Unsafe Knowledge

Ernest Sosa has argued that if someone knows that p, then his belief that p is “safe”. and Timothy Williamson has agreed. In this paper I argue that safety, as defined by Sosa, is not a necessary condition on knowledge – that we can have unsafe knowledge. I present Sosa’s definition of safety and a counterexample to it as a necessary condition on knowledge. I also argue that Sosa’s most recent refinements to the notion of safety don’t help him to avoid the counterexample. I consider three replies on behalf of the defender of safety, and find them all wanting. Finally, I offer a tentative diagnosis of my counterexample.     

青少年偶像崇拜现象的心理透视

偶像崇拜是青少年中普遍存在的社会现象,对青少年的成长有着深刻的影响,已引起社会各界的关注。同时偶像崇拜现象有它的心理根源,教育者应采取适当的方法给予引导。     

Of Coals and Eskimos: Reply to Commentary

I first point out that there are similarities between the Fiscalini and me, and then I try to clarify some differences. Fiscalini suggests that I may be “inadvertently taking coals to Newcastle,” in arguing in favor of a well-known concept. Coming from a Freudian orthodox background, I have learned to substantiate every step of my reasoning on nonorthodox concepts. This sort of clarification may be useful, even for those who share my point of view.

One misunderstanding is that Fiscalini classifies me as an advocate of participant observation, whereas I identify with coparticipation. After suggesting some possible explanation for this difference, I develop some of my own ideas about psychoanalysis considered in terms of analogical hermeneutics, the paradox of being both individual and communal at the same time, and the need to include the social and political context in the analytic inquiry, and transcend the pseudo-opposition between interpretation and experience.     

The Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating Scales-Long Self-Report and Observer Forms: Validation of the Catalan Version

Assessment and diagnosis of adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complex, involving multiple tasks and several sources of information. The suitability of the instruments needs to be tested in the cultural context in which they will be applied. This study validates the Catalan adaptation of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales-Long Version (CAARS: L), in both its self-report and observer forms. The sample comprised 606 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the dimensional structure. Reliability was analysed in terms of internal consistency, test-retest and informant agreement. Age and gender differences were studied, and differential item functioning (DIF) in relation to these variables was tested. Results show that the four-factor model (i.e., Inattention/Memory Problems, Hyperactivity/Restlessness, Impulsivity/Emotional Lability, and Problems with Self-Concept), similar to the original version, presented an adequate fit for both forms. Internal consistency and test-retest correlations reached very high values for the two forms, and informant agreement was high at both test and retest. There were significant gender and age differences that were not due to bias in the measurement instrument, since no item showed differential behaviour with respect to these two variables. The Catalan versions of the CAARS: L present adequate validity and reliability, and they can therefore be used for diagnostic purposes and cross-cultural comparisons.