Desmond’s ambitious effort to re-conceive the problem of dialectic and otherness is both timely and provocative. Moving beyond the “generous hermeneutic” of Hegel exemplified in Art and the Absolute, Desmond develops more fully a discussion about the alleged “closure” of dialectical philosophies generally and Hegel’s philosophy specifically. Whereas Art and the Absolute tended to defend Hegel’s insights and achievements — at least in aesthetic theory — against a wide variety of critical approaches, the work under review attempts to engage seriously (...) the persistent charge of “closure” made against Hegelian speculative philosophy. Repeated by critics as various as Habermas, Heidegger, Lonergan, and Derrida, the charge is too widespread and too frequently levelled to ignore. At issue seems to be the very possibility of an “absolute” knowing. How is it possible to know absolutely without trimming up the edges of the knowable, dotting all i’s and crossing all t’s, and leaving nothing for future philosophers but the relationships of disciple, exegete, or rebel angel? It is of course arguable that the self-developing categorial criticism in terms of which Hegel develops his doctrine of absolute knowing renders such objections irrelevant, but Desmond does not opt for this strategy. Rather, in the development of his own original metaphysics of origin, Desmond attempts to “sublate” the Hegelian philosophy. (shrink)

In the decade since the late George Armstrong Kelly announced in the pages of this journal that Richard Winfield’s project has something significant to contribute to the debate over the contemporary relevance of Hegel’s systematic philosophy, Winfield has produced a number of works in support of that claim. These works have established Winfield as an important neo-Hegelian thinker.

It is no secret that Hegel, along with Vico, whom he never read, and Rousseau, whom he read with enthusiasm, regarded poetic meaning as historically prior to prosaic meaning - the figurative preceded the literal, the tropological antedated the logical per se. Indeed, Hegel went so far, in his Aesthetic, as to qualify poetry as “Man’s original grasp of truth”. Since, as we know, for Hegel the true is the whole, it would seem that this original grasp of the truth (...) would have to be accounted for in any speculative account of truth. (shrink)

Hegel has often been held by his critics to have failed in his efforts to achieve his professed goal to make of philosophy a science. Some of the major objections have been that he overlooked problems of finite, embodied existence, that he ignored the constitutive power of language, and that he did not make allowance for a creative unconscious. Wilfried Ver Eecke has written an oddly-titled work which traces the role of negation in the realms of child development, psychoanalysis, linguistics, (...) and Hegelian thought. In the course of his complex, nuanced study, he provides ample material for defending Hegel from these charges, even where he himself seems ambivalent about their validity. (shrink)

Hegel has often been held by his critics to have failed in his efforts to achieve his professed goal to make of philosophy a science. Some of the major objections have been that he overlooked problems of finite, embodied existence, that he ignored the constitutive power of language, and that he did not make allowance for a creative unconscious. Wilfried Ver Eecke has written an oddly-titled work which traces the role of negation in the realms of child development, psychoanalysis, linguistics, (...) and Hegelian thought. In the course of his complex, nuanced study, he provides ample material for defending Hegel from these charges, even where he himself seems ambivalent about their validity. (shrink)

French interpretations of Hegel have been immensely influential in the past fifty years. One has only to think of the names Alexandre Kojève and Jean Hyppolite to begin to recognize the enormous debt which all students of Hegel owe to French scholarship in this period. Beyond the problems posed by the specific interpretations of Hegel advanced by Kojève and Hyppolite, however, there is also the task of beginning to assess the great influence upon subsequent French thought brought about by their (...) students, among whom are grouped a veritable pantheon of modern French thinkers. Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Alexandre Koyré, Raymond Aron, Maurice Blanchot, Jacques Lacan, and Georges Bataille, among others, all attended Kojèves’s lectures, while Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida attended seminars with Hyppolite. (shrink)

French interpretations of Hegel have been immensely influential in the past fifty years. One has only to think of the names Alexandre Kojève and Jean Hyppolite to begin to recognize the enormous debt which all students of Hegel owe to French scholarship in this period. Beyond the problems posed by the specific interpretations of Hegel advanced by Kojève and Hyppolite, however, there is also the task of beginning to assess the great influence upon subsequent French thought brought about by their (...) students, among whom are grouped a veritable pantheon of modern French thinkers. Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Alexandre Koyré, Raymond Aron, Maurice Blanchot, Jacques Lacan, and Georges Bataille, among others, all attended Kojèves’s lectures, while Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida attended seminars with Hyppolite. (shrink)

It is ironic that deconstructive criticism reveals itself most patently as neo-formalism in its treatment of Hegel. Sallis’s book resumes all the by-now-canonical elements of the Derridean conception of Hegel: Hegel as the philosopher of “closure” par excellence, Hegel as the last figure in “the metaphysics of presence,” Hegel as the philosopher most clever at dissembling his ideological preoccupations behind a facade of “reason.”.

SummarySon preference has been considered as a determinant of women's risk of intimate partner violence experience in India, although quantitative evidence from large nationally representative studies testing this relationship is limited. This study examines the association between husband's son preference, sex composition of children and risk of physical and sexual IPV victimization among wives. Information was collected for 26,284 couples in the nationally representative 2005–2006 National Family Health Survey of India. The exposures were husband's son preference measured as husband's desire (...) for one or more sons greater than the number of daughters and sex composition of the household: only sons, only daughters and mixed. Outcome included past year physical and/or sexual IPV. The results showed that husband's reported son preference and sex composition of children were not associated with risk for IPV victimization in the models adjusted for socio-demographic factors. The findings from this first population-based study of socio-cultural norms around son preference and married Indian women's risk for IPV victimization indicate that cultural preference for sons does not influence women's risk for IPV victimization. (shrink)

We live in a reactionary culture where divisive issues arise, people on either side throw stones, and everyone ends up more entrenched in their opinions than in reaching common ground--or even exhibiting common courtesy! If there ever was a time for Christians to understand and communicate God's truth about controversial and polarizing issues, it is now. Believers must develop convictions based on research, reason, and biblical truth--and be able (and willing) to communicate these convictions with a love and respect that (...) reflects God's own heart. In Culture Shock, bestselling author, pastor, and radio personality Chip Ingram shows readers how they can bring light rather than heat to the most controversial and divisive issues of our day. Covering topics such as right and wrong, sex, homosexuality, abortion, politics, and the environment, Culture Shock is every engaged believer's must-have guidebook to replacing reactionary hate with revolutionary love. (shrink)

While human lives are endlessly variable, our most memorable positive moments are dominated by four elements: elevation, insight, pride, and connection. If we embrace these elements, we can conjure more moments that matter. What if a teacher could design a lesson that he knew his students would remember twenty years later? What if a manager knew how to create an experience that would delight customers? What if you had a better sense of how to create memories that matter for your (...) children? This book delves into some fascinating mysteries of experience: Why we tend to remember the best or worst moment of an experience, as well as the last moment, and forget the rest. Why 'we feel most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel most alive when they're not.' And why our most cherished memories are clustered into a brief period during our youth. Readers discover how brief experiences can change lives, such as the experiment in which two strangers meet in a room, and 45 minutes later, they leave as best friends. (What happens in that time?) Or the tale of the world's youngest female billionaire, who credits her resilience to something her father asked the family at the dinner table. (What was that simple question?) Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck -- but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them? The Power of Moments shows us how to be the author of richer experiences."--Dust jacket flap. (shrink)

In this paper I develop and present a unified account of information, misinformation, and disinformation and their interconnections. The unified account is rooted in Paul Grice’s notions of natural and non-natural meaning (in: Grice (ed) Studies in the way of words. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, pp 213–223, 1957) and a corresponding distinction between natural and non-natural information (Scarantino and Piccinini in Metaphilosophy 41(3):313–330, 2010). I argue that we can specify at least three specific kinds of non-natural information. Thus, as varieties (...) of non-natural information there is intentionally non-misleading information, unintentionally misleading information—i.e. misinformation—and intentionally misleading information—i.e. disinformation. By shifting the focus from the truth-values of content to the intention/intentionality and misleadingness/non-misleadingness of that content I obtain a unified account that makes room for the potential misleadingness of true content (true disinformation), the potential non-misleadingness of false content (irony), and everything in between. (shrink)

The development of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) as a treatment for human infertilty was among the most controversial medical achievements of the modern era. In Ireland, the fate and status of supranumary (non-transferred) embryos derived from IVF brings challenges both for clinical practice and public health policy because there is no judicial or legislative framework in place to address the medical, scientific, or ethical uncertainties. Complex legal issues exist regarding informed consent and ownership of embryos, particularly the use of non-transferred (...) embryos if a couple separates or divorces. But since case law is only beginning to emerge from outside Ireland and because legislation on IVF and human embryo status is entirely absent here, this matter is poised to raise contractual, constitutional and property law issues at the highest level. Our analysis examines this medico-legal challenge in an Irish context, and summarises key decisions on this issue rendered from other jurisdictions. The contractual issues raised by the Roche case regarding informed consent and the implications the initial judgment may have for future disputes over embryos are also discussed. Our research also considers a putative Constitutional 'right to procreate' and the implications EU law may have for an Irish case concerning the fate of frozen embryos. Since current Medical Council guidelines are insufficient to ensure appropriate regulation of the advanced reproductive technologies in Ireland, the report of the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction is most likely to influence embryo custody disputes. Public policy requires the establishment and implementation of a more comprehensive legislative framework within which assisted reproductive medical services are offered. (shrink)

Stravinsky’s aim of coordinating man and time through music is explored in the context of changes in our understanding of time at the turn of the twentieth century. His growing expertise in the construction of temporalities of differing quality and depth to create a vehicle for greater temporal and spiritual awareness is traced through the early works from Petrushka to Le Sacre du Printemps, and the background to their time qualities explored. At a distance of 100 years some thoughts are (...) offered on the effect that the première of Le Sacre du Printemps had upon the audience with respect to a more particular awareness of time. (shrink)

In this essay, I will explore the interrelations and differences between the human and digital technology through the lens of surveillance and prediction modeling: the building of profiles. I will provide some philosophical considerations on surveillance and surveillance practices especially in light of datafication and digitalization – including some epistemological considerations with regard to the underlying assumptions in algorithmic construction of profiles and human identities. The starting point is accidental encounters with the same person in the streets of Copenhagen.

Examines the growing popularity of alternative medicine, and discusses the mind-body connection in healing.

Old Havana: Spirit of the Living City artistically captures the architecture, people, and daily life of La Habana Vieja through the lenses of two visionary photographers and colleagues, one American and the other Cuban. Chip Cooper and Néstor Martí began collaborating in 2008, documenting the picturesque features of the oldest and most historically rich quarter in Cuba's capital city at the behest of Eusebio Leal Spengler, the historian of the city of Havana and the director of the Habana Vieja (...) restoration project. Cooper's and Martí's images highlight the spirit of change and renewal underlying the restoration of this international treasure and its revival as a vibrant business and residential area. Inspired by the work of twentieth century American photographer Walker Evans, Cooper and Martí, through perspectives both unique and deeply entwined, capture the humanity of the city, in a language at once universal and transcendent. (shrink)

We investigate 1 factor that influences the success of ideas or cultural representations by proposing that they have a habitat, that is, a set of environmental cues that encourages people to recall and transmit them. We test 2 hypotheses: (a) fluctuation: the success of an idea will vary over time with fluctuations in its habitat, and (b) competition: ideas with more prevalent habitats will be more successful. Four studies use subject ratings and data from newspapers to provide correlational support for (...) our 2 hypotheses, with a negative factoid, positive rumor, catchphrases, and variants of a proverb. Three additional experimental studies manipulate the topic of actual conversations and find empirical support for our theory, with catchphrases, proverbs, and slang. The discussion examines how habitat prevalence applies to a more extensive class of ideas and suggests how habitats may influence the process by which ideas evolve. (shrink)

2010 Reprint of 1932 Edition. This book consists for the most part of conversations between Milton Sills and Ernest Holmes. According to Holmes, it represents a good representation of Sill's belief about the continuity of the human soul. This was the subject of the extended conversations presented in this work. Sill's nature was deeply spiritual, highly intellectual and bordered on the mystical. He possessed one of the most brilliant and well-trained minds Holmes had ever known. He believed in emergent (...) evolution, ever ascending, but never reaching a final goal. Hence, eternity meant to him an everlasting progress in which the individual never loses those elements essential to the continuation of a definitely individualized entity. (shrink)

In 2017, Steven Gimbel published Isn’t That Clever: A Philosophical Account of Humor and Comedy. This book proposes, among other vastly interesting notions, a definition of humor that eschews audience reactions in favor of focusing exclusively on the craft and intention of the responsible comedian. This article intends to provoke that definition and show why humorous performances cannot be crafted without an audience-centric mindset, proving Gimbel’s notion problematic at best. To poke this definition, I draw on the American Folk Humor (...) tradition and compare its historic roots with modern tourist attractions that on the surface appear to channel its spirit. These include the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue dinner show at Walt Disney World and The Brewery Follies at Virginia City, Montana. After showcasing the differences between these modern performances and the tradition they pretend to espouse, I conclude that Gimbel’s theory cannot account for the evolution of a funny genre. (shrink)

This analysis delves into the relationship with knowledge we engage when we communicate using comedy and humour. It explores four questions related to this enquiry: Is knowledge through comedy possible? Does funny discourse point us to the real? Do we laugh in the realm of reason? Is the knowledge channelled through comedy unitary? These questions position us within our own heads amidst the heuristic zigzag of alarm and happy release that precedes laughter. Furthermore, it observes the individualized nature of knowledge (...) through laughter. Probing these questions illuminates epistemic niches and breaks some barriers between them. (shrink)

Studying the funny trends within historically marginalized populations has historically been used as a means of making them seem nonthreatening to dominant cultures. Scholars, furthermore, have often applied dominant-culture contexts toward reading minority artifacts without taking the time to understand the premises for other cultures’ funny enthymemes. This paper proposes two solutions to the dilemma of recognizing the importance of representing marginalized populations’ humor in the scholarly canon but also studying those funny artifacts with a mind toward ethics, using Native (...) American humor as a representative case study. (shrink)

Using research into learning from sequences of examples, we generate predictions about what cultural products become widely distributed in the social marketplace of ideas. We investigate what we term the Repetition‐Break plot structure: the use of repetition among obviously similar items to establish a pattern, and then a final contrasting item that breaks with the pattern to generate surprise. Two corpus studies show that this structure arises in about a third of folktales and story jokes. An experiment shows that jokes (...) with this structure are more interesting than those without the initial repetition. Thus, we document evidence for how a cognitive factor influences the cultural products that are selected in the marketplace of ideas. (shrink)

This paper argues in favor of a hybrid conception of identity. A common conception of identity in datafied society is a split between a digital self and a real self, which has resulted in concepts such as the data double, algorithmic identity, and data shadows. These data-identity metaphors have played a significant role in the conception of informational privacy as control over information—the control of or restricted access to your digital identity. Through analyses of various data-identity metaphors as well as (...) philosophical accounts of identity, we argue in favor of a hybrid conception of identity that emphasizes the relations between the ‘real’ and the ‘digital’. A hybrid conception of identity—where the digital is an aspect on par with social relations, self-understanding, and values—ultimately calls for an understanding of privacy as the right to influence one’s own identity. (shrink)

Personal information is key to informational privacy and the algorithmically generated profiles of individuals. However, the concept of personal information and its nature is rarely discussed. The concept of personal information thus seems to be based on an idea of information as objective and truthful—as natural information—that is depicted as digital footprints in the online and digital realm. I argue that the concept of personal information should exit the realm of natural information and enter the realm of nonnatural information—grounded in (...) meaning, intention, and convention—as this will provide us with a concept that can account for potential misleadingness, inaccuracies, and mistakes. (shrink)

Researchers, educators and clinicians have long recognized the profound influence of the mid‐twentieth century focus on interpersonal relations and relationships on nursing. Today, in nursing, as well as in medicine and other social sciences, neuroanatomy, neurobiology and neurophysiology have replaced interpersonal dynamics as keys to understanding human behavior. Yet concerns are being raised that the teaching, research and practice of the critical importance of healing relationships have been overridden by a biological focus on the experiences of health and illness. As (...) a way to move forward, we return to Hildegard Peplau's seminal ideas about the transformative power of relationships in nursing. We propose that Peplau's formulations and, in particular, her seminal Interpersonal Relations in Nursing can provide direction. We do not propose that her formulations or her book be simply transposed from the 1950s to today's classroom and clinic. But we do believe that her ideas and writings are dynamic documents containing concepts and derived operations that can be brought to life in clinical practice. Finally, we explore Peplau's transformative idea that nursing is, at its core, an interpersonal process both to acknowledge an idea that has shaped our past and can guide us into our future. (shrink)

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss Luciano Floridi’s 2019 book The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design, the latest instalment in his philosophy of information (PI) tetralogy, particularly with respect to its implications for library and information studies (LIS) .

Contemporary privacy theories and European discussions about data protection employ the notion of ‘personal information’ to designate their areas of concern. The notion of personal information is demarcated from non-personal information—or just information—indicating that we are dealing with a specific kind of information. However, within privacy scholarship the notion of personal information appears undertheorized, rendering the concept somewhat unclear. We argue that in an age of datafication, protection of personal information and privacy is crucial, making the understanding of what is (...) meant by ‘personal information’ more important than ever. To contribute to this aim, we analyse the conception of personal information and its nature, including the distinction between personal and non-personal information from a philosophy of language perspective. Through analyses of aboutness and relative aboutness we point to challenges related to the demarcation between personal and non-personal information, which may in practice lead to all information being personal. (shrink)

Volume 32, Issue 1, March 2019, Page 73-75.

A brief review and classification of technology in general begins the paper, followed by an application of the classification to two specific marathon case studies: the 2018 Boston marathon and the 2017 Nike Breaking2 Project marathon. Then concepts from an array of sport philosophers are discussed to suggest an explanation for why each of the case studies strikes us as problematic. The conclusion provides a reasonable explanation for our misgivings, as well as an indication of how we might evaluate sporting (...) endeavors in the face of increasing technological innovation. (shrink)