Recent findings suggest that medical students’ moral competence decreases throughout medical school. This pilot study gives preliminary insights into the effects of two educational interventions in ethics classes on moral competence among medical students in Munich, Germany. Between 2012 and 2013, medical students were tested using Lind’s Moral Competence Test prior to and after completing different ethics classes. The experimental group participated in principle-based structured case discussions and was compared with a control group with theory-based case discussions. The pre/post C-scores (...) were compared using a Wilcoxon Test, ANOVA and effect-size calculation. The C-score improved by around 3.2 C-points in the EG, and by 0.2 C-points in the CG. The mean C-score difference was not statistically significant for the EG or between the two groups. There was no statistical significance for the teachers’ influence on C-score. In both groups, students with below-average C-scores improved and students with above-average C-scores regressed. The increase of the C-Index was greater in the EG than in the CG. The absolute effect-size of the EG compared with the CG was 3.0 C-points, indicating a relevant effect. Teaching ethics with PBSCDs did not provide a statistically significant influence on students’ moral competence, compared with TBCDs. Yet, the effect size suggests that PBSCDs may improve moral competence among medical students more effectively. Further research with larger and completely randomized samples is needed to gain definite explanations for the results. (shrink)

In this fascinating study, the author analyzes the conceptual roots of molecular biology and the social matrix in which it was developed.

Personal narratives have become one of the most potent vehicles for advancing human rights claims across the world. Human Rights and Narrated Lives explores what happens when autobiographical narratives are produced, received, and circulated in the field of human rights. It asks how personal narratives emerge in local settings how international rights discourse enables and constrains individual and collective subjectivities in narration how personal narratives circulate and take on new meanings in new contexts and how and under what conditions they (...) feed into, affect, and are affected by the reorganization of politics in post-cold war, postcolonial, globalizing human rights contexts. (shrink)

We present a model of computation for string functions over single-sorted, total algebraic structures and study some basic features of a general theory of computability within this framework. Our concept generalizes the Blum-Shub-Smale setting of computability over the reals and other rings. By dealing with strings of arbitrary length instead of tuples of fixed length, some suppositions of deeper results within former approaches to generalized recursion theory become superfluous. Moreover, this gives the basis for introducing computational complexity in a BSS-like (...) manner. Relationships both to classical computability and to Friedman's concept of eds computability are established. Two kinds of nondeterminism as well as several variants of recognizability are investigated with respect to interdependencies on each other and on properties of the underlying structures. For structures of finite signatures, there are universal programs with the usual characteristics. For the general case of not necessarily finite signature, this subject will be studied in a separate, forthcoming paper. (shrink)

The topological arithmetical hierarchy is the effective version of the Borel hierarchy. Its class Δta 2 is just large enough to include several types of pointsets in Euclidean spaces ℝ k which are fundamental in computable analysis. As a crossbreed of Hausdorff's difference hierarchy in the Borel class ΔB 2 and Ershov's hierarchy in the class Δ0 2 of the arithmetical hierarchy, the Hausdorff-Ershov hierarchy introduced in this paper gives a powerful classification within Δta 2. This is based on suitable (...) characterizations of the sets from Δta 2 which are obtained in a close analogy to those of the ΔB 2 sets as well as those of the Δ0 2 sets. A helpful tool in dealing with resolvable sets is contributed by the technique of depth analysis. On this basis, the hierarchy properties, in particular the strict inclusions between classes of different levels, can be shown by direct constructions of witness sets. The Hausdorff-Ershov hierarchy runs properly over all constructive ordinals, in contrast to Ershov's hierarchy whose denotation-independent version collapses at level ω 2. Also, some new characterizations of concepts of decidability for pointsets in Euclidean spaces are presented. (shrink)

Sandplay is a growing field of interest for Jungian and other psychotherapists. _Sandplay - Silent Workshop of the Psyche_ by Kay Bradway and Barbara McCoard, provides an introduction to sandplay as well as extensive new material for those already using this form of therapy. Based on the authors' wide-ranging clinical work, it includes: in-depth sandplay case histories material from a wide range of adults and children over 90 illustrations in black and white and colour detailed notes on interpretation of sand (...) trays an examination of symbols and concepts used in sandplay. Clearly written and soundly based in theory, this book provides historical background for understanding sandplay as well as helpful discussion of how it works in a clinical context. Kay Bradway and Barbara McCoard bring their indispensable personal experience to the subject to stress the healing potential of sandplay. They also reflect on the nature of a therapy where the psyche works largely in silence. (shrink)

In this essay, I explore this idea of a collective consciousness. I propose that individuals can share in a collective consciousness by forming a collective subject. I begin the essay by considering and rejecting three possible pictures of collective subjectivity: the group mind, the emergent mind, and the socially embedded mind. I argue that each of these accounts fails to provide one of the following requirements for collective subjectivity: (1) plurality, (2) awareness, and (3) collectivity. I then look to Edmund (...) Husserl’s idea of ‘social subjectivities’ for a possible account, but I agree with Alfred Schutz that Husserl fails to explain how such subjectivities are constituted by the conscious acts of individuals. In an effort to provide such an explanation, I turn to a discussion of our basic capacities for social intentionality: empathy, intersubjectivity, and co-subjectivity. In the final section of the essay, I argue that individuals can form a collective subject by taking a first-person plural perspective and ‘simulating’ the consciousness of the collective that they form. This account has the required features of plurality, awareness, and collectivity. (shrink)

In this “global information age” accessing, disseminating, and controlling information is an increasingly important aspect of human life. Often these interests are expressed in the language of human rights—e.g., rights to expression, privacy, and intellectual property. As the discipline concerned with, “Facilitating the effective communication of desired information between human generator and human user” (Belkin, 1975, 22), Library and Information Science (LIS) has a central role in facilitating communication about human rights and ensuring the respect for human rights in information (...) services and systems. This paper surveys the literature at the intersection of LIS and human rights. To begin, an overview of human rights conventions and an introduction to human rights theory is provided. Then the intersections between LIS and human rights are considered. Three central areas of informational human rights—communication, privacy, and intellectual property—are discussed in detail. It is argued that communication rights in particular serve as a central linchpin in the system of human rights. (shrink)

This pioneering study is one of the first English-language books to address Jewish theology from a postmodern perspective, probing the question of how it has the potential to survive the postmodern onslaught that some see as heralding the collapse of religion. Basing her arguments on both philosophical and theological scholarship, the author shows how postmodernism might actually be a resource for rejuvenating religion. Her response to the conception of theology and postmodernism as competing systems of thought is based on a (...) close critical study of Rav Shagar (Shimon Gershon Rosenberg) and Tamar Ross. She analyzes their writings through the lens of the most radical continental postmodern philosophers and cultural critics in order to offer a compelling theology compatible with their world-view. Whether the reader considers postmodernism to be inherently problematic or merely inconsequential, this study demonstrates why reconsidering these preconceptions is one of the most pressing issues in contemporary Jewish thought. (shrink)

In this digital age the use of video in social science research has become commonplace. As sophistication has increased along with usability, as spiralling staff costs push out direct observation, the researchers training today are grasping video as a means of coming to terms with the continued pressure to produce accessible research. However, the ‘fit’ of technology with research is far from simple. Ideally placed to offer guidance to developing researchers, this new text draws together the theoretical, methodological and practical (...) issues of effectively using video across the social sciences. This book concentrates on how researchers can benefit from the use of video in their own research, whether it is: Video as representation Video as an aid to reflection Video that generates participation Video, voice and articulation, or Video that acts as a provocation. In turn each of these five central functions is discussed in relation to different stages of the research process, consisting of: Research design Fieldwork and data collection Analysis of data and findings Dissemination. As a practical research tool this book shows how, why and when video should be used, representing an invaluable guide for postgraduate and doctoral students conducting research in the social sciences, as well as any researchers, academics or professionals interested in developing technologically informed research. (shrink)

Sociology and Animals : Beginnings -- Animals and Biology as Destiny -- Animals, Social Inequalities and Oppression -- Animals, Crime and Abuse -- Town and Country : Animals, Space and Place -- Consumption of the Animal -- Animals, Leisure and Culture -- Animal Experiments and Animal Rights -- Conclusion: Sociology for Other Animals.

The author means to show how focusing on the sense of hearing can sharpen our understanding of Kierkegaard’s argument – in the first portion of Either/Or – that Don Giovanni ranks supreme among works of art. After explaining how he takes Kierkegaard’s case to rest on the issue of the ear being the “most spiritually qualified sense,” he shows how attending to the importance of hearing within the original Don Juan myth, as well as within Mozart and Da Ponte’s treatment (...) of it, can help us understand the myth’s dependence on and repudiation of Christianity: unlike sight, hearing places us in close spiritual intimacy with its source, even as it also opens up specific possibilities of theatricality and deceit. He concludes by arguing why hearing should be regarded as the paradigmatic sense in relation to which Kierkegaard understands the task of philosophy itself, in contrast to earlier philosophical emphases on visible intelligibility. (shrink)

In this book, Lynn Kaye examines how rabbis of late antiquity thought about time through their legal reasoning and storytelling, and what these insights mean for thinking about time today. Providing close readings of legal and narrative texts in the Babylonian Talmud, she compares temporal ideas with related concepts in ancient and modern philosophical texts and in religious traditions from late antique Mesopotamia. Kaye demonstrates that temporal flexibility in the Babylonian Talmud is a means of exploring and resolving legal uncertainties, (...) as well as a tool to tell stories that convey ideas effectively and dramatically. Her book, the first on time in the Talmud, makes accessible complex legal texts and philosophical ideas. It also connects the literature of late antique Judaism with broader theological and philosophical debates about time. (shrink)

Each book in the series includes six 40-minute studies designed to draw you into God’s Word through basic inductive Bible study.

Das Problem einer einheitlichen Grundlage alles Bestehenden hat seit jeher eine große Rolle in der Philosophie gespielt und stets auch eine große Ausstrahlung auf die Naturwissenschaft gehabt. Exemplarisch werden verschiedene Entwürfe für eine höherdimensionale einheitliche Feldtheorie diskutiert. -/- Es wird der Frage nachgegangen, was überhaupt unter der „Einheit von Theorien“ zu verstehen ist. Dabei zeigt sich, dass sich zwischen unterschiedlichen Ebenen der „Einheit von Theorien“ unterscheiden lässt. Die „Einheit von Theorien“ kann sich beziehen auf übergreifende Begriffe (z. B. Feldbegriff), auf (...) eine formal mathematische Zusammenfassung unterschied­licher Phänomene (z. B. im Rahmen der Projektiven Einheitlichen Feldtheorie), auf einen genetischen Zusammenhang von Theorien (z. B. zwischen newtonscher und relativistischer Mechanik), auf ein einheitliches Gesetz zur Erklärung unterschiedlicher Phänomene (z. B. die Maxwelltheorie als Erklärungsgrundlage elektromagnetischer Erscheinungen), aber auch auf einen gemeinsamen Referenzbereich verschiedener Theorien (z. B. phänomenologische und statistische Thermodynamik). -/- Die Verwendung höherdimensionaler Geometrien wirft die Frage nach dem ontologischen Status höherdimensionaler Raum-Zeiten auf. Handelt es sich lediglich um mathematische Formalismen, oder kommt ihnen eine eigene Realität zu? Es zeigt sich, dass beide Interpretationskonzepte ihre Berechtigung besitzen. Spielt etwa bei der Klasse der Projektiven Einheitlichen Feldtheorien (kurz: PUFT) der höherdimensionale Raum die Rolle eines Instruments zur mathematisch eleganten Darstellung, so lassen sich bei der Klasse der Kaluza-Klein-Theorien Eigenschaften ableiten, die als Hinweis auf einen ontologisch eigenständigen Realitätsstatus gedeutet werden können. Folgt man Poppers Realitätskriterium, wonach als real zu betrachten ist, was sich durch physikalische Wirkungen nachweisen lässt, so kann etwa der Einfluss der Extradimensionen auf die Dynamik des physikalischen Geschehens in der vierdimensionalen Raum-Zeit als Hinweis auf deren Realität gedeutet werden. -/- Interessant sind die höherdimensionalen einheitlichen Feldtheorien auch unter dem Blickwinkel der Wissenschaftstheorie. Da sie recht gut dem Modell des Forschungsprogramms im Sinne von Lakatos entsprechen, stellen sie gute Musterbeispiele für theoriedynamische Betrachtungen dar. (shrink)

The Logic of Happiness guidebook explores the logic concepts introduced in the novel and includes excerpts of original works by some of the most significant philosophers in human history: the Buddha, Lao Tzu, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, Thomas Aquinas, David Hume, John Stuart Mill, and Charles Darwin. The readings will introduce students to an array of theories about how to achieve happiness while also teaching them to use classical logic techniques to discern whether or not those theories are sound (...) enough to be applicable in modern daily life. The guidebook also contains discussion questions that will get students thinking critically and deeply about different aspects of the philosophical theories, giving them practice examining, analyzing, and evaluating the strength of various arguments. -/- This guidebook can be used by instructors, but it is meant to be a companion book to the novel that enables students to understand the theories and beliefs of a diverse group of individuals who explored the problem of how to find happiness in a complicated world filled with complicated people. Students who work through it will find themselves more thoughtful and discerning—and more prepared to work toward establishing for themselves a life that will bring them their own happiness. (shrink)

It is often thought that there is a “crisis” or something akin to this in the field of medical malpractice in the USA and from time to time, as will be shown, there are suggestions that a similar situation could exist in the UK. This paper will examine what might be meant by the expressions “malpractice” and “crisis” in relation to the UK. It will be argued that there is no evidence to suggest that anything as dramatic as a crisis (...) exists, and that what current concerns exist about medical malpractice and litigation are not based upon an existing or impending crisis. Further, it will suggest that evidence points to medical litigation had reached a plateau, and that, due to a number of factors, if there were a serious problem it is likely to be on the wane. (shrink)

Discusses the issue of animal rights in regard to the use of animals in medical and scientific research, hunting, food, clothing, and entertainment.

Education and schooling -- What are the purposes of schooling? -- Who are the students? -- What are we teaching students in schools and universities and why? -- Teaching, learning and assessment -- Alternative views of education -- Education and the world.

This paper starts by investigating Ackermann's interpretation of finite set theory in the natural numbers. We give a formal version of this interpretation from Peano arithmetic (PA) to Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory with the infinity axiom negated (ZF−inf) and provide an inverse interpretation going the other way. In particular, we emphasize the precise axiomatization of our set theory that is required and point out the necessity of the axiom of transitive containment or (equivalently) the axiom scheme of ∈-induction. This clarifies the (...) nature of the equivalence of PA and ZF−inf and corrects some errors in the literature. We also survey the restrictions of the Ackermann interpretation and its inverse to subsystems of PA and ZF−inf, where full induction, replacement, or separation is not assumed. The paper concludes with a discussion on the problems one faces when the totality of exponentiation fails, or when the existence of unordered pairs or power sets is not guaranteed. (shrink)

Nelkin presents a simple and natural account of freedom and moral responsibility which responds to the great variety of challenges to the idea that we are free and responsible, before ultimately reaffirming our conception of ourselves as agents. Making Sense of Freedom and Responsibility begins with a defense of the rational abilities view, according to which one is responsible for an action if and only if one acts with the ability to recognize and act for good reasons. The view is (...) compatibilist -- that is, on the view defended, responsibility is compatible with determinism -- and one of its striking features is a certain asymmetry: it requires the ability to do otherwise for responsibility when actions are praiseworthy, but not when they are blameworthy. In defending and elaborating the view, Nelkin questions long-held assumptions such as those concerning the relation between fairness and blame and the nature of so-called reactive attitudes such as resentment and forgiveness. Her argument not only fits with a metaphysical picture of causation -- agent-causation -- often assumed to be available only to incompatibilist accounts, but receives positive support from the intuitively appealing Ought Implies Can Principle, and establishes a new interpretation of freedom and moral responsibility that dovetails with a compelling account of our inescapable commitments as rational agents. (shrink)

We consider the mission of the librarian as an information provider and the core value that gives this mission its social importance. Our focus here is on those issues that arise in relation to the role of the librarian as an information provider. In particular, we focus on questions of the selection and organization of information, which bring up issues of bias, neutrality, advocacy, and children's rights to access information.