Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophical inquiry that explores the nature of the mind, consciousness, and their relationship to the body, particularly the brain. This field seeks to answer fundamental questions about the nature of mental states, consciousness, perception, thought, emotions, and the self.
Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the cognitive ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that may differ from one’s own. This concept is crucial for social interaction, as it allows individuals to predict and interpret the behavior of others, engage in empathy, and navigate complex social situations. Typically, the development of theory of mind occurs in early childhood.
Ontological commitment refers to the philosophical idea concerning the entities that a particular theory, statement, or worldview implies must exist for it to be considered true or valid. In simpler terms, it's about identifying what assumptions or beliefs regarding existence are inherent in a given theoretical framework. The concept is often discussed in the context of metaphysics and philosophy of language, particularly within the works of philosophers like Willard Van Orman Quine.
Universal Grammar (UG) is a theoretical framework in linguistics proposed by Noam Chomsky in the 1960s. It refers to the innate structure that underlies all human languages, suggesting that the ability to acquire language is a fundamental aspect of the human brain. According to this theory, all human languages share a common set of principles and rules, despite their surface-level differences.
In philosophy, a "proper name" refers to a specific kind of noun that is used to denote a particular individual, entity, or object. Proper names are contrasted with common names or common nouns, which refer to general classes of entities. For example, "Alice" is a proper name that refers to a specific individual, while "woman" is a common noun that refers to any individual that falls under that category.
In formal semantics, "scope" refers to the context or range in which a particular linguistic expression (such as a quantifier, variable, or operator) has its meaning or impact within a sentence. The scope of an expression determines how it interacts with other expressions, especially in relation to quantifiers, negation, and modal operators. Scope can often be understood in terms of hierarchical structures in a sentence.
The "List of unnumbered minor planets: 2004 AB" refers to a compilation of minor planets (also known as asteroids) that were discovered in the year 2004 but have not yet been given a numerical designation. Each minor planet is typically assigned a provisional designation based on the year of discovery and a specific alphanumeric code system.
Semiotics is the study of signs, symbols, and their use or interpretation. It encompasses the ways in which meaning is created and communicated through various forms, including language, images, gestures, and other symbolic systems. Semiotics is interdisciplinary, influencing fields such as linguistics, anthropology, literary theory, philosophy, psychology, and media studies.
A singular term is a linguistic expression that refers to a specific individual or entity. In grammar and logic, singular terms denote a single object, person, place, or concept, as opposed to plural terms, which refer to multiple entities. For example: - In a sentence like "The cat is on the mat," "the cat" is a singular term that refers to one specific cat.
The structural approach refers to a method of analysis and understanding that focuses on the relationships and functions of the components within a system, rather than on the components themselves in isolation. This term can be used across different disciplines such as linguistics, sociology, anthropology, architecture, and systems theory.
In the philosophy of mind, "arguments" often refer to various philosophical positions or debates surrounding the nature of the mind, consciousness, and their relationship to the body (or the physical world). Here are a few key arguments and positions that commonly appear within the philosophy of mind: 1. **Dualism**: This position, most famously associated with René Descartes, posits that the mind and body are fundamentally different kinds of substances.
'Pataphysics is a philosophical concept that goes beyond traditional metaphysics. It was first introduced by the French writer Alfred Jarry in the late 19th century, particularly in his play "Ubu Roi" and other writings. Jarry described 'pataphysics as "the science of that which is not" and claimed it is the study of the exceptions and the absurdities in the universe.
"Epistemic cultures" is a term primarily used in the fields of science and technology studies to describe the distinct ways in which different communities or disciplines produce and validate knowledge. Coined by sociologist Karin Knorr Cetina in her work, the concept emphasizes that various fields have unique approaches to understanding, interpreting, and structuring knowledge. Key characteristics of epistemic cultures include: 1. **Methods of Inquiry**: Different disciplines employ varying methodologies for research and knowledge production.
Bayesian estimation of templates in computational anatomy is an approach that integrates Bayesian statistical methods with morphometric analysis, specifically in the context of anatomical shapes and structures. In computational anatomy, researchers are interested in understanding the variations in anatomical structures across populations or groups. This is often done through the creation of average models, or "templates," that represent the typical shape or configuration of these anatomical structures.
The term "closed circle" can refer to several concepts depending on the context in which it is used. Here are a few interpretations: 1. **Mathematics/Geometry**: In geometry, a closed circle typically refers to a circle that includes all the points on its circumference as well as all the points inside it. This is often described as a filled circle or a disc in mathematical contexts.
"Episteme" is a term derived from ancient Greek philosophy, primarily associated with the work of philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle. In general, it refers to knowledge, particularly in the context of scientific or rational understanding. The term contrasts with "doxa," which means opinion or belief. In various philosophical discussions, episteme is seen as a form of knowledge that is justified and applicable, often tied to objective truths.
Eternity is a concept that refers to an infinite or unending duration of time. It is often associated with philosophical, religious, and metaphysical discussions. Within these contexts, eternity can be viewed in several ways: 1. **Philosophical Perspective**: In philosophy, eternity can be understood as a state that exists outside of time, where past, present, and future are perceived simultaneously.
Artillery museums are specialized institutions or exhibits dedicated to the history, development, and operation of artillery—the branch of military service responsible for using large-caliber guns, missile systems, and associated ammunition for land, naval, or aerial warfare. These museums often showcase various types of artillery pieces, including cannons, howitzers, mortars, rocket systems, and modern artillery technologies.

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