An interdisciplinary learning approach to ecological business: Using examples of best practice

It is a widely held view among educationists that the most effective way to facilitate a holistic learning approach is to present visual, ready-to-use, practical examples. Thus, our study follows the general scope of the course “Socially responsible ecological business”, which is currently offered to master students at the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU). We contend that teaching materials should be presented visually using case studies and examples. Indeed, simple guidance is one of the vital learning tools for students. Accordingly, and in line with the aims of the course, the observations and experience of differences in global culture and our inclusion of a wide range of ecological examples were central to the design of our international case study. In particular, students found the case study on ecological business both useful and applicable in the real world

Williamas Jamesas: pragmatizmo samprata

The conception of Pragmatism, raised by William James, encloses two fundamental components: the pragmatic method of cognition and the pragmatic conception of truth. The pragmatic method affirms that we must investigate only those ideas, conceptions, theories, etc., that can be put to the test of current human experience. The pragmatic conception of truth asserts that ideas, confirmed by the means of the above mentioned experience, must be regarded as true. These true ideas always bear the aspects of might and practical use, in so far as they serve as certain ways to take possession of the world of our external or internal experience. The truth of idea, conception, theory, etc., cannot, however, be reduced to its practical utility. A true idea al­ ways bears an aspect of correspondence to reality. It either corresponds to the world of our external experience (as the ideas of natural sciences do), or to the world of our internal experience (as metaphysical ideas do).Straipsnyje analizuojama W. Jameso pragmatizmo teorija, apimanti tam tikrą pažinimo metodą ir tiesos sampratą. Pragmatinis metodas bando išspręsti metafizinius ginčus jų keliamas teorines alternatyvas pateikdamas empirinės verifikacijos testui. Pragmatinis metodas traktuoja žmogiškąjį pažinimą kaip nesibaigiantį procesą, kuriame verifikuojamos teorijos tėra laikini instrumentai pasauliui pažinti ir valdyti. Naujos idėjos keičia senąsias, o pastarosios ne išnyksta, bet tampa sudedamaisiais naujų idėjų komponentais. Būtinas ir teorijų praktinis pritaikymas: pažinimo procese teisingomis privalu pripažinti tas teorijas, kurios leidžia žmogui daugiau ar mažiau užvaldyti aplinkinį pasaulį. Pragmatinė tiesos samprata pripažįsta tiesą kaip idėjos ir realybės atitikimo santykį. Vienos teisingos idėjos, koncepcijos, teorijos (gamtamokslinės, sveiko proto ir pan.) atitinka mūsų išorinės patirties, kitos (metafizinės grynojo proto idėjos, melioristinė etika ir pan.) – vidinės patirties pasaulį

Экзистенциальное общение как основа подлинного человеческого существования в философии Карла Ясперса

The article analyzes from different aspects the conception of existential communication and its significance from the perspective of Karl Jaspers’s existential philosophy. An attempt is made to prove that the need for existential communication is primordial and naturally linked with human existence. On this basis, the definition of existential communication as life communication, is formed and analyzed. Ties between existential communication and existential truth are singled out

Legal philosophy of Modern Scholasticism: rights of nations as a means of intercultural dialogue

This article investigates legal philosophy of the Second, or Modern Scholasticism. Doxographical, analytical as well as hermeneutical methods are applied. The author of the article concentrates on the list of fundamental rights of nations presented by Francisco de Vitoria including rights to existence, mutual equality and political independence; rights of international migration and trade; as well as the right and even duty of humanitarian or even military help. The article comes to conclusion that the above-mentioned list does not lose its relevance in contemporary world and society, as the rights from this list are regularly infringed. It is also asserted that, having been transferred into cultural - civilizational field, the elements of Vitoria’s list would become universal rights of every culture and civilization. As those rights share respectful, protective and fostering orientation towards various cultures and civilizations, they could be applied as measures of starting, fostering, maintaining and safeguarding intercultural/intercivilizational communication and dialogue

Tarptautinės teisės aiškinimas antrojoje scholastinėje filosofijoje

The grandees of so called second scholasticism – Dominican Francisco de Vitoria (1480 –1546) and Jesuit Francisco Suarez (1548 –1617) – must be reckoned among founders of international law theory. Their works, issued before famous treatise “On the Law of War and Peace” by another father of international law Hugo Grotius, contained solid system of that law. This system, referring to Roman law, the works of Thomas Aquinas, St. Isidore of Seville, St. Raymund of Penafort and John of Legnano, analyzed nature and origin of international law, declared inseparable rights of nations and states, determined sufficient conditions for defending those rights in just war (bellum justum). De Vitoria and Suarez regarded international law as a set of customary rules and principles regulating relations among all or almost all the nations and states of the world. Those rules were considered the certain principles of natural law accommodated to the sphere of international relations. According to de Vitoria and Suarez, by trial and error, nations and states gradually derive from natural law more or less general customs of international conduct. One of the most significant aspects of international law theory in second scholasticism is the list of fundamental and inseparable rights of nations and states,presented by de Vitoria. This list includes the rights to existence, equality and political sovereignty; the right to international migration and trade; the right and duty to lend a military aid to nation, victimized by domestic tyrants or threatened or attacked by external aggressor. These rights must be regarded as a certain equivalent of some principles of modern international law, namely, sovereignty of states; noninterference into internal affairs; interdiction to use force and even to threaten by it; equality and self-determination of nations; freedom of migration; humanitarian intervention etc.Šiame straipsnyje nagrinėjama tarptautinės teisės teorija vadinamosios antrosios scholastikos (XVI – XVIII a.) klasikų F. de Vitorijos ir F. Suareso veikaluose. Aptariami esminiai šios teorijos objektai: tarptautinės teisės prigimtis ir kilmė, neatimamos tautų ir valstybių teisės bei jų gynimo teisingame kare sąlygos. Tiriant šiuos dalykus daugiausia taikomas lyginamasis doksografinis metodas. Prieinama prie išvados, kad de Vitorija ir Suaresas laikytini vienais iš tarptautinės teisės teorijos pradininkų ir kad jų pažiūros artimos kito tarptautinės teisės „tevo“ – H. Grocijaus – teorijai. Pabrėžiama, kad nemažai antrosios scholastikos tarptautinės teisės principų – paprotys kaip tarptautinės teisės norma, tautų teisės į lygybę, politinę nepriklausomybę, tarptautinę migraciją ir humanitarinę intervenciją, tautų teisių pažeidimas kaip teisingo karo priežastis, ambasadorių ir taikių gyventojų neliečiamybė karo metu, draudimas žudyti karo belaisvius ir įkaitus, reparacijų atitiktis patirtajai žalai, religinių karų neteisėtumas – aktualūs ir mūsų dienomis

The philosophy of international law of Modern Scholasticism: the theory of just war

This article analyzes the philosophy of international law of the Second, or Modern Scholasticism. The author of the article concentrates on the just war theory mainly developed by Francisco de Vitoria and Francisco Suarez. The objectives of the article are to clarify and classify the main principles of the above-mentioned theory as well as to grasp its relevance nowadays. In order to achieve these objectives doxographical, analytical as well as hermeneutical methods are applied. Based on them, the principles and rules of just war are divided into two fundamental types. The article comes to conclusion that these types correspond to the parts of contemporary just war theory entitled as jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Another significant conclusion is that the vast majority of the principles of just war presented in Modern Scholasticism (e.g. just cause of the war, adversary’s warning of intended offensive actions, the inviolability of ambassadors and peaceful population, prohibition on killing prisoners of war and hostages, the compliance of reparations with the damage caused before and during the war, the illegality of religious and confessional wars) are also relevant nowadays

Logika. II dalis: silogistika, klasių logika, daugiareikšmė, modalinė, normų logika, nededukciniai samprotavimai

Ši knyga yra Mykolo Romerio universiteto Filosofijos katedros dėstytojų paruošto logikos vadovėlio antroji dalis. Joje dėstoma silogistika, klasių logika bei daugiareikšmės, modalinės, normų ir nededukcinių samprotavimų logikos pagrindai. Kaip ir pirmoji vadovėlio dalis, ši dalis skirta tiems, kurie dažniausiai protauja nematematiškai – socialinių mokslų atstovams ir humanitarams. Todėl joje pirmenybė teikiama filosofinei logikai, o matematinės propozicinių funkcijų logikos bei aibių teorijos dėstymo atsisakoma. Tokia pati nuostata būdinga logikos dėstymo tradicijai, kurią Lietuvoje buvo įtvirtinęs žymiausias Lietuvos logikas ir pažinimo filosofas Vosylius Sezemanas. Mūsų laikmečiu, kai fundamentalaus humanitarinio išsilavinimo neįgijęs žmogus tampa globalizacijos įkaitu, ši tradicija vėl tampa aktuali. Vadovėlis turėtų būti naudingas ir fizinių bei technologijos mokslų atstovams: juk visų pirma mes visi esame ne specialistai, o žmonės, protaujantys ir tuomet, kai su matematika ar kitais fiziniais mokslais nesame susipažinę

Middle term in scholastic theory of science: independent media?

Article presents the conception of the circular course of scientific cognition in scholastic philosophy of science. The author of the article concentrates on middle terms of aposteriori and a priori demonstrations participating in above mentioned circle. While doing that he asks if those middle terms are independent cognitive media as the demonstrations themselves are. The analysis concludes that, lacking independent contents and being inseparable from their demonstrations, middle terms do not possess status of independent cognitive media. Actually, they are just elements, or submedia, of demonstrations as independent media communicating certain cognition to those demonstrations and enabling them