Spatio-Cultural Evolution as Information Dynamics—Part II

A model of a spatio-cultural sub-context (enfolded in a wider scope context) is presented in the form of a blue print of a Complex System with a two-stage decision engine at its core. The engine first attaches a meaning to analyzable datum, and then decides whether to keep or change it. It does not alter already stored meanings but is designed to search for data to be converted into additional stored meanings and improve the accuracy of correspondence of their spatial and cultural range of relevance. Meaning is reduced to the choice of a strategy??a future continuum of events; a choice dependent on a unique Evolutionary Path, a past continuum of events specific enough to lead to the current temporarily stable state of a spatio-cultural category. It is a blue print for a program that can emulate decisions to initiate changes in the environment in which a collective of culture partners resides; changes consisting of movements from one location to another or in the layout of its current location. The model is proposed at a low cultural resolution and is applicable, after suitable modifications, to a majority of city/period pairs. However, any such model has to be city/period specific. It is illustrated with a design for analyzing changes in the Israeli city, in particular in Tel Aviv.     

Main Problems of Diagrammatic Reasoning. Part I: The generalization problem

The paper attempts to analyze in some detail the main problems encountered in reasoning using diagrams, which may cause errors in reasoning, produce doubts concerning the reliability of diagrams, and impressions that diagrammatic reasoning lacks the rigour necessary for mathematical reasoning. The paper first argues that such impressions come from long neglect which led to a lack of well-developed, properly tested and reliable reasoning methods, as contrasted with the amount of work generations of mathematicians expended on refining the methods of reasoning with formulae and predicate calculus. Next, two main groups of problems occurring in diagrammatic reasoning are introduced. The second group, called diagram imprecision, is then briefly summarized, its detailed analysis being postponed to another paper. The first group, called collectively the generalization problem, is analyzed in detail in the rest of the paper. The nature and causes of the problems from this group are explained, methods of detecting the potentially harmful occurrences of these problems are discussed, and remedies for possible errors they may cause are proposed. Some of the methods are adapted from similar methods used in reasoning with formulae, several other problems constitute new, specifically diagrammatic ways of reliable reasoning.     

Models as Points of View: The Case of System Dynamics

We propose an analysis of the notion of model as crucially related to the notion of point of view. A model in this sense would always suggest a certain way of looking at a real system, a certain way of thinking about it and a certain way of acting upon it. We focus on System Dynamics as a paradigmatic case with respect to many of the features and problems we can find in the field of modelling and simulation. We analyse in detail some of those features. All of them would be present in many other cases of construction and use of models. Furthermore, they would support the thesis that a model can be fruitfully understood as offering a point of view capable of improving our own points of view over a certain system. The point of view offered by the model could include both non-conceptual and conceptual contents, it would have a complex structure and behaviour, and it would have direct consequences on the decisions made by the subjects adopting that point of view.     

Astrocladistics: A Phylogenetic Analysis of Galaxy Evolution I. Character Evolutions and Galaxy Histories

This series of papers is intended to present astrocladistics in some detail and evaluate this methodology in reconstructing phylogenies of galaxies. Being based on the evolution of all the characters describing galaxies, it is an objective way of understanding galaxy diversity through evolutionary relationships. In this first paper, we present the basic steps of a cladistic analysis and show both theoretically and practically that it can be applied to galaxies. For illustration, we use a sample of 50 simulated galaxies taken from the GALICS database, which are described by 91 observables (dynamics, masses and luminosities). These 50 simulated galaxies are indeed 10 different galaxies taken at 5 cosmological epochs, and they are free of merger events. The astrocladistic analysis easily reconstructs the true chronology of evolution relationships within this sample. It also demonstrates that burst characters are not relevant for galaxy evolution as a whole. A companion paper is devoted to the formalization of the concepts of formation and diversification in galaxy evolution.     

作为信息过程的知觉——论弗洛里迪信息哲学进路中的知觉模型

知觉是主体认识外在世界的唯一途径。不同于传统知觉哲学将知觉视为主体与外在世界之间的神秘之幕,弗洛里迪信息哲学进路中的知觉模型将知觉视为数据提供者,是主体与外在世界相互作用的界面。他的综合抽象层次法和行动基语义学提供了一个实践取向的知觉模型。然而这个知觉模型并不能完全解决知觉过程中规范性的突现如何桥接的难题。米丽肯的符号理论提供了相应的补充,将符号功能实现区分为应该实现的功能、符号使用者意向实现的功能和实际实现的功能三个层次。通过自然主义与建构主义研究进路的结合,可以解释知觉过程规范性的产生,为经验知识奠定基础。     

论信息概念的历史演化及其科学化

信息概念的原始含义包含两个层次,即"赋予质料以形式的行动"的本体论含义和"传授知识给某人的行为"的认识论含义。由于信息概念的词根与哲学概念"形式"相同,因此整个西方哲学史可以从信息概念的角度来重新理解。不过随着近代以来哲学的认识论转向,信息的本体论含义被抛弃了;在信息概念的科学化中认识论含义也被信息的概率定义所取代。然而,要想满足信息研究的需要,必须复兴信息的原始含义并根据当前语境进行适应性转型。     

Comparing the Long-Term Evolution of ``Cognitive Invariances' in Physics with a Dynamics in States of Consciousness

It is shown that the evolution of physics canin several regards be described by elements of``regression', i.e., that within a certaintradition of ideas one begins with theconstruction of most ``plausible' statements(axioms) at hand, and then ``works onselfbackwards' with respect to developmental terms.As a consequence of this strategy, the furtherwork proceeds along such a ``regressive' path,the more one arrives at concepts andrelationships which are unexpected or evencounter-intuitive in terms of our everydayexperiences. However, a comparable phenomenology is wellknown from studies on states of consciousness.In particular, the evolutionary logic of theconstructions of major ``cognitive invariances'in physics, which is in part due to everincreasing rates of data processing, ismirrored in a logic of states of consciousnesswhich deviate from a ``normal' state of dailyroutine along increasing levels of centralnervous arousal. Examples are given from the evolution ofphysics, and future perspectives are brieflyoutlined on the basis thereof.     

巨人的对抗——作为笛卡尔反驳者的莱布尼茨动力学初探

本文试图从活力之争这段著名的科学史公案入手,探究莱布尼茨与笛卡尔的力的概念之差别的根源。通过对两个体系的比较研究,我们将阐明动力学核心概念的物理学含义及其形而上学基础,从而对这种新科学的基本特征做出初步的刻画。     

公众理解科学的理论演进——以米勒体系为线索

公众理解科学的研究由于多学科视角及各种研究进路的介入而呈现广泛且复杂的讨论态势。但是,以米勒体系作为线索,仍可探寻其理论演进的踪迹:"科学观"方面,从传统的实在论走向多元科学观的并存;"公众观"方面,对公众的多样化、主动性及其具体情境的认知;"理解"方面,对其内涵的扩展与自身情境的关注。     

复杂性:文本的结构与演化

本文研究了文本复杂性研究中的两个重要问题：（1）文本结构复性分析及其意义；（2）文本演化复杂性问题，附带比较了科学文本与文学文本特征。     

创新:持续与活力之间的张力

技术发展中存在着两个相互彼此相关的核心要素，即技术发展的持续性(旧)与技术活力(新)，而技术创新则构成了技术的持续性与技术活力之间的张力。本文以著名经济学家熊彼特技术创新理论为主线，对技术创新，以及技术创新中的新旧关系做了具体的论述，并得出新依赖于创造性；新观念不可预测；新的理解需要以旧的知识为基础；新的并不必然就是进步等结论。     

数学名词中文化意蕴的探析——以张量概念的演变为例

数学名词与日常用语相比,具有高度抽象性的特点.数学一般以逻辑的形式呈现,常常掩盖了其丰富的文化内涵.如果我们褪去这层外壳,数学名词的文化内涵就会呈现出来.本文以广义相对论的数学基础张量分析和黎曼几何为线索,重点考察了张量概念的词源理解、形成过程和物理学隐喻,发现“球形宇宙”的隐喻原来蕴含在张量隐喻之中,希望以此表明,数学是文化进化的认知变异体和延伸,具有深刻的文化意蕴.     

数学:信息加工和信息转换的技术

技术的目标是设计和发明自然状态中不存在,但即为人所需要的过程,装置和产品,技术应包括知识形态的技术和物化形态的技术。数学式的科学,模式的建模具有技术性质。     

Complexity and Evolution: A Study of the Growth of Complexity in Organic and Cultural Evolution

In the present paper I develop a model of the evolutionary process associated to the widespread although controversial notion of a prevailing trend of increasing complexity over time. The model builds on a coupling of evolution to individual developmental programs and introduces an integrated view of evolution implying that human culture and science form a continuous extension of organic evolution. It is formed as a mathematical model that has made possible a quantitative estimation in relative terms of the growth of complexity. This estimation is accomplished by means of computer simulations the result of which indicates a strong acceleration of complexity all the way from the appearance of multicellular organisms up to modern man.     

The Dynamics of Change in Everyday Life: Final Response

Due to Swedish history, to date there has been a common understanding of the meaning of volunteering in Sweden. However, it seems as if the meaning of volunteering is changing in Sweden, at least in some atypical hybrid organizations. However, this change presupposes that there is a conception of volunteering that has been institutionalized by tradition. Hence, to understand this change, one has to capture the institutionalized meaning of volunteering. In the academic debate there is sometimes an implied opposition between conceptual meaning and existential meaning. It is argued that this divide is unfortunate, the existential aspect presupposes the conceptual aspect of meaning. The study of the meaning of volunteering is an attempt to uncover existential meaning in everyday life. Neither the cognitive meaning nor the existential meaning of volunteering is an objective fact but fragile and dependent upon contextual factors.     

Multidimensional Item Response Theory Models with Collateral Information as Poisson Regression Models

Multiple choice items on tests and Likert items on surveys are ubiquitous in educational, social and behavioral science research; however, methods for analyzing of such data can be problematic. Multidimensional item response theory models are proposed that yield structured Poisson regression models for the joint distribution of responses to items. The methodology presented here extends the approach described in Anderson, Verkuilen, and Peyton (2010) that used fully conditionally specified multinomial logistic regression models as item response functions. In this paper, covariates are added as predictors of the latent variables along with covariates as predictors of location parameters. Furthermore, the models presented here incorporate ordinal information of the response options thus allowing an empirical examination of assumptions regarding the ordering and the estimation of optimal scoring of the response options. To illustrate the methodology and flexibility of the models, data from a study on aggression in middle school (Espelage, Holt, and Henkel 2004) is analyzed. The models are fit to data using SAS.     

人类文化思想史中的休闲--历史·文化·哲学的视角

休闲在人类文明进化的历史中具有重要的文化价值,是人类精神的一种境界。考察休闲研究兴起的社会背景和学术背景,我们可以看到人类“文化自觉”意识的觉醒。休闲研究（leisure studies)的兴起,其实质是对人类前途命运的一种思考,是对现代人类文化精神和价值体系发生断裂的现状做某些补救工作的一种努力,是试图通过对休闲与人生价值的思索,重新厘清人的文化精神坐标,进而促进人类的自省－未来的路如何走？人生的意义和价值究竟是什么？更多的意义是让我们学会思索－如何“成为人”,成长快乐、自由、富有创造力和具有追求真善美能力的人。休闲是人类先进文化的重要组成部分。