Incommensurability may be regarded as driving specialisation, on the one hand, and as posing some problems to interdisciplinarity, on the other hand. It may be argued, however, that incommensurability plays no role in either specialisation or interdisciplinarity. Scientific specialties could be defined as simply 'different' (that is, about different things), rather than 'incommensurable' (that is, competing for the explanation of the same phenomena). Interdisciplinarity could be viewed as the co- ordinated effort of scientists possessing complemetary and interlocking skills, (...) and not as the overcoming of some sort of incommensurable divide. This article provides a comprehensive evaluative examination of the relations between specialisation, interdisciplinarity, and incommensurability. Its aim is to defend the relevance of incommensurability to both specialisation and interdisciplinarity. At the same time, it aims at correcting the tendency, common among many philosophers, to regard incommensurability in a restrictive manner - such as, for example, as an almost purely semantic issue. (shrink)

According to Kuhn's speciation analogy, scientific specialisation is fundamentally analogous to biological speciation. In this paper, we extend Kuhn's original language-centred formulation of the speciation analogy, to account for episodes of scientific specialisation centred around methodological differences. Building upon recent views in evolutionary biology about the process of speciation by genetic divergence, we will show how these methodology-centred episodes of scientific specialisation can be understood as cases of specialisation driven by value divergence. We will apply our (...) model of specialisation by value divergence to an episode of methodology-centred scientific specialisation: the emergence of molecular biology. (shrink)

Assuming $\mathrm{PFA}$, we shall use internally club $\omega _1$ -guessing models as side conditions to show that for every tree T of height $\omega _2$ without cofinal branches, there is a proper and $\aleph _2$ -preserving forcing notion with finite conditions which specialises T. Moreover, the forcing has the $\omega _1$ -approximation property.

In his mature writings, Kuhn describes the process of specialisation as driven by a form of incommensurability, defined as a conceptual/linguistic barrier which promotes and guarantees the insularity of specialties. In this paper, we reject the idea that the incommensurability among scientific specialties is a linguistic barrier. We argue that the problem with Kuhn’s characterisation of the incommensurability among specialties is that he presupposes a rather abstract theory of semantic incommensurability, which he then tries to apply to his description (...) of the process of specialisation. By contrast, this paper follows a different strategy: after criticising Kuhn’s view, it takes a further look at how new scientific specialties emerge. As a result, a different way of understanding incommensurability among specialties will be proposed. (shrink)

We show that there are proper forcings based upon countable trees of creatures that specialise a given Aronszajn tree.

This book defends two main ideas: there is a need and a market for better specialised dictionaries for learners; we need a sound theoretical framework for coping with known and unknown challenges in the realm of pedagogical specialised lexicography. Both themes were Enrique Alcaraz's driving force during his life. Hence, his memory deserves this book that has been written by leading scholars in the field? they have compiled more than 70 dictionaries and published hundreds of books and articles on the (...) topics here discussed? although only two of them knew him in person. (shrink)

Kuhn’s mature writings contain some interesting but rather underdeveloped insights about the process of specialisation, which is the topic of this chapter. I begin by discussing the formation of what Kuhn calls ‘scientific specialties’, the kind of incommensurability that drives such a phenomenon, and the relation between specialisation and scientific revolutions. My take on these topics draws from Kuhn’s philosophy but leads to conclusions that Kuhn himself could not see or failed to appreciate. I also I discuss interdisciplinarity, (...) a phenomenon that Kuhn did not address, even though it threatens his ideas about the existence of an incommensurable divide among scientific specialties. Finally, I consider how the theory of specialisation enriches our understanding of Kuhn’s views on scientific change and of his remarks about the ‘plurality of worlds’. (shrink)

The principles of equality and equity, respectively in the Bill of Rights and the white paper on health, provide the moral and legal foundations for future health care for children in South Africa. However, given extreme health care need and scarce resources, the government faces formidable obstacles if it hopes to achieve a just allocation of public health care resources, especially among children in need of highly specialised health care. In this regard, there is a dearth of moral analysis which (...) is practically useful in the South African situation. We offer a set of moral considerations to guide the macro-allocation of highly specialised public health care services among South Africa's children. We also mention moral considerations which should inform micro-allocation. (shrink)

The present paper attempts to highlight the strategy of regional specialisation for technological innovation in R&D laboratories. The paper makes a proposition that regional specialisation should be recognised as a strategic initiative for technology development in R&D laboratories. The rationale for this strategic initiative has been substantiated with the help of illustrations from the cases of technology development efforts taken up in different laboratories in the country under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India. In this (...) direction, CSIR and other centres of excellence have played a pioneering role in the development of various industrial clusters and artisan concentrations in different parts of the country. The implications of adoption or otherwise of this strategy initiative for technological innovation in R&D laboratories have been discussed. (shrink)

The translation process constitutes an essential part in every translator’s professional training. Translation students should be familiarised with several textual genres of different difficulties. The aim of this study is to show the importance of including semi-specialised texts in general translation subjects. To do so, a selection of semi-specialised texts was included together with more general topics. Thanks to this, translation students can learn how to deal with general and semi-specialised documents by giving their critical views in a cooperative environment. (...) They additionally improved in the correct use of translation techniques in both types of text. (shrink)

This research focuses on examining the relationship between some attributes of assurance providers and the level of sustainability assurance. By using the propensity to issue negative conclusions in the assurance statement as an indicator of the level of assurance, we examine whether the brand name and industry specialisation of the practitioners have an impact on the assurance opinion issued. Using an international sample of 1233 firm-year observations over the period 2007–2014, the findings document the impact of the brand reputation (...) and industry specialisation of assurance providers on the level of assurance. The probability of detecting material errors and omissions in a sustainability report is higher if it is verified by a Big 4 auditing firm and by an industry expert as an assurance practitioner. The greater experience in providing audit services and the relevant skills and training provided by Big 4 firms, as well as the greater knowledge and experience of industry experts, increase the propensity to report more accurate opinions about a sustainability report. The findings are robust for alternative measures for the level of assurance and the industry specialisation. (shrink)

Palliative care philosophy is based on a holistic approach to patients, but research shows that possibilities for living up to this philosophy seem limited by historical and administrative structures. From the nurse perspective, this article aims to explore nursing practice in specialised palliative homecare, and how it is influenced by organisational and cultural structures. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with nine nurses were conducted, inspired by Bourdieu. The findings showed that nurses consolidate the doxa of medicine, including medical-professional values that configure a (...) control-oriented, positivistic approach, supported by the organising policy for clinical practice. Hierarchically, nurses were positioned under doctors: medical rounds functioned as a structuring structure for their working day. They acted as medical assistants, and the prevailing medical logic seemed to make it difficult for nurses to meet their own humanistic ideals. Only short time slots allowed nurses to prioritise psychosocial needs of patients and relatives. Point-of-actions had high priority, added financial resources and ensured that budgets were allocated. Weekly visits made it possible for nurses to measure, control and govern patients’ drugs and symptoms which was a necessity for their function as medical assistants. The findings challenge nurses to take on an ethical point of view, partly to ensure that patients and their families receive good palliative care focusing on more than medical issues and logic, and partly to strengthen the nurses’ profession in the palliative field and help them implement palliative care philosophy in practice. (shrink)

Palliative care philosophy is based on a holistic approach to patients, but research shows that possibilities for living up to this philosophy seem limited by historical and administrative structures. From the nurse perspective, this article aims to explore nursing practice in specialised palliative homecare, and how it is influenced by organisational and cultural structures. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews with nine nurses were conducted, inspired by Bourdieu. The findings showed that nurses consolidate the doxa of medicine, including medical-professional values that configure a (...) control-oriented, positivistic approach, supported by the organising policy for clinical practice. Hierarchically, nurses were positioned under doctors: medical rounds functioned as a structuring structure for their working day. They acted as medical assistants, and the prevailing medical logic seemed to make it difficult for nurses to meet their own humanistic ideals. Only short time slots allowed nurses to prioritise psychosocial needs of patients and relatives. Point-of-actions had high priority, added financial resources and ensured that budgets were allocated. Weekly visits made it possible for nurses to measure, control and govern patients’ drugs and symptoms which was a necessity for their function as medical assistants. The findings challenge nurses to take on an ethical point of view, partly to ensure that patients and their families receive good palliative care focusing on more than medical issues and logic, and partly to strengthen the nurses’ profession in the palliative field and help them implement palliative care philosophy in practice. (shrink)

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the UK’s main healthcare priority-setting body, recently reaffirmed a longstanding claim that in recommending technologies to the National Health Service it cannot apply the ‘rule of rescue’. This paper explores this claim by identifying key characteristics of the rule and establishing to what extent these are also features of NICE’s approach to evaluating ultra-orphan drugs through its highly specialised technologies programme. It argues that although NICE in all likelihood does not act because (...) of the rule in prioritising these drugs, its actions in relation to HSTs are nevertheless in accordance with the rule and are not explained by the full articulation of any alternative set of rationales. That is, though NICE implies that its approach to HSTs is not motivated by the rule of rescue, it is not explicit about what else might justify this approach given NICE’s general concern with overall population need and value for money. As such, given NICE’s reliance on notions of procedural justice and its commitment to making the reasons for its priority-setting decisions public, the paper concludes that NICE’s claim to reject the rule is unhelpful and that NICE does not currently meet its own definition of a fair and transparent decision-maker. (shrink)

How should international law’s role in determining international distributive outcomes, economic and otherwise, affect how we think about its legitimate authority? Domestic institutions’ legitimate authority in respect of distribution is substantially enhanced by their concurrent roles in enabling security and coordination. Internationally, by contrast, functional disaggregation means that distribution must be legitimised in its own right. I begin by distinguishing the phenomenon of Distributive International Law, on which my argument focuses. I next introduce a number of wide instrumental accounts of (...) legitimate authority, showing how each understands legitimacy as an institution-level characteristic, allowing an institution’s success in one area to support its legitimacy in another where it may be less successful. This poses the question of how we distinguish amongst distinct institutions, which I answer by reference to the causal and constitutive (in)dependence amongst practices. This approach explains why distributive legitimacy does not arise as a separate question domestically: we cannot distinguish the state’s security and coordination activities from its distributive activities, so if the former are legitimate, then so, ipso facto, are the latter. Internationally, by contrast, these mutual dependencies are limited, requiring that the legitimacy of distributive law be established independently of other aspects of international law. (shrink)

The Ukrainian war pervades – as a token for deciphering the ruins of our present – the lines of this interview. That deciphering implies both refusing to be subjected to the devastation of the cities as an inevitable fate and trying to unfold the possibilities of rediscovering a «poetry of the city» (Fabrizio Desideri). We risk falling into incontrollable mistakes and mystifications if we hide from ourselves life’s violence. Philosophically speaking, the most beautiful victory is the one in which we (...) defeat ourselves (Plato). But the role of art, the only human activity able to tear off the masque to violence (Giorgio Colli) is irreplaceable: from Greek tragedy to contemporary cinema. (shrink)

The association between managerial ability and audit pricing is limited and mixed in the literature. The mixed results may be due to the non-consideration of the plausibility of a mediating variable influencing the association. Therefore, this study, conducted in the context of the Nigerian banking industry, assesses the mediating role of audit firm industry specialisation on the association between managerial ability and audit pricing. Managerial ability is proxied using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)–Tobit regression model, audit firm industry (...) class='Hi'>specialisation is proxied using an indicator variable that is equal to one if the audit firm has at least a market share of 30%, while audit pricing is proxied using audit fees. Secondary data obtained from the audited annual financial statements of 11 listed deposit money banks (commercial banks) between 2011 and 2022 are used for this study. The causal mediation analysis framework in an instrumental-variable regression model is adopted to empirically achieve the study’s objective. The findings show that audit firm industry specialisation mediated the association between managerial ability and audit pricing in the Nigerian banking industry. Our findings have implications for bank management, audit firms, and regulatory agencies. (shrink)

Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA) regards metaphor as a fundamental means of conceptualising the world, through which the ideology embedded in discourse can be unveiled. Drawing upon the methodologies of Critical Discourse Analysis and Corpus Linguistics, CMA comprises four principle stages: initially, contextual analysis for formulating research questions and selecting texts, followed by metaphor identification, interpretation, and explanation. This schematic four-stage CMA has found widespread applications in analyses of sensitive discourses, particularly political discourses. This study builds upon these schematic four stages, (...) putting forward a more specialised, hands-on analytical approach that is well suited for a range of research objectives in translation and bi/multilingual settings where both cross-linguistic and time-based perspectives can be considered. To provide a step-by-step guide of this cross-linguistic and time-based analytical approach, this study presents two case studies of the Chinese newspaper Global Times’ Chinese-English bilingual COVID-19 reports in 2020. Specifically, metaphor translation and a time series analysis of the attitudinal intensity (strengthening, weakening, or keeping the negativity towards the pandemic unchanged) as manifested through the translation of WAR metaphors were explored. The study concludes by suggesting the application of this analytical approach to other types of metaphor correspondence and time-based analyses. (shrink)

Scientific communities as social groupings and the role that such communities play in scientific change and the production of scientific knowledge is currently under debate. I examine theory change as a complex social interaction among individual scientists and the scientific community, and argue that individuals will be motivated to adopt a more radical or innovative attitude when confronted with striking similarities between model systems and a more robust understanding of specialised vocabulary. Two case studies from the biological sciences, Barbara McClintock (...) and Stanley Prusiner, help motivate the idea that sharing of models and specialised vocabulary fill the gap between discovery and scientific change by promoting the dispersal of important information throughout the scientific community. (shrink)

Novel cellular therapy techniques promise to cure many haematology patients refractory to other treatment modalities. These therapies are intensive and require referral to and care from specialised providers. In the USA, this pool of providers is not expanding at a rate necessary to meet expected demand; therefore, access scarcity appears forthcoming and is likely to be widespread. To maintain fair access to these scarce and curative therapies, we must prospectively create a just and practical system to distribute care. In this (...) article, we first review previously implemented medical product and personnel allocation systems, examining their applicability to cellular therapy provider shortages to demonstrate that this problem requires a novel approach. We then present an innovative system for allocating cellular therapy access, which accounts for the constraints of distribution during real-world oncology practice by using a combination of the following principles: (1) maximising life-years per personnel time, (2) youngest and robust first, (3) sickest first, (4) first come/first served and (5) instrumental value. We conclude with justifications for the incorporation of these principles and the omission of others, discuss how access can be distributed using this combination, consider cost and review fundamental factors necessary for the practical implementation and maintenance of this system. (shrink)

Humphreys and Forde argue that semantic memory is divided into separate substores for different kinds of information. However, the neuro-imaging results cited in support of this view are inconsistent and often methodologically and statistically unreliable. Our own data indicate no regional specialisation as a function of semantic category or domain and support instead a distributed unitary account.

Preoperative informed consent is a legal and ethical requirement that ensures patients understand a procedure, its associated risks and benefits, alternative treatment options, and potential complications to make an informed decision about their care. This cross‐sectional study evaluated the informed consent process for major orthopaedic surgeries at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. A self‐administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 adult participants. Results showed that many patients do not read the consent form before signing it, and surgeons do (...) not adequately explain the alternatives to surgery, potential risks, and available anaesthetic options. Higher‐educated patients are more likely to read the consent form. Surgeons performed well in explaining the nature of the condition and prognosis, the procedure's potential benefits, and answering patients' questions. The study emphasises the need to improve the informed consent process to ensure patients understand and can make rational decisions about their healthcare. (shrink)

This essay considers biotrophic cyst and root‐knot nematodes in relation to their biology, host–parasite interactions and molecular genetics. These nematodes have to face the biological consequences of the physical constraints imposed by the soil environment in which they live while their hosts inhabit both above and below ground environments. The two groups of nematodes appear to have adopted radically different solutions to these problems with the result that one group is a host specialist and reproduces sexually while the other has (...) an enormous host range and reproduces by mitotic parthenogenesis. We consider what is known about the modes of parasitism used by these nematodes and how it relates to their host range, including the surprising finding that parasitism genes in both nematode groups have been recruited from bacteria. The nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of these two nematode groups are very different and we consider how these findings relate to the biology of the organisms. BioEssays 30:249–259, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

The study of neuronal specialisation in different cognitive and perceptual domains is important for our understanding of the human brain, its typical and atypical development, and the evolutionary precursors of cognition. Central to this understanding is the issue of numerical representation, and the question of whether numbers are represented in an abstract fashion. Here we discuss and challenge the claim that numerical representation is abstract. We discuss the principles of cortical organisation with special reference to number and also discuss (...) methodological and theoretical limitations that apply to numerical cognition and also to the field of cognitive neuroscience in general. We argue that numerical representation is primarily non-abstract and is supported by different neuronal populations residing in the parietal cortex. (shrink)

In this paper I develop a concept of behavioural ecological individuality. Using findings from a case study which employed qualitative methods, I argue that individuality in behavioural ecology should be defined as phenotypic and ecological uniqueness, a concept that is operationalised in terms of individual differences such as animal personality and individual specialisation. This account make sense of how the term “individuality” is used in relation to intrapopulation variation in behavioural ecology. The concept of behavioural ecological individuality can sometimes (...) be used to identify individuals. It also shapes research agendas and methodological choices in behavioural ecology, leading researchers to account for individuals as sources of variation. Overall, this paper draws attention to a field that has been largely overlooked in philosophical discussions of biological individuality and highlights the importance of individual differences and uniqueness for individuality in behavioural ecology. (shrink)

March 2020 has become a moment of change in communication mode and quality. Previously, the media paid attention to the current affairs, however, never earlier the journalistic discourse has been so influentially affected by the ongoing phenomenon as in the case of COVID-19. Almost overnight the new terminological phenomena with specific legal or medical reference were introduced into everyday language mainly via mass media and become an important part of a pandemic related narration. The strong influence on the shape of (...) the mentioned linguistic changes has mainly the adoption of new legal regulations due to the unexpected outbreak of the pandemic. The aim of the following paper is to investigate how COVID-19 pandemic affected the specialisation of the journalistic discourse and how different domains are being influenced by new terminology and in other way round, how for example law and medicine influence new “COVID language”. In order to take the interdisciplinary nature of the issue into account, the degree of hybridity of the selected texts will be examined by means of selected material analysis. The methodology applied in the paper uses an empirical approach and comparative analysis. The material used for the analysis comes from the selected Polish quality and boulevard press. The paper concerns the linguistic influence of the “invisible enemy” on the language presented in press. The main findings reveal the intense use of neologisms, borrowings, and it shows that the discourse was changed linguistically thanks to Student’s t-test. (shrink)

Gehlen's core idea in Man is that humans have unique properties which distinguish them from all other species: 1. world-openness, a concept originally coined by Max Scheler, which describes the ability of humans to adapt to various environments (as contrasted with animals, which can only survive in environments which match their evolutionary specialisation). This gives us 2. the ability to shape our environment according to our intentions, and it comprises a view of language as a way of acting (Gehlen (...) was one of the first proponents of speech act theory), Human beings are also marked 3. by an excess of impulses and by 4. the ability of self-control. These properties allow us (again in contrast to all other animals) 5. to create our own (for example cultural) environments. Gehlen's philosophy has influenced many contemporary German thinkers in a range of disciplines, including Peter L. Berger, Thomas Luckmann and Niklas Luhmann in sociology, and Hans Blumenberg in philosophy. (shrink)

In reaction to growing critics regarding ecological and ethical aspects of intensive animal husbandry, different initiatives of ethical poultry production try to establish alternative food supply chains on the market. To be able to stabilise these niche innovations parallel to the mainstream regime, new forms of cooperation along the value added chain and with the consumers play an important role. Based on a case study of integrated egg and meat production from a dual-purpose breed by small multifunctional farms in Northeast (...) of Germany, the paper exemplifies the challenges for the different partners of the food supply chain and cooperation management. Empirical data were obtained via nine qualitative interviews with actors along the value chain and via participatory observation of workshops and meetings. The research was embedded in a transdisciplinary project, where different measures to meet the existing challenges were taken and evaluated. Analysing the existing cooperation reveals possibilities for improving cooperation management by e.g. clarifying the goals of the cooperation, including the points of sale as part of the food supply chain and communication of the ethical and sustainability qualities of the product to the consumers. However, the analysis also shows the limits of cooperation in an environment dominated by the paradigm of specialisation, economies of scale and cost reduction, which is also characteristic for parts of the organic sector. The paper discusses if the challenges of establishing this radical niche innovation can be met without a fundamental change of framework conditions as e.g. regulation on animal husbandry. (shrink)

This is an interview conducted in November 1986. In addition to his early intellectual development, Chargaff talks about rootlessness, the DNA double helix, success in science, recombinant DNA, science and technology, specialisation in philosophy and science, science and reality, the science and philosophy relationship, and ethics in science. The interview was published in Hungarian translation in Magyar Tudomány 94(32):11 (November 1987), 877-883, along with my interviews with James D. Watson, and Gunther S. Stent.

Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” begins with a discussion on the division of labourDivision of labour, emphasizing its central role in economic growth by increasing productivityProductivity. Smith meticulously examines the factors contributing to enhanced productivityProductivity through specialisation, using the by now famous example of pinPin production to illustrate his points.Pins are prototypical domestic products, mainly used in the home. They are cheap and ubiquitous objects that can be used by men and women, children and the old, by skilled (...) and unskilled workers. By focussing on small and inexpensive objects like pins, Smith manages to convey the immense economic potential of the division of labourDivision of labour, which is by no means limited to large-scale production. Neither does it require complex or expensive machinery to produce pins in large quantities, and Smith portrays the fundamental principle of the division of labourDivision of labour as an omnipresent process active in all areas of life. It significantly influences and shapes how individuals cooperate in society, thereby forming one of the foundations of modern society.He argues that the division of labourDivision of labour not only benefits individuals by improving their own situations but also leads to overall prosperity for the region and the entire nation. Smith discusses the economic conditions necessary for individuals to benefit from the division of labourDivision of labour, highlighting the importance of start-up capitalCapital. He also acknowledges the natural limits to the expansion of the division of labourDivision of labour, such as market size and infrastructureInfrastructure, especially the role of transportationTransportation. He also introduces, in later chapters of “The Wealth of Nations,” a discussion of the potential dangers of routine work on workers.Smith asserts that the division of labourDivision of labour remains crucial for economic success and outlines its historical development and implications for tradeTrades and transportationTransportation, from his time to the present time of globalisationGlobalisation. (shrink)

Today’s critical state of philosophy is examined by considering two of its aspects: the way in which philosophy presently is ever more typically practised and the new challenges it has to face to keep up with the changed scientific, and more generally cultural and social context. The essay outlines some prospects of progress in the light of those which still now can be considered the proper tasks of philosophical inquiry. Such tasks are singled out through an historical survey of the (...) original characters of philosophy and an appraisal of its theoretical motivations. The importance of the history of philosophy and the necessity of achieving a virtuous relation among the various philosophical disciplines are stressed to contrast the dangers of excess specialisation and professionalism. (shrink)

When Joseph Home went to Edinburgh University in 1697, he matriculated under John Row. Under the system of rotating regents, this meant that, during his entire stay, he was conducted by that distinguished Hebrew scholar through the classes of Greek, logic, natural philosophy, and moral philosophy. In 1708, however, under the far-seeing leadership of that distinguished Scottish churchman and Whig statesman, Principal William Carstares, and undoubtedly from the examples set by the Dutch universities of Leyden and Utrecht, Edinburgh adopted the (...) system of specialisation, each subject being thenceforth taught by a professor. In any event, like their father, John Home and David Hume did not take degrees. The brothers signed the Matriculation Book on the page set aside for William Scot, the Professor of Greek. (shrink)

Small corpora need epistemological reflection to be set into the field of language sciences. The size of the corpus can not be enough to make a distinction between small corpora and big corpora, because the real distinction is about representativity and research objectives. A small corpus is built according to a research objective about a specific area of language to take into account the effects of type of discourse and genre on linguistic phenomena. The small corpus must be a representation (...) of this specific field of research. As it is specialised, a small corpus can be representative. But to be specialised, a corpus must be homogeneous about textual parameters such as discourse, type of text or genre. Besides, with a small corpus, it is possible to be aware of the linguistic and situational context of texts : a detailed knowledge of the texts facilitate the interpretation of data. To illustrate these reflections about small corpora, a corpus built for a research about synonymy according to an onomasiological and syntagmatic approach is presented. Besides its small size, this corpus is specialised because of its homogeneity : the textual parameters have been neutralised, given that the texts of the corpus belong to the same discourse, the same type of text and the same genre. The onomasiological approach needs another parameters to build the corpus : a topic that must be relevant in all the texts of the corpus. If the textual parameters seem obvious and necessary to build a specialised corpus, other parameters, such as topic, depend on specific research objectives. (shrink)

Vere Gordon Childe’s theory of craft specialisation was an important influence on Arnold Hauser’s book The Social History of Art, published in 1951. Childe’s Marxist interpretation of prehistory enabled Hauser to establish a material foundation for the occupation of the artist in Western art history. However, Hauser’s effort to construct a progressive basis for artistic labour was complicated by art’s ancient connections to religion and superstition. While the artist’s social position and class loyalties were ambiguous in Childe’s accounts of (...) early civilisations, Hauser consigned artists to the lower echelons of society. This relegation did not imply that Hauser had a low regard for artistic skills. Quite the opposite, the artist’s inferior social status enabled Hauser to distance artists from the ruling class, and consequently, to separate artistic handiwork from the dominant ideology that works of art manifested. (shrink)

This paper begins by calling attention to a puzzling feature of our deep past: an apparent mis-match between morphological evolution in our lineage, including the expansion of our brain and neocortex, and changes in material culture. Three ideas might explain this mis-match. The apparent mis-match is an illusion: change in material culture is indeed driven by biological evolution, but of a kind difficult to identify in the fossil record; the mismatch is caused by the fact that material culture is sensitive (...) to the social and demographic environment, not just the native cognitive capacities of individual agents. Innovation and its uptake is more reliable in larger social worlds. The mis-match is made possible by adaptive phenotypic plasticity; in particular, cognitive plasticity. Just as material culture evolves through cumulative cultural learning, so too do cognitive skills, including ones which make innovations in, and the transmission of, material culture more efficient. This paper is targeted on the second of these ideas, and distinguishes three different versions of the view that increases in social scale support increases in the complexity of material culture. Those are: cultural selection is more efficient in larger social worlds; larger social worlds support more specialisation, which in turn supports a more complex material culture; cultural learning is more efficient in larger social worlds. The paper argues that the first two of these pathways are probably more important than the third in explaining otherwise puzzling features of the archaeological and ethnographic record. (shrink)