possible to get some expansion B of A such that Γ(B) fails to be a subalgebra of B.
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Menger's graph theorem equates the minimum size of a separating set for non-adjacent vertices a and b with the maximum number of disjoint paths between a and b. By capturing separating sets as models of an entailment relation, we take a formal approach to Menger's result. Upon showing that inconsistency is characterised by the existence of suficiently many disjoint paths, we recover Menger's theorem by way of completeness.
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Let pbe a prime number, Fp a finite field with pelements, Fan algebraic extension of Fp and z a variable. We consider the structure of addition and the Frobenius map (i.e., x →xp) in the polynomial rings F[z] and in fields F(z) of rational functions. We prove that any question about F[z] in the structure of addition and Frobenius map may be effectively reduced to questions about the similar structure of the field F. Furthermore, we provide an example which shows that a fact which is true for addition and the Frobenius map in the polynomial rings F[z] fails to be true in F(z). As a consequence, certain methods used to prove model completeness for polynomials do not suffice to prove model completeness for similar structures for fields of rational functions F(z), a problem that remains open even for F= Fp.
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In this paper we prove a Lindström like theorem for the logic consisting of arbitrary Boolean combinations of first order sentences. Specifically we show the logic obtained by taking arbitrary, possibly infinite, Boolean combinations of first order sentences in countable languages is the unique maximal abstract logic which is closed under finitary Boolean operations, has occurrence number ω1, has the downward Lüowenheim-Skolem property to ωand the upward Lüowenheim-Skolem property to uncountability, and contains all complete first order theories in countable languages as sentences of the abstract logic. We will also show a similar result holds in the continuous logic framework of [5], i.e. we prove a Lindström like theorem for the abstract continuous logic consisting of Boolean combinations of first order closed conditions. Specifically we show the abstract continuous logic consisting of arbitrary Boolean combinations of closed conditions is the unique maximal abstract continuous logic which is closed under approximate isomorphisms on countable structures, is closed under finitary Boolean operations, has occurrence number ω1, has the downward Lüowenheim-Skolem property toω, the upward Lüowenheim-Skolem property to uncountability and contains all first order theories in countable languages as sentences of the abstract logic.
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Turks are one of the nations that build unique wisdom, the supreme work of collective contemplation. The fact that wisdom is a kind of worldview in one regard relates it to cosmogony. Turkish thought perceives the world as a whole and considers all beings that make up the universe as its components. Besides, in Turkish thought, the world consists of a combination of the earth and the sky. Although these two have opposite natures, they form a unity by harmonizing with each other. These two are equivalent to each other, neither of them is superior to the other. This system, which is formed by the earth and the sky, is known as the universalist dichotomy, the two universal principles or the two-principle system. The universalist dichotomy, which is the most fundamental part of Turkish thought, shows its effect in every aspect of Turkish life in a way to create harmony and unity in contrasts. This also includes narratives. The symbols in the plot of Turkish mythological narratives contain two universal principles in the depths of the apparent subject. The existence of two principles comes to light only when the symbols are analyzed, and it is seen the basis of the narratives is based on this system. In this study, the symbols in the Arı Haan Epic, which belongs to Tuva Turks and contains archaic features, have been analysed and associated with each other, and the Epic has been examined in the context of the universal dichotomy. The analyses have demonstrated that the Arı Haan epic, which was detected to belong to an archaic period when the concept of underground was not yet included in Turkish cosmogony, is also an epic that contains the dichotomy in its deeper layers through symbols. The totality of the meanings revealed by the analysis of symbols clearly reflects the existence of two universal principles.
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If some intelligence underlies the universe, as is suggested by a host of modern-day considerations, then why does not that intelligence intervene to allay the oft-horrible destinies that are the lot of so many sentient beings?
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In a previous study a spiritual difficulty for public health was considered, that many people say that there would be definitely no afterlife with Judgment Day, and that some such persons might sometimes try to harm innocent others secretly to obtain advantages, e.g., financial, with negative impact on public health. Considering additional knowledge, new thought experiments are conducted, including arbitrary infinite bitstrings as programs, run, e.g., on theoretical Turing machines, and mathematical structures providing generalized findings, including results for questions of quantum probabilities, e.g., the Born rule - which is experimentally confirmed. In quantum processes, randomness instead of pseudorandomness is more probable than within the less general structures of the previous study. This is achieved designing generalized structures, e.g., programs, which do not function when they are “alone”. Additional structures show that pseudorandomness remains relevant. A paradox of the extreme variety of incomprehensible universes is described. It could be solved here considering further structures, e.g., the extremely large number of, e.g., world part copies simulated by various short programs, providing a large probability for comprehensible worlds. In all these mathematical structures, aliens’ pains emerge naturally.
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A general criterion for distinguishing between epistemic and non-epistemic values is that the former promotes the attainment of truth whereas the latter does not. Daniel Steel (2010, 2016) is a proponent of this criterion, although it was initially proposed by McMullin (1983). There are at least two consequences of this criterion; (i) it always prioritizes epistemic values over non-epistemic values in scientific research, and (ii) it overlooks the diverse aims of science, especially the aims of regulatory or policy-oriented science. This criterion assumes the lexical priority of truth or lexical priority of evidence. This paper attempts to show a few inadequacies of this assumption. The paper also demonstrates why epistemic priority over non-epistemic values is a problematic stance and how constraining the role of non-epistemic values as ‘tiebreakers’ may undermine the diverse aims of science.
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More and more times, the failure of the predictions did not consist in their insufficiently developed techniques. On the contrary, the more these techniques have evolved, the more the reflection of reality and human aspirations have been blurred within the predictions. Social sciences have the responsibility to rediscover the ancient sources of human knowledge. The purpose of this article is to present a number of social environments in which Hellenistic philosophy has been employed over time providing solutions that have surpassed those offered by other areas of social science.
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Jesuit and palaeontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin died suddenly on the 4th of April, 1955, leaving a large part of his work unpublished. Throughout the rest of the year, the press announced the imminent publication of The Phenomenon of Man, presented as the scientific side of his work. By fall, the book was published, accompanied by an impressive list of prestigious signatures. But over time, this tacit consensus loses its vigour and the question of the book’s scientific nature makes a strong comeback. The first interrogations arise in the early 1960s. These interrogations sometimes concern his scientific work, sometimes his philosophical–theological work, but almost never the man himself. To follow the reception of The Phenomenon of Man comes down to following the line drawn by Teilhardism. This ism is associated with Teilhard de Chardin’s thought, which takes its shape at the heart of the Glorious Thirty in France, before setting alight many other countries, and which seems to decline after crossing the threshold of 1965.
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In the article I describe the cosmic context of biological evolution and its concretization in the form of various formulations of anthropic principles (weak, strong, probabilistic, ultimate and participatory) in order to discuss selected philosophical and theological consequences of the anthropic of the Universe. The aim of the article is to answer the question whether the fact of the anthropic nature of the Universe leads to the possibility of justifying theses of an ontological, epistemological and theological nature.
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The reason of science-fiction literature was and is to promote both the spread of scientific knowledge and interest, and the hope that the technological marvels will solve the problems of the human society. And in order to attract people’s attention and to generate their enthusiasm towards science and its results, everything happened in the human space.
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Gaining some knowledge about the surrounding world was a complicated process that has begun practically since „humanization” of the Homo sapiens, which took place about 200,000 years ago. Ionian School philosophy or philosophical cosmology are the most frequently used names embedded in philosophical tradition referring to so-called „natural sciences”, and therefore focusing on nature. Origins of that philosophy go back to the ancient world, when it brought to human thought the possibility of using intellect. It concerned reflection on the place of man in the nature, and relationships between the humans and nature. Philosophical thought was important in shaping the protoscientific phase of the development of natural science. Contemporary representatives of various fields of knowledge within inductive sciences, such as biologists or physicists, are aware of the existence of philosophical issues in the natural sciences, which, in a way, gave grounds for their separation and further development.
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