The role of orientation experiments in discovering mechanisms

Many types of experiments have been recognized in the literature. One important type we discuss in this article is the orientation experiment. While orientation experiments are like other types of experiments in that they are tests for causal relevance, they also have other qualities. One important (but not the only) goal of these experiments is to offer a rough, qualitative characterization of the mechanism responsible for a capacity of interest, effectively constraining future research. This makes them particularly useful during the early stages of investigation, when an explanandum-phenomenon has just been identified and several (often competing) hypotheses as to the qualitative character of the mechanism responsible for it are proposed. We illustrate our claims, and explicate a number of additional aims that orientation experiments can sometimes serve, by considering three case studies from different era's, namely the discovery of the mechanisms responsible for i) the capacity of eels to produce numbing sensations (17th and 18th century), ii) puerperal fever in Semmelweis' Vienna Maternity Hospital (19th century), and iii) the capacity of pigeons to home (20th century).     

术语学视角下的美军军语词典研究

文章对比了美军参谋长联席会议近3年修订的5版《美国国防部军语及相关术语词典》中词条的更新情况,并从术语学视角,结合相关条令的出台,分析了有关电子战、网络战、太空战、战区陆军和撤退行动等词条更新的原因,论证了文章观点:军事术语的改变反映出某个特定军事领域知识的更新换代,并探讨了研究美军军事词典给予我军军语工作的重要启示.     

Natural diversity: A neo-essentialist misconstrual of homeostatic property cluster theory in natural kind debates

In natural kind debates, Boyd's famous Homeostatic Property Cluster theory (HPC) is often misconstrued in two ways: Not only is it thought to make for a normative standard for natural kinds, but also to require the homeostatic mechanisms underlying nomological property clusters to be uniform. My argument for the illegitimacy of both overgeneralizations, both on systematic as well as exegetical grounds, is based on the misconstrued view's failure to account for functional kinds in science. I illustrate the combination of these two misconstruals with recent entries into the natural kind debate about emotions. Finally, I examine and reject Stich's “Kornblith-Devitt method” as a potential justification of these misconstruals.     

Inference to the hypothesis of extended cognition

This paper examines the justification for the hypothesis of extended cognition (HEC). HEC claims that human cognitive processes can, and often do, extend outside our head to include objects in the environment. HEC has been justified by inference to the best explanation (IBE). Both advocates and critics of HEC claim that we can infer the truth value of HEC based on whether HEC makes a positive or negative explanatory contribution to cognitive science. I argue that IBE cannot play this epistemic role. A serious rival to HEC exists with a differing truth value, and this invalidates IBEs for both the truth and the falsity of HEC. Explanatory value to cognitive science is not a guide to the truth value of HEC.     

Prediction in context: On the comparative epistemic merit of predictive success

The considerations set out in the paper are intended to suggest that in practical contexts predictive power does not play the outstanding roles sometimes accredited to it in an epistemic framework. Rather, predictive power is part of a network of other merits and achievements. Predictive power needs to be judged differently according to the specific conditions that apply. First, predictions need to be part of an explanatory framework if they are supposed to guide actions reliably. Second, in scientific expertise, the demand for accurate predictions is replaced with the objective of specifying a robust corridor of estimates. Finally, it is highly uncertain to predict the success of research projects. The overall purpose of the paper is to enlarge the debate about predictions by addressing specifically the roles of predictions in application-oriented research.     

The silence of the norms: The missing historiography of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

History has been disparaged since the late 19th century for not conforming to norms of scientific explanation. Nonetheless, as a matter of fact a work of history upends the regnant philosophical conception of science in the second part of the 20th century. Yet despite its impact, Kuhn’s Structure has failed to motivate philosophers to ponder why works of history should be capable of exerting rational influence on an understanding of philosophy of science. But all this constitutes a great irony and a mystery. The mystery consists of the persistence of a complete lack of interest in efforts to theorize historical explanation. Fundamental questions regarding why an historical account could have any rational influence remain not merely unanswered, but unasked. The irony arises from the fact that analytic philosophy of history went into an eclipse where it remains until this day just around the time that the influence of Kuhn’s great work began to make itself felt. This paper highlights puzzles long ignored regarding the challenges a work of history managed to pose to the epistemic authority of science, and what this might imply generally for the place of philosophy of history vis-à-vis the problems of philosophy.     

XML Schema派生和重用机制

针对XML schema不能直接转换为关系模式,笔者设计了结构字典存贮结构信息和约束信息,利用贪心算法实现了机制映射为关系模式.实验结果表明：结构字典和算法对重构XML文档提供了有力支持.     

文言释义应结合语境——以新课标教材文言文若干疑难注释为例

以新课标教材文言文中“素琴”等8个词语为研究对象，比较各家的不同释义，阐明各家说法的合理性，并指出其疏漏，运用训诂的原理，说明文言释义应结合语境。才能使释义符合实际。     

从多维的视角看胡锦涛对科学发展观的阐释

从价值追求、中心任务、人与自然、理论源泉等四个维度,进一步理解和揭示胡锦涛对科学发展观的精神实质和科学内涵的深刻阐释。     

敦煌文献释读两则

敦煌文献释读两例：一是S．1946宋淳化二年押衙韩愿定卖妮子契、φ96《双恩记》“换”读为“惠”．意为“忧虑，担忧”；二是x01409后梁贞明六年辛奴子典腹生男胡儿契“始”读为“计”，意为“办法，计策”。