Moral Responsibility and Cognitive Science: Agency, Empathy and Theory of Mind. Moral responsibility has two components: being responsible for one's actions (moral agency), and holding others responsible for their actions (moral ascription). The aim of this project is to develop empirically informed and philosophically sophisticated models of moral agency and moral ascription. We will do this by drawing on recent research on agency and moral cognition within cognitive science. An adequate model ....Moral Responsibility and Cognitive Science: Agency, Empathy and Theory of Mind. Moral responsibility has two components: being responsible for one's actions (moral agency), and holding others responsible for their actions (moral ascription). The aim of this project is to develop empirically informed and philosophically sophisticated models of moral agency and moral ascription. We will do this by drawing on recent research on agency and moral cognition within cognitive science. An adequate model of moral responsibility has significant intellectual value and may lead to new methods for treating anti-social behavior. Read moreRead less
Collective futures: The effects of beliefs about future states of society on the support for and enactment of social change. This research addresses a novel and potentially critical factor in support for social change, beliefs about society in the future, that helps build Australia's capacity to effectively address important social issues that depend on widespread support and action, such as climate change. The research provides a basis for a more informed public debate about these issues, and e ....Collective futures: The effects of beliefs about future states of society on the support for and enactment of social change. This research addresses a novel and potentially critical factor in support for social change, beliefs about society in the future, that helps build Australia's capacity to effectively address important social issues that depend on widespread support and action, such as climate change. The research provides a basis for a more informed public debate about these issues, and enhances the effectiveness of policy-makers and information campaigns. Scientifically, it enhances Australia's reputation as a leader in social change research. Read moreRead less
Concepts and Conceptual Change. Aim: To develop a new theory of conceptual change that explains how a concept can change considerably, while still remaining in a crucial sense the very same concept.
Significance: All areas of philosophy need to solve this problem so as to distinguish between real and merely verbal disputes. There is no adequate solution to this long standing problem.
Outcomes: A general solution to the problem, with applications to areas including ethics, philosophy of con ....Concepts and Conceptual Change. Aim: To develop a new theory of conceptual change that explains how a concept can change considerably, while still remaining in a crucial sense the very same concept.
Significance: All areas of philosophy need to solve this problem so as to distinguish between real and merely verbal disputes. There is no adequate solution to this long standing problem.
Outcomes: A general solution to the problem, with applications to areas including ethics, philosophy of consciousness, metaphysics and political theory.
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Transforming attitudes into action through identification under uncertainty. Basic and applied research are articulated with social practice and policy to develop new knowledge about the social psychology of societal innovation and social change. How, and under what conditions, can leaders and active minorities mobilise people to act in accordance with attitudes that accommodate changed circumstances? Our analysis integrates research on uncertainty, minority influence, and leadership, within the ....Transforming attitudes into action through identification under uncertainty. Basic and applied research are articulated with social practice and policy to develop new knowledge about the social psychology of societal innovation and social change. How, and under what conditions, can leaders and active minorities mobilise people to act in accordance with attitudes that accommodate changed circumstances? Our analysis integrates research on uncertainty, minority influence, and leadership, within the perspective of social identity theory and new attitude-behaviour relations research. This innovative integration significantly advances basic theory, and concretely addresses social change regarding cultural relations and immigration, sustainable natural resource management, healthy living, national economic activities, and business and organizational practices.
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Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354799
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Complex networked social systems. A recurring contemporary theme across many social science disciplines is the significant role of social networks in shaping the course of interpersonal interactions and their cascading social consequences. The aim of this Initiative is to build a multi- disciplinary Research Network spanning the social and mathematical sciences that can develop a new interdisciplinary science of networks and network-based social processes. The Network's aims will be twofold: f ....Complex networked social systems. A recurring contemporary theme across many social science disciplines is the significant role of social networks in shaping the course of interpersonal interactions and their cascading social consequences. The aim of this Initiative is to build a multi- disciplinary Research Network spanning the social and mathematical sciences that can develop a new interdisciplinary science of networks and network-based social processes. The Network's aims will be twofold: first, an interactive and accessible state-of-the-art research capacity in theory, methods and models for network processes; and, second, the capacity to apply new forms of network understanding to the design and evaluation of innovative intervention strategies for system-level community change.Read moreRead less
Indonesian Democracy: The Politics of Failed Reform and Regime Viability. Despite high hopes following the fall of Indonesia's authoritarian regime, political reform has been limited. The project examines the reasons for slow progress. Among the areas to be studied are constitutional and electoral reform, military reform, judicial reform, decentralisation, preservation of order and economic reform. It will argue that the weakness of the state in carrying out reforms is largely due to the penetra ....Indonesian Democracy: The Politics of Failed Reform and Regime Viability. Despite high hopes following the fall of Indonesia's authoritarian regime, political reform has been limited. The project examines the reasons for slow progress. Among the areas to be studied are constitutional and electoral reform, military reform, judicial reform, decentralisation, preservation of order and economic reform. It will argue that the weakness of the state in carrying out reforms is largely due to the penetration of the state itself by vested interests. Limited reforms have only been implemented when the viability of the regime itself has been at stake. This research is significant for Indonesian politics and political theory.Read moreRead less
Remaking Australian Politics: Electioneering from the 19th Century to the 21st. Critics have lamented the apparent decline of elections as meaningful opportunities for rational deliberation; journalists' election reports increasingly focus on campaign methods; politicians have expressed alarm at how little Australians know about Australia's democratic history. This project, the first long-term study of electioneering in Australia, will address each of these issues. It will provide a scholarly pe ....Remaking Australian Politics: Electioneering from the 19th Century to the 21st. Critics have lamented the apparent decline of elections as meaningful opportunities for rational deliberation; journalists' election reports increasingly focus on campaign methods; politicians have expressed alarm at how little Australians know about Australia's democratic history. This project, the first long-term study of electioneering in Australia, will address each of these issues. It will provide a scholarly perspective on sometimes overstated claims of contemporary decline. It will offer journalists and political professionals' insights into changing campaign practices. And it will produce an accessible account of the significance and history of elections for a new generation of Australians, thereby strengthening democratic life. Read moreRead less
A naturalistic approach to rights, norms and practices of freedom. We offer a naturalistic account of the dynamic relations between rights, norms and freedom. Case studies of the emergence of new rights for women and indigenous peoples will show how this approach generates new ways of understanding human rights, cultural norms and the interactions between them. Further outcomes will include a multidimensional approach to moral cosmopolitanism which provides a distinctive pluralistic alternativ ....A naturalistic approach to rights, norms and practices of freedom. We offer a naturalistic account of the dynamic relations between rights, norms and freedom. Case studies of the emergence of new rights for women and indigenous peoples will show how this approach generates new ways of understanding human rights, cultural norms and the interactions between them. Further outcomes will include a multidimensional approach to moral cosmopolitanism which provides a distinctive pluralistic alternative to current theories.Read moreRead less
The Genie in the Bottle:Science, Politics and Diplomacy in Australia's Engagement with Chemical and Biological Weapons, 1915-1995. The threat of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) is attracting increasing attention worldwide. Australia's engagement with the CBW began during the First World War. Since then, Australia has been influential in promoting CBW control regimes. However, this experience has raised many questions. This project explores Australia's historical and current response to ....The Genie in the Bottle:Science, Politics and Diplomacy in Australia's Engagement with Chemical and Biological Weapons, 1915-1995. The threat of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) is attracting increasing attention worldwide. Australia's engagement with the CBW began during the First World War. Since then, Australia has been influential in promoting CBW control regimes. However, this experience has raised many questions. This project explores Australia's historical and current response to the central issues of CBW. Using archival and contemporary sources, it analyses the interplay between science, politics and diplomacy. Combining history and political science, it assesses the implications of recent developments in CBW for Australia's role in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.Read moreRead less
Cooperation, competition or control? Public policy and the use of tied grants in Australian federalism. Tied grants account for $26 billion worth of Commonwealth expenditure and cover everything from child care to aged care, environmental programs to road building. They crucially affect the capacity of Australian governments to make policy and deliver services. A better understanding of how they work in practice will be a great benefit in improving our capability to meet pressing social, econo ....Cooperation, competition or control? Public policy and the use of tied grants in Australian federalism. Tied grants account for $26 billion worth of Commonwealth expenditure and cover everything from child care to aged care, environmental programs to road building. They crucially affect the capacity of Australian governments to make policy and deliver services. A better understanding of how they work in practice will be a great benefit in improving our capability to meet pressing social, economic, environmental and regional development challenges.Read moreRead less