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With the premise that ontological assumptions about Homo academicus and Homo academicus dux (the academic leader) must include knowledge and analysis of the organisational context where they act, this chapter sets out to challenge some common (and we argue incorrect) assumptions in contemporary management literature regarding how power is distributed, the role of dependencies among units and practices, and how a sense of belonging is formed. Three (alternative) conditions are introduced—reversed hierarchy, lateral independence, and community-based belonging—upon which academic practice and leadership implications are discussed. The alternative conditions thus explain why and how Homo academicus and Homo academicus dux acts the way (s)he acts, which consequently makes out the contours of a new academic rationality.

This paper proposes a puzzle about an agent’s beliefs that arises in certain cases where a person suffering from depression makes sincere assertions of negative self-evaluations because of her depression whilst also judging that her overall evidence supports the negation of her negative self-evaluations. I argue that the assertions of negative self-evaluations and the agent’s judgments about overall evidence each exhibit attributes that are characteristic of belief. I argue that the puzzle arises in cases where the agent in question is aware of each of her beliefs and is rational enough to prefer, not only avoiding conflicting beliefs, but also to prefer that her beliefs be based on relevant overall evidence, as opposed to depressive thought patterns. I consider a variety of theories that may map on to my case, and I discuss challenges or objections to each theory as it applies to the case. I think there are reasons to favor a theory that rejects the claim that the agent straightforwardly believes that her negative self-evaluations are true, so, after ruling out some unsatisfying accounts, I spend the first major portion of the paper discussing views that take this approach. The latter portion of the paper is spent discussing theories that put pressure on other premises or assumptions of the puzzle. My intention is to discuss the relationship between depression, belief, judgment, and rationality in a somewhat narrow context. I do not intend to speak to the relationship between belief, judgment, and rationality as it applies to depression in general. I leave it up to further inquiry to discuss depression more generally as it relates to the issues raised in this paper, and I leave it up to further inquiry to determine whether my proposed puzzle or its potential solutions have novel or interesting therapeutic implications.

This study investigates the impact of bounded rationality on information security decisions in public Swedish authorities. The research addresses how cognitive limitations and organizational dynamics shape decisions in this area. Utilizing qualitative research methods, in-depth interviews and document analysis, the study provides nuanced insights into decision-making processes. A thematic analysis identifies six recurring themes influencing decision-making: Awareness & Knowledge, Individual Characteristics, Organizational Culture & Behavioral Patterns, Organization & Execution, Regulatory Frameworks & Management, Responsibility & Obligation. The findings reveal significant influences and barriers in implementing effective security strategies, making a theoretical contribution to information security management in public sectors. This research highlights the importance of understanding human behavior in information security, offering insights to shape strategic directions for policy and practical implementation to enhance organizational and national cybersecurity resilience.

n this paper, I propose that Derrida’s writing on the impossibility of justice has the potential for fruitful dialogue with Ruth Chang’s contemporary account of practical rationality. For Derrida, making a just decision must always come with a moment of undecidability, a “leap” into the unknown with an experience of doubt and anxiety that continues to “haunt” the decision-maker. By contrast, in her work on rationality, Chang proposes that hard decisions are difficult to make because the alternatives are “on a par,” such that there are no rational differences between the alternatives that would contribute to choosing one over the other. Hard decisions are made by expressing one’s own rational agency, generating will-based reasons to commit to or “drift” into one of the alternatives. Derrida writes of anxiety, doubt, and impossibility, yet Chang writes of commitment, agency, and rationality. Despite these differences, there are important comparisons and connections between the two accounts that are worth exploring. I suggest that the moment of the decision which Derrida describes as heterogeneous to knowledge can be understood as a moment of parity in which there is a lack of given reasons, as explained by Chang. Chang’s account of rational agency provides an interpretation of how decision-making is possible despite the undecidability as described by Derrida. This notion of commitment and agency as explained by Chang is not incompatible with Derrida’s insistence that the responsible decision is haunted by anxiety and doubt. Instead, I suggest that Derrida’s writing highlights uncertainty as central to understanding the nature of hard choices and how to navigate the demands of justice.

In his 1917 lecture for Munich students (most often entitled in English translation “Science as a Vocation”), Max Weber addressed numerous issues: not only how “profession” and “calling” are related in science and scholarship, but also Entzauberung (“disenchantment”); rationality and its limits; ultimate values; and the field of tension between science and religion. The present essay locates these themes in Weber's oeuvre from 1911 onward, and analyses how they resonate and culminate in Weber's address in 1917. It is in 1911 that he decided to engage with the problem that was to stand central in his thinking until his death in 1920: the nature and causes of certain specific turns in the course of European history which, so he argued, have proven to be of “universal significance.” Special attention is given in the present essay to how Weber dealt in this connection with the rise of modern science and the rise of modern tonal harmony. A concluding section explains what, over a century later, makes reading Weber still so rewarding an experience.

In this article I argue that we should be prudentially and morally biased toward earlier events: other things equal, we should prefer for good events to occur earlier and disprefer for bad events to occur earlier. The argument contends that we should accord at least some credence—if only a small one—to a theoretical package featuring the growing block theory of time and that this package generates a presumptive bias toward earlier events. Rival theoretical packages are considered. Under reasonable allocations of credence to them, the presumptive bias escapes defeat. The argument has several corollaries: other things equal, we should be biased toward the past over the future, the further past over the nearer past, and the nearer future over the further future.

The book Ethics and Rationality: Discussions with Contemporary Philosophy by Miguel Fernández Membrive is a book where the question of morality, the claim of rationality and knowledge intersect. This work quotes a series of thinkers of contemporary philosophy to reflect on the articulation between ethics, rationality and knowledge., Donde se cruzan la cuestión de la moralidad, la pretensión de racionalidad y el conocimiento, se mueve el libro Ética y racionalidad: discusiones con la filosofía contemporánea de Miguel Fernández Membrive. Esta obra cita a una serie de pensadores de la filosofía contemporánea para reflexionar sobre la articulación entre ética, racionalidad y conocimiento.

Ambitious presumptivism says that all our testimony based beliefs are on-balance immediately and defeasibly warranted. The rational deception objection says that ambitious presumptivism is not true because it is sometimes rational for a speaker to assert lies rather than truths. One logically possible reply is to argue that it is never rational for a speaker to assert lies rather than truths. In this essay, I develop such a non-conciliatory response to the rational deception objection. In chapter 1, I explain ambitious presumptivism and the rational deception objection. I identify Kant's prohibition against lying as a historical predecessor to the non-conciliatory response to the rational deception objection. I then identify Burge as the heir apparent to a neo-Kantian non-conciliatory response to the rational deception objection. In chapter 2, I explain my interpretation of how Burge is heir apparent to a neo-Kantian non-conciliatory response. I call Burge's response the ``functional unity'' argument. In chapter 3, I defend my attribution to Burge of the functional unity argument. In chapters 4 and 5, I defend the functional unity argument itself from the most influential objections raised against it. in chapter 6, I defend the functional unity argument from the classic murderer-at-the-door objection that dogged Kant's prohibition against lying.

All parts of Heraclitus’ cosmos are simultaneously living and dying. Its constituent stuffs (“biomasses”) cycle endlessly through physical changes in sweeping patterns (“biorhythms”) that are reflected in the dynamic rhythms of Heraclitus’ own thought and language. These natural processes are best examined at a more-than-human level that exceeds individuation, stable identity, rational comprehension, and linguistic capture. B62 (“mortals immortals”), one of Heraclitus’ most perplexing fragments, models these processes in a spectacular fashion: it describes the imbrication not only of humans and gods but of cosmic masses more generally, and its language mimics the natural relations that it names, or rather intimates through its grammatical and syntactical indeterminacy. The remaining fragments amplify the uncertainties and the exhilarations of Heraclitus’ worldview along the same lines. His approach to nature raises urgent questions about how human beings fit into the cosmos, not least by challenging our intuitive conceptions of life and death, our material makeup, and our entanglements with our natural surroundings. In doing so, he provides vital lessons for contemporary ecological awareness, and proves to be an unexpected ally.

Trust has been explored in epistemology focusing on its nature, justification, and conditions. In turn, the study of distrust has been limited, often considered merely the absence of trust. Given its prevalence in current events, understanding distrust becomes crucial, prompting questions about its nature, origins, rationality, and impact on our epistemic practices. In this dissertation I firstly argue for the genealogical and transcendental priority of trust over judgments of trustworthiness and untrustworthiness. I then give an analysis of the rationality and irrationality of distrust withing the framework of Social Hinge Epistemology. Finally, I apply my analysis to evaluate cases in which a layperson distrusts an epistemic authority and I use it to determine when such attitude is rational or not.

This paper examines the divergent approaches to the movement research of two distinguished choreographers: Ohad Naharin and Tao Ye. Naharin developed Gaga Language in the 1990s, emphasizing the imaginative and sensational aspects of dance through imagery-based improvisation. In contrast, Tao Ye evolved his Circular Movement Technique around 2010, focusing on rational analysis of the body's physicality to explore the curvature of movements in relation to momentum and gravity. Despite their differing cultural backgrounds, both methodologies offer intriguing insights into the human body's potential. By analyzing their historical, methodological, and aesthetic perspectives, this paper aims to deconstruct the seeming dichotomy between various aspects of Gaga and Circular Movement Technique, interpreting and embracing the validity of both approaches. Between the sensual experience of Gaga and the rational examination of the Circular Movement Technique, the human body can experience both a zealous joy of the flesh and a transcendental totality from the coolness of the mind.

A current debate within epistemology, particularly in its Anglo-Saxon version, is about deep disagreements. Although the notion is not entirely univocal, deep disagreements are generally understood as disagreements about the propositions that frame our rationality. A recurrent question is whether such disagreements are rationally resolvable. This article will give a general presentation of the state of the question in order to propose that this second problem is ill-founded, since it is approached from a notion of abstract rationality that is not in line with our habitual use of reason., Un debate actual dentro de la epistemología, sobre todo en su versión anglosajona, es el de los desacuerdos profundos. Aunque la noción no es del todo unívoca, los desacuerdos profundos se entienden generalmente como desacuerdos sobre las proposiciones que enmarcan nuestra racionalidad. Una cuestión recurrente es si tales desacuerdos pueden resolverse racionalmente. Este artículo hará una presentación general del estado de la cuestión para proponer que este segundo problema está mal planteado, ya que se aborda desde una noción de racionalidad abstracta que no se ajusta a nuestro uso habitual de la razón.

In the Law and Emotion field, the integration of reason and emotion finds support in empirical research. Legal practice, however, still maintains that ‘rational, objective’ law is devoid of emotion. This raises the question of how to incorporate the divide itself in a theoretical understanding of the role of emotions in legal practice. The legal system is congenial with other modern bureaucratic institutions, so this question is relevant for understanding state institutions generally. We thus 1. review the field of Law and Emotion, and 2. propose some general theoretical approaches for the study of emotions and institutions. Among these: a) the concept of emotive-cognitive primary frame; b) narrative theory; c) social interactionism. In conclusion, we suggest some pathways for future research on emotions and rationality in bureaucratic institutions.

Our reasons for emotions such as sadness, anger, resentment, and guilt often remain long after we cease experiencing these emotions. This is puzzling. If the reasons for these emotions persist, why do the emotions not persist? Does this constitute a failure to properly respond to our reasons? In this paper we provide a solution to this puzzle. Our solution turns on the close connection between the rationality of emotion and the rationality of attention, together with the differing reasons to which attention and emotion are properly responsive.

In the Law and Emotion field, the integration of reason and emotion finds support in empirical research. Legal practice, however, still maintains that ‘rational, objective’ law is devoid of emotion. This raises the question of how to incorporate the divide itself in a theoretical understanding of the role of emotions in legal practice. The legal system is congenial with other modern bureaucratic institutions, so this question is relevant for understanding state institutions generally. We thus 1. review the field of Law and Emotion, and 2. propose some general theoretical approaches for the study of emotions and institutions. Among these: a) the concept of emotive-cognitive primary frame; b) narrative theory; c) social interactionism. In conclusion, we suggest some pathways for future research on emotions and rationality in bureaucratic institutions.

In the Law and Emotion field, the integration of reason and emotion finds support in empirical research. Legal practice, however, still maintains that ‘rational, objective’ law is devoid of emotion. This raises the question of how to incorporate the divide itself in a theoretical understanding of the role of emotions in legal practice. The legal system is congenial with other modern bureaucratic institutions, so this question is relevant for understanding state institutions generally. We thus 1. review the field of Law and Emotion, and 2. propose some general theoretical approaches for the study of emotions and institutions. Among these: a) the concept of emotive-cognitive primary frame; b) narrative theory; c) social interactionism. In conclusion, we suggest some pathways for future research on emotions and rationality in bureaucratic institutions.

In the Law and Emotion field, the integration of reason and emotion finds support in empirical research. Legal practice, however, still maintains that ‘rational, objective’ law is devoid of emotion. This raises the question of how to incorporate the divide itself in a theoretical understanding of the role of emotions in legal practice. The legal system is congenial with other modern bureaucratic institutions, so this question is relevant for understanding state institutions generally. We thus 1. review the field of Law and Emotion, and 2. propose some general theoretical approaches for the study of emotions and institutions. Among these: a) the concept of emotive-cognitive primary frame; b) narrative theory; c) social interactionism. In conclusion, we suggest some pathways for future research on emotions and rationality in bureaucratic institutions.

Our reasons for emotions such as sadness, anger, resentment, and guilt often remain long after we cease experiencing these emotions. This is puzzling. If the reasons for these emotions persist, why do the emotions not persist? Does this constitute a failure to properly respond to our reasons? In this paper we provide a solution to this puzzle. Our solution turns on the close connection between the rationality of emotion and the rationality of attention, together with the differing reasons to which attention and emotion are properly responsive.

Bakgrund: Ungdomar besitter en uppfattning om att de varken har tillräcklig inkomst eller befinner sig i rätt tidpunkt för att kunna spara. Detta gör att de skjuter upp sitt långsiktiga sparande och därmed går miste om fördelar som ekonomisk stabilitet och välbefinnande. Problem med ökad skuldsättning och minskad disponibel inkomst har lett till ett otillräckligt sparande hos svenska vuxna, vilket har försämrat deras levnadsstandard. Sparvanor har dock visat sig delvis etableras redan under ungdomsåren och tenderar att bestå över tid. Detta understryker vikten av att undersöka hur olika faktorer samvarierar med ungdomars långsiktiga sparande för att motverka ett otillräckligt sparande i framtiden. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur beteendefinansiella faktorer, demografiska faktorer och finansiell bildning samvarierar med svenska ungdomar långsiktiga sparande. Genom att systematiskt pröva befintliga teorier avser studien att öka förståelsen kring vad som påverkar svenska ungdomars sparbeteenden och hur det kan lägga grunden för ekonomiska fram- eller motgångar senare i livet. Metod: Studien baserades på en kvantitativ metod där en enkätundersökning användes vid datainsamling. En multipel linjär regressionsanalys har genomförts för att undersöka hur finansiell bildning samt beteendefinansiella och demografiska faktorer samvarierar med ungdomars långsiktiga sparande. Vidare utfördes t-tester för att undersöka huruvida skillnader i det långsiktiga sparandet förekommit för olika grupper. Slutsats: Resultaten visade att självkontroll, samvetsgrannhet och finansiell bildning hade en signifikant samvariation med ungdomars långsiktiga sparande. Kön och ålder hade en indirekt samvariation via finansiell bildning. Brister i självkontroll, samvetsgrannhet och finansiell bildning hos ungdomar kan minska ungdomars tendenser till långsiktigt sparande. Studien understryker därmed vikten av att adressera dessa faktorer redan i ung ålder för att främja ett mer an, Background: Adolescents perceive that they neither have sufficient income nor are in the right timing to save. This leads them to postpone their long-term savings, consequently missing out on benefits such as financial stability and well-being. Issues with increased indebtedness and reduced disposable income have resulted in insufficient saving among Swedish adults, deteriorating their standard of living. However, saving habits have been shown to be partially established during adolescence and tend to persist over time. This underscores the importance of examining how various factors correlate with adolescents' long-term saving to counteract insufficient saving in the future. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how behavioral biases, demographic factors, and financial literacy correlate with the long-term savings of Swedish adolescents. By systematically examining existing theories, the study aims to enhance understanding of what influences the saving behaviors of Swedish youths and how it may lay the groundwork for economic success or challenges later in life. Methodology: To adequately approach this study a quantitative research method has been applied. The data was collected from a survey. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the correlation between adolescents´long-term saving and financial literacy, behavioral biases, and demographic factors. Additionally, t-tests were performed to investigate the differences in the level of long-term saving among sub-groups. Conclusion: The results showed that self-control, conscientiousness, and financial literacy were significantly correlated with adolescents´ long-term savings. Gender and age exhibited an indirect correlation through financial literacy. Deficiencies in self-control, conscientiousness, and financial literacy among youth also contribute to this issue. The study thus underscores the importance of addressing these factors at a young age to promote more responsible sav

Bakgrund: Under åren 2022–2023 har den snabbaste räntehöjningen i modern tid skett vilket ökat kapitalkostnaderna, minskat tillgången på billigt kapital och därmed dämpat investeringsviljan på de finansiella marknaderna. Styrräntan i Sverige har ökat från den lägsta nivå i historien till den högsta på över ett decennium. Stockholmsbörsen inledde samma period med en nedgång på 22,31 procent 2022, för att redan året därpå stiga med 18,36 procent 2023. Tidigare studier visar på att majoriteten av professionella förvaltare misslyckas med att generera en riskjusterad överavkastning jämfört med S&P 500-indexet. Ännu färre privatpersoner lyckas slå ett sådant index, trots denna utmaning fortsätter intresset för aktieinvesteringar att växa. En betydande del av den nya gruppen investerare utgörs av unga vuxna. Dessa individer saknar tidigare erfarenhet av en liknande ekonomisk förändring. De är därmed mer benägna att utsättas för risker då forskning visar att rutinerade investerare tenderar att klara sig bättre under instabila tider. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att med utgångspunkt i räntehöjningen som skett under perioden 2022–2023 undersöka förekomsten av suboptimala investeringsbeslut bland unga. Genom att undersöka hur de psykologiska biasen flockbeteende, dispositionseffekt, närtidsbias och överkonfidens påverkat Generation Z ämnar studien öka förståelsen för investeringsbeslut bland unga vuxna. Metod: Studiens syfte har besvarats med hjälp av en kvalitativ metod. Datainsamling har skett genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med 8 investerare tillhörande generation Z. Slutsats & kunskapsbidrag: Studien visar på att privata investerare i generation Zs investeringshorisont, strategi och mål inte påverkats till någon större utsträckning under perioden 2022–2023, där riskbenägenheten är det som främst har förändrats. Investerarnas förståelse för beteendefinans gör dem medvetna om, men inte immuna mot, påverkan från bias. Även om medvetna strategier begränsar effekterna a, Background: During the years 2022-2023, the fastest interest rate hike in modern times has taken place, which has increased capital costs, reduced the availability of cheap capital, and thus dampened investment appetite in the financial markets. The key interest rate in Sweden has risen from the lowest level in history to the highest in over a decade. The Stockholm Stock Exchange started the same period with a decline of 22.31 percent in 2022, only to rise by 18.36 percent in 2023. Previous studies show that most professional managers fail to generate a risk-adjusted excess return compared to the S&P 500 index. Even fewer private investors manage to outperform such an index. Despite this challenge, interest in stock investments continues to grow. A significant portion of the new group of investors consists of young people born between 1997 and 2009, also known as Generation Z. These individuals lack previous experience of a similar economic change. They are therefore more likely to be exposed to risks, as research shows that experienced investors tend to perform better during unstable times. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine the occurrence of suboptimal investment decisions among young people based on the interest rate hike that occurred during the period 2022–2023. By investigating how the psychological biases of herd behavior, disposition effect, present bias, and overconfidence have affected Generation Z, the study aims to increase the understanding of investment decisions among young adults. Method: The purpose of the study has been answered using a qualitative method with data collection through semi-structured interviews consisting of 8 investors from generation Z. Conclusion: The study shows that private investors from Generation Z did not experience significant changes in their investment horizon, strategy, and goals during the period 2022- 2023, with risk tolerance being the primary factor that has changed. These investors' understandin

Sponsoring is recognized as a multifaceted strategic decision, intertwined with the level of advertising spending. It is an approach to gain competitive advantage through increasing brand awareness and sales. In Sweden there is an increasing amount of money from organizations that is directed to sponsoring. Investment in sponsorship/corporate collaborations has increased within the past 10 years. In 2022 the investments exceeded SEK 9 billion, which implies a new record in Sweden. Companies place a larger emphasis on sustainability following the introduction of the UN agenda 2030. The focus on sustainability in sponsorships has likewise risen and is a commonly used strategy to enhance their perceived corporate social responsibility and reputation. Despite all positive outcomes of sponsoring, there has been criticism against sponsorship which indicates that decisions are unfounded and that they don’t follow a formalized sponsorship decisionmaking process. Further, previous research has predominantly focused on consumer perception, rather on the managerial perspective. Therefore, this study aims to examine how managers in perceived sustainable companies make sponsorship decisions. By looking into their selection criteria for sponsorship partner, their methods for evaluating and assessing various options, and the additional factors that managers may consider, the study aims to a more strategic approach of how to make sponsorship decisions. The study was conducted through qualitative interviews with sponsorship managers in companies that are ranked in the top 150 on sustainable brand index. These companies belong to the industries electricity, food, grocery store and insurance. The findings identify two different decision-making processes depending on what direction in sponsorship they refer to, namely grassroots sponsorship and large-scale sponsorship. We found that policies & criteria, congruence and relationships are variables that both decision-making processes

Det som studien vill undersöka är meningen av miljövänlighet i relation till solceller och hur detta koncept generaliseras i samhället, men även hur grannar i ett relativt nära område påverkar varandras motivation till att investera i denna typ av teknologi. Studiens syfte är att ge deltagarna en chans att berätta deras sida av hur de upplever konkurrensen i deras grannskap, med hjälp av intervjuer. Finns det en korrelation mellan granndynamiken och statusjakten, vilket i sin tur skapar köpkraft genom att grannar jämför med varandra? Vi har sett att det inte bara är viljan att ses som miljövänlig som ligger till grunden för individens motivation att investera, utan det är en komplex samling faktorer. Detta bekräftas av vårt teoretiska ramverk, Bourdieus kapitalteori och Habermas kommunikationsteori, som förklarar dynamiken mellan individer som bor i ett grannskap, samt hur kommunikationen blir ett samspel mellan olika aktörers tolkningar. Resultatet visar att individer är mer benägna att investera i solceller om deras granne har gjort det. Vidare visar det på en korrelation mellan de olika samhälleliga värderingarna, och viljan att rätta sig efter de normer som skapats av gruppen. Behovet av att känna sig miljövänlig och samtidigt uppehålla en känsla av status kan ha en större individuell effekt än vad som uppfattas., The study wants to examine the meaning of environmentally friendly in relation to solar power and how this concept generalizes in society but furthermore how neighbours in are latively narrow circuit affects each other’s motivation to purchase this kind of object. The study has a purpose to give the chosen participants a chance to tell their side on how they experience the competition in their neighbourhood, which is done by interviews. Is there a correlation between the neighbours dynamic and status hunt which creates purchasing power through comparison with the people living nearby? We have found that it’s not simply the drive to be seen as environmentally friendly that builds people’s motivation in such purchases but it’s a complex mix of factors. This is confirmed by our theoretical framework which are Bourdieu's Capital theory and Habermas communication theory, that explains the dynamics between people in distinct circuits and how the language is an interplay of different actors which all have their own interpretation on the concept. The results show that individuals are more prone to invest in solar panels if their neighbours have acquired solar panels. Furthermore, it shows the correlation between the different societal values and the will to conform to the norms created by the group. The feeling of needing to be environmentally friendly and at the same time uphold a sense of status may have a bigger effect on the individual than they perceive.

In the Law and Emotion field, the integration of reason and emotion finds support in empirical research. Legal practice, however, still maintains that ‘rational, objective’ law is devoid of emotion. This raises the question of how to incorporate the divide itself in a theoretical understanding of the role of emotions in legal practice. The legal system is congenial with other modern bureaucratic institutions, so this question is relevant for understanding state institutions generally. We thus 1. review the field of Law and Emotion, and 2. propose some general theoretical approaches for the study of emotions and institutions. Among these: a) the concept of emotive-cognitive primary frame; b) narrative theory; c) social interactionism. In conclusion, we suggest some pathways for future research on emotions and rationality in bureaucratic institutions.

The notion of intelligence is relevant to several fields of research, including cognitive and comparative psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, among others. However, there is little agreement within and across these fields on how to characterise and explain intelligence. I put forward a behavioural, operational characterisation of intelligence that can play an integrative role in the sciences of intelligence, as well as preserve the distinctive explanatory value of the notion, setting it apart from the related concepts of cognition and rationality. Finally, I examine a popular hypothesis about the underpinnings of intelligence: the capacity to manipulate internal representations of the environment. I argue that the hypothesis needs refinement, and that so refined, it applies only to some forms of intelligence.

The notion of intelligence is relevant to several fields of research, including cognitive and comparative psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, among others. However, there is little agreement within and across these fields on how to characterise and explain intelligence. I put forward a behavioural, operational characterisation of intelligence that can play an integrative role in the sciences of intelligence, as well as preserve the distinctive explanatory value of the notion, setting it apart from the related concepts of cognition and rationality. Finally, I examine a popular hypothesis about the underpinnings of intelligence: the capacity to manipulate internal representations of the environment. I argue that the hypothesis needs refinement, and that so refined, it applies only to some forms of intelligence.

The notion of intelligence is relevant to several fields of research, including cognitive and comparative psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, among others. However, there is little agreement within and across these fields on how to characterise and explain intelligence. I put forward a behavioural, operational characterisation of intelligence that can play an integrative role in the sciences of intelligence, as well as preserve the distinctive explanatory value of the notion, setting it apart from the related concepts of cognition and rationality. Finally, I examine a popular hypothesis about the underpinnings of intelligence: the capacity to manipulate internal representations of the environment. I argue that the hypothesis needs refinement, and that so refined, it applies only to some forms of intelligence.

The notion of intelligence is relevant to several fields of research, including cognitive and comparative psychology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, among others. However, there is little agreement within and across these fields on how to characterise and explain intelligence. I put forward a behavioural, operational characterisation of intelligence that can play an integrative role in the sciences of intelligence, as well as preserve the distinctive explanatory value of the notion, setting it apart from the related concepts of cognition and rationality. Finally, I examine a popular hypothesis about the underpinnings of intelligence: the capacity to manipulate internal representations of the environment. I argue that the hypothesis needs refinement, and that so refined, it applies only to some forms of intelligence.

Sponsoring is recognized as a multifaceted strategic decision, intertwined with the level of advertising spending. It is an approach to gain competitive advantage through increasing brand awareness and sales. In Sweden there is an increasing amount of money from organizations that is directed to sponsoring. Investment in sponsorship/corporate collaborations has increased within the past 10 years. In 2022 the investments exceeded SEK 9 billion, which implies a new record in Sweden. Companies place a larger emphasis on sustainability following the introduction of the UN agenda 2030. The focus on sustainability in sponsorships has likewise risen and is a commonly used strategy to enhance their perceived corporate social responsibility and reputation. Despite all positive outcomes of sponsoring, there has been criticism against sponsorship which indicates that decisions are unfounded and that they don’t follow a formalized sponsorship decisionmaking process. Further, previous research has predominantly focused on consumer perception, rather on the managerial perspective. Therefore, this study aims to examine how managers in perceived sustainable companies make sponsorship decisions. By looking into their selection criteria for sponsorship partner, their methods for evaluating and assessing various options, and the additional factors that managers may consider, the study aims to a more strategic approach of how to make sponsorship decisions. The study was conducted through qualitative interviews with sponsorship managers in companies that are ranked in the top 150 on sustainable brand index. These companies belong to the industries electricity, food, grocery store and insurance. The findings identify two different decision-making processes depending on what direction in sponsorship they refer to, namely grassroots sponsorship and large-scale sponsorship. We found that policies & criteria, congruence and relationships are variables that both decision-making processes

Det som studien vill undersöka är meningen av miljövänlighet i relation till solceller och hur detta koncept generaliseras i samhället, men även hur grannar i ett relativt nära område påverkar varandras motivation till att investera i denna typ av teknologi. Studiens syfte är att ge deltagarna en chans att berätta deras sida av hur de upplever konkurrensen i deras grannskap, med hjälp av intervjuer. Finns det en korrelation mellan granndynamiken och statusjakten, vilket i sin tur skapar köpkraft genom att grannar jämför med varandra? Vi har sett att det inte bara är viljan att ses som miljövänlig som ligger till grunden för individens motivation att investera, utan det är en komplex samling faktorer. Detta bekräftas av vårt teoretiska ramverk, Bourdieus kapitalteori och Habermas kommunikationsteori, som förklarar dynamiken mellan individer som bor i ett grannskap, samt hur kommunikationen blir ett samspel mellan olika aktörers tolkningar. Resultatet visar att individer är mer benägna att investera i solceller om deras granne har gjort det. Vidare visar det på en korrelation mellan de olika samhälleliga värderingarna, och viljan att rätta sig efter de normer som skapats av gruppen. Behovet av att känna sig miljövänlig och samtidigt uppehålla en känsla av status kan ha en större individuell effekt än vad som uppfattas., The study wants to examine the meaning of environmentally friendly in relation to solar power and how this concept generalizes in society but furthermore how neighbours in are latively narrow circuit affects each other’s motivation to purchase this kind of object. The study has a purpose to give the chosen participants a chance to tell their side on how they experience the competition in their neighbourhood, which is done by interviews. Is there a correlation between the neighbours dynamic and status hunt which creates purchasing power through comparison with the people living nearby? We have found that it’s not simply the drive to be seen as environmentally friendly that builds people’s motivation in such purchases but it’s a complex mix of factors. This is confirmed by our theoretical framework which are Bourdieu's Capital theory and Habermas communication theory, that explains the dynamics between people in distinct circuits and how the language is an interplay of different actors which all have their own interpretation on the concept. The results show that individuals are more prone to invest in solar panels if their neighbours have acquired solar panels. Furthermore, it shows the correlation between the different societal values and the will to conform to the norms created by the group. The feeling of needing to be environmentally friendly and at the same time uphold a sense of status may have a bigger effect on the individual than they perceive.

This study investigates the impact of bounded rationality on information security decisions in public Swedish authorities. The research addresses how cognitive limitations and organizational dynamics shape decisions in this area. Utilizing qualitative research methods, in-depth interviews and document analysis, the study provides nuanced insights into decision-making processes. A thematic analysis identifies six recurring themes influencing decision-making: Awareness & Knowledge, Individual Characteristics, Organizational Culture & Behavioral Patterns, Organization & Execution, Regulatory Frameworks & Management, Responsibility & Obligation. The findings reveal significant influences and barriers in implementing effective security strategies, making a theoretical contribution to information security management in public sectors. This research highlights the importance of understanding human behavior in information security, offering insights to shape strategic directions for policy and practical implementation to enhance organizational and national cybersecurity resilience.

This paper proposes a puzzle about an agent’s beliefs that arises in certain cases where a person suffering from depression makes sincere assertions of negative self-evaluations because of her depression whilst also judging that her overall evidence supports the negation of her negative self-evaluations. I argue that the assertions of negative self-evaluations and the agent’s judgments about overall evidence each exhibit attributes that are characteristic of belief. I argue that the puzzle arises in cases where the agent in question is aware of each of her beliefs and is rational enough to prefer, not only avoiding conflicting beliefs, but also to prefer that her beliefs be based on relevant overall evidence, as opposed to depressive thought patterns. I consider a variety of theories that may map on to my case, and I discuss challenges or objections to each theory as it applies to the case. I think there are reasons to favor a theory that rejects the claim that the agent straightforwardly believes that her negative self-evaluations are true, so, after ruling out some unsatisfying accounts, I spend the first major portion of the paper discussing views that take this approach. The latter portion of the paper is spent discussing theories that put pressure on other premises or assumptions of the puzzle. My intention is to discuss the relationship between depression, belief, judgment, and rationality in a somewhat narrow context. I do not intend to speak to the relationship between belief, judgment, and rationality as it applies to depression in general. I leave it up to further inquiry to discuss depression more generally as it relates to the issues raised in this paper, and I leave it up to further inquiry to determine whether my proposed puzzle or its potential solutions have novel or interesting therapeutic implications.

La investigación se centra en el análisis de las bases de estabilidad de los Estados democráticos occidentales contemporáneos y somete a prueba la tesis de que su solidez y permanencia radica principalmente en la justicia de su estructura político-institucional. El trabajo parte de la hipótesis de que el mantenimiento de las estructuras democráticas y las políticas económicas que garantizan la satisfacción de las necesidades materiales de los pueblos, base normativa de los Estados de bienestar, es un factor necesario, pero insuficiente como garante de ciclos de estabilidad a medio y largo plazo. Recurriendo al concepto de razonabilidad de John Rawls, el artículo presenta un posible punto de anclaje entre las teorías políticas liberales y republicanas que actuaría como refuerzo de la deseable estabilidad política. Para ello, el artículo rescata el concepto rawlsiano de razonabilidad, convenientemente articulado con los principios de justicia estructurales, y sostiene que puede jugar un papel determinante para el mantenimiento de la salud política de una sociedad democrática. El recorrido concluye sosteniendo la hipótesis inicial y afirmando la necesidad instrumental de la razonabilidad en el ámbito político y social, lo cual justificaría la defensa de su promoción como deber cívico inexcusable. Con esta aportación se muestra que la teoría política rawlsiana –en plena sintonía con la tradición republicana– puede contribuir a la vigorización de una ciudadanía liberal-republicana que sería un factor inexcusable de estabilidad política., The paper addresses the question of the stability of a democratic state and shows the shortcomings of the political and institutional structure for this purpose. It argues for the need of an additional factor of reasonableness as defined by John Rawls. We reflect on its articulation with rationality, its role regarding laws and the areas where its presence is crucial to the health and maintenance of a democratic political society. The analysis concludes by justifying the instrumental need of such faculty in the political arena as well as vindicating it as a mandatory civic duty., Depto. de Filosofía y Sociedad, Fac. de Filosofía, TRUE, pub

The aim of the current thesis is to investigate the conceptualisation of giftedness in educational discourse within Sweden. In the thesis, this is studied through an account of giftedness and the ’formation of the gifted subject’. The study is set in the context of educational reform history, a retracing back to points where certain routes rather than others became travelled, and an analysis of the development from there on. In the centre of the investigation are teachers and the roles they play in relation to teaching gifted students, defining, and identifying them. In the study, the conceptualisations are traced through two sources of data. The first focuses on giftedness as formulated in the policy documents regulating Swedish education from 1820 until 2022. During this time, education was restructured from two parallel school systems to become integrated into one shared system based on ideals of democracy, equity, and inclusion. The second source of data consists in interviews with teachers who enact these policies. These teachers teach in Swedish national education and have a focus specifically on giftedness, or teach in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, or in three versions of Peak Programme (spetsutbildning). The text analysis follows the transition from a situation where aspects of giftedness are explicitly mentioned in policy to a situation in which they are invisible, or possibly hidden inside other categories. When giftedness is reintroduced in policy it is done so with a strong focus on shortcomings and by the use of a terminology similar to that of diagnosis. The enacted policy analysis shows how teachers find enabling factors in their teaching while being constrained by other factors. The results reveal that giftedness is conceptualised against the background of different rationalities at different points in history. Of the more dominant is a rationality based on quantification and psychological measures which has direct implication

Despite significant efforts at improving requirements engineering in the development of military systems, defense procurement is still plagued by expensive, well-publicized failures. Central to requirements engineering is the concept of rationality – more reason is assumed to eventually ‘solve’ the problem of defense requirements engineering. This thesis suggests that rationality, instead of being an objective standard, might be part of a socially constructed framework for action. Leaning on Science and Technology Studies for a theoretical framework, it is suggested that rationality and irrationality is part of a larger sociotechnical imaginary which outlines desirable outcomes, actions, and values in military systems development. This thesis presents an interview study of requirements analysts in the Swedish defense sector to outline if and how rationality relates to the narrative of this potential imaginary. The results indicate that a Swedish defense requirements engineering imaginary consists of a rationality/irrationality dichotomy which sets the stage for action in a state of chaos, and that the narrative associated with that imaginary enables the

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine under orders of Vladimir Putin. The invasion subsequently inspired a debate on the rationality behind this decision. The existing academic debate into the decision behind the invasion has identified both external and internal factors which can explain why this specific action may have been taken but has omitted a nuanced answer on clarifying the extent of Putin’s military actions. Prospect theory dictates that people under conditions of risk are more likely to be risk acceptant if they have experienced the context leading up to the decision to be one in which they have experienced losses. This thesis aims to explore how prospect theory can contribute to an understanding of Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine by employing a congruence analysis case-study approach. It concludes that the principles of prospect theory provide a substantiated explanation as to why Putin chose a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, demonstrating that Putin found himself in a domain of losses and opted for the option with the highest outcome uncertainty. Moreover, prospect theory also adds nuance to the existing academic debate by defining rationality as a scale with intervening factors, demonstrating that Putin’s decision-making rationality may have been impacted by his framing of losses.

Die Studie versucht, Husserls Modell einer nicht-wissenschaftlichen Lebenswelt für pädagogische Untersuchungen zum Verhältnis von Technik und Bildung in der verwissenschaftlichen Welt zu öffnen. Sie diskutiert Entwicklungsprobleme der Spätmoderne unter pluralen Fragestellungen und führt Ansätze und Traditionen zusammen, die unterschiedliche Wege zur Weiterentwicklung der modernen Bildungstheorie beschritten haben. Im Zentrum steht die Frage, wie moderne Technik einerseits als lebensweltliche Entfremdung des Menschen problematisiert und andererseits als Produkt menschlicher Freiheit und Weltgestaltung gewürdigt werden kann. In vier Kapiteln werden die methodischen Ansätze und Antworten vorgestellt, die der Philosoph und Pädagoge Eugen Fink (1905–1975), der Philosoph Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), der Philosoph und Erziehungswissenschaftler Theodor Litt (1880–1962) und der Soziologe Helmut Schelsky (1912–1984) auf die Frage nach dem Verhältnis von Bildung und Technik gegeben haben. Im Durchgang durch ihre Positionen wird ein Konzert erarbeitet, dessen Originalität darin liegt, Abstimmungsprobleme von Bildung, Technik und Lebenswelt aus postdualistischer, praxistheoretischer sowie posthumanistischer Perspektive zu thematisieren., The study attempts to open Husserl's model of a non-scientific lifeworld for pedagogical investigations of the relationship between technology and “Bildung” in the scientific world. It discusses developmental problems of late modernity under plural questions and brings together approaches and traditions that have taken different paths to the further development of modern “Bildungs”-theory. The central question is how modern technology can be problematized on the one hand as the alienation of human beings from the world of life and on the other hand be appreciated as a product of human freedom and the shaping of the world. Four chapters present the methodological approaches and answers that philosopher and educator Eugen Fink (1905–1975), philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), philosopher and educationalist Theodor Litt (1880–1962), and sociologist Helmut Schelsky (1912–1984) have given to the question of the relationship between education and technology. In the course of their positions, a concert will be developed whose originality lies in addressing the coordination problems of “Bildung” (education), “Technik” (technology) and “Lebenswelt” (lifeworld) from a post-dualist, praxis-theoretical as well as post-humanist perspective.

This paper provides an overview of current environmental conditions, emphasizing the role of science and scientific knowledge that has led to significant biophysical and geological changes on a global scale. It also points out some problematic elements of so-called modernity and the worsening of existing conditions. It highlights the exhaustion of the accounting paradigm based exclusively on the economic-financial, pointing out the emerging need for new epistemic and ontological forms. This document gives a glimpse of the current world mentality in relation to the rationality of capital, which limits and hinders the empowerment of the organic way of life. Additionally, it underscores the division between the social, natural, economic, and political realms, typically associated with a colonial mindset that traps thought within dominative logics. The paper concludes by outlining essential epistemic criteria necessary for the genuine development of environmental accounting., El escrito describe brevemente algunas de las actuales condiciones ambientales, especificando en forma sucinta el papel de la ciencia y el conocimiento científico, qué ha propiciado cambios, pero igual ha generado desequilibrios manifiestos en las alteraciones biofísicas y geológicas a escala planetaria. Igual señala algunos elementos problemáticos de la llamada “modernidad” y del empeoramiento de las condiciones existentes. Destaca el agotamiento del paradigma contable apoyado exclusivamente en lo económico-financiero, señalando la necesidad emergente de nuevas formas epistémicas y ontológicas. El artículo deja entrever la actual mentalidad de mundo en relación con la racionalidad del capital, que limita y obstaculiza el empoderamiento de la forma de vida-orgánica. Igual señala el rompimiento que se presenta entre las dimensiones social, natural, económica y política, en general relacionado con la colonialidad que apresó el pensamiento en lógicas de dominación. Al final enuncia algunas condiciones epistémicas de valor para incubar realmente la contabilidad ambiental.

We show that a very general quartic hypersurface in over a field of characteristic different from 2 does not admit a decomposition of the diagonal, hence is not retract rational. This generalizes a result of Nicaise–Ottem, who showed stable irrationality over fields of characteristic zero. To prove our result, we introduce a new cycle-theoretic obstruction that may be seen as an analogue of the motivic obstruction for rationality in characteristic zero, introduced by Nicaise–Shinder and Kontsevich–Tschinkel.

A rational probability distribution on four binary random variables (Formula presented.) is constructed which satisfies the conditional independence relations (Formula presented.) but whose entropy vector violates the Ingleton inequality. This settles a recent question of Studený (IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory vol. 67, no. 11) and shows that there are, up to symmetry, precisely ten inclusion-minimal sets of conditional independence assumptions on four discrete random variables which make the Ingleton inequality hold. The last case in the classification of which of these inequalities are essentially conditional is also settled., QC 20240705

En este trabajo se tratará de analizar la política deliberativa habermasiana desde una perspectiva feminista. El debate en la esfera pública, desde la óptica del marco conceptual moderno, no ha tenido en cuenta a la mujer. Veremos que Habermas trata la inclusión como un tema central, pero que su teoría se ha fundado sobre un ideal de racionalidad excluyente que ha tratado de dejar fuera al sexo femenino., In this work, we will attempt to analyze Habermasian deliberative politics taking a feminist perspective. The debate in the public sphere, from the perspective of the modern conceptual framework, has not taken women into account. We will find out that Habermas addresses inclusion as a central topic, but his theory has been built upon an exclusive ideal of rationality that has sought to exclude women., Grado en Filosofía

The intensified call for value pluralism within research on valuation in environmental decision-making responds to the recognition that neoclassical economic approaches to environmental valuation do not sufficiently account for important aspects of human–nature relations. However, few studies have explored how value plurality actually plays out in social deliberative reasoning and decision-making in practice, and these studies have mostly been deductive and quantitative. In his essay ‘Are choices trade-offs?’ Alan Holland (2002) goes to the heart of differences in conceptions of value and rationality between neoclassical and ecological economics. These conceptions differ in terms of whether values are seen as commensurable or incommensurable, whether people's choices amount to willing exchanges of gains and losses between different values and whether unwillingness to trade values off for net gain is irrational. Addressing Holland's question, we present a quasi-experimental study on deliberative valuation of marine issues on the Swedish west coast, where we considered how local citizens and politicians approached values in their reasoning and choice-making. Mixing quantitative and qualitative empirical material, we used an abductive analytical approach, iterating between data and theory to link our observations and interpretations to prevalent understandings of value, valuation and deliberation in the literature. The results demonstrate the relevance of value pluralism for environmental policy by showing the prevalence of preference uncertainty and intrapersonal value conflicts in participants' reasoning and interaction. Value conflicts played out as the inability to achieve multiple transcendental values that participants aspired to, including conflicts between social and environmental goals. Rather than attempting to commensurate different value dimensions, participants sought to avoid moral conflicts, showed emotional anguish when value conflicts came to the fore

Many contemporary defenders of paternalist interventions favor a version of paternalism focused on how people often choose the wrong means given their own ends. This idea is typically justified by empirical results in psychology and behavioral economics. To the extent that paternalist interventions can then target the promotion of goals that can be said to be our own, such interventions are prima facie less problematic. One version of this argument starts from the idea that it is meaningful to ascribe to us preferences that we would have if were fully rational, informed and in control over our actions. It is argued here, however, that the very body of empirical results that means paternalists typically rely on also undermines this idea as a robust enough notion. A more modest approach to paternalist interventions, on which such policies are understood as enmeshed with welfare-state policies promoting certain primary goods, is then proposed instead.

Many contemporary defenders of paternalist interventions favor a version of paternalism focused on how people often choose the wrong means given their own ends. This idea is typically justified by empirical results in psychology and behavioral economics. To the extent that paternalist interventions can then target the promotion of goals that can be said to be our own, such interventions are prima facie less problematic. One version of this argument starts from the idea that it is meaningful to ascribe to us preferences that we would have if were fully rational, informed and in control over our actions. It is argued here, however, that the very body of empirical results that means paternalists typically rely on also undermines this idea as a robust enough notion. A more modest approach to paternalist interventions, on which such policies are understood as enmeshed with welfare-state policies promoting certain primary goods, is then proposed instead.

The much-discussed ‘Argument from Small Improvement’ has been advanced both as a reason to reject (tripartite) Completeness, one of the standard axioms of decision theory, and to accept the possibility of rationally incomparable choices. But this form of argument cannot be an effective basis for either of these conclusions, unless one already has some prior, independent reason to prefer Transitivity to Completeness as a constraint on rational preferences (or rational values). In particular, I show how a reverse argument from small improvement can be constructed, starting from the assumption of tripartite Completeness, to the conclusion that Transitivity fails. I conclude that this form of argument as it has been standardly presented in the literature is a kind of ‘red herring’. We can only make progress here by evaluating the reasons independent of either such argument to prefer one or other of Transitivity or Completeness.

Research suggests a significant negative relationship exists between analytical and critical thinking and epistemically unwarranted beliefs. The present study aimed to examine this relationship by measuring preference for and engagement in analytical and critical thinking, then comparing these variables with belief in conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, and paranormal phenomena. The quantitative cross-sectional observational study was conducted without intervention, collecting multi-purpose data. Email invitations recruited participants (N=112) from small and large businesses, organisations, schools, independent churches, and interest groups in alternative medicine and pseudoscience. Participants were Swedish speaking and 18 years or older. Relationships between variables were tested with Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The result showed significant negative correlations between beliefs in pseudoscience and the variables rationality, rational favorability, rational ability, and engagement. In addition, rational ability had a significant negative correlation with paranormal beliefs. The result did not show significant correlations between the measured cognitive variables and belief in conspiracy theories. The results suggest that individuals disengaged from, or lacking preference for, analytical and critical thinking processes are more likely to reject established science and instead endorse pseudoscience and paranormal beliefs. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how cognitive traits and skills are connected to epistemically unwarranted beliefs. Future research can further explore these cognitive traits and skills, because they are crucial in health promotion efforts to mitigate epistemically unwarranted beliefs. Facilitating enhanced learning environments, supporting health promotion initiatives, and enabling effective health communication will cultivate reflective, empowered, and ultimately healthier members of society.

The intensified call for value pluralism within research on valuation in environmental decision-making responds to the recognition that neoclassical economic approaches to environmental valuation do not sufficiently account for important aspects of human-nature relations. However, few studies have explored how value plurality actually plays out in social deliberative reasoning and decision-making in practice, and these studies have mostly been deductive and quantitative. In his essay 'Are choices trade-offs?' Alan Holland (2002) goes to the heart of differences in conceptions of value and rationality between neoclassical and ecological economics. These conceptions differ in terms of whether values are seen as commensurable or incommensurable, whether people's choices amount to willing exchanges of gains and losses between different values and whether unwillingness to trade values off for net gain is irrational. Addressing Holland's question, we present a quasi-experimental study on deliberative valuation of marine issues on the Swedish west coast, where we considered how local citizens and politicians approached values in their reasoning and choice-making. Mixing quantitative and qualitative empirical material, we used an abductive analytical approach, iterating between data and theory to link our observations and interpretations to prevalent understandings of value, valuation and deliberation in the literature. The results demonstrate the relevance of value pluralism for environmental policy by showing the prevalence of preference uncertainty and intrapersonal value conflicts in participants' reasoning and interaction. Value conflicts played out as the inability to achieve multiple transcendental values that participants aspired to, including conflicts between social and environmental goals. Rather than attempting to commensurate different value dimensions, participants sought to avoid moral conflicts, showed emotional anguish when value conflicts came to the fore

The intensified call for value pluralism within research on valuation in environmental decision-making responds to the recognition that neoclassical economic approaches to environmental valuation do not sufficiently account for important aspects of human–nature relations. However, few studies have explored how value plurality actually plays out in social deliberative reasoning and decision-making in practice, and these studies have mostly been deductive and quantitative. In his essay ‘Are choices trade-offs?’ Alan Holland (2002) goes to the heart of differences in conceptions of value and rationality between neoclassical and ecological economics. These conceptions differ in terms of whether values are seen as commensurable or incommensurable, whether people's choices amount to willing exchanges of gains and losses between different values and whether unwillingness to trade values off for net gain is irrational. Addressing Holland's question, we present a quasi-experimental study on deliberative valuation of marine issues on the Swedish west coast, where we considered how local citizens and politicians approached values in their reasoning and choice-making. Mixing quantitative and qualitative empirical material, we used an abductive analytical approach, iterating between data and theory to link our observations and interpretations to prevalent understandings of value, valuation and deliberation in the literature. The results demonstrate the relevance of value pluralism for environmental policy by showing the prevalence of preference uncertainty and intrapersonal value conflicts in participants' reasoning and interaction. Value conflicts played out as the inability to achieve multiple transcendental values that participants aspired to, including conflicts between social and environmental goals. Rather than attempting to commensurate different value dimensions, participants sought to avoid moral conflicts, showed emotional anguish when value conflicts came to the fore, QC 20230620

Research suggests a significant negative relationship exists between analytical and critical thinking and epistemically unwarranted beliefs. The present study aimed to examine this relationship by measuring preference for and engagement in analytical and critical thinking, then comparing these variables with belief in conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, and paranormal phenomena. The quantitative cross-sectional observational study was conducted without intervention, collecting multi-purpose data. Email invitations recruited participants (N=112) from small and large businesses, organisations, schools, independent churches, and interest groups in alternative medicine and pseudoscience. Participants were Swedish speaking and 18 years or older. Relationships between variables were tested with Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The result showed significant negative correlations between beliefs in pseudoscience and the variables rationality, rational favorability, rational ability, and engagement. In addition, rational ability had a significant negative correlation with paranormal beliefs. The result did not show significant correlations between the measured cognitive variables and belief in conspiracy theories. The results suggest that individuals disengaged from, or lacking preference for, analytical and critical thinking processes are more likely to reject established science and instead endorse pseudoscience and paranormal beliefs. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how cognitive traits and skills are connected to epistemically unwarranted beliefs. Future research can further explore these cognitive traits and skills, because they are crucial in health promotion efforts to mitigate epistemically unwarranted beliefs. Facilitating enhanced learning environments, supporting health promotion initiatives, and enabling effective health communication will cultivate reflective, empowered, and ultimately healthier members of society.

According to philosopher Richard Rorty, rational debate and reasoning has limited impact on normative development of society. This seems to be at odds with modern design of democratic institutions, which are built to facilitate rational debate. Through a comparative study of two cases, the present paper examines Rorty’s theory. In cases where one would expect no rational debate, it can sometimes still be observed by applying a general definition of rationality and accepting the premises of the context in which the debate is situated. Two cases are studied, one within a religious historical context – the 17th century Basque witch hunts, the other within a secular, contemporary context – the QAnon far right conspiracy theory. Analysis of these debates show that one case is predominantly rational, whereas the other is not. Both cases generated significant normative development. It is possible to conclude that Rorty’s theory should be nuanced. Rational debate seems to play a part in normative development, even though it is not the only factor. Results of debates depend on the arguments, society’s susceptibility, who is involved, the platform used for the debate, the capabilities actors among other factors.

The intensified call for value pluralism within research on valuation in environmental decision-making responds to the recognition that neoclassical economic approaches to environmental valuation do not sufficiently account for important aspects of human-nature relations. However, few studies have explored how value plurality actually plays out in social deliberative reasoning and decision-making in practice, and these studies have mostly been deductive and quantitative. In his essay 'Are choices trade-offs?' Alan Holland (2002) goes to the heart of differences in conceptions of value and rationality between neoclassical and ecological economics. These conceptions differ in terms of whether values are seen as commensurable or incommensurable, whether people's choices amount to willing exchanges of gains and losses between different values and whether unwillingness to trade values off for net gain is irrational. Addressing Holland's question, we present a quasi-experimental study on deliberative valuation of marine issues on the Swedish west coast, where we considered how local citizens and politicians approached values in their reasoning and choice-making. Mixing quantitative and qualitative empirical material, we used an abductive analytical approach, iterating between data and theory to link our observations and interpretations to prevalent understandings of value, valuation and deliberation in the literature. The results demonstrate the relevance of value pluralism for environmental policy by showing the prevalence of preference uncertainty and intrapersonal value conflicts in participants' reasoning and interaction. Value conflicts played out as the inability to achieve multiple transcendental values that participants aspired to, including conflicts between social and environmental goals. Rather than attempting to commensurate different value dimensions, participants sought to avoid moral conflicts, showed emotional anguish when value conflicts came to the fore