Now approaching eighty, Mortimer Adler has just produced the best of his many philosophical writings. This is a precisely reasoned examination of previous arguments and a presentation of a new argument intended to show that God really exists. Without footnotes or many citations, the book gives clear evidence of its roots in Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant, and recent science and philosophy. Adler thinks and writes as a "pagan": one who does not worship the God of Christians, Jews, or Moslems. Not (...) denying the possibility of a religious philosophy, Adler chooses to appeal to the intelligent nonbeliever with a purely philosophical approach. The result is also of great interest to the believer. He does not aim at absolute certitude ; instead he regards his new way of reasoning as capable of producing a conviction that is beyond reasonable doubt. I think he achieves this goal but not every casual reader will understand and agree with Adler’s argument. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:The Blossoming of Bioethics at NIHEzekiel J. Emanuel (bio)The establishment of the Department of Clinical Bioethics at the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has coincided with a burgeoning of interest and activity related to bioethical issues at NIH. The department has precipitated a reexamination and revitalization of existing bioethics activities in the Clinical Center and has launched new programs especially in the (...) areas of education and research. In addition, the department contributes to the work of others throughout NIH who address bioethical issues.The Organizational Location of the Department of Clinical BioethicsBefore describing the history and current activities of the Department of Clinical Bioethics, I will say something about it administrative location. Comprehension of the department’s organizational location is essential to understanding its history, role, and function. Prior to interviewing for the position of chair of the department, I did not—and, if truth be told, still do not fully—understand the details of the organizational structure of NIH. I therefore assume that many other bioethicists outside of the Institutes, especially those who do not regularly receive NIH funding, may not fully grasp its organizational intricacies.The Department of Clinical Bioethics is a department within the Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, which is NIH’s “hospital.” Hospital is in quotes because all of the patients at the Clinical Center must be enrolled in a research protocol and, therefore, are research subjects. The Clinical Center is where NIH’s clinical researchers admit their research subjects or see them in the out-patient setting. The Department of Clinical Bioethics reports directly to the Director of the Clinical Center, John I. Gallin, M.D., and receives its finances, space, and other resources from the Clinical Center.In this way, the department is part of NIH’s intramural (“inside”) program. People employed by NIH conduct intramural research, training, and other initiatives. The extramural program, which receives approximately 87 percent of NIH’s budget, funds research at institutions outside NIH. The extramural program awards grants and contracts for research, training, and conferences conducted [End Page 455] by investigators who are not affiliated with NIH. The National Human Genome Research Institute’s ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications) program, for example, is part of NIH’s extramural program. As part of the NIH intramural program, the Department of Clinical Bioethics is not empowered to fund independent initiatives of people outside of NIH through grants and contracts. However, the department can collaborate with bioethicists and others on research, educational, and other programs outside of NIH and has some funds to support these collaborations.In addition, it is important for bioethicists to understand that NIH is a collection of 24 institutes and centers. Although there is coordination and collaboration between the institutes and centers, each is funded separately, and each has its own scope, programs, administrative structures, research agendas, training priorities, boards of advisors, and so forth. In this sense, NIH is more like a university that has many distinct schools, each with its own dean, faculty, budget, and fund raising office, than one that is tightly integrated and centrally-administered. Within NIH’s diffuse administrative structure, the Department of Clinical Bioethics is located within one of the centers (the Clinical Center) and has defined authority and responsibility only for bioethics within that center; in addition, because the Clinical Center’s mission is to support clinical research at other institutes, the department’ mission includes supporting the work of those institutes as well. Intellectual exchanges and relationships with other institutes and centers are neither pre-ordained nor administratively established; such relationships must be developed case-by-case, topic-by-topic, and initiative-by-initiative.The History and the Development of the Department of Clinical BioethicsThe Department of Clinical Bioethics was launched in late 1996. Although the department’s creation marked a major commitment to bioethics by the Clinical Center, and especially by its director, Dr. Gallin, it was formed on a pre-existing foundation of bioethics activities at NIH. 1In 1977, John Fletcher, Ph.D., was appointed by then Director Mortimer Lipsett as the bioethicist at the Clinical Center; his official title was Assistant for Bioethics... (shrink)

Education, by B. H. Streeter.--Marriage, by K. E. Kirk.-- Patriotism, by J. P. R. Maud.--Social inequalities, by C. R. Morris.--Earning and spending, by R. L. Hall.--Gambling, by R. C. Mortimer.--Ethics and religion, by J. S. Bezzant.

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:SHEILA TURCON The Bertrand Russell Archives / Editorial Projecr McMasrer Universiry -RECENT ACQUISITIONS: CORRESPONDENCE The last update of correspondence acquisitions, which concerned published correspondence only, appeared in Russell, n.s. H (1990); 204-08. The last general update of correspondence was in Russell, n.s. II (1990): 91-7. There are 30 entries in this listing, covering approximately 170 letters and telegrams. Some of the items have been received from a tOtal of (...) three other institutions, to whom we are very grateful. The latest acquisition reported is number 1,168, which arrived on 27 July 199 2. The following abbreviations should be noted: L(s). or l(s). = letteres ); pes). or pes). =photocopy(ies); p.c(s). =POSt card(s). Recent Acquisitions: Correspondence 209 courtesy of Rosenbach Museum & Library. Rec. Acq. 1,153. -Hook, Sidney L. from BR, 19 June 1943, and 2 Is. to BR, 1944-64. BR's letter concerns Hook's contribution to The Philosophy of Bertrand Russell (B77), job prospects and family matters. Ps., courtesy of Hoover Institution. Rec. Acq. 1,161. Jourdain, P. E. B. L. to BR, 13 Nov. 1916. Purchase. Rec. Acq. 1,163. Lasky, Melvin L. from BR, 30 Aug. 1950. Re resigning as the Hon. Chairman of the Congress for Cultural Freedom. Extracted in Peter Coleman, The Liberal Compiracy (1989), p. 36. P., courtesy of Hoover Institution (Sidney Hook Papers). Rec. Acq. 1,161. Levitas, S. M. See New Leader, The. Lovett, Caroline Lewis 6 ls. from BR 1941-45 and holograph copies of 2 Is. to BR, n.d. but 1941-42. Lovett was one of BR's students at the Barnes Foundation. Access restricted. Ps., courtesy of Rosenbach Museum & Library. Rec. Acq. 1,153. Mortimer, Raymond L. from BR, 4 July 1923. Re review of Santayana's Scepticism and Animal Faith (C1.3.26) and a possible meeting. P., courtesy of Princeton U. Library (Mortimer Papers). Rec. Acq. 1,168. Nabokov, Nicolas See Congress for Cultural Freedom. New Leader, The, New York (S. M. Levitas) L. from BR, 3 Ju[y 1956. Re Rosenberg-Sobell case. P.-, courtesy Hoover - Institution (Sidney Hook Papers). Rec. Acq. 1,161. Norton, Henry Kittredge 2 Is. from BR, 13 March 1940 and 26 March 1963, and I. to BR, 22 OCt. 1935. BR's Is. concern the CCNY case and arranging a meeting. Gift; courtesy of Bruce Thompson and Je3,l1 Guthrie. Rec. Acq.I,156. Ozmon, Howard 2 [so from BR, 1964British Broadcasting Corporation (T. S. Gregory) 1. to BR, 22 Sept. 1953. Re arrangements for a broadcast discussion with Sidney Hook. P., courtesy of Hoover Institution (Sidney Hook Papers). Rec. Acq. 1,161. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, -The (Eugene Rabinowich, Ruth Adams) 6 I~. from BR, 1962-63, and 1. from, 1962. Ps. courtesy of The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Rec. Acq. 1,155. Canterbury U. College, Christchurch L. from BR, 12 Oct. 1936, recommending Karl Popper. P., courtesy of Hoover Institution (Popper Papers). Rec. Acq. 856. Congress for Cultural Freedom (Nicolas Nabokov) L. from BR, 25 Feb. 1957. Re their differences of opinion over the Congress. P., courtesy of Hoover Institution (Sidney Hook Papers). Rec. Acq. 1,161. Coppock, Barbara M. (Women's Ind. League for Peace and Freedom) 1. from BR, 5 July 1962, declining to speak at her meeting. Purchase. Rec. Acq.I,135· Fallin, Richard 6 Is. from BR, 1962-63. Re literature, Camus, Gide, Sarrre, -and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Ps., courtesy of Richard Fallin. Rec. Acq. 1,137· _ Freeman, The Post card from BR, n.d. but 1923. Re review of Tolstoy biography (C23.03). Access restricted. P., courtesy of Rosenbach Museum & Library. Rec. Acq. 1,153. Greg, W. W. (Librarian of Triniry College, Cambridge) L. from BR, n.d. but 1912. Re Principia Mathematica. P., courtesy of Thoemmes Antiquarian Books Ltd. Rec. Acq. 1,150. Gregory, T. S. See British Broadcasting Corporation. Hartcup, R. E. L. from BR, 6 Dec. 1962. Form letter response to Cuban Missile Crisis. Restricted access. P., n.s. 12 (winter 1992-93): 208-10 ISSN 0036-01631 BR, 1895-98. 'Re winning his fellowship and life in Italy. Ps., courtesy of Lilly Library (Smith Papers), Indiana U. Rec... (shrink)

Before I come to Professor Anderson’s objections to the argument in question, I should like to clarify just a few points. The argument that I presented is taken immediately from Mortimer Adler’s presentation of it, so let us call it ‘Adler’s Argument,’ though in fact its origins go all the way back to Aristotle. My reading of Adler’s presentation of the argument was that he gave it in two different forms, one categorical, the other hypothetical. Both forms of the (...) argument, of course, have effectively the same conclusion, which is, in the case of its categorical version, that “concepts are not physical beings” [proposition 3 for Professor Anderson] and, in the case of its hypothetical version, that “A concept is not an act of a bodily organ” [proposition 6 for Professor Anderson]. Now Adler concludes immediately from propositions 3/6 that “the power of conceptual thought is an immaterial power.” I argued in my original article that it was not obvious that this proposition was equivalent to propositions 3/6 and so I presented an additional argument to the bridge the gap [propositions a, b, c and d for Professor Anderson]. Let us call this ‘Casey’s Addendum.’. (shrink)

The COVID-19 pandemic shocked the global economy, with numerous companies suffering losses and shutting down. However, some companies proved to be resilient, being able to sustain their economic performance despite the pandemic. The study aims to explain the sustainable economic performance of companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationships between empowering leadership, innovative work behavior, organizational readiness to change, and sustainable economic performance were assessed. The data were collected via an online questionnaire from January 2021 to March 2021, during the (...) height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia. The respondents were Russian companies’ employees holding management positions, competent to objectively assess organizational circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 337 was used in the analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with maximum likelihood estimation was conducted using SPSS AMOS. The structural model was tested with standardized parameter estimates, standard errors, and p-values calculated. The findings of the study suggest that innovative work behavior and organizational readiness to learn have a direct influence on sustainable economic performance. The findings also suggest that empowering leadership impacts innovative work behavior but not sustainable economic performance. The mediation analysis indicates that innovative work behavior is a mediator between empowering leadership and sustainable economic performance, whereas organizational readiness to learn is not a moderator. The study adds to the leadership and sustainability body of knowledge and contributes to the research on the COVID-19 pandemic in the organizational context. (shrink)

The Transparent Intensional Logic explicates the meaning of a linguistic expression as a construction. The construction is a hyperintensional entity. It is characterised as instructions for a „calculation“ of a concrete value. In the terminology of Pavel Tichy a linguistic expression denotes its meaning , which construes the signification of the expression. If the signification is an intension, we can call it a reference of the expression. In several semantic conceptions the question of the denotation and of the reference are (...) not treated equally. The terminological chaos can be resolved in a specific way thanks to „fine-grained“ character of the logical analysis offered by TIL. (shrink)

I shall attempt something rash in this paper. I shall draw your attention to some past and current work on perception by psychologists and others. I shall concentrate on work in vision and hearing. This outline will occupy the first part of my lecture. I shall then go on, in the second part, to suggest that this scientific work has certain philosophical implications. This whole attempt is a bit rash for obvious reasons. It is not easy to outline fairly and (...) accurately past and current work in any branch of science. I am very liable, therefore, to do an injustice to the efforts of psychologists and others in this field. What makes matters more difficult for me is that I also have to show that this work is of philosophical interest. What has led me to embark on this perilous enterprise is a hunch I have developed in recent years. I have the hunch that philosophers who are interested in perception would do well to pay rather more attention than they have been wont to do in the past to the work and discourse coming out of the scientific laboratory and similar places. (shrink)

It is common to account for our senses on the basis of our sensory organs. One way of glossing why Aristotle famously counted five senses—and why his count became common sense in the West and elsewhere—is because there are five rather obvious organs of sense. In more modern accounts, this organ criterion of the senses has transformed into a neurobiological criterion; that is to say, part of what it means to be a sense is to have an associated organ with (...) appropriate physiological properties. For example, part of the claim that humans have a sense of vision is that we have a non-vestigial organ (the eye) that has cells (photoreceptors) especially sensitive to the properties of electromagnetic radiation. However, the nature of this “organ criterion” is a point of some contention. Is it a sufficient criterion? Necessary? To be called “vision” need the organ mediating it give rise to “visual experiences”? This chapter will consider the neurobiological criterion as it was originally presented in Aristotle and later reconceptualized in 19th-century neurophysiologist Johannes Müller’s “Law of Specific Nerve Energies.” By understanding the role of neurobiology in these accounts, we will be able to explore the deficiencies of contemporary accounts that downplay neurobiology in differentiating the senses. We will consider one of these accounts in detail: Alva Noë’s recent arguments in favor of an enactive approach to perceptual psychology. (shrink)

While the question of free will does not figure as prominently in Buddhist writings as it does in western theology, philosophy, and psychology, it is a topic that was addressed in the earliest Buddhist writings. According to these accounts, for pragmatic and ethical reasons, the Buddha rejected both determinism and indeterminism as understood at that time. Rather than asking the metaphysical question of whether already humans have free will, Buddhist tradition takes a more pragmatic approach, exploring ways in which we (...) can acquire greater freedom to make wise choices that are truly conducive to our own and others' genuine well-being. One key to achieving such freedom is the cultivation of attentional skills so that one can deliberately focus one's attention with continuity and clarity on one's chosen object. A second theme is the cultivation of insight into the manner in which our own attitudes shape experience, allowing for the possibility of altering not only the way we experience events in the present, but also how we are influenced by our memories of the past. Finally, the Great Perfection school of Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes the realization of the deepest dimension of consciousness -- pristine awareness -- which transcends the nexus of causality. This is regarded as the ultimate source of freedom and the ultimate nature of human identity. (shrink)

In 2004 Orlando Florida was hit with an almost unprecedented series of storms and hurricanes. Within two months, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne hit, and Hurricane Ivan made a near miss. Billions of dollars of damage resulted from these disasters, and several dozen lives were lost. It is tempting, in the case of extreme events, to either regard them as having no need of interpretation (that is, as simply given, material events shared by everyone), or as a kind of rare (...) window on the workings of a community.1 In this paper I want to examine the public construction of the meaning of the hurricane in Orlando, particularly as represented in reports at the time in the major newspaper, the Orlando Sentinel. I am especially interested in placemaking, that is, the ways in which places gain or fail to gain meaning in times of stress. I will suggest that opportunities for place-making were lost in Orlando because of the frame the events around Hurricane Charley were given. Hurricane Frances, though, was treated differently in the Orlando press, and the discourse around the hurricanes of 2004 provides a contrast to the kind of rhetorical response that circulated during the disastrous hurricane season of 2005. In the case of some disasters, community is reinforced, and the skills of place-making are exercised. The reaction to Hurricane Charley in Orlando, on the other hand, tended not to reinforce community, and tended not to contribute to place-making. While it is extremely difficult to measure sense of place or sense of community quantitatively, it is possible to make sense out of the interpretive tools people have at their disposal in a disaster. What comes out of all this, I think, is something I want to call “place-making imagination”. This is analogous to the 1 concept of “moral imagination” in ethics (Johnson). Our moral options extend as far as our imagination will allow. A person might boil the moral universe down to polarized options – fight or flight, kill or be killed, choose A or B – when in fact a more cultivated and aware imagination may have afforded other options, perhaps better ones than either polarized one.. (shrink)

This landmark collection features selected writings by John D. Caputo, one of the most creative and influential thinkers working in the philosophy of religion today. B Keith Putt presents 21 of Caputo's most significant contributions from his distinguished 40-year career. Putt's thoughtful editing and arrangement highlights how Caputo's multidimensional thought has evolved from radical hermeneutics to radical theology. A guiding introduction situates Caputo's corpus within the context of debates in the Continental philosophy of religion and exclusive interview with him adds (...) valuable information about his own views of his work. (shrink)

Modern science developed in the interflow of culture between west and east. Combing of pratice technology with philosophic thoughts formed experimental method. Holistic views contacting atomism produced system theory. System thoughts are applicated in the science and engineering of biosystems, and the cencepts of system biomedicine (Kamada T.1992), systems biology (Zieglgansberger W, Tolle TR.1993), system bioengineering and system genetics (Zeng BJ. 1994) were established. From positive to synthetic thoughts, philosophy have been developed ontology, cosmology, organism theories. Structurity is structure logic (...) system founded on entity, develop, exist axioms, tolerance, adaptation, fluctuate, interweave, transform theorems and integrate, adaptation, construct laws. Structurity be discussed on the cosmos, life, culture system, creation, hologram theories of structure ontology, construct mutation, simi-structure organism and entity emergence, symbol implication. From the relation of structure, function and development, the structurity put forward the cycle, spiral, triangle structure stability patterns of self-organization in structure complement each other and stratification, functional couple and interflow bounds growth, coordinativetransformation and holographic symmetry. (shrink)

The essays in this volume critically analyze and revitalize agrarian philosophy by tracing its evolution in the classical American philosophy of key figures such as Franklin, Jefferson, Emerson, Thoreau, Dewey, and Royce.