Applying D. K. Lewis’s Counterfactual Theory of Causation to the Philosophy of Historiography

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Maar
Keyword(s):  
Possible World ◽  
Possible World Semantics ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Counterfactual Theory ◽  
Historical Causation ◽  
The Many ◽  
Historical Necessity

A theory of causation suitable for historiography must accommodate the many types of causal claims historians make. In this paper, I examine the advantages of applying D. K. Lewis’s counterfactual theory of causation to the philosophy of historiography. I contend that Lewis’s possible world semantics offers a superior framework for making sense of historical causation, and that it lays the foundation for historians to look at history as causal series of events, remaining agnostic as to whether there may be historical regularities or laws. Lewis’s theory can also accommodate important notions often used by historians, such as absences as causes, historical necessity and contingency, and the role they play in the formulation of historical counterfactuals.

Wittgenstein’s philosophy and action research

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Shotter
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Scientific Method ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
Participatory Culture ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
The Social ◽  
Professional Research ◽  
The Many

Three themes seem to be common to both Greenwood’s and Gustavsen’s accounts: One is the social isolation of professional [research] elites from the concerns of ordinary people, which connects with another: the privileging of theory over practice. Both of these are connected, however, with a third: the great, unresolved struggle of ordinary people to gain control over their own lives, to escape from schemes imposed on them by powerful elites, and to build a genuinely participatory culture. An understanding of Wittgenstein’s later philosophy, and the recognition of its striking differences from any previous philosophical works, can make some important contributions to all these issues. Wittgenstein’s aim is not, by the use of reason and argument, to establish any foundational principles to do with the nature of knowledge, perception, the structure of our world, scientific method, etc. Instead, he is concerned to inquire into the actual ways available to us of possibly making sense in the many different practical activities we share in our everyday lives together: “We are not seeking to discover anything entirely new, only what is already in plain view.”

Non-Reductive Materialism and the Spectrum of Mind-Body Theories

Dialogue ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Kernohan
Keyword(s):  
Identity Theory ◽  
Possible World ◽  
Theory Reduction ◽  
Possible World Semantics ◽  
The Cost

In what follows I will sketch a very simple possible-world semantics which will allow us to sharpen the notion of a non-reductive, but materialist, mind-body identity theory. This simple semantics will enable us to characterize the various possible positions on mind-body identity and display the range of positions with respect to psycho-physical reduction. Though I am sympathetic to a non-reductive position which I label “autonomous monism”, I will be concerned here less with presenting positive arguments for that position than with describing a framework in which such arguments can be made and pointing out the issues that the position raises. The discussion achieves its abstract viewpoint at the cost of slightly idealizing the process of theory reduction, but the overview attained is worth the price.

Codd Table Representations under Weak Possible World Semantics

2011 ◽  
pp. 125-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavio Ferrarotti ◽  
Sven Hartmann ◽  
Van Bao Tran Le ◽  
Sebastian Link
Keyword(s):  
Possible World ◽  
Possible World Semantics

Making Sense of the Immorality of Unnaturalness

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARK SHEEHAN
Keyword(s):  
Public Interest ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
The Many

"Dissecting Bioethics," edited by Tuija Takala and Matti Häyry, welcomes contributions on the conceptual and theoretical dimensions of bioethics. The section is dedicated to the idea that words defined by bioethicists and others should not be allowed to imprison people's actual concerns, emotions, and thoughts. Papers that expose the many meanings of a concept, describe the different readings of a moral doctrine, or provide an alternative angle to seemingly self-evident issues are therefore particularly appreciated. The themes covered in the section so far include dignity, naturalness, public interest, community, disability, autonomy, parity of reasoning, symbolic appeals, and toleration.All submitted papers are peer reviewed. To submit a paper or to discuss a suitable topic, contact Tuija Takala at [email protected].

scholarly journals Reasoning and planning with sensing actions, incomplete information, and static causal laws using answer set programming

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
PHAN HUY TU ◽  
TRAN CAO SON ◽  
CHITTA BARAL
Keyword(s):  
Incomplete Information ◽  
Answer Set Programming ◽  
Planning Problem ◽  
Possible World ◽  
Initial State ◽  
Possible World Semantics ◽  
Sensing Actions ◽  
Action Theories ◽  
Causal Laws ◽  
Answer Set

AbstractWe extend the 0-approximation of sensing actions and incomplete information in Son and Baral (2001) to action theories with static causal laws and prove its soundness with respect to the possible world semantics. We also show that the conditional planning problem with respect to this approximation isNP-complete. We then present an answer set programming based conditional planner, called ASCP, that is capable of generating both conformant plans and conditional plans in the presence of sensing actions, incomplete information about the initial state, and static causal laws. We prove the correctness of our implementation and argue that our planner is sound and complete with respect to the proposed approximation. Finally, we present experimental results comparing ASCP to other planners.

scholarly journals Sustainability in complex environments: making sense of the Katrina lawsuits

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catalin Ratiu ◽  
Beverlee B. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Skewed Distribution ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Innovative Methodology ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
The Many

Purpose – The meaning of sustainability continues to be debated by scholars and professionals alike. But how do individuals, who are expected to contribute to implementing sustainability actions, perceive this important concept? The purpose of this paper is to explore how individuals relate to the multidimensionality of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a qualitative design to learn how individuals understand and prioritise the various dimensions of sustainability. Respondents were asked to react in essay form to a narrative that weaves social, environmental, economic and legal issues and offer a recommended course of action. Findings – The findings are mixed, showing that sustainability is yet to mature as a concept in the minds of the general public. Encouragingly, the paper finds evidence that most respondents are aware of the primary dimensions of sustainability. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited by the convenience sample used, which may offer a skewed distribution. Practical implications – While defining sustainability conceptually continues to preoccupy scholars and policy makers, educating the general public on these advancements should also be prioritised, given the high reliance on individuals to implement the many sustainability initiatives and innovations in existence. Originality/value – The study uses an innovative methodology to learn how individuals perceive a very complex topic.

Making Sense of One’s Place in an Educational Opportunity Program

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralitsa Todorova
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Educational Opportunity ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Educational Opportunity Program ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Opportunity Program ◽  
The Many ◽  
Additional Support

A college degree has been shown to decrease the income gap, but disadvantaged students are at a greater risk of dropping out of college. This study explores meaning-making of students in an educational opportunity program (EOP), the Search for Education Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) in the City University of New York system. It is important to examine the experiences of students who are receiving additional support to understand how they develop through this complex transition process. Forty-six first-year SEEK students and 38 upperclassmen responded to a set of five narrative prompts of different genres. Using values analysis, the data showed that over half of the values guiding participants’ narratives (53.30%) discussed the many benefits of SEEK and the sources of support youth rely on. Participants used the genres to express the complexities of transitioning to college as freshman, along with a settling in the later years. The findings of this study demonstrate youth perspectives on the ways in which EOPs can significantly contribute to student retention.

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