Action without Intention: Some Remarks of Analytical Philosophy Applied to the Theory of Social Action

The article is devoted to the consideration of the theory of social action in the context of criticism of the theory of action by analytical philosophy. Firstly, the article describes the basic concepts of social action by M. Weber, E. Durkheim, and T. Parsons. Despite some disagreements between these sociologists, they agree that social action is purposeful and intentional, as well as focused on other people, due to which it receives a social characteristic. Then the author turns to analytical philosophy, in which the concept of "intention" was subjected to skeptical analysis. For example, in the philosophy of late Wittgenstein, action receives its meaning not from the intentions of the actor, but from the context of its implementation, just as words get their meaning from the conditions in which they are used. His ideas were developed by E. Anscombe, who rejected introspection as a method of comprehending the intentions of the subject of action. An obvious consequence of the refusal of psychologizing intent was an appeal to the context of the action being performed and to its social conditions as well. Having considered examples of the application of the theories of social action, the author concludes that sociologists in most of their studies use the model of a rational subject of action, the distinguishing feature of which is awareness of one’s own intentions and goals. Although some researchers have attempted to make this model weaker in order to approximate it to real participants of social interaction, these changes did not affect the awareness of the subject of action of his own goals and intentions. Therefore, the author of the article concludes that one of the urgent tasks of sociology is to develop a new model of the subject of action, which will organically combine the subject’s orientation to the external context and limited awareness of the grounds for his own actions.

Climate, Carbon Dioxide, and Plant-Based Aero-Allergens: A Deeper Botanical Perspective

There is global evidence of a general increase in the incidence and prevalence of respiratory diseases including allergic rhinitis and associated asthma. This increase in turn, has been related, in part, to concurrent increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature on pollen production and allergic disease generated from plant-based sources of pollen. Such links to anthropogenic climate change has suggested three significant and interrelated consequences associated with respiratory allergies or disease. First, warmer temperatures and a longer frost-free growing season can influence pollen season length and temporal exposure to airborne aeroallergens. Second, both warmer temperatures and additional CO2 can increase the amount of pollen, the seasonal intensity, from spring through fall. Thirdly, there is evidence from oak and ragweed that rising levels of CO2 could increase the allergen concentration of the pollen and symptom severity. However, while these outcomes are of obvious consequence, they do not fully encompass all of the plant derived changes that could, directly or indirectly, influence aeroallergen production, exposure, and consequences for public health. In this overview, I will delve deeper into other plant-based links to climate/CO2 that are consequential either directly or indirectly to allergic rhinitis and associated disease. Such interactions range from pollen morphology to fire occurrence, from volatile organic compounds to potential changes in pesticide usage. The goal in doing so is to provide a broader context and appreciation for the interactions between plant biology and climate that can also affect allergen production and human impact but which, to date, have received little recognition or research.

The End of a Classical Ontology for Quantum Mechanics?

In this paper, I argue that the Shrapnel–Costa no-go theorem undermines the last remaining viability of the view that the fundamental ontology of quantum mechanics is essentially classical: that is, the view that physical reality is underpinned by objectively real, counterfactually definite, uniquely spatiotemporally defined, local, dynamical entities with determinate valued properties, and where typically ‘quantum’ behaviour emerges as a function of our own in-principle ignorance of such entities. Call this view Einstein–Bell realism. One can show that the causally symmetric local hidden variable approach to interpreting quantum theory is the most natural interpretation that follows from Einstein–Bell realism, where causal symmetry plays a significant role in circumventing the nonclassical consequences of the traditional no-go theorems. However, Shrapnel and Costa argue that exotic causal structures, such as causal symmetry, are incapable of explaining quantum behaviour as arising as a result of noncontextual ontological properties of the world. This is particularly worrying for Einstein–Bell realism and classical ontology. In the first instance, the obvious consequence of the theorem is a straightforward rejection of Einstein–Bell realism. However, more than this, I argue that, even where there looks to be a possibility of accounting for contextual ontic variables within a causally symmetric framework, the cost of such an account undermines a key advantage of causal symmetry: that accepting causal symmetry is more economical than rejecting a classical ontology. Either way, it looks like we should give up on classical ontology.

Closing Time: EU Border Crossings During COVID-19

There are more than 40 border crossings between the Federal State of Saarland, Lorraine and Luxembourg. In fact, Saarbrücken is the only one of the 16 state capitals of the Federal Republic of Germany on whose territory a state border runs. The urban area of Saarbrücken borders directly on France over a distance of more than 10 km. I was born in 1971 and grew up in a small village, pretty close to the French border. The border points were always easy to pass, even before the Schengen Agreement came into force. Like anybody, I accepted the rare controls. It was perhaps like accepting an annual cold. “After Schengen” the border disappeared more and more from my (and also the collective) consciousness over the years, a state that I still appreciate very much today. All the more it hit me to be confronted with closure of this border for the first time in my life. The obvious consequence for me was the creation of the photo series with which I wanted to document this unpleasant and hopefully unique state. All photos were taken between March 27 and April 10, 2020. For the compelte series, see my website. » © Marco Kany | marcokany.de «

Between interpretation and the subject: Revisiting Bakhtin’s theory of polyphony

This paper affords a critical and historical reappraisal of Bakhtin’s theory of polyphony. It addresses the issue of the subjectivity of interpretation in the reception and formulation of this highly influential theory in literary semiotics. Following a revaluation of three major patterns of interpretation of polyphony that have emerged in the global field of literary theory since 1929, as well as Bakhtin’s shift in emphasis in 1963, we find that Bakhtin’s theorizing of polyphony, based on his seemingly inconsistent interpretation of Dostoevsky’s novels, was defined by his own subjectivity as well. An obvious consequence of such subjective predispositions in both the reception of Bakhtin’s theory and his own treatment of Dostoevsky’s polyphonic novels is that they have instigated a type of perpetuating availability bias in approaching the theory of polyphony. This revelation is key to understanding the wholeness of the theory of polyphony from a diachronic perspective. By tracing the cultural and intellectual sources of Dostoevsky’s polyphonic creation, this paper attempts to reframe and restore the Bakhtinian idea of polyphony to its fullness, which we believe can be encapsulated in one phrase: harmony without uniformity.

Role of wild mammals in traditional medicine and mystic practices in the province of Oubritenga, Burkina Faso

Local people use corpses and organs of wild animals for medical care and mystical practices. The study aims to inventory the mammal’s species which organs are used for the treatment of some diseases or the implementation of some mystical practices. It was an ethnozoological survey which took place from September to December 2018 in 11 markets with 18 traditional practitioners selling wild mammal products. In total, 24 species of wild mammals have been identified and 16 organs listed as medicine for cure 21 diseases. Some of these organs are also involved in 7 mystical practices of local people. Animal parts such as the skin (51.30%) and the bones / the horns (16.23%) are the most sought after on the markets. Traders sources are mainly from Burkina Faso (92.57%) and to a lesser extent from Niger (7.43%). Almost all the concerned species are protected (22 species) in Burkina Faso. Among these species, 4 are vulnerable according to the IUCN criteria. The obvious consequence of these traditional needs for corpses and parts of wild mammals collected by local communities is undoubtedly the depletion of biodiversity. Therefore, this requires the application of conservation rules which guarantee better exploitation of these biological resources.Keywords: Biodiversity, wildlife, traditional use, animal’s organ, ethnozoology

Problems and prospects of education in the post-industrial information society

This article briefly discusses the features of the education system in the USSR, which was based on the mass natural-scientific training of personnel capable of creating new knowledge for technological application to the development of strategic industries. The liberal market reforms of 1990–1992 reoriented the education system in Russia to train users to become consumers of technologies and products that already existed in global markets. The education system’s modernization during the new millennium completed the tasks outlined in the 1990s. The reforms of recent years in the field of education have led to the final abandonment of the industrial economy based upon complex technical systems, in favor of a service economy which does not create material wealth. The obvious consequence of this failure is the complete destruction of the education system inherited from the USSR, and the loss of any hope for the restoration of economically and socially significant high-tech industrial production.

THE BOX-COUNTING DIMENSION OF PASCAL’S TRIANGLE r mod p

We consider Pascal’s Triangle [Formula: see text] to be the entries of Pascal’s Triangle that are congruent to [Formula: see text]. Such a representation of Pascal’s Triangle exhibits fractal-like structures. When the Triangle is mapped to a subset of the unit square, we show that such a set is nonempty and exists as a limit of a sequence of coarse approximations. We then show that for any given prime [Formula: see text], any such sequence converges to the same set, regardless of the residue(s) considered. As an obvious consequence, this allows us to conclude that the fractal (box-counting) dimension of this nonempty, compact representation of Pascal’s Triangle [Formula: see text] is independent of [Formula: see text].

PRL-1 is required for neuroprotection against olfactory CO2 stimulation in Drosophila

The Mammalian phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL) family is primarily recognized for its oncogenic properties. Here we found that in Drosophila, loss of prl-1 resulted in CO2-induced brain disorder presented as irreversible wing hold up with enhancement of Ca2+ responses at the neuron synaptic terminals. Overexpression of Prl-1 in the nervous system could rescue the mutant phenotype. We show that Prl-1 is particularly expressed in CO2-responsive neural circuit and the higher brain centers. Ablation of the CO2 olfactory receptor, Gr21a, suppressed the mutant phenotype, suggesting that CO2 acts as a neuropathological substrate in absence of Prl-1. Further studies found that the wing hold up is an obvious consequence upon knockdown of Uex, a magnesium transporter, which directly interacts with Prl-1. Conditional expression of Uex in the nervous system could rescue the phenotype of prl-1 mutants. We demonstrate that Uex acts genetically downstream of Prl-1. Our findings provide important insights into mechanisms of Prl-1 protection against olfactory CO2 stimulation induced brain disorder at the level of detailed neural circuits and functional molecular connections.

Inosine – a Multifunctional Treatment for Complications of Neurologic Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by trauma or disease leads to motor and sensory abnormalities that depend on the level, severity and duration of the lesion. The most obvious consequence of SCI is paralysis affecting lower and upper limbs. SCI also leads to loss of bladder and bowel control, both of which have a deleterious, life-long impact on the social, psychological, functional, medical and economic well being of affected individuals. Currently, there is neither a cure for SCI nor is there adequate management of its consequences. Although medications provide symptomatic relief for the complications of SCI including muscle spasms, lower urinary tract dysfunction and hyperreflexic bowel, strategies for repair of spinal injuries and recovery of normal limb and organ function are still to be realized. In this review, we discuss experimental evidence supporting the use of the naturally occurring purine nucleoside inosine to improve the devastating sequelae of SCI. Evidence suggests inosine is a safe, novel agent with multifunctional properties that is effective in treating complications of SCI and other neuropathies.