Nghiên cứu thực hiện phân tích và đánh giá tình hình áp dụng thương mại điện tử (TMĐT) của các tiểu thương. Thông qua phương pháp định lượng với số mẫu khảo sát là 185 tiểu thương bán lẻ tại chợ Vĩnh Long, kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy, có 29,73% tiểu thương đã áp dụng TMĐT, chủ yếu qua mạng xã hội. Tỷ lệ này còn khá thấp. Các thách thức chính là chi phí đầu tư cao, thiếu kiến (...) thức công nghệ, và tâm lý ngại thay đổi. TMĐT cũng mang lại cơ hội mở rộng thị trường và giảm chi phí vận hành. Khoảng 80% tiểu thương nhận thấy lợi ích trong việc tiếp cận khách hàng và 50,91% thấy giảm chi phí vận hành là quan trọng. Từ dó, các giải pháp cũng được đề xuất nhằm giúp tiểu thương vượt qua rào cản và khai thác tiềm năng của TMĐT. (shrink)

Ngành dầu khí là tiền đề quan trọng hỗ trợ phát triển nền kinh tế, vì thế, nhiều doanh nghiệp dầu khí đang từng bước phát triển mạnh. Nghiên cứu tìm hiểu và đo lường hiệu quả quản lý tài sản của 8 doanh nghiệp dầu khí tại Việt Nam từ năm 2019 tới năm 2023 dựa theo mô hình hiệu quả cao (Super Slacked-based mearesure - SBM) sử dụng phương pháp phân tích bao hàm dữ liệu (Data envelopment analysis (...) - DEA). Kết quả nghiên cứu đã tìm ra được điểm số hiệu quả về quản lý tài sản đối với từng doanh nghiệp trong từng năm và gợi ý ra giải pháp nâng cao hiệu quả trong tương lai. (shrink)

Bằng cách vận dụng mô hình lý thuyết S-O-R, nghiên cứu kiểm định ảnh hưởng của TikTok đến hành vi mua hàng của khách hàng Gen Z tại TP. Hồ Chí Minh. Mẫu nghiên cứu thu thập từ khảo sát trực tuyến có kích cỡ là 300. Kết quả thực nghiệm đã khẳng định rằng, Sự đồng hiện diện và Niềm tin của người tiêu dùng có ảnh hưởng đến Hành vi mua hàng trên nền tảng TikTok. Trên cơ sở (...) kết quả nghiên cứu, một số hàm ý quản trị đã được đề xuất. (shrink)

Dựa trên việc khảo sát 200 du khách nội địa đến với điểm đến Làng hoa Sa Đéc (tỉnh Đồng Tháp), nghiên cứu này đánh giá ảnh hưởng của sức hấp dẫn điểm đến, sự hài lòng tới lòng trung thành điểm đến Làng hoa Sa Đéc của du khách nội địa. Kết quả cho thấy, Sức hấp dẫn điểm đến có ảnh hưởng tích cực và trực tiếp đến Sự hài lòng; trong khi đó, Sự hài lòng có ảnh (...) hưởng tích cực và trực tiếp đến Lòng trung thành điểm đến. [Based on a survey of 200 domestic tourists to the tourist destination Dong Thap. In this study, based on the results of previous studies, the author proposed a model to study the effects of destination attractiveness and satisfaction on destination loyalty of domestic tourists. Furthermore, the author uses the method of analyzing and verifying the linear structural model (SEM) with the support of the SmartSPL3.0 tool. The results show that the destination attractiveness factor has a positive and direct influence on satisfaction, satisfaction has a positive and direct influence on destination loyalty. In addition, research results also show that destination attractiveness does not directly affect destination loyalty. (shrink)

Đại dịch Covid-19 đã và đang gây ra nhiều tác động tiêu cực với nền kinh tế xã hội của cả thế giới. Trong bối cảnh khủng hoảng toàn cầu đặt ra nhiều thách thức, ESG không chỉ là xu hướng chung mà còn là giải pháp cần thiết để giải quyết các vấn đề về môi trường, xã hội và quản trị, hướng đến phát triển kinh tế tuần hoàn (KTTH), điều mà tất cả các quốc gia trên thế (...) giới đều quan tâm và định hướng phát triển. Nghiên cứu này nhằm cung cấp cái nhìn tổng quan về ESG, phân tích thực trạng ESG tại Việt Nam, bao gồm: cam kết và chính sách của Chính phủ, cam kết và thực hành của doanh nghiệp (DN) Việt Nam; từ đó, đưa ra một số giải pháp nhằm thúc đẩy tiến trình cam kết và thực hành ESG ở Việt Nam. [he Covid-19 pandemic has been causing various negative impacts on the socio-economy worldwide. In the context of a global crisis that poses many challenges, ESG is not only a general trend but also a necessary solution to solve environmental, social and governance issues, towards the development of circular economy, a goal that all countries in the world are interested in and oriented their development. This study aims to provide an overview of ESG, analyzing the current state of ESG in Vietnam, including: commitments and policies of the Government, commitments and practices of Vietnamese enterprises; From there, we propose a number of solutions to promote the process of commitment and practice of ESG in Vietnam.]. (shrink)

This viewpoint provides an explanation from the public health policies of Vietnamese government to contain the contagious disease with regard to COVID-19 pandemic. A combination of an early lockdown, increase in “virality” of the health information, encouragement in health declaration, regulation for wearing mask in the public, and country’s unity have been the effective ways to cope with this deadly virus in Vietnam, a developing country, which became the first country to halt the SARS spread successfully in 2003.

Thông qua dữ liệu được thu thập từ một mẫu gồm 201 du khách tại ga đi của sân bay Tân Sơn Nhất, nhóm tác giả đã đánh giá sự hài lòng của khách du lịch khi trải nghiệm ứng dụng du lịch thông minh có tên gọi là Tan Son Nhat Airport SGN Info. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy, có 3 nhân tố tác động đến Sự hài lòng của khách du lịch khi sử dụng ứng dụng du (...) lịch thông minh, đó là: (1) Khả năng tiếp cận; (2) Tính tương tác; (3) Tính hữu ích. Từ đó, nhóm tác giả đề xuất một số hàm ý quản trị để cải thiện các thuộc tính của ứng dụng nhằm nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ trong quá trình chuyển đổi số của ngành hàng không và du lịch. (shrink)

Bài viết phân tích các nhân tố ảnh hưởng tới sự gắn kết của đội ngũ giảng viên ở các trường đại học tại Đại học Quốc gia TP. Hồ Chí Minh (ĐHQG TP. HCM). Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy, có 5 nhân tố tác động cùng chiều lên mức độ hài lòng và gắn kết với tổ chức của đội ngũ giảng viên, bao gồm: (i) Sự linh hoạt trong công việc; (ii) Niềm vui tại nơi làm việc; (...) (iii) Phần thưởng và sự công nhận; (iv) Làm việc nhóm; (v) Đào tạo và phát triển. Từ đó, đề xuất một số khuyến nghị giúp nhà quản lý quản trị hiệu quả nguồn nhân lực trong khu vực công ở các trường đại học trong hệ thống ĐHQG TP. HCM. (shrink)

Background: Critically ill patients often require complex clinical care by highly trained staff within a specialized intensive care unit (ICU) with advanced equipment. There are currently limited data on the costs of critical care in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aims to investigate the direct-medical costs of key infectious disease (tetanus, sepsis, and dengue) patients admitted to ICU in a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, and explores how the costs and cost drivers can vary between the (...) different diseases. -/- Methods: We calculated the direct medical costs for patients requiring critical care for tetanus, dengue and sepsis. Costing data (stratified into different cost categories) were extracted from the bills of patients hospitalized to the adult ICU with a dengue, sepsis and tetanus diagnosis that were enrolled in three studies conducted at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCMC from January 2017 to December 2019. The costs were considered from the health sector perspective. The total sample size in this study was 342 patients. -/- Results: ICU care was associated with significant direct medical costs. For patients that did not require mechanical ventilation, the median total ICU cost per patient varied between US$64.40 and US$675 for the different diseases. The costs were higher for patients that required mechanical ventilation, with the median total ICU cost per patient for the different diseases varying between US$2,590 and US$4,250. The main cost drivers varied according to disease and associated severity. -/- Conclusion: This study demonstrates the notable cost of ICU care in Vietnam and in similar LMIC settings. Future studies are needed to further evaluate the costs and economic burden incurred by ICU patients. The data also highlight the importance of evaluating novel critical care interventions that could reduce the costs of ICU care. (shrink)

‘Dumping’ is a practice in international trade whereby a product is introduced into the commerce of another country at less than its ‘normal value,’ which might cause or threaten material injury to the domestic industry of the importing country. To address the practice of dumping and provide rules to deal with it, the World Trade Organization (WTO) adopted the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1994), known as the Anti-Dumping Agreement (ADA). -/- (...) The ADA sets out anti-dumping investigation procedures that importing countries must follow if they wish to impose anti-dumping measures, which are determined by comparing the normal value and the export price of the goods in question. However, not all countries are treated equally under these arrangements. Countries that are non-market economies (NMEs) are accorded special treatment provided by specific rules, including the option for investigating authorities to resort to surrogate prices in a third country for the purpose of establishing normal value. This application of surrogate prices is referred to as ‘NME treatment’. In the absence of an internationally recognised definition of an NME, each WTO Member has adopted its own definition and/or a list of NMEs. Vietnam, a WTO Member whose economy is moving from being centrally planned to being market-based, is considered an NME by both the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). This research investigates whether the non-market economy status of NMEs such as Vietnam disadvantages exporters in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings. The research analyses legal, procedural and other issues relating to the non-market economy status of NMEs in general and Vietnam in particular, in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings conducted by the US and the EU. The research uses a qualitative methodology design, by which data was collected primarily using desk-based study, supplemented by interviews with anti-dumping experts, Vietnamese exporters and government officials. It involves the examination of international law pertaining to anti-dumping, the US and EU anti-dumping laws and investigation procedures, analysis of the WTO anti-dumping dispute settlement procedures and related jurisprudence, as well as the analysis of Vietnam’s transition to a market economy. -/- The research has found that both the US and EU treat Vietnam as a NME and have developed their own specific methodologies for anti-dumping investigations on exports from Vietnam. Furthermore, it highlights the wide discretion of the US and the EU under their domestic laws in many stages of anti-dumping investigations. -/- The findings also show that the WTO Dispute Settlement Body generally considers the US and the EU practices to be consistent with the ADA provisions. However, certain US and EU practices were found to be inconsistent with the ADA, including ‘zeroing’, limited examination, surrogate country selection, and the imposition of the ‘entity-wide rate.’ Further, by applying these practices, investigating authorities might establish unpredictable normal values that may inflate the estimated dumping margins and ultimately lead to the imposition of a higher than appropriate anti-dumping duty. The analysis concludes that the NME status of countries such as Vietnam disadvantages them when facing claims of dumping. Finally, this thesis provides recommendations for Vietnamese exporters that will serve to improve their competence as defendants/respondents in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings and more effectively demonstrate the degree to which their operations are based on market-based principles. Recommendations are also provided to the Vietnam Government on ways in which it can support Vietnamese exporters in anti-dumping investigations and proceedings. (shrink)

Thông khảo, khảo sát 250 doanh nghiệp tại Bình Dương, bài viết nhằm phân tích, đánh giá các yếu tố vi mô tác động trực tiếp đến kết quả hoạt động của hệ thống thông tin kế toán tại doanh nghiệp trên địa bàn Tỉnh. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy, có 4 nhân tố, gồm: Nhân lực kế toán; Công nghệ phần mềm; Quy trình và thủ tục kế toán; Quản lý và lãnh đạo, từ đó đưa ra các (...) giải pháp và kiến nghị nhằm gia tăng hiệu quả hoạt động của hệ thống thông tin kế toán tại các doanh nghiệp trên địa bàn tỉnh Bình Dương, cũng như ở Việt Nam hiện nay. (shrink)

The technological virtual converges with our contemporary existence in a multitude of ways, which suggests a need to interrogate the question of the virtual existentially. Merleau-Ponty’s existential phenomenological account of embodiment is invaluable in this regard because the virtual is encountered from the basis of the facticity of the embodied individual – a facticity that is closely related to perception and motor intentionality. The current article argues that these characteristics of the body-subject should be taken into consideration in order to (...) develop a clearer description of the virtual. However, beyond an embodied account that relates to early technologies, Merleau-Ponty also presents through his concept of the flesh a novel avenue for the ontological investigation of the virtual. The flesh describes the intertwining of the body-subject and the world, which is suggestive of a new account of the individual’s sensibility in relation to the virtual. An original concept is suggested to describe the existential-ontological structure of the virtual: The embodied screen. The embodied screen as neologism presents an alternative conceptualisation of the coincidence of the body-subject (who understands the world spatially) with the virtual (as non-spatial). By tracing imaginative signification and embodied habitude in terms of the virtual, this article suggests certain existential implications of the virtual for contemporary being. (shrink)

In this essay I argue that a comprehensive understanding of addiction and its treatment should include an existential perspective. I provide a brief overview of an existential perspective of addiction and recovery, which will contextualize the remainder of the essay. I then present a case study of how the six-step philosophical practice method of Logic-Based Therapy can assist with issues that often arise in addiction treatment framed through an existential perspective.

The virtual has become the latest rostrum for ideological heteronormativity; it increasingly plays host to an insidious rhetoric of unjustifiably fixed and oppositional gender binaries that exhort heterosexuality as a norm. Conservative political and religious groups, as well as consumerist advertising, utilise digital technology to reinforce cast-in-stone and adversarial social perspectives for manipulative and exploitative ends. Contrastingly, the virtual may be mobilised to support and facilitate queering in contemporary societies and may positively counter such fixed ideological heteronormative categories of social (...) life. Crucial in this transformative account of the virtual is the body, which is for Merleau-Ponty the horizon of engagement with the world as a condition for perception and performativity. Queer perspectives may, in turn, overcome the oversight of Merleau-Ponty (as critically suggested by Judith Butler and Iris Marion Young) regarding the specific gendered characteristics of the body itself, and allows for an expanded embodied and queer conceptualisation of the virtual. A transformative vision of the virtual entails therefore a rethinking of our understanding of digital technology through (a) the phenomenology of the body-subject and (b) queer theory. I argue that the idea of the body as entirely discursive or performative (per queer theory) needs to be adjusted by explicating the foundational ontological characteristics of the body-subject’s encounter of the virtual. (shrink)

When allocating scarce healthcare resources, the expected benefits of alternative allocations matter. But, there are different kinds of benefits. Some are direct benefits to the recipient of the resource such as the health improvements of receiving treatment. Others are indirect benefits to third parties such as the economic gains from having a healthier workforce. This article considers whether only the direct benefits of alternative healthcare resource allocations are relevant to allocation decisions, or whether indirect benefits are relevant too. First, we (...) distinguish different conceptions of direct and indirect benefits and argue that only a recipient conception could be morally relevant. We analyze four arguments for thinking that indirect benefits should not count and argue that none is successful in showing that the indirectness of a benefit is a good reason not to count it. We conclude that direct and indirect benefits should be evaluated in the same way. (shrink)

Nghiên cứu đánh giá hiệu quả của các mô hình học máy trong việc dự đoán biến động của chỉ số VNIndex. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy, phương pháp mạng tích chập thời gian (Temporal Convolutional Networks - TCN) và mạng bộ nhớ dài ngắn (Long Short - Term Memory - LSTM) có khả năng dự báo biến động chỉ số VNIndex với độ chính xác cao, trong đó LSTM thể hiện có hiệu quả dự báo tốt hơn. Phát (...) hiện từ nghiên cứu này không chỉ góp phần vào lý thuyết dự báo tài chính mà còn cung cấp công cụ hữu ích cho các nhà đầu tư và các nhà quản lý quỹ trong việc ra quyết định đầu tư trên thị trường chứng khoán Việt Nam. [This research evaluates the effectiveness of machine learning models in predicting VNIndex fluctuations. Research results show that the method of temporal convolutional networks (TCN) and long short–term memory networks (LSTM) are capable of predicting VNIndex fluctuations with high accuracy, in which LSTM shows better forecasting performance. Findings from this study not only contribute to financial forecasting theory but also provide useful tools for investors and fund managers in making investment decisions in the Vietnamese stock market.]. (shrink)

In this essay I explore the notion of philosophy as a way of life as a recovery pathway for individuals in addiction recovery. My hypothesis is that philosophy as a way of life can be a compelling, and legitimate recovery pathway for individuals in addiction recovery, as one of many recovery pathways. I will focus on logic-based therapy applied in the context of addiction recovery. The aim of presenting a case study is to show how a client receiving LBT is (...) provided with techniques and a worldview that can contribute to a philosophically oriented recovery program. In the case study the client was advised to apply the moral philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche as an uplifting philosophical framework to counteract his unproductive worldview and fallacious thinking. Considering that there is an ostensibly low efficacy rate for the treatment of addiction, articulating the value of philosophy as a way of life as a recovery pathway provides a conceptual and methodological framework for the development of novel philosophically-based addiction treatment and recovery-oriented programs—thus expanding the treatment and recovery options available for those seeking recovery from addiction. (shrink)

Social networking technologies have become a ubiquitous framework for social interaction, serving to organise much of the individual’s social life. Such technological structuring affects not merely the individual’s psyche (as a psychotechnics), it also affects broader aspects of society (as a socio-technics). While social networking technologies may serve to transform society in positive ways, such technologies also have the potential to significantly encroach upon and (re) construct individual and cultural meaning in ways that must be investigated. Erich Fromm, who psychoanalytically (...) describes humans as a product of their society and the economic systems within that society, may provide insight into the influence of social networking technologies in contemporary society. He sees the relationship between the individual and society as being in a constant state of dynamic change. Utilising Fromm’s psycho-societal insight, social networking technologies are shown to conflate and confuse the relation between Thanatos and Eros – the Thanatos of a lifeless and consumerist agenda-filled mechanisation, and the Eros associated with social engagement. Thanatos and Eros are tied together via social networking technologies. This results in, firstly, social networking technologies functioning predominantly to further capitalist agendas through the monetisation of these technologies – particularly in terms of linking commodity fetishism and the foundational social drive of the individual. Secondly, social networking technologies mechanise human action according to predictable behavioural paths through the use of these technologies, especially in terms of how socialisation is possible via these technologies (shaping how platonic and romantic relationships may take place in the contemporary world). Such a mechanisation of interpersonal engagement contrasts with Erich Fromm’s assertion that interpersonal relations (vis-à-vis love) are not “mere emotion”, but rather represent an interpersonal creative capacity and interplay. Fromm’s psycho-societal insights will show how contemporary individuals may take independent and responsible rational action to establish accountable and psychologically beneficial ways of engaging with others through social networking technologies. (shrink)

This article outlines an integrally informed model for addictionon treatment and recover that is being pioneered and developed at Tabankulu Secondary Addiction Recovery Center in Cape Town, South Africa. Tabankulu is the world’s first inpatient Addictionon treatment center to implement an integrally informed treatment model. The Integrated Recovery model is a comprehensive, balanced, multi-phased, and multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of and recovery from addiction. Its philosophy is derived from integrang a 12 Step abstinence-based methodology, mindfulness-based interventions, positive psychology, and (...) Integral Theory. The case is made that addictionon treatment facilities, therapists working with this population, and recovering addicts will become more proficient, effective, and consequently have higher success rates by becoming integrally informed. (shrink)

ABSTRACT The technological virtual converges with our contemporary existence in a multitude of ways, which suggests a need to interrogate the question of the virtual existentially. Merleau-Ponty’s existential phenomenological account of embodiment is invaluable in this regard because the virtual is encountered from the basis of the facticity of the embodied individual – a facticity that is closely related to perception and motor intentionality. The current article argues that these characteristics of the body-subject should be taken into consideration in order (...) to develop a clearer description of the virtual. However, beyond an embodied account that relates to early technologies, Merleau-Ponty also presents through his concept of the flesh a novel avenue for the ontological investigation of the virtual. The flesh describes the intertwining of the body-subject and the world, which is suggestive of a new account of the individual’s sensibility in relation to the virtual. An original concept is suggested to describe the existential-ontological structure of the virtual: The embodied screen. The embodied screen as neologism presents an alternative conceptualisation of the coincidence of the body-subject (who understands the world spatially) with the virtual (as non-spatial). By tracing imaginative signification and embodied habitude in terms of the virtual, this article suggests certain existential implications of the virtual for contemporary being. (shrink)

Nghiên cứu này xem xét tác động của du lịch, tiêu thụ năng lượng tái tạo và đổi mới công nghệ lên lượng phát thải CO2 tại Việt Nam trong giai đoạn 1995-2020. Ứng dụng mô hình phân phối trễ tự hồi quy (ARDL) kết hợp với phương pháp kiểm định đường bao về mối quan hệ đồng liên kết, nghiên cứu đã cung cấp các bằng chứng về mối quan hệ giữa các biến số này cả trong dài hạn (...) và ngắn hạn. Kết quả cho thấy, trong ngắn hạn lẫn dài hạn, du lịch có xu hướng làm tăng lượng phát thải CO2, trong khi việc tiêu thụ năng lượng tái tạo giúp giảm lượng phát thải. Đổi mới công nghệ cũng giúp giảm lượng phát thải CO2 ­ trong dài hạn, tuy nhiên chưa có bằng chứng về tác động này trong ngắn hạn. Một số khuyến nghị chính sách cũng được đề xuất dựa vào các kết quả nghiên cứu trên. [This study examines the impact of tourism, renewable energy consumption, and technological innovation on CO2 emissions in Vietnam over the period 1995-2020. Applying the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model combined with the envelope test method on the cointegration relationship, the study has provided evidence of the relationship between these variables over the long term and short term. The results show that, in the short and long term, tourism tends to increase CO2 emissions, while renewable energy consumption helps reduce emissions. Technological innovation also helps reduce CO2 emissions in the long term, but there is no evidence of this impact in the short term. Some policy recommendations are also proposed based on the above research results.]. (shrink)

Abstract This article proposes and outlines an integrally informed 12 Step-based therapy that is adapted for treating addicted populations. Integrated Recovery Therapy (IRT) as a therapeutic orientation is an Integral Methodological Pluralism to therapy for treating addiction. Its two main features are paradigmatic and meta-paradigmatic. The paradigmatic aspect refers to the recognition, compilation and implementation of various methodologies in a comprehensive and inclusive manner. The meta-paradigmatic aspect refers to IRT’s capacity to weave together, relate and integrate the various paradigmatic practices. (...) IRT is a meta-therapy derived from the Integrated Recovery Model, which is a comprehensive, balanced, multi-phased and multi-disciplinary clinical model designed for in-patient addiction treatment. As with the Integrated Recovery Model, IRT’s philosophy is derived from an integration of the 12-step abstinence-based philosophy, mindfulness, positive psychology, and Integral theory. It is suggested here that the application of IRT as a meta-therapy provides a truly comprehensive and integrated therapeutic orientation for therapists who treat addicted populations. -/- Keywords: Integrated Recovery Therapy, Integrated Recovery model; 12 Steps; mindfulness; Integral theory; positive psycholog. (shrink)

This is an English translation of Emilie Du Châtelet's "Sur la liberté." This 18th century text discusses freedom of the will, determinism, and divine foreknowledge. Translated from French by Julia Jorati, with the help of Julie Roy. French edition of this text, on which this translation is based: “Sur la liberté,” in Oeuvres complètes de Voltaire, vol. 14, edited by William H. Barber, 484–502. Oxford: Voltaire Foundation, 1989.

Currently there is such a cornucopia of conflicting theories in the field of addiction studies that it has become exceedingly difficult for treatment providers, therapists, and policymakers to integrate this vast field of knowledge into effective treatment. Since such a chaotic overabundance of treatment theories, styles, and definitions cloud the field of addictionology, many therapists claim their field is in need of a paradigm shift. In the last 20 years an integrative and compound model has emerged known as the biopsychosocial (...) model, but without a solid and comprehensive meta-framework, syncretistic confusion can result when therapists pick and choose techniques without direction or an overall rationale. To address this problem, Guy du Plessis applies integral theory as a conceptual framework for understanding addiction, as well as a meta-therapeutic framework for therapists. The integral foundation of addiction outlined in this book provides researchers, academics, treatment providers, policy makers, and therapists with a conceptual architectonic of addiction and its treatment that is integrative, inclusive, and practical. An Integral Foundation for Addiction Treatment belongs on the shelf of every addiction treatment therapist, and anyone else who is impacted or influenced by the topic. (shrink)

This article explores the utility of Nietzsche’s ethical thought for philosophical counselling. Central to the philosophical counseling process is philosophical counsellors applying the work of philosophers to inspire, educate, and guide their counselees in dealing with life problems. For example, Logic-Based Therapy (LBT), a method of philosophical counselling developed by Elliot Cohen, provides a rational framework for confronting problems of living, where the counselor helps the counselee find an uplifting philosophy that promotes a guiding virtue that acts as an antidote (...) to unrealistic and often self-defeating conclusions derived from irrational premises. I present the argument that Nietzsche’s moral philosophy, and more specifically his analysis of suffering, is one such uplifting philosophy which can be of utility to philosophical counselors to help their counselees with confronting problems of living. According to Bernard Reginster, suffering forms the bedrock of Nietzsche's life-affirming concept of the will to power. Nietzsche’s notion of the will to power radically alters our conception and significance of suffering – and that the will to power is best understood as man’s desire for the activity of overcoming resistance. Nietzsche's analysis implies that the fundamental human impulse is not to avoid suffering, but instead to will nothing less than suffering itself. To find meaning in suffering is tantamount to affirming life itself. (shrink)

This article explores the potential utility of the theory of Holism as developed by South African philosopher, British Commonwealth statesman and military leader, Jan Smuts, for philosophical counselling or practice. Central to the philosophical counseling process is philosophical counsellors or practitioners applying the work of philosophers to inspire, educate and guide their counselees in dealing with life problems. For example, Logic-Based Therapy, a method of philosophical counselling developed by Elliot Cohen, provides a rational framework for confronting problems of living, where (...) the counselor helps the counselee find an uplifting philosophy that promotes a guiding virtue that acts as an antidote to unrealistic and often self-defeating conclusions derived from irrational premises. We present the argument that Holism is one such uplifting philosophy which can be of utility to philosophical counselors or practitioners to help their counselees with confronting problems of living. Furthermore, we argue that Smuts’ articulation of freedom can act as a guiding virtue within this uplifting philosophy of Holism in accordance with the methodology of LBT. Smuts’ contribution to philosophy and psychology is arguably inadequately credited, and for this reason, and to the best of our knowledge, Smuts’ theory of Holism has yet to be discussed in the context of philosophical counseling or practice. Given these omissions, we begin this article with a discussion of his influence on 20th Century Anglo-American psychology. We then provide a brief historical context, and an introduction to the central argument of Smuts’ Holism, as well as a brief overview of the origins of Smut’s Holism and an introduction to his book Holism and Evolution. In the remainder of the article, we discuss several foundational concepts that underlie Smuts’ theory of Holism, as articulated and developed in his book Holism and Evolution, to substantiate our arguments. We conclude by highlighting the limitations of our article, limitations to Smuts’ model, and the challenges inherent in the use of a now largely antiquated theory, even by Smuts’ own admission nineteen years after its publication, for the purposes of contextualizing and substantiating the arguments and recommendations presented herein. (shrink)

Daniel O’Shiel recently identified four categories of virtuality, which he terms “real virtualities”, that are perpetually present in human perception. These virtual horizons (Self, World, Others, and Values) continuously structure our experience without themselves being directly experienced. This essay argues that O’Shiel’s four categories of the virtual correspond strongly to the concept of the Fourfold found in the writings of the later Heidegger, and that Heidegger’s Fourfold can be fruitfully understood as a phenomenological framework of the virtual.

This essay addresses the notion of self-deception as articulated by Sigmund Freud and Jean-Paul Sartre. More specifically, I will critically assess Sartre’s notion of ‘bad faith’ (mauvaise foi) as a critique of Freud’s depth-psychological account of self-deception. Sartre’s main objection to Freud’s account of self-deception rests on his argument that for self-deception to occur there needs to be a conscious awareness of the coexistence of mutually incompatible beliefs, and that Freud had obscured this fact by splitting the self and with (...) a mixture of jargon. In conclusion, I suggest a speculative and tentative hypothesis for self-deception that suggests an alternative to Freud and Sartre’s account of self-deception, one that views the self or self-system as having a disposition for self-deception when understood as having the capacity for fluid working self-states that are ‘expandable’ and ‘contractable’ that differ in self-complexity. (shrink)

Integral Theory as developed by Ken Wilber and other contemporary Integral scholars acknowledge many antecedent foundational influences, and proto-Integral thinkers. Curiously, the philosopher-statesman Jan Smuts’ theory of Holism is seldom acknowledged, although it has significantly contributed, albeit often implicitly, to the development of Integral Theory. This paper and presentation has two central aims: To point out that Smuts can be counted amongst one of the great Integral thinkers of the 20th Century; that Smuts’ notion of Holism had a significant influence (...) on the development of Integral Theory. This paper and presentation will provide a brief outline of Smuts’ theory of Holism as developed in his book Holism and Evolution and other philosophical essays. (shrink)

Health policy is only one part of social policy. Although spending administered by the health sector constitutes a sizeable fraction of total state spending in most countries, other sectors such as education and transportation also represent major portions of national budgets. Additionally, though health is one important aspect of economic and social activity, people pursue many other goals in their social and economic lives. Similarly, direct benefits—those that are immediate results of health policy choices—are only a small portion of the (...) overall impact of health policy. This chapter considers what weight health policy should give to its “spill-over effects,” namely non-health and indirect benefits. (shrink)

Central to the philosophical practice is the application of philosophers' work by philosophical practitioners to inspire, educate, and guide their clients. For example, in Logic-Based Therapy (LBT), a philosophical practice methodology developed by Elliot Cohen, philosophical practitioners help their clients to find an uplifting philosophy that promotes a guiding virtue that acts as an antidote to unrealistic and often self-defeating conclusions derived from irrational premises. In this essay, I will explore the existential ethics of Simone de Beauvoir, a French existentialist (...) philosopher, and writer. I present the argument that Beauvoir’s existential ethics, more specifically her articulation of ambiguity, can act as an uplifting philosophy, as per LBT methodology, which could be of value to philosophical practitioners to inspire, educate and guide their counselees for confronting problems of living. I will present my discussion of Beauvoir’s existential ethics in the context of ideological obsession and ideology addiction, which is often supported by the reasoning that underlies the cardinal fallacy of existential perfectionism. I will argue that Beauvoir’s existential ethics could serve as a prophylactic for ideological obsession and ideology addiction. I will also suggest that LBT may be particularly suited when addressing the self-defeating, unrealistic conclusions derived from irrational premises in practical reasoning that may fuel ideological obsession because it could provide a methodology to address irrational beliefs in a way that could mitigate the fragmentation anxiety that may arise when relinquishing maladaptive self-object organizations. (shrink)

It is indubitable that machines with artificial intelligence (AI) will be an essential component in humans’ quest to become a spacefaring civilization. Most would agree that long-distance space travel and the colonization of Mars will not be possible without adequately developed AI. Machines with AI have a normative function, but some argue that it can also be evaluated from the perspective of ethical norms. This essay is based on the assumption that machine ethics is an essential philosophical perspective in realizing (...) the aim of humanity becoming a spacefaring civilization. In this essay, I explore two questions in the field of machine ethics, that I believe to be relevant to the role AI will play in long-distance space travel. The first is, should moral theory be extended to include machines with AI, and second, can machines be fully ethical agents? In this essay, I define AI and then discuss the difference between implicit, explicit and full ethical agents in relation to machines with AI. I then present the argument that the inclusion of moral theory is essential in the development of machines with AI. Without an adequate inclusion of moral theory in the design of AI it may pose an existential threat to humanity, especially in the development of super-intelligent machines. I also highlight that conceptual clarity is essential in the field of machine ethics and the choice of the conceptual foundation that informs AI research and development has ethical implications, especially in the case of super-intelligent machines. This essay is an exploratory and speculative philosophical analysis of certain aspects of machine ethics relevant to long-distance space travel and does not attempt to provide definitive answers to the questions posed in the essay, but instead aims to bring attention to what I deem important considerations. (shrink)

ABSTRACT In previous work I explored how Integral Theory can be applied as a metatheoretical and transdisciplinary framework, in an attempt to arrive at an integrally informed metatheory of addiction. There was an overemphasis on Integral Methodological Pluralism in that thread of research, without clarifying the ontological pluralism of addiction as a multiple object enacted by various methodologies. To arrive at a comprehensive integral metatheory and integral ontology of addiction, I believe it is necessary to include the conception of Integral (...) Pluralism and Integral Enactment Theory as posited by Sean Esbjörn-Hargens. Integral Enactment Theory highlights the phenomenon of addiction as a multiple and dynamic object arising along a continuum of ontological complexity; it adeptly points out how etiological models “co-arise” in relation to methodology (methodological pluralism) to enact a particular reality of addiction (ontological pluralism) while being mediated by the worldview of the subject (epistemological pluralism) applying the method. This article briefly explores the significance of including Integral Pluralism and Integral Enactment Theory in the quest of an integral metatheory and integral ontology of addiction. (shrink)

It may be a deep, yet often ignored, human need for a human being to have value. In this paper, I firstly point out the problem of value, which is, roughly, how to find a way for a human being to have value. Then, I point out the problem of existence, which is a related problem, which is, roughly, how to affirm existence in an absolute manner. After that, I propose a solution to the problem of existence, which is a (...) new way of thinking, which starts with a pure concept of existence, or in other words, a pure concept of "there be". This new way of thinking itself may be worthy of further philosophical research, especially metaphysical research. Finally, in this new way of thinking, I propose a solution to the problem of value, of which the main part is a metaphysical argument for that every entity has value. This paper may help to address the deep, yet often ignored, human need for a human being to have value. (shrink)

Philosophy of technology was not initially considered a consolidated field of inquiry. However, under the influence of sociology and pragmatist philosophy, something resembling a consensus has emerged in a field previously marked by a lack of agreement amongst its practitioners. This has given the field a greater sense of structure and yielded interesting research. However, the loss of the earlier “messy” state has resulted in a limitation of the field’s scope and methodology that precludes an encompassing view of the problematic (...) issues inherent in the question of technology. It is argued that the heterodox disunity and diversity of earlier philosophy of technology was not a mark of theoretical immaturity but was necessitated by the field’s complex subject matter. It is further argued that philosophy of technology should return to its pluralistic role as a meta-analytical structure linking insights from different fields of research. (shrink)

Background: The use of digital technology in higher education is overwhelmingly positively assessed in most recent research literature. While some literature indicates certain challenges in this regard, in general, the emphasis is on an encouragement and promotion of digital technology in higher education. While we recognised the positive potential of the use of digital technology in higher education, we were cautious of an instrumentalist and disembodied understanding of (digital) technology and its potential impact on higher education – as a sector (...) of education and as a body of students. Aim: To re-conceptualise the way in which technology is understood for its use in the higher education sector, as is argued, would be of benefit for transformation in higher education. Setting: South African Higher Education sector. Methods: Phenomenology of embodiment. Results: An embodied understanding of technology through the embodied phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty and an explication of its potential for transformation in higher education via the working concept of the Embodied Screen leads to a full understanding of the student as embodied and socially-embedded individual. Conclusion: A more holistic and embodied understanding of digital technology serves to supplement transformation in higher education, especially if transformation is itself understood in concrete social and bodily terms as is the case in the South African context. (shrink)

Du lịch và khách sạn là ngành mang lại hiệu quả kinh tế cao, nhưng cũng là ngành có nhiều tác động đến môi trường sinh thái. Trong bối cảnh biến đổi khí hậu (BĐKH) đang diễn ra mạnh mẽ, đồng thời với quá trình đô thị hóa tại TP. Hồ Chí Minh, hiện chuyển đổi xanh trong ngành khách sạn và du lịch sẽ góp phần giảm tiêu thụ tài nguyên, ô nhiễm môi trường và thúc đẩy phát triển (...) kinh tế bền vững. Bài viết phân tích thực trạng chuyển đổi xanh ở các doanh nghiệp du lịch và khách sạn trên địa bàn TP. Hồ Chí Minh. Trên cơ sở đó, đề xuất một số giải pháp để giúp các doanh nghiệp này tham gia vào cuộc cách mạng xanh, góp phần vào sự phát triển bền vững của đất nước trong giai đoạn hiện nay. -/- [Tourism and hotels are high economic efficiency industries but at the same time also have various impacts on the ecological environment. In the context that climate change has taken place strongly, with the urbanization process in Ho Chi Minh City, green transition in the hotel and tourism industries will contribute to reducing resource consumption, reducing environmental pollution, and promoting sustainable economic development. This article analyzes the status of green transition in tourism and hotel businesses in Ho Chi Minh City. On that basis, proposes some solutions to help these businesses participate in the green revolution, contributing to the sustainable development of the country in the current period.]. (shrink)

Academics should produce quality scholarly research. However, the demands of the marketised, neoliberal higher education institution and the increase in the academic’s bureaucratic and administrative tasks do not allow for adequate engagement with the deep work and slow forms of scholarship that are needed to produce cutting-edge and insightful research. Many academics find it challenging to think critically and creatively under such conditions, yet they are unwilling to fill their time with shallow work instead. Thus, they are torn between producing (...) an institutionally-determined number of research outputs, and striving towards producing quality scholarly work that advances knowledge in the academic’s discipline. Reading groups serve to rework this tension by providing a communal and scheduled place and mind-space for reading major academic works. Reading takes time and persistence. We find that setting aside time and creating creative spaces for reading groups offer an opportunity for silent revolt against the pressures of the higher education institution. In this (post)qualitative inquiry we diffractively read – “through one another” – two autoethnographical accounts to experiment with our experiences of various reading groups over a period of three years while positioning ourselves in relation to Barad’s notion of diffraction. This speculative experimentation entails a myriad of ideas and methods that serve to decentre hegemonic, monolithic knowledge systems through seeking alternative ways of knowing, and recognises the importance of the entanglement of matter and meaning in tracing (and countering) the social relations produced in neoliberalist contexts. Such (re)thinking is thus a vital counterpoint to the neoliberal obsessions of the higher education context, (re)directing the scholar to new non-autonomous and mutable landscapes. (shrink)

In this essay I address the notions of motivation and self-deception by exploring the value of philosophy in the context of addiction treatment. More specifically, in this essay I explore the notion of philosophy as a way of life as a recovery pathway for individuals in addiction recovery. My hypothesis is that philosophy as a way of life can be a compelling, and legitimate recovery pathway for individuals in addiction recovery, as one of many recovery pathways. I will focus on (...) logic-based therapy (LBT) applied in the context of addiction recovery. The aim of presenting a case study is to show how a client receiving LBT is provided with techniques and a worldview that can contribute to a philosophically oriented recovery program. In the case study the client was advised to apply the moral philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche as an uplifting philosophical framework to counteract his unproductive worldview and fallacious thinking. Considering that there is an ostensibly low efficacy rate for the treatment of addiction, articulating the value of philosophy as a way of life as a recovery pathway provides a conceptual and methodological framework for the development of novel philosophically-based addiction treatment and recovery-oriented programs–thus expanding the treatment and recovery options available for those seeking recovery from addiction. (shrink)

This essay addresses the notion of self-deception as articulated by Sigmund Freud and Jean-Paul Sartre. More specifically, it provides an analysis of Sartre’s critique of Freud’s depth-psychological account of self-deception. I critically examine his theory of bad faith as an account of self-deception. Sartre’s main objection to the depthpsychological explanation of Freud’s account of self-deception rests on his argument that for self-deception to occur there needs to be conscious awareness of the coexistence of mutually incompatible beliefs, and that Freud had (...) obscured this fact by splitting the self and with a mixture of jargon. (shrink)

Thời gian qua, Phú Yên đã có nhiều hoạt động thúc đẩy “ngành công nghiệp không khói” phát triển. Trong phạm vi bài viết này, tác giả phân tích tiềm năng và thực trạng phát triển du lịch tỉnh Phú Yên, từ đó đề xuất một số giải pháp nhằm phát triển du lịch Phú Yên trong thời gian tới.

ABSTRACT In my previous work I explored how Integral Theory can be applied as a meta‐theoretical and transdisciplinary framework, in an attempt to arrive at integrally informed metatheory of addiction, yet indispensable aspects were overlooked. Moreover, an overemphasis was placed on Integral Methodological Pluralism, without clarifying the ontological pluralism of addiction as a multiple object enacted by various methodologies. I believe what is needed in an attempt at a comprehensive integral metatheory of addiction is to include Sean Esbjörn‐Hargens and Michael (...) Zimmerman’s Integral Pluralism and Integral Enactment Theory. Integral Enactment Theory highlights the phenomenon of addiction as a multiple and dynamic object arising along a continuum of ontological complexity. Integral Enactment Theory adeptly points out how etiological models “co‐arise”, in relation to methodology (methodological pluralism) and enacts a particular reality of addiction (ontological pluralism), while being mediated by the world view of the subject (epistemological pluralism) applying the method. This paper briefly explores the significance of including Integral Pluralism and Integral Enactment theory in the quest of an integral metatheory of addiction . (shrink)

In this study, we conceptualized a framework capturing recurring troublesome elements of mental states such as depression and general anxiety, assessing them by applying standard clinical inventory. The study explores the extent to which danger control and fear control under the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) threat impact job insecurity, with uncertainty phenomenon causing afflicting effect on the experiential nature of depression heightened by anxiety. With the aim to explore the job insecurity relationship with anxiety and depression, and measure the (...) impact of EPPM threat, an empirical study was conducted in the United States on a sample of 347 white collar employees. Demographic data, EPPM threat, job insecurity, anxiety, and depression data were collected via a standardized questionnaire during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The findings of the study suggest that job insecurity has a significant impact on depression and anxiety, whereas the threat of COVID-19 has a significant impact on depression. Mediating effects of job insecurity and EPPM threat impact on anxiety were not established in the study. The study contributes to the apprehension of the repercussions of major environmental disruptions on normal human functioning, and it investigates the effects of self-reported protective behaviors on risk perception. The study also explains the underlying mechanisms of coping behavior as possible antecedents to mental disorders. When subjected to stressful events, heightened psychological arousal causes physical and psychological challenges of affected employees to manifest as behavioral issues. (shrink)

Addiction is one of the most significant problems facing contemporary society. Consequently many scholars, institutions and clinicians have sought to understand this complex phenomenon, as is evident in the abundance of etiological models of addiction in existence today. A literature review pointed that there is little consensus regarding the nature and etiopathogenesis of addiction, and integrative models have not yet been able to provide the sought-after integration. In addressing this problem, this study offers a theoretical analysis of the paradigmatic and (...) meta-paradigmatic suitability of Integral Theory in the design of an integrated metatheory of addiction. The data consisted of the most prominent etiological theories and models of addiction. The study focused on several essential features constituting the architectonic of any metatheory that attempts to provide conceptual scaffolding for the construction of a comprehensive metatheory of addiction. The criteria for the construction of a metatheory were conceptual integration, ontological span, ontological depth, empirical validity and internal consistency. Integral Theory was critically assessed in terms of each of the abovementioned criteria. The study suggests that Integral Theory is eminently suitable as a philosophical foundation for the development of an integrated metatheory of addiction. (shrink)

Little attention has been paid to the place attachment and homeland construction for refugees and their descendants in China. This study investigates the process by which the place attachment of Young Overseas Chinese Relatives is shaped in the context of resettlement sites. This qualitative research employed ethnographic fieldwork, and the author collected local literature and materials from February to December 2019 through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires. It is believed that the construction of a new homeland in the community, (...) the emotional experience of the Young in childhood, and the cultural logic of place attachment shape place attachment. The process by which place attachment is shaped is interwoven with homeland construction, which indicates that the living state and mentality of the Young are becoming increasingly stable. The Young developed different mentalities on the basis of traditional Confucian culture in responding to the socio-cultural environments. (shrink)

Mô hình tích hợp đa kênh đang là xu hướng được áp dụng mạnh mẽ của các doanh nghiệp tại nhiều quốc gia trên thế giới trong bối cảnh của cuộc Cách mạng công nghiệp lần thứ 4. Bài báo này nhằm khái quát hóa một số vấn đề lý luận cơ bản và đề xuất các giả thuyết nghiên cứu về mối quan hệ giữa các yếu tố áp lực thể chế tới mô hình tích hợp đa kênh và (...) hiệu suất kinh doanh của các doanh nghiệp du lịch Việt Nam. -/- [The multi-channel integrated business model is a strongly trend applied by businesses in many countries around the world in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution. This article aims to generalize the theory and propose research hypotheses on the relationship between Institutional pressures and the multi-channel integration model and firm performance of Vietnamese tourism businesses.]. (shrink)

Bài viết xác định các yếu tố có tác động lớn tới rủi ro tài chính tại các doanh nghiệp sản xuất niêm yết trên sàn chứng khoán Việt Nam dựa trên phương pháp chọn biến LASSO và xây dựng mô hình học máy dự báo rủi ro tài chính. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy, mô hình LASSO đã xác định 5 chỉ số tài chính ảnh hưởng đến rủi ro tài chính mà các doanh nghiệp rủi ro gặp (...) phải trong suốt 5 năm (2017-2021) gồm: Hệ số khả năng thanh toán ngắn hạn (Tài sản ngắn hạn/Nợ ngắn hạn); Số vòng quay tổng tài sản (Doanh thu thuần/Tổng tài sản); ROA (Lợi nhuận sau thuế/Tổng tài sản); Tỷ lệ Nợ dài hạn trên Tổng tài sản; Tỷ lệ Nợ ngắn hạn trên Tổng nợ phải trả. Mạng nơron nhân tạo (Artificial Neural Network - ANN) cho thấy, Hiệu quả cao nhất trong việc dự đoán tình hình rủi ro tài chính. Từ đó, đề xuất một số giải pháp và chính sách cho các doanh nghiệp. [By LASSO variable selection method and machine learning to predict financial risk, the paper aims to discover factors that have a major impact on financial risk in manufacturing enterprises listed on the Vietnamese stock exchange. Research results indicates that the LASSO model identifies 5 financial indicators affecting financial risks which risky businesses faced during 5 years (2017-2021), they are Short-term solvency ratio (Short-term assets/Short-term liabilities); Total asset turnover (Net revenue/Total assets); ROA (Profit after tax/Total assets); Long-term debt to total asset ratio; Short-term debt to total debt ratio. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) shows the highest efficiency in predicting financial risk. From those finding, the paper proposes some solutions and policies for businesses.]. (shrink)

This special issue of Acta Academica contains a collection of papers on the topic of Contested Identities, presented during the 3rd Annual Conference of the South African Society for Critical Theory, held at the University of KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa.

Nghiên cứu khảo sát 120 nhân viên và quản lý thuộc 31 ngân hàng thương mại (NHTM) Việt Nam, sử dụng mô hình chấp nhận và sử dụng công nghệ - UTAUT để xác định các nhân tố ảnh hưởng đến việc áp dụng công nghệ chuỗi (Blockchain) trong việc chuyển giao dữ liệu giữa các ngân hàng. Kết quả cho thấy, Sự hỗ trợ pháp lý điều tiết sự ảnh hưởng của nhân tố Niềm tin và sự yêu thích (...) công nghệ đến Khả năng áp dụng Blockchain. Hơn nữa, những nhân tố, như: Nỗ lực mong đợi, Điều kiện thuận lợi và Hiệu quả mong đợi đều tác động tích cực đến Khả năng áp dụng Blockchain trong chuyển giao dữ liệu tại các ngân hàng. Kết quả nghiên cứu là cơ sở để đề xuất một số giải pháp cho các NHTM Việt Nam nhằm nâng cao khả năng áp dụng thành công Blockchain trong tương lai gần. -/- [This study surveyed 120 employees and managers of 31 commercial banks in Vietnam, using the model unified theory of acceptance and use of technology - UTAUT to identify factors affecting the application of chain technology (Blockchain) in data transfer between banks. The results show that legal support moderates the influence of Trust and love of technology on the Likelihood of Blockchain adoption. Furthermore, factors such as Expected effort, Favorable conditions, and Expected efficiency all positively impact the ability to apply Blockchain in data transfer at banks. The research results are the basis for proposing several solutions for Vietnamese commercial banks to improve the ability to successfully apply Blockchain soon.]. (shrink)

The debate between instrumentalist and technological determinist positions on the nature of technology characterised the early history of the philosophy of technology. In recent years however technological determinism has ceased to be viewed as a credible philosophical position within the field. This paper uses Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology to reconsider the technological determinist outlook in phenomenological terms as an experiential response to the encounter with the phenomenon of modern technology. Recasting the instrumentalist-determinist debate in a phenomenological manner enables one to reconcile the (...) apparent dualism of the instrumentalist and determinist positions through Merleau-Ponty’s ontology of the flesh. This ontology has recently been used to ground accounts of virtual embodiment. We argue that in addition to explaining away the classical form of technological determinism, it can also phenomenologically ground a novel understanding of technological determinism. Namely, a technological determinism of virtual embodiment. (shrink)