scholarly journals Phronetic Ethics in Social Robotics: A New Approach to Building Ethical Robots

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-183
Author(s):  
Paweł Polak ◽  
Roman Krzanowski

Abstract Social robotics are autonomous robots or Artificial Moral Agents (AMA), that will interact respect and embody human ethical values. However, the conceptual and practical problems of building such systems have not yet been resolved, playing a role of significant challenge for computational modeling. It seems that the lack of success in constructing robots, ceteris paribus, is due to the conceptual and algorithmic limitations of the current design of ethical robots. This paper proposes a new approach for developing ethical capacities in robotic systems, one based on the concept of Aristotelian phronesis. Phronesis in principle reflexes closer human ethics than the ethical paradigms we employ today in ethical robotics. This paper describes the essential features of phronesis and proposes a high-level architecture for implementing phronetic principles in autonomous robots. Phronetic robotics is in its early stages of conceptualization, so many of the presented ideas are speculative and require further research.2

Author(s):  
Alexander Vengerov

The purpose of the present paper is to establish, define, and develop a high-level architecture for Systems of Learning from the viewpoint of interdependencies between the processes of self-organization and collective intelligence. The role of the Teacher/Manager therefore changes to the collective learning and intelligence taking the central stage. The paper also develops and justifies several views within the stated viewpoint serving better understanding of the relationship between these processes and offering a common ground for the discussion and development of various implementation scenarios.


Author(s):  
Rinat Galiautdinov ◽  
Vardan Mkrttchian

In the future education process where Avatar will be used, it is critically important to have a layer which is responsible for transferring the knowledge from a Student's Avatar to Student. In this research, authors show the method and high-level architecture of how it could be done. And although the suggested approach works, the current level of technology does not allow creating a mobile set which could implement this approach. The general high-level schema of the Avatar methodology used in the education process is enclosed in the following. There are 4 layers which interact with each other. On the first layer there is a professor, who is an expert in some domain. The professor transfers their knowledge to the second layer which is a computer program, performing the role of the Professor's Avatar. The knowledge gets transferred to a Student's Avatar, which is the 3rd layer, and eventually the Student's Avatar transfers the newly received knowledge to the Student, the 4th layer in this schema. So, the most difficult part here is to transfer the knowledge from machine to human.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Kelly

This article uses the concepts of ‘transnational social fields’ and ‘habitus’ to explore the multifaceted role families play in shaping the aspirations of onward migrating youth. The article draws on biographical life history interviews conducted with the children of Iranian migrants who were raised in Sweden but moved to London, UK as adults. The findings of the study suggest that from a young age, all the participants were pressured by their parents to perform well academically, and to achieve high level careers. These goals were easier to achieve in London than in Sweden for several reasons. Interestingly, however, participants’ understandings of what constituted success and their motivations for onward migration were nuanced and varied considerably by gender. The study contributes to an understanding of the role of multi-sited transnational social fields in shaping the aspirations of migrant youths, as well as the strategies taken up by these migrants to achieve their goals.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Parul Gill ◽  
Poonam Malik ◽  
Pankaj Gill

The present study was undertaken to explore the decision making patterns of college girls in relation to clothing and their satisfaction level with these decision making patterns. Thirty under graduate college girls from Panipat city were approached to record their responses regarding decision making in relation to clothing and satisfaction level through a well structured questionnaire. It was found that most of the girls (56.66%) themselves made the decisions about the type of garment (Indian, western or both) they wear and majority of girls (70%) were highly satisfied with this decision making. Parents performed the role of buyers for their college going daughters' garments in most of the cases (63.33%) and the 73.33% girls had high level of satisfaction with this. In most of the cases (60%) the decision about the garment design was made by the girls themselves and they were highly satisfied with it. Keywords: clothing, college, girls, decision making.


Author(s):  
D.R. Zhantiev

Аннотация В статье рассматривается роль и место Сирии (включая Ливан и Палестину) в системе османских владений на протяжении нескольких веков от османского завоевания до периода правления султана Абдул-Хамида II. В течение четырех столетий османского владычества территория исторической Сирии (Билад аш-Шам) была одним из важнейших компонентов османской системы и играла роль связующего звена между Анатолией, Египтом, Ираком и Хиджазом. Необходимость ежегодной организации хаджа с символами султанской власти и покровительства над святынями Мекки и Медины определяла особую стратегическую важность сирийских провинций Османской империи. Несмотря на ряд серьезных угроз во время общего кризиса османской государственности (конец XVI начало XIX вв.), имперскому центру удалось сохранить контроль над Сирией путем создания сдержек и противовесов между местными элитами. В XIX в. и особенно в период правления Абдул- Хамида II (18761909 гг.), сохранение Сирии под османским контролем стало вопросом существования Османской империи, которая перед лицом растущего европейского давления и интервенции потеряла большую часть своих владений на Балканах и в Северной Африке. Задача укрепления связей между имперским центром и периферией в сирийских вилайетах в последней четверти XIX в. была в целом успешно решена. К началу XX в. Сирия была одним из наиболее политически спокойных и прочно связанных со Стамбулом регионов Османской империи. Этому в значительной степени способствовали довольно высокий уровень общественной безопасности, развитие внешней торговли, рост образования и постепенная интеграция местных элит (как мусульман, так и христиан) в османские государственные и социальные механизмы. Положение Сирии в системе османских владений показало, что процесс ослабления и территориальной дезинтеграции Османской империи в эпоху реформ не был линейным и наряду с потерей владений и влияния на Балканах, в азиатской части империи в течение XIX и начала XX вв. происходил параллельный процесс имперской консолидации.Abstract The article examines the role and place of Greater Syria (including Lebanon and Palestine) in the system of Ottoman possessions over several centuries from the Ottoman conquest to the period of the reign of Abdul Hamid II. For four centuries of Ottoman domination, the territory of historical Syria (Bilad al-Sham) was one of the most important components in the Ottoman system and played the role of a link between Anatolia, Egypt, Iraq and Hijaz. The need to ensure the Hajj with symbols of Sultan power and patronage over the shrines of Mecca and Medina each year determined the special strategic importance of the Syrian provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Despite a number of serious threats during the general crisis of the Ottoman state system (late 16th early 19th centuries), the imperial center managed to maintain control over Syria by creating checks and balances between local elites. In the 19th century. And especially during the reign of Abdul Hamid II (18761909), keeping Syria under Ottoman control became a matter of existence for the Ottoman Empire, which, in the face of increasing European pressure and intervention, lost most of its possessions in the Balkans and North Africa. The task of strengthening ties between the imperial center and the periphery in Syrian vilayets in the last quarter of the 19th century was generally successfully resolved. By the beginning of the 20th century, Syria was one of the most politically calm and firmly connected with Istanbul regions of the Ottoman Empire. This was greatly facilitated by a fairly high level of public safety, the development of foreign trade, the growth of education and the gradual integration of local elites (both Muslims and Christians) into Ottoman state and social mechanisms. Syrias position in the system of Ottoman possessions clearly showed that the process of weakening and territorial disintegration of the Ottoman Empire during the era of reform was not linear, and along with the loss of possessions and influence in the Balkans, in the Asian part of the empire during the 19th and early 20th centuries there was a parallel process of imperial consolidation.


The productivity of land has been often discussed and deliberated by the academia and policymakers to understand agriculture, however, very few studies have focused on the agriculture worker productivity to analyze this sector. This study concentrates on the productivity of agricultural workers from across the states taking two-time points into consideration. The agriculture worker productivity needs to be dealt with seriously and on a time series basis so that the marginal productivity of worker can be ascertained but also the dependency of worker on agriculture gets revealed. There is still disguised unemployment in all the states and high level of labour migration, yet most of the states showed the dependency has gone down. Although a state like Madhya Pradesh is doing very well in terms of income earned but that is at the cost of increased worker power in agriculture as a result of which, the productivity of worker has gone down. States like Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura, though small in size showed remarkable growth in productivity and all these states showed a positive trend in terms of worker shifting away from agriculture. The traditional states which gained the most from Green Revolution of the sixties are performing decently well, but they need to have the next major policy push so that they move to the next orbit of growth.


Author(s):  
Yu.V. IRKHIN

The article analyzes the problems, achievements and contradictions in the genesis of the contemporary postmodern discourse. The author has carried out complex research, systematized and showed the main features and differences of postmodernism and metamodernism, as well as the role of neoliberal values in their development. The author has considered a new approach to the study of society and politics: neomodernist discourse with the dominant conservative values, opposing postmodern theory, methodology and practice he has identified the features of neomodernism: historicism, patriotism and healthy nationalism, populism, transactionalismn and realism in the world politics.


1994 ◽  
Vol 30 (10) ◽  
pp. 213-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Pieters ◽  
Victor Geuke

Samples of yellow eel from various locations in the Dutch Rhine area have been analyzed for trend monitoring of mercury since 1977. In the western Rhine delta mercury levels in eels have hardly changed since the seventies, whereas in the eastern part of the Dutch Rhine area a considerable decrease of mercury concentrations in eel has occurred. Because of continuous sedimentation of contaminated suspended matter transported from upstream regions, accumulation rates and concentrations of mercury in eel in the western Rhine delta remained at a relatively high level. Analyses of methyl mercury in biota have been performed to elucidate the role of methyl mercury in the mercury contamination of the Dutch Rhine ecosystem. Low percentages of methyl mercury were observed in zooplankton (3 to 35%). In benthic organisms (mussels) percentages of methyl mercury ranged from 30 to 57%, while in fish species and liver of aquatic top predator birds almost all the mercury was present in the form of methyl mercury (> 80%). During the period 1970-1990 mercury concentrations of suspended matter in the eastern Rhine delta have drastically decreased. These concentrations seemed to be highly correlated with mercury concentrations of eel (R = 0.84). The consequences of this relation are discussed.


1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 51-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Henshilwood ◽  
J. Green ◽  
D. N. Lees

This study investigates human enteric virus contamination of a shellfish harvesting area. Samples were analysed over a 14-month period for Small Round Structured Viruses (SRSVs) using a previously developed nested RT-PCR. A clear seasonal difference was observed with the largest numbers of positive samples obtained during the winter period (October to March). This data concurs with the known winter association of gastroenteric illness due to oyster consumption in the UK and also with the majority of the outbreaks associated with shellfish harvested from this area during the study period. RT-PCR positive amplicons were further characterised by cloning and sequencing. Sequence analysis of the positive samples identified eleven SRSV strains, of both Genogroup I and Genogroup II, occurring throughout the study period. Many shellfish samples contained a mixture of strains with a few samples containing up to three different strains with both Genogroups represented. The observed common occurrence of strain mixtures may have implications for the role of shellfish as a vector for dissemination of SRSV strains. These results show that nested RT-PCR can identify SRSV contamination in shellfish harvesting areas. Virus monitoring of shellfish harvesting areas by specialist laboratories using RT-PCR is a possible approach to combating the transmission of SRSVs by molluscan shellfish and could potentially offer significantly enhanced levels of public health protection.


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