Palliation is a relatively new concept that is used in connection with the integral care provided to those who are unable to recover from their illness. The specific meaning of the concept has not been clearly defined. This article explores the possibilities offered by a responsive approach to evaluation that can facilitate a reflexive dialogue on this ambiguous concept. In doing so it draws on a case study of a palliative care project in a Dutch health care authority. The article (...) begins with an overview of the characteristics of a responsive approach to evaluation and addresses interpretative, representational and practical dilemmas. It goes on to present a series of dialogues between health professionals, informal caregivers, patients and evaluators. These dialogues take the form of juxtaposed stories, transcribed conversations and interpretations. Finally, the learning experiences are summarised and the appropriateness of the responsive approach to evaluate palliative care is discussed. (shrink)

James Baldwin and Ludwig Wittgenstein were both concerned with what language use is capable of and what the duty of the thinker should be. This essay examines, via Italo Calvino’s ideas on the relationship between writing and world, what the contrast Wittgenstein/Baldwin tells us about the ethics of meaning. Wittgenstein’s ‘leaves everything as it is’ conception of thought is contrasted with Baldwin’s thoughts on racism, language and the duty of the writer. It is concluded that Baldwin drives Wittgenstein’s philosophical position (...) further than Wittgenstein could do himself and that ethically neutral language use is itself a linguistic confusion. (shrink)