Günter P. Wagner
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691156460
- eISBN:
- 9781400851461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691156460.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter presents a genetic theory of homology that addresses the most challenging problem when attempting to explain character identity; namely, unquestionable homologies (that is, character ...
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This chapter presents a genetic theory of homology that addresses the most challenging problem when attempting to explain character identity; namely, unquestionable homologies (that is, character identities across species) are often associated with extensive variations in the developmental pathways and mechanisms that produce these characters. To resolve this problem, the chapter reviews some of the relevant facts from developmental genetics and then proposes a model that explains these patterns and serves as a guide for further research into the developmental evolution of morphological characters. It shows that the function of homeotic genes offers insights into what might be the developmental genetic basis of character identity. It argues that the distinction between character identity and character states is reflected in the genetic architecture of development in which character identity has a different genetic substrate than character states. This approach leads to the concept of character identity networks.Less
This chapter presents a genetic theory of homology that addresses the most challenging problem when attempting to explain character identity; namely, unquestionable homologies (that is, character identities across species) are often associated with extensive variations in the developmental pathways and mechanisms that produce these characters. To resolve this problem, the chapter reviews some of the relevant facts from developmental genetics and then proposes a model that explains these patterns and serves as a guide for further research into the developmental evolution of morphological characters. It shows that the function of homeotic genes offers insights into what might be the developmental genetic basis of character identity. It argues that the distinction between character identity and character states is reflected in the genetic architecture of development in which character identity has a different genetic substrate than character states. This approach leads to the concept of character identity networks.
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, ...
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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 Sher
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195187427
- eISBN:
- 9780199786596
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195187423.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
Blame is an unpopular and neglected notion: it goes against the grain of a therapeutically oriented culture and has been far less discussed by philosophers than such related notions as responsibility ...
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Blame is an unpopular and neglected notion: it goes against the grain of a therapeutically oriented culture and has been far less discussed by philosophers than such related notions as responsibility and punishment. This book seeks to show that neither the opposition nor the neglect is justified. The book’s most important conclusion is that blame is inseparable from morality itself — that any considerations that justify us in accepting a set of moral principles must also call for the condemnation of those who violate the principles. Because blame has not received much sustained attention, the book works its way toward its conclusions by first raising, and then seeking to resolve, a series of conceptual and normative questions. These questions include: How are blameworthy acts related to the characters of the agents who perform them? Can agents deserve blame for their bad traits as well as their bad acts? Is blame best understood as a kind of action, a kind of belief, a kind of feeling, a combination of these elements, or something entirely different? What sort of moral concept is blameworthiness? How do blame and blameworthiness — correlative concepts — fit together? Although the book draws both on Hume’s treatment of the relation between character and blame and Strawson’s landmark discussion of the “reactive attitudes”, the theory that emerges is neither Humean nor Strawsonian. It is a new theory that seeks to do more justice than its predecessors to the indispensable role that blame plays in our moral lives.Less
Blame is an unpopular and neglected notion: it goes against the grain of a therapeutically oriented culture and has been far less discussed by philosophers than such related notions as responsibility and punishment. This book seeks to show that neither the opposition nor the neglect is justified. The book’s most important conclusion is that blame is inseparable from morality itself — that any considerations that justify us in accepting a set of moral principles must also call for the condemnation of those who violate the principles. Because blame has not received much sustained attention, the book works its way toward its conclusions by first raising, and then seeking to resolve, a series of conceptual and normative questions. These questions include: How are blameworthy acts related to the characters of the agents who perform them? Can agents deserve blame for their bad traits as well as their bad acts? Is blame best understood as a kind of action, a kind of belief, a kind of feeling, a combination of these elements, or something entirely different? What sort of moral concept is blameworthiness? How do blame and blameworthiness — correlative concepts — fit together? Although the book draws both on Hume’s treatment of the relation between character and blame and Strawson’s landmark discussion of the “reactive attitudes”, the theory that emerges is neither Humean nor Strawsonian. It is a new theory that seeks to do more justice than its predecessors to the indispensable role that blame plays in our moral lives.
Koen De Temmerman
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199686148
- eISBN:
- 9780191766381
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199686148.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
The conclusion summarizes the main strands of chapters 1—5 and builds a number of overarching arguments regarding characterization in the five extant ancient Greek novels (while always remaining ...
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The conclusion summarizes the main strands of chapters 1—5 and builds a number of overarching arguments regarding characterization in the five extant ancient Greek novels (while always remaining sensitive to the heterogeneity of the corpus): characterization in individual novels is more complex than merely topical depiction; ‘integrated’ depictions of novelistic heroes and heroines are semantically richer than scholars have observed (especially since recurrent concerns with self-control are complemented by an awareness of the necessity to establish and maintain control over others as intrinsic to attaining adulthood); and protagonists are depicted not so much as static but rather as changing in various ways. These arguments, which take up the three conceptual couples central to this book (typification/individuation, idealistic/realistic characterization and static/dynamic character), are contextualized in ancient narrative literature and theory of character.Less
The conclusion summarizes the main strands of chapters 1—5 and builds a number of overarching arguments regarding characterization in the five extant ancient Greek novels (while always remaining sensitive to the heterogeneity of the corpus): characterization in individual novels is more complex than merely topical depiction; ‘integrated’ depictions of novelistic heroes and heroines are semantically richer than scholars have observed (especially since recurrent concerns with self-control are complemented by an awareness of the necessity to establish and maintain control over others as intrinsic to attaining adulthood); and protagonists are depicted not so much as static but rather as changing in various ways. These arguments, which take up the three conceptual couples central to this book (typification/individuation, idealistic/realistic characterization and static/dynamic character), are contextualized in ancient narrative literature and theory of character.
Günter P. Wagner
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691156460
- eISBN:
- 9781400851461
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691156460.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
Homology—a similar trait shared by different species and derived from common ancestry, such as a seal's fin and a bird's wing—is one of the most fundamental yet challenging concepts in evolutionary ...
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Homology—a similar trait shared by different species and derived from common ancestry, such as a seal's fin and a bird's wing—is one of the most fundamental yet challenging concepts in evolutionary biology. This book provides the first mechanistically based theory of what homology is and how it arises in evolution. The book argues that homology, or character identity, can be explained through the historical continuity of character identity networks—that is, the gene regulatory networks that enable differential gene expression. It shows how character identity is independent of the form and function of the character itself because the same network can activate different effector genes and thus control the development of different shapes, sizes, and qualities of the character. Demonstrating how this theoretical model can provide a foundation for understanding the evolutionary origin of novel characters, the book applies it to the origin and evolution of specific systems, such as cell types; skin, hair, and feathers; limbs and digits; and flowers. The first major synthesis of homology to be published in decades, this book reveals how a mechanistically based theory can serve as a unifying concept for any branch of science concerned with the structure and development of organisms, and how it can help explain major transitions in evolution and broad patterns of biological diversity.Less
Homology—a similar trait shared by different species and derived from common ancestry, such as a seal's fin and a bird's wing—is one of the most fundamental yet challenging concepts in evolutionary biology. This book provides the first mechanistically based theory of what homology is and how it arises in evolution. The book argues that homology, or character identity, can be explained through the historical continuity of character identity networks—that is, the gene regulatory networks that enable differential gene expression. It shows how character identity is independent of the form and function of the character itself because the same network can activate different effector genes and thus control the development of different shapes, sizes, and qualities of the character. Demonstrating how this theoretical model can provide a foundation for understanding the evolutionary origin of novel characters, the book applies it to the origin and evolution of specific systems, such as cell types; skin, hair, and feathers; limbs and digits; and flowers. The first major synthesis of homology to be published in decades, this book reveals how a mechanistically based theory can serve as a unifying concept for any branch of science concerned with the structure and development of organisms, and how it can help explain major transitions in evolution and broad patterns of biological diversity.
Peter J. Burke and Jan E. Stets
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195388275
- eISBN:
- 9780199943937
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195388275.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Psychology and Interaction
The concept of identity has become widespread within the social and behavioral sciences in recent years, cutting across disciplines from psychiatry and psychology to political science and sociology. ...
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The concept of identity has become widespread within the social and behavioral sciences in recent years, cutting across disciplines from psychiatry and psychology to political science and sociology. All individuals claim particular identities given their roles in society, groups they belong to, and characteristics that describe themselves. Introduced almost thirty years ago, identity theory is a social psychological theory that attempts to understand identities, their sources in interaction and society, their processes of operation, and their consequences for interaction and society from a sociological perspective. This book describes identity theory, its origins, the research that supports it, and its future direction. It covers the relation between identity theory and other related theories, as well as the nature and operation of identities. In addition, the book discusses the multiple identities individuals hold from their multiple positions in society and organizations as well as the multiple identities activated by many people interacting in groups and organizations. Finally, it covers the manner in which identities offer both stability and change to individuals. Step by step, the book makes the full range of this powerful new theory understandable.Less
The concept of identity has become widespread within the social and behavioral sciences in recent years, cutting across disciplines from psychiatry and psychology to political science and sociology. All individuals claim particular identities given their roles in society, groups they belong to, and characteristics that describe themselves. Introduced almost thirty years ago, identity theory is a social psychological theory that attempts to understand identities, their sources in interaction and society, their processes of operation, and their consequences for interaction and society from a sociological perspective. This book describes identity theory, its origins, the research that supports it, and its future direction. It covers the relation between identity theory and other related theories, as well as the nature and operation of identities. In addition, the book discusses the multiple identities individuals hold from their multiple positions in society and organizations as well as the multiple identities activated by many people interacting in groups and organizations. Finally, it covers the manner in which identities offer both stability and change to individuals. Step by step, the book makes the full range of this powerful new theory understandable.
Günter P. Wagner
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691156460
- eISBN:
- 9781400851461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691156460.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This chapter examines the developmental mechanisms underlying evolutionary novelties. It first considers the role of the environment in evolutionary innovations, with particular emphasis on how ...
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This chapter examines the developmental mechanisms underlying evolutionary novelties. It first considers the role of the environment in evolutionary innovations, with particular emphasis on how environmental perturbations result in the release of cryptic genetic variation. It then explores where the positional information for novel characters comes from before explaining derived mechanical stimuli and the origin of novelties in the avian hind limb skeleton. It also discusses the origin of character identity networks and the evolution of novel signaling centers, focusing on two novel morphological characters: the butterfly eyespot and the turtle carapace. Finally, it reflects on the developmental biology of novelties, emphasizing the complex and multifaceted nature of the evolutionary changes in the developmental mechanisms that contribute to the origin of novel body parts.Less
This chapter examines the developmental mechanisms underlying evolutionary novelties. It first considers the role of the environment in evolutionary innovations, with particular emphasis on how environmental perturbations result in the release of cryptic genetic variation. It then explores where the positional information for novel characters comes from before explaining derived mechanical stimuli and the origin of novelties in the avian hind limb skeleton. It also discusses the origin of character identity networks and the evolution of novel signaling centers, focusing on two novel morphological characters: the butterfly eyespot and the turtle carapace. Finally, it reflects on the developmental biology of novelties, emphasizing the complex and multifaceted nature of the evolutionary changes in the developmental mechanisms that contribute to the origin of novel body parts.
Swati Rana
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2022
- ISBN:
- 9781469659473
- eISBN:
- 9781469659497
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/northcarolina/9781469659473.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, African-American Literature
A vexed figure inhabits U.S. literature and culture: the visibly racialized immigrant who disavows minority identity and embraces the American dream. Such figures are potent and controversial, for ...
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A vexed figure inhabits U.S. literature and culture: the visibly racialized immigrant who disavows minority identity and embraces the American dream. Such figures are potent and controversial, for they promise to expiate racial violence and perpetuate an exceptionalist ideal of America. Swati Rana grapples with these figures, building on studies of literary character and racial form. Rana offers a new way to view characterization through racialization that creates a fuller social reading of race. Situated in a nascent period of ethnic identification from 1900 to 1960, this book focuses on immigrant writers who do not fit neatly into a resistance-based model of ethnic literature. Writings by Paule Marshall, Ameen Rihani, Dalip Singh Saund, José Garcia Villa, and José Antonio Villarreal symbolize different aspects of the American dream, from individualism to imperialism, assimilation to upward mobility. The dynamics of characterization are also those of contestation, Rana argues. Analyzing the interrelation of persona and personhood, Race Characters presents an original method of comparison, revealing how the protagonist of the American dream is socially constrained and structurally driven.Less
A vexed figure inhabits U.S. literature and culture: the visibly racialized immigrant who disavows minority identity and embraces the American dream. Such figures are potent and controversial, for they promise to expiate racial violence and perpetuate an exceptionalist ideal of America. Swati Rana grapples with these figures, building on studies of literary character and racial form. Rana offers a new way to view characterization through racialization that creates a fuller social reading of race. Situated in a nascent period of ethnic identification from 1900 to 1960, this book focuses on immigrant writers who do not fit neatly into a resistance-based model of ethnic literature. Writings by Paule Marshall, Ameen Rihani, Dalip Singh Saund, José Garcia Villa, and José Antonio Villarreal symbolize different aspects of the American dream, from individualism to imperialism, assimilation to upward mobility. The dynamics of characterization are also those of contestation, Rana argues. Analyzing the interrelation of persona and personhood, Race Characters presents an original method of comparison, revealing how the protagonist of the American dream is socially constrained and structurally driven.
Uriah Kriegel
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199570355
- eISBN:
- 9780191721625
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199570355.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Science
Some mental events are conscious, some are unconscious. What is the difference between the two? This book offers an answer. It attempts to develop a comprehensive theory of the feature that all and ...
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Some mental events are conscious, some are unconscious. What is the difference between the two? This book offers an answer. It attempts to develop a comprehensive theory of the feature that all and only conscious mental events have. According to the theory, conscious mental events differ from unconscious ones in that, whatever else they may represent, they always also represent themselves, and do so in a very specific way. The book fleshed out this idea and argues for it.Less
Some mental events are conscious, some are unconscious. What is the difference between the two? This book offers an answer. It attempts to develop a comprehensive theory of the feature that all and only conscious mental events have. According to the theory, conscious mental events differ from unconscious ones in that, whatever else they may represent, they always also represent themselves, and do so in a very specific way. The book fleshed out this idea and argues for it.
Günter P. Wagner
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691156460
- eISBN:
- 9781400851461
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691156460.003.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
This book examines homology, the correspondence of characters from different species or even within the same organism, from a mechanistic perspective. Homology is explained by derivation from a ...
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This book examines homology, the correspondence of characters from different species or even within the same organism, from a mechanistic perspective. Homology is explained by derivation from a common ancestor that had the same character or trait. This explanation applies at least to characters from different species. Accordingly, this concept has applications in many fields of biology by referring to morphological characters, behaviors, proteins and genes, gene regulatory networks, and developmental mechanisms and processes. The book considers one class of homology relationships, that between morphological characters, and describes the so-called character identity networks. It argues that the evolutionary origin of characters and body plans is the origin of those gene regulatory networks that underlie character identity.Less
This book examines homology, the correspondence of characters from different species or even within the same organism, from a mechanistic perspective. Homology is explained by derivation from a common ancestor that had the same character or trait. This explanation applies at least to characters from different species. Accordingly, this concept has applications in many fields of biology by referring to morphological characters, behaviors, proteins and genes, gene regulatory networks, and developmental mechanisms and processes. The book considers one class of homology relationships, that between morphological characters, and describes the so-called character identity networks. It argues that the evolutionary origin of characters and body plans is the origin of those gene regulatory networks that underlie character identity.
Robert Merrihew Adams
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199207510
- eISBN:
- 9780191708824
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207510.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
What is a theory of virtue about? It is about what constitutes a good moral character, or a good quality of character. It is not about what makes an action right or wrong, though virtuous people ...
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What is a theory of virtue about? It is about what constitutes a good moral character, or a good quality of character. It is not about what makes an action right or wrong, though virtuous people generally act rightly. The evaluation of character as good or bad and the evaluation of actions as right or wrong are different departments of ethical theory. Neither can be reduced to the other, and there is reason to care about both of them. This chapter explains and defends these theses, and the remaining chapters of the book are sketched in outline.Less
What is a theory of virtue about? It is about what constitutes a good moral character, or a good quality of character. It is not about what makes an action right or wrong, though virtuous people generally act rightly. The evaluation of character as good or bad and the evaluation of actions as right or wrong are different departments of ethical theory. Neither can be reduced to the other, and there is reason to care about both of them. This chapter explains and defends these theses, and the remaining chapters of the book are sketched in outline.
Robert Merrihew Adams
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199207510
- eISBN:
- 9780191708824
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207510.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Virtue, comprehensively considered, is intrinsic excellence of persisting moral character, and excellence of moral character must be excellence in being for what is good. This chapter elaborates the ...
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Virtue, comprehensively considered, is intrinsic excellence of persisting moral character, and excellence of moral character must be excellence in being for what is good. This chapter elaborates the concepts of being forsomething, of the good that virtue is for, and of excellence. The concept of a particular virtue or excellent trait of moral character is distinguished from, and related to, the more comprehensive concept of virtue.Less
Virtue, comprehensively considered, is intrinsic excellence of persisting moral character, and excellence of moral character must be excellence in being for what is good. This chapter elaborates the concepts of being forsomething, of the good that virtue is for, and of excellence. The concept of a particular virtue or excellent trait of moral character is distinguished from, and related to, the more comprehensive concept of virtue.
Robert Merrihew Adams
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199207510
- eISBN:
- 9780191708824
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207510.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
This chapter rejects the notion of absolute evil and argues that even Satanic wickedness cannot be understood as unqualified opposition to all goods. Badness of character is found in the way one ...
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This chapter rejects the notion of absolute evil and argues that even Satanic wickedness cannot be understood as unqualified opposition to all goods. Badness of character is found in the way one relates to particular goods — in deficiency or excess in being for them, or in being indifferent or even opposed to certain goods. Which goods is it a serious deficiency of character not to be for? This question is explored as a key to the mapping of both virtues and vices.Less
This chapter rejects the notion of absolute evil and argues that even Satanic wickedness cannot be understood as unqualified opposition to all goods. Badness of character is found in the way one relates to particular goods — in deficiency or excess in being for them, or in being indifferent or even opposed to certain goods. Which goods is it a serious deficiency of character not to be for? This question is explored as a key to the mapping of both virtues and vices.
Richard Johnston
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199253135
- eISBN:
- 9780191599675
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199253137.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
For the case of elections since 1988, this chapter looks at the suggestion made by Andre Siegfried in 1907 that Canadian elections are peculiarly vulnerable to leader effects. It begins by outlining ...
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For the case of elections since 1988, this chapter looks at the suggestion made by Andre Siegfried in 1907 that Canadian elections are peculiarly vulnerable to leader effects. It begins by outlining the specifically Canadian arguments for taking leadership seriously and the evidence said to back them; the arguments are found to refer mainly to ‘indirect’ effects in the sense used by King in Chapter 1 (so that leaders are treated as embodied preferences), with the actual evidence largely silent on the content – personality or otherwise – of Canadian judgments on leaders, at least in so far as those judgments are linked to the vote. Likewise, most accounts control for competing explanations weakly, if at all, and none considers personality for its net, election–day effect. Working through each argument also reveals that each is highly contingent, generally applying more to certain parties or party sizes than others, and more to periods of flux and to new parties than to stable periods and old parties. Filling the gaps requires an account of the personality factors worth taking seriously (the analysis looks at competence and character), a basic estimation strategy setting these attributes into proper context (which is given), and based on this estimation strategy, an accounting for net aggregate effects (also given). The last two sections of the chapter discuss whether perceptions of personality can be modified over the course of a campaign, and give an account of a special sort of ‘indirect’ effect: the case where perceptions of a leader’s personality can be cashed in on perceptions of a policy option (here the proposal for a commercial union between Canada and the United States in 1988).Less
For the case of elections since 1988, this chapter looks at the suggestion made by Andre Siegfried in 1907 that Canadian elections are peculiarly vulnerable to leader effects. It begins by outlining the specifically Canadian arguments for taking leadership seriously and the evidence said to back them; the arguments are found to refer mainly to ‘indirect’ effects in the sense used by King in Chapter 1 (so that leaders are treated as embodied preferences), with the actual evidence largely silent on the content – personality or otherwise – of Canadian judgments on leaders, at least in so far as those judgments are linked to the vote. Likewise, most accounts control for competing explanations weakly, if at all, and none considers personality for its net, election–day effect. Working through each argument also reveals that each is highly contingent, generally applying more to certain parties or party sizes than others, and more to periods of flux and to new parties than to stable periods and old parties. Filling the gaps requires an account of the personality factors worth taking seriously (the analysis looks at competence and character), a basic estimation strategy setting these attributes into proper context (which is given), and based on this estimation strategy, an accounting for net aggregate effects (also given). The last two sections of the chapter discuss whether perceptions of personality can be modified over the course of a campaign, and give an account of a special sort of ‘indirect’ effect: the case where perceptions of a leader’s personality can be cashed in on perceptions of a policy option (here the proposal for a commercial union between Canada and the United States in 1988).
John Gibson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199299522
- eISBN:
- 9780191714900
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199299522.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Literature is a source of understanding and insight into the human condition. Yet ever since Aristotle, philosophers have struggled to provide a plausible account of how this can be the case. For ...
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Literature is a source of understanding and insight into the human condition. Yet ever since Aristotle, philosophers have struggled to provide a plausible account of how this can be the case. For surely the fictionality, the sheer invented character, of the literary work means that literature concerns itself not with the real world but with other worlds — what are commonly called fictional worlds. How is it, then, that fictions can tell us something of consequence about reality? This book offers a novel and intriguing account of the relationship between literature and life, and shows that literature's great cultural and cognitive value is inseparable from its fictionality and inventiveness.Less
Literature is a source of understanding and insight into the human condition. Yet ever since Aristotle, philosophers have struggled to provide a plausible account of how this can be the case. For surely the fictionality, the sheer invented character, of the literary work means that literature concerns itself not with the real world but with other worlds — what are commonly called fictional worlds. How is it, then, that fictions can tell us something of consequence about reality? This book offers a novel and intriguing account of the relationship between literature and life, and shows that literature's great cultural and cognitive value is inseparable from its fictionality and inventiveness.
Daniel Stoljar
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195306583
- eISBN:
- 9780199786619
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195306589.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter proceeds by pointing out that the epistemic view is known to be correct for older philosophical problems that are structurally analogous to the logical problem, problems which concern ...
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This chapter proceeds by pointing out that the epistemic view is known to be correct for older philosophical problems that are structurally analogous to the logical problem, problems which concern not the phenomenal character of experience but the intellectual character of thought and the chemical features of physical objects. The suggestion of the chapter is that these historical cases should be viewed as a guide to our present situation.Less
This chapter proceeds by pointing out that the epistemic view is known to be correct for older philosophical problems that are structurally analogous to the logical problem, problems which concern not the phenomenal character of experience but the intellectual character of thought and the chemical features of physical objects. The suggestion of the chapter is that these historical cases should be viewed as a guide to our present situation.
Simon Scott
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198568360
- eISBN:
- 9780191594748
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568360.003.0003
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Analysis
Determinants as abstract invariants have received less study in the mathematical literature than traces, on which there is an extensive literature. However, determinants can be treated in a general ...
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Determinants as abstract invariants have received less study in the mathematical literature than traces, on which there is an extensive literature. However, determinants can be treated in a general framework. The significant new object here is a logarithm operator from semigroups to tracial algebras. The character of the logarithm operator defined by the algebra trace is then the log-determinant. Determinants may therefore be understood in general terms as characters of logarithmic representations of semigroups. This chapter introduces and elaborates these ideas and provides numerous examples of such structures. In the latter part of the chapter the specific case of logarithms and determinant structures on pseudodifferential operators is presented, outlining the basic structures that have been identified and how logarithms and geometric index theory are closely related. A general folklore principle here is that there is one class of logarithms for each higher K theory.Less
Determinants as abstract invariants have received less study in the mathematical literature than traces, on which there is an extensive literature. However, determinants can be treated in a general framework. The significant new object here is a logarithm operator from semigroups to tracial algebras. The character of the logarithm operator defined by the algebra trace is then the log-determinant. Determinants may therefore be understood in general terms as characters of logarithmic representations of semigroups. This chapter introduces and elaborates these ideas and provides numerous examples of such structures. In the latter part of the chapter the specific case of logarithms and determinant structures on pseudodifferential operators is presented, outlining the basic structures that have been identified and how logarithms and geometric index theory are closely related. A general folklore principle here is that there is one class of logarithms for each higher K theory.
Yuriko Saito
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199278350
- eISBN:
- 9780191707001
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278350.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
Everyday aesthetic experiences and concerns occupy a large part of our aesthetic life. However, because of their prevalence and mundane nature, we tend not to pay much attention to them, let alone ...
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Everyday aesthetic experiences and concerns occupy a large part of our aesthetic life. However, because of their prevalence and mundane nature, we tend not to pay much attention to them, let alone examine their significance. Western aesthetic theories of the last two centuries also neglect everyday aesthetics because of their almost exclusive emphasis on art. This book aims to correct this neglect by revealing how our everyday aesthetic tastes and judgments can exert a powerful influence on the state of the world and the quality of life. By analyzing a wide range of contemporary examples from our aesthetic interactions with nature, the environment, and everyday objects, as well as precedents in 18th century British aesthetics, 19th century American landscape appreciation, and Japanese culture, this book illustrates the complex nature of seemingly simple and innocuous aesthetic responses. The issues discussed include the inadequacy of art-centered aesthetics, diverse modes of practicing everyday aesthetics, the environmental ramifications of our everyday aesthetic tastes and judgments, green aesthetics, the aesthetic appreciation of the distinctive characteristics of objects and phenomena, responses to various manifestations of transience, and the aesthetic experience of moral values. The discussion of each issue explores the complex nature of everyday aesthetics, as well as the power of the aesthetic, by illuminating its serious moral, political, existential, and environmental implications that are often unrecognized.Less
Everyday aesthetic experiences and concerns occupy a large part of our aesthetic life. However, because of their prevalence and mundane nature, we tend not to pay much attention to them, let alone examine their significance. Western aesthetic theories of the last two centuries also neglect everyday aesthetics because of their almost exclusive emphasis on art. This book aims to correct this neglect by revealing how our everyday aesthetic tastes and judgments can exert a powerful influence on the state of the world and the quality of life. By analyzing a wide range of contemporary examples from our aesthetic interactions with nature, the environment, and everyday objects, as well as precedents in 18th century British aesthetics, 19th century American landscape appreciation, and Japanese culture, this book illustrates the complex nature of seemingly simple and innocuous aesthetic responses. The issues discussed include the inadequacy of art-centered aesthetics, diverse modes of practicing everyday aesthetics, the environmental ramifications of our everyday aesthetic tastes and judgments, green aesthetics, the aesthetic appreciation of the distinctive characteristics of objects and phenomena, responses to various manifestations of transience, and the aesthetic experience of moral values. The discussion of each issue explores the complex nature of everyday aesthetics, as well as the power of the aesthetic, by illuminating its serious moral, political, existential, and environmental implications that are often unrecognized.
George Sher
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195187427
- eISBN:
- 9780199786596
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195187423.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter examines the Humean thesis that agents can only be blamed for their bad acts insofar as those acts are manifestations of defects in their characters. Several versions of this thesis are ...
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This chapter examines the Humean thesis that agents can only be blamed for their bad acts insofar as those acts are manifestations of defects in their characters. Several versions of this thesis are distinguished and criticized. The criticisms include both the familiar charge that the Humean can’t explain how someone can deserve blame for an act whose badness is “out of character” and the less familiar charge that on the Humean account, the badness of the act itself drops out as irrelevant. It is argued, however, that although Hume was wrong to say that every blameworthy act reflects a flaw in the agent’s character, it may be right to say that every blameworthy act is rooted in the agent’s character.Less
This chapter examines the Humean thesis that agents can only be blamed for their bad acts insofar as those acts are manifestations of defects in their characters. Several versions of this thesis are distinguished and criticized. The criticisms include both the familiar charge that the Humean can’t explain how someone can deserve blame for an act whose badness is “out of character” and the less familiar charge that on the Humean account, the badness of the act itself drops out as irrelevant. It is argued, however, that although Hume was wrong to say that every blameworthy act reflects a flaw in the agent’s character, it may be right to say that every blameworthy act is rooted in the agent’s character.
Paul Woodruff
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195332001
- eISBN:
- 9780199868186
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195332001.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Aesthetics
The Necessity of Theater examines the whole art of theater, which teaches us how best to watch and be watched, and is as necessary to human life as language. We practice the art of ...
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The Necessity of Theater examines the whole art of theater, which teaches us how best to watch and be watched, and is as necessary to human life as language. We practice the art of theater on the formal stage, but also in sports events, weddings, and ceremonies of all kinds. The book begins by defining the art in a broad way, so as to include as many kinds of theater as possible across world cultures. After defining theater, The Necessity of Theater examines in turn each of the main elements of its two main components: the art of watching and that of being watched. Performers practice the art of making their actions worth watching. This means that they should pay attention to such elements as action, choice, plot, character, mimesis, and the sacredness of performance space. All of these are covered in the book. Audiences practice the art of paying attention to the actions before them. To do that they need to know how to find events worth watching. A good audience is emotionally engaged through one of the many forms of empathy that are distinguished in this book, one of which leads to human wisdom. Plato's ancient attack on theater is right in that theater cannot teach us transcendent truths, but theater does each us about ourselves.Less
The Necessity of Theater examines the whole art of theater, which teaches us how best to watch and be watched, and is as necessary to human life as language. We practice the art of theater on the formal stage, but also in sports events, weddings, and ceremonies of all kinds. The book begins by defining the art in a broad way, so as to include as many kinds of theater as possible across world cultures. After defining theater, The Necessity of Theater examines in turn each of the main elements of its two main components: the art of watching and that of being watched. Performers practice the art of making their actions worth watching. This means that they should pay attention to such elements as action, choice, plot, character, mimesis, and the sacredness of performance space. All of these are covered in the book. Audiences practice the art of paying attention to the actions before them. To do that they need to know how to find events worth watching. A good audience is emotionally engaged through one of the many forms of empathy that are distinguished in this book, one of which leads to human wisdom. Plato's ancient attack on theater is right in that theater cannot teach us transcendent truths, but theater does each us about ourselves.
