Philosophical Literature Research Articles

Nursing and Pluralism: The Work of Michel Serres.

Nursing theory should reflect the pluralism inherent in nursing practice. Nurses routinely enact different kinds of knowledge in combination to achieve good nursing care. Nursing theoretical and philosophical literature includes many attempts to engage with epistemological pluralism. In this paper, concepts from the work of Michel Serres are introduced as a contribution to the resources available to think pluralistically about nursing. Serres' work is valuable because he is a pluralist thinker, who uses different conceptual tools to explore the complexity of human life, including topology, isomorphism, and the excluded third. Serres' terms are discussed with examples of application to nursing. An extendeddd example of addictions nursing is used to pull together different concepts applied to a complex and multilayered area of practice.

Becoming authentic: A social conception of the self

Abstract Two approaches to authenticity have gained currency in the recent analytic philosophical literature. The first takes authenticity to be a property of how people act (authentic agency). The second takes it to be a property of who people are (authentic self). This paper motivates both views, then argues that there is a dependency between the two: the exercise of authentic agency depends on the possession of an authentic self, while the possession of an authentic self relies on the prior exercise of authentic agency. On a particular, individualist conception of the self, this leads to a paradox. This paradox is resolved if one instead adopts a social conception of the self, according to which the self is partially ontologically constituted by other agents (a ‘we’, rather than an ‘I’).

Scenes as Games: Agency, Autonomy, and Value in BDSM

Abstract Much of the existing philosophical literature on BDSM focuses on questions about the ethics of BDSM. But there is an underlying question here regarding the nature of BDSM, one which remains largely unaddressed. In this paper, I take that metaphysical question to be prior to the normative one. In other words: it will be important to have a clear view of what BDSM is before we go on to evaluate it. Accordingly, this is a paper about the nature of BDSM and BDSM activities: what they are like, what makes them unique, and the ways in which these activities might be valuable. Here, I work from the philosophical literature on games to analyze structured erotic encounters (or “scenes”) in BDSM. In the first half of the paper, I argue that BDSM scenes are games, and that understanding them in this way yields important insights into the roles of agency, autonomy, and value in BDSM. In the second half of the paper, I map points of connection between this view of scenes-as-games and the existing literature on BDSM in sexual ethics, in order to illuminate the ways in which a moral evaluation of BDSM scenes might proceed from this analysis.

The Potential Goods of Moral Failure

This article surveys recent literature in philosophy and Christian ethics to consider how Christian ethics might benefit from attending more robustly to the potential goods of moral failure. Dominant approaches tend to treat moral failure primarily as a problem, analyzing intentions, actions, and consequences to adjudicate moral responsibility and issue action guidance. What, if any, tasks of Christian ethics might such methods neglect? This article brackets concerns about moral judgement to explore this question across four major categories of moral failure: that produced by impossible situations; that produced by structural injustice; that produced because problems overwhelm our capacities for solving them; and that which results from prioritizing ‘morality’ over other moral pursuits or any one moral project at the expense of others. The article highlights goods relevant to each type, identifying the ways moral failure can foster—rather than frustrate—the aims of Christian ethics.

Wisdom, Intellectual Virtue, and Epistemology

This paper argues that a wise person is an intellectually virtuous person. The intellectual virtue requirement is explained as a necessary condition for wisdom, intuitively the highest epistemic good. This provides an answer to Duncan Pritchard’s question as to the significance of the intellectual virtues for the epistemological project. In other words, the requirement explains why the intellectual virtues are central to the concerns of epistemology. The paper starts by providing an overview of intellectual virtue. An overview of recent analytic philosophical literature on wisdom is set out. This discussion leads to the claim that the wise person understands how to live well. The claim that intellectual virtues are required for understanding how to live well is then examined. The case is made that understanding how to live well in a modally robust way requires possession of the intellectual virtues.

Distributive justice discourses, time and futures: a social media discourse analysis of the loss and damages debate

ABSTRACT There is a growing concern with issues of distributive justice in sustainability transformations. Justice discourses are related to time, and particularly futures. However, there is a lack of in-depth knowledge about how futures and justice discourses interact. Combining insights from futures studies and the political philosophy literature on justice, this exploratory paper unpacks the construction of distributive justice discourses and the role of temporal dimensions herein. Based on a social media discourse analysis, using the Loss and Damage debate among readers of a Dutch online news outlet as an empirical focus, this paper shows how justice discourses and temporal dimensions interact leading to two main conclusions: (1) the temporal perspective plays a crucial role in the configuration of justice discourses (alignment of scope, pattern and currency), and (2) expected futures can be used (also strategically) to legitimise certain justice discourses, and thus the allocation of responsibilities.

Sad Art Gives Voice to Our Own Sadness.

People tend to show greater liking for expressions of sadness when these expressions are described as art. Why does this effect arise? One obvious hypothesis would be that describing something as art makes people more likely to regard it as fictional, and people prefer expressions of sadness that are not real. We contrast this obvious hypothesis with a hypothesis derived from the philosophical literature. In this alternative hypothesis, describing something as art makes people more inclined to appropriate it, that is, to see it as an expression of their own sadness. Study 1 found that describing the exact same sad text as art (e.g., a monologue) as opposed to not-art (e.g., a diary entry) led to increased liking for the work. Study 2 showed that this effect is not mediated by fictionality. Study 3 showed that the effect is mediated by appropriation. Study 4 looked at the impact of a manipulation of fictionality. Describing a work as fictional did lead to increased liking, but this effect was completely mediated by appropriation. These results provide at least some initial support for the appropriation hypothesis.

On Being Open in Closed Places: Vulnerability and Violence in Inpatient Psychiatric Settings.

High levels of violence and conflict occur in inpatient psychiatric settings, causing a range of psychological and physical harms to both patients and staff. Drawing on critiques of vulnerability from the philosophical literature, this paper contends that staff's understanding of their relationship with patients (including how they should respond to violence and conflict) rests on the dominant, reductive account of vulnerability. This account frames vulnerability as an increased susceptibility to harm and so regards 'invulnerable' staff's responsibility to be protecting and managing vulnerable patients. We offer an alternative view of vulnerability as an openness and capability to be changed, which illuminates how the common account of vulnerability is used to justify staff's coercive power over patients and to control staff behaviour. Our main argument is that staff's adoption of this negative approach to vulnerability is associated with a range of factors that are connected to the violence and conflict endemic to these settings. Staff's need to situate themselves as invulnerable and therefore incapable of harm, we argue, leads to significant issues through: damaging staff ability to emotionally regulate; coercing patients into an asymmetrical openness leading to aggression to restore status; damaging therapeutic relationships by enforcing separation between staff and patients; increasing staff's reliance on unhelpful and rigid techniques (such as de-escalation); repressing staffs' ability to learn and grow through encounters with patients. Finally, we offer recommendations for how vulnerability and openness could be cultivated as a relational and radical practice in spaces that are traditionally closed and hostile to it.

(Epistemic) Injustice and Resistance in Canadian Research Ethics Governance

ABSTRACTThis article brings a philosophical perspective to bear on issues of research ethics governance as it is practiced and organized in Canada. Insofar as the processes and procedures that constitute research oversight are meant to ensure the ethical conduct of research, they are based on ideas or beliefs about what ethical research entails and about which processes will ensure the ethical conduct of research. These ideas and beliefs make up an epistemic infrastructure underlying Canada's system of research ethics governance, but, we argue, extensive efforts by community members to fill gaps in that system suggest that these ideas may be deficient. Our aim is to make these deficiencies explicit through critical analysis by briefly introducing the philosophical literature on epistemic injustice and ignorance, and by drawing on this literature and empirical evidence to examine how injustice and ignorance show up across three levels of research ethics governance: research ethics boards, regulations, and training. Following this critique, and drawing on insights from the same philosophical tradition, we highlight the work that communities across Canada have done to rewrite and rework how research ethics as a site of epistemic resistance is practiced.

The problem of periodization of Baroque and neo-Baroque concepts in Latin American Literary philosophy of the turn of the Millennium (using the example of Irlemar Chiampi's works)

The works of the famous Brazilian literary critic Irlemar Chiampi have been chosen as the object of scientific consideration. The subject of the study is the periodization of Latin American Baroque concepts proposed by I. Chiampi. In the middle of the twentieth century, writers of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking America became widely known in Europe and the United States and were perceived as representatives of a different non-European-centric worldview. Three relatively structured cultural concepts (X The forests of Lima, A. Carpentier and S. Sarduya) arose on the basis of understanding the special role of the Baroque in Latin American soil. By the end of the twentieth century, there was a need to periodize and structure Latin American Baroque theories themselves. I. Chiampi analyzed not only the Baroque theories themselves, but also the entire evolution of the views of Latin American intellectuals, in which one could find a connection with the Baroque worldview with a timeless interpretation of this concept. Her periodization became, as shown in the article, a convincing panorama of "proto-Baroque" approaches, Baroque and non-Baroque concepts. This study of the reinterpretation of I.Chiampi's Baroque concepts was carried out on the basis of historical, literary and comparative methods. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time it fully presents the historical and philosophical basis of the periodization of Latin American Baroque theories in the works of I. Chiampi. In addition, some of the Brazilian researcher's works are being introduced into domestic scientific circulation. Based on the analysis of Chiampi's works and studies related to the problem of Latin American Baroque, a conclusion is drawn about the special status of this phenomenon for the formation of a model of cultural self-identification of Latin America. The practical significance of the work is seen in the fact that the questions posed in it and their coverage contribute to the systematization of ideas about the Baroque theories of Latin America and help clarify the functioning of the term "baroque" in the space of Latin American literary criticism and, more broadly, Latin American culture. The results of the research can be used in teaching disciplines related to the study of Latin American literature and culture, as well as in relevant sections of literary theory research.

THE INFLUENCE OF FAMILY FACTORS ON THE PROPENSITY TO ENGAGE IN BULLYING BEHAVIOUR AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

In recent years, the issue of bullying among minors has emerged as a significant concern, given its association with a range of adverse outcomes. These include poor academic performance, emotional and neurotic problems, and the escalation of aggression and suicidal attitudes among children. Consequently, there is a pressing need to address cases of cruelty among minors, a responsibility that falls upon teaching teams and educational psychologists in general educational institutions. To eradicate the adverse effects of aggressive behaviour among schoolchildren towards their peers, it is essential to examine the underlying causes of this phenomenon, which can be defined as the formation of a bullying position. The article is also relevant due to the impact of the full-scale war in Ukraine on the psychological and emotional state of adolescents, namely increased stress, anxiety and aggression. Furthermore, it is vital to identify strategies that can be employed to mitigate the likelihood of such occurrences. This article aims to explore the relationship between the characteristics of child-parent relationships within families of adolescents and the types of bullying these adolescents may engage in towards their peers. The research methodology encompasses a comparative, systemic and functional analysis of philosophical, psychological and pedagogical literature. The study has found that adolescents who experience severe and strict educational influences, along with parents who maintain high expectations that they do not fulfil, are less likely to communicate their struggles to their parents, engage in constructive discussions, or seek help and support in problem-solving. Consequently, this dynamic increases the likelihood of verbal victimisation occurring and escalating among adolescents in their interactions with peers. The style of family upbringing and the parent-child relationship play a significant role in this problem and, if properly constructed, contribute to the healthy development of the adolescent and ensure his or her safety in the school community and society.

Main Paradigms of the Concept of Evil in Western Anthropological and Psychological Studies

Purpose. The authors aim to investigate the evolution of the paradigm shift of the concept of evil in Western philosophical and psychological thought. Theoretical basis is determined by the latest methodological approaches in studying the relationship between philosophical, psychological, and theological approaches to understanding the essence of evil and its manifestations. Originality. For the first time in Ukrainian philosophical literature, a systematization of the evolution of the concept of evil in the philosophical and psychological sciences has been carried out. Conclusions. Analyzing the main mythological, theological, philosophical, and psychological concepts of evil provides an opportunity to systematize them through the main five paradigms. The primordial paradigm can be considered dualistic, which retains its influence until our time. Evil is understood in it as the personification of natural disasters, diseases, human crimes, and a force opposing Good. Ancient philosophy and Christianity try to deprive evil of its ontological status: evil does not exist as such but is only a lack of Good. Based on this understanding, a privative paradigm was formed, which dominated the European philosophical and theological consciousness for more than a millennium. It became the basis for philosophical theodicy: the justification of the all-good God in the face of clearly existing evil. But at the end of the 18th century, it gave way to the dialectical-romantic paradigm, the most vivid representatives of which are Schelling, Hegel, and Nietzsche. The concept of evil is reinterpreted and considered as a necessary component of the world, which, along with good, belongs to a higher reality. The concept of evil receives a new understanding in the psychoanalysis of Freud, Jung, and Fromm: its source is determined by the human subconscious, and its external manifestation is aggression. A similar understanding of evil is inherent in many other psychological schools, some of which also conducted psychological experiments on the originally evil nature of man. However, such "experiments" are characteristic of the social practices of totalitarian regimes, based on which the concept of the "banality" of evil arises. The appearance of the latest postmodern paradigm of understanding evil is connected with the attempt of some thinkers to reject all previous concepts of evil and a kind of return to the oldest dualistic paradigm. It would seem that the fall of most totalitarian regimes and the expectation of the "end of history" did not give grounds for popularizing this paradigm. Still, the events of the early 20s of our century indicate the need for its actualization.

The emotional and maladaptation aspect professional burnout of a university teacher

Introduction. The relevance of the study of emotional burnout syndrome is related to the problem of increasing the number of university teachers suffering from emotional and professional burnout, manifested in a decrease in work productivity, subjective satisfaction, negative attitude to work and organization, deterioration of physical health and a decrease in quality of life. The article analyzes the theoretical approaches of domestic and foreign scientists, as well as the psychological factors of the complex determination of professional burnout syndrome. The aim of the empirical study is to identify the relationship between indicators of professional burnout of a university teacher and manifestations of emotional and maladaptation characteristics.Materials and Methods. To solve these tasks, a set of scientific research methods was used: theoretical: analysis of philosophical and psychological literature on the research problem; empirical: battery of psychodiagnostic techniques; statistical: quantitative and qualitative analysis of experimental material; mathematical data processing, correlation analysis, interpretation of results. The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 130 teachers of Russian universities of various specialties of both sexes, aged 40 to 75 years, with more than 18 years of experience.Results. Emotionally maladaptive signs of professional burnout of a university teacher have been experimentally determined: low level of adaptability, negative self-attitude, pronounced aggressiveness, high level of anxiety, low internality, external pressure, control, fear of not meeting the expectations of colleagues, students, high level of escapism, as well as a developed penetrating ability of empathy.Discussion and Conclusions. As a result of the theoretical analysis and experimental verification, it can be concluded that the professional burnout of university teachers manifests itself in the general neurotization of their personality. The solution to the problem of professional burnout of university teachers is associated with the development of their emotional competence. It is important to form resilience and the ability to adapt to the peculiarities of emotional burnout, expand the ways of emotional self-regulation, develop a positive attitude towards oneself and others, acceptance of others, work on an internal behavior strategy and not overestimate the opinion of others, focusing on one's interest and self-realization in professional activities. It is also important to study the factors that cause aggression and anxiety, switch to rest, while choosing ways that do not lead to avoiding problems, and regulate the level of responsibility for the results of your work. The results obtained can be used by psychologists in educational institutions in the development and implementation of measures aimed at preventing and correcting emotional burnout among university teachers.

Ancient Greek Influences on Al-Kindī's Understanding of the Soul

In this study, we have tried to present Abū Yūsuf Yaʿqūb b. Isḥāq b. al-Sabbāḥ al-Kindī's understanding of the soul (nafs) based on his treatises in which he makes explanations about the soul, and then we have tried to analyze the similarities and differences between al-Kindī's views and the Ancient Greek philosophers. Al-Kindī's explanations about the soul are basically divided into three parts. These are the definition of the soul, the structure of the soul, and the state of the soul after death. These parts also played a role in determining the titles of our study. The reason for analyzing al-Kindī in comparison with the Ancient Greek philosophers is that al-Kindī frequently refers to various Ancient Greek philosophers and quotes their views. Therefore, the question arises as to how much al-Kindī was influenced by the Ancient Greek philosophers in his understanding of the soul. Al-Kindī wrote two works on the soul, Risāla fī al-nafs (Discourse on the Soul) and Kalāmun fī al-nafs muhtasarun wajīz (A Concise and Brief Statement About the Soul). He also wrote a work titled Risāla fī Hudūd al-Ashyā wa Rusūmihā (Treatise on Definitions) in which he defined and explained various philosophical concepts, including the concept of the soul. In al-Kindī's al-Khudūd, he provides a definition of the soul and then cites three known definitions of the soul. Al-Kindī does not refer to Aristotle in his definition here, but he presents his definition of the soul -as the first perfection of the organic natural body with potential life in it- in a similar way. In Risāla fi al-Nafs, unlike al-Hudūd, he shares his thoughts by referring to the Ancient Greek philosophers Pythagoras, Plato, and Aristotle. The reason for al-Kindī's referring to these philosophers by explicitly mentioning their names can be understood from the purpose of writing the work, which he states at the beginning of the treatise. Al-Kindī says that three things are asked of him here. These are summarizing the views on the soul, summarizing Aristotle's De Anima (On the Soul), and presenting the views of other philosophers. In our study, we analyzed al-Kindī's references to the Ancient Greek philosophers by comparing them with the works of Plato and Aristotle, and we found that al-Kindī was predominantly influenced by Plato. In the Risāla fi al-Nafs, al-Kindī refers to Plato predominantly by mentioning his name, whereas Aristotle's name is mentioned only in one place, and it is possible that this reference belongs to Plato rather than Aristotle. In the very short treatise Kalāmun fīn-nafs, Aristotle is mentioned once, but the reference to Aristotle is reconciled with Plato by al-Kindī. In other words, this attribution has aspects related to Plato. Therefore, while we expected al-Kindī to convey the views of many philosophers on the soul, we found that he actually conveyed Plato's views and did not summarize Aristotle's De Anima. However, on the status of the soul after death, or in other words, on the immortality of the soul, al-Kindī seems to have been influenced by the Neo-Platonists rather than Plato. Although al-Kindī's aim was to summarize the views of previous philosophers, he conveyed them in a way that corresponded his own philosophy. For example, Pythagoras, Plato, and the Neo-Platonists all emphasize the transmigration of the soul in their understanding of the soul, but al-Kindī does not provide any information about the transmigration of the soul. On the other hand, he shared the subject of the soul's ascension and purification, which these philosophers discussed in connection with the transmigration of the soul. The reason we mention this is that especially in Plato and the Neo-Platonists, these topics are so intertwined that they cannot be separated from each other. In other words, al-Kindī did not try to convey each topic exactly. Therefore, he shared his views in accordance with his own philosophy. In this way, al-Kindī also reveals his own understanding of the soul. However, when we look at the sum of the treatises in general, it should be noted that major differences such as the transmigration of the soul are not in the majority, that is, there are mostly minor differences. We see the parts where al-Kindī differs as al-Kindī's own interpretation. However, the points where al-Kindī shows similarities are also important because we think that al-Kindī is a philosopher who contributed to later Islamic thought in terms of both similarities and differences. Because even what he conveyed in a similar way was accepted and continued by later philosophers. Therefore, analyzing al-Kindī's thoughts will allow us to see how influential Ancient Greek thought was at the starting point of Islamic philosophical literature.

Another philosophical look at twistor theory

Despite its being one of Roger Penrose’s greatest contributions to spacetime physics, there is a dearth of philosophical literature on twistor theory. The one exception to this is Bain (2006)—but although excellent, there remains much to be said on the foundations and philosophy of twistor theory. In this article, we (a) present for philosophers an introduction to twistor theory, (b) consider how the spacetime–twistor correspondence interacts with the philosophical literature on theoretical equivalence, and (c) explore the bearing which twistor theory might have on philosophical issues such as the status of dynamics, the geometrisation of physics, spacetime ontology, the emergence of spacetime, and symmetry-to-reality inferences. We close with an elaboration of a variety of further opportunities for philosophical investigation into twistor theory.

Crystallizing techniques: sample preparations, technical knowledge, and the characterization of blood crystals, 1840-1909.

Sample preparation is the process of altering a naturally occurring object into a representative form that is amenable to scientific inquiry. Preparation is an important preliminary to data collection, ubiquitous in the life sciences and elsewhere, yet relatively neglected in historical and philosophical literature. This paper presents a detailed historical case study involving the preparation and study of blood crystals in the nineteenth century. The case is used to highlight significant features of preparation, which aid our understanding of the epistemology of sciences in which preparations play an important role. First, it shows the role of technical knowledge in efforts to characterize a scientific phenomenon or object of interest. Especially in early stages of characterization, scientists improve their understanding of what they are preparing by better understanding their preparation procedures. Second, this case contributes to recent views of characterization as a relatively autonomous domain of scientific activity. It shows how preparation functions as a site for integrating different experimental methods, and the difficulties that ensue. In light of these considerations, the case shows how characterization is capable of shaping or constraining explanatory pursuits as much as it is guided by them.

Filozofia dla bibliotekarzy i niebibliotekarzy – na łamach przedwojennego czasopisma „Bibliotekarz”

The journal “Bibliotekarz” was published in 1919, 1929–1939 as an organ of the Polish Librarians Association. It was the most important professional librarian journal, next to “Przegląd Biblioteczny”, published in Poland in the interwar period. Basically, the journal was intended for librarians working in public libraries, fulfilling various functions in the area of library practice: information, advisory and education. In addition, in the years 1929–1934, under a changed title – “Bulletin of the Public Library of the Capital City of Warsaw” (publisher, from 1934 – co-publisher), it acted as a reporter on the activities of this library.An expression of the magazine’s servitude and openness towards readers, and libraries – towards library users, was the publication in its pages of information and reports on books from various fields of knowledge, collected and made available in the library, among which philosophy occupied a prominent place. The aim of the article is to show the presence of philosophy in the pages of “Bibliotekarz” and in the Public Library of the Capital City of Warsaw itself. In particular, the popularization of philosophy through the publication of bibliographic reports on new and old philosophical books, and reviews of philosophical books published in the journal, was discussed. Moreover, the presence of philosophy in the librarian training programs at the One-Year Library School operating at the Public Library of the Capital City of Warsaw was also presented. From the reports of the Library, information about philosophical acquisitions, books and periodicals was extracted. Walter Auerbach’s text on philosophical literature, useful for librarians in their professional work, found a special discussion. The silhouette of this outstanding pre-war librarian, his life and professional path and his most important works were dusted off from oblivion.

ЕДИНСТВО ДУХОВНОГО И ТЕЛЕСНОГО КАК ОСНОВА КУЛЬТУРЫ ЗДОРОВЬЯ: ФИЛОСОФСКИЙ АНАЛИЗ

The problem of the ratio of spiritual and physical in man has always been an important subject of philosophical research. The main direction of the genesis of understanding the problem should be considered the constant strengthening of views on the inextricable link between physical and spiritual in man. Within postmodern discourse, traditional forms of connection between the human spirit and the body are being deconstructed, and the recognition of their unity is combined with the emphasis on differences, as has been the case before, although not within dogmatic methodology. Modern research methodology requires a clear specification of the logic of modern philosophy on the separation and relationship of human spirit and body, primarily on the basis of synergetic and existentialist approaches, and on this basis to describe and systematically analyze these phenomena. The most important from a methodological point of view in the analysis of the relationship between mind and body in terms of health culture is the focus on identifying the prerequisites for the integrity of the individual, which, in fact, determine its potential for healthy development and disclosure of spiritual and physical health. In modern philosophical literature, the dominant understanding of the crucial role of the spiritual component of human nature is marked by the presence of dialectics of soul and body, which results in the formation of a number of factors in its development, including health culture. In this case, the bodily factor is considered to be related to human society and natural connections, which generally determine the influence of physical factors on human development. It is generally accepted that it is the contradictory development of man and society as a whole, which stems from the contradictory nature of the interaction between «body and soul», «social and natural», determines the actual factors of human development and health culture. Within the dichotomy of spiritual and physical, natural and social origin, one can actually identify the integrity of the person at any level. The interaction of spiritual-mental and corporeal-natural elements and forms a specific quality that characterizes man as a whole, but changes in integrity do not mean perfection. The existential understanding of the spiritual and corporeal integrity of man follows from the fact that life itself is the primary reality, organic bodily integrity and spiritual dimension of man. The spiritual integrity of human existence leads to the predominance of the unity of soul and body over their difference as a result of the subordination of the latter to the spiritual goals of life. Within a culture of health, this means the integrity of health based on the dominance of spiritual health values.

William James' Theory of Truth and Its Relevance for Religious Education

Religious absolutism is one of the epistemological roots behind various acts of religious intolerance that threaten the order of life in a plural, dynamic, tolerant and inclusive democratic society. This research is a study of philosophical literature that explores the ideas of William James's pragmatic theory of truth and finds its relevance to religious education in order to anticipate symptoms of religious absolutism. James challenged the absolutism of truth that had been maintained for centuries in the Western philosophical tradition. Truth does not lie in ideas or notions, but rather in the process or event of verification and validation of those ideas or notions in experience. He offers a pragmatic concept of truth that takes into account the practical consequences of ideas in experience. For him, truth should be dynamic, open, continuously growing and plural. Inspired by James' ideas, the author conveys the importance of religious truth and religious education interpreted in a more pragmatic framework. Religious truth is not only built from religious dogma or doctrine but is a reflective and dialogical process through the experience of faith, which is formed in relation to other truths. In a contemporary pluralistic society, religious education cannot be reduced to simply teaching religious doctrine or dogma. Religious education needs to be carried out within a pragmatic framework as a form of religious moderation education that pays attention to efforts to develop critical-reflective abilities to grow faith in a sustainable manner, creatively interpreting human experience, as well as forming human ethical character to maintain a harmonious life together.

A Model-based Form of Naturalised Metaphysics

The paper addresses the main meta-metaphysical question, i.e., whether it is possible to do metaphysics and, in the case of an affirmative answer, how should we do it? With such an aim in mind, we sketch the broad context in which these meta-metaphysical questions arose in the philosophical literature (§ 1); then, we present what we take to be the three most widespread conceptions of metaphysics that are available in the analytic tradition: the neo-Quinean (§ 2), metaphysics as the science of possibilities (§ 3) and metaphysics as the study of the fundamental structures of reality (§ 4). We criticise these positions throughout these paragraphs before cashing out our proposal (§ 5). Our interpretation aligns with the recently proposed approach known as ‘naturalised metaphysics’ but with crucial differences. In our view, metaphysics is not only constrained by physics; rather, it grows out from all empirical sciences. More precisely, it can be achieved using formal language and the analysis of the results of scientific theories.