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Dictionary of Labour Biography: Volume XV
by David Howell Keith GildartThe Dictionary of Labour Biography has an outstanding reputation as a reference work for the study of nineteenth and twentieth century British history. Volume XV maintains this standard of original and thorough scholarship. Each entry is written by a specialist drawing on an array of primary and secondary sources. The biographical essays engage with recent historiographical developments in the field of labour history. The scope of the volume emphasises the ethnic and national diversity of the British labour movement and neglected political traditions.
Diderot and the Art of Thinking Freely
by Andrew S. CurranA spirited biography of the prophetic and sympathetic philosopher who helped build the foundations of the modern world. <P><P>Denis Diderot is often associated with the decades-long battle to bring the world's first comprehensive Encyclopédie into existence. But his most daring writing took place in the shadows. <P><P>Thrown into prison for his atheism in 1749, Diderot decided to reserve his best books for posterity--for us, in fact. <P><P>In the astonishing cache of unpublished writings left behind after his death, Diderot challenged virtually all of his century's accepted truths, from the sanctity of monarchy, to the racial justification of the slave trade, to the norms of human sexuality. <P><P>One of Diderot's most attentive readers during his lifetime was Catherine the Great, who not only supported him financially, but invited him to St. Petersburg to talk about the possibility of democratizing the Russian empire. <P><P>In this thematically organized biography, Andrew S. Curran vividly describes Diderot's tormented relationship with Rousseau, his curious correspondence with Voltaire, his passionate affairs, and his often iconoclastic stands on art, theater, morality, politics, and religion. <P><P>But what this book brings out most brilliantly is how the writer's personal turmoil was an essential part of his genius and his ability to flout taboos, dogma, and convention.
Die Fälschung des Realismus: Kritik des Antirealismus in Philosophie und theoretischer Physik
by Norbert Hermann HinterbergerDas Werk setzt sich kritisch mit dem Antirealismus in Philosophie und theoretischer Physik auseinander und plädiert für einen kritischen Realismus. Es werden antirealistische (konventionalistische, instrumentalistische, operationalistische, strukturalistische bzw. mathematisch platonistische) Positionen in der Philosophie (der Physik) kritisiert. Der Autor konfrontiert diese mit dem konsequent fallibilistischen Falsifikationismus des kritischen Realismus/Rationalismus und bildet das Ganze auf aktuelle Probleme der physikalischen Kosmologie ab. Dazu werden die Falsifizierbarkeit der Loop Quantum Cosmology (einer stark vereinfachten Form der Loop Quantum Gravity) sowie fehlende Testmöglichkeiten in der String- bzw. M-Theorie besprochen, aber z.B. auch Kontinuitäts-Ideen des String-Theoretikers David Tong sowie Martin Bojowalds Vereinigungs-Visionen bezüglich String- und Loop- Ansatz. Die zweite Auflage ist vollständig durchgesehen und um ein umfangreiches neuntes Kapitel ergänzt. Hier wird insbesondere Lee Smolins Idee einer globalen Zeit relational zu den Energie-Kausalitäten unseres Universums diskutiert.
Die Freiheit zu gehen: Ausstiegsoptionen in politischen, sozialen und existenziellen Kontexten
by Simone Dietz Hannes Foth Svenja WiertzGehen zu können, wenn man will – das ist für viele Menschen eine Kurzformel für Freiheit. Wegzugehen bedeutet in vielen Fällen aber auch einen verlustreichen Abschied von Personen und einer gemeinsamen Lebenspraxis. Die Freiheit zu gehen ist deshalb vor allem als Option wichtig, von der wir Gebrauch machen können, aber nicht müssen. Ausstiegsoptionen sind ein wichtiger Bestandteil freiheitlicher Gesellschaften und Lebensformen. Oft sind sie mit Konflikten verbunden, wenn Freiheits- und Autonomiebestrebungen auf eingespielte Verbindlichkeiten und Abhängigkeiten treffen. Für jede Gesellschaft und jede soziale Beziehung stellt sich daher die Frage, inwieweit und in welchen Bereichen Ausstiege zugelassen und unterstützt werden.Dieser Band bietet eine kontextübergreifende Analyse von Ausstiegsoptionen, sowohl ihrer generellen Aspekte als auch ihrer spezifischen Erscheinungsformen. Er ermöglicht es, ihre Bedeutung für eine freiheitliche Gesellschaft besser zu verstehen. Der Inhalt· Einleitung· Politische Ausstiege· Ausstiege aus persönlichen Beziehungen· Der Ausstieg aus dem Leben Die HerausgeberProf. Dr. Simone Dietz lehrt Praktische Philosophie an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf.Hannes Foth promoviert an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf und ist Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Institut für Medizingeschichte und Wissenschaftsforschung der Universität zu Lübeck.Svenja Wiertz hat an der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf promoviert und ist Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Internationalen Zentrum für Ethik in den Wissenschaften der Universität Tübingen.
Die Katastrophen von Tschernobyl, Fukushima Daiichi und der Deepwater Horizon aus natur- und geisteswissenschaftlicher Sicht
by Volker HoenschIn unseren Alltagsvorstellungen nutzen wir die Naturgesetze mit ihren gewaltigen Möglichkeiten des technischen Fortschritts zum Wohle der Menschheit. Die drei Katastrophen von Tschernobyl (26.April 1986), Fukushima Daichii (11.März 2011) und im Golf von Mexiko, Explosion der Bohrplattform Deepwater Horizon (20.April 2010), haben dieses Weltbild erschüttert. Wer hat bei dieser Entwicklung Regie geführt? Handelt es sich um menschliches oder um technisches Versagen? Für die Antwort werden Ansätze aus dem natur- und geisteswissenschaftlichen Bereich vorgestellt.
Digital Art, Aesthetic Creation: The Birth of a Medium (Routledge Advances in Art and Visual Studies)
by Paul CrowtherIs art created with computers really art? This book answers ‘yes.’ Computers can generate visual art with unique aesthetic effects based on innovations in computer technology and a Postmodern naturalization of technology wherein technology becomes something we live in as well as use. The present study establishes these claims by looking at digital art’s historical emergence from the 1960s to the start of the present century. Paul Crowther, using a philosophical approach to art history, considers the first steps towards digital graphics, their development in terms of three-dimensional abstraction and figuration, and then the complexities of their interactive formats.
Digital Labour, Society and the Politics of Sensibilities
by Adrian Scribano Pedro LisderoThis volume provides a multidisciplinary perspective on a set of transformations in social practices that modify the meaning of everyday interactions, and especially those that affect the world of labour. The book is composed of two types of texts: some dedicated to exploring the modifications of labour in the context of the ‘digital age’, and others that point out the consequences of this era and those transformations in the current social structuration processes. The authors examine interwoven possibilities and limitations that act in renewed ways to release/repress the creative energy of human beings, just a few of the potential paths for investigating the connections between work and society that are nowadays involved in the battle of sensibilities.
The Digital Musician (Third Edition)
by Andrew Hugill<p>The Digital Musician, Third Edition is an introductory textbook for creative music technology and electronic music courses. Written to be accessible to students from any musical background, this book examines cultural awareness, artistic identity and musical skills, offering a system-agnostic survey of digital music creation. Each chapter presents creative projects that reinforce concepts, as well as case studies of real musicians and discussion questions for further reflection. <p>This third edition has been updated to reflect developments in an ever-changing musical landscape―most notably the proliferation of mobile technologies―covering topics such as collaborative composition, virtual reality, data sonification and digital scores, while encouraging readers to adapt to continuous technological changes. With an emphasis on discovering one’s musical voice and identity, and tools and ideas that are relevant in any musical situation, The Digital Musician is sure to be an invaluable student resource for years to come.</p>
Dimensions and Challenges of Russian Liberalism: Historical Drama and New Prospects (Philosophy and Politics - Critical Explorations #8)
by Riccardo Mario CucciollaLiberalism in Russia is one of the most complex, multifaced and, indeed, controversial phenomena in the history of political thought. Values and practices traditionally associated with Western liberalism—such as individual freedom, property rights, or the rule of law—have often emerged ambiguously in the Russian historical experience through different dimensions and combinations. Economic and political liberalism have often appeared disjointed, and liberal projects have been shaped by local circumstances, evolved in response to secular challenges and developed within often rapidly-changing institutional and international settings. This third volume of the Reset DOC “Russia Workshop” collects a selection of the Dimensions and Challenges of Russian Liberalism conference proceedings, providing a broad set of insights into the Russian liberal experience through a dialogue between past and present, and intellectual and empirical contextualization, involving historians, jurists, political scientists and theorists. The first part focuses on the Imperial period, analyzing the political philosophy and peculiarities of pre-revolutionary Russian liberalism, its relations with the rule of law (Pravovoe Gosudarstvo), and its institutionalization within the Constitutional Democratic Party (Kadets). The second part focuses on Soviet times, when liberal undercurrents emerged under the surface of the official Marxist-Leninist ideology. After Stalin’s death, the “thaw intelligentsia” of Soviet dissidents and human rights defenders represented a new liberal dimension in late Soviet history, while the reforms of Gorbachev’s “New Thinking” became a substitute for liberalism in the final decade of the USSR. The third part focuses on the “time of troubles” under the Yeltsin presidency, and assesses the impact of liberal values and ethics, the bureaucratic difficulties in adapting to change, and the paradoxes of liberal reforms during the transition to post-Soviet Russia. Despite Russian liberals having begun to draw lessons from previous failures, their project was severely challenged by the rise of Vladimir Putin. Hence, the fourth part focuses on the 2000s, when the liberal alternative in Russian politics confronted the ascendance of Putin, surviving in parts of Russian culture and in the mindset of technocrats and “system liberals”. Today, however, the Russian liberal project faces the limits of reform cycles of public administration, suffers from a lack of federalist attitude in politics and is externally challenged from an illiberal world order. All this asks us to consider: what is the likelihood of a “reboot” of Russian liberalism?
Dios: Una historia humana
by Reza AslanCómo el hombre creó a Dios a su propia imagen: una visión original, abierta y contemporánea de la religión. «Fascinante. Tratándose de la biografía introductoria de la que a todas luces puede considerarse la figura más influyente de todos los tiempos, resulta sin duda interesante.»Catherine Nixey, The Sunday Times Con la habilidad a la que nos tiene acostumbrados, Reza Aslan nos narra la historia de la religión para mostrarnos cómo esta ha estado marcada por nuestra insistencia en darle a Dios rasgos y emociones humanos. Según Aslan, esta tendencia a crear una versión divina de nosotros mismos es innata: está programada en nuestro cerebro, de ahí que sea una característica central de casi todas las tradiciones religiosas. Y esta proyección tiene consecuencias, pues le otorgamos a Dios no solo todo lo bueno de la naturaleza humana -nuestra compasión, nuestro afán de justicia - , sino también todo lo malo: nuestra avaricia, nuestro fanatismo, nuestra inclinación a la violencia. Todas estas cualidades informan nuestras religiones, culturas y gobiernos. Este libro es mucho más que una historia sobre la comprensión de Dios: es un intento de llegar a la raíz de este impulso humanizador para desarrollar una espiritualidad más universal. Creamos en un Dios, en muchos o en ninguno, este libro valiente, ambicioso y provocador transforma el modo en que pensamos en la religión, así como nuestra relación con la vida, la muerte, lo espiritual y, en definitiva, la esencia misma de la existencia humana. La crítica ha dicho...«Oportuno, fascinante, esclarecedor y necesario.»Huffington Post «Irresistible. Con la gracia y la curiosidad que caracterizan a Reza Aslan, Dios nos ofrece una salida a estos tiempos difíciles, mientras nos pide que consideremos una visión más amplia de lo divino en la vida contemporánea.»TheSeattle Times «Una exploración fascinante de la interacción de nuestra humanidad y Dios.»Pittsburgh Post-Gazette «El delgado pero ambicioso libro de Aslan es la historia de cómo los humanos han creado a Dios con una G mayúscula, y es completamente alucinante.»Los Angeles Review of Books «Aslan es un narrador nato, y hay mucho que disfrutar en esta inteligente investigación.»San Francisco Chronicle «Extraordinario. Claro, conciso y ameno.»The Spectator
Dios es Energía Oscura
by Walter ParksDios es Energía Oscura es una deslumbrante narración del mundo, desde el inicio de los tiempos hasta asomarnos a la eternidad. Muy lejos de tratarse de una obra de fantasía es un excelente trabajo que de manera sutil propicia el entendimiento de descubrimientos científicos hasta ahora ajenos al común de las personas. La Teoría de la Relatividad, la Física Cuántica, la Teoría-M, etc. expuestas con la singularidad Maestra de Walter Park nos permite entender de hecho la Palabra de La Biblia cuando dice: "En el principio Dios creó los cielos y la tierra." Génesis 1.
Directival Theory of Meaning: From Syntax and Pragmatics to Narrow Linguistic Content (Synthese Library #409)
by Paweł GrabarczykThis book presents a new approach to semantics based on Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz’s Directival Theory of Meaning (DTM), which in effect reduces semantics of the analysed language to the combination of its syntax and pragmatics. The author argues that the DTM was forgotten because for many years philosophers didn’t have conceptual tools to appreciate its innovative nature, and that the theory was far ahead of its time.The book shows how a redesigned and modernised version of the DTM can deliver a new solution to the problem of defining linguistic meaning and that the theory can be understood as a new type of functional role semantics. The defining feature of the DTM is that it presents meaning as a product of constraints on the usage of words. According to the DTM meaning is not use, but the avoidance of misuse.Readers will see how the DTM was shelved for reasons that we don’t find so dramatic anymore, and how it contains enough original ideas and solutions to warrant developing it into a full-blown contemporary account. It is shown how many of the underlying ideas of the theory have been embraced later by philosophers and treated simply as brute facts about natural languages or even as new philosophical discoveries.Philosophers of language and researchers with an interest in how languages and the mind work will find this book a fascinating read.
Disability with Dignity: Justice, Human Rights and Equal Status (Routledge Research in Applied Ethics)
by Linda BarclayPhilosophical interest in disability is rapidly expanding. Philosophers are beginning to grasp the complexity of disability—as a category, with respect to well-being and as a marker of identity. However, the philosophical literature on justice and human rights has often been limited in scope and somewhat abstract. Not enough sustained attention has been paid to the concrete claims made by people with disabilities, concerning their human rights, their legal entitlements and their access to important goods, services and resources. This book discusses how effectively philosophical approaches to distributive justice and human rights can support these concrete claims. It argues that these approaches often fail to lend clear support to common disability demands, revealing both the limitations of existing philosophical theories and the inflated nature of some of these demands. Moving beyond entitlements, the author also develops a unique conception of dignity, which she argues illuminates the specific indignities experienced by people with disabilities in the allocation of goods, in the common experience of discrimination and in a wide range of interpersonal interactions. Disability with Dignity offers an accessible and extended philosophical discussion of disability, justice and human rights. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the benefits and pitfalls of theories of human rights and justice for advancing justice for the disabled. It brings the moral importance of dignity to the centre, arguing that justice must be pursued in a way that preserves and promotes the dignity of people with disabilities.
Disciplina: Auto Disciplina, Confiança, Autoestima e Desenvolvimento Pessoal
by Jane HollinsEste manual irá ensiná-lo a ter alegria em cultivar a autodisciplina. Aprenda o que é, como obtê-lo, por que precisamos, como mantê-lo e por que queremos. Ele também cobre os principais obstáculos em nosso caminho, tanto interna quanto externamente. Se você deseja um impulso para autodisciplina com uma dose saudável de autoconfiança, pegue este manual hoje mesmo. Você não pode se dar ao luxo de não fazer isso. E se pudesse superar os desafios da vida e atingir qualquer meta que definisse em sua mente? E se pudesse desenvolver um foco tão poderoso que pudesse aumentar sua produtividade em dez vezes? Tudo isso pode ser alcançado através do desenvolvimento da auto-disciplina poderosa e este livro irá ensiná-lo exatamente como um guia passo a passo. Este é o único guia que você precisa sobre como formar e manter bons hábitos que irão mantê-lo feliz e realizado para o resto de sua vida. Pessoas de sucesso são a inveja de muitos. Eles são nossos modelos. Nós admiramos o sucesso deles, perguntamos como eles fizeram isso, e desejamos que pudéssemos ser iguais a eles ou replicar sucessos semelhantes em nossas vidas. Se você está pronto para agir e mudar sua vida para melhor, este livro definitivamente irá guiá-lo na direção certa!
Disciplina, autocontrol y fuerza de voluntad: Todo lo que necesitas para cumplir tus sueños
by Malcolm Griffin.Este libro te guiará en el uso de herramientas sencillas y altamente efectivas que te permitirán desarrollar la actitud y diversos hábitos necesarios para convertirte en una persona más centrada, de modo que puedas cumplir cualquier meta que te propongas en el menor tiempo posible. Gracias a este libro aprenderás lo que significa realmente el autocontrol. Descubrirás cómo abordar y suprimir aquellos hábitos negativos que afectan tu disciplina. Con la ayuda de este libro desarrollarás el nivel de autocontrol necesario para cumplir con las metas que te propongas a través del empleo de las técnicas más efectivas. La mayoría de las personas quieren lograr la confianza, hábitos y mentalidad necesaria que conduzcan al éxito. Para muchos puede ser una tarea imposible. Sin embargo, hemos escrito este libro para que cuentes con su ayuda. En el audiolibro "Éxito, principios y hábitos" descubrirás a su vez los secretos que condujeron al mejoramiento de las vidas de otras personas. ¡Deslízate hacia el margen superior y hazte con tu copia ya!
Disciplina : El Poder Que Necesita Para Lograr Cualquier Cosa En La Vida Y El Éxito A Largo Plazo.
by Brian NelsonEl poder que necesitas para lograr cualquier cosa en la vida y el éxito a largo plazo La confianza en uno mismo es un aspecto interesante del carácter humano - es una definición de cómo nos vemos a nosotros mismos y al lugar al que pertenecemos en este mundo. Tener confianza en uno mismo es confiar en uno mismo para hacer y ser lo mejor que uno puede ser, independientemente de todas las circunstancias que encontremos en la vida. Me di cuenta de que muchos fracasaron en su intento de seguir adelante a largo plazo. Es muy evidente para mí que la motivación inicial se desvanece rápidamente a medida que la gente sigue con su vida cotidiana. Este libro es mi intento de que empieces con el pie derecho a medida que te embarcas en cambiar tus hábitos de manejo de dinero. Descubra los poderosos hacks mentales de autodisciplina que le permitirán duplicar su productividad y vencer la dilación. Las personas con una gran fuerza de voluntad y autodisciplina se distinguen del resto, siempre se les ve como los mejores ejecutores y siempre producen resultados. Con este libro, usted podrá dominar estas estrategias efectivas y tomar el control total de su vida. Si está listo para tomar acción y cambiar su vida para mejor, este libro definitivamente te guiará en la dirección correcta!
"Discourse and Truth" and "Parresia" (The Chicago Foucault Project)
by Michel FoucaultThis volume collects a series of lectures given by the renowned French thinker Michel Foucault late in his career. The book is composed of two parts: a talk, Parrēsia, delivered at the University of Grenoble in 1982, and a series of lectures entitled “Discourse and Truth,” given at the University of California, Berkeley in 1983, which appears here for the first time in its full and correct form. Together, they provide an unprecedented account of Foucault’s reading of the Greek concept of parrēsia, often translated as “truth-telling” or “frank speech.” The lectures trace the transformation of this concept across Greek, Roman, and early Christian thought, from its origins in pre-Socratic Greece to its role as a central element of the relationship between teacher and student. In mapping the concept’s history, Foucault’s concern is not to advocate for free speech; rather, his aim is to explore the moral and political position one must occupy in order to take the risk to speak truthfully. These lectures—carefully edited and including notes and introductory material to fully illuminate Foucault’s insights—are a major addition to Foucault’s English language corpus.
The Discourse of Security: Language, Illiberalism And Governmentality (Postdisciplinary Studies in Discourse)
by Malcolm N. MacDonald Duncan HunterThis book explores how language constructs the meaning and praxis of security in the 21st century. Combining the latest critical theories in poststructuralist and political philosophy with discourse analysis techniques, it uses corpus tools to investigate four collections of documents harvested from national and international security organisations. This interdisciplinary approach provides insights into the ways in which discourse has been mobilised to construct a strategic response to major terrorist attacks and geo-political events. The authors identify the way in which it is used to realize tactics of governmentality and form security as a discipline. This at once constructs a state of exception while also adhering to the principles of liberalism. This insightful study will be of particular interest to students and scholars of subjects such as applied linguistics, political science, security studies and international relations, with additional relevance to other areas including law, criminology, sociology and economics.
Discourse on Rights in India: Debates and Dilemmas
by Bijayalaxmi Nanda Nupur RayThis book is a compelling examination of the theoretical discourse on rights and its relationship with ideas, institutions and practices in the Indian context. By engaging with the crucial categories of class, caste, gender, region and religion, it draws attention to the contradictions and contestations in the arena of rights and entitlements. The essays by eminent experts provide deep and nuanced insights on the intersecting issues and concerns of individual and group identities as well as their connection with the State along with its multifarious institutions and practices. The volume not only engages with the dilemmas emerging out of the rights discourse, but also sets out to recognize the significance of a shared commitment to a rights-based framework towards the promotion of justice and democracy in society. The book will be useful to academics, social scientists, researchers and policymakers. It will be of special interest to teachers and students in the fields of politics, development studies, philosophy, ethics, sociology, gender/women’s studies and social movements.
Discourse Ontology: Body and the Construction of a World, from Heidegger through Lacan (The Palgrave Lacan Series)
by Christos TombrasThis book explores the themes within, and limits of, a dialogue between Martin Heidegger’s philosophy of being and Jacques Lacan’s post-Freudian metapsychology. It argues that a conceptual bridging between the two is possible, and lays the foundations of that bridge, starting with Heidegger and proceeding through the work of Lacan. After presenting basic aspects of Heidegger’s ontology, Tombras focuses on his incisive critique of modern science and psychoanalysis, and argues that psychoanalytic theory is vulnerable to this critique. The response comes from Lacan’s re-reading and recasting of fundamental Freudian insights, and his robust post-Freudian metapsychology. A broad discussion of Lacan’s work follows, to reveal its rupture with traditional philosophy, and show how it builds on and then reaches beyond Heidegger’s critique. This book is informed by the terminology, insights, concepts, hypotheses, and conclusions of both thinkers. It discusses time and the body in jouissance; the emergence of the divided subject and signifierness; truth, agency and the event; and being and mathematical formalisation. Tombras describes the ontological recursive construction of a shared ontic world and discusses the limits and historicity of this world.
Discourse Ontology: Body and the Construction of a World, from Heidegger through Lacan (The Palgrave Lacan Series)
by Christos TombrasThis book explores the themes within, and limits of, a dialogue between Martin Heidegger’s philosophy of being and Jacques Lacan’s post-Freudian metapsychology. It argues that a conceptual bridging between the two is possible, and lays the foundations of that bridge, starting with Heidegger and proceeding through the work of Lacan. After presenting basic aspects of Heidegger’s ontology, Tombras focuses on his incisive critique of modern science and psychoanalysis, and argues that psychoanalytic theory is vulnerable to this critique. The response comes from Lacan’s re-reading and recasting of fundamental Freudian insights, and his robust post-Freudian metapsychology. A broad discussion of Lacan’s work follows, to reveal its rupture with traditional philosophy, and show how it builds on and then reaches beyond Heidegger’s critique. This book is informed by the terminology, insights, concepts, hypotheses, and conclusions of both thinkers. It discusses time and the body in jouissance; the emergence of the divided subject and signifierness; truth, agency and the event; and being and mathematical formalisation. Tombras describes the ontological recursive construction of a shared ontic world and discusses the limits and historicity of this world.
The Discrete Charm of the Machine: Why the World Became Digital
by Kenneth SteiglitzThe genesis of the digital idea and why it transformed civilizationA few short decades ago, we were informed by the smooth signals of analog television and radio; we communicated using our analog telephones; and we even computed with analog computers. Today our world is digital, built with zeros and ones. Why did this revolution occur? The Discrete Charm of the Machine explains, in an engaging and accessible manner, the varied physical and logical reasons behind this radical transformation.The spark of individual genius shines through this story of innovation: the stored program of Jacquard’s loom; Charles Babbage’s logical branching; Alan Turing’s brilliant abstraction of the discrete machine; Harry Nyquist’s foundation for digital signal processing; Claude Shannon’s breakthrough insights into the meaning of information and bandwidth; and Richard Feynman’s prescient proposals for nanotechnology and quantum computing. Ken Steiglitz follows the progression of these ideas in the building of our digital world, from the internet and artificial intelligence to the edge of the unknown. Are questions like the famous traveling salesman problem truly beyond the reach of ordinary digital computers? Can quantum computers transcend these barriers? Does a mysterious magical power reside in the analog mechanisms of the brain? Steiglitz concludes by confronting the moral and aesthetic questions raised by the development of artificial intelligence and autonomous robots.The Discrete Charm of the Machine examines why our information technology, the lifeblood of our civilization, became digital, and challenges us to think about where its future trajectory may lead.
The Discursive Construction of Blame: The Language of Public Inquiries
by James MurphyThis book examines the language of public inquiries to reveal how blame is assigned, avoided, negotiated and discussed in this quasi-legal setting. In doing so, the author adds a much-needed linguistic perspective to the study of blame – previously the reserve of moral philosophers, sociologists and psychologists – at a time when public inquiries are being convened with increasing frequency. While the stated purpose of a public inquiry is rarely to apportion blame, this work reveals how blame is nevertheless woven into the fabric of the activity and how it is constructed by the language of the participants. Its chapters systematically analyse the establishment of inquiries, their questioning patterns, how blame can be avoided by witnesses, how blame is assigned or not by an inquiry’s panel and how such blame may result in public apologies. The author concludes with an engaging discussion on the value of public inquiries in civic life and suggestions for changes to the processes of public inquiries. This book will appeal to readers with a general interest in public and political language; in addition to scholars across the disciplines of communication, media studies, politics, sociology, social policy, philosophy, psychology, linguistics, rhetoric, public relations and public affairs.
Discurso del método
by René DescartesEl discurso del método es un referente inescapable de la filosofía moderna. El Discurso del método vio la luz en 1637 bajo anonimato. Habían transcurrido cuatro años desde la condena de Galileo. Descartes, tal vez guiado por la prudencia y por enfatizar su voluntad de diálogo, se inclinó por proponer un discurso en lugar de un tratado. En esta obra, la más célebre del filósofo francés y en la que aparece la famosa frase «pienso, luego existo», desarrolla un método inspirado en sus trabajos científicos y basado en la duda sistemática, que le permitió establecer las bases del conocimiento. El resultado es uno de los libros más importantes de la de la historia del pensamiento occidental, que supuso un punto de inflexión en la ciencia y la filosofía moderna. La presente edición está a cargo de María Ramon Cubells, profesora titular en la Universidad Rovira i Virgili y experta en filosofía moderna. Además de la magnífica introducción que nos adentra en una de las obras cruciales del pensamiento, también ha desarrollado un aparato de notas que complementan y enriquecen la lectura.
Dissidents in Communist Central Europe: Human Rights and the Emergence of New Transnational Actors (Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements)
by Kacper SzuleckiThis monograph traces the history of the dissident as a transnational phenomenon, exploring Soviet dissidents in Communist Central Europe from the mid-1960s until 1989. It argues that our understanding of the transnational activist would not be what it is today without the input of Central European oppositionists and ties the term to the global emergence and evolution of human rights. The book examines how we define dissidents and explores the association of political resistance to authoritarian regimes, as well as the impact of domestic and international recognition of the dissident figure. Turning to literature to analyse the meaning and impact of the dissident label, the book also incorporates interviews and primary accounts from former activists. Combining a unique theoretical approach with new empirical material, this book will appeal to students and scholars of contemporary history, politics and culture in Central Europe.