The concepts of esteem and self-esteem are fundamental to understanding human emotions, ethics and psychology and are closely linked to ideas about respect and dignity. Latterly they have come to play a central role in contemporary debates about well-being and mental health. Yet despite having deep roots, the philosophical history of esteem and self-esteem has been largely neglected. In this authoritative and wide-ranging collection, a distinguished and international roster of philosophers examine esteem and self-esteem in historical perspective and covering western (...) and non-western traditions and thinkers. Comprising twenty-seven chapters, the volume is divided into eight clear parts: From Poetry to Philosophy Self-Knowledge and the Normative Foundations of Self-Esteem in Classical Greek Philosophy Interiority and the Transformation of Selfhood in Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Esteem and Self-Cultivation Reputation, Virtue, and Moral Theology in the Medieval World Early Modern Moral Psychology and the Social Dynamics of Esteem Gender and the Politics of Self-Worth Esteem, Community, and Modern Social Theory. Esteem and Self-Esteem in the History of Philosophy will be valuable reading for students and researchers in the history of philosophy, ethics and political philosophy, as well as related areas such as history and sociology. (shrink)

Exploring the cognitively internalist roots of transcendental philosophy, this book sheds new light on the predictive processing theory of perception and other externalist theories. -/- The rise of neo-empiricist approaches employing associationism and iconic representations—together with appeals to causality within perception by these same approaches—have inadvertently revived the transcendental arguments of Immanuel Kant against David Hume’s imagistic associationism. While they invoke causality, they fail to provide a viable account of how the representation of objective distal causes, as opposed to statistical (...) half-objects, could be generated within perception. This book demonstrates the ongoing relevance of transcendental arguments by building on anti-reductive accounts of causality in relation to associative (Bayesian & Deep Learning) networks, arguing that perception must contain an a priori synthetic (Kantian) rule of causality (e.g., if X, then Y). Otherwise perception is impossible. This necessarily entails either a Language of Thought in perception thesis or a non-iconic sui generis schema of causality thesis. In either case, it demonstrates the inadequacy of empiricist, associative-networks, as well as externalist, anti-individualist theories of perception and instead supports a transcendental-computational theory of perception. The cognitive psychology of Jerry Fodor and methodological apparatus of Edmund Husserl are combined to show that Kant's transcendental argument for cognition of causality against Humean associationism must finally be assimilated by cognitive science. The epistemological foundation for this assimilation is found in transcendental phenomenology, which is shown to support a computational theory of mind within perception. (shrink)

What would it mean to make a mind deliberately, rather than merely construct an increasingly capable intelligent system? This book examines the conceptual and experimental foundations of engineered mind formation. It distinguishes task competence, apparent agency, andpersuasive self-description from the more demanding questions of developmental continuity, individuated history, world-directed activity, and possible interests. Rather than presuming that present systems are conscious or that consciousness is impossible in engineered substrates, iit adopts a theory-sensitive, comparative approach to candidate minds. -/- The inquiry (...) considers persistent digital agents, embodied and situated development, biological and hybrid systems, evolutionary and open-ended formation, copied agents, and collective organization. It asks how a developmental history could acquire causal significance; whether behavioral success can distinguish enduring individual organization from an archive or simulation; and how to construct longitudinal experiments that discriminate among rival interpretations. Special attention is given to adversarial assessment, including the possibility that advanced candidates can recognize and influence the procedures by which their apparent mindhood is evaluated. -/- The final analysis separates scientific warrant for mind-relevant properties from precautionary treatment, moral status, and legal recognition. It considers candidate testimony, potential interests, creator responsibilities, and the governance structures needed before consequential delegation or confident recognition. The result is a constructive research program for investigating the conditions under which engineered minds might be formed and recognized, while preserving uncertainty where the evidence does not justify a definitive conclusion. (shrink)

This article examines eight fundamental philosophical problems through the Philosophy of Belonging: individuality, freedom, meaning, ethics, power, pluralism, knowledge, and change. -/- The central proposition, Being is Belonging, maintains that existence is constituted through organized relationships without eliminating the differentiation of participating entities. Three ontological principles structure the argument: the stratification of material, biological, and institutional-human reality; imperfect belonging; and dual temporality. -/- The article argues that relational constitution need not eliminate individuality, that socially developed agency is compatible with effective (...) freedom, that human finitude does not preclude meaningful existence, and that historically constituted knowledge can progressively improve its understanding of an independently existing reality. -/- It further distinguishes constitutive belonging from developmentally adequate belonging, thereby explaining how relationships can sustain individuals while simultaneously reproducing domination or restricting autonomy. -/- Through comparisons with major traditions in ontology, existentialism, ethics, political philosophy, epistemology, and social theory, the article develops an integrated philosophical framework connecting individual development, institutional organization, scientific inquiry, and historical transformation. -/- Its distinctive contribution lies in the explanatory integration of these domains rather than in claiming to replace the philosophical traditions from which many of its insights emerge. (shrink)

Cet essai examine la crise du gouvernement représentatif contemporain à travers la question du monopole exercé par les partis politiques sur la représentation législative. Partant de la critique de l’organisation partisane formulée par Simone Weil et de l’expérience historique de la démocratie athénienne, il retrace les tensions entre la représentation élective et la participation citoyenne par tirage au sort. Dans un dialogue avec la philosophie politique classique – Platon, Aristote et Rousseau – ainsi qu’avec des théories et des propositions contemporaines (...) relatives à la représentation, à la sortition et à la démocratie délibérative, il analyse les limites de la compétition partisane et les possibilités de les dépasser sur le plan institutionnel. Une attention particulière est accordée à la critique du mécanisme électoral et aux problèmes du choix collectif, examinés à travers le paradoxe de Condorcet et le théorème d’impossibilité de Kenneth Arrow. La thèse centrale est que ces limites n’imposent ni la suppression des partis ni le renoncement aux élections, mais qu’elles remettent en question leur prétention à constituer l’unique source de légitimité démocratique et l’unique voie d’accès au pouvoir législatif. En réponse, l’essai propose un modèle de quota citoyen complémentaire, constitué par tirage au sort et intégré à l’activité parlementaire en tant que participant de plein droit. Ce quota associe une composante permanente et une composante variable, liée au taux de participation électorale, sans pouvoir dépasser la moitié de l’effectif parlementaire. Son objectif n’est pas de remplacer la représentation élective ni d’assumer la responsabilité gouvernementale, mais d’introduire un jugement citoyen indépendant, destiné à contrebalancer la discipline partisane et les intérêts organisationnels. L’essai défend ainsi la possibilité d’une souveraineté démocratique partagée, dans laquelle l’élection et le tirage au sort se combinent comme deux principes complémentaires de représentation politique. (shrink)

This book is a collection of chapters on Dai Zhen戴震, who is widely considered to be the most important philosopher in the Qing period of China. The contributions present Dai Zhen’s philosophy as representing the spirit and the general principles of Han studies. There is coverage of his criticism of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, but also his influence on Zhang Taiyan, Hu Shih and Modern Chinese Thought. Top scholars in the field provide a comprehensive study of Dai Zhen’s philosophy and contextualize his (...) thought within the history of Chinese philosophy, laying bare his relation to alternate traditions within China yet also in dialogue with many other international traditions of thought. This volume is a compass and tool for students and researchers working in Chinese and comparative philosophy as well as in Chinese history. (shrink)

This book is a collection of chapters on Dai Zhen戴震, who is widely considered to be the most important philosopher in the Qing period of China. The contributions present Dai Zhen’s philosophy as representing the spirit and the general principles of Han studies. There is coverage of his criticism of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, but also his influence on Zhang Taiyan, Hu Shih and Modern Chinese Thought. Top scholars in the field provide a comprehensive study of Dai Zhen’s philosophy and contextualize his (...) thought within the history of Chinese philosophy, laying bare his relation to alternate traditions within China yet also in dialogue with many other international traditions of thought. This volume is a compass and tool for students and researchers working in Chinese and comparative philosophy as well as in Chinese history. (shrink)

This book provides a comprehensive study of so-called mathematical explanations of physical phenomena (MEPPs). It surveys the major philosophical views on this issue, provides the necessary background for understanding these debates, and addresses the main philosophical questions that arise from the existence of these explanations in science. The author defends a structuralist interpretation of MEPPs, and argues that, because the role of mathematics in these explanations is ultimately representational (in what he calls ‘optimal representations’), MEPPs do not support mathematical realism. (...) And despite these explanations being non-causal, they do not suffer the traditional problems of asymmetry and relevance that Hempel’s DN model did. The book also introduces a novel case study, that of the Buckminsterfullerene (Buckyballs). This book is of interest to advanced undergraduate and graduate students interested in some of the fundamental philosophical problems in the applicability of mathematics in science, as well as advanced scholars interested in these issues. (shrink)

This is an essential guide to understanding the growing field of phenomenological bioethics. More than 30 chapters explore its elaboration in the phenomenological literature, its key themes, and several first-person case studies bringing the theory to life.Harnessing phenomenology’s focus on subjective experience and the lived realities of individuals, this volume showcases how phenomenological bioethics is an increasingly important person-centred framework for addressing complex ethical issues in medical and health sciences. -/- Divided into three parts, Part I explores the overlooked bioethical (...) discussions in the work of seminal phenomenologists, from Heidegger and Husserl to Levinas, Conrad-Martius, and Fanon. Part II then introduces the central themes in phenomenological bioethics, considering both the theoretical underpinnings and their practical application in medical contexts. With a sub-section on the impact of technology, this volume covers the very latest medical technologies such as online therapy, the use of technology in hospices, and AI in healthcare. Finally, Part III introduces six first-person case studies, which throw the importance of a phenomenological approach to bioethical issues into sharp relief; these range across mental and physical health, from challenges faced by women with Borderline Personality Disorder to end of life decisions. -/- From an international team of emerging and leading scholars, including Fredrik Svenaeus, Kay Toombs, and editor, Susi Ferrarello,The Bloomsbury Handbook of Phenomenological Bioethicsis an indispensable research tool. It is the place to start for anyone seeking a broader understanding of how phenomenology and first-person experience can illuminate new ethical pathways for enhancing the well-being of both individuals and society more widely. (shrink)

I have some years ago been accused of being an AI robot. This book may be the last book on the subject being written by an experiencing subject. Its thesis is that the message is crucial for mankind. It’s a compilation of many earlier texts. The middle part tries to convey difficult experiences. When AI gets a hold of it, it may easier simulate difficult experiences. A better scenario is that AI fails to process it. A darker interpretation is that (...) the message is that the very book is a stronghold against the alarming threats from AI concerning the survival of mankind. Two previous works (2017, 2020) are examples of academic torches in the fight for human values. The book has dozens of texts in English but is mainly written in Swedish. -/- References Gamper, J. (2017). On a Loophole in Causal Closure. Philosophia 45, 631–636. -/- Gamper, J. (2021). Biological Energy and the Experiencing Subject. Axiomathes 31, 497–506. (shrink)

This manuscript critically revisits the proposal that an artificial-intelligence judiciary might overcome vulnerabilities associated with human adjudication. It argues that the absence of personal appetite, wealth-seeking or physical fear does not make an AI system inherently impartial, truthful or legitimate. Algorithmic systems can inherit biased data, be manipulated through evidence or institutional control, reproduce systematic errors and concentrate power behind an appearance of technical neutrality. The manuscript therefore replaces the ambition of an autonomous, incorruptible machine judge with a constitutionally limited, (...) human-accountable architecture in which AI performs bounded analytical functions, adversarial scrutiny is preserved, fundamental rights constrain every institution, and errors remain detectable and correctable. It consolidates fourteen proposed constitutional principles, a six-domain institutional architecture, a three-role adversarial AI model, a staged implementation pathway, and fifty conceptual stress-test scenarios. The scenario classifications are hypotheses for institutional design, not empirical findings. The central conclusion is that computational competence may improve judicial processes, but it cannot by itself confer legitimate authority to judge human beings. (shrink)

This book provides a realist and structural account of legal systems grounded in Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), phenomenology, and legal philosophy. It applies ontology to the domain of law, arguing that legal structures are not merely normative systems but ontological artifacts; real institutional continuants that emerge from patterns of obligation, recognition, and procedure. -/- The book begins with a reappraisal of traditional jurisprudential debates among natural law, legal positivist, and legal realist scholars, showing that each fails to fully account for (...) the ontological reality of legal objects. Drawing on the work of Dworkin, Reinach, Hart, and others, the book shows how the BFO framework clarifies the relations among roles, processes, facts, and institutions, thereby allowing a formal representation of how legal objects come into being through institutional acts. The central claim is that law is not reducible to will, command, or convention; it is a structured domain of social reality that arises wherever agents engage in acts of recognition that create enduring roles and obligations. Courts, legislatures, and other institutional entities are modeled as repair nodes that stabilize relational fields by resolving contradiction and sustaining normative coherence. In this way, law is shown to be both ontologically grounded and dynamically open, capable of collapse or repair depending on the integrity of its structures. The later chapters examine applications of this framework to AI and digital jurisprudence, property ontology, and institutional legitimacy, showing how the same relational principles that define moral obligation can model the persistence of law in democratic and authoritarian regimes alike. As a whole, the book argues for a new foundation for jurisprudence - one that sees law as a structural mode of being-with that is stabilized in legal objects and institutions, rather than a mere social contract or linguistic construct. (shrink)

This book argues that Plato’s medical language in political contexts is not mere metaphor but a medical model of political analysis. Centering on the Republic, it shows how Plato adopts, critiques, and reworks Hippocratic ideas to diagnose, explain, evaluate, and treat political conditions. The payoff is a solution to a central puzzle: how the ideal city can be both exceptionally stable and yet liable to degenerate into vice. Its stability, I argue, is a robustness and resilience analogous to bodily health, (...) sustained by protective institutions and practices; its fragility lies in the inevitable fallibility of those protections, which cannot indefinitely prevent, arrest, or reverse corruption over time. On this basis, the Element identifies a corrupt paideia—understood as a city-wide system of acculturation—as the singular, foundational cause of political degeneration, and it closes by drawing lessons about the limits and prospects of genuine reform. (shrink)

In Plato's Gorgias, Socrates attacks rhetoricians harshly. In this book, I argue that Socrates is not merely harsh but deliberately insulting-an insight that opens up a new reading of Plato's dialogue. -/- Through extensive historical and linguistic research, I bring Socrates' insults of the rhetorician as a kolax, opsopoios, and kinaidos back to life. Against standard readings of these terms as flatterer, pastry chef, and catamite, I show that Socrates in fact uses ancient Greek stock insults to criticize the rhetorician (...) for his disingenuous performance of friendship, which nourishes intemperance and disorder in the individual, the community, and even the cosmos. To Socrates, rhetoricians are wrongdoers in need of correction, and this is precisely what he sets out to do. I contend that Socrates puts the rhetorician on trial in the Gorgias for two reasons: to psychologically benefit the audience, showing them, in a humorous way, that they themselves have fallen victim to rhetoric, and to prosecute the rhetorician, using insult as a tool of philosophical reform. -/- By taking Socrates' words as precisely what they are – insulting speech – and uncovering their true cultural and philosophical meaning, this book seeks to transform our understanding not only of Socrates' case against rhetoric, but also of his psychology of correction and his practice of philosophy. (shrink)

This is a comprehensive introduction to one of philosophy's deepest and most fascinating puzzles, the Liar Paradox. It introduces key theories of truth and paradox, and combines accessibility with depth, tracing the paradox from its simplest formulations to the most sophisticated contemporary theories. Chapters by leading philosophers and logicians present both classical and non-classical approaches - supervaluationist, paracomplete, paraconsistent, and substructural - and examine broader families of paradoxes alongside general theories of paradoxicality. The volume also explores the paradox's connections to (...) meta-mathematics, modality, vagueness, quantifiers, context-dependence, and natural language semantics, demonstrating its far-reaching significance and its central role in logic, philosophy of language, and theoretical linguistics. Structured for clarity, each chapter introduces key ideas and develops advanced arguments, making the book an essential resource for students, researchers, and professionals seeking a comprehensive understanding of semantic paradoxes and theories of truth. (shrink)

Voluntarism and Self-Interest: Psychological Foundations and Panarchist Visions in Libertarian Anarchism investigates a central question in political philosophy: what, if anything, makes political authority legitimate? The book argues that theories of political legitimacy should be evaluated primarily in terms of their practical relevance – whether individuals have instrumental reasons to endorse them. Drawing on findings from experimental psychology about the prevalence of selfish motivations, it develops the claim that the most compelling theory of legitimacy must be one that effectively serves (...) predominantly selfish desires. -/- Through a systematic analysis of competing accounts of legitimacy, the book argues that express consent theory offers the strongest fit with this motivational structure. It then explores the institutional implications of this conclusion by examining panarchist proposals for voluntary, non-territorial systems of governance that follow from a consistent application of consent theory. -/- Bringing together analytic political philosophy, conceptual analysis, experimental psychology, and the history of libertarian thought, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of political theory, political philosophy, anarchist studies, and libertarianism, as well as readers concerned with the foundations and future of political authority. (shrink)

Care ethics has long been contrasted with moral theories like deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics. Yet, the characteristics that distinguish care ethics from deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics are some of very characteristics that philosophers usually associate with moral theory per se. If care ethics departs from other moral theories on some of the very grounds that define moral theory itself, the question arises: Is care ethics a moral theory? If so, what kind of a moral theory is it? -/- (...) Drawing together some of the world’s leading care theorists, Care and Moral Theory addresses these questions. Early chapters situate care ethics in relation to other moral theories and highlight its unique methods and aims. Middle chapters offer analytical clarity to key concepts in the moral theory of care. A final set of chapters offer a whole new framework for thinking about care ethics. Despite the diversity of perspectives included in this book, the chapters as a whole are all oriented around the common project of elucidating the characteristics of a moral theory of care. -/- Care and Moral Theory offers an accessible entry point for anyone interested in the nature of care ethics. By clarifying its relation to other moral theories and highlighting its differences, it makes evident what is distinct and important about this increasingly popular moral theory. (shrink)

Der Zurechnungsbegriff spielt in sämtlichen Rechtsgebieten eine tragende Rolle für die Rechtsanwendung, wird in der juristischen Literatur jedoch häufig als uneinheitlich und fragmentiert wahrgenommen. Um diese gängige Beobachtung aufzugreifen, versteht sich die vorliegende Arbeit als komplementärer Ansatz auf der Ebene der analytischen Rechtstheorie, der bestehende Untersuchungen zum materiellen Recht ergänzen soll. In der Tradition der Allgemeinen Rechtslehre und inspiriert durch die Philosophie von Ludwig Wittgenstein konzentriert sich André Nunes Conti auf die formale Ebene der Rechtssprache, um einen konstruktiven Beitrag zu (...) größerer begrifflicher Klarheit zu leisten. Methodisch gliedert sich die Arbeit in drei Schritte: Zunächst erfolgt eine philosophische Begriffsanalyse, die die Zurechnung formallogisch im Rechtssatz und pragmatisch in der juristischen Begründungspraxis verortet. Darauf aufbauend bietet das Werk eine historische Kontextualisierung des Zurechnungsbegriffs anhand maßgeblicher Wendepunkte in der Rechtswissenschaft von Baldus de Ubaldis über Samuel Pufendorf bis Hans Kelsen. Dabei wird herausgearbeitet, dass der Fachbegriff historisch auf zwei gleichberechtigten theologischen Paradigmen fußt, nämlich der freiheitsbezogenen Handlungszurechnung der Moraltheologie einerseits und der zufallsbezogenen Drittzurechnung der christlichen Rechtfertigungslehre andererseits. Abschließend wird der gewonnene Begriff auf die geltende Rechtsordnung angewandt, um zu prüfen, inwiefern er ähnliche strukturelle Muster in verschiedenen Rechtsgebieten erkennen lässt. Das wissenschaftliche Ziel ist es, einen formal leistungsfähigen Begriff anzubieten, der durch eine ausgewogene Unterscheidungskraft und Übersichtlichkeit die vergleichende Betrachtung unterschiedlichster Probleme erleichtert. (shrink)

Was haben Unendlichkeit, Zahlenverhältnisse und die Ordnung der Natur mit der Frage nach Gott zu tun? Für viele Denker der Antike, des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit waren Mathematik und Theologie eng aufeinander bezogen. Zahlen galten nicht nur als Gegenstand mathematischer Erkenntnis, sondern auch als Schlüssel zum Verständnis der Welt und ihres Ursprungs. Diese Verbindung prägte über Jahrhunderte hinweg das gelehrte Denken - vom antiken Zahlendenken mitten hinein in das mittelalterliche Quadrivium mit Arithmetik, Geometrie, Musik und Astronomie, das dem Theologiestudium (...) vorgeschaltet war. Auch die Beweise der Existenz Gottes gehen auf diese enge Verbindung zurück, die bis heute nachwirkt, aber außerhalb von Fachkreisen oft in Vergessenheit geraten ist. Doch auch wenn sich die Wege von Mathematik und Theologie in der klassischen Moderne trennten, so warfen Schlüsselfiguren der modernen mathematischen und physikalischen Welterklärung wie Einstein und Gödel die alten Fragen nach Ordnung, Rationalität und den Grenzen des Beweisbaren immer wieder neu auf. Das vorliegende Lesebuch macht mit seiner historischen Perspektive die ehemals enge Verbindung zwischen den beiden Disziplinen wieder neu zugänglich. Es versammelt zentrale Quellentexte von der Antike bis ins 20. Jahrhundert - überwiegend in neuen Übersetzungen - und erschließt sie durch Einleitungen, Kommentare und Literaturhinweise. Die Autoren Stefan Müller-Stach ist Universitätsprofessor für Zahlentheorie und hauptamtlicher Vizepräsident für Forschung und wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs an der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. Seine Forschungsinteressen liegen in der algebraischen und arithmetischen Geometrie, in der mathematischen Physik und in der Wissenschaftsgeschichte. Tilman Sauer ist Universitätsprofessor für die Geschichte der Mathematik und der Naturwissenschaften an der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. Ein Forschungsschwerpunkt bildet das Werk Albert Einsteins. Ulrich Volp ist Universitätsprofessor für Kirchen- und Theologiegeschichte an der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz mit Schwerpunkt Antike und Mittelalter. Seine Forschungen beschäftigen sich mit den antiken Ursprüngen der christlichen Ethik, der Auseinandersetzung christlicher Denker mit antiker Philosophie, Rhetorik und Mathematik sowie der Rezeptionsgeschichte antiker Theologie und Ethik. (shrink)

This monograph argues that naturalism—traditionally viewed as the scientific investigation of reality—should be understood not merely as a philosophical stance, but as a broad historical and cultural formation that actively shaped Western civilization. Focusing on mid-20th-century North American debates across science, democracy, history, culture, and religion, the book reconstructs how naturalism evolved into both a method of inquiry and a normative social vision, while uncovering the ideological tensions and ambivalences that accompanied its rise. Crucially, the text offers a deep and (...) rigorous reassessment of foundational figures—most notably providing a long-awaited treatment of Roy Wood Sellars that the contemporary Sellarsian community urgently needs to engage with, alongside pivotal analyses of John Dewey, Sidney Hook, and Arthur Edward Murphy. This book will be of interest to researchers and students in theoretical philosophy, history of philosophy, political philosophy, cultural history, and metaphysics. (shrink)

Die Angst des Menschen, die Kontrolle über vermeintlich autonome Technik zu verlieren, gelangt bei letalen autonomen Waffensystemen an ihren Scheidepunkt. Denn wenn Technik scheinbar unabhängig vom menschlichen Einfluss töten kann, wird die Ethik an ihrem innersten Punkt herausgefordert: der Entscheidung über Leben und Tod. Die Dissertation befasst sich mit ethischen Fragen, die bei der Entwicklung, Herstellung und Nutzung von letalen autonomen Waffensystemen auftreten. Schwerpunktmäßig werden dabei die Menschenwürde, die Verantwortung sowie die Gerechtigkeit betrachtet, die in politisch-rechtlichen Diskursen als ethische Leitkategorien (...) bisweilen diffus rezipiert werden. Philipp Preußger verfolgt das Ziel, zum Verständnis der ethischen Gehalte der Menschenwürde, der Verantwortung und der Gerechtigkeit beizutragen. Jeder Diskurs über eine dieser Leitkategorien wird dabei in ein interdisziplinäres Gespräch mit künstlerischen und theologischen Perspektiven gestellt, aus dem heraus der Horizont der ethischen Debatte durch neue Erfahrungsräume geweitet werden kann. Ethik wird somit im Hinblick auf die Beziehungsfähigkeit des Menschen hin verstanden. Menschenwürde, Verantwortung und Gerechtigkeit verwirklichen sich als affizierte Beziehung zwischen Handlungssubjekt und Objekt. Es zeigt sich, dass die einzelnen Leitkategorien für sich genommen kein Verbot autonomer Waffensysteme begründen können, in der Zusammenschau jedoch verdeutlich, dass autonome Waffensysteme einem gelingenden und beziehungsfähigen Leben entgegenstehen. (shrink)

Das Verhältnis des Origenes zu Platon und zum platonischen Denken ist von zentraler Bedeutung für die antike Ideengeschichte. Johannes Rensinghoff beschreibt dieses Verhältnis erstmals konsequent anhand der expliziten Selbstaussagen des Origenes. Dazu geht er den Fragen nach, wer Platon für Origenes ist und was dieser selbst für platonisch hält, bevor der so rekonstruierte ‚origeneische Platonismus' in den Kontext des zeitgenössischen Platonismus eingezeichnet wird. Zunächst wird dargestellt, inwiefern Origenes in Platon den herausragenden Exponenten der Philosophie sieht: Platon habe als Seele, die (...) aus der obersten Himmelsregion stammte, eine vollkommene Erkenntnis der theoretischen Weisheit besessen; er sei dann jedoch von Gott abgefallen und habe sich in den Dienst des Dämonenfürsten gestellt. Aus dieser Konstellation erklärt sich, dass Origenes die platonische Lehre für identisch mit der christlichen Lehre hält (und ihr sogar einen gewissen Nutzen für sein Projekt der vernünftigen Explikation der biblischen Offenbarung zuschreiben kann), dass er jedoch Platon sowie die platonischen Schriften gleichzeitig scharf kritisiert (insbesondere insofern sie zur Dämonenverehrung auffordern). Anschließend wird der origeneische Platonismus (also das, was Origenes für platonisch hält) auf der Grundlage der expliziten Platonrezeption im _Contra Celsum_ rekonstruiert und mit Origenes' eigener Lehre sowie den Lehren zeitgenössischer Platoniker verglichen. Dabei zeigt sich, dass Origenes' Lehrsystem mit ‚seinem Platonismus' in allen wesentlichen Punkten übereinstimmt; gleichzeitig lässt sich dieser ‚origeneische Platonismus', wie auf der Grundlage zahlreicher wenig beachteter, auch anonymer Zeugen des sogenannten Mittelplatonismus herausgearbeitet wird, bruchlos in das zeitgenössische platonische Denken einordnen, und zwar als nicht-plotinischer Neuplatonismus / Numenianismus. (shrink)

Kaum eine Behauptung Wolfhart Pannenbergs hat größere Diskussionen entfacht als seine dritte dogmatische These aus _Offenbarung als Geschichte _(1961): Die Selbstoffenbarung Gottes in Jesus von Nazareth sei «jedem, der Augen hat zu sehen, offen». Christian Schaufelberger geht diesen biblisch-metaphorisch anmutenden Worten nach und untersucht ihre Bedeutung im Kontext von Pannenbergs Theologie der 60er Jahre. Dazu rekonstruiert er dessen frühe Schriften als Entwurf eines theologischen Systems, das zentrale dogmatische Topoi wie Offenbarung, Hermeneutik, Anthropologie, Hamartiologie, Pneumatologie sowie das Verhältnis von Glaube und (...) Vernunft umfasst. Dass Pannenberg seine umstrittenste These 27 Jahre später, im ersten Band der _Systematischen Theologie _(1988), erneut aufgenommen und bekräftigt hat, wirft die Frage nach ihrer Bedeutung im Kontext seines reifen theologischen Systems auf. Im Zentrum stehen dabei zwei werkgeschichtliche Veränderungen: einerseits Pannenbergs Präzisierung des Verhältnisses von subjektiv-noetischer Antizipation und objektiv-historischer Prolepse, andererseits seine Annäherung an die Wort-Gottes-Theologie, von der er sich in den 60er Jahren noch vehement abgrenzte. Erst dieser Vergleich zwischen Pannenbergs Früh- und Spätwerk ermöglicht die präzise Erschließung seiner Offenbarungslehre und der mit ihr verbundenen epistemischen Ansprüche. Als Ertrag entwickelt die Studie eine werkgeschichtliche Lesart von Pannenbergs Gesamtwerk, die zugleich Perspektiven für gegenwärtige Reflexionen über Möglichkeiten und Grenzen öffentlich überzeugender theologischer Aussagen eröffnet. (shrink)

Building on the First Series of Zhuangzi, A Happy Failure, this Second Series revisits the same “allegorical tales” (yuyan 寓言) from the Zhuangzi (莊子; ca. 4th–3rd century BCE) featured previously. However, the Second Series incorporates instead commentaries by Lin Xiyi (林希逸; 1193–1271) and Liu Chenweng (劉辰翁; 1232–1297), showing how their interpretations diverge and converge with (1) each other and (2) those of the latter-day pingdian 評點 "literary appreciative" commentators explored in the First Series. The extent to which Lin and Liu (...) presage Lin Yunming (林雲銘; 1628–1697), Xuan Ying (宣穎; ca. 1655–1730), and Liu Fengbao (劉鳳苞; 1826–1905) is naturally something the careful reader of both series ought to attend to. This series takes a more literal approach to illustrating the work, viz., precisely of the sort generally avoided in the First Series as a matter of principle. That is to say, this includes pen-and-ink drawings that are willing to concretely depict (i.e., illustrate) the scenes, which presents a different sort of challenge than those faced by the artist featured in the First Series. Artist: Lorraine Gallagher McCorkle is a greater Philadelphia based artist who studied at Moore College of Art & Design and later took additional coursework at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). She spent her professional career as a graphic artist at Villanova University in Radnor, Pennsylvania. (shrink)

Seeing and Subjectivity is a search for the emergence of subjectivity within our abilities to see. The book argues that if we are to make sense of ourselves as subjective creatures we must recognize that the notion of presentation which undergirds all our perceptual commerce with the world we inhabit is more complicated than has hitherto been realized. The book distinguishes between two types of perceptual consciousness: ‘ animal ’ perception and ‘ reflective ’ perception. Reflective perception is a sophisticated (...) and advantageous variety of perception, more so than animal perception alone, a sort of perception requiring subjectivity in the perceiver and whose most minimal form is the perception of absence. It is the enhanced perceptual capacity to see what is missing in our environments that explains the value of subjectivity to creatures like us. For it is in those situations that our seeings serve no longer simply to mirror the world of our immediate surroundings; then we are reflectively perceptual creatures. So the book ’ s thesis is that a recognition of the fundamentality of the notion of reflective perception is key to understanding our place as subjective beings in the world. Its existence is most prominently witnessed in our perception of artworks, in poetic experience, and in aesthetic emotion. This book draws on Indian theories about the nature of perceptual consciousness, on insights into aesthetic subjectivity from Sanskrit aesthetics, and from the ideas of brilliant twentieth-century Indian philosophers. The philosophical method employed in the book is an avowedly cosmopolitan one. (shrink)

According to Christianity, transformation and renewal is necessary for human flourishing. The aim of this project is to provide an ontology of human persons that supports a coherent explanation of Pauline transformation and renewal of the mind. I argue that holistic dualism provides a successful ontological framework that coheres with relevant biblical, philosophical, and scientific data. My methodology locates transformation and renewal as entailments in human flourishing and fitness grounded in the fundamental structure of reality. I proceed by carving out (...) a biblical ontology of persons including a matrix for sanctification, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and a Christological exemplar for human agency. Next, I provide a model of the image of God founded upon the image-bearing agent and agency that coheres with my biblical ontology. I then explicate five views of the human person and soul landing on J. P. Moreland’s organicist view of holistic dualism. Next, I explicate the structure of the soul merging Moreland’s organicist structure with Richard Swinburne’s mental structure and provide an anatomical model of the soul. Finally, I turn to the sciences and provide an account of organismic plasticity and neuroplasticity that coheres with the restructuring of both the immaterial and material structures of the soul and body. In conclusion, I provide a synthesis of three models of transformation from theology, philosophy, and science integrated with Pauline renewal of the mind in concurrence with the agency of the Holy Spirit. I find that holistic dualism provides a successful ontology that unifies the human person and coheres with essential data providing a positive account of Pauline renewal and human flourishing. (shrink)

Through her wide ranging films, Akerman addresses subjects such as home and homelessness, work and social reproduction, self and identity, and desire in its many forms. This book is the first philosophical study of Akerman's oeuvre. Andreja Novakovic looks at patterns of staying put and moving on in the Belgian auteur's deeply personal body of work, drawing on writers from Cavell to Beauvoir, and Federici. It is an absorbing reinterpretation of one of the most important directors of European cinema, whose (...) Jeanne Dielman was recently selected as Sight and Sound's Greatest Film of All Time. (shrink)

Hegel famously argues that the patriarchal, bourgeois nuclear family is a rational institution worth defending. Scholars have asked what exactly to do with this seemingly outdated part of his social and political philosophy. In particular, they have wondered whether Hegel's concept of the family can accommodate changes to our understanding of what counts as a family and what constitutes family relations. In this Element, I ask whether Hegel's defense of the family can be reconciled with family abolition, the project not (...) of reforming the family as an institution, but of radically transforming it beyond recognition. By examining the three relationships that Hegel associates with the family – brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, and parents and children – I argue that Hegel's concept of the family can be reconciled with family abolition so described. What Hegel provides is an account of the family as a site at which important goods have been discovered and developed, without claiming that the family as an institution is necessary for, or even ideally suited to, their continued realization. These goods are singular individuality, ethical love, and material resources. (shrink)

Against the emergence of "the Internet of Bodies," Christopher O'Neill presents an incisive long history of biosensing technologies from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. As O'Neill shows, sensor technologies work by failing--if their mode of measure never quite captures the body, this is a feature and not a bug. Nobody and no body really fits into the Internet of Bodies, but the endless correction of biosensor errors works to endlessly extend the reach of the sensor society. O'Neill's book traces (...) the emergence and transformation of the cultural techniques of biosensing which 'work through' these errors. O'Neill shows how the early pulse-writing sensors of the sphygmograph produced a newly educated touch in the medical clinic; the way work measurement technologies not only optimized but introduced a new intimacy into the post-Fordist workplace; and how the sensors in nineteenth-century burglar alarms enabled a new choreography of servants' movements in the American home. O'Neill demonstrates how these histories presage contemporary anxieties surrounding the Quantified Self movement, the management of affective intensities in digitally surveilled workplaces, and the integration of the gig economy within the smart home. Just as O'Neill demonstrates that technologists' claims to objectivity, transcendence, and omniscience remain frustrated by the messy reality of the body, the book also shows that we must go beyond the typical critical gesture of pointing out errors, biases, and false assumptions about the body, and instead show what precisely these errors do. (shrink)

This volume offers theoretical frameworks for thinking about the relationship between oppressive speech and oppressive social structures. Central to the volume is the fact that oppressive speech doesn't just harm the target during a conversation; it serves to establish and maintain oppressive norms and structures. This volume examines how linguistic acts can have adverse social effects. Additionally, it considers the linguistic and policy actions that can undo or prevent conversational and social harms. The chapters are divided into four thematic sections. (...) Part 1 explains the nature of slurs. These chapters define their conceptual boundaries, forms, and linguistic patterns, as well as the mechanisms via which conversational harm is brought about. Part 2 considers how oppressive speech changes social norms, establishes oppressive norms, and how long-term harm and cumulative harm emerge. Finally, Part 3 explores immediate remedies that a speaker or hearer might take. Oppressive Speech and Society will appeal to scholars and advanced students working at the intersection of philosophy of language and social and political philosophy. (shrink)

In the debate over assisted suicide, it is popularly assumed that most arguments against the practice are religiously based. This book challenges that narrative by showing that four arguments compatible with an agnostic point of view concerning the existence of God and the afterlife entail a rejection of assisted suicide. First, assisted suicide is only good for the patient, if they are actually made better or at least not worse off than before. But how can you be better off if (...) you don't exist anymore? An adequate assessment about the logical possibilities of the afterlife then must be made and most entail rejecting assisted suicide. Second, suicide contagion is real. Studies have found that legalizing assisted suicide has increased regular cases of suicide. Third, there is a misunderstanding about the category of relations. Fourth, many of the arguments in favor of assisted suicide often entail abhorrent practices. If you're open-minded about the afterlife or wondering whether assisted suicide is good for society, this book's for you. (shrink)

It is hard to deny that that we possess any moral knowledge, and yet it is even harder to explain where this moral knowledge comes from. We know, for instance, that the Holocaust was profoundly immoral, but how do we know this? Many philosophers explain moral knowledge in the same way as perceptual knowledge. On the perceptual model, we acquire moral knowledge without inference based on experiences that represent moral facts. In Deductive Moral Knowledge, Declan Smithies challenges that perceptual model (...) and replaces it with a deductive model, according to which our most basic moral knowledge is based on deductive inference. -/- Smithies argues against Hume's Law, which states that you can never deduce an “ought” from an 'is”. In its place, he defends “the anti-Humean thesis” that we can know moral facts by deducing them from the non-moral facts on which they depend. We can know the moral conclusion that the Holocaust was wrong, for example, by deducing it from the known non-moral premise that it was genocide. -/- The anti-Humean thesis has wide-ranging implications for moral epistemology. It undermines regress arguments for moral skepticism without relying on special moral faculties such as moral perception, intuition or emotion. It supplies a new form of moral rationalism that explains how we can acquire a priori moral knowledge by deducing moral principles from non-moral assumptions in suppositional reasoning. It explains why no one can be justified in holding or acting upon morally repugnant beliefs, such as the belief that genocide is permissible. In addition, it resolves puzzles about the epistemology of moral disagreement, moral testimony, and moral uncertainty. -/- Deductive Moral Knowledge uses recent innovations in general epistemology to illuminate contemporary debates in moral epistemology. In doing so, it advances our understanding of deductive knowledge and a priori knowledge in general, as well as moral knowledge. (shrink)

The first in-depth exploration of the thought of Canadian philosopher of religion J.L. Schellenberg, one of the most original and innovative voices in the field today. -/- Renowned philosophers of religion from many parts of the world address Schellenberg's work, each analyzing a key aspect. Alongside chapters on Schellenberg's arguments against traditional theism and classical Christian doctrine, there are fresh discussions of his religious skepticism, his suggested shift from theism to ultimism, and his notion of evolutionary religion. While some chapters (...) criticize Schellenberg's ideas and some support them, all suggest new ways of applying his work to contemporary philosophy of religion. -/- This comprehensive coverage of Schellenberg's entire oeuvre concludes with a chapter from the philosopher. Replying to each chapter, he discusses the potential of science to aid us in transforming religion. -/- Throughout his career, Schellenberg has plotted a course that resists naturalism and provides a new science-friendly way of being positive about religion's prospects, without accepting traditional theistic ideas. By examining the defining features of Schellenberg's third way, this collection joins in his project of rethinking religion and confirms why he remains such an exciting contributor to contemporary philosophy of religion. (shrink)

Editor’s Foreword ; About the Authors ; Anna Lemańska: Worldview and the Natural Sciences ; Janina Buczkowska: Philosophical Elements in the Scientific Image of the Human Mind ; Michał Jakub Wagner: Modern Synthesis as Maker’s Knowledge ; Michał Latawiec: The Relationship Between Worldviews and Nature Conservation ; Dariusz Kucharski: Three Alternative Approaches to Christian Justification. John Locke’s 'The Reasonableness of Christianity' in the Theological Context ; Adam Świeżyński: Supernatural Phenomena in the Theological Worldview.

Wäre es möglich, dass der Funktionsweise der Vernunft eine verborgene Gewalt innewohnt, die in Verbindung steht mit realer Gewalt gegen Menschen? Und wenn dem so sein sollte, wie ließe sich diese Gewalt vermeiden und überhaupt auf konsistente Weise denken, insofern die Untersuchung dieser Zusammenhänge selbst nicht umhinkann, vernünftig vorzugehen? Um diese Fragen kreiste die Debatte zwischen Foucault und Derrida zwischen 1963 und 1972, in der sich ein drängender praktischer Verdacht mit einer theoretischen Schwierigkeit verbindet, deren Lösungsversuche ihre Auseinandersetzung über Jahre (...) hinweg in Gang halten. Dabei ist es insbesondere der Hegelianismus des gemeinsamen Lehrers Jean Hyppolite, der durchgehend als große Herausforderung im Hintergrund steht. Trotz des umfangreichen Forschungsdiskurses, der zu ihr besteht, ist die Debatte bisher zu großen Teilen sowie in ihrem Zusammenhang unentdeckt geblieben. Mithilfe des Briefwechsels zwischen den beiden Philosophen zeigt das Buch von Carl Corleis ein Netz codierter Referenzen auf, das sich durch zahlreiche Texte der beiden aus den Sechziger- und frühen Siebzigerjahren zieht und neben der Debatte selbst auch die Entwicklung der Werke Foucaults und Derridas aufhellt. Und nicht zuletzt wird hier begreiflich, warum es am Ende zu jenem folgenschweren persönlichen wie theoretischen Bruch kam, der die Forschung mitunter bis heute spaltet. Für diese Arbeit erhielt der Autor den Elise-Reimarus-Preis der Hamburger Akademie der Wissenschaften. (shrink)

This work discusses the challenge for employees in organizations to comply with rules. Using ethics with economic methods, the work addresses the basic conflict in ethics: self-interest versus morality. The metaphor of a game serves as a means of approaching the problem: only shared rules of the game constitute a game, structure the moves, and establish mutual reliability. However, the second-order dilemma reveals that, in the concrete situations of everyday life, employees must also mutually acknowledge the applicable rules (rules of (...) the game) in order for those rules to establish mutual reliability. This acknowledgment, however, comes at a price—that is, it requires an “investment.” The foundation for such investments is a shared understanding of the game. For successful compliance management, this means that the rule-based approach (rules of the game) must be complemented by a value-based approach (shared understanding of the game). Finally, this work establishes the following connection between compliance management and corporate success: employees bear a responsibility for the game to acknowledge the rules and bear the costs associated with them. This ensures the game’s continued existence. Only in this way can employees fulfill their responsibility within the game to make profits. (shrink)

Al-Fiqh al-Akbar and Kitab al-Tawhid: An Integrated Commentary on the Essential Teachings of Imam al-Aʿẓam Abu Hanifah and Imam al-Maturidi represents a landmark contribution to Islamic theology and the study of Sunni creed. For the first time in history, this volume presents a fully integrated analysis of the two most influential theological works of the Hanafi-Maturidi tradition—al-Fiqh al-Akbar of Imam al-Aʿẓam Abu Hanifah (d. 150 AH) and Kitab al-Tawhid of Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d. 333 AH)—demonstrating the organic unity, methodological (...) continuity, and intellectual harmony that bind these two towering authorities of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaʿah. Although these classical masterpieces have long been studied independently, no previous work has systematically synthesised them into a single, coherent exposition of orthodox Sunni theology. This book bridges that historical gap by demonstrating that Imam al-Maturidi did not establish a new theological school, but rather expanded, defended, and systematically codified the foundational principles articulated by Imam Abu Hanifah. The result is a unified presentation of the Hanafi-Maturidi creed that highlights the inseparable relationship between these two great Imams and the enduring continuity of their theological legacy. Organised around the six pillars of faith, the work guides the reader through the essential doctrines of Islam: belief in Allah, His angels, His revealed books, His messengers, the Last Day, and Divine Decree, before concluding with the protective boundaries of Sunni orthodoxy concerning the Ahl al-Bayt, the noble Companions, and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Throughout, the discussion is firmly grounded in the Qur'an, authentic Prophetic traditions, and the classical teachings of the Hanafi-Maturidi tradition, presenting theology as it has been understood and preserved by the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaʿah for over fourteen centuries. Written as a multi-layered work, the book is intentionally accessible to a broad readership. For the ordinary Muslim, it provides a clear and systematic introduction to the foundational beliefs of Islam. For students of knowledge, it offers a structured curriculum through the principal doctrines of Sunni creed. For teachers and scholars, it incorporates detailed discussions of Hanafi epistemology, the principles governing theological evidence, and the advanced metaphysical analyses that distinguish the Maturidi tradition. In this way, the volume functions simultaneously as an introductory guide, a structured textbook, and an advanced theological reference. Particular emphasis is placed upon the harmonious relationship between revelation and sound reason—a defining characteristic of the Hanafi-Maturidi school. Complex discussions concerning Divine transcendence (tanzīh), the Divine attributes, human free will and Divine decree, the nature of faith (īmān), revelation, prophethood, and the unseen are presented with clarity while remaining faithful to the depth and precision of the classical sources. The work also explores the sophisticated epistemological framework developed by Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam al-Maturidi, demonstrating how certainty in creed is established through the combined authority of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and disciplined rational inquiry. In an age characterised by theological confusion, sectarian polemics, and widespread misconceptions concerning classical Sunni theology, this book seeks to reintroduce readers to the authentic creed of the Hanafi-Maturidi tradition in a manner that is academically rigorous, historically grounded, and spiritually enriching. It demonstrates that orthodoxy is neither the product of blind imitation nor speculative philosophy, but a carefully preserved intellectual tradition rooted firmly in revelation and refined through centuries of scholarly scholarship. Combining rigorous scholarship with clarity and accessibility, this volume serves simultaneously as an introduction for the general Muslim, a structured textbook for students of knowledge, and a comprehensive theological reference for teachers and scholars. By uniting the foundational teachings of Imam al-Aʿẓam Abu Hanifah and Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi within a single integrated commentary, it seeks to revive a deeper appreciation of the Hanafi-Maturidi tradition and to make the timeless creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamaʿah accessible to a new generation of readers. (shrink)

Imam Abu Hanifah: Master of Qiyās is a scholarly work on the life, methodology, and legal legacy of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (699–767 CE), the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence. The book examines his role in the systematisation of Islamic law, with particular emphasis on qiyās (analogical reasoning) as a disciplined juristic tool grounded in revelation rather than personal opinion. The work situates Imām Abū Ḥanīfah within the intellectual and political context of second-century Kūfa, a period marked by (...) theological disputes, fabricated narrations, and legal uncertainty. It highlights his cautious approach to hadith transmission, the hierarchy of legal evidence, and his distinction between certainty (yaqīn) and probability (ẓann), arguing that these methods were responses to contemporary challenges rather than deviations from the Sunnah. Structured in multiple thematic sections, the book covers Abū Ḥanīfah’s biography, scholarly formation, theological grounding, juristic methodology, and moral independence, including his refusal of political office and imprisonment under Abbasid authority. It outlines the foundations of Hanafi legal theory, including the roles of the Qur’an, Sunnah, consensus (ijmāʿ), analogical reasoning (qiyās), juristic preference (istiḥsān), and customary practice (ʿurf). Later sections address degrees of legal certainty, the epistemological limits of solitary hadith reports, and applications of Hanafi methodology to contemporary issues such as medical ethics, finance, and artificial intelligence. The book also engages with historical criticisms of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah and defends the Hanafi madhhab as a coherent system designed to preserve revelation while addressing evolving human circumstances. The work is positioned as a Hanafi–Maturidi exposition, emphasizing the continued relevance of Imam Abū Ḥanīfah’s legal architecture in both classical and modern contexts. (shrink)

Die Frage, wie kulturelle Differenzen überbrückt werden können, zählt zu den zentralen Herausforderungen der Gegenwart. Freundschaften gelten in der Soziologie als eine der Formen, in denen gesellschaftliche Integration über solche Differenzen hinweg erfolgen kann, doch ihr Beitrag ist bisher wenig erforscht. In ihrer Arbeit untersucht Anna Ohrt Freundschaften, die sich durch religiös-weltanschauliche Differenzen auszeichnen, und zeigt auf, inwiefern sie Räume für lebensweltliche Vergemeinschaftung eröffnen. Aus wissenssoziologischer Perspektive werden diese Freundschaften als Mikrokosmen gesellschaftlicher Wirklichkeit betrachtet & zugleich bieten sie einen empirischen (...) Zugang zum Verständnis sozialer Integrationsprozesse. Die Analyse rekonstruiert die Freundschaftsbiographien, identifiziert zentrale Formen kommunikativen Freundschaftshandelns und typisiert Freundschaftsbeziehungen nach ihren Intersubjektivitätsmodi. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass alle drei rekonstruierten Freundschaftstypen sozialintegrativ wirken, indem sie auf unterschiedliche Weise Zusammengehörigkeit herstellen & je nachdem, wie sie das freundschaftliche,Wir' konstruieren und davon ausgehend mit der Differenz umgehen. Damit gibt die Studie einen empirisch fundierten Einblick in das Wie einer spezifischen Facette sozialer Integration: Indem sie die Blackbox des sozialintegrativen Freundschaftshandelns öffnet, konkretisiert sie das Konzept sozialer Integration und liefert damit neue Ansatzpunkte zur Förderung gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalts. (shrink)

_Policy Challenges in a Complex World_ brings together incisive contributions from radical and heterodox political economy. Across analyses of climate change, development, sovereign debt, financial instability, and labour markets, contributors move beyond technocratic fixes to reveal the class relations and global power structures that shape both problems and policies. This volume explores how inequality is not a side effect of crisis management, but a defining condition that constrains what policy can achieve. Consistent with the intellectual tradition of _Research in Political (...) Economy_, the volume advances rigorous class analysis while engaging a broad range of critical perspectives. Sharp, timely, and politically engaged, _Policy Challenges in a Complex World_ offers scholars and students a framework for understanding - and challenging - the limits of policy in an unequal global economy. (shrink)

-/- It’s good to be well-rounded. When you do a lot of different things, when you work on expanding your horizons, when you dive into the fascinating diversity of the world around you, your life will be a better one. Yet while many of us aspire to become well-rounded, this kind of life has rarely shown up in philosophical discussions of well-being. In The Well-Rounded Life, Amy Berg argues that well-rounded lives are often better, richer lives—more socially connected, happier, and (...) more resilient. -/- Building on philosophical work on well-being and drawing from social science, history, art, and pop culture, The Well-Rounded Life shows why we should strive to be well-rounded—and how we can do it. In making her case, Berg shows why we don’t need to be afraid of being mediocre at things, even things we care deeply about; why it can be a bad idea to try to lead a life that will make a great story; and how we should navigate tradeoffs between the well-rounded life and other good things. -/- It may not be the only good life out there, but The Well-Rounded Life shows why embracing a variety of pursuits is one of the best ways to live. (shrink)

Sobre as paixões e outros textos reúne cinco escritos de David Hume, e o que os põe no mesmo volume é menos o assunto que a prova. Numa metade, Hume sustenta que a razão, sozinha, nunca moveu ninguém, e que nem a imortalidade da alma nem a condenação do suicídio se sustentam por argumento ― tese que lhe custou ver dois ensaios recortados de um livro já impresso. Na outra, ele conta a própria vida; James Boswell vai ao seu quarto (...) de moribundo verificar se um homem sem religião consegue morrer sereno, e o encontra “sereno e até alegre”; e Adam Smith fecha o volume dizendo que o amigo se aproximou “da ideia de um homem perfeitamente sábio e virtuoso”. (shrink)

This book is a tribute to one of the most influential philosophers in the history of philosophy in recent times. With her four-volume work title “A history of Women Philosophers” and the volume of the non-Western history of philosophers, published in 2024, Mary Ellen Waithe’s writings have an international significance. Colleagues and friends, who have been companions for many years, have gathered in this book to honor her work. Contributions from the Middle Ages to the present, from the philosophy of (...) religion to logic, cover a broad field that will attract equally broad interest. An otherwise unencountered collection of ideas is presented here, united by the bond of research into the history of women philosophers. (shrink)

Der Begriff des Interesses ist ein Grundbegriff der Gesellschaftswissenschaften. Mit Interessen erklären wir, warum Menschen so handeln, wie sie es tun. Gesellschaften beurteilen wir danach, inwiefern sie den Interessen ihrer Mitglieder gerecht werden. Dabei wird jedoch selten hinterfragt, ob Interessen über subjektive Präferenzen hinausgehen. Luca Hemmerich kritisiert subjektivistische Zugänge und entwickelt eine Konzeption objektiver Interessen in drei Dimensionen: Unsere menschliche Natur versieht uns mit bestimmten fundamentalen Interessen. Verschiedene soziale Positionen verleihen uns unterschiedliche strukturelle Interessen. Und kollektive Akteure besitzen eigene Interessen, (...) die über Identifikationsprozesse in unsere individuellen Interessen eingehen können. Im Rückgriff auf Martha Nussbaums Capabilities Approach sowie auf anthropologische und sozialtheoretische Debatten zeigt der Autor, dass eine objektivistische Interessenkonzeption sozialwissenschaftliche Erklärungen fundieren und eine überzeugende Form von Gesellschaftskritik begründen kann. (shrink)

This monograph offers an in-depth analysis of how people in Sierra Leone sustain their lives amidst fragile political, social, and economic conditions. Written with both academics and policymakers in mind, it blends theoretical frameworks such as Sen's Capability Approach and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework with empirical data from Sierra Leone to explain the realities of everyday survival. In doing so, it introduces the Livelihood System Integrated Model (LSIM), a novel analytical contribution that demonstrates how the concerted efforts of an entire (...) system—spanning households, communities, markets, and institutions—can collectively support a more coordinated and resilient livelihood architecture. LSIM provides readers with a fresh lens through which to understand the dynamic interactions that shape livelihood outcomes, thereby enriching existing knowledge and offering a practical pathway for strengthening Sierra Leone’s development planning. -/- Chapters address the dominance of informality in the economy, the challenges of poverty, inequality, and climate change, and the structural weaknesses in governance, education, and healthcare. These are not abstract concerns but lived realities that directly affect resilience, food security, and the prospects of inclusive growth. By situating these issues within the LSIM framework, the book shows how systemic coordination—rather than isolated interventions—can enhance the effectiveness of livelihood strategies and improve long-term developmental prospects. -/- By exploring key themes such as globalisation, gender inequality, social capital, and the critical role of education and policy reform, the book sets out to solve the pressing problem of how fragile states can transform livelihood systems into sustainable pathways for development. Its central argument is that Sierra Leone’s future prosperity depends on recognising and strengthening informal and diverse livelihood strategies, while simultaneously reforming institutions, investing in human capital, and adopting inclusive, climate-smart policies. The LSIM approach reinforces this argument by illustrating how integrated, system-wide efforts can generate more coherent and sustainable outcomes than fragmented policy responses. -/- As such, this volume will be of interest to researchers and students in development economics and African studies, as well as policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working on livelihoods, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth in fragile and low-income economies. (shrink)

In A Liberal Nationalist Theory of Secession, Ruairí Maguire argues that nations can have a right to unilaterally secede from a legitimate, non-usurping state. They are special in this regard. There is a presumption in favour of collective autonomy by nations, establishing this claim by showing that co-nationality can be an intrinsically valuable relationship and that this grounds a strong claim to self-determination. There are no considerations that always defeat the presumption in favour of collective autonomy by nations. For example, (...) unilateral secession from a legitimate state need not wrong citizens of the remainder state by wrongfully taking territory. As such, nations—and only nations—can have an undefeated right to unilaterally secede from a legitimate state. -/- Maguire establishes the second part of the claim above—that nations are special in this regard—in two ways. First, he argues against more permissive accounts of self-determination, accounts that attempt to ground a right to secede for any territorially concentrated group capable of performing the basic functions of statehood and governing in a satisfactory manner. Secondly, he argues that despite the fact that other kinds of groups—such as religious groups—share the features in virtue of which nations have a claim to self-determination, the content of these groups’ identities is too narrow to be the basis of a pluralistic political identity. As such, they would wrong members of minority groups within their territory by seceding. This is not true of nations. (shrink)

Artificial systems now perform a striking range of cognitive tasks. I defend three claims. First, the status quo for cognitive work cannot survive. Whatever AI's trajectory, the package of features defining cognitive work – high skill requirements, credentials, wage premiums, resistance to automation, and low productivity growth – will be radically transformed. Second, the widespread displacement of humans from cognitive work, though it sounds alarming, may pose no special threat to human flourishing. Whatever makes work good for people is equally (...) available outside cognitive work, and displacement enables leveraged gains in research and access to justice. Third, a world of ubiquitous cognitive assistance, though it sounds benign, carries distinctive moral risks, especially for children. Cognitive assistance works by reducing cognitive difficulty. But cognitive difficulty is necessary for the normal development of executive function – the capacities constitutive of autonomous agency. (shrink)

Democratizing AI offers a powerful rethinking of how artificial intelligence should be governed. Challenging the dominance of tech elites in shaping AI's future, Zimmermann argues that AI deployment is a political act-one that must be subject to democratic control. They propose a practical "playbook" for reclaiming agenda-setting power through civic participation, public ownership, and institutional reform. Engaging with leading critics, Zimmermann defends a risk-sensitive proceduralist approach while acknowledging the deeper structural challenges posed by capitalism, inequality, and democratic fatigue. This book (...) is a call to action: to resist learned helplessness, confront techno-authoritarianism, and shape AI's trajectory in line with democratic values. Thoughtful, urgent, and visionary, the book is essential reading for anyone concerned with the future of technology and democracy. (shrink)