The Discursive Construction of the 1978–1979 Iranian Revolution in the Speeches of Ayatollah Khomeini

This article examines the discursive construction of the 1978–1979 social movement that ultimately became the Iranian Revolution, as constructed through the discourse of the charismatic leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This article illustrates that Khomeini was able to strategically co‐opt the Shiite symbolism of the Battle of Karbala to bring together the most unlikely of bedfellows to unite in one common opposition movement. We first provide a summary of the socio‐political events that contextualised Khomeini's discourse and then examine two commemorative declarations given by Khomeini in the key months before the overthrow of the Pahlavi regime. We will illustrate, via a discourse‐historical analysis, that the two primary narratives prominent in Khomeini's discourse are as follows: (i) the continuation of the Battle of Karbala and (ii) the idea of a foreign conspiracy and a dangerous foreign other. We will also describe various discursive strategies that rendered Khomeini's discourse purposefully vague enough to appeal to Iran's fragmented opposition. Although the conspiratorial appeal of Khomeini's speeches has been discussed in the literature, we seek to show that it is the co‐opting of a national myth in an all‐encompassing language that drives the mass appeal of the discourse. The methods described in this study can be utilised by social and community psychologists seeking to understand how political actors discursively construct history in such a way as to serve their political ends. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Writing to Learn the Reformation: Or,Who Was Ulrich Zwingli And Why Should I Care?

This article describes the use of “Writing to Learn” assignments in a course on the Theology of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations. These short, informal assignments promote active learning by focusing on writing as a process for critical thinking and as a way to learn the content of the course. They help students creatively engage with the texts, thoughtfully reflect on them, and critically assess their significance. This article describes the theory behind these assignments, provides examples of different types of assignments as well as excerpts from student papers, and concludes with an evaluation of their effectiveness. The students in the course found the assignments helpful in learning the content of the course and their attitude toward writing in this course significantly improved.     

Global problems,globalization, and predictability

The term globalization is questioned in its validity and applicability to structures other than verbal. Globalization is a historical term which changes its meaning with time and culture. It is not only that its content changes but the validity of a globalization concept changes with the historical perspective. Morever, solution of global problems depends heavily on the correct analysis of the problem. Without such an analysis there is no possibility to find even an approximate solution. Hence, predictability is impossible. There is no trend which is sufficiently long to make any reliable prediction for global problems other than the most simple ones.     

Creating Public Alienation: Expert Cultures of Risk and Ethics on GMOs

For a century and a half cholera has been a stigmatizing disease. That the entire world was susceptible to it seemed merely to accentuate its association with Asia, and particularly with Bengal and its people. The recent epidemic in Haiti suggests that cholera still carries stigma. That stigma is the product of epistemic practices within an interdisciplinary and orientalist cholera science that took shape in the 1860s and 1870s, which have, without renewed scrutiny, prevailed largely uncontested until recent decades. Those practices involved an over-interpretation of the historical epidemiological work of John Macpherson by his colleague N. C. Macnamara. Recent research, recognizing the wide distribution and genetic instability of Vibrio cholerae, offers an alternative context for appreciating Macpherson's insights. This new program of interdisciplinary cholera research seems largely free of stigmatizing representations, but nor does it offer (or seek) a single and simple program of cholera prevention. The cholera case study invites reflection on the little-studied problem of epistemic accountability in interdisciplinary research, alerts us to questions of how disciplines are (and might be) made to cohere in policy-driven inquiries. The chief maxim is toward more explicit inclusion of the concept of multiple working hypotheses.     

Unsinnig: A Reply to Hutto∗

Abstract

In the late 1930s Heidegger makes allusions to ‘the wild’ and ‘the mild’ in connection with a human liberation that he understands as a steadfast response to the claim that historical being (Seyn) makes upon us. The following paper elucidates these allusions in terms of the overturning of metaphysics that they entail.     

公共卫生资源配置的伦理目标

公共卫生资源配置是医疗卫生体制的核心,在医疗卫生事业的改革和发展中起着关键的基础性作用。公共卫生资源配置不仅要从技术操作层面解决公平性问题,更为重要的是,在公共卫生资源配置过程中,我们应秉持公平的价值取向和伦理诉求,确立以权利的公平、分配的公平和制度的公平为主要内容的公共卫生资源配置伦理目标。     

The Realistic Actualization of the Moist Passion for Salvation and Its Historical Destination

The passion for salvation, as the spiritual motive of Moism, can be investigated concerning its actualization and historical evolution. Because of his lower class status, a passion for salvation arose in Mozi was at first emphasized in “universal love,” “identification with the superior,” and “will of heaven,” and then was later realized in the spirit of Shi Mo 仕墨, or Moist officials, who were impartial and incorruptible in the execution of their duties. When the officials became frustrated by the despotic powers, their passion then evolved into a spirit of Xia Mo 侠墨, or Moist knights, who never hesitated in helping people and upholding justice. And when Moist knights were finally rooted out by despotic powers, the only choice for Moists was to become Bian Mo 辩墨, or Moist sophists, specialists in “Major Illustration” (“Daqu” 大取) and “Minor Illustration” (“Xiaoqu” 小取). This development, however, ran contrary to its primary ideal. Still, both the impartial and incorruptible Moist officials and the righteous and courageous Moist knights represented an expectation deep inside people’s minds. Therefore, whenever social injustice worsened to a certain degree, the populist spirit of Moism was picked up as a weapon of critique. Thus, the actualization and evolution of this passion for salvation offers a constant mirror for populist thinking.     

On Being An Ink Blot: Disability Meets Euthanasia

Abstract :  People encountering the disabled often reveal in their reactions a distaste for disability that comes from pity rather than solidarity; when that pity is traced to its roots, such people are capable of urging the disabled toward a "merciful death," rather than offering any solidarity. The result is acceptance of euthanasia for the disabled. At stake is the difference between grace and works: for a disabled person by his or her mere presence reveals one's dependence on grace. But if one can "help" the disabled one, then one gains a sense of control that comes with works.