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To determine where, when, how, and wherefore European social theory hit upon the formula of “the True, the Good, and the Beautiful,” and how its structural position as a skeleton for the theory of action has changed.

Genealogy, library research, and unusually good fortune were used to trace back the origin of what was to become a ubiquitous phrase, and to reconstruct the debates that made deploying the term seem important to writers.

The triad, although sometimes used accidentally in the renaissance, assumed a key structural place with a rise of Neo-Platonism in the eighteenth century associated with a new interest in providing a serious analysis of taste. It was a focus on taste that allowed the Beautiful to assume a position that was structurally homologous to those of the True and the Good, long understood as potential parallels. Although the first efforts were ones that attempted to emphasize the unification of the human spirit, the triad, once formulated, was attractive to faculties theorists more interested in decomposing the soul. They seized upon the triad as corresponding to an emerging sense of a tripartition of the soul. Finally, the members of the triad became re-understood as values, now as orthogonal dimensions.

This seems to be the first time the story of the development of the triad – one of the most ubiquitous architectonics in social thought – has been told.

This paper tries to draw links between the creation of new Diderot unities (products consumed in a group and that have an internal consistency based on lifestyle) with “impulse purchases” as key departure products. A study, using exploratory in‐depth interviews, is reported. Common themes are drawn from the interviews to serve as possible identifying elements of the phenomenon. Emotive and cognitive themes are identified and are offered as a starting point for further research into such product unities. The self‐concept theory of “possible selves” is offered as one possible explanation that determines when an“impulse purchase” is a key departure product for a new Diderot unity.

A newly‐published edition covering manufacturing and the technical arts selected from Diderot's ‘L'Encyclopedie’ (Edited by C. C. Gillispie, Dover Books, Constable & Co Ltd, in two volumes, with 485 sets of plates)

In this chapter, the author proceeds to explore the second ‘C’ in the 3C Model of Taoism: conversation, with an emphasis on ecological sustainability. The discussion delves into the connections between Taoism and deep ecology, eco-effectiveness and eco-efficiency, and the Diderot effect and sustainable consumption. Taoism underscores the value of maintaining balance with nature and regards the natural world as a wellspring of wisdom and inspiration. Taoism and deep ecology share many philosophical similarities. Both perspectives highlight the importance of cherishing all living beings, coexisting peacefully with nature, and acknowledging that humans are a small component of a larger ecosystem. Taoism strongly accentuates the interconnectivity of all things and the critical need for balance between nature and human life. Along with promoting harmony and respect for the environment, deep ecology also advocates for social and political reform to protect the ecosystem. These two approaches emphasize the need to understand our position in the world and how our actions affect the environment and all living organisms. The wisdom of Taoism perceives sustainability as encompassing the entire ecosystem, an intricate network of life with its abundant and diverse range of species. This view aligns with the principles of deep ecology, which sees the ecosystem as a living entity in which humanity is merely one component.

During the last two decennia ‘disability’ increasingly has been considered by various academic disciplines like sociology, literature, social sciences, geography and history as a fresh and innovative analytical category with the transformative potential of race, gender, class and sexuality. At the heart of this development is a comprehensive transformation of what is understood by ‘disability’. Traditionally, ‘disability’ was considered to be nothing more than an objective and invariable part of the human body. Nowadays ‘disability’ is primarily presented as the contingent result of the complex and manifold interactions between an individual’s body and its surrounding multilayered reality. This new meaning of ‘disability’ especially has been put forward by what has come to be known as Disability Studies.

The library of the Hermitage Art Museum in Leningrad has 300,000 volumes on art generally, including the history of art, architecture, and related fields as well as all kinds, branches and types of descriptive art. There are, of course, a considerable number of books on æsthetics and on the theory of art. Everything connected with the world of art, except music and the theatre, is contained in this library. There are even a few books on engineering and analagous topics and there is, as one could expect, a large collection of books in foreign languages about art. The library acts as a reference library for the staff of the Hermitage.

This paper reviews and assesses the aim, substance, and impact of Simon Susen’s book, “The Postmodern Turn” in the Social Sciences.

The review follows the structure of Susen’s book, by description and by evaluation.

Susen’s book encompasses a very large volume of literature of the self-defined “postmodern,” then concludes that the covered material has contributed little that is new to the social sciences.

The review has not been previously published, does not replicate any prior assessment known to the author.

This paper aims to examine changes occurring in the organization and delivery of learning at the level of higher education, and argues that it is now possible to envision the shape and structures of the future digital university.

Beginning with a history of the basic organizational paradigm underlying the traditional university, this paper systematically explores the impact on this paradigm of new technological and pedagogical innovations: learning management systems (LMSs), learning objects, iPods, blogs, student e‐mail, wireless connectivity, Google's search capacity, distance (web‐based) education, and blended learning on the pedagogy of tertiary education.

The physical structure of the university is a consequence of the hierarchically organization of knowledge, the predominant model from the late middle ages through the industrial era. As knowledge becomes more extensive and complex, the old organization is proving inadequate. The organization of knowledge in several dimensions will bring a massive restructuring of institutions of higher education. The new digital university will have the web rather than disciplines and the library at its virtual center with (nearly) infinite access to the larger peripheral world. No longer holding a monopoly on information, the postmodern café university competes with commercial, for‐profit institutions of learning, thus offering traditional and new adult learners immediate access and enormous learning flexibility. This enables students of all ages to take advantage of learning experiences from any connected institution, commercial or traditional, in the world.

As a comprehensive and systematic examination of the impact of digital tools in the contemporary university, this paper can offer guidance to university administrators, faculty members, and others involved in the educational process.

The following remarks were first addressed to a gathering of Information Officers at a conference organized by Aslib on 18 February, 1956. I took the opportunity to let my mind wander rather haphazardly over the problems of spreading knowledge. There are so many unsolved problems that a tidy and systematic account of the present state of the science of communication (if it can yet be called a science) is hard to formulate. On re‐reading my remarks I am appalled by the number of loose threads I have left dangling, but if they provoke someone else to tie them up they will have served some purpose. I hope in any case that my main thought is not obscure, viz. that knowledge is the nutrient fluid, the life‐blood of our civilization, and its free and vigorous circulation should be the concern of all men of good will.