Univ., Diss.--Siegen, 2003.

Zugl.: Tübingen, Univ., Habil.-Schr., 2009

This thesis deals with David Hume's conception of resemblance, chiefly in the context of his theory of association of ideas. There, resemblance has a great theoretical significance for explanation of, besides other things, general ideas (or concepts). With connection to them the principal problem dealt with in this thesis shows itself best: If we interpret resemblance as sharing of properties, then by using it in explanation of concepts (that means properties as well) we are begging the question. One of the claims of this thesis is that Hume understands resemblance neither solely, nor primarily as sharing of properties but he regards it as a primitive relation, whose place is mainly in the imagination. It is therefore "perceived" resemblance. Hume's theory of association consequently presupposes "form" of the given, one aspect of which is resemblance (or similarity) in the abstract which is a "condition of possibility" of perceived resemblances. Particular resemblances fill this form with various content, which means that resemblance is in this sense relative (different individuals can perceive the resemblance between the same things differently). It appears that Hume's conception of resemblance is, according to this interpretation, basically in agreement with Nelson Goodman's conception of similarity, in...

This diploma thesis deals with ethical theories in social work. Evaluates the contribution of ethical theories for social work in general and after that also specifically by elaborating three chosen ethical theories- Kant?s rationalistic ethics, Hume?s empiristic ethics and ethics of care. This thesis points to the importace of ethically correct decision making, which is related to the knowledge of fundamental ethical values. Both are an essential part of professionalism of social worker. Ethical theories contribute to a better understanding of ethics and come with theoretical instructions how to apply ethical values in practice.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird aufgrund der kommentierten Quellen die Tatsache erhellt, dass der Kantsche Anspruch auf Legitimität des Erkenntnisverfahrens, wie er in seiner Transzendentalphilosophie zum Ausdruck gebracht wurde, von drei Momenten des Gedankenprozesses in der Philosophie der Deutschen Aufklärung vorangekündigt wird: a) der Verschiebung der Problematik der deutschen Philosophie vom „Harmonie“-Gedanken der so genannten Leibniz-Wolff-Schule und ihrer Gegner hin zur Fragestellung nach der „Realisierung der Begriffe“ bei Tetens, in der sich der Mensch als sinnstiftendes Wesen dartut, b) dem bereits bei Thomasius in Sprachparallelen zu Kant auftretenden „empiriorationalistischen“ Moment, das die gesamte Periode des Kampfes um die Wolffsche Lehre begleitet und bei Lambert eine neue Form (a priori durch Erfahrung) bekommt, c) dem Verständnis der Denkbarkeit bzw. Begreifbarkeit als Mitteilbarkeit, das schon in der Frühaufklärung (von Thomasius implizit, von Tschirnhaus explizit) anzutreffen ist und von den Zeitgenossen Kants rehabilitiert und von Tetens als Frage nach der Intersubjektivität (das „Objectivische“ als das „unveränderlich Subjectivische“) betont wird. Mit den Werken von Lambert und Tetens, in denen Gott fast keine Rolle mehr spielt, emanzipiert sich das philosophische Denken endgültig von der religiösen Furcht und dem „metaphysischen Schauder“, die während der Barockzeit durch den Triumph der wissenschaftlichen Revolution hervorgebracht worden waren. In der Philosophie der beiden Zeitgenossen Kants versteht sich der Mensch nicht mehr als „intellectus ectypus“, sondern zum ersten Mal als potentieller Gesetzgeber der Natur. Folglich macht diese Tatsache klar, dass Kant auf bereits gestellte Fragen zu antworten hatte. / The current dissertation, which is based on documented sources, elucidates the fact that the Kantian claim of the legitimacy of the cognitive process, as this claim is expressed in the Kantian “Transcendental Philosophy”, had its precursor in three major elements of the philosophical evolution in the German Enlightenment: a)The shifting of the philosophical problematic in the German Enlightenmentfrom the “harmony”-thinking of the Wolffians and their detractors, to Tetens’ posit of the “realization” of concepts, according to which a human being is proven as a meaning-establishing entity; b) The “empiriorationalistic” element in Thomasius, which finds parallels in Kantian formulations, remains active during the whole controversy surrounding the Wolffian teaching, and then acquires a new form in Lambert (a priori through experience); c) The understanding of “conceivability” as “communicability”, which is already present in the early German Enlightenment, implicitly in Thomasius and explicitly in Tschirnhaus, does not come under discussion in the era of Wolff. However, this element comes under the spotlight by Kant’s contemporaries, especially highlighted in Tetens’ question of intersubjectivity (the objective as the “unchangeably subjective”). The representatives of German Enlightenment Philosophy after 1760 freed from the metaphysical shudder caused by the “scientific revolution”, are the very first to comprehend the human intellect, not as “intellectus ectypus”, but as the legislator of nature. In this way, German philosophical thought is to abandon once and for all the baroque world-view. The systems of Lambert and Tetens show clearly that Kant elaborated on questions that they had already posed in an elementary form.

The topic of this diploma thesis is the position of scientific realism presented in the framework of naturalized philosophy of science. The aim is to clarify this position and to show that if one denies realism, scientific practice does not make sense. For this purpose main focus is first devoted to the key parts (metaphysical realism, semantic realism, and epistemological realism) which constitute the scientific realism. Next, a detailed analysis of the arguments against and in favor of realism is offered, and concrete examples taken from the sciences are used to illustrate key points. Space is also devoted to the analysis of a physical theory of heat of the 18th and 19th centuries in connection with an antirealist argument directed at the history of science. Also, one of the few fully elaborated antirealist positions, constructive empiricism, is presented and critically evaluated. In a similar fashion, this thesis pays attention to a specific form of realism, called entity realism. Though the resulting image is a thoroughly realist position, this position strives to accurately capture the numerous nuances of the scientific practice, offering a fresh perspective on some of the traditional views.

This diploma thesis is focused on David Hume's analysis of causality. The two major philosophical works about this topic are A Treatise of Human Nature and Enquiries concerning Human Understanding. The first chapter is about intellectual background which Hume came from when he is dealing with cause-effect problem. At that time there were two main epistemological theories: rationalism and empirism. Both will be discuss there. The next chapter is about Hume's way of thinking about human understanding. This chapter is important for us beacuse there are many terms which will be useful for understanding causality. Crucial role plays The Theory of Ideas, according to each content of a mind has a source in experience. The first perceptions are called impresions and their copies are called ideas. Ideas are processed by memory and imagination. There are two categories of contents of human understanding: relations of ideas and matters of facts. We will focus on matters of facts because they are based on causality. Hume as a empirist is searching for a source of idea of causality in our experience. He finds out that we cant find it in objects of our minds themselves, but is based on relations among them. These relations are: contiguity, constant conjunction, priority of time in the cause before the effect and...

The philosophy of early Deleuze is the main subject of this dissertation. Concretely, it will be treated with regard to distinctive and singular individuation of a man: this essay tries to present his relationship to the ultimate horizon of Being in Deleuze's work. The first chapter constitutes a starting point which can be determined in criticism of the image of thought, closely related with Deleuze's transcendental empiricism. The second chapter is devoted to its culmination, to the metaphysical description of the virtual field of Ideas, of transcendental conditions of our experience. The next chapter shows how Ideas condition, that Ideas actualise themselves insofar as something develops itself within its intensive field of individuation. The fourth chapter takes us back to our starting point: it concerns a phenomenon, this time sufficiently explained, and we are again obliged to confront us with the image of thought which covers this explanation. This is the reason why our interpretation has to continue. The description of distinctive and singular individuation of a man wants to explain the way by which the image of thought, based on common sense, is established. Even though our experience is constructed on this image, there are still some "small islands" of difference, places where the virtual...

TITLE: The Philosophy of Louis Althusser in his ‚theoreticist' period AUTHOR: Petr Kužel DEPARTMENT: Social Sciences and Philosophy, Department SUPERVISOR: Mgr. Michael Hauser Ph.D. ABSTRACT: The thesis focuses on a philosophy of Louis Althusser in his "teoreticist" period, i.e. 1960-1967. The work is divided to four essentials sections: epistemology, ontology, psychoanalyse and ideology. We put accent on epistemological problematic, which is in this period of a development of Althusser's philosophy unequivocally dominant. In introduction of this text is explained historical and political context, in which Althusser realized his "theoretical intervention". The thesis treat on Althusser's conviction, that inadequate theory leads to deformed political practice and that Marxist theory exists till now in his "applied form", notably in The Capital. According to Althusser this Marxist theory wasn't adequately theoretically formed. Our work characterises Althusser's tentative to create and theoretically formulate this theory. This Althusser's tentative is connected with an effort to draw a "line of demarcation" between the Marxism and the pre-Marxist idealist notions, which are foreign to authentic Marxism. Althusser's critique focuses on Stalinism, "theoretical humanism", empiricism and Hegelianism. In present...

Biologische Evolutionstheorie erklärt die sukzessive Veränderung von Arten durch Vererbung und wurde erstmalig von Charles Darwin umfassend formuliert. Die Rezeption durch die Genderforschung umfasst diskursanalytische Studien und die Methodenkritik feministischer Biowissenschaftler_innen. Konkrete Bezugspunkte stellen dabei die sexuelle Selektion, naturalisierende Thesen der Soziobiologie und der evolutionären Psychologie sowie die Rolle des Essentialismus in der Evolutionstheorie Darwins dar.