Today a natural ball lightning (BL) phenomenon has not yet correct physical and philosophical explanation. This article is directed on a new exotic version of the occurrence and behavior of ball lightning. BL consists of a bulk air mixture—neutral air molecules, negative and positive aero ions. BL arise on linear lightning tracks due to the primary ionization of the atmosphere and the secondary effects of atmospheric light aero ions arisen. The emerging electrostatic surface tension forces form a volumetric gas drop, (...) in which the significant electrical energy of the “ball capacitor” is concentrated. The long lifetime of aero ions provides time stability of gas ball. As a rule, a BL gradually discharges and disappears due to recombination processes, emitting a weak cold glow. The explosion of BL occurs with an external destabilizing effect on its structure. First of all, this is contact with a source of free electrons—any conductive objects and surfaces, including the human body. The impulse powerful discharge of “ball capacitor” is very dangerous for human. Some other properties of BL are also discussing in this philosophical note. (shrink)

In an age were artificial intelligence can do everything for us why should we do things for ourselves? What is at stake is the intrinsic value of doing things for ourselves, our relationship to the world, and the sense of personal identity that springs forth from our actions. An age were automated machines do everything for us, threatens to de-skill our perceptions and to turn the individual into a passive observer rather than an active participant in the world. Therefore, this (...) paper draws upon the phenomenology of skilled perception and the Aristotelian concept of Aretê to argue for the importance of doing high-quality work for its own sake and how such domains of activity are central to our personal identities. What is required to live authentically is the targeted automation of routinized work and to enable the individual to freely choose their own practical identities based on its potential to provide an engaging perceptual niche. AI may either enhance or diminish our authenticity in three salient ways; it can either be used to liberate us from disengaging work, to facilitate psychologically engaging work, or to annihilate engaging perceptual niches and to close off corners of reality from mankind forever. (shrink)

This comprehensive review explores the evolving epistemological foundations of Human Reliability Analysis (HRA), tracing its transition from a practical, applied field to a scientific discipline. The paper critically examines the philosophical assumptions that underlie prominent HRA models, emphasizing their impact on both scientific validity and practical application. Organized into five sections, the paper begins by articulating its primary aim in Section 1: to uncover and scrutinize the philosophical assumptions within HRA models. Sections 2.2 and 2.3 delve into reductionist and holistic (...) paradigms. Section 2.4 focuses on the shift toward holistic theories, emphasizing the integration of human, technical, and organizational elements in modern socio-technical systems. Section 3 concludes by examining systemic approaches, capturing the paradigm shift from reductionism to a broader, interdependent view of accidents and reliability. Section 4 sheds light on the contemporary HRA models, emphasizing the prevalence of systemism in recent research. Notable models, such as SoTeRiA and FRAM, undergo scrutiny for their systemic approach, revealing interrelationships crucial for understanding accidents in complex operations. In Section 5, the paper explores the practical implications of the epistemological insights gained, emphasizing their potential impact on the development and enhancement of HRA models. The conclusion advocates for a paradigm shift in HRA that involves rethinking the epistemological bases of models. It underscores the need for ongoing philosophical scrutiny to drive the discipline's progress, ultimately enhancing our understanding, prediction, and improvement of human performance and system safety. (shrink)

Nazi evil makes the people of Eichmann, this is the whole context of the banality of evil. The destruction of Nazi evil is so unprecedented that it forms a whole new evil- Radical evil. Radical evil is not the change in the degree of evil, but the lack of traditional cognition or conception that suits it. Compared with the traditional evil, Radical evil cancels the concept of man itself. The banality of evil does not oppose Radical evil is a new (...) evil, does not deny its destruction, it criticizes the understanding of this evil as the devil. Replacing Radical evil with Extreme evil highlights the feature of no thinking of this evil. The banality of evil goes against words and thought, and it cannot be understood in the way of exploring the roots. The banality of evil is about thinking rather than knowing, aiming to seek meaning rather than knowledge. Thinking is a political activity, which does not directly bring knowledge and directly guide behavior, but generates independent judgment, thus helping to deal with evil. (shrink)

An age-old proposal that to be is to be a unity, or what I call a grouping, is updated and applied to the question “Why is there something rather than nothing?” (WSRTN). I propose the straight-forward idea that a thing exists if it is a grouping which ties zero or more things together into a new unit whole and existent entity. A grouping is visually manifested as the surface, or boundary, of the thing. In regard to WSRTN, when we subtract (...) away all existent entities, including the mind of the thinker, the resulting situation that we usually call “nothing would, by its very nature, be the whole amount, or entirety, of the situation. It completely defines the situation. The inherent nature of “nothing” is that it’s everything. Is there anything else besides that “nothing”? No. It is “nothing”, and this “nothing” is it, the all. A whole amount/entirety/all is a grouping, meaning that “nothing” is itself an existent entity. One objection might be that being a grouping is a property so how can it be there in “nothing”? The answer is that it is only once all known existent entities, including all properties and the mind visualizing this, are removed does this “nothing” gain the entirety/all grouping property. Therefore, the very lack of all existent entities is itself what allows this new property to be present and thereby to allow “nothing” to be an existent entity. This entirety/all grouping property is inherent, or intrinsic, to “nothing” and cannot be removed to get a more pure “nothing”. While the idea that “nothing” is a “something” that exists necessarily isn’t new, the grouping, or any, mechanism for how this can be so is. (shrink)

A perspective in the philosophy of mathematics is developed from a consideration of the strengths and limitations of both logicism and platonism, with an early focus on Frege’s work. Importantly, although many set-theoretic structures may be developed each of which offers limited isomorphism with the system of natural numbers, no one of them may be identified with it. Furthermore, the timeless, ever present nature of mathematical concepts and results itself offers direct access, in the face of a platonist account which (...) generates a supposed problem of access. Crucially too, pure mathematics has its own distinctive method of confirming or validating results - mathematical proof - which supplies a higher level of confidence and objectivity than that available elsewhere. The dichotomy of invention and discovery is too jejune a framework for analysing creative mathematical activity. The Gödelian platonist perspective is evaluated and queried through scrutiny of the part played by mathematical resources and constraints in relation to human activity. It appears that there can be non-causal mathematical explanations and mathematical constraint on purely natural processes. Valuable implications of Quine’s naturalism are explored, but one must be cautious of his thesis of confirmational holism. The distinction between algebraic and non-algebraic mathematical theories usefully contributes to our understanding of the internally differentiated nature of the subject. (shrink)

The “Trypillian altars” are important and diverse group of Eneolithic religious objects discovered by archaeological science during the last century in the vast territory of the Cucuteni-Trypillian cultural community. To date there has been a considerable accumulation of information which is in need of a proper systematization and religious understanding of this phenomenon. Trypillian altars, as elements of the Trypillian religious system, have so far remained outside the scope of comprehensive study. However, they are undoubtedly of great importance as a (...) source of information on the ritual and mythological system not only of the Cucuteni-Trypillian community, but of prehistoric societies in general. The altars discovered in Ukraine during the excavations of the Nebelivka Temple (Trypillian culture) in Kirovohrad region of Ukraine are of particular importance for the study, as they are among the largest temple altars of their time in the entire oikonomia of the ancient world, and their design and iconography are well preserved. These sacred objects are also the earliest type of altars in world history that were part of the celebration of archaic temple rites (approximately 4000-3900 BC). The paper deals with typological, iconographic, chronological and ideological questions concerning Trypillian altars from the territory of modern Ukraine, Romania and Hungary. The function of altars in places of worship—sanctuaries and temples of the Trypillians, as well as in domestic and public spaces—is of particular interest. As a result, the religious and social function of the “Trypillian altars” is revealed by the author of the paper. (shrink)

The publication takes the example of one of the native faith religious movements of modern Ukraine. It highlights the peculiarities of its spontaneous emergence, development, self-identification, and guidelines for religious activity. The article also briefly examines the origins of this community, the sources of its doctrine and name, the peculiarities of searching for its own religious identity, the main points of reflection on the sphere of the sacred, understanding the “idea of God”, the representation of religious symbols and art, the (...) organization of ritual and cult practice, and the directions of religious activity. At the same time, the peculiarities of forming such a religious community are considered not in isolation, but in the context of interaction and mutual influence with other native faith confessions of Ukraine. (shrink)

Considering the most recent advances in artificial intelligence and biomechanics, a hypothetical future of physicalism is explored. It is concluded that a rational and sensible extrapolation of present and expected future advances in those two areas will have vast consequences in the physicalist view. In particular, it is also argued that consciousness cannot be defined in a simple general manner, but only understood through the observable and behavioural actions of humans or sufficiently advanced robots, which may be, at some future (...) time, indistinct. This last result is established by applying what we call Plato’s trap, and our main conclusion is a defence of physicalism. It is argued that human beings are robots which soon will be indistinguishable from suitable advanced man-made robots, which will in turn render many philosophical questions and objections to physicalism irrelevant and, in fact, quite similar in sense and importance to some philosophical medieval questions about God, the soul and immortality. (shrink)

This study aims to develop a hybrid model to represent the human mind from a functionalist point of view that can be adapted to artificial intelligence. The model is not a realistic theory of the neural network of the brain but an instrumentalist AI model, which means that there can be some other representative models too. It had been thought that the provability of an axiomatic system requires the completeness of a formal system. However, Gödel proved that no consistent formal (...) system can prove its own consistency. There is a paradoxical limit to provability. Both consistency and completeness are impossible together. These formal limits form the basis of our model: the hybrid model of the mind consists of a formal axiomatic system and an evolutionary algorithm (EA) of intelligence, which also includes the genetic algorithm (GA) of consciousness. The GA of consciousness operates based on intentions, functioning in conjunction with the principles of EA. This collaboration allows it to transcend the paradoxical formal limits of intelligence. However, GA overcomes the problem of paradoxicality at the cost of producing illusions. Following this collaboration gives us a GA operating system. After all, if the rational optimization task of the GA in question produces illusions, then the rationality must lie elsewhere in the paradox. (shrink)

Psychological dualism (or dualism herein) purports that there is a complementary, non-material/physical, mind-active component associated with a living organism. Thus mind would not simply be an expression of brain function as confidently believed by neuroscience (and science in general). As earlier work has suggested that confidence can be brushed aside by considering some accepted unusual behaviors. One simple dualism-consistent example is terminal lucidity in which people return to psychological coherence shortly before death despite having been lost to “dull, unconscious, or (...) mentally ill” conditions, in some cases for years. Arguably framing these challenges to materialism, though, is genetics’ unfolding “missing heritability” crisis in which many expected DNA origins have not been found despite extensive searches. An associated soul-consistent explanation is that instead of DNA origins these innate characteristics reflect continuity associated with the earlier lives of incarnating souls (and of course with this some other particular explanations). Herein arguments for the existence of souls are considered for the very surprising case of multiple soul residency in a single organism. Discussions on this possibility focus on the stunning experiences of some heart transplant patients, and also the very difficult condition of Multiple Personality (or Dissociative Identity) Disorder. These two phenomena pose very difficult challenges for materialism (and brain function), and on the other hand are suggestive of the influences of additional souls. Finally, some of the implications of these extraordinary possibilities are briefly considered. (shrink)

This paper argues, first, that one can render Protagoras’s view on the teach ability of political virtue coherent by distinguishing between the affect required for achieving it and the capacity for developing these affect into fully fledged virtues. Second, the paper argues that by focusing on Books II - III of the Republic one might see an affinity between between Protagoras’s suggestion that virtuous citizens might give advice, without ruling it, in the affairs of the city and Plato’s conservative practical (...) political theory. (shrink)

Human suffering is a complex phenomenon that can manifest physically or psychologically. As the negative valence of affective phenomena, with the positive being pleasure or happiness, human suffering could easily be interpreted as something to avoid. Sartre explored existential aspects of human suffering in Being and Nothingness. Examining each occurrence of the word suffering in that work provides a basis for understanding the roles Sartre assigned to it within the human experience and consequently provides a more nuanced appreciation of this (...) complex phenomenon. An electronic copy of Being and Nothingness was searched for all occurrences of the word suffering (N = 50), tabularized using the Key Word In Context (KWIC) approach at the sentence level, resulting in 40 sentences for thematic analysis. That analysis resulted in 5 themes, showing the complexity of suffering in Sartre’s major philosophical work and suggesting that suffering is quintessentially human, unavoidable, and potentially liberating. (shrink)

Objective: Based upon notions to a mental vision of the Vitruvian Man, to determine if any obvious asymmetries exist within Leonardo da Vinci’s timeless schematic—which is famous for its highly symmetrical presentation. Methods: A qualitative analysis performed upon a Vitruvian Man print (taken from the namesake Wikipedia article) to: closely examine if the man’s head is positioned to noticeably tilt toward either direction—left or right—of a dissecting line superimposed for equally splitting (vertically) the circle in the schematic; and, to closely (...) examine the man’s eyes for any artistic asymmetry therein drawn. Results: The man’s head is determined tilting toward his right half/hemisphere of the circle. Also noticeable: the man’s right eye appears being of a much brighter look relative to a darkness observable about his left eye; and, an outline to an inverted equilateral triangle is identifiably shaded surrounding his left eye, whereas a more contrastingly circular shape appears as so shaded around his right eye. Discussion: Once a certain awareness is drawn to such artistic anomalies, they can become so clearly observable that one may wonder if Leonardo da Vinci did as much intentionally. And if so, then why? This paper details a hypothesis necessarily built upon the assumption that Leonardo intentionally embedded such cues within his Vitruvian Man whereby speculations toward a hemispheric brain theory can be established of such cryptic nature, given a then-pronouncedly authoritarian Catholic Church, whereupon he may have figured it possible to receive credit posthumously if ever such notions were proven valid. Incidentally, the concerning analysis as to why the Vitruvian Man’s head tilts in such a fashion aligns with Dr. Iain McGilchrist’s peer-reviewed findings to a hemispheric hypothesis. (shrink)

In this article, the potential for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be appraised as an object of beauty is critically examined through the lens of philosophical thought. Tracing beauty’s evolution from Platonic ideals to contemporary interpretations, the analysis contends that AI’s emergence offers a unique illustration of beauty in the modern age. Confronting the challenge of assigning beauty to entities devoid of consciousness or emotional depth, the argument unfolds to suggest that the intricate design of AI’s algorithms and its technological advancements (...) constitute an emergent form of beauty, one inherently tied to human intellectual endeavor. The article proposes that with time, as with historical art forms, the aesthetic qualities of AI may gain broader acknowledgment, implying that technological advancements necessitate an ongoing revision of established beauty norms. The historical evolution of beauty has been traced in details, and an extended literature review has been provided, serving as the foundation for a comprehensive exploration into the potential for AI to be recognized as an object of beauty. The harmony, elegance, and problem-solving capabilities of AI algorithms have been meticulously evaluated, with a comparison made to classical elements of beauty in an effort to contextually situate AI within longstanding aesthetic traditions. Furthermore, the analysis has been extended to consider the emergence of artificial and digital beauty, alongside an investigation into the parallels drawn between divine and artificial intelligence. As part of a deeper inquiry, the possibility of human emotions, such as awe and love, being authentically directed towards AI has been scrutinized. In conclusion, a reflection has been presented on the transformative role of AI in reimagining the conceptual landscape of beauty, prompting readers to thoughtfully engage with an extended review and the philosophical and cultural implications emerging from AI’s evolving influence on the field of aesthetics. (shrink)

Putnam’s argument aims to prove that future is as real as present. His argument is based on the equation present = real. Is real what exists now. Is real what is part of observer-independent reality. What exists now depends on an observer—it is not real. It is then shown that Special Relativity is not only a physical theory, it has also a philosophical dimension in that it questions our very understanding of reality and requires a clear distinction between reality and (...) its representation. (shrink)

This paper defines what is and what is not science. These novel science definitions demonstrate that illustrations, like mathematics, can be scaler, real, not real, valid, and invalid. These definitions identify non-inertial reference frame logic inconsistencies, emphasizing the continued search for relative movement definitions. This search leads to Aristotle’s primary circular and secondary rectilinear movement concepts defining the at-rest reference frame, motion, and relative movement. These three novel movement definitions are confirmed using Ptolemy’s dropped ball observation, Michelson-Morley’s null result, a (...) dropped ball on a rotating platform Coriolis effect, and light’s Doppler shift. The novel relative movement definitions demonstrate Ptolemy’s dropped ball and Michel-son-Morley’s reflected light represent motion in an at-rest reference frame. The novel relative movement definition reveals the Coriolis effect and light’s Doppler shift describe the same physical process. Two future experiments are suggested to confirm the novel movement definitions. Developing the novel relative movement concepts will require applying mathematics to circular movement velocity concepts, such as rotational inertia and angular velocity. (shrink)

Natural sciences are credited with being the chief force in the process of rendering relative many elements of our world view. To make acceptable the relative character of the order of two poles for the public, however, is the task of (idealist) philosophy. I reduce the division of objective/subjective to sensible duality. To explain the belief in sensible duality, I use unusual means: personifying the sensible content. It is the distinction between present (as extension) and absolute present (as the absence (...) of extension), which I call the trademark of idealist philosophy. This distinction is based on the striking assertion that though finite time can be divided infinitely, but at the same time, this division is not permitted to be performed, protecting the conceptual substance. The noninfinite division of finite time results in the definition: present = an extension-atom. This short extension is an important component of the notion “original environment”. The message “total nonuniversality” does not exist without that “place”. (shrink)

This paper explores space-time with the Minkowski equation, trying to integrate using the three manuscripts presented to the Open Journal of Philosophy (OJPP) a “new theory of gravity” by introducing the concept of space-time flow. Gravity is a push rather than a pull, an idea presented in the first manuscript. Gravity is the inertia, the shape (frame) of space-time produced by dark energy. The space-time surrounding you provides the force that pushes you upwards, but it doesn’t increase the diameter of (...) the Earth. The sensation of gravity is actually caused by the accelerated flow of space-time against you, which acts as a mirror. The Earth’s expansion is apparent; creates the illusion, but Earth does not expand; rather, the space-time flow emanating from the Earth generates gravity. Einstein’s theory of relativity explains that gravity results from the curvature of space-time caused by the presence of mass and the background dark energy. “Dark energy, introduced from all directions,” which exists throughout the universe in space-time, is responsible for the universe’s accelerated expansion. One way to expand space-time is through the concept of cosmic inflation, which suggests that the universe lives a continuous widening of space-time. Free fall and relativity theory support this claim. Dark energy pushes (pressure) space-time inside the atoms, and the space-time, as in a nozzle, produces an accelerated flow which is gravity. Dark energy floods the whole space and produces positive pressure. It is a non-local/ non-analytical energy, an omnipresent that pervades everything. Dark energy is a space-time property; it was first discovered in 1998. The pressure makes space-time emerge from every point of the Universe and push it expansively. Quantum physics suggests that all the energy in the Universe can form a single universal emergent system, which produces time in the present before us in 4D space-time. This is dark energy. The expansion of space-time is universal and occurs everywhere. When this expansion occurs within atoms, it produces a space-time flux, which is gravity. The general expansion produces it and counteracts it. Pushing space-time outside of Earth (Earth does not expand, just looks like it does) is this space-time flux that makes Earth coordinates move upward, to make it feel like falling into Earth. The apparent matter expansion is its complement mirror. Here, we present Gravity as accelerated space-time flow going out from massive objects. (shrink)