This book investigates the compatibility between the doctrine of divine simplicity (DDS, hereafter) and divine free action primarily in the works of Avicenna and Anselm with an analytical approach. The book has three main objectives: (1) to thoroughly analyse both philosophers’ views on DDS, divine free will, and their compatibility; (2) to put them into the context of the contemporary discourse of the philosophy of religion, by investigating whether it is possible to have freedom without the ability to do otherwise (...) (as proposed by both philosophers for divine free will) with a reference to the prominent contemporary discussions initiated by Harry Frankfurt’s counterexamples; and (3) to show the plausibility of the agent-causal view for divine freedom (as defended by Anselm and Avicenna) by briefly sketching an alternative account based on Anselmian intuitions (the meta-awareness account) which can avoid the reasons-explanation objection and the luck objection against the libertarian agent-causal view. (shrink)

U ovom radu analizirat će se tri najistaknutije formulacije ontološkog argumenta, uključujući klasični argument prema kojemu je postojanje jedno od savršenstava, modalna verzija argumenta Normana Malcoma prema kojemu savršenstvo nije postojanje, već nužno postojanje, te modalna verzija argumenta koju nudi Alvin Plantinga koja se poziva na semantiku mogućih svjetova. Prema Kantovom prigovoru, ontološki argument pretpostavlja da je postojanje predikat koji dodaje još jedno savršenstvo pojmu Boga i time implicira problem referencije između stvarnog predmeta i njegovog pojma ili tautološki povlači da (...) Bog stvarno postoji. Unatoč svom utjecaju, Kantov prigovor argumentu kritiziran je zbog njegove dvosmislene upotrebe pojma postojanja, kao i zbog nerelevantnosti za ontološki argument i modalni ontološki argument kojeg nudi Plantinga. U ovom radu prvo želim pokazati da, nasuprot Plantinginoj tvrdnji, Kantov prigovor nije relevantan samo za klasičnu verziju argumenta, već i za njegove modalne formulacije. U tom smislu, tvrdim da nije dvosmislena Kantova uporaba pojma postojanja, već da su klasične i modalne verzije ontološkog argumenta one koje svoju prividnu snagu dobivaju dvosmislenom uporabom pojma postojanja. Druga svrha rada je dati alternativnu analizu pojma postojanja koja se temelji na Aviceninoj metafizici i time ukazati na alternativni temelj za potencijalnu preformulaciju ontološkog argumenta, čime bi se izbjegao Kantov prigovor. (shrink)

In a previous work, I argue that traditional Islamic theism's understanding of the world, when juxtaposed with key facts of our world's religious diversity, is implausible. On this understanding, roughly, the truth of tawḥīd (Islamic monotheism) is universally evident, as is belief in its truth. Faithful Muslims act appropriately on knowledge of tawḥīd and are rewarded with heaven, whereas non-Muslims culpably refuse to do so and are eternally punished in hell. Such a view of the world, I argue, is not (...) borne out by empirical observation and philosophical reflection. In a recent article, Ayşenur Ünügür Tabur criticizes this argument, presenting a number of objections to it. In this rejoinder, I argue that her objections, which primarily consist of misstatements and irrelevancies, fail to refute my argument. Since traditional Islamic theism's understanding of the world includes the view that some people will be eternally punished in hell, Tabur augments her discussion of my argument by attempting to solve the Problem of Hell. In my rejoinder to Tabur, I further argue that her proffered solution to this problem is woefully inadequate. (shrink)

This study examines adults’ postings of photos of children on social media and offers a unique methodological approach to studying visual data. A major innovation of this study is first, to enact the concept and method of narrative inquiry to the digital photographs. Having applied this method, the study also offers findings about the diverse values that emerge across two specific digital parenting cultures organized via Instagram hashtags of #fashionkids and #letthekids. Values analysis of 500 photographs indicated that these hashtags (...) constitute cultures defined by distinct values of ideal childhoods. While #fashionkids photos emphasized children’s attendance to the photo making activity with stress to their possessions, #letthekids photos expressed mixed values of freedom and domestic happenings with a strong emphasis on unawareness of the photographing and togetherness. While the qualities of childhood images collected in the same period hint at meaningful patterns, the way those qualities interact with each other in distinct cultures suggest that there is not one ideal image that could represent childhood in the best possible way and the photographers’ values very much influence the visual sense-making of what’s being portrayed in children’s photographs. (shrink)

Fiillerin Allah’a isnadı (halku ef’âli ibâd/halku a’mâlu’l-ibâd) meselesi Kelâm literatürünün bir başlığı olarak birçok defa ele alınmıştır. Fakat bu çalışmaların hepsinde konu, Kelâm ekollerinin yaklaşımlarının değerlendirilmesi çerçevesini aşamamıştır. Konuyu itikâdî bir mesele veçhesiyle ele alan Kelâm ekollerinin zıddına bu çalışma, beşer fiillerinin Allah’a isnadını kendi doğal zemininde okuma amacını taşımaktadır. Makalede, meselenin Kur'ân dili ve bağlamı içindeki ilk anlamı tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışma, beşere ait bazı fiillerin Allah’a isnat edilmesinin Kur’ân dilinin kendine has üslûbu olduğu, fakat bu üslûbun çoğu zaman (...) göz ardı edildiği iddiasındadır. Çalışma boyunca bu üslûp ortaya konulmuş, konu, söz konusu üslûbun en bariz örneği olan Enfâl sûresi 17. Ayet çerçevesinde incelenmiştir. Ayetin nüzûl bağlamında Bedir savaşı yer almakta ve ayette Allah, Rasûlü’nün “atma”, ashabın ise “öldürme” fiillerini kendine izâfe etmektedir. “Öldürdüğünüzde siz öldürmediniz Allah öldürdü; attığın zaman da sen atmadın, Allah attı” meâlindeki söz konusu ayet, irade ve kader bağlamında referans olarak kullanılan ayetlerdendir. Bu çalışmada, ayetin kullanıldığı zemin ile nüzûl zemininin ne derece uyumlu olduğu ve ayet hakkında yapılan yorumlarda bağlama sadık kalınıp kalınmadığı irdelenmiştir. Bu irdeleme neticesinde Tefsir kaynaklarının pek çoğunun da mevcut Kelâmî tartışmalarda taraf olduğu, bu sebeple çoğu zaman Tefsir kaynaklarının da Tefsir ilminin parametrelerine aykırı yorumlarda bulunduğu tespit edilmiştir. Tefsir kavramının anlam alanı “ilk mananın tespiti”dir. Öyleyse te’vilden önce tefsir mutlaka ortaya konulmalıdır. Ayetin Kelâm ekollerinin elinde şekillenen manası te’vil olarak değerlendirilebilir, fakat bu mananın “tefsir” olduğu iddia edilmemelidir. Her dinî metnin, hatta her beşerî-edebî metnin olduğu gibi Kur'ân’ın da kendine has bir dili ve anlam örgüsü vardır. Doğru anlamın tespiti için tefsirin parametrelerinden biri olan metin dışı bağlama riâyete ilaveten Kur’ân’ın kendine has bu dili de dikkate alınmalıdır. Söz konusu bu dil bazen belağatla da izah edilebilen fakat çoğu zaman belağatın sınırlarını da aşan bir üslûba sahiptir. Kur'ân dilinin en temel vasfı Allah merkezli (teosentrik) bir anlatıma sahip olmasıdır. Bu üslûp, ayetleri salt lafızcı bir okumayla tefsir etmeyi engelleyen en büyük unsurdur. Kur’ân üslûbunda kurallar mütekellimin kudretindedir. Bundan dolayı kimi zaman ihbâr görünümlü bir yapı aslen inşânın, inşâ görünümlü bir yapı da ihbârın sınırlarına girebilmektedir. Makalede, söz konusu ayetteki ihbâr görünümünün aslen müminleri “itap” içerikli inşâî bir yapı olduğu iddia edilmiş yani “Öldürdüğünüzde siz öldürmediniz Allah öldürdü; attığın zaman da sen atmadın, Allah attı” cümlesinin bilinmeyen bir durumu haber vermediği söylenmiştir. Âyetin bağlamında Bedir zaferi sonrası sahabenin bazısının, insanın eylemleri üzerindeki Allah iradesi ve inâyetini göz ardı ettiği görülmektedir. Âyetteki bu üslûpla, bilinen, fakat gâlibiyet sevinciyle unutulan ya da ihmal edilen bir durum hatırlatılmış, ashap uyarılmıştır. Arap dilinde ikaz-uyarı cümleleri ise inşâ kategorisindedir. Çalışma, çoğunlukla kelâmî tartışmaların zemininde tefsir edilen âyet için Kur'ân üslûbunu merkeze alan alternatif bir okuma teklif etmektedir. (shrink)

Contemporary Arabic speculative fiction, particularly following the Arab Spring uprisings, is often interpreted as part of an emerging trend of Arab dystopias responding to political upheaval. These texts' ecological concerns, which produce diverse conceptions of futurity, are understudied. This article examines how urban futures are envisioned in an Egyptian speculative fiction text, Ahmed Naji's _Istikhdām al-ḥayāh_ (2014; _Using Life_, 2017). Putting _Using Life_ in dialogue with discussions on Gulf futurism and Arabfuturisms, the article first examines the text's depiction of hegemonic (...) techno-futurist visions, aimed at manifesting a global utopian future through urban design and development projects. The author argues that this futurist discourse, which has affinities with Gulf futurism, operates through the dual enframing of nature and history, and then demonstrates how the text resists this techno-futurist vision through an assemblage aesthetics that echoes Sulaiman Majali's Arabfuturism(s) manifesto. The novel's assemblage aesthetics, which is central to its conception of counter-futures, redefines the human relationship to urban ecologies and to literature through an emphasis on embodiment. (shrink)

Although a number of aspects of earlier experiences correlate with later civic engagement (Sherrod 2007), the role of different factors in driving the level of young people’s engagement is not clearly understood. This qualitative study set out to understand those factors in Turkey. Eight focus groups were conducted with 55 young Roma and Turkish people, with different groups being conducted according to participants’ ethnicity, gender and age (16–18 year olds vs. 20–26 year olds). Analysis revealed specific themes in terms of (...) the political and civic engagement of different sub-groups. However, almost all participants expressed that they did not have enough information about their rights and obligations as citizens. They also identified the different barriers which they perceived as impeding their political involvement and participation. (shrink)

As part of the social distancing measures for preventing the spread of COVID-19, many university courses were moved online. There is an assumption that online teaching limits opportunities for fostering interpersonal relationships and students’ satisfaction of the basic need for relatedness – reflected by experiencing meaningful interpersonal connections and belonging – which are considered important prerequisites for student motivation and vitality. In educational settings, an important factor affecting students’ relatedness satisfaction is the teachers’ behavior. Although research suggests that relatedness satisfaction (...) may be impaired in online education settings, to date no study has assessed how university lecturers’ relatedness support might be associated with student relatedness satisfaction and therefore, student motivation and vitality. This study tested this mediating relationship using data collected during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also investigated whether the relations were moderated by a high affiliation motive which reflects a dispositional wish for positive and warm relationships. The possible importance of the communication channel selected by the lecturers and the format of a class were also investigated. In a sample of N = 337 students, we tested our hypotheses using structural equation model. Results confirmed mediation, but not moderation. The use of video chat seems to facilitate the provision of relatedness support but our data did not show that the format of a class was associated with relatedness. Our findings indicate that both teaching behavior and the technical format used to deliver lectures play important roles in student experiences with online classes. The results are discussed in light of other research conducted during the pandemic. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Critical Forum Introduction:Cultural Encounters and Textual Speculations in the MediterraneanBurcu Kayışcı Akkoyun, Emrah Atasoy, and Merve TaburThis issue's Critical Forum takes its point of departure from two paradigm shifts. The first one has already occurred in utopian studies, as attested by the increasingly evident interest in non-Western conceptions of utopianism and representations of speculative fiction. Scholars of utopian studies such as Lyman Tower Sargent and Jacqueline Dutton have been (...) writing on utopias from other cultural traditions. The 2013 special issue of Utopian Studies (vol. 24, no. 1), which was introduced by Sargent and Dutton, included articles that reflected Iranian, Chinese, and Korean narratives and perspectives. During the first decade of the twenty-first century, monographs1 and journal special issues2 began examining literary and visual cultures of the Global South and transcultural expressions of the utopian imagination alongside a surge of speculative fiction from the Global South. A rising number of symposiums, anthologies, and critical works on Afrofuturism and Latinx and Arabic speculative fiction also contributed to today's widening discussions.3 This special section in Utopian Studies advocates shifting from Western-centric approaches to more nuanced modes of interpretation with a specific focus [End Page 127] on the Mediterranean, which has itself been a contested discursive site in Mediterranean studies, demanding the formation of new critical paradigms.According to Peregrine Horden and Nicholas Purcell, "It hardly needs stating that the Mediterranean, as an area seldom clearly defined but often subconsciously reduced to Italy and Greece, has been the perceived center of European civilization since the Renaissance, and in many respects since classical antiquity."4 Our set of articles challenges such reductionist views by exploring speculative configurations in the Mediterranean through literary representations of cultural encounters, social conflicts, and environmental crises. Offering analyses of various narratives that present dystopian articulations of the past and figurations of the present along with utopian aspirations for the future, the five contributions in this special section aim to expand the predominantly Eurocentric/Anglophone understanding of the Mediterranean by bringing together scholars and texts from diverse countries: Türkiye, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. They demonstrate the cultural interactions between different traditions, conventions, styles, and narratives, all within the broad domain of "speculative" visioning. As Franco Cassano points out, the Mediterranean "becomes the root that we need to rediscover today," but one that is "constitutionally plural. … The Mediterranean that emerges is not a monolithic identity, but a multiverse that trains the mind to grasp the complexities of the world: hybridity, crossroads, and identities that do not love purity and cleanliness, but have been mixed for a long time."5 Cassano's emphasis on plurality as much as rootedness is relevant to the scope and purposes of our contributions as well.The articles here refrain from creating new hierarchies by simply inverting the East-West dichotomy, or by consolidating the center-margin debate within the context of the Mediterranean. While using familiar Western hermeneutical tools to understand utopian and/or dystopian narratives produced in the Mediterranean, this special section underscores historical, political, social, and literary particularities, engaging with various manifestations of power on both textual and contextual grounds. Gabriele Proglio's introduction to Decolonising the Mediterranean (2016) informs the critical orientation of our approach. Decolonizing the Mediterranean "means deconstructing the power relations at play," he writes, "viewing the Mediterranean as an excess space of signification in order to reconsider the past and present stories and subjectivities erased by Eurocentric, nationalist historical discourse."6 Such reconsiderations are essential to imagining future utopian possibilities not [End Page 128] only for fictional narratives but also for the many types of discursive practices shaping the material world.Following Proglio's lead, Ceyhun Arslan examines utopian possibilities that the Mediterranean, whether taken as a context or as a framework, generates for artists and scholars. He argues for the utopian potential of the Mediterranean's longue-durée history, underlining the importance of identifying and resisting discriminatory notions and practices of Western imperialism throughout that history. Drawing on recent approaches to Mediterranean studies, he envisions what he calls a "disciplinary utopia," wherein critics, scholars, and artists carefully attend to linguistic and historical differences in... (shrink)

This article attempts a critical conversation between Kafka's _Der Prozess_ (posthumously published in 1925, translated into English as _The Trial_ in 1937) and two novels from the Mediterranean Basin. The Turkish author Bilge Karasu's _Gece_ (1985, translated into English as _Night_ by Güneli Gün in 1994) responds to the national conflicts intensified by the military coup in Türkiye (Turkey) in the 1980s with its dark portrayal of political conspiracies and unhinged violence. Almost thirty years later, Aziz conveys a similar sense (...) of social chaos and political disillusionment: her novel _Al-Ṭābūr_ (2013, translated into English as _The Queue_ Elisabeth Jaquette in 2016) addresses the aftermath of the 2011 Egypt uprising. In addition to the social critique that shapes the dystopian allegories of the novels, Kayı_ş_cı Akkoyun examines the discursive conflicts and gaps through which Kafka, Karasu, and Aziz expose the constructed nature of oppressive structures and the arbitrariness of authority. She argues that the disjointed dystopian narratives of Kafka, Karasu, and Aziz not only portray the horrors witnessed at a particular place and time but also share a common utopian vision that extends to the future through the authors' imaginative struggle against totalizing forces of uneven modernization. (shrink)