In 2008, researchers created human three-dimensional neural tissue – known as the pioneering work of “brain organoids.” In recent years, some researchers have transplanted human brain organoids into animal brains for applicational purposes. With these experiments have come many ethical concerns. It is thus an urgent task to clarify what is ethically permissible and impermissible in brain organoid research. This paper seeks (1) to sort out the ethical issues related to brain organoid research and application and (2) to propose future (...) directions for additional ethical consideration and policy debates in the field. Toward (1), this paper first outlines the current state of brain organoid research, and then briefly responds to previously raised related ethical concerns. Looking next at anticipated scientific developments in brain organoid research, we will discuss (i) ethical issues related to in vitro brain organoids, (ii) ethical issues raised when brain organoids form complexes or have relationships with other entities, and (iii) ethical issues of research ethics and governance. Finally, in pursuit of (2), we propose research policies that are mindful of the ethics of brain organoid research and application and also suggest the need for an international framework for research and application of brain organoids. (shrink)

In this paper, we outline how one might conduct a comprehensive ethical evaluation of human brain organoid transplantation in animals. Thus far, ethical concerns regarding this type of research have been assumed to be similar to those associated with other transplants of human cells in animals, and have therefore not received significant attention. The focus has been only on the welfare, moral status, or mental capacities of the host animal. However, the transplantation of human brain organoids introduces several new ethical (...) issues. Many of these are related to uncertainty regarding whether or not brain organoids might be conscious. While these concerns might not be immediately relevant, they warrant closer scrutiny. We discuss how various ethical issues are relevant to different stages of human brain organoid transplantation and can guide the ethical evaluation of research. Our examination would broaden the horizons of the debate on the transplantation of brain organoids. (shrink)

Within a weak subsystem of second-order arithmetic , that is -conservative over , we reformulate Kreisel's proof of the Second Incompleteness Theorem and Boolos' proof of the First Incompleteness Theorem.

Along the line of Hirst‐Mummert and Dorais, we analyze the relationship between the classical provability of uniform versions Uni(S) of Π2‐statements S with respect to higher order reverse mathematics and the intuitionistic provability of S. Our main theorem states that (in particular) for every Π2‐statement S of some syntactical form, if its uniform version derives the uniform variant of over a classical system of arithmetic in all finite types with weak extensionality, then S is not provable in strong semi‐intuitionistic systems (...) including bar induction in all finite types but also nonconstructive principles such as Kőnig's lemma and uniform weak Kőnig's lemma. Our result is applicable to many mathematical principles whose sequential versions imply. (shrink)

On sait que Platon fait grand cas des êtres intelligibles en instaurant la théorie des Idées. Mais il n’est pas approprié de le considérer comme penseur qui néglige le rôle de l’apparence sensible. Ce philosophe demeure très sensible à la modalité par laquelle les phénomènes apparaissent dans le champ de notreperception. En distinguant deux types d’apparence : image et simulacre, il donne à l’image le rôle d’intermédiaire actif entre le sensible et l’intelligible. L’examen des modalités des actions humaines qui reçoivent (...) et créent des images, nous aide à voir comment Platon intègre la fonction des images dans la structure de sa philosophie. La réception et la création des images sont étroitement reliées et synthétisées pour former le système original de Platon, système dans lequel le fondement de la théorie des Idées relève d’un certain dynamisme de l’action humaine. Dans la recherche relative à la modalité de réception et de création des images, je porte mon attention sur l’usage platonicien du terme tupos qui exprime le principe de la conformité de l’image et de son modèle.Notamment dans la théorie de la formation des futurs gardiens de la cité idéale, le tupos fonctionne, comme un principe qui réglemente et oriente à plusieurs niveaux les activités de la mimèsis et de la poièsis qui portent sur les images. La réflexion sur cette fonction conductrice. (shrink)

Most cosmopolitans who are concerned about world poverty assume that for citizens of affluent societies, justice beyond national borders is a matter of their positive duty to provide aid to distant people suffering from severe poverty. This assumption is challenged by some authors, notably Tomas Pogge, who maintains that these citizens are actively involved in the incidence of poverty abroad and therefore neglect their negative duty of refraining from harming others. This paper examines the extent to which it is pertinent (...) to contend that citizens in economically advanced countries are morally liable for the impoverishment of a sizable population of the developing world. The contention in question can be interpreted in two nonexclusive ways. First, it might imply that historical injustices, including colonialism and slavery, contributed to both contemporary affluence in some parts of the world and poverty in others. Second, it could imply that the present global economic system, instituted and implemented by the governments of rich and powerful countries acting in the name of their citizens, is benefiting the citizens while harming the world’s disadvantaged. The author argues that the idea of reparation for historical injustices suffers from serious philosophical difficulties, including the non-identity problem presented by Derek Parfit, and thus fails to provide a satisfactory approach to the existing problem of poverty. This paper then examines the alleged liability of citizens in affluent countries, with a special reference to empirical observations on the policy process. The paper concludes by suggesting a twofold theory of global justice, which combines material, managerial, and moral assistances for a society lacking a competent government and proposes institutional reforms in the global order in order to achieve poverty reduction. (shrink)

Human brain organoids (HBOs), three-dimensional neural tissues derived from human pluripotent stem cells, are at the forefront of biomedical research, provoking intricate ethical quandaries (Sawai...

We systematically study several principles and give a principle which is weaker than disjunctive Markov’s principle. We also show that the principle is underivable and strictly weaker than MP∨ in certain extensions of the system EL of elementary analysis.

By formalizing Berry's paradox, Vopěnka, Chaitin, Boolos and others proved the incompleteness theorems without using the diagonal argument. In this paper, we shall examine these proofs closely and show their relationships. Firstly, we shall show that we can use the diagonal argument for proofs of the incompleteness theorems based on Berry's paradox. Then, we shall show that an extension of Boolos' proof can be considered as a special case of Chaitin's proof by defining a suitable Kolmogorov complexity. We shall show (...) also that Vopěnka's proof can be reformulated in arithmetic by using the arithmetized completeness theorem. (shrink)

We define a liar-type paradox as a consistent proposition in propositional modal logic which is obtained by attaching boxes to several subformulas of an inconsistent proposition in classical propositional logic, and show several famous paradoxes are liar-type. Then we show that we can generate a liar-type paradox from any inconsistent proposition in classical propositional logic and that undecidable sentences in arithmetic can be obtained from the existence of a liar-type paradox. We extend these results to predicate logic and discuss Yablo’s (...) Paradox in this framework. Furthermore, we define explicit and implicit self-reference in paradoxes in the incompleteness phenomena. (shrink)

We propose a new game to strategically justify the constrained equal awards rule in claims problems. Our game is “procedurally fair” and “multilateral”. In addition, even if claimants cannot reach an agreement in any period, they can renegotiate in the next period. We show that, for each claims problem, the awards vector chosen by the constrained equal awards rule achieved at period 1 is the unique subgame perfect equilibrium outcome of the game.

In this paper, I show that the availability of what some authors have called the weak reading and the strong reading of donkey sentences with relative clauses is systematically related to monotonicity properties of the determiner. The correlation is different from what has been observed in the literature in that it concerns not only right monotonicity, but also left monotonicity (persistence/antipersistence). I claim that the reading selected by a donkey sentence with a double monotone determiner is in fact the one (...) that validates inference based on the left monotonicity of the determiner. This accounts for the lack of strong reading in donkey sentences with MON determiners, which have been neglected in the literature. I consider the relevance of other natural forms of inference as well, but also suggest how monotonicity inference might play a central role in the actual process of interpretation. The formal theory is couched in dynamic predicate logic with generalized quantifiers. (shrink)

We identify bar recursion on moduli of continuity as a fundamental notion of constructive mathematics. We show that continuous functions from the Baire space \ to the natural numbers \ which have moduli of continuity with bar recursors are exactly those functions induced by Brouwer operations. The connection between Brouwer operations and bar induction allows us to formulate several continuity principles on the Baire space stated in terms of bar recursion on continuous moduli which naturally characterise some variants of bar (...) induction. These principles state that a certain kind of continuous function from \ to \ admits a modulus of continuity with a bar recursor. The results for the Baire space are recast in the setting of the Cantor space \ using the notion of fan recursor, a bar recursor for binary trees. This yields characterisations of uniformly continuous functions on the Cantor space and fan theorem in terms of fan recursors. The results for the Cantor space hold over the extensional version of intuitionistic arithmetic in all finite types ), and those for the Baire space hold over \ extended with the type for Brouwer operations. Our work places Spector’s bar recursion in a proper context of Brouwer’s intuitionistic mathematics and clarifies the connection between bar recursion and bar induction. (shrink)

Climate change apparently calls for urgent action, but both individuals and governments have been slow to react. This is partly because, in addition to natural science, economics and moral philosop...

One of the primary views on our supposed obligation towards our descendants in the context of environmental problems invokes the idea of the rights of future generations. A growing number of authors also hold that the descendants of those victimized by historical injustices, including colonialism and slavery, have the right to demand financial reparations for the sufferings of their distant ancestors. However, these claims of intergenerational rights face theoretical difficulties, notably the non-identity problem. To circumvent this problem in a relationship (...) between present and future generations, some rights theorists replace future individual rights with such collective rights. Others advance the threshold conception of harm in discussing intergenerational relationships in general. Despite the significant implications these revisionist views might have, few efforts have been made to scrutinize their solidity. To plug such a gap in the literature, this paper examines to what extent the collective understanding of intergenerational rights is pertinent. I also explore the virtues and drawbacks of the threshold interpretation of harm. The paper concludes by suggesting that the motivation behind these and other versions of the rights theory suffers from the ambiguity of a traditional dichotomy between perfect and imperfect duties. (shrink)

The issue of justice after catastrophe is an enormous challenge to contemporary theories of distributive justice. In the past three decades, the controversy over distributive justice has centered on the ideal of equality. One of intensely debated issues concerns what is often called the “equality of what,” on which there are three primary views: welfarism, resourcism, and the capabilities approach. Another major point of dispute can be termed the “equality or another,” about which three positions debate: egalitarianism, prioritarianism, and sufficientarianism. (...) On these topics of distributive justice, authors are concerned with the current difference between the better-off and the worse-off or the present situation of the badly-off. By contrast, it is essential to take account of the past distribution of well-being as well as the present situation in order to explore questions of post-catastrophe justice. Without looking at the pre-disaster distribution of income, preference satisfaction, or basic capabilities among affected people, no present assessment of the damage caused by the disaster could be correct and no proposed remedy adequate. It is true that luck egalitarians assess the current distribution among people by referring to the decision that each individual made. Yet they pay scant attention to the situation in which each one stayed in the past. Therefore, we can legitimately say that most theorists of distributive justice, including luck egalitarians, have failed to give consideration to the past state of each person. -/- To fill this gap in the literature, the present article explores philosophical questions that arise when we take account of each person’s past and present situations in discussing distributive justice regarding public compensation and assistance to survivors and families of victims of natural and industrial disasters. In addressing these novel questions, I develop and refine various concepts, ideas, and arguments that have been presented in the study of distributive justice in normal settings. I tackle two tasks, the first of which is to explore the foundation and scope of luck egalitarianism. Despite the moral appeal it has in many cases, luck egalitarianism has attracted the so-called harshness objection. Some luck egalitarians attempt to avoid this objection in a pragmatic way by combining the luck egalitarian doctrine with the principle of basic needs satisfaction. However, they do not provide any systematic rationale for this combination. In contrast with such pragmatic responses, I seek to offer a principled argument for holding individuals responsible for their choices only when their basic needs are met, by invoking the ideas of respect for human voluntariness and rescue of human vulnerability. Based on this argument, I propose a form of responsibility-sensitive theory, which considers the pre-disaster distribution of well-being as a default position. The second task I take on is to refine sufficientarianism in the context of post-catastrophe justice. Luck egalitarianism with boundaries set by the basic needs principle seems to indicate the potential for sufficientarianism. But major proponents of this view conceive the welfarist assumption, a considerably high standard of well-being, and the controversial treatment of persons staying below the threshold, all of which seem problematic in the post-disaster situation. I try to construct a new version of sufficientarianism by replacing these current features with more robust ones. (shrink)

We shall prove the second incompleteness theorem via Kolmogorov complexity.

Kierstead showed that every computable marriage problem has a computable matching under the assumption of computable expanding Hall condition and computable local finiteness for boys and girls. The strength of the marriage theorem reaches or if computable expanding Hall condition or computable local finiteness for girls is weakened. In contrast, the provability of the marriage theorem is maintained in even if local finiteness for boys is completely removed. Using these conditions, we classify the strength of variants of marriage theorems in (...) the context of reverse mathematics. Furthermore, we introduce another condition that also makes the marriage theorem provable in, and investigate the sequential and Weihrauch strength of marriage theorems under that condition. (shrink)

Akama et al. [1] systematically studied an arithmetical hierarchy of the law of excluded middle and related principles in the context of first-order arithmetic. In that paper, they first provide a prenex normal form theorem as a justification of their semi-classical principles restricted to prenex formulas. However, there are some errors in their proof. In this paper, we provide a simple counterexample of their prenex normal form theorem [1, Theorem 2.7], then modify it in an appropriate way which still serves (...) to largely justify the arithmetical hierarchy. In addition, we characterize a variety of prenex normal form theorems by logical principles in the arithmetical hierarchy. The characterization results reveal that our prenex normal form theorems are optimal. For the characterization results, we establish a new conservation theorem on semi-classical arithmetic. The theorem generalizes a well-known fact that classical arithmetic is $\Pi _2$ -conservative over intuitionistic arithmetic. (shrink)

As Hegel suggests, there is no philosophy apart from the history of philosophy. Each philosophy represents the spirit peculiar to its own period. Heidegger, too, holds that every philosophy is the sound of Being, and the history of philosophy is the history of Being. This is true for the Kyoto School philosophy of modern Japan represented by Kitaro Nishida, Hajime Tanabe, and Tetsuro Watsuji, who made to endeavor to construct a new synthesis of Western and Eastern philosophy in the critical, (...) confrontational, and creative ways in the given historical contexts. In particular, Tanabe attempts at the dialectical unification of Christianity and Buddhism in the last resort from the standpoint of Absolute Nothingness. As, in Whitehead’s conception of process, actuality is composed of the past objective being as the given data and the present subjective act of becoming, so it might be highly significant to analyze the constitutive elements of Tanabe’s system of thought from the historical and comparative contexts. (shrink)

Some formal properties of enriched systems of Lambek calculus with analogues of conjunction and disjunction are investigated. In particular, it is proved that the class of languages recognizable by the Lambek calculus with added intersective conjunction properly includes the class of finite intersections of context-free languages.

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is a ligand‐dependent transcription factor that regulates the expression of estrogen‐responsive genes. Approximately 70% of patients with breast cancer are ERα positive. Estrogen stimulates cancer cell proliferation and contributes to tumor progression. Endocrine therapies, which suppress the ERα signaling pathway, significantly improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. However, the development of de novo or acquired endocrine therapy resistance remains a barrier to breast cancer treatment. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanisms of ERα is essential to (...) overcome the resistance to treatment. This review focuses on the regulation of ERα expression, including copy number variation, epigenetic regulation, transcriptional regulation, and stability, as well as functions from the point of view post‐translational modifications. (shrink)