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Scholars have long been interested in the materialistic theories and natural philosophies influencing Spenser’s poetry. This essay traces the philosophy of conserved matter that pervades The Faerie Queene—a philosophy in which indestructible matter refigures itself into different forms—to argue that the physics underlying the poem’s cosmology originates from its internal encounters with problems of formal excess, instead of from philosophical doctrines that precede narrative. This philosophy, which I term “dilated materiality,” is not merely the cosmological principle at the heart of Mutablitie’s judgment, or in scenes of cosmogony such as the Garden of Adonis. Instead, dilated materiality counteracts tendencies to narrative proliferation by balancing contravening impulses of prolixity and fixity within the various paradigms that constitute the poetic world: in domains of individual being, of political action, and of narrative closure. Mitigating the anxiety of excess pervading an “endlesse worke,” dilated materiality reclaims narrative dilatio from its own proliferating tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the author discusses several theses on the concept of enlightenment modernity and mentions an article on the same by philosopher Immanuel Kant.

The article discusses the concept of virtue-ethical theory which account for the wrongness of a wrong action in terms of a lack of virtue. It features philosopher Stephen Darwall who introduced the eudaimonist virtue-ethical theories which hold the attitudes in respect with deontic constrains. It cites the moral theory in Plato's Republic which centralizes the paradigmatic virtue-ethical account of wrongdoing.

The launch of a revolutionary new scientific theory represents a rare occasion on which the apparently cumulative development of science might be influenced by particular events. Yet in the case of the Darwinian revolution it is often claimed that the theory of evolution by natural selection would have emerged more or less inevitably, given the scientific and cultural circumstances prevailing in mid-Victorian Britain. This essay challenges that claim by arguing that if Darwin had not been there to write his Origin of Species the subsequent development of biology would have occurred along a line that steadily diverged from the sequence of events we actually experienced. There would certainly have been an evolutionary movement in the late nineteenth century, but there would have been no selection theory to disturb the progressionist assumptions of the time. A totally non-Darwinian evolutionism might not have generated the challenges that led to the emergence of modern genetics in the early twentieth century, resulting in a very different understanding of the relationship between development, heredity, and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which we take counterfactual history seriously depends on how well grounded we take the relevant possibilities to be. Beginning with a general consideration of the relationship between conceivability and possibility, this essay examine the grounds on which these alternative histories might be based. Drawing on examples from physics, such as the Bohmian version of quantum theory and the parastatistics approach to quarks, it suggests that such grounds are not as firm as might be thought and that further work is required in both the history and the philosophy of science before the putative alternatives can be taken as "genuine" possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work represents an attempt to stake out the landscape for dynamicism based on a radical dismissal of the information-processing paradigm that dominates the philosophy of cognitive science. In Section 2, after setting up the basic toolkit of a theory of minimal representationalism, I introduce the central tenets of dynamic systems theory (DST) by discussing recent research in the dynamics of embodiment (Thelen et al. [2001]) in the perseverative-reaching literature. A recent proposal on the dynamics of representation—the dynamic field approach (Spencer and Schöner [2003])—according to which the alleged representational gap between DST and representational theories of cognition needs to be bridged in order to explain higher-order cognitive activity will then be reviewed. In Section 3 I shall argue that Spencer and Schöner's attempt to bridge the representational gap may jeopardize the whole (antirepresentationalist) spirit of the DST project. In order to show why, I shall introduce the key concepts of "reliability of environment" and "primagenesis", and argue that DST can account for de-coupled, offline cognitive activity with no need of positing representational resources. Conclusions and directions for future research will follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory suggests that coevolution drives diversification in obligate pollination mutualism, but it has been difficult to disentangle the effects of coevolution from other factors. We test the hypothesis that differential selection by two sister species of pollinating yucca moths (Tegeticula spp.) drove divergence between two varieties of the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) by comparing measures of differentiation in floral and vegetative features. We show that floral features associated with pollination evolved more rapidly than vegetative features extrinsic to the interaction and that a key floral feature involved in the mutualism is more differentiated than any other and matches equivalent differences in the morphology of the pollinating moths. A phylogenetically based, ancestral states reconstruction shows that differences in moth morphology arose in the time since they first became associated with Joshua trees. These results suggest that coevolution, rather than extrinsic environmental factors, has driven divergence in this obligate pollination mutualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model theoretic considerations purportedly show that a certain version of structural realism, one which articulates the nvtion of structure via Ramsey sentences, is in fact trivially true. In this paper we argue that the structural realist is by no means forced to Ramseyfy in the manner assumed in the formal proof. However, the structural realist's reprise is short-lived. For, as we show, there are related versions of the model theoretic argument which cannot be so easily blocked by the structural realist. We examine various ways in which the structural realist may respond, and conclude that the best way of blocking the model theoretic argument involves formulating his Ramseyfied theories using intensional operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an argument against deflationary ethical theories such as nihilism and relativistic theories. Deflationary ethical theories refer to those views that appear to undermine the importance of ethical questions. The ethical theories that are worthy of acceptance are discussed, as well as those ethical theories that should be rejected. A discussion of fanaticism in the context of ethical philosophy is presented.

The article asserts that consequentialism is a theory of exacting moral standards and not a theory of excess. The consequentialist moral theory has faced persistent challenges of excess since its inception. Critics of consequentialism argue that it is too demanding, too confining and too alienating to offer a plausible alternative moral theory. The concept of consequentialism is discussed, as well as the difference between theories of moral standards and theories of moral reasons.

Provides information on the application of the ethical theory of Aristotelianism on friendship. Definition of Aristotelian friendship; Benefits offered by Aristotelian character friendship; Objections to the concept of Aristotelian friendship.

We argue that a fashionable interpretation of the theory of natural selection as a claim exclusively about populations is mistaken. The interpretation rests on adopting an analysis of fitness as a probabilistic propensity which cannot be substantiated, draws parallels with thermodynamics which are without foundations, and fails to do justice to the fundamental distinction between drift and selection. This distinction requires a notion of fitness as a pairwise comparison between individuals taken two at a time, and so vitiates the interpretation of the theory as one about populations exclusively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical procedures can be applied to episodes in the history of science in order to weight attributes to predict short-term survival of theories; an asymptotic method is used to show that short-term survival is a valid proxy for ultimate survival; and a theoretical argument is made that ultimate survival is a valid proxy for objective truth. While realists will appreciate this last step, instrumentalists do not need it to benefit from the actuarial procedures of cliometric metatheory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the relationship between practical and theoretical commitment. Kinds of promise-warranty separatism; Objections to the inverse symmetry thesis; Role of possible changes of mind in promises and warranties.

Examines attempts to situate things within a theory. Semantic reducibility of things to objects; Ontological quest for being; Ability of inanimate objects to organize the temporality of the animate world; Role of new media in mediating relation between people and objects.

The relative ease of attack and defense--the offense-defense balance--is a widely used explanatory concept in international politics, playing an important role in literatures ranging from war causation and alliance formation to the determinants of system structure, the importance of relative gains from cooperation, or the causes of World War I. Yet the concept of the balance itself remains radically underdeveloped theoretically, clouding the predictions of the numerous theories that rest upon it and undermining rigorous empirical work on the many hypotheses these theories imply. I address this problem by presenting and testing a systematic theory of the balance that emphasizes military strategic and tactical choices as its key determinants, by contrast with orthodox offense-defense theory's focus on technology. This new theory outperforms the orthodox view and has broad implications for international relations theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the way in which scholarship conceives of Gregory of Nyssa's theory of divine union. Pattern of divine darkness; Pattern of divine light; Account of related articles.

Explains that political behavior can be better studied by examing it from legal and political contexts. Dependence of political research on theories from other disciplines; Importance of theories in political research; Contributions of political culture in explaining political behavior.

Analyzes the realist political theory and the problem of international cooperation using an amended Prisoner's Dilemma model. Details on the Prisoner's Dilemma model; Realist structure of state interests and conventional prisoner's dilemma; Application of Prisoner's Dilemma on relative-gains problem.

Explores the implications of John Rawls' theory of justice. Principles of justice; Implications of Rawls' theory on distributive shares; Opinion on the theory of desert.

Examines the writings concerning the alleged demise of political theory in the 1950s. Conceptualization of the role of theory in the study of politics; Preoccupation and enthusiasm of researchers for epistemological matters; Evaluation of the claims of contemporary empirical political theorists.

Examines the uses of the self to the development of successful political theories. Uses of the self for Machiavelli, Hobbes and Rousseau, three political theorists; Importance of the self to political theory; Introspection and self-projection in political theory.

Examines the idea of a universal theory of politics, focusing on the discursive practices of political science and political theory. What are the concepts of politics as it relates to theory; What is the distinction between social and natural science; Statements made by Tracy Strong, editor of the journal `Political Theory.'

Explores Larry Laudan's and Jarrett Leplin's claim that empirically equivalent theories may be differentially confirmed. How their attempt to separate empirical equivalence and epistemic parity commits them to two principles of confirmation which Hempel demonstrated to be incompatible.

Investigates how one can characterize contraction in a theoretical way. Problems of theory contraction and revision; Foundation stone of the Alchourron-Gardenfors-Makinson (AGM) theory; Results of the AGM theory; Perspective on the problem of theory contraction.

Discusses the positive and negative contents of a propositional theory. Definition of positive content and negative content; Verisimilar preordering; Verisimilar partial ordering.

Discusses the analogical structure of models and their role in experiment and theory. Examination of the view that separates the source of a model from the experimental or observational phenomena constraining it; Summary of Harre's view; Argument that there are natural consequences of the single model resulting from interaction between phenomena and the source of the model.

In this article the author aims to create a moral theory for the right to secede. The author contends that it is embarrassing for liberal political philosophy that there is lack of a theory of secession despite the preeminent value it gives on liberty and autonomy. Several arguments in favor of a right to secede are presented. In addition, the author lays down the groundwork for a normative theory of secession.

A list of several books that explore general educational method, history, theory, and practice is presented. These books include "An Index Number for State School Systems, by Leonard P. Ayres, "The Junior High School," by Thomas H. Briggs, and "Teacher Training Departments in Minnesota High Schools," by Lotus D. Coffman.

Relates an experience illustrating the theory on thoughts formulated by the social scientist, John Dewey. Application of the theory on setting minimum wage in labor classes; Objections to the idealist demands for wages; Solutions possible in answering the problems of setting the minimum wage.