Knowledge, Evolution and Paradox

Knowledge, Evolution and Paradox
Author :
Publisher : SUNY Press
Total Pages : 202
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0791415333
ISBN-13 : 9780791415337
Rating : 4/5 (33 Downloads)

Synopsis Knowledge, Evolution and Paradox by : Koen DePryck

Knowledge, Evolution and Paradox

Knowledge, Evolution and Paradox
Author :
Publisher : State University of New York Press
Total Pages : 202
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781438400853
ISBN-13 : 1438400853
Rating : 4/5 (53 Downloads)

Synopsis Knowledge, Evolution and Paradox by : Koen DePryck

Science, Paradox, and the Moebius Principle

Science, Paradox, and the Moebius Principle
Author :
Publisher : SUNY Press
Total Pages : 348
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0791417700
ISBN-13 : 9780791417706
Rating : 4/5 (00 Downloads)

Synopsis Science, Paradox, and the Moebius Principle by : Steven M. Rosen

Science, Paradox, and the Moebius Principle confronts basic anomalies in the foundations of contemporary knowledge. Steven M. Rosen deals with paradoxes that call into question our conventional way of thinking about space, time, and the nature of human experience. Rosen's contribution is unique in at least five respects: 1) He provides an unparalleled integration of modern theoretical science and contemporary phenomenological thought. 2) He features a section of dialogue with David Bohm, who contributed greatly in fields of major concern to the book. 3) He sets forth a process theory and philosophy, presenting a concept in which space, time, and consciousness undergo a continuous internal transformation and organic growth. 4) He furnishes a highly specific account of dialectical change, employing geometric forms that bring the dynamics of paradox into focus with unprecedented clarity. 5) He is transdisciplinary and provides transcultural bridges between the "two cultures" of science and the humanities.

The Goodness Paradox

The Goodness Paradox
Author :
Publisher : Vintage
Total Pages : 402
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781101870914
ISBN-13 : 1101870915
Rating : 4/5 (14 Downloads)

Synopsis The Goodness Paradox by : Richard Wrangham

“A fascinating new analysis of human violence, filled with fresh ideas and gripping evidence from our primate cousins, historical forebears, and contemporary neighbors.” —Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature We Homo sapiens can be the nicest of species and also the nastiest. What occurred during human evolution to account for this paradox? What are the two kinds of aggression that primates are prone to, and why did each evolve separately? How does the intensity of violence among humans compare with the aggressive behavior of other primates? How did humans domesticate themselves? And how were the acquisition of language and the practice of capital punishment determining factors in the rise of culture and civilization? Authoritative, provocative, and engaging, The Goodness Paradox offers a startlingly original theory of how, in the last 250 million years, humankind became an increasingly peaceful species in daily interactions even as its capacity for coolly planned and devastating violence remains undiminished. In tracing the evolutionary histories of reactive and proactive aggression, biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham forcefully and persuasively argues for the necessity of social tolerance and the control of savage divisiveness still haunting us today.

Evidence and Evolution

Evidence and Evolution
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Total Pages : 413
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781139470117
ISBN-13 : 1139470116
Rating : 4/5 (17 Downloads)

Synopsis Evidence and Evolution by : Elliott Sober

How should the concept of evidence be understood? And how does the concept of evidence apply to the controversy about creationism as well as to work in evolutionary biology about natural selection and common ancestry? In this rich and wide-ranging book, Elliott Sober investigates general questions about probability and evidence and shows how the answers he develops to those questions apply to the specifics of evolutionary biology. Drawing on a set of fascinating examples, he analyzes whether claims about intelligent design are untestable; whether they are discredited by the fact that many adaptations are imperfect; how evidence bears on whether present species trace back to common ancestors; how hypotheses about natural selection can be tested, and many other issues. His book will interest all readers who want to understand philosophical questions about evidence and evolution, as they arise both in Darwin's work and in contemporary biological research.

Empirical Paradox, Complexity Thinking and Generating New Kinds of Knowledge

Empirical Paradox, Complexity Thinking and Generating New Kinds of Knowledge
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages : 284
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781527535527
ISBN-13 : 1527535525
Rating : 4/5 (27 Downloads)

Synopsis Empirical Paradox, Complexity Thinking and Generating New Kinds of Knowledge by : Paolo Grigolini

Is another world war inevitable? The answer is a resounding “yes” if we continue to think in terms of “either/or” outcomes. Adversaries think in such terms, you either get what you want, or you do not. Can a different way of thinking produce a different outcome? This book shows that the consistency demanded by the linear, logical either/or thinking is disrupted by paradox, whose resolution forces a consequent decision: war or peace, with no middle ground. If this were the only way of thinking then a person would be either a protagonist or an antagonist, but a person can be both, either, or neither; this opens the door to novel solutions. This is “both/and” thinking, which the book shows can be achieved by a dynamic resolution of paradox. Thus, a basically selfish individual can also be a hero; a consequence of the complexity of being human.

Why Only Us

Why Only Us
Author :
Publisher : MIT Press
Total Pages : 229
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780262533492
ISBN-13 : 0262533499
Rating : 4/5 (92 Downloads)

Synopsis Why Only Us by : Robert C. Berwick

Berwick and Chomsky draw on recent developments in linguistic theory to offer an evolutionary account of language and humans' remarkable, species-specific ability to acquire it. “A loosely connected collection of four essays that will fascinate anyone interested in the extraordinary phenomenon of language.” —New York Review of Books We are born crying, but those cries signal the first stirring of language. Within a year or so, infants master the sound system of their language; a few years after that, they are engaging in conversations. This remarkable, species-specific ability to acquire any human language—“the language faculty”—raises important biological questions about language, including how it has evolved. This book by two distinguished scholars—a computer scientist and a linguist—addresses the enduring question of the evolution of language. Robert Berwick and Noam Chomsky explain that until recently the evolutionary question could not be properly posed, because we did not have a clear idea of how to define “language” and therefore what it was that had evolved. But since the Minimalist Program, developed by Chomsky and others, we know the key ingredients of language and can put together an account of the evolution of human language and what distinguishes us from all other animals. Berwick and Chomsky discuss the biolinguistic perspective on language, which views language as a particular object of the biological world; the computational efficiency of language as a system of thought and understanding; the tension between Darwin's idea of gradual change and our contemporary understanding about evolutionary change and language; and evidence from nonhuman animals, in particular vocal learning in songbirds.

Demons in Eden

Demons in Eden
Author :
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Total Pages : 204
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780226757773
ISBN-13 : 0226757773
Rating : 4/5 (73 Downloads)

Synopsis Demons in Eden by : Jonathan Silvertown

At the heart of evolution lies a bewildering paradox. Natural selection favors above all the individual that leaves the most offspring—a superorganism of sorts that Jonathan Silvertown here calls the "Darwinian demon." But if such a demon existed, this highly successful organism would populate the entire world with its own kind, beating out other species and eventually extinguishing biodiversity as we know it. Why then, if evolution favors this demon, is the world filled with so many different life forms? What keeps this Darwinian demon in check? If humankind is now the greatest threat to biodiversity on the planet, have we become the Darwinian demon? Demons in Eden considers these questions using the latest scientific discoveries from the plant world. Readers join Silvertown as he explores the astonishing diversity of plant life in regions as spectacular as the verdant climes of Japan, the lush grounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the shallow wetlands and teeming freshwaters of Florida, the tropical rainforests of southeast Mexico, and the Canary Islands archipelago, whose evolutionary novelties—and exotic plant life—have earned it the sobriquet "the Galapagos of botany." Along the way, Silvertown looks closely at the evolution of plant diversity in these locales and explains why such variety persists in light of ecological patterns and evolutionary processes. In novel and useful ways, he also investigates the current state of plant diversity on the planet to show the ever-challenging threats posed by invasive species and humans. Bringing the secret life of plants into more colorful and vivid focus than ever before, Demons in Eden is an empathic and impassioned exploration of modern plant ecology that unlocks evolutionary mysteries of the natural world.

Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth

Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth
Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Total Pages : 240
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780190293116
ISBN-13 : 019029311X
Rating : 4/5 (16 Downloads)

Synopsis Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth by : David B. Audretsch

By serving as a conduit for knowledge spillovers, entrepreneurship is the missing link between investments in new knowledge and economic growth. The knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship provides not just an explanation of why entrepreneurship has become more prevalent as the factor of knowledge has emerged as a crucial source for comparative advantage, but also why entrepreneurship plays a vital role in generating economic growth. Entrepreneurship is an important mechanism permeating the knowledge filter to facilitate the spill over of knowledge and ultimately generate economic growth.

The Maverick Paradox: The Secret Power Behind Successful Leaders

The Maverick Paradox: The Secret Power Behind Successful Leaders
Author :
Publisher : Lulu.com
Total Pages : 220
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781326993412
ISBN-13 : 1326993410
Rating : 4/5 (12 Downloads)

Synopsis The Maverick Paradox: The Secret Power Behind Successful Leaders by : Judith Germain

All successful leaders have a secret power - where's yours? When leadership becomes a byword for control, and trust is outdated - how should YOU respond? 'Believe nothing, test everything'. This is the war cry of the maverick. This scream, an essential cornerstone of the maverick mindset. Leadership and maverick expert Judith Germain provides the blueprint to becoming a successful leader. - Discover the 5 maverick attributes all 'natural leaders' possess - Master the 8 maverick capabilities that all successful leaders demonstrate - Extend your influence by utilising the 3 key power bases - Become a transformational leader by deploying the Maverick DRIVEN Leadership(TM) Methodology 'Judith is one of those rare people who actually knows what she's talking about. She provides results based on good research and a professional approach'. Peter Clayton, author of 'Body Language at Work' and body language consultant for the BBC and ITV