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Non-Reflexive Logics, Non-Individuals, and the Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics: Essays in Honour of the Philosophy of Décio Krause (Synthese Library #476)
by Jonas R. B. Arenhart Raoni W. ArroyoThis book discusses the philosophical work of Décio Krause. Non-individuality, as a new metaphysical category, was thought to be strongly supported by quantum mechanics. No one did more to promote this idea than the Brazilian philosopher Décio Krause, whose works on the metaphysics and logic of non-individuality are now widely regarded as part of the consolidated literature on the subject. This volume brings together chapters elaborating on the ideas put forward and defended by Krause, developing them in many different directions, commenting on aspects not completely developed so far, and, more importantly, critically addressing their current formulations and defenses by Krause himself. Given that Krause’s ideas do connect directly and indirectly with a wide array of subjects, such as the philosophy of quantum mechanics, more broadly understood, the philosophy of logic and logical philosophy, non-classical logics, metaphysics, and ontology, this volume contains important material for the research on logic and foundations of science, broadly understood. All the invited contributors have already worked with the ideas developed by Décio (some of them still work with them), being also distinct authors and extremely relevant in their areas of expertise. The volume is aimed at philosophers, including those of physics and quantum mechanics.
The Non-Reificatory Approach to Belief
by Richard FloydThis book argues against the mainstream view that we should treat propositional attitudes as internal states, suggesting that to treat beliefs as things of certain sort (i. e. to reify them) is a mistake. The reificatory view faces several problems that the non-reificatory view avoids, and it is argued the non-reificatory view is more faithful to the everyday concept of belief. There are several major reasons why it might be thought that a reificatory approach to mental states is nevertheless unavoidable, but this book attempts to show that none of these reasons is at all convincing; in each case, the evidence is consistent with a non-reificatory view. Having argued that the popularity of the reificatory view is unjustified, the author examines history of psychology and philosophy of mind, and the structure of psychological language, in order to show that this popularity is quite understandable, but mistaken nonetheless.
The Non-Sovereign Self, Responsibility, and Otherness: Hannah Arendt, Judith Butler and Stanley Cavell on Moral Philosophy and Political Agency (International Political Theory)
by Rosine KelzDrawing on Hannah Arendt, Judith Butler and Stanley Cavell, this book addresses contemporary theoretical and political debates in a broader comparative perspective and rearticulates the relationship between ethics and politics by highlighting those who are currently excluded from our notions of political community.
The Non-Sovereign Self, Responsibility, and Otherness: Hannah Arendt, Judith Butler, and Stanley Cavell on Moral Philosophy and Political Agency (International Political Theory)
by Rosine KelzDrawing on Hannah Arendt, Judith Butler and Stanley Cavell, this book addresses contemporary theoretical and political debates in a broader comparative perspective and rearticulates the relationship between ethics and politics by highlighting those who are currently excluded from our notions of political community.
Non-things: Upheaval in the Lifeworld
by Byung-Chul HanWe no longer inhabit earth and dwell under the sky: these are being replaced by Google Earth and the Cloud. The terrestrial order is giving way to a digital order, the world of things is being replaced by a world of non-things – a constantly expanding ‘infosphere’ of information and communication which displaces objects and obliterates any stillness and calmness in our lives. Byung-Chul Han’s critique of the infosphere highlights the price we are paying for our growing preoccupation with information and communication. Today we search for more information without gaining any real knowledge. We communicate constantly without participating in a community. We save masses of data without keeping track of our memories. We accumulate friends and followers without encountering other people. This is how information develops a form of life that has no stability or duration. And as we become increasingly absorbed in the infosphere, we lose touch with the magic of things which provide a stable environment for dwelling and give continuity to human life. The infosphere may seem to grant us new freedoms but it creates new forms of control too, and it cuts us off from the kind of freedom that is tied to acting in the world. This new book by one of the most creative cultural theorists writing today will be of interest to a wide readership.
Non-Violence and Social Change
by J. S. Mathur“In this hurricane of annihilating material power mankind will not be able to save itself from self destruction unless we all of us manage to practise non-violence in our relations with our fellow-men.” — Arnold Toynbee "Humanity stands at cross-road today. Several scholars and statesmen are worried about the catastrophe that humanity faces if we do not act with restraint and reason. Eminent scholars are now advocating increasing relevance on Gandhian techniques. At such juncture, the papers presented by 46 scholars for the seminar on ‘Non-violence and Social Change’ held in 1971 are being published in the present volume with the hope that it rouses in the academic community a desire to study Gandhiji’s ideas in all its ramification."
Non-Violent Resistance
by M. K. GandhiMohandas Gandhi gained the deep respect and admiration of people worldwide with both his unwavering struggle for truth and justice and his philosophy of non-violent resistance — a philosophy that led India to independence and that was later taken up by the American civil rights movement. This volume presents Gandhi's own clear and consistent vision of that philosophy, which he calls Satyagraha — literally, "holding on to the truth." Through Satyagraha, one brings about change by appealing to the reason and conscience of the opponent and puts an end to evil by converting the evil-doer.The book begins with an introductory explanation of Satyagraha, including a description of how it differs from passive resistance and what it has in common with the civil disobedience of Thoreau and non-cooperation in general. It proceeds with detailed discussions of discipline and self-control, including living simply, recognizing the unity of all loving beings, and serving one's neighbors wholeheartedly; the courage and training necessary for the Satyagrahi; successful on-cooperation and civil disobedience; political power and Satyagraha, the development of a non-violent army; the use and effectiveness of such techniques as non-payment of fines and taxes, social boycotts, fasting, sympathetic strikes, and other forms of non-cooperation; women and picketing; and many other topics.Invaluable to ethicists, political philosophers, students, and participants in the ongoing struggle for human rights, this inspiring book is as relevant today as it was when first published half a century ago.
Non-Western Educational Traditions: Local Approaches to Thought and Practice
by Timothy ReaganInformative and mind-opening, this text uniquely provides a comprehensive overview of a range of non-western approaches to educational thought and practice. Its premise is that understanding the ways that other people educate their children—as well as what counts for them as "education"—may help readers to think more clearly about some of their own assumptions and values, and to become more open to alternative viewpoints about important educational matters. The approach is deliberately and profoundly pedagogical, based in the author’s own teaching practice. Designed to be used in pre-service and in-service teacher education courses where substantial critical discussion and debate are encouraged, the text is enhanced by Questions for Discussion and Reflection in each chapter. Updates and Features of the Fourth Edition • NEW! Chapter 2 exploring key features of the ‘western educational tradition’, and information about the contemporary educational systems in different countries • NEW! Chapter 10 on traditional educational thought and practice in Oceania, with special focus on the Maori in New Zealand, the Hawai’ians, and the Australian Aboriginal peoples • Updated chapter on Africa includes fuller explanation of the diversity within the indigenous African experience, as well as several contemporary cases of state education in Africa • Updated Chapter 4 is designed to help non-Muslims to understand the Muslim educational heritage and the growing issue of Islamophobia • Exploration of Chinese education now includes a special emphasis on the thought of Confucius, the role of the imperial examination system, and the impact of political and economic changes in the 20th century • Updated analysis of contemporary educational practices in Hindu and Buddhist educational thought and practice and brief discussions of Jainism and Sikhism
Nonclassical Logics and Their Applications: Post-proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Logic and Cognition (Logic in Asia: Studia Logica Library)
by Shier Ju Alessandra Palmigiano Minghui MaThis edited book focuses on non-classical logics and their applications, highlighting the rapid advances and the new perspectives that are emerging in this area. Non-classical logics are logical formalisms that violate or go beyond classical logic laws, and their specific features make them particularly suited to describing and reason about aspects of social interaction. The richness and diversity of non-classical logics mean that this area is a natural catalyst for ideas and insights from many different fields, from information theory to game theory and business science. This volume is the post-proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Logic and Cognition, held at Sun Yat-Sen University Institute of Logic and Cognition (ILC) in Guangzhou, China in December 2016. The conference series started in 2001, and is organized by the ILC, often in collaboration with various international research groups. This eighth installment was jointly organized by ILC and Alessandra Palmigiano's Applied Logic research group. The conference series aims to foster the development of effective logical tools to study social behavior from a philosophical, cognitive and formal perspective in order to challenge the field of logic in ways that open up new and exciting research directions.Chapter "The Category of Node-and-Choice Forms, with Subcategories for Choice-Sequence Forms and Choice-Set Forms" of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com
Noncognitivism in Ethics (New Problems of Philosophy)
by Mark SchroederAccording to noncognitivists, when we say that stealing is wrong, what we are doing is more like venting our feelings about stealing or encouraging one another not to steal, than like stating facts about morality. These ideas challenge the core not only of much thinking about morality and metaethics, but also of much philosophical thought about language and meaning. Noncognitivism in Ethics is an outstanding introduction to these theories, ranging from their early history through the latest contemporary developments. Beginning with a general introduction to metaethics, Mark Schroeder introduces and assesses three principal kinds of noncognitivist theory: the speech-act theories of Ayer, Stevenson, and Hare, the expressivist theories of Blackburn and Gibbard, and hybrid theories. He pays particular attention both to the philosophical problems about what moral facts could be about or how they could matter which noncognitivism seeks to solve, and to the deep problems that it faces, including the task of explaining both the nature of moral thought and the complexity of moral attitudes, and the ‘Frege-Geach’ problem. Schroeder makes even the most difficult material accessible by offering crucial background along the way. Also included are exercises at the end of each chapter, chapter summaries, and a glossary of technical terms - making Noncognitivism in Ethics essential reading for all students of ethics and metaethics.
Noncognitivism in Ethics (New Problems of Philosophy)
by Mark SchroederAccording to noncognitivists, when we say that stealing is wrong, what we are doing is more like venting our feelings about stealing or encouraging one another not to steal, than like stating facts about morality. These ideas challenge the core not only of much thinking about morality and metaethics, but also of much philosophical thought about language and meaning. Noncognitivism in Ethics is an outstanding introduction to these theories, ranging from their early history through the latest contemporary developments. Beginning with a general introduction to metaethics, Mark Schroeder introduces and assesses three principal kinds of noncognitivist theory: the speech-act theories of Ayer, Stevenson, and Hare; the expressivist theories of Blackburn and Gibbard; and hybrid theories. He pays particular attention both to the philosophical problems about what moral facts could be about or how they could matter, which noncognitivism seeks to solve, and to the deep problems that it faces, including the task of explaining both the nature of moral thought and the complexity of moral attitudes, and the ‘Frege–Geach’ problem. This second edition has been revised and updated throughout. It includes new sections on whether expressivism is a metasemantic thesis; the rise of relational expressivism; the idea that expressivism leads us to a novel understanding of the nature of propositions; and expressivism and epistemic modals, deontic modals, probability, and truth. Schroeder makes even the most difficult material accessible by offering crucial background along the way. Also included are exercises at the end of each chapter, chapter summaries, and a glossary of technical terms, making Noncognitivism in Ethics essential reading for all students of ethics and metaethics.
Nonconformity: Writing on Writing
by Nelson AlgrenThe struggle to write with deep emotion is the subject of this extraordinary book, the previously unpublished credo of one of America's greatest 20th-century writers."You don't write a novel out of sheer pity any more than you blow a safe out of a vague longing to be rich," writes Nelson Algren in his only longer work of nonfiction, adding: "A certain ruthlessness and a sense of alienation from society is as essential to creative writing as it is to armed robbery." Nonconformity is about 20th-century America: "Never on the earth of man has he lived so tidily as here amidst such psychological disorder." And it is about the trouble writers ask for when they try to describe America: "Our myths are so many, our vision so dim, our self-deception so deep and our smugness so gross that scarcely any way now remains of reporting the American Century except from behind the billboards . . . [where there] are still . . . defeats in which everything is lost [and] victories that fall close enough to the heart to afford living hope." In Nonconformity, Algren identifies the essential nature of the writer's relation to society, drawing examples from Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, Twain, and Fitzgerald, as well as utility infielder Leo Durocher and legendary barkeep Martin Dooley. He shares his deepest beliefs about the state of literature and its role in society, along the way painting a chilling portrait of the early 1950s, Joe McCarthy's heyday, when many American writers were blacklisted and ruined for saying similar things to what Algren is saying here.
Nondeductive Inference (Routledge Library Editions: Logic)
by Robert AckermannOriginally published in 1966. An introduction to current studies of kinds of inference in which validity cannot be determined by ordinary deductive models. In particular, inductive inference, predictive inference, statistical inference, and decision making are examined in some detail. The last chapter discusses the relationship of these forms of inference to philosophical notions of rationality. Special features of the monograph include a discussion of the legitimacy of various criteria for successful predictive inference, the development of an intuitive model which exhibits the difficulties of choosing probability measures over infinite sets, and a comparison of rival views on the foundations of probability in terms of the amount of information which the members of these schools believe suitable for fruitful formalization. The bibliographies include articles by statisticians accessible to students of symbolic logic.
Nonduality
by David LoyMany Western philosophers are poorly informed about the issues involved in nonduality, since this topic is usually associated with various kinds of absolute idealism in the West, or mystical traditions in the East. Increasingly, however, this topic is finding its way into Western philosophical debates. In this "scholarly but leisurely and very readable" (Spectrum Review) analysis of the philosophies of nondualism of (Hindu) Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism, Loy extracts what he calls "a core doctrine" of nonduality of seer and seen from these three worldviews and then applies the doctrine in various ways, including a critique of Derrida's deconstructionism.
Nonduality: In Buddhism and Beyond (Philosophy Of Religion Ser.)
by David R. LoyOne of Western Buddhism’s most sophisticated thinkers on one of Buddhism’s most central topics.The concept of nonduality lies at the very heart of Mahayana Buddhism. In the West, it’s usually associated with various kinds of absolute idealism in the West, or mystical traditions in the East—and as a result, many modern philosophers are poorly informed on the topic. Increasingly, however, nonduality is finding its way into Western philosophical debates. In this “scholarly but leisurely and very readable” (Spectrum Review) analysis of the philosophies of nondualism of (Hindu) Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism, renowned thinker David R. Loy extracts what he calls “a core doctrine” of nonduality. Loy clarifies this easily misunderstood topic with thorough, subtle, and understandable analysis. ____ Previously published as Nonduality by Humanity Books.
The Nonhuman Turn
by Richard GrusinEdited by Richard Grusin of the Center for 21st Century Studies, this is the first book to name and characterize--and therefore consolidate--a wide array of current critical, theoretical, and philosophical approaches to the humanities and social sciences under the concept of the nonhuman turn. Each of these approaches is engaged in decentering the human in favor of a concern for the nonhuman, understood by contributors in a variety of ways--in terms of animals, affectivity, bodies, materiality, technologies, and organic and geophysical systems.The nonhuman turn in twenty-first-century studies can be traced to multiple intellectual and theoretical developments from the last decades of the twentieth century: actor-network theory, affect theory, animal studies, assemblage theory, cognitive sciences, new materialism, new media theory, speculative realism, and systems theory. Such varied analytical and theoretical formations obviously diverge and disagree in many of their assumptions, objects, and methodologies. However, they all take up aspects of the nonhuman as critical to the future of twenty-first-century studies in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.Unlike the posthuman turn, the nonhuman turn does not make a claim about teleology or progress in which we begin with the human and see a transformation from the human to the posthuman. Rather, the nonhuman turn insists (paraphrasing Bruno Latour) that "we have never been human," that the human has always coevolved, coexisted, or collaborated with the nonhuman--and that the human is identified precisely by this indistinction from the nonhuman. Contributors: Jane Bennett, Johns Hopkins U; Ian Bogost, Georgia Institute of Technology; Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, Brown U; Mark B. N. Hansen, Duke U; Erin Manning, Concordia U, Montreal; Brian Massumi, U of Montreal; Timothy Morton, Rice U; Steven Shaviro, Wayne State U; Rebekah Sheldon, Indiana U.
Nonhuman Witnessing: War, Data, and Ecology after the End of the World (Thought in the Act)
by Michael RichardsonIn Nonhuman Witnessing Michael Richardson argues that a radical rethinking of what counts as witnessing is central to building frameworks for justice in an era of endless war, ecological catastrophe, and technological capture. Dismantling the primacy and notion of traditional human-based forms of witnessing, Richardson shows how ecological, machinic, and algorithmic forms of witnessing can help us better understand contemporary crises. He examines the media-specificity of nonhuman witnessing across an array of sites, from nuclear testing on First Nations land and autonomous drone warfare to deepfakes, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic investigative tools. Throughout, he illuminates the ethical and political implications of witnessing in an age of profound instability. By challenging readers to rethink their understanding of witnessing, testimony, and trauma in the context of interconnected crises, Richardson reveals the complex entanglements between witnessing and violence and the human and the nonhuman.
The Nonkilling Paradigm: For World Peace and Enlightenment
by Katyayani Singh Anoop SwarupThis book addresses the human civilizational ethos and explores the concept of the nonkilling paradigm concerning human dignity, human rights, affirmative nonkilling, positive peace and the advancement of human existence. It focuses on the complex question of how to mitigate the prevalent lethal actions and lay out a roadmap for a large-scale transformation of global society into a nonkilling one. It examines the lives of charismatic socio-political leaders who have played a vital role in achieving revolutions in their respective contexts and societies, and studies these revolutions from a nonkilling perspective, investigating the number of human lives lost, both during and after the revolution, due to deliberate actions on the part of leaders. In closing, it assesses the global status quo and current trends and presents a Global Nonkilling Index to record deliberate killings around the world. The book is a significant addition to the literature, specifically in the field of reinterpreting Gandhian concepts in the light of contemporary needs. Given its scope, the book is of immense value to researchers and practitioners in the areas of political science, philosophy, sociology & peace studies. Moreover, it is a must-read for everyone interested in promoting global nonviolence, nonkilling & peace.
NoNonsense Rethinking Education: Whose knowledge is it anyway?
by Adam Unwin John YandellWhat is knowledge? Who decides what is important? Who owns it? These are central themes that run through this title that aims to change perceptions and understanding of education. Using historical and contemporary examples, the authors examine the motivations, conflicts, and contradictions in education. In breaking down the structures, forces, and technologies involved they show how alternative approaches can emerge.Dr. Adam Unwin is Senior Lecturer in Business and Economics Education at University College London's Institute of Education. John Yandell is Senior Lecturer in Education at University College London Institute of Education.
The Nonsense of Kant and Lewis Carroll: Unexpected Essays on Philosophy, Art, Life, and Death
by Ben-Ami ScharfsteinWhat if Immanuel Kant floated down from his transcendental heights, straight through Alice’s rabbit hole, and into the fabulous world of Lewis Carroll? For Ben-Ami Scharfstein this is a wonderfully instructive scenario and the perfect way to begin this wide-ranging collection of decades of startlingly synthesized thought. Combining a deep knowledge of psychology, cultural anthropology, art history, and the history of religions—not to mention philosophy—he demonstrates again and again the unpredictability of writing and thought and how they can teach us about our experiences. Scharfstein begins with essays on the nature of philosophy itself, moving from an autobiographical account of the trials of being a comparativist to philosophy’s function in the outside world to the fear of death in Kant and Hume. From there he explores an impressive array of art: from China and Japan to India and the West; from an essay on sadistic and masochistic body art to one on the epistemology of the deaf and the blind. He then returns to philosophy, writing on Machiavelli and political ruthlessness, then on the ineffable, and closes with a review of Walter Kaufmann’s multivolume look at the essence of humanity, Discovering the Mind. Altogether, these essays are a testament to adventurous thought, the kind that leaps to the furthest reaches of the possible.
Nonsense on Stilts: How To Tell Science From Bunk
by Massimo PigliucciRecent polls suggest that fewer than 40 percent of Americans believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution, despite it being one of science’s best-established findings. Parents still refuse to vaccinate their children for fear it causes autism, though this link has been consistently disproved. And about 40 percent of Americans believe that the threat of global warming is exaggerated, including many political leaders. In this era of fake news and alternative facts, there is more bunk than ever. But why do people believe in it? And what causes them to embrace such pseudoscientific beliefs and practices? In this fully revised second edition, noted skeptic Massimo Pigliucci sets out to separate the fact from the fantasy in an entertaining exploration of the nature of science, the borderlands of fringe science, and—borrowing a famous phrase from philosopher Jeremy Bentham—the nonsense on stilts. Presenting case studies on a number of controversial topics, Pigliucci cuts through the ambiguity surrounding science to look more closely at how science is conducted, how it is disseminated, how it is interpreted, and what it means to our society. The result is in many ways a “taxonomy of bunk” that explores the intersection of science and culture at large. No one—neither the public intellectuals in the culture wars between defenders and detractors of science nor the believers of pseudoscience themselves—is spared Pigliucci’s incisive analysis in this timely reminder of the need to maintain a line between expertise and assumption. Broad in scope and implication, Nonsense on Stilts is a captivating guide for the intelligent citizen who wishes to make up her own mind while navigating the perilous debates that will shape the future of our planet.
Nonstandard Analysis for the Working Mathematician
by Peter A. Loeb Manfred P. H. WolffStarting with a simple formulation accessible to all mathematicians, this second edition is designed to provide a thorough introduction to nonstandard analysis. Nonstandard analysis is now a well-developed, powerful instrument for solving open problems in almost all disciplines of mathematics; it is often used as a 'secret weapon' by those who know the technique. This book illuminates the subject with some of the most striking applications in analysis, topology, functional analysis, probability and stochastic analysis, as well as applications in economics and combinatorial number theory. The first chapter is designed to facilitate the beginner in learning this technique by starting with calculus and basic real analysis. The second chapter provides the reader with the most important tools of nonstandard analysis: the transfer principle, Keisler's internal definition principle, the spill-over principle, and saturation. The remaining chapters of the book study different fields for applications; each begins with a gentle introduction before then exploring solutions to open problems. All chapters within this second edition have been reworked and updated, with several completely new chapters on compactifications and number theory. Nonstandard Analysis for the Working Mathematician will be accessible to both experts and non-experts, and will ultimately provide many new and helpful insights into the enterprise of mathematics.
Nonstandard Methods in Ramsey Theory and Combinatorial Number Theory (Lecture Notes in Mathematics #2239)
by Mauro Di Nasso Isaac Goldbring Martino LupiniThe goal of this monograph is to give an accessible introduction to nonstandard methods and their applications, with an emphasis on combinatorics and Ramsey theory. It includes both new nonstandard proofs of classical results and recent developments initially obtained in the nonstandard setting. This makes it the first combinatorics-focused account of nonstandard methods to be aimed at a general (graduate-level) mathematical audience. This book will provide a natural starting point for researchers interested in approaching the rapidly growing literature on combinatorial results obtained via nonstandard methods. The primary audience consists of graduate students and specialists in logic and combinatorics who wish to pursue research at the interface between these areas.
Nonsymmetric Operads in Combinatorics (SpringerBriefs in Computer Science)
by Samuele GiraudoOperads are algebraic devices offering a formalization of the concept of operations with several inputs and one output. Such operations can be naturally composed to form more complex ones. Coming historically from algebraic topology, operads intervene now as important objects in computer science and in combinatorics. A lot of operads involving combinatorial objects highlight some of their properties and allow to discover new ones.This book portrays the main elements of this theory under a combinatorial point of view and exposes the links it maintains with computer science and combinatorics. Examples of operads appearing in combinatorics are studied. The modern treatment of operads consisting in considering the space of formal power series associated with an operad is developed. Enrichments of nonsymmetric operads as colored, cyclic, and symmetric operads are reviewed.
Nontaxation and Representation
by Kevin M. MorrisonDoes oil make countries autocratic? Can foreign aid make countries democratic? Does taxation lead to representation? In this book, Kevin M. Morrison develops a novel argument about how government revenues of all kinds affect political regimes and their leaders. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Morrison illustrates that taxation leads to instability, not representation. With this insight, he extends his award-winning work on nontax revenues to encompass foreign aid, oil revenue, and intergovernmental grants and shows that they lead to decreased taxation, increased government spending, and increased political stability. Looking at the stability of democracies and dictatorships as well as leadership transitions within those regimes, Morrison incorporates cross-national statistical methods, formal modeling, a quasi-experiment, and case studies of Brazil, Kenya, and Mexico to build his case. This book upends many common hypotheses and policy recommendations, providing the most comprehensive treatment of revenue and political stability to date.