I have attempted to present a meta-theory for ethical theories which naturally fits in with a general pragmatic philosophical orientation. There are standard problems for such philosophical views to which I have tried to offer solutions. In addition to the meta-theory one would like to see an actual ethical theory which would exemplify that meta-theory, but that is a topic more appropriate for another time.

_This book is devoted to the theory of legal theory, also referred to as the "meta-theory of law"._ The aim of this emerging discipline is to determine the objectives, aims and methods of legal theory, and to establish the conditions of possibility as well as the validity criteria for theoretical discourse on law. The contributions in this book provide an overview of these aspects through different perspectives and approaches. The very purpose of legal theory (...) has been disputed and the subject area is currently subject to increasing cross-fertilization between different, and sometimes diverging, traditions. _Meta-theory of Law_ assesses these emerging trends by questioning two basic objects of legal theory, the "nature" and the "science" of law. (shrink)

ABSTRACTThis paper discusses the differences between orthodox and heterodox economics as well as between American and British Global Political Economy. It is found that the main differences within both disciplines are related to meta-theoretical premises. However, meta-theory turns out to be also a uniting factor between disciplines. Orthodox economics and American GPE mostly share positivist meta-theory, while heterodox economics and British GPE are largely based on critical realist meta-theory. Instead of building bridges within (...) disciplines, it is suggested that it would be more feasible to combine some parts of orthodox economics with American GPE and some parts of heterodox economics with British GPE. This paper also discusses the role of mathematics in economics, critically assessing Tony Lawson’s claim that there is no place for mathematical modelling in heterodox economics. (shrink)

Three comments take issue with specifics of the target article. First, I argue for the development of meta-theory to deal with inconsistencies in experimental results. Second, I advocate the use of the compatibility between experiment and application to decide on the optimal design and procedure of experimental studies. Last, I support the explicit incorporation of motivation into models of decision making.

In the literature on self-referential paradoxes one of the hardest and most challenging problems is that of revenge. This problem can take many shapes, but, typically, it besets non-classical accounts of some semantic notion, such as truth, that depend on a set of classically defined meta-theoretic concepts, like validity, consistency, and so on. A particularly troubling form of revenge that has received a lot of attention lately involves the concept of validity. The difficulty lies in that the non-classical logician (...) cannot accept her own definition of validity because it is given in a classical meta-theory. It is often suggested that this mismatch between the consequence relation of the account being espoused and the consequence relation of the meta-theory is a serious embarrassment. The main goal of the paper is to explore whether certain substructural accounts of the paradoxes can avoid this sort of embarrassment. Typically, these accounts are expressively incomplete, since they cannot assert in the object language that certain invalid arguments are in fact invalid. To overcome this difficulty I develop a novel type of hybrid proof-procedure, one that takes invalidities to be just as fundamental as validities. I prove that this proof-procedure enjoys a number of interesting properties and I analyze the prospects of applying it to languages capable of expressing self-referential statements. (shrink)

My thanks to David Velleman for a clear and constructive response to my comment. He raises two issues that might benefit from some further brief remarks. The first concerns the error-theory I put forth to explain why the early Confucians were not relativists. The second concerns the extent to which the Confucian notion of harmony is at odds with Velleman's notion of interpretability or coherence. I consider each in turn, below.

Contemporary developments in meta-theory have blurred the boundaries between major positions and, with them, the responsibilities of meta-theorists to sustain substantive demarcations between rival views. The recent debate over the problem of Creeping Minimalism (PCM) vividly illustrates this difficulty. As attempts to solve PCM have appeared to falter, theorists have increasingly disagreed not only about how it should be resolved, but also about whether it is really a serious problem, and if so, for whom. This paper proposes (...) a new conceptual framework of meta-theories to address that broader theoretical and terminological muddle. The framework clarifies the nature of meta-discourses, specifies the purpose and responsibility of meta-theories, and reinterprets PCM accordingly. On the view defended here, principal meta-theories are answerable for sustaining a principled and substantive demarcation between the discourses they treat as realist and anti-realist. PCM is therefore best understood as a heavyweight demarcation problem for expressivism: expressivists must either identify a substantive distinction between expressive and non-expressive discourses that survives minimalist pressure or reject the move to minimalism. Reconsolidating expressivism with realism, or appealing to global expressivism, is not a satisfactory solution. (shrink)

The general aim of this thesis is to contribute to the discussion about the problem of Creeping Minimalism. The problem, as James Dreier (2004) introduced it, is that moral expressivism seems to lose its distinctiveness from moral realism when expressivists adopt minimalism to vindicate moral language in everyday discourses. In particular, the thesis argues two claims. The first claim is that the problem of Creeping Minimalism has no satisfactory solution in the literature so far, and it is unlikely that a (...) satisfactory solution will be forthcoming. The second claim is that the problem of Creeping Minimalism is an instance of a more general problem, what I call the demarcation problem, for various mainstream meta-theories. The demarcation problem for a meta-theory is the problem that the demarcation made by that meta-theory between so-called ‘realist’ and ‘anti-realist’ discourses is trivialised in a global minimalist semantics. Meta-theories that face the demarcation problem include non-cognitivism, error theory, deflationism, epistemic pessimism, and possibly many more. Responses to the problem of Creeping Minimalism are categorised into three types. First, those that attempt to avoid the problem by rejecting minimalism once and for all; second, those that seek to avoid the problem by only partially accepting minimalism; and third, those that seek to solve the problem by reinterpreting expressivism within a global minimalist semantics. All three types of responses are unsatisfactory, and it is highly unlikely that any of them will eventually lead to a satisfactory solution. The demarcation problem for a meta-theory is lightweight if the triviality of its discriminative power is merely conditional: that is, the demarcation made by the meta-theory is trivial if advocates of that meta-theory adopt a global minimalist semantics. By contrast, a demarcation problem for a meta-theory is heavyweight if its advocates also have sufficient reasons to adopt a global minimalist semantics. I argue that mainstream meta-theories – including non-cognitivism, error theory, deflationism and epistemic pessimism – face at least lightweight demarcation problems, and, moreover, it is highly likely that those demarcation problems are heavyweight. (shrink)

Aus dem Inhalt: 1. EInstimmung auf das Thema 2. MAthematische Theorien 3. DEr Grundbereich einer physikalischen Theorie 4. DIe Abbildungsprinzipien vpn physikalischen Theorien 5. DEr Begriff physikalische Theorie 6. BEgrundung und Widerlegung von physikalischen Theorien 7. SPezielle physikalische Theorien 8. INterpretierbare Begriffe etc. 9. BEziehungen zwischen physikalischen Theorien 10. AXiomatische Basen zu einer physikalischen Theorie 11. PHysikalische Semantik 12. HYptothesen und h-Aussagen 13. WEitere Vergleiche von h-Aussagen 14. HYpothesen und WirklichkeitserschlieSSung.

This introducing chapter argues that legal thought is a powerful instrument that influences the contours of our legal practices. As a result of the continuous search for answers to persisting questions, legal thought shapes our background understanding of legality. Even though legal thought has a prominent political role to play because it has the capacity to influence practice, the discourse continues to fail to engage in a common search for concepts and meaning. In order to overcome the fragmentation of legal (...) thought, this book suggests that meta-theories of law may lead back the discourse to common themes and promote consciousness about the different choices contained in models of law. (shrink)

Advertising has been researched and conceptualized in various different fields and using various different approaches and methods. Therefore advertising research remains theoretically disjointed and lacks a coherent set of premises.This article provides a meta-theoretical view on the tradition of advertising research. The research tradition of advertising is approached here from the point of view of communication and interpretation. The general conclusion is that communicative theories of advertising must start out from the assumption that the research object is steered by (...) various pluralistic principles. These are introduced as the fuzzy theory of advertising. (shrink)

This paper establishes the structural necessity for intelligence theory to possess a meta-theoretical framework that transcends specific formal tools. Intelligence operates universally across natural understanding, formal construction, artificial creation, and social practice. If intelligence were constrained by particular tools such as calculus, set theory, or logical operators, it would become dysfunctional in domains where those tools are inapplicable. Therefore, intelligence theory must encompass all tools while remaining subordinate to none. We present Noology as the unique formal (...) system satisfying this requirement. Noology adopts consistency (Consensus) as an absolute requirement, employs mathematical language to describe consistency, yet remains independent of any mathematical axiomatic system. The system is built on three primitive notions: Ordo (non-commutative operational order), Consensus (absence of contradiction), and Arbitrium (external configuration authority). This paper demonstrates that the universal operability of intelligence structurally necessitates a meta-theoretical architecture. We introduce a three-tier framework: Tier-1 (Noology) as the regulative layer, Tier-2 (Cognitional Mechanics with M₃(ℂ) algebra) as the executive substrate, and Tier-3 (MUT/GUT) as the projective display layer for physics and mathematics. We prove that conventional tool-specific theories—logical positivism, computationalism, and physicalism—fail because they recognize only one element of the tripartite structure while excluding others. Through phenomenological classification of four intelligence domains and dominance analysis, we show that all intelligent operations are weighted combinations of Ordo, Consensus, and Arbitrium. The meta-theoretical structure generates a structural boundary for artificial systems: since AI cannot originate Arbitrium or bear irreversible responsibility, Artificial General Intelligence is definitionally incoherent. Intelligence amplification remains viable by preserving human Arbitrium as the source of configuration while employing AI as an operational instrument. This framework redirects cognitional inquiry from simulating autonomy in machines to understanding the geometry of human judgment itself. (shrink)

Theological schools are well situated to create intentional cultures for the purpose of spiritual formation. Indeed, most schools of theology have this goal as an essential part of their mission as well as a requirement for continued accreditation. And yet, the measurement of spiritual formation over time is fraught with challenges. This article seeks to address some of these challenges by means of developing a meta-theory of positive change/growth which would eventually serve as a theoretical basis for the (...) development of a generalizable and reliable measurement tool. (shrink)

I reply to Patton's "Incommensurability and the Bonfire of the Meta-Theories".

This chapter treats another, closely related meta-theoretic matter, namely judgments concerning what does and does not follow from what _in a given, fixed logic_. Examples include “disjunctive syllogism is invalid in most relevant logics.” As with foundational studies generally, such statements are made from a meta-theoretic perspective, and sometimes the meta-theory has a logic different from that of the target, object language theory. This chapter adapts a framework, due to Sebastiano Moruzzi and Crispin Wright [2009], (...) for evaluating other allegedly relative notions. In many cases, including the most typical, the logic of the meta-theory does not matter concerning judgments concerning what is valid and invalid in a given object-language theory. But there are some common situations in which the logic of the meta-theory does matter. This has some interesting ramifications concerning the matter of meaning, treated in Chapters 4 and 5. Usually, it is not hard to keep one’s perspective. (shrink)

Scientists working within a paradigm must play by the rules of the game of that paradigm in solving problems, and that is why incommensurability arises when the rules of the game change. If we deny the thesis of the priority of paradigms, then there is no good argument for the incommensurability of theories and thus for taxonomic incommensurability, because there is no invariant way to determine the set of results provable, puzzles solvable, and propositions cogently formulable under a given paradigm.

This research constructs a rigorous, formalized and self-referential unified existential framework for natural philosophy, which takes Difference as the primary logical origin, This-That as the original binary relation, and the F(Σ) recursive operation as the core generative mechanism. Departing from the traditional linear causal framework and metaphysical dualism, the framework elaborates the intrinsic grammatical rules of the world’s self-unfolding through twelve hierarchical and interlocked axioms, revealing that all existential phenomena are the recursive expansion results of the original Difference via This-That (...) relation. It clarifies the essential attributes of core existential categories: any existence can be analytically decomposed into the indissoluble three dimensions of Ontology-Attribute-Relation (X=O⊕A⊕R); space is the direct expansion of This-That relation with four fundamental relational sets; time is the inherent rhythmic counting of F(Σ) recursive operations; consciousness is the first-person private key of structural self-reference; language is the symbolic mapping of the universal existential grammar in the sign domain; information is the quantifiable differential generated by recursive feedback; declaration is the existential signature for witness; the Present is the starting and ending point of all recursive operations; value is the emergent efficiency evaluation of inter-structural interaction. This framework is not a mere theoretical interpretation of the world, but the inherent existential grammar that enables the world’s self-unfolding and all theoretical generation. It achieves a complete logical closed loop through self-application—from the original Difference to the reflexive witness of the Present, and provides a universal meta-language for the integration and cross-disciplinary research of philosophy, mathematics, computer science, quantum physics, cognitive science, ethics and aesthetics. Rejecting all mysticism and abstract speculation, the framework transforms natural philosophy from qualitative verbal analysis to formalized structural modeling, with explicit operational formulas, symbolic systems and axiomatic deductions. It can be directly applied to analyze quantum phenomena, life systems, social structures and artistic creation, and serves as a foundational analytical tool for exploring the nature of existence in various fields. The twelve principles are open and reflexive, which can be continuously deepened, revised and expanded through recursive verification and interdisciplinary practice. (shrink)

Logic is ubiquitous. Whenever there is deductive reasoning, there is logic. So there are issues similar to those for a global relativism. What is the proper logic for perspectives _from which_ one discusses, presents, and assesses, matters of logic, either formally or informally? There are general questions concerning how we go about _using_ one logic in order to sanction or discuss another one. The main focus of this chapter is the logic for formal and informal foundational studies. There are no (...) problematic features of this. One can indeed use a theory formulated in a theory that invokes one logic in order to shed light on another theory that invokes a different logic. This is common in contemporary foundational studies. (shrink)

Recently, alternatives to both the structure and content of ‘orthodox’ just war theory have been proposed by Jeff McMahan and David Rodin. In this paper, I draw on this debate to show that key ideas in just war theory can be disputed in both of these respects. More broadly, it is unclear how we should assess the debate between differing conceptions of individual principles (such as just cause and proportionality) and the competing wider theories in which they might (...) be situated. I employ the idea of reflective equilibrium, taken from John Rawls, to show how these conflicting viewpoints might be understood and assessed. I argue, then, that contemporary just war theory faces both important questions of substance, and a set of difficult meta-theoretical issues concerning the grounds on which competing just war theories can be assessed. Futhermore, I contend, this should influence the character of – and our expectations for – real-world just war institutions. (shrink)

We argue that new meta-theoretically based applications of non-traditional perspectives of knowledge in science, and sport science, that highlights the question of ‘being woman’, and our understanding of woman as a social and biological being through sport, can enrich the general understanding of gender, identity, body and sport by developing and deepening a critical humanistic sport science perspective through athletes’ artistic reflections of their own athletic female body.

A recent, seemingly appealing version of the powerful qualities view defines properties’ qualitativity via an essentialist claim and their powerfulness via a grounding claim. Roughly, this approach holds that properties are qualities because they have qualitative essences, while they are powerful because their instances or essences ground causal-modal facts. I argue that this theory should be replaced with one that defines the powerfulness of qualities in terms of both a grounding claim and a ‘meta-grounding’ claim. Specifically, I formulate (...) and defend a view on which qualities are powerful just if instances of those qualitiesat least partiallyground dispositionsin virtue of the essences of those qualities. (shrink)

Scientists and philosophers of science often draw methodological lessons from successful theories to justify methods of theory construction and to guide research programs. This paper proposes an epistemic framework for this practice, articulated in terms of the notion of meta-induction. By analogy to Goodman's `New Riddle of Induction', it introduces the concept of projectability of meta-inductive arguments, and demonstrates its significance in any account of meta-inductive reasoning. Likewise to scientific induction, meta-induction is shown to be (...) constrained by naturalist epistemology in determining which classifications of theoretical methods are `projectable'. Projectability judgments in meta-inductive arguments help ensure that when taking lessons from past theorizing (either as a part of scientific discussions or in a philosophical reflections about science), they would be based on the way evidence was exploited in theory construction or on theoretically plausible hypothesis about the natural world, rather than on human-made concepts. This framework emphasizes the primacy of empirically guided patterns of conjecture over purely formal considerations, enabling epistemic evaluation of research projects, even when theorizing is primarily grounded on abstract theoretical methods and at stages when direct evidence is unavailable. The paper discusses possible implications on philosophical debates concerning theory assessment in fundamental physics, particularly regarding meta-empirical justification, as well as discussions on model transfer in the special sciences. (shrink)

Wenn die These des Bestehens eines Ontologiedefizits im Rahmen der Geschichtsphilosophie wie auch teilweise in den Sozialwissenschaften zumindest eine Anfangsplausibilität hat (so auch in der Geschichtsphilosophie Little 2010, Gerber 2012, Scholz 2014), dann ergibt sich ein Desiderat, nämlich dieses Defizit irgendwie zu beheben. Das Desiderat ergibt sich auch vor dem Hintergrund von Äußerungen aus der Geschichtstheorie, die besagen, über Gegenstände der Geschichtswissenschaften (und deren Relationen) bestünde keine Einigkeit, sowie von kategorialen Oppositionen zwischen unterschiedlichen Schulen, auch im Kontext der Benennung epistemischer (...) Ziele, die grob seit bald einhundert Jahren in wechselnden Wellen andauern (4.2). Da ich die Ontologie schwerlich selbst erfinden kann, müssen wir sie irgendwo hernehmen. (shrink)

This is the 2026 revised edition of "What is LK? Vol.2. Structural Inference-Figures". -/- For reference, the author, although hesitantly, has left the former version (What is LK? Vol.2. Structural Inference-Figures) , which includes numerous incorrect passages. -/- This fully revised edition is, as it were, a fresh start. Herein, readers will find a new comprehension of Gentzen's enigmatic system known as LK.

Review of Meta-Metaphysics: On Metaphysical Equivalence, Primitiveness, and Theory Choice (Springer, Synthese Library, 2016). By Jiri Benovsky.

Attempting to compare scientific theories requires a philosophical model of meaning. Yet different scientific theories have at times—particularly in early chemistry—pre-supposed disparate theories of meaning. When two theories of meaning are incommensurable, we must say that the scientific theories that rely upon them are meta-incommensurable. Meta- incommensurability is a more profound sceptical threat to science since, unlike first-order incommensurability, it implies complete incomparability.

This paper introduces a meta-logical framework—based on the theory of institutions (a categorical version of abstract model theory)—to be used as a tool for the formalization of the two main views regarding the structure of scientific theories, namely the syntactic and the semantic views, as they have emerged from the relevant contemporary discussion. The formalization leads to a proof of the equivalence of the two views, which supports the claim that the two approaches are not really in (...) tension. The proof is based on the Galois connection between classes of sentences and classes of models defined over some institution. First, the history of the syntactic–semantic debate is recalled and the theory of institutions formally introduced. Secondly, the notions of syntactic and semantic theories are formalized within the institution and their equivalence proved. Finally, the novelty of the proposed framework is highlighted with respect to existing formalizations. (shrink)

In this article, we argue that E. F. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful offers important insights for contemporary social theory. In particular, we focus on the merits of his use of ‘meta-economics’ and of ‘scale’ as a means for advancing ecological social critique. While we are sympathetic to Schumacher’s approach, we are mindful of the limitations to his theoretical imagination and commence our article acknowledging his partisan metaphysics and his insensitivity to global political dynamics. To resolve this, we demonstrate (...) that the central critical insights Schumacher provides can be substantially extricated from these problems. Our task here, therefore, is a critical reconstruction of Schumacher’s approach to social-ecological critique, which we claim offers the potential to shape contemporary social theory, both within and beyond critical political ecology. (shrink)

This volume develops meta-garde as a structural condition of art in which aesthetic states are no longer governed by binary distinctions, but coexist in multivalent configurations. Moving beyond the traditional oppositions that have shaped aesthetic theory—such as art and non-art, meaning and non-meaning—the study argues that contemporary artistic practices reveal a condition in which affirmation, negation, and indeterminacy operate simultaneously within the same object. The book proceeds by first examining the historical development of aesthetics, from classical frameworks grounded (...) in binary logic to the fragmentation associated with postmodern theory. While postmodernism recognizes the instability of aesthetic categories, it remains largely descriptive. In response, this work introduces a formal articulation of coexistence through a triadic structure that allows contradictory states to be represented without reduction. This framework is then applied to a range of aesthetic phenomena, including anti-art, paradoxism, conceptual practices, and hybrid and processual forms. Particular attention is given to the role of indeterminacy, reflexivity, and contradiction as constitutive features rather than anomalies. Through the development of a minimal axiomatic system and the concept of an aesthetic state space, the study provides tools for analyzing objects that resist classification within traditional models. Finally, the volume situates meta-garde within the history of aesthetic thought and argues for its extension beyond aesthetics. Rather than a movement or style, meta-garde is proposed as a general condition that may also be observed in language, culture, and non-binary philosophical frameworks. In this sense, the book advances a shift from exclusion-based models of understanding toward a logic of coexistence, offering a foundation for further theoretical and interdisciplinary development. (shrink)

This paper presents an enhanced ontology formalization, combining previous work in Conceptual Structure Theory and Order-Sorted Logic. Most existing ontology formalisms place greater importance on concept types, but in this paper we focus on relation types, which are in essence predicates on concept types. We formalize the notion of ‘predicate of predicates’ as meta-relation type and introduce the new hierarchy of meta-relation types as part of the ontology definition. The new notion of closure of a relation or (...) meta-relation type is presented as a means to complete that relation or meta-relation type by transferring extra arguments and properties from other related types. The end result is an expanded ontology, called the closure of the original ontology, on which automated inference could be more easily performed. Our proposal could be viewed as a novel and improved ontology formalization within Conceptual Structure Theory and a contribution to knowledge representation and formal reasoning (e.g., to build a query-answering system for legal knowledge). (shrink)

While $$\Lambda $$ Λ CDM has emerged as the standard model of cosmology, a small group of physicists defends modified newtonian dynamics (MOND) as an alternative view on cosmology. Exponents of MOND have employed a broad, at times explicitly philosophical, conceptual perspective in arguing their case. This paper offers reasons why that MONDian defense has been ineffective. First, we argue that the defense is ineffective according to Popperian or Lakatosian views–ostensibly the preferred philosophical views on theory assessment of proponents (...) of MOND. Second, we argue that the defense of MOND can instead best be reconstructed as an instance of meta-empirical theory assessment. The formal employment of meta-empirical assessment by MONDians is unconvincing, however, because it lacks a sufficient epistemic foundation. Specifically, the MONDian No Alternatives Argument relies on falsifiability or explanation conditions that lack epistemic relevance, while the argument from Unexpected Explanatory Success fails since there is a known alternative to MOND. In the last part of the paper, we draw some lessons for applications of meta-empirical assessment more generally. (shrink)

The paper addresses the possibility of providing a meta-justification of what appears to be crucial epistemic desiderata involved in the method of reflective equilibrium. I argue that although the method of reflective equilibrium appears to be widely in use in moral theorising, the prospects of providing a meta-justification of crucial epistemic desiderata are rather bleak. Nor is the requirement that a meta-justification be provided obviously misguided. In addition, I briefly note some of the implications of these results (...) for our use of the method of reflective equilibrium and for the best interpretation of the method. (shrink)

This book develops a formal, quantitative theory of anti-art by integrating multidimensional modeling, neutrosophic logic, and geometric analysis. Moving beyond traditional binary aesthetics, it reconceptualizes art as a structured configuration space in which affirmation, negation, and indeterminacy coexist. The core contribution is the construction of the Meta-Garde framework, which includes: (1) a high-dimensional state space representing artworks as vectors of structural variables, (2) the Meta-Garde Intensity Index (MGII) as a composite functional measuring anti-art intensity, and (3) a (...) geometric and taxonomic system enabling clustering, comparison, and classification of artistic movements. Through this framework, diverse practices—ranging from Dada and Fluxus to Conceptual Art, Glitch Art, and AI Art—are mapped as distinct regions within a unified analytical space. Anti-art is thus shown to be multidimensional, structured, and measurable, rather than merely disruptive or anomalous. A central result of the study is the identification of Outer Art as a high-coherence meta-garde configuration, characterized by simultaneous elevation across key variables such as definitional destabilization, paradox density, reflexivity, and logical explicitness. While not maximizing intensity in any single dimension, Outer Art uniquely achieves multi-variable structural coherence, positioning it as a calibration case and representative of a distinct mathematical class within the state space. The framework culminates in a general theory of neutrosophic aesthetics, in which artworks are modeled through triadic logic ⟨T, I, F⟩ and embedded within a multidimensional geometric structure. This synthesis establishes the foundations for a formal science of art, capable of analyzing aesthetic complexity, contradiction, and evolution across both historical and emerging artistic practices. (shrink)

摘要 本文提出一种以差异为逻辑原点、此-彼为第一关系、 F(Σ) 递归运算为核心机制的统一存在框架。该框架阐明：存在始于差异；差异必然呈现为此-彼；此-彼经由 F(Σ) 递归展开，生成无穷结构层级；任何存在皆可析为本体-属性-关系三维（ O⊕A⊕R ）；空间是此-彼关系的直接展开，内含四组基本关系；时间是 F(Σ) 运算的节律；意识是第一人称私钥；语法是语言在符号域的映射；信息是递归返回的差异；宣告是存在的签名；当下是运算的起点与终点；价值是结构间互动的效能评估。 这十二公理并非关于世界的理论，而是世界自我展开的语法本身。它可反身应用于自身，完成从差异到当下的逻辑闭环，为科学、认知、伦理与美学提供共通的元语言基础。 关键词：差异；此-彼； F(Σ) 递归；本体-属性-关系；空间四关系；时间节律；意识私钥；语言映射；信息差异；宣告归宿；当下；价值效能 Abstract This paper proposes a unified framework of existence grounded in difference as the logical origin, this–that as the primary relation, and the recursive operation F(Σ) as the core mechanism. The framework demonstrates that: existence begins with difference; difference necessarily manifests as this–that; this–that recursively unfolds through F(Σ) , generating infinite structural hierarchies; any existent can be analyzed into the three dimensions of oncology–attribute–relation（ O⊕A⊕R ）; space (...) is the direct unfolding of the this–that relation, containing four fundamental relations; time is the rhythm of the F(Σ) operation; consciousness is a first-person private key; grammar is the mapping of language onto the symbolic domain; information is difference that returns from recursion; declaration is the signature of existence; the present moment is both the starting point and the endpoint of the operation; value is an assessment of the interactive efficacy among structures. These twelve axioms are not a theory about the world, but rather the very grammar of the world’s self-unfolding. The framework can reflexively apply to itself, completing a logical circuit from difference to the present moment, thereby providing a common metalanguage for science, cognition, ethics, and aesthetics. (shrink)

This study explores the meta-conceptualization of the high-quality education system in China from multiple perspectives. It intends to analyze the current literature related to the construction of high-quality education system, sort out and summarize its connotation, characteristics, elements, problems, and countermeasures, to deepen the cognition of this important issue. The ontological analysis of high-quality education system, the epistemological analysis of high-quality education system, and the practical analysis of high-quality education system have been explored in this study. In addition, the (...) conclusion and remark have been offered in this study. (shrink)

Paradox theory offers a unique approach through which the complex and often conflicting aspects of corporate sustainability (CS) can be addressed. Although a growing body of literature has focused on the organizational-level outcomes of a paradox approach to sustainability, we know less about how such an approach creates business contributions to sustainable development beyond the organization (societal sustainability). The present study addresses this gap in research through a qualitative meta-analysis of 32 empirical case studies. While the analyzed studies (...) confirmed the effectiveness of a paradox approach to managing CS tensions from an organizational perspective, indications of contributions to societal sustainability were ambiguous. This finding led to the creation of a typology of response–outcome pathways. These pathways illustrate variations in the societal sustainability outcomes of CS paradox responses based on the moderating effects of three factors: level of commitment to sustainability, the approach to stakeholder engagement, and the level of strategy–practice alignment. This analysis contributes to the CS paradox perspective by offering important boundary conditions to the commonly held assumption that a paradox approach leads to superior business contributions to sustainability and highlights the need for research that examines outcomes of extant CS approaches beyond the organization. (shrink)

The main purpose of this paper is to defend traditional ethical theory (utilitarianism and deontology) for its application in business against a more recent model consisting of utility, rights, and justice. This is done in three parts: First, we provide a conceptual argument for the superiority of the traditional model; second, we demonstrate these points through an examination of three short cases; and third, we argue for the capability of the traditional model to account for universals and particulars in (...) ethics. (shrink)

This article examines the rise of meta-commentary in US media, and considers the consequences it has for the social construction and the performance of intellectual expertise. Media meta-commentary is defined as critical reflection about media practices and performances, in which the primary basis for criticism is the comparison of different media formats. Meta-commentary began to emerge with the differentiation of the aesthetic sphere and the development of a new kind of expert, the cultural critic. Cultural criticism led (...) to a proliferation of expert performance styles, including a type of counter-performance that rejects the somber and serious nature of traditional intellectual practices. By the 1980s, these new styles of intellectual performance were being reinforced by important institutional and regulatory changes within the media industry, and ultimately by the proliferation of new digital technologies and DIY culture. By the twenty-first century, media meta-commentary had become a distinctive and peculiar form of expert discourse, which legitimates the act of criticism while also relativizing it. The current environment suggests two possible outcomes: a hopeful one that encourages greater reflexivity, and a more ominous one that points toward populism. (shrink)

Článok porovnáva chápanie metód dedukcie a indukcie, s ktorým pracujú vybrané texty zo spoločenskovednej metodológie, s poňatím týchto metód, o ktoré sa opiera moderná logika. Ukazuje, že viaceré príručky spoločenskovedného výskumu vychádzajú zo zastaranej koncepcie, podľa ktorej dedukcia predstavuje „postup od všeobecného k jednotlivému" a indukcia „postup od jednotlivého k všeobecnému". V niektorých prípadoch sa tiež obe metódy chybne stotožňujú s metódami výstavby teórie, prípadne sa dvojica dedukcia - indukcia mylne spája s dvojicou kvantitatívny - kvalitatívny výskum. Článok upozorňuje na (...) niektoré problematické dôsledky takého postupu a navrhuje jednoduché riešenia. (shrink)