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The theme „science and values“ is general enough to encompass different topical facets. Here, I am concerned with two of these, related to the answers to the following questions: „How is science, as such, construed as a value today?“ and „Are there certain types of values that in some ways determine the conceptual paths for the growth of science?”
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Karl Popper developed his own axiomatization and interpretation of mathematical probability, commonly known as the propensity theory of probability. In arguing for his theory, he strongly criticized the so-called „subjectivist“ interpretation, which views probabilities as representing personal degrees of belief in the truthfulness of a proposition. Popper maintained that the subjectivist interpretation turns probabilistic statements into empirically unverifiable tautologies. I propose three arguments against this critique. First and foremost, the revision of personal beliefs, when available empirical evidence is given, is in fact the core of the subjective interpretation of probability. Secondly, it is relatively easy to show that the complete elimination of the subjective factor in scientific research is an utopian ideal. No philosophical interpretation of mathematical probability is able to shield scientific research from the inset of prior information – at least in the form of auxiliary hypotheses or theories. However, the subjective interpretation is the only one that explicitly includes the subjective factor in its calculations. Thirdly, the subjective factor may have a positive role and be extremely useful in science. Finally, I propose that we avoid using the relatively outdated terms „subjective probabilities“ and „subjective interpretation“ in probability theory. These elicit bad connotations and evoke scepticism in scientists from the natural sciences. In order to avoid ambiguity, it would be well to employ the commonly used modern terms „prior probabilities“ and „Bayesian interpretation“.
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Plato's Timaeus is taken as a background for certain views presented by Aristotle in his On the Heavens. The author discusses possible arguments for introducing a new (“fifth”) element.
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The paper presents the author’s functional model of the exo-systemic social context of science in the form of a typology, and builds a classification scheme of the model’s social functions, decomposed into target (external and internal) and instrumental functions; the latter group is divided into relational and performative functions. Through application of the principles of functional and structural analysis, indicators are proposed for determining the level of development of a social function. A summary of the types and directions of functional transformations of modern science in the context of their social impact is presented. The article concludes that both the target and instrumental social functions of science undergo significant development in the modern knowledge society.
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The basic aim of this study is to reveal and demonstrate how the analysis of the topic of contradiction can outline directions for overcoming transcendentalism, i.e., outline ontological-dialectical approaches to logic through the prism of Kant and Hegel, and based on this, present the result of paraconsistent logic with regard to the formalization of dialectical logic.
More...Хилъри Пътнам „по ръба на острието“
The article explores Hilary Putnam’s analysis of the distinction between factual and value judgments. The topics discussed relate to the main arguments against the non- cognitivist, emotivist interpretation of value claims. Hilary Putnam’s contribution is evaluated in the light of the problem of scientific objectivity, and his notion of “objectivity without objects” is supported from within the context of pragmatist philosophy
More...Значимостта на артефактите в личната – биографична, в племенната, държавна, национална и световна история
This article investigates the concept of “artifact”.
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We present an overview of the 9th European Congress of Analytic Philosophy (ECAP 9), held from August 21 to 26, 2017, at Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. The article begins with the presentation of some general information about the congress and its history. Then we focus on the main topics of the congress, including its plenary talks and symposia. Three ongoing tendencies in contemporary analytic philosophy are outlined:1) a widening of the scope of analytic philosophy (now including disciplines such as analytic metaphysics and analytic aesthetics);2) a blurring of the lines between the traditional philosophical disciplines (e.g., between methodology of science and analytic metaphysics, or between analytic epistemology and ethics);3) the addition of new methods in the toolbox of traditional analytic philosophy (such as computer simulations and even experimental techniques).Last but not least, we note the considerable Bulgarian presence at ECAP 9, and argue that the road towards a regular strong Bulgarian presence at international philosophical congresses goes through an educational reform that emphasizes building skills for clear and consistent argumentative writing.
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Creationism in general, and the theory of Intelligent Design (ID) in particular, have so far mostly remained outside the mainstream discourse in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries, in contrast with the perpetual controversy they generate in the United States. However, this situation may change in the near future as active initial forays are being made here to assert the presence of creationism in society. Albeit, based on a superficial reading of its recent socio-political history, this may seem counterintuitive, a fertile intellectual soil for creationism seems in fact to be present in this part of Europe, a circumstance that requires closer examination. The discussion carried on in this journal regarding the scientific credibility of ID has been quite informative as to the factors underlying the vulnerability of Bulgarian society to pseudo-scientific ideas. In this article, the author analyses the pro-ID argumentation presented in one of the articles in the series (Gagov 2016), first, from a scientific and philosophical point of view, and then in the larger socio-historical context from which ID is derived. This is then used as an illustration helping the reader to understand how the current situation developed. The article highlights the dangers to the intellectual health of society by making a comparison with analogous phenomena in the past and their consequences.
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Accepting in principle Michael Dummett’s view that the linguistic turn was first taken by Gottlob Frege in Die Grundlagen der Arithmetik, § 62, 1884, the article argues that de facto the specific “mentality” of the linguistic turn was formed in Frege’s thought earlier, during the years 1874–1879, while he was reading philosophical and mathematical texts, criticizing then current views on number and arithmetical truths, and preparing his Begriffsschrift for publication. The article surveys the logical breakthroughs made by Frege and argues that, during the years 1879–1890, Frege was practicing logical analysis of language mainly in the form of functional-argument presentation of conceptual contents and sentences, anticipating his own important writings from the beginning of the 1890s, when the concepts of Sinn and Bedeutung were introduced and a new semantic theory was formed, which further affected his analysis of language.
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In this short article, I will explore John Searle’s social ontology project from the perspective of social epistemology. The outcome of my analysis is that language is decisive for the collective acquisition and production of knowledge. I agree with Searle regarding the exposure of language as a central constitutive component of social forms of knowledge, a component that plays a significant role in the development of social epistemology.In Searle's account, all institutional facts are linguistically created and maintained. I agree that language should play a central role in any social ontology, in social epistemology, as well as for our understanding of society. But when we bring in language and make it the central focus and foundation in explaining how society is created and functions, it becomes inevitable to bring in the diversity of views in theories of meaning and to analyze how these contribute to the creation and maintenance of society. Other questions also need to be addressed, including those related to the so-called “problem of group belief justification”, as it is not clear how it fits into Searle’s project and how individual convictions become convictions of the community.
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Arguing with reference to magical techniques, the paper refutes the relational concept of consciousness.
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One of the central problems in the field of contemporary philosophy of medicine is the analysis of the concepts of health and disease. The article focuses on the discussions between normativists and naturalists regarding the role of values in the semantical analysis of the concepts of disease and health. The role of norm and anomaly is emphasized. The article specifically devotes attention to the different epistemological roles ascribed to norms and anomalies in contemporary medical science and theories. The article highlights the importance of nonclassical logic (fuzzy logic) for the philosophical analysis of “health” and “disease”.
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The article outlines a conceptual framework that would allow exploring the current revolution in biotechnologies in terms of the double role they play as a pharmakon (the concept as developed by Stiegler and Derrida): on the one hand, the development of biotechnologies intensifies the tendency of technosciences to establish full control over matter and life; on the other hand, however, technologies open new fields for the radical imagination and future protentions, as well as for the transformation of power-knowledge structures. In more specific terms, the object of this study is the movement to biotech, which includes the fields of synthetic biology, garage biology, bioart and biohacking. Some of these (synthetic biology and biohacking in its narrow transhumanist sense) could be regarded as peaks of the anthropocentric desire for full control over matter, the human body and other living beings, while others (garage biology and bioart), on the contrary, deconstruct control via dynamic involvement of the artist-researcher in the co-generating power of sympoietic commonalities between humans, nonhuman living systems and nonliving beings, the boundaries between them, as well as their identities, remaining fluid. In this text, I attempt to analyze how these apparently contradictory tendencies actually imply, and draw close to, one another, to examine the movement which generates them (algorithmization of living matter, systems and processes) and the philosophical questions posed by this movement. The article gives a schematic picture of the conceptual framework of research; while some of the presuppositions are presented in detail, the solutions require further practical and theoretical study.
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This article deals with the externalist approach to subjective justification, which grounds the latter upon cognitive integration of our faculties or virtues. The crucial assumption in this theory is that cognitive integration must be motivated by our aiming at the truth. By analogy, the approach is applicable to subjective justification in the moral domain. One would be subjectively justified in making a moral decision, if that decision resulted from an integrated moral character, and if the integration was motivated by our aiming at the good. I claim that this approach has the same kind of drawback in both domains. My claim is that adding the motivation component of achieving the truth or the good is possible only by introducing the requirement of reflection, and therefore externalism with regard to subjective justification is not sustainable. My argument is based on Kahneman (2011) who shows that our belief formation and decision-making is affected by cognitive biases, such as those related to ease, speed and conformist thinking. These biases are subjectively indistinguishable from reliable processes that aim at the truth. Thus, motivation to achieve the truth cannot be controlled without reflection upon the relevant processes.
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Man in Comparison with Other Animals was the first Bulgarian textbook on human and animal anatomy and physiology; it comprises sections on chemistry, behavioural biology, therapeutic strategies and methods, nutrition and also offers veterinary advices. The author was educated in the prestigious Medical School in Wurzburg and specialized surgery and general medicine in leading European clinics in Paris, Wien and Berlin. He aimed to significantly expand the knowledge of Bulgarian secondary school students on the above-mentioned subjects after 1870 in order to improve the education, health habits and social practices of his countrymen.
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The title phrase “The Owls Are Not What They Seem”, taken from the TV series Twin Peaks, is a motivating metaphor for reflections concerning the fact that contemporary non-classical science often provides us with what I call an epistemological surprise. The main lesson contained in this surprise is that things which we know from our centuries-long experience are in fact not what they appear to be. For the purpose, I discuss the misleading role of naïve philosophical realism lying in the background of the growth of contemporary scientific knowledge.
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This article addresses the postmodern attack on science. On the basis of relativism, postmodernism posits that science should not have a more privileged status than pseudoscientific or plainly anti-scientific disciplines. Some 20th-century philosophers have unfortunately provided intellectual ammunition for this attack. Levi-Strauss’s approach to rationality, Peter Winch’s criticisms of Evans-Pritchard, Wittgenstein’s notion of “language games”, Kuhn’s approach to the incommensurability of paradigms, and Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism, are duly addressed and criticized in the article. Likewise, Popper’s philosophy of science has been erroneously used by postmodernists to attack science. This article clarifies some of these misconceptions
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