En "Science, Truth and Democracy" (2001) y Science in a Democratic Society" (2011a), Philip Kitcher propuso un modelo de "ciencia bien ordenada". A través del desarrollo de un ideal filosófico, la ciencia bien ordenada de Kitcher tiene como objetivo consolidar los requisitos de la democracia, así como de la práctica científica. El presente artículo trata de seguir este modelo ideal desde una perspectiva más empirica: ¿Hasta qué punto podemos aplicar dicha teoria en el plano de la política científica y de (...) los marcos institucionales? El enfoque se centra en un estudio de caso de un debate público sobre nanotecnología que tuvo lugar en Francia. (shrink)

Over the past two decades, Victor and Cullen’s (Adm Sci Q 33:101–125, 1988 ) typology of ethical climates has been employed by many academics in research on issues of ethical climates. However, little is known about how managerial practices such as communication and empowerment influence ethical climates, especially from a functional perspective. The current study used a survey of employees from Taiwan’s top 100 patent-owning companies to examine how communication and empowerment affect organizational ethical climates. The results confirm the relationship (...) between these two managerial practices and organizational ethical climates. We discuss our results and their implications for both future academic research and practice. (shrink)

Open peer commentary on the article “Consciousness as Self-Description in Differences” by Diana Gasparyan. Upshot: Gasparyan’s article ignores the inherent tension of being a human who is both a subject and an object at the same time. Any theory of consciousness must include both of these dimensions.

This paper explores the value of respect for personal autonomy in relation to clearly immoral and irrational acts committed freely and intentionally by competent people. Following Berlin's distinction between two kinds of liberty and Darwall's two kinds of respect, it is argued that coercive suppression of nonautonomous, irrational, and self-harming acts of competent persons is offensive to their human dignity, but not disrespectful of personal autonomy. Irrational and immoral choices made by competent people may claim only the negative liberty to (...) be left alone. Lives disposed to autonomy are worthy of solidarity and active support in addition to the right of free choice and action. Autonomous premeditated desires (distinguished from mere consent) may embody transcendental choices, which transcend consideration of physical and psychological well-being. Choices made by incompetent persons (e.g., children and the mentally disabled) are not related to autonomy, but to self-directedness. The value of human dignity confers protection to self-directedness, but not at the expense of other vital interests. (shrink)

A cross-sectional study to ascertain what the Singapore population would regard as material risk in the anaesthesia consent-taking process and identify demographic factors that predict patient preferences in medical decision-making to tailor a more patient-centered informed consent. A survey was performed involving patients 21 years old and above who attended the pre-operative evaluation clinic over a 1-month period in Singapore General Hospital. Questionnaires were administered to assess patients’ perception of material risks, by trained interviewers. Patients’ demographics were obtained. Mann–Whitney U (...) test and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance was used. Statistical significance was taken at p < 0.05. Four hundred fourteen patients were eligible of which 26 refused to participate and 24 were excluded due to language barrier. 364 patients were recruited. A higher level of education, being employed and younger age group are factors identified in patients who wanted greater participation in medical decisions. Gender, marital status, type of surgery, and previous surgical history did not affect their level of participation. The complications most patients knew about were Nausea, Drowsiness and Surgical Wound Pain. Patients ranked Heart Attack, Death and Stroke as the most significant risks that they wanted to be informed about in greater detail. Most patients wanted to make a joint decision with the anaesthetist, instead of letting the doctor decide or deciding for themselves. Discussion with the anaesthetist is the preferred medium of communication compared to reading a pamphlet or watching a video. Age and educational level can influence medical decision-making. Despite the digital age, most patients still prefer a clinic consult instead of audio-visual multimedia for pre-operative anaesthetic counselling. The local population appears to place greater importance on rare but serious complications compared to common complications. This illustrates the need to contextualize information provided during informed consent to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship. (shrink)

Works by a 19th century Bengali teacher, journalist, and nationalist; most on Hinduism and philosophy.

Ernst Robert Curtius sagte über José Ortega y Gasset: "Er ist vielleicht der einzige Mensch in Europa, dem es gegeben und gemäß ist, mit der gleichen Intensität des Interesses, der gleichen Sicherheit des Urteils, dem gleichen Glanz der Formulierung über Kant wie über Proust, über Debussy wie über Scheler zu sprechen. Zwischen vorgeschichtlichen Kulturen und kubistischer Malerei scheint es nichts zu geben, was diesen Kritiker nicht interessierte." Das Buch "Vom Menschen als utopischen Wesen", das im Europa Verlag erstmals im Jahre (...) 1951 erschien, versammelt vier Essays, die Curtius' Urteil begründen: Ideen und Glaubensgewißheiten, Insichselbst-Versenkung und Selbstentfremdung, Glanz und Elend der Übersetzung und Ideen für eine Geschichte der Philosophie. Ob Ortega von den Phänomenen des Denkens und Glaubens, der Selbstversenkung und -entfremdung ausgeht oder von der Geschichte der Philosophie: nach wenigen Sätzen ist er in den Tiefen der Problematik und - wie er meint - des wesentlich utopischen Charakters des menschlichen Tuns. Er öffnet dem Leser die Augen für Einsichten und Zusammenhänge, die ihm bis dahin, wenn nicht fremd, so doch nicht klar bewußt waren. " Das Schicksal - das Privileg und die Ehre - des Menschen ist es, niemals ganz zu erreichen, was er sich vornimmt und bloßer Anspruch, lebende Utopie zu sein. Immer schreitet er der Niederlage entgegen, und schon ehe er in den Kampf eintritt, trägt er die Wunde an der Schläfe." (Ortega y Gassett). (shrink)