How an abstract immaterial being is connected to a physical thing has been viewed variously by western philosophers who considered the issue prior to their Muslim counterparts.Muslim theologians and philosophers, however, developed the related discussions which became heated following the translation of logical books and essays throughout the Translation Era.The focus of this article, besides clarifying the ideas raised by Muslim philosophers in this regard,is to shed light on Mulla Sadra's opinion and its influence on the later philosophers, Abd-ul-Razzaq Lahiji (...) in particular.To explain his opinion,Mulla Sadra primarily brings a proof to establish the unity of the soul,and to prove this,he has refuted the reasons used by the opposing philosophers through negation and affirmation.Using negation,he comments on why there can't be a unity of soul, and then refers to his opponent's inability to distinguish between specific unity and generic unity considering the latter equal to vegetable,animal and human spirits.Soul and body,Mulla Sadra reiterates,are attached to each other in two ways; in one way,soul is attached to body and yet it is contingent on itself and not on the person's being; in the other way,soul is attached to body while the person's potentialities are actualized; this second type of attachment relates to obtaining existential virtues.It must be noted that Mulla Sadra's belief in these two types of attachment results from his belief in the trans-substantial motion in which soul is also involved.Mulla Sadra works out a solution to the question of relation between soul and body and their effects on one another by proposing the mediation of a veiled spirit, since the soul which belongs to a world of pure light does not involve itself directly in the affairs of the dark body. The veiled spirit is as subtle as the non-material soul and as corporeal as it needs in connectionwith body.This view has been argued by Allameh Tabatabii who thinks corporeal qualities and ontological status must be kept separated and not be mixed.Lahiji,on the other hand, seems to have accepted Mulla Sadra's idea looking at it as a philosophical question,not a medical case. He,like Mulla Sadra, while considering unity for soul, thinks of it as having properties such as sensation imagination estimation intellection. According to Lahiji,the unity of soul and body is like the unity of matter and form; however,unlike natural forms,it does not subsist in matter and interestingly,this notion resembles Neo-Platonist views. (shrink)

Introduction Reza Davari Ardakni, the Iranian contemporary philosopher, distinguishes development from Western modernity; in that it considers modernity as natural and organic changes that Europe has gone through, but sees development as a planned design for implementing modernity in other countries. As a result, the closedness of development concerns only the developing countries, not Western modern ones. Davari emphasizes that the Western modernity has a universality that pertains to a unique reason and a unified world. The only way of (...) thinking in this world is a philosophical thought based on human self-centered reason, and given the pervasiveness of Western civilization. Therefore, Davari does not consider Westernization as mere imitation of Western customs and methods, but rather as a way of existence in the world. Westernization is a subjective view of the world and beings. Westernization is not optional, enabling non-Western people to avoid it. According to the Westernization scenario, the world today is entirely Westernized, and Davari considers Westernization as the inevitable fate of the people of this era, seeing two alternatives for them, both of which ultimately lead to the same destination, which is to embrace development; either they seize the power of science and technology and join the process of global modernization and participate in it, or they become subdued by this process and accept it without participation. Davari regards the first type of Westernization as active and the second type as passive. Problematique Therefore, underdevelopment is not a concept of the ancient world, nor even of a world between the ancient and the modern, or on the threshold of modernization. Underdevelopment is a condition of suspension and timelessness and being exposed to modernization. To escape the paradox of underdevelopment, which is the inevitable historical fate of non-modernized societies, Davari sees no way out other than embracing development. In other words, Westernized societies, which have become confused due to modernization, have no escape route other than turning to development. Therefore, some critics of Davari accuse the theory of Westernization of being a theoretical rupture. M. T. Tabatabaei, by rejecting the theoretical rupture in the theory of Westernization, believes that in the argument of Davari, we are only faced with a shift from a philosophical to an intellectual level. Tabatabaei, by avoiding providing a philosophical response to the critics of the theoretical rupture, believes that the introduction of active Westernization and collaboration in science and technology as a solution to escape from underdevelopment conditions, is only a shift from a philosophical level to an intellectual level and does not involve a rupture. Therefore, it seems that the philosophical issue of how or the possibility of escaping from underdevelopment conditions is still an open non answered problem. In this study, seeking a philosophical answer to this problem, an attempt has been made to summarize Davari's definitions of development, underdevelopment, participation in the world of science, and the role of humanities and social sciences in development, using his writings and speeches. It is proposed that a way to escape from the clesedness of development based on Davari's views, is to make use of analytical method with emphasizing on concepts and theories of the philosophy and metaphysics of science. Argument According to Davari, the social and human sciences that are responsible for development planning in underdeveloped societies must consider the characteristics of underdevelopment in order to facilitate the transition to more favorable conditions. Davari identifies the following conditions for successful development: 1) replacing tradition with science as the organizing and coordinating principle in society, 2) recognizing the universality of philosophy and science of the Western modernity and the impossibility of blindly imitation and adopting it, 3) inevitability of actively engaging and interacting with development, 4) recognizing the internal dynamics of scientific progress and avoiding authoritarian control, and 5) promoting free participation in the scientific paradigms. Therefore, Davari suggests the following steps towards development: 1) recognizing and understanding the problems of society and the local ecosystem, 2) understanding the philosophical and cultural foundations of Western civilization, 3) understanding the historical context and paradigms of science, 4) understanding the philosophical and metaphysical foundations of science, 5) recognizing the intellectual and philosophical capacities of our own community, and 6) reflecting our own philosophical and metaphysical assumptions in the scientific world in a way that is compatible with scientific methods. Given the motivations for change in science at both the global and national levels, including the emergence of heterodox or indigenous sciences, and the inevitable nature of development, Davari points to the possibility of a path between absolute rejecting or accepting the mainstream social and human sciences. However, this path is challenging and contingent upon the aforementioned conditions and steps of transition. Conclusion It is necessary to seek this path within the realm of the philosophy and metaphysics of science, particularly in the origins and foundations of the social and human sciences. Research in the metaphysics and philosophy of the social sciences provides the opportunity for active scientific engagement in the scientific paradigms and a reconsideration of the foundations of science, allowing for different philosophical foundations while are compatible with scientific methods. Successfully finding a path between absolute rejecting or accepting the existing social sciences will lead to an internal transformation within the field of science and, in fact, will advance the boundaries of knowledge. Therefore, it is possible, while adhering to the conditions of transition and actively participating in the world of science and technology, and accepting the unity of modernity and avoiding selectivity and imitation, to search for a way to overcome the closedness of development through a reconsideration of the philosophical and metaphysical foundations of science, while recognizing our own intellectual heritage and critically assessing Western science and technology. (shrink)

There is a perplexing transition in Dr. Reza Davari's thought, when he problematizes the relation between Iranian and Western history/cultures, on which this paper is focusing. The interperative objective is to clarify this transition on the basis of the implicit relation between the two most fundamental concepts in his earlier and later thought respectively westernization and underdevelopment. Although, by this transition, the level of discussion transits from an ontologico-philosophical to an intellectualist one. So, there are two different levels of (...) problematization in his thought which differ deeply. Therefore, we are not just dealing with the substitution of fundamental concepts, but with different problematizations and different levels of discussion. Obviously, there will be new problems arising which are not just concerning with the justification of the transition but with the problematization of westernization itself. Finally, it's been concluded that in order to clarify these new problems, we should step back to the level of philosophical discussion, and first of all to the clarification of the I-not-I relation which has been neglected thoroughly in the whole project. (shrink)

By proposing the Microcosm and Macrocosm analogy for dialogue between Islamic Philosophy and Occidental Phenomenology, the authors of this volume are reviving the perennial positioning of the human condition in the play of forces within and without the human being. This theme has run from Plato through the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Modernity, and has been ignored by contemporaries. It now acquires a new pertinence and striking significance due to the scientific discoveries into the "infinitely small" in life, on the (...) one hand, and the prodigious technological discoveries of the "infinitely great" on the other. Both open up undreamt-of prospects for the continuing conquest of cosmic forces. The human person – thrown into turmoil by the new approaches to life and needing to acquire new habits of mind, having lost security of all beliefs – desperately seeks a new clarification of the Human Condition within the unity of everything-there-is, of cosmic forces, and of his destiny. The dialogue between Islamic Philosophy and phenomenology of life can show the way. Papers by: Gholam-Reza A'awani, Mehdi Aminrazavi, Roza Davari Ardakani, Mohammad Azadpur, Gary Backhaus, Marina Banchetti-Robino, William Chittick, Seyed Mostafa Muhaghghegh Damad, Golamhossein Ebrahimi Dinani, Nader El-Bizri, Kathleen Haney, Salahaddin Khalilov, Sayyid Mohammad Khamenei, Mahmoud Khatami, Mieczyslaw Pawel Migon, Nikolay Milkov, Sachiko Murata, Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, Daniela Verducci. (shrink)

Während die terminale Sedierung neueren niederländischen Erhebungen zufolge bereits in mehr als 5% aller Sterbefälle zur Leidensminderung am Lebensende angewandt wird, sind viele der durch dieses Verfahren aufgeworfenen begrifflichen und ethischen Fragen weiterhin offen. Kontrovers ist insbesondere die begriffliche Einordnung der Kombination von terminaler Sedierung und Behandlungsabbruch sowie die Frage nach den dafür einschlägigen ethischen Kriterien. Ausgehend von einer Analyse von drei Szenarien mit unterschiedlicher kausaler Rollenverteilung argumentiere ich dafür, den Standardfall der Kombination von terminaler Sedierung und Behandlungsabbruch unter die (...) Kategorie der „passiven Sterbehilfe“ zu subsumieren und für sie dieselben ethischen Kriterien wie für den Behandlungsabbruch allein gelten zu lassen. Eine tentative vergleichende Bewertung ergibt, dass die terminale Sedierung als ultima ratio der Leidensminderung am Lebensende gegenüber der Alternative des assistierten Suizids insgesamt als ethisch vorzugswürdig gelten sollte, ohne jedoch die Alternative des assistierten Suizids als in toto unzulässig erscheinen zu lassen. (shrink)

Imagination as the key to the creative process is one of the key components of design education that affects students' problem-solving skills and innovation. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of creative imagination on the academic performance of students enrolled in design courses. It intends to obtain a measure of the way creative imagination affects or influences students’ performance as well as their achievements. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the correlation between creativity and (...) performance among university students. The study collected data on creative imagination and academic performance through a survey of 350 participants drawn from five universities. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 350 participants, of which 320 were 176 males and 144 females. The research included quantitative techniques such as linear regression, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS). Further, the result of the analysis showed that imagination level has the most significant impact on academic outcomes in design programs with a strong positive effect (β=0.35, p-value = 0.04). Higher creative imagination scores had a positive correlation with grades and students' involvement. This underscores the importance of forecasting to enhance students’ performance and engagement in design programs. The strategies used in education should be utilized to supplement creativity to raise the performance and satisfaction of students. (shrink)

Education is presently required to create inclusive, supportive, and validating environments for education and experiences, while educational organizations continue to maintain students from many different kinds of cultural and socially diverse backgrounds. This research investigates how students engage and collaborate with diverse cultures and social environments to identify the key features influencing their social relationships and learning outcomes. To determine the possibilities and difficulties that students experience in a varied educational environment and make suggestions for the enhancements and assessment techniques (...) for fostering a multicultural and diverse classroom. In this research, the details gathered from 350 students, and utilize 15 questionnaires related to cultural and social diversity in education that were developed, based on five variables, such as students attitudes towards diversity (SATD), impact on the learning environment (ILE), cultural awareness (CA), perception of cultural and social diversity (PCSD), and social interactions (SI). The Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and inferential statistics analysis methods are evaluated through the SPSS software. From both analyses, the variable PCSD performance is higher than other four variables in the field of student perception of social and cultural diversity in education. (shrink)

The objective of this study is to examine the contemporary approaches to Da'wah methodology in Malaysia. This study undertook an examination of the impact of social media platforms on conversion rates within the context of the Da'wah methodology. The use of a quantitative approach is implemented through the application of a cross-sectional research design. A questionnaire survey was devised to gather data from Islamic scholars residing in Malaysia. Questionnaires were disseminated to Islamic scholars using social media platforms. A total of (...) 155 valid responses were collected to investigate the impact of social media on conversion rates. The study focused on various factors including content type, frequency of exposure, duration of exposure, and follow-up interactions. The findings obtained from the application of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) indicate that social media platforms play a significant role in increasing the conversion rate of individuals from different religious backgrounds to Islam. The impact of social media on content type, frequency of exposure, duration of exposure, and follow-up interactions is generally perceived as positive, as it tends to enhance the likelihood of conversion rates. This research holds practical significance for Islamic scholars seeking to enhance conversion rates using diverse social media platforms. (shrink)

Am 1. Februar 2010 ist das Gendiagnostikgesetz (GenDG) in Kraft getreten. Die Debatte um einige Regelungsbereiche, wie beispielsweise das Neugeborenenscreening, reißt nicht ab. Ein Aspekt des Gesetzes ist im Rahmen der Debatte um die Präimplantationsdiagnostik (PID) in Deutschland unter neuen Vorzeichen zu diskutieren: Das – international bislang einzigartige – Verbot der pränatalen Diagnostik so genannter spätmanifestierender Erkrankungen, die erst nach der Vollendung des 18. Lebensjahres ausbrechen. In diesem Beitrag möchten wir Hinweise zur differenzierten Diskussion dieser in § 15(2) GenDG bestimmten (...) Verbotsnorm liefern. Obgleich Argumente, insbesondere das Recht auf Nichtwissen des geborenen Kindes, für ein solches Verbot sprechen, kommen wir aufgrund der medizinischen Sachlage und nach einer Analyse der Pro- und Kontraargumente aus ethischer und rechtlicher Sicht zu dem Schluss, dass ein generelles Verbot der pränatalen Diagnostik spätmanifestierender Erkrankungen im Sinne der Zielsetzung womöglich insuffizient ist sowie in der Begründung Inkonsistenzen zum bereits bestehenden Regelwerk aufweist, und lenken daher den Blick auf unter Umständen bessere Alternativen. (shrink)

The study sets out to develop an online course for medical professionals who are not native Arabic speakers. The present study relied on a questionnaire developed by reviewing relevant theoretical literature and prior research in order to apply descriptive and analytical methods to accomplish the study's aims. The researcher sent an online questionnaire to a large number of healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, lab techs, and radiology technicians. The objective of this survey is to learn about the linguistic communication needs (...) of healthcare workers and to find out when Arabic is useful for communicating with patients and meeting quality standards in healthcare. The study compiled a list of 36 linguistic needs pertaining to various medical settings (e.g., emergency rooms, outpatient clinics, hypnosis rooms, labs, and radiology departments), developed an electronic program to teach Arabic to non-native speakers, and made several suggestions and recommendations. (shrink)

The banking sector is one of the most important economic sectors in all countries. It represents the backbone of economic life, as it acts as a mediator between savers and investors and provides them with many banking services to meet the requirements of the economic process. This study aimed to define the concept of financial services provided by Islamic banks, their characteristics, and their most key features, while addressing the level of quality of banking services and the extent to which (...) they meet the desires of customers. This study was divided into two sections: Section One: The concept, characteristics, and features of banking services. Section Two: Banking services provided by Islamic banks. (shrink)

In view of the vital role played by the testimony or witness in detecting and combating corruption crimes, the Saudi Arabia issued a new law for the protection of whistleblowers, witnesses, experts and victims, by Royal Decree No. (M/148) dated 8/8/1445 AH, and since there is a potential threat to those who dare to reporting or witnessing the commission of these crimes, the low dealt with the types and forms of protection provided to them, and this research tries to answer (...) a key question, which is: What types of protections does the Saudi low guarantee to witnesses in corruption cases? This is done by using the descriptive, analytical research methodology, by characterizing and extrapolating the types of protection, and analyzing the texts of the low to identify the types and forms of protection contained therein. The study reached several results, the most important of which are: the interest of the Saudi regulator in protecting witnesses in this type of cases to provide the necessary guarantees for the protection of human rights, as it enacted a set of security, judicial, functional and social guarantees to protect the witness, and organized a number of new measures, including concealing the witness's identity and personal data, not attending him during the trial, and sufficiency, for example, with recordings without the possibility of discussing him. (shrink)

Neben grundsätzlichen konzeptionellen Fragen der sog. Individualisierten Medizin (IM), prägen ethische Bedenken und Fragen die aktuellen Debatten um die IM. Allerdings ist bislang noch nicht geklärt, in welchem methodischen Rahmen diese Fragen verortet werden können. Für die Entwicklung eines solchen Rahmens wird das Modell der First- und Second-Wave-Bioethics diskutiert und an zwei konkreten Herausforderungen – 1) dem Verhältnis der IM zur evidenz-basierten Medizin und 2) am Konzept der genetischen Risikoperson – aufgezeigt. Eine solche Kontextualisierung der IM-Debatte legt den Grundstein für (...) eine adäquate Erfassung und Bearbeitung sozialethischer Fragen (z. B. im Hinblick auf das Problem der Eigenverantwortung). (shrink)

Science is not taken for granted any longer. Society, politics and the media pose critical questions tending to censorship or at least control of science. How does science respond? It cannot exist and develop without freedom, but this does not mean freedom to amass knowledge and apply technological applications at any price and without restrictions. Science should be autonomous, but is not value-free. A distintion is made between external and internal social/ethical problems. The former refer to questions of the social/ethical (...) context and consequences of scientific research, and the latter to the rules of ‘good practice’ and scientific integrity. The role of academies of science, and of associations of such academies (e.g. All European Academies (ALLEA)) in developing codes of good scientific practice and fostering a proper sense of scientific values and standards is further discussed. (shrink)

This study analyzes the elements that influence visitor contentment at cultural events by developing and testing several hypotheses. This framework considers visitor contentment as the dependent variable (DV) with independent variables (IVs) including program content, event logistics, social atmosphere, facilities, customer service, and accessibility. A survey of 270 visitors was conducted to evaluate these variables and their impact on visitor contentment. Statistical analysis was evaluated using SPSS 25. ANOVA, multiple linear regression, and chi-square tests were among the statistical techniques used (...) to assess the effects and associations of each factor. Chi-Square test results show that all hypotheses have substantial relationships (p-values < 0.05) and that each independent variable has a significant effect on visitor contentment. ANOVA supports the results that program content (F=7.45,p<0.001), facilities (F=8.20,p<0.001), and other factors significantly impact visitor contentment. According to multiple linear regression analysis, program content (coefficient=0.421,p<0.001) and facilities (coefficient=0.512,p<0.001) have the greatest impact on visitor contentment, followed by event logistics (coefficient=0.308,p=0.003), customer service (coefficient=0.189,p=0.028), accessibility (coefficient=0.294,p=0.002), and social atmosphere (coefficient=0.267,p=0.001). These results emphasize the significance of every element in improving visitor contentment, with facilities and program content being especially important. (shrink)

El texto ofrece una reflexión conceptual sobre las diferentes formaciones de narrativas y literaturas que se dedican a la representación de conflictos en torno a los narcóticos o el impacto de sustancias psicoactivas hacia la alteración de la conciencia. Se propone la noción de una modernidad psicoactiva occidental como marco histórico y fenomenológico para situar y distinguir una narcoimaginación latinoamericana contemporánea de las narcoliteraturas europeo-occidentales.

Pentecostals have a gospel to proclaim and yet in the rush to share don’t often stop to reflect on the nature of the gospel. This article reflects on the ‘Full gospel’ that is proclaimed by many within classical Pentecostalism, against historical and contemporary considerations. It suggests that there are limits to who the Full gospel is good news for, particularly given the diversity within pentecostalism.

Ethical conflicts have always been connected with new techniques of reproductive medicine such as in-vitro fertilization. The fundamental question is: When does human life begin and from which stage of development should the embryo be protected? This question cannot be solved by scientific findings only. In prenatal ontogenesis there is no moment during the development from the fertilized oocyte to a human being which could be recognized as an orientation point for all ethical problems connected with the question of the (...) right to dispose of prenatal life (interruption of pregnancy, research on embryos). The protection of an individual human life must be valid for all in the same manner and from the very beginning on. It must not depend on value judgments or on stages of development, so-called grades of humanity, because these would then become selection criteria. Procreated life must have the right to be born. These were the essential ethical arguments which led to the German Embryo Protection Law. (shrink)

Der Einsatz von Psychopharmaka im Altenpflegeheim unterliegt aufgrund institutioneller und struktureller Besonderheiten dieses Versorgungsbereiches, aber auch aufgrund der großen Abhängigkeit und Vulnerabilität eines großen Teils der Altenpflegeheimbewohner in besonderer Weise der Gefahr, in inadäquater und missbräuchlicher Weise durchgeführt zu werden. Die Beachtung der ethischen Grundprinzipien des Wohltuns und des Nichtschadendürfens sowie des Respekts vor der Autonomie der Bewohner (bzw. der Patienten) sollte für alle an der Versorgung unmittelbar und mittelbar Beteiligten handlungsleitend sein. Zum Schutz der Heimbewohner, aber auch mit dem (...) Ziel die Versorgungsqualität in diesem Bereich nachprüfbar zu verbessern, werden in diesem Beitrag Kriterien zur Definition einer inadäquaten bzw. adäquaten Anwendung von Psychopharmaka explizit formuliert, sowie deren Implementierung in prozessorientierte Handlungsalgorithmen und Behandlungsleitlinien vorgeschlagen. Darüber hinaus sollen die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen nicht-pharmakologischer, psychologischer Interventionen als Alternative zur Psychopharmakamedikation diskutiert und hinsichtlich ihrer ethischen Implikationen reflektiert werden. (shrink)

Culture is vital in preserving history and continuity of traditions, and that is why cultural practices should be protected and supported. It is important to understand young people's participation in these activities first because they are the key to sustaining the efforts in the future. This study examines the impact of young people's involvement in cultural heritage (CH) through four key variables, knowledge (KNW), engagement in activities (EIA), interest in participation (IIP), and impact perception (IP). The data were administered through (...) a structured questionnaire, which was distributed among 300 students from schools and colleges. Several statistical tests were conducted such as reliability tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-Square tests, and descriptive analysis using SPSS version 20. The results of the reliabilities of the scales showed that KNW and IIP are very reliable and EIA and IP are comparatively slightly less reliable. The outcome of the ANOVA revealed differences in the variables with a notable F-value signifying variability in responses. Results of chi-square tests showed that KNW and IIP were significant at p < 0.05 while EIA and IP were not significant. The mean score for all the variables was determined using descriptive statistics, and results showed that IIP had the highest mean score meaning that youths were willing to participate in cultural heritage activities. The study also identifies KNW and IIP as key elements that affect youth engagement in the preservation of cultural heritage. It indicates or rather underlines the possibility of harnessing this, interest to improve further on cultural heritage programs. (shrink)

The first part of the article demonstrates how the concept of mental resilience has developed from the 1970s to the 2010s, spreading from the field of developmental psychopathology to a wide range of psychological and psychotherapeutic disciplines. Today, there are many varied definitions of mental resilience, ranging from a relation to the concept of mental vulnerability to a related concept of mental strength. The second part of the article demonstrates how the current popularisation of the idea of individual resilience is (...) associated with a social and cultural problematisation of the vulnerable life as well as with a psychopolitical and governmental focus on enhancing the mental capacity of citizens. (shrink)

La Encíclica Laudato Si’ del Papa Francisco no solo realiza importantes afi rmaciones acerca de las cuestiones ambientales, sino que ofrece también indicaciones muy significativas para la adecuada comprensión de cuestiones antropológicas y éticas relevantes, en particular la ley natural. El presente trabajo intenta mostrar estos aportes y abrir horizontes de diálogo entre la tradición clásica y las posiciones actuales.

Though the Christian faith has in recent years increasingly shown itself to be a truly African religion, a variety of African authors such as Kä Mana, George Kinoti, Hannah Kinoti, August Shutte and Efoé Julien Penoukou have noted that sub-Saharan Africa is facing a moral crisis. This article explores this crisis in as far as it is caused by difficulties in the reception of the Christian ethic by African Christian communities. It points out that this crisis is visible in double (...) morality, immorality and legalism. It shows that it is both caused by rapid social change in contemporary Africa and by the way the Christian ethic was introduced with a lack of attention for the relationship between worldview and ethics, the social impact of changing cultural practices and the importance of virtue ethics. In this way it also points to the shape Christian moral education for present-day Africa should take. (shrink)

According to a common interpretation, most explicitly defended by Onora O’Neill and Patricia Kitcher, Kant held that epistemic obligations normatively depend on moral obligations. That is, were a rational agent not bound by any moral obligation, then she would not be bound by any epistemic obligation either. By contrast, in this paper, I argue that, according to Kant, some epistemic obligations are normatively independent from moral obligations, and are indeed normatively absolute. This view, which I call epistemicism, has two parts. (...) First, it claims that in the absence of other kinds of obligations, rational agents would still be bound by these epistemic obligations, i. e., that the latter are normatively independent. Second, it claims that, no matter what other obligations are at stake, rational agents are bound by these epistemic obligations, i. e., the normativity of these epistemic obligations is absolute in that it cannot be undercut by any moral or other sort of obligation. The argument turns on an exploratory reading of Kant’s remarks in “What Is Orientation in Thinking?” (1786) about the maxim of “thinking for oneself” as the “supreme touchstone of truth”. In contrast to O’Neill and Kitcher, I argue that if we interpret this maxim as stating the unifying principle of theoretical and practical reason, then we must interpret it as stating an epistemic, and not merely practical imperative. This result, I argue, vindicates epistemicism and illuminates interesting lessons about Kant’s conception of the category of “epistemic” norms. Further, it helps us make headway with Kant’s enigmatic remarks about the unity of practical and theoretical reason in the Groundwork, the first and second Critiques, and the Lectures on Logic. On my proposal, principles of the practical and theoretical uses of reason are unified through a formal epistemic principle. (shrink)

In this paper, I offer a reconstruction of Ghazālī's encounter with scepticism in the Deliverance from Error. For Ghazālī, I argue, radical scepticism about the possibility of knowledge ensues from intellectualist assumptions about the nature of justification. On the reading that I will propose, Ghazālī holds that foundational knowledge can only be justified via actions that lead to transformative experiences.

At the intersection of social and virtue epistemology lies the important, yet so far entirely neglected, project of articulating the social dimensions of epistemic virtues. Perhaps the most obvious way in which epistemic virtues might be social is that they may be possessed by social collectives. We often speak of groups as if they could instantiate epistemic virtues. It is tempting to think of these expressions as ascribing virtues not to the groups themselves, but to their members. Adapting Margaret Gilbert's (...) arguments against individualist accounts of collective beliefs, I show that individualist accounts of group virtues are either too weak or too strong. I then formulate a non-individualist account modeled after Gilbert's influential account of collective beliefs. A crucial disanalogy between collective traits and beliefs, I argue, makes the success of this model unlikely. I conclude with some questions with which the future work on collective epistemic virtues should engage. (shrink)

I offer a reconstructive reading of Ṭūsī’s (1201-1274) account of natural goodness in the Naserian Ethics. I show that Ṭūsī’s version of Aristotelian ethics is especially well-suited to accommodate an intuition that is hard to integrate into a theory of natural goodness: human good is nobler or more elevated than animal and vegetative goods. To do this, I analyze Ṭūsī’s discussion of the relationship between different kinds of perfection from non-living material compounds to vegetative, animal, human, and divine beings. I (...) close by noting that, depending on our reading of Ṭūsī’s conception of di-vine beings and their perfection, his proposal might come at a cost to his Aristotelian naturalist ambitions for ethics. (shrink)

The current study aimed to explore effective strategies for preventing cheating in online examinations by surveying students to determine their cheating strategies. A total of 406 Iranian students at BA, MA, and PhD levels in four programs, including English language teaching, English literature, Linguistics, and English language translation, participated in this study using a convenient sampling technique. The sample was drawn from 83 universities across all 31 provinces of Iran. The researchers developed a 30-item questionnaire and a 4-item interview to (...) collect data. The results revealed that searching in PDFs and using social media groups were the most commonly used cheating strategies. To prevent this form of academic dishonesty, teachers used various strategies, the most effective being the use of conceptual questions and one-by-one oral exams with turned-on webcams. The main reason for students to cheat was their desire to perform better. The implications of this study are relevant for educational stakeholders, particularly teachers, and students, in promoting academic integrity. (shrink)