Results for 'André Van der Merwe'

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  1.  35
    In response to an argument against penile transplantation.André Van der Merwe - 2020 - Journal of Medical Ethics 46 (1):63-64.
    Moodley and Rennie’s paper arguing against penile transplantation stated out of context arguments and wrongly quoted statements. The cost of penile transplantation is much less than portrayed. The burden of cases is much less than is communicated. The men on our penis transplantation programme represent the poorest of the poor and are one of the most discriminated against groups of humans on earth. The false hope said to be created by Moodley is indeed not false hope at all as there (...)
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  2.  22
    Hervormde Teologiese Kollege Volume, opgedra aan dr. Christo van der Merwe / Reformed Theological College Volume, dedicated to Dr Christo van der Merwe.André Ungerer - 2015 - HTS Theological Studies 71 (3).
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  3. Whewell’s hylomorphism as a metaphorical explanation for how mind and world merge.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2023 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 54 (1):19-38.
    William Whewell’s 19th century philosophy of science is sometimes glossed over as a footnote to Kant. There is however a key feature of Whewell’s account worth noting. This is his appeal to Aristotle’s form/matter hylomorphism as a metaphor to explain how mind and world merge in successful scientific inquiry. Whewell’s hylomorphism suggests a middle way between rationalism and empiricism reminiscent of experience pragmatists like Steven Levine’s view that mind and world are entwined in experience. I argue however that Levine does (...)
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  4. Stance Pluralism, Scientology and the Problem of Relativism.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2024 - Foundations of Science 29 (3):625–644.
    Inspired by Bas van Fraassen’s Stance Empiricism, Anjan Chakravartty has developed a pluralistic account of what he calls epistemic stances towards scientific ontology. In this paper, I examine whether Chakravartty’s stance pluralism can exclude epistemic stances that licence pseudo-scientific practices like those found in Scientology. I argue that it cannot. Chakravartty’s stance pluralism is therefore prone to a form of debilitating relativism. I consequently argue that we need (1) some ground or constraint in relation to which epistemic stances can be (...)
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  5. The top-down nature of ontological inquiry: Against pluralism about top-down and bottom-up approaches.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2025 - Metaphilosophy 56 (1):35-51.
    Some philosophical pluralists argue that both a top-down and a bottom-up approach serve as equally justified methods for engaging in ontological inquiry. In the top-down approach, we start with an analysis of theory and extrapolate from there to the world. In the bottom-up approach, we begin with an empirical investigation of the world and let our theory respond accordingly. The idea is that ontological conclusions arrived at via these two equally justified methods are then also equally justified. In this paper, (...)
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  6. How Darwin can help Post-Structuralists Maintain that Apartheid was Unconditionally Unjust.Ragnar van der Merwe - forthcoming - The Journal of Ethics.
    Generally, we want certain ethical claims to be unconditionally true. One such claim is “Apartheid was unjust”. In this paper, I discuss a group of South African post-structuralist philosophers who call their view Critical Complexity (CC). Because of post-structuralism’s radical contextualism, CCists can only claim that things are ‘as if’ Apartheid was unjust. They cannot claim that Apartheid was unconditionally unjust. Many will find this unsatisfying. I argue that a naturalised or Darwinian notion of rationality can help CCists (and perhaps (...)
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  7. On Paul Cilliers’ approach to complexity: Post-structuralism versus model exclusivity.Ragnar Van Der Merwe - 2021 - INDECS: Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems 19 (4):457-469.
    Paul Cilliers has developed a novel post-structural approach to complexity that has influenced several writers contributing to the current complexity literature. Concomitantly however, Cilliers advocates for modelling complex systems using connectionist neural networks (rather than analytic, rule-based models). In this paper, I argue that it is dilemmic to simultaneously hold these two positions. Cilliers’ post-structural interpretation of complexity states that models of complex systems are always contextual and provisional; there is no exclusive model of complex systems. This sentiment however appears (...)
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  8. A Dilemma for Determination Pluralism (or Dualism).Ragnar van der Merwe - 2021 - Axiomathes 31 (4):507-523.
    Douglas Edwards is arguably the most prominent contemporary advocate of moderate alethic pluralism. Significantly influenced by Crispin Wright and Michael Lynch, his work on the nature of truth has become widely discussed in the topical literature. Edwards labels his version of moderate alethic pluralism determination pluralism. At first blush, determination pluralism appears philosophically promising. The position deserves thoughtful consideration, particularly because of its capacity to accommodate the scope problem. I argue, however, that upon analysis the view is better understood as (...)
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  9. A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing the Road: Towards an Epistemology of Successful Action in Complex Systems.Ragnar van Der Merwe & Alex Broadbent - 2024 - Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 49 (5):460-475.
    Crossing the road within the traffic system is an example of an action human agents perform successfully day-to-day in complex systems. How do they perform such successful actions given that the behaviour of complex systems is often difficult to predict? The contemporary literature contains two contrasting approaches to the epistemology of complex systems: an analytic and a post-modern approach. We argue that neither approach adequately accounts for how successful action is possible in complex systems. Agents regularly perform successful actions without (...)
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  10. Grounding the Selectionist Explanation for the Success of Science in the External Physical World.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2024 - Foundations of Science 29 (4):885-904.
    I identify two versions of the scientific anti-realist’s selectionist explanation for the success of science: Bas van Fraassen’s original and K. Brad Wray’s newer interpretation. In Wray’s version, psycho-social factors internal to the scientific community – viz. scientists’ interests, goals, and preferences – explain the theory-selection practices that explain theory-success. I argue that, if Wray’s version were correct, then science should resemble art. In art, the artwork-selection practices that explain artwork-success appear faddish. They are prone to radical change over time. (...)
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  11. How pluralistic is pluralism really? A case study of Sandra Mitchell’s Integrative Pluralism.Ragnar Van der Merwe - 2023 - Theoria: Revista de Teoría, Historia y Fundamentos de la Ciencia 38 (3):319-338.
    Epistemic pluralists in the philosophy of science often argue that different epistemic perspectives in science are equally warranted. Sandra Mitchell – with her Integrative Pluralism (IP) – has notably advocated for this kind of epistemic pluralism. A problem arises for Mitchell however because she also wants to be an epistemological pluralist. She claims that, not only are different epistemic perspectives in science equally warranted in different contexts, but different understandings of these epistemic perspectives in science are also equally warranted in (...)
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  12. Tricky Truths: How Should Alethic Pluralism Accommodate Racial Truths?Ragnar van der Merwe & Phila Msimang - 2024 - Acta Analytica 39 (2):335-357.
    Some alethic pluralists maintain that there are two kinds of truths operant in our alethic discourse: a realist kind and an anti-realist kind. In this paper, we argue that such a binary conception cannot accommodate certain social truths, specifically truths about race. Most alethic pluralists surprisingly overlook the status of racial truths. Douglas Edwards is, however, an exception. In his version of alethic pluralism—Determination Pluralism—racial truths are superassertible (anti-realist) true rather than correspondence (realist) true. We argue that racial truths exhibit (...)
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  13. Rational Decision-Making in a Complex World: Towards an Instrumental, yet Embodied, Account.Ragnar Van der Merwe - 2022 - Logos and Episteme 13 (4):381-404.
    Prima facie, we make successful decisions as we act on and intervene in the world day-to-day. Epistemologists are often concerned with whether rationality is involved in such decision-making practices, and, if so, to what degree. Some, particularly in the post-structuralist tradition, argue that successful decision-making occurs via an existential leap into the unknown rather than via any determinant or criterion such as rationality. I call this view radical voluntarism (RV). Proponents of RV include those who subscribe to a view they (...)
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  14. A Pragmatist Reboot of William Whewell’s Theory of Scientific Progress.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2023 - Contemporary Pragmatism 20 (3):218-245.
    William Whewell’s philosophy of science is often overlooked as a relic of 19th century Whiggism. I argue however that his view – suitably modified – can contribute to contemporary philosophy of science, particularly to debates around scientific progress. The reason Whewell’s view needs modification is that he makes the following problematic claim: as science progresses, it reveals necessarily truths and thereby grants a glimpse of the mind of God. Modifying Whewell’s view will involve reinventing his notion of necessary truth as (...)
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  15. Perspectives and meta-perspectives: context versus hierarchy in the epistemology of complex systems.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2025 - European Journal for Philosophy of Science (1):1-20.
    For some post-structuralist complexity theorists, there are no epistemic meta-perspectives from where to judge between different epistemic perspectives toward complex systems. In this paper, I argue that these theorists face a dilemma because they argue against meta-perspectives from just such a meta-perspective. In fact, when we understand two or more different perspectives, we seem to unavoidably adopt a meta-perspective to analyse, compare, and judge between those perspectives. I further argue that meta-perspectives can be evaluated and judged from meta-meta-perspectives, and so (...)
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  16. Constructive Empiricism and Logical Positivism: The Return of the Prodigal Son.Ragnar van der Merwe - forthcoming - Filozofia Nauki.
    Bas van Fraassen’s Constructive Empiricism (CE) has been much discussed. There is, however, a curious feature of van Fraassen’s writings that has been overlooked up until now. This is that he sometimes capitalises certain key terms, notably “Induction”. This is done to differentiate a pragmatic small ‘i’ induction (which has epistemic import) from a rule-bound capital ‘I’ induction (which does not). In this paper, I argue that van Fraassen’s small letter/capital letter distinction reveals an underlying dualism, one that is reminiscent (...)
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  17.  15
    Missionale gemeentes in die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika – Teologies verantwoord.J. Christo Van der Merwe - 2011 - HTS Theological Studies 67 (3).
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  18.  62
    Whewell’s Fundamental Antithesis: A Lineage of Influence.Ragnar van der Merwe - forthcoming - South African Journal of Philosophy.
    William Whewell’s 19th-century views are seldom given a prominent place in the history of the philosophy of science. There is, however, a key feature of his account that is, upon historical analysis, prescient of later developments, notably in pragmatism. Whewell calls this the “fundamental antithesis of philosophy”, which centres around the idea that there is no clear demarcation between subject and object (between mind and world or theory and fact). In this paper, I trace this notion’s genealogy. It originated with (...)
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  19. Collapsing the Complicated/Complex Distinction: It’s Complexity all the Way Down.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2023 - Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems 21 (1):1-17.
    Several complexity theorists draw a sharp and ontologically robust distinction between (merely) complicated systems and (genuinely) complex systems. I argue that this distinction does not hold. Upon fine-grained analysis, ostensibly complicated systems turn out to be complex systems. The purported boundary between the complicated and the complex appears to be vague rather than sharp. Systems are complex by degrees.
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  20.  22
    The divinity of Jesus in the Gospel of John: The ‘lived experiences’ it fostered when the text was read.Dirk G. Van der Merwe - 2019 - HTS Theological Studies 75 (1):13.
    The discipline, Christian Spirituality, evokes a new interest in Early Christian spirituality. What conceived spiritualities were fostered when the early Christians read the documents that were written to them and how did it influence them? According to Wolfgang Iser, a ‘reader often feels involved in events which, at the time of reading, seems real to him’. This article looks into how John describes and explains the divinity of Jesus. It also attempts to determine conceived spiritualities (lived experiences) fostered when the (...)
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  21.  11
    Capon, R F, 1998 - The foolishness of preaching: Proclaiming the gospel against the wisdom of the world.J. C. Van der Merwe - 1999 - HTS Theological Studies 55 (1).
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  22.  23
    Die begrip “rentmeesterskap” in die gemeentebouproses.J. F. Van der Merwe & C. J. A. Vos - 2002 - HTS Theological Studies 58 (1).
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  23.  13
    Salvation in the Johannine Epistles.Dirk G. Van der Merwe - 2004 - HTS Theological Studies 60 (1/2).
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  24. Die liggaamlike opvoeding as wysgerig antropologiese vraagstuk.Van der Merwe & R. I. - 1957 - Bloemfontein: Universiteit van die Oranje-Vrystaat.
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  25.  30
    Theo-genetiese kodes van die APEHL, soos afgelei uit Efesiërs 4, beliggaam.J. Christo Van der Merwe - 2017 - HTS Theological Studies 73 (1).
    The focus of this article is on the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh, as a way of talking about and understanding mission and addresses at least two concerns in the contemporary debate about the missional church. Many missionary methods and strategies have contradicted both the teaching and actions of Jesus as he trained his disciples to continue his ministry. The message may have been the gospel, but the way the message was made known was often not congruent (...)
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  26. African philosophy and multiculturalism.W. L. Van der Merwe - 1997 - South African Journal of Philosophy 16 (3):73-78.
  27.  16
    RGN-Verslag oor godsdiens, tussengroepverhoudinge en maatskaplike verandering in Suid-Afrika.P. J. Van der Merwe - 1986 - HTS Theological Studies 42 (3).
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  28.  14
    The Bible in Afrikaans: A direct translation – A new type of church Bible.Christo H. J. Van der Merwe - 2012 - HTS Theological Studies 68 (1).
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  29.  16
    Die godsdienswetenskaplike aspek van teologie.P. J. Van der Merwe - 1985 - HTS Theological Studies 41 (4).
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  30. Ladyman’s Realism, van Fraassen’s Anti-Realism and Fine’s Middle-Way.Ragnar Van der Merwe - 2019 - Dissertation, Stellenbosch University
    Masters Thesis -- Stellenbosch University, 2019.
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  31.  38
    Van der Walt, B J - Godsdiens en samelewing / Religion and society.J. C. Van der Merwe - 2001 - HTS Theological Studies 57 (3/4).
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  32. Stuart Kauffman’s metaphysics of the adjacent possible: A critique.Ragnar Van Der Merwe - 2023 - Interdisciplinary Science Reviews 48 (1):49-61.
    Stuart Kauffman has, in recent writings, developed a thought-provoking and influential argument for strong emergence. The outcome is his Theory of the Adjacent Possible (TAP). According to TAP, the biosphere constitutes a non-physical domain qualitatively distinct from the physical domain. The biosphere exhibits strongly emergent properties such as agency, meaning, value and creativity that cannot, in principle, be reduced to the physical. In this paper, I argue that TAP includes various (explicit or implicit) metaphysical commitments: commitments to (1) scientific realism, (...)
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  33.  15
    Die wonder en wonderverteiling gesien teen die agtergrond van mite en ontmitologisering.P. J. Van der Merwe - 1987 - HTS Theological Studies 43 (1/2):192-204.
    Miracle and miracle narrative against the background of myth and demythologizing.Religio-scientific perspectives on communication, language, reality conception, myth and the world of the sacred, as well as a different angle on demythologizing, are utilised in formulating a broad theological view of miracles, miracle experiences and miracle narratives.
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  34.  15
    Ferreirm, Annelle - Eenmaal lets dappers.J. C. Van der Merwe - 2001 - HTS Theological Studies 57 (3/4).
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  35.  19
    The (in)visibility of the gods in the Greco-Roman world and of God in Hellenistic Judaism: A comparison.Dirk Van der Merwe - 2015 - HTS Theological Studies 71 (1).
    The attribute of visibility of a reckoned divine being is one that is not discussed often; it is one of the more obscure attributes of deities and not an easy subject to embark upon. Not much data is available on this subject, and the available information often seems contradictory. This article investigates briefly the references concerning the visibility of the gods in the GrecoRoman world as well as the visibility of God in Hellenistic Judaism. In order to gain more clarity, (...)
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  36. Making ethics work.J. C. Van Der Merwe, L. Lategan & P. Le Roux - forthcoming - Business Ethics.
     
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  37.  14
    Prof dr J H Koekemoer as kerkman en akademikus.P. J. Van der Merwe - 2000 - HTS Theological Studies 56 (2/3).
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  38.  54
    Van der leeuw en Noordmans oor Teologie: Abstract Godsdienswetenskaplike agtergronde van die gesprek.A. Geyser & P. J. Van der Merwe - 1997 - HTS Theological Studies 53 (1/2).
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  39.  51
    Van der Walt, B J - Naby God; Christen en kerk op die drampel van spiritualitelt.J. C. Van der Merwe - 2001 - HTS Theological Studies 57 (3/4).
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  40.  19
    Church and culture: A religio-theological perspective.P. J. Van der Merwe - 2005 - HTS Theological Studies 61 (3).
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  41.  41
    Dispersion interactions between unexcited molecules possessing axial symmetry: Arbitrary-order contributions.Alwyn J. van der Merwe & Johannes H. van der Merwe - 1973 - Foundations of Physics 3 (3):297-311.
    The ground-state dispersion energy of a pair of axially symmetric molecules is calculated, to arbitrary order in the inverse intermolecular separation, on the basis of London's anisotropic oscillator model.
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  42.  18
    Theology and the Gospel of John.Dirk G. Van der Merwe - 2010 - HTS Theological Studies 66 (1).
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  43.  19
    Ecclesia reformata semper reformanda: W.A. (Wim) Dreyer and the reformation of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa.Johan M. van der Merwe - 2023 - HTS Theological Studies 79 (1):6.
    Prof. W.A. Dreyer played an important role in the continuous reformation of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika (NHKA). This contribution to his Festschrift is not about him. He would not want that. It is about the church and how his understanding of reformed ecclesiology became the basis on which the transformation from ‘ Volkskerk ’ to missional church took place. According to himself, that was his calling and his life’s work. The importance of his contribution cannot be understood without (...)
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  44.  16
    Nietzsche and Zen: Self Overcoming Without a Self.André van der Braak - 2011 - Lexington Books.
    In Nietzsche and Zen: Self-Overcoming without a Self, André van der Braak juxtaposes Nietzsche with four influential representatives of the Buddhist Zen tradition: Nagarjuna, Linji, Dogen, and Nishitani. In doing so, he reveals Nietzschean philosophy as a philosophy of continuous self-overcoming, in which even the notion of "self" is overcome, and allows a greater understanding of Nietzsche through the lens of Zen and vice versa. This treatment will be useful to Nietzsche scholars, continental philosophers, and comparative philosophers.
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  45.  27
    Saving the rainbow nation: Education as challenge to the churches in South Africa.Johan M. van der Merwe - 2022 - HTS Theological Studies 78 (4):6.
    Education in Africa is in a crisis. Some scholars go as far as to say that it is broken. This was also noted when the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, linked to the Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, were developed. One of the goals was defined as to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’. This article explores the important role of education in transforming societies. To achieve this objective, the research in this (...)
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  46.  11
    Women’s statement at the 1990 Rustenburg Church Conference: Still an important voice from the past.Johan M. van der Merwe - 2022 - HTS Theological Studies 78 (2):7.
    The Rustenburg Conference of churches that took place in 1990 was a critical turning point for Christianity in South Africa. Besides the important declaration at the end of the conference, a statement was also made by the women at the conference. Although this statement is lesser known, it was and still is of utmost importance because it addresses the plight of women in South Africa. The focus of this article is the relevance of the statement made by the women more (...)
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  47.  50
    Foundations of physics.W. Yourgrau & A. van der Merwe - 1975 - Foundations of Physics 5 (1):3-4.
  48.  23
    Lense op spiritualiteit en kerkwees: Die pad vorentoe vir die Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika.Jacobus C. Van der Merwe - 2013 - HTS Theological Studies 69 (1):01-16.
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  49.  28
    The local church as a non-governmental organisation in the fight against poverty: A historical overview of Bethulie 1933–1935.Johan Van der Merwe - 2014 - HTS Theological Studies 70 (1).
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  50.  35
    Liberalism, Communitarianism and the Project of Self.W. L. van der Merwe & C. Jonker - 2001 - South African Journal of Philosophy 20 (3-4):271-290.
    In this article the authors seek to conceptualize a dynamic and inclusive understanding of personal identity within multicultural democracies such as South Africa, which will draw on both the liberal and communitarian traditions' respect for the project of self. A preliminary lay out for such a project emerges from a literature survey of recent, primarily South African publications on identity and culture, and it suggests that selfhood depends on: a) virtues, cultivated within cooperative communities which allow for effective freedom; b) (...)
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