First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book presents a pragmatic response to arguments against religion made by the New Atheism movement. The author argues that analytic and empirical philosophies of religion-the mainstream approaches in contemporary philosophy of religion-are methodologically unequipped to address the "Threefold Challenge" made by popular New Atheist thinkers such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett. The book has three primary motivations. First, it provides an interpretation of the New Atheist movement that treats their claims as philosophical arguments and not just rhetorical exercises or demagoguery. Second, it assesses and responds to these claims by elaborating four distinct contemporary philosophical perspectives- analytic philosophy, empirical philosophy, continental philosophy, and pragmatism-as well as contextualizing these perspectives in the history of the philosophy of religion. Finally, the book offers a metaphilosophical critique, returning again and again to the question of method. In the end, the author settles upon a modified version of pragmatism that he concludes is best suited for articulating the terms and stakes of the God Debate. Challenging the New Atheism will be of interest to scholars and students of American philosophy and philosophy of religion.

The widespread use of the Internet as a tool for gathering and disseminating information raises serious questions for journalists--and their readers--about the process of reporting information. Using virtual sources and publishing online is changing the way in which journalism takes place and its effect on the society it serves.
USE LAST THREE PARAGRAPHS ONLY FOR GENERAL CATALOGS... "The Electronic Grapevine" explores the use of online media by reporters in the United States, and examines the impact that usage may have on how journalism is framed in the cultural sphere, as well as how it is conducted in the professional one. It contains a mix of material examining how it feels to "do" online journalism, how it affects those who consume it, different ways that media scholars go about trying to understand it better, and the likely social and cultural impact of Internet-like technologies on the public, at whom all this electronic information is eventually aimed.
Drawing from the emerging scholarly work in the field and from the real-life experiences of working journalists, Borden and Harvey collect contributions that examine why journalists use the Internet, what changes it makes in how they approach their jobs, and what differences they see in conducting their daily newsgathering with this medium rather than other methods. The volume also analyses when and why journalists do not use online media and what the impact of the decision to use or not use the Internet may mean for the outer world, whose perceptions of itself are so often shaped by journalistic portrait.
This series of thought-provoking, original essays explores the impact of computer-based information and communication services on traditional journalistic routines and practices, and thereby addresses a critical gap in the scholarly literature on communication, law, and culture. Distinguishing between linkage devices like the Internet, and database resources such as LEXIS/NEXIS, America Online, and others, this book examines the ways in which both types of online services may reshape and redefine not only the products of journalistic effort, but the newsgathering process itself.

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems- both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series.

As we begin a new century, the astonishing spread of nationally and internationally accessible computer-based communication networks has touched the imagination of people everywhere. Suddenly, the Internet is in everyday parlance, featured in talk shows, in special business "technology" sections of major newspapers, and on the covers of national magazines. If the Internet is a new world of social behavior it is also a new world for those who study social behavior. This volume is a compendium of essays and research reports representing how researchers are thinking about the social processes of electronic communication and its effects in society. Taken together, the chapters comprise a first gathering of social psychological research on electronic communication and the Internet.
The authors of these chapters work in different disciplines and have different goals, research methods, and styles. For some, the emergence and use of new technologies represent a new perspective on social and behavioral processes of longstanding interest in their disciplines. Others want to draw on social science theories to understand technology. A third group holds to a more activist program, seeking guidance through research to improve social interventions using technology in domains such as education, mental health, and work productivity. Each of these goals has influenced the research questions, methods, and inferences of the authors and the "look and feel" of the chapters in this book.
Intended primarily for researchers who seek exposure to diverse approaches to studying the human side of electronic communication and the Internet, this volume has three purposes:
* to illustrate how scientists are thinking about the social processes and effects of electronic communication;
* to encourage research-based contributions to current debates on electronic communication design, applications, and policies; and
* to suggest, by example, how studies of electronic communication can contribute to social science itself.

The series Religion and Society (RS) contributes to the exploration of religions as social systems - both in Western and non-Western societies; in particular, it examines religions in their differentiation from, and intersection with, other cultural systems, such as art, economy, law and politics. Due attention is given to paradigmatic case or comparative studies that exhibit a clear theoretical orientation with the empirical and historical data of religion and such aspects of religion as ritual, the religious imagination, constructions of tradition, iconography, or media. In addition, the formation of religious communities, their construction of identity, and their relation to society and the wider public are key issues of this series.

The internet is an everyday part of our contemporary lives. This book explores how it is shaped and embedded within society, fostering new social worlds and ways of talking. Using a wide range of examples to examine economic, political and cultural issues, this book is crucial reading for all those studying society, media and technology.

"Digital age", "digital society", "digital civilization" many expressions are used to describe the major cultural transformation of our contemporary societies. Digital Dictionary presents the multiple facets of this phenomenon, which was born of computers and continues to permeate all human activity as it progresses at a rapid pace. In this multidisciplinary work, experts, academics and practitioners invite us to discover the digital world from various technological and societal perspectives. In this book, citizens, trainers, political leaders or association members, students and users will find a base of knowledge that will allow them to update their understanding and become stakeholders in current societal changes.

This foundational text examines the intersection of AI, psychology, and ethics, laying the groundwork for the importance of ethical considerations in the design and implementation of technologically supported education, decision support, and leadership training. AI already affects our lives profoundly, in ways both mundane and sensational, obvious and opaque. Much academic and industrial effort has considered the implications of this AI revolution from technical and economic perspectives, but the more personal, humanistic impact of these changes has often been relegated to anecdotal evidence in service to a broader frame of reference. Offering a unique perspective on the emerging social relationships between people and AI agents and systems, Hampton and DeFalco present cutting-edge research from leading academics, professionals, and policy standards advocates on the psychological impact of the AI revolution. Structured into three parts, the book explores the history of data science, technology in education, and combatting machine learning bias, as well as future directions for the emerging field, bringing the research into the active consideration of those in positions of authority. Exploring how AI can support expert, creative, and ethical decision making in both people and virtual human agents, this is essential reading for students, researchers, and professionals in AI, psychology, ethics, engineering education, and leadership, particularly military leadership.

Europe enlarged its boundaries in 2004 with the accession of ten new member states to the European Union. The creation of an effective information society is seen as critical to the global competitiveness of Europe. Based upon detailed data collection and rigorous analysis, the book presents a benchmarking study of the 10 new member states and 3 candidate countries of the European Union as compared to the 15 incumbent countries with respect to the development of their information societies. Using a framework based on the Europe 2005 benchmarking framework, the 28 EU members and candidate countries are ranked according to their level of information society development, and then classified into 4 categories. The results presented in this book are of importance to all managers and companies doing business in the IT sector in the European Union.

Learn how to switch off and find calm - from the New York Times bestselling author of A World Without Email 'Digital Minimalism is the Marie Kondo of technology' Evening Standard 'An eloquent, powerful and enjoyably practical guide to cutting back on screen time' The Times 'An urgent call to action for anyone serious about being in command of their own life' Ryan Holiday 'What a timely and useful book' Naomi Alderman, author of The Power Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through social media or the news while your anxiety rises? Are you feeling frazzled after a long day of endless video calls? In this timely book, professor Cal Newport shows us how to pair back digital distractions and live a more meaningful life with less technology. By following a 'digital declutter' process, you'll learn to: * Rethink your relationship with social media * Prioritize 'high bandwidth' conversations over low quality text chains * Rediscover the pleasures of the offline world Take back control from your devices and find calm amongst the chaos with Digital Minimalism.

Combining postmodernism with technoscience, this work considers the viability of public works such as the superconducting supercollider in a postmodern age. Contending that technoscientific projects are contingent upon economic and political support, and not simply upon their scientific feasibility, Sassower illuminates the cultural context of postmodernism vis-a-vis an examination of postmodernism and the philosophy of late 20th-century technoscience. Drawing upon conflicts between Popperians, postmodernists and feminists, Sassower claims that "translation" between competing discourses about technoscience is necessary to avoid cultural collisions and foster fruitful exchange between divergent discourses; also that a discussion of reality, both natural and social, is the common ground for this debate. He emphasizes also the material, political and economic conditions which underlie technoscientific projects, and stresses the indespensible role imagination and art play in teaching the responsible development of technology in the next century.

This book explores the impact of railroads on 19thcentury Russian peasant collectivism. The mutual-insurance mechanism in a precarious agricultural environment, provided bya structured communal-village system predicated on the reputation and authorityof community norms,is exposed to rationalist exchange-occasioning an institutional adaptation process:the individualization of property rights in land. Spatial-mobility technology animated market integration, specialization, literacy,and human-capital acquisition among peasant wage workers who commuted from their villages.Temporarily rising transaction costs forced the Tsar to concede household property rights in land in the so-called Stolypin reform of 1906.This challenge to the imperial patrimony, powered by the railroads, steered late imperial Russia toward constitutional governance.The spatial-mobility technology gave peasants access to centers of agglomeration of knowledge, changedcognitive perceptions of distance, and reduced the uncertainty and opportunity costs of travel. The empirical findings in this monograph corroborate the conclusion that the railroads occasioned a cultural revolution in late imperial Russia and made Stalin unnecessary for the modernization of the Euro-asian giant. This book highlights the profound effect that the development of the railroads had on Russian economic and political institutions and practices. It will be of indispensable valueto students and researchers interested in transitional economics and economic history.

'Shirley zips into her skin-tight school uniform, which on the outside looks something like a ski suit. The lining of the suit in fact contains cabling that makes the suit a communication system and there are pressure pads where the suit touches skin that give a sense of touch. Next, she sits astride something that is a bit like a motorbike, except that it has no wheels and is attached firmly to the floor. Her feet fit on to something similar to a brake and accelerator and her gloved hands hold onto handlebars. She shouts, "I'm off to school, Dad". Her father, who is taking time out from his teleworking, begins to remind her that the family are going teleshopping in the virtual city later in the day, but it is too late, his daughter has already donned her school helmet. She is no longer in the real world of her real home, she is in the virtual world of her virtual school.' Is this the shape of the future of education? This book presents a vision of what will happen to education and training as information technology develops. The argument is simple. To prepare people for life in an information society they need to be taught with the technology of an information society. But what shape will that take? Can the classroom as we know it - a communications system which has been in place for four thousand years - be replaced? The authors argue that through the development of telecommunications for telelearning a genuine revolution in education is in the making. The book describes how, through the convergence of a cluster of new technologies including virtual reality, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and the superhighways of telecommunications, a new educational paradigm will emerge in the form of a virtual class. Teachers, trainers and educators who worry about how best to prepare students for life in an ever-changing world will find much inspiration in this engagingly written and jargon-free book

This book identifies both the consistencies and disparities between Catholic Social Teaching and the United Nation's (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With Pope Francis' Laudato si' encyclical, Catholicism seems to be engaging more than ever with environmental and developmental concerns. However, there remains the question of how these theological statements will be put into practice. The ongoing involvement of the Catholic Church in social matters makes it a significant potential partner in issues around development. Therefore, with the use of the comparative method, this book brings together authors from multiple disciplines to assess how the political and legal aspects of each of the UN's 17 SDGs are addressed by Catholic Social Teaching. Chapters answer the question of how the Catholic Church evaluates the concept of sustainable development as defined by the Agenda 2030 Goals, as well as assessing how and if it can contribute to shaping the contemporary concept of global development. Examining the potential level of cooperation between the international community and the Catholic Church in the implementation of the Agenda 2030 Goals, this volume will be of keen interest to scholars of Catholic Studies, Religious Studies and the Sociology of Religion, as well as Environmental Studies and Development Studies.

For African enterprises, entrepreneurs and governments to take full advantage of new digital opportunities, they need a shared strategic understanding of where they are, what they have, and what they may need to have for the future. This book presents this shared strategic vision to guide future coordinated actions of African enterprises, entrepreneurs, consumers/citizens and governments in using new and emerging digital technologies. It showcases how consumers/citizens, entrepreneurs, organisations, institutions and governments are leveraging new and emerging digital innovations to disrupt and transform value creation and service delivery in Africa.

Today, Internet of Things (IoT) is ubiquitous as it is applied in practice in everything from Industrial Control Systems (ICS) to e-Health, e-commerce, Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), smart cities, smart parking, healthcare, supply chain management and many more. Numerous industries, academics, alliances and standardization organizations make an effort on IoT standardization, innovation and development. But there is still a need for a comprehensive framework with integrated standards under one IoT vision. Furthermore, the existing IoT systems are vulnerable to huge range of malicious attacks owing to the massive numbers of deployed IoT systems, inadequate data security standards and the resource-constrained nature. Existing security solutions are insufficient and therefore it is necessary to enable the IoT devices to dynamically counter the threats and save the system. Apart from illustrating the diversified IoT applications, this book also addresses the issue of data safekeeping along with the development of new security-enhancing schemes such as blockchain, as well as a range of other advances in IoT. The reader will discover that the IoT facilitates a multidisciplinary approach dedicated to create novel applications and develop integrated solutions to build a sustainable society. The innovative and fresh advances that demonstrate IoT and computational intelligence in practice are discussed in this book, which will be helpful and informative for scientists, research scholars, academicians, policymakers, industry professionals, government organizations and others. This book is intended for a broad target audience, including scholars of various generations and disciplines, recognized scholars (lecturers and professors) and young researchers (postgraduate and undergraduates) who study the legal and socio-economic consequences of the emergence and dissemination of digital technologies such as IoT. Furthermore, the book is intended for researchers, developers and operators working in the field of IoT and eager to comprehend the vulnerability of the IoT paradigm. The book will serve as a comprehensive guide for the advanced-level students in computer science who are interested in understanding the severity and implications of the accompanied security issues in IoT. Dr. Bharat Bhushan is an Assistant Professor of Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India. Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Kumar Sharma is currently a Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science, Institute of Information Technology & Management affiliated to GGSIPU, New Delhi, India. Prof. (Dr.) Bhuvan Unhelkar (BE, MDBA, MSc, PhD; FACS; PSM-I, CBAP (R)) is an accomplished IT professional and Professor of IT at the University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee (Lead Faculty). Dr. Muhammad Fazal Ijaz is working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Intelligent Mechatronics Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul, Korea. Prof. (Dr.) Lamia Karim is a professor of computer science at the National School of Applied Sciences Berrechid (ENSAB), Hassan 1st University.

Transcendental Medication considers why human brains evolved to have consciousness, yet we spend much of our time trying to reduce our awareness. It outlines how limiting consciousness-rather than expanding it-is more functional and satisfying for most people, most of the time. The suggestion is that our brains evolved mechanisms to deal with the stress of awareness in concert with awareness itself-otherwise it is too costly to handle. Defining dissociation as "partitioning of awareness," Lynn touches on disparate cultural and psychological practices such as religion, drug use, 12-step programs, and dancing. The chapters draw on biological and cultural studies of Pentecostal speaking in tongues and stress, the results of our 800,000+ years watching hearth and campfires, and unconscious uses of self-deception as mating strategy. Written in a highly engaging style, Transcendental Medication will appeal to students and scholars interested in mind, altered states of consciousness, and evolution. It is particularly suitable for those approaching the issue from cultural, biological, psychological, and cognitive anthropology, as well as evolutionary psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and religious studies.

Why are humans obsessed with divine minds? What do gods know and what do they care about? What happens to us and our relationships when gods are involved? Drawing from neuroscience, evolutionary, cultural, and applied anthropology, social psychology, religious studies, philosophy, technology, and cognitive and political sciences, The Minds of Gods probes these questions from a multitude of naturalistic perspectives. Each chapter offers brief intellectual histories of their topics, summarizes current cutting-edge questions in the field, and points to areas in need of attention from future researchers. Through an innovative theoretical framework that combines evolutionary and cognitive approaches to religion, this book brings together otherwise disparate literatures to focus on a topic that has comprised a lasting, central obsession of our species.

This book examines how technologies are changing, will change, or could change the relationship between audiences and news media. It highlights how novel technologies could have fundamental implications for the way that news media interact with wider society. The book comprises of four thematic parts. Firstly, it focuses on the impact of technological development on the news media business, exploring how news media uses new technologies to improve their sustainability. Secondly, it considers the ethical dilemmas that arise when audience-news media relationships are transformed by technological development. The third part of the book approaches the effects of novel technologies from the journalists' viewpoint: how do new technologies intervene in the audience-news media relationship through journalistic work? Finally, the fourth part dissects the ways new technologies can impact audience-news media relationships through transforming audience agency, audience preferences and news media's understanding of them.