Cartesian primary qualities in light of some contemporary physical explanations

Descartes’ derivation of the primary qualities of matter and their role in explaining observed physical phenomena are briefly reviewed. The lesson drawn from Descartes’ methodology of explanation is that we ought to aim to reduce complex phenomena to simple unifying principles and conceptual primitives. Three proposed solutions to the apparent paradoxes in contemporary quantum physics (primarily associated with the notion of entanglement) are briefly compared with lessons taken from Descartes. It is argued that further research in this field should provide criteria for selecting modifications to the standard (largely Cartesian) conceptual scheme, along the lines of either visualisable causality or the physical spatial separability of all material objects. (IN CROATIAN: Članak počinje kratkim pregledom Descartesove derivacije primarnih kvaliteta materije i njihove uloge u objašnjenju zamijećenih fizikalnih pojava. Pouka izvedena iz Descartesove metodologije prirodoznanstvenih objašnjenja glasi da je složene pojave poželjno svesti na jednostavna objedinjujuća načela i temeljne, nedjeljive pojmove. Tri moguća objašnjenja navodnih paradoksa u suvremenoj kvantnoj fizici (prvenstveno povezanih s pojmom “isprepletenosti”) sažeto se prikazuje i uspoređuje s navedenom Descartesovom poukom. Zaključuje se da bi daljnja istraživanja u ovome području trebala iznjedriti kriterije prihvatljivosti izmjena standardne konceptualne (uvelike kartezijanske) sheme. Navedeni kriteriji trebaju se temeljiti ili na uzročnim procesima koji se mogu “vizualizirati” ili na ustrajanju na načelu fizikalne prostorne odvojivosti svih materijalnih predmeta.

Bohrova filozofija i izmjene temelja fizikalnog jezika

IN CROATIAN: Od samih početaka razvoja kvantne mehanike javlja se potreba metafizičkog razgraničenja "makro" svijeta opisanog "svakodnevnim jezikom" i "mikro" svijeta kojim se bavi fomrlizam teorije (ponajprije zbog pojave "isprepletenosti" dvaju ili više logički suprotstavljenih stanja). U tekstu se raspravlja o potrebi pomirenja ovako umjetno rzgraničenih svjetova, uz pregled najvažnijih pravaca tumačenja formalizma teorije. Posebno se izlaže Bohrovo "kopenhaško" tumačenje i problemi koje pred njega postavlja EPR misaoni eksperiment. Pregledom Bohrovih odgovora na dani eksperiment pokazuje se da njegovo tumačenje traži više od ograničenja svakodnevene deskriptivne metafizike pri opisu pojava na mikro-nivou. na taj način gubi se Bohrovo povlašteno mjesto među tumačenjima formalizme teorije. Pokazuje se da niti MacKinnonov detaljniji shematiski prikaz spajanja teoretskog i svakodnevnog jezika ne može primijeniti na zakljičke EPR eksperimenta i Bohrov odgovor na njih. Sam MAcKinnon nudi prijedloge izmjena "svakodnevnog" jezika uvjetovane matematičkim zaključcima kvantne mehanike, ali se i one pokazuju previše radikalnima i grubima da bi zauzele povlašteno mjesto u odnosu na ostala tumačenja teoretskog formalizma koja sa sobom nose velike ontološke i konceptualne zahtjeve. ---------- IN ENGLISH: Ever since the beginning of development of Quantum Mechanics there was a metaphysical division between the “macro” world as described in “everyday language” and the “micro” world described by quantum formalism (especially due to entanglement of two or more logically conflicting states). A discussion is offered of the need to reunite these arbitrarily divided worlds through an overview of the main interpretations of the formalism. Bohr’s Copenhagen interpretation, as well as the problems it faces due to EPR thought experiment, is presented in greater detail. It is claimed that Bohr’s answers to the said experiment demand more than a restriction of everyday descriptive metaphysics, when describing phenomena at the micro-level. Thus, the special place Bohr’s interpretation takes among other interpretations of the formalism is forfeited. It is also shown that MacKinnon’s more detailed schema aiming to connect the theoretical and everyday language cannot be applied to EPR conclusions and Bohr’s reply to those. MacKinnon’s own modifications of the “everyday language” induced by the mathematical conclusions of Quantum Mechanics are considered too radical and too coarse to take the vacated special place among formalism interpretations

Prirodoslovlje u kurikulumu za obvezno obrazovanje

Obzirom na raskorak između na europskoj razini izražene potrebe za većim brojem stručnjaka u području prirodnih znanosti i tehnologije (okvirno: prirodoslovlja), te višim stupnjem opće razine prirodoznanstvene pismenosti, i opadanje interesa osnovnoškolaca za teme iz područja prirodoslovlja, prikazuju se struktura i karakteristike nekih nacionalnih okvirnih kurikuluma u području prirodoslovlja, kao jednog od čimbenika usvajanja znanja i vještina iz područja prirodoslovlja na razini obveznog obrazovanja. Iznose se rezultati komparativne analize kurikuluma za područje prirodoslovlja provedene u sklopu istraživačkog projekta Centra za istraživanje i razvoj obrazovanja Instituta za društvena istraživanja u Zagrebu, te ukazuje na možebitne smjerove usklađivanja hrvatskih nastavnih programa s tendencijama u europskim zemljama iz uzorka. Navode se i smjernice za konceptualizaciju hrvatskog kurikuluma za područje prirodoslovlja na osnovi koordiniranog kompetencijskog modela logičke razrade prezentacije sadržaja kao koraka prema ostvarivanju ovladavanja kompetencijama kao ishoda obrazovnog procesa. (IN ENGLISH: The article presents the structure of science curricula of different European countries as one of the factors contributing to development of coherent scientifi c knowledge and skills in compulsory education. It is the result of a wider research project conducted at the Institute for Social Research’s Centre for Educational Research and Development. The project included a comparative analysis of the said European curricular documents and development of recommendations for potential closer alignment of the Croatian national curricula with the perceived tendencies in the selected European countries. The recommendations focus on potential conceptualisation of the Croatian curriculum (in the fi eld of natural sciences) as a ‘deduction’ of the subjects’ content from a coordinated set of competences, which are defi ned as a general outcome of compulsory science education.

Philosophy of science in action

The article reviews Christopher Hitchcock’s Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Science, aims to present contemporary issues in philosophy of science through a series of eight debates between leading analytic philosophers in the given specialist field. Each contributor argues for or against a proposed motion of the debate, ranging from issues of metaphysics and epistemology of science to specific philosophical questions in physics, biology and psychology. In that they draw on a wealth of techniques from the practice of philosophy of science from conceptual clarifications to invocation of examples from scientific practice. Nonethless, against the background of philosophical work associated with contemporary scientific practice the topics selected for this volume seem limited in both depth (the fundamental metaphysical and epistemological questions are not backed up by the equally fundamental scientific research) and scope (the ‘contemporaneity’ of scientific questions presented is not always up to scratch). The volume’s great worth is in presenting ‘philosophy of science in action’ by exercising many tricks of the trade in several self-contained chapters. ( IN CROATIAN: U članku se daje pregled zbornika Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of science, urednika Christophera Hitchcocka. kojemu je cilj predstaviti suvremene teme u filozofiji znanosti kroz niz od osam rasprava između vodećih analitičkih filozofa u danome području. Svaki sudionik argumentira za ili protiv izloženog prijedloga rasprave, što se proteže od pitanja metafizike i epistemologije znanosti do specifičnih filozofskih pitanja u fizici, biologiji i psihologiji. Pritom se oslanjaju na obilje tehnikâ iz prakse filozofije znanosti, od pojmovnih pojašnjenja do pozivanja na primjere iz znanstvene prakse. Međutim, s obzirom na pozadinu filozofskog rada vezanog uz suvremenu znanstvenu praksu, teme odabrane za ovaj zbornik čine se ograničenima kako po svojoj dubini (temeljna metafizička i epistemološka pitanja nemaju uvijek podršku u jednako temeljnim znanstvenim istraživanjima) tako po svome rasponu (‘suvremenost’ prikazanih znanstvenih pitanja nije uvijek na očekivanoj razini). Velika vrijednost zbornika je što u nekoliko zaokruženih poglavlja prikazuje ‘filozofiju znanosti na djelu’ kroz upotrebu mnogih ‘tajni zanata’ ove discipline.

Društvena očekivanja i prirodo-znanstveno kompetentni učenici

U tekstu se daje pregled tema vezanih uz operativno određenje prirodoznanstvenih kompetencija za obvezno i opće obrazovanje. Slijedom uvođenja pojma “kompetencije” u europski obrazovni diskurs analiziraju se njegove poveznice sa srodnim pojmovima, te odnos prema “prirodoznanstvenoj pismenosti”. Pozivi na razvoj “prirodoznanstvene pismenosti” prikazuju se kao iskorak iz usvajanja disciplinski značajnih činjenica, a prema modelu obrazovanja kao razvoju kompetencija poželjnih za ispunjenje osobnih stremljenja i društvenih potreba. Posebno se analizira utjecaj društvenih potreba na operacionalizaciju kompetencijskih modela, te problematizira uloga stavova učenika prema predmetnim sadržajima u svjetlu primjera operacionalizacije za potrebe OECD PISA testiranja, u kojem kompetenciju pojmovno određuju i znanja i stavovi. Također se upozorava i na rezultate istraživanja koja ukazuju na negativan stav učenika u Hrvatskoj prema prirodoslovnim predmetima. (IN ENGLISH: The article surveys the topics related to operationalisation of natural science competences in compulsory primary education. Following the introduction of the term ‘competences’ into European educational discourse, its relations with the similar concepts and the notion of ‘scientific literacy’ are analyzed. The calls for the introduction of scientific literacy as the educational aim are shown to be the conceptual origin of the step out of the appropriation of the disciplinarily significant facts and towards the model of education as development of competences required for fulfillment of personal aspirations and societal needs. The influence of the scientific literacy drive on the development of the competence-based educational models is surveyed, especially with respect to development of students’ attitudes towards content of science subjects. The latter is well exemplified in the competence-model operationalisation through the OECD PISA testing, where knowledge and attitudes alike define the scientific competence. A warning is raised concerning the empirical research findings about the negative attitude of Croatian students towards the natural science subjects in the primary school curriculum.

A law-constitutive explanation of fundamental material objects and “bodies that surround us”

What becomes of our clearest theories of explanation, when faced with the unpalatable quantum phenomena that seem to undermine the direct conceptual connection between the fundamental material entities and the self-standing material objects of everyday parlance? The general explanatory theory advocates unification of explanatory concepts with everyday discourse, identification of essentially similar characteristics between direct experience and the hypothesised explanatory ontology, and a conceptualisation of phenomena in terms of objects enduring causally regulated change. On the other hand quantum theory feeds anti-realist suspicions about the worth of (metaphysical) realist explanatory endeavour with examples of phenomena in which the structure of material separation and individuation based on spatial extension is insufficient for construction of deeper explanatory narratives. An example from history of science, that of Newton’s law-constitutive definition of objects in response to Descartes problem of bodies is used to suggest a possible strategy for explanations unifying the quantum and common-sense conceptual domains, provided the anti-realist challenge to such enterprise is read as questioning the epistemological justification of interpretation of experience in both cases. (IN CROATIAN: Što se događa s najjasnijim dostupnim teorijama objašnjenja kada se suoče s problematičnim kvantnim pojavama koje naizgled potkopavaju neposrednu konceptualnu poveznicu između fundamentalnih materijalnih entiteta i samoopstojnih materijalnih predmeta iz svakodnevnog govora? Opća teorija objašnjenja preporuča objedinjenje teoretskih eksplanatornih pojmova sa svakodnevnim govorom, određenje esencijalno sličnih karakteristika između neposrednog iskustva i hipotetske eksplanatorne ontologije te konceptualizaciju pojava kroz predmete koji istraju kroz uzročno regulirane promjene. S druge strane, kvantna teorija potkrjepljuje antirealistične sumnje o valjanosti eksplanatornog nastojanja (metafizičkog) realizma primjerima pojava u kojima je struktura materijalne razdvojenosti i individuacije temeljene na prostornoj protežnosti nedovoljna za izgradnju dubljih eksplanatornih narativa. Primjerom iz povijesti znanosti, Newtonovom definicijom predmeta temeljenom na zakonima kao odgovorom na Descartesov problem materijalnih tijela, daje se moguća strategija izgradnje objašnjenja koja objedinjuju kvantne i “zdravorazumske” konceptualne domene, ukoliko se antirealistična kritika te izgradnje u oba slučaja shvati kao propitivanje epistemološkog opravdanja tumačenja iskustva.

an attempt to holistically frame the discourse for action in the conditions of climate change

The article aims to set up a general conceptual framework for explaining the combined natural and social conditions associated with global climate change. Starting from addressing the issues through the metaphor of ‘the tragedy of the commons’ it suggests that a pessimistic reading can be avoided in situations where different participants of the commons understand the universal rules constraining preferable governance strategies, and can choose to form mutual agreements to act cooperatively in furthering some of their individual interests. Principle style explanations are introduced and suggested as a useful explanatory model in this case, based on the considerations from the history of science. Based on the effects of the human interaction with the global ecosystem and fellow humans in joint common governance on the equilibrium relationship (and human security) three broadly applicable constraining principles are tentatively proposed, opening up space for further tests of case study applicability, both in terms of universal validity and conceptual accessibility to different commons governance participants

Einsteinova sinkronizacija i konvencionalnost istovremenosti

Unatoč naslovu koji pokriva iznimno opširno područje, članak se usredotočuje na blisko pitanje da li Specijalna teorija relativnosti (STR) nužno zagovara ukidanje ontološke razlike između prošlih i budućih događaja, između prošlosti i budućnosti općenito. Izraženo žargonom koji uvodi Stein: jesmo li u okviru STR prinuđeni birati isključivo između ‘solipsizma’ i ‘determinizma’? Posebice će biti riječi o ulozi koju konvencionalnost istovremenosti u STR ima u pokušaju odgovora na ovo pitanje. Standardni argumenti pozivaju se na relativnost istovremenosti, tvrdnju da STR negira postojanje univerzalne ‘sadašnjosti’ koja razgraničava ‘prošlost’ i ‘budućnost’, kako bi pokazali da nema ontološke razlike između prošlosti i budućnosti, da su obje jednako određene/zbiljne (determinizam). Pritom se prešutno prelazi preko činjenice da je za uspostavu ontoloških tvrdnji vezanih uz relativnost istovremenosti potrebno prvo riješiti pitanje konvencionalnosti istovremenosti u okviru STR. U članku će se nastojati pokazati da promatranjem pitanja konvencionalnosti istovremenosti iz perspektive ‘čisto filozofskog’ Dummettovog određenja razlike između prošlosti i budućnosti možemo u okviru STR pokušati razviti shvaćanje razlikovanja prošlosti i budućnosti mimo (nepoželjne) stroge ontološke dihotomije ‘solipsizam’/‘determinizam’, ukoliko kriterij koji postavlja STR shvatimo kao epistemički, a ne kao ontološki. (IN ENGLISH: Despite a broad-range title the paper settles for the related issue of whether the Special Theory of Relativity (STR) necessarily advocates the demise of an ontological difference between past and future events, between past and future in general. In the jargon of H. Stein: are we forced, within the framework of the STR, to choose only between ‘solipsism’ and ‘determinism’ exclusively? A special emphasis is placed on the role that the conventionality of simultaneity plays in the STR with regards to this question. The standard arguments rely on the relativity of simultaneity, the claim that the STR negates the existence of a universal ‘present’ that divides the ‘past’ and the ‘future’, so as to conclude that there is no ontological difference between past and future events, that both are equally determined/real (‘determinism’). This often neglects the fact that to establish the ontological claims related to relativity of simultaneity, one must first resolve the issues of conventionality of simultaneity within the STR. The paper will aim to show that by addressing the issue of conventionality from Dummett’s ‘purely philosophical’ determination of the difference between the past and the future, we develop an understanding of the said difference, within the framework of the STR, beyond the (unwanted) strict ontological dichotomy of ‘solipsism/determinism’, given that the criterion that is provided by the STR is understood as epistemic and not ontological.

ENjoinED learning: cross-sectoral NGO platform for sustainability education in a group of post-communist countries

The paper aims to present the experiences and the cooperative research findings from an educational and political platform consisting of environmental and educational policy NGO-s, mostly in the post-communist region. The platform provided both the learning between and within regional organisations and the evidence-based approach to advocating changes in respective national formal education systems. We start from calls in literature to address global problems through education, by altering the business-as-usual socio-productive processes and contemporary Western lifestyle [1], [2]. Alternative, sustainable socio-economic patterns fostered through education will require a broad civic learning about the ecosystem services on which human survival and material prosperity depend, so as to enable the conceptualisation of 'a more sustainable' future. However, based on this, sustainability education also has to equip the learners [3] with skills for reaching difficult decisions amidst conditions of uncertainty, complexity and significant bio-physical constraints and conflicting human values and interests. New forms of curricular content may be called for, but more importantly the content has to be framed in a different way. There is currently not only no universally accepted strategy of sustainable development applicable in different societies outside the narrow global political focus, but there is also no global proscription how individual educational systems should contribute to this common global goal [4]. Whilst such a polycentric approach is the norm in education, commonalities of threats and potentials on a global level, in a globalised economy, call for some shared outputs of the basic education available to all citizens. The learning paths and educational policy construction and advocacy presented through the ENjoinED initiative aim to illustrate the perspectives on the shared problem from diverse Eurasian educational systems, from Georgia to England. But even more importantly, by being grounded in real-life national curricula in transition (outline of mapping of the positioning of the ESD- relevant curricular content), through presentation of qualitative framing of the relevant content within curricular documents we hope to offer an illustrative blueprint for grassroots cross-sectoral learning and advocacy of sustainable socio-economic patterns to be fostered through education