191 research outputs found
Redpath on the Nature of Philosophy
No full textIn this article the author discusses Peter A. Redpath’s understanding of the nature of philosophy and his account of how erroneous understandings of philosophy have led to the decline of the West and to the separation of philosophy from modern science and modern science from wisdom. Following Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas, Redpath argues that philosophy is a sense realism because it begins in wonder about real things known through the senses. Philosophy presupposes pre-philosophical knowledge, common sense, which consists of principles rooted in sensation that make human experience, sense wonder, and philosophy possible. Philosophy is certain knowledge demonstrated through causes and thus philosophy is the same as science. Redpath understands science as a habit that we acquire through repeated practice. More precisely, a scientific habit is a simple quality of the intellect that enables us to demonstrate (prove) the necessary properties of a genus through their causes or principles. In this way, science is the study of the one and the many. Redpath argues that metaphysics is the final cause of the arts and sciences, providing the foundation for all of the arts and sciences and justifying their principles. Finally, he argues that with modernity’s loss of belief in God and its rejection of metaphysics as a science, utopian socialism has become an historical/political substitute for metaphysics
La gestión del conejo en zonas de daños a la agricultura. Aspectos sociales
No full textThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.[EN] In Spanish farmland areas, the European rabbit can cause considerable crop damage. Tensions typically emerge between farmers who advocate rabbit reduction and hunters who wish healthy rabbit populations for shooting. In this study, we used in-depth interviews and small group discussions with farmers, hunters and representatives of the governmental environmental agencies to assess their positions in this conflict. Our results showed that this conflict is characterised by tensions between and within groups, and influenced by leadership, distrust and past decision-making issues, and differences in beliefs among groups. Positions of farmers and hunters are also relatively rigid, which may make difficult their engagement in collaborative processes. To be effective, such processes need that local leaders are empowered and likely also that external neutral mediators are involved.Our research was conducted in two study areas: Campiña Sur de Córdoba (CSC) in Andalusia, southern Spain, and Alt Camp de Tarragona (ACT) in Catalunya, northern Spain. CSC and ACT comprise 11 and 23 municipalities, respectively, the former being larger than the latter (1100 km2 vs. 538 Km2) and including more inhabitants (105,000 vs. 44,000 inhabitants). These areas were selected due to similarities in the global context regarding rabbit damage to crops. The presence of vineyards is notable in both areas and there is significant rabbit damage to vineyards in both.In this study, we used qualitative techniques to understand perspective and views of the main stakeholders involved: farmers, hunters, and people working for governmental agencies in charge of wildlife management. Participants were selected using contact information provided by key informants in both study areas (snow-ball sampling). The total number of participants was 55. We used personal interviews to gather the opinion of key informants; i.e. managers in relevant farming associations, game managers and people working for environmental agencies. To assess the opinion of “regular” hunters and farmers, we used small discussion groups with three or four participants. To avoid the risk that an “opinion leader” may dominate the conversation in a discussion group, the moderator managed this potential limitation through promoting the participation of the most reticent people.Interviews and small discussion groups were conducted between 15th October and 16th December 2015. We stopped data collection when we observed that no new key themes emerged with further data. Both the interviews and the small discussion groups were conducted in such a way that a space was created for the open expression of the positions and criteria of the interviewees, that is, in a non-directive and conversational manner. The interviews and small discussion groups were conducted following a script of issues to be addressed, but it was adapted to the characteristics of the participants and the own development of the interviews and discussion groups. The script addressed participants’ perceptions about rabbit populations and rabbit damage to crops both in the recent past and when the survey was done and their perceptions and opinions about rabbit management conducted in the study area. In addition, it also dealt with the relationships between stakeholders involved in the problems caused by rabbit damage to crops as well as with participants’ attitudes towards other collectives or groups. Participants were guaranteed the mutual confidentiality and anonymity of the opinions expressed. Their express consent was obtained for participation in this study, which was done in compliance with both the Spanish and European legislations in terms of data privacy (Spanish Organic Law 3/2018; European Regulation 2016/679). Interview duration ranged between 15 and 120 minutes, while groups ranged between 45 and 150 minutes. Both were digitally recorded and transcribed. Data from interviews and small groups were analyzed jointly since both addressed the same key issues and had the same informative and opinion nature. Data analysis consisted of reading iteratively each text to identify main ideas and topics, pursuing an understanding and sociological interpretation of the data, checking interpretations among co-authors to create added awareness of certain dimensions in the data, and thus to identify properly the main themes.In order to ensure full protection of participants’ privacy and compliance with Spanish law of data protection (i.e. Royal Decree-Law 5/2018, of July 27th, on urgent measures for adaptation of Spanish Law to European Union regulations on data privacy), raw data is not made publicly available. Instead, a summary of raw data is shown and the information is anonymized and those parts that could give rise to the recognition of any of the participants have been eliminated, thus respecting confidentiality[ES] En las zonas agrícolas españolas, el conejo europeo puede causar daños considerables a los cultivos. Las tensiones suelen surgir entre los agricultores, que abogan por la reducción de la población de conejos, y los cazadores, que desean disponer de un número elevado de conejos para cazar. En este estudio utilizamos entrevistas en profundidad y grupos de discusión reducidos con agricultores, cazadores y representantes de la administración ambiental y agrícola para evaluar sus posiciones en este conflicto. Nuestros resultados muestran que este conflicto se caracteriza por tensiones tanto inter como intragrupales, y está influenciado por el liderazgo, la desconfianza y los problemas de toma de decisiones pasadas, y las diferencias de creencias entre los distintos colectivos. Los posicionamientos de los agricultores y cazadores también son relativamente rígidos, lo que puede dificultar su participación en procesos de colaboración. Para ser efectivos, tales procesos necesitan que los líderes locales estén empoderados y probablemente también que participen mediadores externos neutrales.Nuestra investigación se llevó a cabo en dos áreas de estudio: Campiña Sur de Córdoba (CSC) en Andalucía, sur de España, y Alt Camp de Tarragona (ACT) en Catalunya, norte de España. CSC y ACT comprenden 11 y 23 municipios, respectivamente, siendo el primero más grande que el segundo (1100 km2 frente a 538 km2) e incluyendo más habitantes (105.000 frente a 44.000 habitantes). Estas áreas fueron seleccionadas debido a similitudes en el contexto global con respecto al daño de los conejos a los cultivos. La presencia de viñedos es notable en ambas zonas y existe igualmente un importante daño por conejos en los viñedos en ambas comarcas.En este estudio, utilizamos técnicas cualitativas para comprender la perspectiva y los puntos de vista de los principales actores involucrados: agricultores, cazadores y personas que trabajan en la administración vinculadas a la gestión de la vida silvestre. Los participantes fueron seleccionados utilizando la información de contacto proporcionada por informantes clave en ambas áreas de estudio (muestreo de bola de nieve). El número total de participantes fue de 55. Utilizamos entrevistas personales para recabar la opinión de informantes clave; es decir, representantes de organizaciones agrarias relevantes, gerentes de cotos de caza y personas que trabajan en la administración. Para evaluar la opinión de los cazadores y agricultores, utilizamos pequeños grupos de discusión con tres o cuatro participantes. Para evitar el riesgo de que un “líder de opinión” pueda dominar la conversación en un grupo de discusión, el moderador manejó esta potencial limitación promoviendo la participación de las personas más reticentes.El conjunto de entrevistas y grupos de discusión se desarrolló entre el 15 de octubre y el 16 de diciembre de 2015. La recopilación de datos se detuvo cuando observamos que no surgían nuevos temas clave o relevantes para el objeto de estudio. Tanto las entrevistas como los pequeños grupos de discusión se realizaron de tal manera que se creó un espacio para la expresión abierta de las posiciones y criterios de los entrevistados, es decir, de manera no directiva y conversacional. Las entrevistas y los pequeños grupos de discusión se realizaron siguiendo un guion de temas a tratar, pero se adaptó a las características de los participantes y al propio desarrollo de las entrevistas y grupos. El guion abordó las percepciones de los participantes sobre las poblaciones de conejos y el daño producido a los cultivos, tanto en el pasado reciente como cuando se realizó la encuesta, y sus percepciones y opiniones sobre el manejo de conejos realizado en las áreas de estudio. Además, también se trataron las relaciones entre los colectivos involucrados en los problemas causados por el daño de los conejos a los cultivos, así como las actitudes de los participantes hacia otros grupos. Se garantizó a los participantes la confidencialidad y el anonimato de las opiniones expresadas. Se obtuvo su consentimiento expreso para participar en este estudio, el cual se realizó en cumplimiento de la legislación tanto española como europea en materia de privacidad de datos (Ley Orgánica 3/2018; Reglamento Europeo 2016/679). La duración de las entrevistas osciló entre los 15 y los 120 minutos, mientras que los grupos variaron entre 45 y 150 minutos. Ambos fueron grabados y transcritos digitalmente. Los datos de las entrevistas y grupos se analizaron de forma conjunta, ya que ambos abordaron los mismos temas clave y tenían el mismo carácter informativo y de opinión. El análisis de datos consistió en la lectura iterativa de cada texto para identificar las ideas y temas principales, buscando una comprensión e interpretación sociológica de los datos, verificando las interpretaciones entre los coautores para crear una mayor conciencia de ciertas dimensiones en los datos y así identificar adecuadamente los temas principales.Con el fin de garantizar la plena protección de la privacidad de los participantes y el cumplimiento de la ley española de protección de datos (es decir, el Real Decreto-ley 5/2018, de 27 de julio, de medidas urgentes para la adaptación de la legislación española a la normativa de la Unión Europea sobre privacidad de datos), los datos brutos no se ponen a disposición del público. En cambio, se muestra un resumen de los datos brutos y se anonimiza la información y se eliminan aquellas partes que pudieran dar lugar al reconocimiento de alguno de los participantes, respetando así la confidencialidad.We acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Science Ministry (MINECO) through project CGL2013-43197-R; and from Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) through PII-201810I026.La información contenida en el fichero de datos se estructura de la siguiente forma:
Comarca Alt Camp (Tarragona)
-Entrevistas y grupos de discusión cazadores, agricultores y administración
Comarca Campiña Sur (Córdoba)
-Entrevistas y grupos de discusión cazadores, agricultores y administraciónCon objeto de asegurar la completa protección de la privacidad de los participantes en las entrevistas y cumplir con la legislación española de protección de datos (p.ej. RD 5/2018, de27 de julio, sobre medidas urgentes de adaptación de la legislación española a la regulación de la UE sobre la privacidad de datos), los datos brutos de las entrevistas no se ponen a disposición del público. En su lugar, se muestra un resumen de los datos brutos, se anonimiza la información y se eliminan aquellas partes que pudieran dar lugar al reconocimiento de alguno de los participantes, respetando así la confidencialidad.N
Gilson as Christian Humanist
No full textThe author suggests that the intellectual life of Étienne Gilson constituted a new humanism, that Gilson’s scholarly work was part of a new renaissance, that a new humanism that Gilson thought is demanded by the precarious civilizational crisis of the modern West after World Wars I and II. He also argues that, more than anything else, Gilson was a renaissance humanist scholar who consciously worked in the tradition of renaissance humanists before him, but did so to expand our understanding of the notion of “renaissance” scholarship and to create his own brand of Christian humanism to deal with problems distinctive to his age. The author shows the specificity of the Christian humanism that Gilson developed as part of his distinctive style of doing historical research and of philosophizing
The Importance of Gilson
No full textThe author aims at answering why preserving, reading, and understanding the work of Étienne Gilson is crucial for the Western civilization if one wishes to be able to understand precisely the problems that are besetting the West and how one can best resolve them. He claims that among all the leading intellectuals of the past or present generation, no one has better diagnosed the philosophical ills of Western culture and better understood the remedy for those ills than has Étienne Gilson
Peter A. Redpath, The Moral Psychology of St. Thomas Aquinas: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Ethics
No full textAuthor Peter Redpath outlines a personalist Thomism, a philoso-phy for the acting person. He aims to correct what he sees as miscon-ceptions of St. Thomas’s teachings in large part due to Cartesian phi-losophy and the West’s deficient metaphysics. In personalist Thomism, “metaphysics and ethics are more than subjects of study;” “they are chiefly habits of the human soul, habits generated by an organizational and moral psychology” (21). Redpath succeeds in showing reason’s centrality to discerning and living the moral life of virtuous habits. Giv-en the book’s topic, only the second chapter deals with God, Divine Providence, and Divine Rule directly. Other chapters focus on human happiness, the emotions, habit, the law, justice, friendship, and pleas-ure. Redpath notes the importance of being motivated to possess “the real desire to become morally good, an excellent human being” (2)
StJohn et al dataset for: Value diversity and conservation conflict: Lessons from the management of red grouse and hen harriers in England. People & Nature
No full textInformation (read first file) and dataset to accompany St. John, F.A.V., Steadman, J., Austen, G., and Redpath, S.M. Value diversity and conservation conflict: Lessons from the management
of red grouse and hen harriers in England published in People and Natur
The state and perceptions of human-crocodile interactions around Murchison falls conservation area, Uganda
No full textWildlife conflicts between people and large herbivores or mammalian carnivores are widely researched in Africa, but there is limited work on human-crocodile conflicts (HCC). In Uganda, conservation efforts have enabled the recovery of the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) population, yet the expanding human population and activities increasingly overlap with crocodile habitats resulting in negative interactions. This study used a combination of literature review, surveys, and the Nominal Group Technique to investigate the factors underpinning HCC around Murchison Falls Conservation Area. Results indicate that 115 attacks on humans occurred during 2012–2017, 84.3% of these being fatal. Also, 93.1% of the attacks occurred as victims were either fishing or collecting water. Construction of crocodile exclusion enclosures and translocation of problem crocodiles to protected areas were the most preferred mitigation measure. To reduce the prevalence of human injuries and offset local hostility toward crocodiles, conservation actors need to actively engage the affected communities.</p
Birds of prey and grouse in Finland : Do avian predators limit or regulate their prey numbers?
No full textAbstractRelationships between predators and prey may affect population dynamics of both parties. Predators may also serve as a link between populations of different prey, e.g., small game and small mammals. I used available data on the diet and reproduction of birds of prey (mainly common buzzards Buteo buteo and goshawks Accipiter gentilis) and video surveillance of their nests, as well as multiannual data on numbers of grouse and small mammals for studying food habits and population dynamics of raptors and their links with population fluctuations of voles and grouse (capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, black grouse Tetrao tetrix and hazel grouse Bonasa bonasia) in western Finland during 1980–1990s when grouse and vole numbers fluctuated in regular cycles.Microtus voles were the main prey of the buzzards which partly switched their diet to small game (juvenile grouse and hares) in years when vole numbers declined. The nesting rate of buzzards also correlated with vole abundance, but the productivity rate and brood size tended to lag behind the vole cycle. This mismatch between the buzzards’ functional and numerical responses resulted in a fairly small impact of buzzards on juvenile grouse, which did not correlate with vole density. The productivity of goshawks followed the fluctuations of grouse density closely whereas the occupancy rate of goshawk territories did so with a two-year lag. The annual numerical ratio of goshawk to grouse was inversely related to grouse density, suggesting that this predator may be a destabilising factor for grouse population dynamics. However, the goshawks’ kill rate of grouse showed no clear relations to grouse density. In June–July, these birds of prey (including hen harriers Circus cyaneus) usually killed a relatively small number of grouse chicks. Losses to raptors constituted up to one quarter of grouse juvenile mortality during the two months. We did not find a strong effect of avian predators on grouse juvenile mortality. In boreal forests, predators and other factors of grouse mortality do not operate as one, and there is probably no single factor responsible for the reproductive success of grouse.Academic dissertation to be presented, with the assent of the Faculty of Science of the University of Oulu, for public defence in Kuusamonsali (Auditorium YB210), Linnanmaa, on June 7th, 2008, at 12 noonAbstract
Relationships between predators and prey may affect population dynamics of both parties. Predators may also serve as a link between populations of different prey, e.g., small game and small mammals. I used available data on the diet and reproduction of birds of prey (mainly common buzzards Buteo buteo and goshawks Accipiter gentilis) and video surveillance of their nests, as well as multiannual data on numbers of grouse and small mammals for studying food habits and population dynamics of raptors and their links with population fluctuations of voles and grouse (capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, black grouse Tetrao tetrix and hazel grouse Bonasa bonasia) in western Finland during 1980–1990s when grouse and vole numbers fluctuated in regular cycles.
Microtus voles were the main prey of the buzzards which partly switched their diet to small game (juvenile grouse and hares) in years when vole numbers declined. The nesting rate of buzzards also correlated with vole abundance, but the productivity rate and brood size tended to lag behind the vole cycle. This mismatch between the buzzards’ functional and numerical responses resulted in a fairly small impact of buzzards on juvenile grouse, which did not correlate with vole density. The productivity of goshawks followed the fluctuations of grouse density closely whereas the occupancy rate of goshawk territories did so with a two-year lag. The annual numerical ratio of goshawk to grouse was inversely related to grouse density, suggesting that this predator may be a destabilising factor for grouse population dynamics. However, the goshawks’ kill rate of grouse showed no clear relations to grouse density. In June–July, these birds of prey (including hen harriers Circus cyaneus) usually killed a relatively small number of grouse chicks. Losses to raptors constituted up to one quarter of grouse juvenile mortality during the two months. We did not find a strong effect of avian predators on grouse juvenile mortality. In boreal forests, predators and other factors of grouse mortality do not operate as one, and there is probably no single factor responsible for the reproductive success of grouse
Understanding conservation conflicts surrounding predation and game shooting interests
No full textMany predatory species cause negative impacts on human interests by threatening game, livestock or human safety. These impacts can create conflicts where stakeholders differ over wildlife management and when one party is perceived to exert their interests at the expense of the other. Finding effective methods to mitigate conservation conflicts requires an interdisciplinary perspective that investigates (i) the reality of the apparent impacts, (ii) the efficacy of any methods intended to remedy them and (iii) the perceptions, motivations and objectives of key stakeholders.
In this thesis, I investigated a conservation conflict in the U.K. surrounding predators and game management. I did so with specific reference to the common buzzard Buteo buteo, a species that, due to predation of released pheasants Phasianus colchicus, is both subject to illegal persecution and on- going controversy concerning the licenced selective removal of ‘problem individuals’.
I first review the literature to assess the ecological evidence that certain ‘problem individuals’ can be both disproportionately responsible in impacts upon human interests and more likely to reoffend. I show that while there is evidence for these animals across many different taxa, the benefits of their removal can sometimes be short-lived. I highlight possible indirect impacts of selective management and identify it as a potential compromise between different stakeholder groups.
Next, I evaluate the performance of Bayesian stable isotope mixing models (BSIMMs) in quantifying the diets of wild animals. By comparing indirect and direct observations of buzzard foraging, I demonstrate that, with the correct selection of trophic discrimination factors, stable isotope analyses can provide a reliable picture of dietary composition that mirrors direct observations.
I then apply these mixing models to evaluate the ecological basis of selective removal of ‘problem buzzards’. The results suggest that the consumption by buzzards of released pheasants is not limited to release pens where gamekeepers perceive buzzard predation to be a problem. However, I then show that stable isotope analysis of blood sampled from two of the four buzzards caught inside pens indicates frequent consumption of released pheasants, relative to the rest of the buzzard population. These results suggest that, while some pheasant consumption may go undetected, selecting only buzzards inside pens for removal is likely to target ‘problem birds’.
I then investigate buzzard foraging and breeding ecology on land managed for pheasant shooting. I find that buzzards nest at higher density in areas with greater abundances of pheasants and rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus. However, records of provisioning from nest cameras showed that only rabbits were caught in proportion to their abundance and only rabbit provisioning rate was associated with buzzard productivity. I suggest that the positive relationship between buzzard and pheasant abundance, although seemingly unconnected to pheasant predation, might influence how gamekeepers perceive buzzard impact.
Next, I conduct semi-structured interviews on the subject of predator control with 20 gamekeepers across the south of England, to explore the underlying beliefs, norms and information sources that motivate their behaviour. From these interviews, I identify a number of separate, but interconnected, motivations that influence predator control including professional norms, potential penalties, and interpretations of what is ‘natural’. The influences of these motivations are discussed in detail and a conceptual model, incorporating the theory of planned behaviour, is developed.
Finally, the key contributions of this thesis are drawn together and discussed in their wider context. Taken together, the results of this thesis illustrate how predator management occurs simultaneously within social and ecological contexts that incorporate the individual attributes of both predators and people. The results of this thesis have direct implications for the management of predators, the representation of stakeholder perspectives and the design of conflict mitigation measures.University of Exeter PhD scholarshi
Who knows best? Understanding the use of research-based knowledge in conservation conflicts
No full textThe way in which research-based knowledge is used, interpreted and communicated by different actors can influence the dynamics of conservation conflicts. The conflict that occurs between grouse shooting interests and the conservation of birds of prey in Scotland is notoriously complex, involving multiple actors at multiple levels, and shaped by the values and world views of these actors. This paper explores how research-based knowledge is used in the debate by six key organisations, and looks to understand the drivers that may influence knowledge use and interpretation in this, and other, cases of conservation conflict.
Research was used to both legitimise and reinforce certain world views, and to support associated political actions that would cause these to become reality. Actors offered divergent interpretations of the same piece of research, emphasising different findings and outcomes. Research-based knowledge was thus employed by actors to support or counter the ‘status quo’, and challenge other claims that clashed with their own values. Although the intention of such knowledge use is unclear, the selective reconstruction of research by actors could stem from, and reiterate, divergent value systems. This may pose significant challenges to conflict mitigation efforts; whilst some may look to research-based knowledge as the bringer of truth, its interpretation by different actors may exacerbate existing rifts between stakeholders; promoting polarisation of views. Mitigation strategies should be sensitive to this, and aim to improve the inclusiveness and transparency of the knowledge transfer process
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