The Western metaphor of self-as-identity?as a static, inherently exclusive entity?has been instrumental, historically, to our radical separation from nature, and still hampers a reviving of genuine participation with nature. Suggesting an alternative to this metaphor (informed by literacy as technology), I explore the more nature-informed metaphor of dynamic, complex self-systems, involving both natural and human subsystems. Through this latter metaphor, I re-vision radical participation with nature: in the process of perception, in epistemology/ontology, and in the ways of indigenous, oral cultures. (...) This systems metaphor also sheds contrasting light on literacy-informed, Western ways. (shrink)

One of the admirable purposes of the current anthology is to attempt a dialogue between professional philosophers of biology and biological scientists. This is indeed an ambitious undertaking, because although the former group pays a lot of attention to the latter, active scientists rarely pay heed to what the philosophers of biology, or even of science in general, have to say. The current paper is an attempt to address some reasons why this might be so from the bench-level view of (...) a biological scientist who has only a superficial acquaintance with the philosophy of science. Any excursion out of the confines of one’s professional discipline, such as the current one, generates the healthy fear that the exercise will end up in humiliation for the fool who attempts it. I have, perhaps foolishly, overcome this fear in the spirit of this symposium, with the hope that my more glaring errors of interpretation of the philosophy of science will be forgiven by the professional philosophers reading this paper, in the interest of establishing a dialogue. (shrink)

The following account is based on the idea that metaphors are not only illustrative but constructive: they connect things and create new meanings that would not exist without them. The tricky point seems to me that metaphors are unavoidable, yet can only be determined situatively, because they are the result of complex transfers of meaning. In order to make these assumptions plausible, I will use some examples from the history of microbiology, especially from the discourse of the parasite.

Theodor Fontane war von Kindheit an ein Bildernarr. Und so sind auch seine Romane grosszügig mit Bildern ausgestattet, und zwar wortwörtlich: in Sprache übertragen und in Literatur verwandelt. Manchmal ist es nur eine Anspielung, zuweilen bloss ein Werktitel oder Künstlername, dann wiederum werden mit wenigen Sätzen Gemälde gleichsam reproduziert. Von Sternbildern bis Briefmarken, von Meissner Nippes bis zu Deckengemälden reichen die Bildbeispiele, die in den Romanen genannt, vom Erzähler und seinen Figuren erinnert, diskutiert, gekauft, vererbt, geschaffen und zerstört werden. Alle (...) wichtigen Geschehnisse und Themen spiegeln sich in Bildern, mit Bildern lernen sich Figuren kennen und lieben, wegen Bildern zerstreiten und trennen sie sich. Fontane hat in seinen Romanen an über 1 500 Textstellen Bildmotive eingearbeitet: Porträts, Wappen, Orden, Ornamente, Denkmäler oder Heiligenbilder schimmern wie Wasserzeichen durch seine Texte hindurch. Viele dieser Bilder sind jedoch für heutige Leserinnen und Leser?verblasst?, ihr ikonografischer Gehalt ist kaum noch gegenwärtig. Die Erkundungen des Lese- und Bilderbuches führen insofern oftmals durch Terra incognita. Dabei ist es nicht nötig, Fontanes Werke zu kennen, um der Tour durch sein Musée imaginaire folgen zu können. Diese navigiert durch den gesamten Raum seiner Geschichten wie durch einen einzigen Riesenroman und geht den Motivlinien und Mustern nach, die der Autor gesetzt hat, etwa den Bildern der Liebe, der Macht und des Todes, den Bildern des Wissens und den neuen Bildmedien des 19. Jahrhunderts. (shrink)

This volume offers interdisciplinary perspectives on contemporary biomedicine as a cultural practice.

Scientific knowledge has not stabilized in the current, early, phase of research and development of nanotechnologies creating a challenge to ‘upstream’ public engagement. Nevertheless, the idea that the public should be involved in deliberative discussions and assessments of emerging technologies at this early stage is widely shared among governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders. Many forums for public debate including focus groups, and citizen juries, have thus been organized to explore public opinions on nanotechnologies in a variety of countries over the past (...) few years. In Switzerland the Centre for Technology Assessment (TA-Swiss) organized such a citizen panel in fall 2006. Drawing from an ethnographic study of this panel called ‘publifocus on nanotechnologies, health, and environment’ this paper looks at the ways members of a stakeholder group deal with the epistemic uncertainty in their deliberation of nanotechnologies. By exploring the statements of the participants in the stakeholder discussion group, this paper reconstructs the narratives that constitute the epistemic foundations of the participants’ evaluations of nanotechnologies. (shrink)

Philosophy of religion is a general term, which includes the study of any religion in the world with philosophical perspective. Philosophy of religion with Christian perspective went through its three important stages in the 20th century. First in the 1960s, the topic was related to the arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, and the relation between faith and reason. A second major development, stemming from the late 1960s and early 1970s, was in the context of the (...) comparative study of religions and religious pluralism. A third major development has been in the application of techniques of philosophical analysis to the central doctrines of Christian faith-philosophical theology. Unfortunately, Christian philosopphy of religion, also known as Christian religious philosophy, is not distinguished from the general study of the philosophy of religion in the twentieth century. There is an urgent need of formulating a Christian philosophy of religion, which is a gift of the twenty-first century. It is a new branch under Christian Philosophy and a branch of philosophy that is concerned with the philosophical study of religion with Christian perspective. It is too late for us to come back to the philosophy of biblical Christianity. Only a Christ-centred philosophy can change the world from the anarchy and present chaos of the world. Many philosophical speculations and theories have emerged, but the need is a world-changing Christian philosophy. Contra-biblical philosophy stands against biblical teachings, extra-biblical philosophy may be partly acceptable and biblical philosophy is fully acceptable, because it is biblically based-Publisher. (shrink)

ExcerptCarl Schmitt (1888–1985) is known as the most consequential German legal and political mind of the twentieth century.1 Many crimes of the Nazi regime found support in his conceptual justifications, and Schmitt is called the “Crown Jurist” of the Third Reich with good reason. Historians, political scientists, and sociologists must grapple with the author in order to understand the course of totalitarianism in modernity. Whether literary historians should do so is far less settled, though he was fascinated by their object (...) of study. His writings on literary topics are said to reveal much about Schmitt’s person, politics, and period, but little about literature itself.2 This explains why his “Don Quijote und das Publikum” (“Don Quixote and the Public”), published in the arts and cultural journal Die Rheinlande in 1912, was almost unknown in literary studies for a century.3 Schmitt’s text on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes has not been reprinted, and until recently it had not been translated from the original German. Size has a role too. At under two thousand words, the text has probably escaped notice due to its small scale.4 Recent English and Italian translations in major humanistic journals may signal the end of its obscurity though.5 “Don Quixote and the Public” is at the door of literary studies. The question now is not whether to respond, but how. (shrink)

This paper explores how scientists perceive public engagement initiatives. By drawing on interviews with nanoscientists, it analyzes how researchers imagine science–society interactions in an early phase of technological development. More specifically, the paper inquires into the implicit framings of citizens, of scientists, and of the public in scientists’ discourses. It identifies four different models of how nanoscientists understand public engagement which are described as educational, paternalistic, elitist, and economistic. These models are contrasted with the dialog model of public engagement promoted (...) by social scientists and policymakers. The paper asks if and in what ways participatory discourses and practices feed back into scientists’ understandings, thus co-producing public discourses and science. (shrink)

The practical use of a combination of trauma psychotherapy and neurofeedback [infra-low-frequency neurofeedback and alpha-theta training] is described for the treatment of patients diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. The indication for this combined treatment is the persistence of symptoms of a hyper-aroused state, anxiety, and sleep disorders even with adequate trauma-focused psychotherapy and supportive medication, according to the Guidelines of the German Society of Psycho-Traumatology. Another indication for a supplementary treatment with neurofeedback is the persistence of dissociative symptoms. Last (...) but not least, the neurofeedback treatment after a trauma-focused psychotherapy session helps to calm the trauma-related reactions and to process the memories. The process of the combined therapy is described and illustrated using two representative case reports. Overall, a rather satisfying result of this outpatient treatment program can be seen in the qualitative appraisal of 7 years of practical application. (shrink)

Ibn Arfaʿ Raʾs is the author of a famous collection of alchemical poems entitled Shudhūr al-dhahab. In addition to Shudhūr al-dhahab, he authored several other works, including a commentary on Shudhūr, which is discussed here at some length for the first time, and strophic poetry on alchemy. The attribution of other works to him seems to be incorrect, and this applies especially to two works on magic. This contribution focusses on our findings on the identity of Ibn Arfaʿ Raʾs and (...) on his life, challenging the identification of the alchemist Ibn Arfaʿ Raʾs with a Mālikī religious scholar known as Ibn al-Naqirāt. Based both on manuscripts and on bio-bibliographical literature, we argue that from an early period, two different people, both from sixth/twelfth century Morocco, have been fused into one. Considering all sources, we also suggest that Ibn Arfaʿ Raʾs might have left the Islamic west and have written at least some of his works in the east, more specifically in Egypt, thereby explaining the broad reception of Shudhūr al-dhahab throughout the Islamic world, particularly in the Mashriq. (shrink)

Arabo-Islamic alchemy enjoyed considerable popularity until well into the 19th and 20th centuries. It can be considered both as a predecessor of modern chemistry and as a natural philosophy whose purpose is to explain the world. Yet one of the unresolved questions concerning alchemy is how one was supposed to learn it, since it was an art that was meant to be kept secret and only revealed to a few select individuals. While the practicalities of the learning experience remain obscure, (...) it is noteworthy that Arabic alchemical literature often makes use of the literary form of the dialogue, a genre strongly associated with teaching and learning. This paper focuses on three Arabic dialogues on alchemy; namely, Masāʼil Khālid li-Maryānus al-rāhib, Kitāb Mihrārīs al-ḥakīm and Risālat al-ḥakīm Qaydarūs, and discusses how the transfer of secret knowledge is represented. I will focus on the literary frames of these texts, their mise-enscéne, the master-disciple relation as represented within them, and the question of interaction between unequal partners. (shrink)

Alchemy is the art of transforming base metals into precious ones, usually silver and/or gold. The most important method conceived to reach this goal was the creation of the elixir, also called the philosophers’ stone, which, applied to the prime-matter, would lead to an accelerated process of ripening of metals, eventually ending in gold. How did Arabo-Islamic alchemists suppose that the transmutation worked? What were the conditions the adept had to fulfil in order to succeed? And what did they think (...) would happen when one finally has created the philosophers’ stone? Will the economy collapse because gold and silver will lose their validity? Will the alchemist simply lean back and enjoy? Or will the world end, because man has finally attained the knowledge that should be God’s only? (shrink)

The main concern of both Berdjaev's and Bulgakov's philosophical strivings consists in developing a concept of the person as the foundation of human dignity and creativity within a Christian world view. Once attracted by Marxism with its emphasis on human dignity and social justice, they started to struggle against Marxism's atheist materialism because of its lack of a concept of person. However, the same concern will lead both thinkers down very different paths with different consequences. This paper argues that, even (...) though Berdjaev has become famous as a philosopher of the person and a herald of creative ethics, Bulgakov developed a more solid Christian justification of the same claims. Both systems are presented by means of comparing some crucial notions within their concepts of personality—potentiality, trinity and autonomy. (shrink)

The authors present the preliminary publication of seven hitherto unpublished inscriptions from the Roman colony at Philippi in the province of Macedonia. These inscriptions make known a number of new notables who were active in the colony during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Amongst them is a soldier from Philippi who had pursued a career in the cohortes vigilae in Rome, as well as several municipal magistrates and seviri augusti from Philippi. All the inscriptions connected with the institutions of (...) the colony, and also those mentioning members of the senatorial and equestrian orders and soldiers, will shortly be included in the first volume of the Corpus of Greek and Latin Inscriptions of Philippi. The assembling of the epigraphic material relating to the municipal and imperial administration of Philippi, enriched by numerous unpublished inscriptions, will enable us to renew our acquaintance with the social and political structures of the colony. (shrink)

Background: This article describes the overall attitudes of children, their parents, and attending physicians toward including or excluding pediatric patients in medical communication and health care decision-making processes. Methods: Fifty-two interviews were carried out with pediatric patients (n = 17), their parents (n = 19), and attending oncologists (n = 16) in eight Swiss pediatric oncology centers. The interviews were analyzed using thematic coding. Results: Parenting styles, the child's personality, and maturity are factors that have a great impact upon the (...) inclusion of children in their health care processes. Children reported the desire to be heard and involved, but they did not want to dominate the decision-making process. Ensuring trust in the parent–child and physician–patient relationships and respecting the child as the affected person were important values determining children's involvement. These two considerations were closely connected with the concern that fantasies are often worse than reality. Seeking children's compliance with treatment was a practical but critical reason for informing them about their health care. The urge to protect them from upsetting news sometimes resulted in their (partial) exclusion. Conclusions: The ethical imperative for inclusion of children in their health care choices was not so much determined by the right for self-determination, but by the need to include them. If children are excluded, they imagine things, become more isolated, and are left alone with their fears. Nevertheless, the urge to protect children is innate, as adults often underestimate children's coping capacities. (shrink)

Person‐specific evidence was developed as a grounded theory by analyzing 20 selected case descriptions from interventions using the guided self‐determination method with people with various long‐term health conditions. It explains the mechanisms of mobilizing relational capacity by including person‐specific evidence in shared decision‐making. Person‐specific self‐insight was the first step, achieved as individuals completed reflection sheets enabling them to clarify their personal values and identify actions or omissions related to self‐management challenges. This step paved the way for sharing these insights and (...) challenges in a relationship with a supportive health professional, who could then rely on person‐specific evidence instead of assumptions or a narrow disease perspective for shared decision‐making. Trust in the evidence encouraged the supportive health professional to transfer it to the interdisciplinary team. Person‐specific evidence then enhanced the ability of team members to apply general evidence in a meaningful way. The increased openness achieved by individuals through these steps enabled them to eventually share their new self‐insights in daily life with other people, decreasing loneliness they experienced in self‐management. Relational capacity, the core of the theory, is mobilized in both people with long‐term health conditions and healthcare professionals. Further research on person‐specific evidence and relational capacity in healthcare is recommended. (shrink)

L’histoire du texte des Régles pour la Direction de l’Esprit (Regulae) de Descartes est un peu singulière: non publié du vivant de Descartes, il n’a paru qu’en 1701, dans les Opera Posthuma d’Amsterdam. De façon plus significative, et contrairement aux autres traités cartésiens perdus, ce texte secret n’est jamais explicitement evoqué par Descartes, fût-ce au détour d’une correspondance. Par leur étroite dépendance vis à vis des mathématiques, les Regulae sont cependant un texte majeur, constitutives de la pensée de leur auteur (...) dans ses années de jeunesse (1619-1628), et par là de toute la philosophie moderne. Descartes avait jugé le texte suffisamment important pour I’emmener à Stockholm, où il a été découvert apres sa mort, dans ses papiers.Entre les mathématiques et les Regulae, ce texte “éclatant et obscur” (J.P. Weber), il est ces trois types principaux de rapports croisés que nous tâcherons d’analyser: historiquement d’abord, quelles furent la formation et I’expérience mathématique du jeune Descartes, qui constituerent, à notre sens, I’armature conceptuelle du texte. Quelles sont ensuite les voies par lesquelles, dans les Regulae, Descartes a putransmuer cette expérience mathématique premiere à la fois en une pratique, une méthode, une théorie de la connaissance, enfin en une épistémologie assez radicalement neuve. Enfin, et prenant Descartes au sérieux nous examinerons à I’occasion cette question: quel est le sort réservé, de nos jours, à cette épistémologie cartésienne, en particulier confrontée aux mathématiques contemporaines? (shrink)

Seguindo de perto a caracterização que Robert Blanché faz da lógica dos modernos em seu livro História da Lógica de Aristóteles a Bertrand Russell, pretendo mostrar como as Regulae de Descartes instanciam paradigmaticamente algumas das principais características das lógicas reformadas, típicas desse momento histórico. O próprio Blanché oferece vários exemplos do pertencimento de Descartes a esse contexto. De minha parte, pretendo contribuir com a discussão realizando um exame mais detalhado da parte final da Regra X, na qual desponta, já nesta (...) que é uma das primeiras obras de Descartes, certa noção de atividade mental, que está em relação tanto com as críticas cartesianas às matemáticas, no Discurso do Método, quanto com o argumento do cogito, nas Meditações. (shrink)

Diese Ausgabe enthält mit den "Regulae ad directionem ingenii" und den sachlich korrespondierenden "Cogitationes privatae" zwei frühe Texte Descartes’ aus der Zeit von 1619 bis 1628; erstere in einer völlig neuen, letztere erstmalig in einer deutschen Übersetzung. Grundlage für die Wiedergabe des lateinischen Textes der Regulae und der Übersetzung dieses größten Fragments aus der Zeit vor Descartes’ Übersiedlung in die Niederlande ist die kritische Ausgabe von Giovanni Crapulli, La Haye 1966, die der schwierigen Überlieferungslage der erst postum aus dem Nachlaß (...) publizierten Schrift am ehesten gerecht wird; die von Springmeyer in seiner 1973 innerhalb der "Philosophischen Bibliothek" vorgelegten und seither mehrfach nachgedruckten Ausgabe des Textes vorgenommenen Eingriffe in die Textgestalt werden daher in dieser Neuausgabe nicht beibehalten. Gegenstand der Regulae und auch der "Cogitationes privatae" ist die Frage nach der Methode zur Erlangung sicherer Erkenntnis. In Descartes’ Philosophie bleibt die Frage nach der Methode durchgängig aktuell, auch dort, wo metaphysische, physikalische oder ethische Inhalte verhandelt werden. Und so verwundert es auch nicht, daß er das Manuskript der Regulae, an das er wohl 1628 zuletzt Hand angelegt hatte, noch 1649 mit auf seine letzte Reise nach Stockholm nahm, obwohl ihm 1637 mit dem anonym publizierten "Discours de la Méthode pour bien conduire sa Raison" bereits der große Durchbruch gelungen war und seine darin auf vier Regeln reduzierte Methode allgemeine Beachtung gefunden hatte. (shrink)