Precision livestock farming (PLF) is the management of livestock using the principles and technology of process engineering. Key to PLF is the dense monitoring of variegated parameters, including animal growth, output of produce (e.g. milk, eggs), diseases, animal behaviour, and the physical environment (e.g. thermal micro-environment, ammonia emissions). While its proponents consider PLF a win-win strategy that combines production efficiency with sustainability goals and animal welfare, critics emphasise, inter alia, the potential interruption of human-animal relationships. This paper discusses the notion (...) that the objectification of animals by PLF influences the developmental pathways of conventional industrial farming. We conduct a conceptual analysis of objectification by comparing discussions in feminist ethics and animal ethics. We find that in animal ethics, objectification includes deontological arguments regarding instrumentalisation, de-animalisation, alienation, commodification and quantification of animals. The focus on socio-political context and relationality connects these debates to central ideas in care ethics. We adopt a care ethics perspective to assess the implications of the objectification of animals in livestock farming. The basic claim is that sensory knowledge symbolised by the farmers’ unity of hand, head and heart would make it harder to objectify animals than abstract and instrumental reasoning where the pursuit of knowledge is intertwined with the pursuit of control, as in mainstream PLF. Despite of what can be considered as a good caring relationship between farmers and animals that is mediated by PLF, people involved in conventional industrial farming still seem to become further detached from farmers and animals, because the PLF system itself is objectifying. PLF redefines the notion of care, in terms of data transparency, standardisation of methods for analysis, real-time collection and processing of data, remote control, and the use of digital platforms. This creates new expectations and requires a redistribution of responsibilities within a wider scope of relations in the value chain. (shrink)

We ordinarily take it as obvious that we acquire knowledge of our world on the basis of sensory perception, and that such knowledge plays a central cognitive and practical role in our lives. Upon reflection, however, it is far from obvious what perception involves and how exactly it contributes to our knowledge. Indeed, skeptical arguments have led some to question whether we have any knowledge, or even rational or justified belief, regarding the world outside our minds. -/- Investigating the nature (...) and scope of our perceptual knowledge and perceptually justified belief, A Critical Introduction to the Epistemology of Perception provides an accessible and engaging introduction to a flourishing area of philosophy. Before introducing and evaluating the main theories in the epistemology of perception, Ali Hasan sets the stage with a discussion of skepticism, realism, and idealism in early modern philosophy, theories of perceptual experience (sense-datum theory, adverbialism, intentionalism, and metaphysical disjunctivism), and central controversies in general epistemology. Hasan then surveys the main theories in the contemporary debate, including coherentism, abductivism, phenomenal conservatism or dogmatism, reliabilism, and epistemological disjunctivism, presenting the motivations and primary objections to each. Hasan also shows how to avoid confusing metaphysical issues with epistemological ones, and identifies interesting connections between the epistemology and metaphysics of perception. -/- For students in epistemology or the philosophy of perception looking to better understand the central questions, concepts, and debates shaping contemporary epistemology, A Critical Introduction to the Epistemology of Perception is essential reading. (shrink)

In this paper, we distinguish between different sorts of assessments of algorithmic systems, describe our process of assessing such systems for ethical risk, and share some key challenges and lessons for future algorithm assessments and audits. Given the distinctive nature and function of a third-party audit, and the uncertain and shifting regulatory landscape, we suggest that second-party assessments are currently the primary mechanisms for analyzing the social impacts of systems that incorporate artificial intelligence. We then discuss two kinds of as-sessments: (...) an ethical risk assessment and a narrower, technical algo-rithmic bias assessment. We explain how the two assessments depend on each other, highlight the importance of situating the algorithm within its particular socio-technical context, and discuss a number of lessons and challenges for algorithm assessments and, potentially, for algorithm audits. The discussion builds on our team’s experience of advising and conducting ethical risk assessments for clients across dif-ferent industries in the last four years. Our main goal is to reflect on the key factors that are potentially ethically relevant in the use of algo-rithms, and draw lessons for the nascent algorithm assessment and audit industry, in the hope of helping all parties minimize the risk of harm from their use. (shrink)

This article seeks to determine whether PT Freeport Indonesia, an operating subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc., has acted in environmentally and socially responsible ways in the context of its operations in Papua, Indonesia, and how well it has responded to the legacy left by its less responsible operations from 1973 until the mid-1990s. This objective is achieved by examining the company's impact on the resources and assets with which it comes into contact as part of its operations, as (...) well as through a historical review of the province of Papua and its incorporation into Indonesia, Freeport's entry into Papua, and the company's engagement with international and Indonesian politics. (shrink)

According to embodied theories of language (ETLs), word meaning relies on sensorimotor brain areas, generally dedicated to acting and perceiving in the real world. More specifically, words denoting actions are postulated to make use of neural motor areas, while words denoting visual properties draw on the resources of visual brain areas. Therefore, there is a direct correspondence between word meaning and the experience a listener has had with a word's referent on the brain level. Behavioral and neuroimaging studies have provided (...) evidence in favor of ETLs; however, recent studies have also shown that sensorimotor information is recruited in a flexible manner during language comprehension (e.g., Raposo et al. ; Van Dam et al., ), leaving open the question as to what level of language processing sensorimotor activations contribute. In this study, we investigated the time course of modality‐specific contributions (i.e., the contribution of action information) as to word processing by manipulating both (a) the linguistic and (b) the action context in which target words were presented. Our results demonstrate that processes reflecting sensorimotor information play a role early in word processing (i.e., within 200 ms of word presentation), but that they are sensitive to the linguistic context in which a word is presented. In other words, when sensorimotor information is activated, it is activated quickly; however, specific words do not reliably activate a consistent sensorimotor pattern. (shrink)

Prologue. Setting up the stage : "beauty is in the street" in Istanbul -- Democratic action, spontaneity, and the intermediating practices of political friendship -- Jean-Jacques Rousseau : from the unsettling reality of the theater to the dream of immediacy -- Antonio Negri : insurgencies, the multitude, and the search for permanence -- Jürgen Habermas : embracing transience, containing unpredictability -- Jacques Rancière : the theatrical paradigm and the messiness of democratic politics -- Enacting political friendship in Gezi -- Epilogue. (...) Fanning the spark of hope. (shrink)

The paper provides an overview of the evolution of Social Sciences with a focus on the Post-1945 period, known for major strides towards scientific, analytical, nonpartisan, multi-disciplinary and comprehensive study and research in different fields of Social Sciences. The paper discusses the gradual growth of Social Sciences in Pakistan in terms of increase in number of persons engaged in teaching, research and practice in various domains of Social Sciences, institutional facilities and availability of funds. There is a discussion of the (...) major features of the research work done in Social Sciences in Pakistan and its weaknesses and deficiencies. The paper argues that Social Sciences have become important for societies like Pakistan that face different types of social and political conflicts. The rise of religious extremism, violence and terrorism also requires that we benefit from the work done in different fields of Social Sciences for understanding the dynamics of societal trends, issues and conflict and how to address them. The paper also reviews teaching and research being done in Pakistani universities, especially since 2005, when more funds became available for study and research in Social Sciences. The universities have vastly expanded their Doctoral and M.Phil. porgrammes but the imperative of quality is often neglected. (shrink)

The word “şuū’r” comes from the root “ş-a'-r”, which means hair, feather, hair. There are forty words in different forms from this root in the Qur'an. We see that twenty-seven of these words, set in forty different verses, are included as verbs in the form of gaib and interlocutor, and thirteen as nouns. Since the derivatives mentioned as verbs are explained with the infinitive ”shū'r” in exegesis, in the study, priority was given to determining the meaning of this word in (...) the syllabary and terminology. The close meanings of the word Shu'ur in the sources; It can be said that it is possible to determine knowledge and perception based on intelligence, attention and sensitivity and delicacy. It has been determined that twenty-one of the derivatives from the rout take place in the form of verb-i muzârî gâib with the preposition "māandlā" in different verses.We see that ten of the words in which the expression efy-i shuūr are related top asttribes, eight to polytheists, two to the People of the Book, and two to ohypocrites. Two of the three verses in which the derivative in the form of verb-i muzâri inter locator with the preposition “lā” nefy take place are about believers and one is about the general. A verse containing the derivative in the form of verb-i muzârî with the preposition "lev" is about the people of Noah, and another verse in which the derivative with the question preposition "ma" is about believers. We have handled other words that come from the original root with a certain classification. In our research, we tried to examine the word “Şuū‘r”and other words from the root “ş-a‘-r” through the verses by going down to the sources. Examples of the use of root in Arabic poetry and hadiths of the Jahiliyya period are also given. (shrink)

I argue that, given the way that AI models work and the way that ordinary human rationality works, it is very likely that people are anthropomorphizing AI, with potentially serious consequences. There are good reasons to doubt that LLMs have anything like human understanding, and even if they have representations or meaningful contents in some sense, these are unlikely to correspond to our ordinary understanding of natural language. However, there are natural, and in some ways quite rational, pressures to anthropomorphize (...) or personify LLMs and other AI systems in biased ways. This includes not only the classical or obvious ways of personifying AI — taking them to be sentient or have consciousness and understanding — but also taking AI to simulate or function like understanding, track the meaning of our language and our reasoning or logic, or have a model of the world our language is about. These more subtle or unobvious forms of anthropomorphism or personification can contribute to automation bias, AI Hype, and all their attendant risks, and encourage stronger anthropomorphisms as multi-modal AI assistants are developed further. (shrink)

This study investigates how ownership concentration in European multinational firms is associated with these firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR). We employ factor analysis on responsibility data from EIRiS and use a regression analysis. Using firm-level data for almost 700 European firms, we find that shareholder concentration is significantly related to such policies. That is, more concentrated ownership goes hand in hand with poorer CSR policies. In our analysis, we control for size, leverage, profitability, industry, and country of origin. We use (...) several indicators for ownership concentration. We also find that with more concentrated ownership, CSR of the firm gets worse. We suggest that especially with large shareholders, CSR would need to be included in their performance assessment. (shrink)

Anachronism, which is defined as the conscious or unconscious neglect or falsification of the chronological relationship between any event, phenomenon, person, object, etc., is used in many fields, especially in literature, history and art. Although different classifications are made, anachronism can be considered in three parts as factual, linguistic and attitudinal. Although it has positive results according to its usage and purpose, anachronism, which has a negative perception in general, is also in question in the understanding and interpretation of the (...) verses. However, in this action, lack of sufficient knowledge about the concept of anachronism and the subject under investigation or subjective approaches lead to erroneous anachronistic evaluations. One of the areas where these evaluations are frequently seen is scientific interpretation. In this study, the definition of anachronism, its historical process, types and usage patterns are explained and evaluated with examples of factual, linguistic and attitudinal anachronisms seen in the understanding of scientific tafsir. (shrink)

Our study presents an overview of the issues that were brought forward by participants of a moral case deliberation (MCD) project in two elderly care organizations. The overview was inductively derived from all case descriptions (N = 202) provided by participants of seven mixed MCD groups, consisting of care providers from various professional backgrounds, from nursing assistant to physician. The MCD groups were part of a larger MCD project within two care institutions (residential homes and nursing homes). Care providers are (...) confronted with a wide variety of largely everyday ethical issues. We distinguished three main categories: ‘resident’s behavior’, ‘divergent perspectives on good care’ and ‘organizational context’. The overview can be used for agendasetting when institutions wish to stimulate reflection and deliberation. It is important that an agenda is constructed from the bottom-up and open to a variety of issues. In addition, organizing reflection and deliberation requires effort to identify moral questions in practice whilst at the same time maintaining the connection with the organizational context and existing communication structures. Once care providers are used to dealing with divergent perspectives, inviting different perspectives (e.g. family members) to take part in the deliberation, might help to identify and address ethical ‘blind spots’. (shrink)

Nowadays, it is frequently seen that theology education is criticized over secularism or piety concerns. In fact, it has recently been observed that those who have opposed the existence of the theology faculties within the university system for religious reasons have tried to make their voices heard on different platforms, especially on social media. The discussions conducted on different platforms mostly run without a scientific basis. The aim of this study is to determine the views of theology faculty students with (...) regard to the studying on campus and to contribute to the structure of the evaluations on higher religious education-university dilemma on a scientific basis. Metaphor technique was used for data collection. Data were collected in April 2019 using open-ended questions from 228 sophomore, junior, or senior students at Faculty of Theology in Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University. Content analysis and chi-square technique were used in the data analysis. The research revealed that the majority of students (%73, 2) produced positive metaphors for studying theology on campus. Students mostly explain the positive experience of studying on campus through the possibility of growing up as a well-equipped theologian, recognizing real-life, and representing religion. It was also determined that the students who completed the associate degree and continued theology faculty highlighted the positive aspects of theology education on campus.Summary: While higher education throughout history has been undertaken by madrasas in the East and monastic schools in the West, it has been represented by the modern university in the last two centuries. The madrasas and monastic schools were religious institutions in terms of aims, epistemological and pedagogical understanding, institutional structures, and the lifestyle they produced. The aim of these institutions, which are subordinate to religious authority, was to educate the man on behalf of God while giving this education in accordance with the religion. The university, which replaces madrasas and monastic schools, was not different from the tradition of madrasas and monastic schools when it was first established. The first universities and colleges that were accepted as the ancestors of the well-established universities in the West were schools established for religious purposes. Indeed, many of the western universities established in the past for religious purposes continue their administrative and financial ties with the church. On the other hand, after enlightenment, education has ceased to be a business of religious institutions, and national states have established modern universities to train people suitable for their own needs. The modern university that is positivist and rationalist reveals information to educate people and to perfect society in the name of the state and the economy, not for the God. Research shows that both universities that maintain their ties with the church and state universities participate in the secularization process deeply. Nevertheless, religion continues to exist in different forms at universities, which is much more intense at universities that continue their connection with the church. In addition to the theology and religious studies programs, religion finds a place in the modern university campus through accredited student organizations, campus priests and preachers, social organizations, etc.When Darülfünun (Dār al-Fünūn) the first example of a modern university was established in Turkey in 1900, theology faculty became one of the three faculties. However, whether a modern university is a suitable place for higher religious education has been a controversial issue. In 1915, theology faculty was removed from the university system, then re-established in the university again in 1924, and in 1933, theology education was terminated due to the discussions of modernization. In 1949, the theology faculty was reintroduced at the university; and after 1959, High Islamic Institutes were established under the Ministry of National Education. The inclusion of religious education in the university has been one of the issues that frequently occupy the agenda until 1982, when all higher religious education institutions were included in the university system. In these discussions, the interesting thing is that religious people insist on being included in the university system although various groups oppose in the name of secularism principle. Even more interesting is that there are still demands for higher religious education outside the university, although the number of theology faculties has increased in recent years. In order to make the madrasas to be function as an alternative or complement to theology faculty, they claim that the theology degree completion program or open theology program must be expanded. In fact, it has recently been observed that those who have opposed the existence of the theology faculties within the university system for religious reasons have tried to make their voices heard on different platforms, especially on social media. Those who make such claims, claim that the university is not a suitable place for religious education in terms of epistemology, pedagogy, and social life.This study aims to determine the views of theology faculty students with regarding to the studying on campus and to contribute to the structure of the evaluations on higher religious education-university dilemma on a scientific basis. Within this framework, three basic questions were investigated: (i) Do students highlight positive or negative aspects of theology education on campus? (ii) What kind of experiences are reflected on the positive or negative aspects of theology education on campus from the metaphors? (iii) Is there any difference among the metaphors of the students according to the gender and enrolling types to the faculty (university entrance exam or vertical transfer exam and non-exam enrolling system)? Metaphor technique was used for data collection. Data were collected in April 2019 using open-ended questions from 228 sophomore, junior, or senior students at Faculty of Theology in Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University. Content analysis and chi-square technique were used in the data analysis.The research revealed that the majority of students (%73, 2) produced positive metaphors for theology education on campus. Students mostly explain the positive experience depending on the possibility of growing up as a well-equipped theologian, experiencing real-life, and representing religion. Among the reasons of the negative metaphor producers, the degenerative effect of the campus environment, the exclusion, and the desire to study in a religious environment come to the fore. It was also determined that the students who completed the associate degree and continued theology faculty highlighted the positive aspects of theology education on campus. Consequently, results show strong student support for theology education at university.In our opinion, it is possible to interpret the recent debates on the inclusion of theology faculties within the university system through the general tendencies of religious people who encounter modernism. In this regard, the results provide important clues. Religious people who encounter modernism generally preferred one of the following three ways: ghetto closure, conflict with the modern, seeking a consensus-based way to continue to touch the life of modern people with the message of religion over time and space. While those who prefer ghettos and conflict reject everything that is modern, those who are accommodating seek ways to keep religion together with modern people and institutions despite some risks. Results show that most of the theology students consider the university as a place that offers opportunities for religious education despite the secular and sometimes challenging environment of the campus. This means that they have a strong self-confidence in the beauty that religion can bring to modern life and modern people. (shrink)

Text with commentary of Ye-shes-rgyal-mtshan's Theg dgu spyi bciṅs kyi ʼgrel bshad nyi maʼi ʼod zer on general perspective of the philosophical concept of Buddhist doctrine.

Madani surahs generally describe the process in which various rules related to the regulation of the moral dimension of religion are determined. Some of the divine declarations made in this framework consist of rules and principles in the nature of command and prohibition. These statements, which have a normative character, also contain some evaluations about the attitudes of the interlocutors in relation to the events that took place in the period of descent. The warnings against the words and actions of (...) believers, which cannot coincide with faith, are among the most striking subjects of the Madani surahs. It is striking that these warnings, which sometimes increase in severity, generally focus on the economic concerns, demands and expectations of the believers. The increase in the welfare level with the Hijra, the inability of the new converts to fully comprehend the teachings of the religion, and the negative effect of the Jahiliyya tradition are among the main reasons for warnings against believers. On the other hand, these warnings and criticisms, which point to the weakness of speech and action, aim to prompt the believers to question their attitudes and stances by determining the ideal style of behavior compatible with faith, rather than merely condemning. In this respect, the article aims to examine the relationship of believers with worldly possibilities and material blessings in the axis of this differing dimension of Madani surahs. (shrink)

History and Identity in the Late Antique Near East. Edited by Philip Wood. Oxford Studies in Late Antiquity. Oxford: Oxoford University Press, 2013. Pp. xxiii + 237, map. $82.

Bu çalışma, geleneksel din felsefesindeki kötülük probleminin gerçek değil sözde bir problem olduğunu, dolayısıyla çözümlemeye çalışmak yerine tasfiye edilmesi gerektiğini öne süren bazı yeni tarihli iddiaları değerlendirmektedir. Öncelikle ele alınan konu sözde problem dendiğinde ne kastedildiğidir. Bir problemin iki tarafının karşılıklı olarak aynı yanlış varsayımı yaptığı durumlar literatürde sözde problem olarak nitelendirilmektedir. Makalede bu anlamda sözde problemin türleri ve ölçütleri belirlenmektedir. Arkasından geleneksel kötülük problemini oluşturan argüman ortaya koyulmakta ve problem için getirilen çözüm önerileri tanıtılmaktadır. Makalenin son bölümünde, önceki bölümlerde (...) tanıtıldığı şekliyle kötülük probleminin, önceki bölümlerde tanıtıldığı şekliyle sözde problem ölçütlerini karşılayıp karşılamadığı incelenmektedir. Varılan sonuç, kötülük problemine yönelik sözde problem iddialarının savunulabilir olmadığı, problemi tasfiye etmek için ortada sağlam bir gerekçe bulunmadığıdır. (shrink)

Kelâm’ın şerh ve hâşiye döneminin önde gelen metinlerinden biri Teftâzânî’nin Şerhu’l-Akāid adlı şerhidir. Nitekim üzerine İslâm dünyasının muhtelif bölgelerindeki âlimler tarafından birçok hâşiye çalışması yapılmıştır. Bunlar arasında öne çıkan en meşhur metinlerden birisi Hayâlî’nin yazmış olduğu Hâşiye alâ Şerhi’l-Akāidi’n-Nesefiyye adlı eserdir. Nitekim Hayâlî’nin bu hâşiyesi, Şerhu’l-Akāid üzerine yazılan hâşiyeler arasında üzerine en fazla hâşiye yazılan eserdir. Kâtib Çelebi, Leknevî ve Taşköprülüzâde gibi âlimler Hayâlî hâşiyesi hakkında övücü ifadeler kullanmıştır. Ayrıca Hayâlî’nin bu hâşiyesi Osmanlı kelâm kitapları hiyerarşisinde Şerhu’l-Akāid’den daha üst bir (...) metin olarak değer görmüştür. Bu kadar ilgi gören bir hâşiye hakkında Kâtib Çelebî’nin zikrettiği bir iddia dikkat çekmektedir. Kâtib Çelebî, Hayâlî hâşiyesinin kaynağının Memlük ulemasından İbn Ebî Şerîf’in Şerhu’l-Akāid hâşiyesi olduğu hakkında bir bilgiye yer vermektedir. Dolayısıyla Hayâlî, hâşiyesini İbn Ebî Şerîf’in hâşiyesinden alıntı yaparak kaleme almış olabilir. Bu iddianın tahkik edilmesi çalışmanın temel konusunu oluşturmaktadır. Bunu yaparken iki muhaşşînin yaşadıkları ve eserlerini kaleme aldıkları zaman dilimi göz önünde bulundurulmuştur. Diğer taraftan iki hâşiyenin muhteva analizinin yapılması da iddianın tahkik edilmesi için temel bir ölçüt konumundadır. Böylece ana konu bazında benzerlikler ve farklılıklar ortaya konularak iki hâşiyenin karşılaştırılmasına olanak sağlanmıştır. Muhteva analizinde eşyanın hakikatleri, ilim sebepleri, âlemin temel bileşenleri, Allah’ın sıfatları, rü’yetullah, insan fiilleri ve ahiret hayatı ile ilgili meseleler olmak üzere yedi konu başlığı tercih edilmiştir. Bu başlıklar altında konular detaylı bir şekilde aktarılmayıp yalnızca benzerlikler ve farklılıkların ortaya konulabilmesi için seçme pasajların verilmesi yeterli görülmüştür. Çalışmada yöntem olarak doküman çözümlemesi/analizi kullanılmıştır. Sonuç olarak bu iddia tahkik edildiğinde durumun Kâtib Çelebî’nin aktardığı gibi olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Nitekim iki muhaşşînin doğum ve ölüm tarihleri diğer taraftan hâşiyelerini yazım tarihleri incelendiğinde bu iddianın mümkün olmadığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Hayâlî hâşiyesini yaklaşık olarak 862/1458, İbn Ebî Şerîf ise 889/1484 veya 895/1490 yılında kaleme aldığı tespit edilmiştir. Dolayısıyla tarihsel olarak Hayâlî’nin İbn Ebî Şerîf’ten alıntı yapması mümkün görünmemektedir. Kâtib Çelebî’nin aktardığı bilginin yanlışlanması tam tersi bir durumun olma ihtimalini gündeme getirir. Yani İbn Ebî Şerîf, hâşiyesini yazarken Hayâlî’den faydalanmış olabilir. Bu düşüncenin doğrulanması veya yanlışlanması için her iki hâşiye arasında muhteva analizinin yapılması gerekmiştir. İki hâşiyenin muhtevaları karşılaştırıldığında ise büyük oranda benzerliklerin olduğu görülmüştür. Öyle ki bazı yerlerde cümleler birebir aynı iken bazı yerlerde benzer ifadeler kullanılmıştır. Ancak İbn Ebî Şerîf’in hâşiyesi Hayâlî’nin hâşiyesine göre daha uzundur. Öyle görünüyor ki İbn Ebî Şerîf hâşiyesini, Hayâlî hâşiyesi temelinde inşa etmiştir. (shrink)

The main evidence used in a matter of proving prophethood in Kalām is miracles. For this reason, other extraordinary situations that miraculously occur have always been on the agenda of theologians. Of these the most similar to miracle is karāma events that occur extraordinary in the hands of Walī. Karāma has been discussed on certain theoretical grounds in kalām books during the beginning period of Sunnī kalām. As in other theological debates, the leading adversaries of Sunnī theologians in the issue (...) of karāma were Muʿtazilite theologians. This study discusses approaches towards karāma in early period of Sunnī kalām. Accordingly, the scholars who determined the basic approaches of Ashʿariyya and Māturīdiyya kalām schools are included in the study. İmām al-Ashʿarī, Ibn Fūrak, al-Bāqillānī, ʿAbd al-Qāhir al-Baghdādī, Abu’l-Maʿālī İmām al-ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī, Abū ʿAbdallāh al-Ḥalīmī and Abū Isḥāq al-Isfarāyīnī from Ashʿarī school; Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī, Ḥakīm as-Samarqandī, Abū al-Yusr al-Bazdawī and Abū al-Muīn an-Nasafī from Māturīdiyya school, in this context, are included in the study. Besides, some authors from fields other than kalām are included in the scope of the study in order to determine the first use of the concept of karāma and different approaches are discussed. In the study, after the views of the theologians on the subject are presented descriptively, these views are critically assessed. (shrink)

In August 1976 the research seminar 'Decision-making in business' was organized at Nijenrode, The Netherlands School of Business. More than fifty scientists and practitioners from nine countries presented research papers in one of the six discussion groups. Some ofthem also presented some of their ideas in front of a large mixed audience at a one-day symposium. Many of the papers presented at Nijenrode were of such a high quality that the decision to publish a selection of them was an easy (...) one. At the same time the new series Nijenrode studies in business was initiated. All who were involved, the policy committee 'Of the Nijenrode studies, the advisory and editorial board of the series, the publisher, and the organizing committee of the seminar and symposium, acclaimed the idea of publishing three volumes in the new series. A collection of eleven papers could be grouped under the title Trends in managerial andfinancial accounting, and has been published as volume 1 of this series. A collection of fourteen papers has been published as the second volume under the title Trends in financial decision making, while this volume, consisting of twelve papers (and an introduction) explores the theme Trends in business ethics. The introduction by Stanley L. Jakiwas written for the symposium. It suggests why the papers of Pjotr Hesseling, Antoine Kreykamp, and Richard H. Viola, which were not presented at Nijenrode, are introduced here. (shrink)

We analyze ethical policies of firms in industrialized countries and try to find out whether culture is a factor that plays a significant role in explaining country differences. We look into the firm’s human rights policy, its governance of bribery and corruption, and the comprehensiveness, implementation and communication of its codes of ethics. We use a dataset on ethical policies of almost 2,700 firms in 24 countries. We find that there are significant differences among ethical policies of firms headquartered in (...) different countries. When we associate these ethical policies with Hofstede’s cultural indicators, we find that individualism and uncertainty avoidance are positively associated with a firm’s ethical policies, whereas masculinity and power distance are negatively related to these policies. (shrink)