A Closer Look at the Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Western Obsession with the Medieval Muslim Theological Obsession with Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is a topic that has attracted much attention from both medieval Muslim theologians and modern Western scholars. By examining the development of the medieval Muslim Rationalist-Traditionalist discourse surrounding this issue, and Western academic discussions of that discourse, I shall attempt to explain why the issue of anthropomorphism has repeatedly dominated discussions on Islamic theology. I will also attempt to show how various associations made with Muslim Rationalism and Traditionalism have influenced Western perceptions of these movements.     

Neuroethics and National Security

This essay considers the potential role of bioethics in disaster response planning and preparedness. Bioethicists can make substantial contributions, by ensuring that decision-making and distribution of resources during crises is carried out in a fair and just manner, as well as by examining the assumptions upon which disaster planning are based. Bioethicists should also be aware of potential pitfalls of overly-hasty engagement with this new field.     

浅析当代原苏联加盟共和国民族哲学兴起的根源

20多年前,原苏联的解体,不仅意味着一个超级大国的崩溃,也意味着曾经统一的意识形态空间的崩塌。因此,在苏联解体之后,原苏联加盟共和国不仅需要重建社会秩序,同时也需要重构精神秩序。从这些国家目前的态势来看,社会秩序已经基本稳定下来,精神秩序重建的任务就随之凸显出来。在这些新兴民族国家身份认同的建构过程中,民族哲学应运而生,成为遍及这些国家思想界的强劲力量。在这些新兴民族国家身份认同的建构过程中,一些我们熟知的对立范畴以不同的形态呈现出来:传统VS现代;民族主义VS国际主义;特殊主义VS普遍主义;去俄罗斯化VS西方化,等等。这些原苏联加盟共和国与我国之间具有高度紧密的地缘政治关系和历史文化渊源,我们有必要密切关注其国内思想发展的最新动态。我国改革开放四十年来,在思想领域同样面临一定程度的重建任务,这些新兴民族国家的精神探索或可为我们提供些许借鉴。     

先秦国家安全思想及其当代借鉴价值

在中国历史上,关于国家安全问题的战略性思考起源于先秦时期,许多重要的指导思想和原则,如以民为本、和而不同、慎战、亲仁善邻等思想已在那时得到了明晰。这些宝贵的思想具有久远而深厚的文化基础。他们不仅为历朝历代安内攘外,维系中国作为世界上唯一不曾中断几千年文明进程的国家发挥了重要的历史作用。而且对于我们今天研究安全问题、制定国家安全战略提供了可资借鉴的价值。     

政府审计维护国家经济安全的体制寻优与机制构建

政府审计维护国家经济安全理论和实践的探索已多年,但对其体制和机制的研究尚未有突破进展.本文对中国政府审计体制展开剖析,认为现行体制在维护国家经济安全方面颇具优势,更能彰显政府审计批判性、建设性、宏观性、服务性和开放性的特征,故应发展而不是舍弃现行体制.在此体制轮廓下,本文论述了政府审计维护国家经济安全的机制设计与构建,阐述了明确行为依据、认知活动领域、优化作用方式、厘清运行路线、强化素质与管理保障五方面的构建内容与实施路径.     

National Security,Self-rule,and Democratic Action

Most discussions of the relationship between liberty and security focus on the idea that enhancing citizens’ security may require imposing constraints on their civil liberties (e.g., freedom of association, of movement, of communication, and so on). This paper explores the question of how measures to enhance security stand vis à vis the idea of political liberty, i.e. the idea of citizens’ collectively directing the power of their state. It distinguishes two models whereby citizens might enact that ideal of self-rule and argues that with respect to issues of national security, the less direct model, which entrusts political agents to make decisions beyond direct democratic input, will often be more appropriate. It argues as well that various practices often seen as fundamentally at odds with the ideal of rule by the people (e.g., government deception, lack of transparency, covert action) are in fact consistent with a reasonable construal of that ideal. It concludes by outlining various criteria that would have to be met for such practices to be morally permissible in democratic states.

     

Comment: Reciprocity and the Rise of Populism

Res Publica - It has recently been contended that the rise of populism in the US, culminating in the election of Donald Trump, vindicates liberal political theory, and the liberal political theory...     

Bringing the National Security Agency into the Classroom: Ethical Reflections on Academia-Intelligence Agency Partnerships

Science and Engineering Ethics - Academia-intelligence agency collaborations are on the rise for a variety of reasons. These can take many forms, one of which is in the classroom, using students to...     

A Content Analysis of Opinions About the National Counselor Examination

This study examined the degree of professional satisfaction among candidates taking the National Counselor Examination (NCE) between 1986 and 1990. A total of 383 written evaluative responses were analyzed and categorized using content analysis through a word-based frequency computer for the analysis of narrative responses.     

Religion and the Acceptability of White‐Collar Crime: A Cross‐National Analysis

This article examines whether shared religious beliefs and religious social relationships (Durkheim) and belief in a personal, moral God (Stark) negatively affect attitudes toward the acceptability of white‐collar crime. In addition, using a large cross‐national sample and estimating multilevel models, we test whether effects are conditional on modernization and religious contexts characterized by belief in an impersonal or amoral God. Shared religious beliefs and the importance of God in one's life are negatively related to the acceptability of white‐collar crime. These effects, however, weaken in religious contexts characterized by belief in an impersonal or amoral God as do the effects of religious social relationships and belonging to a religious organization; modernization, on the other hand, does not have a moderating effect. In short, religious belief is associated with lower acceptance of white‐collar crime and certain types of religious contexts condition this relationship.     

剖宫产率上升探析

剖宫产作为产科分娩的干预手段,既可以挽救孕妇和胎儿的生命,又会对孕妇和胎儿带来某些预料不到的危险。近年来,许多国家的剖宫产率随着剖宫产术的推广不断上升,引起了社会各界的广泛关注。本文概述了国内外剖宫产率变化的主要特征,综述了导致剖宫产率上升的主要因素及社会各界对剖宫产率上升的不同看法。     

剖宫产率上升探析

剖宫产作为产科分娩的干预手段,既可以挽救孕妇和胎儿的生命,又会对孕妇和胎儿带来某些预料不到的危险.近年来,许多国家的剖宫产率随着剖宫产术的推广不断上升,引起了社会各界的广泛关注.本文概述了国内外剖官产率变化的主要特征,综述了导致剖宫产率上升的主要因素及社会各界对剖宫产率上升的不同看法.     

A National Collaboration Process: Finnish Engineering Education for the Benefit of People and Environment

The key stakeholders of the Finnish engineering education collaborated during 2006–09 to reform the system of education, to face the challenges of the changing business environment and to create a national strategy for the Finnish engineering education. The work process was carried out using participatory work methods. Impacts of sustainable development (SD) on engineering education were analysed in one of the subprojects. In addition to participatory workshops, the core part of the work on SD consisted of a research with more than 60 interviews and an extensive literature survey. This paper discusses the results of the research and the work process of the Collaboration Group in the subproject of SD. It is suggested that enhancing systematic dialogue among key stakeholders using participatory work methods is crucial in increasing motivation and commitment in incorporating SD in engineering education. Development of the context of learning is essential for improving skills of engineering graduates in some of the key abilities related to SD: systemic- and life-cycle thinking, ethical understanding, collaborative learning and critical reflection skills. This requires changing of the educational paradigm from teacher-centred to learner-centred applying problem- and project-oriented active learning methods.