Theories of Distinction

Theories of Distinction PDF Author: Niklas Luhmann
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804741231
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
The essays in this volume formulate what is considered to be the preconditions for an adequate theory of modern society. The volume starts with an examination of the modern European philosophical and scientific tradition notably the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl.

Theories of Distinction

Theories of Distinction PDF Author: Niklas Luhmann
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804741231
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
The essays in this volume formulate what is considered to be the preconditions for an adequate theory of modern society. The volume starts with an examination of the modern European philosophical and scientific tradition notably the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl.

Observations on Modernity

Observations on Modernity PDF Author: Niklas Luhmann
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804732352
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
This collection of five essays by Germany’s most prominent and influential social thinker both links Luhmann’s social theory to the question “What is modern about modernity?” and shows the origins and context of his theory. In the introductory essay, “Modernity in Contemporary Society,” Luhmann develops the thesis that the modern epistemological situation can be seen as the consequence of a radical change in social macrostructures that he calls “social differentiation,” thereby designating the juxtaposition of and interaction between a growing number of social subsystems without any hierarchical structure. “European Rationality” defines rationality as the capacity to see the difference between systems and their environment as a unity. Luhmann argues that, in a world characterized by contingency, rationality tends to become coextensive with imagination, a view that challenges their classical binary opposition and opens up the possibility of seeing modern rationality as a paradox. In the third essay, “Contingency as Modern Society’s Defining Attribute,” Luhmann develops a further and probably even more important paradox: that the generalization of contingency or cognitive uncertainty is precisely what provides stability within modern societies. In the process, he argues that medieval and early modern theology can be seen as a “preadaptive advance” through which Western thinking prepared itself for the modern epistemological situation. In “Describing the Future,” Luhmann claims that neither the traditional hope of learning from history nor the complementary hope of cognitively anticipating the future can be maintained, and that the classical concept of the future should be replaced by the notion of risk, defined as juxtaposing the expectation of realizing certain projects and the awareness that such projects might fail. The book concludes with “The Ecology of Ignorance,” in which Luhmann outlines prospective research areas “for sponsors who have yet to be identified.”

Theories of Truth

Theories of Truth PDF Author: Richard L. Kirkham
Publisher: Bradford Book
ISBN: 9780262277198
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Surveys all of the major theories of truth, presenting the crux of the issues involved at a level accessible to nonexperts yet in a manner sufficiently detailed and original to be of value to professional scholars.

Culture, Class, Distinction

Culture, Class, Distinction PDF Author: Tony Bennett
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134101058
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
Drawing on the first systematic study of cultural capital in contemporary Britain, Culture, Class, Distinction examines the role played by culture in the relationships between class, gender and ethnicity. Its findings promise a major revaluation of the legacy of Pierre Bourdieu’s account of the relationships between class and culture.

Social Systems

Social Systems PDF Author: Niklas Luhmann
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804726252
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 692

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Book Description
Germany's most prominent social thinker here sets out a contribution to sociology that aims to rework our understanding of meaning and communication. He links social theory to recent theoretical developments in scientific disciplines.

Theories of Scientific Method

Theories of Scientific Method PDF Author: Robert Nola
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317493486
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
What is it to be scientific? Is there such a thing as scientific method? And if so, how might such methods be justified? Robert Nola and Howard Sankey seek to provide answers to these fundamental questions in their exploration of the major recent theories of scientific method. Although for many scientists their understanding of method is something they just pick up in the course of being trained, Nola and Sankey argue that it is possible to be explicit about what this tacit understanding of method is, rather than leave it as some unfathomable mystery. They robustly defend the idea that there is such a thing as scientific method and show how this might be legitimated. This book begins with the question of what methodology might mean and explores the notions of values, rules and principles, before investigating how methodologists have sought to show that our scientific methods are rational. Part 2 of this book sets out some principles of inductive method and examines its alternatives including abduction, IBE, and hypothetico-deductivism. Part 3 introduces probabilistic modes of reasoning, particularly Bayesianism in its various guises, and shows how it is able to give an account of many of the values and rules of method. Part 4 considers the ideas of philosophers who have proposed distinctive theories of method such as Popper, Lakatos, Kuhn and Feyerabend and Part 5 continues this theme by considering philosophers who have proposed naturalised theories of method such as Quine, Laudan and Rescher. This book offers readers a comprehensive introduction to the idea of scientific method and a wide-ranging discussion of how historians of science, philosophers of science and scientists have grappled with the question over the last fifty years.

The Structure of Scientific Theories

The Structure of Scientific Theories PDF Author: Frederick Suppe
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
ISBN: 9780252006340
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 854

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Book Description
''A clear and comprehensive introduction to contemporary philosophy of science.'' -- American Scientist ''The best account of scientific theory now available, one that surely commends itself to every philosopher of science with the slightest interest in metaphysics.'' -- Review of Mathematics ''It should certainly be of interest to those teaching graduate courses in philosophy of science and to scientists wishing to gain a further appreciation of the approach used by philosophers of science.'' -- Science Activities

Introduction to Theories of Learning

Introduction to Theories of Learning PDF Author: Matthew H. Olson
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1317350693
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 480

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Book Description
Defines learning and shows how the learning process is studied. Clearly written and user-friendly, Introduction to the Theories of Learning places learning in its historical perspective and provides appreciation for the figures and theories that have shaped 100 years of learning theory research. The 9th edition has been updated with the most current research in the field. With Pearson's MySearchLab with interactive eText and Experiment's Tool, this program is more user-friendly than ever. Learning Goals Upon completing this book, readers should be able to: Define learning and show how the learning process is studied Place learning theory in historical perspective Present essential features of the major theories of learning with implications for educational practice Note: MySearchLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MySearchLab, please visit: www.mysearchlab.com or you can purchase a ValuePack of the text + MySearchLab (at no additional cost).

Contemporary Theories of Knowledge

Contemporary Theories of Knowledge PDF Author: John L. Pollock
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780847689378
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
This exciting new edition of the classic Contemporary Theories of Knowledge has been significantly updated to include analyses of the recent literature in epistemology. In addition, a new case is made for the strong connection between epistemology and artificial intelligence, as Pollock and Cruz argue that a necessary condition for the correctness of any epistemological theory is that it be possible to build an implemented artificial intelligence system on the basis of it. Like the first edition, Contemporary Theories of Knowledge, Second Edition is an excellent teaching tool, introducing the reader to the fundamental issues and approaches in the field of epistemology.

The Cambridge Rawls Lexicon

The Cambridge Rawls Lexicon PDF Author: Jon Mandle
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316193985
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 1112

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Book Description
John Rawls is widely regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century, and his work has permanently shaped the nature and terms of moral and political philosophy, deploying a robust and specialized vocabulary that reaches beyond philosophy to political science, economics, sociology, and law. This volume is a complete and accessible guide to Rawls' vocabulary, with over 200 alphabetical encyclopaedic entries written by the world's leading Rawls scholars. From 'basic structure' to 'burdened society', from 'Sidgwick' to 'strains of commitment', and from 'Nash point' to 'natural duties', the volume covers the entirety of Rawls' central ideas and terminology, with illuminating detail and careful cross-referencing. It will be an essential resource for students and scholars of Rawls, as well as for other readers in political philosophy, ethics, political science, sociology, international relations and law.