Principles of comprehensive self-renewal by Stephen R. Covey in the perspective of ancient greek paideía and the ideal of kalokágathía

Taking into account the ideals of ancient areata ethics (παιδεία and καλοκάγαϑία), the article describes the concept of a comprehensive self-renewal of Stephen R. Covey in four dimensions/spheres of renewal. The first dimension of renewal is related to the physical sphere; the second dimension involves spiritual qualities; the third dimension is of mental/intellectual characteristics; and the fourth dimension addresses community qualities, i.e. socio-emotional values. This contemporary concept is described on the background of the philosophical values of ancient Greece: character development, concern of άρετή and μετάνοια; also broadly understood care for own ψυχή

Assessment of the possibility of increasing a load - carrying strength of truss bridges of overhead travelling cranes

A possibility of increasing the load-carrying strength of truss bridges of overhead travelling cranes by transferring a part of a useful load from the main truss (which transfers directly the load originated from road wheels of the crane carriage) on the parallel auxiliary truss by means of increasing rigidity of truss members joining both trusses - was presented in the paper. The verification of a static relief of the main truss by the auxiliary one as a function of rigidity of transverse and skew space trusses was performed. The A. Blum method was used in analytical calculations. The obtained results were verified by means of the ANSYS 12.1 program utilising the finite element method (FEM)

Inclusion-dependent mechanism of modification of cyclodextrins with heterocycles

Mono(6-deoxy-dimethylpyridinium)- -cyclodextrins have been synthesized in reaction of mono (p-toluenesulfonyl) derivative of –cyclodextrin with the appropriate lutidine under microwave irradiation and conventional conditions. The results indicate that the mechanism consists of inclusion complex formation

Polymers tailored for controlled (bio)degradation through end-group and in-chain functionalization

Currently, polymers can be created with specific properties that are tailored to a wide range of applications from medical to everyday products as packaging. There are different techniques to prepare novel polymer materials with various architectures and specific groups via a variety of reaction mechanisms of different complexity. End-group modification of polymers is a powerful tool for tailoring polymer properties. The end-group and in-chain functionalization strategy must be carefully selected based on catalyst, polymerization conditions, and other limitations such as solute solvent interactions or aggregation. The review provides a brief description of the functional moieties and an outline of synthetic strategies used for tailoring the (bio)degradable polymer properties by end-group and in-chain functionalization.Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Wolverhampto

Zróżnicowanie poziomu kompetencji informatycznych uczniów klas początkowych

Due to obligatory IT (Information Technology) classes for pupils at I—III levels, some information competences are formed. They are based on knowledge, abilities, postures and habits connected with the use of ICT instruments. However, the level of pupils’ information competences is different (and) it becomes much more complicated during the education period. Pupils’ information competences and the teachers’ work with pupils on different information competence levels were carried out in one of the primary school in Bytom in September 2011

Philosophy as art of life and therapy: the epicurean-stoic model of ethics in the face of contemporary holistic views of human being in coaching

Purpose: The purpose of the article is an attempt to show philosophy as an art of living and therapy by referring to the ancient philosophical schools founded by Epicurus of Samos and Zeno of Citium. Drawing on the ethical postulates of the systems indicated, the author proves their validity. Author argues that ethical assumptions of the distinguished schools are also revealed in many contemporary concepts of sustainable development; this could lead to further research. Design/methodology/approach: The article uses the method of comparative analysis (method), showing the way of possible adaptation of the ancient ideal of aretaic ethics to the contemporary, holistic views of human being in the 21st century. Findings: The analyses undertaken confirm the theses about the therapeutic role of philosophy, especially in its practical dimension. Classical philosophy as an art of living and therapy can also today become a source of inspiration referring us to a permanent and objective hierarchy of values, providing us with an inner sense of security, teaching understanding and distance to the world and to ourselves. Research limitations/implications: The author deliberately limits her research solely to characterizing the two leading philosophical schools of the ancient Hellas. Thus, she paves the way for further research on the role and significance of practical philosophy in shaping the condition of contemporary men (human being) and their environment. Practical implications: The issues raised in the article emphasize the practical dimension of philosophy. The domain of ancient systems of philosophy lies in their therapeutic, healing and strictly practical character. Ancient philosophy is an art of living focused on the realization of the ideal of eudaimonia (full/complete life). It is in such a handy and not only speculative-theoretical approach that its proper goal is expressed (results/conclusion). Social implications: The thematic scope of the thesis presented in the article includes both elements of value ethics, philosophical anthropology, philosophy of civilization and social philosophy. The author focuses her attention on the description of human condition and recognized forms of striving for its improvement, both in the dimension of individual and social life (results/conclusion). Originality/value: The article shows the possible use of classical humanistic knowledge, in particular philosophical knowledge, in combination with contemporary concepts of self-development that are part of a wide range of support professions developing rapidly in the 21st century: psychology, psychotherapy, therapy, counseling and coaching (discussions)

Między potrzebą a zbędnością : korzystanie z mediów elektronicznych przez małego użytkownika i jego rodziców

Parents are active users of electronic media. The problem emerges when they do so at the expense of the time spent with the child. They not only give their children smartphones or tablets to play with, but also are happy and praise the children when they perform certain actions properly on the device. When deciding to provide their children with electronic media, the parents should control the time of use as well as all the actions performed on and with such devices. Nevertheless, problems arising from the use of these media by children should not be the basis for a ban to use them, as they can effectively support, for example, the cognitive and social development of children. The study contains results of observations of adult guardians who use mobile devices during childcare on the playground

Dwa projekty antynaturalizmu metodologicznego na przykładzie filozofii Heinricha Rickerta i Ernsta Cassirera

Two philosophers of turn of the century, Heinrich Rickert (1863–1936) and Ernst Cassirer (1874–1945) belong to large and not identical in meaning in their own views, the Neo-Kantianism movement. Though the Immanuel Kant’s philosophy to the state for both the irrefutable base – the foundation of considerations, among the theory of author of three Critiques and neo-Kantianism comes to light the difference of the range as far as Kant’s transcendentalism has the general character, insomuch aground Southwestern neo-Kantianism whose a representative is Rickert, takes place his particularization. There placing the problem of a priori conditions of possibility of the recognition, Rickert undertakes an attempt of the transcendental basis of the culture. Seeking bases of the recognition and the culture whatever, accepts Windelband’s partition of know- ledge on generalizing nomothetic’s disciplines (the sciences) and individualizing idiographic’s disciplines (the humanities) and calls the history a condition of the possibility of the experience. As the representative of the methodological dualism this thinker makes the philosophy, with the critical theory of cultural values. To include into the range of methodological decisions of the axiological problem among which to the foreground advances the problem granting the life the sense of the value and this, what necessarily important, Rickert not only additionally qualifies across this the proper object of the recognition, but also the theoretical thinking implants in the duty, instead the recognition establishes in the pure logic of being obligatory (Geltung).The problem of logical bases of disciplines about the spirit, examined from the perspective of the critical philosophy of the culture, investigates also the schoolboy of the Marburg neo-Kantianism, Ernst Cassirer. Its own interests with sciences, especially with the mathematical physics, he enriches with the widely understood idea of the culture founding, that sciences about the nature and the humanities as decisive about the all activity of the man, are not to themselves opposed, but mutually are complementary to one another. Binding measurable-quantitative and volitional and emotional – the qualitative moment of the act of the recognition, Cassirer throws up proposed by Baden school (Windelband, Rickert) of the theory of the value and the partition disciplines of knowledge. Perceiving the human variability, one assembles on historic and humanistic description of various forms of the human life.Showing the primary relationship of the Cassirer’s and Rickert’s thought with theoretical either with the practical Kant’s knowledge, in the pronouncement I return the special attention on the course of the line of demarcation dividing the sphere Geisteswissenschaften from the area Naturwissenschaften in proposed by neo-Kantian programs of the philosophy. Using the method of the comparative analysis, I characterize the manner of the seizure of the sciences and humanities – knowledge about the culture in Rickert’s philosophy expresses himself in the difference: nasci – colere, instead inwards Cassirera accepts the form of the disjunction: fact of the science – fact of the culture; difference which comes to light among this, what quantitative and to these, what qualitative.Dwaj filozofowie przełomu wieków, Heinrich Rickert (1863–1936) oraz Ernst Cassirer (1874–1945) przynależą do licznego i niejednoznacznego w swych poglądach, ruchu neokantystów. Chociaż filozofia Immanuela Kanta stanowi dla obydwóch niepodważalną bazę – fundament rozważań, pomiędzy teorią autora trzech Krytyk a neokantyzmem ujawnia się różnica zakresu bowiem o ile transcendentalizm Kanta ma charakter ogólny, o tyle na gruncie badeńskiej szkoły neokantyzmu, której reprezentantem jest Rickert, dokonuje się jego uszczegółowienie. Stawiając problem apriorycznych warunków możliwości poznania, Rickert podejmuje próbę transcendentalnego ugruntowania kultury. Poszukując podstawy poznania i kultury w ogóle, przyjmuje Windelbandowski podział nauk na uogólniające nauki nomotetyczne i indywidualizujące nauki idiograficzne oraz nazywa historię warunkiem możliwości doświadczenia. Jako reprezentant dualizmu metodologicznego myśliciel ten czyni filozofię, krytyczną teorią wartości kulturowych. Włączając w zakres metodologicznych rozstrzygnięć zagadnienia aksjologiczne, wśród których na pierwszy plan wysuwa zagadnienie nadających życiu sens wartości oraz tego, co koniecznie ważne, Rickert nie tylko dookreśla poprzez to właściwy przedmiot poznania, ale także myślenie teoretyczne zakorzenia w powinności, natomiast poznanie ugruntowuje w czystej logice obowiązywania (Geltung).Zagadnienie logicznych podstaw nauk o duchu, rozpatrywanych z perspektywy krytycznej filozofii kultury, bada również uczeń marburskiej szkoły neokantyzmu, Ernst Cassirer. Swoje zainteresowania naukami przyrodniczymi, zwłaszcza fizyką matematyczną, wzbogaca szeroko rozumianą koncepcją kultury zakładając, iż nauki o przyrodzie i humanistyka jako decydujące o całej aktywności człowieka, nie są sobie przeciwstawne, lecz wzajemnie się uzupełniają. Wiążąc mierzalny – ilościowy i wolicjonalno-emocjonalny – jakościowy moment aktu poznania, Cassirer rezygnuje z zaproponowanej przez badeńczyków (Windelband, Rickert) teorii wartości oraz podziału nauk. Dostrzegając ludzką zmienność, skupia się na historyczno-humanistycznym opisie różnorodnych form ludzkiego życia.Ukazując pierwotny związek myśli Cassirera i Rickerta z teoretyczną oraz praktyczną nauką Kanta, w wystąpieniu zwracam szczególną uwagę na przebieg linii demarkacyjnej rozdzielającej sferę Geisteswissenschaften od obszaru Naturwissenschaften w zaproponowanych przez neokantystów programach filozofii. Wykorzystując metodę analizy porównawczej, charakteryzuję sposób ujęcia przyrodoznawstwa oraz nauk o kulturze, który w filozofii Rickerta wyraża się w różnicy: nasci – colere, natomiast w myśli Cassirera przyjmuje postać rozdzielenia: fakt nauki – fakt kultury; dywergencji, która ujawnia się pomiędzy tym, co kwantytatywne a tym, co kwalitatywne