Contemporary Thinking Research Articles

AL‐GHAZĀLĪ'S DIVINE COMMAND THEORY

AbstractThis article reviews al‐Ghazālī's conception of Divine Command Theory (DCT) in light of contemporary philosophical developments. There are two well‐known objections against DCT. These include the problem of arbitrariness (PoA), which states that God randomly chose our moral framework for no reason given His capability to choose any moral commands; and the problem of God's goodness (PoGG), which questions God's goodness if morality could be other than what it is. Modern defenders of DCT have attempted to counter these objections through various strategies. This article juxtaposes al‐Ghazālī's interpretation of DCT with modern strategies to illustrate how these two issues are untroubling concerns in al‐Ghazālī's framework. In doing so, it highlights where and how they differ in their approaches. Additionally, it critiques interpretations suggested by some contemporary thinkers who suggest that al‐Ghazālī may not be a strict proponent of DCT.

Re-engaging Spiritual Formation in Online Theological Education

In the recent literature on formation in online theological education, a number of thematic strands can be delineated: the apologetic, didactic, pedagogical, empirical, and geographical strands. However, apart from the early apologetic stage of the discussion theological reflection plays a minor role in the literature. In this article, I argue that theology plays a limited and superficial role in contemporary writings about formation in online theological education. Yet, spiritual formation in online theological education needs theological grounding. Given the accelerated shift to forms of online education across the world, such theological grounding is an urgent task. In this renewed theological engagement, three areas especially call for sustained attention: (1) the multi-faceted nature of spiritual formation; (2) the question of agency in spiritual formation and the consequences for the theological curriculum; and (3) engagement with theological traditions that offer ample material to guide our contemporary thinking about spiritual formation.

A Comparative Study of the Theory of Innate Inclinations in the Thoughts of Rumi and Morteza Motahhari

A Comparative Study of the Theory of Innate Inclinations in the Thoughts of Rumi and Morteza Motahhari

Monetary Policy Literature in the History of Islamic Economic Thinking

One of the Government's strategies is to promote the welfare aspect of the community's economic life. Economic development can be carried out with various strategies. One of them is empowering the wealth of natural resources that have been created by God. The government can open mines of gold, silver, coal, kerosene, gas, tin, etc. that are stored in the bowels of the earth as a form of natural empowerment. From another dimension, to maximize the ability of the economy, the government can make monetary and fiscal policies. In this paper, the author will explain how the government's monetary and fiscal policies in economic empowerment. Broadly speaking, the Islamic version of monetary policy is different from the non-Islamic version of monetary policy. This article focuses on the discussion of monetary policy in the history of Islamic economic thought, which will discuss how monetary policy was carried out in the early days of Islamic rule, starting from the time of the Prophet, his companions, to classical and contemporary economic thinkers. The explanations and descriptions that will be presented in this article can provide benefits both theoretically and practically regarding monetary policy in classical civilization, and its suitability for the present. The method used in writing this article uses a literature review approach, is used to collect relevant information related to monetary policy in the history of Islamic economic thought, secondary data in this article is collected from various research reports in order to obtain an explanation more comprehensive. The impact of monetary policy on the economy at the beginning of the Islamic Government was seen by the increasing demand for Aggregate Demand from the community after moving to Medina by bringing together muhajirin and ansar. With this brotherhood, each ansar is responsible for the muhajirin so that the distribution of income from ansar to muhajirin increases and has an impact on increasing the total demand of the community and resulting in an increase in resources, labor, land and capital. Keywords: Monetary, Policy, Islam, Economy, Development.

The Rise of the "Other" and the Fall of the "Self":from Hegel to Derrida

Since time immemorial, due to its metaphysically grounded perspective, western philosophy has not been able to detach itself from the egoistic outlook, and thus, the interaction with the other” had no role in this philosophy. The world has always been interpreted from the perspective of self ignoring the Reviewing this mode of thought from Ancient Greece to Modern Age, one can reveal a kind of repression and forgetfulness of alterity and difference which Levinas has well highlighted in his philosophy. The very foundation of this egoism can be traced back to the Socratic slogan know yourself”. In the same spirit, a kind of self-centered moral philosophy has been developed, the clear example of which is Kant's ethics. In line with Hegelian tradition of recognition, contemporary thinkers have redefined ethics and politics and acknowledged the constitutional dependence of the “self” on the other. Based on the coordinates of their thought as well as the historical condition of their own time in the formation of subjectivity, these thinkers have criticized the neglect of the “other”. Hegel's role in underlining the importance of the vital status of the “other” is unique. Hegel bridges all post-Hegelian currents on the concept of “Other”. Then, in the present essay, we seek to show that since Hegel’s time up to Derrida, we have been witness to the rise of “Other” and the fall of “Self”.

COVID 19: Engaging the most vulnerable

The COVID-19 pandemic has had large-scale global effects across all segments of society, affecting large and diverse population cohorts in many ways. COVID-19 is not just a global health emergency but also a health-driven socioeconomic disaster. The prevalence of socioeconomic stressors that existed prior to the pandemic is exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic. The effects of COVID-19 vary across communities and are disproportionate on vulnerable groups. People with the least resources are most affected and are least able to recover. Contemporary thinking on development focuses on “bottom-up” approaches and “top-down” critique development. A key dimension of inclusiveness is about giving voice and power to excluded and vulnerable groups in development and recovery processes. Participation is a key ingredient in inclusive forms of development; it enables voice, representation, and capacity building to allow communities to address key societal challenges in line with their aspirations. This chapter argues that wide-scale community involvement is required for a sustainable recovery and resilience from COVID-19. It explores the benefits of participation in building long-term resilience and adaptive capacity. Participation is identified as a mechanism to enable ways to address power relations for vulnerable groups in COVID-19 recovery and curb the further deepening of global inequality.

Consistency or contrast of Seyyed Abdul Aala Sabzevari's view with the theory of Tafkik regarding the relationship between philosophy and narration.

AbstractSeyyed Abdul Aala Sabzevari, one of the great contemporary thinkers, is not only a commentator on transcendent wisdom but also a critic of Mulla Sadra's views on many philosophical principles and issues. His critical position on various issues of transcendent philosophy and emphasis on the use of the Qur'an and Sunnah, as well as the comparison of the early years of his education in Mashhad with the establishment of ideas of school of separation(Tafkik);caused to consider to Seyyed Sabzevari as a separation cractable, and as a result has not been given the necessary attention to his philosophical and theological thoughts. But, can Seyyed Sabzevari be considered a follower of this school? The answer is no. Although the promise of verbal sharing, originality of nature, denial of the unity of existence, and some other issues, as well as some of his positions on the separation of reason and quotation, bring Sabzevari closer to school of separation(Tafkik)beliefs, but he has a special and different method from what is presented in the school of separation(Tafkik), in use of quotation and to seek help from reason In understanding the Qur'an and Sunnah,. The present article responds to the above doubt by examining the opinions of Sabzevari professors and analyzing the extent of their influence, comparing and analyzing the ideas of Sabzevari with the opinions of thinkers of the school of separation(Tafkik) and the differences between them in explaining the Qur'an and Sunnah.

‘Flash houses’: Public houses and geographies of moral contagion in 19th-century London

‘Flash houses’, a distinctive type of public house associated with criminal activity, are a shadowy and little-studied aspect of early 19th-century London. This article situates flash houses within a wide perspective, arguing that the discourses on flash houses were part of concerns about the threat of the urban environment to the moral character of its inhabitants. The article draws on an original synthesis of a range of sources that refer to flash houses, including contemporary literature, newspapers, court documents, and government papers. It demonstrates that flash houses were part of both popular intrigue about the perceived ‘criminal underworld’ and official concerns about the collusion between police officers and suspected offenders, since police officers allegedly frequented flash houses to gather criminal information. A detailed examination of this term reveals anxieties about the state of the metropolis, poverty, and criminality that were central to the early 19th-century consciousness. However, the discussion of flash houses in this context also demonstrates a powerful connection in contemporary minds between the physical spaces of the city and the risks that they posed to inhabitants' morals. While associations between the physical environment and morality have been drawn throughout history, flash houses represent a paradigmatic moment in this dialogue. This is because different moral concerns coalesced around the discourse on flash houses: anxieties about the criminal underworld, the potential for moral degradation of young people who frequented these spaces, and the corruption of police officers through contact with known or suspected offenders.

Democracy as Fetish

Democracy as Fetish

CRITERIA AND INDICATORS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICIAN’S TIMBRE HEARING

Musical practice constantly lays down requirements to a musician’s hearing. An important tendency of a contemporary musical thinking is the intensification of the timbral beginning, which now starts to come to the foreground as one of the most significant expressive and form-developing means. Timbre hearing is one type of harmonic hearing (Teplov, 1947) and one of the most essential components at teaching a contemporary musician’s hearing, though in the teaching practice it has not been adequately reflected as yet. The development of the ability of hearing to perceive the expressive sense of a timbre sounding is a vital condition for achieving professionalism in a musician’s musical-performing activity. The precondition for a successful development of musical hearing, including that of timbre, is the process of diagnosticating its actual developmental level, which will help a teacher to organize a student’s musically-practical activity.The paper offers criteria and indicators for identifying the developmental level of musician’s timbre hearing.Research Aim: to study the theoretical basis of timbre hearing and to develop criteria and indicators of its development.Research methods: monitoring, modelling.

The power of the people: the meaning of kratos in dēmokratia

In this paper, I reconstruct the notion of kratos as a unique and distinguishable exercise of political power. Using examples from 5th- and 4th-century Attic tragedy, Old Comedy, and forensic oratory, I show how kratos was used in Athenian cultural and political discourse to convey the irrefutability of a claim, the recognition of someone’s prevailing over another, and the sense of having the last word—all of which makes kratic power dependent upon its own continued demonstrability. I argue that the peculiarly performative character of kratos has little or no role within contemporary democratic thinking because the agency of the dēmos is largely mediated through the mechanisms of electoral success and constitutional rights. Nevertheless—and regardless of whether they are ultimately successful in achieving their stated political aims—the spontaneous, organisationally diffuse protests operating extra-institutionally under the banners of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter reveal how the attempted ‘domestication’ of kratos, and the sublimation of its peculiar power into piecemeal reform, was never a realistic or satisfactory answer for democratic discontent.

Education and the task of deconstructing the history of ontology

Throughout the history of Ontology, the comprehension of Being has often deviated from its original path and taken different directions. What are the consequences of this detour when it comes to the current conception about the phenomenon we call Education? From the Fundamental Ontology of Martin Heidegger until the considerations of other contemporary thinkers, this article proposes an involvement and commitment regarding the task of deconstructing the history of Ontology in order to enable an approach that unveils the most original essence of Education as παιδεία. This is the challenge that concerns all those who somehow confront the questions related to everydayness and the possibility of Dasein to find its truth even in face of the dictatorship of the ‘they’ (das Man). Therefore, the aim of these reflections is to offer a new and introductory perspective that can open a horizon of projects in which we become transparent to ourselves in our resoluteness (Entschlossenheit).

Shifting scales, inventive intermediations: posthuman ecologies in contemporary poetry

ABSTRACT This essay describes and investigates representations and figurations of ‘posthuman ecologies’ in contemporary poetry, i.e., how non-human agencies and materialities are evoked and explored in poetic writing, and how this is accompanied by a problematisation of anthropocentrism and certain strands of humanism. Specific attention is paid to shifts in scale and ‘intermediations’ between, for instance, bacteria and humans. The emergence and analysis of such ecologies are connected to a history of ‘cyberneticization’ and ‘ecologization’ manifested both in digital media, techno- and bio-capitalism, and in a rejuvenation of the concept of ecology in contemporary thinking. In this essay, these issues are discussed in relation to three recent poetic works by Adam Dickinson, J. R. Carpenter, and Nasser Hussain. While affirming a new historical situation shaped by computational technologies and cultures of control, this poetry also challenges this situation – and invites alternative ways of seeing and understanding the world – through a playful critique partly influenced by ideas, forms, and operations from an avant-garde tradition in literature and art.

Preparing project managers for the human aspects of project work: fostering sensemaking abilities

PurposeTo prepare project managers for the human aspects of project work using a new classroom-based approach to foster abilities in collective sensemaking.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed an approach for fostering collective sensemaking abilities through three class sessions inspired by Merrill's First Principles of Instruction. The authors implemented the sessions in two cohorts of students, with a total of 57 participants, and evaluated its impact through a series of surveys.FindingsFindings demonstrated how each component of the educational approach contributed to an increase in students' sensemaking understanding and ability. Through explanation, demonstration and application components, students reported increasing levels of confidence in their ability to facilitate collective sensemaking in practice.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ findings are based on a sample of 57 students in one university setting. Further studies are required to evaluate the educational approach; such studies could use larger numbers of students or other education settings. Triangulating students' reported understanding and abilities would increase confidence in the effectiveness of this approach.Practical implicationsBy explaining the authors’ approach to sensemaking education and providing initial evidence of its success, they provide educators with an example of how to foster collective sensemaking through classroom-based project management education. The approach has potential for teaching other interpersonal skills.Originality/valueThis research provides a novel classroom-based approach to foster sensemaking awareness and skills, and for dispersing contemporary project management thinking and tools to practitioners.

HERMENEUTIKA SEBAGAI INSTRUMEN ALTERNATIF UNTUK MENAFSIRKAN AL-QUR’AN

The Qur'an, as the holy book of the Muslims and also as a guide to life, has been, is, and will always be interpreted. Therefore, in the view of Muslims, the interpretation of the Quran is a very established term. The Quran is considered a limited text, while man changes according to the development of the times. So, the Qur'an urgently needs to be interpreted based on the needs of modern humans today. The development of the interpretation of the Quran is increasingly complex, and following the times as the expression shalih li kulli zaman, wa makan is inevitable. So, the interpretation that should be centered on the Quran and Sunnah is the wisest path, but from the diversity of different interpretations, giving rise to various interpretations according to the text, context, and contextual. Until the interpretation of the Quran by the classical scholars has provided solutions to various problems they face, both godly questions and humanitarian issues. Because the various problems faced by each mufassir are different, the quranic message that was born is different and plural—the opinion of classical scholars who have the best interpretation authority. Be a reason to try to elaborate on the urgency of the need of the Quran against hermeneutics as one solution to the monotonous study of the scholars of earlier interpretations to gain new enlightenment offered by contemporary thinkers. This offer tries to construct the interpretation products of classical interpreters not to cover any new contributions that can answer the problems of modern society today. According to the frugal author, hermeneutics can still be used as one of the instruments in the method of interpretation, provided; first, a hermeneutic must still have mastery of Arabic language and all knowledge related to the interpretation of the Qur'an; secondly, hermeneutics moves indirectly to the Qur'an, by studying the books of interpretation critically and deeply, in the hope that the previous Mufassir still leaves a space, so that it can be filled with hermeneutic studies

La crisis del sistema de la vida. Reflexiones para una ecología política de la esperanza

<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p>Este ensayo alude a la crisis sanitaria como motivo para hablar de la crisis moderna, de sus valores, sus estructuras, enfatizando la forma en que la sanitaria es expresión de otras crisis que la envuelven y que, con su mayor capacidad explicativa, ayudan a entenderla y enfrentarla. Estas son la crisis ambiental, social, de civilización occidental y del sistema de la vida. Sólo pensadas en su conjunto podemos entender dicha crisis y construir una propuesta de mundos alternativos de justicia, de convivencia solidaria entre humanos y no humanos, como es el caso de lo que llamamos una <em>Ecología Política de la Esperanza. </em>A partir de una revisión, problematización y crítica de pensadores contemporáneos, quienes han pensado la crisis actual, procedimos a construir nuestra propia propuesta para pensar la crisis y sus posibles y alentadoras salidas. En esto consiste su originalidad, siendo su principal hallazgo y conclusión el argumento de las múltiples formas en que la crisis abre posibilidades para construir futuros alternativos.<strong></strong></p></div></div></div>

The Anatomy of Ingrid Mattson’s Interpretation of the Qur’an: History, Authority, and Translation Problems

Many contemporary thinkers have introduced various theories in Quranic studies. For example, Fazlur Rahman with double movement theory, Gadamer through a fusion of the horizon, and Abdullah Saeed with contextual interpretation. Meanwhile, Ingrid Mattson’s thoughts on the interpretation of the Koran have not been widely studied by scholars. Mattson has placed the historical context, the personal context of the reader, and the context of the reader's understanding as an integral part of the theory of interpretation. This article wishes to dissect the anatomy of Mattson's interpretation of the Koran. With the historical textual criticism approach popularized by Muhammad Mustafá Azami, this study concludes that apart from historical aspects, the interpretation of the Koran is also strongly influenced by the authority of the rulers at that time, individual charisma (ulama), and the consensus of religious experts. The reduction of God’s message is also very vulnerable to the rampant action of translating the Koran from Arabic into ajam (non-Arabic) language. These three aspects are the constructs of Mattson's thought in his hermeneutical study. Therefore, it is hoped that this academic discourse will add to the style of thinking of scholars in the field of Qur'an studies, which previously have colored contemporary exegesis studies.

Out with the ‘Old’, in with the ‘New’: Challenging Dominant Regulatory Approaches in the Field of Human Rights

Abstract Mainstream doctrinal and theoretical thinking in international human rights scholarship still adheres to ‘old governance’ regulatory approaches. This is despite the reality of transnational corporations’ (TNCs) increasing involvement in ‘new governance’ architectures in the field of international human rights as regulatory actors and agents of change. ‘Old governance’ approaches are distinguished by statist, positivist regulatory dispositions: they typically position TNCs as violators of human rights; assume a hierarchical relationship between state and society; couple regulation with governments while presuming the state to be the ideal regulator; and, consequently, emphasize power and legal accountability as normative concerns and predominant vehicles for social change. The present article critically reflects on the conceptual, practical and normative implications of this ‘old governance’ bias for contemporary thinking about corporations and human rights under conditions of economic globalization. On the basis of these analyses, the article takes first steps on the path to further theoretical development of a new governance theory for business and human rights. It does so by outlining the importance of new governance perspectives for better evaluating the role that corporate actors actually assume in the field, and what this may mean for these norms’ protection.

Sobre identidades culturais e a experiência da cultura-mundo: aproximações e divergências entre stuart hall e gilles lipovetsky / On cultural identities and the world-culture experience: approaches and divergences between stuart hall and gilles lipovetsky

Nowadays, much has been discussed about the search for identity. After all, are we experiencing an indemnity crisis or not? It has always been sought to stabilize the identity of the subjects, to leave it fixed, stable and permanent. However, for several scholars, as is the case with Stuart Hall, it is currently out of place and fragmented. There is a constant disruption, caused by the constant changes that occur in postmodernity, the result of globalization, which breaks the boundaries, with technological advances. However, Lipovetsky and Serroy affirm that the era of the hypermodern is lived, and in it the world is organized through four poles, responsible for drawing the physiognomy of the new times, they are: hypercapitalism, hyper-technology, hyperindividualism and hyperconsumption . Consequently, these organizing principles gave birth to an unprecedented world-culture, which results in a new cultural relationship with the world. Thus, cultural issues start to gain importance and new weight, since they start to affect peoples' identity. In this work, we will present and discuss the similarities and differences in the work of two contemporary thinkers, with regard to the subject's identity in contemporary times, highlighting the influences and events that intervene in the construction of the current identity of individuals. It is a qualitative bibliographic research, confronting and exposing the ideas presented in the works: The world-culture: response to a disoriented society by Lipovetsky and Serroy (2011) and Cultural Identity in the Post-Modernity of the author Stuart Hall (2006).

The ‘English’ cadence: reading an early modern musical trope

Abstract Twisting through a dissonant flattened 7th now more commonly recognized as the Jazz ‘blue’ 7th, the ‘English’ cadence is a distinctive feature of early modern English music. Typically embedded within the texture of a piece in an inner part, this distinctive voice-leading pattern works by pulling against its own regularity: it highlights its predictability, the regularity of the cadence, by spiralling, just briefly, into the unpredictable. Nevertheless, ever since Thomas Morley dubbed it a thing ‘naught and stale’ the ‘English’ cadence has had a dubious reception, both in terms of its Englishness and its role within early modern musical textures. Much of this doubt derives from the status of the cadence as ‘ornament’ or ‘decoration’. As such the ‘English’ cadence is often viewed as superfluous to the tonality of the music as a whole. However, these interpretations do not take into account contemporary thinking about ornament and decoration in early modern England. This article seeks to demonstrate that by looking beyond the scant contemporary accounts of the ‘English’ cadence in musical theoretical treatises towards the visual culture of the period, it is possible to move towards a more nuanced understanding of the way the cadence communicates.