Neoliberal reforms have changed the conduct of academic research in, and beyond, science, technology and society. Social science scholars have undertaken critical studies regarding the negative consequences of neoliberalism, such as the globalization of poverty and the inattention to rights and fairness. However, science and technology studies (STS), which should take a critical approach to science and technology, has generally not addressed the problem of neoliberalism. Rather, some currents in STS may be viewed as supportive of neoliberal transformations. 1 Why (...) is this so? To address this question, Japanese public policy will provide a case study. In Japan, public policy changed, affected by neoliberal reforms in the 1990s. Consequently, a broad area of Japanese social sciences was altered regarding how to be engaged in public policy. STS in Japan was formed at this time and shifted to neoliberal public policy. As a result STS, as well as many other social sciences, transformed their critical function. These circumstances seem to have overlapped and caused STS in Japan to be uncritical of neoliberalism. (shrink)

It has often been assumed that Plato's Apology is a faithful recreation of Socrates' speech on the final day of his trial in 399 b.c.; that it contains almost nothing of Plato's own philosophy; and that it therefore represents rather the position of the historical Socrates on how to live and how to philosophize. In this belief, Schleiermacher relegated the Apology to an appendix to his translation of Plato, along with some spurious works. His view was followed by Zeller and (...) Grote in the late nineteenth century, and further popularized in the 1920s by Burnet's edition of the Apology. (shrink)

科学が自然を破壊した今、人間は人工的に反人工的な自然を保持するべく努力しなければなりません。科学技術は、この逆説に耐え抜かねばならないのでしょう。.

Kyosei, a traditional Japanese concept, has been applied to a variety subjects, from biology to business. It has more recently become synonymous with the concepts of corporate responsibility, ethical decision making, stakeholder maximization, and responsible reciprocity. The purpose of this paper is to trace kyosei's modern business application back to ancient Confucian thought. The ideals associated with Confucianism were instrumental in the creation of Japanese business codes of ethics during the early part of the seventeenth century. A short history of (...) this period is presented to provide a contextual framework for understanding these codes. A specific code of ethics, called the shuchu kiyaku, is presented for the first time in English and shown to have direct roots in Confucian writings. Statements from modern company codes and from modern Japanese and American businessmen are presented to reflect the philosophy of business embodied in that ancient code of ethics. (shrink)

ObjectiveTo assess distracted attention and performance on a computer task following completion of a sustained attention and acute media multitasking task among adolescents with varying self-reported usual media multitasking.MethodsNinety-six 13- to 17-year-olds played the video game Tetris following completion of a Go/No-go paradigm to measure sustained attention in the presence of distractors, an acute media multitasking, or a passive viewing condition. Adolescents completed the conditions on separate visits in randomized order. Sustained attention was measured within the Go/No-go task by measuring (...) errors of omission. Distracted attention while playing the Tetris task was measured by computing eye tracking measures of attention to irrelevant distractor images that bordered the Tetris game. Participants also self-reported their daily media multitasking.ResultsThe Go/No-go task revealed important qualitative differences in sustained attention among low and high usual media multitaskers. There was a uniform improvement in sustained attention among low usual media multitaskers, demonstrated by a consistent linear decrease in omission errors. Among high usual media multitaskers, there was initially a decrease in sustained attention followed by an increase. Completing the Go/No-go task also statistically significantly reduced distractibility and increased performance while playing Tetris compared to the passive viewing condition, but only among those with low usual media multitasking. There was a non-statistically significant trend that completing the acute media multitask increased subsequent distractibility and performance while playing Tetris among high media multitaskers.ConclusionIn this sample of adolescents, practicing a sustained attention task reduces distractibility and improves task performance among those who have low levels of usual media multitasking. (shrink)

With the development of assisted reproductive technologies, medical, ethical, legal, and social issues have arisen that did not exist when natural conception was the only means of childbirth. In Japan, men tend to believe that assisted reproductive technologies are not directly related to them, with the literature showing that men are often reluctant to be involved in fertility treatment processes. To better understand this situation, this study analyzes the role of male consent during assisted reproductive technology procedures in Japan. First, (...) we examined Japanese court cases that dealt with issues related to male consent during assisted reproductive technology procedures and identified three situations in which problems related to male consent during such procedures may arise. Next, we analyzed the background of such issues and the implications of the lack of consent regarding men’s reproductive rights. Finally, we explored the need for legislation on assisted reproductive technologies. The study concludes that discussions on the scope of male partner rights in assisted reproductive technology procedures are key for minimizing unnecessary conflict between partners, thus ensuring both the rights of women who wish to have children and the welfare of their children. (shrink)

The term ‘humanism’ is Western in origin. It denotes the tradition that places special emphasis on cultivation of letters for education. In the West, this tradition was originated with sophists and Isocrates, established by Cicero, and was developed by Renaissance humanists. East Asia, however, also has its own humanistic traditions with equal educational relevance. One of these is a Japanese version of Confucian humanism established by Ogyu Sorai. This tradition is based on the interpretation of Confucius as a lover of (...) poetry and a teacher of rites. In this article, we discuss the main features of East Asian humanism represented by Sorai and Confucius. Then, after an overview of Western humanism, we aim to elucidate both the convergence and divergence of the two traditions. The investigation will help us to envision humanistic education of the twenty-first century. (shrink)

A challenge in human genome research is how to describe the populations being studied. The use of improper and/or imprecise terms has the potential to both generate and reinforce prejudices and to diminish the clinical value of the research. The issue of population descriptors has not attracted enough academic attention outside North America and Europe. In January 2012, we held a two-day workshop, the first of its kind in Japan, to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue between scholars in the humanities, social (...) sciences, medical sciences, and genetics to begin an ongoing discussion of the social and ethical issues associated with population descriptors. (shrink)

Biographical sketches show how six writers and public figures prepared for their deaths.

Genome editing is a technology that can accurately and efficiently modify the genome of organisms, including the human genome. Although human genome editing (HGE) has many benefits, it also involves technical risks and ethical, legal, and social issues. Thus, the pros and cons of using this technology have been actively debated since 2015. Notably, the research community has taken an interest in the issue and has discussed it internationally. However, for the governance of HGE, the roles of government agencies and (...) the general public are also important for an effective regulatory system. Here, we examine the roles of the research community, government, and public in the governance of HGE through an analysis of discussions in the Japanese Expert Panel on Bioethics. During the discussion of the research ethics review system, the professionalism of the research community and the pros and cons of state oversight have become issues for debate. Furthermore, through an examination of the overall policy-making process, three stakeholders are clearly involved in the governance of emerging medical technologies in the Expert Panel on Bioethics, a discussion forum established by government agencies. The contrast among these roles provides insight into the positive roles of government agencies and the research community and the conditions under which these roles are played. We also note that there are diverse actors in the public, which may have an impact on their participation. Our results may serve as a guide for countries and organizations to establish governance on emerging medical technologies. (shrink)