Human Nature and the Transhuman.

On the Presuppositions of Literary Periods Ralph Cohen and John L. Rowlett (bio) The Problem of Periods As i consider the problem of literary periods, I am reminded of Marianne Moore's statement about poetry: "imaginary gardens with real toads in them."1 Periods are imaginary gardens, but the works that compose them are alive and actual. Literary periods are concepts of literary works that exist in time, and although time does not have a stop, literary periods do. They are concepts ordering literary works, and as critics frequently remark, there are more ways than one to order such works, more ways than one of conceiving of periods. As Francis E. Sparshott says, the vitality of literary historiography "shows itself in two things: that some try to fix periods, and others try to stop them."2 But whether critics try to fix or unfix periods, they rely for their concepts on the knowledge of their own time, and to this extent, periodization is a historical phenomenon. I wish to offer three examples of this taken from writers in three different centuries. Oliver Goldsmith in "An Account of the Augustan Age of England" (1759) took the concept of period to mean the years in which the high point of writing was reached. "Some have looked upon the writers in the times of Queen Elizabeth as the true standard for future imitation; others have descended to the reign of James I, and others still lower, to that of Charles II. Were I to be permitted to offer an opinion upon this subject, I should readily give my vote for the reign of Queen Anne, or some years before that period."3 Goldsmith's view of "period" was not chronologically firm, but the basis for comparing the period with Augustan Rome rested on the quality of writing and the support of patronage. In the nineteenth century, George F. Underhill wrote a book on Literary Epochs: Chapters on Noted Periods of Intellectual Activity (1887) and "laid down the dictum that the individual is the archetype of the nation and the period to which he belongs."4 His procedure was to define the period and then to discover its traits in the authors. It is unnecessary for me to point out that "period" is not an entity, and that writers contribute to the shaping [End Page 113] of periods. The most recent discussion of periods is in an essay by the Hungarian Marxist, István Sötér. He begins with a recognition of the role of the individual in the period. It is from the individual, what he calls "human nature" or "human essence," that a period takes its particular form because human beings are members of a class. From the conflicts, conditions, and relations of and within the class, a literary period takes its themes: "Single periods themselves are not delimited by changes in the literary or ideological currents, but the changes in the 'human essence' and 'human nature' are present in the emergence of literary or ideological currents."5 Sötér is aware of the problem of different themes and movements in a segment of time, but he wishes to preserve a period theory that depends on the acceptance of a class theory, and thus he posits a period as a change in human nature or class relations. But this critic seems unable to demonstrate a direct relation between literary style and class change. These three views seem naive, and my point is that concepts need to take account of a body of data in order to be considered as usable hypotheses. It is therefore necessary to suggest the data involved. I wish to confine myself to literature, and to the literature of England, using as an example of a period the time span 1660–1770. I know that the term period has been applied to the "Renaissance" and to "Romanticism" and that these cross national boundaries. I know, too, that the term has been applied to "Baroque" and "Rococo" entering the domains of art and music as well as literature. But a concept that has produced little usable scholarship had better be examined in its most elementary rather than...

This book focuses on the economic and ethical issues associated with the development and use of medical technology. The text is intended for liberal arts undergraduates and all those interested in the problems posed by the use of modern medical technology. Because the text targets a general audience, it presupposes no specialized knowledge on the part of its readers. The book itself is divided into three parts. The first consists of three chapters and is intended to provide the reader with the basic tools necessary for analyzing the major technological, economic, and ethical issues associated with the evolution of America's health care provision system since the turn of the century. In chapter 1 the authors provide a synoptic overview of the development of medical practice and technology from earliest recorded history up until the present. Chapter 2 briefly explores the relationship between innovations in medical technology and changes in the

Is there wisdom to be found in repugnance? Or is disgust 'the nastiest of all emotions', offering nothing but support to prejudice? Dan Jones looks at the repellant side of human nature. At the borders of moral philosophy and neuropsychology researchers are trying to understand how the emotional underpinnings to our feelings of right and wrong evolved. A particularly powerful member of this set of emotions is disgust; the 'yuck factor' can underlie moral sentiments on subjects as diverse as homosexuality and research on hybrid embryos. How did disgust become part of our moral framework — and is the role it plays constructive, or viscerally reactionary?

The main content of the work focuses on determining the content of the basic concepts of practical philosophy such as "the essence of man" and "human nature". It is shown that there is no unambiguous scientific position on the essence and nature of man in modern Western European intellectual discourse and within paradigmatic approaches, which only emphasizes the diversity of approaches to define the concepts of "human essence" and "human nature". As a result of the processed data it is established that the "essence of man" is his spirituality, which is embodied only through self-awareness and is manifested in the ability of man to exist outside the natural. The use of the term "human nature" is considered appropriate when it comes to the ascending exact, namely the purpose of man and his life, and as a result there are grounds to argue about syncretism, which is reflected through a combination of triad: natural, social and spiritual.Key words: essence, nature, "essence of man", "human nature", man, syncretism, self-consciousness.

Recent advances in biomedical technologies have significantly improved our capacities for the diagnosis and treatment of medical ailments. However, such technologies have also been blamed for increased medical costs. Ethical questions have been raised regarding the availability and use of such medical technologies. In recent years, the managed care companies in the USA have imposed severe cost constraints, thus limiting the development and introduction of new medical technologies. The ethical implications of such management issues are presented. Moreover, increased difficulty in getting FDA approval for medical technologies in the USA has recently led to the introduction of some technologies first in foreign countries. Ethical issues related to animal testing, clinical trials and use of medical technologies conducted overseas are discussed.

Coverage with Evidence Development, Only in Research, Risk Sharing, or Patient Access Scheme? A Framework for Coverage Decisions

How did use of medical technology such as urinalyses, blood tests, and x-ray machines change patient care in early-twentieth-century American hospitals? To what extent was the use of new machines influenced by the ideas of scientific medicine and to what extent by the availability of newly structured facilities and trained personnel? Drawing on the medical treatment of more than 2,000 patients in Pennsylvania and New York hospitals, Howell traces the ways in which medical technology was used, not merely how it was talked about. He utilizes a wide range of sources--including medical texts, popular literature, and the visual arts--to explore how technology came to be such a central feature of medical care. Howell also shows how changes in medical practice raised issues of gender, culture, and economics. Howell's analysis is especially timely in light of the ongoing debate over U.S. health care reform, a debate in which a central topic is the use and expense of medical technology. In a concluding chapter he applies the book's historical insights to medical practice today--asking why, for example, modern diagnostic tests have not been used to give doctors more time to spend with patients.

The author contends that the diffusion and use of modern medical technologies has had a profound impact on the hospital environment, the doctor-patient relationship, and the humanity of the patient. On these grounds the author argues for a rigorous, comprehensive, and ongoing assessment of diagnostic and therapeutic technologies. He stresses the importance of developing standards by which to judge the human and economic impact of particular technologies. These studies would decrease the inappropriate use of medical technology and would provide guidelines to improve current use.

The consequences of considering human aging as a disease process rather than a natural inevitable part of life are addressed. These involve: (1) the conceptual realignment of the understanding of aging; (2) the use of costly medical technologies to sustain life at increasingly advanced ages; and (3) the increased cost of caring for an aging population. The development and use of medical technologies and bioengineering are also affected.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

What is the human essence? In this handbook, a broad range of scholars in psychology wrestle with this core question. The question is too infrequently asked within psychology, yet is one of central interest to students and scholars in psychology, philosophy, sociology, public health, anthropology, and cognitive science. This new and exciting handbook contains a diverse set of intriguing answers from cutting-edge social-psychological theorizing and research; raises novel and important questions about human nature; and identifies new directions for future inquiry. The chapters are written in an essay-like style that allows contributors to articulate what the human essence is without jargon or empirical details. Furthermore, this handbook uniquely brings together scholars who otherwise would not be found in conversation (e.g., evolutionary approaches to the human essence and social constructivist accounts that essentially deny its existence). Addressing the question of the human essence is absolutely vital because it promotes reflection and debate about human nature and existence, as revealed in discussant and concluding chapters. Thus, this volume articulates what psychology can tell us about the human essence and illuminates why a social science of human behavior should develop broader and integrative theories that acknowledge the many different essences that define us.

The article examines the phenomena of health and illness, which, from the point of view of the existential approach, appear as specific ways of being human in the world.The author finds that the existential understanding of health is close to the apophatic one: it involves the awareness of health through its absence, that is, through illness or fear of death. In this way, it is illness that shows with all clarity how valuable and beautiful a healthy life is.The author considers the existential aspects of understanding health and illness at the physical, mental and social levels. On the physical level, existence is sometimes replaced by synonyms, for example, when talking about ‘vitality’, and illness is often perceived as a disorder of functions, the signal of which is pain, a significant increase in which raises the existential question ‘is it worth living?’. In the field of mental health, the term existence is being used on a regular basis: ‘existential depression’ (C.Schneider), ‘existential vacuum’ (V.Frankl). At the social level, several aspects are emphasized: first, health as an ability to communicate (K.Jaspers); second, for a modern person, health is one of the ways of realizing oneself in life, rather than an opportunity to carry out certain activities.The article considers the issues of application of medical practices and technologies on which the health of a modern person largely depends. It is noted that the use of medical technologies with the aim of improving a given human nature carries both advantages and potential threats and risks. The pursuit of an ideal of health becomes an existential condition of a person. He or she tries to achieve this ideal because he or she wants to feel at peace with himself or herself and links this achievement to medical technologies, in particular those that contribute to human improvement. New biotechnologies can lead to changes not only in what a person does, but also in who he or she is, which can call into question human nature and cause additional existential problems associated with non-authentic existence.

Marx's theory of human nature has been frequently misinterpreted. Theorists argue that Marx saw human nature as fluid. Other theorists fail to see human nature's necessary connection to Marx's theory of alienation. The validity of Marx's theory of human nature, and alienation, are contingent upon a mutual acceptance. One cannot fully defend Marx's theory of alienation without accepting his theory of human nature, and vice versa. This necessary interconnection emerges from examination of Marx's trans-historical views on human nature, when compared critically with mainstream theories of Marxian human nature. The key to understanding Marx's theory of human nature entails a distinction between essence and essentialism, and their connection to a theory of expression. Marx is an essentialist in regard to human nature, but sees human essence as an ensemble of socio-historical relations. These particular relations shape human nature's expression.

This chapter aims to arrive at a credible account of the relations between evolution, human nature, and the propensity for war. Virtually nothing is known about war during prehistory. The conclusions of anthropologists, archaeologists, and primatologists are underdetermined by evidence; therefore, claims about the antiquity of war cannot be used to support the thesis that war is rooted in human nature. To examine the connection between war and human nature, one needs an explicit theory of human nature. Equating human nature with a human essence is unacceptable. The nomological theory of human nature holds that human nature consists of evolved psychological traits that are widespread and not dimorphic. The nomological theory is used to distinguish components of human nature from expressions of human nature. The disposition to war is an expression of human nature rather than a component of it.

Extremely preterm infants may use medical technology after discharge from neonatal intensive care. The aim of the study was to determine which inpatient morbidities have the strongest associations with technology at toddler-age follow-up. Retrospective cohort analysis of 3904 extremely preterm infants born 22.0-26.6 weeks' gestation from 2014 to 2019 who survived to 36 weeks' postmenstrual age and had data on medical technology at 22-26 months' corrected gestational age. 18.8% of children used medical technology; 10.1% used one and 8.7% ≥ 2. Use of a gastrostomy tube was most common (12.8%), followed by pulse oximeter (8.2%), oxygen (5.9%), tracheostomy (3.9%), shunt for hydrocephalus (3.6%), ventilator/continuous positive airway pressure (2.2%), apnea monitor (1.4%), and total parenteral nutrition (0.3%). After adjusting for significant maternal and infant characteristics, Grade 2 or 3 bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was most strongly associated with medical technology (aOR (95% CI): 3.20 (2.65, 3.87)), followed by serious brain injury (SBI) 3.06 (2.55, 3.66) and surgical NEC (sNEC) 2.67 (1.84, 3.87). In this cohort of extremely preterm infants, BPD, SBI and sNEC were most associated with medical technology use at toddler-age. These findings provide information for counseling of families and support during discharge planning. Generic Database: NCT00063063. In this cohort of extremely preterm infants <27 weeks' gestation at birth, nearly 1 in 5 children used medical technology at 22-26 months' corrected age. The inpatient morbidities of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, serious brain injury, and surgical necrotizing enterocolitis were most associated with persistent medical technology use. These findings provide important information for counseling families of children with these morbidities during the hospital stay and call for increased support of these families after discharge.

On the dialectics of human evolution