Historicism,Entrenchment, and Conventionalism

W. V. Quine famously argues that though all knowledge is empirical, mathematics is entrenched relative to physics and the special sciences. Further, entrenchment accounts for the necessity of mathematics relative to these other disciplines. Michael Friedman challenges Quine’s view by appealing to historicism, the thesis that the nature of science is illuminated by taking into account its historical development. Friedman argues on historicist grounds that mathematical claims serve as principles constitutive of languages within which empirical claims in physics and the special sciences can be formulated and tested, where these mathematical claims are themselves not empirical but conventional. For Friedman, their conventional, constitutive status accounts for the necessity of mathematics relative to these other disciplines. Here I evaluate Friedman’s challenge to Quine and Quine’s likely response. I then show that though we have reason to find Friedman’s challenge successful, his positive project requires further development before we can endorse it.     

Paradigm Shift in Theological Education in Southern and Central Africa and its Relevance to Ministerial Formation

Theological education is of crucial importance in the mission of the Church in Southern and Central Africa. This paper discusses the changes that have taken place in theological education in post‐independence Africa. The author argues that theological education during the colonial period was Euro‐centric. As a result, it did not respond adequately to the pressing problems faced by the African people such as colonial oppression, poverty, patriarchy and others. However, the situation has changed dramatically in modern times. Theological educators have realized the significance and importance of context in theological education. They are, thus, seriously taking into account the political, social, economic and religious context in which the African people live today. This has led to the creation of different theologies that are in line with modern and post‐modern challenges facing the African people thereby making the church both relevant and necessary.     

Luther’s call and nitrogen narcosis

During 1505–1506, Martin Luther, then vacillating about a “call” to the religious life and/or the priesthood, underwent spiritual revelations during thunderstorms. This paper proposes that, in addition to theological and psychopathological interpretations, a neurochemical interpretation suggests itself, since severe thunderstorms trigger the rapid release of nitrogen into the atmosphere, producing in some people a condition termed “nitrogen narcosis,” clinically akin to acute alcoholic intoxication.     

Life and teleology

A comprehensive definition of the phenomenon called life led to the addition of many dimensions to the natural sciences, and especially the conscious mental dimension. Historical attention is paid not only to those employing the natural philosophical paradigms, but also to evolutionary theories and to the Kantian teleological philosophy. The belief that science can solve the riddle of life is a category of purposal thinking. A revised version of critical teleology is essential for comprehension of life.     

Projective identification: Pros and cons. An essay review of Samuel Slipp,the technique and practice of Object Relations Family Therapy

This paper is a critical appraisal of Samuel Slipp's book on Object Relations Family Therapy (ORFT), which uses the concept of projective identification as a central thesis in explaining interpersonal influence. Slipp's book is praised for its excellent review of the literature of object relations theory and the major schools of family therapy, classification of families according to complementary projections, and revealing case material. Interpersonal-Systemic (I-S) theory and methodology with its use of the concepts of empathy, interpersonal influences, search for intimacy, maintenance of self-esteem, selective inattention, and reflected appraisals is offered as an alternative view to projective identification.     

Developmental aspects of visual hemifield differences in perception of verbal material

The effect of acquisition of reading on visual field asymmetries for verbal material was investigated in school-age children. Contrary to the expectation that acquisition of differential scanning tendencies will operate on perceptual asymmetries, it was found that right visual field superiority which was independent of scanning direction appeared at the fifth grade. This, and the presence of slight left field superiority at the age when reading is initially acquired, suggests that hemispheric dominance and its attributes, parallel and sequential pattern recognition processes, is the major factor which determines the field preference for verbal material.     

Trial by polygraph: Scientific and juridical issues in lie detection

The present article examines two methods of polygraph-assisted lie detection: the Control Question Technique (CQT) and the Guilty Knowledge Technique (GKT). It presents the rationale for both, arguing that only the latter is well grounded in psychological theory. It then surveys the empirical support for claims of the polygraph's ability to detect deception, arguing that such support often comes from studies that are methodologically flawed by contamination of various sorts—especially studies of the CQT. The article then explores the legal implications of introducing polygraph test results, as presently gathered, into the criminal courtroom.     

The victim's reaction to an attack as a function of his perception of the attacker following a verbal insult

This study investigated the role of perception in the victim's behaviour following a verbal attack. It was expected that the victim's counterattack and evaluation of attacker would be influenced by: (a) the victim's level of aggressiveness; (b) the attacker's perceived level of aggressiveness; (c) the attacker's status (prestige in the classroom); and (d) retaliation threat for counterattack. High and low aggressive subjects (victim's) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions differing in the attacker's attributed level of aggression and status. Half of the subjects in each condition received a retaliation threat treatment. The victims were interacting with an assumed partner (attacker) in a guessing game during which they were insulted. After each insult the victim could counterattack by withholding a monetary reward from the attacker. At the end, the victim rated his attacker on aggressiveness, potency and social desirability. The results indicated that there were significant main effects of the victims level of aggressiveness, the attacker's status and retaliation threat. There was also a significant interaction between victim's and attacker's aggressiveness, for the two dependent variables. In addition, victim's behaviour was influenced by the interaction between attacker's status and his aggressiveness.