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A great deal of work in philosophy today is concerned with some
aspect of the complex tangle of problems and puzzles roughly
labelled the mind-body problem. This book is an introduction to it.
It is a readable, lucid and accessible guide that provides readers
with authoritative exposition, and a solid and reliable framework
which can be built on as needed. The first chapter briefly
introduces the subject and moves on to discuss mechanism - the idea
that minds are machines - focusing on Searle's Chinese Room
argument. The next three chapters discuss dualism, physicalism, and
some hard problems for physicalism, especially those concerning
phenomenal consciousness. Chapters on behaviourism and
functionalism follow. The central mind-body topics are then each
given deeper consideration in separate chapters. Intentionality is
investigated via Fodor's doctrine of the Language of Thought,
taking account of connectionism. The main theories of consciousness
are examined and the author's own approach outlined. The concluding
chapter briefly resumes the theme of psychological explanation,
linking it to further topics. Each chapter ends with a summary of
the main points together with suggestions for further reading.
A great deal of work in philosophy today is concerned with some
aspect of the complex tangle of problems and puzzles roughly
labelled the mind-body problem. This book is an introduction to it.
It is a readable, lucid and accessible guide that provides readers
with authoritative exposition, and a solid and reliable framework
which can be built on as needed. The first chapter briefly
introduces the subject and moves on to discuss mechanism - the idea
that minds are machines - focusing on Searle's Chinese Room
argument. The next three chapters discuss dualism, physicalism, and
some hard problems for physicalism, especially those concerning
phenomenal consciousness. Chapters on behaviourism and
functionalism follow. The central mind-body topics are then each
given deeper consideration in separate chapters. Intentionality is
investigated via Fodor's doctrine of the Language of Thought,
taking account of connectionism. The main theories of consciousness
are examined and the author's own approach outlined. The concluding
chapter briefly resumes the theme of psychological explanation,
linking it to further topics. Each chapter ends with a summary of
the main points together with suggestions for further reading.
Our thoughts about the world are clearly influenced by such things
as point of view, temperament, past experience and culture.
However, some thinkers go much further and argue that everything
that exists depends on us, arguing that 'even reality is relative'.
Can we accept such a claim in the face of events such as floods and
other natural disasters or events seemingly beyond our control?
'Realists' argue that reality is independent of out thinking.
'Relativists' disagree, arguing that what there is depends on our
point of view. Which is right?
Robert Kirk provides a crystal clear account of this debate from
the Greek philosophers to Wittgenstein and Rorty. Along the way, he
unpacks some of the more complicated issues surrounding ideas of
objectivity, subjectivity, pragmatism and realism essential for
those beginning any study of philosphy.
Author Biography: Robert Kirk is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Nottingham.
This text is a fascinating, rare glimpse into a world where fairies
and elves, fauns and wraiths were considered to be as real as any
man or woman of the times. It also features an introduction by the
folklorist Andrew Lang.
This book is all about how companies are applying the key
principles in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
and shows this by use of extensive examples of UK company accounts.
The book provides coverage of the key points of each standard and
links that with actual practice. It is not a detailed guidance book
as such, or a transistion book from UK standards to IFRS, but a
quick reference for the busy accountant which shows how to apply
the key points of each standard by reference to how other companies
have done it.
Robert Kirk BSc (Econ) FCA CPA trained in Belfast with Price
Waterhouse & Co., and subsequently spent two years in industry
in a subsidiary of Shell (UK) and four further years in practice.
He is currently Professor of Financial Reporting in the School of
Accounting at the University of Ulster and has been lecturing on
the CIMA Mastercourses Accounting Standards and Accounting
Standards in Depth since 1985. He has authored four editions of
Accounting Standards in Depth; UK Accounting Standards: A Quick
Reference Guide; and International Reporting Standards in Depth
Volume 1 Theory and Practice and Volume 2 Solutions.
* Shows exactly what you need to know in order to fully understand
and apply IFRS
* Concepts, Standards and Regulations are explained in easy to
understand terms so that you become familiar with them in the
quickest amount of time
* Shows by example - features the published accounts of well known
British and European companies
The pace of development in financial reporting has accelerated
sharply during the last few years and shows no sign of abating as
the UK prepares to comply with International Accounting Standards.
This text gives accounting professionals an understanding of UK
accounting standards and demonstrate how they are used in practice.
It is the perfect companion for those who need to keep abreast of
changes to accounting standards or who need to see how the
standards are applied in practice.
Accounting Standards includes:
* Summaries outlining the principles behind UK accounting
standards
* Examples and extracts from well-known recent company accounts
* Keep up to date with changes to UK accounting standards
* Includes practical examples to illustrate how accounting
standards work in practice
Exam Board: SQA Level: Higher Subject: French Two books in one!
Combining a revision guide and a full set of practice test papers,
this fantastic resource is all you need to revise for the exam. The
revision guide * Covers all of the topics in the CfE Higher French
curriculum, broken down into manageable chunks for easy revision *
Clearly explains key concepts, research evidence and real-life
applications * Contains Quick Tests to let students check their
knowledge and understanding as they go along The practice test
papers * Are in the format and the style of the SQA exam, giving
students an opportunity to practice taking the Higher French exam
Marking instructions and sample answers are provided online, so
students can check their progress.
This book reflects IFRS as of the preparation of the text during
2004, and as far as possible up to the date of first publication in
July 2005.
Accounting Standards in Depth contains a:
* Brief summary of the relevant international accounting standards
* Selection of questions illustrating how international standards
are used in practice and provide useful revision practice for those
attempting accountancy exams
The book starts with an introduction to the standard setting
process, as well as looking at the development of IASB. It examines
the framework for the preparation and presentation of financial
statements which underpins the practice of financial accounting.
The intention of the book is that the reader will be tested on
basic numerical application, on an understanding of the underlying
theory, and on presentation of financial statements under the
international regulatory framework. The questions have been
carefully chosen to test the readers ability to write good
practical reports, perform calculations, and present both extracts
and full sets of financial statements.
* Tests the reader on numerical application, understanding of the
underlying theory and presentation of financial statements
* Includes questions selected from the major accounting bodies in
the UK - CIMA and ACCA
The traditional practice of psychiatry has been focused on reducing
or eliminating distressing, unwanted symptoms. But what if the key
to health and well-being is not to be symptom free, but rather to
function effectively in life even when symptoms are present? What
if symptoms serve an adaptive and motivational function, rather
than being signals of a latent illness? What if the key to personal
health is the ability to accept symptoms for what they are and to
do what matters in life at the same time? This is the underlying
proposition of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and this
book-a collaboration among six clinicians from diverse practice
backgrounds-is the first to systematically describe the principles
and practices of ACT as they apply to psychiatric assessment, case
analysis, and treatment. The guide begins with an in-depth analysis
of the ACT model, from its scientific origins in the study of the
functions of human language to a fully elaborated model for
clinical assessment and intervention and outlines the clinical
benefits of ACT in everyday practice. The second section of the
book shows the reader how to conduct a streamlined assessment of
the patient's life context, how to detect and intervene with the
patient's unworkable emotional and behavioral avoidance strategies,
and how to blend the use of medication treatment and behavioral
interventions in a way that augments the beneficial effects of both
approaches. Chapter-length examples in the third section discuss
how to deliver ACT in an ambulatory psychiatric setting, in a
hospital consultation-liaison service, and in an inpatient
psychiatric context. The section also includes a chapter examining
the all-important issue of teaching ACT to psychiatric residents as
well as affiliated health professionals working in medical or
psychiatric treatment team contexts. Learning Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy uses a diverse array of case examples and
clinical dialogues to offer readers a real-life view of the
methodology in practice. Each chapter also includes additional
reading resources to pursue should a particular theoretical or
applied clinical concept create a desire to learn more.
Additionally, readers have unlimited access to an online
instructional library that includes video demonstrations of core
ACT clinical strategies "in action" as well as a host of written
practice support tools and worksheets. This book is a must for
clinicians who want to expand their ability to improve clinical
outcomes for the wide range of patients seen in clinical practice.
Could robots be genuinely intelligent? Could they be conscious?
Could there be zombies? Prompted by these questions Robert Kirk
introduces the main problems of consciousness and sets out a new
approach to solving them. He starts by discussing behaviourism,
Turing's test of intelligence and Searle's famous Chinese Room
argument, and goes on to examine dualism - the idea that
consciousness requires something beyond the physical - together
with its opposite, physicalism. Probing the idea of zombies, he
concludes they are logically impossible. Having presented the
central problems, he sketches his solution: a version of
functionalism, according to which consciousness consists in the
performance of functions. While there is wide agreement among
philosophers about what the main problems of consciousness are,
there is little agreement on how to go about solving them. With
this powerful case for his version of functionalism, Kirk offers an
engaging introduction to both the problems and a possible solution.
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger
Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain
imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed
pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we
have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting,
preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger
Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and
hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone
These Subterraneans have Controverfies, Doubts, Difputes, Feuds,
and Siding of Parties... As to Vice and Sin, whatever their own
Laws be... they tranfgrefs and commit Acts of Injuftice...-from
Chapter 11As a study of 17th-century folklore, this mysterious and
remarkable text is fascinating. As a document of the popular
mindset of a time in which the odd or the outcast were still
condemned and punished as witches, it is wholly astonishing. Robert
Kirk's "A Study in Folk-Lore and Psychical Research" dates from
1691, and is perhaps a hallucinatory and delusional labor of love
by a minister obsessed with psychic phenomena. Here, Kirk's
treatise is accompanied by commentary written in 1893 by folklorist
Andrew Lang that both celebrates Kirk's passion and wonders at his
"savage metaphysics." By turns bizarre and enlightening, this
little book continues to bewitch today's readers.Scottish minister
ROBERT KIRK (c. 1640-1692) studied theology at St. Andrew's and
Edinburgh Universities but was fascinated by the occult. The fact
of his death is rumored to be "disputed."Scottish journalist and
author ANDREW LANG (1844-1912) produced a stunning variety and
number of volumes, including books of poetry, novels, children's
books, histories, and biographies, as well as criticism, essays,
scholarly works of anthropology, and translations of classical
literature.
Could robots be genuinely intelligent? Could they be conscious?
Could there be zombies? Prompted by these questions Robert Kirk
introduces the main problems of consciousness and sets out a new
approach to solving them. He starts by discussing behaviourism,
Turing's test of intelligence and Searle's famous Chinese Room
argument, and goes on to examine dualism - the idea that
consciousness requires something beyond the physical - together
with its opposite, physicalism. Probing the idea of zombies, he
concludes they are logically impossible. Having presented the
central problems, he sketches his solution: a version of
functionalism, according to which consciousness consists in the
performance of functions. While there is wide agreement among
philosophers about what the main problems of consciousness are,
there is little agreement on how to go about solving them. With
this powerful case for his version of functionalism, Kirk offers an
engaging introduction to both the problems and a possible solution.
How are truths about physical and mental states related?
Physicalism entails that non-physical truths are redescriptions of
a world specifiable in narrowly physical terms. In The Conceptual
Link from Physical to Mental Robert Kirk argues that physicalists
must therefore hold that the physical truth 'logico-conceptually'
entails the mental truth: it is impossible for broadly logical and
conceptual reasons that the former should have held without the
latter. 'Redescriptive physicalism' is a fresh approach to the
physical-to-mental connection that he bases on these ideas.
Contrary to what might have been expected, this connection does not
depend on analytic truths: there are holistic but non-analytic
conceptual links, explicable by means of functionalism-which, he
argues, physicalism entails. Redescriptive physicalism should not
be confused with 'a priori physicalism': although physicalists must
maintain that phenomenal truths are logico-conceptually entailed by
physical truths, they must deny that they are also entailed a
priori. Kripke-inspired 'a posteriori physicalism', on the other
hand, is too weak for physicalism, and the psycho-physical identity
thesis is not sufficient for it. Though non-reductive,
redescriptive physicalism is an excellent basis for dealing with
the problems that mental causation raises for other non-reductive
views. 'Cartesian intuitions' of zombies and transposed qualia may
seem to raise irresistible objections; Kirk shows that the
intuitions are false. As to the 'explanatory gap', there is
certainly an epistemic gap, but it has a physicalistically
acceptable explanation which deals effectively with the problem of
how the physical and functional facts fix particular phenomenal
facts.
One remarkable organizational form that has served Western
society well is the enterprise governed by an independent board of
trustees or directors. Unless actions are taken to improve the
conduct of publicly-held corporations, this form may become an
endangered species. There are many important understandings and
ideas that exist in the covenantal relationships between directors
including exploratory problem-solving techniques based on the
different starting points or anchors of each director. The
anchoring points regarding the unwritten elements of conduct and
effectiveness of a member of the board of directors are illustrated
through personal experience. An important issue is the chairman
and/or chief executive officer who does not take advantage of the
board of directors as the most important asset. This type of person
is a leader who does not understand the potential of the
partnership between the board of directors and the chief executive.
Performance and behavior of directors are guided by various laws,
statutes, regulations, values, attitudes, benefits, customs, myths
and norms which are the subject of most writings about board
directorships.
Considering all U.S. corporations, it is estimated that there
are 400,000 to 500,000 directors. The status quo organization is
not confined to the large, publicly held corporation. A parallel
economy, the family or closely held business universe, possibly
exceeds the publicly held universe in size. Anchoring points are
offered herein to directors and those wanting their first board
seat. These anchors concern the idea of service without dominance
in the boardroom, and the anchors are about obeying the
unenforceable in the area of corporate governance for the present
time.
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