Capacity Of Human Beings Research Articles

The Brethren of Purity on Justice for Animals and the Moral Demands of Rational Hierarchy

abstract: This paper intervenes in a contemporary debate on the animal ethics of the Brethren of Purity's (Iḫwān al-Ṣafāʾ) epistle on animals. I argue that they present a case for justice for animals by rejecting the fallacious link between ontological superiority and moral superiority. Since human beings are vice-regents of God and since the rational soul is the vice-regent, the Brethren's account of human beings as superior in virtue of their rationality establishes a moral obligation toward animals. The Brethren develop this account partially under the influence of the Muʿtazilī theological tradition, and as a result, their position falls in line with other positions on justice for animals found during their time. Even on the issue of animal use, the Brethren maintain that the human need for animal labor emphasizes the obligation to treat animals justly. In the end, the greater rational capacity of human beings entails greater moral responsibility toward animals, not moral impunity.

Translating Renaissance Neoplatonic panpsychism into seventeenth-century corpuscularism: the case of Sir Kenelm Digby (1603–1665)

ABSTRACT Kenelm Digby was among the first authors in England to embrace Cartesianism. Yet Digby’s approach to the mind–body problem was irenic: in his massive Two treatises (Paris, 1644), the author advocates a corpuscular philosophy that is applied to physical bodies, whereas the intellectual capacities of human beings remain inexplicable through the powers of matter. The aim of the present article is to highlight the (rather reticent) relationship of Digby’s corpuscularism with doctrines of spirits in connection with the Renaissance Neoplatonic tradition. Not uncommon in seventeenth-century natural philosophies, such “spirits” are notoriously evasive entities: half spirit, half matter acting as mediators between the realms of bodies and souls. This article suggests that Digby sought to preserve the inveterate ideas of a universal spiritus and a world soul and, in particular, that Kenelm Digby translated (rather than “overcame”) Marsilio Ficino’s (1433–1499) spiritus doctrines into the language of seventeenth-century corpuscularism.

Dewey on Familiarity in Education, Aesthetics, and Art*

AbstractIn this paper, Andrea Fiore sketches the notion of familiarity in Dewey's thought, particularly in its relations with education, aesthetics, and art. The importance of that notion emerges in Dewey's well‐known writings such as How We Think, The School and Society, and Art as Experience, where he shows that not only does familiarity play a fundamental role in our lives, but it also constitutes a helpful tool to make our experience deeper and richer. This is particularly evident in two aspects or functions related to familiarity: recognition and interpretation. For Dewey, especially the latter has an educational value through aesthetics and art, because it allows us to activate the peculiar capacity of human beings to transform the quality of experience.

Toward a critical social ontology

AbstractI argue in this paper for a critical social ontology, or an approach to theorizing social reality and social institutions that is more than descriptive of social reality, but is also able to provide practical reasoning with an ontological dimension for judgment. At the heart of this idea is a different take on social metaphysics from most standard current accounts in that it begins with empirical, phylogenetic capacities of human beings for social practices (realizing abstract thought in the world) as well as relationality (the need for attachments to others). The combination of these two essential human capacities, what I call the practical‐relational nexus, is generative of more complex social reality. The ontogeny of any social reality is the result of the ways that this practical‐relational nexus has been organized and shaped by external social structures and systems, themselves the product of certain kinds of social power. I then explore the metaphysics of social power before considering the ways that this approach to social metaphysics can inform practical reasoning with the capacity for social and political criticism.

Thinking Prevents Grave Evil: An Analysis of Thinking According to Hannah Arendt

Hannah Arendt identifies that, in most cases, human evil is banal. People who committed grave evil did not think profoundly about what they were doing, and it did not come from what we consider their “optio Fundamentalis”. This study endeavours to critically explore Hannah Arendt’s account of “Thinking” as a fundamental capacity of human existence. This study aims to investigate Hannah Arendt’s thoughts on Thinking and its relation to other human capacities and actions. We will utilize a critical analysis of Arendt’s works as the method of this study. We will critically analyze her important works, such as Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, The Life of the Mind, and Essays in Understanding: 1930-1954, while her other works will also be considered. After this study, we find that the activity of Thinking is an essential capacity of the human being as a moral being. Only if human beings think profoundly, he/she can they produce meaningful actions that can hinder them from banal actions, which could even lead them to commit grave evils. The moral capacity of human beings remains in their act of Thinking. The need for exercising the activity of profound Thinking is, therefore, implied.

Developing a Sense of Justice

In this paper I offer a conceptual characterization of the idea of a “sense of justice” as a suitable motivational basis for respect for the principles of justice in force in a given society, and argue that a similar concern can be found not only in John Rawls, who expressely talks about that notion, but also in Aristotle. My main contention is that both thinkers invite readers to conceive of the sense of justice as an attitude admitting of various degrees, ranging from a fear-inspired respect for the law up to an unconditional appreciation of the established constitutional principles and the laws stemming fom such principles. In the first part of this paper, I will address Aristotle’s view of a natural capacity of human beings for sociability, political participation and functional interdependence within the city culminating in a virtue-based political friendship. In the second part I will contend that, in Rawls’ view, the individual sense of justice is at work not only after the establishment of a public conception of justice (contrary to what a prima facie reading of A Theory of Justice might suggest), but also in a phase ante legem.

Glorifying God: The Theological Notion of Women in Christine de Pizan's Livre de la Cité des Dames

In the lives of holy women that constitute Part III of the Livre de la Cité des Dames (1405), Christine de Pizan (1365-c.1431) interpreted 1 Corinthians 11.1-15 and composed a theological anthropological notion of the human person that affirms that women and men alike are made in the image of God and the glory of God. In this passage of his letter to the Christian community in Corinth, the Apostle Paul taught on theological anthropology and ethics. Christine placed herself within the Augustinian tradition of scriptural interpretation and read the Pauline verses allegorically. Christine reordered and rewrote the lives of women saints in order to make the case for women as glorifying God, meaning both being the glory of God (i.e., representing God) and praising God. In the context of medieval intertextuality, Christine's descriptions of hair, head-coverings, and fathers each add to the author's biblical interpretation and theological argumentation. Christine's argument for women as created in the image of God and the glory of God is both about the basic relationships in the order of creation (Creator and created human being and human being and human being) and the capacities of human beings for intellect, virtue, and apostolic work in the world including teaching. Her exegetical and theological argument is inseparably anthropological, ecclesiological, and political.

Innovate or Perish: Food Policy Design in an Indigenous Context in a Post-Pandemic and Climate Adaptation Era

The objective of this study is to explore the strengths of indigenous food systems in Latin America within the framework of effective food policies. The analysis is based on the adaptive capacity of human beings, and, in this logic, it considers the food systems of Latin America to be relevant since in the face of challenges, such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, indigenous peoples have been able to establish response strategies. However, beyond these responses, we find a region that has assumed a biopolitical stance with a tendency to design control policies in response to the pandemic. This situation has not improved the inequalities and vulnerabilities of a sector of the indigenous population in Latin America. The aforementioned challenges give a clear picture of the strengths of the region’s indigenous people, and knowledge of this interactive dynamic can provide elements for the design of food policies. In this sense, an exhaustive literature review was carried out in order to approach the state of the art of the issue. The analysis was derived from three analytical categories that in synergy and from an open innovation perspective, make a proposal for the design and implementation of effective food policies that allow a region to learn from local indigenous experiences in a context of food insecurity.

Intuitions in Stoic philosophy

ABSTRACT There is no single ancient Greek word in the surviving fragments and testimonies of Hellenistic philosophy that is directly translatable by the term ‘intuition’. But if we are in search of intuitions in the context of Hellenistic epistemology, it could be said that both the Stoics and the sceptics made use of them in their philosophical debates; for intuitions seem to be closely connected with the formation of conceptions, which were abundantly used by all Hellenistic philosophers. It is important to understand, though, that the Stoics’ and the sceptics’ attitude towards the epistemic status of intuitions would greatly differ: The Stoics would explain intuitions by invoking a rational capacity of human beings, which based on experience would put them in touch with the reality of things, so that their intuitions could be thought of as somehow rationally admissible. The sceptics, on the other hand, would suggest that intuitions guide our everyday life merely on the basis of our previous experiences, and thus their intuitions could be regarded as empirically justified, although they would not guarantee any access to how things actually are.

Spike Jonze’s Her: How Transhumanism Turns into a Control Mechanism Under the Name of Love

Transhumanism is a philosophy based on the idea of enhancing the physical, intellectual and psychological capacity of human beings through the direct use of science and technology. Because transhumanism aims to ensure super longevity, super intelligence and super well-being, it is said that it will provide a more liberating atmosphere for human beings by elevating the current human condition. In Spike Jonze’s film her (2013), transhumanist technologies seem to present a peaceful society by focusing on the inhabitants’ well-being. However, in this futuristic society where advanced AI technology and personal letter writing service are widespread, human beings are over-controlled in a subtle way by manufacturing consent as Antonio Gramsci uses to explain the concept of hegemony. So transhumanism does not present a free environment in this futuristic society; instead it disguises the control mechanism through these technologies. The aim of this article is to explore how human beings are controlled by transhumanist technologies subtly under the name of providing super well-being.

The Esoteric interpretations of ‘‘Seeing God and Beholding Him: A Special Study of Tafsir Qadiri”

The Holy Quran contains two types of verses: Muhkamat (sound, clear and evident) and Mutashabihat (not illustrative, vague and difficult to ascertain the exact meaning due to their uncertain interpretation and doubts involved therein). The interpretation of the first category is straightforward while the second is doubtful and uncertain. Therefore, it has been observed that a controversy always exists on the interpretation of these versus amongst theologians. The Divine attributes and Seeing God by humankind in this world are few of those matters which remained under the discussion of Muslim theologians. The question is whether the divine scripture can be explained by reason or not? Most of the traditionalists opine that the interpretation of these ambiguous verses are proscribed. The Ashari theologians are of the view that the Mutashabihat can be interpreted only symbolically while the exact interpretation is beyond the capacity of human beings and the matter of interpretation must be entrusted to God. The interpretation of the attributes of God- the Most High- and the reality of seeing Him is not possible. The intended meaning and original interpretation of such verses cannot be completely made by human intelligence. God Almighty is the omniscient and omnipotent who cannot be observed directly by His creatures. Then, what is the meaning of the verses which state this theme. What type of seeing is it? What are the feelings in the process of “seeing Him?” From herein starts the discussion, whether seeing God is possible or not? This paper aims to answer this question from Sufi perspective as described in Mulla HusaynKashifi’s Tafsir al-Qadiri. An overview has been given on the subject matter for a better understanding of the perspective. A contrastive study enables us to understand Kashifi’s esoteric and symbolic interpretation of this controversial issue.

Book Reviews

Tiziana Assenza of Toulouse School of Economics, University of Toulouse Capitole reviews “Behavioural Macroeconomics: Theory and Policy” by Paul De Grauwe and Yuemei Ji. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Presents new theoretical macroeconomic models based on individuals' complexity, heterogeneity, and cognitive limitations, addressing the current implausible assumptions of mainstream macroeconomics about human behavior and the capacity of human beings to comprehend the world they live in.”

Speaking system for speechless people using Flex sensors

The most critical capacity of human beings is to interact (i.e., express their emotions, opinions and feelings) with each other. We cannot overstate the use of communications. In particular, it is very difficult for unspeakable people to communicate their meaning to ordinary people, since there are more than 300 sign languages, and it is difficult for an average person to learn and use these languages. As a result, unspeakable people face numerous irritations and frustrations that limit their ability to fulfill their regular tasks. Different psychiatric services are available to the muted population in order to get their speech back, but the expense of these treatments is costly enough that no one can afford them. ere we suggest a smart speech device that allows voiceless people to communicate their message to ordinary people using hand movements and gestures. The system uses hand motion reading with the aid of flex sensors along with a microcontroller (Aurdino) unit.

WILL THEY HAVE DANCING? A SKETCH OF THE BIOGRAPHY OF JUSTICE ISMAIL MAHOMED

How do you record the life of an extraordinary person? How do you ensure that your reflections adequately give life and meaning, as well as honor a person who was one of most skillful orators that you have encountered, for whom words were his stock-in-trade, and whose command of the English language was exceptional, and who was just as comfortable quoting philosophers (Eastern and Western) as well as legal texts? With trepidation and not a small amount of pleasure. Because reflecting on the life of Ismail Mahomed, although in only a limited way in this essay, is a reminder of the capacity of human beings to thrive despite the greatest odds, to rise above their historical destinies and thereby change not just their own trajectories, but those of their societies. In this essay I attempt to highlight and explore the experiences and achievements of a great South African patriot, lawyer and judge, Ismail Mahomed, whose life was cut short far too soon, and whose contribution to South African law has yet to be fully appreciated. Writing about Ismail Mahomed is a challenging proposition, for he was a complicated and enigmatic individual. His assured and confident external demeanor sometimes belied an inner dissatisfaction, a restlessness, which was a feature of both the tumultuous times in which he lived, as well as the psychological or emotional toll that such times inflicted on him. In other words, his outward legal combativeness reflected the deep and painful emotional response to apartheid law and its myriad injustices, which he experienced as a human being as well as a brilliant lawyer. Although he was a public figure, his personal life was hidden from public view. And for all the years that I was friend, as far as I could tell, he had an almost non-existent social life.

Error Correction: An Interactive Model of Executive Functions

The ability to correct errors is a high complexity executive function that can be explained by an interactive model of high-level mental skills such as the internal language regulating behavior, regulation of the limbic system, decision-making, verification of cognitive and behavioral activity and inhibitory control of automatic responses. Based on this relationship of executive functions, a model was hypothesized and tested with structural equations modelling. The model was built with a random sample of 771 subjects (Mage = 39.86, SD = 15.47; 50.5%, Women, 50.50%). The results showed a significant correlation between the variables (r = .22 and .42, p = <.001) and the multiple regression analysis showed that the independent variables explain 35% of the error correction variance. The structural equation model showed that the interactive model of executive functions presents an adequate goodness of fit, x2(142) = 315.60, p = .001, CFI = .96, SRMR = .04, TLI = .96, RMSEA= .04 (.03 HI - .04 LOW) and showed invariance when testing the model according to the genre ΔCFI = < .01. The results are discussed around previous research and based on the contribution in understanding the dynamics that encompass the errors correction capacity of human beings.

Human enhancement making use of technological incorporations in their biology - Ethical perspective

Is it ethical or not to enhance the characteristics and capacities of human beings, making use of technological incorporations in their biology? This article presents arguments from both position pros and cons, about technological incorporations in human bodies. The denaturalization of technologically enhanced humans is discussed; A discussion is raised about the impact of these technologies on the population inequality; We present a contrast between whether the research is for treatment or enhancement purposes. Some of the repercussions on a society of humans are analyzed, both hyper connected and technologically enhanced. Some of the future challenges that societies with technologically enhanced humans must face are presented. In conclusion, the development of technologies, within a regulatory and normative framework, to enhancing the characteristics and capacities of human beings is ethical. Because technologically enhanced humans are part of the NBIC convergence, and the NBIC convergence will generate new knowledge that will surely be used to develop clean and safe energy sources, preventive medical treatments that will eliminate diseases such as cancer and HIV, and design strategies to the conservation and decontamination of the planet.

Philosophical and Religious Justification of Prophecy: A Comparative Analysis Between al-Ghazālī and Maimonides’ Accounts of Prophecy

This study examines ideas of two scholars from a different philosophical and religious background. Each of them attempts to provide philosophical and religious justifications for the possibility of prophecy. Abu Hāmid al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) views the notion of prophecy from the Islamic philosophical perspective while Maimonides (d. 1204) discusses it from the Jewish tradition. Modern philosophical and religious studies on the concept of prophecy tend to establish supremacy of certain religious tradition over others. This article presents a comparative account of religious and philosophical contexts in which such tendency of superiority occurs, at the same time, a shared basis of mutual understanding exists. While al-Ghazālī and Maimonides have disagreements on who has the right of the office of prophecy based on the interpretation of their respective religious scriptures, they have an agreement regarding the capacity of human beings in reaching the prophethood. Both employ a philosophical justification to arrive at the conclusion stating that human beings can reach the office of prophecy by using their rational and imaginative faculty. This philosophical exploration and confidence on human reason are both interesting and important for building a solid foundation of respectful dialogue and mutual understanding.

Longitudinal Associations of Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, and Waist-to-Hip Ratio with Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Older Adults: Results of a Large Cohort Study

Background: In the literature, obesity is discussed as a determinant of high oxidative stress (OS). Hence, prevention or reduction of obesity could prevent high OS and subsequently serve as a target for “healthy aging.” Methods: Diacron’s reactive oxygen metabolites test (D-ROM) and total thiol levels (TTL), a marker of antioxidant defense capacity, were measured in 1,734 participants of a population-based cohort study of older adults (age range: 57–83 years) at 2 time points 3 years apart. The longitudinal associations of body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference with D-ROM and TTL were assessed with multivariable adjusted generalized linear models. Dose-response analyses were conducted with restricted cubic splines. Results: D-ROM was not significantly associated with any of the weight measures. On the contrary, TTL showed statistically significant, inverse linear associations with all weight measures. Conclusion: A healthy body weight seems to be highly relevant for the antioxidative defense capacity of human beings. In contrast, D-ROM levels were independent of the study participant’s weight. Clinical trials are needed to corroborate if loss of weight by obese individuals can effectively increase TTL and subsequently also life expectancy.

An Introduction to Machine Learning for Clinicians.

The technology at the heart of the most innovative progress in health care artificial intelligence (AI) is in a subdomain called machine learning (ML), which describes the use of software algorithms to identify patterns in very large datasets. ML has driven much of the progress of health care AI over the past 5 years, demonstrating impressive results in clinical decision support, patient monitoring and coaching, surgical assistance, patient care, and systems management. Clinicians in the near future will find themselves working with information networks on a scale well beyond the capacity of human beings to grasp, thereby necessitating the use of intelligent machines to analyze and interpret the complex interactions between data, patients, and clinical decision makers. However, as this technology becomes more powerful, it also becomes less transparent, and algorithmic decisions are therefore progressively more opaque. This is problematic because computers will increasingly be asked for answers to clinical questions that have no single right answer and that are open-ended, subjective, and value laden. As ML continues to make important contributions in a variety of clinical domains, clinicians will need to have a deeper understanding of the design, implementation, and evaluation of ML to ensure that current health care is not overly influenced by the agenda of technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. The aim of this article is to provide a nontechnical introduction to the concept of ML in the context of health care, the challenges that arise, and the resulting implications for clinicians.

Rhetorical Structures, Deliberative Ecologies, and the Conditions for Democratic Argumentation

John Dewey’s belief in democratic deliberation rested on a “faith in the capacity of human beings for intelligent judgment and action if proper conditions are furnished” (Later Works 227). The stipulation of “proper conditions” is an essential feature, then, of participatory democracy, and Dewey spent considerable time concerned with these conditions, especially in The Public and Its Problems. This essay argues that the structures and ecologies within which we live make certain kinds of argumentation possible or likely, and that when we alter those structures we alter the possibilities for argumentation. Democratic forms of argumentation are made possible by structures that promote collaborative communication practices. This means that practical, public argument is not just a matter of making valid claims, but also a matter of effective contexts that can improve the quality of argumentation.