This paper analyzes the reasons for which the incorporeal ultimate reality called the “Gnostic Body” (jñānakāya) is categorized as a “body” in the Kālacakra tradition. It examines the diverse ways in which the body imagery is applied to ultimate reality within this tradition. Although conceptions of the Gnostic Body (jñāna-kāya) as a special category of the Buddha-body have been included in all of the unexcelled yoga-tantras (anuttara-yoga-tantras), they are most extensively elaborated upon in the Kālacakra literature. For this reason, the (...) analysis is primarily based on the Indian Kālacakratantra literary corpus (11th century) (From among the Kālacakratantra literature, I consulted the Kālacakratrantra with the Vimalaprabhā, Nāropā’s Sekoddeśaṭīkā, Sādhuputra’s Sekoddeśaṭipaṇī, and the Ṣaḍṅngayoga of Anupamarakṣita.) and to the closely related Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti, Raviśrījñāna’s commentary on the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti, the Amṛtakaṇikāṭippaṇī, and Vibhūticandra’s subcommentary Amṛtakaṇikodyotanibandha (12th–13th centuries). In so doing, it will bring forth the evaluative and classificatory usages of the term jñāna-kāya in the aforementioned sources, and the analysis is concerned with both the heuristic and provocative functions of their discourses. It also addresses the interpretative framework through which the Kālacakra tradition constructs the notions of embodiment and suggests that Buddhist esoteric discourse can be useful in demonstrating that the concept of a body can be understood as a broader category that extends from a physical body, to an immaterial perceptible form, and to the pure nondual awareness. An analysis of the multileveled constructions of the Gnostic Body (jñāna-kāya) in the Indian Vajrayāna tradition opens new questions and new avenues of investigation with respect to critical assessments of the rubric of the “body,” while bringing to light new models of embodiment. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Reviewed by:Buddhist Literature as Philosophy and Buddhist Philosophy as Literature ed. by Rafael K. StepienVesna A. Wallace (bio)Buddhist Literature as Philosophy and Buddhist Philosophy as Literature. Edited by Rafael K. Stepien. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2020. Pp. xi + 381. Paperback $26.95, isbn 978-1-4383-8070-1.The editor of the Buddhist Literature as Philosophy and Buddhist Philosophy as Literature should be commended for bringing together an excellent collection (...) of essays and producing the first comprehensive volume that offers a coherent study of the relationship between Buddhist literature and philosophy. This book is an ambitious and praiseworthy project, which covers a wide range of Buddhist literary genres produced in India, Tibet, and East Asia over two millennia. As a whole, the volume invites the reader to reexamine a centuries-long binary division between the categories of literature and philosophy, which have been often approached in academic studies as mutually exclusive. It does so by demonstrating that in the context of Buddhism, philosophy and literature continuously converge, diminishing the overarching binary and broadening their scopes. Most contributions to this volume demonstrate that Buddhist philosophy as presented and enacted in Buddhist literature is not limited to what some would consider a "pure philosophy." The volume is divided into the two, mutually mirroring sections, with each section containing six chapters. Chapters forming the section one, "Buddhist Literature as Philosophy," aim at broadening our perspective about literary forms, such as tales, novels, hymns, and court poetry, which have not been usually explored as the means of articulating Buddhist philosophical views. Chapters grouped in the section "Buddhist Philosophy as Literature" focus on Buddhist literary theories as philosophy of language and introduce the Buddhist biographical and autobiographical genres characterized by practical philosophy to further challenge our preconceptions of what it is that constitutes literature and philosophy. While some contributors endeavor to demonstrate the presence of rational, analytical reasoning in unexpected literary forms, other contributors problematize a strict distinction between literature and philosophy as inapplicable to Buddhism, which is undeniably cross-disciplinary.The first two chapters in section one, authored by Amber Carpenter and Sarah Shaw respectively, draw examples from jātaka stories to show us how Buddhist ethical lessons work in the narrative tales of the Buddha's former births. These two chapters also draw our attention to an accessible and engaging, [End Page 1] narrative manner that presents the Bodhisattva's philosophical exercises to the audience, a manner that stands in contrast to the a priori reasoning characteristic of philosophical treatises. In the first chapter, titled "Transformative Vision: Coming to See the Buddha's Reality," Carpenter analyzes two jātaka stories--"Bodhi the Wandering Ascetic" and "The Man Without an Heir"--taken from Āryaśūra's Jātakamālā. In the first story, a renunciant Bodhi, while repudiating the king's ministers who are intent on disqualifying him as a king's advisor on morality, makes metaphysical claims regarding the nature of reality, causation, and the universe, and provides the reasons and arguments. According to Shaw, by offering an insight into the Buddhist worldview and morality, jātaka tales have a transformative power not only with regard to ethics but also in transforming the reader's vision of reality. In the chapter "Jātakas and the Abhidhamma: Practical Compassion and Kusala Citta," Shaw suggests that a reason why jātaka stories are rarely discussed seriously in the way that they were intended is their literary format based in narrative and mundane situations. Analyzing the concepts of momentariness and kusala citta ("virtuous consciousness") in these stories, Shaw shows that by communicating the technical and insight-based Buddhist doctrinal elements, jātaka tales significantly contribute to Buddhist practical ethics. The Pāli Javanahaṃsa-jātaka, a tale about the friendship between a goose and a king, introduces the reader to some of the most complex Buddhist ideas such as impermanence, momentariness, and mental states, expounded in the Abhidhamma in extraction. Through her analysis of the Kurudhamma-jātaka and Mahosaddha-jātaka, Shaw further shows the integration of narrative literature and Buddhist philosophical tenets, of Buddhist tales and the Abhidhamma, of the relationship between the intention and consciousness... (shrink)

Studies in originality, authorship, and intertextuality in the contexts of the South Asian and Tibetan Buddhist literature are indispensible for uncovering the direct and indirect referential connections and the diverse modes of their production in an extensive mosaic of Buddhist texts. They also highlight the multifarious functions of textual reuses and re-workings in cultural productions and religious and literary reinvigorations. Moreover, a reintegration of explicit and silent citations and creative paraphrases and a recirculation of narrative adaptations, which have been often (...) sidelined in the study of Buddhist literature, have been shown to be integral to the formation of a textual authority and to the restructuring of cultural and doctrinal meanings. (shrink)

Copious examples in the writings of Mongolian Buddhist authors demonstrate the significance of the Kāvyadarśa in the development of the Mongolian poetic tradition. Numerous versified eulogies, prayers, verses recited at the time of ritual offerings, benedictions in colophons, and other poetic works written by Mongolian scholars of the late seventeenth through the early twentieth centuries evidence their authors’ attempts to follow Daṇḍin’s principle of alaṃkāras and the influence of other theoretical principles of the Kāvyadarśaon their writings. Although the Kāvyadarśawas translated (...) into the Mongolian language in the first half of the eighteenth century, at the time of the formation of the Mongolian Danjur by Khalkha translator Gelegjaltsan, Mongolian Buddhist scholars had become well acquainted with the Kāvyadarśa through the Tibetan translations of this text and through indigenous Tibetan commentaries on it. However, it is plausible that already in the Yuan court of the thirteenth century, and slightly later in the fourteenth century, some Mongolian scholars had access to the Kāvyadarśain its first, complete Tibetan version, which was produced in the latter part of the thirteenth century. (shrink)

The Kālacakra tradition positions itself in the philosophical system of Madhyamaka, from whose perspective it criticizes the doctrinal tenets of Hindu philosophical schools and of Buddhist schools other than Madhyamaka. The concept of emptiness is the most essential tenet of the Kālacakratantra practice. Before analyzing the practical applications of the doctrine of emptiness in the Kālacakra tantric tradition, it may be useful to examine first the ways in which emptiness is defined and explained in this tantric system. Diverse manners of (...) explaining emptiness result from the various contexts in which this tradition applies and actualizes the doctrine of emptiness. In conclusion, one can say that the sole purpose of the intricate system of the Kālacakratantra's yogic practices is to awaken the yogi to the gnosis of emptiness. The tantra's expositions on emptiness are adopted from the Perfection of Wisdom literature and from Madyamaka. (shrink)

The paper analyzes the impact of massive capital flows and possible sudden stops on current account reversals. The aim of this paper is to consider the relationship between sudden stops and current account reversals in the eurozone and to explain the possibility of a balance-of-payment crisis within a monetary union. Peripheral eurozone countries experienced significant private-capital inflows from the core countries, followed by unambiguously massive outflows. Due to this, peripheral countries ran sustained current account deficits while core countries ran surpluses. (...) At the end we analyze the evolution of current-account balances in the non-euro area EU countries and the peripheral euro-area countries, and we find out that current account deficits could be maintained over a longer period of time in the peripheral euro-area countries. (shrink)

U novije vrijeme smatra se da učitelji imaju ključnu ulogu u suočavanju s problemom vršnjačkog nasilja, a za kvalitetne intervencije važna je kompetentnost učitelja. Cilj ovog istraživanja je ispitati odnos kompetentnosti i percipirane ozbiljnosti nasilne situacije u predviđanju intervencija učitelja u slučajevima vršnjačkog nasilja. Istraživanje je provedeno na nacionalno reprezentativnom uzorku učitelja osnovnih škola u Republici Hrvatskoj, prosječne dobi 43 godine. Za prikupljanje podataka, uz upitnik sociodemografskih karakteristika, korištene su Vinjete te Skala samoprocjene kompetentnosti za rad učitelja na problemima vršnjačkog (...) nasilja. Uz analizu temeljnih odrednica kompetentnosti utvrđeno je da će učitelji koji su kompetentniji procjenjivati nasilje ozbiljnije od svojih manje kompetentnih kolega, a oni koji nasilje percipiraju ozbiljnije češće će i intervenirati. Rezultati pokazuju da kompetentnost ima značajnu prediktivnu ulogu u predviđanju intervencija, a u tom odnosu ozbiljnost nasilja ima moderatorski efekt. Najnižu vjerojatnost intervencije imaju učitelji s niskom kompetentnosti i niskom percepcijom ozbiljnosti nasilja, a najvišu vjerojatnost intervencije imaju učitelji koji imaju visoke razine kompetentnosti i procjenjuju nasilje ozbiljnim. Uz temeljno određenje kompetentnosti, ovaj rad nudi i relevantne smjernice za edukaciju učitelja. In recent times, teachers are considered to play a key role in dealing with the problem of peer violence and their competence is very important for quality interventions. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between competence and perceived severity of a violent situation in predicting teacher intervention in cases of peer violence. The research was conducted on a nationally representative sample of primary school teachers in the Republic of Croatia, average age 43 years. In addition to the socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, data was collected via Vignettes and the Self- Assessment Competence Scale for Teachers’ Work on Peer Violence Problems. In addition to the analysis of the basic determinants of competence, it was found that teachers who are more competent will assess violence somewhat more seriously than their less competent colleagues, and those who perceive violence more seriously will also intervene more often. The results show that competence has a significant predictive role in predicting interventions, and in this respect the severity of violence has a moderating effect. Teachers with low competence and low perception of the severity of violence have the lowest probability of intervention, and teachers with high levels of competence who assess violence as serious have the highest probability of intervention. (shrink)

In recent times, teachers are considered to play a key role in dealing with the problem of peer violence and their competence is very important for quality interventions. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between competence and perceived severity of a violent situation in predicting teacher intervention in cases of peer violence. The research was conducted on a nationally representative sample of primary school teachers in the Republic of Croatia, average age 43 years. In addition to (...) the socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, data was collected via Vignettes and the Self- Assessment Competence Scale for Teachers’ Work on Peer Violence Problems. In addition to the analysis of the basic determinants of competence, it was found that teachers who are more competent will assess violence somewhat more seriously than their less competent colleagues, and those who perceive violence more seriously will also intervene more often. The results show that competence has a significant predictive role in predicting interventions, and in this respect the severity of violence has a moderating effect. Teachers with low competence and low perception of the severity of violence have the lowest probability of intervention, and teachers with high levels of competence who assess violence as serious have the highest probability of intervention. (shrink)

Delusions of Feminism analyzes the fundamental characteristics of modern feminism. The starting point of the analysis is the changed social and historical context, in which modern feminism repeats and reproduces the theoretical tenets of feminism of the 20th century. As a result, contemporary feminism is unable to properly contextualize the situation of women today, just as it is unable to transcend its Eurocentric and colonial attitudes and other problematic characteristics.--Publisher's website.

Biopolitics and necropolitics have used animals as a concept to illustrate a particular human biopolitical situation, much in the “tradition” of Aristotle’s provisional biopolitics. In the Western context, not only our understanding of politics but also tropology and the conceptual apparatus itself are haunted by this ancient legacy, which underlies a vertical ontology tied to processes of spatialization and containment, a vertical ontology that enables an intelligibility of figurative translation. The article considers tropological systems as systems embedded in particular forms (...) of governmentality, forms of the violent administration of life and death. To show how certain bodies are marked as animal or animal-like and used in the (metaphorical) processes of exclusion/inclusion, it focuses on Giorgio Agamben’s thoughts on Carolus Linnaeus and Zakiyyah Iman Jackson’s analysis of metaphorics in the most recent (r)evolutionary theory, symbiogenesis, developed by Lynn Margulis. Moreover, to radically disturb the graduated ontological premises of traditional stylistics and tropology, we move beyond existing conceptualizations of the body and the sovereign, all of which are based on de-borderization, intersections, movements, and transfigurations. (shrink)

Karl Jaspers écarte l’idée répandue selon laquelle le rapport entre la théologie et la philosophie est opposition entre foi et connaissance ou révélation et raison. L a foi n’est pas irrationnelle. Cette polarité du rationnel et de l’irrationnel ne tendrait qu’à la confusion de l’existence. La foi philosophique, celle de l’homme qui pense, aura toujours pour signe propre une liaison indispensable avec le savoir. L e sens de la science ne peut être lui-même prouvé scientifiquement. Seule la philosophie peut l’éclairer.

The rules as we know today in modern societies have their base in the Magna Carta from 1215. In that time people declared that the rights of the king and nobles must be limited and that was the first step toward as we know today “democracy”. The rights incorporated in the Magna Carta defined the limits what a state can do and also set boundaries in order to achieve equality between the state and the individual. The rights proclaimed with Magna (...) Carta found their path in the French Revolution from 1789 as “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” became symbol of democratic freedom and afterwards gave value in the conventions and other international instruments. The main purpose that was achieved with Magna Carta from today’s perspective is that the rules have been implanted in the conscience of people, so they learn to obey and practice them. The Magna Carta rights are integral part of international conventions and on that way they have been taken from the states on national level so they become inevitable incorporated segment of the constitution and the laws of states. Those rights have achieved their purpose, because 800 years after their proclamation, some of them are still on force and have been provided in the constitutions of many countries including the Western Balkan countries. The rights that derived from Magna Carta concerning the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, equality before the law and prohibition of discrimination are integral part of the Constitution of Macedonia which makes efforts for their implementation into practice – because contrary, words will be just words on paper and nothing else. (shrink)

Heidegger wasn’t a philosopher of science, nor a philosopher of natural science. In Carl Richard von Weizsäcker’s remark, science in Heidegger’s opinion wasn’t “the source nor the objective of his thinking”. In fact, according to Weizsäcker, the point is in mutual misunderstanding. “Until now the science hasn’t understood what Heidegger meant to say to it, while on the other hand, as it seems to me, Heidegger couldn’t thoroughly think the nature science through.” Maybe it would be more to the point (...) to say that it wasn’t just about misunderstanding, but more about Heidegger’s effort to define thinking and science in a radically new approach. The radicalism of his endeavor is, maybe, best shown in his insulting sentence : “Science doesn’t think.” That doesn’t mean only that there’s a gap between thinking and science, but also that this gap is unsurmountable. Thus, the point isn’t in any kind of an objective, but in “establishing the inner structure of science: that in its essence it is to be, on one level, in reference to what philosophy thinks, but in itself is not concerned about what it is supposed to think and forgets about it”. (shrink)

Heidegger n’était ni un philosophe de la science ni un philosophe de la science de la nature. Pour lui, la science n’était, comme l’a justement remarqué Carl Richard von Weizsäcker, « ni le point de départ ni la finalité de sa pensée ». De surcroît, selon Weizsäcker, il s’agit d’une incompréhension mutuelle : « La science, jusqu’à présent, n’a pas compris ce que Heidegger souhaitait lui dire ; à l’inverse, Heidegger, il me semble, n’a pu approfondir la science de la (...) nature. » Peut-être serait-il plus approprié de parler, non pas d’une simple incompréhension, mais de l’effort de Heidegger de déterminer la pensée et la science d’une façon radicalement novatrice. « La science ne pense pas » : cette phrase, offensante, comme l’a désignée Heidegger lui-même, illustre peut-être le mieux la radicalité de sa démarche. Non seulement elle indique qu’il existe, entre la pensée et la science, un hiatus, mais affirme, en plus, que celui-ci est infranchissable. Ce n’est pas une objection ; il s’agit en fait de « déterminer la structure intrinsèque de la science : que dans son essence, elle soit portée vers ce que pense la philosophie, sans toutefois mettre en question elle-même ce qu’il faut penser et en l’oubliant ». (shrink)

Jaspers rejects vulgar understanding of the relationship between theology and philosophy, founded on opposition between faith and knowledge, revelation and reason. Faith is not irrational. Polarity between rational and irrational could lead nowhere but to chaos of existence. Philosophical faith as the faith of a man who thinks, is always connected with knowledge. Althought science and philosophy are mutually interconnected, they are of a different kind. The meaning of science is not scientifically provable, it can be discovered only by philosophy.

Sanitary engineering is burdened by several challenges that attract bioethical attention: there are many ambiguities regarding the definition of the profession; its methodology seems to be a combination of several approaches from different sciences; and it often appears to be an amalgam of different disciplines. We argue that the bioethical perspective helps to show that these features can be taken as a stimulating challenge. Moreover, bioethics may illuminate how these features can become an asset to sanitary engineering in light of (...) the growing need for holistic approaches. First, we present a bioethical analysis of the aforementioned features as a useful way to clarify and strengthen the identity of the profession. Second, we argue that professional ethics have received the least attention, but are crucial to giving the profession stronger independence and professional identity and to creating a unique worldview at the crossroads of environmental and public health ethics. Finally, we propose a general framework of sound professional ethics of sanitary engineering as a necessary step towards rethinking the core values of the profession, clearly articulating a genuine professional ethic, and reforming educational politics related to professional education. (shrink)

The problem of responsibility to future generations is inherently related to responsibility for the environment. Attempting to provide a new grounding for the figuration of such responsibility, Hans Jonas used Immanuel Kant’s ethics as a paradigm of traditional ethics to provide a critique of their limitations in addressing these issues, and he found three crucial problems in Kant’s ethics. Kant’s philosophy provides enough material for an answer to Jonas by building an account which 1) gives a teleological grounding of responsibility (...) for the environment and consequently responsibility to future generations; 2) enables the establishment of collective responsibility towards the idea of moral progress, which includes future generations; and 3) answers Jonas’s challenge by extending moral concerns to other living and non-living beings and especially to future generations. (shrink)

In both the philosophical and visual sense, ‘seeing is believing’ does not apply to nanotechnology, for there is nothing even remotely visible to create proof of existence. On the atomic and molecular scale, data is recorded by sensing and probing in a very abstract manner, which requires complex and approximate interpretations. More than in any other science, visualization and creation of a narrative becomes necessary to describe what is sensed, not seen. Nevertheless, many of the images generated in science and (...) popular culture are not related to data at all, but come from visualizations and animations frequently inspired or created directly from science fiction. Likewise, much of this imagery is based on industrial models and is very mechanistic in nature, even though nanotechnology research is at a scale where cogs, gears, cables, levers and assembly lines as functional components appear to be highly unlikely. However, images of mechanistic nanobots proliferate in venture capital circles, popular culture, and even in the scientific arena, and tend to dominate discourse around the possibilities of nanotechnology. The authors put forward that this new science is ultimately about a shift in our perception of reality from a purely visual culture to one based on sensing and connectivity. (shrink)

In the age of information overload, the primary concern for many knowledge areas becomes the organisation and retrieval of data. Artists have a unique opportunity, at this historical juncture, to play a role in the definition and design of systems of access and retrieval, and at the very least comment on the existing practices. In this article I show how some personalities have foreshadowed and indeed influenced the current practices and huge efforts in digitising our collective knowledge. This article is (...) an effort to broadly contextualise the current atmosphere and environment that ‘information architects’ are confronted with. (shrink)

The Homeobox (Hox) genes essentially define body regions in all animals including humans – responsible for determining two arms, two legs, one nose and so on. This gene is shared by all living beings – from the snail to the elephant to humans – and it can now be manipulated into transforming certain parts of the body into others. We have observed such transformations, such as that of an amputated antenna into a limb, as far back as 1901, termed neomorphosis (...) (Morgan 1901), and it has only recently re-emerged as an area of scientific study. Spontaneous transformations and induced regenerations are fascinating research topics that are fast becoming a reality; some scientists are postulating that it may be possible that the hox gene could be central to limb regeneration in the future. This article will present the Hox Zodiac project, which attempts to introduce this subject and push the ideas further into speculation of mutation (i.e. humans and animals) into creatures that may resemble the mythical beings we know as fiction. The starting point of this wheel of life is the Chinese zodiac, consisting of twelve animals that are associated with humans. In the process of development, it became interesting to note that half of the animals on the wheel are those used in the lab – rat, pig, monkey, dog, sheep and rabbit. The ox, tiger, horse, snake and rooster are considered mythical and the dragon could easily fall into the category of a genetically modified creature that is to re-emerge in the future. Since medical and scientific testing on humans is strictly forbidden, scientists have virtually shifted to animals for all such studies. Thus, everything that is used on our bodies and minds is directly related to the animal kingdom. The pig heart and rat mind are symbols for the paradox of science that uses animals in ways that are at once disconnected while subconsciously connecting us more than ever by using research results in medical and food products we consume. Although the controversy of using animals in labs is widely known and often violently opposed, the artist in the lab questions how this research impacts our collective consciousness, especially with the growing trend of brain-computer interfaces and particularly synthetic telepathy. This relationship of the human to the metaphorical meaning of the animal kingdom brought to mind Jung’s research on metaphors, symbolism and archetypes, which became central to the Hox Zodiac. (shrink)

Kantova je teleološka teorija, izložena u drugom dijelu Kritike moći suđenja, nezasluženo dobila slabu recepciju. Jedna je od mogućih plodnih valorizacija te teorije pokušaj njene bioetičke interpretacije. Kantov »produljeni argument«, koji ga od unutarnje svrhovitosti organizama vodi do prirode kao sustava svrha te naposljetku do posljednje i njoj odgovarajuće krajnje svrhe tog sustava, postavlja plodan teren za uspostavljanje važnih bioetičkih poruka vezanih uz ekologiju, i to barem kroz dva momenta. Ljudi moralne svrhe mogu postizati isključivo unutar prirode te samo s (...) obzirom na moralne svrhe tu istu prirodu jedino i koristiti kao sredstvo. Priroda je toliko isprepleten i povezan sustav da čovjek ne smije umišljati mogućnost zahvaćanja svih posljedica koje njegov čin može prouzročiti, a kamoli sposobnost kontroliranja tih posljedica, nego mora biti što umjereniji u svim intervencijama u okoliš. Ove nam poruke pružaju značajan doprinos u gradnji orijentacijskog okvira za pristupanje okolišu.Kant’s teleological theory, presented in the second part of Critique of Judgment, undeservedly received little reception. A possible fruitful valorization of this theory is an attempt of its bioethical interpretation. Kant’s “extended argument” lead him from internal purposivness of organisms to the nature as a system of ends, and finally to the ultimate and final end. This argument sets fruitful ground for the establishment of important bioethical messages related to ecology, through at least two moments. People can achieve moral ends exclusively within nature, and use this same nature as a mean only with respect to the moral ends. Nature is so interwoven and interconnected system that one can not conceit the possibility of comprehending all consequences of his act, let alone the ability to control these consequences, but one must be moderate in all interventions in the environment. These messages give us a significant contribution to the formation of orientational framework for accessing the environment. (shrink)

Responsible sustainable consumer behavior involves a complex pattern of environmental and social issues, in line with the view of sustainability as a construct with both environmental and social pillar. So far, environmental dimension was far more researched than social dimension. In this article, we investigate the antecedents of both environmentally and socially RSCB and willingness to behave in environmentally/socially responsible way. We include measures of concern, perceived consumer control/effectiveness, personal/social norms and ethical ideologies/obligation to better explain and extend the traditional (...) theory of planned behavior. Additionally, we test the impact of information availability about environmental or social impact on RSCB. Our findings on a representative sample of 426 respondents show that in general, antecedents of environmentally and socially responsible sustainable consumption are similar in their effect on consumer behavior, with personal norms, concern and ethical ideologies having the strongest impact on RSCB. When comparing both types of behavior, socially responsible behavior is more influenced by perceived behavioral control and possibly social norms than environmentally responsible behavior, while information availability plays its role for both behaviors. Sustainable responsible consumption can be achieved by embracing both dimensions of sustainability and consumers need to have a sense for both social and environmental issues. The complexity and struggles between doing what is good for environment and society could be the reason why consumers have difficulties achieving sustainable responsible consumption. (shrink)

Ovaj rad predstavlja rezultate empirijskog istraživanja provedenog radi ispitivanja mišljenja učitelja vokalno-instrumentalne i teorijske nastave pri hrvatskim i srpskim glazbenim školama o učenju na daljinu. Istraživanje je provedeno tijekom svibnja 2020., u vrijeme kad su sve glazbene škole zbog pandemije COVID-19 u potpunosti prešle na sustav učenja na daljinu. Rezultati pokazuju da su se učitelji, usprkos brojnim problemima, osobito lošim internetskim vezama i lošom kvalitetom zvuka dobivenim elektroničkim uređajima, uspješno nosili s realizacijom nastave glazbe na daljinu. Pronađene su statistički značajne (...) razlike u odgovorima nastavnika o učenju na daljinu s obzirom na vrstu nastave koju vode, pa su učitelji koji izvode instrumentalnu i vokalnu nastavu bili bolji u izvođenju učenja na daljinu u odnosu na one koji vode teorijsku nastavu. Usprkos vjerovanju nastavnika da je prijenos potpunog znanja nemoguć putem tehnologije, većina njih otvorena je za mogućnost smislene primjene IKT-a. Stoga se intenzivira pitanje profesionalnog usavršavanja i kontinuirane podrške učiteljima od strane nadležnih institucija Hrvatske i Srbije. This paper presents the results of empirical research conducted to examine the opinion of teachers of vocal, instrumental, and theoretical teaching at Croatian and Serbian music schools on distance learning. The survey was conducted during May 2020, at a time when all music schools have completely switched to a distance learning system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that teachers, despite numerous problems, especially poor internet connections and poor sound quality obtained by electronic devices, have successfully coped with the realization of distance music teaching. Statistically significant differences were found in teachers’ responses about distance learning regarding the type of classes led by teachers, so teachers who lead instrumental and vocal classes are better at performing distance learning compared to those who lead theoretical classes. Despite the belief of teachers that the transfer of complete knowledge is impossible through technology, most of them are open to the possibility of meaningful application of ICT. Therefore, the issue of professional development and continuous support to teachers by the competent institutions of Croatia and Serbia is intensifying. (shrink)

This paper presents the results of empirical research conducted to examine the opinion of teachers of vocal, instrumental, and theoretical teaching at Croatian and Serbian music schools on distance learning. The survey was conducted during May 2020, at a time when all music schools have completely switched to a distance learning system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that teachers, despite numerous problems, especially poor internet connections and poor sound quality obtained by electronic devices, have successfully coped with (...) the realization of distance music teaching. Statistically significant differences were found in teachers’ responses about distance learning regarding the type of classes led by teachers, so teachers who lead instrumental and vocal classes are better at performing distance learning compared to those who lead theoretical classes. Despite the belief of teachers that the transfer of complete knowledge is impossible through technology, most of them are open to the possibility of meaningful application of ICT. Therefore, the issue of professional development and continuous support to teachers by the competent institutions of Croatia and Serbia is intensifying. (shrink)

Recent scientific studies have shown that involving children in music activities influences their mental, emotional, and social development; music is, thus, being used increasingly for medical and therapeutic purposes. In order to discover whether some elements of particular methods of music therapy can be applied in music teaching in primary schools, we conducted a qualitative research in which the participants were third-year elementary school pupils in Osijek. To collect the data, we used a systematic observation procedure. Data analysis involved both (...) qualitative and quantitative analyses. The research results show that the introduction of elements of certain methods of music therapy is possible and that pupils are happy to participate in all the activities carried out. In doing so, pupils demonstrate imagination, creativity, independence at work, and willingness to cooperate. Novija znanstvena istraživanja pokazuju da uključivanje djece u glazbene aktivnosti utječe na njihov psihički, emocionalni i socijalni razvoj zbog čega se glazba sve više koristi i u medicinske, odnosno terapeutske svrhe. Kako bismo saznali je li moguće neke elemente iz pojedinih metoda glazboterapije primijeniti i u nastavi glazbe u osnovnoj općeobrazovnoj školi, proveli smo kvalitativno istraživanje u kojemu su sudionici bili učenici trećeg razreda jedne osnovne škole iz Osijeka. Za potrebe prikupljanja podataka koristili smo postupak sustavnog promatranja, a za analizu podataka kvalitativnu i kvantitativnu analizu. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da je uvođenje elemenata iz pojedinih metoda glazboterapije moguće te da učenici rado sudjeluju u svim provedenim aktivnostima. Pritom učenici iskazuju maštovitost, kreativnost, samostalnost u radu te spremnost na suradnju. (shrink)

Novija znanstvena istraživanja pokazuju da uključivanje djece u glazbene aktivnosti utječe na njihov psihički, emocionalni i socijalni razvoj zbog čega se glazba sve više koristi i u medicinske, odnosno terapeutske svrhe. Kako bismo saznali je li moguće neke elemente iz pojedinih metoda glazboterapije primijeniti i u nastavi glazbe u osnovnoj općeobrazovnoj školi, proveli smo kvalitativno istraživanje u kojemu su sudionici bili učenici trećeg razreda jedne osnovne škole iz Osijeka. Za potrebe prikupljanja podataka koristili smo postupak sustavnog promatranja, a za analizu (...) podataka kvalitativnu i kvantitativnu analizu. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da je uvođenje elemenata iz pojedinih metoda glazboterapije moguće te da učenici rado sudjeluju u svim provedenim aktivnostima. Pritom učenici iskazuju maštovitost, kreativnost, samostalnost u radu te spremnost na suradnju. (shrink)

This article seeks to reconceptualize the notion of informality in the post-war context in order to investigate the neglected aspect of inequality which is associated with this kind of practice. It locates the problem of widespread informality in the social transformation triggered by a war that has been sustained by the post-war elite accommodation. Inequities created by a routine resort to informal arrangements in accessing assets and resources generate mistrust at the interpersonal, inter-group and institutional levels, sharpen a sense of (...) discrimination and social injustice, and in the end, undermine post-war social reintegration. The argument draws on observations from Bosnia-Herzegovina. (shrink)

(1992). Rural tourism and development in Vojvodina: The animation of tourism‐cultural relationships. World Futures: Vol. 33, Culture and Development: European Experiences and Challenges A Special Research Report of the European Culture Impact Research Consortium (EUROCIRCON), pp. 189-197.

In accordance with the Bologna Declaration, modern languages and communication skills have a growing importance in all professions. With the prospect of Croatian membership of the EU and taking into consideration the conditions of the growing internationalization of law in general, knowledge of foreign languages represents an indispensable prerequisite for international com- munication within the legal profession. Thus, teaching foreign languages in the field of law, especially English and German, is necessary not only for the pro- fessional education of Croatian (...) law students, but also for their mobility within the network of European universities. This paper presents a case-study of the current situation in teaching Legal English and Legal German in Croatian Law Schools. First, the status of foreign languages for specific purposes in the Higher Education System of the Republic of Croatia in general is analyzed. The main part of the paper is dedicated to teaching Legal English and / or Legal German as compulsory courses within the curricula of Croatian law faculties. Then some projects on teaching foreign languages to practicing lawyers will be presented. With the prospect of Croatian membership of the EU, specific education programmes for lawyer- linguists have been introduced by the Law Faculties of Zagreb and Osijek. These programmes, developed within the lifelong education project for lawyers, offer an opportunity for Croatian law students and young lawyers not only to im- prove their knowledge of Legal English and Legal German, but also to learn other languages of the EU, like French or Italian. These new programmes are the response of Croatian foreign language teachers to the current requirements of the European labour market and the challenges of the internationalization of the modern world. (shrink)

Study of the visual, material, and textual sources of elements shaping images of women in the Latin East provides a context for investigating how communicative strategies applied in the representation of women articulate and interact across artistic, social, historical, cultural, and spiritual dimensions. To what extent do these phenomena conform to gender norms? The case studies underlying this analysis come from present-day Lebanon as they relate to preserved twelfth- and thirteenth-century female depictions found in wall paintings from Mar Sharbel the (...) Elder in Maad, Saydet el-Rih in Enfeh, and the National Museum of Beirut. These depictions situate these women dynamically in the region’s cultural and artistic landscape, as well as in the social fabric of their time. (shrink)

U podrucju manjinskih prava EU promovira norme koje nemaju uporiste u zakonodavstvu EU i koje nisu dio pravne stecevine EU. Limiti uvjetovanosti implementacije manjinskih prava koje EU promovira vidljivi su mehanizmu pracenja te implementacije, ukljucujuci i redovna izvjesca Evropske komisije o napretku zemlje ka EU koja prate manjinske probleme u politickom kontekstu neke zemlje. Izvjesca se baziraju na Kopenhagenskim kriterijima o zastiti manjina. Potrebni su ozbiljni napori u implementaciji zakonskih normi manjinskih prava. Nekoliko faktora utice na implemenatciju: konfuzija oko pravne (...) prirode zastite manjinskih prava, neodre?enost formulacije standarda i koristi koje bi njihovim provo?enjem neka zemlja imala. Kako svi ti faktori ne bi doprinosili daljnjoj nedorecenosti, EU mora ujednaciti i jasno definirati standarde manjinskih prava, uvjeravajuci vlade da postojanje manjinskih grupa obogacuje drustvo, a mjere usmjerene na ocuvanje njihove specificnosti utjecu na smanjenje rizika od konflikta.Iako se na primjeru Hrvatske moze vidjeti da su usvojene, promjenom zakonodavstva, mnoge evropske norme zastite manjina, iz izvjesca Evropske komisije najblize je moguce vidjeti i njihovu limitiranost, tj. ne primjenjivanje zakona u realnost. Izvjesca Evropske komisije o napretku prikazuju da manjinski problem nije prioritet EU u pristupnim pregovorima, te poteskoce EU u pracenju napretka u nedostatku jasno definiranih mjerila u podrucju manjinskih prava. (shrink)

The topicality of Friedrich Nietzsche’s thought is reflected in his critique of mass culture, society and the state, and scientific methods, which later had a significant impact on modern discourse. Mass culture is the foundation of modern social reality as a force of decadence and nihilism that degrades the authentic and creates a mediocre culture. Nietzsche opposed a “culture” that implies a transcendence and sublimation of “nature” into the forms of “moral” ideals, and he called for a natural life without (...) harmful cultural influences that are an obstacle to a healthy human life. The idea of nihilism present in culture is relevant to our time because it manifests as a loss of depth or meaning in life itself, which, like nature, is chaos, without structure or empirical evidence. To understand the scientific revolution and its impressively devastating pace in the high-tech laboratories of our global research ecosystem, relevant is Nietzsche’s perspective aimed at demystifying science, especially positivism and naturalism, which seek to impose truth based on scientifically verified knowledge. Scientific interpretations and constructions are efforts to control and “humanise” nature by adapting chaos to our anthropomorphic expectations, needs, and concerns and making chaotic nature predictable. The paper shows that Nietzsche’s critique of culturalism and naturalism is based on the vision of the life of the “last man human” who rejects the culture of self-overcoming and dismantles reduces the fear of the uncertain and sudden and lives enframed in reality as presented by the scientific community. In the life of the contemporary human being, the will to live is merely maintained because he lacks the will to power. (shrink)

Once an artist takes on the challenge of making the invisible visible, or the inaudible audible, he/she is almost immediately thrown into the realm of energy at the edge of art and science. The established art world based on visual culture finds it difficult to place this kind of work. The scientific community, used to working in this realm in a reductionist way, finds it hard to comprehend. Yet, the public seems to be drawn to artwork residing “in between,” and (...) there seems to be a universal need for a connection to the spiritual realm beyond what established religions offer. As many speculative ideas in the West circulate around ideas of energetic approach to matter in general, particularly the body and mind, alternative medicine and other Eastern philosophies are thriving. This essay will show how, in collaboration with nanoscientist James Gimzewski, we have investigated these ideas from the sounds of cells to the concept and realization of the Blue Morph installation at the Integratron [the Integratron is the creation of George Van Tassel and is based on the design of Moses’ Tabernacle, the writings of Nikola Tesla and telepathic directions from extraterrestrials. This one-of-a-kind building is a 38-foot-high, 55-foot-diameter, nonmetallic structure originally designed by Van Tassel as a rejuvenation and time machine (The Integratron 2009 )]. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to analyze, from a philosophical perspective, the scientific robustness of the construct of psychopathy as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist Revised that was developed by Robert Hare (1991; 2003). The scientific robustness and validity of classifications are topics of many debates in philosophy of science and philosophy of psychiatry more specifically. The main problem consists in establishing whether scientific classifications reflect natural kinds where the concept of a natural kind refers to the existence of (...) some objective divisions in nature that do not depend exclusively on subjective judgments of the classifier. The construct of psychopathy is especially interesting since the diagnosis of psychopathy has substantial social consequences. In the light of the recent debates regarding the problem of natural kinds in philosophy of psychiatry, we advocate the following distinction between two types of scientific classifications: natural and practical kinds. Natural kinds refer to those categories that are united by common causal mechanisms or properties. Practical kinds refer to categories that fulfill some practical classificatory goals such as prediction. We argue that the construct of psychopathy can fulfill the role of a practical kind. In addition, we contend that our current scientific knowledge about psychopathy does not allow us to conclude that this category is a natural kind. (shrink)

The emergence of the Internet and various forms of virtual communities has led to the impact of a new social space on individuals who frequently replace the real world with alternative forms of socializing. In virtual communities, new ‘friendships’ are easily accepted;however,how this acceptance influences cultural identity has not been investigated. Based on the data collected from 443 respondents in the Republic of Serbia, authors analyzethisconnexion,as well as how the absorption of others’ cultural values is reflected on the local cultural (...) values. The results show that the adoption of others’ cultural values diminished the bond with the local community. The present paper adds to the theory of virtual communities by examining the relationship between the acceptance of an unknown person in a virtual community and its effects on cultural identity. This study contributes to the clarificationof the impact that virtual networking has on cultural identity. (shrink)

The conversation with Jill H. Casid and Anna Campbell is a reconceptualization of several themes to develop an aesthetic that incorporates notions of the necropolitical and redefines the concept of the Anthropocene as the Necrocene. The Necrocene implies an era marked by death, decay, and the consequences of human impact on the environment, as well as a critical reflection on the choices individuals and societies make that contribute to the transition from the Anthropocene to the Necrocene. These reflections serve as (...) cautionary tales or reflections on the unsustainable path of the Anthropocene. An important reflection in the interview is how queer and transgender people are using art and assemblages to refuse the terms of the current tensions of the culture wars. (shrink)

Instructions for authors need to be informative and regularly updated. We hypothesized that journals with a higher impact factor have more comprehensive IFA. The aim of the study was to examine whether IFA of journals indexed in the Journal Citation Reports 2013, “Medical Laboratory Technology” category, are written in accordance with the latest recommendations and whether the quality of instructions correlates with the journals’ IF. 6 out of 31 journals indexed in “Medical Laboratory Technology” category were excluded. The remaining 25 (...) journals were scored based on a set of 41 yes/no questions and divided into four groups by three authors independently. We tested the correlation between IF and total score and the difference between scores in separate question groups. The median total score was 26 [portion of positive answers 0.63 ]. There was no statistically significant correlation between a journal’s IF and the total score. IFA included recommendations concerning research ethics and manuscript preparation more extensively than recommendations concerning editorial policy and research integrity. Some policies were poorly described, for example: procedure for author’s appeal, editorial submissions, appointed body for research integrity issues. The IF of the “Medical Laboratory Technology” journals does not reflect a journals’ compliance to uniform standards. There is a need for improving editorial policies and the policies on research integrity. (shrink)

In response to the growing importance of environmental issues, more and more consumers are turning to anti-consumption by reducing, rejecting, or avoiding consumption. Covering the intersection of sustainable consumption and anti-consumption, previous studies relied on socio-cognitive models to explain this decision. In order to extend their findings, we consider the moral and emotional perspectives to examine reducing consumption for environmental reasons in a particular context, i.e. air travel. It is against this backdrop that we propose a conceptual model that includes (...) moral foundations as the main antecedent, followed by anticipated guilt and personal responsibility, while intention to reduce consumption (i.e. air travel) for environmental reasons, positive word of mouth about reducing air travel (WOM) and environmental activism represent the outcomes. The proposed model is tested on a sample of 511 respondents from a UK online consumer panel. Our results confirm the importance of moral foundations, anticipated guilt and personal responsibility and their interplay in the prediction of intention to reduce consumption for environmental reasons. Anticipated guilt influences WOM, while personal responsibility influences activism. In addition, intentions to reduce consumption for environmental reasons have a positive impact on WOM and environmental activism. There are several implications for public policy makers and NGOs that fight against climate change that derive from these findings, as well as research opportunities for academics interested in this topic. (shrink)

The Bird Song Diamond project is a series of multifaceted and multidisciplinary installations with the aim of bringing contemporary research on bird communication to a large public audience. Using art and technology to create immersive experiences, BSD allows large audiences to embody bird communication rather than passively observe. In particular, BSD Mimic, a system for mimicking bird song, asks participants to grapple with both audition and vocalization of birdsong. The use of interactive installations for public outreach provides unique experiences to (...) a diverse audience, while providing direct feedback for artists and researchers interested in the success of such outreach. By following an iterative design process, both artists and researchers have been able to evaluate the effectiveness of each installation for promoting audience engagement with the subject matter. The execution and evaluation of each iteration of BSD is described throughout the paper. In addition, the process of interdisciplinary collaboration in our project has led to a more defined role of the artist as a facilitator of specialists. BSD Mimic has also led to further questions about the nature of audience collaboration for an engaged experience. (shrink)

Assistive Device Art derives from the integration of Assistive Technology and Art, involving the mediation of sensorimotor functions and perception from both, psychophysical methods and conceptual mechanics of sensory embodiment. This paper describes the concept of ADA and its origins by observing the phenomena that surround the aesthetics of prosthesis-related art. It also analyzes one case study, the Echolocation Headphones, relating its provenience and performance to this new conceptual and psychophysical approach of tool design. This ADA tool is designed to (...) aid human echolocation. They facilitate the experience of sonic vision, as a way of reflecting and learning about the construct of our spatial perception. Echolocation Headphones are a pair of opaque goggles which disable the participant’s vision. This device emits a focused sound beam which activates the space with directional acoustic reflection, giving the user the ability to navigate and perceive space through audition. The directional properties of parametric sound provide the participant a focal echo, similar to the focal point of vision. This study analyzes the effectiveness of this wearable sensory extension for aiding auditory spatial location in three experiments; optimal sound type and distance for object location, perceptual resolution by just noticeable difference, and goal-directed spatial navigation for open pathway detection, all conducted at the Virtual Reality Lab of the University of Tsukuba, Japan. The Echolocation Headphones have been designed for a diverse participant base. They have both the potential to aid auditory spatial perception for the visually impaired and to train sighted individuals in gaining human echolocation abilities. Furthermore, this Assistive Device artwork instigates participants to contemplate on the plasticity of their sensorimotor architecture. (shrink)

Radoslav Baltezarevic, Borivoje Baltezarevic, Piotr Kwiatek and Vesna Baltezarevic ABSTRACT: The emergence of the Internet and various forms of virtual communities has led to the impact of a new social space on individuals who frequently replace the real world with alternative forms of socializing. In virtual communities, new ‘friendships’ are easily accepted; however, how this...

Personality has widely been documented to play an important role in the cognitive appraisal and stress processes. Emerging studies highlight the stress mindset as a new concept that could add to the understanding of individual differences in stress experiences. This study aimed to examine the relative contribution of Big Five personality dimensions and stress mindset in accounting for measures of cognitive appraisals of stress among the competing athletes. The study was conducted on a sample of 125 collegiate athletes of both (...) genders who actively compete in sport. All the participants were regular undergraduate or graduate students at the Faculty of Kinesiology of the University of Zagreb. A questionnaire including demographic information about athletes and their sport career, stress mindset measure, situation-specific cognitive appraisal scale, sources of stress scale, and personality scale measured by IPIP-50 was administered in an online form using the Google Forms platform. Multivariate hierarchical regression procedures resulted in somewhat different predictor structures accounting for cognitive appraisals of threat, loss, and challenge, used as criterion variables. The set of Big Five personality dimensions and stress mindset measure proved to have a significant additive contribution to the explanation of each of the three cognitive appraisal criterion variances. The study results support the current body of literature suggesting a unique role of the stress mindset construct in explaining individual differences in cognitive stress appraisal among athletes above and beyond general personality dimensions. (shrink)

Recent discussions of theorigins of the thermodynamical temporal asymmetry (thearrow of time) by Huw Price and others arecritically assessed. This serves as amotivation for consideration of relationshipbetween thermodynamical and cosmologicalcauses. Although the project of clarificationof the thermodynamical explanandum is certainlywelcome, Price excludes another interestingoption, at least as viable as the sort ofAcausal-Particular approach he favors, andarguably more in the spirit of Boltzmannhimself. Thus, the competition of explanatoryprojects includes three horses, not two. Inaddition, it is the Acausal-Particular approachthat could benefit enormously (...) from dissociationfrom fanciful ideas of low-entropy futureboundary conditions entertained by Price. Novelrevolutionary developments in observationalcosmology, as well as in the nascentastrophysical discipline of physicaleschatology, have obliterated such hypotheses.Also, the Acausal-Anthropic approach wepropose, offers another clear instance ofdisteleological nature of the anthropicprinciple. (shrink)