Ontological Questions Research Articles

From the New Editorial Team of “Third Space”

From the New Editorial Team of “Third Space”

Und kein Ende: Philosophie, Pop und Politik

Abstract The text presents the general cultural-historical thesis that one cannot adequately understand philosophy after the Second World War if one does not understand it in interaction with politics and popular culture. These three spheres find themselves in a variable triangular constellation after the Second World War. Methodologically, the text is guided by the fact that this interplay is also organised in a triangular and variable way, namely according to the options of coexistence, conflict and cooperation (CCC-principle). Adorno’s philosophy serves as a challenging example. The principle of coexistence, conflict and cooperation also serves as a framework for the second part of the text, which reformulates Adorno’s socio-critical question about the possibility of change as an ontological question. In the constellation with politics, pop music can in this context express in its own way what in philosophy is called the principle of ontological contingency.

Intersectionality and/or multiple consciousness: Re-thinking the analytical tools used to conceptualise and navigate personhood

abstract Kimberley Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality, read in the context of Black Feminist iterations, enables me to sift through the conflation of categories of analysis and praxis in three ways. Firstly, I analyse the purported tensions between Black Feminist theorists and decolonial feminist interpretations of intersectionality, and the attendant consequences of these. In so doing I navigate the fault-lines of the arguments articulated, and while acknowledging the merits of the critiques, I suggest that Black Feminist scholarship in conversation with decolonial feminist approaches may still yield possibilities for coalition which allow for subjectivity that breaks from colonial logics of essence and immutability. Secondly, I reflect on how intersectionality and the coloniality of gender have been taken up in legal discourse in South Africa, and in what ways the tensions and possibilities manifest and are navigated. I argue that fissures may be over-emphasised, replicating a divide and conquer mode of operation while simultaneously facilitating the, at times subtle, selective cooptation of these terms into liberal discourse. Finally, at the centre of this piece is the fact that personhood is the location from which meaning of the world is made and articulated – a question of ontology (Alcoff 2020). Despite the multiple meanings of personhood that suggest that it is both ambiguous and fluid, it has real implications in space/place and time interpersonally and/as structurally (Alcoff 2020). The law, authorised through the person of the state that it circularly authorises/legitimises into existence, holds a monopoly over legitimate force that is both physical and symbolic (Brubaker & Cooper 2020). What is unresolved is the question of who is a person.

The World in the Wave Function

<i>The World in the Wave Function</i>

The Nature of Social Fact in B. Epstein’s Social Ontology

The research analyzes the social ontology of the American philosopher B. Epstein. Social ontology studies the nature of the social world: what are its main elements and how they come together. There are different theories in modern social ontology: the theory of structuration, the theory of communicative action, social constructivism, critical realism. B. Epstein opposes psychological theories of social ontology and ontological individualism in explaining the social world. B. Epstein distinguishes between ontological questions about the social world and causal relationships between events. The initial category of social ontology for American philosopher is a social fact. To establish a social fact, two actions are necessary: to give an ontological explanation of the existing social fact and to find facts that determine the conditions necessary for a social fact. Accordingly, B. Epstein distinguishes between two projects: the project of the foundation of a social fact and the project of fixing a social fact. The project of the foundation of a social fact provides an ontological explanation of a social fact, studies the conditions for the presence of social facts. The fixation project explores what gives rise to the conditions of the basis for social facts. The ground relation and the fixation relation are not causal relationships. A social fact must have diachronic constituent elements, which is, in particular, a test of social theory for truth. The article also discusses the theory of social facts by J. Serle. The theory of J. Serle B. Epstein refers to a psychological concept based on the collective acceptance of certain rules by the community. This position does not seem to be entirely correct, since J. Searle, in understanding the nature of a social fact, relies on social institutions, and the fact itself refers to institutional facts.

A Framework of Social Ontology

The research sets out an organizing framework for the field of social ontology, the study of the of the nature of the social world. Social ontology is also gaining prominence in traditional philosophical discussions. The subject matter of social ontology is clarified, in particular the difference between it and the study of causal relations and the explanation of social phenomena. For any social fact, there are two distinct ontological questions: what is the ground for that fact, why is that fact grounded just the way. Two different inquires are defined and explained: the study of how social categories are “anchored” or “grounded”. The distinction between these inquires is used to clarify prominent programs in social theory, particularly theories of practice and varieties of ontological individualism. Anchoring and grounding are two fundamental aspect to the building of the social world, Correspondingly, social ontology consists of two distinct project - “project of grounding” and “project of anchoring’.

The reflexive relationship between available university services and mental health ideations: A complexity informed perspective

Using Communication Complex as our theoretical framework, we explored socially constructed notions about mental health from a complexity informed perspective. Through qualitative interviews we investigated the availability of mental health services provided at three universities—one in Wrocław, Poland; one in Semarang, Indonesia; and the third in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. From our interviews we interpreted several salient themes across all three cultures. Discussions about mental health services are meaningless without first defining mental health in pursuit of ascertaining what counts as caring for one's mental health—a process which raises a host of epistemological and ontological questions in both the academic setting and the larger social milieu. These conversations also reified the importance of considering one's whole health, how stigma plays a role in defining mental health “issues”, and what stories are being told about the nature of mental health across several cultures. We argue that there is a deeper, reflexive relationship between the ways people talk about mental health and what services are offered that goes beyond traditional notions of what mental health “is” and what counts as a mental health service.

Human-Robot Interactions in the Workplace – Key Challenges and Concerns

Theoretical background: The use of robots/AI in the workplace has grown rapidly in the last years. There is observed enlargement not only of the numbers of robots but also the quality of their functions and applications. Therefore, many questions of practical, scientific and moral nature have arisen. The flowering use of robots has drawn scientists’ attention to interactions between humans and robots. As a result, a new multidisciplinary research area – Human-Robot Interactions (HRI) – is growing. Representatives of HRI try to answer the questions like: How anthropomorphic features of robots may affect interactions between robots and employees? How are robots supposed to look and behave to make interactions more pleasant for employees? Can human cooperation with humanoid robots lead to the formation of socio-mechanical bonds? Purpose of the article: The paper aims to identify determinants of human-robot interactions in the workplace and identify key research problems in this area. Research methods: The method of a systematic review of the literature fulfiled the above-mentioned purpose. The Web of Science was chosen as the basic database. The list of publications from the Web of Science was supplemented with some other publications which were related to the topic. Main findings: There are several factors that determine the perception and quality of HRI in the workplace. Especially trust, anthropomorphic features of the robot, and organizational assignment may decide about the human acceptance of the use of a non-human agent and HRI. The concept of social interaction with robots is at an initial stage yet. An adopted research paradigm also plays an important role. It seems that the classical assumptions of organizational sociology will not stand the test of time. Researchers and practitioners are facing new challenges. Especially there are some ontological questions that are not easy to be answered unanimously. Can we treat a robot as a mechanical device or rather as a member of a newly created community?

Searching for Bedrocks: Gender, Biology, and the Question of Ontology

This paper argues that a conceptual conflation between biology and ontology has had a pervasive influence on psychoanalytic thinking about gender, particularly transgender phenomena. This has made it difficult to think about gender’s relationship to the body outside of essentializing fantasies. The origins of the modern term gender and Freud’s biological emphasis are addressed, followed by a more extensive engagement with contemporary psychoanalytic scholarship on trans. Finally, the paper proposes a framework for attending to gender’s relationship to the body with greater nuance, turning to Freud’s late drive theory to help us think in this complex area.

The Black Horizon: Alterity and Ontology in the Anthropocene

ABSTRACT This paper makes the case for an approach to International Relations in the Anthropocene, which draws upon resources from critical Black studies. This distinctive perspective is set out in comparison to two, more familiar, sets of critical Anthropocene thought, that have been influential in contemporary discussions of global politics. We heuristically frame these as the “Planetary” - a focus on ontology and vibrant and unruly materiality – and the “Pluriversal” - which places race and coloniality at the centre of our understanding of power and knowledge. We suggest that Planetary approaches underestimate the centrality of race and coloniality to questions of ontology and that Pluriversal approaches are often undermined by a failure to take ontology more seriously. These literatures are opposed to a third perspective, which we call the “Black Horizon”, which troubles our approach to alterity and works with a non- or para-ontological understanding of being.

Artificial intelligence in the long view: from mechanical intelligence to cyber-social systems

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a defining technology of our time, a source of fear as often as inspiration. Immersed in its practicalities, rarely do we get to ask the question, what is it? How does it impact our lives? How does it extend our human capacities? What are its risks? What are its limits? This paper is a theoretical and historical overview of the nature of binary computing that underpins AI and its relations with human intelligence. It also considers some philosophical questions about the semiotic or sense-creating work of computers. Our argument proceeds in five steps. We begin with an historical background: since Ada Lovelace, we have wondered about the intelligence of machines capable of computation, and the ways in which machine intelligence can extend human intelligence. Second, we ask, in what ways does binary computing extend human intelligence and delimit the scope of AI? Third, we propose a grammar with which to parse the practical meanings that are enabled with and through binary computing. Through this discussion, we raise the question of ontology as a counter-balance to what we will argue has been an over-emphasis on the instrumental reasoning processes of the algorithm. Fourth, we situate binary computing in the context of broad developments in modern societies which we characterize as a series of systems transitions: from industrial, to informational, to a new phase that we term “cyber-social.” Finally, we explore the risks inherent in a pervasively cyber-social system. These are narrowly captured in the technical domain, “cybersecurity.” We set out to reconceive this problem framework as the location for a potential solution, supplementing analyses of cybersecurity risk with a program of cyber-social trust.

Knowledge Graphs, Metadata Practices, and Badiou's Mathematical Ontology

Metadata practices in libraries have been shifting towards a graph-centric data model for a number of years due to the influence of the Semantic Web on metadata standards as well as the ongoing engagement of libraries with linked data. This trend is likely to be sustained by the growth of the knowledge graph domain, which is animated by the interests of large technology companies and which represents a continuation of earlier programmes such as expert systems and the Semantic Web. Given the role of Semantic Web ontologies in knowledge graph development and the relevance of philosophical questions of ontology to cataloguing theory, metadata practitioners require theoretical frameworks suitable for conceptualizing the knowledge graph data model’s mixture of data and ontology. To that end, this paper considers the mathematical ontology of philosopher Alain Badiou, which employs set theory to schematize a theory of the multiple. It outlines how Badiou’s ontology is compatible with the graph data model and what it offers to metadata practitioners seeking to critically engage the knowledge graph paradigm.

Anatomy of the Intellect in the Quran: A Fresh Perspective

Abstract Neurobiology depicts the human brain as the organ of intellect. It has located in the brain the stations for cognition (e.g., sight and hearing) and for feelings and experience (e.g., pain, anger and face recognition). It has even sited in the brain the places involved in moral functions (e.g., judgement and lies). However, the locale of the self itself has escaped from it; so has the one assigned with ontological questions. The Quran invites its reader to seek knowledge and apply reason; however, it never introduces a term for the instrument of knowing, the brain. Instead, the intellectual roles are attributed to the heart and chest, a position that allows for a literal interpretation of these artefacts in the Book. The foundational objective of this work is to appraise this interpretation in the light of the lessons drawn from scientific studies. More than simply acknowledging the pre-knowledge of the Quran of some new scientific findings, this research seeks to re-appraise the meanings of the relevant Quranic ayahs in view of those findings. It reveals the literal significance of the terms ‘heart’ and ‘chest’ used in the Scripture but in a different context and also shows that Quranic depictions of neurobiological concepts are prescient. It finds the Quran furnishing a fuller picture of the intellect. It shows that a physical depiction of human intellect in the Quran is not only possible but indispensable. Importantly, this example yet again identifies the scope of the Quranic ayahs for fulfilling current multidisciplinary needs.

The Phenomenology of Hope

Abstract What is the phenomenology of hope? A common view is that hope has a generally positive and pleasant affective tone. This rosy depiction, however, has recently been challenged. Certain hopes, it has been objected, are such that they are either entirely negative in valence or neutral in tone. In this paper, I argue that this challenge has only limited success. In particular, I show that it only applies to one sense of hope but leaves another sense—one that is implicitly but widely employed in the hope literature—untouched. Moreover, I argue that hope construed in this latter sense is inherently positively valenced. The paper concludes by discussing some of the implications of this defense of hope's positive phenomenology, including the ontological question of whether hope is an emotion.

Applicability of Grounded Theory Methodology in International Relations Studies

Abstract: Engaging the Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM) in International Relation (IR) studies can be a challenging choice for researchers and Ph.D. students. Considering that scholars in the IR field are familiar with certain traditional methodologies, the notion of importing a relatively unique approach such as the GTM can attract strong ontological and epistemological questions. In this article, I contend that pragmatist and constructivist versions of GTM can be a successful research methodology in IR qualitative research. Such choice, however, is constrained by a set of conditions. Guided by existing literature, these conditions were identified and discussed in the context of IR qualitative research norms and then applied in Foreign Policy (FP) decision-making process, a well-known approach in studying FP as a subdiscipline in IR. The article concludes that despite certain limitations, the methodology can be an outstanding option for IR qualitative research.&#x0D;

International Relations in the Anthropocene

International Relations in the Anthropocene

Ah Bartleby! Study, learning, and pedagogy in Occupy Wall Street

On October 26, 2011, a post appeared on the Occupy Wall Street Library blog titled “I would prefer not to.” The constant refrain of Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener became one of Occupy’s defining mottos, appearing on placards, T-shirts, and tote bags. The phrase became so symbolic that it was used on the posters promoting the general strike called for May 2012. Bartleby’s mode of passive resistance has been theorized extensively. His appropriation by OWS has been the source of much theorizing too. What I want to do in this paper is use Bartleby as a useful analogy for exploring the educational logic of Occupy Wall Street. While some read a dangerous and threatening “Bartlebyan inscrutability” into OWS’s various refusals (the refusal to issue demands, to address questions of political ontology, to specify conditions of success), I argue instead that the performativity of Bartleby’s refusal helps cast light on the need for pedagogical intervention in moments and movements of utopian rupture. The very indeterminacy of study as a mode of educational being within OWS—of “preferring not to” actualize potential, adopt a political subjectivity, elucidate any determinate ends—created a vacuum that precluded the movement from learning from itself. The oscillating state of permanent suspension, in which the utopian possibilities contained within the movement were held im-potential, led to paralysis and neglect. In contrast to the “weak” utopianism ascribed to OWS by Tyson Lewis, I conclude the paper by calling for a “strong” utopianism conceived as a collective endeavor and iterative process but one within which pedagogical organization plays a crucial facilitating role.

The Archive, the Historian, and the Relationships of Change

Archives come into existence through human agency driven by individual and/or collective philosophical and ideological value systems and priorities. As such, they are sites of power and usually controlled access. They continue to grow through the acquisition of more materials and maintain vigilance in the face of the constant threat of damage, decay, and loss. Out of the relationships formed between their material resources and historians, history is made and remade. This article draws on the archive of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company, one of the most substantial collections dedicated to a regional theatre in the UK, with which the author has had a particularly intense relationship. In the course of decades of engagement, firstly through doctoral research and then subsequent publications, Rep’s archive produced the author as a theatre historian. The article also problematizes the relationships formed by other individuals: new young academic researchers and volunteering enthusiasts, untroubled by academic restraints, keen to delve and select material which speaks to their preferences. Out of both constituencies of interest, more new histories are made, some of which directly challenge previous assumptions and priorities, provoking new questions. If a key ontological question concerns the nature of reality, which is more real: the archive and its contents or the histories which are made? How do the relationships forged through material archival encounters—relationships which generate feelings of ownership or potentially loss—function historiographically as the historical record is made and remade?

Toward a Du Boisian paradigm of family science

AbstractWe offer an invitation to the Du Boisian paradigm for family science. We outline this paradigm in relation to Guba and Lincoln's ontological, epistemological, and methodological questions and our addition of the phenomenological question. A Du Boisian paradigm meets the need for a social justice orientation in social science scholarship, which is equipped to identify, contextualize, and respond to oppression across the globe. A social justice orientation recognizes the centrality of the carceral state and racial capitalism and tends to their ramifications in seeking the transformation of the conditions that produce harm. We offer historical and contemporary examples from diverse disciplines on myriad topics to highlight social justice‐oriented scholarship that has already done the work of pushing the bounds of how we engage with academic research, theory, and praxis, as well as points of consideration for work yet to be done in service of eradicating oppression.

Automatic question generation with various difficulty levels based on knowledge ontology using a query template

Ontology is a concepts and relationships that can be used to support the question-generation process. However, until now, the ontology models and question templates commonly used to support the question-generation process have remained domain-specific, allowing three weaknesses to persist. First, the role of experts is dominant in the process of ontology generation. Second, the process needs adjustment if it is to be used for other domains. Third, question templates are formed based on the vocabulary of ontology, so they cannot be used to generate questions in other domains. In response to these problems, this research focused on forming an ontology generation model and a template model for generating questions that are not domain-specific. We used a combination of two types of ontology — namely, taxonomy ontology and sentence ontology to form ontology models and question templates that were not domain-specific. We labeled this combination as “knowledge ontology”. We used template queries to retrieve information on the ontology and then translated the results of the query template into questions in natural language. The ratios from our experiments demonstrated that the proposed method was effective for generating questions. Moreover, the method produced good question quality, as evidenced by its high accuracy rate of 90.71%. This research can be applied to help e-learning developers represent information in the form of ontology without involving experts. Furthermore, this research can also help teachers to generate questions automatically with consistent question quality.