Racjonalność w ujęciu metaforycznym

Problem racjonalności, poza swoim ontologicznym, metodologicznym i epistemologicznym wymiarem, jest rozpatrywany również z lingwistycznej perspektywy. Racjonalność traktuje się wówczas jako złożone zjawisko, w którym pewne działania, poznanie i wiedza są wyobrażane i nazywane jako „racjonalne”. Chociaż perspektywę tę oskarża się niekiedy o relatywizm, w artykule argumentuje się na rzecz tezy, że takie podejście do problemu racjonalności jest obiecujące i owocne. Przedstawione są argumenty i koncepcje mówiące o metaforycznym sposobie opisu i przypisywania pewnym wybranym ludzkim czynom, współdziałaniom i poznawaniu cech racjonalności

WIEDZA EKSPERCKA I EKSPERCKOŚĆ PRZEZ DOŚWIADCZENIE W DZIEDZINIE AUTYZMU: KONTEKST POZAINSTYTUCJONALNY

W artykule przedstawione są koncepcje i teorie wiedzy eksperckiej, a także dyskusje nad epistemologicznym statusem wiedzy eksperckiej, kompetencji poznawczych wchodzących w zakres eksperckości oraz autorytetu eksperta. Są one traktowane jako rodzaj wiedzy pozainstytucjonalnej, tylko w niewielkim stopniu nawiązującej do wiedzy naukowej i akademickich środowisk. Zreferowane zostają stanowiska A. Goldmana, H. Collinsa i R. Evansa, Z. Majdika i W. Keitha, T. Burge’a oraz J. Shanteau w kwestii prawomocności wiedzy eksperckiej oraz sposobów jej uzasadniania. Wskazuje się na problematyczność i pewne ograniczenia tradycyjnych stanowisk w sprawie wiarygodności wiedzy eksperckiej i autorytetu eksperta. Na przykładzie zjawiska spektrum autyzmu i tradycyjnych sądów na jego temat – w szczególności ekspertyz wydawanych o osobach nim objętych oraz potocznych opinii i stereotypów – przedstawiona zostaje dyskusja nad zmianami zachodzącymi w tej dziedzinie wiedzy i społecznej praktyki. Omawiane są koncepcje eksperckości przez doświadczenie w temacie autyzmu, w tym również tzw. samorzecznictwa i samorzecznictwa-naukowców. Te nowe postawy poznawcze i społeczne funkcje ekspertów ds. spektrum autyzmu analizowane są również od strony epistemologicznej wiarygodności tego rodzaju wiedzy i kompetencji

Post-fledging habitat selection in a rapidly declining farmland bird, the European turtle dove Streptopelia turtur

Post-fledging survival plays a vital role in the dynamics of bird populations and yet is the least studied avian life-stage. Habitat requirements post-fledging may have important implications for behaviour and survival, especially for declining populations in landscapes that have undergone wide-scale anthropogenic modification, resulting in an altered distribution and composition of habitats. The European Turtle Dove is a widespread but rapidly declining species both within the UK and across Europe. Reduced seed food availability is thought to influence breeding success of this species, but it is not known whether post-fledging survival may also be influenced by seed availability. Here, we use leg-ring radio-tag attachments to monitor post-fledging survival and movements in 15 Turtle Dove nestlings from eight nests monitored during 2014 as part of a wider autecological study. Fledglings remained in close proximity to their nest for three weeks post-tagging, spending more than half their time in the immediate vicinity (within ∼ 20 m) of the nest. 95% of foraging trips during this period were within 329 m of the nest and fledglings selected seed-rich habitat (semi-natural grassland, low-intensity grazing, fallow and quarries). Fledglings that were heavier and in better body condition at seven days old were more likely to survive for 30 days post-fledging, and the proportion of available seed-rich habitat was a strong predictor of nestling weight and condition at seven days old. Whilst our sample size is modest, this study highlights the crucial role of food availability in juvenile survival, both while adults are feeding nestlings, and to recently fledged young, and the potential for agri-environment schemes providing foraging and nesting habitats in close proximity to provide important benefits

Winter Bird Assemblages in Rural and Urban Environments: A National Survey

Urban development has a marked effect on the ecological and behavioural traits of many living organisms, including birds. In this paper, we analysed differences in the numbers of wintering birds between rural and urban areas in Poland. We also analysed species richness and abundance in relation to longitude, latitude, human population size, and landscape structure. All these parameters were analysed using modern statistical techniques incorporating species detectability. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km2 each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 urban areas across Poland (in each urban area we surveyed 3 squares and 3 squares in nearby rural areas). The influence of twelve potential environmental variables on species abundance and richness was assessed with Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal Components and Detrended Correspondence Analyses. Totals of 72 bird species and 89,710 individual birds were recorded in this study. On average (±SE) 13.3 ± 0.3 species and 288 ± 14 individuals were recorded in each square in each survey. A formal comparison of rural and urban areas revealed that 27 species had a significant preference; 17 to rural areas and 10 to urban areas. Moreover, overall abundance in urban areas was more than double that of rural areas. There was almost a complete separation of rural and urban bird communities. Significantly more birds and more bird species were recorded in January compared to December. We conclude that differences between rural and urban areas in terms of winter conditions and the availability of resources are reflected in different bird communities in the two environments

Urban and rural habitats differ in number and type of bird feeders and in bird species consuming supplementary food

Bird feeding is one of the most widespread direct interactions between man and nature, and this has important social and environmental consequences. However, this activity can differ between rural and urban habitats, due to inter alia habitat structure, human behaviour and the composition of wintering bird communities. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km(2) each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 towns and cities across Poland (in each urban area, we surveyed 3 squares and also 3 squares in nearby rural areas). At each count, we noted the number of bird feeders, the number of bird feeders with food, the type of feeders, additional food supplies potentially available for birds (bread offered by people, bins) and finally the birds themselves. In winter, urban and rural areas differ in the availability of food offered intentionally and unintentionally to birds by humans. Both types of food availability are higher in urban areas. Our findings suggest that different types of bird feeder support only those species specialized for that particular food type and this relationship is similar in urban and rural areas. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4723-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Na czym polega semantyczna specyfika metafory?

The article addresses the semantic aspect of metaphor, formulated on the basis of Ch. Pierce’s classification of signs and I. Richard, M. Black, and P. Ricoeur’s relational theory of metaphor, which most researchers analysing the referential character of metaphors tend to invoke. In particular, the text considers the problem of the structure of metaphorical phrasemes and parabolic utterances which contain expressions that are either contradictory or refer to fictional objects and events. Based on the concepts of H. Markiewicz, I. Bellert, and M. Beardsley, the author suggests a possible solution to the problem of contradiction in metaphor. Furthermore, the article discusses the relationship between the semantic and pragmatic aspects of metaphors as utterances displaying both persuasive and cognitive (revealing, prognostic) character.W artykule analizowany jest problem semantycznego aspektu metafory w oparciu o klasyfikację znaków Ch. Peirce’a oraz relacyjną teorię metafory I. Richarda, M. Blacka i P. Ricoeura, do których odnosi się większość badaczy analizujących referencyjny charakter metafory. W szczególności opisany jest problem struktury metaforycznych zwrotów językowych, w których funkcjonują wyrażenia albo sprzeczne, albo odnoszące się do fikcyjnych obiektów i zdarzeń. W oparciu o koncepcje H. Markiewicza, I. Bellert i M. Beardsleya ukazany jest związek semantycznych zagadnień metafory z jej pragmatycznym aspektem jako wypowiedzi o poznawczym i perswazyjnym charakterze

Cognitive-methodological functions of metaphors

The paper analyzes the cognitive functions of metaphors present in both colloquial and scientific discourse. First, presented is the history of research into linguistic metaphors, followed by a discussion of the psycholinguistic turn towards metaphors as thought schemas (George Lakoff and Mark Johnson), as well as metaphoricality embodied in gestures, images and behaviors and their socio-cultural contexts. Based on the analysis of metaphors in the natural sciences, mainly in physics (Max Black, Mary Hesse, Thomas Kuhn) as well as in psychology (Douwe Draaisma), the heuristic and methodological functions of metaphors in science are discussed. Finally, on this basis, a general model of the cognitive functions of metaphor is constructed in which, apart from the cognitive communicative functions, emphasized are also the pragmatic aspects of metaphorical thinking

Naturalizing Epistemology

Classic epistemology is under manifold changes; its categories loose their traditional meanings and gain new ones. Civilization and cultural changes, especially in mass communication and scientific knowledge, make impossible to insist on the concept of knowledge entirely as a true and justified belief. Traditional concepts of individual and subjectivistically conceived agent as well as concept of objects (areas and domains) of human knowledge are to much restrictive and at the same time controversial. Epistemological (pure philosophical) meaning of them is constantly confronted and changed by the scientific discoveries and definitions, coming especially from natural and social sciences (biology, neural sciences, psychology and social sciences). It is long-lasting and manifold process of naturalization that regards not only cognitive phenomena but epistemic categories and epistemological theories as well. The papers presents the concise model of the naturalized theory of human knowledge one can eliminate from different positions and theories. Today types of naturalized epistemology try to go beyond the strict and limited concept of naturalism (Quine’s naturalized epistemology) and go toward anti-scientific, more liberal understanding of it. Naturalizing epistemology opens, as it is argued in the paper, the new perspectives and prospects on human cognition and knowledge that are far from the classic concepts