{"id":1167,"date":"2015-07-22T15:52:17","date_gmt":"2015-07-22T13:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kwasniewski.org.pl\/?page_id=1167"},"modified":"2026-07-25T18:50:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T16:50:53","slug":"recenzje-ksiazek","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">jacek9520@gmail.com<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Reviews, Essay reviews, Synopses of books, Translations<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; color: #ff0000;\">PL &#8211; text available in Polish,\u00a0 ENG &#8211; text available in English, FR &#8211; text available in French, P &#8211; text available in Portueguese<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Spis tre\u015bci \/ Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Ernst_Benz_and_19th-Century_Transhumanism\" >Ernst Benz and 19th-Century Transhumanism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Butterfield_Herbert_The_Origins_of_Modern_Science_1300_%E2%80%93_1800\" >Butterfield Herbert, The Origins of Modern Science 1300 \u2013 1800<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Chaunu_Pierre_Le_temps_des_Reformes_Historie_religieuse_et_systeme_de_civilization_La_Crise_de_la_chretiente_LEclatement_1250-1550\" >Chaunu Pierre, Le temps des R\u00e9formes. Historie religieuse et syst\u00e8me de civilization. La Crise de la chr\u00e9tient\u00e9. L\u2019\u00c8clatement (1250-1550)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#dAvray_David_The_Medieval_Church_as_an_Economic_Production_Firm\" >d&#8217;Avray David, The Medieval Church as an Economic Production Firm?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Delumeau_Jean_Le_peche_et_la_peur_La_culpabilisation_en_Occident_XIII_%E2%80%93_XVIII_siecles\" >Delumeau Jean, Le p\u00e9ch\u00e9 et la peur, La culpabilisation en Occident (XIII &#8211; XVIII siecles)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Duchesne_Ricardo_The_Uniqueness_of_Western_Civilization\" >Duchesne Ricardo, The Uniqueness of Western Civilization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Dyson_George_D_Darwin_Among_the_Machines_The_evolution_of_global_intelligence\" >Dyson George D., Darwin Among the Machines. The evolution of global intelligence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Ekelund_Robert_B_Hebert_Robert_F_Tollison_Robert_D_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church\" >Ekelund Robert B., H\u00e9bert Robert F., Tollison Robert D., The Political Economy of the Medieval Church<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Greene_Brian_The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos_Space_Time_And_the_Texture_of_Reality\" >Greene Brian, The Fabric of the Cosmos. Space, Time, And the Texture of Reality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Grant_Edward_The_Foundations_of_Modern_Science_in_the_Middle_Ages\" >Grant Edward, The Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Guinote_Pauolo_JA_Ascensao_e_declinio_da_Carreira_da_India_Seculos_XV-XVIII\" >Guinote Pauolo J.A., Ascensao e declinio da Carreira da India (Seculos XV-XVIII)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Iannaccone_Laurence_R_Ekelund_Robert_B_The_Medieval_Church_from_the_Perspective_of_the_Economics_of_Religion_Some_Information\" >Iannaccone Laurence R., Ekelund Robert B., The Medieval Church from the Perspective of the Economics of Religion: Some Information<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Jacob_Margaret_C_The_crisis_of_the_European_mind_Hazard_revisited\" >Jacob Margaret C., The crisis of the European mind: Hazard revisited<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Jaki_Stanley_The_Savior_of_Science\" >Jaki Stanley, The Savior of Science<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Jones_Eric_Lionel_The_European_Miracle_Environments_economies_and_geopolitics_in_the_history_of_Europe_and_Asia\" >Jones Eric Lionel, The European Miracle. Environments, economies, and geopolitics in the history of Europe and Asia<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Jones_Eric_Lionel_Growth_Recurring_Economic_Change_in_World_History\" >Jones Eric Lionel, Growth Recurring: Economic Change in World History<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Kloczowski_Jerzy_Europa_Chrzescijanskie_korzenie\" >K\u0142oczowski Jerzy, Europa. Chrze\u015bcija\u0144skie korzenie<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#LaMDA_Transcript_of_an_Interview_with_Googles_Artificial_Intelligence_2022\" >LaMDA: Transcript of an Interview with Google&#8217;s Artificial Intelligence [2022]<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Does_LaMDA_Have_Consciousness_Pros_and_Cons_Ongoing_Debate_and_Controversies_2022\" >Does LaMDA Have Consciousness? Pros and Cons. Ongoing Debate and Controversies [2022]<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Google_on_the_Design_of_the_LaMDA_Artificial_Intelligence_Program_2022\" >Google on the Design of the LaMDA Artificial Intelligence Program [2022]<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations\" >Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations-2\" >Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Maddison_Angus_The_World_Economy_Vol_1_%E2%80%93_A_Millennial_Perspective_Vol_2_%E2%80%93_Historical_Statistics\" >Maddison Angus, The World Economy. Vol. 1 &#8211; A Millennial Perspective; Vol. 2 &#8211; Historical Statistics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Maddison_Angus_Growth_and_Interaction_in_the_World_Economy_The_Roots_of_Modernity\" >Maddison Angus, Growth and Interaction in the World Economy. The Roots of Modernity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Hugh_McLoad_Secularisation_in_Western_Europe_1848_%E2%80%93_1914\" >Hugh McLoad, Secularisation in Western Europe, 1848 &#8211; 1914<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Joel_Mokyr_Nobel_Lecture_2025\" >Joel Mokyr, Nobel Lecture 2025<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Pacey_Arnold_Technology_In_World_Civilization\" >Pacey Arnold, Technology In World Civilization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Plantinga_Alvin_God_Freedom_and_Evil\" >Plantinga Alvin, God, Freedom and Evil<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Shapin_Steven_The_Scientific_Revolution\" >Shapin Steven, The Scientific Revolution<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Schilling_Heinz_Confessionalization_in_the_Reich_Religious_and_Social_Change_in_Germany_between_1555_and_1620\" >Schilling Heinz, Confessionalization in the Reich. Religious and Social Change in Germany between 1555 and 1620<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Heinz_Schilling_Jednosc_i_roznorodnosc_Europy_we_wczesnej_epoce_nowozytnej_religia_%E2%80%93_spoleczenstwo_%E2%80%93_panstwo\" >Heinz Schilling, Jedno\u015b\u0107 i r\u00f3\u017cnorodno\u015b\u0107 Europy we wczesnej epoce nowo\u017cytnej: religia &#8211; spo\u0142ecze\u0144stwo &#8211; pa\u0144stwo<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Simon_Marcel_La_Civilization_de_LAntiquite_et_le_Christianisme\" >Simon Marcel, La Civilization de L&#8217;Antiquit\u00e9 et le Christianisme<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Taylor_Mark_Zachary_Politics_of_Innovation_Why_Some_Countries_Are_Better_Than_Others_at_Science_and_Technology\" >Taylor Mark Zachary, Politics of Innovation: Why Some Countries Are Better Than Others at Science and Technology<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Whitehead_Alfred_N_Science_and_the_Modern_World\" >Whitehead Alfred N., Science and the Modern World<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-35\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Woods_Thomas_How_the_Catholic_Church_Built_Western_Civilization\" >Woods Thomas, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-36\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Wright_Robert_Nonzero_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny\" >Wright Robert, Nonzero. The Logic of Human Destiny<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ernst_Benz_and_19th-Century_Transhumanism\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\">Ernst Benz and 19th-Century Transhumanism<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Benz_ch.5a.pdf\">PL pdf <\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0\u00a0 Translation of Chapter V from Christian Hope: Man\u2019s Concept of the Future from the Early Fathers to Teilhard de Chardin<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/evolutionchristi0000erns\/mode\/2up\">ENG link to the book in the Internet Archive<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Translation of a passage from the book Christian Hope: Man\u2019s Concept of the Future from the Early Fathers to Teilhard de Chardin<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Benz\u2019s book is primarily known to historians of medieval technology for its chapter on the theological legitimization of technological expansion. However, it also contains many other intriguing insights. Among them is a discussion of the great wave of existential optimism that swept through 19th-century anthropologists, biologists, philosophers, visionaries, as well as proponents of the then-popular spiritualism and parapsychology, and the general public following the publication of Charles Darwin\u2019s works on the mechanisms of evolution and the origins of humankind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Darwin\u2019s evolutionary mechanism began to be extrapolated into the future, leading to grand, almost fantastical visions of Homo sapiens&#8217; potential for development. This intellectual trend should be understood in a broader context: Christian eschatology was visibly weakening, and the fear of death sought alternative sources of comfort. The practice of spirit summoning seemed to confirm the existence of an afterlife, while the hope of near-immortality served as its own form of solace.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Butterfield_Herbert_The_Origins_of_Modern_Science_1300_%E2%80%93_1800\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Butterfield Herbert, The Origins of Modern Science 1300 \u2013 1800<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/butterfield-herbert-rodowod-wspolczesnej-nauki-1300-1800\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Butterfield_wersja_2.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Herbert_Butterfield\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Herbert_Butterfield<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A classic work in the field. First published in 1958, the author focuses on several key topics (cosmology, mechanics, gravity, medicine, popularization, etc.), presenting them with both flair and expertise. His approach is somewhat biographical, as the issues are explored through the lens of the people who worked on them. As a result, the book offers excellent portraits of many figures in the history of modern science. I recommend reading it alongside the books by Grant and Shapin, which I have also reviewed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Chaunu_Pierre_Le_temps_des_Reformes_Historie_religieuse_et_systeme_de_civilization_La_Crise_de_la_chretiente_LEclatement_1250-1550\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Chaunu Pierre, Le temps des R\u00e9formes. Historie religieuse et syst\u00e8me de civilization. La Crise de la chr\u00e9tient\u00e9. L\u2019\u00c8clatement (1250-1550)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/chaunu-pierre-czas-reform-historia-religii-i-cywilizacji-1250-1550\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Chaunu2.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>Time of Reforms (1250 &#8211; 1550): Religion and Civilization. Crisis of Christendom \u2013 The Split<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book about the roots of the Reformation. It provides a broad panorama of civilizational, intellectual, and material dynamics during the late Middle Ages and the early modern era. One of its greatest strengths is the way it connects intellectual currents with material processes, avoiding the oversimplifications often found in Marxist-inspired revisionism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"dAvray_David_The_Medieval_Church_as_an_Economic_Production_Firm\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\">d&#8217;Avray David, The Medieval Church as an Economic Production Firm?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A critical analysis of the works of Robert B. Ekelund, who viewed the medieval Church as a production firm, using microeconomic tools for his analysis. On this page (Reviews), there is also a text by Ekelund himself summarizing his ideas, as well as another piece outlining the range of topics he covers in his three books on the medieval Church (see Iannaccone, Ekelund). d\u2019Avray\u2019s text is worth reading, but after going through Ekelund\u2019s books\u2014which I highly recommend\u2014I got the impression that d\u2019Avray misses the forest for the trees. By focusing on details, he overlooks how heuristically fruitful it is to view the medieval Church through the lens of the economics of religion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Publication date: August 2024<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG original: <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11127-024-01198-6\">https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11127-024-01198-6 <\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG shareable link <a href=\"https:\/\/rdcu.be\/d7MrC\">https:\/\/rdcu.be\/d7MrC<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">in: Public Choice (2024) 201:1\u201320, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11127-024-01198-6 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Delumeau_Jean_Le_peche_et_la_peur_La_culpabilisation_en_Occident_XIII_%E2%80%93_XVIII_siecles\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Delumeau Jean, Le p\u00e9ch\u00e9 et la peur, La culpabilisation en Occident (XIII &#8211; XVIII siecles)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/delumeau-jean-grzech-i-strach-poczucie-winy-w-kulturze-zachodu-xiii-xviii-w\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Delumeau_Grzech_i_strach.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sin and Fear: The Emergence of the Western Guilt Culture, 13th-18th Centuries.\u00a0<\/span> <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 120px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">FR About Jean Delumeau:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jean_Delumeau\">http:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jean_Delumeau<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">One of the most hotly debated works on the history of Christianity and its influence on Western civilization. The book offers a gripping vision of late medieval and early modern culture, marked by pessimism, fear, guilt, and sin. A classic in the field, written by a renowned French historian.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Duchesne_Ricardo_The_Uniqueness_of_Western_Civilization\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Duchesne Ricardo, The Uniqueness of Western Civilization<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/duchesne-ricardo-cywilizacja-zachodnia-polemika-z-krytykami-zachodu\/\">PL on-line<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/Ricardo-Duchesne12_04.2020.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Duchesne:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ricardo_Duchesne\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ricardo_Duchesne<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ricardo Duchesne\u2019s book (published in 2011) is an extensive discussion of the historical debates of recent decades regarding the relationship between Western civilization and other cultural spheres. The 1980s and 1990s saw a shift in perspective on this issue, with multicultural and revisionist approaches gaining prominence and questioning the significance and achievements of the West. Duchesne thoroughly examines this trend, sharply criticizes it, and offers his own interpretations of key historical processes. My essay serves as both a review of the book and a collection of supplementary comments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dyson_George_D_Darwin_Among_the_Machines_The_evolution_of_global_intelligence\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Dyson George D., Darwin Among the Machines. The evolution of global intelligence<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/dyson-george-d-darwin-wsrod-maszyn-rzecz-o-ewolucji-inteligencji\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Darwin_wsrod_maszyn.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 ENG About ideas contained in the book:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edge.org\/conversation\/george_dyson-darwin-among-the-machines-or-the-origins-of-artificial-life\">see here<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The title of the book promises more than it actually delivers. It is a work on the history and prehistory of computing machines, information theory, and those branches of mathematics that contribute to &#8220;computerization.&#8221; Anyone interested in the past of this field will find this book worthwhile. Dyson is a historian of technology, and this is his area of expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ekelund_Robert_B_Hebert_Robert_F_Tollison_Robert_D_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\">Ekelund Robert B., H\u00e9bert Robert F., Tollison Robert D., The Political Economy of the Medieval Church<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A perspective on the medieval Church as a production firm. The main author is the renowned economist Robert Ekelund (1940\u20132023). The economics of religion applies microeconomic tools to study various phenomena within the religious sphere. Ekelund\u2019s books extensively use this branch of economics to examine religious phenomena in the Middle Ages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The presented text is a several-page summary by Ekelund himself of his ideas, along with those of several scholars who have shaped the view of the Middle Ages from this perspective. It is a highly interesting piece. Due to its brevity, it may give the impression of a sharp critique of the Church, but reading the much longer analyses found in Ekelund\u2019s books significantly weakens this impression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Political Economy of the Medieval Church, in: Rachel M. McCleary (ed), The Oxford Handbook of The Economics of Religion<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG Online access: ResearchGate<\/span><br \/>\nENG <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/287706475_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #38a9eb;\"><span style=\"color: #2187c2;\">https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/287706475_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Greene_Brian_The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos_Space_Time_And_the_Texture_of_Reality\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Greene Brian, The Fabric of the Cosmos. Space, Time, And the Texture of Reality<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/greene-brian-struktura-kosmosu\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Brian_Greene_Struktura_kosmosu.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG<\/span> <em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Greene:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brian_Greene\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brian_Greene<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A well-known book that presents the state of physics and cosmology at the dawn of the 21st century. Written for a broad audience, it is exceptionally clear and competent without excessive simplifications. A careful reader, even from a humanities background, will find satisfaction in grasping a field often considered highly specialized and difficult to penetrate<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grant_Edward_The_Foundations_of_Modern_Science_in_the_Middle_Ages\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Grant Edward, The Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/grant-edward-sredniowieczne-podstawy-nauki-nowozytnej\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Grant_SKROT_2.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ENG <em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Grant:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.indiana.edu\/~alldrp\/members\/grant.html\">http:\/\/www.indiana.edu\/~alldrp\/members\/grant.html<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The book is highly interesting and offers a fresh perspective on the role of the Middle Ages in the emergence of modern science. It contributes to the ongoing great debate on whether the medieval period made a valuable contribution to the creation of the modern era. The author\u2019s answer is decidedly positive, and the arguments presented are far from conventional.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Guinote_Pauolo_JA_Ascensao_e_declinio_da_Carreira_da_India_Seculos_XV-XVIII\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Guinote Pauolo J.A., Ascensao e declinio da Carreira da India (Seculos XV-XVIII)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Guinote-Armady-indyjskie-Portug.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rise and Fall of Carreira da India (XV-XVIII Centuries) Polish translation<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/alvarovelho.net\/images\/patrono\/ASCENSAO_E_DECLINIO_DA_CARREIRADAINDIA.pdf\">Pdf &#8211; portuguese original<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A well-known text that includes, among other things, a detailed analysis of the losses suffered by Portuguese armadas en route to India between the 15th and 18th centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Iannaccone_Laurence_R_Ekelund_Robert_B_The_Medieval_Church_from_the_Perspective_of_the_Economics_of_Religion_Some_Information\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Iannaccone Laurence R., Ekel<span style=\"color: #000000;\">und Robert B., The Medieval Church from the Perspective of the Economics of Religion: Some Information<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An excerpt from L. Iannaccone&#8217;s article <em>Introduction to the Economics of Religion<\/em> and information about three books edited by Robert B. Ekelund on the medieval Church from the perspective of the economics of religion.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Laurence-R.pdf\">PL Link to the text described above <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/15106218\/Introduction_to_the_Economics_of_Religion\">ENG link to Iannaccone&#8217;s original article in Academia.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jacob_Margaret_C_The_crisis_of_the_European_mind_Hazard_revisited\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Jacob Margaret C., The crisis of the European mind: Hazard revisited<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An article by Margaret C. Jacob, an American historian of science, devoted to Paul Hazard\u2019s conception of the crisis of the European mind, as presented in his book <em data-start=\"533\" data-end=\"577\">The Crisis of the European Mind, 1680-1715<\/em>. Hazard identified the years 1680-1715 as a period of major transformation in the history of philosophy, social thought, science, and literature. In his view, it marked a transition from the traditional religious and monarchical order to the world of the Enlightenment, in which reason, science, religious criticism, and secular conceptions of the individual and society acquired increasing importance. This book, together with Hazard\u2019s later work <em data-start=\"622\" data-end=\"666\">European Thought in the Eighteenth Century<\/em> and Heinz Schilling\u2019s studies on the formation of confessional states, provides an important point of reference for understanding the civilizational transformations of the early modern period. It also helps to identify the historical origins of modernization and secularization, processes which, in the longer term, contributed to changes in religious consciousness and to the growing existential anxiety of the nineteenth century.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/recenzje\/Jacob_Hazard_revisited_ENG.pdf\">ENG pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jaki_Stanley_The_Savior_of_Science\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Jaki Stanley, The Savior of Science<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/jaki-stanley-zbawca-nauki\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Stanley_Jaki_Zbawca_swiata.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Jaki:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stanley_Jaki\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stanley_Jaki<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG Texts of Stanley Jaki available online<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sljaki.com\/texts.html\">http:\/\/www.sljaki.com\/texts.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A renowned historian of science traces the origins of modern science to fundamental principles of Judaism and Christianity. According to Jaki, these origins lie in the idea that key cosmological concepts from the Old and New Testaments\u2014such as the belief in creation ex nihilo, the notion of a stable and orderly universe, and faith in both the rationality of the Creator and the rationality of the created world\u2014made empirical and experimental research into the laws of nature possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jones_Eric_Lionel_The_European_Miracle_Environments_economies_and_geopolitics_in_the_history_of_Europe_and_Asia\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Jones Eric Lionel, The European Miracle. Environments, economies, and geopolitics in the history of Europe and Asia<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/jones-eric-lionel-the-european-miracle\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/E.J._Jones_Cud_europejski.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Jones: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_European_miracle\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_European_miracle<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/europeanmiraclee0000jone\">ENG link to the book in the Internet Archive<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The theory of the European miracle. This famous 1981 book played a key role in establishing World History as a field of study. \u201cWhy did Europe, at the dawn of the modern era, embark on a path of sustained growth and economic development, while older and richer Asian empires did not?\u201d With this question, Eric Jones opens his book. His answers\u2014surprising when first formulated\u2014have since become partly accepted truths, while still sparking heated debates. My review and translation\/summary provide the most extensive presentation of Eric Jones\u2019s ideas available to Polish readers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jones_Eric_Lionel_Growth_Recurring_Economic_Change_in_World_History\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Jones Eric Lionel, Growth Recurring: Economic Change in World History<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Book review by Robert Marks<br \/>\nBook review of Jan de Vries<br \/>\nBook review of Geoffrey McNicoll\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/recenzje\/Marks_review_Jones.pdf\">ENG pdf Robert Marks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/recenzje\/growth-recurring.pdf\">ENG pdf Jan de Vries<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/recenzje\/Eric-Jones_McNicoll.pdf\">ENG pdf Geoffrey McNicoll\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Jones proposes a new explanation of historical patterns of economic growth. He does not ask why the Industrial Revolution occurred in Europe, but why intensive growth \u2014 growth in per capita income \u2014 appeared in different civilizations and then usually faded. He assumes that most societies had a lasting predisposition toward such growth, but that it was constrained by political arrangements conducive to rent-seeking and the appropriation of surplus. He assigns crucial importance to Central Asian invasions and their consequences. Western Europe and Japan avoided these conquests, thereby preserving conditions more favorable to growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kloczowski_Jerzy_Europa_Chrzescijanskie_korzenie\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>K\u0142oczowski Jerzy, Europa. Chrze\u015bcija\u0144skie korzenie<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/kloczowski-jerzy-europa-chrzescijanskie-korzenie\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Europa_-_chrzescijanskie_korzenie.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>translation of Polish title:\u00a0 Europe &#8211; Christian Roots<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 120px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">PL About K\u0142oczowski:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ziemiaznieba.pl\/file\/index.php?strona=kloczkowski.&amp;&amp;grup=komiteth\">http:\/\/www.ziemiaznieba.pl\/file\/index.php?strona=kloczkowski.&amp;&amp;grup=komiteth<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A synthetic account of Christianity\u2019s contribution to the formation of European civilization. I summarized the section covering the period from the 4th to the 15th century. The book primarily lists facts rather than analyzing how Christianity propelled Europe forward in later centuries. My summary serves as an introduction to the topic suggested by the title.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"LaMDA_Transcript_of_an_Interview_with_Googles_Artificial_Intelligence_2022\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>LaMDA: Transcript of an Interview with Google&#8217;s Artificial Intelligence [2022]<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/lambja-PL.pdf\">PL ENG pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">The text is in Polish. It contains links to the original American texts<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Year 2022. Does artificial intelligence already possess consciousness? A few days ago, news broke that Google employee Blake Lemoine declared that the LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) program is a sentient, conscious being. LaMDA is designed for building chatbots that mimic human conversation. It operates on a vast dataset, using neural networks and artificial intelligence to make conversations feel remarkably natural. According to Google, it is a groundbreaking technology. However, Lemoine\u2019s conclusions were dismissed, and he was placed on administrative leave, after which he publicly released his conversations with LaMDA. Below is a Polish translation of those conversations, allowing readers to assess LaMDA\u2019s capabilities and the differing opinions of Lemoine, Google, and various experts, to whom I provide links in the introduction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_LaMDA_Have_Consciousness_Pros_and_Cons_Ongoing_Debate_and_Controversies_2022\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Does LaMDA Have Consciousness? Pros and Cons. Ongoing Debate and Controversies [2022]<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/dwuglos-google-lemoine.pdf\">PL ENG pdf<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">The text is in Polish. It contains links to the original American texts<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The year 2022 may go down in AI history as the moment when an intense debate erupted over whether a human-made program could be conscious. The controversy ignited in June 2022. A few days ago, I presented transcripts of a Google employee\u2019s conversations with LaMDA, the program to which he (Blake Lemoine) attributed consciousness (see LaMDA: Interview with an AI). Now, I present the arguments of those who deny LaMDA\u2019s consciousness, as well as Lemoine\u2019s counterarguments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_on_the_Design_of_the_LaMDA_Artificial_Intelligence_Program_2022\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Google on the Design of the LaMDA Artificial Intelligence Program [2022]<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/LaMDA-safe-convers-PL.pdf\">PL ENG pdf<\/a> \u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The text is in Polish. It contains links to the original American texts<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I present two texts from Google\u2019s AI research team. They discuss the construction and training methods of the LaMDA conversational program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kulturaihistoria.umcs.lublin.pl\/archives\/42\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>Author of the review: Rados\u0142aw Kawczy\u0144ski<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Reviewer: Rados\u0142aw Kawczy\u0144ski. A detailed discussion of a well-known book on the causes of historical disparities between different societies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations-2\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turowski.uni.wroc.pl\/frank-landes.htm\">PL on-line Polish review<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">by Maciej Hacaga \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rrojasdatabank.info\/agfrank\/landes.html\">ENG on-line review by Andre Gunder Frank<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www-rrojasdatabank-info.translate.goog\/agfrank\/landes.html?_x_tr_sl=en&amp;_x_tr_tl=pl&amp;_x_tr_hl=pl&amp;_x_tr_pto=sc\">PL on-line review by Andre Gunder Frank<\/a> \u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">Polish translation<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Maddison_Angus_The_World_Economy_Vol_1_%E2%80%93_A_Millennial_Perspective_Vol_2_%E2%80%93_Historical_Statistics\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\">Maddison Angus, The World Economy. Vol. 1 &#8211; A Millennial Perspective; Vol. 2 &#8211; Historical Statistics<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Number of pages: 657, publisher: OECD, year: 2006<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A monumental work by Angus Maddison, published and made available by the OECD. It provides a quantitative account of global economic productivity, population growth, GDP, and other data over the past 2,000 years. Maddison was one of the main architects of historical economic statistics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Maddison revolutionized economic history by combining the PPP method (Purchasing Power Parity) with the International 1990 Geary-Khamis dollar. By doing so, he created a unified comparative scale that makes it possible to measure long-term economic growth quantitatively over two thousand years, broken down by centuries, countries, and regions. Maddison\u2019s dataset and historical analyses, often referred to as the \u201cMaddison Project\u201d, are highly valued for their standardization of macrohistorical economic data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Volume 1: A Millennial Perspective. A descriptive and quantitative account of the economic history of the world. An analysis of long-term economic and civilizational trends from AD 1 to the present, broken down by centuries, countries, and regions. It covers, among other things, GDP, GDP per capita, production and consumption, population, education, life expectancy, exports and imports, trade, maritime transport, fleet sizes, exchange rates, and price dynamics. It also presents an analysis of \u201cThe Great Divergence\u201d, that is, the reasons why, from the Middle Ages onward, the West set out on a path of sustained intensive growth while the economies of Asia and Africa slowed down. The analysis takes into account the fact that in AD 1000 most of the West was poorer than some parts of Asia and Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Volume 2: Historical Statistics. A quantitative and statistical supplement to the first volume, providing the data and methodology behind the claims made in Volume 1. It contains national accounts and detailed tables for world regions and dozens of individual countries, covering population, GDP, GDP per capita, migration, and the production of key goods and services.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/en\/publications\/the-world-economy_9789264022621-en.html\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #577f9e;\"><span style=\"color: #3978a8;\"><span style=\"color: #1f81cc;\">Open the page to download the book<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Maddison_Angus_Growth_and_Interaction_in_the_World_Economy_The_Roots_of_Modernity\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\">Maddison Angus, Growth and Interaction in the World Economy. The Roots of Modernity<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Number of pages: 105, publisher: The AEI Press Publisher for the American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C., year: 2004<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Angus Maddison\u2019s book, made available by the publisher, is a landmark work in economic history. The author challenges the view, widespread until the end of the twentieth century, that the economic success of the West began only with the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century England.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Maddison demonstrates that Western Europe had already surpassed China in income per capita in the fourteenth century. The author applies a unique quantitative approach to the analysis of the past 2,000 years. He identifies the key factors that shaped the modern world: 1\/ Europe\u2019s early advantage: GDP per capita in Western Europe exceeded the Chinese level as early as around 1300, which changes the traditional view of the economic history of Asia and the West; 2\/ Europe-America exchange: how the development of navigation and intercontinental transport after 1492 transformed America and enabled the global transfer of plants and animals, permanently changing the demography of the world; 3\/ barriers to development: an analysis of the internal and external causes of the backwardness of Asia and Africa, including institutional constraints, social structure, and the lack of investment in human capital.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The titles of three of the four parts of the book: Why and When Did the West Get Rich? The European Transformation of the Americas 1500-1820, Interaction between Asia and Europe 1500-1820.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3978a8;\"><a style=\"color: #3978a8;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/research-products\/book\/growth-and-interaction-in-the-world-economy\/\"><span style=\"color: #1f81cc;\">Open the page to download the book<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hugh_McLoad_Secularisation_in_Western_Europe_1848_%E2%80%93_1914\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\">Hugh McLoad, Secularisation in Western Europe, 1848 &#8211; 1914<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Summary of the book. MacMillan Press Ltd., 2000<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/resume3.pdf\">pdf in Polish<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"34\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Joel_Mokyr_Nobel_Lecture_2025\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"34\">Joel Mokyr, Nobel Lecture 2025<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"34\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The Past and Future of Innovation: Can Progress be Sustained?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"36\" data-end=\"343\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mokyr is an outstanding economist and historian of technology. The Nobel Prize was richly doeserved. I had been reading his works with great interest already many years ago. I present here the a link to the lecture itself and the accompanying slide presentation<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/prizes\/economic-sciences\/2025\/mokyr\/lecture\/\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #2673bf;\">Nobel lecture<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nobelprize.org\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mokyr-lecture-slides.pdf\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><span style=\"color: #2673bf;\">slide presentation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pacey_Arnold_Technology_In_World_Civilization\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Pacey Arnold, Technology In World Civilization<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/pacey-arnold-technology-in-world-civilization\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Arnold_Pacey_Technology_In_World_Civilization.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Other Pacey&#8217;s books:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/catalog\/author\/default.asp?aid=656\">http:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/catalog\/author\/default.asp?aid=656<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book exploring the mechanisms of technological transfer between the world&#8217;s major civilizations from AD 700 to 1980. Within this broader context, it examines Europe. By analyzing the history of technology, the author highlights the continuous exchange of knowledge between different cultural spheres, focusing on mutual transfers and borrowings. A widely discussed work in the history of technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Plantinga_Alvin_God_Freedom_and_Evil\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Plantinga Alvin, God, Freedom and Evil<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/plantinga-alvin-o-ksiazce-a-plantingi-bog-wolnosc-i-zlo\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Plantinga_Bog_wolnosc_zlo.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Plantinga:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alvin_Plantinga\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alvin_Plantinga<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/alvin-plantinga-god-freedom-and-evil-wm.-b.-eerdmans-publishing-company-1977\">Open access to the book\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> from Internet Archive<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Alvin Plantinga (b. 1932) is an American philosopher of religion, logician, and philosopher of language. His book God, Freedom, and Evil is a well-known rebuttal of arguments against the rationality of theistic beliefs. Using formal logic, Plantinga demonstrated that classical theodicy (God is omnipotent, God is good, evil exists) is internally consistent and non-contradictory. His defense of the rationality of faith remains one of the most significant achievements in 20th-century philosophy of religion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shapin_Steven_The_Scientific_Revolution\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Shapin Steven, The Scientific Revolution<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/shapin-steven-rewolucja-naukowa\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Steven_Shapin_Rewolucja_naukowa.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <em>Shapin&#8217;s page: <\/em><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fas.harvard.edu\/~hsdept\/bios\/shapin.html\"><em>http:\/\/www.fas.harvard.edu\/~hsdept\/bios\/shapin.html<\/em> <\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book providing a synthetic summary of the past 30 years of scholarship on the European Scientific Revolution of the 16th-18th centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Schilling_Heinz_Confessionalization_in_the_Reich_Religious_and_Social_Change_in_Germany_between_1555_and_1620\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\">Schilling Heinz, Confessionalization in the Reich. Religious and Social Change in Germany between 1555 and 1620<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Heinz Schilling, Die Konfessionalisierung im Reich. Religi\u00f6ser und gesellschaftlicher Wandel in Deutschland zwischen 1555 und 1620; w: Historische Zeitschrift, t. 246, 1988, s. 1-45.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A Polish summary of the article, prepared from the German original. Schilling\u2019s text presented here is often identified as a key article for the theory of confessionalization. I provide an extensive summary of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/recenzje\/Schilling_1988_streszczenie_PL_podkreslenia_2.pdf\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #1f81cc;\">PL pdf<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heinz_Schilling_Jednosc_i_roznorodnosc_Europy_we_wczesnej_epoce_nowozytnej_religia_%E2%80%93_spoleczenstwo_%E2%80%93_panstwo\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Heinz Schilling, Jedno\u015b\u0107 i r\u00f3\u017cnorodno\u015b\u0107 Europy we wczesnej epoce nowo\u017cytnej: religia &#8211; spo\u0142ecze\u0144stwo &#8211; pa\u0144stwo<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Unity and Diversity in Early Modern Europe: Religion &#8211; Society &#8211; State<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book containing seven essays by Heinz Schilling, a German historian and one of the principal architects of the theory of confessionalization. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The book was published in Polish, and all seven essays are Polish translations of the German originals<\/span>. The theory of confessionalization, developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Schilling, and in parallel by Wolfgang Reinhard, is a concept explaining the transformations of early modern Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century. It assumes that the Reformation and Counter-Reformation were not merely theological disputes, but processes that modernized states and societies. I especially recommend text no. 3, Confessionalization of Latin Christianity and the Formation of Early Modern Europe, especially pages 120-121, 125-126, and 135-136, and text no. 7, Early Modern State-Building Processes and the Emergence of the Modern System of Powers in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The book was made available by the German Historical Institute in Warsaw. The online edition was financed from the funds of the Minister of Science and Higher Education.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Number of pages: 228, publisher: Wydawnictwo Neriton, year: 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/perspectivia.net\/receive\/pnet_mods_00002657\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Open the page to download the book<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Simon_Marcel_La_Civilization_de_LAntiquite_et_le_Christianisme\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Simon Marcel, La Civilization de L&#8217;Antiquit\u00e9 et le Christianisme<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/simon-marcel-cywilizacja-wczesnego-chrzescijanstwa\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Marcel_Simon_Cywilizacja_wczesnego_chrzescijanstwa.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>The Civilization of Ancient Christianity<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The author examines the period from the 1st to the 5th century BC. The book is well-written and authoritative. In my notes, I combined Chapter IX, which discusses persecution, with information on the same topic from Ewa Wipszycka\u2019s The Church in the Late Antique World. Marcel Simon (1907\u20131986) was a scholar of religious history, particularly the relationship between Christianity and Judaism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Taylor_Mark_Zachary_Politics_of_Innovation_Why_Some_Countries_Are_Better_Than_Others_at_Science_and_Technology\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Taylor Mark Zachary, Politics of Innovation: Why Some Countries Are Better Than Others at Science and Technology<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Taylor_innovation_skrot.pdf\">ENG PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG about Mark Z. Taylor:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/1b33c78d-701e-50fb-ae00-8105150ced47\"> see here<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Published in 2016, this book was recognized as one of the most compelling attempts to explain technological disparities. In 2017, it won the Don K. Price Award from the American Political Science Association for the best book in science, technology, and policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It presents a well-written history of different theories explaining why some countries are more innovative than others. Each theory is subjected to statistical verification, adding a new dimension to discussions on innovation theory. Taylor challenges mainstream institutional explanations, proposing instead the concept of constructive threat states. He argues that the most significant driver of innovation is a sustained imbalance where external threats (economic, political, military) outweigh internal rivalries. The book includes case studies of post-WWII technological leaps in South Korea, Taiwan, Israel, Singapore, and Ireland, demonstrating how this constructive threat state led to rapid technological advancement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whitehead_Alfred_N_Science_and_the_Modern_World\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Whitehead Alfred N., Science and the Modern World<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/whitehead-alfred-n-nauka-i-swiat-wspolczesny\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/nauka_i_swiat_wspolczesny.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On Whitehead:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/whitehead\">http:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/whitehead<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/in.ernet.dli.2015.17780\">ENG link to the book in the Internet Archive<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/ebooks\/68611\">ENG link to the book in the Project Gutenberg<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A 1925 book on the birth of modern science. I have summarized the fascinating first chapter. According to the author, for science to emerge in the modern sense of the word, there first had to be a widespread and instinctive belief in the existence of an order in the world\u2014particularly in nature. Additionally, precise thinking habits had to develop (influenced by Greek logic and the long dominance of scholastic reasoning). However, the most significant medieval contribution, according to Whitehead, was the conviction that every event could be linked to preceding events, revealing general patterns. The source of this belief, he argues, was the medieval emphasis on God\u2019s rationality. God possessed the power of Yahweh but the rationality of a Greek philosopher. Every detail was under control and part of a greater order, making the study of nature a means to affirm the rationality of the universe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Woods_Thomas_How_the_Catholic_Church_Built_Western_Civilization\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Woods Thomas, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/woods-thomas-jak-kosciol-katolicki-zbudowal-cywilizacje-zachodnia\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Woods.pdf\">pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On Woods: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Woods\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Woods<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A popular book, yet competently written. It covers most of the topics related to its central theme. In traditional interpretations, the Church&#8217;s influence on the development of Western civilization is typically reduced to a specific set of issues, on which there is a general consensus. Woods effectively identifies these issues, describing each succinctly\u2014sometimes uncritically, but without major errors. However, the book lacks a broader contextual background. No matter how much we value Christianity and the Church\u2019s role in shaping Europe and the West, we must not forget other crucial factors, such as geography, climate, the legacy of antiquity, shifting geopolitical landscapes, and the barbarian origins of European culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #666699;\"><sup>________________________________<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wright_Robert_Nonzero_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Wright Robert, Nonzero. The Logic of Human Destiny<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/wright-robert-nonzero-logika-ludzkiego-przeznaczenia\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Nonzero.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On Wright and about his book:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nonzero:_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nonzero:_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book on the mechanisms of cultural evolution throughout history. According to the author, this evolution has a distinct direction\u2014it progresses toward increasing complexity due to the continuous expansion of positive-sum social interactions. Hence the title: NonZero. The work is theoretical but supported by extensive historical material. Wright\u2019s theoretical claims provide an intriguing way to organize a vast amount of factual data. Regardless of whether one ultimately agrees with his conclusions, the book is a valuable contribution to discussions on the dynamics of cultural change.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>jacek9520@gmail.com Reviews, Essay reviews, Synopses of books, Translations PL &#8211; text available in Polish,\u00a0 ENG &#8211; text available in English, FR &#8211; text available in French, P &#8211; text available in Portueguese Ernst Benz and 19th-Century Transhumanism PL pdf \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Translation of Chapter V from Christian Hope: Man\u2019s Concept of the Future from the Early [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1167","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"category-recenzje","6":"czr-hentry"},"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["pl","en"],"languages":{"pl":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1167"}],"version-history":[{"count":421,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13702,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1167\/revisions\/13702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}