Modern Ethics Research Articles

The Sociological Perspective on Maghi Festival as the New Year of the Tharu Community

The Tharu are an indigenous community living in the Terai and inner Terai regions of Nepal, which is known for its diverse caste, ethnicity, language, social structures, culture, and religions. Maghi is the main festival of the Tharu community. The present research paper clarifies the relevance of Maghi festivals. In this paper customs, procedures and celebration of Maghi are examined. The present study uses a combination of exploratory and descriptive research designs and is based on interviews with elders, ritual performers, and educated members of the Tharu community. Tharu people celebrate Maghi as the New Year, marked by the government has declared holidays. The festival, lasting seven days, involves cleaning, refurbishing houses, and cultural activities. Rituals include holy baths, prayers for children, and offering to deities. It fosters community bonds, while its culinary traditions highlight cultural significance. Economic, social, and cultural factors have contributed to the dynamic nature of Maghi practices, A sociological study by concentrating on the Maghi festival as Tharu new year of study area Birendranagar Municipality-9, Patalganga village, Surkhet. It offers particular insights into Maghi festival's importance, practices and gradually changing to reflect qualities that are inconsistent with modern morals.

Secular and Theological Ethics: A Brief Overview

Ethics is a study which deals fundamentally with the rules of conduct from moral point of view. The main characteristic of ethics is to judge the value of moral act or moral conduct. Therefore, ethics means a code of conduct. The history of the development of morality grew through a long process of evolution of certain morality like ‘taboos’, habits and customs in the primitive society. There are two broad divisions of ethics i. e., secular ethics and theological ethics. The history of the development of secular ethics flourished through four periods i. e., the Greek ethics, the Medieval ethics, the Modern ethics and the Contemporary ethics. Each period has its own prominent characteristics. Moreover, the history of theological ethics grew with the rise of different religions like Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Morality has been developed during the period of more than two thousand years. Within this long span of time, many doctrines, ideas and values are included in it. Hence, morality takes different shapes in different periods and ethical views also develop accordingly. In this article, an attempt has been made to show a gradual development of morality- secular and theological. Again, the similarities and the dissimilarities between secular and theological ethics are the additional concerns of this paper. Philosophy and Progress, Vol#73-74; No#1-2; Jan-Dec 2023 P 59-94

Современные биоэтические проблемы в контексте основных принципов буддийской этики

The relevance of this research consists in reconsideration of the main approaches to solving bioethical problems based on the religious and ethical principles of Buddhism. The purpose of this research is to analyze Buddhist principles that can be consistently applied to a range of biomedical problems (euthanasia, biomedical experiments with animals, etc.). The subject of our research is ethics in the context of medicine, namely the relationship between Buddhism and medical practice. The research materials are based on many years of teaching the bioethics course at St. Petersburg State University of Chemistry and Pharmacy and Tyumen State Medical University, as well as on the results of research related to the development of scientific research of bioethical issues. The central question of modern bioethics about the nature and status of the moral subject in Buddhism is based on the principle of the moral dignity of all living beings: from human life to the life of animals and, perhaps, even plants. Belief in interspecific rebirth and respect for animal life are typical of Buddhist ethics. In modern ethics, Buddhism is a teleological ethics of virtue, which postulates a certain end result of life as the implementation of human potential and asserts that this goal should be realized through cultivation of certain spiritual practices, which implies the rejection of euthanasia, abortion, artificial insemination and other dvanced medical technologies.

Solicitude, Emotions, and Narrative in Technology Design Ethics

The first objective of this paper is to recognize the role of emotion and feeling in Ricœur’s “little ethics” and what they can further add to it, then to explore in more detail how solicitude as a virtue, and affective disposition more broadly, can contribute to a modern ethics of technology. Ultimately, emotions help us to understand technologies and technological ways of being today; Ricœur’s “little ethics”, along with his narrative theory, provide a framework for understanding the ethically salient aspects of technical practice, especially through the openness to the other demanded by solicitude, and essentially by emphasising emotion or feeling as a way of being in the world, and a mode of existence: one which is done with, if not sometimes because of, technology and technical practice.

The Role of Virtue Ethics in Modern Moral Dilemmas

Purpose: The study sought to investigate how virtue ethics can be applied to contemporary ethical issues and comparing its implementation across different cultural contexts. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the role of virtue ethics in modern moral dilemmas. Preliminary empirical review revealed that virtue ethics provided a robust framework for addressing modern moral dilemmas by focusing on the development of moral character and the habitual practice of virtues like honesty, courage, and compassion. It emphasized that virtues guide not only actions but also motivations, enabling consistent ethical behavior. The study highlighted the importance of community and social context in nurturing virtues, suggesting that supportive environments are crucial for ethical decision-making in various settings, such as healthcare and corporate governance. Ultimately, virtue ethics was found to promote ethical resilience and adaptability, making it a valuable approach for resolving contemporary ethical challenges and fostering a more just and sustainable world. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Aristotle's Virtue Ethics, Alasdair MacIntyre's Neo-Aristotelian Virtue Ethics and Philippa Foot's Natural Goodness may be used to anchor future studies on virtue ethics and modern moral dilemmas. The study recommended expanding the theoretical foundations of virtue ethics to include contemporary issues, integrating virtue ethics into professional and personal domains, and incorporating it into public policy frameworks. It emphasized the need for educational institutions to promote character development and suggested community programs to nurture virtues. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of continuous research and interdisciplinary dialogue to keep virtue ethics relevant in addressing modern moral dilemmas. These recommendations aimed to enhance theoretical insights, improve practical applications, and create policies that foster an ethically conscious society.

Does Meditation Solve the Situationist Crisis in Modern Ethics? A Contemplative Response to John M. Doris

Does Meditation Solve the Situationist Crisis in Modern Ethics? A Contemplative Response to John M. Doris

The practical philosophy of Immanuel Kant and the modern ethics of responsibility

The article deals with the practical philosophy of Immanuel Kant, its transformation in the modern ethics of responsibility and the significance of «risks and threats» for modern society. It is emphasized that in Ukraine, in particular, in the H.S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, a powerful historical-philosophical tradition of research in German classical philosophy has developed, the foundation of which is the philosophy of I. Kant. This trend gained a new development after the restoration of Ukraine's independence. Special attention was paid in the investigation to the study of Kant's moral philosophy, its important component – the categorical imperative. It is shown that Kant's practical philosophy became an important driver of the leading trends of modern philosophy in the world, which was manifested in the process of «rehabilitation of practical philosophy», which includes the philosophy of responsibility of H. Jonas, communicative philosophy and ethics of discourse. These trends prompted the search for new formulations of the categorical imperative. The relevance of Kant's practical philosophy is evident especially today, under the conditions of modern technological civilization, the destruction of the normative order in the world, and the crisis of moral guidelines. Kant's concept of the primacy of the practical (moral and ethical) mind over the theoretical, technical and instrumental mind opens up ways to solve the global problems of our time, especially in the conditions of crisis and war. Kant's anniversary coincides with a special period of Ukrainian history: the modernization of Ukrainian society, the restoration of national identity, and orientation towards universal values. This event acquires special significance in view of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Distorting the enlightment, moral-ethical and universalistic direction of Kant's philosophy, Russian propaganda tries to use it for ideological and propaganda purposes. That is why events dedicated to Kant's anniversary are an important component in the fight against the Russian aggressor.

‘Almost nothing is firmly established’: A History of Heredity and Genetics in Mental Health Science

Background For more than a century, scientists have tried to find the key to causation of mental ill health in heredity and genetics. The difficulty of finding clear and actionable answers in our genes has not stopped them looking. This history offers important context to understanding mental health science today. Methods This article explores the main themes in research on genetics and inheritance in psychiatry from the second half of the nineteenth century to the present day, to address the question: what is the history of genetics as a causative explanation in mental health science? We take a critical historical approach to the literature, interrogating primary and secondary material for the light it brings to the research question, while considering the social and historical context. Results We begin with the statistics gathered in asylums and used to ‘prove’ the importance of heredity in mental ill health. We then move through early twentieth century Mendelian models of mental inheritance, the eugenics movement, the influence of social psychiatry, new classifications and techniques of the postwar era, the Human Genome Project and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and epigenetics. Setting these themes in historical context shows that this research was often popular because of wider social, political and cultural issues, which impacted the views of scientists just as they did those of policymakers, journalists and the general public. Conclusions We argue that attempting to unpick this complex history is essential to the modern ethics of mental health and genetics, as well as helping to focus our efforts to better understand causation in mental ill-health.

Sharia Yes, Sharia State No: Negosiasi dan Akomodasi Syari’ah di Indonesia

Syafiq Hasyim. 2023. Shariatization of Indonesia, the Politics of the Council of Indonesian Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI). Leiden: Brill. Wael Hallaq. 2013. The Impossible State, Islam, Politics, and Modernity's Moral Predicament. New York: Columbia University Press. The two works discussed in this book review examine how Sharia norms are negotiated and accommodated in modern nation-states. This process is inevitable as Muslims are confronted with the persistence of the nation-state and the theological obligation to apply Sharia norms in their lives. Although Hallaq's work is very pessimistic in saying that paradigmatically the two systems are impossible to reconcile, his work can serve as an important background for understanding Hasyim's work which discusses in detail how Sharia is accommodated in the legal order and public life in Indonesia, highlighting the role of the MUI as the main institution of this accommodation process. Hasyim's work tries to answer three important questions: how and in what way MUI plays a role in the process of sharization; what its implications in law and public life in Indonesia are and how the process came about; and how the state and society respond to this sharization.

‶Don’t Say Neigh, Say Yay”

‶Don’t Say Neigh, Say Yay”

СОВРЕМЕННОЕ БРЕНДИРОВАНИЕ КАК ПЕРЕОСМЫСЛЕНИЕ ТЕОРИИ РОСКОШИ В. ЗОМБАРТА

The views of the classic German sociologist W. Sombart regarding the social practices of luxury consumption are of undoubted scientific interest. The article, in relation to modern realities, examines the psychological types identified by Sombart that are predisposed to promoting the bourgeois way of life. Sombart's ideas regarding the ideological component of Western European capitalist entrepreneurship, revealed as a unity in the entrepreneur of the images of a conqueror, organizer and merchant, which has a mythological nature in Anglo-Saxon culture, are also being developed by modern researchers (the American anthropologist D. Graeber, for example). Comparison of Sombart's ideas with the views of M. Weber, L.N. Gumileva reveals aspect of inequality of behavioral inclinations within a nation and the inequality of expression of such inclinations between nations, which in no way contradicts modern science and ethics, since it can relate to the parameters of the distribution of types of temperament, and could also turn a material for the development of ethological studies of behavioral stereotypes, which are not enough in modern stage of science development

Modern Moral Philosophy: From Grotius to Kant, by Stephen Darwall

Modern Moral Philosophy: From Grotius to Kant, by Stephen Darwall

'Almost nothing is firmly established': A History of Heredity and Genetics in Mental Health Science.

For more than a century, scientists have tried to find the key to causation of mental ill health in heredity and genetics. The difficulty of finding clear and actionable answers in our genes has not stopped them looking. This history offers important context to understanding mental health science today. This article explores the main themes in research on genetics and inheritance in psychiatry from the second half of the nineteenth century to the present day, to address the question: what is the history of genetics as a causative explanation in mental health science? We take a critical historical approach to the literature, interrogating primary and secondary material for the light it brings to the research question, while considering the social and historical context. We begin with the statistics gathered in asylums and used to 'prove' the importance of heredity in mental ill health. We then move through early twentieth century Mendelian models of mental inheritance, the eugenics movement, the influence of social psychiatry, new classifications and techniques of the postwar era, the Human Genome Project and Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and epigenetics. Setting these themes in historical context shows that this research was often popular because of wider social, political and cultural issues, which impacted the views of scientists just as they did those of policymakers, journalists and the general public. We argue that attempting to unpick this complex history is essential to the modern ethics of mental health and genetics, as well as helping to focus our efforts to better understand causation in mental ill-health.For a succinct timeline of the history of psychiatric genetics, alongside the history of other proposed causes for mental ill-health, visit: https://historyofcauses.co.uk/.

ARETOLOGICAL ETHICS IN STRATEGIES OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Framing the problem in this aspect involves referring to the works of Elizabeth Anscombe, Alasdair MacIntyre, Philippa Foot, Rosalind Hursthouse, Roger Crisp, and Edith Hall. The issue of academic integrity has been addressed in the research of V. Romakin, T. Finikova, A. Artyukhov, M. Grynyova, L. Ryzhak, O. Tsokur, Y. Kalinovsky, V. Khmarsky and others. The research objective. Unveiling the creative potential of aretological ethics and its applicability in crafting a strategy of integrity and its effective implementation in the academic, cultural, and socio-political realms of contemporary Ukraine. The statement of basic materials. Changes in moral philosophy from Aristotle to the present day are shaped by diverse historical, cultural, and philosophical influences. In the mid-20th century, normative ethics was dominated by two theories: deontology, inspired by the 18th-century philosopher Immanuel Kant, and utilitarianism, rooted in the philosophies of Jeremy Bentham and J.S. Mill. Elizabeth Anscombe, in her work “Modern Moral Philosophy” (1958), highlighted a legalistic shift in ethics, suggesting a departure from viewing virtues as mere duties or obligations, advocating a return to Aristotle's approach where virtues are seen as key qualities of character aimed at human flourishing. Anscombe's work sparked a revival of virtue ethics. Philosophers like Philippa Foot, Rosalind Hursthouse, Edith Hall, and others contributed to the rehabilitation and development of virtue ethics, emphasizing Aristotle's moral philosophy. These philosophers seek not only to revive but also to adapt Aristotle's teachings on virtue to the demands of modern society, addressing contemporary challenges. Their contributions have significantly influenced the development of normative ethics, expanding discussions and examining aspects of virtue in the context of contemporary moral theories.

Perkembangan Fikih dalam Era Digital: Kajian terhadap Metode Ijtihad dalam Memahami Masalah Kontemporer

In the digital era marked by advancements in digital technology and globalization, the development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) faces significant challenges. This research aims to uncover the crucial role of the ijtihad method in the context of understanding and formulating legal views on contemporary issues arising in the digital age. The research methodology employed is normative research, involving theoretical, philosophical, and jurisprudential analyses within Islamic fiqh. The study investigates the impacts of the digital era and shifts in the global paradigm on the development of Islamic jurisprudence. The primary focus of the research is to explore how the ijtihad method can adapt to the context of digital technology and the challenges of modern ethics. The research underscores the importance of adaptation and a profound understanding of Islamic law to address the changing times. The results of this research provide valuable insights into how Islamic jurisprudence can remain relevant in addressing contemporary issues that continue to evolve in the dynamic digital era. This study summarizes efforts to maintain the relevance of Islamic law and provide legal perspectives that align with the contemporary dynamics at hand.

Феномен китайского анимационного искусства через призму неореализма (на примере анимационного фильма «Мальчик-лев»)

In the era of globalization and rapidly developing technology, China’s animation industry in its development faces a certain anxiety about the preservation of traditional national identity. This article describes the influence of neorealism on contemporary Chinese animation art. The study is an attempt to explore and analyze the fea-tures of neorealism as a current in contemporary Chinese animation through the example of the animated film “Lion Boy”. The appearance of the film (2021) has broken the dominant pattern of contemporary Chinese ani-mated films with “mythological” themes and marked a new direction for the development of contemporary Chi-nese animation. The movie is based on a classical plot, but the characters are adapted to the norms of modern morality and ideas about aesthetics. From a certain angle, the movie is filled with modern pictures, the images of the characters are better depicted, they are more real, and the plot develops more dynamically. The protago-nist is a character with a peculiar morality, who does not believe in prejudice. He meets the main values of mo-dernity, which attracts the viewer. By analyzing the storyline, metaphors and analogies of the film, the author made an attempt to identify the problems of the development of Chinese animation and determine the features brought by neorealism to contemporary Chinese animation cinema. Neorealism filled animation with the con-sideration of the true relationship between ordinary people and society as a whole system, shifting the empha-sis from mythological heroes, leaders to ordinary people. One of the results of the content analysis has become the characterization of a new direction of Chinese animation art in which human dreams and reality can coex-ist. The new animation resolves the contradiction between ideal and reality, the conflict between modern and traditional culture. Conclusions dwells upon the fact that it is possible to bridge the gap and conflict between “tradition” and “modernity”, “individual” and “society” that modern people face in their life world.

Being and Freedom: On Late Modern Ethics in Europe by John Skorupski (review)

Being and Freedom: On Late Modern Ethics in Europe by John Skorupski (review)

The theoretical study of voluntary beliefs

Beliefs reinforce people's perception of right and wrong to provide behavioral guidance. But is our faith voluntary? Therefore, it is necessary to understand whether these beliefs can be determined by our conscious choices. To shed light on this debate, this paper will explain why people's beliefs are involuntary mainly by examining the relevant literature in biological, social, and cultural psychology and exploring the importance of science and education in helping individuals develop new beliefs in line with modern ethics. By exploring and understanding the underlying mechanisms that influence our belief system, people's beliefs can become more rational and more in line with the modern world. This requires the guidance of the government to make people return to rationality. Therefore, I believe that the government should call for social projects that follow modern ethical guidelines. These programs can give people awareness of protecting the environment and raising equality. By doing so, humans can be more adapted to embrace the beliefs of diversity, inclusion and equity.

Relational positionism: a constructive interpretation of morality in Luhmann's social systems theory

Purpose The purpose of this article is to summarize three Luhmannian critiques on morality, illustrate new roles for morality and add constructive interpretations.Design/methodology/approach Luhmann has recently been described as downright negative toward morality, resulting in a refusal to use ethics as a sociologist, thus leading to a limited use of his theory in moral issues. A constructive interpretation could support a more functional use of morality in social system theory.Findings First, Luhmann signals that morality can no longer fulfill its integrative function in society but also that society has recourse to moral sensitivity. Second, Luhmann describes how anxiety is crucial in modern morality and indicates which role risk and danger could play. The author builds further on this and proposes the concept of “social system attention” that can provide answers to individual and organizational anxiety. The author proposes that institutionalized socialization can support an integrative morality. Third, Luhmann states that ethics today is nothing more than a utopia but also that the interdiction of moral self-exemption is an essential element. The author adds that a relational ontology for social systems theory can avoid ethics as utopia.Practical implicationsThis article is a programmatic plea to further elaborate morality from a system theory perspective in which meaning is relationally positioned.Originality/value This article could potentially provide a more functional application of morality in social systems, thus leading to improvements of attempts of ethical decision-making. The originality of the approach lies in the interpretation of basic assumptions of Luhmann social system theory that are not core to his theory.

인기 없는 덕목

Chung 忠 always has an object it is directed towards. At the same time, we also often discuss the loyal character of an individual (the subject) regardless of the object to which their loyalty is directed. This duality is an essential feature of chung. When explaining, criticising, and defending the concept of chung, most researchers focus on one of these two aspects: the subject or object side of the duality. This paper compares the concept of chung in Confucianism to the concept of loyalty in modern ethics, and to the concept of Chungseong 忠誠 in the modern Korean language using this subjective-objective framework. It shows that a similar dilemma to the “loyal Nazis dilemma” caused by the objectivity of loyalty also exists in the Confucian notion of chung (the dilemma of Bo Yi and Shu Qi) and reveals the unique nature of the concept by examining various solutions to the dilemma suggested by several traditional Confucian scholars.