Theism and Realism: A Match Made in Heaven?

There is no interesting entailment either way between theism and various forms of realism. Taking its cue from Dummett’s characterisation of realism and his discussion of it with respect to theistic belief, this paper argues both that theism does not follow from realism, and that God cannot be appealed to in order to secure bivalence for an otherwise indeterminate subject matter. In both cases, significant appeal is made to the position that God is not a language user, which in turn is motivated by an account of understanding as aptitude possession. The resulting picture sits comfortably with the apophatism common within living religious traditions and with the view that the philosophy of religion ought to reorientate itself away from metaphysics towards more practical questions.

Download Full-text

Aboutness

10.23943/princeton/9780691144955.001.0001 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Stephen Yablo

Keyword(s):

Subject Matter ◽

Philosophy Of Language ◽

Mental States ◽

Library Science ◽

Philosophical Methodology ◽

Major Advance ◽

Truth Conditions ◽

Ways Of Being ◽

Made In

Aboutness has been studied from any number of angles. Brentano made it the defining feature of the mental. Phenomenologists try to pin down the aboutness features of particular mental states. Materialists sometimes claim to have grounded aboutness in natural regularities. Attempts have even been made, in library science and information theory, to operationalize the notion. However, it has played no real role in philosophical semantics, which is surprising. This is the first book to examine through a philosophical lens the role of subject matter in meaning. A long-standing tradition sees meaning as truth conditions, to be specified by listing the scenarios in which a sentence is true. Nothing is said about the principle of selection—about what in a scenario gets it onto the list. Subject matter is the missing link here. A sentence is true because of how matters stand where its subject matter is concerned. This book maintains that this is not just a feature of subject matter, but its essence. One indicates what a sentence is about by mapping out logical space according to its changing ways of being true or false. The notion of content that results—directed content—is brought to bear on a range of philosophical topics, including ontology, verisimilitude, knowledge, loose talk, assertive content, and philosophical methodology. The book represents a major advance in semantics and the philosophy of language.

Download Full-text

Conclusion

Unsaying God ◽

10.1093/oso/9780190942458.003.0006 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 293-300

Author(s):

Aydogan Kars

Keyword(s):

Critical Thinking ◽

Negative Theology ◽

Intellectual Activity ◽

Religious Traditions ◽

Disciplinary Boundaries ◽

Islamic Studies ◽

Historical Fact ◽

The Rich ◽

Single Question ◽

Made In

This chapter highlights the broader theoretical points that can be made on the basis of the analysis made in the previous chapters. It engages with contemporary philosophical and theological discussions beyond Islamic studies, criticizing the reduction of negative theology to paradoxicality, and the modern association of apophaticism with mysticism, critical thinking, and morality. It further argues that “negative theology” does not address a sui generis category or an enduring, well-defined group of intellectuals; it is rather a conceptual construct with debated meanings in changing historical settings. The chapter reminds that there were numerous negative theological positions regarding but a single question in a rich field of intellectual activity. These positions could and did transcend disciplinary boundaries as they were adopted by scholars with diverse orientations and backgrounds. Thus, construction of singular and distinct Christian, Jewish, or Muslim “negative theological traditions” not only overlooks the diversity, and sometimes conflicts, among various theological positions within religious traditions, but it also misses the historical fact that the negative theological positions among intellectuals from different religious backgrounds had strong overlaps. The rich theological networks highlighted the intellectual porosities between not only disciplines but also religious traditions.

Download Full-text

Cloud computing assurance – a review of literature guidance

Information and Computer Security ◽

10.1108/ics-09-2015-0037 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 26-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rossouw von Solms ◽

Melanie Willett

Keyword(s):

Cloud Computing ◽

Best Practices ◽

Subject Matter ◽

It Governance ◽

Point Of View ◽

Review Of Literature ◽

Executive Management ◽

Content Type ◽

The Subject ◽

Made In

Purpose This paper aims to provide guidance on cloud computing assurance from an IT governance point of view. The board and executive management are tasked with ensuring proper governance of organizations, which should in the end contribute to a sense of assurance. Assurance is understood to be a part of corporate governance which provides stakeholders with confidence in a subject matter by evaluating evidence about that subject matter. Evidence will include proof that proper controls and structures are in place, that risks are managed and that compliance with internal and external requirements is demonstrated with regard to the subject matter. Decisions regarding the use of cloud computing in organizations bring these responsibilities to the fore. Design/methodology/approach The design of this paper is based on an extensive review of literature, predominantly best practices and standards, from the fields covering IT governance, cloud computing and assurance. Findings The results from this paper can be used to formulate cloud computing assurance evidence statements, as part of IT governance mandates. Originality/value This paper aims to add value by highlighting the responsibility of managers to ensure assurance when exploiting opportunities presented through IT advances, such as cloud computing; serving to inform management about the advances that have and are being made in the field of cloud computing guidelines; and motivating that these guidelines be used for assurance on behalf of organizations adopting and using cloud computing.

Download Full-text

Géomorphologie : géographie globale – géographie totale – associations internationales

Cahiers de géographie du Québec ◽

10.7202/020499ar ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 8 (16) ◽

pp. 199-218 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Louis-Edmond Hamelin

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Subject Matter ◽

International Association ◽

The United States ◽

Physical Sciences ◽

Geographical Union ◽

International Geographical ◽

The Earth ◽

The Subject ◽

Made In

The great advances that geomorphology has made in recent years make necessary a critical re-examination of the relationships between this science and the field of geography. Is geomorphology truly geographical ? And if not, how can it become so ? Geomorphology has its roots in geology and was, of course, not designed to meet the specific needs of geographers. Under the leadership of W. M. Davis, geographers eventually adopted the study of geomorphology but did Utile to adapt it to particular purposes of their discipline. Most geographers can never aspire to true excellence in geomorphology because of their generally inadequate training in the physical sciences. We have found that most geographers tend to fall into one of four groups : 1. Those who consider themselves to be geomorphologists (about one-fourth of all geographers) ; 2. Those who just try to be informed in geomorphology ; 3. Those who ignore the existence of geomorphology ; 4. The « complete » geographer who practices a « functional » geomorphology. It also appears that the majority of geographers do not consider land-man relations to be their principal field of interest. The definition that we as geographers give to geography tends to sanction the kind of geography that we are capable of doing. For example, the classical géographie globale, which is characterized by an explanatory description of a complex of physical and human eclectic elements, does not normally require either a « complete » or a genetic geomorphology ; also, complex techniques of geomorphological investigation are not essential. Of greater importance is a geomorphology'-which is functional to geography and which will help us to understand better man's distribution and activities on the surface of the earth. This partial or « functional » geomorphology has achieved its greatest development in France (as an integral part of géographie globale) and is practised by a large number of geographers. Géographie totale, an expression which refers more to the subject matter of this geography than to its methodology, is an ensemble of specialized yet inter-related disciplines (one of which is geomorphology). This pluralistic geography daims many more adherents than does géographie globale. Géographie totale allows us to study all aspects of what is now called geomorphology (but which may eventually be termed « cosmomorphology »). This new geomorphology is based on geophysical laws and is strictly quantitative. It is an integral part of the physical sciences but this does not mean that it is automatically divorced from man. Scientists of both the United States and the U. S. S. R. are actively engaged in this new geomorphology. We believe that it would be mutually advantageous for both the « functional » and the « complete » geomorphologists to group themselves into a new international association. To achieve this end we urge that the structures of the international Geographical Union be modified or that an « International Association of Geomorphology » be founded.

Download Full-text

Do all Religious Traditions Worship the Same God?

Religious Studies ◽

10.1017/s0034412500020217 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 73-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Hendrik M. Vroom

Keyword(s):

Philosophy Of Religion ◽

Comparative Religion ◽

Religious Traditions ◽

The World ◽

Different Types

Do all religions worship the same God? Sometimes this question is answered positively, sometimes negatively. Various reasons are given. In the first four sections of this paper we will analyse arguments which affirm or deny that all religions worship the same God. We will see that different types of argument are used. Some authors base their answers to our question on their theological insights (section 1); others defend their thesis with reference to the results of studies in comparative religion (section 2); a third type of argument derives from the philosophy of religion (section 3) and a fourth from philosophical views regarding the ultimate unity of the world (section 4). After this survey we will deal with the structure of the various arguments given. What kind of argument is decisive? I will also make some comments on each of these arguments in order to develop my own. We will then draw our conclusion as to the kind of arguments which are appropriate to our theme (section 5). In the last section I will elaborate my own view.

Download Full-text

Analytic Theology and Analytic Philosophy of Religion: What’s the difference?

Journal of Analytic Theology ◽

10.12978/jat.2016-4.120023010007a ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 347-361

Author(s):

Max Baker-Hytch

Keyword(s):

Subject Matter ◽

Philosophy Of Religion ◽

Analytic Philosophy ◽

Or Methodology ◽

The Difference ◽

In Virtue Of

Analytic theology is often seen as an outgrowth of analytic philosophy of religion. It isn’t fully clear, however, whether it differs from analytic philosophy of religion in some important way. Is analytic theology really just a sub-field of analytic philosophy of religion, or can it be distinguished from the latter in virtue of fundamental differences at the level of subject matter or methodology? These are pressing questions for the burgeoning field of analytic theology. The aim of this article, then, will be to map out several forms that analytic theology might (and in some cases actually does) take before examining the extent to which each can be thought to be distinct from analytic philosophy of religion.

Download Full-text

Habit, Practice, Grace

10.1093/oso/9780198796732.003.0006 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Clare Carlisle

Keyword(s):

Subject Matter ◽

Philosophy Of Religion ◽

Religious Life ◽

Religious Practice ◽

Religious Practices ◽

Lived Religion ◽

Traditional Philosophy ◽

Propositional Form

Traditional philosophy of religion is shaped by its focus on the cognitive aspects of religious life—beliefs and doctrines—which can easily be articulated in propositional form. But “lived religion” encompasses more than belief, and if philosophers of religion are to do justice to our subject-matter, we need to learn to think philosophically about practice in general, and about religious practices in particular. This chapter considers some of the methodological questions and challenges that come with this task, and looks at two recent attempts to develop a philosophy of religious practice. It then outlines a concept of practice which tries to take account of two features of religious practice: how practice uses repetition to generate change, or even transformation; and how practice gives form to desire.

Download Full-text

A prolegomenon to the study of pottery stamps from Mes Aynak

Afghanistan ◽

10.3366/afg.2018.0016 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 239-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Judith A. Lerner

Keyword(s):

Subject Matter ◽

Religious Traditions ◽

Seal Design ◽

The Subject ◽

Seal Impressions

That Afghanistan has been a cultural crossroads is no better demonstrated than by its glyptic art. The designs and styles of the seals used to sign, authenticate and secure documents and packages reflect the artistic and religious traditions of the Hellenistic, Iranian, and Indian worlds. A particular category of seal design is, to my knowledge, known only from impressions on the exterior of clay vessels; they occur at a number of sites in Afghanistan. Their designs differ in style and imagery from the glyptic art of the regions and cultures that produced seals used for authentication purposes and thus suggest that they were carved specifically to mark or decorate ceramics. Recently, a number of potsherds with such seal impressions have been salvaged at the major Buddhist site of Mes Aynak, 40 km southeast of Kabul. Some share motifs with stamped pottery from other sites in Afghanistan, but others are unique. This article is a preliminary exploration of the subject matter and style(s) of the Mes Aynak pottery stamps.

Download Full-text