THE END OF NEO-LIBERALISM AND THE BEGINNINGS OF INTEGRAL ECONOMICS

A burgeoning policy shift from neo-liberal economics is underway, with leadership by presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). His platform positions stem in part from his negative experiences with neo-liberalism when he was Mayor of Cleveland more than 30 years ago. Although his response as Mayor was based on confrontation politics, examples of community-based economies built on collaborative planning, ownership, and management have since become more widely known. We can now show that the successful Grameen Bank and the Mondragon Cooperatives were constructed on principles consistent with Integral Science.     

AN INTEGRAL ANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL STANDARD OF CANADA FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

This article integrally analyzes the National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture (NSCOA) through the application of philosopher Ken Wilber's Integral model. The results of the analysis determined that the NSCOA is predominantly a one-dimensional (exterior), two quadrant (behaviors and systems) policy. The NSCOA neglects the subjective and intersubjective elements of the Integral model and at best achieves physical sustainability and the physiological/behavioral treatment of livestock. Finally, recommendations are made to incorporate the principles of the Integral model into the workings of the NSCOA.     

Missional Congregations as Public Companions with God in Global Civil Society: Vocational Imagination and Spiritual Presence

This article explores the intersection of missional ecclesiology and civil society studies and proposes that the Holy Spirit is calling emerging missional congregations to the vocation of public companions with God in global civil society. This congregational vocation of public companion entails four dimensions of missional congregations’ spiritual presence within civil society: perichoretic communion, prophetic speech, sapiential wisdom, and pacific action.     

PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTIONS AND BIOLOGICAL FINDINGS,PART I: HUMAN COOPERATIVITY,COMPETITION, AND AGGRESSION

This Part II of a two-part article illustrates how research in evolutionary biology, anthropology, archeology, and psychology illuminates questions arising in philosophy—specifically questions about René Girard's theory of aggression. Part I looked at: (i) how old the systemic practice of severe aggression is; (ii) how much of it results from humanity's mimetic/social and competitive nature and how much from ecological, resource, and cultural conditions; and (iii) if ecological, resource, and cultural conditions are important, might we adapt this information toward greater cooperativity today? Part II investigates Girard's theory of ritual sacrifice—especially human sacrifice—as a societal steam valve for the systemic aggression explored in Part I. It draws on theories of play, theater, and art to examine the role and function of such ritual sacrifice.     

Biomedicine: an ontological dissection

Though ubiquitous across the medical social sciences literature, the term “biomedicine” as an analytical concept remains remarkably slippery. It is argued here that this imprecision is due in part to the fact that biomedicine is comprised of three interrelated ontological spheres, each of which frames biomedicine as a distinct subject of investigation. This suggests that, depending upon one’s ontological commitment, the meaning of biomedicine will shift. From an empirical perspective, biomedicine takes on the appearance of a scientific enterprise and is defined as a derivative category of Western science more generally. From an interpretive perspective, biomedicine represents a symbolic-cultural expression whose adherence to the principles of scientific objectivity conceals an ideological agenda. From a conceptual perspective, biomedicine represents an expression of social power that reflects structures of power and privilege within capitalist society. No one perspective exists in isolation and so the image of biomedicine from any one presents an incomplete understanding. It is the mutually-conditioning interrelations between these ontological spheres that account for biomedicine’s ongoing development. Thus, the ontological dissection of biomedicine that follows, with particular emphasis on the period of its formal crystallization in the latter nineteenth and early twentieth century, is intended to deepen our understanding of biomedicine as an analytical concept across the medical social sciences literature.

关于城市伦理的几个问题

城市伦理研究城市社会的道德问题。城市伦理研究所运用的是结构—功能分析、城市和乡村社会结构的比较、辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义等方法。环境的高度人工化、社会交往和联系的普遍性、职业分工的扩张趋势、价值主体的多元化构成了城市社会的道德机制。由此形成了城市道德的基本特征 :道德形成的共识性、价值的终极指向性、职业道德的社会化、功能上的整合性、适用的普世性、内容上的开放性。传统道德对当代城市道德既有消极阻碍的作用又有积极的构成作用。     

小康社会与公民道德断想

应当把社会伦理关系的变革和主体道德人格的完善列为全面建设小康社会的基本的价值目标 ,不仅要切实理顺经济伦理关系 ,而且必须逐步建立起与社会主义市场经济体制相适应的、公正的政治伦理关系和文化伦理关系。小康社会的道德要求包括经济交往中的效率与公平、政治生活中的正义与民主、文化领域中的服务与奉献。小康社会的人格理想将以追求人性的自我完善和人格的自主、自觉、自由为基本特点。小康社会也将使人们的行为方式发生这样或那样的变化。     

Personal autonomy in group‐based interventions

Marginalized individuals are often caught in a vicious cycle of economic or health problems, a lack of social connection and disempowerment. The present research examines interventions that provide opportunities for social inclusion to break this cycle. Specifically, in two longitudinal field studies, we examined the effect of social inclusion on self‐efficacy and hope in two vulnerable groups, namely, 68 residents in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre (Study 1) and 48 marginalized adults taking part in activities organized by a community organization (Study 2). Although somewhat counterintuitive, we hypothesized that social inclusion would affect self‐efficacy by fostering feelings of personal autonomy. The hypothesis was supported by results from both studies revealing an indirect effect from social inclusion via personal autonomy on self‐efficacy and hope. The findings are discussed in relation to how group inclusion may stimulate the development of personal autonomy in disadvantaged adults, an important factor in their recovery and mental health.     

道德:是在压抑人性,还是在提升人性

当前社会上出现一股思潮,认为道德的约束使人性中很多自然、正常的东西得不到应有的释放与满足,道德压抑了人性,导致了人性的扭曲,严重地影响了人们的身心健康。认为应当将人们从道德的种种束缚中解放出来,打倒一切违背人性、压抑人性、摧残人性的东西。本文通过对人性本质的揭示认为:道德本然的定位并不是要压抑人性,恰恰相反,道德自始至终都是立足于提升和完善人性。在人类历史上,道德的确有走向人性的反面的情况,而这不过是由于我们将道德绝对化、制度化和虚无化后所致。     

预期追寻与社会进步关系的当代分析

该文在积极利用当代预期研究成果的基础上,以哲学的视角对预期概念的基本内容与基本特点做出了重新反思。同时,还重新阐释了恩格斯历史唯物主义观点中有关预期论述,并在这种新的阐释下,从预期追寻对于社会进步的重要性、影响力以及作用的有限性等三个方面,对预期追寻与社会进步之间的内在联系进行了有针对性的当代分析。