德性与理性：伦理学为什么可能？——斯多亚主义立场辨思

斯多亚主义是希腊化和罗马时期的重要哲学派别。它对西方思想的贡献在于从自然主义立场修正了“希腊三杰”的理性主义,使理性与自然法、世界主义相联系,将道德建立在普遍法则的基础上,强调了道德的精神力量,并塑造了一系列“理想人格”,这些都对伦理学之可能,提供了理论和实践资源。     

论达尔文的最佳解释推理

科学研究需要正确的思维方法的指导,而最佳解释推理就是一种重要的思维方法。达尔文运用最佳解释推理论证通过自然选择而进化的理论最为成功,在《物种起源》中,达尔文以解释力、解释的一致性为基础,引用大量事实,充分比较了自然选择理论与上帝的独立创造说或神创论,符合最佳解释推理模型的评价标准。     

The Special Science Dilemma and How Culture Solves It

I argue that there is a tension between the claim that at least some kinds in the special sciences are multiply realized and the claim that the reason why kinds are prized by science is that they enter into a variety of different empirical generalizations. Nevertheless, I show that this tension ceases in the case of ‘cultural homologues’—such as specific ideologies, religions, and folk wisdom. I argue that the instances of such special science kinds do have several projectable properties in common due to their shared history of reproduction, and that the social learning involved means that we should also expect these kinds to be multiply realized.     

Importance of Religion after Adversity

After major adversity, some people rely on their religious faith and networks for comfort, support, and material goods and services. Consistent with this behavior are findings that adversity has a positive causal effect on the importance of religion in people's lives. Using a large high-frequency US dataset, we estimate the causal effects of natural disasters on stated religious importance and attendance at religious services. Effects are identified by comparing changes in outcomes over time within counties affected by a natural disaster with changes over time in other counties from the same state. We find that most estimates are near-zero in magnitude; for the full sample, for subgroups defined by religious affiliation, demographics, and income, and for different disaster types. However, significant negative effects are found immediately postdisaster, suggesting a short-term crowding-out effect in which recovery activities limit time for worship. This explanation is supported by a finding that people are less “well rested” in the first weeks postdisaster.     

守卫人类的神圣与尊严

主要由基因技术实施导致的人类自然身体的技术化,以及由智能技术完成的人类智力和精神的技术化,正在将人类的身和心推向双重的非自然化,使人类生命的神圣与尊严受到严重的挑战。守卫人类身体的自然本真,守卫人类大脑思维、意识的主体性,守卫人类与生俱来独有的人格特征,守卫人是目的而非工具的底线,是当代医学伦理学和生命伦理学面临的紧迫任务,是保卫人类神圣与尊严的要旨,也是发展生命技术不可逾越的红线。大力发展那些不伤害、不是再造人类生命自然本真的弱高新生命技术,为预防和治疗那些遗传性和复杂性疾病服务,抑制那些旨在再造人类生命的强高新生命技术,是发展生命技术策略的最佳选择。

     

Loose and Tight: Creative Formation but Rigid Use of Nominal Compounds in Conspiracist Texts

Conspiracy theories (CTs) are spectacular narratives, widely spread, that pose societal threats. We test whether CTs might be linguistically creative products, which would facilitate their transmission and thereby account for their widespread popularity. We analyzed nominal compounds (e.g., mind control, carbon dioxide; N = 1,713,568) from a large corpus of conspiracist and mainstream texts matched by topic. In conspiracist texts, compounds showed greater originality, divergence, and sophistication, but they were used with lower frequency and were more often repeated in different contexts. This pattern suggests a creative aspect in the generation of compounds, coupled with rigidity in their use. We interpret these findings as an effect of loosely defined conceptual boundaries among conspiracist writers, in conjunction with social functions like status or group signaling. Our findings not only contribute to the discourse on creativity in CTs but also provide insights into the communicative advantage of CTs.     

Lgbt Catholics: a paradigmatic case of intra-confessional pluralism

ABSTRACT

I will reflect on the reconciliation between “subjective” life and “objective” doctrine experienced by Catholic lgbt couples. Even though their particular experience cannot be considered as universal it can nevertheless constitute a case study for theological reflection. I will propose a theological model for the integration of lgbt Catholics into Christian communities. The case of lgbt Catholics also helps us address the theoretical difficulties of religious pluralism. Their experience of faith is an example of “lived pluralism”. In the lexicon of religious pluralism, this experience is an intra-system or intra-theistic diversity, but it also touches upon the meta-theological issue of the model of reason that is to be applied to every system. I believe that every possible case of pluralism is worth considering if we want to theorize this concept. This may lead us to consider pluralism as a premise from which to start, articulated at different levels.     

自然灾难后身心反应的影响因素:研究与启示

所有经历自然灾难的人都会出现应激反应。随着时间的推移, 这些反应或消退, 或转化为一种创伤后成长(PTG), 或恶化为创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)等。根据危险因素模型, 这一过程受三类因素影响:(1)前灾难因素, 如性别、年龄等;(2)当下灾难因素, 如创伤暴露程度等;(3)后灾难因素, 如社会支持、复原特征等。其中, 后灾难因素得到了更多的关注。在危险-保护因素模式及机体主动模式的基础上, 分析了后灾难因素的作用机制, 通过研究的整合, 探讨了其对于灾后研究和干预的启示。     

Butler Interprets Aquinas

This essay examines whether the Catholic magisterium's use of Aquinas to condemn homosexual acts is actually Thomistic. Rather than being aligned with the magisterium, Aquinas advances a moral epistemology better illuminated by the work of philosopher Judith Butler. Deploying Butler as a means of immanent critique, I show how magisterial attempts to argue against lesbian and gay sex fail on their own terms. Reading Aquinas alongside Butler shows us why we need not choose between fidelity to Thomistic natural law and affirmation of lesbians and gays.     

Saintliness and the Moral Life

Drawing on the work of Raimond Gaita, the paper considers the role that may be played by the lives of the saints, both in alerting us to the moral standing of other human beings, and in helping us to articulate the concept of “humanity” understood in a morally rich sense. The paper considers whether Gaita's treatment of these themes presents something like a natural law ethic, in the sense of supplying arguments which favour broadly Christian conclusions without depending upon explicitly Christian premises. It also considers whether Gaita's view, contrary to his own belief, invites extrapolation in the direction of a more religiously engaged stance. In these ways, the paper aims to address the question of the relationship between religious and moral understanding in terms that are arguably more fruitful than those suggested by the dominant ethical theories.