The Mystery of Reference and Objective Representational Content

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Kenneth A. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Representational Content ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Language And Thought ◽  
The World

This chapter introduces the main themes and ambitions of the book and gives an overview of the content and organization of subsequent chapters. One of those ambitions is to explain how it is possible, for the vehicles of both language and thought, to be “semantically answerable” to the world—or, equivalently, to have objective representational content. In this chapter the problem, or mystery, of objective representational content is set out in some detail. The proposed explanation (“two-factor referentialism”) is outlined and contrasted with a fundamentally different rival approach. Various concomitant problems to be addressed are also articulated—e.g., concerning the relation between language and thought, the role of causation in the constitution of reference, the place of intentionality in the natural world, and the possibility of meta-cognition.

Fundamentality

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Healey
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Theory ◽  
High Energy Physics ◽  
Physical Property ◽  
Natural World ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Quantum Field Theories ◽  
Fundamental Physics ◽  
The World ◽  
Energy Physics

The metaphor that fundamental physics is concerned to say what the natural world is like at the deepest level may be cashed out in terms of entities, properties, or laws. The role of quantum field theories in the Standard Model of high-energy physics suggests that fundamental entities, properties, and laws are to be sought in these theories. But the contextual ontology proposed in Chapter 12 would support no unified compositional structure for the world; a quantum state assignment specifies no physical property distribution sufficient even to determine all physical facts; and quantum theory posits no fundamental laws of time evolution, whether deterministic or stochastic. Quantum theory has made a revolutionary contribution to fundamental physics because its principles have permitted tremendous unification of science through the successful application of models constructed in conformity to them: but these models do not say what the world is like at the deepest level.

The Metaphysics of Representation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Robert G. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Representational Content ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Degrees Of Belief ◽  
Public Language ◽  
Language And Thought ◽  
Final Layer ◽  
The World ◽  
Interactive Relationship ◽  
Compositional Interpretation ◽  
The One

What is representation? How do the more primitive aspects of our world come together to generate it? How do different kinds of representation relate to one another? This book identifies the metaphysical foundations for representational facts. The story told is in three parts. The most primitive layer of representation is the ‘aboutness’ of sensation/perception and intention/action, which are the two most basic modes in which an individual and the world interact. It is argued that we can understand how this kind of representation can exist in a fundamentally physical world so long as we have an independent, illuminating grip on functions and causation. The second layer of representation is the ‘aboutness’ of (degrees of) belief and desire, whose representational content goes far beyond the immediate perceptable and manipulable environment. It is argued that the correct belief/desire interpretation of an agent is the one which makes their action-guiding states, given their perceptual evidence, most rational. The final layer of representation is the ‘aboutness’ of words and sentences, human artefacts with representational content. It is argued that one can give an illuminating account of the conditions under which a compositional interpretation of a public language like English is correct by appeal to patterns emerging from the attitudes conventionally expressed by sentences. The three-layer metaphysics of representation resolves long-standing underdetermination puzzles, predicts and explains patterns in the way that concepts denote, and articulates a delicate interactive relationship between the foundations of language and thought.

scholarly journals Plato on Natural Kinds: The Promethean Method of the Philebus

Apeiron ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Proios
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Natural Kind ◽  
Intelligent Design ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Natural Kinds ◽  
Natural World ◽  
History Of Philosophy ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of

Abstract Plato’s invention of the metaphor of carving the world by the joints (Phaedrus 265d–66c) gives him a privileged place in the history of natural kind theory in philosophy and science; he is often understood to present a paradigmatic but antiquated view of natural kinds as possessing eternal, immutable, necessary essences. Yet, I highlight that, as a point of distinction from contemporary views about natural kinds, Plato subscribes to an intelligent-design, teleological framework, in which the natural world is the product of craft and, as a result, is structured such that it is good for it to be that way. In Plato’s Philebus, the character Socrates introduces a method of inquiry whose articulation of natural kinds enables it to confer expert knowledge, such as literacy. My paper contributes to an understanding of Plato’s view of natural kinds by interpreting this method in light of Plato’s teleological conception of nature. I argue that a human inquirer who uses the method identifies kinds with relational essences within a system causally related to the production of some unique craft-object, such as writing. As a result, I recast Plato’s place in the history of philosophy, including Plato’s view of the relation between the kinds according to the natural and social sciences. Whereas some are inclined to separate natural from social kinds, Plato holds the unique view that all naturalness is a social feature of kinds reflecting the role of intelligent agency.

scholarly journals On the technique of artistic parallelism in Dargin quatrains

Litera ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 126-133
Author(s):  
Fatyma Khamzaevna Mukhamedova ◽  
Fatima Abdulovna Alieva
Keyword(s):  
Emotional State ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Text Structure ◽  
Emotional Perception ◽  
The World ◽  
Poetic Expression ◽  
Song Lyrics ◽  
The Subject

The subject of this research is the quatrains – a variety of lyrical songs, one of widespread and popular poetic genres in the folklore of the peoples of Dagestan. The object of this research is the method of artistic parallelism in Dargin quatrains, which plays an important compositional role within the text structure, which is reflected in juxtaposition of images from the natural world and the psychological affections of the lyrical hero. The goal of this article lies in demonstrating the functional peculiarities of artistic parallelism technique in each particular case; as well as in determining the basic principle of juxtaposition of the images of nature with the world of human feelings and degree of their convergence, which reveals the emotional state of a person. The research methods of comparative-historical and philological analysis of the lyrical songs are based on the ideas advanced by V. G. Belinsky, A. N. Veselovsky, A. M. Novikova, S. G. Lazutin, Y. M. Sokolov, and others. The method of analysis allows determining the role of artistic parallelism in conveying the emotional state of the heroes. The novelty[WU1]  of this research consists in comprehensive analysis of the structure and content of texts that are structured on the technique artistic parallelism; identification of the peculiarities of its application on the material of Dargin song lyrics, which have not been previously introduced into the scientific discourse. The author demonstrates that the technique of artistic parallelism carries a vast ideological meaning, performs an important compositional function in disclosure of the content of the song, contributing to a vivid and imagery expression of thoughts and feelings of the hero. The article is first to explore the commonly used in Dargin folklore technique of artistic parallelism, when a single principle of syntactic construction is characteristic for two quatrains of the same theme. It is established that the idea laid down in the first quatrain is being further developed, enriching its content and acquiring new details that enhance the emotional perception of the poetic expression.  [WU1]

God and the World

2017 ◽  
pp. 52-86
Author(s):  
Hussein Ali Abdulsater
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Coherent System ◽  
The World

This chapter explains the conceptual framework of Murtaḍā’s system by detailing his views of God and the natural world. It presents a discussion of the major epistemological tools needed to construct an understanding of being, such as his view on the role of reason, the method of investigation and the need for evidence. Following is a study of the basic ontological claims that govern both divine and natural realms; atoms and accidents, the constitutive units of the world, are studied both as independent entities and as the basis for casual relations that govern all existents. The last part concentrates on God’s attributes, with emphasis on Murtaḍā’s efforts to create a coherent system to satisfy various conceptual requirements while still preserving the integrity of earlier Shiʿi doctrines. The key is his classification of attributes into essential and accidental, informed by the Muʿtazilī ‘Theory of States’. The chapter is divided into four sub-headings: Epistemological Sketch; Ontological Sketch; God’s Attributes; Theoretical Model

Inference Towards the Best Explanation: Reflections on the Issue of Climate Change

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Holt
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Natural World ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Qualitative Evidence ◽  
The World ◽  
Main Factor ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Science is an organized enterprise of inquiry which tries to tie together multiple strands of evidence to craft coherent explanations for disparate patterns in the natural world. Philosophers call this enterprise “inference towards the best explanation”. Such inferences at times depend upon detailed quantitative models, but at times one can rely upon the confluence of multiple strands of qualitative evidence. Humans are having unquestionable influences upon many aspects of the earth system at present, on land, in freshwater systems, and indeed the ocean, including devastating impacts on biodiversity. There are many patterns in the world at present – shrinking glaciers, shifting seasonal patterns in species’ life histories, and altered spatial distributions – which point to the signal of climate change, independent of the details of quantitative climate models. Yet, there are many other factors at play, often confounding clear assessment of the specific role of climate change in observed changes in the world. A deeper synoptic understanding of the drivers and impacts of climate change would be incredibly valuable and is urgently needed, even if in the end (though this seems increasingly unlikely) anthropogenic drivers were not the main factor underlying observed climate change.

scholarly journals BHUTA YADNA SEBAGAI AJANG PELESTARIAN ALAM DI BALI

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Yusuf
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
The World ◽  
The Relationship

Human life can not be separated from the natural world around it. Nature is the main source of humans to connect the chain of life. Suber food basically comes from nature which is then processed in such a way by humans. That way, it is very necessary to have actions that are caring and conserving nature so that it is maintained. In Hinduism, there is the term Panca Yadnya which contains the worship or sacrifice which is done sincerely and sincerely from the heart. One of the elements of the five Yadnya is done to the Butha to preserve nature and harmony of human life during the world called the Bhuta Yadnya. In another sense, Bhuta Yadnya is an offering made with the welfare of plants. Of course this is also related to natural conditions which are an important component in supporting the survival of human life. The relationship between nature and humans is inseparable because the two are interrelated, therefore, it is necessary to have a reciprocal relationship in maintaining a balance between the two. In this paper, it explains about the role of the Panca Yadnya ceremony or the five types of sacrifices performed in Hindu beliefs, especially regarding the Bhuta Yad whose role is to preserve nature. In undergoing the life cycle of the world, humans play an important role in preserving the surrounding natural preservation.

scholarly journals The role of nature in the self-ownership proviso

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 326-343
Author(s):  
Lamont Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Private Property ◽  
Natural World ◽  
The Self ◽  
Knowing How ◽  
The World ◽  
Eric Mack

Eric Mack defends a version of John Locke’s proviso. Mack applies his proviso to original appropriations, uses, and systems of private property. His proviso precludes severely disabling the world-interactive powers of others. Mack specifically warns against using concrete features of the natural world as a baseline for determine whether the proviso has been violated. While his proviso is plausible, I argue that he cannot. eschew employing the receptivity of the natural, unowned world to the extent that he suggests. We cannot determine whether one’s powers are disabled or diminished without knowing how receptive the world would be to those powers had a system of private property not arisen. The upshot of this paper is that the requirements of a well-formulated proviso is an empirical matter.

scholarly journals Carnival Anthropocene: Myth and Cultural Memory in Monique Roffey's Archipelago // Antropoceno Carnaval: El mito y memoria cultural en Archipelago de Monique Roffey

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-55
Author(s):  
C. Parker Krieg
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cultural Memory ◽  
Political Engagement ◽  
Memory Studies ◽  
Natural World ◽  
The Novel ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World

      This essay examines the role of myth in and as cultural memory through a reading of the novel, Archipelago (2013), by the Trinidadian-British author Monique Roffey. Against conceptions of the Anthropocene as a break from the past—a break that repeats the myth of modernity—I argue that Roffey’s use of cultural memory offers a carnivalesque relation to the world in response to the narrative’s account of climate change trauma. Drawing on Bakhtin’s classic study of the carnival as an occasion for contestation and renewal, as well as Cheryl Lousely’s call for a “carnivalesque ecocriticism,” this essay expands on the recent ecocritical turn to the field of Memory Studies (Buell; Goodbody; Kennedy) to illustrate the way literature mediates between mythic and historical relations to the natural world. As literary expressions, the carnivalesque and the grotesque evoke myth and play in order to expose and transform the social myths which govern relations and administrate difference. Since literature acts as both a producer and reflector of cultural memory, this essay seeks to highlight the literary potential of myth for connecting past traumas to affirmational modes of political engagement. Resumen     Este ensayo examina el papel del mito en y como memoria cultural analizando la novela Archipelago (2013), escrita por la autora trinitense-británica Monique Roffey. Frente a la idea del Antropoceno como una ruptura con el pasado—una ruptura que repite el mito de la modernidad—este trabajo argumenta que el uso de la memoria cultural de Roffey ofrece una relación carnavalesca con el mundo en respuesta al trauma del cambio climático detallado en la novela. Basando mi argumento en la teoría clásica de Bakhtin sobre el carnaval como una ocasión para la contestación y la renovación, así como la llamada de Cheryl Lousely por una “ecocrítica carnavalesca,” este ensayo amplía el reciente giro de la ecocrítica hacia el campo de los estudios de memoria (Buell; Goodbody; Kennedy) para ilustrar cómo la literatura media entre las relaciones míticas e históricas con el mundo natural. Como expresiones literarias, lo carnavalesco y lo grotesco evocan el mito y el juego para revelar y transformar los mitos sociales que gobiernan las relaciones y gestionan la diferencia. Ya que la literatura actúa tanto como productora y como espejo de la memoria cultural, este ensayo busca destacar el potencial literario del mito para conectar traumas del pasado con modos de compromiso político más afirmativos.

Contemporary Scottish Poetry and the Natural World

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Szuba
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Perceptual Experience ◽  
Natural World ◽  
The Self ◽  
Human Relations ◽  
The World ◽  
Environmental Thought ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Human Animal

Contemporary Scottish Writers and the Natural World examines the work of four Scottish poets – John Burnside, Kathleen Jamie, Robin Robertson and Kenneth White – in the light of philosophical considerations of the subject’s relation to the natural world and environmental thought. Drawing in particular on the phenomenological work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty on embodiment and Martin Heidegger on dwelling, the study explores the organic intimate interrelation between the self and the world, including human and non-human relations. The poets’ work is discussed in the context of the main premises of the phenomenological tradition that address the self’s relation with the world, focusing in particular on the sense of place, the vegetal and animal worlds, and foregrounding the dialogue between poetics, the subject and the landscape. The study considers a chiasmic human-non-human animal intertwining as particularly important in the poetry because of its lived experience of the world. Proposing a theoretically-informed discussion, which includes various modes of ecocritical apprehension, it analyses the subject’s perception of intimacy with the materiality of the natural world and the role of language in the registration of perceptual experience as explored in contemporary Scottish poetry.

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