Causal Theories of Knowledge1

Causal theories of knowledge require some causal connection between belief and the conditions whose existence make that belief true. Lacking this connection, the belief may be true, it may be altogether reasonable, but it is not knowledge.     

Family Therapy or Religion: A Rereading of T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party

From the framework of analytic sociology the author discusses areas of overlap between family psychotherapy and religion. This is done through the analysis of T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party , a play written in 1949 which anticipated the innovation of family therapy. The emergence of the Family Therapy Movement is viewed in part as a response to changes in the structure of the modern family.     

Strategic Action Plans With Clients Who Have Learning Disabilities

The deficits that create educational difficulties for individuals with learning disabilities (LD) also complicate their work lives. Employment counselors can build success in action plan creation and implementation by addressing each of the sources of self-efficacy expectations.     

How does the expectancy-value model in psychology explain human action?

The topic discussed is how the expectancy-value model in psychology can be interpreted. A causal interpretation of the model implies that intentions, wants, and beliefs are independent mental causes of human action. A number of arguments against this way of conceptualizing mental events in relation to action are presented. On the basis of these arguments it is concluded that the concepts of 'intention', 'want', 'belief', and the like, cannot be thought of as referring to events that are extrinsic to, and independent of, action and linguistic usage. Intending, wanting, believing, comprise saying and doing things in certain ways and contexts, as well as other events (imagery, feeling, experience) with which action and language belong and are intrinsically related. Relating what people say and do to intentions, wants, beliefs, serves to illuminate or interpret words and deeds, not to point out their independent, extrinisic causes. A causal interpretation of the expectancy-value model, it is concluded, is not tenable.