The national ethical guidelines relevant to assisted reproductive technology have recently been reviewed by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The review process paid particular attention to the issue of non-medical sex selection, although ultimately, the updated ethical guidelines maintain the pre-consultation position of a prohibition on non-medical sex selection. Whilst this recent review process provided a public forum for debate and discussion of this ethically contentious issue, the Victorian case of JS and LS v Patient Review Panel [2011] (...) VCAT 856 provides a rare instance where the prohibition on non-medical sex selection has been explored by a court or tribunal in Australia. This paper analyses the reasoning in that decision, focusing specifically on how the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal applied the statutory framework relevant to ART and its comparison to other uses of embryo selection technologies. The Tribunal relied heavily upon the welfare-of-the-child principle under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008. The Tribunal also compared non-medical sex selection with saviour sibling selection. Our analysis leads us to conclude that the Tribunal’s reasoning fails to adequately justify the denial of the applicants’ request to utilize ART services to select the sex of their prospective child. (shrink)

Resumen:El artículo presenta los elementos epistemológicos de nuestra relación con la técnica y, a través de ella, con la Creación, descrita con el término paradigma tecnocrático y presentado en Laudato Si' como la raíz humana de la crisis ecológica. En primer lugar se expone el concepto de paradigma tecnocrático elaborado por Francisco en Laudato Si’ y en Laudate Deum, frecuentemente pasado por alto en los comentarios al texto realizados hasta ahora. El artículo enfatiza sus dimensiones cognoscitivas puesto que busca argumentar (...) que ellas son el origen de la deformación de la relación entre el ser humano y el ambiente. Seguidamente, profundizaremos en la concepción de la técnica como un modo de conocer, para después mostrar las deformaciones epistemológicas que genera el paradigma tecnocrático, enfatizando al mismo tiempo las afinidades de la postura del Papa con algunas corrientes de la filosofía y la teología de la técnica contemporánea. Finalmente, plantearemos algunos caminos presentes en la misma reflexión pontificia, que permiten corregir este sesgo de la técnica moderna, en orden a construir una relación con la técnica que nos oriente al cuidado de la Casa Común, como aspira el Pontífice y, en general, el ambientalismo contemporáneo.Palabras clave: teología de la tecnología; paradigma tecnocrático; Laudate Deum; Laudato Si’. (shrink)

Multi-Task Learning tries to improve the learning process of different tasks by solving them simultaneously. A popular Multi-Task Learning formulation for SVM is to combine common and task-specific parts. Other approaches rely on using a Graph Laplacian regularizer. Here we propose a combination of these two approaches that can be applied to L1, L2 and LS-SVMs. We also propose an algorithm to iteratively learn the graph adjacency matrix used in the Laplacian regularization. We test our proposal with synthetic and real (...) problems, both in regression and classification settings. When the task structure is present, we show that our model is able to detect it, which leads to better results, and we also show it to be competitive even when this structure is not present. (shrink)

İndividualizm və xüsusilə personalizm filosof-mütəfəkkirlərin diqqətini xüsusilə cəlb edən məsələlər sırasında olublar. İnsanın cəmiyyət ilə münasibətlərində öz xüsusiyyətləri, özgürlüyü və təkrar olunmazlığını qoruyub saxlamasını ifadə edən bu problemi müəyyən etməyin əhəmiyyətindən danışsaq, konkret bir şəxsə məxsus göstəricilərdən çıxış etməklə bütöv və hərtərəfli nəticə əldə etmək mümkündür. Qeyd olunan vəzifəni həyata keçirmək o qədər də asan deyildir. Çünki söhbət müəyyən bir şəxsi başqalarından ayırmaqdan başlayaraq, onun unikallığının formalaşması və mövcudluğunun müəyyən olunmasına qədər davam edən bir prosesi öyrənməkdən gedir. Dünyaya fərd kimi (...) gələn insan öz fəaliyyəti, özünüdərketməsi sayəsində şəxsiyyətin qabil ola biləcəyi bir varlığa çevrilə bilər. Məhz cəmiyyətin normal fəaliyyəti və inkişafı üçün onun hər bir üzvünün müəyyən qədər özünəməxsusluğu zəruridir. Və cəmiyyət üzvlərinin rəngarəngliyi, burada aydın ifadə olunmuş fərdiyyətlər, şəxsiyyətlərin mövcudluğu hər bir ictimai quruluşun, onun mədəniyyətinin həqiqi zənginliyini təmin edir. Buna görə də, insanların fərdi özünəməxsusluğuna malik olması sosial inkişafın qanunauyğunluğu kimi də qəbul edilir. Məqalədə Avropa personalistlərinin fikirlərinə istinadən belə proseslər izlənilib. (shrink)

The sphere of manifestation of philosophy is thinking. Thinking itself appears and is reflected in different forms, which contributes to a different perception of philosophy. The study and teaching of philosophy as a science is its main direction, an important condition for which is the disclosure of truth. Throughout history, this process manifested itself first as a manifestation of philosophy in theology, and then as its reflection in poetry. "Philosophy of Azerbaijani Studies" by Heydar Aliyev is a discourse aimed at (...) the formation and development of society. In other words, the national leader directed philosophy to its practical implementation in statehood and human life. According to our conclusions, Heydar Aliyev's "philosophy of Azerbaijani studies" was not only an intention, but also a means. The basis of this philosophy was laid in advance, but its full formation took place during the period of independence of Azerbaijan. The main tasks in this situation were self-consciousness, self-return and self-expression. The basis of the essence of the “philosophy of Azerbaijani studies” is, regardless of the affiliation and dissent of the people, to preserve and maintain the main traditions and cultural heritage. It is precisely such efforts that ensure the ideological security of society and actually prevent the creation of problems and barriers that block its development. Heydar Aliyev combined various understandings of globalization, multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism in a single understanding and reunited them in a common philosophy, which was called the “philosophy of Azerbaijani studies”. In his reports and speeches, explaining the essence of the "philosophy of Azerbaijani studies", he referred to a single whole of different cultures and noted the importance of solitude. The strategic plan and the main elements of the “philosophy of Azerbaijani studies” are the development of the Azerbaijani language, religion and culture, as well as the preservation of national and spiritual values and traditions. In the article, all these concepts are explained with illustrative examples. In integrity, Heydar Aliyev's "philosophy of Azerbaijani studies" serves to unite, preserve, develop the tradition of independence and create a legal-social state. (shrink)

The 20th century is known as a period of awakening and radical movements in the history. New systems of thought emerged during this period. Some systems of thought expressed a direct return to man. The beginning of the return to man was set by S. Kierkegaard with his views related to existentialism. The emergence of existentialism as a philosophical system coincides with the period after the First World War. In this period, the loss of previous values, the problem of secularism, (...) and the failure of the Enlightenment philosophy to justify itself are among the main problems. Existentialism began to take shape in Germany and France at about the same time, and in a short time it spread to many parts of the world - Italy, Spain, Latin America, India, England, the United States, Japan, etc. spread to countries. In Russia, the school of existentialism was created by N. Berdyayev and L. Shestov, and the German existentialism was created by Martin Heidegger and Karl Jaspers. The prominent representatives of French existentialism are Gabriel Marcel (1899), Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980), Simone de Bavoir (1908-1986) and Albert Camus (1913-1960). It was Jean-Paul Sartre who perfectly placed the idea of individual human freedom at the center of his work. There are two important points in Sartre's philosophy: existence in itself and existence for itself. Sartre writes that; what is generally called consciousness is individual. The purpose of consciousness is to make existence for us. This is the fundamental state of consciousness. The main issue that Sartre took into account is that it is impossible to look at the philosophical problems of the 20th century in the context of general concepts. According to the philosopher, the best existentialism is humanism. In addition to his philosophical novels, Sartre became famous for his existentialist philosophy, which he developed in a unique way. He was one of the thinkers who marked the 20th century with his formation of existential Marxism and his political activity. In the conditions of the Second World War, when the concept of humanity was questioned, the work "Being and Nothingness", which is original and intertwined with life in every way, explains the current state of humanity along with Sartre's philosophical ideas. (shrink)

Articles on life and scholar works of academician Chimidiĭn Zhugder, famous Mongolian philosophy scholar.

A person should establish a connection between both his material and spiritual worlds and maintain this harmony by establishing harmony between these two worlds. In this sense, a person must have a philosophy of spirituality. Because moral values stand like a beacon above the ideas and thoughts that extend from the individual to the society, from the state to history, from economic order to art and religion. The values and norms that people have to obey in the establishment of social (...) relations constitute the moral philosophy of a person in public life. The source that satisfies this need for a modern human model or personality is the history, literature, cultural and religious tradition of the society in which a person lives. As the famous historical scholar Bernard Lewis said: "In human history, political ideologies such as socialism and capitalism have not offered anything to man in the desired form, so the man of the 21st century will look for his happiness in his historical roots". It is for this reason that in the Turkish world in recent times, "the need for our people to turn to the history of philosophical thought in order to review the traditional sources of spirituality with the possibilities of modern times" has been voiced as the main principle. Nurettin Topcu, a philosopher who considers spirituality and morality to be one of the elements of the state, says: “Morality and spirituality take their source from religion. Therefore, morality is the basis and direct essence of the Islamic religion. Those who want to separate morality from religion or religion from morality are those who want to see the inner world of a person separate from himself”. We can easily say that this philosophical approach was accepted by the national leader Heydar Aliyev as the main criterion for the formation of the Azerbaijani people as a nation in the 21st century. He was saying: "We will never depart from our faith and religion and we will build our future using these spiritual resources!" As a leader with one or another slogan, he emphasized that our history of philosophical thought is rich in every platform and that it is easy to achieve and implement it in the context of modern possibilities. The article reflects the philosophy of spirituality in general and the context of Heydar Aliyev. (shrink)

Ideas and values are important concepts in terms of both individual and social existence. It is no coincidence that these concepts have become the object of wide discussion in philosophy throughout history. Continuation of the moral and political existence of the societies is possible by analyzing the ideas and values specific to the societies. This point increases the importance and relevance of the study "The idea of social solidarity and the importance of religious and moral values: Philosophical-ethical analysis at the (...) level of Heydar Aliyev's state policy". The purpose of the research is to justify the importance of the idea of social solidarity and religious and moral values from the aspect of Heydar Aliyev's political strategy on a philosophical and ethical basis. The method of the research is to reanalyze the terms and concepts related to the topic based on the evaluation and results of the previous research works. One of the main theses of the article is that Heydar Aliyev attached great importance to the attachment to our national and moral roots, loyalty to national traditions, which is the moral basis of our independent statehood. In this sense, the ideology of Azerbaijaniism implies the inseparable unity of nationality and universality. Such an ideology can prevent the erosion of national characteristics based on national and moral values in the process of globalization by exposure to foreign influences, and reduce the risk of melting and disappearing. (shrink)

The national and spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people (language, religion, customs and rituals) emerged and formed over the centuries in the course of historical development, as well as the geopolitical location of the country, while being preserved in social, historical, cultural and family traditions, being passed down from generation to generation. It should be emphasized that during the Soviet period, the situation in the economy, industry, culture and education was very clear. As for the preservation and protection of national (...) and spiritual values, due to the fact that this direction for the Soviet system had an ideological essence, to make the slightest progress was extremely difficult and fraught with various kinds of dangers. During this period, the Soviet ideologists defined social property, justice and collectivism as the main moral values, and the protection of national and spiritual values of the peoples living in the territory of the former USSR, especially Muslims living not only in Azerbaijan, was politicized and presented as a value contrary to the Soviet ideology. The article deals with the first period of the leadership of Azerbaijan by national leader Heydar Aliyev (1969-1982). The author characterizes this period of dominance of Soviet ideology in the public consciousness as difficult and contradictory. It is noted the undeniable role and efforts of Heydar Aliyev, who, despite all the difficulties and obstacles in the struggle to preserve the identity of the Azerbaijani people, to preserve the native language, customs and rituals, national holidays, which are the main components of national and moral values, to increase the national spirit, national and spiritual consciousness, culture, for the return of the people its historical memory. He has done a considerable amount of work to overcome various other kinks. The philosophical analysis of the language policy of the Soviet regime is also attracted to the study. (shrink)

The article deals with the socio-political situation at the beginning of the 19th century in Azerbaijan, the crisis situation of the people and the activities of Hasan bey Zardabi, who was looking for a way out of the situation, and also had an unparalleled service in the education of the people, national self-consciousness and the development of political consciousness. In this direction, his intellectual and practical activity is considered from the point of view of choosing a more convenient means of (...) expressing national ideas - the press, awakening his nation, spreading the idea of national and religious unity. At the same time, the contribution of Hasan bey Zardabi to the awakening of the national self-consciousness of his people, the mobilization of national thinkers to reflect on national problems and the dissemination of the problems of the nation through the media, as well as his general philosophical views and thoughts in the direction of understanding the world, is emphasized. (shrink)

LS Penrose was the first to propose a measure of voting power (which later came to be known as ‘the [absolute] Banzhaf index’). His limit theorem – which is implicit in Penrose (1952) and for which he gave no rigorous proof – says that, in simple weighted voting games, if the number of voters increases indefinitely while the quota is pegged at half the total weight, then – under certain conditions – the ratio between the voting powers (as measured by (...) him) of any two voters converges to the ratio between their weights. We conjecture that the theorem holds, under rather general conditions, for large classes of variously defined weighted voting games, other values of the quota, and other measures of voting power. We provide proofs for some special cases. (shrink)

ls it possible to understand not only linguistic expressions and actions but also persons? According to common sense it surely is. Here it is argued that to understand a person a fourfold knowledge is required, although this knowledge is not identical with the understanding of a person. The understanding of a person is cognitive, but neither complete nor scientific.

We describe a patient LS, profoundly deaf in both ears from birth, with underdeveloped superior temporal gyri. Without hearing aids, LS displays no ability to detect sounds below a fixed threshold of 60 dBs, which classifies him as clinically deaf. Under these no-hearing-aid conditions, when presented with a forced-choice paradigm in which he is asked to consciously respond, he is unable to make above-chance judgments about the presence or location of sounds. However, he is able to make above-chance judgments about (...) the content of sounds presented to him under forced-choice conditions. We demonstrated that LS has faint sensations from auditory stimuli, but questionable awareness of auditory content. LS thus has a form of type-2 deaf hearing with respect to auditory content. As in the case of a subject with acquired deafness and deaf hearing reported on a previous occasion, LS’s condition of deaf hearing is akin in some respects to type-2 blindsight. As for the case of type 2 blindsight the case indicates that a form of conscious hearing can arise in the absence of a fully developed auditory cortex. (shrink)

Study of Life Satisfaction (LS) has been a preeminent focus in adolescent research but construct validity related to culture has been questioned. The aim of this study is to develop a psychometric questionnaire in order to evaluate adolescent satisfaction. The development and psychometric properties of Life Satisfaction for adolescent in high school students are described. Data was collected by using questionnaire on Life Satisfaction which allows respondents to rate subjective importance and his/her satisfaction in different domains of life. Participants are (...) 207 high school students at Yogyakarta. Five factors used in this study (friend, family, school, self, and environment only yielded one factor which accounted for 69.5 % of the variance. The scale developed in the present study can be a useful tool for the evaluation of other relative adolescent satisfaction. The result also indicated that there is a general level of satisfaction an contentment with their life among students. (shrink)