The Replication Argument for Incompatibilism

In this paper, I articulate an argument for incompatibilism about moral responsibility and determinism. My argument comes in the form of an extended story, modeled loosely on Peter van Inwagen’s “rollback argument” scenario. I thus call it “the replication argument.” As I aim to bring out, though the argument is inspired by so-called “manipulation” and “original design” arguments, the argument is not a version of either such argument—and plausibly has advantages over both. The result, I believe, is a more convincing incompatibilist argument than those we have considered previously

Husserl, Language and the Ontology of the Act

The ontology of language is concerned with the relations between uses of language, both overt and covert, and other entities, whether in the world or in the mind of the thinking subject. We attempt a first survey of the sorts of relations which might come into question for such an ontology, including: relations between referring uses of expressions and their objects, relations between the use of a (true) sentence and that in the world which makes it true, relations between mental acts on the one hand and underlying mental states (attitudes, beliefs), on the other, relations between my acts and states, associated uses of language and overt actions on my part and on the part of those other subjects with whom I communicate

Un-framing: towards repeated acts of deferral and fracture in fine art practice, production & consumption

This paper considers the repeated blurring of the distinction between artwork and display setting, between the ‘pictured space’ and that of the spectator in my practice as an artist. Examples of ‘visual disturbances’ of existing conventions of art production, reception and consumption, through processes of repeated deferral and fracture are discussed. The paper also explores problem finding and delayed closure and reflects on the following issues arising from the practice: • The temporary suspension or ‘short circuit’ of conventions of studio methodology and practice. • The conceptualisation of a ‘ruined, pictured space’ and repeated deferral of ‘outcome’. • The disembodiment of divisions between: object and space; literal concealment and project fantasy; settled comfort and lurking dread (Melville, H. in Vidler, A. 1999, p.57). • The problematisation of perceived physical and conceptual boundaries between art & ‘life’. • The production and consumption of a body of work that speaks to notions ‘ruin’ and catastrophe. The paper shows various attempts to engage with (work in) ‘that place’ described by Buren and Phillipson; to disturb the conventions of production and consumption; to problematise the notion of the art object as a commodity; to work towards a ‘delayed gaze’

Working with ambivalence: Making psychotherapy more accessible to young black people

The contemporary relevance of psychoanalysis is being increasingly questioned; Off the Couch challenges this view, demonstrating that psychoanalytic thinking and its applications are both innovative and relevant, in particular to the management and treatment of more disturbed and difficult to engage patient groups. Chapters address: clinical applications in diverse settings across the age range the relevance of psychoanalytic thinking to the practice of CBT, psychosomatics and general psychiatry the contribution of psychoanalytic thinking to mental health policy and the politics of conflict and mediation. This book suggests that psychoanalysis has a vital position within the public health sector and discusses how it can be better utilised in the treatment of a range of mental health problems. It also highlights the role of empirical research in providing a robust evidence base. Off the Couch will be essential reading for those practicing in the field of mental health and will also be useful for anyone involved in the development of mental health and public policies. It will ensure that practitioners and supervisors have a clear insight into how psychoanalysis can be applied in general healthcare

The Nozick Game

In this article I introduce a simple classroom exercise intended to help students better understand Robert Nozick’s famous Wilt Chamberlain thought experiment. I outline the setup and rules of the Basic Version of the Game and explain its primary pedagogical benefits. I then offer several more sophisticated versions of the Game which can help to illustrate the difference between Nozick’s libertarianism and luck egalitarianism

Reclaiming the political : emancipation and critique in security studies

The critical security studies literature has been marked by a shared commitment towards the politicization of security – that is, the analysis of its assumptions, implications and the practices through which it is (re)produced. In recent years, however, politicization has been accompanied by a tendency to conceive security as connected with a logic of exclusion, totalization and even violence. This has resulted in an imbalanced politicization that weakens critique. Seeking to tackle this situation, the present article engages with contributions that have advanced emancipatory versions of security. Starting with, but going beyond, the so-called Aberystwyth School of security studies, the argument reconsiders the meaning of security as emancipation by making the case for a systematic engagement with the notions of reality and power. This revised version of security as emancipation strengthens critique by addressing political dimensions that have been underplayed in the critical security literature

Understanding what you are doing: A new angle on CAS?

Powerful Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) are often used only with reluctance in early undergraduate mathematics teaching, partly because of concerns that they may not encourage students to understand what they are doing. In this exploratory study, a version of a CAS that has been designed for secondary school students was used, with a view to considering the value of this sort of student learning support for first year undergraduate students enrolled in degree programs other than mathematics. Workshops were designed to help students understand aspects of elementary symbolic manipulation, through the use of the Algebra mode of an algebraic calculator, the Casio Algebra FX 2.0. The Algebra mode of this calculator allows a user to undertake elementary algebraic manipulation, routinely providing all intermediate results, in contrast to more powerful CAS software, which usually provides simplified results only. The students were volunteers from an introductory level unit, designed to provide a bridge between school and university studies of mathematics and with a focus on algebra and calculus. The two structured workshop sessions focussed respectively on the solution of linear equations and on relationships between factorising and expanding; attention focussed on using the calculators as personal learning devices. Following the workshops, structured interviews were used to systematically record student reactions to the experience. As a result of the study, the paper offers advice on the merits of using algebraic calculators in this sort of way

Soundwalk as a multifaceted practice

The soundwalk was invented as part of the initiatives undertaken by the World Soundscape Project group with an acoustic ecology profile, which emphasised the noise pollution that exists in people’s sonic environment and the need to reacquire our ‘lost skill’ of conscious listening. Initially, the practice of soundwalking was used as a method allowing us to ‘hone our hearing’ (to boost our sonological competence), to show the human condition with respect to modern reality. Soon, the soundwalk became an inspiration for many artistic undertakings that made use of the sonic properties of the environment and employed various listening strategies. This article is designed to present the idea of soundwalking since its theory and practices began to form. By presenting selected works by Hildegard Westerkamp, I intend to show the motivations behind the practice of soundwalking, which encompass the complex issues of perceiving and assessing city sounds. I refer these to Tim Ingold’s proposition to understand sound as a medium of experience. Soundwalking, as a practice of conscious listening by focusing attention on aural sensations, paradoxically seems to reveal the multi‑sensory structure of our relationship with the world, and the mediatory function of sound in our experience of being‑in‑the‑world