Suchergebnisse

Edna Ullmann-Margalit provides an original account of the emergence of norms. Her main thesis is that certain types of norms are possible solutions to problems posed by certain types of social interaction situations. The problems are such that they inhere in the structure (in the game-theoretical sense of structure) of the situations concerned. Three types of paradigmatic situations are dealt with. They are referred to as Prisoners' Dilemma-type situations;co-ordination situations; and inequality (or partiality) situations. Each of them, it is claimed, poses a basic difficulty, to some or all

This is the fourth volume in the series of the Bar-Hillel Colloquium (formerly the Israel Colloquium). The essays and commentaries presented here are intended to strike a rather special balance between the disciplines to which the Colloquium is dedicated. The historical and sociological vantage point is addressed to Krammick's and Mali's treatment of Priestley, In Vicker's and Feldhay's studies of the Renaissance occult, and in Warnke's and Barasch's work on the imagination. From a philosophical angle several concepts, all material to the methodology of science, are taken up; rule following, by Smart and Margalit, analysis, by Ackerman, explanation, by Taylor, and the role of mathematics in physics, by Lévy-Leblond and Pitowsky. In addition, the volume contains the proceedings of two symposia dedicated to two towering scientific figures: one celebrates Bohr's centennial, and the other examines `the other' Newton. The book will appeal to people whose interest or research is in the fields of philosophy, sociology, and history of science, technology and medicine, as well as those interested in science education

AbstractIn the summer of 2007, a member of the Rationality Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem took it upon himself to install a closed‐circuit TV camera in the Center's kitchen. An email explained that the camera was installed in an effort to solve the problem of cleanness in the kitchen. The camera was removed a week later: within this week, the members of the Center exchanged close to 120 emails among themselves, expressing their opinions for and against the camera, and discussing related issues. Taking off from this exchange, this article explores some of the surprisingly rich set of normative concerns touched upon by the kitchen camera incident. Among them: public surveillance and people's polarised attitudes to it, the invasive gaze and the argument that "if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about," the efficacy of disciplining behavior through sanctions along with the problem of shaming sanctions, the notion of privacy and its arguable relevance to the kitchen case, and more. In an epilogue, I offer some reflections in the wake of the incident, connecting it to the incipient literature on regulation through observation. I find that it is precisely the smallness, concreteness, and seeming triviality of this incident that helps bring a large set of interconnected, vexing normative concerns into sharp relief.

Explores the importance of different patterns of consumption to argue that purchasing decisions reflect efforts to build networks of shared experiences & identifications. Although advertisers often exploit the inclination toward varied forms of solidarity, it is noted that even unadvertised consumption choices involve social impulses. A variety of different sorts of goods are examined to shed light on the relationship between individual choices & the perceived choices of others. Goods are identified as either "solitary goods," like one's early morning cup of coffee, or "social goods," which can be either "solidarity" or "exclusivity" goods. It is contended that some goods increase or decrease in value in relation to how many people are consuming & enjoying them. However, it is emphasized that people react differently to specific goods. Reasons a product might increase in value with increased users include relevant social interactions, legitimacy, & concerns about reputation. Collective action problems & potential government solutions are discussed in relation to undesirable solidarity produced by things like smoking & drug use. J. Lindroth