In recent years, the concept of social capital has become quite fashionable in social science research. Especially Robert Putnam’s ‘Making Democracy Work’ has provoked an enormous amount of research on this societal resource. It has become customary to make a distinction between network and attitudinal approaches of social capital, focusing on individual network positions and the role of civic attitudes respectively.We argue that these two approaches do not exclude one another: it is just as legitimate to study the larger societal (...) benefits of social capital as it is to study the individual benefits of networks positions . The question on how social capital can be generated seems more promising for future research, and here we can distinguish society-based approaches and institutional approaches . The available research demonstrates that day-to-day interaction can have significant effects on democratic attitudes, e.g., by a process of value convergence. There is, however, also considerable evidence to show the effect of institutions, boosting social capital levels by ensuring impartiality and transparency and by promoting income inequality.Both from a political science, as from a social perspective, we urge the scientific community to pay more attention to the question how social capital might be generated by the political system. (shrink)

The article discusses Berlin’s Poor Relief Policy from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, posing the question: how can premises of theoretical and political feminist discussion be put into practice? In analysing the shift in poor relief, I have taken up three essential aspects: (1) power relations must be examined in a context that cannot be reduced simply to the opposition between ruler and subject or men and women; (2) when does gender become a principle of social order?; (...) and (3) gender as a construct and women’s way of action need to be linked. I show how a method that combines the different statements made by the texts as conflicts and discourse is useful, in that it facilitates working out the diversity of poor relief politics and historicizing the term ‘poor women’. At the same time it can show how social change in everyday life was structured and established. (shrink)

Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Volume 44, Issue 4, Page 339-351, December 2021.

This introduction clarifies the ideas behind the Logic, Reasoningand Rationality congress from which the papers in this issue are selected.These ideas are situated in the history of 20th century philosophy. We also give an overview of the papers in this issue.

ObjectivesPrevious studies found a general increase in prejudice against Chinese people during the first months of the pandemic. The present study aims to consider inter-individual heterogeneity in stability and change regarding prejudice involving Chinese people during the pandemic. The first objective is to identify and describe different trajectories of prejudice over a seven-month period during the pandemic. The second and third objectives are to test the association between trajectory group membership and antecedent variables such as: socio-demographic factors (i.e., age, gender, (...) political affiliation) and two psychological mechanisms, namely economic threat and global citizenship identification.MethodsA representative Canadian sample (N = 3,617) according to age, gender and province of residence, was recruited for a 10-wave survey starting from April 2020 to December 2020. First, a group-based modeling approach was used to identify trajectories of prejudice. Second, a multinomial logistic regression model was used to test associations between membership in trajectories and antecedents.ResultsFour trajectories were identified. The first three trajectories have a low (71.4% of the sample), high (18.5%) or very high (5.3%) level of prejudiceagainstChinese people which is relatively stable over time. The fourth trajectory (4.9%) reports low levels of prejudicein favorof Chinese people which become more positive throughout 2020. Regarding socio-demographic factors: gender is not associated with trajectory group membership, younger people are more likely to follow the trajectory in favor of Chinese people and conservatives are more likely to follow the highest trajectories against Chinese people. Regarding some psychological mechanisms: personal but not collective economic threat is associated with the trajectory in favor of Chinese people. Finally, the highest levels of prejudice are found when the strategy of identification is more local rather than global.ConclusionThe present study shows that Canadians differ in terms of both their level and change in prejudice against Chinese people throughout the pandemic with some socio-demographic groups being more likely than others to be associated with prejudice. The results also suggest that a promising way to tackle the major social issue of prejudice is to highlight a vision of the world where individuals are all “global citizens” facing the same challenge. (shrink)

Die jungsten Finanzkrisen haben die Diskussion uber die Moral der Markte wiederbelebt: Welche Verantwortung haben Unternehmen, Banken, Politik und letztlich jeder Einzelne in unserer Gesellschaft? Droht die Okonomisierung aller Lebensbereiche, der Ausverkauf des Menschen? Ist der Markt moralfrei? Brauchen wir neue Perspektiven und Werte? Diese drangenden Fragen werden im vorliegenden Buch von namhaften Autorinnen und Autoren wie Franz Muntefering und Rita Sussmuth beantwortet: Der Mensch muss wieder ins Zentrum rucken, Verantwortung und Moral sollten grundlegender Massstab auch des wirtschaftlichen Handelns sein. (...) Mit diesen Forderungen appellieren die BeitragerInnen an einen echten Dialog zwischen Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Ethik. Mit Beitragen von Bernhard Emunds, Jurgen Hardt, Linus Hauser, Esther Junger, Josef Kaiser, Siegfried Karl, Andreas Lenz, Uta Meier-Grawe, Franz Muntefering, Thomas Petersen, Marcus K. Reif, Rainer Schwarz, Rita Sussmuth und Joachim Wiemeyer". (shrink)

This book contains a selection of the papers presented at the Logic, Reasoning and Rationality 2010 conference in Ghent. The conference aimed at stimulating the use of formal frameworks to explicate concrete cases of human reasoning, and conversely, to challenge scholars in formal studies by presenting them with interesting new cases of actual reasoning. According to the members of the Wiener Kreis, there was a strong connection between logic, reasoning, and rationality and that human reasoning is rational in so far (...) as it is based on logic. Later, this belief came under attack and logic was deemed inadequate to explicate actual cases of human reasoning. Today, there is a growing interest in reconnecting logic, reasoning and rationality. A central motor for this change was the development of non-classical logics and non-classical formal frameworks. The book contains contributions in various non-classical formal frameworks, case studies that enhance our apprehension of concrete reasoning patterns, and studies of the philosophical implications for our understanding of the notions of rationality. (shrink)

Amsterdam University Press is a leading publisher of academic books, journals and textbooks in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Our aim is to make current research available to scholars, students, innovators, and the general public. AUP stands for scholarly excellence, global presence, and engagement with the international academic community.

Amsterdam University Press is a leading publisher of academic books, journals and textbooks in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Our aim is to make current research available to scholars, students, innovators, and the general public. AUP stands for scholarly excellence, global presence, and engagement with the international academic community.

I tried to analyse the proceedings of heredity, methodologically separating the factors of “irritation and the reaction” upon it on the part of the living substance. The question was, to investigate the development of the hereditarily directed growth of the cells by “formative irritation” according to the conception of H.Driesch, that is to say in their homogeneousness with the biological reaction upon irritation on the part of the nutritive substances. It so became evident, that mechanism and vitalism have to co-operate (...) in separate sections of investigation: the first towards the substancially conceivable side, the latter towards an irrational order of ideas, as vitalism lays them down in “Entelechy“.Practically the same idea is expressed inSpemann's “Regenerations” by looking on the “Organisatoren” as substancial bearers of hereditary immaterial factors. The same thing results in all probability from an analysis ofPawlow's “conditioned Teflexes”.From all this results, that mechanism and vitalism ought to supplement one another in acting conjointly as to the conception of “totality” in the organic structure. In his “Holism”,Adolf Meyer, going beyond mechanism and vitalism, placed his conceptions of totality at the head and by “simplification” deducted the simple from the complicated.Hans Schmalfuss says: simplifying and complicating have each of them three sides, a substancial one, a planning-one and one constructed by thought. The planning side is the connecting link between the substancial side and the one constructed by thought and cannot be separated from either. He proves this by thorough argument in his “Substance and Life”. He is able to include naturallyvon Uexküll's “Planlehre”.All this corresponds to the adaptation of all that is living to the environment as belonging to a harmonious life of the individual. Even here the extreme mechanists suppose themselves able to draw upon the future and therefore remain implacable adversaries of vitalism. Perhaps there might be a reconciliation even here, if the order of ideas about an “All-life” as well as an “All-plan” combined with “Holism” should prove indispensable in scientifically enlightening the mystery of life.There follow a few words concerning the problem of heredity of qualities acquired, “erworbene Eigenschaften” .J'ai essayé d'analyser les procédés de l'hérédité en séparant méthodologiquement les facteurs de „l'irritation et ceux de la réaction” de la part de la substance vivante. Il s'agit ici du développement de la croissance des cellules par „l'irritation formative” d'après la conception de H.Driesch, cela veut dire d'après leur homogénéité avec la réaction biologique de la substance nutritive. Il se montra ainsi, que le mécanisme et le vitalisme doivent coopérer: le premier du côté substantiellement concevable, le dernier du côté de l'ordre des idées irrationelles telles que le vitalisme les expose dans „l'entéléchie”.Pratiquement, la même idée est exposée dans les „Régénérations” deSpemann, en regardant les „Organisatoren” comme porteurs des facteurs héréditaires et immatériels. Le même résultat se montre avec probabilité dans une analyse des „réflexes conditionels” dePawlow.De tout cela résulte, que le mécanisme et le vitalisme devraient suppléer l'un l'autre dans un travail commun quant à la notion de „totalité” dans la croissance organique. Dans son „Holisme”,Adolf Meyer, allant au delà du mécanisme et du vitalisme, a mis à la tête la conception de „totalité” et par la simplification il a déduit le simple du compliqué.Hans Schmalfuss dit: la simplification et la complication ont chacune trois côtés, un côté substantiel, un côté „planlich” et un côté provenant de la pensée. Le côté „planlich” est le lien entre le côté substantiel et celui provenant de la pensée et ne peut être séparé d'aucun des deux. Il prouve cela par un argument profond dans son livre „la Substance et la Vie”. Il inclut tout naturellement la „Planlehre” devon Uexküll.Tout cela correspond à l'adaptation de tout ce qui est vivant à son milieu, faisant ainsi part de la vie harmonieuse de l'individu. Il est vrai, que les extrêmes mécanistes croient pouvoir tirer sur l'avenir et c'est pour cette raison, qu'ils restent des adversaires implacables du vitalisme. Peut-être y aura-t-il une réconciliation si les ordres d'idées d'un „All-Leben” ainsi que d'un „All-Plan” combinés avec le „Holisme” se trouvent être indispensables à l'éclaircissement du mystère de la vie selon la science.Quelques mots suivent concernant le problème de l'hérédité des qualités acquises, „erworbene Eigenschaften”. (shrink)

Al decennia verdedigen liberale theoretici de stelling dat burgerschap de taak is van de school. Hoewel er onder hen substantiële meningsverschillen bestaan, delen ze allemaal hetzelfde geloof in zowel de plicht als capaciteiten van scholen om te doen wat hun theorieën voorschrijven. Wij hebben alle begrip voor de gedachten achter deze theorieën; ze brengen namelijk idealen tot uitdrukking die wij na zouden moeten streven. Ze beschrijven niet de scholen die wij hebben, maar die we nodig hebben. Maar welke verdiensten (...) deze geïdealiseerde liberale visies op burgerschapseducatie ook mogen hebben in een vergaderzaal, ze zijn niet overtuigend en bruikbaar. Simpelweg omdat ze onvoldoende rekening houden met de empirische realiteit van de bredere politieke context waarbinnen beleid op het gebied van burgerschapseducatie wordt ontwikkeld en geïmplementeerd. (shrink)

d. 1. Van Descartes naar Kant -- d. 2. Terug naar de werkelijkheid -- d. 3. Plicht en geluk -- d. 4. Zoeken naar het vaste punt.

'Verder vraag je mij terug te keren naar mijn vroegere levenswijze. Het was al lang mijn plicht te treuren, namelijk om de ondergang van de republiek; dat deed ik dan ook, maar minder heftig, want ik had een plek om tot rust te komen. Nu kan ik die wijze van leven en handelen volstrekt niet meer tot de mijne maken en om de mening van anderen daarover hoef ik me niet te bekommeren. Mijn eigen geweten is me meer waard (...) dan het gepraat van Jan en alleman.'. (shrink)

De drie korte verhandelingen over de positie van hooggeplaatsten moeten gezien worden als een schakel in de lange keten van de literair-filosofische traditie van de Vorstenspiegels, die met name in de Italiaanse Renaissance zeer geliefd waren. Pascal volt echter deze voorbeelden maar gedeeltelijk, omdat hij een nieuwe macht introduceert, waaraan ook de groten der aarde onderworpen zijn, nl. de macht van het geloof. Zijn bespiegelingen over macht, morele plicht en verantwoordelijkheid zijn nog steeds actueel.