Knowledge despite falsehood

I examine the claim, made by some authors, that we sometimes acquire knowledge from falsehood. I focus on two representative cases in which a subject S infers a proposition q from a false proposition p. If S knows that q, I argue, S's false belief that p is not essential to S's cognition. S's knowledge is instead due to S's belief that p′, a proposition in the neighbourhood of p that S (dispositionally) believes (and knows). S thus knows despite her false belief. The widely accepted and plausible principle that inferential knowledge requires known premises is unscathed.     

Making the Quantum of Relevance

Summary  The two Heisenberg Uncertainties (UR) entail an incompatibility between the two pairs of conjugated variables E, t and p, q. But incompatibility comes in two kinds, exclusive of one another. There is incompatibility defineable as: (p → − q) & (q→ − p) or defineable as [(p →− q) & (q →− p)] ↔ r. The former kind is unconditional, the latter conditional. The former, in accordance, is fact independent, and thus a matter of logic, the latter fact dependent, and thus a matter of fact. The two types are therefore diametrically opposed.In spite of this, however, the existing derivations of the Uncertainties are shown here to entail both types of incompatibility simultaneously. Δ E Δ t ≥ h is known to derive from the quantum relation E = hν plus the Fourier relation Δ ν Δ t ≥ 1. And the Fourier relation assigns a logical incompatibility between Δ ν = 0, Δ t = 0. (Defining a repetitive phenomenon at an instant t → 0 is a self contradictory notion.) An incompatibility, therefore, which is fact independent and unconditional. How can one reconcile this with the fact that Δ EΔ t exists if and only if h > 0, which latter supposition is a factual truth, entailing that a Δ E = 0, Δ t = 0 incompatibility should itself be fact dependent? Are we to say that E and t are unconditionally incompatible (via Δ ν Δ t ≥ 1) on condition that E = hν is at all true? Hence, as presently standing, the UR express a self-contradicting type of incompatibility.To circumvent this undesirable result, I reinterpret E = hν as relating the energy with a period. Though only one such period. And not with frequency literally. (It is false that E = ν . It is true that E = ν times the quantum.) In this way, the literal concept of frequency does not enter as before, rendering Δ ν Δ t ≥ 1 inapplicable. So the above noted contradiction disappears. Nevertheless, the Uncertainties are derived. If energy is only to be defined over a period, momentum only over a distance (formerly a wavelength) resulting during such period, thus yielding quantized action of dimensions Et = pq, then energies will become indefinite at instants, momenta indefinite at points, leading, as demanded, to (symmetric!) Δ E Δ t = Δ p Δ q ≥ h’s.     

Immigrant skill utilization in the Canadian labour market: Implications of human capital research

The quantitative significance of the underutilization of immigrant skills may be assessed, albeit imprecisely, in human-capital earnings analysis. Earnings deficits of immigrants may arise from: (a) lower immigrant skill quality, (b) underutilization of immigrant skills, and (c) pay inequities for immigrants doing the same work as native-born Canadians. Consistent with numerous studies, data from the 1996 census micro-data show that underutilization of immigrant skills is significant, though less so than unequal pay within occupations. In 1996 dollars, the total annual immigrant earnings deficit from all three sources was 15.0 billion, of which15.0 billion, of which 2.4 billion was related to skill underutilization, and 12.6 billion was related to pay inequity. Discussion considers adjustments to these estimates, taking account of difficulties measuring the skill levels of occupations and immigrant skill quality. < /div > < div class=Äbstract» < a name=Äbs2» < /a > La signification quantitative de la sous-utilisation des qualifications immigrées peut être évaluée, quoique sans précision, dans l￠analyse humain-capitale de revenus. Les déficits de revenus des immigrés peuvent surgir de: (a) la qualité immigrée inférieure de compétence, (b) sous-utilisation des qualifications immigrées, et (c) injustices de salaire pour des immigrés faisant la même chose fonctionnent les Canadiens indigènesoutenus. Conformé aux nombreuses études, données des micro-données 1996 de recensement prouvent que la sous-utilisation des qualifications immigrées est significative, cependant moins ainsi que le salaire 


 112.6 billion was related to pay inequity. Discussion considers adjustments to these estimates, taking account of difficulties measuring the skill levels of occupations and immigrant skill quality.     

Maximum likelihood estimation of the joint covariance matrix for sections of tests given to distinct samples with application to test equating

Consider an old testX consisting ofs sections and two new testsY andZ similar toX consisting ofp andq sections respectively. All subjects are given testX plus two variable sections from either testY orZ. Different pairings of variable sections are given to each subsample of subjects. We present a method of estimating the covariance matrix of the combined test (X ₁, ...,X _s ,Y ₁, ...,Y _p ,Z ₁, ...,Z _q ) and describe an application of these estimation techniques to linear, observed-score, test equating.The author is indebted to Paul W. Holland and Donald B. Rubin for their encouragement and many helpful comments and suggestions that contributed significantly to the development of this paper.This research was supported by the Program Statistics Research Project of the ETS Research Statistics Group.     

A new puzzle about belief and credence

I present a puzzle about belief and credence, which takes the form of three independently supported views that are mutually inconsistent. The first is the view that S has a modal belief that p (e.g., S believes that probably-p) if and only if S has a corresponding credence that p. The second is the view that S believes that p only if S has some credence that p. The third is the view that, possibly, S believes that p without a modal belief that p. [Word Count: 85]     

The relationship of moral value evaluation with externalizing behaviour across value areas in adolescents

Recent studies have shown that higher levels of moral value evaluation (i.e., the attribution of importance to moral values) are consistently correlated with less externalizing behaviour in adolescents. The current study further investigates this relationship in a community sample of adolescents (N = 216, 100 males, M_AGE = 15.2, SD_AGE = 1.3), while differentiating between value areas (i.e., clusters of affiliated values: contract, truth andaffiliation; life and property, lawandlegal justice) and between delinquent and antisocial behaviour. Higher levels of moral value evaluation for the property, lawandlegal justice area were associated with less delinquent and antisocial behaviour, while controlling for gender and age. Contrastingly, the area contract, truthand affiliation was not associated with delinquent or antisocial behaviour, and life was positively associated with antisocial behaviour. Implications for the nature of moral value evaluation and previous research are discussed.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: Lester L. Grabbe (ed), Can a History of Israel be Written? Michael Prior (ed), Western Scholarship and the History of Palestine Cyrus H. Gordon and Gary A. Rendsburg, The Bible and the Ancient Near East Tilde Binger, Asherah: Goddesses in Ugarit, Israel and the Old Testament Ben Witherington The Paul Quest: The Renewed Search for the Jew of Tarsus Robert Valantasis, The Gospel of Thomas (New Testament Readings) Moshe Halbertal, People of the Book: Canon, Meaning and Authority William J. Abraham, Canon and Criterion in Christian Theology: From the Fathers to Feminism Roger Haight, Jesus: Symbol of God Raymund Schwager, translated by James G. Williams and Paul Haddon, Jesus in the Drama of Salvation: Towards a Biblical Doctrine of Redemption Raymund Schwager, translated by James G. Williams, Jesus of Nazareth: How He Understood His Life A. E. McGrath, Historical Theology. An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought C. Markschies, Between Two Worlds: Structures of Earliest Christianity Khaled Anatolios, Athanasius: The Coherence of his Thought Leonard P. Hindsley, The Mystics of Engelthal: Writings from a Medieval Monastery Kent Emery, Jr., and Joseph Wawrykow (eds), Christ among the Medieval Dominicans: Representations of Christ in the Texts and Images of the Order of Preachers Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt, Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ (Studies in Spirituality and Theology 5) Pat Collins, Spirituality for the 21st Century: Christian Living in a Secular Age Timothy O'Connell, Making Disciples Gordon Lathrop, Holy People: A Liturgical Ecclesiology Stratford Caldecott (ed), Beyond the Prosaic: Renewing the Liturgical Movement Michael Hurley, Christian Unity: An Ecumenical Second Spring? John M. Riddle, Eve's Herbs: A History of Contraception and Abortion in the West J. Davies, Death, Burial and Rebirth in the Religions of Antiquity Simon Price, Religions of the Ancient Greeks Karsten Friis Johansen, A History of Ancient Philosophy from the Beginnings to Augustine A. A. Long (ed), The Cambridge Companion to Early Greek Philosophy C. C. W. Taylor, The Atomists: Leucippus and Democritus: Fragments Gail Fine (ed), Oxford Readings in Philosophy: Plato. Vol. 1: Metaphysics and Epistemology, Vol. 2: Ethics, Politics, Religion and the Soul Noburu Notomi, The Unity of Plato's ‘Sophist’: Between the ‘Sophist’ and the ‘Philosopher’ Helen S. Lang, The Order of Nature in Aristotle's The Order of Nature in Aristotle's ‘Physics’ M. S. Kempshall, The Common Good in Late Medieval Political Thought Giordano Bruno. Edited and translated by Richard J. Blackwell and Robert de Lucca, Cause, Principle and Unity – And Essays on Magic     

Informative Aboutness

Pretheoretically, (B) ‘all believers are immortal’ is about all believers, but (1) B is not about any unbeliever. Similarly, (M) ‘all mortals are unbelievers’ is not about any immortal, but (2) M is about all mortals. But B and M are logically equivalent universal generalizations, so arguably they are about exactly the same objects; by (2), they are about those mortals who are unbelievers, contradicting (1). If one responds by giving up (1), is there still a sense in which B treats unbelievers differently from believers? I argue that there is. B is uninformative about unbelievers but informative about believers, in the following sense: for any object o, the information that B provides only about o—namely, ‘o is a believer only if o is immortal’—is entailed (and thus rendered redundant) by ‘o is an unbeliever’ but not by ‘o is a believer’.     

Self‐ and cross‐citations in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior: 2004‐2018

We examined self‐ and cross‐citations in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) from 2004 through 2018. Mean annual levels of self‐citations for JABA and JEAB were 40.1% and 28.7%, respectively. Overall, 5.1% of JABA citations were JEAB articles, and 2.3% of JEAB citations were JABA articles. Although overall cross‐citation levels were relatively low, 28.7% of the JABA articles reviewed had at least one JEAB citation, and 27.5% of the JEAB articles reviewed had at least one JABA citation. Authors in both journals cited articles addressing the topics of matching and motivating operations. The extent to which the basic and applied sectors of behavior analysis interact depends on how the interaction is measured. Nonetheless, the degree of interaction is growing, which is a good thing for the discipline.     

The adequacy of the theories of deductive systems with respect to sentential calculi

Summary The sentential calculiR, under discussion, are axiomatizable and implication is among their primitive terms. The modus ponens and the rule of substitution are their primitive rules. ByS _r is denoted the set of sentences obtained from the formulae of the calculusR by substituting sentences of a given language for all variables. The variablesx, y, z ... represent the elements of the setS _r , the variablesX, Y, Z ... represent the subsets ofS _R . The formulacxy designates an implication withx as its antecedent andy as its consequent,cxy is always an element ofS _R δ(X) means, thatX is closed with respect to the modus ponens rule.A _R designates the class of allS _R -substitutions of the axioms of the sentential calculusR.     

Understanding Asian parenting from a Rasch perspective

This study examines the factor structure of Asian child‐reported parenting from a Rasch perspective. Participants comprised 291 sixth graders (11 to 13 years) in Singapore. Six different aspects of parenting were measured, namely warmth, rejection, structure, chaos, autonomy support, and coercion. Rasch Analysis was used to transform ordinal data into linear measures; category functioning was examined; residual‐based principal components were analysed; differential item functioning was assessed; and items and subjects that were misfitting were removed. Results showed that parenting comprised six dimensions, namely warmth, autonomy support, structure‐control, structure‐warmth, chaos, and negative parenting. The findings suggest that it is important for Asian parents to provide guidance to their children (in structure‐control and structure‐warmth) and reaffirms the relevance of warmth in Asian parenting.     

The ontologicalization of the Confucian concept of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xin Xing</Emphasis>: Zhou Lianxi’s founding contribution to the Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism

The Confucian concept of “cheng” (integrity) emphasizes logical priority of value realization over “zhen shi” (reality or truth). Through value realization and the completion of being, zhenshi can be achieved. Cheng demonstrates the original unity of value and reality. Taking the concept of cheng as the core, Zhou Lianxi’s philosophy interpreted yi Dao (the Dao of change), and integrated Yi Jing (The Book of Changes) and Zhong Yong (The Doctrine of the Mean). On the one hand, it ontologicalized the Confucian concept of xin xing (mind nature), and proved and established the significance of Dao ti (the ontological Dao) as the principle and origin of the utmost goodness. On the other hand, it also extended the significance of value realization to the process of qi hua (transformation of qi) and transformation of myriad things. He proved li yi (the One Principle) of Dao ti from its many manifestations and established his own metaphysical system. Zhou Lianxi’s philosophy sets up a new theoretical direction for the Song-Ming Confucians to reconstruct Confucian Metaphysics. __________ Translated from Beijing Shifan Daxue Xuebao (Journal of Beijing Normal University)(Social Sciences Edition), Vol. 186, 2004 (6) by Yan Xin     

Development and Evaluation of a Decision Aid About Prenatal Testing for Women of Advanced Maternal Age

Objective: To develop and evaluate a decision aid designed to prepare patients of advanced maternal age for counseling about prenatal diagnostic testing. Setting: A regional genetics center. Design: A before/after study. Interventions: Participants used an audioguided workbook to learn about options and outcomes and to clarify personal risks, values, questions, and predispositions. Subjects: 21 women of advanced maternal age and 17 spouses. Main outcome measures: Knowledge of prenatal testing alternatives, decisional conflict, level of anxiety, and acceptability of the decision aid. Results: After using the decision aid, participants had significantly reduced decisional conflict (uncertainty) and a significant increase in knowledge. There was no effect on state or trait anxiety. More than three-quarters of participants were satisfied with the length, clarity, balance, and acceptability of the decision aid. Conclusions: The decision aid shows promise as a useful aid for preparing couples for counseling.     

The debate on the yan-yi relation in Chinese philosophy: Reconstruction and comments

The debate on the yan-yi relation was carried out by Chinese philosophers collectively, and the principles and methods in the debate still belong to a living tradition of Chinese philosophy. From Yijing (Book of Changes), Lunyu (Analects), Laozi and Zhuangzi to Wang Bi, “yi” which cannot be expressed fully by yan (language), is not only “idea” or “meaning” in the human mind, but is also some kind of ontological existence, which is beyond yan and emblematic symbols, and unspeakable. Thus, the debate on the yan-yi relation refers firstly to metaphysics, secondly to moral philosophy, and then to epistemology and philosophy of language. Guided by this view, this paper recalls the source of the debate on the yan-yi relation to Yijing and Lunyu, distinguishes four meanings of “yi” in Chinese philosophy, and reconstructs three arguments. These arguments are the “yan cannot express yi fully” argument, “forget yan once you get yi” argument, and “yan can express yi fully” argument. Finally, this paper exposes and comments on those principles, methods and the general tendency shown in the debate from the following five aspects: starting point, value-preference, methodology, texts (papers and books), and influences. __________ Translated from Jianghai Xuekan 江海学刊 (Jianghai Academic Studies), 2005 (3)     

Be-ing (you 有) and non-be-ing (wu 無) in the Dao De Jing

This essay questions the meaning of be-ing (you 有) and non-be-ing (wu 無) in the DDJ with regard to the root-source (benyuan 本源) meaning of dao. I first explore the meaning of dao as the dark non-be-ing, revealing the connotations of the distinction between dao and things (daowuqufen 道物區分) by comparison with some forms of Western metaphysics. The meaning of non-be-ing is elaborated in terms of the dynamic meanings of xu 虚 and chong 沖; The play between be-ing and non-be-ing is explored through the lens of yin and yang qi thinking. Qi thinking determines the mutually manifest and mutually interpretive characteristic of be-ing and non-be-ing. Be-ing and non-be-ing thus understood is an ever-flowing and mutually transforming process that penetrates the different levels of dao, things and humans. In the last part I investigate the meaning of “Be-ing comes from non-be-ing”.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed: Christopher Bobonich, Plato's Utopia Recast: His Later Ethics and Politics John Capreolus, On The Virtues Miguel A. Badia Cabrera, Hume's Reflection on Religion Catherine Chalier, What Ought I to Do?: Morality in Kant and Levinas Keith Ansell‐Pearson and John Mullarkey, Henri Bergson: Key Writings Andrew Brook and Don Ross, Daniel Dennett Nancey Murphy, Brad J. Kallenberg, and Mark Thiessen Nation, Virtues and Practices in the Christian Tradition: Christian Ethics after MacIntyre William Lane Craig, God, Time, and Eternity Paul Copan and Paul K. Moser, The Rationality of Theism W. Norris Clarke, The One and the Many: A Contemporary Thomistic Metaphysics Richard A. Cohen, Ethics, Exegesis and Philosophy: Interpretation after Levinas Simon Critchley and Robert Bernasconi, The Cambridge Companion to Levinas D. D. Raphael, Concepts of Justice Martha C. Nussbaum, Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions David Herbert, Religion and Social Transformations Robert H. Nelson, Economics as Religion; from Samuelson to Chicago and Beyond Edmondo F. Lupieri, The Mandaeans: The Last Gnostics Antonía Tripolitis, Religions of the Hellenistic‐Roman Age James M. Scott, Geography in Early Judaism and Christianity: The Book of Jubilees David Naugle, Worldview: The History of a Concept Dianne Kirby, Religion and the Cold War Colin E. Gunton, The Christian Faith: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine Paul Williams, The Unexpected Way: On Converting from Buddhism to Catholicism Alan P. F. Sell, Confessing and Commending the Faith Thomas M. Kelly, Theology at the Void John David Dawson, Christian Figural Reading and the Fashioning of Identity Daniel Kendall and Stephen T. Davis, The Convergence of Theology: A Festschrift Honoring Gerald O'Collins, S.J. Bernard Hoose, Authority in the Roman Catholic Church Timothy Matovina and Gary Riebe‐Estrella, Horizons of the Sacred: Mexican Traditions in US Catholicism Kenneth J. Howell, God's Two Books: Copernican Cosmology and Biblical Interpretation in Early Modern Science Ellen Frankel Paul, Fred D. Miller Jr. and Jeffrey Paul, Should Differences in Income and Wealth Matter? Ron Geaves, Continuum Glossary of Religious Terms     

Two Shi‘i Jurisprudential Methodologies to Address Medical and Bioethical Challenges: Traditional Ijtihād and Foundational Ijtihād

The legal‐ethical dynamism in Islamic law which allows it to respond to the challenges of modernity is said to reside in the institution of ijtihād (independent legal thinking and hermeneutics). However, jurists like Mohsen Kadivar and Ayatollah Fa?lalla have argued that the “traditional ijtihād” paradigm has reached its limits of flexibility as it allows for only minor adaptations and lacks a rigorous methodology because of its reliance on vague and highly subjective juridical devices such as public welfare (ma?la?a), imperative necessity (?arūra), emergency (i?tirār), need (?āja), averting difficulty (‘usr) and distress (?araj), hardship (mashaqqa), and harm (?arar) without interrogating the fundamentals (u?ūl) of ijtihād. In contrast, in the “foundational ijtihād” model theology, ethics, intellect, epistemology, linguistics, hermeneutics, modern sciences, history, cosmology, anthropology, and the sources of Islamic legal theory (u?ūl al‐fiqh) interact with one another to obtain resolutions that are just and non‐discriminatory.     

Reviews

Books reviewed: L. E. Keck et al. (eds), Numbers, Deuteronomy, Introduction to Narrative Literature, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel S. E. Gillingham, One Bible, Many Voices: Different Approaches to Biblical Studies Michael D. Goulder, The Psalms of the Return (Book 5, Psalms 107–150): Studies in the Psalter IV James D. G. Dunn, T. & T. Clark, The Theology of Paul the Apostle D. Mendels, Identity, Religion and Historiography: Studies in Hellenistic History William Horbury, Jewish Messianism and the Cult of Christ James S. McLaren, Turbulent Times? Josephus and Scholarship on Judaea in the First Century CE J. Neusner and B. Chilton, Jewish-Christian Debates: God, Kingdom, Messiah Ben Pink Dandelion, Douglas Gwyn and Timothy Peat, Heaven on Earth: Quakers and the Second Coming Adnan Aslam, Religious Pluralism in Christian and Islamic Philosophy: The Thought of John Hick and Seyyed Hossein Nasr W. Cantwell Smith, Believing: An Historical Perspective W. Cantwell Smith, Faith and Belief: The Difference Between Them Norman Doe, Canon Law in the Anglican Communion: A Worldwide Perspective G. R. Evans, Discipline and Justice in the Church of England Alan Falconer (ed.), Faith and Order in Moshi: The 1996 Commission Meeting Lewis S. Mudge, The Church as Moral Community: Ecclesiology and Ethics in Ecumenical Debate T. F. Best and D. Hellar (eds), Eucharistic Worship in Ecumenical Contexts: The Lima Liturgy – And Beyond Timothy Bradshaw ed, Grace and Truth in the Secular Age José Comblin, Called for Freedom: The Changing Context of Liberation Theology Karen Kilby, Karl Rahner Rosemary Radford Ruether, Women and Redemption: A Theological History Ian Markham, Truth and the Reality of God: An Essay in Natural Theology Johannes A. van der Ven, Formation of the Moral Self Robin Gill (ed.), Euthanasia and the Churches Richard Swinburne, Providence and the Problem of Evil John Polkinghorne, Science and Theology: An Introduction John P. Burgess (ed.), In Whose Image? Faith, Science and the New Genetics Stephen Platten (ed.), Seeing Ourselves: Interpreting Contemporary Society Jacques Derrida and Gianni Vattimo (eds), Religion Ursula King (ed.), Faith and Praxis in a Postmodern Age     

Book reviews

Palmer, Michael, Freud and Jung on Religion Kawai, Hayao, Buddhism and the Art of Psychotherapy Young-Eisendrath, P., Gender and Desire: Uncursing Pandora Hamilton, Victoria, The Analyst's Preconscious Hinshelwood, R. D., Therapy or Coercion? Does Psychoanalysis Differ from Brainwashing? Gallant, Christine, Tabooed Jung: Marginality as Power. Kulkarni, C., Lesbians and Lesbianisms     

Calculating Impact Factor: How Bibliographical Classification of Journal Items Affects the Impact Factor of Large and Small Journals

As bibliographical classification of published journal items affects the denominator in this equation, we investigated how the numerator and denominator of the impact factor (IF) equation were generated for representative journals in two categories of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). We performed a full text search of the 1st-ranked journal in 2004 JCR category “Medicine, General and Internal” (New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM, IF = 38.570) and 61st-ranked journal (Croatian Medical Journal, CMJ, IF = 0.690), 1st-ranked journal in category “Multidisciplinary Sciences” (Nature, IF = 32.182) and journal with a relative rank of CMJ (Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias, AABC, IF = 0.435). Large journals published more items categorized by Web of Science (WoS) as non-research items (editorial material, letters, news, book reviews, bibliographical items, or corrections): 63% out of total 5,193 items in Nature and 81% out of 3,540 items in NEJM, compared with 31% out of 283 items in CMJ and only 2 (2%) out of 126 items in AABC. Some items classified by WoS as non-original contained original research data (9.5% in Nature, 7.2% in NEJM, 13.7% in CMJ and none in AABC). These items received a significant number of citations: 6.9% of total citations in Nature, 14.7% in NEJM and 18.5% in CMJ. IF decreased for all journals when only items presenting original research and citations to them were used for IF calculation. Regardless of the journal’s size or discipline, publication of non-original research and its classification by the bibliographical database have an effect on both numerator and denominator of the IF equation. Preliminary results of the study were presented at the 2006 ORI Research Conference on Research Integrity, Tampa, FL, December 1–3, 2006.