W tomie zamieszczono teksty powstałe w ramach programu "Demokracja - idee, dylematy, praktyka", który obejmował cykl wykładów i dyskusji organizowanych przez Ośrodek Myśli Politycznej w roku 2001 na Papieskiej Akademii Teologicznej w Krakowie.

Jacek Urbaniec: Platonism in the philosophy of mathematics does not necessarily imply that there are links between the temporal physical world and the eternal world of mathematics..

One of the most vigorously debated issues in attention labs concerns the nature of the coupling between the sensory-motor system and covert spatial attention. Proponents of the Premotor Theory of Attention (PToA) claim that attention should be accounted for in terms of motor preparation for goal-directed actions such as eye or hand movements. For others, it is a supramodal psychological entity that is independent of our sensorimotor machinery. Both parties also seek to articulate this controversy in terms of cognitive science (...) as a question of whether attention is embodied or disembodied cognition. The PToA is thought to advocate the embodiment of attention. We, however, are inclined to think that a more nuanced view of this conceptual framework is needed to yield some insights into how radical it actually is in terms of embodied cognition (EC). We argue that PToA still seems to bear some features of weak embodiment. Yet we suggest that it has the potential to build a stronger concept of attention as EC, but somewhat paradoxically this would require giving attention deflationary treatment and reconstructing it in other terms. We propose that the notion of pre-reflective intentionality might serve as an inspiration to this end. (shrink)

We prove that no logic (i.e. consequence operation) determined by any class of orthomodular lattices admits the deduction theorem (Theorem 2.7). We extend those results to some broader class of logics determined by ortholattices (Corollary 2.6).

The objective of this paper is to discuss current reductive theories of the non-existent objects, specifically - contemporary deflationary theories of the fictional objects. By such theories I mean those denying that fictional objects have any ontological status at all. Theories, which claim that fictional proper names denote some sort of objects but deny that these names denote individual objects, are treated as the reductive theories of non-existent as well. In the discourse I present the following ideas: 1) Russell's theory (...) of description with the further remarks by W. V. O. Quine; 2) A. Plantinga's view that the fictional names have no denotation, which is realized in the framework of possible worlds semantics; 3) Theories by N. Wolterstorf and P. van Inwagen which can be seen as a link between strictly deflationary theories and meinongian theories; Wolterstorff claim that empty names denote general abstract objects and Inwagen identify fictional objects with theoretical objects of literal criticism; 4) Theories based on the speech acts theories; 5) Theories which identify fictional objects with mental objects. The conclusion of the argument is that the aforementioned theories are not adequate for the analysis of fiction (non-existent) and that more suitable for such a purpose are meinongian theories of non-existent objects. (shrink)

The present paper is to be considered as a sequel to [1], [2]. It is known that Johansson's minimal logic is not uniform, i.e. there is no single matrix which determines this logic. Moreover, the logic C J is 2-uniform. It means that there are two uniform logics C 1, C 2 (each of them is determined by a single matrix) such that the infimum of C 1 and C 2 is C J. The aim of this paper is to (...) give a detailed description of the logics C 1 and C 2. It is performed in a lattice-theoretical language. (shrink)

The aim of this book is to present essays centered upon the subjects of Formal Ontology and Logical Philosophy. The idea of investigating philosophical problems by means of logical methods was intensively promoted in Torun by the Department of Logic of Nicolaus Copernicus University during last decade. Another aim of this book is to present to the philosophical and logical audience the activities of the Torunian Department of Logic during this decade. The papers in this volume contain the results concerning (...) Logic and Logical Philosophy, obtained within the confines of the projects initiated by the Department of Logic and other research projects in which the Torunian Department of Logic took part. (shrink)

In this paper we attempt to prove that it was Ludwig Feuerbach’s anthropology that influenced Bakunin’s philosophical path. Following his example Bakunin turned against religion which manipulates, as Hegelianism does, the only priority human being has—another human being. Although Feuerbach’s philosophy did not involve social problems present at Bakunin’s works, we would like to show that it was Feuerbach himself who laid foundation for them and that Bakunin’s criticism of the state was the natural consequence of Feuerbach’s struggle for the (...) individual. Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin proved that Feuerbach’s attempts to rise anthropology to the rank of theology are not sufficient to free the individual from the power of abstractions as in his opinion it is not only God that should be overthrown but also the state. (shrink)

The article raises the issue of ‘the right to be ill’, formulated by Tadeusz Kielanowski, a Polish physician and humanist. According to him, the right to health should be supplemented by the principle which would serve the protection of people with diseases or disabilities. One-sided interpretation of ‘the right to health’ may result in various forms of intolerance and discrimination. This paper presents what dangers Kielanowski recognized and explains why his approach was considered to be a novelty; what the idea (...) of ‘the right to be ill’ is, how the need for it is substantiated. This idea is considered in the context of human rights and it constitutes a starting point for the reflection on social phenomena connected with medicine. Taking into account the changes in medical ethics and culture which have taken place in the recent decades the question has been asked—is it worth talking about the right to be ill these days? Giving positive answers to this question, the spheres and issues that have been presented can be analyzed and assessed from the perspective of the right to be ill. (shrink)

Jacek Filek criticizes the modern “nonethical” ethics. He points out its break with philosophy, lack of self-criticism, inanity, undue and fruitless formalism, and academism. His article makes a general request for the restitution of ethics as the independent and dignified scholarly discipline closely connected with world and life.

In this paper we present a characterization of hyper-connexivity by means of a relating semantics for Boolean connexive logics. We also show that the minimal Boolean connexive logic is Abelardian, strongly consistent, Kapsner strong and antiparadox. We give an example showing that the minimal Boolean connexive logic is not simplificative. This shows that the minimal Boolean connexive logic is not totally connexive.

The purpose of the paper is to rethink the role of actuality in the branching model of possibilities. We investigate the idea that the model should be enriched with an additional factor—the so-called Thin Red Line—which is supposed to represent the single possible course of events that gets actualized in time. We believe that this idea was often misconceived which prompted some unfortunate reactions. On the one hand, it suggested problematic semantic models of future tense and and on the other, (...) it provoked questionable lines of criticism. We reassess the debate and point to potential pitfalls, focusing on the semantic dimension of the Thin Red Line theory. Our agenda transcends the semantics, however. We conclude that semantic considerations do not threaten the Thin Red Line theory and that the proper debate should be carried in the domain of metaphysics. (shrink)

Who, whom, why and how? -- The subject between extremes -- Genesis: the Socratic-Platonic deception or the irrepressible need for immortality -- Modern man: the adventures of Robinson Crusoe -- The scientific foundations of modern man -- The evolution of modern man, Nietzsche's moustache, the fittest man and the man without qualities: the four pillars of modern man -- Evolution and zoodicy: the animality of modern man -- Modernity as false consciousness -- Technology and the mind, God-machine, the individual vs. (...) Facebook -- That which returns -- The death of death and late-modern man. (shrink)

The aim of this note is to give an example of application of model theory to the theory of logical matrices. . More precisely, we show that Wojtylak's representation theorem is an immediate consequence of a result due to Mal'cev . Throughout the present note we assume that matrices, and classes of matrices under consideration are of the same xed similarity type. Suppose that K is an arbitrary class of matrices, and M is a matrix . We say that M1 (...) 2 K is called a replica of M in the class K i there is a homomorphism h of M onto M1 such that for every homomorphism g of M into arbitrary N 2 K there exists a homomorphism f of M1 into N such that g = f h. (shrink)

. In our paper, presented here in abstract form, we consider the sentential logic with semi-negation. It should be stressed, however, that our main interest is not that logic itself but rather more general matters concerning the theory of matrix semantics for sentential logics. The logic with semi-negation provides a relevant example for elucidating such basic notions of matrix semantics as degree of complexity, degree of uniformity, and self-referentiality. Thus our paper being a contribution to the theory of matrix semantics (...) may be treated as a sequel to [1]. (shrink)

Punktem wyjścia rozważań są cztery hipotezy: dwie leksykalne, gramatyczna i historyczna: 1. Wyrażenie „rozumieć" jest polisemem i to podwójnie: a) wieloznacznością właściwą wielu predykatom mentalnym (tj. może mieć w szczególności sens aktualny, habitualny, sekwencyjny lub procesualny); b) wieloznacznością swoistą (tj. może w szczególności mieć sens intuicyjny, identyfikacyjny, indulgencyjny lub inskrypcyjny). 2. Wyrażenie „rozumieć” w sensie identyfikacyjnym występuje w kontekstach eliptycznych (może mieć wówczas sens esencjalny, strukturalny, funkcjonalny, kauzalny, kategorialny lub konceptualny). 3. Wszelkie (niemetaforyczne) konteksty i derywaty wyrażenia „rozumieć" dadzą się (...) sparafrazować za pomocą wprowadzonych rozróżnień. 4. Różnice zdań w sprawie rozumienia albo biorą się z pomieszania znaczeń, albo są empirycznie testowalne. Przedstawione hipotezy pozwalają usunąć nieporozumienia, dotyczące kolejno: argumentów relacji rozumienia, kategorii semantycznej „rozumienia", relacji między poszczególnymi pojęciami „rozumienia" oraz. między rozumieniem a innymi funkcjami mentalnymi, warunkami poprawności definicji „rozumienia konceptualnego", na koniec kryteriów kompetencji językowej. (shrink)

The paper presents philosophical views which have been propagated in the first decade of the 20 th -century by Austrian experimental physicist Franz-Serafin Exner. According to Exner all apparently deterministic laws are only a kind of the macroscopic limit of the indeterministic random events and processes in nature. The paper attempts to show whether Exner’s ideas have influenced the views on randomness and probability developed by renowned Polish physicist Marian Smoluchowski who belonged to informal circle of Exner’s students and assistants.

Niniejszy artykuł stanowi polemikę z esejem Saula Smilansky’ego pt. O wątpliwej warości moralnej pewnych rozpowszechnionych form modlitwy. Według Smilansky’ego niektóre modlitwy prośby, a zwłaszcza modlitwy o czyjeś dobra kosztem kogoś innego, są niemoralne. Zgadzam się, że nie każda modlitwa jest moralnie akceptowalna, lecz jednocześnie argumentuję, że jego uzasadnienie tej tezy zakłada lub zawiera fałszywe przesłanki. W szczególności formułuję cztery zastrzeżenia (lub zarzuty) wobec jego argumentu: (i) punktem wyjścia filozofii modlitwy powinny być nie prywatne przekonania filozofa, lecz (w przypadku braku empirycznej (...) wiedzy o modlących się ludziach) ortodoksja lub ortopraksja określonej religii (zastrzeżenie metodologiczne); (ii) modląca się osoba (zwłaszcza w trudnej sytuacji życiowej) nie rozważa konsekwencji wysłuchania swej modlitwy (zastrzeżenie psychologiczne); (iii) zgodnie z modelem biblijnym każda modlitwa prośby zawiera warunek ‘jeśli Bóg chce’ (zastrzeżenie teologiczne); (iv) pomimo (reprezentowanej przez Smilansky’ego) powszechnej opinii, modlitwa prośby nie jest działaniem w zwykłym znaczeniu tego słowa (zastrzeżenie ontologiczne). Tej ostatniej tezy bronię, posługując się rozróżnieniem Charlesa Taliaferro na Świat Omodlony i Świat Nieomo- dlony. Poza tym próbuję podać własne kryterium moralności modlitwy prośby: modlitwa taka jest moralnie dobra, jeśli buduje pozytywną relację z Bogiem lub innymi ludźmi oraz jest wypowiadana wraz z uzupełnieniem ‘Boże, bądź wola Twoja!’. (shrink)

It is argued that the assignment of truth values to future contingents is threatened not by a tensed metaphysics but by a temporally “local” notion of truth, i.e., by the assumption that whatever is true at a given time needs to be grounded in what exists at that time. If this assumption is accepted, tensed and tenseless metaphysics are equally vulnerable; if it is rejected, both can accommodate true future contingents. This means that semantic decisions are largely independent of metaphysical (...) considerations. The work of Correia and Rosenkranz (2018) is a clear example of how the tensed metaphysics of the growing block can incorporate true future contingents. Two potential worries are discussed in the context of their work: (a) that their grounding strategy overgeneralizes and admits true counterfactual contingents; and (b) that the growing block theory lacks sufficient resources to distinguish the unique possible future course of events that is relevant for the grounding of future contingents. (shrink)

t. 1. Etyka ogólna -- t. 2, cz. 1-2 Etyka szczegółowa.

The paper is a polemic with Richard Swinburne. According to him, both the possible worlds -- the ’world with God’ and the ’world without God’ -- contain moral properties. The ’world with God’, however, is morally "richer" because the existence of God entails some additional obligations; God may affect moral "facts" through creating some nonmoral facts; God may formulate some additional commands. I think that these differences lead to a greater difference in understanding morality: in the ’world without God’ morality (...) is at most a consequence of some contingent nonmoral states of affairs; whereas in the ’world with God’ it is the correlate and intended "work" of a perfect personal being. (shrink)