The Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) has contributed to the success of the Czech pavilion at the World EXPO 2015 in Milan, the motto of which is: Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life. The motto was also reflected in the nine Days of Czech Science, held in early July under the partnership of the Joint Research Centre in Ispra. Several institutes of the CAS presented results of their most recent discoveries. The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, among others, displayed its research aimed at seeking new human medications for lifestyle diseases and showed, for instance, a human cell as a miniature “chemical plant” in which thousands of actions bring about the healthy functioning of an organism. The institute also prepared an exhibition entitled Czech Science fighting viruses, which also introduced one of the protagonists in this field, outstanding Czech scientist Antonín Holý.One of the Czech lecturers who addressed the audience both at the EXPO and in Ispra was Lenka Maletínská. She focused on the potential role of modified neuropeptides in the fight against obesity, which is also explained in the article by Lenka Maletínská and Jaroslav Kuneš in this edition. and Marina Hužvárová.
Causal overdetermination - i.e. instances in which x, y, and z all occur and intuitively the occurrence of x alone is sufficient for the occurrence of z and the occurrence of y alone is sufficient for the occurrence of z - has long been considered a problem for counterfactual analyses of causation. Intuitively, we want to say both x and y caused z, but standard Lewisian counterfactual analysis yields the result that neither x nor y caused z. David Lewis, himself, suggested that overdetermination ought to be left as ''spoils to the victor''. I show how, if we modify Lewis’ account of events slightly, we can bring counterfactual analysis in line with our intuitions about overdetermination., Kauzální overdetermination - tj. Případy ve kterých x, y, a z všichni nastanou a intuitivně výskyt x sám je dostačující pro výskyt z a výskyt y sám je dostačující pro výskyt z - dlouho byl zvažován problém pro \ t kontrafaktuální analýzy příčin. Intuitivně chceme říci, že jak x, tak y způsobily z, ale standardní Lewisianova kontrafaktuální analýza dává výsledek, že ani x ani y nezpůsobily z. David Lewis, sám, navrhl, že nadměrné určování by mělo být ponecháno jako ,,kořist pro vítěze''. Ukazuji, jak kdybychom pozměnili Lewisův účet o událostech, můžeme přinést kontrafaktuální analýzu v souladu s našimi intuicemi o předávkování., and Dana Goswick
My aim is to assess an argument against final causation being an irreducible metaphysical category. The argument in question is based upon the supposition that for anything to count as a cause, it must exist at the very moment of executing its causal action, which requirement can supposedly never be met by anything rightly pretending to be called a final cause. I argue that this argument is far from conclusive as there seem to be ways of blocking it - namely through adopting either a version of the eternalist ontology of temporal dimensions, or else a version of the possibilist ontology, each combined with either a version of the "Humean" approach to analysis of causal relations, or else with a version of the realist approach to causation., Jan Palkoska., and Obsahuje poznámky a bibliografii