The Responsible Subject in the Global Age

The first thesis of this article is that the concept of responsibility takes on an unprecedented meaning in the twentieth century resulting from the emergence of a new dimension of the other: to be responsible comes to mean not just to account for oneself in relation to the other, but also to take the other into account, to take care of the other—what I call responsibility towards (the other). The main reason for this change consists in the emergence of global risks and the necessity, as underlined by Hans Jonas, to be responsible for the destiny of the world and future generations. The problem, as explored in the article’s second thesis, is that this implies the existence of a subject who is capable of responsibility. Jonas’s insights on this point are insufficient, since he only recognizes duty as the fundament for his ethics of responsibility and thus neglects the problem of motivation. This is a particularly crucial problem today as we are witnessing the presence of a pathological subject, characterized by a split in his faculties (between doing and imagining, knowing and feeling). To underline this fact, this article makes use of Günther Anders’s reflections, which provide a psycho-anthropological analysis of the subject, showing his pathologies and the necessity, from a moral perspective, to overcome his scission. Finally, this author suggests, as the article’s third thesis, that this overcoming is the necessary fundament for the perception of risk, which in turn reinstates the subject’s perception of his own vulnerability. Responsibility thus finds a motivation, which is neither altruistic nor duty-centred, in the awareness of our own vulnerability and the bond with the destiny of humankind as a whole.     

Huang Yong,Ethics in a Global Age

Professor Huang Yong is known for his works on ethics and his comparative studies of traditional Chinese thought and Western philosophy. Ethics in a Global Age reflects this general interest, consisting of eight self-selected essays which discuss ethical issues at length and their possible solutions in the global age.     

Introduction: The Dialogical Self in a Global and Digital Age

In this article, culture and self, like society and identity, are conceived as mutually inclusive. On the basis of this premise, self and identity are discussed in the context of an evolution toward a global and digital society. The core concept is the "dialogical self" that is described as a spatial and temporal process of positioning. Examples of multivoiced and dialogical selves are given in communities and cultures that lack advanced technological means. Apparently, the dialogical self is not an exclusive feature of the present era but a general human condition. Specific to the era is that dialogue is becoming increasingly mediated as a result of technological advances. Closely related to these advances, one can witness an increasing cultural complexity, mobility, and hybridization. It is argued that technological developments and global interconnectedness provide new opportunities for innovation of the self as multivoiced and dialogical. At the same time, such developments evoke counter forces that can close the self off from such opportunities. This article ends with a short introduction to the several contributions in this special issue.     

The Beauty of the Ugly: Balthasar, the Crucifixion, Analogy and God

Abstract:  In the first volume of The Glory of the Lord , Hans Urs von Balthasar asks how the crucified Christ can be considered an icon of a beautiful God. Because the crucifixion initially confronts us as morally and aesthetically ugly, no authentic analogy between worldly beauty and the beauty of divine revelation seems to obtain. In arguing to the contrary, Balthasar presents us with an original interpretation of Thomas Aquinas that yields fresh insights into the Christian doctrine of God. By placing the cross at the center of intramundane aesthetics, Balthasar forces us to rethink, not only the meaning of the divine simplicity, but the relation in God among being, beauty and love.     

社区组织行政化:表现、原因及对策分析

社区居委会是社区居民自我管理、自我教育、自我服务、自我监督的基层群众性自治组织,但是在我国社区建设与社区发展过程中出现了社区组织行政化的倾向。本文探讨了社区自治组织行政化的表现,分析了导致社区自治组织行政化的原因,提出了社区自治组织去行政化的对策。     

Review of Curren and Dorn,Patriotic Education in a Global Age

Studies in Philosophy and Education -     

Adult Age and Gender Differences in Perceptions of Facial Attractiveness: Beauty is in the Eye of the Older Beholder

The authors examined ratings of facial attractiveness, rankings of faces, and reasons given by young, middle-aged, and older men and women for young, middle-aged, and older male and female face attractiveness. No support for predictions derived from similarity, interest, and cohort hypotheses was obtained. In support of the expertise hypothesis, young and middle-aged adults rated younger faces as more attractive than old faces, whereas older adults rated all aged faces equally. In support of the crone hypothesis, older female faces were rated the lowest of all faces. Theoretical implications and real-world applications are discussed.     

从优美和壮美的角度看自然美、艺术美和道德美——兼评康德和黑格尔的美学观

康德把审美对象区分为自然美、艺术美和道德美,而黑格尔只承认艺术美。康德还区分了优美和壮美,黑格尔对此几乎完全忽略。在这两方面,黑格尔有失偏颇。壮美作为道德美的本质特征是孔子所说的从心所欲不逾矩,对应于康德所说的自由的自律。黑格尔把美定义为理念的感性显现,强调了美是理性和感性的统一。对于审美的感性直观的特征,康德有所忽略,因而有失偏颇。