The logic of temporal domination

In this short note, we are concerned with the fairness condition "A and B hold almost equally often", which is important for specifying and verifying the correctness of non-terminating processes and protocols. We introduce the logic of temporal domination, in which the above condition can be expressed. We present syntax and semantics of our logic and show that it is a proper extension of linear time temporal logic. In order to obtain this result, we rely on the corresponding result for k-counting automata

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

DAOISM AS CRITICAL THEORY

Classical philosophical Daoism as it is expressed in the Dao-De-Jing and the Zhuang-Zi is often interpreted as lacking a capacity for critique and resistance. Since these capacities are taken to be central components of Enlightenment reason and action, it would follow that Daoism is incompatible with Enlightenment. This interpretation is being refuted by way of developing a constructive dialogue between the enlightenment traditions of critical theory and recent philosophy of action from a Daoist perspective. Daoism\u27s normative naturalism does neither rest on a primitivist call for a return to the past, nor does it suggest future-directed activism. By way of reconstructing its descriptive, explanatory and emancipatory dimensions, it is shown that Daoism constitutes an alternative form of critical theory. In contrast to future-directed purposive action or blind rule-following, Daoism\u27s key normative concept of wu-wei emphasizes effortless non-calculative responsiveness in the present. Drawing on recent insights in the philosophy of action, a reconstruction of wu-wei allows to conceive of a promising form of emancipatory agency

The calculative reproduction of social structures : The field of gem mining in Sri Lanka

Peer reviewedPostprin

Howard Caygill: author of 'Resistance: a philosophy of defiance' - interviewed by Alastair Gray and Philip Holmburg

An interview with the philosopher Howard Caygill, primarily concerning his book 'Resistance', conducted in December 201

On the decidability and complexity of Metric Temporal Logic over finite words

Metric Temporal Logic (MTL) is a prominent specification formalism for real-time systems. In this paper, we show that the satisfiability problem for MTL over finite timed words is decidable, with non-primitive recursive complexity. We also consider the model-checking problem for MTL: whether all words accepted by a given Alur-Dill timed automaton satisfy a given MTL formula. We show that this problem is decidable over finite words. Over infinite words, we show that model checking the safety fragment of MTL--which includes invariance and time-bounded response properties--is also decidable. These results are quite surprising in that they contradict various claims to the contrary that have appeared in the literature

A complexity dichotomy for poset constraint satisfaction

In this paper we determine the complexity of a broad class of problems that extends the temporal constraint satisfaction problems. To be more precise we study the problems Poset-SAT($\Phi$), where $\Phi$ is a given set of quantifier-free $\leq$-formulas. An instance of Poset-SAT($\Phi$) consists of finitely many variables $x_1,\ldots,x_n$ and formulas $\phi_i(x_{i_1},\ldots,x_{i_k})$ with $\phi_i \in \Phi$; the question is whether this input is satisfied by any partial order on $x_1,\ldots,x_n$ or not. We show that every such problem is NP-complete or can be solved in polynomial time, depending on $\Phi$. All Poset-SAT problems can be formalized as constraint satisfaction problems on reducts of the random partial order. We use model-theoretic concepts and techniques from universal algebra to study these reducts. In the course of this analysis we establish a dichotomy that we believe is of independent interest in universal algebra and model theory.Comment: 29 page

An investigation of the relation of space to society: a discussion on A. Giddens, H. Lefebvre and space syntax

This thesis is dealing with the relation of society and space as a main characteristic for elucidating the design process. More particular is based on the problem which appears both in spatial and social theories of relating entities which ‘are in different scales’. This is the relation of space, which is a local notion, to society, which is a global idea or the relation of society to the everyday life, which is also local and spatial. Thιs thesis attempts to investigate the relation of society to space through this core problem by examining three theories which seem to deal with this issue. These are the Space Syntax Theory of Hillier and Hanson, the Structuration theory of Giddens and the theory of the Production of Space of Lefebvre. The first has an architectural and urban point of view of the matter, the second a sociological and the third a politico-economic. The discussion of the three theories shows that all three grasp an interrelation between society and space although each theory sees this interrelation in a different way. For the Structuration theory space has an important role in the structuration of society, for Space Syntax a constructive role of the generic forms of society and for Lefebvre an instrumental character