This dissertation examines Avicenna's theory of efficient causation in light of his approach to central problems in metaphysics, from the proof of the Necessary Existent to his emanative cosmology. Avicenna provides an internally coherent metaphysical account of efficient causation. A metaphysical account of the efficient cause explains the existence of the effect or essence in a way that is not explained by the causes of motion, as investigated in physics. That is, a full explanation of the cause of the existence (...) of an essence is not found in the four causes of natural change and motion. Avicenna aims to clarify what the explanatory division of labor is between the account of the natural philosopher and that of the metaphysician. In so doing, Avicenna develops a theory of causation that ties his innovative concepts of the contingent in itself and necessary in itself to the concept of efficient causation. A central distinction that Avicenna advances in relation to the efficient cause is that between the cause of the effect qua species and the cause of the effect qua individual. The distinction is relevant to understanding his view of the role of the causes of the essence, including the Active Intellect. Drawing on the above theory of efficient causation, the study reexamines Avicenna's famous proof for the Necessary Existent. The analysis shows that his metaphysical account of efficient causation is at the heart of his proof for a Necessary Existent. The "cause of persistence", in particular, is argued to have a more critical role than previously acknowledged, and is explicated in the context of his theory of efficient causation in metaphysics. (shrink)

If no more children with disabilities were born, what, if anything, would be lost? Is it true, as has been suggested, that their lives are not worth living and not worth saving? We must ask ourselves what will become of disabled babies in an age of designer babies. In response to the suggestion that the lives of neurodevelopmentally disabled infants are not worth saving, this thesis presents a necessary re-conceptualization of best interests and quality of life assessments. As I show, (...) a review of professional guidelines and literature reveals that disability is considered to be justification for optional intervention, and that these infants are viewed and treated differently. I argue that this disparity is rooted in philosophical ambiguity regarding the personhood of these infants, lack of relational contact, and an ethical system still wed to utilitarian principles. I present a relational care ethics approach as a viable and more truthful alternative to theories that define personhood based on requisite cognitive ability. I forge a view that does not deny the facts of medical diagnoses, yet displays humility in the face of human complexity and acknowledges that diagnoses do not tell the full story. A neo-Aristotelian view of flourishing strengthens care ethics by showing that flourishing is open to every human being, regardless of disability, and is not defined according to a normative, ideal human standard, but by a standard relative to the individual. Further, Aristotle's concept of phronesis harmonizes with Eva Kittay's description of the virtues of the caregiver and provides a model for how disability should be approached. Attentiveness to the model of a virtuous caregiver enables us to see disability not as justification for optional intervention, but an invitation to a relationship. Flourishing does not only happen in the absence of suffering, but alongside it as well. This view does not deny the presence of suffering, but invites us to find within or imbue it with meaning and transcendence to lead to its alleviation. Finally, I apply the original critique of current theory and practice and subsequent developed philosophical framework to best interests assessments. I conclude that in cases of neurodevelopmental disability, medical interventions should not be thought of as successful or unsuccessful in terms of their ability, to "cure" or "correct" disability itself, but should serve to facilitate the cognitively disabled infant's ability to function at full capacity, to flourish, whatever full capacity may mean for her. (shrink)

If one is allowed to speak of progress in historical research, one may note with satisfaction the growing sophistication with which the relationship between science and religion has been examined in recent years. The "warfare" model, the "separation" paradigm, and the "partnership" ideal have been subjected to critical scrutiny and the glaring light of historical evidence. As John Hedley Brooke has so astutely noted, "Serious scholarship in the history of science has revealed so extraordinarily rich and complex a relationship between (...) science and religion in the past that general theses are difficult to sustain. Unfortunately, this more nuanced approach has not been as evident in studies of Islam and science. Though there has been some serious scholarship on the relation between science and religion in Islam, such work has made barely a dent in either the general accounts or the general perceptions of that relationship. These latter continue to be characterized by reductionism, essentialism, apologetics, and barely masked agendas. (shrink)

The Special Joint Committee on Physician Assisted Dying has recommended the extension of current medical assistance in dying legislation in Canada to include mature minors. A mature minor is anyone under the age of 18 demonstrating sufficient capacity to understand their medical condition, and the risks and benefits of available treatments. Although mature minors are the only minors being considered under the current recommendations regarding future legislation, Canadian health care professionals are already being approached with inquiries about MAID for minors (...) who do not meet mature minor criteria. Current eligibility criteria for MAID include a requirement of informed consent, and that of intolerable suffering. Most minors are presumed, by the law and in health care practice, not to have the capacity to consent. Parents/guardians would therefore have to act as surrogate decision makers. Reliance on parents/guardians as surrogate decision makers increases the risk of inaccurately assessing the more subjective eligibility criteria for MAID, particularly suffering intolerably, by excluding the subjective perspective of the minor regarding her own intolerable suffering. Health care professionals' accounts of a minor's intolerable suffering also increase this risk. When factored into determinations of a minor's eligibility for MAID, inaccurate assessments of intolerable suffering raise concern about justice in the context of MAID for minors. This research began with a hypothesis that the subjectivity of suffering makes it important to incorporate the sufferers' own voice in an accurate assessment of intolerable suffering. This thesis explores how the child's voice, as representative of the child's experience, can be useful in adequately assessing that a minor is suffering intolerably, and thus factor into determinations of that child's eligibility for MAID. The conceptual framework of children's agency from the New Sociology of Childhood literature provides a theoretical foundation for elicitation of the child's voice, and hence a plausible means of assessing the intolerable suffering of a minor. The 'child's voice' refers to communication from the child using words, illustration, actions, assistive devices, or silence, that serves as a metaphor for children's perspectives, and may provide epistemological access to a child's experience. This thesis demonstrates that children's voices can provide valuable information for decision-making pertaining to MAID for a minor; however, it is not clear whether the insight that children's voices can provide in assessing intolerable suffering is sufficient for the context of MAID for minors. This thesis identifies this matter as something that would have to be considered in greater detail if considering an extension of MAID legislation to all minors in the future. (shrink)

This thesis examines the relation between self-deception and self-consciousness. It has been argued that, if we follow the literalist and take self-deception at face value – as a deception that is intended by, and imposed on, one and the same self-conscious subject – then self-deception is impossible. It will incur the Dynamic Problem that, being aware of my intention to self-deceive, I shall see through my projected self-deceit from the outset, thereby precluding its possibility. And it will incur the following (...) Static Problem. Qua self-deceiver, I shall believe not-P, but – qua self-deceived – I shall believe P. We shall then have to explain how I can sustain contradictory beliefs in full self-awareness. I argue that this rejection of literalism about self-deception rests on error. First, it misunderstands what literalism holds. Properly understood, literalism does not require the simultaneous commitment to contradictory beliefs. Second, it misunderstands the relation between self-deception and self-consciousness – and that is my primary focus. The phenomenology of self-deception reveals that the self-deceiver experiences the following tension. She is somehow aware of her self-deception as such. Yet also, she misrepresents that self-deception to herself as being a sincere commitment to the truth – so, in that sense, she is not aware of her self-deceit as such. To capture this tension, we require a theory of self-consciousness – independently defensible in its own right – that will meet this twofold requirement, of permitting the self-deceiver not to see what is right before her gaze. The rejection of literalism presupposes that no theory of self-consciousness can meet this twofold requirement.I argue that this twofold requirement can be met. The first part of this thesis offers a detailed defence of a theory of self-consciousness. The second part shows how this theory of self-consciousness can faithfully capture the tension of self-deception, while eschewing the Dynamic and Static Problems. It thereby claims to vindicate the literalist's position. (shrink)

Attempting art: an essay on intention-dependenceIt is a truism among philosophers that art is intention-dependent—that is to say, art-making is an activity that depends in some way on the maker's intentions. Not much thought has been given to just what this entails, however. For instance, most philosophers of art assume that intention-dependence entails concept-dependence—i.e. possessing a concept of art is necessary for art-making, so that what prospective artists must intend is to make art. And yet, a mounting body of anthropological (...) and art-historical evidence and philosophical argument suggests that not only is such a criterion unsatisfied by most of the art-historical canon, but it also rests on a false premise: concepts of 'art' are not shared between cultures, nor even in the same culture across time. My dissertation aims to rectify this error by first exploring what our commitment to art's intention-dependence actually entails, and then showing that, properly understood, intention-dependence sets a number of important constraints on theories of art with respect to explanatory desiderata such as the success- and failure-conditions of art-attempts, the cross-cultural identification of art, and the reference of 'art' and art-kind terms. I begin by situating art's intention-dependence in the philosophical literature on intentional action, arguing that, properly conceived, intention-dependence is a weak criterion which can be satisfied either directly or indirectly. It therefore does not necessarily entail concept-dependence. I then use this distinction to motivate a new treatment of the success- and failure-conditions for art-attempts, arguing that the extant model's emphasis on compliance with 'the manner intended' is far too restrictive to capture actual artistic practices. I go on to show that Ruth Millikan's model of linguistic conventions supplies an independently plausible explanation of art's concept-independent origins in terms of the development of a system of indirectly intention-dependent conventions called an 'artworld'. I argue that this account of artworld development supplies us with the tools we need to distinguish art-kinds from other artifactual kinds. Finally, I turn my attention to methodological issues, arguing that even though 'art' is a social kind with its roots in arbitrary and historically-contingent networks of conventions, the philosophy of art is not merely an exercise in bare conceptual analysis. In fact, there is now a great deal of evidence to show that the ways we think about 'art' are inconsistent, incomplete, imperialistic, and largely unprincipled. Yet I argue that this does not mean that the artworld data have no bearing on theories of art. Instead, I argue that our best reflective understanding of our artworld practices sets the constraints on the reference of 'art' and art-kind terms. I argue that we have no privileged epistemic access to the ontology of social kinds; our only privilege lies in our ability to determine the proper subject of our inquiries. (shrink)

This book, when originally conceived, was part of a much larger plan. I began some time ago to analyse the functions of government in the international society. I wanted to demonstrate that the problem of government in that society is the same as it is within States. In the international as in the national sphere, the effective performance of any one of the functions of government depends upon the effective performance of each of the other functions. There can be no (...) effective supra-national or world government, and hence no real international order, until all the processes or functions of government have been organized and institutionalized in the international sphere as they have been within States. Before analyzing the four functions of government in the international society, however, it seemed desirable to analyze them as they operated in more highly developed societies. This would throw strong light on the inadequacies of existing international organization and provide criteria for assessing the degree to which the world society has nevertheless been organized. It would also indicate the steps that must be taken if world government is to be achieved [...]. (shrink)

In the story of his life published posthumously as “a report to history” under the title of “The Point of View for My Work as An Author” Kierkegaard sums up his own position as a thinker. “I was conscious” he says, “of being a religious author and as such was concerned with ‘the individual’, a thought in which is contained an entire philosophy of life and of the world.” Reality, he believes, must be sought for and can only be found (...) in the individual’s own existence; and although existence has aesthetic and ethical as well as religious determinants, it is in the sphere of the religious that existence finds its meaning.[...]. (shrink)

The paper reviews some of the transformations of cancer clinical trial protocols made necessary by the emergence of molecularly targeted agents. These changes include the creation of a new phase of clinical trials and the alteration of the parameters governing the other three phases. The situation remains unstable: repeated attempts to speed up the development of new drugs have not yet led to a consensus on how to best do so. The new targeted agents raise issues that go beyond the (...) purely technical as changing protocols implicate changes in the organization of translational research. (shrink)

On all sides, one hears appeals to objectivity and exhortations to be objective. These admonitions are usually made by scientifically-minded people. Laudable as these appeals may be, they are sometimes so framed as to give the impression that objectivity is a quality or property of events that is immediately recognizable. It is thus, a finality, an ultimate for knowledge, which, when recognized, is taken as given. Ulterior questions, as to what constitutes the objective character of fact, are considered spurious meanderings (...) of minds intent on weaving a cosy scheme of the universe.[...]. (shrink)

The problem which is the subject of this study originated in part from a teaching device employed by one of the professors of the Education Department. It was his custom as he spoke of national systems of education, etc. in each case to represent diagramatically on the blackboard, the learner, his relation as a scholar to the life outside the school walls, and the avenues or sources of his learning. By virtually a process of induction, these components came to be (...) seen to occupy the stage in every discussion of educational theory. Not only did they appear, but they offered convenient intellectual pegs on which to hang our thinking.[...]. (shrink)

For a long time now, I have been thinking about the problem of body and mind and about the strangely wonderful phenomenon of consciousness. The concept of consciousness has always been a relatively neglected topic. As for questions about body and mind, one's first reaction is inevitably the impatient exclamation "But there is no problem there at all." [...].

Galileo was first a student of medicine and philosophy at the University of Pisa. After two years of study, at the age of nineteen, he met a certain Ostillio Ricci, professer or mathematics. From that time onwards, "leaving everything else aside, he abandoned himself to the study of mathematics". [...].

In this paper I shall discuss the theory of what may be called material realism. The term "material" is borrowed fran Kant. He defined "material idealism" as "the theory which declares the existence of objects in space outside us either to be merely doubtful and indemonstrable or to be false and impossible." [...].

The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the nature of the relation of Russell's political philosophy to the other areas of his work, both popular and professional. The nature of the relation can be demonstrated, however, only if two premises are accepted: that Russell has a political philosophy, and that his political theory is related to the other branches of his philosophy. [...].

The World Anti-Doping Agency was created in 1999 with the goal of making elite competitive sports free of doping practices. Since then, it has grown into a powerful organization that oversees national anti-doping institutions and a majority of international sports federations. Anti-doping regulations means that the use of performance enhancement drugs or methods is prohibited in elite sports competition, and athletes who do not comply are sanctioned through a ban from competition and loss of titles and prizes link to them. (...) The recent discovery of a systematic doping scheme in Russia has shown that the regulations currently in place have failed to offer the 'clean' environment promised to athletes and the public. While there is an understandable call to reform WADA's practices to further the anti-doping fight, I suggest that the purpose of WADA itself should also be reconsidered. In taking a step back from the current controversy and urge for stricter regulations, this thesis will first ask if performance enhancement in sports should really be understood as unethical and undesirable. Favouring a interdisciplinary approach to this problematic, I will take a look at the scholarly debate on doping and critically analyze arguments from both positions including theoretical ideas on doping itself and practical concerns about WADA's current measures to prevent doping. This overview, while it does provide an unequivocal answer about the ethicality of doping, will show a wide range of counterarguments to the prevailing anti-doping stance, and raise numerous concerns about the current system. In doing so, it indicates the need for a larger, inclusive of all stakeholders, deliberation on the anti-doping position, a position which remains so far mostly uncontested outside of academia. In the second part of my thesis, this rejection of a by-default anti stance to doping in sports will then lead me to explore whether there is a more suited alternative to dealing with issue of doping in elite sports than the current zero tolerance approach. Finally, I conclude that a harm reduction approach provides a suitable answer to both moral concerns and issues of feasibility, even though it may be difficult to incorporate into WADA given the number of stakeholders involved. Still, the identification of this alternative, conjointly with the Russian scandal, serves to justify why there should be further deliberation about WADA and the anti-doping movement that goes beyond accepting the status quo and the Agency's idealist notion of achieving completely doping-free sports. (shrink)

Patient-centered care is now recognized as a clinical method and ideal model for patient – health professional relationships, and many definitions have influenced its evolution. Overall the patient-centered care literature has provided relatively little to define patient-centered care at the level of the patient-professional relationship. Additionally, patient-centered care lacks grounding in ethical theory. This thesis asserts that theoretical concepts from the ethics of care can provide a stronger conceptual basis for patient-centered care.This thesis begins with a critical interpretive review of (...) the patient-centered care literature, yielding 12 articles that previously introduced new theoretical and definitional work on patient-centered care and patient-centered communication. Six common themes and ideas were discovered, and include Engaging the Patient as a Whole Person, Recognizing and Responding to Emotions, Fostering a Therapeutic Alliance, Promoting an Exchange of Information, Sharing Decision Making, and Enabling Self-Management and Patient Navigation. These elements were then compared to key elements of the ethics of care. This thesis argues that feminists have good reason to consider care as a type of moral duty, and it describes how this duty functions. This thesis also argues that a duty to care is triggered when caregivers are presented with particular substantive forms of vulnerability. Specifically, this thesis argues that vulnerable subjects whose constitutive needs are at risk require particular moral obligations. The links between the ethics of care and patient-centered care are discussed, including how an ethics of care response ought to function in the health care context. Finally, the cases of J.J. and Makayla Sault, two aboriginal girls who refused chemotherapy in favour of traditional aboriginal healing practices, are analyzed. This thesis offers a short scoping review of the bioethics discourse surrounding these cases. A review of this discourse revealed several common themes, which included the peripheral importance of culture and history, the equating of best interests with survival, the supremacy of science-based medicine, and the impartial application of ethical principles. This thesis recommends that health care professionals apply an ethics of care approach to similar ethical dilemmas in the future, which involves shifting one's ethical focus to the central relationships of the case, understanding the unique perspective of the patient's narrative, and promoting a care-based rather than a justice-based approach to problem-solving. (shrink)

Historically, Early German Romanticism has been viewed as a reaction against the science-oriented and rationalistic Enlightenment philosophies that preceded it; exemplary of such readings is that of G. W. F. Hegel, who accuses the Romantics of irrationalism and a retreat from community. The purpose of the following thesis is to refute Hegel's criticism and argue that Romantic philosophy presents us with a truth-oriented discourse. Although others have defended the Romantics against Hegel, the reading presented here is unique insofar as it (...) foregrounds the importance of human sociability, discursive practices, and Immanuel Kant's conception of genius for Romantic philosophy. On my reading, Hegel's criticism can be divided into three parts: the accusation of the egoism of the Romantic genius, the charge of the elitism of the Romantic circle, and the claim that the Romantics give all authority to the individual. The first chapter explicates Hegel's criticisms of the Romantics, showing how they both parallel and expand on his understanding of the artistic genius. The second chapter takes up Hegel's charge of Romantic egoism, arguing with the help of Schleiermacher and Kant that the Romantic self comes to be communally constituted through its interactions with others. The third chapter explores Hegel's charge of elitism, analyzing Friedrich Schlegel's ironic discourse, along with the lectures of the later Fichte, to argue that the Romantics' epistemological fallibilism necessitates a populist expansion of philosophical truth-seeking. The fourth chapter concerns itself with the issue of the authority of the exceptional individual, arguing that the Romantic discourse conceives of its audience as ideal rather than actual, but that this idealization is a humble solicitation rather than an arrogant demand; that is, this chapter shows that the Romantics follow the Kantian account of genius in claiming that a social warrant is necessary for sorting sense from nonsense. The conclusion points out that this Romantic picture of the community as both responsive to individuals and capable of substantial change—a community of genius—acts as a corrective for a conservative tendency in Hegel's own account of ethical life. Accordingly, this thesis both refutes Hegel's historically important reading of the Early Romantics and develops a novel account of Romantic sociability that informs the Romantics' theories of the self, the community, and their discursive interplay. (shrink)

When the Aryans entered India through the passes of the North-West, they were a simple, nature-loving people. The Vedic songs still charm us with their vernal freshness. They are the natural expression of a strong, buoyant race, living under simple social conditions and not, as yet, oppressed by a priestly hierarchy. [...].

It is well known how the Hegelian doctrine supports Capital Punishment. The founder of the doctrine as well as his disciples upheld Capital Punishment as rational; moreover, it is almost a universal opinion that the punishment of death is in accordance with the Hegelian doctrine from which it would logically descend. [...].

For centuries ph11osoph~rs and mankind in general have been busying themselves with the Question ef questions, "Justin how far does our knowledge give us a glimpse ef reality?" or "can we know reality at all?" [...].

The existence and nature of God have been the subject matter for the thought of men in most ages. For the demonstration and the explanation of these, Theological and Philosophical writers have put forward many and varying arguments, but with a large proportion of these writings the present paper will not be concerned. [...].

"Laws," as defined by Montesquieu, "are, in the widest signification, the necessary relations that have their origin in thenature of things." "Law, in the domain of science" says Littre,"signifies the necessary conditions which determine phenomena, the constant and invariable relation between phenomena, or between the different phases of a single phenomenon." [...].

The purpose of this Thesis is to give a brief outline of the different contributions made by Philosophical,Evolutionary, Sociological and Reforming Ethics, towards furnishing the first principles of a philosophy of Ethics on which to base an Ideal. [...].

As ons of the great world-hooks, the Republic of Plato has throughout many ages of different activities, and interests, among scholars of widely diverse casts of mind, at all times claimed careful perusal and profound study. It represents the full bloom of the Greek genius for philosophy. To the Greeks, the possibility of a mortal acquiring a connected view of things which might explain all existence, presented a problem of intense interest, and it must be admitted that, as a people, (...) they did more to advance toward such a view than: the members of any other single race. And in the theories of Plato we find the highest point to which Greek philosophy; attained. Leaving entirely the world of sense, he constructs a great overfloating Kingdom of Ideas of which ordinary so- called "objects" are really but images or adumbrations. [...]. (shrink)

In a large part of his work Plato undoubtedly shows a very great contempt for conventional or common morality. He also elevates the virtue of the philosopher to the highest possible plane. On the other hand, it is undeniable that he recognizes in a very pronounced and definite fashion the value of certain non-intellectual virtues; and in the Republic, as well as in several of the earlier dialogues, there is an acknowledgement of the possibility of good conduct without the possession (...) of that knowledge which is peculiar to the philosopher. [...]. (shrink)

According to C. S. Lock'ss definition - "Charity or love represents the principle of the good life, it stands for a mood or habit of mind and an endeavor". A closer definition, he says, would be "Good-will in the broadest sends towards the community and its members. Thus, in the word charity religious and social associations meet, and thus regarded the word means a disciplined and habitual mood in which the mind is considerate of the welfare of others individually and (...) generally and desires what is for their real good. By the word "charity", as the term will be used in this thesis, we mean all those institutions and agencies which exist for the purpose of giving direct material aid to the poor and the distressed as such. It will be necessary in a limited treatment of so vast a subject to leave out of the discussion various relief organizations which, technicaily speaking,come under the general category of charities. We will not consider, for instance, purely educational institutions, because the aid given is not primarily material assistance. [...]. (shrink)

The aim of this essay has been to present, in its most general and salient features, the origin and development of the proposed theme. In many cases authorities have been let speak for themselves; and although in quoting, the actual wording has often been modified for the sake of simplicity, clearness and continuity, the references have been given, so that the reader can easily refer to the originals. The writer has no wish to claim undue originality in the treatment of (...) the problem, or in the views presented; and the work is offered as a study of a purely introductory and preliminary nature. [...]. (shrink)

Ethics has been described as the science of morality and conduct. [...] Ethics then must deal with the inner process and the outward behaviour as to whether both is right or wrong, good or bad....a question of Ethics is to decide which is the highest category, the "content" or the "attitude", and which is primary character or conduct. But this much seems apparent that no act is moral which does not combine both. [...] That faith in a moral ideal is (...) at the root of all morality needs hardly to be proven. [...] There seems to be as much conviction also that this good is the end or purpose of human life. [...] The business of Ethics, then, is to conduct a systematic examination of the various ideals of human life, and to seek to correlate them with the true or absolute ideal of humanity, so that at last the absolute good is discovered. The Ethics of Achievement is such an attempt. (shrink)

There are few men in the history of modern thought who have been so much known and yet so little understood as Frederick Nietzche. He has been quoted, by both friends and enemies, in many countries, on both sides of the Atlantic. Much has been put into his words, by both ardent friends and bitter opponents that Nietzche never meant. In fact, something very extraordinary happened in his case: his most devoted disciples have, in their zeal for the propagation of (...) their master's teaching distorted the face of their master's teaching as greatly as have his enemies. [...]. (shrink)

The purpose of this thesis is to make a study of the underlying principles of Moral Conduct in their relation to Reality. In all ethical attempts of the past, there was one particular at least in which they were correct, namely, that man is essentially a creature of desire, ever craving for sane ideal object. Green presents this same truth very vividly and convincingly in his theory of "seif-objectification," H ; and in his doctrine of the nature of consciousness, he (...) attempts to ground this self-objectifying principle. This, in a word, will be our attempt to ground the ideal. [...]. (shrink)

It is well known to the student of philosophy and religion that the literature on these subjects is already very large and worthy. Despite this fact each year brings forth more contributions to these studies. The reason, we believe, is clear and weighty, for the final word has not yet been said about either of these problems. We live in an age that is investigating in a remoter past than was revealed to the students of the last generation. More intensive (...) searching in regions that have already given forth truth has yielded rewardsof more and sometimes better truth. truth. Finally, it has become clear that if statements and decisions about the manner of living of earlier peoples are to be made, as well as about those who are contemporary with us, and they are to come at all near the truth, certain fundamental facts must be borne in mind. [...]. (shrink)

The history of philosophy belng a progressive synthesis of interpenetrating doctrines, all divisions into periods are of a large arbitrary character. If recent philosphers are taken to be all those from the English Idealistic school onwards, this arbitrariness can be supported by many obvious considerations which sill appear throughout the following pages. The new systems which were presented during that time, are best regarded as attempts to modify neo-Kantianism by viewing mind in a more concrete and specific manner. The positions (...) credited by these men to mind vary from its being unconditionally constitutive of all reality to its merely resulting from a set of neutral particulars organized in a peculiar way.[...]. (shrink)

This thesis investigates the meaning of the historical epoch of post-modernity by way of Martin Heidegger's claim about the end of philosophy. While Heidegger himself never uses the term "post-modernity" in his writings, his thinking can nonetheless be interpreted as providing important insights towards developing an essential understanding of post-modernity. Uncovering these insights and developing such an understanding form the purpose and goal of the present thesis. The thesis sets out from the peculiar lack of understanding surrounding the term "post-modernity." (...) In doing so, it unravels the formal structure of post-modernity as that of a historical epoch lying in-between the end of one historical epoch, namely modernity, and the beginning of another that is still to come. While other thinkers of the Western philosophical tradition can be said to make interesting and important connections in relation to this topic, Heidegger's thinking about the end of philosophy reveals itself as an especially appropriate pathway into answering the question about the meaning of post-modernity. Heidegger's thinking may be presented in different ways. In order to think along with Heidegger and his project of thoughtfully preparing Western humanity for a "crossing" from metaphysics to the next chapter of their history, Heidegger's claim about the end of philosophy is contextualized within the overall structure of his Gesamtausgabe. This contextual understanding of Heidegger's thinking reveals his much neglected 1964 lecture "The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking" as an appropriate "tool" for uncovering the meaning of post-modernity. "The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking" opens up the horizon with respect to which metaphysical thinking may be transformed into the "other" kind of thinking needed to traverse the crossing of post-modernity. After projecting a preparatory "preview" of it, the horizon of the other kind of thinking—what Heidegger calls Ereignis—is opened up through a restructuring and further uncovering of the subject-matters discussed in "The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking." This involves a disclosure of the meaning of Heidegger's claim about the end of philosophy in the sense of its development into independent sciences; the end of philosophy in the sense of the completion of metaphysics; and the task of thinking at the end of philosophy. After laying bare the horizon of Ereignis from "The End of Philosophy and the Task of Thinking," an answer to the question of the meaning of the historical epoch of post-modernity is offered. With respect to the horizon of Ereignis, the meaning of post-modernity reveals itself as the threefold phenomenon of entanglement, nihilism, and not knowing. The result of this answer is not so much a better understanding of the meaning of post-modernity as it is a better understanding of why we lack such an understanding in the first place and in what sense this lack is necessary. (shrink)

I should 1ike to make it clear, at the very outset of this thesis, that my essay is, in no way, an attempt to prove any final formula for the interpretation of Browning'sphilosophy. An essay of this type cannot hope to uphold any definite theory. It can only try to offer a few suggestions reached by a crttical study of the poet, himself, and his contribution to the literature of his time. At once a great thinker, a man of great (...) originality and of great erudition. Browning is a poet of whom it would be impossible to say dogmatically how much of his philosophy is to be attributed to his own erudition and how much to his powers of original thinking. [...]. (shrink)

A word of explanation may be appropriate regarding the title chosen for this thesis. Its selection was made prior to the investigations which are embodied in the text, and was taken chiefly because it expressed a point of view regarding human motivation which seemed to hold possibilities of fruitful exploration. Much has been written about the will, in theology and moral philosophy, so that it seemed idle to add more words on a subject about which past controversy has chiefly succeeded (...) in hanging a thick fog, unless some new way of piercing the gloom lay open. [...]. (shrink)

There is a growing consensus, long maintained by Derek Parfit, that there is an important distinction between what we have reason to do on the one hand, and what it is rational for us to do on the other. Philosophers are now realising that there is a conceptual distinction between rationality and normativity. Given this distinction, it thus becomes a substantive question whether rationality is genuinely normative; that is, whether there is any reason to do what rationality requires. While some (...) philosophers have argued that we sometimes have reason to do what rationality requires, it is notoriously difficult to show that there are always universal and categorical reasons to do what rationality requires. But if it is not the case that there are always universal and categorical reasons to do what rationality requires, then rationality is not genuinely normative.This dissertation offers a vindication of the normativity of rationality. I maintain that there is a robust relation between rational requirements and normative reasons. In arguing for this claim, I develop what I call the reasons-sensitive view of rationality, according to which rational requirements are normative verdicts: they are second-order claims about what there is conclusive reason of rationality to do. This view explains why there are always universal and categorical reasons to be rational. So while we may not always have most reason to do what it is rational for us to do, there is always some reason—reasons of rationality—to do what it is rational for us to do. I then show how this reasons-sensitive view addresses and responds to what I diagnose to be the major sources of skepticism about the normativity of rationality. (shrink)

At every stage in the development of ethica1 thought, the following question has arisen: what is the role of the primary needs of man--his physical maintenance, the survival of the race-in the determination of his conduct? Almost every ethical philosopher has agreed that this role is a vital one. The father of ethical idealism, Plato, pointed out that society arises from the wants of men, wants that can be satisfied only in human intercourse, since no person is self-sufficient. In our (...) day another ethica1 idea1ist, Bosanquet, has emphasized the continuity of man with this natural environment, and has suggested that economic activity is a significant part of human life. [...]. (shrink)

Remarkably enough, there was no such thing as a problem of moral freedom for the ancients. More remarkably still, perhaps, there was no such thing for them as the concept of will, such as we know it today# Even though some explanation can be given of the reasons which prevented the problem from arising for the thinkers of antiquity, it nevertheless remains a most remarkable fact that it did not. Upon closer examination, this fact proves itself important as it is (...) remarkable. For the concept of moral freedom serves as the basis for a thoroughly different approach to ethics, a veritable revolution in moral thought.[...]. (shrink)

Québec’s model of cultural diversity, Interculturalism, has been the object of considerable debate since Bouchard and Taylor released in 2008 their now famous report, Building the Future: A Time for Reconciliation. Among other things, the authors recommended that schools take more seriously Québec’s Intercultural model as a means of bringing diverse cultures into a single society. In this dissertation I consider the uptake and implication of Intercultural ideals in Québec’s History and Citizenship education course. This study involved three secondary school (...) history teachers in Montreal Anglophone schools. Using Thacher’s “normative case study” as the methodological framework, I combine curriculum documents, classroom observations, open-ended interviews, and photo-voice methods to illuminate the Intercultural model’s shortcomings with regard to issues of power and identity. The guiding question for this dissertation is: how do the historicized power dynamics embedded within Québec’s Intercultural policy shape history education in Québec? Two sets of tensions are found to be at the crux of the issue of history teaching in Québec: first the theoretical debates on history education do not take Québec’s specific brand of cultural negotiation into account, resulting in a lack of research on the civic implications of history education particular to the Québec context. Second, the Intercultural model itself does not adequately deal with entrenched issues of power relating to marginalized identities, which raises many questions for how civic education is being carried out in the province. (shrink)

This thesis concerns itself with civic education, specifically, the creation and education of citizens in a liberal democratic society, in the modern context of the"post-9/11 security state". This thesis explores some of the issues that threaten the proper democratic education of young people, using the example of Omar Khadr as a case study and point of reference. This thesis argues that the security state provides a dual pedagogical function, acting in the broad public sphere and also in the classroom, and (...) the specific lessons of this pedagogy are a cause for concern, especially in regard to the racialization of Muslims and their internment and torture. Civic education models such as patriotism and citizenship as shared fate are considered as possible models for providing young people with the civic skills they need to become citizens capable of addressing and, hopefully, redressing these problems. (shrink)

It would be unfaithful to Croce's own principles to attribute to the historical genesis of his philosophy excessive importance. But though one must recognize that it is not a mere product of circumstances, it is necessary to grasp the nature of the background against which it arose. Only then will its polemical character become apparent, and only then will it assume the place due to it in the chain of philosophical progress. We must not attempt to consider his philosophy of (...) history as a system to be connected with other systems; the changing, prolific nature of Croce's thought as well as his own assertions in his "Autobiography" forbid such an approach; and to systematize where the author himself does not would be too presumptuous a project, and might falsify the understanding of Croce's thought in the process of crystallizing it. (shrink)

This thesis challenges the liberal skepticism towards homeschooling as a legitimate form of education provision. Drawing on the work of Shelley Burtt and critiquing that of Meira Levinson, I argue that an exposure to diverse life choices in not a necessary precondition for autonomy and that "comprehensive" educations such as homeschooling can be autonomy-fostering environments. I examine Amy Gutmann's theory of democratic education as a method for safeguarding individual liberty while ensuring conscious social reproduction and from it I argue that (...) democratic education does allow for the permissibility of homeschooling. I then look more closely at the reality of homeschooling and the potential pragmatic and ideological benefits of it to liberal-democratic society. In conclusion, I call for an increased openness between states and homeschooling families in order to benefit the development of democratic citizens. (shrink)

John Horne Tooke's philosophy of language is worth examining because, although his work has been influential, and although there is much of intrinsic interest in what he wrote - particularly for many of the questions discussed by philosophers recently - still, he has seldom been mentioned in English philosophical circles during this century. [...].

The program of this thesis is to trace the development of Hegel's thought in the writings of his youth as they evolved to and influenced the thinking of his maturity. These writings are of particular interest for they are characterized by a flexibility, a vitality, an historical, existential insight and concern which is relatively lacking in his later works. Furthermore, we can see in them the germs of his later thought. [...].

Today, education is arguably one of the most important facets used to prepare and train students for the future. Society expects that students will acquire the requisite knowledge and competence in their respective fields to prepare them to successfully navigate the demands of today's competitive markets. This expectation has consequences on teachers at all levels of education across many domains. Teachers have a significant role: to prepare students for the future. Competent teachers spend a great deal of time reflecting on (...) their own practices and beliefs, reviewing their teaching goals and evaluating if students have met these goals effectively. The process of reflection in teaching is vital in the preparation and training of students. (shrink)

This thesis presents the results or an attempt to isolate and give an axiomatic basis for the pure-implication fragment or each or several logical systems. C. I. Lewis points out that exact logic may be taken as a canon or deductive inference, and that the chief business of a canon or deduction is to delineate correctly the properties of the relation of 'implication’. It seems clear, then, that criticism or any logical calculus must include consideration of just what properties are (...) imputed to the relation of ‘implication' by that calculus. (shrink)

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the concept of motive and to make clear just how this concept relates to explaining human behaviour. First however, it will be advisable to make a few preliminary remarks. It will be admitted right from the start that there is something quite unusual about the form of words "Abe’s motive for killing Sam was that he wanted Sam's money". In fact we seldom use the word “motive" in everyday discourse. It is more (...) usual to ask not "What was x's motive for doing that?” but "Why did X do that?", and more usual to reply not "X's motive was such and such" but "X did it because of such and such". (shrink)

In this paper, we study the completeness property of some implication-negation fragments of propositional logics. By the phrase implication-negation fragment of a propositional logic, we understand the system consisting of all the theses which have implication and/or negation as their sole connectives in the said logic. This means, that we have to find a means to isolate, so to speak, all these theses and then axiomatize the resultant system. Our method of proof is by constructing a Gentzen type Sequenzen Kalkul (...) which is strong enough to embrace all theses in the said logic. Since, Sequenzen Kalkul has a constructive character, every connective, once introduced, will remain in later sequents of the derivation. (shrink)

The objective of this study was to determine how education can bestbe used to assist with Inuit cultural maintenance in contemporary Nunavik.This research examined that which defines Nunavik Inuit culture and canprovide a framework from which an education program could be structuredwith the intent of the preservation of Inuit culture, values and traditions. Inthe wake of contemporary society, any cultural maintenance efforts mustbe actuated through a concerted effort on the part of all parties involved,including Inuit youth, parents, Elders and the (...) school.Modern Inuit also need a modern education. If contemporary Inuitcultural maintenance in Nunavik is to succeed, it must not interfere withthe need to acquire this modern education. Inuit cultural maintenancemust therefore be achieved in conjunction with, but separate from,contemporary education. How then do we teach contemporary Inuit youththe skills needed to survive and flourish in both worlds withoutcompromising the efficacy of either?In this ethnographic qualitative case study research methods included:Surveys and open-ended questionnaires, field notes, participantobservations, and photography. I found that Inuit culture needs to bepassed down from generation to generation, as was the traditional Inuiteducational model. Contemporary education systems are at odds with theway Inuit were traditionally educated. Inuit culture must be taught on theland, over the course of childhood and adolescence, under the tutelage ofInuit Elders. (shrink)

The Purpose of this thesis is to present a comprehensive survey of Kant’s political theories, and to compare them with earlier thinkers to which they are related. The choice of this topic is due in the main to two considerations. First, the writer has observed with concern the social and political ills of our Western Civilization - the disintegrating family life, the individual's disillusion with democracy, his selfish, cynical disregard towards his fellow man, his attitude towards the state of getting (...) the most and giving the least, the slow erosion of values and the prevalent contempt of inspiring ideals. (shrink)

Philosophy of matter is that department of philosophical knowledge which relates to the philosophy of physics. While the philosophy of physics is concerned with the objects and events of the physical world as a whole, the philosophy of matter deals only with that “physical substance” of which the physical world is supposed to be made. However, the borders between the philosophy of physics and the philosophy of matter are logical distinctions rather than real, and the philosophy of matter has a (...) fundamental role to play in relation to the philosophy of physical in particular, and the philosophy of science in general. (shrink)

In 1966, the High Court of Uganda legitimised the new nation's first coup d'etat. After two decades of civil war, Ugandans enacted their first popular constitution in 1995. However, the judiciary's dominant positivist ideology, Matovu's ghost, still haunts the new legal order. The author sets out this ideology's presumptions and then critiques them against an alternative, pluralist map of laws in Uganda.

In this thesis I examine the notion of ethical subjectivity as characterized by an original relationship to alterity. Drawing upon Derrida, Levinas and psychoanalytic theory, I give a picture of a subject who is fundamentally responsive and inexorably bound to others, and I discuss the ethical and political implications of this condition. I extend the discussion of 'others' to include technology, suggesting that our ethical responsibility to alterity has been radicalized through deconstruction.

This dissertation explores the relationship between liberal/secular and religious educations. I begin by tracing what I believe to be the source of tension between liberal/secular and religious educations to two highly influential liberal theories that have affected civic education in particular. I begin with an analysis of John Dewey's naturalistic approach to metaphysics and religion, arguing that Dewey's attitude to religious traditions, when used as a basis for civic education, is insufficient. Specifically, I argue that in Dewey's conception, religious doctrines, (...) principles, ideals, beliefs, and ultimately religious traditions as a whole, are important only instrumentally. Furthermore, I conclude that the only possible outcome once one accepts a prior commitment to Dewey's metaphysics is that reflection and deliberation on the 'religious' will denude it of its distinctively religious character. My major conclusion is that such a view of religion and the religious is egregiously deficient when evaluated in light of the liberal principle of respect for religion and religious diversity. I then move to a critical examination of the second highly influential liberal theory, political liberalism. The conclusion that I highlight in my critique of Rawlsian political liberalism is that a civic education based on the political ideals of political liberalism can pretty much ignore religious conceptions without detriment to the development of young citizens' deliberative capacities. I strongly challenge this conclusion, because I see engagement with religious conceptions as valuable – even necessary – for good citizenship, and for enabling citizens of diverse societies to do justice to/for each other. In the second half of the dissertation, I propose a theoretical framework for this supplemental dimension which is based on virtue epistemology. I focus specifically on the recent work of James Montmarquet, particularly his notion of subjective justification, which I incorporate as an ideal basis for engagement which focuses on reason-giving and validates the role that religious traditions can play in moral and civic deliberation. (shrink)

In this thesis I develop an account of the nature of limits of thought in terms of Husserl's phenomenology. I do this by exploring in terms of Husserl's phenomenology various ways thought-limits are encountered. Chapter One employs Husserl's analyses of meaning and intentionality to clarify the limits of conception and of questioning that emerge in wonder at the existence of the world. Chapter Two undertakes a critique of Husserl's refutation of psychologism in logic in order to clarify limits encountered in (...) reflection on the possibility of knowledge and how Husserl's phenomenology proposes to overcome these limits. Chapter Three turns to Husserl's own encounter with intellectual limits in his phenomenology of time-consciousness. Here I show how some of the limits explored in the first two chapters re-emerge on a transcendental level and argue that time-consciousness marks the limit to Husserl's phenomenology in the sense that it frustrates cognitive desire. In this way the thesis shows how Husserl's phenomenology both clarifies and itself illustrates an ineliminable desire in reason to exceed its limits, even when these limits are recognized. (shrink)

Concerned with interreligious conflict in Indonesia, this study seeks to describe and evaluate the current citizenship education that has been designed and implemented for a democratic multireligious Indonesia. The context for the study, outlined in Chapters 1 and 2, is contemporary Indonesian society. Three features of this society are highlighted as especially significant. First, it is characterized by a wide diversity of religious groups. Second, it is governed by the state which acknowledges religious diversity with an official stance of interreligious (...) tolerance. Third, since 1998 it has adopted a democratic political system. The study begins by outlining how the state and national education has tried to meet demands of national unity and those of religious acknowledgment. The remainder of the study combines philosophical and qualitative empirical methods. In Chapter 3, I critically examine three contemporary liberal theories of citizenship education models. I suggest that these theories contain important insights relevant to a forward looking assessment of Indonesian citizenship educational policy and practice even though Indonesia is not a secular liberal democracy in the 'Western' mould. Specifically, I argue that what is critical to cultivate in multireligious Indonesia is the core idea of political liberalism – that is, the capacity for "public reasonableness" which involves the attitude and capacity to think, to judge and to behave in a way reasonable to pluralist societies. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on two case studies of public senior high schools in Jakarta and provide examples of citizenship education taking place in the education system. Overall, I found that although educational policy and the public schools I studied did indeed focus on civic knowledge transmission, the specific practices indicated mixed results for achieving the desired aims of citizenship education for a multireligious Indonesia. On the positive side, school settings were relatively diverse and facilitated a good deal of social interaction and created the potential for shared civic knowledge across religious differences. In some cases, friendships and cooperative relationships among religiously diverse students seemed to occur. On the negative side, there were cases of interreligious discrimination, misunderstanding, tension and conflict and these seemed to originate from a lack of open communication, and interreligious misunderstanding and ignorance. Furthermore, when it came to the official curriculum and classroom practice, both schools emphasized confessional religious education, ignored the internal diversity of religion, lacked exposure to religious diversity, deemphasized democratic deliberation and opposed interreligious dialogue. As such, I argue that the schools are missing a crucial element of citizenship education for "public reasonableness" as proposed by the political liberalism model studied in Chapter 3. I conclude that in order to meet the demands of creating a citizenry prepared to address the challenges of religious diversity, disagreement, and respectful interaction, Indonesian citizenship education should seek to encourage the following characteristics: 1) maintain and increase, where possible, religiously diverse school settings, 2) ensure fairness in accommodation of diversity, 3) intensify social interaction and practice of democracy and dialogue, 4) focus on the development of deep shared civic knowledge, and 5) develop interreligious conversation and knowledge of religious diversity. It is important to start talking about these issues or otherwise as Indonesians we will continue to combat one another, with all Indonesian citizens being the losers in the end. (shrink)

DNA patents have been being granted since the 1970s. Patents are meant to act as incentives, encouraging innovation and dissemination in biotechnology by granting inventors exclusive economic control of their inventions for a set period of time. Governments in North America and Europe have therefore been using patents as a public policy tool to encourage the invention of health-related biotechnologies since the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. However despite this laudable policy goal, there have also in recent decades been a number (...) of controversies related to patenting in biotechnology. Commentators are concerned that patents may in fact be having a detrimental effect on innovation of and access to health-related products and processes. While empirical evidence that has been collected to date in relation to these concerns remains inconclusive, the debate may be clarified through the articulation of the rights and responsibilities that are at stake. The scope and content of a human right to healthcare are ultimately society-dependent, but its articulation can clarify whether instrumental property rights granted to inventors are interfering with this right in an unacceptable way. Intellectual property rights in health-related biotechnologies cannot be justified from a theoretical perspective, and so more definitive empirical data elucidating the role that patents play in regards to innovation and dissemination of health-related biotechnology is needed. (shrink)

This dissertation describes my work as an educational consultant working with four school principals during a two and a half year period. My original intention was to develop a protocol to help principals in their work. As the study progressed, and I learned from them I began to look more deeply into my own actions and examined my own actions as an educator. I based my research on action research and living educational theory and I drew upon school improvement and (...) person-centered literatures, instructional, reflective, and learning-oriented leadership, and constructive-development adult learning theory. This strong theoretical base helped me understand how I interacted with the research participants and by analyzing my conversations with them, the results of semi-structured interviews with them, and my journals, I became aware of how I lived my values in my professional life. I have learned that I work to build relationships, and use a person-centered approach while trying to live my values as much as possible, and that my actions are supported by the knowledge of school improvement, adult learning and leadership theories. Action research influences my daily activities, now that I have returned to the role of principal and I am conscious of incorporating what I learned from my research into my work. I hope that this analysis of my own practice will assist other principals to examine their work and to develop their personal code of practice based on their own values. (shrink)

Throughout the history of the philosophy of language, roughly two traditions can be discerned. There are, on the one hand, those who look upon language as something static, something established once and for all by convention. On the other band are those who view language as something of an organic, or functional nature. To the latter category belong those philosophers who believe that the true meaning of a word or sentence is never, and can never be, instantly apparent from the (...) word or sentence itself. (shrink)

Jules-Henri Poincare is universally acknowledged to have been one of the greatest scientific minds of the nineteenth century. The development of his genius from childhood precociousness was unusually smooth. By the end of his life he had been accorded virtually every international honour in the field of science.

Karl R. Popper, Professor of Logic and Scientific Method in the University of London, is primarily a physicist and a philosopher of science. In this capacity, he is interested in: the criterion demarcating science from pseudo-science, the method of science, and especially the method of social sciences. He thinks the method employed there is the cause of the trouble, since it is based on a misunderstanding of the method used in the physical sciences.

The function of this thesis is to establish that a certain type of basic epistemological position, concentrating attention on the notion of truth involved, implies certain definite limitations on the further development of this type of position. The plan followed is to outline the argument in general terms in Chapter One, then, to bring home the point in a specific context, I describe the relevant position taken by C. I. Lewis, in the first two books of his "An Analysis of (...) Knowledge and Valuation". [...]. (shrink)

An explanation of the system of textual references employed in this paper may perhaps be of convenience to the reader. As a rule, references to other works have here been incorporated in the main body of the text, with the aid of abbreviations usually derived from the initial letters of the main words in their titles. Thus "HLL, p. 21." refers to page twenty-one of Thomas Hobbes: Leben and Lehre, by F. Tonnies.

Lewis' theory of meaning is barely touched by the contemporary trend to substitute a patient examination of the use of words for theorizing in the traditional manner. By way of contrast, some of his epistemological and ethical writings look as if Lewis had fulfilled the promise of linguistic analysis before it was made by Wittgenstein. Lewis' discussion of the good looks like an anticipation of the linguistic method. The question "what is good?" is answered as if it read "how is (...) the word 'good' used?" In comparison, his discussion of meaning has an anachronistic air about it. [...]. (shrink)

The topic of thesis was not selected at random. In the last two years or so I have become increasingly interested in that broad complex of problems traditionally grouped together under the name of the 'Mind - Body' problem, and have become increasingly convinced that the solution of this problem is one of the most exciting, and certainly one of the most difficult, problems confronting modern science.

Impressed by the accomplishments of mathematics and physics during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Kant was prompted to ask whether metaphysics might not profit from a consideration of at least the methods adopted by these enquiries. In the preface to the second edition of the Critique of Pure Reason he cites the experiment of Copernicus' in which, by reversing the habitually conceived relation between the earth and the other planets, this scientist was able to render a more exact explanation of (...) their respective activities. On the analogy of such a procedure, Kant asks how it would be in metaphysics if instead of our assuming, as he claims had been done in the past, that all knowledge depends wholly on its abject, we assume the reverse relationship, and investigate the possibility that abjects depend in certain respects upon our knowledge. [...]. (shrink)

That an interest in philosophy is displayed in any work interpreting the thought of a philosopher, cannot be denied. To pay attention to the words of the thinkers of the past, to reflect upon the meaning of their utterances, is this not the mark of a genuine desire to understand what is essential in philosophy, in short, to think? However, the suspicion arises that an interest in philosophy does not yet guarantee that we grasp its authentic meaning; for interest nowadays (...) is directed towards that which is merely "interesting", i.e. that which May soon be dismissed as indifferent in order to make room for something else equally insignificant. (shrink)

Following Kierkegaard's hint respecting the importance of his earlier life, Chapter l of this thesis surveys his childhood and youth with a view to the assessment of its significance for certain important elements in his philosophy and, more specifically, for his understanding of the process of self-realization. The purpose of the historical sketch in Chapter II is to exhibit the continuity of the concern for self-realization or individuation in recorded philosophical and religious reflection.

Jose Ortega y Gasset stands foremost in contemporary Spanish philosophy, both as regards his stature as a philosopher and as an influence upon his generation in Spain and in Spanish-speaking countries. Born in Madrid on May 9, 1883, son of Ortega y Munillo, the famous Spanish journalist, he received his first studies at the Collage of Jesuits in Miraflores and at the Central University in Madrid. A remarkably able and precocious student, in 1904 he presented his doctoral dissertation, El Milenario (...) to the University of Madrid, thereby obtaining his Ph.D. degree. (shrink)

The Concept of Purpose in Kant's Philosophy is an attempt to feature a phase of Kant's philosophical thought that has received relatively scant attention. Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and Critique of Practical Reason have focused attention to his epistemology and ethics while unfortunately obscuring other interesting and informative aspects of his philosophical thought.

Any philosophical position can be approached in two different ways which may be termed the historical approach and the analytical approach. While dealing with a certain philosophical doctrine, we may put the main emphasis on tracing its sources and comparing the doctrine with others known in the history of philosophy. On the other hand, it is possible to direct our attention mainly towards a critical analysis of the notions and propositions on which this philosophy is based, and to examine them (...) without being much interested in the historical aspect of the problem. (shrink)

This thesis is an examination of the extant psychological treatises of Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, the ninth century A.D. Arab scholar who was among the first of his race to interest himself in strictly philosophical questions. Al-Kindi's writings were among the first fruits of the translation of Greek philosophical and scientific works into Arabic. It is under that aspect that this thesis approaches his views on soul and intellect - as an instance of the passage of Greek philosophical (...) ideas to the Muslim Arabs. Apart from his specifically Islamic position on the nature and value of divine revelation, nearly all of al-Kindi's ideas on psychology can be traced to Greek sources, and the version of that philosophy with which he was directly familiar was that of the late Greek schools. This thesis is an attempt to understand and present al-Kindi's psychology in the light of the Greek sources from which it was derived. (shrink)

It has become commonplace within feminist theory to claim that women’s lives are constructed by multiple, intersecting systems of oppression. In this thesis, I challenge the consensus that oppression is aptly captured by the theoretical model of “intersectionality.” While intersectionality originates in Black feminist thought as a purposive intervention into US antidiscrimination law, it has been detached from that context and harnessed to different representational aims. For instance, it is often asserted that intersectionality enables a representational politics that overcomes legacies (...) of exclusion within hegemonic Anglo-American feminism. I argue that intersectionality reinscribes the political exclusion of racialized women as a feature of their embodied identities. That is, it locates the failure of political representation in the “complex” identities of “intersectional” subjects, who are constructed as unrepresentable in terms of “race” or “gender” alone. Further, I argue that intersectionality fails to supplant race- and class-privileged women as the normative subjects of feminist theory and politics. In Chapter One, I demonstrate that intersectionality illicitly imports unitary concepts of “race,” “gender,” and “class.” In Chapter Two, I argue that intersectionality lacks a theory of hierarchy: it is a “flat geography” which cannot capture vertical and horizontal lines of power. In Chapter Three, I explore the role of analogical reasoning in rendering racialized women invisible both as gendered and as racialized subjects in twentieth-century social movements. To concretize this argument, I turn to Simone de Beauvoir’s use of race-sex analogies to describe (white, bourgeois) “women’s” situation in The Second Sex. In Chapter Four, I advance a programmatic unified account of oppression. I suggest that the possibility of a unified theory (as opposed to an intersectional one) is intimated in the concrete articulation of race, class, and gender. My point of departure is a phenomenology of capitalism, which reveals that these are all fundamentally modes of exploitation and appropriation. In Chapter Five, I theorize how they are made visible (and invisible) on the body. I extend Frantz Fanon’s account of “epidermalization,” drawing upon the marxian concepts of “fetishism” and “mode of appearance” to elaborate four structures of gendered racialized perception: first, the “miscegenation taboo” structures perceptions of the “purity” of whiteness and the “polluting” effects of blackness. Whiteness, theorised as a “possessive investment” and as “property” is defined by the right to exclude. Second, the “episteme of tellable differences” produces the conviction that we can automatically “tell the difference” between a body placed in one “racial” or gender category, and another—while bodies that temporarily confound classification cause fear and consternation. Third, the “race/reproduction bind” names the axiomatic assumption that “race” is reproduced through (heterosexual) procreation and that “race” is, therefore, biologically inheritable. Finally, the “fear/criminalisation reflex” refers to the bidirectional equation of particular racialised-gendered bodies with crime, and of crime with those bodies; this a function of the discursive use of ‘crime’ as an alibi for “race’” the systemic racialisation of punitive carceral institutions, and the historical origins of “race” in transatlantic chattel slavery, which shaped perceptual-cognitive associations of freedom with whiteness and captivity with blackness. (shrink)

Anthony Giddens' ideas on modernity and globalization show that globalization is modernity at the global level. The three characteristics of modernity: time-space separation, disembedding of social systems, and reflexivity have all been intensified in the last twenty years. Globalization is, on one hand, pulling different cultures together to form a global world; on the other hand, diversifying and fragmenting the social contexts of human activities. The modern individual struggles to adapt to the different social milieux he is involved in and (...) finds it difficult to form a coherent identity. Modern social systems provide more security; it also creates risks of high-consequence. Human life is threatened with a sense of meaninglessness. Giddens suggests, in order to liberate themselves, human individuals should take more responsibility to make decisions on their own lifestyles and on social issues. Education should aim to develop the individual's ability to make rational choices. (shrink)

This thesis analyzes the text of Genesis Rabba, one of the largest and most important of the rabbinic midrashim. It pays particular attention to its use of the term miyyad. Two specific patterns of usage are identified. Through these patterns, the thesis demonstrates how Genesis Rabba's midrash is simultaneously a work of narrative and of exegesis, and comments on some aspects of these two functions. It also traces the lexical evolution of the word miyyad in Hebrew.

This dissertation explores ideas about human agency and conduct as these are expressed in the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata. Two concepts in particular retain our attention: daiva, the power that comes from the gods, and purusakara, the power that comes from human beings. One current of thought holds that human life and the course of history are governed exclusively by external agencies. On the other hand, the epic also carries the commanding message that the lives of individuals and (...) societies may be changed for the better through human initiative in accordance with the dharma, the moral order sanctioned by religious tradition. The issue is finally reduced to the question: who is the real agent of action? (shrink)

This thesis attempts to answer the following questions, each of which corresponds, sequentially, to chapter in this thesis: What is the internal composition and the historical contextualization of the 18th chapter of the Qur'an, the Surat al-Kahf? Who is al-Khadir, a figure in the Surat al-Kahf, verses 66-82? How has he been described in Muslim commentary and how has he been analyzed in nineteenth and twentieth century scholarship; and with whom has he been associated and/or identified in such commentary and (...) scholarship? How are probable prototypes or parallels of Khadir portrayed in non-Islamicate documents traceable to before the advent of Islam? What are the characteristics of the association/identification of Khadir with Elijah? (shrink)

The thesis, entitled "Bhrantivada: Reading the Lankavatara Sutra in Lieu of Metaphysics," examines the use of metaphors of place in the Sanskrit text of the Lankavatara Sutra. The incorporation of the fundamental doctrines of the text within a system of ascending "stages" is given particular attention, as this scheme presents the practical goals of the text by means of expressions of entry and abiding within "realms".

This dissertation is an analysis of the development of dialectic and argumentation theory in post-classical Islamic intellectual history. The central concerns of the thesis are; treatises on the theoretical understanding of the concept of dialectic and argumentation theory, and how, in practice, the concept of dialectic, as expressed in the Greek classical tradition, was received and used by five communities in the Islamic intellectual camp. It shows how dialectic as an argumentative discourse diffused into five communities (theologicians, poets, grammarians, philosophers (...) and jurists) and how these local dialectics that the individual communities developed fused into a single system to form a general argumentation theory (adab al-bahth) applicable to all fields. I evaluate a treatise by Shams al-Din Samarqandi (d.702/1302), the founder of this general theory, and the treatises that were written after him as a result of his work. I concentrate specifically on work by Adud al-Din al-Iji (d.756/1355), Sayyid Sharif al-Jurjani (d.816/1413), Taşköprüzâde (d.968/1561), Saçaklızâde (d.1150/1737) and Gelenbevî (d.1205/1791) and analyze how each writer (from Samarqandi to Gelenbevî) altered the shape of argumentative discourse and how later intellectuals in the post-classical Islamic world responded to that discourse bequeathed by their predecessors. What is striking about the period that this dissertation investigates (from 1300-1800) is the persistence of what could be called the linguistic turn in argumentation theory. After a centuries-long run, the jadal-based dialectic of the classical period was displaced by a new argumentation theory, which was dominantly linguistic in character. This linguistic turn in argumentation dates from the final quarter of the fourteenth century in Iji's impressively prescient work on 'ilm al-wad'. This idea, which finally surfaced in the post-classical period, that argumentation is about definition and that, therefore, defining is the business of language—even perhaps, that language is the only available medium for understanding and being understood—affected the way that argumentation theory was processed throughout most of the period in question. The argumentative discourse that started with Ibn al-Rawandi in the third/ninth century left a permanent imprint on Islamic intellectual history, which was then full of concepts, terminology and objectives from this discourse up until the late nineteenth century. From this perspective, Islamic intellectual history can be read as the tension between two languages: the "language of dialectic" (jadal) and the "language of demonstration" (burhan), each of which refer not only to a significant feature of that history, but also to a feature that could dramatically alter the interpretation of that history. (shrink)

The “new sociology of childhood” replaces the historical notion of children as inherently vulnerable, helpless and in need of protection, with a perception of children as capable of competent, autonomous, social participation. Although this new sociological perception underlies current children's rights literature, Canadian common law, and important Canadian pediatric health care guidelines, children's autonomy in health care contexts remains easily denied or subverted in favour of adult conceptions of their best interests. In order to try to understand why, I use (...) a feminist, relational approach to autonomy to analyze how oppressive social forces might hinder children from developing and exercising their autonomy in health care, and uncover a tendency to silence the voice of the child within bioethical discourse. These results suggest that greater levels of pediatric autonomy could be fostered by overcoming oppressive social forces and by fostering the skills necessary for the development and exercise of autonomy. (shrink)

ABSTRACT Because of low donation rates in their own country, many Israeli citizens have recently turned to purchasing organs from abroad, risking their lives in highly unsanitary hospital conditions. The trafficking of organs also poses an ethical dilemma for those who sell their organs. Often, these vendors are under-compensated for their body parts, while follow-up medical treatment is minimal. The Jewish faith has always placed the sanctity of human life at its core, and it appears that Judaism allows for the (...) donation of organs, and in some instances, payment for organs. Many Israeli medical professionals have called for a regulated market for organs that is consistent with Jewish ethical values and that compensates the donor for his sacrifice, and ensures that proper medical attention is paid to the recipient. Keywords : Organ-Trafficking, Organ Donation, Jewish Medical Ethics, Regulated Markets, Israel. (shrink)

Happiness ) materializes as the ultimate goal of man in Abū NaṣrMuḥammad b. Muḥammad b. Tarkhān al-Fārābīs Mabādi' Arā' Ahl Al-Madīna Al-Fāḍila. Buthappiness, i.e., happiness in this life and happiness in the afterlife, is onlyattainable by the virtuous citizen. The prevailing academic vision of Fārābī'sVirtuous City essentially can be placed into two categories: either it is an idealas found in Plato’s Republic or it is an actual city that has been founded or willbe established at some time in the future. (...) The difficulty with both of theseinterpretations is that they limit who can attain happiness. (shrink)

This dissertation examines what the author calls the Canadian social criticism component of the work of philosopher Charles Taylor. An internationally renowned scholar, Taylor's work has been much commented on. Yet there is an imbalance of attention in the reception of his work between the ample commentary pertaining to his more abstract philosophical thought, on the one hand, and the paucity of commentary concerning those aspects of his writing that carry more immediate practical relevance, i.e. his work in social criticism. (...) After introducing a basic framework for 'interpretive social criticism', the dissertation proceeds to situate different aspects of Taylor's criticism within contemporary debates, including the topic areas of democratic decline, consumerism, national unity and egalitarian politics. At one level, each of the different chapters engages with and elaborates on a facet of Canada's common public culture. Yet the central objective in bringing them together in a single program of research is to contribute to our understanding of how this still incomplete culture and political identity can best be achieved. The guiding assumption behind the research is that this would require being faithful at once to the country's social democratic tradition and to its unique potential in reconciling ethnocultural, regional and linguistic diversity. The work of Charles Taylor, as interpreted in the following chapters, helps to demonstrate what this means in the context of specific issues and debates. (shrink)

This thesis aims to determine whether international gestational surrogacy contracts are exploitative, and whether they should be prohibited. I chose a group of women working as surrogates at Kaival Maternity Home and Surgical Hospital, in Anand, Gujarat, India as a study group. After examining their life circumstances, I argue that these women live in unjust circumstances caused by institutional sexism and poverty. I critically assess arguments launched against surrogacy, organ trade, and prostitution and find that none of these are sufficient (...) for demonstrating that contracts involving the sale of the body are necessarily exploitative. I find that surrogacy is exploitative because of a complex set of social conditions. Further, the contracts are beneficial to both the woman acting as surrogate and to the couple hiring her. I conclude that international gestational surrogacy is exploitative yet mutually beneficial, and prohibiting surrogacy would be harmful unless accompanied by drastic social change. (shrink)

The thesis offers a reconstruction of Plotinus' reading of the Theaetetus, and it presents an account of his epistemology that rests on that reading. It aims to show that Plotinus reads the Theaetetus as containing two anti-sceptical arguments. The first argument is an answer to radical scepticism, namely, to the thesis that nothing is apprehensible and judgement must be suspended on all matters. The second argument is an answer to a more moderate form of scepticism, which does not endorse a (...) universal suspension of judgement, but maintains nonetheless that scientific knowledge is unattainable. (shrink)

Humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters can overwhelm the capacity of local and national agencies to respond to the needs of affected populations. In such cases, international relief organizations are frequently involved in the provision of emergency assistance. Health care professionals play a key role in these interventions. This practice environment is significantly different from the context of health care delivery in the home countries of expatriate health care professionals. Clinicians who travel from a developed nation to a resource-poor setting where (...) a humanitarian crisis has occurred experience a shift of professional, social, cultural and regulatory environments. In this dissertation I examine the ethics of health care practice in humanitarian work. I evaluate the literature of global bioethics, global health ethics and the ethics of humanitarian assistance, and consider the contributions of various ethics frameworks and normative approaches. I also develop a set of questions to guide health care professionals as they address ethically complex issues arising in clinical practice during humanitarian crises. In the empirical component of this research program I use Interpretive Description methodology to examine the moral experience of health care professionals in humanitarian relief work, and clinician experiences of resources and constraints for addressing ethical issues in humanitarian settings. Building upon the inductively derived findings, I argue for strategies and approaches that humanitarian organizations, project teams, and health care professionals can adopt to respond to the ethics of this field of practice. I also provide a critical review of Interpretive Description methodology. The research presented in this dissertation makes an important contribution to the ethical analysis of health care practice in humanitarian work. (shrink)

This dissertation offers a new and comprehensive analysis of Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī's cosmology by focusing on various important issues that have been largely neglected by the modern scholarship. It provides an examination of the physical, metaphysical, and astronomical aspects of al-Fārābī's cosmology by adopting a multidisciplinary approach that takes into account the history of philosophy and the history of astronomy. Accordingly, my dissertation explores how al-Fārābī attempted to reconcile features of Ptolemaic astronomy with Aristotelian and Neoplatonic theories, an endeavor which (...) resulted in the formulation of innovative cosmological ideas. Chapters I and II provide background information on al-Fārābī's activity as a commentator and his relation to the Greek commentatorial tradition and assess the relevant primary sources. In addition, they examine al-Fārābī's approach to cosmology and his scientific method in terms of both the Ptolemaic astronomical tradition and the Aristotelian corpus. Chapter III addresses problems related to the structure of al-Fārābī's cosmology, especially the origin of his ennadic cosmological model and his spherology. Particular attention is devoted to the question of how Aristotle's unmoved movers and Ptolemy's astronomical theories are reconciled. Chapters IV, V, and VI analyze the place of celestial matter, intellect, and motion respectively in al-Fārābī's cosmology and attempt to redefine the second teacher's relation to the various trends of Greek philosophy. The study stresses al-Fārābī's connection with the Neoplatonic and Peripatetic currents, particularly with thinkers such as Alexander of Aphrod. (shrink)