Reclaiming and reconnecting to our spirituality in the academy

In this paper, the author, a doctoral student, examines his past to understand why spirituality is important in his present life and why it is important to integrate spirituality within the academy for young adults. In this personal narrative, the author discusses how spirituality becomes important for him from his childhood, as he grows up in Kuwait and Bangladesh and is subjected to numerous forms of psychological violence from his family, his school and larger society. The author then examines how his spirituality is negated as he immigrates to Canada and joins the Canadian academy as a young adult student. Finally, the author discusses why it is important to incorporate spirituality within the academy for young adults.     

Do young boys and girls have distinct and different approaches and needs in relation to spiritual development?

Difficulties are outlined in how to consider whether boys and girls have distinctive approaches and needs in relation to spiritual development, especially the lack of any agreed definition of spiritual development and the nature of the research literature relating to gender. I explore this without presupposing, or excluding, any particular definition, arguing that, whatever one's assumptions and beliefs about spirituality, these influence, and are influenced by, assumptions and beliefs about gender, and vice versa. I present empirical evidence on aspects associated with personal well‐being indicating outcomes strongly differentiated by gender. I examine research evidence in relation to gender within a range of areas commonly associated with spirituality and highlight some gaps. I argue that considering spiritual development through the lens of gender and gender through that of spiritual development can illuminate one's understanding of both concepts. I suggest some possible implications for future research and for teachers of young children.     

Robustness without asymmetry: A flaw in Fodor's theory of content

We wish to thank Fred Adams, Ken Aizawa, Lynne Rudder Baker and Carol Slater for helpful comments on an earlier version of this essay.     

Panpsychism,Emergentism and the Metaphysics of Causation

This article uses causation to show that panpsychism and emergentism share far less than most philosophers suppose. It argues that panpsychism has features, among them its rationalism, that force what the article calls a strong account of causation. And that emergentism entails what the article calls a weak account of causation incompatible with any strong account. The article then ventures that panpsychism and emergentism form parts of two wide‐ranging but incompatible metaphysical packages.