On preheating in alpha-attractor models of inflation

We study (p)reheating in alpha-attractor T-models of inflation, taking into account both scalar fields present in these models: the inflaton and the spectator. The two-field model has a negative field-space curvature which, at the end of inflation, may lead to geometrical destabilization of the spectator for small values of alpha<~10^(-3). We perform the instability (Floquet) analysis of the linear dynamics and a fully non-linear lattice computations with our numerical code, which we specifically designed for a class of two-field models with non-canonical kinetic terms. We find that the perturbations of the spectator field are much more unstable than the perturbations of the inflaton field, so the dynamics of the early stages of preheating is dominated by the evolution of the spectator perturbations. As a result, the transition from the inflationary era to radiation domination era is practically instantaneous and much faster than previously found in an effective theory including only the inflaton field.Comment: extended numerical simulations, references added, matches published versio

"Phase transition" between confrontation and dialogue in the light of the concept of the unity charism

In the twenties of the last century the process of building a new type of philosophical culture began, based on the sensitivity towards another person, the recognition of values and dignity of the person and the search for platforms of dialogue and compromise between people. However, it did not gain a broad social resonance. The 20th Century became the scene of the triumph of totalitarianisms, based on the idea of collectivism and marked by the contempt towards the individual, his rights and needs. In the post-war reality environments favouring the humanization of the culture of coexistence earned a voice, but they too did not manage to divert the tendency towards building a bureaucratic and technocratic order. In this kind of system, the person feels reduced to his instrumental functions, and the dialogue submerged in the world of humanistic values becomes a distant and unequalled dream. This text undertakes the problem of the conditions which must be met in order for the tendency towards dialogue and mutual respect to prevail over the hostile, confrontational approach, which characterizes many contemporary social environments

Why Should We Think Critically? Comments on the Critical Rationalism of Hans Albert

Leszek Kołakowski draws attention to the fact that rationalism as a philosophical method and definitive certainty as the aim are mutually irreconcilable. Each rationalist philosophy must leave a margin for uncertainty, lest it transforms into dull dogmatism. This observation of the Polish thinker becomes a source of inspiration for Hans Albert. In his work Science and the Search for Truth, he agrees with Kołakowski that goals of philosophical endeavours need redefining and puts forward his own metaphilosophical proposal, which specifies what philosophy can and should achieve in the framework of critical realism. The author examines and evaluates Albert’s proposal, referring to another view of the nature and role of philosophy as the assessment criterion—the one presented by José Ortega y Gasset in his study En torno à Galileo [About Galileo] and other writings

Tischner as a metapolitician

Józef Tischner, a Polish philosopher and a seasoned commentator on the political transformations associated with the decline of communism and the building of a new democratic order in the final decades of the twentieth century, was, and still is, a controversial figure. Some see him as a profound philosopher, others as a moral authority, while others see him as a political opponent. I discuss the question concerning where Józef Tischner drew the line between political engagement sensu stricto and metapolitics, which is philosophically and programmatically grounded and neutral to the differences in world views. I inquire whether it is legitimate to attribute to Tischner political views and sympathies sometimes referred to as left-wing Christian liberalism and whether these views influenced the structure and the main theses of Tischner’s metapolitical thought. I attempt a reconstruction of Tischner’s position and indicate its basis in the assumptions of Christian personalism, the philosophy of dialogue, and the ethics of solidarity

Family in the Contemporary World. Catholic Social Teaching and Gender

Contemporary man confronts a dilemma. In search of his or her own identity and a model of life in human community, an individual can choose between two attitudes which exclude each other. The first one is shaped by the Catholic Social Teaching and is based on a foundation of Christian anthropology. It leads to self-identification within the framework of a double model of the human being: man and woman. Consequently, someone identified with his or her biological sex tends toward self-fulfillment in the traditional social and cultural role. The second attitude is based on the postmodern deconstruction of the category of sex. It leads to a blurred vision of one’s own sexual identity, denial of opposition and complementarity of man and woman and rejection of traditional criteria of choosing one’s way of life. This paper presents the arguments of these two attitudes and the probable consequences of choices made within the framework of both options discussed

"Behold, Now Is the Acceptable Time for a Change of Heart" : a Christian Response to the Migration Problem

The 50th anniversary of the announcement of the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes , raises the questions of to what extent the global community of Catholics adopted the teachings included in Vaticanum II, and to what extent we, the Catholics of the day, are willing to follow the indications of this document in our lives. Currently, one of the most difficult challenges the international community faces, especially the people of Europe, is the problem of refugees from areas affected by war and terror caused by militants of the so-called Islamic State. Governments of different countries make political decisions dictated by both their raisons d’état and the desire to defend particular interests of their own citizens. In these decisions, the good of the most deprived persons, banished from their homes and deprived of their livelihood, remains a secondary issue. This state of affairs can be considered reasonably justified from the point of view of the absolute rules that govern the political game of the world, but it creates a clear discord with the Magisterium Ecclesiae, especially with the moral teaching from Gaudium et Spes. The present text is to analyze selected parts of the pastoral constitution regarding the application of its indications in light of the challenges raised by the issue of refugees

The Need of Upbringing with Values in Mind in the Post-Normative Epoch

The contemporary times are characterized by a radical withdrawal from the traditional principles of normative ethics. The commonly encountered attitudes are axiological pluralism, permissivism, and moral relativism. The results of research on attitudes and preferences of young Poles indicate towards a clear advantage of interest in hedonistic and utilitarian values, as well as a disrespectful approach to the examples of order and harmony. What is instead valued are such moral values as honesty, honor, and helpfulness. However, we need to ask whether the research method adequately reflects the real preferences. It is possible that the axiological disorientation among youth has its roots in the lack of skills of a proper understanding and expression of own intuition in the area of values. The author suggests that we should contemplate alternative methodology, modeled and based on the Ph. Johnson-Laird’s situation analysis

Floquet analysis of self-resonance in single-field models of inflation

We review 51 models of single-field inflation, paying special attention to the possibility that self-resonance of the unstable inflaton perturbations leads to reheating. We compute Floquet exponents for the models that are consistent with current cosmological data. We find five models that exhibit a strong instability, but only in one of them -- KKLT inflation -- the equation of state efficiently approaches that of radiation.Comment: matches published versio

Levinas a problem metafizyki

Le projet de ces études s’appuie sur la conviction, que le progrès essentiel de la philosophie se fonde sur l’approximation continue vers le fondement de toute la science concernant la réalité. La question la plus importante de la philosophie (selon E. Coreth) c’est „la question sur la question” : de quoi et comment et d’où il faut poser la question, pour que la réponse ne soit que la projection de l’intériorité de soi-même et une construction spéculative, mais qu’elle soit une ouverture autentique sur l’être kath'auto. Alors la vraie philosophia proté devrait problématiser la métaphysique, autrement dit, être la métaphysique de la métaphysique. Dans la première partie de ce texte nous trouverons le précis de l’histoire du problème de la métaphysique c’est-à-dire l’histoire des recherches de la première question, qui fonde la philosophie. L’auteur analyse le renversement cartésien et son interprétation chez E. Husserl. Puis il s’arrête sur la „révolution copemicienne” d’ I. Kant et sur l’essai heideggerien, qui met en relief des idées qui considèrent la métaphysique comme la question sur l’homme dans le contexte de l’ontologie fondamentale. A partir de cela, dans la deuxième partie de l’ouvrage l’auteur analyse la théorie d’Emmanuel Lévinas. Cette proposition concerne la réorientation radicale de la philosophie, afin que la réflexion sur la réalité ne soit plus la totalité de la raison universelle, mais qu’elle soit la „sagesse de l’amour” — ce qui veut dire la sensibilité à l’épiphanie de l’être dans sa dissemblance irréductible et transcendente. Le chemin de Lévinas nous fait poser des le début des questions nouvelles. D ne veut pas percevoir l’horizon universel de Sinngebung, ni le dévoilement herméneutique de la structure de Seinsverstàndnis. Tout commence p ar une relation éthique: c’est le changement profond de l’attitude que doit précéder chaque ontologie. Ce qui devrait être la condition de la naissance de la relation avec l’être kath’auto c’est une attitude religieuse, qui se caractérise par „Tintentionalité de la prière” (B. Casper). Saisi p ar le désir métaphysique, étonné de la disproportion de l’Infini par rapport à ma conscience limitée, avant d’adresser des questions métaphysiques, moi-même dois contester mon égoïsme spontané. Le sujet de la troisième partie c’est la recherche de 1’ expérience d’origine qui permet le changement d’attitude. Comme point de départ l’auteur se servira d’une conscience critique de soi-même dirigée vers les débuts de sa réflexion. En nous adressant à la méthode phénoménologique d'Husserl l’auteur construit la méthode de la „réduction égologique”, qui à travers de l’analyse de la trace nous conduit vers l’expérience d’origine d’une présence apaisante et nous fait apparaître le sens et la source du désir métaphysique, dés-intér-essement et autrement qu’être afin de justifier les possibilités du programme de la transformation métaphysique de Lévinas et en éclaircissant ses principes

A child is a human being now responsible parenthood in the light of Janusz Korczak’s pedagogy

The author extracts from the Humanae Vitae encylical the thread of responsible parenthood. He asks about the situation of a child in family half a century after the publication of the papal document. He points towards a number of threats and disruptions in the adult-child relations, which result from an improper understanding of who a child is from the philosophical perspective. He opts for a development of philosophical reflection on a child and enriching it with new aspects. He reaches out for inspiration to the works by Janusz Korczak, which present an outline of the original philosophy of a child. What deserves particular recognition is the perception of a child as a “a project of a future man,” and not as a full-valued person who deserves appreciation of the contemporary ontic and social status. In the conclusion the author develops and clarifies Korczak’s controversial postulate of the “children’s right to death,” giving it a contemporary interpretation