The significance of English antinomianism for Anna Trapnel

Abstract

This article intends to show the significance of English antinomianism for the initial transition of Anna Trapnel (d.1660) to radical religion. Tormented by her lack of assurance of salvation and her fearfulness about rightly keeping the moral law, Trapnel was drawn to antinomianism through the preaching of John Simpson. His stress on ‘free grace’ was the only thing able to lift her from suicidal depression. Most studies on Trapnel tend to downplay or ignore entirely the significance of antinomian theology in her formative years. The study intends to fill the gap in research by analysing the theological underpinnings of antinomianism, outlining Trapnel's own religious struggle, and her eventual ‘freedom from bondage’ through Simpson's influence. Highlighting the significance of antinomian thought for Trapnel's early years, as well as its status as the catalyst for her initiation into radical religion, the article provides fresh background material from which to understand her later role as a famous visionary.     

Between Mind and Trace — A Research into the Theories on Xin 心 (Mind) of Early Song Confucianism and Buddhism

From Han Yu’s yuan Dao 原道 (retracing the Dao) to Ouyang Xiu’s lun ben 论本 (discussing the root), the conflicts arising from Confucianists’ rejection of Buddhism were focused on one point, namely, the examination of zhongxin suo shou 中心所守 (something kept in mind). The attitude towards the distinction between mind and trace, and the proper approach to erase the gap between emptiness and being, as well as that between the expedient and the true, became the major concerns unavoidable for various thinkers to integrate the two teachings and to propel academic development. “To understand by mind” and “to blame for matter” were of crucial methodological significance for transcendence in both Confucianism and Buddhism. The arguments of Confucian scholars like Zhang Zai and the Cheng brothers on the identity of mind and trace and the unity of void and solid are mutually manifested. The same mind with the same principle means “mind is principle.” The “common axis of Confucianism and Buddhism” exists in the emphasis on mind beyond trace. The unification of mind and trace or the accordance of body and function has actually become the cardinal foundation for the possible mergence of the Three Teachings.     

Separation—Individuation,Self-Concept,and Object Relations in Fraternal Twins,Identical Twins,and Singletons

Identical twins, fraternal twins, and singletons (n = 30 in each group) were compared on objective measures of separation–individuation, object relations, and self-esteem. No significant differences were found. The data did not support the popular notion that twins face special problems with respect to personality development or the idea that twins have more difficulty than others in establishing and maintaining close relationships. Twins and nontwins did not differ significantly with respect to marital status, number of years married, whether married before, number of previous marriages, number of years divorced, or living arrangements if single. The majority of twins had been raised in a way that encouraged at least some individual differences.     

Knowledge and True Belief at Theaetetus 201a–c

This paper examines a passage in the Theaetetus (201a–c) where Plato distinguishes knowledge from true belief by appealing to the example of a jury hearing a case. While the jurors may have true belief, Socrates puts forward two reasons why they cannot achieve knowledge. The reasons for this nescience have typically been taken to be in tension with each other (most notably by Myles Burnyeat). This paper proposes a solution to the putative difficulty by arguing that what links the two cases of nescience is that in neither case do the jurors act from an epistemic virtue and that doing so is a necessary condition of knowledge. Appreciating that it is a necessary condition of knowledge that it be the result of an epistemic agent's agency in a distinctive way provides a satisfying solution to the difficulty Burnyeat detected and also does justice to an otherwise neglected aspect of Plato's epistemology: his talk of cognitive capacities and virtues and his focus on what it is that is active and passive in epistemic processes.     

Probability-of-coverage tolerance intervals for the beta binomial

True score tolerance intervals, which are designed to cover a chosen proportion of the conditional distribution of true scores given an observed score, are suggested as alternatives to true score confidence intervals. Using large sample theory, a tolerance interval estimator for the beta binomial is derived. An example indicates that with moderate sample sizes, tolerance intervals with high probability of coverage will not be much wider than when the two beta true score parameters are known.The author acknowledges valuable comments from Richard Sawyer.Most work was completed while the author was at the American College Testing Program.     

3～6岁儿童信念理解能力的发展研究

研究设计了冲突真实信念任务,用于考察儿童对真实信念的理解;并利用区分信念、冲突真实信念和意外地点的错误信念任务,考察儿童理解信念推理基本规则、真实信念和错误信念的发展顺序。97名3~6岁儿童完成了测试。结果显示,3岁儿童能理解信念推理的基本规则,5岁儿童能理解真实信念,6岁儿童能理解错误信念。结果支持了儿童先理解真实信念,后理解错误信念的发展模式;也说明在理解信念以前儿童已能掌握信念推理的基本规则。     

"临朐四冯"诗论

由于人生经历的不同和性格气质的差异,“四冯”诗形成了不同的特色：冯惟健诗沉雄顿挫、冲逸严整,惟重诗清新俊逸,惟敏诗才气纵横、锋芒时见,惟讷诗典雅俊丽。然而,由于同受庭训,生活经历也部分相似,他们的诗作又呈现出一致性：与七子派“诗必盛唐”的主张不同,“四冯”多写目及身历的山水与农事,流露出与李攀龙等摹拟复古相异的真情。