A theory of planning horizons (2): the foundation for an ethical economics

Author(s): Frederic B. Jennings Jr. / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2012

The concept of planning horizons serves as a measure of many unsettled aspects of economic analysis. First and foremost, the notion is ordinal: we speak of ‘horizon effects’ as directional shifts in planning horizons without tallying ‘wits’ or calibrating horizonal axes of change. Second, the derivation of horizon effects is inductive; we simply assert their inherence in the range of factors subsumed within the imagined projections behind all choice. The planning horizon is set wherever surprise supplants expectation; the horizon occurs at the outer range of accurate anticipation, to which we lack clear epistemological access. Planning horizons – horizon effects – suggest a new foundation for an ethical economics of conscience, social maturation and growth. The idea of planning horizons invites a distinction of foresight from myopia in economic constructions. But time horizons are only one aspect of our planning horizons: to see ahead in time we must embrace all relevant causal effects. Foresight depends on knowledge of how reality actually works, which is a matter more of degree than ‘truth’; the planning horizon offers an index of our ‘rational bounds.’ Our range of anticipation is also related to our internalization of social and ecological externalities in our decisions, so to the scope of our ethical conscience and to our sense of human community. Indeed, the organizational health and integrity of our society is horizonal in this sense. The aim of this paper is to explore and develop the concept of planning horizons in its intellectual origins and economic concerns. Its philosophic conceptual roots, methodological underpinnings, psychological insights and economic implications are outlined to show why an economics of planning horizons offers an ethical economics of interdependent dynamic complex systems. With standard doctrines seen as a special case in a larger horizonal frame, social theory embraces an ethical economics with dissimilar institutional implications favoring cooperation.

A transformation in islamic thought: the house of wisdom (bayt al-hikmah) in the context of occidentalism versus orientalism

Author(s): Ismail Tas / Language(s): English / Issue: XXIII/2011

The House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikmah) was built first as a library where the books on the sciences of the Ancients were kept. Under the sponsorship of the Caliph Al-Ma’m¯un (813–833), it developed into a scientific institute where the books on Ancient Greek philosophy were translated into Arabic. The Caliph acquired many Greek manuscripts and generously supported the translation activities in the House. By the end of the century, Arabic translation of the major works of the Greek philosophy and science had been completed. Thus, the Caliph and his House paved the way for the rise and flourish of Islamic philosophy and science.

About Gymnosophy

Author(s): Sergiu Teodorescu,Aurelia Preda / Language(s): English / Issue: 04/2014

The gymnosophy philosophy as a way to substantiate gymnastics; gymnastics and gymnosophy’s etymological explanation; the gymnosophy, considered "the wisdom of the naked" becomes, at some point, the philosopher's way of health and thereby gymnastics becomes practical way of obtaining health , nudity as a means of verifying the execution of exercise; gymnastics supplemented diet since antiquity; spirituality is found in bodily perfection of the gods of antiquity” "to pray for a sound mind in a healthy body"; legislating in antiquity, to gymnastics, to maintain health; physical activity, characteristic of contemporary, induces disease; sport, as a health way, acute need of every man.

ABOUT PRACTICAL PROBLEM SOLVING

Author(s): Arto Mutanen / Language(s): English / Issue: 89/2016

Knowledge is, by definition, reliable and, hence, it can be applied to a variety of different problems. Nevertheless, in practical problem solving, we do not rely on mere truthful knowledge, but also on information which frames the practical acceptability. We are not looking for truthful solution but an optimal solution. Optimal solution is found out by optimizing some given (practical) parameters. The optimization is both theory based and practice based process. That is, practical problem solving is a human deliberation that interconnects theoretical and practical knowledge. So, the philosophical foundation of practical problem solving interconnects theoretical and practical philosophy. Especially ethical deliberation plays – or should play – central role in practical problem solving. The complexity of the advanced scientific knowledge needed in solving present day practical problems separates the people who know, from the people who do (decide). The situation makes immediate that we need some deeper pedagogical conviction: we need ecological education.

ABSOLIUTIZMO IR RELIACIONIZMO KONTROVERSIJA: NEWTONAS VS. LEIBNIZAS

Author(s): Jonas Ciurlionis / Language(s): Lithuanian / Issue: 90/2016

The article deals with a controversy between absolutist and relationist conceptions of space and time. Comparison between Newton’s and Leibniz’s theories is drawn. Points of view of other philosophers who took part in the discussion are also analysed. Strong and weak parts of both theories are revealed. The article is not aimed at taking sides in the debate rather it provides the reader with a possibility to construct his own assessment. The publication states that premises of both conceptions of space and time are metaphysical rather than physical. However, this classical debate is still relevant in today’s modern scientific context.

Abstrakcia a idealizácia ako metódy spoločensko-humanitných disciplín

Author(s): Juraj Halas / Language(s): Slovak / Issue: 1/2015

The methods of abstraction and idealization are commonly viewed as basic to both the natural and the social sciences. Since the 1970s, they have also been a focus of attention in the philosophy and methodology of science. However, their nature as methods, i.e., sequences of instructions, has not been adequately explicated. The paper attempts to capture the core of these methods in the sense of simplified sequences of instructions. The proposal is illustrated in a reconstruction of the application of both methods in economics as a representative of the social sciences.

Academic Carelessness, Bootstrapping, and the Cybernetic Investigator

Author(s): Hannah Drayson / Language(s): English / Issue: S/2017

The following discussion is concerned with certain forms of poor practice in academic publishing that give rise to “academic urban legends.” It suggests that rather than simply consider phenomena such as poor citation practices and circular reporting as mistakes, misunderstandings, and evidence of lack of rigor, we might also read them as evidence of a particular kind of creativity—for which misunderstandings, assump-tions, and failures of diligence are mechanisms by which potentially influential ideas manifest. Reflecting particularly on a critique of the debate surrounding pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement and its use by university staff and students, the following will argue that investigators within the disciplines concerned with the effects or development of these technologies are themselves implicated as potential subjects. Alongside reflections from science fiction studies that offer insights into the experiential dimension of reading and misreading, this paper offers some insights regarding how we might think of mistakes and misunderstandings as a form of bootstrapping and a source of creativity in scientific and technological development.

Accepting our best scientific theories

Author(s): Seungbae Park / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2015

Dawes (2013) claims that we ought not to believe but to accept our best scientific theories. To accept them means to employ them as premises in our reasoning with the goal of attaining knowledge about unobservables. I reply that if we do not believe our best scientific theories, we cannot gain knowledge about unobservables, our opponents might dismiss the predictions derived from them, and we cannot use them to explain phenomena. We commit an unethical speech act when we explain a phenomenon in terms of a theory we do not believe.

Acta Baltica Historiae et Philosophiae Scientiarum

Frequency: 2 issues / Country: Estonia

Advanced Technology (Quantum Mechanics) Applied: The Science Behind Scriptural “Miracles”

Excerpted from Scriptural and Secular Parallels

Author(s): Eloise T. Choice / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

Nanotechnology ( the mechanics of Quantum Theory) is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers (1 billionth of a meter) on the metric scale and involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale (10-9). Therefore, nanotechnology, nanoscience and nanobiology involve the ability to see and to control individual atoms and molecules “the internal movement of matter with a certain external cause” (Tudor 227) at the nanoscale. The focus of this discussion is on the “miracles” described in the Judeo/ Christian Old Testament and the Christian New Testament. This paper postulates that God, Jesus, the heavenly angels, and their human emissaries (Moses, Aaron, Elijah, the disciples/apostles) harnessed and applied similar scientific techniques (albeit far advanced beyond what mankind has done today) to accomplish what are often referred to as “miracles” (secular “magic”). Therefore, what we in the religious communities have long referred to as “miracles” (as are recounted throughout Holy Scripture and non-canonical Scriptures) were actually the result of advanced technologies applied. In the case of most of the Biblical “miracles,” the creation, restructuring and/or replication of physical matter were conducted at the atomic and molecular levels (10 -9). However, one in particular may have been conducted at the giga scale (10 9) when “… the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.” (Joshua 10:13). Nonetheless, this discussion proposes that these extraordinary events, manifestations of Divine intervention, were all accomplished in either of two ways: (1) A force of energy – referred to in Scripture as the Holy Spirit -- was tapped, harnessed, calibrated and channeled directly by way of Divine Word – the voices/ commands of God and Jesus -- to the intended target and (2) A force of energy – the Holy Spirit – was tapped, harnessed, calibrated and channeled indirectly by way of conduits such as rods, by way of Divine and human hands and the human body to the intended target. As the reader will come to realize over the discussion of this Theory, the ways in which these supernatural events came about sometimes overlap. Moreover, not all of the Biblical “miracles” will be discussed here.

Afirmacija ljudskog simboličkim oblicima. Cassirer o jeziku i znanosti

Author(s): Hasnije Ilazi / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 02/150/2018

In his philosophy of culture, Cassirer refused to understand the human being as homo faber, and he partially accepted to understand the human being as animal rationale. The essence of the human being is composed of his creational acts, and he is creating culture by the way of symbolic forms. The paper will present Cassirer’s theory of symbols as the basis for differentiating human nature from the nature of other living beings, and the base of human existence as the communication in the social surrounding. The human being as a symbolic animal will be elaborated through a relation between language and science, as well as tradition and innovation in the dynamic process of creating culture. Because the paper is presenting an anthropological review of the rule of the symbol in confirming the essence of human being, the goal was to point at the (lack of) rational mechanisms of symbols for manifesting the irrational human nature.

Against Watkins: From a Popperian Point of View

Author(s): Miloš Taliga / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2004

This paper deals with Watkins's attack on Popper's Theory of Science (PTS). Watkins claims that Popper's theory of verisimilitude (together with his theory of corroboration) introduces justificatiomst and mductivist elements into PTS. The aim of the paper is to show that Watkins"s accusation is false. In PTS there is no good (positive) reason for any conjecture. Similarly, there is no way how any conjecture could be attained by means of induction.

Agon-kompleks

Author(s): Luka Perušic / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 03/139/2015

Considering the three orders in the cosmic assembly (macrocosm, microcosm and mesocosm), using an integrative analysis of cosmological understandings of variously-oriented metaphysicists and scientists, I firstly reach to a conclusion on entanglement of two developed cosmic principles that define the relational totality of objects and meanings. The first I term gathering- one-allness, which I describe with arhe-complex. The second I term itself-against-striving, which I describe with eris-complex. On the basis of a shift from enclosed systems (non-living being) to open systems (living being), I elaborate how arhe- and eris-complex create logoscomplex and agon-complex and in what way this new entanglement passes through corporeality (microcosm) to society (mesocosm), in the broadest sense appearing as a strife between realpolitics and utopian striving. In further development, I suggest an articulation of the current world state with the term biopolitical agon in which the power flows through infosphere relays. It is based on dismembering the living into convertible information that contains power in the ability to regulate and be regulated, i.e. the ability of the biopolitical to subdue logos with agon through logos itself, which I attempt to explain by matching this issue with previously mentioned phenomena. With corporeality as an instrument of transformative bitisation, I further discuss societal leaning towards cancelling the original purpose of logos-complex and depowering it regarding the control of bodily articulation of its own purpose-defining. This I shortly outline and then route back to the research’s starting point.

Akademik Anton Švajger (1935. – 2002.)

Author(s): Želimir Bradamante / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 10/2016

Academy Member Anton Švajger, doctor of medicine, was in his scientific work – from his arrival to the Institute of Histology and Embryology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zagreb to his retirement – primarily dedicated to the study of fundamental rules in the early development of mammals. He paid special attention to the study of the role of embryonic germ layers leaves in early embryogenesis. Within the frame of his scientific activity, he applied many available scientific techniques and methods – from the classic descriptive histomorphological analysis and electronic microscopy to histochemistry and immunochemistry. Dr. Švajger was particularly prominent in the field of experimental embriology thanks to his personal method of the isolation, micromanipulation and explantation of early developmental stages of mammal in germ layers to in vivo and in vitro conditions. In the context of the set scientific tasks, he gave answers in the form of scientific results to the questions he posed himself relating to developmental processes in the early embryogenesis of mammals. Dr. Švajger’s professional activity was rather rich and diverse, in particular in the field of medical encyclopaedistics. He knew how to transfer the high level of knowledge to his associates and students. In numerous public speeches to the topics including the narrow field of his profession; general biological topics; history of medicine and of the Faculty; as well as problems related to medical ethics, he proved himself as a man of broad general education and specific knowledge in biomedicine. In addition to the aforesaid, his professional activity included writing curricular texts, chapters in monographs, and manuals for postgraduate students, as well as lifelong education of medical doctors.

Akademik Tomo Bosanac (1918. – 2003.)

Author(s): Zijad Haznadar / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 10/2016

The topic of the paper is the career of Academy Member Tomo Bosanac, one of the most prominent Croatian scientists and researchers in the field of electrical engineering.He was full professor of theoretical electrical engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Zagreb.Following World War II, he contributed greatly to the reconstruction of the war-torn country.He was member of the expert committee for establishing the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, and member of the committee for the construction of cyclotron at the same Institute.He educated dozens of generations of experts and scientists in the field of electroenergetics.

Akivaizdumas Kaip Tikrovės Pažinimo Principas: Filosofijos, Logikos Ir Dykumos Tėvų Takoskyra?

Author(s): Arunas Bingelis / Language(s): Lithuanian / Issue: 70/2012

In both philosophy and science when searching for correspondence between experience and thinking of reality a principle of evidence is employed. I’m interested in possible correlations of the mentioned principle of evidence with another field of its particular validity – a phenomenon of religious experience of ascetics in early Christianity and contemporary successors of tradition. A phenomenologist who invites to return to “the things themselves”, seeks eidetic vision, non-mediated experience and its adequate expression should recognize reality itself as an evident imperative in wasteland. A thirst for evidence which accompanies the Desert Fathers is slaked in a qualitatively different way than in science or philosophy. Here evidence as an attribute and principle of experience and true knowledge is obtained as a Gift of transcendence, although existential decision is a necessary condition in order to accept it. Such experience of the hermits being in the proximity of that which is unconditionally real is witnessed by the pearls of Desert wisdom – apophthegms.

Aksjologiczne niedostatki współczesnej ekonomii

Author(s): Elzbieta Maczynska / Language(s): Polish / Publication Year: 0

Aksjologiczno-ekonomiczne implikacje transhumanizmu

Author(s): Anna Rutkowska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 22/2017

The issue of a human’s identity, as well as his role and place in the surrounding world is a prominent theme in terms of a reflection on human intellect and capabilities of a mind. As such - in the context of contemplation about human nature and the quintessence of being - where technological development, being practically unlimited by now, can lead to? The visions of technological personality and indomitable technological expansion, are present in practically every aspect of human activity - from a globalized political macroplane, through economic, social or cultural ones, local societies functionalities mesolevel to everyday human relations microplanes. It raises a question about the both aforementioned concepts being unavoidable. Are human actions in fact leading to a certain, peculiar milestone in a future humanity development, which will result in every present prediction about humanity’s identity being outdated? The article touches upon theoretical speculation about axiological and economic consequences of transhumanism.

Aksjologiczny wymiar ekonomii

Author(s): Marian Zalesko / Language(s): Polish / Publication Year: 0

Aksjomat multiplikatywny Russela

Author(s): Katarzyna Lewandowska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 50/2012

We present the history of two parallel (and equivalent) discoveries: the axiom of choice and the multiplicative axiom. Firstly, we consider the origins of the formulation of the multiplicative axiom. Next, we concentrate on Russell’s attitude towards the role of this axiom, which is closely related to his philosophy of mathematics. We also highlight some differences between Russell’s and Zermelo’s propositions.