An experiment designed to test the highly speculative hypothesis of photon consciousness was executed. It was found that, within the accuracy attainable with the apparatus, there is no empirical justification for the hypothesis.

Notwithstanding empirical evidence that combining ethics and compliance into one function or programme is likely to erode an ethical culture in organisations, the praxis to coalesce ethics and compliance conceptually and structurally remains attractive and continues in many organisations. Drawing on systems psychodynamic theory, this study enquires into unconscious complexities and drivers that may contribute to adverse consequences when combining ethics and compliance. Whereas previous research demonstrates that compliance dominates ethics because of self‐regulation issues, this research provides deeper insight into (...) why this happens. On explicating the unconscious dynamics that underlie the apparent lure of combination, it becomes clear that this praxis remains attractive because of its function to repress anxieties, maintain phantasies, and provide psychological comfort. In recognising the role of unconscious dynamics in the decision to combine ethics and compliance and the consequences thereof, cognition of this combination and its outcomes is moved beyond a conscious rational process. This elucidates the commanding opposing unconscious forces potentially at play in this decision. Insights could lessen adverse outcomes by prompting organisations to think of the combination of ethics and compliance as unconsciously motivated systemic processes that require sincere consideration before pursuing them. (shrink)

Notwithstanding empirical evidence that combining ethics and compliance into one function or programme is likely to erode an ethical culture in organisations, the praxis to coalesce ethics and compliance conceptually and structurally remains attractive and continues in many organisations. Drawing on systems psychodynamic theory, this study enquires into unconscious complexities and drivers that may contribute to adverse consequences when combining ethics and compliance. Whereas previous research demonstrates that compliance dominates ethics because of self‐regulation issues, this research provides deeper insight into (...) why this happens. On explicating the unconscious dynamics that underlie the apparent lure of combination, it becomes clear that this praxis remains attractive because of its function to repress anxieties, maintain phantasies, and provide psychological comfort. In recognising the role of unconscious dynamics in the decision to combine ethics and compliance and the consequences thereof, cognition of this combination and its outcomes is moved beyond a conscious rational process. This elucidates the commanding opposing unconscious forces potentially at play in this decision. Insights could lessen adverse outcomes by prompting organisations to think of the combination of ethics and compliance as unconsciously motivated systemic processes that require sincere consideration before pursuing them. (shrink)

The emerging field of responsible leadership holds various possibilities for business and society. The wide range of conceptualizations, definitions, and theorizations of RL as a distinctive or unique leadership construct has not previously been investigated through a systematic review. To conceptualize the intrinsic meaning of responsible leadership as a distinct leadership construct, and to bring coherence to the expanding body of literature on responsible leadership, evidence from 162 peer‐reviewed journal articles on responsible leadership, ethical leadership, servant leadership, authentic leadership, transformational (...) leadership, and values‐based leadership have been analyzed through a systematic review. The aim was to synthesize a coherent and intrinsic meaning of responsible leadership in order to identify the place of responsible leadership in the leadership domain. The findings suggest that responsible leadership is not an independent leadership construct, but largely builds on and leverages other leadership theories and approaches. However, the findings indicate that the core meaning of responsible leadership is distinctive in its relational focus on, and accountability for, the active engagement of stakeholders; the balancing of stakeholder interests; the building of social capital; and the assurance of long‐term sustainability of society and the natural environment, beyond responsibilities to internal stakeholders. (shrink)

It is suggested that a clear prophetic voice of the congregational gathering could change the society to which the congregants belong. The problem is that this prophetic voice seems to have disappeared in many cases. A solution might be found if the point of view is taken that the prophetic voice in the congregational gathering is heard in the liturgical acts or rites. In the science of Liturgy attention must be given to the revitalisation of the gift of prophesy. In (...) this article the prophetic testimony of the Old Testament prophets and of the Prophet, Jesus Christ, were used as sources. Following in the footsteps of Brueggemann, an effort will be made to establish in relevant scripture passages what the attitude and practise of prophetic testimony should be. The possibility of rendering service through prophetic testimony as a liturgical act in the South African society is wide open. Prophetic testimony serves to criticise the dominant perception in order to dismantle it, but is also serves to energise persons and communities by its promise of another time and situation towards which the community of faith could move. (shrink)

Although the evidence remains tentative at best, the conception of hallucinations in schizophrenia as being underconstrained perception resulting from intrinsic thalamocortical resonance in sensory areas might complement current models of hallucination. However, in itself, the approach falls short of comprehensively explaining the neurogenesis of hallucinations in schizophrenia, as it neglects the role of external attributional biases, mental imagery, and a disconnection between frontal and temporal areas.

The review by De Bie et al. (2023) provides an overview of the current ethical literature on artificial womb technology (AWT). Two characteristics stand out, and provide the basis for our commentar...

Resumo: Este texto discute a hipótese de que a crise das democracias contemporâneas é indissociável de dois fenômenos políticos distintos, porém correlatos, analisados a partir das teorizações de Michel Foucault sobre a biopolítica e o neoliberalismo: a) a crescente disseminação de atos e discursos de violência, de ódio e de preconceito contra populações vulneráveis, obedecendo à lógica biopolítica da proteção da vida de alguns ao custo da exposição à morte de vastas parcelas da população; b) a disseminação de políticas neoliberais (...) para a gestão da vida de populações vulneráveis. Considera-se que a articulação entre biopolítica e neoliberalismo produz o paradoxo de uma democracia sem demos, no sentido da desvalorização das lutas políticas coletivas por direitos iguais e por melhores condições de vida. Na conclusão, sugere-se que a reinvenção da democracia exige repensar o poder do demos, isto é, repolitizar o poder político de categorias sociais sujeitas a processos históricos de vulneração. Palavras-chave: Crise da democracia. Biopolítica. Neoliberalismo. Foucault. Butler. Democracy in crisis: biopolitics and neoliberal government of populations: This text discusses the hypothesis that the crisis of contemporary democracy relates to two distinct political phenomena, however correlated, analyzed thru Michel Foucault’s concepts about biopolitics and neoliberalism: a) the ascending dissemination of acts and discourses of hate, violence and prejudgment against vulnerable populations, according to the biopolitical logics of protecting the life of some at the expense of exposing the life of others to death; b) the dissemination of neoliberal policies to administrate the life of vulnerable populations. I argue that both phenomena seem to imply the paradox of a democracy without the demos, in the sense of the devaluation of collective political struggles for equal rights and for better life conditions. At the conclusion, it is suggested that the reinvention of democracy requires rethinking the power of the demos in the sense of re-politicizing the political power of social categories subjected to historical process that render them vulnerable. Keywords: Crisis of democracy. Biopolitics. Neoliberalism. Foucault. Butler. Démocratie en crise : biopolitique et gouvernement néolibéral de populations Résumé : On discute l’hypothèse que la crise de la démocratie contemporaine est associée à deux phénomènes politiques distinctes, mais corrélâtes, analysés par les concepts de Foucault sur la biopolitique et le néolibéralisme : a) la vague accrue d’actes et de mots de violence, haine et pré-jugements contre des populations vulnérables, selon la logique biopolitique de la protection de la vie de quelques-uns au prix du rejet à la morte de la vie des autres ; b) la dissémination des politiques néolibéraux vouées à la gestion de la vie des populations vulnérabilisées. L’articulation entre biopolitique et néolibéralisme semble impliquer le paradoxe d’une démocratie sans demos, au sens de la dévaluation des luttes politiques collectives pour des droits égaux et pour des meilleures conditions de vie. Finalement, on considère la réinvention de la démocratie par la ré-politisation du pouvoir du demos en tant que pouvoir des catégories sociales soumises à la vulnération. Mots-clés: Crise de la démocratie. Biopolitique. Néolibéralisme. Foucault. Butler. (shrink)

O texto discute o apelo de Foucault aos corpos e prazeres como instância de resistência aos efeitos do dispositivo da sexualidade. Primeiro, abordamos a descoberta foucaultiana do dispositivo da sexualidade. Depois, discutimos a análise de Judith Butler sobre o modo como Foucault retratou o caso de Herculine Barbin, tomando-o como estratégico para a sua própria crítica à concepção foucaultiana da resistência. Para Butler, ao recorrer aos corpos e aos prazeres Foucault entraria em contradição com sua própria análise genealógica, pois sua (...) sugestão implicaria assumir a potência vital do corpo e do prazer como sendo anterior ou alheia ao dispositivo de poder-saber que produziu os sujeitos da sexualidade. No terceiro momento discorreremos criticamente sobre a análise proposta por Butler e argumentaremos que Foucault não tomou o caso de Herculine Barbin como modelo de resistência válido para nós, pois o entendeu como relativo ao dispositivo do poder pastoral. Finalmente, afirmamos que ao dissociar as práticas sexuais, os corpos e os prazeres do império do “sexo-desejo”, Foucault enfatizou o exercício de condutas sexuais como campo de experiências voltadas à transformação de si e dos outros, por meio da ampliação das relações entre os sujeitos. (shrink)