TELEOLOGY IN BIOLOGY: WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE?

Abstract. Teleological thinking permeates biology and is useful in pondering unanswered biological questions. Such thinking differs from the usual sense of teleology in that “purpose” in biology carries no imputation of causation. A few examples are given. The teleological system of biology is every bit as elegant a construct of the human mind as any other teleological system and in no way precludes spirituality. I argue that it provides a firmer foundation for moral guidance than supernatural systems.     

EMERGENCE AND HUMAN UNIQUENESS: LIMITING OR DELIMITING EVOLUTIONARY EXPLANATION?

Abstract. Philip Clayton's book Mind and Emergence presents a highly sophisticated argument against any kind of uncritical theology that might want to follow science into a world of overly narrow, compartmentalized disciplines that do not sufficiently communicate between themselves. Clayton argues persuasively that the basic structure of the phenomenal world is multileveled, with emergent properties and degrees of freedom that cannot be adequately described, predicted, or explained in terms of lower‐level phenomena only. Moreover, the various levels of organization are linked to one another by interfaces of mutual constraint in terms of upward and downward causation. The most valuable part of Clayton's argument, however, is that in a philosophy of emergence one must also, if not especially, account for the role of the biological sciences and especially for the influence of human thoughts and skills, human choices and actions, and—one of the most important causes of all—human purposes. Clayton's biggest challenge is that the level of human personhood offers us the only appropriate level to introduce the question of God and the possibility of divine agency. I critically evaluate this central claim and its implications not only for the extent of divine influence on the world but also for the scope and limitations of the interdisciplinary dialogue between theology and the sciences.     

SCIENCE'S CONCEPTION OF HUMAN BEINGS AS A BASIS FOR MORAL THEORY

Abstract. Niels Bohr stated, and Werner Heisenberg reiterated, that “in the great drama of existence we ourselves are both actors and spectators.” Their emphasis stems from the fact that the entry of human beings into physics as actors constitutes the most fundamental philosophical departure of twentieth‐century basic physics from its eighteenth‐ and nineteenth‐century forerunners. Those earlier theories claimed that our human conscious thoughts are mere witnesses to, or by‐products of, essentially mechanically determined brain processes. In stark contrast, certain conscious decisions that are made by human beings, but that are not determined by any known law, statistical or otherwise, enter irreducibly into orthodox contemporary physical theory. These actions are required to counteract effects of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which ordains that the physically described process of nature, acting alone, produces not a physical world of the kind we experience but rather a continuous smear of potential possible worlds of the kind we know. This contradiction between theory and experience is resolved in orthodox contemporary physical theory by bringing certain effects of our conscious human choices into the dynamics in essentially the way that we intuitively feel that our conscious intentions affect the physical world, namely, via the effects of our intentional efforts on our physically described bodies. The moral implications of this profound change in physics are discussed.     

A REPLY TO ANNE KULL,EDUARDO CRUZ,AND MICHAEL DeLASHMUTT

In my reply to the essays by Anne Kull, Eduardo Cruz, and Michael DeLashmutt, I turn first to Cruz's charge that my use of “the sacred” is at odds with a growing religious studies mainstream that understands religion in secular terms. I suggest that this latter approach has its own problems, deriving partly from its neglect of the political, constructed nature of the category of “religion.” Second, in relation to Cruz's suggestion that my lack of attention to explanation compromises my claim to be social scientific, I defend a broader understanding of the human sciences and explore the relationships between understanding, critique, and history, and between sociology and theology. Third, reflecting on DeLashmutt's suggestion that I neglect the way that technical invention provides a glimpse of divine creativity, and the myth making that goes on around technology in vehicles such as science fiction, I argue that such issues have to be approached in a radically historical way. I conclude by identifying three challenges: to explore more deeply how technological objects form part of human being‐in‐the‐world, to show how my approach might offer practical resources for assessing technological and environmental developments, and to expand my analysis to include non‐Western religious traditions.     

Comparing Exemplar- and Rule-Based Theories of Categorization

ABSTRACT— We address whether human categorization behavior is based on abstracted rules or stored exemplars. Although predictions of both theories often mimic each other in many designs, they can be differentiated. Experimental data reviewed does not support either theory exclusively. We find participants use rules when the stimuli are confusable and exemplars when they are distinct. By drawing on the distinction between simple stimuli (such as lines of various lengths) and complex ones (such as words and objects), we offer a dynamic view of category learning. Initially, categorization is based on rules. During learning, suitable features for discriminating stimuli may be gradually learned. Then, stimuli can be stored as exemplars and used to categorize novel stimuli without recourse to rules.     

Representations in the Human Prefrontal Cortex

ABSTRACT— The prefrontal cortex (PFC) in humans has been studied for more than a century, but many crucial questions about its functions remain unanswered. This paper will highlight a few key differences between human and animal PFCs, and between the human PFC (HPFC) and other parts of the human brain. We then make a case that the HPFC is critically important for executing behaviors over time and integrating disparate information from throughout the brain. Finally, we will focus on our position in the current debate regarding how the HPFC performs its functions and discuss future directions for research.     

小学生算术应用题上真实性思考及相关因素的研究

采用由7道真实性算术应用题构成的测试材料研究了207名六年级小学生。首先要求被试解答这些题目,然后对给出的不同解答作出评定。结果表明:(1)我国六年级小学生在无提示条件下真实性思考的人数比例是36.6%,显著地高于真实性解答的人数比例27.3%。(2)在解题真实性思考上,优生显著地高于中等生,中等生显著地高于差生;在对不确定真实性解答的评分上,优生显著地高于中等生与差生,在对常规性解答的评分上,优生显著地低于中等生与差生。(3)提示条件显著地提高了学生的真实性思考水平,并且与学生的学业水平存在着显著的交互作用;提示条件不影响学生对不确定真实性解答与常规性解答的评分。     

数字化虚拟人——多学科融合的产物

“数字化虚拟人”是通过计算机技术,将人体结构数字化,在电脑屏幕上出现看得见的、能够调控的虚拟人体形态。是在信息科学、系统工程、生物科学、中西医学、计算机与自动化科学技术等学科交叉融合的基础上产生的世界前沿性研究领域。数字化虚拟人的研究有它本身的哲学基础。     

人体器官买卖的立法干预探析

人体器官买卖不利于保证受体生命健康,严重违背生命伦理,是一种新型犯罪,并会引发其他犯罪,因而,我国应对人体器官买卖进行立法干预。当前,还有相当一部分学者支持人体器官买卖,但此观点存在严重缺陷或错误,应予以摈弃。我国应制定人体器官捐献与移植法,确立禁止买卖人体器官的原则、设立完善的人体器官来源审查制度、制订和补充旨在严厉打击人体器官买卖行为的刑法规则,以干预和规制人体器官买卖行为。     

医患双方对医患关系认知情况的调查分析

为了解医患双方对医患关系的认知情况,对江西吉安市五家医院的医生和住院患者采取整群随机抽样法进行随机问卷调查。发现医患双方对医患关系性质、发展趋势及医患冲突的主要诱因、责任主体、主要解决途径的认识状况均存在显著性差异。这种差异直接影响医患关系发展。如何解决医患双方认知的差异是重构和谐医患关系的根本措施。