On Anselm’s Ontological Argument in Proslogion II

Formulations of Anselm’s ontological argument have been the subject of a number of recent studies. We examine these studies in light of Anselm’s text and (a) respond to criticisms that have surfaced in reaction to our earlier representations of the argument, (b) identify and defend a more refined representation of Anselm’s argument on the basis of new research, and (c) compare our representation of the argument, which analyzes that than which none greater can be conceived as a definite description, to a representation that analyzes it as an arbitrary name.

The interpretative options of anaphoric complex demonstratives

In this paper, we present experimental evidence from a ‘yes’/’no’ judgement task and twoacceptability rating studies (Experiments 1a-c) for the claim made in Hinterwimmer (2019) thatsentences with two anaphorically interpreted complex demonstratives are less acceptable thansentences with two anaphorically interpreted definite descriptions and sentences where one ofthe two previously introduced referents is picked up by a complex demonstrative, while the otherone is picked up by a definite description. The results of Experiment 1a and 1b are in principlecompatible with the account argued for in Hinterwimmer (2019), according to which the (potentiallyabstract) demonstrations presupposed by demonstratives may not have overlapping trajectories.However, sentences with two anaphorically interpreted complex demonstratives are not judgedas unacceptable as would be expected if they involved a presupposition violation. Therefore, wepropose an alternative, economy-based pragmatic account that builds on Ahn (2019) and Nowak(2019). The question of whether the observed pattern is more compatible with the accountproposed by Hinterwimmer (2019) or the alternative pragmatic account is directly addressed in afurther acceptability rating study (Experiment 1c). The design of that study is similar to that ofExperiment 1b, but it includes as fillers both sentences clearly violating a presupposition andsentences violating a pragmatic constraint. Since the ratings for sentences containing twoanaphorically interpreted complex demonstratives are closer to the ratings for sentences violatinga pragmatic constraint than for sentences violating a presupposition, we conclude that thealternative pragmatic account is preferable to the account by Hinterwimmer (2019).

Epistemic Perspectives and Communicative Acts

Searle (Speech Acts, 1969) introduced his famous distinction between constitutive and regulative rules that together define felicity conditions of speech acts. Regulative rules are normative rules, whereas constitutive rules define what counts as a performance of a speech act. In this paper we demonstrate with the example of assertions and referential uses of definite description that simple regulative rules can be given to speech acts that hold only on a core of well-behaved utterance situations. From this core, extended uses can be derived based on epistemic paths that are defined by the epistemic perspectives of speaker and hearer. As the use of speech acts get extended to a wider class of utterance situations, conflicts with the constitutive rules can emerge. We show that the extended uses are nevertheless felicitous. We represent epistemic relations in a possible worlds framework, and take an interactional approach that considers speech acts as part of joint communicative acts.

Sociology from the Global South and the Global North: Systematising Characteristics and Relations

The article defines characteristics and relations between sociology from the Global South and the Global North, depicted in the literature. Despite the variety of research on the topic, studies of Northern and Southern sociology lack definite description of regional sociologies and their (unequal) relations as well as clear indicators used to assign countries to either region in terms of sociology that still uses classical geopolitical division. On the basis of research of knowledge production and academic relations between Southern and Northern sociology, the author defines main issues of discussion and specific characteristics of these regional sociologies and systematises them under one model. The model reflects four main areas of confrontation between sociology from the North and the South: origin and historical development; research orientation and capabilities; recognition and influence on the global scale; research cooperation and flow of knowledge. In addition, the article presents the alternative model for the recently emerged resistant Southern sociology. In the further research the model can be used to define understudied issues, (re)assign countries concerning sociology and investigate the actual characteristics of Southern and Northern sociology in comparison to the ones presented in the research.

Acts that Kill and Acts that Do Not

In response to recent debates on the need to abandon the Dead Donor Rule (DDR) to facilitate vital-organ transplantation, I claim that, through a detailed philosophical analysis of the Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) and the DDR, some acts that seem to violate DDR in fact do not, thus DDR can be upheld. The paper consists of two parts. First, standard apparatuses of the philosophy of language, such as sense, referent, truth condition, and definite description are employed to show that there exists an internally consistent and coherent interpretation of UDDA which resolves the Reduction Problem and the Ambiguity Problem that allegedly threaten the UDDA framework, and as a corollary, the practice of Donation after the Circulatory Determination of Death (DCDD) does not violate DDR. Second, an interpretation of the DDR, termed ‘No Hastening Death Rule’ (NHDR), is formulated so that, given that autonomy and non-maleficence principles are observed, the waiting time for organ procurement can be further shortened without DDR being violated.

Presupposition, assertion, and definite descriptions

In recent work on the semantics of definite descriptions, some theorists (Elbourne in Definite descriptions, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013; Schoubye in Noûs 47(3):496–533, 2013) have advocated broadly Fregean accounts, whereby a definite description ‘the F’ introduces a presupposition to the effect that there is exactly one F and refers to it if there is, while other theorists (Abbott, in: Gundel, Hedberg (eds) Reference: Interdisciplinary perspectives, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 61–72, 2008; Hawthorne and Manley in The reference book, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012) have advocated accounts whereby ‘the F’ introduces a presupposition to the effect that there is exactly one F but otherwise has the semantics of ‘an F’, introducing existential quantification. It is argued that the latter theories, since they have definite descriptions encode assertoric content to the effect that there is an F, have difficulty accounting for the felicity of ‘The F is G’ when it is already presupposed that there is an F.

Orbital-Free Quantum Crystallographic View on Noncovalent Bonding: Insights into Hydrogen Bonds, π∙∙∙π and Reverse Electron Lone Pairs∙∙∙π Interactions

A detailed analysis of a complete set of the local potentials that appear in the Euler equation for electron density is carried out for noncovalent interactions in the uracil derivative using experimental X-ray charge density. The interplay between the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and crystals and the local potentials and corresponding inner-crystal electronic forces of electrostatic and kinetic origin is explored. Novel physically grounded bonding descriptors derived within the orbital-free quantum crystallography provided the detailed examination of pi-stacking and intricate C=O...pi interactions and nonclassical hydrogen bonds. The donor-acceptor character of these interactions is revealed by analysis of Pauli and von Weizsäcker potentials together with more well-known functions. Partitioning of crystal space into atomic-like potential basins led us to the definite description of the charge transfer. In this way, our analysis throws light on aspects of these closed-shell interactions hitherto hidden from the description.

Orbital-Free Quantum Crystallographic View on Noncovalent Bonding: Insights into Hydrogen Bonds, π∙∙∙π and Reverse Electron Lone Pairs∙∙∙π Interactions

A detailed analysis of a complete set of the local potentials that appear in the Euler equation for electron density is carried out for noncovalent interactions in the uracil derivative using experimental X-ray charge density. The interplay between the quantum theory of atoms in molecules and crystals and the local potentials and corresponding inner-crystal electronic forces of electrostatic and kinetic origin is explored. Novel physically grounded bonding descriptors derived within the orbital-free quantum crystallography provided the detailed examination of pi-stacking and intricate C=O...pi interactions and nonclassical hydrogen bonds. The donor-acceptor character of these interactions is revealed by analysis of Pauli and von Weizsäcker potentials together with more well-known functions. Partitioning of crystal space into atomic-like potential basins led us to the definite description of the charge transfer. In this way, our analysis throws light on aspects of these closed-shell interactions hitherto hidden from the description.