African jurisprudence, like African philosophy, continues to be hotly debated. This article contends that the debate straddles the uniqueness claim which either emphasises the existence or possibility of a peculiar legal framework on the continent, and a historical co-extensional position reiterating that African jurisprudence is a continuum of other legal traditions. The article argues that there is no uniquely African jurisprudence, and that what obtains within the structures of jurisprudence on the continent also exists within various legal traditions elsewhere, and (...) as such can at best be described as ‘jurisprudence in Africa’ rather than ‘African jurisprudence’. It defends this thesis through analytic and comparative explications of the content of natural law theory and legal positivism as experienced on the continent. It concedes that relics of the colonial legal experience create contestations that inform scholars’ calls for a return to traditional legal systems. It concludes that a reconstructive jurisprudence in Africa must take cognisance of the continent’s historical and evolutionary legal experiences, but that a unified or monolithic theory may not be sufficient to address the choice of functional jurisprudence. Keywords African jurisprudence, jurisprudence in Africa, African legal evolution, diffused legal theories. (shrink)

In recent years, emotions have become a major, vibrant topic of research not merely in the biological and psychological sciences but throughout a wide swath of the humanities and social sciences as well. Yet, surprisingly, there is still no consensus on their basic nature or workings. Ruth Leys’s brilliant, much anticipated history, therefore, is a story of controversy and disagreement. The Ascent of Affect focuses on the post–World War II period, when interest in emotions as an object of study began (...) to revive. Leys analyzes the ongoing debate over how to understand emotions, paying particular attention to the continual conflict between camps that argue for the intentionality or meaning of emotions but have trouble explaining their presence in non-human animals and those that argue for the universality of emotions but struggle when the question turns to meaning. Addressing the work of key figures from across the spectrum, considering the potentially misleading appeal of neuroscience for those working in the humanities, and bringing her story fully up to date by taking in the latest debates, Leys presents here the most thorough analysis available of how we have tried to think about how we feel. (shrink)

The last decade has seen rise in technologies that allow humans to send and receive intimate touch across long distances. Drawing together platform studies, digital intimacy studies, phenomenology of touch, and ethics of technology, we argue that these new haptic communication devices require specific ethical consideration of consent. The paper describes several technologies, including Kiiroo teledildonics, the Kissenger, the Apple Watch, and Hey Bracelet, highlighting how the sense of touch is used in marketing to evoke a feeling of connection within (...) the digital sphere. We then discuss the ambiguity of skin-to-skin touch and how it is further complicated in digital touch by remediation through platforms, companies, developers, manufacturers, cloud storage sites, the collection and use of data, research, satellites, and the internet. Lastly, we raise concerns about how consent of data collection and physical consent between users will be determined, draw on examples in virtual reality and sex-robotics, and ultimately arguing for further interdisciplinary research into this area. (shrink)

A project of the Gandhi Centennial Committee of Southern Illinois University, the book outlines the basic tenets of Gandhian philosophy as interpreted by Western thinkers, deals with problems of American education, and offers some reflec­tions on what kinds of solutions may be posed by educators, primarily at the university level. The Foreword and Epilogue are by two distinguished Indian educators, _K. L. Shrimali_, Vice-chancellor, and _N. A. Nikam_, former Vice-chancellor, University of Mysore.

Criminal violence is one of the most pressing problems in Latin America and the Caribbean, with profound political consequences. Its effects on social policy preferences, however, remain largely unexplored. This article argues that to understand such effects it is crucial to analyze victimization experiences and perceptions of insecurity as separate phenomena with distinct attitudinal consequences. Heightened perceptions of insecurity are associated with a reduced demand for public welfare provision, as such perceptions reflect a sense of the state’s failure to provide (...) public security. At the same time, acknowledging the mounting costs and needs that direct experience with crime entails, victimization is expected to increase support for social policies, particularly for health services. Survey data from twenty-four Latin American and Caribbean countries for the period 2008–12 show that perceptions of insecurity indeed reduce support for the state’s role in welfare provision, whereas crime victimization strongly increases such preferences. (shrink)

In this chapter, we investigate the idea of trade marks as property. Three questions need to be answered. The first is a conceptual matter: are trade marks capable of being property or are they ruled out as a matter of conceptual necessity? The second is conceptual-cum-descriptive: is the current law's treatment of trade marks treatment of them as property? The third is normative: if the current law does in fact treat them as property, is it right to do so? The (...) questions need to be tackled in turn. (shrink)

ZusammenfassungDer heutige Arbeitsalltag im medizinischen Betrieb ist durch verschiedene Belastungsfaktoren gekennzeichnet: 1) die Tempobeschleunigung und die Komplexitätssteigerung der medizinischen Entwicklung allgemein sowie 2) eine zunehmende moralische Verunsicherung des Personals in Bezug auf das Verhältnis von Möglichkeiten und Notwendigkeiten bestimmter therapeutischer Verfahren. Die in diesem Aufsatz vorgelegten Beobachtungen, die aus einem Projekt am Lehrstuhl für Ethik der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen resultieren, machen noch einen weiteren Punkt geltend, so dass 3) bereits die unterschiedliche Einschätzung rein sachlicher Fragen zu einem Dissens führen kann, der (...) als moralischer empfunden wird. Aus diesen drei Momenten erwächst ein allgemeiner Bedarf an ethischer Handlungsorientierung. Allerdings ist die Entlastung, die durch ethische Kommunikation, beispielsweise in klinischen Ethik-Komitees, erreicht wird, anderer Art als zunächst in der Regel erwartet. Denn die Leistung liegt nicht so sehr in der Lösung von Problemen als vielmehr in deren Beschreibung. (shrink)

ZusammenfassungDer heutige Arbeitsalltag im medizinischen Betrieb ist durch verschiedene Belastungsfaktoren gekennzeichnet: 1) die Tempobeschleunigung und die Komplexitätssteigerung der medizinischen Entwicklung allgemein sowie 2) eine zunehmende moralische Verunsicherung des Personals in Bezug auf das Verhältnis von Möglichkeiten und Notwendigkeiten bestimmter therapeutischer Verfahren. Die in diesem Aufsatz vorgelegten Beobachtungen, die aus einem Projekt am Lehrstuhl für Ethik der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen resultieren, machen noch einen weiteren Punkt geltend, so dass 3) bereits die unterschiedliche Einschätzung rein sachlicher Fragen zu einem Dissens führen kann, der (...) als moralischer empfunden wird. Aus diesen drei Momenten erwächst ein allgemeiner Bedarf an ethischer Handlungsorientierung. Allerdings ist die Entlastung, die durch ethische Kommunikation, beispielsweise in klinischen Ethik-Komitees, erreicht wird, anderer Art als zunächst in der Regel erwartet. Denn die Leistung liegt nicht so sehr in der Lösung von Problemen als vielmehr in deren Beschreibung. (shrink)

As Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) enters the mainstream of professional and institutional investment practice, some perplexities arise. Some SRI market participants are well schooled in finance but are hesitative as to how to apply non-financial criteria in the management of portfolios. Governments too are giving SRI more attention and, in some countries, are discussion whether and how to regulate the SRI market. Advocacy groups are targeting SRI projects through media campaigns using political discourse. Many of the pertinent questions that come (...) with these perplexities are of the philosophical or ethical type and concern legitimisation, demarcation of responsibilities, interpretation of norms and policy formulation. The inclusion of non-financial criteria into investment decision-making leads to a 'puzzle in SRI' for which this article offers a solution. The puzzle arises when the day-to-day implementation of an SRIpolicy coincides with the process of administering justice. Three questions make up that puzzle: (1) what should an investor do when allegations arise about a corporation, (2) what should an investor do when a corporation is brought before a court, (3) what should an investor do when a corporation is found guilty by a court. This article argues, by distinguishing between the rationality of the investor and that of the judge, that allegations, court cases or court verdicts should not be reasons to disinvest from a corporation. This article offers examples from investor practice and points out in which way allegations, court cases and court verdicts make sense for investor behaviour. (shrink)

This paper, an epilogue to the special issue on socially responsible investment, is a first attempt to philosophically tackle information asymmetries that pertain to the consequences or the effectiveness of SRI-policies. The paper discerns four types or techniques of SRI: 1) shareholder engagement; 2) the selection of best-in-class entities; 3) the maintenance of categorical exclusions; 4) the financing of alternative economies. For each technique, the paper first briefly sketches the mechanism that is put to work by the SRI-investor. Then, I (...) try to assess whether the investor is able to know whether or not his SRI-effort is being or has been effective in the real world. (shrink)

ZusammenfassungDer heutige Arbeitsalltag im medizinischen Betrieb ist durch verschiedene Belastungsfaktoren gekennzeichnet: 1) die Tempobeschleunigung und die Komplexitätssteigerung der medizinischen Entwicklung allgemein sowie 2) eine zunehmende moralische Verunsicherung des Personals in Bezug auf das Verhältnis von Möglichkeiten und Notwendigkeiten bestimmter therapeutischer Verfahren. Die in diesem Aufsatz vorgelegten Beobachtungen, die aus einem Projekt am Lehrstuhl für Ethik der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen resultieren, machen noch einen weiteren Punkt geltend, so dass 3) bereits die unterschiedliche Einschätzung rein sachlicher Fragen zu einem Dissens führen kann, der (...) als moralischer empfunden wird. Aus diesen drei Momenten erwächst ein allgemeiner Bedarf an ethischer Handlungsorientierung. Allerdings ist die Entlastung, die durch ethische Kommunikation, beispielsweise in klinischen Ethik-Komitees, erreicht wird, anderer Art als zunächst in der Regel erwartet. Denn die Leistung liegt nicht so sehr in der Lösung von Problemen als vielmehr in deren Beschreibung. (shrink)

This study investigates how social capital affects managers’ use of corporate resources. We find that for firms located in U.S. counties with a high level of social capital, (i) corporate cash holdings have higher marginal value, (ii) the contribution of capital expenditures to shareholder value is higher, and (iii) acquirers experience higher announcement-period abnormal stock returns. We further find that social capital decreases both over- and under-investment, and thus improves ex post corporate investment efficiency. Our evidence suggests that in communities (...) with a high level of social capital, strong social norms and dense social networks constrain unethical corporate behavior, which induces more efficient use of corporate resources. (shrink)

As Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) enters the mainstream of professional and institutional investment practice, some perplexities arise. Some SRI market participants are well schooled in finance but are hesitative as to how to apply non-financial criteria in the management of portfolios. Governments too are giving SRI more attention and, in some countries, are discussion whether and how to regulate the SRI market. Advocacy groups are targeting SRI projects through media campaigns using political discourse. Many of the pertinent questions that come (...) with these perplexities are of the philosophical or ethical type and concern legitimisation, demarcation of responsibilities, interpretation of norms and policy formulation. The inclusion of non-financial criteria into investment decision-making leads to a ‹puzzle in SRI’ for which this article offers a solution. The puzzle arises when the day-to-day implementation of an SRI-policy coincides with the process of administering justice. Three questions make up that puzzle: (1) what should an␣investor do when allegations arise about a corporation, (2) what should an investor do when a corporation is brought before a court, (3) what should an investor do when a corporation is found guilty by a court. This article argues, by distinguishing between the rationality of the investor and that of the judge, that allegations, court cases or court verdicts should not be reasons to disinvest from a corporation. This article offers examples from investor practice and points out in which way allegations, court cases and court verdicts make sense for investor behaviour. (shrink)

The discourse on the future of work should learn from a turn in philosophy that occurred in the 1980s, one that recognizes the good life towards which ethics strives can only be reached on a foundation of caring relationships (Gillian, 1982; Noddings, 1984). Care ethics recognizes that human well-being is a group project, one that involves strong relationships, and concern for bodies and emotions. Too often, these features are left out of research exploring robotics in the workplace. This paper outlines (...) the main tenets of care ethics, then applies the moral framework to the context of industrial and retail settings using robots. This approach sees these contexts through a relational lens, helping to identify, evaluate, and improve relationships critical to ensuring workers’ well-being. Second, care ethics considers taking care of people’s bodies beyond mere safety, examining how working with robots can exacerbate societal or economic pressures. Lastly, care ethics takes emotions as an important source of knowledge in building and supporting care. Additionally, this paper contributes to the care ethics literature by applying the framework to the context of robotized industrial workplaces, which has yet to be done. (shrink)

ArgumentIn 1980, when the diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder was introduced into the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, survivor guilt – a symptom long associated with trauma of the Holocaust and other extreme experiences – was included in the list of symptom criteria. But in the revised edition of the manual of 1987, survivor guilt was demoted to the status of merely an “associated feature” of the condition. Now that survivor guilt has disappeared from the (...) official lexicon of trauma, shame has come to take its place as the emotion that most defines the traumatic state. This paper examines the rationale for the shift from survivor guilt to shame in the context of the American Psychiatric Association's revisions. It argues that the shift can be understood as yet another manifestation of the oscillation between mimetic and antimimetic theories of trauma that, I have argued in my book Trauma: A Genealogy, has structured the understanding of trauma from the start. (shrink)

Asylum-seeking and refugee women (ASRW) are population groups characterized by diverse social, economic and legal backgrounds as well as diverse needs. Their backgrounds of forced migration have a profound impact on their overall health, including their sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In Europe, the SRH needs of ASRW are usually more pressing than those of the host country population. In the context of refugee health, it is important to distinguish between asylum seekers and statutory refugees, as asylum seekers have distinct (...) needs and often limited rights in their host country. Yet both groups face many barriers in accessing national health services. This article addresses the issue of entitlements to health services for asylum-seeking women in Europe, and highlights the wide range of difficulties of both asylum-seeking and refugee women in accessing (sexual and reproductive) health services. (shrink)