This article delves into Bjarne Melkevik’s arguments about the significance of studying the philosophy of law. It aims to address, first, what it means to philosophically consider the law and, second, the pivotal issues in contemporary legal thought. The key issues identified are the ontological question, the epistemological question, the issue of “ought to be,” and the question of Ethics and Law. In Bjarne Melkevik’s work, law is portrayed as “a collective and individual process of shaping wills and opinions, a process that is continuous and permanent.” In the context of legal modernity, the role of philosophical thought is to be a Companion, a ἀγωγός, guiding individuals through this process.
Trevor Fitzpatrick, Seamus Kelly, Patrick Carey
et al.
The emergence of Generative AI (Gen AI) has motivated an interest in understanding how it could be used to enhance productivity across various tasks. We add to research results for the performance impact of Gen AI on complex knowledge-based tasks in a public sector setting. In a pre-registered experiment, after establishing a baseline level of performance, we find mixed evidence for two types of composite tasks related to document understanding and data analysis. For the Documents task, the treatment group using Gen AI had a 17% improvement in answer quality scores (as judged by human evaluators) and a 34% improvement in task completion time compared to a control group. For the Data task, we find the Gen AI treatment group experienced a 12% reduction in quality scores and no significant difference in mean completion time compared to the control group. These results suggest that the benefits of Gen AI may be task and potentially respondent dependent. We also discuss field notes and lessons learned, as well as supplementary insights from a post-trial survey and feedback workshop with participants.
The search for a new scientific theory is typically prompted by an encounter with something in the world that cannot be explained by current theories. This is not the case for the search for a theory of quantum gravity, which has been primarily motivated by theoretical and philosophical concerns. This Element introduces some of the motivations for seeking a theory of quantum gravity, with the aim of instigating a more critical perspective on how they are used in defining and constraining the theory sought. These motivations include unification, incompatibilities between general relativity and quantum field theory, consistency, singularity resolution, and results from black hole thermodynamics.
The rapid evolution of conversational artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked an ongoing debate regarding its ability to replicate, or even experience, human emotions. While early conversational chatbots such as Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA (1966) relied on simple pattern recognition to create the illusion of understanding, modern AI systems like ChatGPT generate highly sophisticated, contextually appropriate responses that can convincingly mimic emotional engagement. This paper draws upon cinematic reflections, such as Spike Jonze’s Her (2013), to offer a critical examination of the question of whether AI is capable of genuine emotional experience or merely simulating such experiences through advanced language modelling. Utilising a theoretical framework grounded in philosophy, psychology and communication studies, this research critically assesses AI’s capacity for emotional experience, positing that while chatbots may convincingly simulate human emotional expression, they lack the subjective element that is integral to genuine emotional experience. This distinction, nowadays, has profound implications for human-AI interaction, ethics, and our understanding of artificial intelligence’s humanity in contemporary society.
Abstract Background In the translation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is crucial to preserve the authenticity of its philosophical, historical, and linguistic characteristics. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of translation strategies for adapting TCM terminology to foreign cultural contexts, based on the classical text The Emperor”s Canon of Eighty-One Difficult Issues. Methods A comparative analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of foreignization and domestication strategies in translating TCM terminology into Russian, using an experimental study involving 84 respondents (42 in each group). The Student’s t-test was employed to assess medical accuracy, equivalence, pragmatic value, terminological precision, and cultural specificity. Results The results revealed a statistically significant advantage of the domestication strategy across most metrics, particularly in equivalence (p = 0.001) and pragmatic value (p = 0.008), where domestication achieved higher mean scores (4.12 and 4.03) compared to foreignization (3.48 and 3.55). Thus, it was established that domestication facilitates better adaptation of complex Chinese medical concepts for target audiences while maintaining sufficient medical accuracy. This is supported by higher scores in overcoming cultural barriers (48.8% versus 22.0%) and ensuring terminological precision (3.88 versus 3.41), making it a more effective strategy for translating medical terminology from Chinese into Russian. Conclusions The practical significance of this study lies in determining the effectiveness of translation approaches for TCM terminology into Russian through experimental research. These findings can be applied in the work of medical translators, the development of educational materials on Chinese medicine, and the creation of methodological guidelines for medical text translation. Consequently, the results hold the potential to improve the quality of educational materials on TCM and enhance intercultural medical communication.
Despite significant advancements in XAI, scholars continue to note a persistent lack of robust conceptual foundations and integration with broader discourse on scientific explanation. In response, emerging XAI research increasingly draws on explanatory strategies from various scientific disciplines and the philosophy of science to address these gaps. This paper outlines a mechanistic strategy for explaining the functional organization of deep learning systems, situating recent developments in AI explainability within a broader philosophical context. According to the mechanistic approach, explaining opaque AI systems involves identifying the mechanisms underlying decision-making processes. For deep neural networks, this means discerning functionally relevant components - such as neurons, layers, circuits, or activation patterns - and understanding their roles through decomposition, localization, and recomposition. Proof-of-principle case studies from image recognition and language modeling align this theoretical framework with recent research from OpenAI and Anthropic. The findings suggest that pursuing mechanistic explanations can uncover elements that traditional explainability techniques may overlook, ultimately contributing to more thoroughly explainable AI.
This paper leverages various philosophical and ontological frameworks to explore the concept of embodied artificial general intelligence (AGI), its relationship to human consciousness, and the key role of the metaverse in facilitating this relationship. Several theoretical frameworks underpin this exploration, such as embodied cognition, Michael Levin's computational boundary of a "Self," and Donald D. Hoffman's Interface Theory of Perception, which lead to considering human perceived outer reality as a symbolic representation of alternate inner states of being, and where AGI could embody a different form of consciousness with a larger computational boundary. The paper further discusses the necessary architecture for the emergence of an embodied AGI, how to calibrate an AGI's symbolic interface, and the key role played by the Metaverse, decentralized systems and open-source blockchain technology. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of achieving a certain degree of harmony in human relations and recognizing the interconnectedness of humanity at a global level, as key prerequisites for the emergence of a stable embodied AGI.
El artículo analiza la cristología de Thomas Hobbes con el propósito de entender una de las principales causas de su descrito como un pensador cristiano o, incluso, ateo, lo que afecta eventualmente la validez de su teología política. El autor sostiene que si bien Hobbes hace uso de la Biblia como fundamento de su filosofía política, su recepción del cristianismo en general no es enteramente correcta, debido a que está fuertemente influenciada por su decisión política en favor del absolutismo. Esta posición política lo lleva a escoger textos ad-hoc que apoyan su teoría y a rechazar otros que no lo hacen, dejando así fuera importantes aspectos del cristianismo, uno de los cuales, el más central, es la naturaleza de Jesucristo como Dios-hombre y la interpretación contractualista del federalismo judío. El artículo hace uso de estudios de reconocidos investigadores (Elazar, Pangle, Kraynak, Ratzinger entre otros) y el autor concluye que Hobbes exhibe una visión reduccionista del cristianismo que influye en su teología política.
De acordo com o intérprete Pierre Macherey, a obra Espinosa e o problema da expressão lança mão de um procedimento estruturalista para interpretar a filosofia de Baruch de Espinosa, e tal estruturalismo deleuziano tem a singularidade de conjugar as dimensões da estrutura e da gênese dessa filosofia. O presente artigo tem como ponto de partida essas duas indicações e seu objetivo é duplo: por um lado, demonstrar que elementos desta obra deleuziana nos levam a crer que, de fato, se trata de uma interpretação estruturalista; e, por outro lado, demonstrar como essa conjugação entre estrutura e gênese se faz presente nessa interpretação. Para tanto, investigamos: (1) como a interpretação deleuziana lê a abertura da Parte I da Ética à luz da função sistemática da ideia de expressão; (2) o que Deleuze entende por “método estrutural-genético” em Martial Gueroult; (3) o conjunto de critérios, que segundo Deleuze, nos permitem reconhecer um pensamento estruturalista.
Rif’an Syafruddin, Hafiz Anshary, Wahyudin Wahyudin
et al.
The increasing influence of Salafi ideology in educational institutions, often brings textual interpretations of Islamic teachings, thus affecting the dynamics of religious diversity in a multicultural society. The main focus of this research is how transnational Salafi education affects the mindset, religious attitudes, and social relations between religious communities in Indonesia. This article aims to analyze transnational Salafi education and its impact on multireligious harmony in Indonesia. This study used a qualitative method with a literature study approach. Data was collected through searching sources from the internet, academic books, and scientific journals related to Salafi education and multireligious harmony. The analysis process was carried out thematically to identify patterns of influence of Salafi education on interreligious relations in Indonesia. The results of the study showed that transnational Salafi education tended to influence the exclusive mindset of some students, which could hinder interfaith communication. However, there were also Salafi educational institutions that have begun to adopt a moderate approach to teaching, thus contributing positively to social relations. This article emphasizes the importance of strengthening the value of inclusivity in the religious education curriculum to maintain harmony in the midst of Indonesia's diversity. This research provides new insights into the challenges and opportunities of Salafi education in building multireligious harmony in Indonesia.
This study aims to provide an overview and explain more clearly about interactive games as a learning medium in Early Childhood. This study uses a literature review research method, which is a research approach that involves the collection, analysis, and synthesis of various literature sources relevant to a particular topic. Applying the method by conducting an in-depth literature review to uncover interactive games as a learning medium in early childhood. The data used was obtained from various sources such as scientific articles, journals, and relevant books, which were accessed through the Google Scholar platform. The analysis was carried out by reviewing and interpreting the results of previous research on interactive games in the context of education. This method focuses on an in-depth exploration of how interactive games can form an optimal learning environment to hone thinking skills in early childhood. The results that have been done in four article manuscripts containing interactive games as a learning medium, the essence of the content of the four articles is really extraordinary because it clearly discusses the advantages and disadvantages of integral games in general as a learning medium. In particular, the difference lies in the explanation of the starting point, the importance of understanding or several stages that can be passed as a learning medium. Ultimately, however, it is up to readers, practitioners and researchers to carefully examine the characteristics of interactive games as a learning medium and make decisions about which interactive games should be chosen for the learning media process.
We give a conceptual exposition of aspects of gravitational radiation, especially in relation to energy. Our motive for doing so is that the strong analogies with electromagnetic radiation seem not to be widely enough appreciated. In particular, we reply to some recent papers in the philosophy of physics literature that seem to deny that gravitational waves carry energy. Our argument is based on two points: (i) that for both electromagnetism and gravity, in the presence of material sources, radiation is an effective concept, unambiguously emerging only in certain regimes or solutions of the theory; and (ii) similarly, energy conservation is only unambiguous in certain regimes or solutions of general relativity. Crucially, the domain of (i), in which radiation is meaningful, has a significant overlap with the domain of (ii), in which energy conservation is meaningful. Conceptually, the overlap of regimes is no coincidence: the long-standing question about the existence of gravitational waves was settled precisely by finding a consistent way to articulate their energy and momentum.
We developed a new general-relativistic quantum-kinetics neutrino transport code, GRQKNT, for numerical studies of quantum kinetics of non-equilibrium neutrinos in six-dimensional phase space. This code is intended for use in both local and global simulations of neutrino transport in core-collapse supernova and binary neutron star merger. It has been widely recognized that global simulations of collective neutrino oscillations, in particular fast neutrino-flavor conversions (FFC), require unfeasible computational resources due to large disparity of scales between flavor conversion and astrophysical phenomena. We propose a novel approach to tackle the issue. This paper is devoted to describe the philosophy, design, and numerical implementation of GRQKNT with a number of tests ensuring correct implementation of each module. The code is based on a discrete-ordinate Sn method, finite-difference realization of mean-field quantum kinetic equation. The transport equation is solved based on a conservative formalism, and we use a fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme with fourth-order TVD Runge-Kutta time-integration. The transport module is designed to work with arbitrary spacetimes and currently three different stationary spacetimes (flat spacetime, Schwarzschild black hole, and Kerr black hole) are implemented. The collision term including neutrino emission, absorption, and momentum-exchanged scatterings are also implemented into our code. The oscillation Hamiltonian consists of vacuum, matter, and self-interactions. Both two- and three neutrino-flavor scenarios can be applied. Fluid-velocity dependences in transport-, collision-, and oscillation modules, are also treated self-consistently by using two-energy-grid technique, that has been already established in our another code with full Boltzmann neutrino transport.
We derive the quasinormal modes of anyons from (2+1)-dimensional Banados, Teitelboim, and Zanelli(BTZ) and analogue black holes, and discuss potential experiments to measure these quasinormal modes.
Relevance. Leading domestic scientists who dealt with the problem of studying the intelligentsia note in their works that intellectuals are not born and it is not encoded in the genes. The values of the intelligentsia are formed and brought up in the course of a purposefully organized pedagogical process and psychological influence. The theoretical and informational basis of this process, as well as the main source, is social memory as a semantic accumulator. Social memory as a dynamic mental formation and as a social phenomenon has its own structure and carriers, as well as cultural and psychological transmission mechanisms.
Materials and methods. Comprehensive knowledge of the concept and features of the functioning of the social memory of the military intelligentsia, as well as the mechanisms of its translation, was carried out based on systemic, axiological and subjective methodological approaches. The applied scientific methods were analysis and synthesis, analogy and comparison, abstraction and generalization.
Results of the study. The key scientific results of the study are the accumulation of generalized ideas about the social memory of the domestic military intelligentsia and the psychological mechanisms of its transmission. The results of the study can be used to organize the pedagogical process in a military university to develop the intelligence of future officers.
Abstract In philosophy, as in any other theoretical endeavor, it is not rare to find conflicting but equally well grounded positions. Besides defending one of the positions and criticizing the other, philosophers can opt for pursuing other, more sophisticated, approaches aimed at incorporating the insights, intuitions, and arguments from both sides of the debate into a unified theory: Dialetheism, Analetheism, Gradualism, Pluralism and Relativism. The purpose of this article is to present each strategy's basic argumentative structure, relative strengths, and challenges, trying to determine in which situations one is more appropriate than the others. Despite substantial differences between them, all four options have deep structural similarities; and which option is better for which dilemma or paradox will depend ultimately on a combination of epistemological, linguistic, and metaphysical factors.
Andrzej Dragan’s book Quantechism or a cage for people is a great popular science book to start a fascinating adventure with the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. It is written in an easy language, does not require from the reader a deep knowledge of contemporary physical issues, while describing, illustrating and explaining them very well. Instead, it requires broader historical knowledge and at least basic philosophical knowledge for verification, helping to bring out what is most valuable in the book. Unfortunately, the book, while popularizing science, also makes a terrible mess and does a lot of damage to the deeper understanding of physics, its history, and the meaning and function of philosophy and religion. And so it can become an attractive and appealing, but nevertheless a trap-cage for thinking people.
Foucault y Benjamin aprovecharon distintos temas y categorías de El capital de Marx, en concordancia con sus temas de interés y opciones teóricas y políticas. Foucault se concentró en el análisis de las relaciones de producción en lo que atañía al disciplinamiento de la clase obrera por el capital. Benjamin, a partir del fetichismo de la mercancía, en la fascinación del consumo y de la mera exhibición consumista patente en los grandes almacenes. Ambas lecturas son tratadas en este artículo como complementarias y convergentes. En efecto, a partir de los fundamentos marxianos, permiten trazar una genealogía bien equipada del sometimiento de los seres vivos a la relación moderna del capital: un sometimiento que continúa bajo nuevas formas en el capitalismo actual. Sobre esto el texto se cierra, abriendo un camino para explorar.