Contemporary Epistemic Logic and the Lockean Thesis

This paper studies the Lockean thesis from the perspective of contemporary epistemic logic. The Lockean thesis states that belief can be defined as ‘sufficiently high degree of belief’. Its main problem is that it gives rise to a notion of belief which is not closed under conjunction. This problem is typical for classical epistemic logic: it is single-agent and static. I argue that from the perspective of contemporary epistemic logic, the Lockean thesis fares much better. I briefly mention that it can successfully be extended from single-agent to multi-agent settings. More importantly, I show that accepting the Lockean thesis (and a more sophisticated version for conditional beliefs) leads to a significant and unexpected unification in the dynamic behavior of (conditional) belief and high (conditional) probability with respect to public announcements. This constitutes a methodological argument in favor of the Lockean thesis. Furthermore, if one accepts Baltag’s Erlangen program for epistemology, this technical observation has even stronger philosophical implications: because belief and high probability display the same dynamic behavior, it is plausible that they are indeed one and the same epistemic notion.     

无穷小量的命运及对数学发展动力的思考

近代力学的需要催生了无穷小量.历史上的数学家对无穷小量作了各种解读,试图论证它存在的合法性,以使微积分严密化,都没有成功.在19世纪末的数学公理化运动中,极限取代了无穷小量成为微积分的基础.无穷小量的曲折历史使人们认识到:数学有效性并不必须由其真理性来保证,数学家的信仰是数学发展的精神动力.近代数学家经历了从信仰上帝到信仰自然再到信仰数学内部的逻辑美的过程,数学家的任务也经历了从解决上帝、自然和数学三者之间的矛盾到解决自然和数学两者之间的矛盾,再到解决数学内部的矛盾过程.哥德尔不完备性定理抽走了数学家的逻辑美信仰,数学界出现了信仰危机.     

一致主义与经验论

一致主义确证理论认为只有信念之间的一致才能产生确证,这就使它面临如何容纳经验内容的难题。古典一致主义者将经验等同于信念,邦久用认知自发信念来解决经验观察的确证问题,但这些理论都存在问题。麦克道威尔将经验构造为概念性但不是信念性的状态,为解决经验观察在知识确证中的地位提供了一种思路。     

略论字母词的定义与定位

文章对字母词界定的不同认识做出综述,进而提出了自己的见解。文章认为,字母词中,有的是汉语词汇系统的临时成员,有的已经成为正式成员。字母词在引入和使用上方便快捷,能够确保不改变原来的语义,因此,在社会生活,尤其科技领域还会得到更充分的发展。     

On the Foundations of Constructive Mathematics – Especially in Relation to the Theory of Continuous Functions

We discuss the foundations of constructive mathematics, including recursive mathematics and intuitionism, in relation to classical mathematics. There are connections with the foundations of physics, due to the way in which the different branches of mathematics reflect reality. Many different axioms and their interrelationship are discussed. We show that there is a fundamental problem in BISH (Bishop’s school of constructive mathematics) with regard to its current definition of ‘continuous function’. This problem is closely related to the definition in BISH of ‘locally compact’. Possible approaches to this problem are discussed. Topology seems to be a key to understanding many issues. We offer several new simplifying axioms, which can form bridges between the various branches of constructive mathematics and classical mathematics (‘reuniting the antipodes’). We give a simplification of basic intuitionistic theory, especially with regard to so-called ‘bar induction’. We then plead for a limited number of axiomatic systems, which differentiate between the various branches of mathematics. Finally, in the appendix we offer BISH an elegant topological definition of ‘locally compact’, which unlike the current definition is equivalent to the usual classical and/or intuitionistic definition in classical and intuitionistic mathematics, respectively.     

Systems and Beliefs

Systems thinking provides insights into how ideas interact and change, and constructivism is an example of this type of systemic approach. In the 1970s constructivism emphasised the development of mathematical and scientific ideas in children. Recently constructivist ideas are applied much more generally. Here I use this approach to consider beliefs and their role in conflicts and the conditions needed for reconciliation. If we look at Reality in terms of how we construct it as a human cognitive process, we recognise two things. First, that we cannot go beyond our senses and thoughts to what exists independently of us, and second, if we construct what we know we have to take responsibility for this. This inevitably focuses our thinking on the relation we have with the physical and social world, we are a part of the universe rather than apart from it. This paper argues that accepting and understanding these limits of human knowing together with our interconnectedness provide opportunities to understand conflicting positions. To resolve conflict, people with opposing viewpoints have to be prepared to understand each other. That is a challenge because our own reality plays a vital role in our lives, for everything from personal survival to social support.     

东西方国家在科学普及上的差异

全民科学素质提高要靠科普先行。借鉴发达国家科普工作的先进经验,是提高我国科普水平,迅速缩短我国与发达国家差距的重要途径。研究结果证明,科普工作的差距表现在观念、定义、对象、主体、功能、作用、地位等方方面面;不是单一因素决定的。这些差距的形成,则由历史、文化、科学技术水平,乃至传统习俗等更多的因素决定的。     

Rational Beliefs as Produced by Computational Processes

Intelligent problem-solving depends on consciously applied methods of thinking as well as inborn or trained skills. The latter are like resident programs which control processes of the kind called (in Unix) daemons. Such a computational process is a fitting reaction to situations (defined in the program in question) which is executed without any command of a computer user (or without any intention of the conscious subject). The study of intelligence should involve methods of recognizing those beliefs whose existence is due to daemons. Once having been aware of so produced belief, one can assess it critically and, if possible and necessary, make it more rational. Eg, beliefs concerning properties of time are produced by a daemon-like intuition, likewise the Euclidean properties of space. The merit of getting aware of such daemon's activities, and so transforming implicit beliefs into explicit ones, lies mainly in the axiomatic characterization of the properties involved. That makes possible to improve a daemon-like conceptual equipment (producing beliefs) by suitable modifications of the axioms, or postulates. Such postulate sets can also define artificial daemons to either emulate or improve natural intelligence.     

Belief Systems and the Modeling Relation

The paper presents the most general aspects of scientific modeling and shows that social systems naturally include different belief systems (i.e. different models). Belief systems differ in a variety of respects, most notably in the selection of suitable qualities to encode and the internal structure of the observables. The following results emerge from the analysis: (1) conflict is explained by showing that different models encode different qualities, which implies that they model different realities; (2) explicitly connecting models to the realities that they encode makes it possible to clarify the relations among models; (3) by understanding that social systems are complex one knows that there is no chance of developing a maximal model of the system; (4) the distinction among different levels of depth implicitly includes a strategy for inducing change; (5) identity-preserving models are among the most difficult to modify; (6) since models do not customarily generate internal signals of error, strategies with which to determine when models are out of synch with their situations are especially valuable; (7) changing the form of power from a zero sum game to a positive sum game helps transform the nature of conflicts.     

社会-技术系统视野下的电子健康技术与创新研究

由于电子健康创新与发展的实践需要,电子健康的社会研究备受关注。本文运用社会-技术系统的多层分析框架,分析和探讨了影响电子健康创新与发展的复杂因素以及电子健康与社会的关系问题,认为电子健康系统的推广、应用与创新不只是信息技术向健康领域扩散的简单线性过程,而是动态的复杂的非线性过程即技术与社会活动的协同演化过程,除技术因素之外,更应当关注用户、组织、制度乃至更广泛的异质性社会因素与非技术问题。     

信息文化涵义探析

信息文化可定义为:以现代信息技术的广泛应用为基础,以信息产业和知识产业为支柱,以信息和知识的生产、分配、传播、交流、使用为人们普遍的活动内容,通过社会信息化过程引起人类生存方式全面变革而形成的信息时代的文化形态。广义的信息文化,是指信息社会或信息时代的文化;狭义的信息文化,是指围绕现代计算机技术、通信技术、网络技术等新技术形成的新型文化形态的总称。广义的和狭义的信息文化之间有区别,但又具有内在的联系。     

On the performance of a discriminant function

In two-class discriminant problems, objects are allocated to one of the two classes by means of threshold rules based on discriminant functions. In this paper we propose to examine the quality of a discriminant functiong in terms of its performance curve. This curve is the plot of the two misclassification probabilities as the thresholdt assumes various real values. The role of such performance curves in evaluating and ordering discriminant functions and solving discriminant problems is presented. In particular, it is shown that: (i) the convexity of such a curve is a sufficient condition for optimal use of the information contained in the data reduced byg, and (ii)g with non-convex performance curve should be corrected by an explicitly obtained transformation.     

人文社科类术语定义方法研究——以翻译学和叙事学为例

文章系统梳理了人文社会科学类术语工作的国内外研究现状,剖析了人文社科类术语的本质属性和特征,并以翻译学和叙事学为例,研究了人文社科类术语的定义方法,提出了借助语义层级分析展开术语定义的方法。     

自然圣境及其生态理念探析

作为一种自然与文化融合的产物,自然圣境是以信仰文化载体的形式出现,人们对自然圣境的崇拜也是以信仰的方式加以体现。自然圣境作为人们信仰文化的依托之地被赋予了特殊地位,借助神灵的力量,人们对自然圣境的破坏行为得到限制和禁止,自然圣境成为实际的自然保护基地而得以保存。从社会生活的现实考察,自然圣境依附于自然崇拜而得到的地位和保护果效实质上是古人纯朴生态自然观的体现,这种古朴的生态自然观内化于自然圣境所在地的村民心中。     

WTO视角下我国有效金融市场与企业经营多元化的研究

本文分析有效市场假说和企业多元化的经营动机，探求金融市场演变的不同形态及其有效程度。以及其对社会资源的分配功能的影响，揭示金融市场不同的有效程度与多元化企业经营的战略选择的内在关系。在此基础上，研究我国企业经营多元化的问题和对策，具有突出的理论和现实意义。     

关于计算机操作系统的定义

首先探讨术语定义的基本要素,指出概念的定义必须足以判断某个事物属于或不属于该概念所指称的属类。然后针对“操作系统”这个计算机学科基本名词,详细分析了其概念内涵,指出了国内外常见教材中相关定义存在的问题,并提出了揭示概念本质特性的新定义。     

论技术主义时代的道德恐慌策略及其悖论

道德恐慌是社会冲突理论的重要概念,揭示了人们在社会交换中的对抗性行为和关系,维系着脆弱的社会平衡.技术主义对社会的大规模渗透,大大拓展了道德恐慌的实施手段和空间,同时制造出诸多悖论,不但技术主义本身成为道德恐慌的新根源,而且一般社会群体和特殊社会群体-知识分子也纷纷雇佣道德恐慌策略谋取各自利益,同样引发出新的道德恐慌.因而必须慎重对待技术主义式的道德恐慌策略及其社会功能和个人效用,运用人的自觉和智慧,通过相互理解的交往行动,克服它所带来的负面效应,建设符合人性化要求的文明世界.     

Social Autonomy and Heteronomy in the Age of ICT: The Digital <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pharmakon</Emphasis> and the (Dis)Empowerment of the General Intellect

‘The art of living with ICTs (information and communication technologies)’ today not only means finding new ways to cope, interact and create new lifestyles on the basis of the new digital (network) technologies individually, as ‘consumer-citizens’. It also means inventing new modes of living, producing and, not in the least place, struggling collectively, as workers and producers. As the so-called digital revolution unfolds in the context of a neoliberal cognitive and consumerist capitalism, its ‘innovations’ are predominantly employed to modulate and control both production processes and consumer behavior in view of the overall goal of extracting surplus value. Today, the digital networks overwhelmingly destroy social autonomy, instead engendering increasing social heteronomy and proletarianization. Yet it is these very networks themselves, as technical pharmaka in the sense of French ‘technophilosopher’ Bernard Stiegler, that can be employed as no other to struggle against this tendency. This paper briefly explores this possibility by reflecting upon current diagnoses of our ‘technological situation’ by some exemplary post-operaist Marxists from a Stieglerian, pharmacological perspective.     

从技术思辨到社会哲学——关于虚拟世界研究的方法论转向问题

关于虚拟世界的哲学论争,无论其逻辑起点如何,都步入了一个技术思辨误区。实际上,虚拟技术不仅仅是一种技术工具,更重要的是它嵌入到人类生活的社会文化系统之中,带来了社会关系和人类生活方式的改变。为此,虚拟世界研究的方法论应该从技术思辨转向社会哲学,即在实证基础上对虚拟世界进行形而上的建构。从社会哲学的视野来审视虚拟世界中的一些哲学问题,是有待拓展的新领域。     

The Foundationalism–Coherentism Opposition Revisited: The Case for Complementarism

In this paper, I show the complementarity of foundationalism and coherentism with respect to any efficient system of beliefs by means of a distinction between two types of proposition drawn from an analogy with an axiomatic system. This distinction is based on the way a given proposition is acknowledged as true, either by declaration (F-proposition) or by preservation (C-proposition). Within such a perspective, i.e., epistemological complementarism, not only can one see how the usual opposition between foundationalism and coherentism is irrelevant, but furthermore one can appreciate the reciprocal relation between these two theories as they refer to two separate epistemological functions involved in the dynamics of constituting and expanding an epistemic system.