Thomas S. Kuhn is one of the leading philosophers and historians of science that investigated in-depth cases of simultaneous discoveries in science. Although his analysis of the discovery of energy conservation and ox...Thomas S. Kuhn is one of the leading philosophers and historians of science that investigated in-depth cases of simultaneous discoveries in science. Although his analysis of the discovery of energy conservation and oxygen did not focus sharply on the priority disputes involved, it is within such contexts that controversy about which scientist was the first to make a discovery takes place. Evidently, Kuhn＇s recourse to historical case studies is a clear departure from the standpoint of traditional mainstream philosophies of science （namely, logical positivism and falsificationism）, which cavalierly dismissed such concerns as irrelevant to philosophical reconstructions of science Challenges to orthodox logistic approaches were prompted by the realisation that the two dominant traditions mentioned above, in their excessive preoccupation with ＂the logical skeleton of science＂, have lost contact with real science. As a contribution to what Michael Polanyi referred to as post-critical philosophy, the present study reanalyses the tension-generating potentials of bipolar values shared by members of scientific communities. It traces the origins of the rebellion against logic-dominated philosophies of science, and identifies different post-positivist approaches that have eme^rged over the years which legitimise broadening the frontiers of the philosophy of science. Consequent upon that, some conflicting values or norms shared by members of scientific communities and how they affect the quest for scientific knowledge are underscored. Using as a case study the acrimonious priority dispute between Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz concerning the discovery of calculus, the paper demonstrates that excessive concern for recognition which sometimes leads to protracted priority disputes tends to bring out the worst kind of behaviours towards colleagues even from the greatest scientists. We submit, by way of conclusion, that despite the heroic （almost god-like） reputation of such scientists, they are human and, therefore, subject to the vicissitudes of emotional turbulence just like everyone else.展开更多
In response to the tricky problem, raised by Hume, of the relationship between causality and freedom, Kant came up with the concept of two kinds of causality： causality of nature and causality of freedom. While the f...In response to the tricky problem, raised by Hume, of the relationship between causality and freedom, Kant came up with the concept of two kinds of causality： causality of nature and causality of freedom. While the former belongs in the phenomenal realm in the context of speculative reason, the latter, no more than a negative notion in the transcendental realm of things-in-themselves, nevertheless acquires actual objectivity in the context of practical reason. What causality of freedom confirms is freedom in the transcendental rather than the psychological sense. As Kant saw it, these two kinds of causality coexist in divided form in man, who is an existing being both in the realm of phenomena and in that of things-in-themselves. After Kant, it was Marx who, critically synthesizing the contributions of Hegel and Sehopenhauer, succeeded in revealing the hidden answer to the question of Kant＇s concept of two kinds of causality. That is productive labor, which implies both the dimension of goals and the causality of freedom and that of the causality of nature and historical causality. In the context of Marx＇s historical materialism, productive labor emerges as a kingdom of necessity at the very basis of the kingdom of freedom.展开更多
Advanced Chinese culture today has three interconnected requirements： a） it is an organic component of today＇s advanced world culture; b） it critically absorbs all the best elements of foreign cultures in an organ...Advanced Chinese culture today has three interconnected requirements： a） it is an organic component of today＇s advanced world culture; b） it critically absorbs all the best elements of foreign cultures in an organic combination with the best elements of traditional Chinese culture; and c） it transcends the argument over ＂modernism＂ and ＂post-modernism.＂ From a world- historical perspective, all other necessary features of advanced culture in contemporary China represent the logical unfolding of these three requirements. A full and correct grasp of the three elements constituting the world-historicality of this advanced culture is of important methodological significance in clarifying the world-historical mode of the construction of contemporary Chinese culture and the path to cultural innovation.展开更多
文摘Thomas S. Kuhn is one of the leading philosophers and historians of science that investigated in-depth cases of simultaneous discoveries in science. Although his analysis of the discovery of energy conservation and oxygen did not focus sharply on the priority disputes involved, it is within such contexts that controversy about which scientist was the first to make a discovery takes place. Evidently, Kuhn＇s recourse to historical case studies is a clear departure from the standpoint of traditional mainstream philosophies of science （namely, logical positivism and falsificationism）, which cavalierly dismissed such concerns as irrelevant to philosophical reconstructions of science Challenges to orthodox logistic approaches were prompted by the realisation that the two dominant traditions mentioned above, in their excessive preoccupation with ＂the logical skeleton of science＂, have lost contact with real science. As a contribution to what Michael Polanyi referred to as post-critical philosophy, the present study reanalyses the tension-generating potentials of bipolar values shared by members of scientific communities. It traces the origins of the rebellion against logic-dominated philosophies of science, and identifies different post-positivist approaches that have eme^rged over the years which legitimise broadening the frontiers of the philosophy of science. Consequent upon that, some conflicting values or norms shared by members of scientific communities and how they affect the quest for scientific knowledge are underscored. Using as a case study the acrimonious priority dispute between Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz concerning the discovery of calculus, the paper demonstrates that excessive concern for recognition which sometimes leads to protracted priority disputes tends to bring out the worst kind of behaviours towards colleagues even from the greatest scientists. We submit, by way of conclusion, that despite the heroic （almost god-like） reputation of such scientists, they are human and, therefore, subject to the vicissitudes of emotional turbulence just like everyone else.
文摘In response to the tricky problem, raised by Hume, of the relationship between causality and freedom, Kant came up with the concept of two kinds of causality： causality of nature and causality of freedom. While the former belongs in the phenomenal realm in the context of speculative reason, the latter, no more than a negative notion in the transcendental realm of things-in-themselves, nevertheless acquires actual objectivity in the context of practical reason. What causality of freedom confirms is freedom in the transcendental rather than the psychological sense. As Kant saw it, these two kinds of causality coexist in divided form in man, who is an existing being both in the realm of phenomena and in that of things-in-themselves. After Kant, it was Marx who, critically synthesizing the contributions of Hegel and Sehopenhauer, succeeded in revealing the hidden answer to the question of Kant＇s concept of two kinds of causality. That is productive labor, which implies both the dimension of goals and the causality of freedom and that of the causality of nature and historical causality. In the context of Marx＇s historical materialism, productive labor emerges as a kingdom of necessity at the very basis of the kingdom of freedom.
文摘Advanced Chinese culture today has three interconnected requirements： a） it is an organic component of today＇s advanced world culture; b） it critically absorbs all the best elements of foreign cultures in an organic combination with the best elements of traditional Chinese culture; and c） it transcends the argument over ＂modernism＂ and ＂post-modernism.＂ From a world- historical perspective, all other necessary features of advanced culture in contemporary China represent the logical unfolding of these three requirements. A full and correct grasp of the three elements constituting the world-historicality of this advanced culture is of important methodological significance in clarifying the world-historical mode of the construction of contemporary Chinese culture and the path to cultural innovation.
