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The relationship between scientific philosophical theories and value research
131-147Views:89The purpose of this study is to examine, in what extent the mainstream approaches of scientific
theories can be applied on the field of the value-research. Therefore, I will examine these models
through the lense of scientific philosophical approaches of 20th century. Of the three most
significant philosophical theory (Popper’s falsification theory, Kuhn’s paradigm theory, and Imre
Lakatos’s theory of scientific research programs), I apply Lakatos’s theory, since it fits the best
to explain, how parallel research streams emerged on the field of value research. In this study I
strive for conciliate Lakatos’s program and the three significant value models. In the scientific
research program theory Lakatos found that many research programs coexist simultaneously.
Each has a hard core or negative heuristic (as Lakatos calls it) of theories immune to any revision
surrounded by a protective belt or positive heuristic of malleable theories. Every research
program vies against others to be most progressive. In my opinion the core of the program is
the value definition itself, which is used by the different researchers in the field of value studies.
This value definition barely changed during the past few decades. On the other hand, there are
numerous value models aimed to assess people’s value system. These models can be considered
as the protective belt revolving around the hardcore definition. The aim of this paper is not to
emphasize Lakatos’ theory from the philosophical approaches of science, but to examine value
research through a philosophical eye. This approach also can ease the communication between
the value research by exploring the common core of them. -
Thomas Hobbes and the dilemmas of the natural state: First chapter – The axiomatic nature of total war
3-24Views:70The purpose of this paper is to reflect on some the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, one of the founders
of modern political philosophy, best known for his masterpiece, Leviathan. The aim of this essay
is not to provide a full scale analysis of Hobbes’ main work, nor to present his moral or political
philosophy, nor to reflect on the significance of his impact on later political thinkers. The aim is
more modest, and the theme under scrutiny is more narrow: the paper is devoted to a critical
analysis of the main premise (state of the nature) of Hobbes’ theory of power, including the
ambivalent character of the state of nature, as well as the logical dilemmas that arise during
the analysis.After a general presentation of Hobbes’s philosophy and of the logical construction of his
work, I will tend to focus on two aspects of the state of nature: firstly, I will analyse the assumed
analogy between the state of nature and the Book of Genesis; secondly, I will examine whether
the „war of all against all” is an axiomatic outcome of the „primitive” state. It turns out, that the
answers for these questions are not so unanbiguous.