YUblog: The Unofficial York University Blog

Metaphilosophy

2006-12-23T23:37:00.000-05:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Metaphilosophy or meta-philosophy is the study of the subject, matter, methods and aims of philosophy; see also meta-. It is the "philosophy of philosophy". Many people consider the recursive study of philosophy to be a part of any philosophical enterprise because it is intertwined with all branches of philosophy as is logic or epistemology. Philosophy is, however, commonly understood to encapsulate metaphilosophy, so the distinction is seldom made.

The primary question for metaphilosophy is, "What is philosophy?", and because different philosophers have offered different answers, it is the task of meta-philosophy to adjudicate. Prior to adjudication, however, the metaphilosopher must identify, clarify, and understand the alternative conceptions of the nature of philosophy, as well as his available reasoning tools and their limits.

Arrest Made In Two York U Attacks

2006-12-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

Police have a suspect in a pair of attacks on women in the York University area and now they're trying to get in touch with the victims.
Authorities won't say if the man arrested Wednesday shortly after two assaults on women on Sentinel Road near York U are connected to two sex attacks that occurred in the same area late last month, but he is considered one of several persons of interest in that investigation (see composite).

Detectives have a Good Samaritan to thank for the potential break in the case. Det. Sgt. Tom Lynch of the Sex Crimes Unit said the man saw the attack around 4pm, called 9-1-1 and saw both the suspect and the victim flee the scene.

"(The victim) fled to protect herself and in that flight, you know, we all react in different ways," Lynch said.

"I don't think it's unusual and I think now she knows he's in custody and someone has assisted her, she will come forward."

The man's quick action may have been spurred by the police canvasses in the area this week, where they handed out composites of the suspected sex predator and warned women to be extra cautious.

Earlier, investigators said they believed the man responsible for the sex attacks around the university lived in the area, but the man arrested Wednesday fled the scene in a car.

Lynch did not confirm this suspect is also the man police believe is responsible for the sex attacks last month.

"This accused is one of several persons of interest in the Finch Avenue and Sentinel Road area sexual assaults and investigations ... are being conducted as we speak," Lynch said.

"Until these investigations have been concluded, we are seeking a publication ban on the court proceedings and conversely we are not releasing the accused name or his photograph in order not to compromise this investigation."

The accused is currently facing one count of assault in relation to Wednesday's attack.

Police said another attack also occurred Wednesday, shortly before the assault witnessed by the Good Samaritan. Investigators also want to speak to the victim in that incident.

Despite the arrest, authorities are still warning women in the York University area to remain vigilant and be aware of their surroundings at all times.
"I would highly suggest that we remain vigilant at this point in time," Lynch said. "As I stated, this gentleman is one of many persons of interest."

Quoted from citynews.ca.

York Security Issues Sexual Assault Bulletin

2006-12-01T16:47:00.000-05:00

The Toronto Police Service is currently investigating an incident which occurred on Monday, Nov. 27, 2006 at approximately 9pm, south of York University’s Keele campus near the intersection of Sentinel Road and Murray Ross Parkway, York Security Services said yesterday.

At that time, a female reported being assaulted by an unknown male assailant.

[...]

The assailant indicated to the victim that he had a handgun in his possession.

Should you have any information with respect to this incident you are asked to contact Toronto Police Service directly at 416-808-7474.

York Security Services responds to all community calls for service and can be contacted directly at 416-736-5333

York University provides the following campus security services:

* 24/7/365 campus security patrols
* goSAFE Transportation Service
* Escort - foot patrols
* 24/7/365 monitored CCTV coverage
* Network of emergency “Blue Light” telephones

See the York Security Web site for more information or further updates: http://www.yorku.ca/security

For information regarding previous York sexual assault, please click here.

Quoted from EVERYTHING TRUE.

Neurophilosophy @ York University

2006-11-28T11:47:00.000-05:00

...an idea towards tomorrow's finals: 'Neurophilosophy = just another ([n]ew european [sic]) philosophy.

Research Frontiers Series

2006-10-30T04:49:00.000-05:00

A new monthly series on a variety of hot topics. All sessions will be held in Rm. 531, Scott Library (proceed to the fifth floor, turn left).

NOTE: Please email to confirm attendance.

Using Blogs for Research

Presenters: Mark Robertson & Kalina Grewal
When: Monday October 30, 2:00-3:30pm

Blogs are ubiquitous these days. There are food blogs, travel blogs, news blogs, tech blogs. But what use are they in the academic setting? And if they are of use, how do you get the most out of them? This session will discuss tools and strategies for identifying and using blog content effectively in your academic work.

Wikipedia & Scholarly Research

Presenter: Lisa Sloniowski
When: Tuesday November 28, 11:00-12:30pm

This session will explore advantages and disadvantages inherent in using the increasingly popular Wikipedia for research. We will discuss what Wikipedia is, how entries are created, and the debate surrounding accuracy, currency and scope of information found within it. Participants will also be exposed to other online reference tools offered by York Libraries which may assist them in their research.

Early British Parliamentary Papers

Presenter: Amanda Wakaruk
When: Wednesday January 31, 10:00-11:30am

Our library collections include British primary resources dating back to the early 1700s. This workshop will explore documentation that tracks the evolution of one of the most important and influential Imperial powers of recent history. You might be surprised by who we will meet along the way -- contributions by Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale, John Stuart Mill and insights into the influence and lives of Mark Twain, William Morris, Joseph Conrad, Oscar Wilde (and others!) can be found in the records of the British government.

Google Unleashed

Presenter: Adam Taves
When: Monday February 26, 1:00-2:30pm

Did you know that there are many specialized tools and advanced features built into Google that can make your searching more effective? This session will explore the advanced features of Google Search as well as some specialized tools such as Book Search and Google Maps. We will also discuss the merits and limitations of Google Scholar, in addition to looking at easy ways to link into York Libraries' online holdings from items found in Google Scholar.

Unique Music Collections for Future Research

Presenter: Rob van der Bliek
When: Thursday March 29, 2:30-4:00pm

University library music collections have for the most part been developed to provide curricular support, which often has meant a collection based primarily on standard repertoire classical music and to some extent jazz. With the advent of online subscriptions like Naxos and Classical Music Library, however, collections will be used more for their unique material, much of which will not be available online. This session will highlight selected unique areas of the sound recordings collection at York, discussing why they were developed and how they may be useful for future researchers.

Just thinking...

2006-10-30T02:06:00.000-05:00

It seems that, I think, there are far too many University professors nowadays who are unable to identify with original thinkers; indeed, it would appear that, even if it were possible for them to be smacked upside the head by it, most of them would still remain oblivious to original thought.

What do you think?

Film and Society SOSC2840 - My First Impression

2006-10-22T01:26:00.000-04:00

Now I reflect back to a moment, literally a moment, when I was thinking to myself, and thusly sub-vocalizing: "I wonder if this woman is even capable of appreciating the irony of my sitting here listening (on my dime) to her lecture about the importance of foundations (cf. indoctrination) classes -- where the critical thinking and essay writing skills required to succeed at York University are purportedly elucidated -- whilst simultaneously analyzing the paralinguistic features of her discourse, such as her tone, and her body language, which in my opinion admits to nothing more, or less, than her merely championing the discursive strategies of the dominant ideology.”

Comprehensibility vs. Grammaticality

2006-10-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

Junior “TRUE” Williams
Robert Fink
LING3220 - Psycholinguistics
4 September 2006

Comprehensibility vs. Grammaticality

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate and explain the difference between comprehensibility and grammaticality, which can be thought of as involving primarily the difference between words and syntax. Words convey meaning; they are the basic building blocks of language. Syntax, an element of grammar, describes the way in which words are combined to form constituents, such as phrases or clauses. Language acquisition involves more than simply memorizing the words of said language, “we use a code to translate between orders of words and combinations of thought. That code, or set of rules, is called the generative grammar.” The study of psycholinguistics differentiates between comprehensibility and grammaticality while explaining how language is both produced and understood. Although there is a positive correlation between grammaticality and comprehensibility insofar as meaning is construed from an utterance—a comprehensible utterance does not necessitate its being grammatical; a grammatical utterance does not necessitate its being comprehensible.

Differentiating between comprehensibility and grammaticality is the same as differentiating between the lexical meaning and the grammatical meaning of the words that comprise an utterance. Ungrammatical sentences can be understood when the lexical meaning—which refers to the meaning of the base (as the word run) in a paradigm (as runs, ran, running)—of words that constitute such utterances is known. Grammatical meaning is the part of meaning that varies from one inflectional form to another (as from run to ran to running).

Comprehensibility refers to the quality of comprehensible, viz., understandable, language or thought. This concept is important because it helps to explain how an utterance can be understandable but not grammatical. Most English speakers will understand the following sentence even though it is ungrammatical: ‘store now go me’. The previous sentence would likely be understood to mean: ‘I am going to the store now’.

Grammaticality refers to grammar, a system of rules that defines the structure of a language. Traditionally, grammars have been prescriptive, i.e., they prescribe rules for proper usage. The problem with prescriptive grammar is that it does not sufficiently explain how utterances can simultaneously be both grammatical and incomprehensible. Consider the following as an example of a sentence that is both grammatical and incomprehensible: ‘The fire suffered from hypothermia.’ Fire, by virtue of its being an inanimate object, cannot suffer from hypothermia; in fact, ‘fire’ cannot suffer at all.

The positive correlation between comprehensibility and grammaticality can be demonstrated with the following example: “I have will be ran to the store.” The grammatical meanings of the verb ‘to be’ and the intransitive verb ‘run’ in the previous sentence are ambiguous; however, grasping the lexical meanings of those verbs, in addition to that of the subject ‘I’ and the indirect object ‘store’, still allows for some degree of comprehensibility—viz., we know the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, and ‘how’. If the grammatical meanings, i.e. the conjugation and the tense of the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘run’, in the sentence were clear, we would know the ‘when’, in addition to the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, and ‘how’—thus we see the positive correlation between comprehensibility and grammaticality.

Differentiating between lexical meaning and grammatical meaning illustrates the difference between comprehensibility and grammaticality. Comprehensibility refers to the degree to which an utterance can be understood, while grammaticality refers to the degree to which the rules governing a language’s use are applied in producing its utterances. I have demonstrated the positive correlation between comprehensibility and grammaticality; further, I have demonstrated two exceptions to this correlation: a comprehensible utterance does not necessitate its being grammatical, and a grammatical utterance does not necessitate its being comprehensible.

WORKS CONSULTED

Altmann, Gerry T. M. the Ascent of Babel: An exploration of language, mind, and understanding. Toronto: Oxford UP, 1997.

Pinker, Steven. The Language Instinct. “How Language Works.” William Morrow, 1994.
p.83-125.

NATS 1740 6.0A - Astronomy - Week 5

2006-10-05T19:34:00.000-04:00

Recap: Matter at the Atomic Level

What was the meaning of atoms and valence numbers in the 19th century?
Which experiments showed that atoms are not indivisible?
Describe Bohr’s model of the atom.
Explain the difference between emission and absorption spectra.
Define the Uncertainty Principle.
How do you explain the atomic valence numbers ?
Describe the Feynman diagram for a two-electron interaction

2006 Canadian Doctoral Fellowships

2006-09-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

YLife Weekly York University Update

2006-09-28T19:34:00.000-04:00

EVERYTHING TRUE: Professor sues York U for $10M: Accused university of pro-Israel bias in flyer, says university tried to muzzle him

2006-09-27T06:50:00.000-04:00

It's not quite David and Goliath, but professor David Noble keeps slinging shots at his bosses at York University — and the latest one carries a $10 million price tag.

The outspoken history professor is seeking $10 million in damages from York for a press release he says discriminated against him and tried to muzzle comments he made about its fundraising foundation.

It is the latest tussle between York and the 61-year-old scholar, who also fights York's policy of cancelling classes on Jewish holidays by cancelling his own classes on Muslim holidays as well.

Quoted from thestar.com. Click here to view the full article.

York U students using iPod to view lectures on the go

2006-09-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

TORONTO, September 21, 2006 -- Students at York University can now study on the go with the aid of video lectures delivered via Apple’s iPod.

Click here to view the full press release.

About York University: An Official Statement

2006-09-25T00:23:00.000-04:00

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 190,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 11 faculties and 23 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.

NATS 1740 6.0A - Astronomy

2006-09-21T19:22:00.000-04:00

I'm not too sure about this one. Archeoastrology? More art than science? The lectures are pretty boring and redundant. There's not much talk about stars, at least not yet anyway. Several people approached me on break, complaining that they didn't get what the prof was saying. Maybe they didn't do their readings. To me it seemed that he was reading right out of the text ...that he wrote! lol. Anyways, if anyone else from class, besides you Kyle, should stumble by this site/post, please feel free to comment. P.E.A.C.E.

SOSC 2840 9.0A - Film and Society

2006-09-19T15:08:00.000-04:00

So far, so good. The class seems interesting thus far.

Yesterday, we watched Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), starring Claudette Colbert as "Lana Martin," and Henry Fonda as "Gilbert 'Gil' Martin." I found the movie to be rather trite, mostly boring, and thoroughly racist. The synopsis is as follows:

Young farmer Gilbert Martin and his bride Lana marry shortly before the revolutionary war starts. They settle in Upstate New York and settle their homestead when the war begins. For the next six years Gilbert fights in the war as he and Lana try to establish their homestead.

Quoted from imdb.com.

Anyone else out there have the displeasure of viewing this film, please leave your comment. If you liked the movie, please elucidate.

Looking for Bloggers: Would you like to blog for cash?

2006-09-19T01:57:00.000-04:00

I am looking for writers to contribute to this blog. If you would like to submit an article, email me at trueking7@gmail.com.

Please write a short bio about who you are and include a digital photo, if you have one.

Peace.