Montaigne's revival of pyrrhonism

U ovom tekstu su detaljno izloženi pironistički argumenti koje je Mišel de Montenj koristio u svom eseju Apologija za Rajmonda Sebonda. Tekst istražuje razloge koji su naveli Montenja da ove argumente koristi u naizgled paradoksalnom kontekstu katoličke apologetike. Usled uticaja koji je Montenjev esej izvršio, u ranoj modernoj filozofiji došlo je do velikog interesovanja za antički skepticizam, bez obzira na činjenicu što on kod Montenja nije uvek verno predstavljen.The Pyrrhonian arguments used by Michel de Montaigne in his essay An Apology for Raymond Sebond are presented in detail in this paper. The paper explores the reasons that have induced Montaigne to utilize them in an apparently paradoxical context of Catholic apologetics. As a consequence of the influence this essay had exerted in the Early Modern philosophy, a considerable interest has been developed for the Ancient Skepticism, notwithstanding the fact that the Skeptical arguments were not always correctly interpreted in Montaigne's work

The application of thought experiments in teaching and the emancipatory role of education

Već više od godinu dana realizujem program stručnog usavršavanja nastavnika „Primena misaonih eksperimenata u nastavi“, akreditovan kod Zavoda za unapređenje obrazovanja i vaspitanja. Posle velikog broja održanih seminara širom Srbije, u stanju sam da na osnovu rada sa nastavnicima srednjih i osnovnih škola i njihove primene misaone eksperimentacije u nastavi najšireg dijapazona školskih predmeta, ukratko izložim jasne zaključke, ne samo o efektima primene misaonih eksperimenata u obrazovanju, već i o emancipatorskoj ulozi koju jedan takav pedagoški instrument može da ima.For over a year, I have been implementing a teacher professional training program “Application of Thought Experiments in Teaching”, accredited by the Institute for the Advancement of Education. After a large number of seminars held throughout Serbia, by working with secondary and elementary school teachers on their application of thought experimentation in teaching in the widest range of school subjects, I am able to summarize clearly not only the effects of the application of thought experiments in education, but also the emancipatory role that such a pedagogical instrument can play

Boyle's corpuscular theory and the introduction of the distinction between primary and secondary qualities

Ne samo da je distinkcija između primarnih i sekundarnih kvaliteta bila motivisana epistemološkim posledicama korpuskularne hipoteze, već je i način na koji je Bojl, po prvi put u modernom smislu, povukao distinkciju između primarnih i sekundarnih kvaliteta, bio predodređen detaljima njegove korpuskularne teorije materije. U ovom radu je preispitano Bojlovo opravdanje zaključivanja sa opažljivih na neopažljive entitete, kao i način na koji je metodološka pozadina takvih zaključaka uslovila karakter te distinkcije.The distinction between primary and secondary qualities was not only motivated by the epistemological consequences of the corpuscular hypothesis. The way Boyle introduced the distinction for the first time in its modern sense had been largely determined by the details of his corpuscular theory of matter. This paper examines Boyle’s justification for his inferences from observables to unobservables, and the way methodological backgrounds of his arguments shaped the character of the distinction

Macedonia's preparations for civilian contribution to peace operations: The next big thing after the withdrawal from Afghanistan

Macedonia is lacking a strategy for civilian contribution to peace operations. There have been initiatives and sporadic attempts to address the issue but these were never intertwined into a coherent policy. Civilian participation in peace operations remains on the radar of Macedonia's authorities and would largely benefit from external involvement in the form of provision of guidance both at strategic and operational levels. In times of austerity, blockade of EU and NATO processes and withdrawal from Afghanistan, putting an emphasis of civilian contributions to peace operations may be viewed as a natural continuation of Macedonia's input to international peace and security. This paper aims to assess the developments related to Macedonia's contribution to peace operations through civilian means by mapping its potential capacities and areas of expertise. It therefore outlines and recommends the development of civilian components for peace operations and post-conflict societies growing out of the experience that Macedonia has had in policing, crisis management and media training

Magnetic field structure in single late-type giants: Beta Ceti in 2010 - 2012

The data were obtained using two spectropolarimeters - Narval at the Bernard Lyot Telescope, Pic du Midi, France, and ESPaDOnS at CFHT, Hawaii. Thirty-eight circularly-polarized spectra have been collected in the period June 2010 - January 2012. The Least Square Deconvolution method was applied for extracting high signal-to-noise ratio line profiles, from which we measure the surface-averaged longitudinal magnetic field Bl. Chromospheric activity indicators CaII K, H_alpha, CaII IR (854.2 nm) and radial velocity were simultaneously measured and their variability was analysed together with the behavior of Bl. The Zeeman Doppler Imaging (ZDI) inversion technique was employed for reconstruction of the large-scale magnetic field and two magnetic maps of Beta Ceti are presented for two periods (June 2010 - December 2010 and June 2011 - January 2012). Bl remains of positive polarity for the whole observational period. The behavior of the line activity indicators is in good agreement with the Bl variations. The two ZDI maps show a mainly axisymmetric and poloidal magnetic topology and a simple surface magnetic field configuration dominated by a dipole. Little evolution is observed between the two maps, in spite of a 1 yr interval between both subsets. We also use state-of-the-art stellar evolution models to constrain the evolutionary status of Beta Ceti. We derive a mass of 3.5 M_sun and propose that this star is already in the central-helium burning phase. Taking into account all our results and the evolutionary status of the star, we suggest that dynamo action alone may not be eficient enough to account for the high magnetic activity of Beta Ceti. As an alternate option, we propose that it may be an Ap star descendant presently undergoing central helium-burning and still exhibiting a remnant of the Ap star magnetic field.Comment: 10 pages; 5 figures; 3 table

Tri dana prije potresa u Skopju došlo je do kompresije Zemljine kore

In this paper are analysed daily changes of all distances between four MAKPOS GNSS referent stations (Skopje, Tetovo, Kumanovo and Veles). In that way are defined the deformations of the Earth’s crust in wide area of Skopje from 20th of August 2016 till 20th of September 2016. It was noticed that three days before the earthquake from 11th of September 2016, there was decreasing of the site distances between MAKPOS GNSS stations in Skopje surrounding, practically there was compression of the Earth’s crust around Skopje. On 11th of September 2016 there were several smaller earthquakes, all of them were with epicentres nearby Skopje. The most powerful earthquake was with magnitude 5.2 degrees per Richter and its hypocentre was at a depth of 4 km. We decide to analyse in more detail whether was any decreasing of the site distances between MAKPOS GNSS stations before 20th of August 2016 and for that was analysed time period from the beginning of 2016 till 30th October same year. We found that prior to all earthquakes, even those smaller before and after the main earthquake there was always decreasing of the site distances between GNSS referent stations and that the earthquake appeared two to nine days after the compression. With analyse of the earthquake in Kraljevo (Serbia) from 2010, also we get that tree days before earthquake there was decreasing of the site distances between GNSS referent stations. With analyse of the earthquake in Drežnica (Croatia) from 2013 was obtained such a result. Drežnica earthquake was on reversal fault, and Kraljevo and Skopje earthquakes were on normal faults.U radu su analizirane dnevne promjene duljina svih stranica između četiriju MAKPOS-ovih GNSS-referentnih postaja (Skopje, Tetovo, Kumanovo i Veles). Na taj su način određene deformacije Zemljine kore na širem području Skopja od 20.8.2016. do 20.9.2016. Utvrđeno je da je u okolici Skopja tri dana prije potresa, koji se dogodio 11.9.2016. godine, došlo do skraćenja duljina stranica između MAKPOS-ovih GNSS-referentnih postaja, odnosno da je došlo do kompresije terena. Dana 11.9.2016. dogodilo se nekoliko manjih potresa i svi su imali epicentre u neposrednoj blizini Skopja. Najsnažniji potres imao je magnitudu 5.2 stupnja po Richtereovoj skali, a njegov hipocentar bio je na dubini od 4 km. Odlučili smo detaljnije istražiti da li je bilo skraćivanja duljina stranica između MAKPOS-ovih GNSS-postaja i prije 20.8.2016, pa je to istraženo za razdoblje od početka 2016. do 30.10.2016. godine. Utvrdili smo da je prije svih potresa, pa i onih manjih prije i poslije glavnog potresa, uvijek bilo skraćivanja duljina stranica između GNSS-referentnih postaja te da se potres pojavljivao dva do devet dana poslije kompresije. Analizom potresa u Kraljevu (Srbija) 2010. godine, također smo dobili da je tri dana prije potresa došlo do skraćivanje duljina stranica između GNSS-referentnih postaja. Takav je rezultat dobiven i pri istraživanju potresa u Drežnici (Hrvatska) 2013. godine. U Drežnici se potres dogodio na reversnom rasjedu, a u Kraljevu i Skopju na normalnim rasjedima