A Populationist Approach to Qualitative Social Research: Towards the Theory of Semiotic Stakeholding

The following thesis is an attempt at devising the theory of the social that would enable a method for qualitative social research. Qualitative social research is, for reasons that will be presented, a neccessary component of serious social science, but also of its instrumentalizations, such as the practice of policy-making. The thesis that follows tries to construct a formal framework within which a negotiation on interpretations of social situations can take place. It posits the social as made of populations of agents manipulating populations of signs in order to manipulate other agents. It arrives at the methodological proposition that the signs, because they are general, neccessitate constant re-negotiation, which allows for the tracking of agents' functional commitments, which in turn allows for the mapping of the social situation. The model will be principally built by supplementing the (certain key aspects of) theory of Wilfrid Sellars by (certain key aspects of) relevance theory of Dan Sperber and Deidre Wilson, and evenutally by the contribution of the author in form of the theoretical figure of semiotic stakeholding, added in order to account for both the emergence of the community and the restrictions on the space of reasons by the social

A Review and Comparison of Ship Power Simulation Methods

Safe, secure and efficient clean sea shipping proposed by the IMO requires the development of the appropriate design, operating knowledge and tools for assessing energy efficient design and operation of ships. A brief overview of the methods and models of ship power management simulation shows the advantages and disadvantages of representative models. This review includes a comparison of different simulation methods, which implies different models, with the aim of optimizing the production of electricity on board, emission reductions and improved energy efficiency. In addition, the recommended technical solution for contributing to energy efficiency on board is given

A Populationist Approach to Qualitative Social Research: Towards the Theory of Semiotic Stakeholding

The following thesis is an attempt at devising the theory of the social that would enable a method for qualitative social research. Qualitative social research is, for reasons that will be presented, a neccessary component of serious social science, but also of its instrumentalizations, such as the practice of policy-making. The thesis that follows tries to construct a formal framework within which a negotiation on interpretations of social situations can take place. It posits the social as made of populations of agents manipulating populations of signs in order to manipulate other agents. It arrives at the methodological proposition that the signs, because they are general, neccessitate constant re-negotiation, which allows for the tracking of agents' functional commitments, which in turn allows for the mapping of the social situation. The model will be principally built by supplementing the (certain key aspects of) theory of Wilfrid Sellars by (certain key aspects of) relevance theory of Dan Sperber and Deidre Wilson, and evenutally by the contribution of the author in form of the theoretical figure of semiotic stakeholding, added in order to account for both the emergence of the community and the restrictions on the space of reasons by the social

Wind Assisted Ship PropulsionTechnologies – Can they Help in Emissions Reduction?

According to International Maritime Organization, emissions coming from global shipping are expected to increase 50% to 250% by the year 2050. This concern led to the introduction of various regulations that aims to encourage ship owners and builders to explore innovative renewable technologies. The main focus of this article is on wind-assisted ship propulsion technologies, as a complement to ship propulsion, such as rigid sail, soft sail, wing sail, kite, and Flettner rotor. These technologies are not widely accepted because ship owners have doubts due to the lack of real-life results and their implementation and efficiency greatly depends on ship design and purpose. This article shows the progress in the field of wind-assisted ship propulsion in the last 15 years which proved the concept as they have the potential to reduce fuel consumption, thus emissions, by double digits. The conclusion is drawn, from fuel savings percentages, that rotor and soft sails technologies have great potential in the future of the shipping industry

The Importance of Thorough Preoperative Diagnostics of Maxillary Ameloblastoma: Report of Three Cases

Ameloblastoma, especially maxillary, is a rare benign neoplasm of odontogenic origin. Diagnosis of significant number of lesions is usually established postoperatively, because ameloblastoma, especially the unicystic form, mimics wide range of more frequent jaw lesions. From January 1993 to December 2005, three cases of the maxillary ameloblastoma were surgically treated at our Department. The authors present clinical, radiological and pathohistological features of the ameloblastomas in this rare localization with special attention to need of accurate preoperative diagnostics

Results of the underwater survey of Kaštela Bay in 2020

An underwater survey was conducted in September of 2020 on several locations in Kaštela Bay, mainly around the area of Pantan near Trogir, with the aim of assessing the potential of the locations for more detailed investigations. The limited survey gave positive results, as the collected prehistoric and Roman material pointed to a great potential of specific locations for further archaeological research

The Importance of Thorough Preoperative Diagnostics of Maxillary Ameloblastoma: Report of Three Cases

Ameloblastoma, especially maxillary, is a rare benign neoplasm of odontogenic origin. Diagnosis of significant number of lesions is usually established postoperatively, because ameloblastoma, especially the unicystic form, mimics wide range of more frequent jaw lesions. From January 1993 to December 2005, three cases of the maxillary ameloblastoma were surgically treated at our Department. The authors present clinical, radiological and pathohistological features of the ameloblastomas in this rare localization with special attention to need of accurate preoperative diagnostics

Određene osnove dizajna i procjene društvenih epistemičkih sustava: agentski suboptimalizam, intstrumentalni pluralizam i univerzalna inkluzija

The thesis examines foundational arguments of design and assessment of social epistemic systems, an area of epistemology which studies epistemic properties of social and institutional arrangements. First chapter presents the historical overview of institutional epistemology, focusing on pragmatism, experimentalism and democracy in the work of John Dewey, ignorance, norms, pluralism and market in the work of Friedrich Hayek, and the contemporary use of simulations in epistemological research. Second chapter condenses the advances in the discipline: (i) comparative standard for the assessment of social epistemic systems is defined; (ii) baseline conditions of the epistemic life of the population are defined; (iii) instrumentalist arguments for normative pluralism and universal inclusion as the primary features of epistemically superior social epistemic systems are derived from the two constraints of design. Third chapter opens a discussion on the index of epistemic progress by which the features would be assessed.Ovaj se rad bavi temeljnim argumentima o dizajnu i procjeni društvenih epistemičkih sustava, dijelu epistemologije koji istražuje epistemička svojstva društvenih i institucijskih uređenja. Prvo poglavlje sadrži povijesni pregled institucijske epistemologije, s fokusom na teme pragmatizma, eksperimentalizma i demokracije kod Johna Deweya, teme neznanja, normi, pluralizma i tržišta kod Friedricha Hayeka, te suvremena istraživanja u disciplini obilježena upotrebom simulacija kao metodološkom inovacijom, kroz rad Scotta Pagea, Michaela Weisberga, Ryana Muldoona, i Kevina Zollmana. Drugo poglavlje sažima napretke u disciplini pregledane u prvom poglavlju i nudi novu formulaciju temeljnih argumenata. Prvo, definira se komparativni standard za procjenu društvenih epistemičkih sustava – nakon pregleda, kritike i odbacivanja „istine“ i „razvoja agenta“, brani se „sposobnost sustava da revidira lažna vjerovanja“ kao komparativni standard. Drugo, definiraju se osnovni uvjeti društvenog epistemičkog sustava kao ograničenja na potencijalni dizajn – agenti su epistemički suboptimalni, vođeni normama, te njihov broj je konačan ali nepoznat. Treće, iz navedena dva ograničenja u dizajnu (komparativnog standarda i osnovnih uvjeta), izvode se instrumentalistički argumenti za normativni pluralizam i univerzalnu inkluziju kao primarna svojstva epistemički superiornog društvenog epistemičkog sustava. Treće poglavlje otvara raspravu o indeksu epistemičkog razvoja kojime bi se navedena svojstva procjenjivala

Društvene epistemičke nejednakosti, redundantnost i epistemička pouzdanost u upravljanju

In this paper I argue that social epistemic inequalities, exemplified by expert structures and their introduction into various social and political processes, may be a collective epistemic virtue only if they are discovered under the conditions of free possibility of redundant disagreement. In the first part of the paper, following Snježana Prijić Samaržija’s work in Democracy and Truth, I explicate the epistemic value of social epistemic inequalities, and address the epistemic defectiveness of both the complete social disregard for any expertize (flat epistemology) and the rule of experts. In the second part of the paper, I argue that social epistemic inequalities governing a large and complex population of epistemically suboptimal agents may be a collective epistemic virtue, reflective of discovery of epistemically reliable processes, if they can be contested and, in principle, withstand redundant disagreement.Centralna teza ovog članka je da društvene epistemičke nejednakosti, oprimerene stručnjačkim strukturama i njihovim uključivanjem u razne društvene i političke procese, mogu biti kolektivne epistemičke vrline samo ako su otkrivene pod uslovima slobodne mogućnosti suvišnog neslaganja. U prvom dijelu članka, slijedeći rad Snježane Prijić Samaržije u Democracy and Truth, ekspliciram epistemičku vrednost društvenih epistemičkih nejednakosti te pritom poseban fokus posvećujem razradi teze jednake epistemičke defektivnosti vladavine stručnjaka i potpunog društvenog neuvažavanja bilo kakve ekspertize (tzv. flat epistemologija). U drugom delu članka argumentiram da društvene epistemičke nejednakosti u kontekstu upravljanja velikom i kompleksnom populacijom epistemički suboptimalnih agenata mogu biti kolektivna epistemička vrlina, koja reflektuje otkrivanje epistemički pouzdanih procesa, tek ako te nejednakosti mogu biti izazvane i, u principu, „preživljavaju“ suvišno neslaganje

Određene osnove dizajna i procjene društvenih epistemičkih sustava: agentski suboptimalizam, intstrumentalni pluralizam i univerzalna inkluzija

The thesis examines foundational arguments of design and assessment of social epistemic systems, an area of epistemology which studies epistemic properties of social and institutional arrangements. First chapter presents the historical overview of institutional epistemology, focusing on pragmatism, experimentalism and democracy in the work of John Dewey, ignorance, norms, pluralism and market in the work of Friedrich Hayek, and the contemporary use of simulations in epistemological research. Second chapter condenses the advances in the discipline: (i) comparative standard for the assessment of social epistemic systems is defined; (ii) baseline conditions of the epistemic life of the population are defined; (iii) instrumentalist arguments for normative pluralism and universal inclusion as the primary features of epistemically superior social epistemic systems are derived from the two constraints of design. Third chapter opens a discussion on the index of epistemic progress by which the features would be assessed.Ovaj se rad bavi temeljnim argumentima o dizajnu i procjeni društvenih epistemičkih sustava, dijelu epistemologije koji istražuje epistemička svojstva društvenih i institucijskih uređenja. Prvo poglavlje sadrži povijesni pregled institucijske epistemologije, s fokusom na teme pragmatizma, eksperimentalizma i demokracije kod Johna Deweya, teme neznanja, normi, pluralizma i tržišta kod Friedricha Hayeka, te suvremena istraživanja u disciplini obilježena upotrebom simulacija kao metodološkom inovacijom, kroz rad Scotta Pagea, Michaela Weisberga, Ryana Muldoona, i Kevina Zollmana. Drugo poglavlje sažima napretke u disciplini pregledane u prvom poglavlju i nudi novu formulaciju temeljnih argumenata. Prvo, definira se komparativni standard za procjenu društvenih epistemičkih sustava – nakon pregleda, kritike i odbacivanja „istine“ i „razvoja agenta“, brani se „sposobnost sustava da revidira lažna vjerovanja“ kao komparativni standard. Drugo, definiraju se osnovni uvjeti društvenog epistemičkog sustava kao ograničenja na potencijalni dizajn – agenti su epistemički suboptimalni, vođeni normama, te njihov broj je konačan ali nepoznat. Treće, iz navedena dva ograničenja u dizajnu (komparativnog standarda i osnovnih uvjeta), izvode se instrumentalistički argumenti za normativni pluralizam i univerzalnu inkluziju kao primarna svojstva epistemički superiornog društvenog epistemičkog sustava. Treće poglavlje otvara raspravu o indeksu epistemičkog razvoja kojime bi se navedena svojstva procjenjivala