Empowerment and user participation represents an ideal of power with a strong position in the health sector. In this article we use text analysis to investigate notions of power in a program plan for health workers focusing on empowerment. Issues addressed include: How are relationships of power between users and helpers described in the program plan? Which notions of user participation are embedded in the plan? The analysis is based on Foucault’s idea that power which is made subject to attempts (...) of redistribution will re-emerge in other forms. How this happens, and with what consequences, is our analytical concern. The analysis is contrasted with ‘snapshots’ from everyday life in a nursing home. The program plan communicates empowerment as a democracy-building instrument that the users need. It is a tool for providing expert assistance to the user’s self-help. User participation is made into a tool which is external to the user him-/herself. Furthermore, the analysis shows that the plan’s image of empowerment presupposes an ‘élite user’ able to articulate personal needs and desires. This is not very applicable to the most vulnerable user groups, who thereby may end up in an even weaker position. By way of conclusion, we argue that an exchange of undesirable dominating paternalism for a desirable empowerment will not abolish power, but may result in more covert and subtle forms of power that are less open to criticism. The paper offers insights that will facilitate reflections on the premises for practising empowerment-oriented health care. (shrink)

Despite a growing interest in research on spiritual formation, prior studies have not discussed the role of leadership in the formation of Christian character. This article seeks to fill this void by addressing how 1 Thessalonians in general, and 2:1–12 in particular, show Paul's goal and method of leadership for community formation. Written as a letter of friendship to a persecuted church, Paul draws attention to his prior visit in the city as a plumb line for Christian behavior and leadership. (...) As such, the letter contributes to the resocialization of Paul's recent converts, stressing the relationship with himself as well as with each other amidst a hostile environment. The study concludes that Paul's leadership is Christocentric in nature, having modeling, adaptability, and relationships as central components. (shrink)

In European research and innovation policy, Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Open Science (OS) encompass two co-existing sets of ambitions concerning systemic change in the practice of research and innovation. This paper is an exploratory attempt to uncover synergies and differences between RRI and OS, by interrogating what motivates their respective transformative agendas. We offer two storylines that account for the specific contexts and dynamics from which RRI and OS have emerged, which in turn offer entrance points to further (...) unpacking what ‘opening up’ to society means with respect to the transformative change agendas that are implicit in the two agendas. We compare differences regarding the ‘how’ of opening up in light of the ‘why’ to explore common areas of emphasis in both OS and RRI. We argue that while both agendas align with mission-oriented narratives around grand societal challenges, OS tends to emphasize efficiency and technical optimisation over RRI’s emphasis on normative concerns and democracy deficits, and that the two agendas thus contrast in their relative legitimate emphasis on doable outcomes versus desirable outcomes. In our conclusion, we reflect on the future outlook for RRI and OS’ co-existence and uptake, and on what their respective ambitions for transformation might mean for science-society scholars and scholarship. (shrink)

As part of the international efforts to observe the Venus transit of June 1769, Protestant Denmark-Norway engaged the Viennese astronomer Maximilian Hell, despite Hell being Catholic and even Jesuit. Hell’s site of observation was Vardø in the remote northeastern corner of Norway. He had ambitions to present his journey and scientific results—which reached far beyond astronomy—in a grand work entitled Expeditio litteraria ad Polum arcticum. This work was never printed, although several fragments were published otherwise. Among the pieces not published (...) were his geomagnetic observations. Hell’s original manuscripts contain a considerable amount of declination readings as well as notes on instruments, practical procedures, and theoretical reflections involved in his work. In Vardø he set up a magnetic observatory, along with the astronomical one, and recorded, on an irregular schedule, the magnetic declination several times a day from April to June 1769. The records exhibit a clear signature of the diurnal variation as well as magnetic storms. Hell vigorously refuted contemporary suggestions of a connection between magnetic storms and Northern Lights. On the return voyage, a number of observations of magnetic declination along Norway were carried out, with a technique combining a gnomon with observations of the Sun’s altitude with a quadrant. (shrink)

I defend what I take to be a genuinely Kantian view on temporal extension: time is not an object but a human horizon of concrete particulars. As such, time depends on the existence of embodied human subjects. It does not, however, depend on those subjects determined as spatial objects. Starting with a realist notion of “apperception” as applied to indexical space, I proceed with the need for external criteria of temporal duration. In accordance with Kant’s Second Analogy of Experience, these (...) criteria are found in concepts and laws of motion and change. I then see what follows from this for a reasonable notion of transcendental idealism. Finally, in support of my Kantian conclusions, I argue for the transcendentally subjective nature of particular temporal extension. (shrink)

In his ‘pains and Places’ (Philosophy 78, 2003), John Hyman is right that pains are not located in their causes or effects but in the hurting limbs. However, his position may be consonant with Wittgensteinian expressivism or the view that consciousness is the locus of pain: In producing its own parts, a living organism ‘autopoietically’ sustains itself as an activity functionally present in its limbs. It thus supplies the biological basis for pain consciousness as something wholly present in organs that (...) hurt. (Published Online October 13 2005). (shrink)

‚Erfahrung ist eine verstandene Wahrnehmung‘ Die hier vorgeschlagene Kant-Interpretation stellt eine nicht-repräsentationalistische Version seiner Theorie der raumzeitlichen Erkenntnis dar. So befindet sie sich nicht nur im Gegensatz zu herkömmlichen Lesarten deutlich mentalistischer Prägung, sondern opponiert im allgemeinen gegen repräsentationalistische Auslegungen des Verhältnisses zwischen Wahrnehmung und Wissen. Wie sehr man sich dabei auf ein interpretatorisches Minenfeld hinaus bewegen kann – davon zeugt das folgende Schlusswort einer Lexikon-Eintragung zu Kantischen und anderen Varianten des Idealismus: „In the end, the only argument for idealism (...) of any form is to be found in the representative theory of perception, and that theory is false“. Formulierungen wie diese sind in verschiedenen Traditionen der Interpretation tief verwurzelt und können nicht ohne weiteres als extreme Einzeläusserungen abgetan werden – um so weniger, als repräsentationalistische oder auch mentalistische Lesarten der theoretischen Philosophie Kants immer noch einen wichtigen Trend darstellen. (shrink)

Of what does the size of spatially and temporally extended phenomena consist? The particular, non-conceptual magnitude of a spatial thing is a determinate, world-defining unit size. Correspondingly, natural objects have a definite size in relation to embodied human subjectivity as a global ‘measure of worlds’. As displayed by the occurrence of global models in human life, this relation has an irreducibly indexical character. The particular temporal extension of events is intrinsic to human experience as well – albeit in a different (...) way. As displayed in local models only, it is a conceivable object of practical but not of propositional knowledge. In its role as a global spatial measure, somehow the human body is more than one among the many possible objects of descriptive knowledge. This role is supplied by rational agency – which is then a condition of the world. (shrink)

Gegen von Wright und andere Anhänger nicht-kausaler Handlungserklärungen hat Davidson argumentiert, daß Handlungen nicht nur als sinnvolles Verhalten konzeptuell verstanden, sondern auch durch singulare Ursachen als ihre „wahren” Motive erklärt werden. Dem entspricht auch der von Perry und anderen nachgewiesene indexikalische Charakter eines jeden Handlungsbewußtseins. Da jedoch ein singuläres Handlungsbewußtsein auch zukunfisgerichtet ist, hat das entsprechende, indexikalische Motiv keine von der erst zu realisierenden Handlung unabhängige Existenz. Die Handlung wird eher als eine „Wirkung von der Zukunft” verstanden, und so haben (...) die Anti-Kausalisten recht, daß bei Handlungserklärungen nicht auf Humesche Ursachen hingewiesen wird. (shrink)

Gegen von Wright und andere Anhänger nicht-kausaler Handlungserklärungen hat Davidson argumentiert, daß Handlungen nicht nur als sinnvolles Verhalten konzeptuell verstanden, sondern auch durch singulare Ursachen als ihre „wahren” Motive erklärt werden. Dem entspricht auch der von Perry und anderen nachgewiesene indexikalische Charakter eines jeden Handlungsbewußtseins. Da jedoch ein singuläres Handlungsbewußtsein auch zukunfisgerichtet ist, hat das entsprechende, indexikalische Motiv keine von der erst zu realisierenden Handlung unabhängige Existenz. Die Handlung wird eher als eine „Wirkung von der Zukunft” verstanden, und so haben (...) die Anti-Kausalisten recht, daß bei Handlungserklärungen nicht auf Humesche Ursachen hingewiesen wird. (shrink)

From two not very controversial premises I argue for a variant of transcendental idealism: Space is a non-conceptual system of particular distances and directions. As a possible object of propositional truth, distance or size is relational. But means the collapse of : In relationally equivalent worlds, one cannot distinguish between particular and conceptual size. What is needed for particular distance being an objective property of things is a global measure of such worlds. This is supplied by rational, indexical agency.

Every human being may be said to be a philosopher, endowed with the capacity to reflect on her own life as part of some general worldview or even 'ontology'. With that said, it is not obvious what kind of philosophical training a state-organized, state-funded educational system should support. This paper seeks an answer to this problem in a Kantian understanding of enlightenment: in transcendental philosophy, what corresponds to a formal notion of ontology is reason, and the autonomy of reason is (...) realized in free and equal citizens governing themselves according to their own best judgment. A precondition of such government is a certain general level of rationality and reflection among the populace, a level to be fostered by public philosophy education. This may warrant closer, 'dialogic' ties between teaching and research as the best way for students to develop their capacity for philosophical thinking. It may also favour the taking of a critical stance on the more scientistic approach dominating much of today's mainstream philosophy. (shrink)

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to explore symptoms of anxiety and depression, insomnia, and quality of life in a Norwegian community sample of older adults.MethodsA representative sample was drawn from home-dwelling people of 60 years and above, living in a large municipality in Norway.ResultsBased on established cut-off scores, 83.7% of the participants showed no symptoms of anxiety/depression, 12% had mild symptoms, 2.7% moderate symptoms, 1.5% showed severe symptoms of anxiety/depression. A total of 18.4% reported insomnia symptoms. Regarding health-related quality (...) of life, few participants reported problems with self-care, but pain and discomfort were common. Depression/anxiety, insomnia, and health-related quality of life showed moderate to strong associations.DiscussionThe results suggest a close interplay between anxiety/depression, insomnia, and health-related quality of life in older adults. (shrink)

Over evolutionary time, humans have developed a selective sensitivity to features in the human face that convey information on sex, age, emotions, and intentions. This ability might not only be applied to our conspecifics nowadays, but also to other living objects (i.e., animals) and even to artificial structures, such as cars. To investigate this possibility, we asked people to report the characteristics, emotions, personality traits, and attitudes they attribute to car fronts, and we used geometric morphometrics (GM) and multivariate statistical (...) methods to determine and visualize the corresponding shape information. Automotive features and proportions are found to covary with trait perception in a manner similar to that found with human faces. Emerging analogies are discussed. This study should have implications for both our understanding of our prehistoric psyche and its interrelation with the modern world. (shrink)