Stroud's Camap

In "Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology" Camap drew his famous distinction between 'internal' and 'external' questions of existence, pronouncing the former meaningful and the latter meaningless. In The Significance of Philosophical Scepticism , Barry Stroud understands Carnap to be applying the verification criterion of meaningfulness in order to refute Cartesian skepticism. I suggest that Stroud misrepresents both Carnap's aim and method. Camap was responding to critics who suggested that his willingness to quantify over abstract entities in his work in semantics violated his commitment to empiricism. He rejected that criticism as presupposing a super-scientific standpoint from which constraints on the admissible domain of entities of science could be delivered. Carnap wanted to insulate science from the imposition of first-philosophical metaphysical prejudice, not to defuse scepticism by appeal to verificationism.     

Knowing and Seeing: Responding to Stroud's Dilemma

Abstract: Barry Stroud suggests that when we want to explain a certain kind of knowledge philosophically we feel we must explain it on the basis of another, prior kind of knowledge that does not imply or presuppose any of the knowledge we are trying to explain. If we accept this epistemic priority requirement (EPR) we find that we cannot explain our knowledge of the world in a way that satisfies it. If we reject EPR then we will be failing to make all of our knowledge of the world intelligible all at once. I respond to this dilemma by questioning EPR and arguing that it is, in any case, a requirement that is satisfied by explanations of our knowledge in terms of non‐epistemic seeing. Since non‐epistemic seeing is not a form of knowing, such explanations show how knowledge of the world can come to be out of something that is not knowledge of the world.     

Quest for transcendence

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion -     

Toynbee's Frantic Quest for Survival

ABSTRACT

Data from life review interviews with elder Catholic women religious show that through prayer they are able to experience solitude and to feel connected with others. Their experience is not completely explained by either the disengagement theory nor by the newer theory of gerotranscendence. Because prayer connects them to others, they do not experience complete social withdrawal; rather, prayer functions as a modified social activity connecting them to their past, to God, to the community in which they live, as well as to the wider world. They also do not develop a new transcendent meta-perspective, but deepen into cherished life beliefs and practices, accepting and becoming more fully who they are as individuals and as older women.     

Nigerian Women's Quest for Role Fulfillment

This article examines the nexus between Nigerian women's struggle for role fulfillment and adult education. The women in the study experienced staggering disparities between their illiteracy and their optimal role expectations. As middle-aged workers and mothers of large families, they undertook self-initiated study in adult evening classes. Through the modality of the Focus Group Discussion Method (FGD), the women revealed their role-related problems and the specific ways by which adult education had empowered them to be self-actualizing in their traditional roles.     

Competing for Reality

In this article, we will apply aspects of Rychlak's philosophy of science to some of the most important issues in psychology today (issues of brain versus behavior, genetic destiny, the nature of scientific investigation, ecopsychology, and artificial intelligence). In our discussion of these issues, we attempt to show the ways that an appreciation of Rychlak's views can help conceptualize the bases of the disagreements in the field as well as explain why so many psychologists tend to “talk past” as opposed to “talk to” one another. We believe that a greater appreciation of Rychlak's major theses could allow psychologists to respect the work of others instead of trying to assert politically their favorite truth claims.     

Understanding the Vital Human Quest for Self-Esteem

ABSTRACT— Authors have long noted the human penchant for self-esteem. Experimental research has revealed that this desire for self-esteem has wide-ranging effects on cognition, emotion, and behavior. Terror management theory explains that this desire for self-esteem results from a fundamental need for psychological security, which is engendered by humans' awareness of their own vulnerability and mortality. A large body of evidence has supported this explanation. Specifically, substantial lines of research have shown that self-esteem buffers anxiety and reduces defenses against death and that reminders of mortality increase efforts to defend and bolster self-esteem. Complementary findings have helped clarify the role of culture in self-esteem striving and the ways in which people can vary in their level, stability, and sources of self-esteem. I conclude by briefly considering how this contemporary knowledge regarding the quest for self-esteem informs current events and daily life.