Human rights are often taken for granted, but "What is the basis of human rights?" This is no easy answer, De Xiao Weiqi, in his 2004 book of this difficult the problem. He considered the following four main theories: First, the external theory: the root cause of human rights outside the law, such as human rights divine theory; Second, the intrinsic theory: the root cause of human rights within the law - law positivism ; three, rationalist approaches: human rights is (...) based on rational intuition ; Fourth, experience-based approaches: human rights from human experience, especially experience the experience of injustice. He made ​​the first three theories are severely criticized, and to promote a fourth to experience-based approaches. This paper points out that although the experience of Germany and Xiao Weiqi theory have many advantages, but it is evidence of human rights legislation are vague and inconsistent standards of the Department, and its invention on human rights can not provide more solid foundation. In fact, these issues are perceived more or less de Xiao Weiqi, he repeatedly pointed out that the need for external to the human rights legal standards, I think the divine rights theory is to provide a basis for human rights may be one of the world. De Xiao Weiqi theory of divine criticism of human rights have a good reminder, but I think it still can not rule out the Christ-centered Christian contemporary human rights theory. Human rights are often taken for granted but in fact the origin or foundation of human rights is not an easy question. Alan Dershowitz tries to tackle this thorny issue in his 2004 book: Rights from Wrongs: A Secular Theory of the Origins of Rights. He mainly considers four theories: 1) externalism, eg, the divine source of human rights theory; 2) Internalism, eg, legal positivism; 3) Rationalism, eg, the claim that human rights are founded upon rational intuitions; 4) Experiential approach, ie, human rights are derived from our historical experience of serious wrongs or injustice. He severely criticizes the first three theories, and defends the fourth. In this article, I will point out that despite quite a few merits of Dershowitz's theory; his criteria for the validation of human rights are vague or even inconsistent. His general stance of constructivism towards moral and human rights claims, moreover, are unable to provide solid foundations for human rights. In fact Dershowitz is to some extent aware of these problems, and he feels that human rights do need an objective external source, if only it is possible. I think the theistic worldview is indeed able to provide this objective external source. Dershowitz has raised a lot of good questions for the divine source theory but I argue that in the end they cannot exclude the possibility of a contemporary Christocentric theory of human rights. (shrink)

This chapter contains sections titled: The Experiential Roots of Religion The ARE in the Twentieth Century The Decline of Traditional Foundationalism and Stock Objections to RE The ARE via the Principle of Critical Trust (PCT) RE and TE Conceptual Coherence of TE Intracoherence of TE The Structure of the CTA The Impartiality Argument for the PCT Objections to the ARE The ARE in the Twenty‐First Century References.

This book deals with the thorny issue of human rights in different cultures and religions, especially in the light of bioethical issues. In this book, experts from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism and Confucianism discuss the tension between their religious traditions and the claim of universality of human rights. The East-West contrast is particularly evident with regards to human rights. Some writers find the human rights language too individualistic and it is foreign to major religions where the self does (...) not exist in isolation, but is normally immersed in a web of relations and duties towards family, friends, religion community, and society. Is the human rights discourse a predominantly Western liberal ideal, which in bioethics is translated to mean autonomy and free choice? In today's democratic societies, laws have been drafted to protect individuals and communities against slavery, discrimination, torture or genocide. Yet, it appears unclear at what moment universal rights supersede respect for cultural diversity and pluralism. This collection of articles demonstrates a rich spectrum of positions among different religions, as they confront the ever more pressing issues of bioethics and human rights in the modern world. This book is intended for those interested in the contemporary debates on religious ethics, human rights, bioethics, cultural diversity and multiculturalism. (shrink)

In recent analytic philosophy of religion, one hotly debated topic is the veridicality of religious experience. In this paper, I briefly trace how the argument from religious experience comes into prominence in the twentieth century. This is due to the able defense of this argument by Richard Swinburne, William Alston, and Jerome Gellman among others. I explain the argument's intuitive force and why the stock objections to religious experience are not entirely convincing. I expound Swinburne's approach and his application of (...) the Principle of Credulity to religious experience. Then I critically examine four major objections to Swinburne. I conclude that the argument from religious experiences is not likely to be conclusive but it should not be dismissed either. (shrink)

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English. 唐文明教授探討黑格爾的現代承認理論，再「通過重構奥古斯丁關於人從記憶中尋求上帝的描述，提出一種基於創造論的承認理論」；最後通過分析儒教經典指出天人之倫乃是人倫的基礎，這與基督教思想吻合，這種耶儒比較也 開出「宗教性的生命倫理學」。唐教授的文章內容豐富，所探討的問題也非常重要，如他所言，現代社會普遍面對「物化」的問題——對他人、對自然和對自我的物化，問題根源是「自我與他人之間的相互承認」出現偏差。相反 ，正確的相互承認能為人的尊嚴和平等，以及現代社會的倫理實踐提供基礎。唐教授為耶儒的匯通作出重大貢獻，也激發我們反思世俗主義能否為人倫提供基礎。 In his article, Professor Tang critically evaluates Hegel's modern theory of recognition and proposes a kind of recognition theory based on protology. He proposes that human relations should be founded on our relationship with Heaven through exploring the Confucian classics and that this is consistent with Christian thought. This kind of thought leads to a kind of religion-based life ethics. I believe that Professor Tang makes important contributions to (...) the dialogue between Christianity and Confucianism by showing the convergence of both worldviews. In my article, I give provide additional support for this kind of convergence while at the same time pointing out some areas of divergence. For example, I note that, as both Christianity and Confucianism are challenged by secularism in contemporary societies, their dialogue should be expanded to include Christianity, Confucianism, and secularist traditions (such as naturalism). I believe Christianity and Confucianism align on one weakness of naturalism: the difficulty of justifying objective moral standards through the epistemology of positivism or scientism. Within both Christianity and Confucianism, it is possible to justify objective moral standards and to provide spiritual resources for overcoming the dehumanization of humans in modern society. A kind of religion-based life ethics is therefore greatly relevant in our context. (shrink)

Employees with self-perceived misattributed culpability or incompetence are on the receiving end of complaints, reprimands, or accusations which, from their perspective, incorrectly assume that that they have fallen short of required standards or outcomes. We analyzed an archive of 23 personal stories featuring SMCI, which had been provided by 16 Hong Kong Chinese employees. The stories indicated that the most severe impacts on employee morale had arisen from punitive and targeted feedback based on misrepresentations by superiors, who had engaged in (...) blame deflection, politicking and manipulation, conflict and retaliation, and/or prejudice and stereotyping. We also identified organizational processes, such as soliciting and accepting voice and engaging in problem solving discussions that could attenuate any adverse emotional impact. (shrink)

The objects of science education are transformed, degraded and disappeared for many reasons, and sometimes take other things with them when they go. This close reading of an undergraduate physiology laboratory report demonstrates how the kymograph was never a stand-alone instrument, but intertwined with conceptual frameworks and technical skills, laboratory amenities, materials, animal supply, technicians. Replacing the obsolete kymograph entails changing all of that, though our usual stories are focussed on progress associated with better measurements with fewer complications, not complications (...) themselves. Such interconnectedness between progress and demise raises uncomfortable challenges for laboratory pedagogy, and for museum practice: what is laboratory education really about, and what kinds of heritage should museums, libraries and archives preserve to document it? (shrink)

日本思想史上での宣長再評価に向けて。『古事記伝』は『古事記』の解釈を通して、宣長による新たな神話を成立させたテキストであった。つくり出された“古事記”はいかなる物語となったのか。『古事記伝』の読みが『 古事記』と最も乖離している箇所「外国“とつくに”」に着目し。ひるがえって、自国日本に対して用いた語「皇国“みくに”」の意味を追究する。神について語る『古事記』を、人に適用して読もうとした『古事記伝』の 本質が明らかになる。.

The dynamical equations of quantum mechanics are rewritten in the form of dynamical equations for the measurable, positive marginal distribution of the shifted, rotated, and squeezed quadrature introduced in the so-called “symplectic tomography”. Then the possibility of a purely classical description of a quantum system as well as a reinterpretation of the quantum measurement theory is discussed and a comparison with the well-known quasi-probabilities approach is given. Furthermore, an analysis of the properties of this marginal distribution, which contains all the (...) quantum information, is performed in the framework of classical probability theory. Finally, examples of the harmonic oscillator's states dynamics are treated. (shrink)

I argue that principles need to be appealed to in criticism especially when critics deliberate and determine the consistency between their verdicts on individual artworks. Following Frank Sibley, we can take principles as identifying properties with inherently positive or negative polarities that can be reversed in interactions with other properties. I contend that we should understand the character of such principles as having ceteris paribus hedges that restrict the scopes of the principles to artworks in which the inherent polarities of (...) cited qualities are not undermined or reversed. This is to adopt Michael Strevens’ ‘narrowing’ approach to interpreting ceteris paribus clauses. A consequence of such hedges is that the conditions of application of critical principles—when certain polarities are not undermined or reversed—may be partly opaque and unknown. Unpacking the opaque truth conditions of such principles, then, helps to make sense of how critics go about working out the consistency between their verdicts. This view of critical principles is consistent with and even predicts Arnold Isenberg’s particularist intuition that verdicts can be directly perceived without the need to infer them from principles. After all, opaque truth conditions mean that sometimes critics may not know whether an inference from a principle to verdict is valid. Ultimately, this view of hedged principles helps to make sense of critical aesthetic practice and accords with both the generalist intuition that critical reasons, to be reasons, require principles and the particularist intuition that inferences to verdicts can be short-circuited by direct acts of perception. (shrink)

Simulated standardized patients (SPs) are trained individuals who pose incognito as people seeking treatment in a health care setting. With the method’s increasing use and popularity, we propose some standards to adapt the method to contextual considerations of feasibility, and we discuss current issues with the SP method and the experience of consent and ethical research in international SP studies. Since a foundational discussion of the research ethics of the method was published in 2012, a growing number of studies have (...) implemented this method to collect data on the quality of care in a variety of settings around the world. We draw from that experience to provide empirical foundations for a popular approach to ethical approval of such studies in the United States and Canada, which has been to obtain a waiver of informed consent from the health care providers who are the subjects of the research. However, the majority of studies to date have evaluated quality of care outside the U.S., requiring additional ethical consideration when partnering with international institutions. We discuss these considerations in the context of a case study from a completed SP study in South Africa, where informed consent is constitutionally protected. (shrink)

Contributed articles on the life and works of K. Satchidananda Murty,, Indic philosopher and teacher.

In this essay, I investigate the origins of Chinese migrant transnationalism and its personal and social consequences. I propose a theoretical perspective that turns on a synthesis that I shall call “cultural functionalism,” a synthesis that attempts to reconcile functionalism and postmodernism. My argument is that Chinese transmigrants overcome modern alienation through a two-way approach: first, a strong participation in and full commitment to community development and connectivity within the Chinese diaspora ; and, second, a religio-cultural renaissance—both being conceived of (...) as constituting a putative “cultural contract” and “social capital” nexus. (shrink)

Complete works of Maṇḍanamiśra, Indian philosopher; includes study on his work also.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is related to a variety of cognitive impairments that may even progress to dementia. Studies have found the angular gyrus is a cross-modal integration hub that is involved in a variety of cognitive processes. However, few studies have focused on the patterns of resting-state functional connections of the AG in patients with T2DM. This study explored the functional connection between the AG and the whole brain and the relationship between the FC and clinical/cognitive variables in patients (...) with T2DM. 44 patients with T2DM and 43 sex-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state fMRI and received neuropsychological assessments. Compared with the control group, the T2DM group showed abnormal rsFCs between the AG and multiple brain regions. The FC between the left AG and the left medial temporal lobe in the T2DM group was positively correlated with scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, after a Bonferroni correction. Collectively, patients with T2DM have abnormal FCs between the AG and extensive brain regions that may be related to various cognitive processes. (shrink)

The author rejects the theory of holism and criticises especiallyA. Meyer's works. An important starting point ofMeyer's arguments consists in the opinion that the physiologists of to day are out of days because they still want to base biology on classical physics which has been superseded by the “Quantenmechanik” . As organisms, however, are not microphysical systems — as may be proved —Meyer's arguments become futile. Also the opinion that the qualities of the whole are not determined by those of (...) the parts, but that on the contrary the whole determines the performances of its parts is rejected, since the whole can only work by influences proceeding from its parts. —Meyer's opinion that not physical but biological laws are the more generally valid results from a use of the words „more generally valid” in a sense differing from common usage. Many other results ofA. Meyer also arise through a modified use of language.L'auteur récuse la théorie du holisme et critique avant tout les travaux deA. Meyer. Un point de départ important des arguments deMeyer consiste dans l'opinion que les physiologistes d'aujourd'hui soient arriérés parce qu'ils veulent encore baser la biologie sur la physique classique qui est dépassée par la „Quantenmechanik” . Comme toutefois les organismes ne sont pas des systèmes microphysicaux, ce qui est prouvable, les arguments deMeyer sont mal assurés. Il faut aussi récuser l'opinion que les qualités du tout ne soient pas déterminées par celles des parties mais que, inversement, le tout stipule les traveaux de ses parties, puisque le tout peut seulement agir par des influences partant de ces parties. — L'opinion deMeyer, que ce ne sont pas les lois physiques mais les lois biologiques qui sont d'une validité plus générale , résulte de l'emploi des mots „validité plus générale” s'écartant de la manière de parler. Encore bien d'autres résultats deMeyer ne résultent que d'une manière de s'exprimer modifiée. (shrink)

1. Lo taḥamod. Lo titʼaṿeh. Lo taḥanifu. Isur genevat daʻat. Lo teḳalel. Lo tiḳom ṿe-lo tiṭor -- ḥeleḳ 2. Lo tiśna ṿa-ahavat le-reʻakha. Ahavat ha-ger -- ḥeleḳ 3. Onaʼat devarim. Hilkhot panim. Onaʼat ha-ger -- ḥeleḳ 4. Isur hakaʼah. Mitsṿot maʻaḳeh. Shemirat ha-guf -- ḥeleḳ 6. Kibud av ṿe-em. Kibud melamde ha-Torah ve-ḥakhameha. Kibud kohen.

Adolescents who believe that their parents treat them differently from their siblings have poorer psychosocial well-being than otherwise. This phenomenon, which is known as parental differential treatment or PDT occurs in up to 65% of families. Past studies have examined socio-demographic variables (e.g., child gender, age, and birth order) as predictors of PDT, but these immutable characteristics do little to inform interventions and help these adolescents. Hence, this study extends past research by investigating links among parent empathy, parent perception of (...) PDT, child perception of PDT, child perception of fairness and child well-being (self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and trust in the relationship with parents). Furthermore, this study tests whether adolescent personality (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism), child empathy, and child perception of fairness moderate these links. This study will utilize a two-wave longitudinal design with a one-year lapse. Data will be collected from 760 Chinese adolescents studying from Secondary One to Secondary Three in 18 schools in Hong Kong and from their parents. We test our theoretical model via a multilevel structural equation model. This study both addresses (a) theoretical debates about relations among empathy, PDT, fairness, and psychosocial well-being and (b) focuses on modifiable factors and behaviors, to inform future interventions, such as parent education. (shrink)

Statistical learning enables humans to involuntarily process and utilize different kinds of patterns from the environment. However, the cognitive mechanisms underlying the simultaneous acquisition of multiple regularities from different perceptual modalities remain unclear. A novel multidimensional serial reaction time task was developed to test 40 participants’ ability to learn simple first‐order and complex second‐order relations between uni‐modal visual and cross‐modal audio‐visual stimuli. Using the difference in reaction times between sequenced and random stimuli as the index of domain‐general statistical learning, a (...) significant difference and dissociation of learning occurred between the initial and final learning phases. Furthermore, we used a negative and positive occurrence‐frequency‐and‐reaction‐time correlation to indicate implicit and explicit learning, respectively, and found that learning simple uni‐modal patterns involved an implicit‐to‐explicit segue, while acquiring complex cross‐modal patterns required an explicit‐to‐implicit segue, resulting in a X‐shape crossing of regularity learning. Thus, we propose an X‐way hypothesis to elucidate the dynamic interplay between the implicit and explicit systems at two distinct stages when acquiring various regularities in a multidimensional probability space. (shrink)