Normativity and Truth in Naturalized Epistemology

In his famous article “Epistemology Naturalized” (1969), Quine established a novel take on the position of epistemology in philosophical and scientific discourse. According to his views, epistemological questions are a subset of psychological questions, and psychology in itself is a branch of natural science. Thus, epistemology, as understood in the Quinean sense, threatens the very idea of its normative aspects, as natural science is empiristic and, as a result, relies on purely descriptive claims. Hence, the following question arises: Does the naturalized account of epistemology entail the rejection of epistemic norms? In this research, we explore the three possible answers to this question and argue there is a sense of normativity in Quine’s naturalized epistemology, but only insofar as we are willing to accept his imperfect notion of the truth

Exploring, expounding & ersatzing: a three-level account of deep learning models in cognitive neuroscience.

Deep learning (DL) is a statistical technique for pattern classification through which AI researchers train artificial neural networks containing multiple layers that process massive amounts of data. I present a three-level account of explanation that can be reasonably expected from DL models in cognitive neuroscience and that illustrates the explanatory dynamics within a future-biased research program (Feest Philosophy of Science 84:1165–1176, 2017; Doerig et al. Nature Reviews: Neuroscience 24:431–450, 2023). By relying on the mechanistic framework (Craver Explaining the brain: Mechanisms and the mosaic unity of neuroscience. Clarendon, 2007; Stinson Eppuor si muove: Doing history and philosophy of Science with Peter Machamer. Springer, 2017, The Routledge Handbook of the computational mind. Routledge, 2018), I develop an account that corresponds to the stages of mechanism discovery, i.e., our shifting epistemic position and epistemic goals, and propose a representative model for each level. Generic, theoretical DL models at Level 1 address the general features of a cognitive phenomenon through exploration and provide us with how-possibly explanations. On the other hand, DL models at Level 2 either identify the interaction between the features or represent the epistemic stage when the researcher is still unsure if the modeled features are crucial or arbitrary. These models should provide us with how-plausibly explanations. Finally, specific DL models of specific brain areas, i.e., ersatz models filled with relevant cognitive and neuroscientific details, are at Level 3. At this level, a researcher can advance how-actually explanations of cognitive phenomena. The main strength of this account is that it elucidates both global explanatory dynamics and local explanatory dynamics (cf. Dresow Synthese 199:10441–10474, 2021). The former occurs when the transition between levels happens in accordance with the process of obtaining more details about a particular cognitive phenomenon through multiple DL models. The latter, meanwhile, involves cases in which the transition between levels takes place within a single DL model by elucidating internal mechanisms (e.g., using Explainable AI techniques for rendering models more transparent)

Weber’s Understanding of Epistemological and Methodological Foundations of Social Sciences and Sociology

Од формирања социологије као засебне науке током прве половине XIX века нека од најбитнијих питања на које су социолози покушали да дају одговор била су какве су сазнајне могућности социологије као науке и који су најадекватнији методи истраживања које она треба да користи. У овом раду ће бити критички анализирано како је Макс Вебер (Max Weber), један од најзначајнијих социолога, схватао сазнајне могућности социологије и који би метод према његовом мишљењу социологија као друштвена наука требало да користи. Првенствено ће бити размотрено како је интелектуална клима друге половине XIX века утицала на његово схватање научне методологије у ширем смислу. Потом ће бити приказано Веберово виђење основних епистемолошких карактеристика друштвених наука и његово методолошко-теоријско одређење социологије.Since the formation of sociology as a separate science during the first half of the 19th century, some of the most important questions that sociologists have attempted to answer have been what the cognitive possibilities of sociology as a science are and what the most adequate methods of research that it should use are. In this work, we will critically analyze how Max Weber, one of the most significant sociologists, understood the cognitive possibilities of sociology and what method, according to him, sociology as a social science should use. Firstly, we will examine how the intellectual climate of the second half of the 19th century influenced his understanding of scientific methodology in a broader sense. Then, Weber’s vision of the basic epistemological characteristics of social sciences and his methodological-theoretical determination of sociology will be presented

Kontekst i organizacione promene u obrazovanju darovitih tokom pandemije COVID-19 u Hrvatskoj, Srbiji i Sloveniji

Although there were studies that investigated some aspects of remote education and educational experience of different stakeholders during the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a lack of data and studies that explored context and effects of organizational changes in education during the pandemic on gifted students. This paper is part of the wider qualitative study about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on schooling in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia that specifically included gifted students (both from primary and high schools). In the first part of the paper, some basic characteristics of access to the gifted, identification procedures and support for gifted students in three countries are discussed, while in the second part organizational changes in emergency circumstances during the pandemic are considered. It is shown that, besides similarities and differences in approach, gifted students could be considered a vulnerable group in all three countries of the region.Iako su postojale studije koje su istraživale neke aspekte obrazovanja na daljinu i obrazovno iskustvo različitih učesnika obrazovnog procesa tokom pandemije Covid19, nedostaju podaci i studije koje su istraživale kontekst i efekte organizacionih promena u obrazovanju tokom pandemije na darovite učenike. Ovaj rad je deo šire kvalitativne studije o efektima pandemije Covid-19 na obrazovanje u Hrvatskoj, Srbiji i Sloveniji koja je posebno obuhvatila i darovite učenike (osnovne i srednje škole). U prvom delu rada razmatraju se neke osnovne karakteristike pristupa darovitim učenicima, postupci identifikacije i podrška za darovite učenike u tri zemlje. U drugom delu rada razmatraju se organizacione promene u vanrednim okolnostima tokom pandemije. Pokazalo se da se, pored sličnosti i razlika u pristupu, u sve tri zemlje regiona daroviti učenici mogu smatrati ranjivom grupom.Saopštenje sa međunarodnog skupa štampano u celini, 29. Okrugli sto - Međunarodni naučni skup - Kompleksnost darovitosti u kulturi učenja, 7. jul 2023. godine u Vršc

Management and supply of wild beasts for Roman amphitheatre games: archaeozoological and genetic evidence from Viminacium

Wild beast spectacles (venationes) in Roman amphitheatres required a complex network of organization – from wildlife capturing and transport to their maintenance, displays in the arena, and processing their corpses after death. Numerous depictions in ancient texts and iconography are related to venationes and they give some insight into the supply and management of wildlife used in amphitheatre games. However, these are considered to be highly exaggerated, and they are usually not concerned with the vast majority of provincial amphitheatres, but only to spectacles held in just a few urban centres (e.g. Rome). Archaeozoological data from areas of several Roman provincial amphitheatres have given additional insights into the usage of wild beasts in arena shows throughout the Empire. One of the largest amphitheatre faunal collections originates from the military amphitheatre of Viminacium – the post of the 7th Claudia Legion, and capital of the province of Moesia Superior. Previous studies on wildlife remains from Viminacium amphitheatre indicated the usage of locally available beasts (brown bears, wild boars and red deer), as well as exotics (big cats). This paper will discuss the supply and management of those beasts through the combination of archaeozoological and genetic evidence. More precisely it will examine their origin via genetic evidence, as well as the way of their use in the arena by examination of skeletal trauma.4th ICAZ Roman Period Working Group Meeting, 9–12th April, Belgrade, Serbi

Nova klima za ljudsku prirodu? Proučavanje društvene teorije kroz postprirodu, antropocen i posthumanizam

By examining debates on the Anthropocene era ignited by new materialist and posthumanist scholarship, this paper aims to discern how these perspectives can reframe the human-nature nexus. It also considers how various “developmentalist” approaches might assume the role traditionally held by the concept of human nature. The first section highlights concerns raised by posthumanist and neomaterialist scholars about the marginalized status of “nature”, life, and biology within dominant constructivist viewpoints. A central argument posits that notions like “denaturalization” and biopolitics amplify societal dominance over nature, pushing social theory towards an anthropocentric and potentially biologically indeterminate stance. Contrasting this, the second section delves into modern interpretations of the planet in social theory, inspired by the emergence of the Anthropocene. This lens reveals a dynamic, co-constitutive relationship, tilting less towards the unilateral commands of “nature” and more towards understanding the evolution of human life and societal structures within Earth’s expansive temporal and spatial realms. The third section further unpacks these developmental ideas by juxtaposing the theories of Bruno Latour and Tim Ingold. The paper contends that both approaches endeavor to illuminate the complex processes underpinning the evolution of life forms, underscoring the significance of culture. In conclusion, the intricate postnatural landscape of the Anthropocene necessitates a more integrated human-nature relationship. This calls for not only discarding dehumanizing facets of human nature, but also fostering a renewed sensibility – a deeper form of humanizing that acknowledges and celebrates our shared existence with other species and entities.Proučavajući rasprave o antropocenskoj eri pokrenute od strane novih materijalističkih i posthumanističkih pristupa, ovaj rad nastoji da prepozna kako ove perspektive mogu preoblikovati vezu između čoveka i prirode. Takođe, u radu se razmatra kako različiti „razvojni“ pristupi mogu preuzeti ulogu koju je tradicionalno imao pojam ljudske prirode. Prvi deo ističeprobleme koje posthumanistički i neomaterijalistički uočavaju povodom marginalizovanogstatusa „prirode“, života i biologije unutar dominantnih konstruktivističkih gledišta. Centralni dominaciju nad prirodom, gurajući socijalnu teoriju prema antropocentričnom i potencijalnobiološki neodređenom stavu. Nasuprot tome, drugi deo se bavi modernim tumačenjima planete u socijalnoj teoriji, inspirisanim pojavom antropocena. Kroz ovu perspektivu otkriva sedinamična, ko-konstitutivna veza, koja manje naginje jednostranom diktatu „prirode“ a višeka razumevanju evolucije ljudskog života i društvenih struktura unutar prostranih vremenskih i prostornih domena Zemlje. Treći deo dalje razrađuje ove razvojne ideje upoređujućiteorije Bruna Latura i Tima Ingolda. Rad tvrdi da oba pristupa teže osvetljavanju složenihprocesa koji stoje u osnovi evolucije životnih oblika, naglašavajući značaj kulture. Zaključno,složeni postprirodni pejzaž antropocena zahteva integrisaniji odnos čoveka i prirode. To zahteva ne samo odbacivanje dehumanizirajućih aspekata ljudske prirode, već i podsticanjeobnovljenog senzibiliteta – dublje forme humanizacije koja priznaje i slavi naše zajedničkopostojanje s drugim vrstama i entitetim

Kriza v šoli in šola v krizi: primer beograjske šole »Vladislav Ribnikar«

Dogodek, ki se je zgodil 3. maja 2023 v Osnovni šoli Vladislav Ribnikar v Beogradu, presega okvire tistega, kar običajno obravnavamo kot nasilje v šoli – učenec sedmega razreda je ubil devet učencev in šolskega varnostnika, ranil pet učencev in učiteljico. Ne samo, da je ta dogodek odražal center velike krize, ki je vznemirila običajne načine delovanja šole, temveč so vprašanja, na katera je bilo potrebno odgovoriti po tem dogodku, tudi sama predstavljala izvore novih kriz. V predavanju se bomo ukvarjali prav s temi vprašanji. Vprašanja, ki so zahtevala odločitve, so bila številna in raznovrstna – od tistih, ki so se nanašala na način izražanja pietete do žrtev, prek vprašanj o tem, komu je potrebna podpora, kakšna podpora in kako jo organizirati, do tistih vprašanj, ki so se nanašala na delo šole – ali, kdaj in kje nadaljevati šolsko leto, kako ga zaključiti, kaj in kako delati, s katerimi učenci in učitelji ipd. Navedena vprašanja predstavljajo preizpraševanje o vlogi, ki jo lahko ima ali jo mora imeti Osnovna šola Vladislav Ribnikar ali katerakoli šola v krizni situaciji. Z analizo načina odgovarjanja na nekatera od teh vprašanj bomo identificirali nekatere značilnosti delovanja šole in šolskega sistema, ki so lahko pomembne ne le za razumevanje dogajanja v Srbiji, ampak tudi za delovanje šole v kriznih situacijah v drugih okoljih. Analiza kaže na centraliziran način odločanja, ki je premalo upošteval različne perspektive in jih ni obravnaval participatorno. Prav tako je bil poudarek na nadzoru nad delom šole, z jasno delitvijo pristojnosti in nejasno delitvijo odgovornosti med šolo in višjimi ravnmi upravljanja. V takšni situaciji se šola in učitelji niso čutili pripravljene prevzeti odgovornost za lastne odločitve. Konec šolskega leta in zaključek ocen sta odprla še druga vprašanja, ki so groteskno kazala na prevlado administrativno-birokratskih ukrepov nad smislom. Osebna in strokovna negotovost, izogibanje odgovornosti, pomanjkanje partnerskih odnosov, pomanjkanje osredotočenosti na iskanje rešitev, pa tudi odsotnost participativnega odločanja, ki jih lahko prepoznamo v tej situaciji, lahko označimo kot lastnosti, ki so v nasprotju s konceptom šole kot učeče se skupnosti (Hargreaves 2003; Mitchell Mitchell in Sackney 2000; Senge 2001) in šole kot demokratične mikroskupnosti (Delors 1998; Pavlović Breneselović 2015). Nasprotno, značilni so za šolo, ki deluje kot birokratska institucija (Ilič 1980; Radulović 2016). Lahko pa se vprašamo, ali bi se šola drugače odzvala na to krizo, če bi prej delovala kot učeča se skupnost, pa tudi, ali je možno, da šola, ki deluje kot demokratična mikroskupnost, obstaja v izobraževalnem in družbenem sistemu, ki sam po sebi sicer ni demokratičen. Ker kriza predstavlja situacijo srečevanja z neznanim, kar nujno povzroča negotovost, pa tudi dejstvo, da so bili v tem primeru vsi akterji v šoli posredno ali neposredno izpostavljeni travmatičnemu dogodku, ostaja vprašanje, ali je dovolj, da se zanašajo na mehanizme izmenjave, medsebojne podpore in skupnega odločanja znotraj šole, ki jo je prizadela kriza, ali pa je potrebno zagotoviti varno in dosledno vodenje in podporo izven šole

Emancipatory Education and Development of Alternative Educational Practices

Drawing on the standpoints of Critical Pedagogy and the Emancipatory view of education, this paper addresses the issue of developing alternative educational practices that can lead to a change in relationships in the classroom and possibly in the broader social context. In relation to some of the contemporary pedagogical views, some alternative pedagogical models are presented that promote changes in the relationships between teachers and students, and between students themselves. In an effort to create a more democratic environment, we address the question of how these models can also be establisheded in contemporary schools. Starting from the promotion of didactic teacher strategies that support student autonomy, some theoretical and practical pedagogical implications are highlighted that can encourage teachers to actively and cooperatively change the classroom and wider social relations and conditions with students. In addition, the paper provides an overview of contemporary education and gives a general recommendation for education workers who want to actively work for education based on ideas of emancipation.Часопис дозвољава објављивање оригиналног рукописа који је одобрен за публиковање уз додавање назива часописа, волумена, броја и ДОИ ознак

Historian as a Witness and an Expert: A Look at the 1990s

U poslednjoj deceniji XX veka kriza je obuhvatila sve sfere života u Srbiji i regionu, pa tako i istorijsku nauku koja je bila meta mitologizacije i politizacije. U takvoj atmosferi krize istoriografije, Andrej Mitrović je težio da očuva istorijsku svest upozoravajući na zloupotrebe prošlosti. Kroz Mitrovićeva dela i intervjue iz devedesetih godina, ovaj rad prikazuje šta znači biti istoričar, svedok i ekspert u Srbiji devedesetih godina, te kako izgleda biti svedok burnih istorijskih događaja i razumeti već tada njihovu težinu i značaj.Looking into the writings and interviews of Andrej Mitrović, this article shows what it means to be a historian, a witness and an expert in a decade filled with crises in society’s every segment, including historiography. With his writing and actions Mitrović strived to save the past from the abuse of history, criticizing the intellectual elite and the regime in Serbia for manipulating historical facts for political purposes. This article also briefly shows a continuity of historical revisionism in Serbia during the last 30 years, emphasizing why Mitrović’s expertise in the fight for historical consciousness still matters today

Navigating Uncertainties in the Built Environment: Reevaluating Antifragile Planning in the Anthropocene through a Posthumanist Lens

Within the vast landscape of the Built Environment, where challenges of uncertainty abound, this paper ventures into a detailed exploration of antifragile planning. Antifragility, a concept rooted in the capacity of systems to not only withstand but also thrive in the face of volatility, stands as a beacon of resilience amidst the uncertainties of the Anthropocene. The paper offers a systematic examination of antifragile planning, specifically by concentrating on uncertainty as one of its key theoretical tenets and by exploring the implications of these principles within the context of the Anthropocene. After offering a systematic and comprehensive review of the literature, the analysis delves into several important themes in antifragile planning, including the recognition of limited predictive reliability, critiques of conventional responses to shocks such as urban resilience and smart cities, and the strategic elimination of potential fragilizers through a unique planning methodology. Furthermore, the paper discusses three key arguments challenging the efficacy of antifragility: the systemic approach, the classification of responses to perturbations, and the validity of adaptivity and optionality theses. Specifically, the gaps identified in the antifragile planning methodology reveal its shortcomings in addressing the complexity of cities, its failure to recognize the variety of responses to shocks and perturbations, and its neglect of broader urban relationalities, especially in relation to climate-induced uncertainty. Thus, it is asserted that antifragility remains urbocentric. For these reasons, the paper contends that rectifying the gaps detected in antifragility is necessary to address the uncertainty of the Anthropocene. By aligning largely with emerging posthumanist planning strategies, the paper emphasizes the significance of adopting a proactive approach that goes beyond merely suppressing natural events. This approach involves fostering urban intelligence, contextualizing urban materialities within broader planetary dynamics, and embracing exploratory design strategies that prioritize both the ethical and aesthetic dimensions of planning