Kant's Critique of Instrumental Reason

I argue against the prevalent view that in addition to the categorical imperative of morality, Kant accepts a further law of practical reason, ‘the’ Hypothetical Imperative. Kant rejects the idea that instrumental reason can be a source of a priori, objectively necessary normative requirements. His critique of instrumental reason is a central component of his argument for the supreme rational authority of morality: only moral reason can provide genuine, objective normative‐practical necessities. There are no objective practical necessities in our pursuit of empirical ends and desires. Hence, non‐moral agency is a rationally impoverished form of agency.     

Kindesmisshandlung – eine Übersicht aus rechtsmedizinischer Sicht

Medicolegal criteria have increasingly become the focus of attention in the assessment of child abuse cases. The principle of assessment is often to prove the plausibility of whether, for instance, the ascertained injuries are in accordance with the reported background information. A further aspect is to aid in clarifying differential diagnoses (e.g. skin diseases or congenital metabolic bone diseases). In cases of suspected sexual abuse a professional strategy is required with a suitable examination process and appropriate scrutiny of the results. Flawed or incorrect diagnoses (i.e. false positive or negative) in cases of suspected child abuse could have dramatic consequences for parents or guardians and the children; therefore, in the interests of the children it is absolutely necessary to have a good collaboration between all disciplines involved, including those inside and outside medical specialties.     

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Trajectories of Well-Being of Middle-Aged and older Adults: A Multidimensional and Multidirectional Perspective

Journal of Happiness Studies - The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in profound changes of individuals’ everyday lives. Restrictions in social contacts and in leisure activities and the...     

Family systems psychiatry in an acute in‐patient setting: the implementation and sustainability 5 years after its introduction

From 2003 to 2008 a multicentre research project, systems therapy methods in acute psychiatry (SYMPA), attempted to establish structured in‐patient treatment based on systemic interventions in German non‐university psychiatric hospitals. Utilising multi‐professional family systems training for team members in six in‐patient wards, its main goal was to improve the involvement of familial and non‐familial important others. This follow‐up study explores the sustainability of family systems psychiatry by evaluating the frequency of the utilisation of four core systemic interventions; elements of a systemic organizational culture in psychiatry; and institutional barriers to this new approach. The degree of implementation was high to moderate, depending on the intervention. More intense communication developed among staff of different professions and the status of nursing staff improved. Organizational barriers to implementation included the ambiguous role of junior doctors in teams, continuously understaffed wards and frequent over‐occupancy.     

The Relation of Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression to Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Desire

The differential relations between the emotion regulation strategies “cognitive reappraisal” and “expressive suppression” and suicidality in a mixed inpatient sample (N = 232, 69.4% female) of a German psychotherapeutic hospital were examined. Patients filled in the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and items on suicidal ideation and desire. A structural equation model fitted the data (RMSEA = .044; CFI = .96) and revealed that “expressive suppression” significantly predicted increased suicidal ideation. Moderation analysis showed that results were independent from a current depressive episode. Potential implications for psychotherapeutic treatment of suicidality are discussed.     

The Emergence of Human Altruism:Preschool Children Develop a Norm for Empathy-based Comforting

ABSTRACT

The study examined whether preschool children conceive of empathy-based comforting as being an obligatory reaction toward others in emotional need. We presented 3- and 5-year-old children with three scenarios in which protagonists showed different reactions toward an agent who has hurt herself. One protagonist reacted antisocially by laughing at the agent, one ignored the agent, and one demonstrated empathy-based comforting. The 3-year-olds only protested against the antisocial protagonist. In contrast, the 5-year-olds protested against the protagonists who either acted antisocially or ignored the needy other while they selectively affirmed the protagonist who showed empathy-based comforting. The findings indicate that a norm for empathy-based comforting develops in the preschool years. Overall, our study demonstrates the emergence of a normative concern with the well-being of others, a central aspect of human altruism.