This paper proposes a dynamic, bidirectional model of human motivation that challenges hierarchical frameworks such as Maslow’s pyramid. It develops a conceptual and formal structure integrating functional (physiological) and symbolic (identity-oriented) drives within a continuous topological field of value. The model introduces motivational momentum (μ), decision potential (Ψ), and probabilistic transition thresholds as structural variables linking individual intention to collective behavioral dynamics. By reformulating motivation as a nonlinear, self-organizing system, the framework aims to generate testable research programs connecting philosophy of (...) action, social theory, and behavioral dynamics. (shrink)

This article develops a quasi-formal dynamic model of motivation that departs from hierarchical and stage-based accounts. Instead of representing motivation as progression through ordered needs, the proposed framework conceptualizes it as a process of continuous evaluation within a field of competing objects. At the core of the model is a unified evaluative structure in which each object is assessed in terms of four co-present components: symbolic value, functional return, symbolic constraints, and functional constraints. Behavioral selection emerges from comparative evaluation across (...) alternatives, rather than from transitions between predefined levels. Motivational dynamics are governed by context-sensitive reweighting and threshold-dependent transitions. Changes in behavior do not follow directly from variations in inputs, but occur when differences in net motivational value exceed a context-dependent sensitivity boundary, producing nonlinear and discontinuous patterns of change. Within this structure, motivational change is driven by shifts in weighting parameters and constraint dynamics. The framework generates empirically testable predictions, including threshold-driven behavioral transitions, sensitivity to symbolic amplification, and systematic modulation of choice under varying symbolic and functional constraint conditions. By formalizing symbolic–functional interaction within a unified evaluative architecture, the model provides a structurally grounded alternative to hierarchical theories of motivation. This approach establishes a foundation for empirical investigation, computational modeling, and cross-domain applications in decision-making, collective behavior, and cognitive-neural systems. (shrink)

Hierarchical models have long dominated the theoretical study of human motivation (Maslow, 1943; Alderfer, 1969), portraying motivational life as an ordered progression governed by the sequential satisfaction of discrete needs. Despite their conceptual clarity and pedagogical influence, these models rest on a largely unexamined assumption: that motivational organization is best understood through the logic of sequential fulfillment. This article identifies a structural limitation in prevailing motivational theory, namely the absence of a conceptual framework capable of accounting for how symbolic meaning (...) and functional constraints operate as simultaneous organizing forces within a unified structure. In response, the article develops a non-hierarchical, process-based framework in which motivation is understood as a dynamic configuration emerging from the continuous interaction between two interdependent dimensions: the symbolic and the functional. The functional dimension refers to orientations related to effectiveness, constraint management, and outcome realization, whereas the symbolic dimension encompasses orientations related to meaning, identity, recognition, and interpretive coherence. These dimensions are not arranged in sequential levels; rather, they operate concurrently within a single evaluative structure. Behavioral patterns are determined by the relative weighting of symbolic value and functional return, as well as the symbolic and functional constraints associated with action within a given context. Within this perspective, motivational stability and tension are not explained as direct outcomes of “alignment” or “misalignment” between the two dimensions. Instead, they are treated as consequences of differences in net motivational value across available alternatives, under the influence of contextual constraints. Stability emerges when one course of action achieves a clear evaluative advantage, whereas fluctuation or tension arises when net values converge or when constraint pressures intensify, impeding decisional resolution. -/- This distinction is introduced as an initial analytical simplification that enables a departure from hierarchical assumptions while opening the way for more refined structural analyses of motivation. From this standpoint, motivational phenomena that remain difficult to explain within hierarchical frameworks—such as persistence under deprivation, commitment without direct functional return, instrumental compliance without symbolic identification, and meaning-driven collective action—become intelligible within a unified explanatory model. By clarifying the structural relationship between value and constraint across symbolic and functional dimensions, this framework expands the explanatory scope of motivational psychology and establishes a conceptual foundation for future research programs integrating theoretical analysis with empirical development. (shrink)

This paper argues that, for four decades, debates on intentionality have been constrained by a false tripartite dilemma: intentionality must be grounded either in consciousness (Searle), interpretation (Dennett), or evolutionary history (Millikan). We show that all three approaches share a common flaw: they seek the source of intentionality either in the material substrate or in the observer, rather than in the dynamic organization of the cognitive system itself. We propose a way out of this impasse through the framework of Evolving (...) Cognitive Architectures (ECA). On this view, intentionality is neither an intrinsic metaphysical property nor a mere observer-relative projection. Instead, it emerges from the satisfaction of specific organizational conditions—conditions that can be formally specified and empirically assessed. This paper makes two central contributions. First, it offers a diagnostic critique showing how Searle, Dennett, and Millikan each commit a similar category mistake by conflating the correlates or detection methods of intentionality with its constitutive conditions. Second, it introduces the ECA framework, articulated through five formal specifications of cognitive agency: (1) organizational continuity, (2) dynamic memory circulation, (3) representational reconfiguration, (4) non-arbitrary internal semantics, and (5) interactive developmental plasticity. Rather than adding another position to an established debate, the ECA framework reframes the problem of intentionality itself—shifting the focus from metaphysical grounding to architectural organization, and from thought experiments to formally testable conditions for cognitive agency. (shrink)

Motivational theory has long been structured around hierarchical models and state-based explanations, yet these approaches fail to specify how behavioral selection emerges from competing alternatives. This article addresses this gap by proposing a non-hierarchical framework in which motivation is understood as a process of evaluative selection operating over a field of alternatives. Each alternative is represented as a composite evaluative configuration integrating symbolic value, functional return, and constraint structures. Behavioral outcomes are not determined by the satisfaction of needs or the (...) integration of systems, but by comparative dominance under context sensitive reweighting and threshold conditions. Selection occurs when one alternative exceeds competing options beyond a context-dependent threshold, producing discrete behavioral transitions. The article further specifies the neurocognitive architecture capable of implementing this mechanism. Neural activity is modeled as a distributed process that encodes evaluative components, dynamically modulates their relative influence, and supports competitive selection across alternatives. Within this framework, memory is reconceptualized as a selective activation mechanism that structures the evaluative field by determining which representations are available for comparison. By shifting the focus from motivational states to selection dynamics, the framework provides a unified account linking conceptual analysis, neural processes, and empirical modeling. It generates testable predictions concerning nonlinearity, instability near decision thresholds, and context-driven reorganization of behavior, offering a foundation for a selection-based theory of motivation. (shrink)

Contemporary artificial intelligence systems achieve increasingly sophisticated behavioral performance while remaining limited at the level of cognitive organization. They can generate coherent outputs, adapt to context, and support stable interpretation, yet they lack the architectural conditions required for sustained, self-modifying, and developmentally coherent cognition. This gap reflects a deeper theoretical limitation: dominant accounts of intentionality continue to locate its source in consciousness, interpretation, or evolutionary history, rather than in the present organization of cognitive systems. This paper argues that intentionality should (...) be understood as an architectural phenomenon. It develops the framework of Evolving Cognitive Architectures (ECA), which specifies a set of organizational conditions under which systems can sustain directed, context-sensitive, and developmentally structured activity. These conditions—organizational continuity, dynamic circulatory memory, representational plasticity, non-arbitrary internal semantics, and developmental plasticity—function as structural constraints on systems capable of genuine cognitive agency. The paper makes three contributions. First, it provides a diagnostic critique of influential approaches associated with John Searle, Daniel Dennett, and Ruth Millikan, showing that each identifies correlates, diagnostics, or stabilizing mechanisms rather than constitutive conditions of intentionality. Second, it advances a positive structural account that relocates intentionality at the level of organized cognitive dynamics. Third, it demonstrates how this framework enables a principled reassessment of contemporary AI systems by shifting evaluation from behavioral performance to architectural capacity, thereby clarifying the conditions required for the development of systems with AGI-level cognitive organization. By reframing intentionality as an achievement of system organization rather than a property of substrate, interpretation, or history, the paper positions intentionality as a phenomenon that can be structurally characterized, comparatively analyzed, and, in principle, empirically investigated across both biological and artificial systems. (shrink)

Decision biases are commonly interpreted as systematic deviations from rational evaluation, arising from distorted preferences, heuristics, or computational limitations. This article challenges that assumption by proposing that many biases are not errors, but outcomes of a structured process of evaluative selection operating under constraint. Within this framework, decision-making is modeled as a dynamic process in which alternatives are evaluated through the interaction of symbolic value, functional return, and constraint structures, modulated by context-sensitive reweighting. Crucially, evaluation does not operate over a (...) fixed set of representations. Instead, the evaluative field is selectively constructed through memory activation, such that only a subset of representations becomes available for comparison at any given moment. Biases are therefore redefined as selection outcomes produced under asymmetric weighting and constrained evaluative access. This account explains why behavioral regularities such as loss aversion, present bias, cognitive dissonance, and status quo preference can appear both stable and context-dependent, without invoking systematic irrationality. The article further develops the empirical implications of this framework by proposing experimental designs that manipulate not only outcome structure but also representational access and weighting conditions. It predicts that biases can be attenuated, amplified, or reversed through controlled variation in memory activation, contextual framing, and threshold conditions governing selection. By shifting the focus from deviation to structure, the framework provides a unified account linking conceptual analysis, decision dynamics, and experimental design, offering a foundation for a selection-based theory of decision-making. (shrink)

Motivational theory remains limited by its failure to specify how selection between competing alternatives occurs. Hierarchical models assume ordered progression among needs, while variable-based approaches treat motivation as an internal quantity; neither provides a mechanism explaining how behavior emerges from comparison across alternatives or why small contextual changes can produce abrupt shifts in action. This article introduces a symbolic–functional model that defines motivation as the outcome of structured evaluation across competing alternatives. Each alternative is characterized by symbolic value, functional return, (...) and constraint conditions, and is evaluated through a context-sensitive weighting function. Selection is governed by a formal rule in which an alternative becomes dominant when its evaluative score exceeds both competing alternatives and a context-dependent threshold. The model specifies three core processes: evaluative reweighting driven by contextual variation, shifts in comparative dominance across alternatives, and threshold-based selection producing discontinuous behavioral change. A formal representation is provided, along with an illustrative example demonstrating how reweighting alone—without changes in the intrinsic properties of alternatives—can produce abrupt transitions in selection. To enable empirical implementation, the article develops an operational framework for estimating evaluative weighting, modeling constraint effects, and detecting threshold dynamics using structured choice designs and longitudinal approaches. This reframes empirical analysis from measuring motivational states to reconstructing evaluative functions and selection conditions. By defining a closed evaluative mechanism linking context, constraints, weighting, and selection, the model provides a basis for formal modeling, empirical estimation, and prediction of motivational transitions beyond hierarchical and state-based assumptions. (shrink)

: Lately there is more attention paid to technological development in intelligent tutoring systems. This field is becoming an interesting topic to many researchers. In this paper, we are presenting an intelligent tutoring system for teaching DES Information Security Algorithm called DES-Tutor. The DES-Tutor target the students enrolled in cryptography course in the department Information Technology in Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Through DES-Tutor the student will be able to study course material and try the exercises of each lesson. An evaluation (...) of the DES-Tutor was carried out and the results were promising. (shrink)

Institutions often enforce decisions long after the factual, epistemic, or systemic conditions that underpinned their original justificatory warrants have shifted. This paper identifies a variable absent from dominant theories of institutional rationality: the temporal integrity of justification. I introduce the Decision Continuity Principle (DCP) as a diagnostic framework. DCP tracks the conditions under which a justificatory warrant—the set of reason-based constraints an institution presents for a decision—remains reconstructable and defensible across time, authority transitions, and system-state change. The framework formalizes a (...) distinct institutional condition: justificatory discontinuity, in which a decision persists while its supporting warrant ceases to perform its justificatory role. DCP is irreducible to explanations based on path dependence, organizational memory, or outcome-based evaluation, as it addresses a different question: not why decisions persist, but how the warrants offered for them retain or lose intelligibility over time. The contribution is meta-theoretical: DCP provides a diagnostic for a class of institutional dynamics that existing paradigms cannot formally represent. (shrink)

Lately there is more attention paid to technological development in intelligent tutoring systems. This field is becoming an interesting topic to many researchers. In this paper, we are presenting an intelligent tutoring system for teaching DES Information Security Algorithm called DES-Tutor. The DES-Tutor target the students enrolled in cryptography course in the department Information Technology in Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Through DES-Tutor the student will be able to study course material and try the exercises of each lesson. An evaluation of (...) the DES-Tutor was carried out and the results were promising. (shrink)

Whether an action is morally right depends upon the alternative acts available to the agent. Actualists hold that what an agent would actually do determines her moral obligations. Possibilists hold that what an agent could possibly do determines her moral obligations. Both views face compelling criticisms. Despite the fact that actualist and possibilist assumptions are at the heart of seminal arguments in business ethics, there has been no explicit discussion of actualism and possibilism in the business ethics literature. This paper (...) has two primary goals. First, it aims to rectify this omission by bringing to light the importance of the actualism/possibilism debate for business ethics through questions about the ethics of sweatshops. Second, it aims to make some progress in the sweatshop debate by examining and defending an alternative view, hybridism, and describing the moral and practical implications of hybridism for the sweatshop debate. (shrink)

There are many eye diseases but the most two common retinal diseases are Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which the sharp, central vision and a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older, there are two types of AMD are wet AMD and DRUSEN. Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), which is a complication of diabetes caused by fluid accumulation in the macula that can affect the fovea. If it is left untreated it may cause vision loss. Therefore, early detection (...) of diseases is a critical importance. Our main goal is to help doctors detect these diseases quickly before reaching a late stage of the disease. In ophthalmology, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is critical for evaluating retinal conditions. OCT is an imaging technique used to capture high-resolution cross-sections of the retinas of patient. In this thesis, we review ways and techniques to use deep learning classification of the optical coherence tomography images of diseases from which a Retinal is suffering. The models used to improve patient care are (VGG-16, MobileNet, ResNet-50, Inception V3, and Xception) to reduce costs and allow fast and reliable analysis in large studies. The obtained results are encouraging, since the best model ResNet-50 reaching 96.21% of testing accuracy, which is very useful for doctors, to diagnose retinal diseases. (shrink)

A newborn baby is an infant within the first 28 days of birth. Diagnosis and treatment of infant diseases require specialized medical resources and expert knowledge. However, there is a shortage of such professionals globally, particularly in low-income countries. To address this challenge, a knowledge-based system was designed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal diseases. The system utilizes both machine learning and health expert knowledge, and a hybrid data mining process model was used to extract knowledge from (...) a clinical dataset. The PART algorithm achieved the highest performance result with 98.06% accuracy under 10-fold cross-validation, and the generated rules were used to develop the knowledge-based system. The system achieved 90.9% accuracy in system performance testing and 89.2% in user acceptance testing, and is intended to serve as an assistant tool for healthcare experts. (shrink)

هدفت الدراسة إلى بيان علاقة مدخل كايزن"Kaizen" للتحسين المستمر بالتغيير التنظيمي في شركة توزيع الكهرباء بمحافظات غزة الخمس، حيث طبقت الدراسة على عينة عشوائية بسيطة كان عدد مفرداتها (233) مثلت ما نسبته (58%) من مجتمع الدراسة الكلي. حيث اعتمدت الدراسة على المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، مستخدمة الاستبانة كأداة لجمع البيانات، وقد خرجت الدراسة بعدد من النتائج كان منها أن الشركة تمارس أبعاد مدخل كايزن للتحسين المستمر بنسبة (63.06%) وهي نسبة متوسطة. وأنها تمارس التغيير التنظيمي بواقع (61.40%) وهي بنسبة متوسطة. وتبين بأن (...) هناك وجود علاقة ارتباطية موجبة بنسبة (0.863) بين مدخل كايزن للتحسين المستمر وبين التغيير التنظيمي في الشركة وهي درجة كبيرة جداً. كما تبين عدم وجود فروق إحصائية في استجابات أفراد العينة عند مستوى دلالة ((α≤0.05 تجاه علاقة مدخل كايزن للتحسين المستمر بالتغيير التنظيمي في شركة توزيع الكهرباء بمحافظات غزة تبعاً للمتغيرات (العمر-الجنس-المؤهل العلمي-سنوات الخدمة). كما خرجت الدراسة بعدد من التوصيات كان الأهم منها: العمل على تبسيط الإجراءات التي تساعد في تقديم الخدمة للمستفيد في الوقت المناسب. وإشراك العاملين في عمليات تحسين الأداء المختلفة عبر مشاركتهم في صياغة واتخاذ القرارات. واعتبار البحث العلمي قاعدة للانطلاق نحو أي من نشاطات الشركة، سواء من خلال إنشاء وحدة إدارية داخل الشركة أو الاستعانة بمتخصصين خارجيين، سيما عند عمليات التحسين المختلفة. (shrink)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the agricultural sector, enhancing both productivity and sustainability. This paper delves into the impact of AI technologies on agriculture, emphasizing their application in precision farming, predictive analytics, and automation. AI-driven tools facilitate more efficient crop and resource management, leading to higher yields and a reduced environmental footprint. The paper explores key AI technologies, such as machine learning algorithms for crop monitoring, robotics for automated planting and harvesting, and data analytics for optimizing resource use. Additionally, it (...) discusses challenges like data privacy, barriers to technology adoption, and the ethical implications of AI in farming. Integrating AI into agricultural practices holds the promise of greater efficiency and sustainability, paving the way for future innovations. (shrink)

The study aimed to identify Design Thinking and its use in NGOs in Gaza Strip. In order to achieve the objectives of the study and to test its hypotheses, the analytical descriptive method was used, relying on the questionnaire as a main tool for data collection. The study society was one of the decision makers in the local NGOs in the Gaza Strip. The study population reached 78 local NGOs in Gaza Strip. The overall inventory of the possible study community (...) was based mainly on the use of the SPSS in processing and analyzing the data obtained through the survey tool. Smart-PLS was also used to construct the structural equation model (SEM) Analyzing the relationship between study variables. The study found that Design Thinking mediates the relationship between the management of process design and decision making with a holistic effect. The study showed the interest of local NGOs in creating a good mental image in the local community. And the ownership of local NGOs to the expertise and technical skills required to implement the projects, and showed the adoption of local NGOs in their activities to meet the needs of the beneficiaries and their wishes, and local NGOs analyze the problem, and causes, through data relevant to the decision, based on reference data for decision-making. The main recommendations of the study are: The need for senior management in the local NGOs in Gaza Strip to adopt the methodology of design thinking because of its impact on the sustainability of the projects, design the technical feasibility study and meet the wishes of the beneficiaries. (shrink)

The study aimed to identify the reality of decision-making in the local NGOs in Gaza Strip. In order to achieve the objectives of the study and to test its hypotheses, the analytical descriptive method was used, relying on the questionnaire as a main tool for data collection. The study society was one of the decision makers in the local NGOs in Gaza Strip. The study population reached 78 local NGOs in Gaza Strip. A Census Method of the possible study community (...) was adopted, and the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was mainly based on the analysis and analysis of the data obtained through the survey tool. The study reached a set of results, the most important of which are: NGOs follow a decision-making mechanism. NGOs examine the problems and causes of the organization. Organizations are less concerned with stakeholder participation. Make decision. The main recommendations of the study are: To promote systematic methods of decision-making in NGOs in Gaza Strip: Local NGOs in Gaza Strip should continue to develop their competencies in order to make sound and correct decisions and encourage them to follow the scientific methodologies in the mechanism of taking Decisions. (shrink)

The study aimed at identifying the personal variables and their effect in promoting job creation in Gaza Strip through business incubators. The researchers used the descriptive analytical approach to achieve the study objectives. The study population consisted of 92 of the pilot projects benefiting from the three business incubators in Gaza Strip (Palestinian Information Technology Incubator, UCAS Technology Incubator and Business and Technology Incubator). The study reached a number of results, the most important of which are the existence of statistically (...) significant differences on entrepreneurship attributed to each age as most of them are between the ages of 22-30, Gender for males, business incubator, scientific qualification for the specialties of information technology and engineering, and years of experience. Based on the findings, the researchers recommend focusing on university students in guiding them towards entrepreneurship and helping new graduates to start entrepreneurship. And to guide students to scientific disciplines that help them in entrepreneurship after graduation, whether starting a small business or self-employment, support females to entrepreneurship as most of the entrepreneurs are male, in addition to stimulating males as well. (shrink)

Infants and children are suffering from a lots of nausea and vomiting problems. Doctors, usually face various difficulties dealing with these problems because of their similarities. In this paper, we present an expert system to help users in getting the correct diagnosis of problems of nausea and vomiting in infants and children (Gastro-esophageal reflux, Gastroenteritis, Systemic Infection, Bowel obstruction, Tumors, A bleeding disease, tonsillitis, and Hepatitis pharynx). Furthermore, this expert system provide information about the disease and how to deal with (...) it. SL5 Object expert system language was used to design and implement this expert system. (shrink)

In the history of Islamic mysticism, few thinkers provided as systematic a description of the phenomena of inner light as Najm al-Dīn Kubrā (1145–1221), the founder of the Kubrawiyya Sufi order. This paper argues that Kubrā's work, particularly his treatise Fawā’iḥ al-jamāl wa-fawātiḥ al-jalāl, constitutes a sophisticated, pre-modern phenomenology of consciousness, one that is highly relevant to contemporary discussions in philosophy of mind and cognitive neuroscience. By meticulously mapping a taxonomy of luminous experiences, from fleeting sparks to the paradox (...) of black light, Kubrā offered not merely a set of mystical visions but a diagnostic framework for spiritual development. This analysis will trace Kubrā’s luminous progression, contextualize his thought within the socio-political upheaval of 12th-century Khwarezm, and draw parallels between his medieval taxonomy of phosphenes and modern scientific and psychological classifications. Building upon recent scholarship, this paper argues that Kubrā’s treatise is best understood as a practical ‘guidebook for the voyagers,’ bridging the gap between ancient mystical practice and modern empirical inquiry. (shrink)

Religion, particularly the historical interpretations shaped by the cultural and intellectual contexts of their eras, serves as the overarching framework for all fundamentalist and extremist religious movements and individuals. Drawing on these interpretations, both movements and individuals base their perceptions of contemporary political reality on a superficial reading of religion, leading to direct and unconscious projections that fail to account for historical changes and the complexities of reality. These movements often blur the distinction between religious and historical elements, as well (...) as between religious texts themselves and the interpretations that are subject to the historical and cultural conditions of the interpreters. This highlights the importance of deconstructing the ideological reference points of these movements, beginning with a philosophical analysis of the intricate relationship between religion and politics. This is precisely the objective of many philosophical projects within contemporary Arab thought. In this paper, we will examine one of the most prominent examples of these projects, namely the work of Moroccan thinker and philosopher Mohammed Abed al-Jabri. (shrink)

This research addresses the ongoing philosophical problem of reason (al-ʿaql) by analysing the contributions of two prominent contemporary Moroccan thinkers, Mohamed Abed al-Jabri and Taha Abdurrahman. The study’s focus on these two figures is not arbitrary, but rather due to their almost simultaneous and often conflicting engagement with the topic, which created a significant intellectual dialogue, with their projects seen as standing in stark opposition. The paper employs a fourfold methodology—descriptive, analytical, comparative, and critical—to examine several key questions: the importance (...) of critiquing reason for any project of renewal, the relationship between the problem of reason** and the necessity of renewing tradition, and the points of convergence and divergence between their two projects. The research is structured into two main parts, the first on al-Jabri’s tripartite classification and critique of Arab reason, and the second on Taha Abdurrahman’s pragmatic-ethical critique of the concept of reason, culminating in an examination of the key criticisms leveled against both projects. (shrink)

This paper examines the paradoxical dynamics of political leadership and mass reception in contemporary Japan. Specifically, it highlights how factions such as the Aso group strategically utilize the symbolic legacy of former Prime Min- ister Shinzo Abe to promote Takaichi Sanae, despite simultaneous criticisms of religious–political collusion that were central to Abe’s era. Through an analysis of Yahoo! Japan comment sections (Yafukome), this study demonstrates how online masses accept and even embrace internal contradictions: condemning the Unifica- tion Church while praising (...) Abe as a heroic figure. This contradiction reveals the mechanism by which populist energy is absorbed into the party system. The comparative perspective further situates this phenomenon alongside Ger- man cases of digital populism, showing that, in both contexts, social media spaces function as ”pseudo-consensus machines.” These machines allow contradictory sen- timents to be mobilized without resolution, thus reproducing the structural logic of prewar organizations such as Japan’s Taisei Yokusankai. Ultimately, this paper ar- gues that in the age of social networks, masses are not only controlled by top-down propaganda, but also by the affective circuits of self-reinforcing digital populism. (shrink)

This paper reconstructs the phenomenon of digital authoritarianism in post- Abe Japan as an inherent contradiction of populism. By analyzing the political communication strategies of Takaichi Sanae and the conservative digital networks surrounding Abe Shinzo, it redefines the structure of authority in the digital era as a triadic interaction among authority, crowd, and algorithm. Traditional populist frameworks are based on the dichotomy of ”people versus elite.” This study expands that into a triadic logic—authority versus crowd versus algorithm—demonstrating how online emotional (...) amplification, conspiracy narra- tives, and affective identity politics stabilize a new form of symbolic legitimacy. Particular attention is paid to the Japanese specificity of digital authoritarian- ism: the synthesis of tradition, nation, and female leadership. Takaichi’s rhetorical performance combines the progressive imagery of a female leader with a regressive nationalist revival, functioning as a “hybrid populist” capable of reconciling liberal expectation with conservative desire through algorithmic mediation. Finally, the paper situates these dynamics within the framework of infocratic governance—a form of control exercised not through coercion but through infor- mation modulation. The ethical limits of digital populism are thus exposed as the contradiction between expressive freedom and algorithmic dependence. (shrink)

The Earth is positioned at the center of the universe in the Ptolemaic model of the universe. The center of the Earth is at the same time the center of the universe in this model. This system, which was constructed according to Aristotelian physics, was accepted as the prevailing theory up to the adoption of the heliocentric universal model in the 16th century. The Earth was at the same time assumed to be completely stationary in the geocentric theory. Movement around (...) its own axis or around another celestial body was out of the question for it. In Antiquity and the Middle Ages when observational instruments like the telescope were not yet in use, this theory was seen to be rationally based on data obtained directly from the senses. In this context, various justifications had been provided about the world being stationary and existing at the center. Representatives from the Peripatetic philosophy in the Muslim world also were seen to accept the geocentric model. In The Book of Healing, Ibn Sīnā (d. 1038 CE) subjected the proofs that had come to him about the Earth being stationary by distinguishing an independent chapter. The 14th century follower of Ibn Sīnā’s philosophy, Najm al-Dīn al-Kātibī addressed this topic in Ḥikmat al-‘ain, and the work’s principle commentators also commented on his assessments. This study will address Ibn Sīnā’s assessments on the Earth being stationary in the geocentric model of the universe and will discuss the reflections of these assessments in Ḥikmat al-‘ain as an Avicennan text. (shrink)

The article analyses Taha Abdurrahman's intellectual project for renewing religious discourse, focusing on his concept of "tajdid" (renewal). It argues that Taha's approach centers on renewing philosophical insight into traditional texts. The paper examines his method for modernizing Islamic scholastic theology (kalam), highlighting his reliance on "munazara" (dialogue) as a key tool for achieving a "practical certainty." It also situates his work within a broader intellectual debate, critiquing figures like Mohammed Abed al-Jabri and Abdullah Laroui. Contemporary Arabic Philosophy, Philosophy of (...) Religion, Modern Islamic Thought. (shrink)

This article provides an analytical review of Adel Daher’s seminal work, "The Philosophical Foundations of Secularism." Unlike ideological polemics, Daher’s book explores the epistemological roots of secularism, distinguishing between "Necessary Religious Knowledge" and "Contingent Scientific Knowledge." The reviewer highlights Daher’s critique of the "concessionary" secularism in the Arab world and his preference for Mohammed Arkoun’s epistemic approach over Mohammed Abed al-Jabri’s political pragmatism. The work argues for the autonomy of reason and the historical nature of religious texts, asserting that the (...) relationship between religion and politics is purely historical rather than transcendental. This review is essential for researchers interested in the intersection of philosophy, logic, and the secular-religious debate in contemporary Arab thought. (shrink)

The claim I want to explore in this paper is simple. In social ontology, Margaret Gilbert, Abe Roth, Michael Bratman, Antonie Meijers, Facundo Alonso and others talk about rights or entitlements against other participants in joint action. I employ several intuition pumps to argue that we have reason to assume that such entitlements or rights can be ascribed even to non-sentient robots that we collaborate with. Importantly, such entitlements are primarily identified in terms of our normative discourse. Justified criticism, for (...) example, presupposes that another person acted wrongly, i.e., was not entitled to this action. Praise is supposed to encourage another person and acknowledge that one did more than one was obligated to. I show that such normative talk serves the same function when cooperating with robots. This, I argue, suggests that they have the same kind of entitlements and duties at least in the context of a joint action. (shrink)

The logical form of a discourse—such as a proposition, a set of propositions, an argument, or an argumentation—is obtained by abstracting from the subject-matter of its content terms or by regarding the content terms as mere place-holders or blanks in a form. In a logically perfect language the logical form of a proposition, a set of propositions, an argument, or an argumentation is determined by the grammatical form of the sentence, the set of sentences, the argument-text, or the argumentation-text expressing (...) it. Two such discourse-texts are said to have the same grammatical form, in this sense, if a uniform one-one substitution of content words transforms the one exactly into the other. The sentence ‘Abe properly respects every agent who respects himself’ may be regarded as having the same grammatical form as the sentence ‘Ben generously assists every patient who assists himself’. (shrink)

I happen to believe that though human experiences are to be characterized as pluralistic they are all rooted in the one reality. I would assume the thesis of pluralism but how could I maintain my belief in the realism? There are various discussions in favor of realism but they appear to stay within a particular paradigm so to be called “internal realism”. In this paper I would try to justify my belief in the reality by discussing a special use of (...) indexicals. I will argue for my indexical realism by advancing the thesis that indexicals can be used as an inter-agentic referential term. Three arguments for the thesis will be presented. The first argument derives from a revision of Kaplan-Kvart’s notion of exportation. Their notions of exportation of singular terms can be analyzed as intra-agentic exportation in the context of a single speaker and theirs may be revised so as to be an inter-agentic exportation in the context of two speakers who use the same indexicals. The second is an argument from the notion of causation which is specifically characterized in the context of inter-theoretic reference. I will argue that any two theories may each say “this” in order to refer what is beyond its own theory. Two theories address themselves to ‘this’ same thing though what ‘this’ represents in each theory turn out to be different objects all together. The third argument is an argument which is based on a possibility of natural reference. Reference is used to be taken mostly as a 3-place predicate: Abe refers an object oi with an expression ej. The traditional notion of reference is constructive and anthropocentric. But I would argue that natural reference is a reference that we humans come to recognize among denumerably many objects in natural states: at a moment mi in a natural state there is a referential relation among objects o1, o2, o3,.., oj, o j+1,.. which interact to each other as agents of information processors. Natural reference is an original reference which is naturally given and to which humans are passive as we derivatively refer it by using ‘this’. (shrink)

►JOHN CORCORAN AND IDRIS SAMAWI HAMID, Two-method errors: having it both ways. Philosophy, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260-4150, USA E-mail: [email protected] Philosophy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1781 USA E-mail: [email protected] Where two methods produce similar results, mixing the two sometimes creates errors we call two-method errors, TMEs: in style, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, implicature, logic, or action. This lecture analyzes examples found in technical and in non-technical contexts. One can say “Abe knows whether Ben draws” in two other (...) ways: ‘Abe knows whether or not Ben draws’ or ‘Abe knows whether Ben draws or not’. But a stylistic TME occurs in ‘Abe knows whether or not Ben draws or not’. One can say “Abe knows how Ben looks” using ‘Abe knows what Ben looks like’. But syntactical TMEs are in ‘Abe knows what Ben looks’ and in ‘Abe knows how Ben looks like’. One can deny that Abe knows Ben by prefixing ‘It isn’t that’ or by interpolating ‘doesn’t’. But a pragmatic TME occurs in trying to deny that Abe knows Ben by using ‘It isn’t that Abe doesn’t know Ben’. There are several standard ways of defining truth using sequences. Quine’s discussions in the 1970 first printing of Philosophy of logic [3] and in previous lectures were vitiated by mixing two [1, p. 98]. The logical TME in [3], which eluded Quine’s colleagues, was corrected in the 1978 sixth printing [2]. But Quine never explicitly acknowledged, described, or even mentioned the error. This lecture presents and analyses two-method errors in the logic literature. [1] JOHN CORCORAN, Review of Quine’s 1970 Philosophy of Logic. In Philosophy of Science, vol. 39 (1972), pp. 97–99. [2] JOHN CORCORAN, Review of sixth printing of Quine’s 1970 Philosophy of Logic. In Mathematical Reviews MR0469684 (1979): 57 #9465. [3] WILLARD VAN ORMAN QUINE, Philosophy of logic, Harvard, 1970/1986. (shrink)

Contrary to dictionaries, a non sequitur isn’t “any statement that doesn’t follow logically from previous statements”. Otherwise, every opening statement would be a non sequitur: a non sequitur is a statement claimed to follow from previous statements but that doesn’t follow. If the sentence making a given statement doesn’t contain ‘thus’, ‘so’, ‘hence’, ‘therefore’, or something else indicating an implication claim, the statement isn’t a non sequitur in this sense. But this is only one of several senses of that expression, (...) which, contrary to appearances, is a unitary common noun more properly written as one word: non-sequitur or nonsequitur. Above a nonsequitur was, roughly speaking, a conclusion of an invalid premise- conclusion argument, but not every such, only those that were stated to follow from premises that had been stated. Every informative proposition is the conclusion of an invalid argument. Anyway, nonsequiturs were not arguments. However, the expression ‘nonsequitur’ also means “invalid premise- conclusion argument”. It also means something like “fallacious reasoning” as in ‘Abe’s proof of the big-bang hypothesis is a nonsequitur’. The English noun is also used for an irrelevancy, an abrupt change of topic, or for any of many other expressions that are gratuitous, inappropriate, incongruous, or in some other way out of place. The English noun is derived from the Latin expression ‘non sequitur’, which is not a common noun but a sentence variously meaning “it isn’t in sequence ”, “it doesn’t follow”, “it is out of order”, etc. A statement that begins ‘in the second place’ is a nonsequitur if the previous sentence lacked implication of something like ‘in the first place’ or if it contained something similar to ‘in the third place’. In fact, a true implication claim can be a nonsequitur if there is no reason for making it. If Ben says ‘Hence, Abe swims and Abe swims’ in reply to Carl’s statement ‘Abe swims‘, then Ben may well be committing a nonsequitur. Many conversation stoppers are nonsequiturs. This lecture surveys and analyses a wide selection of uses of ‘nonsequitur’ in logic and logic-related literature. -/- END OF DRAFT 4 -/- NOTE 091215: When Rick Perry was discussing possible withdrawal from the race—unfortunately not the human race but the Republican race—a reporter reminded him that just last week Donald Trump predicted the Perry withdrawal. Perry interrupted with “A broken clock is right once a day”. -/- If you did not know Perry you might think his reply was a brilliant diversionary nonsequitur. If you know Perry you might think his reply was a stupid nonsequitur. -/- For the record, he did say ‘once a day’, not ‘twice a day’. BTW, my interjection ‘unfortunately not the human race but the Republican race’ was also a nonsequitur. (shrink)

The premise-fact confusion in Aristotle’s PRIOR ANALYTICS. The premise-fact fallacy is talking about premises when the facts are what matters or talking about facts when the premises are what matters. It is not useful to put too fine a point on this pencil. In one form it is thinking that the truth-values of premises are relevant to what their consequences in fact are, or relevant to determining what their consequences are. Thus, e.g., someone commits the premise-fact fallacy if they think (...) that a proposition has different consequences were it true than it would have if false. C. I. Lewis said that confusing logical consequence with material consequence leads to this fallacy. See Corcoran’s 1973 “Meanings of implication” [available on Academia. edu]. The premise-fact confusion occurs in a written passage that implies the premise-fact fallacy or that suggests that the writer isn’t clear about the issues involved in the premise-fact fallacy. Here are some examples. E1: If Abe is Ben and Ben swims, then it would follow that Abe swims. Comment: The truth is that from “Abe is Ben and Ben swims”, the proposition “Abe swims” follows. Whether in fact Abe is Ben and Ben swims is irrelevant to whether “Abe swims” follows from “Abe is Ben and Ben swims”. E1 suggests that maybe “Abe swims” wouldn’t follow from “Abe is Ben and Ben swims” if the latter were false. E2: The truth of “Abe is Ben and Ben swims” implies that Abe swims. E3: Indirect deduction requires assuming something false. Comment: If the premises of an indirect deduction are true the conclusion is true and thus the “reductio” assumption is false. But deduction, whether direct or indirect, does not require true premises. In fact, indirect deduction is often used to determine that the premises are not all true. Anyway, the one-page paper accompanying this abstract reports one of dozens of premise-fact errors in PRIOR ANALYTICS. In the session, people can add their own examples and comment on them. For example, is the one at 25b32 the first? What is the next premise-fact error after 25b32? Which translators or commentators discuss this? (shrink)

This paper examines the political and cultural contradictions em- bodied in the emergence of “AI Sanae,” a digital persona modeled on politician Sanae Takaichi. While lacking substantial political achieve- ments, Takaichi has been artificially projected into the digital sphere as a symbolic leader. The phenomenon reveals three layers: personal narcissism, mass reactions, and the post-human transformation of pol- itics. Furthermore, public comments suggesting the creation of “AI Abe Shinzo” illustrate a disturbing desire to abandon human subjec- tivity itself.

Atemporal Boundary Encoded Substrate: Foundation, Resolution, and Unification This paper proposes no new physics, no new mathematics, and no modifications to existing theories. It offers a reframing---a change in what the existing mathematics of quantum mechanics and general relativity describes, not in the mathematics itself. The history of physics shows that reframings have been among the most consequential moves in the field. Einstein's equivalence principle was not a new equation---it was the recognition that acceleration and gravitation are indistinguishable---yet general relativity (...) followed from it, generating new predictions and an entire research program. The Copernican shift added no new observations; it reframed the same data and the mathematics simplified dramatically. In both cases, the reframing preceded and enabled the formalism. At its heart, ABES proposes a single reinterpretation: the wave function is not a temporal, spatial entity — it is atemporal, pre-spatial information. Static correlations, boundary-encoded, carrying no intrinsic time or space. The mathematics remains untouched; what changes is what it describes. Everything else in this paper — the two principles, the substrate concept, the dissolution of quantum enigmas, the bridge between quantum mechanics and general relativity — follows from taking that reinterpretation seriously. It establishes two principles from logical necessity rather than new postulates. Principle 1: Systems incapable of supporting 3+1D spacetime architecture must confine information to boundary encodings, independently evidenced by holographic bounds. Principle 2: Atemporality is the null hypothesis for such states---absent spacetime architecture, no mechanism exists for intrinsic change or timeframe. These principles are completely consistent with established pillars: the Wheeler-DeWitt equation (DeWitt, 1967), holographic bounds (Bekenstein, 1973; 't Hooft, 1993; Bousso, 1999). From these two principles, ABES identifies an atemporal substrate of static correlations: boundary-encoded information carrying no intrinsic temporal or spatial characteristics. A host of seemingly unrelated quantum enigmas — from the measurement problem to non-locality to delayed choice — dissolve as artifacts of binding transitions from substrate to spacetime, following deductively from the two principles. That independently motivated principles produce this breadth of explanatory power constitutes strong abductive evidence — the same form of evidence that initially supported general relativity and the Copernican model. To illustrate: consider the delayed choice experiment, widely regarded as among the most counterintuitive results in quantum mechanics. A measurement decision made after a photon has already passed through the slits nonetheless determines the outcome, as though the future shaped the past. Under ABES the substrate is atemporal, so there is no "already passed" and "after the decision." Static correlations have no temporal ordering. The timing of the choice cannot matter because the substrate has no timing until temporality is imposed. The two principles are justified independently of quantum mechanics---by geometric logic and the null hypothesis. That they deductively produce the qualitative structure of quantum phenomena constitutes ABES's primary evidential claim: explanatory unification from independent premises (See section 5 for details). ABES bridges quantum mechanics and general relativity by treating both as descriptions of bound-state physics, with the substrate representing a foundational layer that both interface with. Whether spacetime is emergent from the substrate or independently fundamental is a question ABES is neutral on---the resolutions work either way. The framework is interpretation-agnostic, compatible with emergent or fundamental time and various measurement mechanisms (Page-Wootters, Zurek decoherence, Copenhagen). (shrink)

The electronic know your customer (e-KYC) is a system for the banking or identity provider to establish a customer identity data verification process between relying parties. Due to the efficient resource consumption and the high degree of accessibility and availability of cloud computing, most banks implement their e-KYC system on the cloud. Essentially, the security and privacy of e-KYC related documents stored in the cloud becomes the crucial issue. Existing e-KYC platforms generally rely on strong authentication and apply traditional encryption (...) to support their security and privacy requirement. In this model, the KYC system owner encrypts the file with their host’s key and uploads it to the cloud. This method induces encryption dependency and communication and key management overheads. In this paper, we introduce a novel block chain-based e-KYC scheme called e-KYC Trust Block based on the ciphertext policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) method binding with the client consent enforcement to deliver trust, security and privacy compliance. In addition, we introduce attribute-based encryption to enable the privacy preserving and fine-grained access of sensitive transactions stored in the block chain. Finally, we conduct experiments to show that our system is efficient and scalable in practice. (shrink)

Data access control is a challenging issue in public cloud storage systems. Ciphertext-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (CP-ABE) has been adopted as a promising technique to provide flexible, fine-grained and secure data access control for cloud storage with honest-but- curious cloud servers. However, in the existing CP-ABE schemes, the single attribute authority must execute the time-consuming user legitimacy verification and secret key distribution, and hence it results in a single-point performance bottleneck when a CP-ABE scheme is adopted in a large-scale cloud storage (...) system. Users may be stuck in the waiting queue for a long period to obtain their secret keys, thereby resulting in low-efficiency of the system. Although multi authority access control schemes have been proposed, these schemes still cannot overcome the drawbacks of single-point bottleneck and low efficiency, due to the fact that each of the authorities still independently manages a disjoint attribute set. In this paper we propose a system that improves the approach of CP-ABE from text based asymmetric to Image based symmetric approach for faster encryption as well as access to data. We also propose a multiple access policy generation for single user where we will be able to implement one to many and many to many methodology. (shrink)