As ethics consultants on a busy consult service in a large urban setting, we would approach this case by gathering more information and context. This involves clarifying the clinical facts, underst...

When the COVID-19 surge hit New York City hospitals, the Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medical College, and our affiliated ethics consultation services, faced waves of ethical issues sweeping forward with intensity and urgency. In this article, we describe our experience over an eight-week period (16 March through 10 May 2020), and describe three types of services: clinical ethics consultation (CEC); service practice communications/interventions (SPCI); and organizational ethics advisement (OEA). We tell this narrative through the prism of time, (...) describing the evolution of ethical issues and trends as the pandemic unfolded. We delineate three phases: anticipation and preparation, crisis management, and reflection and adjustment. The first phase focused predominantly on ways to address impending resource shortages and to plan for remote ethics consultation, and CECs focused on code status discussions with surrogates. The second phase was characterized by the dramatic convergence of a rapid increase in the number of critically ill patients, a growing scarcity of resources, and the reassignment/ redeployment of staff outside their specialty areas. The third phase was characterized by the recognition that while the worst of the crisis was waning, its medium- and long-term consequences continued to pose immense challenges. We note that there were times during the crisis that serving in the role of clinical ethics consultant created a sense of dis-ease as novel as the coronavirus itself. In retrospect we learned that our activities far exceeded the familiar terrain of clinical ethics consultation and extended into other spheres of organizational life in novel ways that were unanticipated before this pandemic. To that end, we defined and categorized a middle level of ethics consultation, which we have termed service practice communication intervention (SPCI). This is an underappreciated dimension of the work that ethics consult services are capable of in times of crisis. We believe that the pandemic has revealed the many enduring ways that ethics consultation services can more robustly contribute to the ethical life of their institutions moving forward. (shrink)

While it is not explicitly included in capacity assessment tools, “consistency” has come to feature as a central concern when assessing patients’ capacity. In order to determine whether inconsistency indicates incapacity, clinicians must determine the source of the inconsistency with respect to the process or content of a patient’s decision-making. In this paper, we outline common types of inconsistency and analyze them against widely accepted elements of capacity. We explore the question of whether inconsistency necessarily entails a deficiency in a (...) patient’s capacity. While inconsistency may count as _prima_ _facie_ evidence of incapacity—enough evidence to justify a closer look—when making such determinations, it is important for clinicians to slow down, inquire about the reasons underlying the inconsistency and clearly show which of the elements of capacity the patient fails to satisfy. (shrink)

While it is not explicitly included in capacity assessment tools, “consistency” has come to feature as a central concern when assessing patients’ capacity. In order to determine whether inconsistency indicates incapacity, clinicians must determine the source of the inconsistency with respect to the process or content of a patient’s decision-making. In this paper, we outline common types of inconsistency and analyze them against widely accepted elements of capacity. We explore the question of whether inconsistency necessarily entails a deficiency in a (...) patient’s capacity. While inconsistency may count as prima facie evidence of incapacity—enough evidence to justify a closer look—when making such determinations, it is important for clinicians to slow down, inquire about the reasons underlying the inconsistency and clearly show which of the elements of capacity the patient fails to satisfy. (shrink)

By 20 October 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had amended its Emergency Use Authorizations for immunocompetent adults who previously received the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. For the 2-dose Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the FDA permitted a single booster dose for adults aged 65 years or older and adults aged 18 to 64 years at high-risk for severe COVID-19 or at high risk for occupational or institutional COVID-19 exposure. For the single-dose Johnson & Johnson (...) vaccine, the FDA permitted a single booster dose for all adults aged 18 or older. These eligibility schemes were endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortly after FDA approval. (shrink)

Background. Midwives provide the majority of maternal and child healthcare in South Africa. The care provided by midwives during childbirth is a unique life experience for women, and in order to provide safe care, midwives are expected to comply with ethical principles, policies and legislation governing their profession, as guided by the International Confederation of Midwives. Objective. To establish midwives’ perception of ethical and professional practice in selected labour units of public healthcare, in Tshwane District, Gauteng Province, SA. Methods. A (...) qualitative, exploratory, descriptive cross-sectional design was applied by use of in-depth interviews. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to draw a sample from midwives with 2 or more years of experience working in the labour units. Data saturation was reached with the eighth participant. The digitally recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was based on interpretive description. Results. The findings revealed that midwives do understand the ethical code of conduct. They experience challenges such as staff shortages, non-compliance with policies and lack of managerial support, which compromise ethical conduct to a certain extent. Conclusion. It is hoped that the suggested administrative, midwifery practice and research recommendations will guide the process of empowering midwives in ethical practice. (shrink)

Can strikes by resident doctors training to become consultants in Indian public-sector teaching hospitals be ethical? These hospitals were established for the medical care of the very poor in a country where health insurance and a national health service are nonexistent. In such a situation, the paralysis of tertiary healthcare centers by striking doctors runs contrary to the raison d'être of the profession. It also violates the first dictum of medicine: Primum,nonnocere. And although there is some discussion in the Western (...) literature on strikes by doctors, authorities in India are silent on the subject. (shrink)

This unique volume is a comprehensive,well-illustrated study of the organization of the white matter pathways of the brain. Schmahmann and Pandya have analyzed and synthesized the corticocortical and corticosubcortical connections of the major areas of the cerebral cortex of the rhesus monkey. The result is a detailed understanding of the constituents of the cerebral white matter and the organization of the fiber tracts. The findings from the 36 cases studied are presented on a single template brain, facilitating comparison of (...) the locations of the different fiber pathways. The summary diagrams provide a comprehensive atlas of the cerebral white matter. The text is enriched by close attention to functional aspects of the anatomical observations. The clinical relevance of the pathways is addressed throughout the text and a chapter is devoted to human white matter diseases. The introductory account gives a detailed historical background. Translations of seminal original observations by early investigators are presented, and when these are considered in the light of the authors' new observations, many longstanding conflicts and debates are resolved. This scholarly book is an important addition to systems and cognitive neuroscience that will be of lasting value to neurobiologists, anatomists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and to their students and trainees. (shrink)

Contributed research papers presented at National Seminar jointly organized by Somanth Sanskrit University, Veraval and Sanskrit Sahitya Akadami at Gandhinagar on February 21-22, 2022.

_Disaster Psychiatry: Intervening When Nightmares Come True_ captures the state of disaster psychiatry in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This emergent psychiatric specialty, which is increasingly separated from trauma and grief psychiatry on one hand and military psychiatry on the other, provides psychotherapeutic assistance to victims during, and in the weeks and months following, major disasters. As such, disaster psychiatrists must operate in the widely varying locales in which natural and man-made disasters occur, and they (...) must establish their role among the chaotic array of organizations involved in direct disaster response. Editors Anand Pandya and Craig Katz have captured the challenge and promise of disaster psychiatry through first-person narratives. We hear from psychiatrists who have encountered disasters at various stages of their career and in widely varying social, political, and personal contexts. Accounts of psychiatric involvement with adults and children during and after 9/11 have understandable pride of place in this collection. But they are balanced by richly informative narratives about other domestic and international disasters. Fraught with the drama attendant to the events they describe, these essays delineate the dizzying array of challenges that confront the disaster psychiatrist. They range from the intense emotional responses that are part of the aftermath of any disaster, to the need to legitimize a psychiatric presence within diverse cultural and medical contexts, to the subtle task of providing therapeutic boundaries at a time when all rules seem to be suspended. Special attention is given to the daunting task of working with children whose parents' are disaster victims. What emerges from these testimonies is compelling documentation of skilled and compassionate psychiatrists at the outer limits of their specialty, pursuing their calling into uncharted realms of therapeutic engagement. (shrink)

The concept of governmentality has a textual and philosophical basis as well as being concerned with what might be called the practices of government. This article discusses and develops the governmentality argument with respect to the guru-led movements. It outlines the basics of Michel Foucault’s concept of governmentality, its analytical frame, the fact that governmentality moves beyond only the practices of the state and its nuances in a neoliberal frame of reference, drawing on Zygmunt Bauman and others. It then discusses (...) the governmentality of guru-led movements through: (1) the political acts and powers of the gurus; (2) the supplementary and complementary efforts to aid the state by the guru-led movements; (3) instances of resistance and taking on the state, and (4) the flipside of governmentality, which manifests as hegemony, Hindutva politics and Hindu nationalism. Through the governmentality argument, aspects of the surveillance, discipline, control, interactivity and competition of the guru-led movements emerge. What is discussed is a post-disciplinary model of governance which devolves power downwards from crumbling state institutions to new agencies of control, in this case, the gurus and their institutions. This devolution, however, is not without its tensions and the article also argues that guru governmentality betrays traces of hybridity and non-linearity. (shrink)

I have reviewed briefly persons who have influenced me during my years as a student of medicine and to date. I have been blessed in my teachers and owe everything I am to them. The chief lessons they taught me were integrity, sincerity, the need to keep learning and practice ethically keeping the welfare of the patient in mind all the time. Above all, they taught me to observe the Golden Rule**.

The importance of Levinas’ notions of sensibility and subjectivity are evident in the revision of phenomenological method by current phenomenologists such as Jean-Luc Marion and Michel Henry. The criticisms of key tenants of classical phenomenology, intentionality and reduction, are of a particular note. However, there are problems with Levinas’ characterization of subjectivity as essentially sensible. In “Totality and Infinity” and “Otherwise than Being”, Levinas criticizes and recasts a traditional notion of subjectivity, particularly the notion of the subject as the first (...) and foremost rational subject. The subject in Levinas’ works is characterized more by its sensibility and affectedness than by its capacity to reason or affect its world. Levinas ties rationality to economy and suggests an alternative notion of reason that leads to his analysis of the ethical relation as the face-to-face encounter. The ‘origin’ of the social relation is located not in our capacity to know but rather in a sensibility that is diametrically opposed to the reason understood as economy. I argue that the opposition in Levinas’ thought between reason and sensibility is problematic and essentially leads to a self-conflicted subject. In fact, it would seem that violence characterizes the subject’s self-relation and, thus, is also inscribed at the base of the social relation. Rather than overcoming a problematic tendency to dualistic thought in philosophy Levinas merely reverses traditional hierarchies of reason/emotion, subject/object and self/other. (shrink)

In this paper I have examined the Saibaba phenomenon which originated in India and now has a global influence. Through fieldwork, I build on the life and works of three faith teachers (gurus) who have contributed to the Sai movement to forward my thesis that sociality and hence tangible social service is an important means to gain legitimacy, social standing and as a response to late modernity. I begin by giving an overview of the Sai phenomena and its peculiarities in (...) terms of syncretism, bricolage and aspects of global proliferation. I then discuss how sociality is a strategy for this genre of faith movement and its implications. Finally I propose that sociality has become a metaphor of Sai sacrality. (shrink)

This article is based on field work with the Vivekananda Kendra in Kanyakumari, India. The Vivekananda Kendra is a Hindu spiritual organization founded in 1972, based on principles promoted by Swami Vivekananda. The organization’s members translate Vivekananda’s Vedanta and Yoga ideals into national reconstruction. The efforts of Eknath Ranade as the key transmitter of Vivekananda’s ideals, the way he effectively wove austerity, renunciation, and service to realize them, and the Kendra’s strategy of social service and its effects are discussed. In (...) particular, the Kendra’s social service is analyzed on the basis of its social consciousness, its views on social issues and gender, its Hindu nationalist stance, and its relationship with the establishment and the global political economy. This critical discourse highlights the Kendra’s emphasis on Vedantic socialism as opposed to traditional socialism. The lenses by which the Kendra views society are gendered and ethnonationalist. It deals with matters of justice, equity, and state relations from a benevolent patriarchal vantage point. (shrink)

Treatment of diseases of the brain by drugs or surgery necessitates an understanding of its structure and functions. The philosophical neurosurgeon soon encounters difficulties when localising the abstract concepts of mind and soul within the tangible 1300-gram organ containing 100 billion neurones. Hippocrates had focused attention on the brain as the seat of the mind. The tabula rasa postulated by Aristotle cannot be localised to a particular part of the brain with the confidence that we can localise spoken speech to (...) Broca's area or the movement of limbs to the contralateral motor cortex. Galen's localisation of imagination, reasoning, judgement and memory in the cerebral ventricles collapsed once it was evident that the functional units-neurones-lay in the parenchyma of the brain. Experiences gained from accidental injuries (Phineas Gage) or temporal lobe resection (William Beecher Scoville); studies on how we see and hear and more recent data from functional magnetic resonance studies have made us aware of the extensive network of neurones in the cerebral hemispheres that subserve the functions of the mind. The soul or atman, credited with the ability to enliven the body, was located by ancient anatomists and philosophers in the lungs or heart, in the pineal gland (Descartes), and generally in the brain. When the deeper parts of the brain came within the reach of neurosurgeons, the brainstem proved exceptionally delicate and vulnerable. The concept of brain death after irreversible damage to it has made all of us aware of 'the cocktail of brain soup and spark' in the brainstem so necessary for life. If there be a soul in each of us, surely, it is enshrined here. (shrink)

Medical practice is based on teaching, learning and examples set by seniors. Past and present practices are briefly analysed. Current trends do not justify optimism. The poor patient is likely to be sidelined as doctors reach out to the rich and powerful in this country and those bringing in American dollars from abroad. While corrective steps are possible, it is unlikely that they will be implemented.

Although policymakers and investigators still struggle to quantify and compare the effects of various Covid-related interventions, we are steadily amassing data that could help inform choices. The pandemic’s medical, social, and economic harms have been immense, and they warrant a continuous policy response. All decision makers use some type of mental model to weigh the pros and cons of various policy options. Rigorous economic evaluation formalizes this process. Value judgments will still be required, but economic evaluation can make the decision-making (...) process more systematic, comprehensive, and transparent. (shrink)

Electronic media present tremendous opportunities for improving the nature of society. I will address how discourse affects society, and how changes in media may improve societal discourse.

U današnje vrijeme doživljavamo, kako u intelektualnom diskursu tako i u jeziku svakodnevice, jednu zapravo inflacijsku upotrebu pojma ‘kultura’. No, ako se baš sve može nazivati kulturom, tada i pojam i stvar gube svoju dijagnostičku i analitičku snagu. Članak pokušava – posežući za djelom Maxa Webera i novijom filozofskom antropologijom – pokazati da kultura predstavlja jednu antropološki utemeljenu, društvenu temeljnu činjenicu bez čije moći nije moguć ni život pojedinca niti je razumljiva povijest i razvoj naroda, nacija i društava. U pozadini (...) takvog ponovnog osvjedočenja glede razumijevanja ‘kulture’, stoje aktualnošću određena pitanja, kao npr.: Borba kultura ? Mogu li postojati multikulturalna društva? Potrebuju li društva, narodi, nacije jednu »vodeću kulturu« kao uvjet njihova opstanka. itd. (shrink)

One of the fundamental problems in the philosophy of psychology is to determine the relation between personal and subpersonal explanations of human behavior. The problem of determining the relation between the personal and subpersonal levels is called the “interface problem”. This paper has two goals. The first is to introduce the domestic reader to the interface problem from the perspective of the philosophy of psychology. The second goal is to show that insufficient focus on the interface problem and its potential (...) solutions can lead to uncritical and fallacious reasoning that can have significant consequences for particular debates in philosophy of medicine and philosophy of law. (shrink)

U ovom članku pokušavam pokazati da je Searlova teorija socijalne stvarnosti uglavnom temeljena na njegovom opažanju nekih bitnih značajki demokratskih društava te da nije univerzalno primjenjiva kao što tvrdi. Tvrdim da njegov pojam kolektivnog pristanka ili dogovora, kao temeljni pojam njegove teorije, ne objašnjava zašto diktatorski ili totalitarni režim kao socijalna stvarnost uspijeva preživjeti značajno dugo i kontinuirano stvarati i održavati institucionalne činjenice koje ne bi trebale imati nikakvog temelja u kolektivnom pristanku ili dogovoru.

U ovom radu ispitujemo neke od glavnih postavki teorije o deliberativnoj demokratiji, kao sto su pitanja koja se ticu ucesnika deliberativnih inicijativa, sam proces deliberativne rasprave i deliberativnog odlucivanja i pitanja sticanja gradjanskih znanja i vestina kroz deliberaciju. U drugom delu rada razmatramo kako su ova pitanja artikulisana, ali i empirijski istrazena u okviru literature o izradi javnih politika koja posle?argumentativnog obrata? u svom usmerenju ponovo ukljucuje pitanja normativnog konflikta koji stoji u osnovi javnih politika, postajuci tako postempirijska analiza javnih (...) politika. Teorija o deliberativnoj demokratiji i postempirijska literatura o izradi javnih politika obradjuju slicna pitanja i probleme u pogledu ucestvovanja, deliberacije i sticanja vecih gradjanskih znanja i vestina i obe upucuju na slican zakljucak o potrebi da deliberativne inicijative, zajedno sa institucijama liberalne demokratije, postanu deo jednog?deliberativnog sistema? povezanog lancima medjusobne komunikacije i sticanja legitimiteta. (shrink)

Ovaj članak istražuje neke usporednice novoplatonističke tradicije filozofskih komentara uz Platōna i Aristotela. Uz to istražuje egzegetske metode usuglašivanja tih dvaju velikih antičkih mislilaca. Ako prihvatimo Sorabjijevu tvrdnju da je cilj novoplatonističkoga usuglašivanja obrana poganskih filozofa od kritike kršćanskih mislilaca možemo vidjeti jasnu usporednicu s vedāntom koja je branila koherenciju svetoga upanišadskog kanona od buddhističke kritike. Ovaj se članak usredotočuje na novoplatonističkoga komentatora Amonija koji je pokušao usuglasiti Aristotelov nauk o Nepokrenutom pokretaču s Platonovim naukom o Demijurgu i Ideji dobra. (...) S druge strane u Indiji možemo vidjeti sličan pokušaj usuglašivanja različitih upanišadskih učenja o najvišem biću.This article explores some parallels between neoplatonist tradition of philosophical commentaries on Plato and Aristotle and explores some exegetical techniques of harmonisation of these great ancient thinkers. If we accept Sorabji’s claim that the aim of this reconciliation is neoplatonist defence of pagan thinkers from the attack of Christian philosophers than we can see a clear parallel with Vedānta which was defending the coherence of upanishadic sacred canon against Buddhist attack. The paper is focusing on neoplatonist commentator Ammonius who is trying to reconcile Aristotle’s Unmoved mover with Plato’s Demiurge and the Idea of good. On the other side, in India we can see very similar project of harmonisation of the different upanishadic teachings of the highest being. (shrink)

Aspiracija za jedinstvenim upravljanjem svetom je stara koliko i sam svet. Ona u suštini proizlazi iz naše percepcije sveta kao jednog, bez obzira na sve razlike koje se u njemu takođe vide. U naše vreme ova percepcija je pojačana utiskom o sve većoj međuzavisnosti delova sveta, kao i osećajem da su razlike, ma koliko bile velike, sve manje važne u odnosu na ono što je isto ili bar slično u različitim delovima sveta. Ovaj osećaj jedinstva je još više pojačan percepcijom (...) potrebe, ili nužde, da se o važnim stvarima u svetu odlučuje i upravlja na jedinstven način, bez kolizija koje bi proces odlučivanja učinile neefikasnim ili nemogućim. Ali jedinstvo sveta bi trebalo da u sebi sadrži ideju ravnopravnosti, i neke načelne jednakosti. Međutim, uvidom u način na koji se ovaj proces unifikacije sveta stvarno odvija vidimo mnoge probleme. Neki od njih su za očekivati – problemi reprezentacije i pristanka na svetsku vlast koja bi bila odraz jedinstvene zakonodavne volje čovečanstva. Takva volja možda uopšte ne može da se konstituiše. Umesto nje imamo volju za hegemonijom koju prati ideja nejednakosti i manihejske podele sveta na naš i tuđi deo, kao i razne vrste pokušaja ukidanja onog uslova koji svakom zakonodavstvu daje njegov legitimet – a to je sloboda. Suočavamo se sa idejom da je, kao uslov mira i demokratije (šta god da to znači, ili što će značiti u bližoj i daljoj budućnosti) potrebno uspostaviti krutu nejednakost i rigidnu kontrolu svih različitosti u jednom zamrznutom stanju podele na povlašćene i obezvlašćene, na „dobre“ i „loše“ momke, kao da se svet sastoji od „momaka“. Ključni deo ove sheme je pretpostavka o univerzalnoj samerljivosti svega što život čini vrednim. Ta pretpostavka uniformiše i simplifikuje, smanjuje, svet, negirajući relevanciju i stvarnost razlikama koji sada predstavljaju stvarnost sveta. Zakoni više ne pretpostavljaju postojanje zakonodavne volje. U toj situaciji proizvodnja ogromne količine iluzorne sreće više liči na podmićivanje svetskog lumpenproletarijata, sa rizikom da celokupno čovečanstvo postane totalno ravnodušno prema svakoj posebnosti i svakoj vrlini, sasvim primereno svojoj novoj lumpenproleterskoj prirodi. (shrink)

U ovom radu pokušavam razviti ono što nazivam 'analitičkom, farabijanskom' koncepcijom orijentalizma. Motivacija za ovu koncepciju je to što nam pomaže sa zadatkom––koji je identificirao Wael B. Hallaq––da idemo dalje od 'rudimentarnih političkih slogana' vezanih za teoriju orijentalizma i umjesto toga da identificiramo orijentalističku 'psihoepistemičku patologiju' ( Hallaq 2018, 4). Da bismo to učinili ispravno, prema Hallaqu, moramo pronaći metodološku alternativu onoj koja orijentalistički diskurs čini mogućim. Hallaq identificira temeljni problem kao predanost sekularnom humanizmu, a rješenje njegovo napuštanje. Međutim, mislim (...) da je problem dublji, koji se grubo može izraziti na sljedeći način: kako možemo prihvatiti sveprisutnost ideološkog utjecaja bez napuštanja ideje da naše teorije ciljaju (i do neke mjere uspijevaju) predstavljati objektivnu stvarnost––tako da možemo reći da je orijentalizam stvaran fenomen, a ne samo nešto za što slučajno vjerujemo da je fenomen. Koncipiranje orijentalizma unutar farabijanske epistemologije i korištenje analitičkih alata za njegovo razumijevanje (za koje tvrdim da predstavlja jedinstvenu i osebujnu vrstu falibilizma) napreduje tamo gdje druge koncepcije ne uspijevaju. (shrink)

U članku se nastoji pokazati na koji način francuski filozof Paul Ricœur »prisvaja« neke od Augustinovih koncepcija – prvi grijeh, vrijeme, »nutarnji učitelj« i pamćenje – i uključuje ih u svoje promišljanje o razumijevanju i samorazumijevanju ljudskog »bitka u svijetu« posredstvom interpretacije teksta. Ricœurovo »prisvajanje« tekstova koji hrane i obogaćuju njegovo vlastito promišljanje, kompleksno je i slojevito. Pojedini stručnjaci, međutim, upućuju ovakvom »prisvajanju« kritike. Tako Isabelle Bochet u knjizi Augustin dans la pensée de Paul Ricœur , u preciznoj analizi Augustinova (...) utjecaja na Ricœura, zamjera Ricœuru proizvoljan pristup kakav privilegira jedne, a zanemaruje druge aspekte Augustinove misli. Ona mu, zapravo, prigovara da ne prisvaja teološke argumente Augustinove rasprave, nju samu time lišavajući bitne dimenzije. Da bi se odgovorilo na pitanje: na čemu se ovakva kritika, zapravo, temelji, valjalo bi se ponovno pitati što uopće jest hermeneutičko »prisvajanje« te kakva je priroda veze između teologije i filozofije.Dans cet article on essaye de montrer comment le philosophe français Paul Ricœur « approprie » certaines conceptions d’Augustin – péché originel, temps, « maître interieur », mémoire – et les inclue dans sa propre pensée sur la comphrension et autocomprehension « d’être dans le monde » par intermédiare de l’interprétation. « L’appropriation » des textes qui nourissent et enrichissent la pensée de Ricœur est complexe et elle a plusieurs couches. Certains experts, cependant, adressent à tel « appropriation » ses critiques. Isabelle Bochet , dans son analyse précis de l’influence d’Augustin sur Ricœur, reproche à Ricœur son appropriation provisoire qui privilège les uns et néglige les autres aspects de la pensée d’Augustin. Elle lui rapproche, en effet, qu’il n’aproprie pas les arguments théologiques de la discussion d’Augustin en la dépouillant de sa dimension essentielle. Pour qu’on puisse répondre sur la question: sur quoi se fonde telle critique, il faut se demander de nouveau qu’est que c’est que « l’appropriation » hérméneutique et quelle est la nature da la relation entre la théologie et la philosophie. (shrink)

Kulturu čitanja oblikuje niz individualno i društveno određenih čimbenika koji proizlaze i iz kulturne tradicije neke sredine zbog čega je status knjige neodvojiv od cjelokupnoga vrijednosnoga sustava pojedinoga društva. Učitelj materinskoga jezika ključna je figura u procesu literarnoga sazrijevanja buduće čitateljske publike, a njegova je uloga otežana društvenim promjenama u današnjem »računalnom« svijetu gdje su položaj čitatelja i knjige bitno izmijenjeni u odnosu na ne tako davnu prošlost. Ne možemo u svemu kriviti digitalne medije, pa tako ni za smanjeni interes (...) učenika za čitanje knjiga. U ovom radu raspravljat će se o složenosti obrazovnoga područja, o kulturi čitanja u novonastalom online okruženju te o promjenama koje donosi aktualni predmetni kurikul za Hrvatski jezik. Kritički će se razmotriti prednosti i nedostatci uporabe informacijsko-komunikacijske tehnologije u odgojno-obrazovnome procesu te ponuditi smjernice za funkcionalnu primjenu mrežnih alata i gotovih aplikacija u nastavi Hrvatskoga jezika. Dječje je odrastanje usko povezano s digitalizacijom i društvenim mrežama čiji utjecaj ne mora biti negativan, samo ga treba funkcionalno iskoristiti i usmjeriti pozornost neupitnom potencijalu dobre knjige. Istaknut će se opravdanost obvezne školske lektire i problem neuvažavanja čitateljskih interesa učenika mlađe školske dobi. U radu će biti ponuđen metodički predložak za interpretaciju lektirnoga naslova uz primjenu kreativnih mrežnih alata. The culture of reading is shaped by a number of individually and socially determined factors arising from the cultural tradition of a given environment, making the status of books inseparable from the entire value system of a given society. The teacher of the native tongue is a key figure in the process of literary maturation of the future reading public; the role of the teacher is hindered by social changes in the modern “digital” world, in which the position of the reader and the book are now significantly different than in the recent past. Digital media cannot be solely blamed for the reduced interest of pupils in reading books. This paper will discuss the complexity of the field of education, the culture of reading in the new online environment, and changes brought by the current Croatian language subject curriculum. The advantages and disadvantages of using IT technologies in educational processes will be critically examined; guidelines will also be offered for the functional implementation of internet tools and ready-made applications in Croatian language teaching. Children’s upbringing is closely tied to digitalisation and social networks, the influence of which are not necessarily negative; this influence must simply be used functionally to direct attention towards the unquestionable potential of good books. The justification for required reading will be noted, as will the problem of disregarding the reading interests of young pupils. The paper will offer a methodical contribution for the interpretation of required reading titles through the implementation of creative online tools. (shrink)

Članak razmatra pojam demokracije Johna Deweya u odnosu na ranije i suvremene radikalno ljevičarske ideje. Ističu se slična epistemološka, antropološka i politička stajališta u ovim teorijama. Vrlo je važno odbacivanje ili podcjenjivanje političke demokracije i naglasak na demokratskom životu s ciljem stvaranja novog društva, posve drukčijeg od postojećih društava. Članak je podijeljen u tri dijela. Prvi dio istražuje razumijevanje demokracije kao nepolitičkog fenomena i kao sinonima za novi oblik ljudske egzistencije u mladog Marxa te kasnijim stavovima Marxa i Lenjina o (...) demokraciji kao »hipokriziji«. Drugi dio analizira Deweyev pojam demokracije kao »načina povezanog življenja« i skreće pozornost na neke značajne podudarnosti i, također, razlike spram Marxovih ranih ideja. Treći dio razmatra razumijevanje demokratskog društva kao identičnog s globalnim društvom u kojem komunikacija među ljudima nije ograničena političkim granicama. U ovom se pitanju također prepoznaju značajne podudarnosti u mišljenju Marxa, Deweya i nekih suvremenih mislilaca . Zaključak je da su politička demokracija i demokratsko društvo kompatibilni, no ideja neke vrste novog nepolitičkog demokratskog društva osim globalnog društva se smatra nerealističnom. (shrink)

U radu ću identificirati neke primjere kulturnih sukoba koji uključuju religiju, preispitati neka ponuđena rješenja takvih sukoba, i razmotriti može li religija u bilo kojem smislu biti dio tog rješenja. Također ću ponuditi neke modele religije unutar granica demokracije – modele za koje smatram da su relevantni za demokracije na jugoistoku Europe. U predstavljanju ovih modela, tvrdim da se plodonosan pristup može pronaći u recentnim djelima kanadskog filozofa Charlesa Taylora.In this paper, I identify some examples of cultural clash that involve (...) religion, review some proposed solutions to such clashes, and discuss whether religion in any sense can be part of that solution. I also provide some models of religion within the limits of democracy – models which, I suggest, are relevant to the democracies in Southeast Europe. In presenting these models, I claim that a fruitful approach is found in the recent work of the Canadian philosopher, Charles Taylor.Dans cet article, j’identifie quelques exemples de chocs culturels qui impliquent la religion, j’examine certaines solutions proposées pour de tels conflits, et j’aborde la question de savoir si la religion dans un quelconque sens puisse faire partie de cette solution. Egalement, je fournis quelques modèles de religion à l’intérieur des limites de la démocratie, des modèles qui, je le suggère, sont pertinents pour les démocraties du sud-est de l’Europe. En présentant ces modèles, j’affirme qu’une approche fructueuse se trouve dans les récents travaux du philosophe canadien Charles Taylor.Im vorliegenden Aufsatz identifiziere ich eine Anzahl Exempel für religionsmotivierte kulturelle Auseinandersetzung, nehme einige Lösungskonzepte für solche Konflikte in Augenschein und diskutiere über die Tauglichkeit der Religion, in irgendeinem Sinne ein Bestandteil dieser Lösungswege zu werden. Darüber hinaus liefere ich einige Religionsentwürfe innerhalb der Demokratiegrenzen – Modelle, die sich meines Erachtens als maßgebend für die Demokratien Südosteuropas erzeigen. In der Präsentation der erwähnten Modelle vertrete ich die Ansicht, ein fruchtbares Angehen dieser Problematik zeichne sich im jüngsten Werk des kanadischen Philosophen Charles Taylor ab. (shrink)

Uvodno, vremenski i sadržajno pokušavamo odrediti pojam Moderne u odnosu na suvremene pokušaje postuliranja postmodernizma. Kako je središnja pozicija rada problem »univerzalizma«, ovdje naglašavamo kako kritika te modernističke osnove nije isključivo jedna postmoderna metoda, drži se da je ta kritika naprosto logički unutarmoderni razlog. Objedinjujuća komponenta svih elemenata koja se kreće oko »napada« na novovjekovnu Descartesovu paradigmu svijeta i života nije nastala tek u vidu eventualnog postmodernizma, prije se može reći da se ona, kao i neke druge komponente poput sinkretizma, (...) eklekticizma ili brisanja granica između elitne i pop kulture, pojavila već znatno ranije . Središnji dio rada problematizira ideju navodnoga modernog reda; pred-novovjekovno mišljenje građanskoga u-ređenja temelji se na stavu da je prirodno stanje kaotično i/li nesigurno pa se ono mora napustiti i prevladati. To se u slučaju društvenoga ugovora čini metodičkim predloškom koji počiva na principima uma. Pokazat će se da konzekvencije takvoga umskog uređenja nisu univerzalni čovjek, njegovo prosvjetljenje i kulturno oblikovanje prirode, već zapadanje u barbarstvo , nadzirano reproduciranje bilo zatečenoga sustava ili disciplinarno održavanje bio-moći koji su temeljna počela moderne suvremenosti. Kritikom liberalističkoga pluralizma i bio-političke proizvodnje pokušat ćemo ponuditi argumente koji bi učvrstili pretpostavljene teze.In introduction we are trying to define the term Modernity both in time and subject notion in relation with contemporary attempts of postulating postmodernism. Since the problem of »universalism« is the central position of the work, we are stressing here that critique of that modern fundament is not exclusively one postmodern method, we are assuming that that critique is simply logical inner-modern reason. The combining component of all elements which is revolving around »attack« at modern Descartes’ world and life paradigm didn’t arise as a part of eventual postmodernism, we can rather say that it has appeared even earlier as some other components like syncretism, eclecticism or removing the border between elite and pop culture have .The central part of the text deals with an idea of so called modern order; the pre-modern thought of civil in-order is based on attitude that natural state is chaotic and/or insecure so it should be abandoned and overcame. In the case of social contract that can be done by methodical recipe which is based on mind principles. It will be shown that consequences of that mind order are not universal human being, his enlightenment and cultural nature modelling, but falling in barbarity , controlled reproduction of present system or discipline bio-power maintenance which are all together basic elements of modern contemporaneous. We are trying to propose arguments for strengthening presumed theses by critique of liberal pluralism and bio-political production. (shrink)

Naspram ustaljene interpretacije platoničke umjetnosti, kako je ona ontološki i spoznajno irelevantna jer je bitno određena mimetičkim konceptom kao pukom kopijom materijalne stvarnosti, te je stoga izgnana iz Države, ovdje podastiremo neke interpretacije koje tumače sasvim suprotno. Naime, moguće je pokazati da mimetički princip nije razlog Platonove osude umjetnosti, te daje zapravo pojam umjetničkog mimesisa utemeljen u metafizičkom pojmu mimesisa kao aproksimacije ili postupnog nalikovanja paradigmi. U tom slučaju umjetnički mimesis postiže višu ontološku vjerodostojnost i oponaša idealno posredstvom osjetilnoga. “Argument (...) sličnosti” u Parmenidu može predstavljati ozbiljnu prepreku u prihvaćanju, s jedne strane, teze o odnosu sličnosti između ideja i pojedinačnosti, tj. između paradigme i njene slike, te s druge strane može učiniti upitnom i tezu o aproksimaciji gdje mimetički koncept ima metafizičko utemeljenje. Međutim, ideja shvaćena kao sintetičko objedinjavanje množnog predstavlja ispravno stajalište za objašnjenje fenomena, a postaje upitna kada se stavi u istu razinu sa svojim egzemplarima. Ukoliko je odnos sličnosti između paradigme i njene slike određen “dinamičkom”, a ne “simetričnom sličnošću” u kojoj oba relata imaju isti stupanj ontološke autentičnosti, tada teza o filozofskom mimesisu kao aproksimaciji na kojemu počiva i umjetnički mimetički koncept ima svoj legitimitet.Contrary to the common interpretation of Platonic art that supports the view that it is ontologically and gnoseologically irrelevant because it is mainly defined by mimetic concept as a mere imitation of the material world, and is thereforebanished from the Republic, we will offer some different interpretations. Namely, it is possible to show that mimetic principle is not the reason why Plato condemns art, and that the notion of artistic mimesis in fact stems from the metaphysical notion of mimesis as approximation or gradual resemblance to the paradigm. In this case artistic mimesis achieves higher ontological authenticity and imitates the ideal by means of the sensory. Parmenides’ “resemblance argument” may constitute a serious obstacle for the acceptance of, on the one hand, the idea of the relation of resemblance between Forms and particulars, that is between the paradigm and its image, and on the other hand it may question the idea of approximation in which mimetic principle has metaphysical foundation. However, when Form is seen as a synthetic unity of many things , it then represents the right standpoint for the explanation of the phenomena, and it becomes questionable when it is placed on the same level with its exemplars. If the relation of resemblance between the paradigm and its image is determined by the “dynamic”, and not by “symmetric resemblance” in which both parts are on the same level of ontological authenticity, then the view of philosophical mimesis as approximation on which relies artistic mimetic concept is legitimate. (shrink)

Autor preispituje Herovu tvrdnju o univerzalnom preskriptivizmu kao najadekvatnijoj etickoj teoriji u uzem smislu. Validnost tog stanovista odmerava se u odnosu na neke konkurentne koncepcije, i to preko uslova koji moraju da se ispune kako bi jedna eticka teorija mogla da se nazove adekvatnom.

U ovom radu bavicemo se eticko-pravnom analizom pravne regulacije genetskog testiranja u razlicitim oblastima kao sto su: medicinska istrazivanja, terapija, pravna medicina itd. Cilj nam je da istaknemo vrednosti koje u ovom kontekstu nadahnjuju neke od pravnih akata. Stoga ce se u radu porediti odredjena internacionalna, evropska i nacionalna pravna akta, kako bi se ukazalo na ona pravna resenja koja su u stanju da osiguraju vrednosti koje su neophodne za samo?opredeljenje i jednakost pojedinaca. Analiza ce dokazati da nisu sva tekuca (...) pravna akta kojima se regulise genetsko testiranje u saglasju sa osnovnim ljudskim pravima koja vaze za sve individue. (shrink)