Aleksandra Vučković | University of Belgrade (original) (raw)
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Papers by Aleksandra Vučković
AI & SOCIETY, 2024
One of the biggest contemporary challenges in education is the appropriate application of advance... more One of the biggest contemporary challenges in education is the appropriate application of advanced digital solutions. If properly implemented, AI could benefit students, opening the door for personalized study programs. However, we need to ensure that AI in classrooms is used responsibly and that it does not pose a threat to students in any way. More specifically, we need to preserve the moral and epistemic values we wish to pass on to future generations and ensure the inclusion of underprivileged students. Moreover, there is a huge problem of different accessibility to technology and representation in the educational material between the Global South and the Global North. This can cause both global epistemic and moral injustice. On the other hand, AI has the potential to increase global justice in education. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to use it in accordance with the values of equity, fairness, and inclusion that secure global justice for underprivileged groups.
Theoria, Beograd 2024 Volume 67, Issue 3, Pages: 193-204, 2024
The goal of this research is to analyze various arguments related to the (im)possibility of ascri... more The goal of this research is to analyze various arguments related to the (im)possibility of ascribing the status of moral agents to artificial intelligence. According to traditional ethical theories, any individual capable of distinguishing right from wrong is considered a moral agent. However, the accelerated development of artificial intelligence has opened up the question of whether the status of moral agents is reserved exclusively for the human species or whether we can apply some form of moral agency to modern technologies as well. The currently available answers to this question can be divided into three thematic units: arguments based on emotions, arguments based on autonomy, and arguments based on happiness maximization. After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each of the presented points of view, the arguments will be tested on the example of ChatGPT, currently the most widespread form of generative artificial intelligence.
Balkan Analytic Forum: Normativity & Normativity of Art, 2024
In his famous article "Epistemology Naturalized" (1969), Quine established a novel take on the po... more In his famous article "Epistemology Naturalized" (1969), Quine established a novel take on the position of epistemology in philosophical and scientific discourse. According to his views, epistemological questions are a subset of psychological questions, and psychology in itself is a branch of natural science. Thus, epistemology, as understood in the Quinean sense, threatens the very idea of its normative aspects, as natural science is empiristic and, as a result, relies on purely descriptive claims. Hence, the following question arises: Does the naturalized account of epistemology entail the rejection of epistemic norms? In this research, we explore the three possible answers to this question and argue there is a sense of normativity in Quine's naturalized epistemology, but only insofar as we are willing to accept his imperfect notion of the truth.
Theoria, Beograd, 2016
The aim of this paper is to investigate Quine?s dilemma whether, in case of underdetermination, b... more The aim of this paper is to investigate Quine?s dilemma whether, in case of underdetermination, both theories should be considered as true (ecumenical view), or just one of them (sectarian view). This dilemma holds significance because the acceptance of ecumenical view represents problem for Quine?s naturalism, while the acceptance of sectarian view contradicts his empiristic preferences. For a long time Quine had vacciliated between those views and it is not clear what his final conclusion was. I will review Gibson?s, Davidson?s, Genova?s and Severo?s solutions and I will argue that Davidson?s is the most successful, since it requires fewer changes in Quine?s system.
Social Epistemology, 2023
In this paper, we reconsider the notion of epistemic trespassing and attempt to explore possible ... more In this paper, we reconsider the notion of epistemic trespassing and attempt to explore possible scenarios in which it could lead to positive outcomes in scientific research and information dissemination. As we will point out, some of the significant discoveries in the history of science would not have been possible were it not for the epistemic trespassers, whose shift in paradigm changed the approach to specific issues for the better. Furthermore, we will present instances where individuals, often labeled as ‘trespassers’ – those who venture into fields outside their expertise – can be considered trustworthy and reliable sources of testimony. Consequently, epistemic trespassing turned out to be essential for the advancement of science. Epistemic trespassing in our age is virtually inevitable – whether it be from a political perspective (to preserve democratic values) or due to purely practical reasons (i.e. searching for information online). There are interdisciplinary fields where a strictly negative characterization of epistemic trespassing would question their methodology since these disciplines rely on experts from various fields. For these reasons, we advocate for a more charitable approach to epistemic trespassing and greater public education to help them distinguish between correct and false information.
Film and Politics, 2024
The role of mass media in the dissemination of political propaganda has been widely explored; how... more The role of mass media in the dissemination of political propaganda has been widely explored; however, this research focuses on more sublime political messages that are conveyed through films, particularly blockbusters that target relatively broad audiences. Since the beginning, Hollywood movies have served as a reflection of viewpoints that have been socially acceptable at a given moment. Nowadays, filmmakers and movie studios often use the method of mild self-deprecation as a way of legitimizing broader political messages. In other words, they criticize themselves to avoid much harsher criticism from the audience. We use the recent examples of Barbie and Oppenheimer to explore the current trend in strategies-such as limited self-awareness and pseudo-self-criticism-that are used to justify far more glaring issues with capitalism and (American) imperialism.
Social Epistemology, 2022
Though a common language of science allows for easier communication of the results among research... more Though a common language of science allows for easier communication of the results among researchers, the use of lingua franca also comes with the cost of losing some of the diverse ideas and results arising from the plurality of languages. Following Quine’s famous thesis about the indeterminacy of translation, we elaborate on the inherent loss of diverse ideas when only one language of science is used. Non-native speakers sometimes experience epistemic injustice due to their language proficiency and consequently, their scientific insights get marginalized. Thus, it is important epistemically to include the results of all researchers independent of their native language. As a solution, we promote epistemic equity and inclusion both on the individual level and on the level of the scientific community. Epistemic equity means that researchers who suffer disadvantages because of their language skills get support from the rest of the scientific community that will compensate for their disadvantage and at the same time facilitate their epistemic inclusion. This can be achieved through the introduction of mitigating agents – the individuals and organizations that ought to serve as a communication bridge between individual researchers and the scientific community.
The aim of this paper is to investigate Kant’s ethics regarding his views on non-human animals in... more The aim of this paper is to investigate Kant’s ethics regarding his views on non-human animals in order to distinguish whether and in which sense does Kant’s moral principle oblige us to treat animals with dignity. First, we shall provide a review of Kant’s basic moral views in order to consider whether it is justified for non-human animals to be excluded from moral laws. We shall claim that this exclusion is not justified and that it is a consequence of another, inherent problem that makes Kant’s ethics vulnerable to the argument from marginal cases. Christine Korsgaard’s solution to the problem of non-human animal moral status shall be considered and we shall attempt to show that it solves the original inherent problem as well. In conclusion, with a help from Donald VanDeVeer’s distinction, we shall provide a more precise addition to Korsgaard’s solution
and formulate a non-speciest criterion for those cases of conflicted interests between humans and those who are traditionally viewed as a means instead of ends-in themselves.
Cilj ovog rada je razmatranje Kvajnove dileme u pogledu toga da li u slučaju subdeterminacije tre... more Cilj ovog rada je razmatranje Kvajnove dileme u pogledu toga da li u slučaju subdeterminacije treba obe teorije smatrati istinitim (ekumenski odgovor) ili samo jednu od njih (sektaški odgovor). Ova dilema je značajna zbog toga što usvajanje ekumenskog odgovora predstavlja problem za Kvajnov naturalizam, dok usvajanje sektaške protivreči njegovim empirističkim shvatanjima. Videćemo da se Kvajn dugo kolebao između ovih odgovora, kao i to da nije najjasnije za koji se na kraju opredelio. Izložiću i rešenja koja su ponudili Gibson, Dejvidson, Đenova i Severo i nastojaću da pokažem da je Dejvidsonovo rešenje najuspešnije, zbog toga što zahteva najmanje izmene Kvajnovog sistema.
KLJUČNE REČI: subdeterminacija, ekumenski odgovor, sektaški odgovor, naturalizam, empirizam
AI & SOCIETY, 2024
One of the biggest contemporary challenges in education is the appropriate application of advance... more One of the biggest contemporary challenges in education is the appropriate application of advanced digital solutions. If properly implemented, AI could benefit students, opening the door for personalized study programs. However, we need to ensure that AI in classrooms is used responsibly and that it does not pose a threat to students in any way. More specifically, we need to preserve the moral and epistemic values we wish to pass on to future generations and ensure the inclusion of underprivileged students. Moreover, there is a huge problem of different accessibility to technology and representation in the educational material between the Global South and the Global North. This can cause both global epistemic and moral injustice. On the other hand, AI has the potential to increase global justice in education. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to use it in accordance with the values of equity, fairness, and inclusion that secure global justice for underprivileged groups.
Theoria, Beograd 2024 Volume 67, Issue 3, Pages: 193-204, 2024
The goal of this research is to analyze various arguments related to the (im)possibility of ascri... more The goal of this research is to analyze various arguments related to the (im)possibility of ascribing the status of moral agents to artificial intelligence. According to traditional ethical theories, any individual capable of distinguishing right from wrong is considered a moral agent. However, the accelerated development of artificial intelligence has opened up the question of whether the status of moral agents is reserved exclusively for the human species or whether we can apply some form of moral agency to modern technologies as well. The currently available answers to this question can be divided into three thematic units: arguments based on emotions, arguments based on autonomy, and arguments based on happiness maximization. After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each of the presented points of view, the arguments will be tested on the example of ChatGPT, currently the most widespread form of generative artificial intelligence.
Balkan Analytic Forum: Normativity & Normativity of Art, 2024
In his famous article "Epistemology Naturalized" (1969), Quine established a novel take on the po... more In his famous article "Epistemology Naturalized" (1969), Quine established a novel take on the position of epistemology in philosophical and scientific discourse. According to his views, epistemological questions are a subset of psychological questions, and psychology in itself is a branch of natural science. Thus, epistemology, as understood in the Quinean sense, threatens the very idea of its normative aspects, as natural science is empiristic and, as a result, relies on purely descriptive claims. Hence, the following question arises: Does the naturalized account of epistemology entail the rejection of epistemic norms? In this research, we explore the three possible answers to this question and argue there is a sense of normativity in Quine's naturalized epistemology, but only insofar as we are willing to accept his imperfect notion of the truth.
Theoria, Beograd, 2016
The aim of this paper is to investigate Quine?s dilemma whether, in case of underdetermination, b... more The aim of this paper is to investigate Quine?s dilemma whether, in case of underdetermination, both theories should be considered as true (ecumenical view), or just one of them (sectarian view). This dilemma holds significance because the acceptance of ecumenical view represents problem for Quine?s naturalism, while the acceptance of sectarian view contradicts his empiristic preferences. For a long time Quine had vacciliated between those views and it is not clear what his final conclusion was. I will review Gibson?s, Davidson?s, Genova?s and Severo?s solutions and I will argue that Davidson?s is the most successful, since it requires fewer changes in Quine?s system.
Social Epistemology, 2023
In this paper, we reconsider the notion of epistemic trespassing and attempt to explore possible ... more In this paper, we reconsider the notion of epistemic trespassing and attempt to explore possible scenarios in which it could lead to positive outcomes in scientific research and information dissemination. As we will point out, some of the significant discoveries in the history of science would not have been possible were it not for the epistemic trespassers, whose shift in paradigm changed the approach to specific issues for the better. Furthermore, we will present instances where individuals, often labeled as ‘trespassers’ – those who venture into fields outside their expertise – can be considered trustworthy and reliable sources of testimony. Consequently, epistemic trespassing turned out to be essential for the advancement of science. Epistemic trespassing in our age is virtually inevitable – whether it be from a political perspective (to preserve democratic values) or due to purely practical reasons (i.e. searching for information online). There are interdisciplinary fields where a strictly negative characterization of epistemic trespassing would question their methodology since these disciplines rely on experts from various fields. For these reasons, we advocate for a more charitable approach to epistemic trespassing and greater public education to help them distinguish between correct and false information.
Film and Politics, 2024
The role of mass media in the dissemination of political propaganda has been widely explored; how... more The role of mass media in the dissemination of political propaganda has been widely explored; however, this research focuses on more sublime political messages that are conveyed through films, particularly blockbusters that target relatively broad audiences. Since the beginning, Hollywood movies have served as a reflection of viewpoints that have been socially acceptable at a given moment. Nowadays, filmmakers and movie studios often use the method of mild self-deprecation as a way of legitimizing broader political messages. In other words, they criticize themselves to avoid much harsher criticism from the audience. We use the recent examples of Barbie and Oppenheimer to explore the current trend in strategies-such as limited self-awareness and pseudo-self-criticism-that are used to justify far more glaring issues with capitalism and (American) imperialism.
Social Epistemology, 2022
Though a common language of science allows for easier communication of the results among research... more Though a common language of science allows for easier communication of the results among researchers, the use of lingua franca also comes with the cost of losing some of the diverse ideas and results arising from the plurality of languages. Following Quine’s famous thesis about the indeterminacy of translation, we elaborate on the inherent loss of diverse ideas when only one language of science is used. Non-native speakers sometimes experience epistemic injustice due to their language proficiency and consequently, their scientific insights get marginalized. Thus, it is important epistemically to include the results of all researchers independent of their native language. As a solution, we promote epistemic equity and inclusion both on the individual level and on the level of the scientific community. Epistemic equity means that researchers who suffer disadvantages because of their language skills get support from the rest of the scientific community that will compensate for their disadvantage and at the same time facilitate their epistemic inclusion. This can be achieved through the introduction of mitigating agents – the individuals and organizations that ought to serve as a communication bridge between individual researchers and the scientific community.
The aim of this paper is to investigate Kant’s ethics regarding his views on non-human animals in... more The aim of this paper is to investigate Kant’s ethics regarding his views on non-human animals in order to distinguish whether and in which sense does Kant’s moral principle oblige us to treat animals with dignity. First, we shall provide a review of Kant’s basic moral views in order to consider whether it is justified for non-human animals to be excluded from moral laws. We shall claim that this exclusion is not justified and that it is a consequence of another, inherent problem that makes Kant’s ethics vulnerable to the argument from marginal cases. Christine Korsgaard’s solution to the problem of non-human animal moral status shall be considered and we shall attempt to show that it solves the original inherent problem as well. In conclusion, with a help from Donald VanDeVeer’s distinction, we shall provide a more precise addition to Korsgaard’s solution
and formulate a non-speciest criterion for those cases of conflicted interests between humans and those who are traditionally viewed as a means instead of ends-in themselves.
Cilj ovog rada je razmatranje Kvajnove dileme u pogledu toga da li u slučaju subdeterminacije tre... more Cilj ovog rada je razmatranje Kvajnove dileme u pogledu toga da li u slučaju subdeterminacije treba obe teorije smatrati istinitim (ekumenski odgovor) ili samo jednu od njih (sektaški odgovor). Ova dilema je značajna zbog toga što usvajanje ekumenskog odgovora predstavlja problem za Kvajnov naturalizam, dok usvajanje sektaške protivreči njegovim empirističkim shvatanjima. Videćemo da se Kvajn dugo kolebao između ovih odgovora, kao i to da nije najjasnije za koji se na kraju opredelio. Izložiću i rešenja koja su ponudili Gibson, Dejvidson, Đenova i Severo i nastojaću da pokažem da je Dejvidsonovo rešenje najuspešnije, zbog toga što zahteva najmanje izmene Kvajnovog sistema.
KLJUČNE REČI: subdeterminacija, ekumenski odgovor, sektaški odgovor, naturalizam, empirizam