In the philosophy of mind, "concepts" refer to the mental representations or ideas that help us understand, categorize, and interact with the world around us. They serve as building blocks for our thoughts, allowing us to grasp a wide range of phenomena, including objects, properties, events, and abstract notions. Here are some key aspects of concepts in the philosophy of mind: 1. **Nature of Concepts**: Philosophers debate what constitutes a concept.
The "philosophy of mind" is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, consciousness, and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. It addresses questions regarding how mental states (like beliefs, desires, and perceptions) relate to the brain and the rest of the physical world, among other issues.
"Lists of artillery" typically refer to compilations or inventories of artillery pieces, including their specifications, classifications, historical significance, or notable uses. These lists can encompass various categories of artillery, such as: 1. **Field Artillery**: Mobile artillery used for direct fire support, including howitzers and cannons. 2. **Siege Artillery**: Heavy guns designed for prolonged bombardment of fortifications.
Post-normal science is a concept that arises in response to the limitations of traditional scientific methods when addressing complex, uncertain, and contested issues, particularly those that have significant societal implications. The term was coined by Silvio Funtowicz and Jerome Ravetz in the mid-1990s. Post-normal science emphasizes the importance of including a wider range of stakeholders in the scientific process, recognizing that in situations of high uncertainty and high stakes, traditional models of scientific inquiry may not be sufficient.
The philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy that examines the foundations, methods, and implications of science. It encompasses a variety of topics, including but not limited to: 1. **Nature of Scientific Knowledge**: What constitutes scientific knowledge? How does it differ from other types of knowledge? Philosophers of science explore issues related to justification, evidence, and the reliability of scientific claims. 2. **Scientific Method**: The philosophy of science investigates different methodologies used in various scientific disciplines.
Bayesian program synthesis is a method in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence focused on automatically generating programs or code from high-level specifications or examples. This approach employs Bayesian inference, which allows for the incorporation of uncertainty and prior beliefs into the learning process. Key components of Bayesian program synthesis include: 1. **Probabilistic Models**: Bayesian program synthesis uses probabilistic models to represent both the space of possible programs and the uncertainty about which program is the best match for the given specifications or examples.
The British Society for the Philosophy of Science (BSPS) is a scholarly organization dedicated to promoting and fostering the study of the philosophy of science. Established in the UK, the society serves as a platform for academics, researchers, and students interested in various aspects of the philosophy of science, including the nature of scientific inquiry, the foundations of scientific knowledge, scientific explanation, and the ethical implications of scientific practices.
Cartesian anxiety refers to a philosophical concept that arises from the thoughts and ideas of René Descartes, particularly his famous dictum "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). The term describes a kind of existential anxiety that stems from self-awareness and the quest for certainty. In essence, Cartesian anxiety reflects the discomfort that comes from questioning one's own existence, knowledge, and the nature of reality. It highlights the tension between the desire for absolute certainty and the inherent uncertainties of life.
The Gaussian integral refers to the integral of the function \( e^{-x^2} \) over the entire real line.
The term "condition of possibility" typically refers to the necessary conditions or frameworks that must be in place for something to occur, exist, or be understood. This concept is often discussed in various fields, including philosophy, epistemology, and even in discussions of literature and art. In philosophy, particularly in the context of Immanuel Kant's work, "conditions of possibility" refer to the a priori insights and structures of understanding that make experience and knowledge possible.
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization has competing interests or loyalties that could potentially influence their decision-making or actions. This situation can arise in various contexts, including business, government, healthcare, and academia. Here are some key points about conflicts of interest: 1. **Types of Conflicts**: Conflicts of interest can be financial (e.g., receiving payments from multiple clients), personal (e.g., family relationships), or professional (e.g.
The "decline effect" refers to a phenomenon observed in psychological and other scientific research where the size of an effect diminishes over time, typically when studies are replicated. This decline in effect size can be seen in various domains, including psychology, medicine, and other social sciences. One classic example of the decline effect is seen in studies related to the efficacy of certain psychological interventions, where initial studies may show a strong positive effect, but subsequent replications produce weaker outcomes.
Desacralization of knowledge refers to a process through which knowledge, beliefs, or systems that were once considered sacred, authoritative, or untouchable are re-evaluated, critiqued, or secularized. This concept often emerges in discussions around how society interacts with established ideas, institutions, or traditions, particularly in fields such as religion, philosophy, science, and education.
The Parable of the Sunfish is a story often used to illustrate a lesson about perspective, personal growth, and the importance of realizing one’s potential. While there are various versions and interpretations, the core message generally revolves around a fisherman who encounters a sunfish that is stuck, or unable to swim freely because it doesn’t recognize its own strength and capabilities. In one common interpretation, the sunfish is confined to a small area, believing it can only swim in limited circles.
A **free parameter** is a variable in an equation or model that can take on a range of values, allowing for flexibility in its behavior or fit to data. In many contexts, such as statistics, physics, and machine learning, free parameters are crucial for defining the relationships between different quantities or for customizing a model to better suit observational or experimental data.
As of my last knowledge update in October 2023, "Genidentity" does not refer to a widely recognized term or concept in academic or popular discourse. It may be a relatively new term that has emerged since then, or it could refer to a niche topic in a specific field such as genetics, identity studies, or perhaps a brand or organization.
Historiography of science is the study of how the history of science has been written and understood over time. It involves analyzing the methodologies, interpretations, and narratives that historians have used to describe the development of scientific ideas, practices, institutions, and technologies. This field encompasses various aspects, including: 1. **Historical Interpretation**: Examining how different historians have interpreted key events, figures, and transformations in the history of science.
Hitchens's Razor is a philosophical principle articulated by the British-American writer and critic Christopher Hitchens. It states that "what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence." This means that if someone makes a claim without providing sufficient evidence to support it, others are justified in dismissing that claim without needing to provide counter-evidence. Hitchens's Razor emphasizes the importance of evidence in debates and discussions, particularly regarding assertions about gods, the supernatural, or any extraordinary claims.
Humeanism is a philosophical position derived from the ideas of the Scottish philosopher David Hume. Although there isn't a single, universally accepted definition, Humeanism generally refers to views that emphasize empirical evidence and human experience in understanding knowledge, ethics, and human behavior.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 2.
    You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either https://OurBigBook.com or as a static website
    .
    Figure 3.
    Visual Studio Code extension installation
    .
    Figure 4.
    Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation
    .
    Figure 5.
    Web editor
    . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
    Video 4.
    OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo
    . Source.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact