The cognitive roots of gender in Russian

Traditional accounts of gender as a grammatical category fail to grasp the essence of its meaning. A cognitive approach to the analysis of Russian nominal gender classification provides deeper insights into the relationship between grammar and man’s cognitive activity, making explanation of grammatical facts more comprehensible

The ontology of signs as linguistic and non-linguistic entities: a cognitive perspective

It is argued that the traditional philosophical/linguistic analysis of semiotic phe-nomena is based on the false epistemological assumption that linguistic and non-linguistic entities possess different ontologies. An attempt is made to show where linguistics as the study of signs went wrong, and an unorthodox account of the na-ture of semiosis is proposed in the framework of autopoiesis as a new epistemology of the living

Did social cognition evolve by cultural group selection?

Abstract Cognitive gadgets puts forward an ambitious claim: language, mindreading, and imitation evolved by cultural group selection. Defending this claim requires more than Heyes' spirited and effective critique of nativist claims. The latest human “cognitive gadgets,” such as literacy, did not spread through cultural group selection. Why should social cognition be different? The book leaves this question pending. It also makes strong assumptions regarding cultural evolution: it is moved by selection rather than transformation; it relies on high-fidelity imitation; it requires specific cognitive adaptations to cultural learning. Each of these assumptions raises crucial yet unaddressed difficulties

A Presuppositional Critique of Constructivism

Educational theories have roots. They have roots in broader philosophies, conceptions of the nature of reality, and the theories utilized in classrooms to teach have implications for broader society. The author takes a presuppostitional view and shows that all systems have most basic beliefs that are un-provable. So at the heart of any form of interpretive schema or paradigm is faith in that schema. The author discusses the role of theories of truth, how fact-constructivism embraces a relativist position that is self-refuting, and ultimately is untenable absent a suspension of laws of logic. The author argues in favor of revelation from God as axiomatic and demonstrates how logic can exist on that basis, whereas on a secular basis, philosophy cannot generate any True facts whatsoever. The author then looks at the educational theory of constructivism and examines the theory and practices it endorses it in light of the presuppositional critique and concludes that the relativistic nature of constructivism precludes it from being a philosophically acceptable approach for the Christian

Soft computing: forms and limits in computational aesthetics

This paper contends that soft computing can help us investigate the aesthetics of digital computation. Employing broader conceptions of aesthetics and perception, and whilst drawing upon the ontology of Alfred N. Whitehead, it uses soft computing to address the 'prehensive' dimension of the quantitative procedures of computation, and explores the interrelationship between the factuality and formality of computational structures

An Essay on the Ancient Ideal of ‘Enraonar’

‘Reasoning’ can be considered a general concept that, upon speaking, is the ‘enraonar’, a Catalan word that should not be mistaken with ‘explain’ nor with ‘discuss’ which imply more detail, and cover different situations. This article is presented as an essay on the ancient ideal of ‘enraonar’. To that end, it is explained in what sense ‘enraonar’ and reason are one of the most complex phenomena thought has to deal with. Here it is argued that these natural phenomena require a systematic and ‘scientific’ study, and that withoutthis knowledge computer science cannot simulate people’s every-day ‘enraonar’

Análisis del aprovechamiento de oportunidades de aprendizaje generadas en la discusión en gran grupo de un problema de transformaciones geométricas

Esta comunicación trata sobre el aprovechamiento de las oportunidades de aprendizaje matemático generadas en una discusión en gran grupo de un problema de transformaciones geométricas en el que se utiliza GeoGebra para su resolución. Para ello se toman datos de cómo los alumnos de un grupo de 3º de la E.S.O. abordan el problema en un aula en dos momentos: antes de la discusión y tras la discusión. Esto permite observar la trayectoria de aprendizaje realizado. Se ejemplifica el estudio con una alumna. En el análisis se utilizan técnicas de lógica borrosa gracias a las cuales se definen distintos niveles de conocimiento procedimental que muestra la alumna en los dos momentos. A través de un sistema de reglas borrosas se obtienen distintos grados de aprovechamiento de las oportunidades de aprendizaje que se logran expresar a través de un párrafo

Plant Structure Ontology: How to label plant structures with doubtful or mixed identities?

This paper discusses problems with labelling plant structures in the context of attempts to create a unified Plant Structure Ontology. Special attention is given to structures with mixed, or doubtful identities that are difficult or even impossible to label with a single term. In various vascular plants (and some groups of animals) the structural categories for the description of forms are less distinct than is often supposed. Thus, there are morphological misfits that do not fit exactly into one or the other category and to which it is difficult, or even impossible, to apply a categorical name. After presenting three case studies of intermediate organs and organs whose identity is in doubt, we review five approaches to categorizing plant organs, and evaluate the potential of each to serve as a general reference system for gene annotations. The five approaches are (1) standardized vocabularies, (2) labels based on developmental genetics, (3) continuum morphology, (4) process morphology, (5) character cladograms. While all of these approaches have important domains of applicability, we conclude that process morphology is the one most suited to gene annotation