PhilArchive
Not a member yet
119355 research outputs found
Sort by
Aristotle’s On the Good and the “Categorial Reduction Argument”
No full textAlexander of Aphrodisias reports a series of arguments from Aristotle’s Περὶ τἀγαθοῦ purportedly deployed by Plato to defend his doctrine of principles. One of these arguments, the so-called “categorial reduction argument”, underpins the postulation of the two first principles, the One and the Great and Small, through a bipartition of all beings into two categories, labeled ‘in themselves’ and ‘opposites’. I scrutinize this argument and compare it with other Early Academic bicategorial divisions and especially with the tripartite categorial distinction, itself apparently based on material of Early Academic provenance, included in Sextus Empiricus’ Adversus Physicos 2.262-275. I argue that the Περὶ τἀγαθοῦ account of the “categorial reduction argument” leaves open certain philosophical problems, and Sextus’ report is best interpreted, rather than as a more detailed version of that account (as a common view would have it), as an alternative formulation of it that incorporates a philosophical attempt to disentangle those problems
The Verifiability of Daoist Somatic Mystical Experience
No full textMystical religious experiences typically purport to engage with the transcendent and often claim to involve encounters with spiritual entities or a detachment from the material world. Daoism diverges from this paradigm. This paper examines Daoist mystical experiences of bodily transformations and explores their epistemological implications. Specifically, we defend the justificatory power of Daoist somatic experiences against the disanalogy objection. The disanalogy objection posits that mystical experiences, in contrast to sense perceptions, are not socially verifiable and thereby lack prima facie epistemic value. We argue that some Daoist mystical bodily states, being essentially spatiotemporal, are exempt from this challenge. This leads to a broader understanding of mysticism and offers a partial resolution to the disanalogy objection
True is a set: Many-valued logics with matrix semantics
No full textOriginating in the framework of philosophical preoccupations with paradoxes and determinism, the many-valued logics are today essential, finding abundant applications in STEM fields from electronics to knowledge bases. Essentially characterized by many-valuedness, or the property of having more than the two classical truth values, the many-valued logical systems are often presented only axiomatically and/or truth-functionally, but this presentation largely obliterates the intended meanings of many-truthfulness, the property that in these logics more than a single truth value can be distinguished as true. Matrix semantics, a type of algebraic semantics, handles many-truthfulness in a set-theoretic way that typically allows for a meaning account. In this review article, the core aspects of many-valued logics with matrix semantics are elaborated on from the viewpoint of logical consequence
Ecological Citizenship and Responsible Participatory Practices
No full textCitizenship, as a leading notion in political philosophy, has always cherished models of ideal citizenship to meet the demands of the political States. In the contemporary times that face critical ecological challenges, philosophers have conceptualized citizenship that sustains the existence of ecology. The idea of ecological citizenship is a novel conception in this regard. Nonetheless, it shares the ancient and contemporary features of political citizenship. While the ancient Greek political philosophers assigned a privileged status of citizen to the one who has legal rights and duties to participate in the affairs of society, contemporary reflections associate citizenship with a public identity that determines the share of an individual in the collective resources of society. Ecological citizen who is committed to the habitat would provide her with a public identity of being responsive and responsible for the geographical and political contexts at par with current notions of citizenship. The paper examines the participatory nature of ecological citizenship engaged with material reality from the perspective of ethical and epistemic responsible practices which also involve angles of investments and emancipation. and political contexts at par with current notions of citizenship. The paper ex
The debate about the accuracy conditions of episodic memory: A critical overview
No full textThis paper offers a critical overview of the evolving debate on the accuracy conditions of episodic memory. We argue that the positive proposals articulated in the context of this literature are actually attempts to answer related but ultimately different types of questions. After presenting our overview of the debate, we discuss four lessons that can be drawn from it. While we do not put forward a substantive account of the accuracy conditions of remembering, we believe that these lessons contribute to advancing the debate by providing the grounds for more nuanced and rigorous engagement among philosophers interested in the accuracy conditions of episodic memory
Minimal Rationality and the Web of Questions
No full textThis paper proposes a new account of bounded or minimal doxastic rationality (in the sense of Cherniak 1986), based on the notion that beliefs are answers to questions (à la Yalcin 2018). The core idea is that minimally rational beliefs are linked through thematic connections, rather than entailment relations. Consequently, such beliefs are not deductively closed, but they are closed under parthood (where a part is an entailment that answers a smaller question). And instead of avoiding all inconsistency, minimally rational believers only avoid blatant inconsistencies (where some beliefs are blatantly inconsistent when they contradict one another on a particular question). Rather than cohering into a single overall world view, beliefs are more loosely connected in what is best described as a web of questions. This view of minimally rational belief naturally gives rise to an account of deductive inquiry on which deductive reasoning is a matter of posing new questions
Epistemological Limits and Quantum Realities: A Kantian Analysis of QBism and Relationalism
No full textThis article explores the relationship between Kantian epistemology and QBism, a modern interpretation of quantum mechanics. QBism reconceives scientific objects not as independent entities but as phenomena synthesized through the observer's active role. It emphasizes the interdependence of knowledge and observation, rejecting the notion of a pre-existent, absolute reality. Much like Immanuel Kant's assertion that the thing-in-itself lies outside human cognition, QBism denies ontological status to the unobservable or unexperienced, grounding objectivity in intersubjectivity: the shared cognitive structures of human agents. Within this Critical framework, I address an objection raised by Carlo Rovelli, who critiques QBism for anchoring reality to the observer, claiming it risks falling into idealism by positioning the subject outside nature. Rovelli defends a relational view, situating the observer within the world as describable by the same physical laws that apply to all objects. In response, I argue that the QBist observer represents a universal human subject, not a single determinate agent and that intersubjective agreement ensures objectivity without collapsing into solipsism
AI-Driven Network Traffic Management for Smart Cities
No full textUrbanization has led to increased traffic congestion, pollution, and inefficiencies in transportation systems. Traditional traffic management methods are often inadequate to address the complexities of modern urban mobility. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers transformative solutions by enabling adaptive, real-time traffic control, predictive analytics, and efficient resource utilization. This paper explores the integration of AI in network traffic management within smart cities, focusing on its applications, methodologies, and outcomes. AI technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and reinforcement learning are employed to analyse vast amounts of traffic data collected from sensors, cameras, and IoT devices. These technologies facilitate dynamic traffic signal control, anomaly detection, and demand forecasting. For instance, systems like Scalable Urban Traffic Control (SURTRAC) and Project Green Light have demonstrated significant improvements in traffic flow and reduction in emissions. The methodology section delves into various AI models and frameworks, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks, and multi-agent reinforcement learning, highlighting their roles in traffic prediction and optimization. Furthermore, the paper discusses the challenges and limitations of implementing AI in urban traffic systems, such as data privacy concerns, infrastructure requirements, and algorithmic biases. Case studies from cities like Ahmedabad and Mangalore illustrate the practical applications and outcomes of AI-driven traffic management systems.
These real-world examples provide insights into the effectiveness and scalability of AI solutions in diverse urban settings In conclusion, AI-driven network traffic management represents a pivotal advancement in creating smarter, more sustainable urban environments. While challenges persist, on going research and technological advancements continue to enhance the efficacy and applicability of AI in urban mobility
Humanidad en evolución: entre la biología, la cultura y la fe
No full textLa reflexión sobre el origen y desarrollo de la especie humana ha transitado
desde los mitos fundacionales hasta los marcos racionales de la ciencia moderna. Hoy
sabemos que el paradigma evolutivo no solo ha transformado nuestra comprensión de la
vida, sino también de nosotros mismos. Sin embargo, esta transformación no
necesariamente anula la dimensión espiritual o teológica del ser humano. Más bien, nos
invita a reinterpretarla desde un horizonte más amplio, donde razón y fe pueden coexistir
sin anularse. En este ensayo intento pensar esa convivencia entre biología, cultura y
espiritualidad, así como la singularidad que nos define y el momento decisivo que
atravesamos como especi