The precarious rights of senior citizens, especially those who are highly educated and who are expected to counsel and guide the younger generations, has stimulated the creation internationally of advocacy associations and opinion leader groups. The strength of these groups, however, varies from country to country. In some countries, they are supported and are the focus of intense interest; in others, they are practically ignored. For this is reason we believe that the creation of a network of all these associations (...) is essential. The proposed network would act as a support for the already-existing policies of the United Nations’ High Commission for Human Rights, of independent experts, and of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People. All three have long ago recommended the creation of a recognized instrument for uniting presently scattered efforts. The proposed network, therefore, will seek to promote the international exchange of relevant expertise, and it will reinforce the commitments and actions that single countries are currently taking to meet these objectives. For example, informative public events can be organised to promote particular support initiatives and to provide an opportunity for new members of the network to be presented. The network will promote health for senior citizens, disease prevention, senior mobility, safe free time for seniors, alimentary education, protection against new risks and dangers, as well as equity in the services necessary for seniors to adopt new information and communication technologies. In the case of retired academic members, the network will promote equality with respect to continuing use of digital technologies (particularly email), continuing access to research libraries, and the guaranteed ability for seniors to fund their own research programs and to deliver free seminars. (shrink)

In common with traditional forms of epistemic internalism, epistemological disjunctivism attempts to incorporate an awareness condition on justification. Unlike traditional forms of internalism, however, epistemological disjunctivism rejects the so-called New Evil Genius thesis. In so far as epistemological disjunctivism rejects the New Evil Genius thesis, it is revisionary. -/- After explaining what epistemological disjunctivism is, and how it relates to traditional forms of epistemic internalism / externalism, I shall argue that the epistemological disjunctivist’s account of the intuitions underlying the New (...) Evil Genius thought experiment is at best incomplete. As presented, therefore, epistemological disjunctivism is unable to accommodate the core guiding intuitions of epistemic internalism. Given the stated aim of not being revisionary on this score, the view is at a dialectical disadvantage over the traditional forms of epistemic internalism the position is meant to replace. Unfortunately, therefore, at present, the impasse between internalism and externalism remains. (shrink)

This chapter will review selected aspects of the terrain of discussions about probabilities in statistical mechanics (with no pretensions to exhaustiveness, though the major issues will be touched upon), and will argue for a number of claims. None of the claims to be defended is entirely original, but all deserve emphasis. The first, and least controversial, is that probabilistic notions are needed to make sense of statistical mechanics. The reason for this is the same reason that convinced Maxwell, Gibbs, and (...) Boltzmann that probabilities would be needed, namely, that the second law of thermodynamics, which in its original formulation says that certain processes are impossible, must, on the kinetic theory, be replaced by a weaker formulation according to which what the original version deems impossible is merely improbable. Second is that we ought not take the standard measures invoked in equilibrium statistical mechanics as giving, in any sense, the correct probabilities about microstates of the system. We can settle for a much weaker claim: that the probabilities for outcomes of experiments yielded by the standard distributions are effectively the same as those yielded by any distribution that we should take as a representing probabilities over microstates. Lastly, (and most controversially): in asking about the status of probabilities in statistical mechanics, the familiar dichotomy between epistemic probabilities (credences, or degrees of belief) and ontic (physical) probabilities is insufficient; the concept of probability that is best suited to the needs of statistical mechanics is one that combines epistemic and physical considerations. (shrink)

Vann McGee has recently argued that Belnap’s criteria constrain the formal rules of classical natural deduction to uniquely determine the semantic values of the propositional logical connectives and quantifiers if the rules are taken to be open-ended, i.e., if they are truth-preserving within any mathematically possible extension of the original language. The main assumption of his argument is that for any class of models there is a mathematically possible language in which there is a sentence true in just those models. (...) I show that this assumption does not hold for the class of models of classical propositional logic. In particular, I show that the existence of non-normal models for negation undermines McGee’s argument. (shrink)

This essay examines some of the ways in which the assumption of the essential finitude of the human mind, in contrast to the infinitude of God’s mind, bears on Leibniz’s and Kant’s accounts of our representational capacities. This examination reveals several underappreciated similarities between their views, but also some notable differences that help us pinpoint where and in what ways Kant departs from his celebrated predecessor. The fruits of this examination are a better understanding of Kant’s conception of the discursivity (...) of our understanding, his account of the difference between concepts and intuitions, and the particular flavor of his idealism. -/- . (shrink)

Response to critical comments by Edward Slowik on my article 'Leibniz on Motion and the Equivalence of Hypotheses' in The Leibniz Review 18 (2008).

A popular story about Kant's relation to Leibniz presents Kant as a Leibniz-Wolffian by education who, inspired by his encounter with the teachings of Newton and Hume, took on the project of reconciling Leibniz-Wolffian metaphysics with Newtonian science and of responding to epistemological skepticism, a project that led him further and further away from his Leibniz-Wolffian roots and culminated in the total rejection of the Leibniz-Wolffian philosophy in the Critique of Pure Reason. In this essay, four shortcomings of the popular (...) story are identified and several suggestions are made about how to amend and expand the story in order to overcome these shortcomings. Furthermore, some of the most important Leibnizian doctrines that influenced Kant are collected and their role in Kant's philosophy is discussed. (shrink)

Because factory-farmed meat production inflicts gratuitous suffering upon animals and wreaks havoc on the environment, there are morally compelling reasons to become vegetarian. Yet industrial plant agriculture causes the death of many field animals, and this leads some to question whether consumers ought to get some of their protein from certain kinds of non factory-farmed meat. Donald Bruckner, for instance, boldly argues that the harm principle implies an obligation to collect and consume roadkill and that strict vegetarianism is thus immoral. (...) But this argument works only if the following claims are true: all humans have access to roadkill, roadkill would go to waste if those who happen upon it don’t themselves consume it, it’s impossible to harvest vegetables without killing animals, the animals who are killed in plant production are all-things-considered harmed by crop farming, and the best arguments for vegetarianism all endorse the harm principle. As I will argue in this paper, each claim is deeply problematic. Consequently, in most cases, humans ought to strictly eat plants and save the roadkill for cats. (shrink)

One of the attractions of the Humean instrumentalist theory of practical rationality is that it appears to offer a special connection between an agent's reasons and her motivation. The assumption that Humeanism is able to assert a strong connection between reason and motivation has been challenged, most notably by Christine Korsgaard. She argues that Humeanism is not special in the connection it allows to motivation. On the contrary, Humean theories of practical rationality do connect reasons and motivation in a unique (...) and attractive way, though the nature of this connection has sometimes been misunderstood by both defenders and detractors of the theory. (shrink)

These essays draw on work in the history and philosophy of science, the philosophy of mind and language, the development of concepts in children, conceptual..

Wittgenstein famously criticizes the philosophical practice of analyzing the meaning of words outside their ordinary use in everyday language, whereby often self-made pseudo-problems arise. In order to shed further light on Wittgenstein’s critique, this article makes use of the Remarks on the Philosophy of Psychology. First, starting from the remark in Vol. I, §52, his criticism of the philosophical method of selection and generalization is explained in detail. Next, I give a brief outline of Wittgenstein’s own way of philosophizing by (...) reference to a selection of comments concerning the use of psychological words in everyday language, which will also further elucidate his critique. Finally, I enter into the question which significance everyday language according to Wittgenstein has for philosophy. (shrink)

This paper investigates the prospects of Rodney Brooks’ proposal for AI without representation. It turns out that the supposedly characteristic features of “new AI” (embodiment, situatedness, absence of reasoning, and absence of representation) are all present in conventional systems: “New AI” is just like old AI. Brooks proposal boils down to the architectural rejection of central control in intelligent agents—Which, however, turns out to be crucial. Some of more recent cognitive science suggests that we might do well to dispose of (...) the image of intelligent agents as central representation processors. If this paradigm shift is achieved, Brooks’ proposal for cognition without representation appears promising for full-blown intelligent agents—Though not for conscious agents. (shrink)

The paper outlines a model-theoretic framework for investigating and comparing a variety of mereotopological theories. In the first part we consider different ways of characterizing a mereotopology with respect to (i) the intended interpretation of the connection primitive, and (ii) the composition of the admissible domains of quantification (e.g., whether or not they include boundary elements). The second part extends this study by considering two further dimensions along which different patterns of topological connection can be classified - the strength of (...) the connection and its multiplicity. (shrink)

My aim in this article is to challenge the standard North American diet’s (SAD) default status in church and among North American Christians generally. First, I explain what is at stake in my guiding question—“Is unrestrained omnivorism as typified by SAD spiritually beneficial?”—and then I attempt to allay some common skeptical concerns about the suitability of food ethics as a topic for serious Christian discernment. Second, I develop a prima facie case that SAD is not spiritually beneficial, drawing on five (...) traditional sources for Christian moral deliberation, including and especially general revelation and discernment of the fruits of the spirit. I conclude that, in the absence of a rebuttal vindicating SAD, the church should actively encourage Christians to adopt more redemptive eating habits, and Christians who are able should take action toward this end. (shrink)

According to a popular line of reasoning, diachronic vagueness creates a problem for the endurantist conception of persistence. Some authors have replied that this line of reasoning is inconclusive, since the endurantist can subscribe to a principle of Diachronic Unrestricted Composition (DUC) that is perfectly parallel to the principle required by the perdurantist’s semantic account. I object that the endurantist should better avoid DUC. And I argue that even DUC, if accepted, would fail to provide the endurantist with the necessary (...) resources for explaining diachronic vagueness in familiar semantic terms. (shrink)

The positions of Frege, Russell and Wittgenstein on the priority of complexes over (propositional) functions are sketched, challenging those who take the "judgment centered" aspects of the Tractatus to be inherited from Frege not Russell. Frege's views on the priority of judgments are problematic, and unlike Wittgenstein's. Russell's views on these matters, and their development, are discussed in detail, and shown to be more sophisticated than usually supposed. Certain misreadings of Russell, including those regarding the relationship between propositional functions and (...) universals, are exposed. Wittgenstein's and Russell's views on logical grammar are shown to be very similar. Russell's type theory does not countenance types of genuine entities nor metaphysical truths that cannot be put into words, contrary to conventional wisdom. I relate this to the debate over "inexpressible truths" in the Tractatus. I lastly comment on the changes to Russell's views brought about by Wittgenstein's influence. (shrink)

Despite the proliferation of studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR), there is a lack of consensus and a cardinal methodological base for research on the quality of CSR communication. Over the decades, studies in this space have remained conflicting, unintegrated, and sometimes overlapping. Drawing on semiotics—a linguistic-based theoretical and analytical tool, our article explores an alternative perspective to evaluating the quality and reliability of sustainability reports. Our article advances CSR communication research by introducing a theoretical-cum-methodological perspective which provides unique insights (...) into how to evaluate the quality of CSR communication. Particularly, we illustrate the application of our proposed methodology on selected U.K. FTSE 100 companies. Our two-phased analysis employed the Greimas Canonical Narrative Schema and the Semiotic Square of Veridiction in drawing meanings from selected sustainability/csr reports. In addition, we present a distinctive CSR report quality model capable of guiding policy makers and firms in designing sustainability/csr reporting standards. (shrink)

An important source of doubt about our knowledge of the "external world" is the thought that all of our sensory experience could be delusive without our realizing it. Such wholesale questioning of the deliverances of all forms of perception seems to leave no resources for successfully justifying our belief in the existence of an objective world beyond our subjective experiences. I argue that there is there is a fatal flaw in the very expression of philosophical doubt about the "external world." (...) Therefore, no such justification is necessary. The feature of skepticism which I believe renders it vulnerable is the assumption that each of us has a right to be certain of his own existence as a subject of conscious experience even in the face of comprehensive doubt about our empirical beliefs. (shrink)

Dieses Dossier stellt die Fragen der Debatte des Kommunitarismus: Wie ent- wickeln Menschen ihre Identität? Welche Konsequenzen hat diese Identitäts- bildung auf die Werte einer Gesellschaft? Inwiefern ist der Mensch ein auto- nomes Wesen und inwiefern ist er in Strukturen eingebunden? Und: Ist auch die politische Ebene durch diese Fragen betroffen?

In his Meditations Descartes concludes that he is a res cogitans, an unextended entity whose essence is to be conscious. His reasoning in support of the conclusion that he exists entirely distinct from his body has seemed unconvincing to his critics. I attempt to show that the reasoning which he offers in support of his conclusion. although mistaken, is more plausible and his mistakes more interesting than his critics have acknowledged.

Dieses Dossier befasst sich mit den philosophischen Perspektiven zum Thema Bewusstsein: Was kennzeichnet „das Geistige“ und hat es ein einheitliches Merkmal? Wie kommt die Welt in den Kopf? Was bedeutet „subjektiv“ und haben auch Tiere und Pflanzen ein Bewusstsein?

„Gemeinschaft“ steht in der Philosophie nicht nur im Zusammenhang mit ethischen Überlegungen, sondern auch mit Fragen nach der Natur von sozialen Handlungen und dem charakteristischen Wesen von Kollektiven. Gibt es Bedingungen, die erfüllt sein müssen, damit man von einer Gemeinschaft – in Abgrenzung zu „Gesellschaft“ – sprechen kann?

While theories of animal rights maintain that nonhuman animals possess prima facie rights, such as the right to life, the dominant philosophies of animal rights permit the killing of nonhuman animals for reasons of self-defense. I argue that the animal rights discourse on defensive killing is problematic because it seems to entail that any nonhuman animal who poses a threat to human beings can be justifiably harmed without question. To avoid this human-privileged conclusion, I argue that the animal rights position (...) needs to both (1) deploy a new criterion of liability to defensive harm, and (2) seriously consider whether human beings themselves are liable to defensive harm in human-animal conflicts. By shifting the focus to whether humans are liable to defensive harm, we will find that in many situations of human-animal conflict, human beings are actually the ones liable to be harmed because they are often culpable or, to some degree, morally responsible for posing an unjust threat to nonhuman animals. (shrink)

Die Aufgabe der Philosophie besteht nicht darin, den moralischen Zeigefinger zu erheben und vorzugeben, was man tun soll und was nicht. Vielmehr zeigt die Philosophie unterschiedliche Argumente auf, weshalb die eine oder andere Haltung vertretbar oder aus gewissen Gründen gegebenenfalls vertretbarer ist als eine andere. Insofern eine Gesellschaft an Klugheit interessiert ist und sich einer zukünftigen Entwicklung verantwortungsvoll stellt, kann die Philosophie eine wertvolle Aufgabe übernehmen: Die Methode, analytisch das Für und Wider abzuwiegen, bedeutet nicht zuletzt viel Arbeit und Aufmerksamkeit (...) für das Detail. Wie beispielsweise das Kapitel zur Grünen Gentechnik (Seite 6) zeigt, sind die Diskussionen um die zu fällenden moralischen Urteile nicht an ein externes Gremium zu delegieren. Im Gegenteil: Die Diskussion sollte innerhalb der Gesellschaft stattfinden, einerseits um den unterschiedlichen Haltungen Platz zu geben, andererseits aber, weil nur auf diese Weise ein echter Konsens zu Stande kommen kann. Die Rolle der Philosophie zeigt sich ähnlich auch, wenn es um die für die pluralistische Gesellschaft zentrale Toleranz geht. Die wertenden Einstellungen der Bürgerinnen und Bürger verdienen es, ernst genommen zu werden und offen diskutiert zu werden. Nur durch eine tiefgreifende Auseinandersetzung lässt sich verhindern, dass populistische Wortführer mit eigennützigen, aber aufmerksamkeitsstarken Argumenten von den Themen ablenken, die ernsthaft angegangen werden möchten: Die Vision einer friedlichen und freiheitlichen Gesellschaft, das demokratische Ideal, wird nicht mit dem Verweis auf die „Krise“ aufgegeben. Verantwortung interessiert die Bürgerinnen und Bürger schliesslich eben doch mehr, als Donald Trumps neuste Lüge. Das philosophische Themendossier zeigt, dass die akademische Philosophie viel leis-tet, um eine oberflächliche Auseinandersetzung mit gesellschaftlich und zukunftsrelevanten Themen zu verhindern. Auch wenn das auf den ersten Blick nach viel Anstrengung klingt, so zeigt der zweite Blick, dass darin viel Wohlwollen zugunsten der Gesellschaft steckt. Es lohnt sich, den Mut aufzubringen, sich intensiv mit den eigenen Werturteilen auseinanderzusetzen und das Auge vom eigenen Wohl auch auf das Wohle aller schweifen zu lassen. Philosophie kann „ansteckend“ sein und viel Freude hervorrufen: Gerade dann, wenn man neue Ideen mit dazu gewinnt oder andere Argumente für bereits gefasste Entscheidungen kennenlernt. Die Philosophie entwickelt sich fortlaufend weiter und bleibt somit mehr denn je: stets aktuell. (shrink)

Dieses Heft umreisst philosophische Perspektiven zur Zukunft der Alters- und Hin- terbliebenenversicherung (AHV). Welche Pflichten haben die heutigen Generationen gegenüber den zukünftigen? Inwiefern ist die Zukunft der AHV ein philosophisches Thema?

This capstone is centered around the development of an efficient electronic property inventory system tailored for school assets, driven by the overarching objective of resource optimization to ensure equitable access to vital materials for all learners. The methodology follows the “ISSO” framework (Ignite, Strategize, Systematize, Operationalize), complemented by a Logical Framework. The project employs a homegrown digitalized system constructed through a waterfall model approach, which undergoes alpha and beta testing. The study’s analysis utilizes a t-Test to evaluate its impact. The (...) outcomes reveal that real-time property monitoring significantly enhances custodianship, while digitalization yields improvements in reliability, efficiency, and usability, effectively overhauling the conventional inventory process. The electronic system fosters stakeholder engagement, supporting communication, budget allocation, and audits. Comparative testing demonstrates clear advantages over traditional manual methods. In conclusion, this study underscores the merits of a refined electronic property inventory system. Notably, the research suggests a need for careful consideration of process complexities in outsourcing decisions and showcases the swift, precise, and transparent accounting provided by e-AIMSS deployments, thereby nurturing transparency and public confidence. This innovative approach holds promise for broader application within the realm of e-government processes. (shrink)

Much mischief concerning the concept of a human body is generated by the failure of philosophers to distinguish various important senses of the term 'body.' I discuss three of those senses and illustrate the issues they can generate by discussing the concept of a Lockean exchange of bodies as well as the brain-body switch.

The idea that we may continue to exist in a bodiless condition after our death has long played an important role in beliefs about immortality, ultimate rewards and punishments, the transmigration of souls, and the like. There has also been long and heated disagreement about whether the idea of disembodied existence even makes sense, let alone whether anybody can or does survive dissolution of his material form. It may seem doubtful that anything new could be added to the debate at (...) this late date, but I hope to show that this is not so. I will explore the problem of disembodiment from a somewhat different direction than has been tried before, one that leads to what seem to me more interesting and more definite conclusions about its unintelligibility. Furthermore, the approach I will be taking puts both the traditional mind-body problem and the competing claims of dualism and physicalism in a fresh light that can help us to understand better the nature of our embodied existence. (shrink)

My aim in this paper is to draw Plotinus and Derrida together in a comparison of their respective appropriations of the famous “receptacle” passage in Plato's Timaeus (specifically, Plotinus' discussion of intelligible matter in Enneads 2.4 and Derrida's essay on Timaeus entitled “Kh ō ra”). After setting the stage with a discussion of several instructive similarities between their general philosophical projects, I contend that Plotinus and Derrida take comparable approaches both to thinking the origin of the forms and to problematizing (...) the stability of the sensible/intelligible opposition. With these parallels in focus, I go on to explain how examining such points of contact can help us to dismantle the canonical constructs of “Plotinus the metaphysician” and “Derrida the anti-metaphysician” that have obscured important connections between Neoplatonism and deconstruction, and suppressed latent resources within the Platonic tradition itself for deconstructing the dualistic ontology of so-called “Platonic metaphysics.”. (shrink)

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate profiles, demographical data, diagnostic, clinical and treatment approaches in relation to the cases of diagnosed head and neck tuberculosis after the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011. The aim of the study is to share current knowledge on head and neck tuberculosis and to investigate whether there is an epidemiological change with the admission of immigrants after the start of the Syrian civil war. -/- Methods: Demographic data, contact history, relapse, localization, (...) tuberculin test, BCG vaccination and treatment duration are evaluated variables. Two groups were created. The first group was diagnosed with head and neck tuberculosis between 2006 and 2011 before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, and the second group was diagnosed between 2012 and 2017 after the war in Syria caused hundreds of thousands of Syrian citizens to flee their homes and cross the border into Turkey. -/- Results: Head and neck tuberculosis cases tend to increase after the year of 2012. The number of diagnosed non-Turkish citizens expand after the year of 2012 and reach the highest number in 2017. BCG vaccination status and contact history were found to be the only variables that display statistical significance between the groups. -/- Conclusions: The number of head and neck tuberculosis cases increased after the Syrian war began due to insufficient rates of vaccination among the Syrian population and this population’s overcrowded living environment in Turkey. The burden of these crises affects a region rather than the whole country. (shrink)

Dieses Heft befasst sich mit der Bedeutung und der fortlaufenden Entwicklung der Wirtschaftsethik. Es wird gezeigt, wie die Wirtschaftsethik auf die aktuellen Krisen reagiert, warum einem Unternehmen eine moralische Verantwortung zukommt und was man sich unter ethischen Managementprinzipien vorstellen könnte.

„Im Grunde gibt es nur die Liebe“, sagte Picasso einst. Kaum ein Mensch durchläuft sein Leben, ohne früher oder später von jenen Gefühlen gebeutelt zu werden, welche als Liebe bezeichnet werden. Aber was ist Liebe überhaupt? Gibt es klare Kriterien, die Liebe notwendigerweise aufweist? Welchen Einfluss haben die kulturellen Vorbedingungen auf unsere Vorstellungen von Liebe?

The paper is written in response to those who fail to recognize the relation between a patient's mental competency and her state of pain. Some clinicians claim that a proper diagnosis can only be made in the absent of analgesia. Rather, the patient's state of pain directly affects her mental competency and thus her ability to give valid consent. Clinicians should rethink their approach to diagnosis when the patient is in pain.

Dieses Themendossier zeigt auf, mit welchen Themen sich die Philosophie befasst und wem die Philosophie was nützt. Wo heutzutage Philosophinnen und Philosophen wirken, wird ebenso betrachtet, wie die Frage, weshalb es sich überhaupt lohnt zu philosophieren.

Muss ein Mensch Selbstachtung haben, um Empfänger der Menschenwürde zu sein? Spielt Menschenwürde auch in der Wirtschaft und im Rechtssystem eine Rolle? Und wie lässt sich „Menschenwürde“ überhaupt definieren? Im Dossier findet man die philosophischen Hintergründe zum Thema „Menschenwürde“.

Dieses Dossier diskutiert die ethischen Aspekte der direkten aktiven Sterbe- hilfe und die Legitimität des Suizids. Hervorgehoben wird dabei die Relevanz der ethischen Perspektive und der Nutzen der philosophischen Diskussion hin- sichtlich dieser brisanten gesellschaftlichen Frage.

Collaborative learning emphasizes student-to-student interaction and the instructor’s role as a facilitator. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) was founded in 2005 by the State University of New York (SUNY) to help schools adapt their single classroom courses to an online, collaborative format and establish strong collaborations with professors with whom they would join classes and co-teach using SUNY COIL conferences and website, as well as pre-established partnerships between the institutions. However, as the globe becomes increasingly interconnected, educational challenges aimed at (...) cultivating intercultural competency become more important (Ceo-DiFrancesco & Bender-Slack, 2016). That is why this study aimed to (1) understand the lived experience of students who went under the COIL program in relation to SDG 12, (2) review the new knowledge students obtained when they took part in the COIL program in relation to SDG 12, and (3) discover the challenges students encountered while participating in the COIL program in relation to SDG 12. The researcher surveyed Filipino and Japanese students who participated in the COIL program concerning SDG12 from St. Patrick School of Quezon City, Kwansei Gakuin University, and Meiwa Senior High School. The study employed qualitative phenomenological research, and pertinent data were obtained through an open-ended survey questionnaire. The study was analyzed using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method. The results showed that the lived experiences of students who went under the COIL program in relation to SD12 have something to do with all their learnings and enjoyable experiences, intercultural and global interactions, and environmental discussions and action plans related to SDG 12. Moreover, students learned and understood better the negative impact of waste on the environment, environmental awareness and practices, the culture and norms in the Philippines and Japan, and the importance and benefits of collaboration. Lastly, the study also revealed the different challenges students encounter while participating in the COIL program in relation to SDG 12, such as cultural differences, language barriers, technical difficulties, and difficulties in experimentation. Thus, it was recommended to learn to adapt to everyone and adjust according to countries’ different cultures, practice and be proficient with the English language, have backup devices and platforms to use to ease technological problems, and improve implementations of experiments. (shrink)

Dieses Heft präsentiert philosophische Perspektiven zu Umweltproblemen. Hierbei sollen einerseits die fünf Hauptpositionen der Umweltethik (Anthropozentrismus, Pathozentrismus, Biozentrismus, Holismus & Tiefen-Ökologie) vorgestellt werden. An- dererseits wird anhand der Erhöhung der Grimselstaumauer die Relevanz der Philosophie hinsichtlich des Dilemmas zwischen Nutzen für den Menschen und Schaden an der Natur deutlich gemacht.

Wie wird Wissenschaft in der Gesellschaft wahrgenommen? Diese Frage lässt sich nicht leicht beantworten: Ist die gesellschaftliche Wahrnehmung von Wis- senschaft von Misstrauen geprägt? Oder von Unwissen über die Funktionswei- se von wissenschaftlicher Forschung?

Dieses Heft beinhaltet philosophische Perspektiven der Debatten der personalen Identität und der Liebe. Neben der Darstellung der Kerninhalte der beiden Debatten wird die Frage „Wen liebe ich?“ philosophisch problematisiert. Dabei soll aufgezeigt werden, was unter einer philosophischen Herangehensweise zu verstehen ist und wie sich dies konkret im Fall der angeführten Frage niederschlägt.

Welche Zukunft erwartet die Menschheit? Oder müsste man fragen: Welche möglichen Zukünfte liegen im Gestaltungsbereich des Menschen? Was passiert, wenn wir eine superintelligente Maschine erfinden, die uns sogar ermöglicht, der Vergänglichkeit zu entrinnen? Welchen Einfluss haben die Technologien auf die Arbeit oder auf unsere Wahrnehmung der Zeit?

-/- Shitstorms, Hate Speech oder virale Videos, die zum Klicken, Liken, Teilen bewegen: Die vernetzte Gesellschaft ist von Affekten getrieben und bringt selbst ganz neue Affekte hervor. -/- Die Beiträge des Bandes nehmen die medientechnologischen Entwicklungen unserer Zeit in den Blick und untersuchen sie aus der Perspektive einer kritischen Affekt- und Sozialphilosophie. Sie zeigen: Soziale Medien und digitale Plattformen sind nicht nur Räume des Austauschs, sie erschaffen Affektökonomien – und darin liegt auch ihre Macht. Indem sie neue Formen des sozialen (...) Umgangs stiften und bestimmen, wie wir kommunizieren, verschieben sie auch die politische Topographie. -/- Mit einem Beitrag von Antonio Negri. (shrink)

Um was geht es beim Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen? Und weshalb ist es auch ein Thema der Philosophie? Sollte die Gesellschaft grundsätzlich hinterfragen, was unter dem Begriff „Arbeit“ zu verstehen ist? Würde das Grundeinkommen Gerechtigkeit ermöglichen oder verunmöglichen?

On définit souvent la philosophie comme l’« amour de la sagesse ». En grec, le terme « philosophe » qui signifie « ami de la sa- gesse » (philós= ami, sophía= sagesse) se rapporte à une personne qui aspire à une connaissance globale des choses. (1) Mais que sait-on vraiment de la philosophie? Comment procède-t-elle, à quels thèmes s‘intéresse-t-elle?

Welche alltäglichen Probleme regen zu vertieftem Nachdenken an? Was bietet uns die Philosophie an möglichen Antworten an? Können wir von den Philosophinnen und Philosophen tatsächlich etwas lernen? Und: Ist der Begriff „Alltag“ gar selbst ein Untersuchungsgegenstand der Philosophie?

Hat das menschliche Wesen einen klaren Kern, welchen ihn erst zum Menschen macht? Wie wäre dieser zu definieren? Der Mensch verfügt über viele Fähigkeiten, die ihn zu einem vernünftig agierenden Tier machen. Aber ist das der wesentliche Unterschied zu den anderen Tieren? Das vorliegende Dossier geht der Frage nach, was der Mensch ist und was ihn auszeichnet.

Gibt es einen Zusammenhang zwischen Politik und Philosophie? Bei Fragen, wie sich der Staat legitimieren lässt, was Gerechtigkeit ist oder welche Rolle Interkulturalität, Toleranz und Anerkennung in der heutigen Gesellschaft spie- len, bietet die Philosophie Antworten und Denkanstösse.

Was ist Macht? Hat der Mensch „von Natur aus“ das Bedürfnis, nach Macht zu streben? Ist Macht „schlecht“, weil sie Machtmissbrauch ermöglicht? Wieviele Aspekte das Thema Macht wirklich hat und ob Macht beispielsweise auch etwas mit Gewalt zu tun hat, erfährt man im vorliegenden Dossier.