Maximilian de Gaynesford
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199287826
- eISBN:
- 9780191603570
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199287821.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
The central claim of this book is that I is a deictic term, like the other singular personal pronouns You and He/She. This is true of the logical character, inferential role, referential function, ...
More
The central claim of this book is that I is a deictic term, like the other singular personal pronouns You and He/She. This is true of the logical character, inferential role, referential function, expressive use, and communicative role of all and only expressions used to formulate first-personal reference in any language. The first part of the book shows why the standard account of I as a ‘pure indexical’ (‘purism’) should be rejected. Purism requires three mutually supportive doctrines which turn out to be myths: a) that a simple rule is sufficient to give the meaning of I (‘rule theory’); b) that one can use I to express thoughts without having to identify what is being referred to (‘independence’); and c) that as a matter of the meaning of I, any use of the term is logically guaranteed against failure to refer (‘the guarantee’). The second part of the book shows why the radically new account of I should be endorsed as a deictic term. Substitution instances and the behaviour of I in inference reveal that it has an obligatorily deictic logical character and inferential role. I fulfils its referential function in the deictic way, providing determinacy of reference by making an individual referentially salient in the extra-sentential context. The discriminability of the referent of an I-use depends on recognizing the referentially salient individual. This is true of its discriminability both to the reference-maker and to the audience. So I has the expressive use and communicative role of a deictic term. The conclusion of the book directs research towards the next step, showing how the meaning of I may be used to elucidate the thoughts expressed by the term, and from there questions relating to self-knowledge, practical reasoning, belief-acquisition, and belief-ascription.Less
The central claim of this book is that I is a deictic term, like the other singular personal pronouns You and He/She. This is true of the logical character, inferential role, referential function, expressive use, and communicative role of all and only expressions used to formulate first-personal reference in any language. The first part of the book shows why the standard account of I as a ‘pure indexical’ (‘purism’) should be rejected. Purism requires three mutually supportive doctrines which turn out to be myths: a) that a simple rule is sufficient to give the meaning of I (‘rule theory’); b) that one can use I to express thoughts without having to identify what is being referred to (‘independence’); and c) that as a matter of the meaning of I, any use of the term is logically guaranteed against failure to refer (‘the guarantee’). The second part of the book shows why the radically new account of I should be endorsed as a deictic term. Substitution instances and the behaviour of I in inference reveal that it has an obligatorily deictic logical character and inferential role. I fulfils its referential function in the deictic way, providing determinacy of reference by making an individual referentially salient in the extra-sentential context. The discriminability of the referent of an I-use depends on recognizing the referentially salient individual. This is true of its discriminability both to the reference-maker and to the audience. So I has the expressive use and communicative role of a deictic term. The conclusion of the book directs research towards the next step, showing how the meaning of I may be used to elucidate the thoughts expressed by the term, and from there questions relating to self-knowledge, practical reasoning, belief-acquisition, and belief-ascription.
George Cheney, Dan Lair, Dean Ritz, and Brenden Kendall
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195182774
- eISBN:
- 9780199871001
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195182774.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Corporate Governance and Accountability
This book offers a fresh perspective on ethics at work, questioning the notions that doing ethics at work has to be work, and that work is somehow a sphere where a different set of rules applies. ...
More
This book offers a fresh perspective on ethics at work, questioning the notions that doing ethics at work has to be work, and that work is somehow a sphere where a different set of rules applies. When we separate ethics from life, we put it beyond our daily reach, treating it as something that is meaningful only at certain moments. This problem permeates our everyday talk about ethics at work, in popular culture, in our textbooks, and even in our ethics codes. This book uses insights from the fields of communications and rhetoric to show how in the very framing of ethics—even before we get to specific decisions—we limit the potential roles of ethics in our work lives and in the pursuit of happiness. Sayings such as “It's just a job” and “Let the market decide” are two examples of demonstrating that our perspective on professional ethics is shaped and reinforced by everyday language. The standard “bad apples” approach to dealing with corporate and governmental wrongdoing is not surprising; few people are willing to consider how to cultivate “the good orchard.” The book argues that ethics is about more than behaviour regulation, spectacular scandals, and comprehensive codes. The authors offer a new take on virtue ethics, referencing Aristotle's practical ideal of eudaimonia, or flourishing, allowing us to tell new stories about the ordinary and to see the extraordinary aspects of professional integrity and success.Less
This book offers a fresh perspective on ethics at work, questioning the notions that doing ethics at work has to be work, and that work is somehow a sphere where a different set of rules applies. When we separate ethics from life, we put it beyond our daily reach, treating it as something that is meaningful only at certain moments. This problem permeates our everyday talk about ethics at work, in popular culture, in our textbooks, and even in our ethics codes. This book uses insights from the fields of communications and rhetoric to show how in the very framing of ethics—even before we get to specific decisions—we limit the potential roles of ethics in our work lives and in the pursuit of happiness. Sayings such as “It's just a job” and “Let the market decide” are two examples of demonstrating that our perspective on professional ethics is shaped and reinforced by everyday language. The standard “bad apples” approach to dealing with corporate and governmental wrongdoing is not surprising; few people are willing to consider how to cultivate “the good orchard.” The book argues that ethics is about more than behaviour regulation, spectacular scandals, and comprehensive codes. The authors offer a new take on virtue ethics, referencing Aristotle's practical ideal of eudaimonia, or flourishing, allowing us to tell new stories about the ordinary and to see the extraordinary aspects of professional integrity and success.
Rob H. Bisseling
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198529392
- eISBN:
- 9780191712869
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198529392.001.0001
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Applied Mathematics
This book explains the use of the bulk synchronous parallel (BSP) model and the BSPlib communication library in parallel algorithm design and parallel programming. The main topics treated in the book ...
More
This book explains the use of the bulk synchronous parallel (BSP) model and the BSPlib communication library in parallel algorithm design and parallel programming. The main topics treated in the book are central to the area of scientific computation: solving dense linear systems by Gaussian elimination, computing fast Fourier transforms, and solving sparse linear systems by iterative methods based on sparse matrix-vector multiplication. Each topic is treated in depth, starting from the problem formulation and a sequential algorithm, through a parallel algorithm and its cost analysis, to a complete parallel program written in C and BSPlib, and experimental results obtained using this program on a parallel computer. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on analyzing the cost of the parallel algorithms developed, expressed in three terms: computation cost, communication cost, and synchronization cost. The book contains five example programs written in BSPlib, which illustrate the methods taught. These programs are freely available as the package BSPedupack. An appendix on the message-passing interface (MPI) discusses how to program in a structured, bulk synchronous parallel style using the MPI communication library, and presents MPI equivalents of all the programs in the book.Less
This book explains the use of the bulk synchronous parallel (BSP) model and the BSPlib communication library in parallel algorithm design and parallel programming. The main topics treated in the book are central to the area of scientific computation: solving dense linear systems by Gaussian elimination, computing fast Fourier transforms, and solving sparse linear systems by iterative methods based on sparse matrix-vector multiplication. Each topic is treated in depth, starting from the problem formulation and a sequential algorithm, through a parallel algorithm and its cost analysis, to a complete parallel program written in C and BSPlib, and experimental results obtained using this program on a parallel computer. Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on analyzing the cost of the parallel algorithms developed, expressed in three terms: computation cost, communication cost, and synchronization cost. The book contains five example programs written in BSPlib, which illustrate the methods taught. These programs are freely available as the package BSPedupack. An appendix on the message-passing interface (MPI) discusses how to program in a structured, bulk synchronous parallel style using the MPI communication library, and presents MPI equivalents of all the programs in the book.
David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195163483
- eISBN:
- 9780199867523
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195163483.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This book uses evidence from and about sign languages to explore the origins of language as we know it today. According to the model presented in this book, it is sign, not spoken languages, that is ...
More
This book uses evidence from and about sign languages to explore the origins of language as we know it today. According to the model presented in this book, it is sign, not spoken languages, that is the original mode of human communication. The book demonstrates that modern language is derived from practical actions and gestures that were increasingly recognized as having the potential to represent and hence to communicate. In other words, the fundamental ability that allows us to use language is our ability to use pictures of icons, rather than linguistic symbols. Evidence from the human fossil record supports the book's claim by showing that we were anatomically able to produce gestures and signs before we were able to speak fluently. Although speech evolved later as a secondary linguistic communication device that eventually replaced sign language as the primary mode of communication, speech has never entirely replaced signs and gestures.Less
This book uses evidence from and about sign languages to explore the origins of language as we know it today. According to the model presented in this book, it is sign, not spoken languages, that is the original mode of human communication. The book demonstrates that modern language is derived from practical actions and gestures that were increasingly recognized as having the potential to represent and hence to communicate. In other words, the fundamental ability that allows us to use language is our ability to use pictures of icons, rather than linguistic symbols. Evidence from the human fossil record supports the book's claim by showing that we were anatomically able to produce gestures and signs before we were able to speak fluently. Although speech evolved later as a secondary linguistic communication device that eventually replaced sign language as the primary mode of communication, speech has never entirely replaced signs and gestures.
Doreen Kimura
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195054927
- eISBN:
- 9780199872268
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195054927.003.0012
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology
This chapter presents a synthesis of the discussions in the preceding chapters. The main conclusion is that the left cerebral hemisphere, in comparison with the right, is specialized for motor ...
More
This chapter presents a synthesis of the discussions in the preceding chapters. The main conclusion is that the left cerebral hemisphere, in comparison with the right, is specialized for motor selection of both the oral and manual musculature. This is particularly true of movements specifiable within intrapersonal space, and it holds whether the movements to be programmed are components of a communication system or not. A consequent theme throughout is that human communication has been influenced by the characteristics of the motor programming systems that control the relevant oral and manual musculature. Lateralization of function in the brain, manual apraxia, visuoconstructional disorders, disorders in manual sign language, and sex differences in functional brain organization are discussed.Less
This chapter presents a synthesis of the discussions in the preceding chapters. The main conclusion is that the left cerebral hemisphere, in comparison with the right, is specialized for motor selection of both the oral and manual musculature. This is particularly true of movements specifiable within intrapersonal space, and it holds whether the movements to be programmed are components of a communication system or not. A consequent theme throughout is that human communication has been influenced by the characteristics of the motor programming systems that control the relevant oral and manual musculature. Lateralization of function in the brain, manual apraxia, visuoconstructional disorders, disorders in manual sign language, and sex differences in functional brain organization are discussed.
Brian Skyrms
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199580828
- eISBN:
- 9780191722769
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580828.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Science
This book presents an exploration of how fundamental signals are to our world. It uses a variety of tools — theories of signaling games, information, evolution, and learning — to investigate how ...
More
This book presents an exploration of how fundamental signals are to our world. It uses a variety of tools — theories of signaling games, information, evolution, and learning — to investigate how meaning and communication develop. The book shows how signaling games themselves evolve, and introduces a new model of learning with invention. The juxtaposition of atomic signals leads to complex signals, as the natural product of gradual process. Signals operate in networks of senders and receivers at all levels of life. Information is transmitted, but it is also processed in various ways. That is how we think — signals run around a very complicated signaling network. Signaling is a key ingredient in the evolution of teamwork, in the human but also in the animal world, even in micro-organisms. Communication and co-ordination of action are different aspects of the flow of information, and are both effected by signals.Less
This book presents an exploration of how fundamental signals are to our world. It uses a variety of tools — theories of signaling games, information, evolution, and learning — to investigate how meaning and communication develop. The book shows how signaling games themselves evolve, and introduces a new model of learning with invention. The juxtaposition of atomic signals leads to complex signals, as the natural product of gradual process. Signals operate in networks of senders and receivers at all levels of life. Information is transmitted, but it is also processed in various ways. That is how we think — signals run around a very complicated signaling network. Signaling is a key ingredient in the evolution of teamwork, in the human but also in the animal world, even in micro-organisms. Communication and co-ordination of action are different aspects of the flow of information, and are both effected by signals.
Gregory Currie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199282609
- eISBN:
- 9780191712432
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199282609.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Mind
Narratives are artefacts of a special kind: they are devices which function to tell stories, and do so by conveying the storytelling intentions of their makers. But, narrative itself is too inclusive ...
More
Narratives are artefacts of a special kind: they are devices which function to tell stories, and do so by conveying the storytelling intentions of their makers. But, narrative itself is too inclusive a category for much more to be said about it than this; we should focus attention instead on the vaguely defined but interesting category of things rich in narrative structure. Such devices offer significant possibilities, not merely for the representation of stories, but for the expression of point of view; they have also played an important role in the evolution of reliable channels of information, an issue pursued in three chapter appendices. This book argues that much of the pleasure of narrative depends on early developing tendencies in human beings to imitation and to joint attention, and imitation turns out to be the key to understanding such important literary techniques as free indirect discourse and character‐focused narration. The book also examines irony in narrative, with an emphasis on the idea of the expression of ironic points of view; a case study of this phenomenon is offered. Finally, the book examines the idea of Character, as evidenced in robust, situation‐independent ways of acting and thinking, and its important role in many narratives. It is asked whether scepticism about the notion of Character should have us reassess the dramatic and literary tradition which places such emphasis on Character.Less
Narratives are artefacts of a special kind: they are devices which function to tell stories, and do so by conveying the storytelling intentions of their makers. But, narrative itself is too inclusive a category for much more to be said about it than this; we should focus attention instead on the vaguely defined but interesting category of things rich in narrative structure. Such devices offer significant possibilities, not merely for the representation of stories, but for the expression of point of view; they have also played an important role in the evolution of reliable channels of information, an issue pursued in three chapter appendices. This book argues that much of the pleasure of narrative depends on early developing tendencies in human beings to imitation and to joint attention, and imitation turns out to be the key to understanding such important literary techniques as free indirect discourse and character‐focused narration. The book also examines irony in narrative, with an emphasis on the idea of the expression of ironic points of view; a case study of this phenomenon is offered. Finally, the book examines the idea of Character, as evidenced in robust, situation‐independent ways of acting and thinking, and its important role in many narratives. It is asked whether scepticism about the notion of Character should have us reassess the dramatic and literary tradition which places such emphasis on Character.
David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195163483
- eISBN:
- 9780199867523
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195163483.003.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This prologue begins with a description of an old thought experiment. The experiment imagines a situation where twenty-four human infants, twelve males and twelve females, are raised in a setting ...
More
This prologue begins with a description of an old thought experiment. The experiment imagines a situation where twenty-four human infants, twelve males and twelve females, are raised in a setting without any face-to-face interaction with or communication from anyone other than their own experimental peers. It is argued that the children's initial attempts to communicate would involve pointing to and touching or otherwise manipulating the other children and objects in their environment. This claim is reinforced by the experience of people who have tried to communicate with people whose language they don't know. In such circumstances, people often resort to pointing and pantomime to communicate. However, deaf people who encounter other deaf people from foreign countries are able to negotiate a visual code that results in basic communication. This is interesting since the signed languages of the deaf are quite diverse and not mutually comprehensible, and just as complex grammatically as spoken languages.Less
This prologue begins with a description of an old thought experiment. The experiment imagines a situation where twenty-four human infants, twelve males and twelve females, are raised in a setting without any face-to-face interaction with or communication from anyone other than their own experimental peers. It is argued that the children's initial attempts to communicate would involve pointing to and touching or otherwise manipulating the other children and objects in their environment. This claim is reinforced by the experience of people who have tried to communicate with people whose language they don't know. In such circumstances, people often resort to pointing and pantomime to communicate. However, deaf people who encounter other deaf people from foreign countries are able to negotiate a visual code that results in basic communication. This is interesting since the signed languages of the deaf are quite diverse and not mutually comprehensible, and just as complex grammatically as spoken languages.
David F. Armstrong and Sherman E. Wilcox
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195163483
- eISBN:
- 9780199867523
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195163483.003.0009
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This concluding chapter presents a summary of the main argument of the book, which is that signed languages are in an important sense not unique, that they are merely manifestations of the human ...
More
This concluding chapter presents a summary of the main argument of the book, which is that signed languages are in an important sense not unique, that they are merely manifestations of the human language ability, unfamiliar only because language scientists of the time were not familiar with deaf people and their natural languages. It has been proposed that transformation of gesture into language lies at the heart of the origin of language, that just as grammaticization-as-ritualization accounts for the change from lexical to grammatical, it also accounts for the transformation of gesture into language. Ritualization is implicated in the phylogenetic evolution of language from nonlinguistic behaviours, with visible gestures playing a key role.Less
This concluding chapter presents a summary of the main argument of the book, which is that signed languages are in an important sense not unique, that they are merely manifestations of the human language ability, unfamiliar only because language scientists of the time were not familiar with deaf people and their natural languages. It has been proposed that transformation of gesture into language lies at the heart of the origin of language, that just as grammaticization-as-ritualization accounts for the change from lexical to grammatical, it also accounts for the transformation of gesture into language. Ritualization is implicated in the phylogenetic evolution of language from nonlinguistic behaviours, with visible gestures playing a key role.
John G. Stackhouse
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195138078
- eISBN:
- 9780199834679
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195138074.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Presents a conception of apologetics appropriate for the contemporary cultural context. This conception avoids the destructive and self‐defeating problems of dogmatism and triumphalism, ...
More
Presents a conception of apologetics appropriate for the contemporary cultural context. This conception avoids the destructive and self‐defeating problems of dogmatism and triumphalism, all‐too‐typical of most apologetics. Part I locates apologetics within the context of contemporary culture, discussing the most salient challenges to apologetical conversation in contemporary North American culture: pluralism, postmodernity, the problem of plausibility, and consumerism. Part II moves from analysis of the cultural context of apologetical conversation to a theological and epistemological exploration of the definition of apologetics. It establishes that a proper understanding and practice of apologetics will be located within the context of God's overarching mission of conversion and will also recognize its own limitations in light of several basic principles of epistemology guiding all decision making. This section defines apologetics as including anything that commends the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christianity, thereby rendering it more plausible. Several modes and objectives of apologetics are defined and apologetics itself is defended as a worthy engagement for Christians. In Part III, apologetics is located within the context of basic principles of communication, patterned after the ministry of Jesus Christ. A variety of audience‐specific approaches to apologetics are defined and their usefulness is assessed in light of these principles. Practical applications are then drawn from these principles. The book concludes that apologetics must be reconceived as humble, i.e., as a defense of the faith that lovingly offers our neighbors what we think we know of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with the hope that God will bring others to encounter Jesus – as only he can.Less
Presents a conception of apologetics appropriate for the contemporary cultural context. This conception avoids the destructive and self‐defeating problems of dogmatism and triumphalism, all‐too‐typical of most apologetics. Part I locates apologetics within the context of contemporary culture, discussing the most salient challenges to apologetical conversation in contemporary North American culture: pluralism, postmodernity, the problem of plausibility, and consumerism. Part II moves from analysis of the cultural context of apologetical conversation to a theological and epistemological exploration of the definition of apologetics. It establishes that a proper understanding and practice of apologetics will be located within the context of God's overarching mission of conversion and will also recognize its own limitations in light of several basic principles of epistemology guiding all decision making. This section defines apologetics as including anything that commends the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christianity, thereby rendering it more plausible. Several modes and objectives of apologetics are defined and apologetics itself is defended as a worthy engagement for Christians. In Part III, apologetics is located within the context of basic principles of communication, patterned after the ministry of Jesus Christ. A variety of audience‐specific approaches to apologetics are defined and their usefulness is assessed in light of these principles. Practical applications are then drawn from these principles. The book concludes that apologetics must be reconceived as humble, i.e., as a defense of the faith that lovingly offers our neighbors what we think we know of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with the hope that God will bring others to encounter Jesus – as only he can.
Prudence L. Carter
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195168624
- eISBN:
- 9780199943968
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168624.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Education
How can we help African American and Latino students perform better in the classroom and on exams? Why are so many African American and Latino students performing less well than their Asian and White ...
More
How can we help African American and Latino students perform better in the classroom and on exams? Why are so many African American and Latino students performing less well than their Asian and White peers? Researchers have argued that African American and Latino students who rebel against “acting white” doom themselves to lower levels of scholastic, economic, and social achievement. However, this book argues that what is needed is a broader recognition of the unique cultural styles and practices that non-white students bring to the classroom. Based on extensive interviews and surveys of students in New York, the book demonstrates that the most successful negotiators of the American school systems are the multicultural navigators, culturally savvy teens who draw from multiple traditions, whether it be knowledge of hip hop or of classical music, to achieve their high ambitions. The book refutes the common wisdom about teenage behavior and racial difference, and shows how intercultural communication, rather than assimilation, can help close the black-white gap.Less
How can we help African American and Latino students perform better in the classroom and on exams? Why are so many African American and Latino students performing less well than their Asian and White peers? Researchers have argued that African American and Latino students who rebel against “acting white” doom themselves to lower levels of scholastic, economic, and social achievement. However, this book argues that what is needed is a broader recognition of the unique cultural styles and practices that non-white students bring to the classroom. Based on extensive interviews and surveys of students in New York, the book demonstrates that the most successful negotiators of the American school systems are the multicultural navigators, culturally savvy teens who draw from multiple traditions, whether it be knowledge of hip hop or of classical music, to achieve their high ambitions. The book refutes the common wisdom about teenage behavior and racial difference, and shows how intercultural communication, rather than assimilation, can help close the black-white gap.
David D'Avray (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198208143
- eISBN:
- 9780191716522
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208143.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
Before the advent of printing, the preaching of the friars was the mass medium of the middle ages. This edition of marriage sermons reveals what a number of famous preachers actually taught about ...
More
Before the advent of printing, the preaching of the friars was the mass medium of the middle ages. This edition of marriage sermons reveals what a number of famous preachers actually taught about marriage, teasing out the close connection between marriage symbolism and social, cultural, and legal realities in the 13th century. The relation between genre, content, and gender is analysed, with particular attention to the likely impact of preaching, viewed as a means of intellectual power in competition with vernacular genres and other social forces. Its mass diffusion anticipated printing, but the means of production were those of the monastic scriptorium. The textual criticism and palaeographical analysis of these sermons undermine central assumptions of both medieval and early modern historians of the book, establishing a technique of textual criticism appropriate for texts of this kind. A pragmatic compromise between simple transcriptions which ignore stemmatic relation and full-scale editions attempting to fit all manuscripts into a genealogical table, this book addresses both the sermon literature of the period and the understanding of marriage and its religious and cultural significance in the middle ages.Less
Before the advent of printing, the preaching of the friars was the mass medium of the middle ages. This edition of marriage sermons reveals what a number of famous preachers actually taught about marriage, teasing out the close connection between marriage symbolism and social, cultural, and legal realities in the 13th century. The relation between genre, content, and gender is analysed, with particular attention to the likely impact of preaching, viewed as a means of intellectual power in competition with vernacular genres and other social forces. Its mass diffusion anticipated printing, but the means of production were those of the monastic scriptorium. The textual criticism and palaeographical analysis of these sermons undermine central assumptions of both medieval and early modern historians of the book, establishing a technique of textual criticism appropriate for texts of this kind. A pragmatic compromise between simple transcriptions which ignore stemmatic relation and full-scale editions attempting to fit all manuscripts into a genealogical table, this book addresses both the sermon literature of the period and the understanding of marriage and its religious and cultural significance in the middle ages.
Catharine Abell and Katerina Bantinaki (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199585960
- eISBN:
- 9780191723490
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199585960.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Mind
Pictures are representations that depict their objects. Although depiction plays as important a role as language in contemporary culture and communication, its function is relatively poorly ...
More
Pictures are representations that depict their objects. Although depiction plays as important a role as language in contemporary culture and communication, its function is relatively poorly understood. This book of specially written chapters by leading philosophers offers to set the agenda for the philosophy of depiction. It addresses a wide range of philosophical issues, concerning the nature and value of depiction, the role of our perceptual processes in interpreting pictures, and the role of depiction in everyday communication.Less
Pictures are representations that depict their objects. Although depiction plays as important a role as language in contemporary culture and communication, its function is relatively poorly understood. This book of specially written chapters by leading philosophers offers to set the agenda for the philosophy of depiction. It addresses a wide range of philosophical issues, concerning the nature and value of depiction, the role of our perceptual processes in interpreting pictures, and the role of depiction in everyday communication.
Joe Ravetz
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0024
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Tipping points can be approached by processes of visual thinking. These forms of understanding and connection assist communication and overall confidence in analysis. This is a process of complex ...
More
Tipping points can be approached by processes of visual thinking. These forms of understanding and connection assist communication and overall confidence in analysis. This is a process of complex adaptive thinking for grasping wholes, combining transdisciplinary thinking with creative design, and the connectivities between discrete and aggregated phenomena.Less
Tipping points can be approached by processes of visual thinking. These forms of understanding and connection assist communication and overall confidence in analysis. This is a process of complex adaptive thinking for grasping wholes, combining transdisciplinary thinking with creative design, and the connectivities between discrete and aggregated phenomena.
Veronica Ortenberg
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198201595
- eISBN:
- 9780191674945
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198201595.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History, History of Religion
This chapter presents some concluding thoughts. This work is a study of the European connections of the English Church. But the considerable role of the national heritage from the early Anglo-Saxon ...
More
This chapter presents some concluding thoughts. This work is a study of the European connections of the English Church. But the considerable role of the national heritage from the early Anglo-Saxon period in the cultural, liturgical, devotional, and artistic fields must never be forgotten or overlooked. The English attitude in this respect was one of pride in both past and contemporary achievements, even when the English regarded some foreign cultural features as superior to their own. Hence, the borrowing of Continental elements, when it took place, was never indiscriminate, but prompted by a deliberate choice: some areas of influence appeared to be more appropriate than others at particular times. The choice to take or leave, as well as how much to take and how to incorporate it within the English tradition, was an ever-present one.Less
This chapter presents some concluding thoughts. This work is a study of the European connections of the English Church. But the considerable role of the national heritage from the early Anglo-Saxon period in the cultural, liturgical, devotional, and artistic fields must never be forgotten or overlooked. The English attitude in this respect was one of pride in both past and contemporary achievements, even when the English regarded some foreign cultural features as superior to their own. Hence, the borrowing of Continental elements, when it took place, was never indiscriminate, but prompted by a deliberate choice: some areas of influence appeared to be more appropriate than others at particular times. The choice to take or leave, as well as how much to take and how to incorporate it within the English tradition, was an ever-present one.
Elvin T. Lim
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195342642
- eISBN:
- 9780199851843
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195342642.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
Why has it been so long since an American president has effectively and consistently presented well-crafted, intellectually substantive arguments to the American public? Why have presidential ...
More
Why has it been so long since an American president has effectively and consistently presented well-crafted, intellectually substantive arguments to the American public? Why have presidential utterances fallen from the rousing speeches of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, and FDR to a series of robotic repetitions of talking points and 60-second soundbites, largely designed to obfuscate rather than illuminate? This book draws on interviews with more than 40 presidential speechwriters to investigate this relentless qualitative decline, over the course of 200 years, in our presidents' ability to communicate with the public. The book argues that the ever-increasing pressure for presidents to manage public opinion and perception has created a “pathology of vacuous rhetoric and imagery” where gesture and appearance matter more than accomplishment and fact. The book tracks the campaign to simplify presidential discourse through presidential and speechwriting decisions made from the Truman to the present administration, explaining how and why presidents have embraced anti-intellectualism and vague platitudes as a public relations strategy. The book sees this anti-intellectual stance as a deliberate choice rather than a reflection of presidents' intellectual limitations. Only the smart, it suggests, know how to dumb down. The result, it shows, is a dangerous debasement of our political discourse and a quality of rhetoric which has been described, charitably, as “a linguistic struggle” and, perhaps more accurately, as “dogs barking idiotically through endless nights.”Less
Why has it been so long since an American president has effectively and consistently presented well-crafted, intellectually substantive arguments to the American public? Why have presidential utterances fallen from the rousing speeches of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, and FDR to a series of robotic repetitions of talking points and 60-second soundbites, largely designed to obfuscate rather than illuminate? This book draws on interviews with more than 40 presidential speechwriters to investigate this relentless qualitative decline, over the course of 200 years, in our presidents' ability to communicate with the public. The book argues that the ever-increasing pressure for presidents to manage public opinion and perception has created a “pathology of vacuous rhetoric and imagery” where gesture and appearance matter more than accomplishment and fact. The book tracks the campaign to simplify presidential discourse through presidential and speechwriting decisions made from the Truman to the present administration, explaining how and why presidents have embraced anti-intellectualism and vague platitudes as a public relations strategy. The book sees this anti-intellectual stance as a deliberate choice rather than a reflection of presidents' intellectual limitations. Only the smart, it suggests, know how to dumb down. The result, it shows, is a dangerous debasement of our political discourse and a quality of rhetoric which has been described, charitably, as “a linguistic struggle” and, perhaps more accurately, as “dogs barking idiotically through endless nights.”
George C Edwards III and Desmond King (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199217977
- eISBN:
- 9780191711541
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199217977.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This book examines the foreign and domestic policies of President George W. Bush's administration. The analysis begins with an account of how highly polarized — in terms of public opinion and ...
More
This book examines the foreign and domestic policies of President George W. Bush's administration. The analysis begins with an account of how highly polarized — in terms of public opinion and electoral patterns — this presidency has proved to be (in a chapter by the editors). This is followed by chapters on the use of unilateral executive powers (by Louis Fisher and William Howell) and prerogative powers (by Richard Pious). Because the policy choices of the Bush presidency have had such fundamental effects both in domestic policy and in US foreign policy, three contributors (Thomas Langston, John Burke, James Pfiffner) then address the processes of decision making especially in respect to the war against Iraq. How the administration governs by a recurring process of campaigning is examined in chapters on public opinion and war (by Gary Jacobson), the promotional presidency (by Larry Jacobs), mobilizing congressional support for war (by Scott Blinder), and the White House communications system (by Martha Kumar). Finally, the way in which the Bush White House relates to congress and the process of building congressional coalitions to enact laws is the subject of chapters on ‘executive style’ of this administration (by Charles O. Jones) and the failure to reform social security (by Fiona Ross).Less
This book examines the foreign and domestic policies of President George W. Bush's administration. The analysis begins with an account of how highly polarized — in terms of public opinion and electoral patterns — this presidency has proved to be (in a chapter by the editors). This is followed by chapters on the use of unilateral executive powers (by Louis Fisher and William Howell) and prerogative powers (by Richard Pious). Because the policy choices of the Bush presidency have had such fundamental effects both in domestic policy and in US foreign policy, three contributors (Thomas Langston, John Burke, James Pfiffner) then address the processes of decision making especially in respect to the war against Iraq. How the administration governs by a recurring process of campaigning is examined in chapters on public opinion and war (by Gary Jacobson), the promotional presidency (by Larry Jacobs), mobilizing congressional support for war (by Scott Blinder), and the White House communications system (by Martha Kumar). Finally, the way in which the Bush White House relates to congress and the process of building congressional coalitions to enact laws is the subject of chapters on ‘executive style’ of this administration (by Charles O. Jones) and the failure to reform social security (by Fiona Ross).
Peter Taylor‐Gooby
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199546701
- eISBN:
- 9780191720420
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199546701.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Political Economy
This chapter develops the arguments about individual rational action and social and public policy discussed in Chapters 2 and 3 and relates them to social science theories of agency. It argues that a ...
More
This chapter develops the arguments about individual rational action and social and public policy discussed in Chapters 2 and 3 and relates them to social science theories of agency. It argues that a central problem of social science is the reconciliation of the everyday life experience of individual choice and agency with the evidence that people behave in ways that are co-ordinated and largely cohesive in societies. It distinguishes individual rational actor traditions from those that stress the role of normative principles and of symbolic communication and expressiveness in action. It shows how the individual rational actor approach is increasingly attractive to policy makers, because it offers a framework in which policies can be developed and justified on the grounds that they reinforce an appropriate structure of incentives.Less
This chapter develops the arguments about individual rational action and social and public policy discussed in Chapters 2 and 3 and relates them to social science theories of agency. It argues that a central problem of social science is the reconciliation of the everyday life experience of individual choice and agency with the evidence that people behave in ways that are co-ordinated and largely cohesive in societies. It distinguishes individual rational actor traditions from those that stress the role of normative principles and of symbolic communication and expressiveness in action. It shows how the individual rational actor approach is increasingly attractive to policy makers, because it offers a framework in which policies can be developed and justified on the grounds that they reinforce an appropriate structure of incentives.
Frank Fischer
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199242641
- eISBN:
- 9780191599255
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019924264X.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This is the last of four chapters offering a postempiricist methodology for policy inquiry based on the logic of practical discourse, and explores the dialectics (logical structure) of policy ...
More
This is the last of four chapters offering a postempiricist methodology for policy inquiry based on the logic of practical discourse, and explores the dialectics (logical structure) of policy argumentation. Approaches are examined to discursive policy analysis and policy argumentation with an emphasis on the integration of empirical and normative inquiry. The discussion is oriented around a particular line of development in the argumentative turn, namely, a dialectical communications approach based on the informal or good-reasons logic of argumentation. In particular, the productive capacities of the communications model are emphasized, namely, its ability to generate ways of thinking and seeing that open new possibilities for problem-solving and action, or, in the language of Habermas’s critical theory, its ‘communicative power’. The different sections of the chapter look at argumentative discursive policy practices, the communications model of argumentative policy analysis, the search for rational procedures in argumentation, the logic of policy arguments (practical discourse), policy argumentation as practical reason, policy argumentation as communicative interaction (the role of analytical discourses), and critical rationality as undistorted communication.Less
This is the last of four chapters offering a postempiricist methodology for policy inquiry based on the logic of practical discourse, and explores the dialectics (logical structure) of policy argumentation. Approaches are examined to discursive policy analysis and policy argumentation with an emphasis on the integration of empirical and normative inquiry. The discussion is oriented around a particular line of development in the argumentative turn, namely, a dialectical communications approach based on the informal or good-reasons logic of argumentation. In particular, the productive capacities of the communications model are emphasized, namely, its ability to generate ways of thinking and seeing that open new possibilities for problem-solving and action, or, in the language of Habermas’s critical theory, its ‘communicative power’. The different sections of the chapter look at argumentative discursive policy practices, the communications model of argumentative policy analysis, the search for rational procedures in argumentation, the logic of policy arguments (practical discourse), policy argumentation as practical reason, policy argumentation as communicative interaction (the role of analytical discourses), and critical rationality as undistorted communication.
Vaclav Smil
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195168754
- eISBN:
- 9780199783601
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195168755.003.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
Technical progress in the 20th century was based on the unprecedented technical advances that took place during the two pre-WWI generations (1867-1914). All of these fundamental and lasting ...
More
Technical progress in the 20th century was based on the unprecedented technical advances that took place during the two pre-WWI generations (1867-1914). All of these fundamental and lasting inventions — most notably electricity generation, internal combustion engines, new materials, and new means of communication — had undergone major technical transformations that improved their performance, reliability, durability, and ease of use while lowering their cost. In addition, the century saw its share of new inventions and innovations, ranging from plastics to solid state electronics.Less
Technical progress in the 20th century was based on the unprecedented technical advances that took place during the two pre-WWI generations (1867-1914). All of these fundamental and lasting inventions — most notably electricity generation, internal combustion engines, new materials, and new means of communication — had undergone major technical transformations that improved their performance, reliability, durability, and ease of use while lowering their cost. In addition, the century saw its share of new inventions and innovations, ranging from plastics to solid state electronics.
