Practical Reasons Research Articles

Thomas Kuhn's Quasi‐Fideism

Abstract I argue that Kuhn's account of scientific practice is profitably understood as a kind of hinge epistemology: like our epistemic practices more generally, scientific inquiry is made possible precisely by the fact that certain things are not subject to doubt. In Kuhn's own words, ‘dogmatism’ is essential to scientific practice and one of the primary engines of its success. For this reason, I argue that Kuhn's account is a rich source for reflection on the relationship between faith and reason. At the same time, Kuhn has faced objections similar to those which have faced hinge‐epistemologists: how can disputes grounded in different, incompatible ‘dogmas’ be rationally resolved? Kuhn's response is similar to one put forward by Duncan Pritchard, but is, I argue, an improvement on it. In particular, the hinges on which deep scientific disagreement turns are for Kuhn certain shared values in light of which debate is possible. The choice among competing dogmas can, I argue, be understood on analogy with a prudential judgement of practical reasoning, i.e., an exercise of phronēsis.

Religion in the Highway: Qualitative Exploration in Muslim Youths’ Moral Reasoning and Development on Traffic Rules

ABSTRACT As a set of rules and teachings, it is interesting to see how religion plays a role in traffic issues. Thus, this article qualitatively explores Muslim youths’ reasoning and moral development in the context of traffic rules and how they see it from the perspective of Islamic teachings. The study provided informants with dilemmatic case-based questions while driving and open-ended questions that explored their perceptions of traffic rules from Islamic teachings. The results illustrate that Muslim youth have diverse reasoning about traffic rules. Some see it normatively, functionally, as a personal image, and some see it as something flexible. Regarding its relation to religious teachings, almost all participants considered traffic rules closely related to religion as something that regulates order and social conduciveness on the road. Thus, religion as a set of teachings and norms can promote traffic order through the command to behave well, which considers the rights of others and the common good on the road.

Children's and adolescents' expectations, evaluations and reasoning about a bystander who challenges social exclusion within intragroup and intergroup peer contexts

AbstractThis paper examined British children's (8‐ to 10‐year‐olds) and adolescents' (13‐ to 15‐year‐olds, N = 340; Female N = 171, 50.3%) expectations, evaluations and reasoning about a bystander peer who challenges the social exclusion of an immigrant or non‐immigrant peer by a peer group of non‐immigrant students. Participants read a hypothetical scenario in which a peer was excluded from an afterschool club by the peer group. The scenarios were either intergroup or intragroup contexts. Participants' expectations of a peer bystander challenging the social exclusion by the peer group, their perception of how the peer group would evaluate the challenger, and their reasoning around their expectations were measured. Adolescents were less likely to expect a peer bystander to challenge exclusion compared to children. Participants' perceptions of how the group would evaluate the challenger were significantly lower in intergroup compared to intragroup contexts. In intergroup contexts, adolescents with low expectations of challenging favoured group dynamics and group repercussions reasoning over moral reasoning, while children did not use group repercussions reasoning.

KORELASI KONSEP AT-TA’DIB DAN CONSCIENTIZACAO DALAM LINGKUP PENDIDIKAN (TINJAUAN PEMIKIRAN SYED MUHAMMAD NAQUIB AL-ATTAS DAN PAULO FREIRE)

Critical thinking significantly impacts the moral control of children, as evidenced by various studies. The "Philosophy for Children" (P4C) program has been shown to enhance critical thinking skills, which in turn fosters moral reasoning by encouraging students to reflect on the consequences of their actions during discussions. This study aims to unravel the correlation between the concepts of at-Ta’dib and Conscientização. The research employs a literature study with descriptive analysis. The results indicate that the thoughts of Paulo Freire and Naquib al-Attas have continuity, where character education (at-Ta’dib) leads to the emergence of awareness (Conscientização), and awareness has consequences for critical thinking patterns as well as the emergence of good values and chang

When Fulfilling a Professional Obligation Causes Moral Distress: A New Evaluative Approach.

The term 'moral distress' was coined by Andrew Jameton to name the anguish that clinicians feel when they cannot pursue what they judge to be right because of institutional constraints. We argue that moral distress in critical care should also be addressed as a function of the constraints of ethics and propose an evaluative approach to the experience considering its implications for professional identity. We build on a selective review of the literature and analyze a paradigmatic example of moral distress, namely, clinicians who feel compelled to perform procedures on patients that seem futile. Such cases are commonly cited by clinicians as among the most morally distressing. Our analysis shows that (1) physicians' experiences of moral distress can stem not only from toxic workplace cultures and institutional constraints on their time and resources for patient care but also from the limits of ethical reasoning and (2) an emotion-based evaluative approach to analyzing moral distress is needed to address its hazards for professional identity. We propose a new evaluative approach to moral distress with implications for professional identity and the need for institutional education and support.

Overview of Ethical Reasoning in Nursing: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Nurses are anticipated to address diverse human needs, leading to the emergence of numerous ethical challenges in their daily practice. Contemporary nursing requires proficiency not only in advanced medical-technical skills but also competence in focusing on the ethical dimensions, including ethical reasoning and decision-making, inherent in-patient care. Negotiating the ethical intricacies of treatment in practical scenarios presents a significant challenge for nurses. Despite the complexity, ongoing review and improvement are necessary to uphold professional standards and prioritize patient well-being.Aim: The objective of this scoping review is to describe the landscape of nurses' ethical reasoning and the process of ethical reasoning in nursing practice.Methods: A scoping review was conducted based on the Arksey and O'Malley framework, spanning publications released from 1990 to 2023, utilizing electronic databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and CINAHL. Diverse keywords were employed to optimize the search strategy. The review process encompassed examining 21 finalized articles selected using the PRISMA guideline, comprising qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies.Findings: This review identified two main domains: Factors for ethical reasoning in nursing and the ethical frameworks utilized. Nurses employ individual-related and profession-related factors to navigate ethical reasoning. Ethical frameworks, including principle-based approaches, ethical decision-making models, ethical theories; deontology, and utilitarianism, provide structured methods for ethical reasoning.Conclusions: The scoping review highlights the importance of ethical reasoning and frameworks in nursing, identifying key approaches, principle-based methods, and ethical decision-making models. It underscores the need for practical application and integration of ethical reasoning education in nursing to enhance quality patient care and decision-making.

Negotiating autonomy, community, and divinity in urban Filipino young adults’ moral reasoning

Cultural approaches to examining the development of moral reasoning have been influential for decades. Still, gaps remain in understanding how individuals actively construct their moral reasoning within different sociocultural contexts and the period of young adulthood in the Filipino setting. Thus, this study examined the discourses used by urban Filipino young adults in reasoning about their moral conflicts and the ways they adopted and adapted these discourses in their reasoning. The study used a social constructionist perspective, informed by Shweder and colleagues’ ethics of Autonomy, Community, and Divinity and Jensen’s cultural-developmental approach. We conducted thematic analysis with attention to discourse on interviews with 12 urban young adults aged 21 to 29, producing three major discursive themes: harm and welfare, rules and roles, and liberal principles. The specific appropriation of these discourses suggests the dominance of the ethic of Autonomy. However, this often co-occurred with expressions of Community and Divinity, and the extent and manner of appropriation of these discourses varied according to individuals’ characteristics and experiences. By examining young adults’ negotiation of moral discourses in the Philippines, this research enriches understanding of moral reasoning in a sociohistorical context where young people increasingly contend with conflicts between traditional and global values.

Knowledge Versus Understanding: What Drives Moral Progress?

AbstractMoral progress is often modeled as an increase in moral knowledge and understanding, with achievements in moral reasoning seen as key drivers of progressive moral change. Contemporary discussion recognizes two (rival) accounts: knowledge-based and understanding-based theories of moral progress, with the latter recently contended as superior (Severini 2021). In this article, we challenge the alleged superiority of understanding-based accounts by conducting a comparative analysis of the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of both approaches. We assess them based on their potential to meet the following criteria: (i) moral progress must be possible despite evolutionary and epistemic constraints on moral reasoning; (ii) it should be epistemically achievable to ordinary moral agents; and (iii) it should be explainable via doxastic change. Our analysis suggests that both accounts are roughly equally plausible, but knowledge-based accounts are slightly less demanding and more effective at explaining doxastic change. Therefore, contrary to the prevailing view, we find knowledge-based accounts of moral progress more promising.

DNA Metabarcoding Approach as a Potential Tool for Supporting Official Food Control Programs: A Case Study.

Food authentication significantly impacts consumer health and the credibility of Food Business Operators (FBOs). As European regulations mandate the verification of food authenticity and supply chain integrity, competent authorities require access to innovative analytical methods to identify and prevent food fraud. This study utilizes the DNA metabarcoding approach on meat preparations, sampled during an official control activity. It assesses animal and plant composition by amplifying DNA fragments of the 12S rRNA and trnL (UAA) genes, respectively. The results not only confirmed the declared species but also revealed undeclared and unexpected taxa in products labelled as containing a single animal species and various unspecified plant species. Notable findings such as the presence of Murinae, Sus scrofa, Ovis aries, and Pisum sativum could raise public health concerns, compromise consumer choices made for ethical or religious reasons, and reflect the hygienic conditions of the processing plant. This study demonstrates that the DNA metabarcoding approach looks to be a promising support tool for official control authorities to ensure food authenticity and safety, and to develop risk profiles along the supply chain.

Doxastic dilemmas and epistemic blame

AbstractWhat should we believe when epistemic and practical reasons pull in opposite directions? The traditional view states that there is something that we ought epistemically to believe and something that we ought practically to (cause ourselves to) believe, period. More recent accounts challenge this view, either by arguing that there is something that we ought simpliciter to believe, all epistemic and practical reasons considered (the weighing view), or by denying the normativity of epistemic reasons altogether (epistemic anti‐normativism). I argue against both accounts and defend the traditional view. An agent can be blameworthy in doxastic dilemmas for complying with their practical but not their epistemic reasons. This reveals how epistemic reasons are normative: the concept of epistemic blame helps us track epistemic normativity.

Using and Measuring Motivational Interviewing in a New Setting: Experiences From a Project Highlighting Relationship-Building Skills in the Process of Recruiting New Staff

Relationship-building skills, with empathy and empathic abilities as crucial ingredients, are described as central in human service professions. These professions usually require training on relationship-building skills. However, in many professional groups, with support or care functions, rather than functions specifically oriented towards treatment, the level of education and training required varies. Empathic skills are central in the concept of Motivational Interviewing (MI). It has been suggested that for the ethical reason that treatment staff should not harm clients, workplaces should assess staff members’ empathic skills and ability to refrain from harmful behaviours, and these capabilities should be investigated when recruiting new staff. In accordance with this suggestion, the residential homes at the Swedish National Board of Institutional Care (SiS), which provides compulsory care for young people, initiated a project to develop and trial a work test based on the concept of MI. The aim of the article is to, based on 59 interviews with stakeholders in the SiS-project, add to the discussion on the balancing act required in evidence-based practise of maintaining psychometric stringency versus making contextual and situational adjustments. Focus is on exploring the possibilities for using and interpreting measures of MI in a new setting as well as the possibilities for assessing relationship-building skills in the recruitment process. The results suggest that tinkering is often necessary when using standardised measures for complex skills like relationship building. The study proposes that a nuanced understanding of the method, measurement, and organisational context is essential even with well-established methods.

Systematic Literature on the Reform Efforts in Education in the United States

Education reform aims to create equitable learning environments for all students, fostering their contributions to American society. This study explores public concerns and strategies in education reform, utilizing ethnomethodology as its theoretical framework to examine practical reasoning methods. Reform efforts emphasize social collaboration and state directives, rooted in citizens' lived experiences. Key components include high standards and accountability, authentic assessment, active learning, community building, lifelong learning, and character education. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) are pivotal in American politics, driving educational and social progress. NCLB emphasizes academic growth for disadvantaged students, while ESSA aims for equitable, high-quality education for all, preparing them for higher education and careers. Future research recommendations focus on individual instruction and strategies for active student engagement.

Influence of moral reasoning and environmental concern on sustainable food consumption behaviors: A gender comparison among university students

Currently, South American countries face social and environmental challenges that can be addressed through the transformation of food purchasing and preparation patterns. This study aims to enhance comprehension regarding personal factors influencing sustainable food consumption, by examining the impact of moral reasoning and environmental concern on this behavior. The responses of 233 Chilean university students to an online self-report survey were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results have shown that moral reasoning and environmental concern positively impact sustainable food consumption behaviors, such as opting for food with minimal packaging, conserving energy during cooking, and repurposing food waste. Additionally, significant gender differences in these effects were observed. These novel findings provide further evidence supporting the necessity of bolstering moral education and environmental consciousness to foster the adoption of sustainable food consumption practices among university students in developing South American nations. Furthermore, the results underscore the importance of considering gender distinctions in education, particularly in light of entrenched family and societal roles.

Inertial Confinement Fusion Propulsion for the Massive Ra World Ship Model – Part 2

A strategy for sending humans around other stars will be to acquire the ability to construct large World Ships which are of order ~1011-1012 tons in mass, ~100 km in length and host large populations of millions of people over many generations of lifetime. This paper presents such a concept but driven by inertial confinement fusion engines utilising very large pellets of order 230 g in mass augmented with 4.85 kg/pellet of expellant propellant for increased mass flow rate and thrust generation. A mission architecture is constructed for a 1 million population carrying capacity growing to 10 million, based on an original 1984 published model which achieved a cruise speed of 1,500 km/s or 0.5% for a 1,000 year trip time. Calculations show that propulsion of such a vast construction will require hundreds of engines operating in parallel thrust mode and at moderately high pulse frequency for an elongated burn time of order half a century. The purpose of this study was to examine whether it was possible to drive an interstellar world ship using ICF engines using similar assumptions to a 1984 study for a Mk2A design. The conclusion of this study is that although an architecture does appear to be possible, there are practical reasons why it may be better to pursue alternative propulsion methods for this specific application such as via external nuclear pulse propulsion as adopted for the original studies. This paper is a follow-up to an earlier one which discussed some of the assumptions of the study. Keywords: World Ships, Interstellar Studies, Fusion Propulsion

What we owe (to) the present: Normative and practical challenges for strong longtermism

This paper critically examines the conceptual, normative, and practical challenges to strong longtermism—the view that the far future is the key priority in moral decision-making. The main challenge is that if we take strong longtermism seriously, it follows that harming present and near-future people is permissible, if not obligatory. Given that this conclusion is repugnant to most, we argue that strong longtermism must be substantially weakened. Furthermore, even if strong longtermists bite the bullet on the challenge of what we owe to the present, we raise a set of related concerns that demand attention. Specifically, we argue that it is questionable whether the far future can be a difference-maker in moral decision-making. Even if it could, our inability to predict or understand how the far future will unfold, or what values future generations will hold, severely limits our capacity to account for it. Finally, the implementation of strong longtermism requires a level of progressive moral reasoning that far exceeds our current cognitive and ethical capabilities. While these objections do not necessarily debunk strong longtermism, they seriously challenge its plausibility—as it currently stands.

Nietzschean Perspectivism: Representation and Values

ABSTRACT Nietzsche’s perspectivism can fruitfully be understood as a claim that all our representations are perspectival and absolute representations are impossible. But that treatment leaves unclear another key aspect of Nietzschean perspectivism—the idea that our representations are perspectival because they are ultimately rooted in some way in our values. I motivate this latter aspect of Nietzsche’s account through an argument that relies on the contrast between Bernard Williams’s rejection of “external reasons statements” in the case of practical reasoning, and his reliance on an “absolute conception of the world” in theoretical reasoning. Nietzsche holds, by contrast, that theoretical reasoning, too, can offer only “internal,” and hence perspectival, reasons.

Debriefing to nurture clinical reasoning in nursing students: A design-based research study

BackgroundStudents' clinical reasoning can be stimulated by guiding them to use their experiences with patients to develop own illness scripts. Debriefing during hospital shifts invites students to put patient experiences into words, link them to previously acquired knowledge and make connections. ObjectivesTo develop, implement and evaluate a debriefing procedure for nursing internships based on illness script theory and generate corresponding design principles. DesignQualitative design-based research. SettingClinical education in dedicated educational hospital units. ParticipantsNurse educators, nursing students. MethodsFrom a collaboration between nurse educators and a researcher, a short, peer-debriefing procedure was designed, tested and enacted through four cycles of planning, action, evaluation and reflection. Students drew mind maps about patients. Nurse educators and students joined focus group discussions to evaluate outcomes and processes. Mind map and iterative thematic analysis were applied to these data. ResultsAn adjusted design and more extensive design principles resulted. Differences in mind maps were evident over time. Three themes in the process evaluation were established: trigger to reason; energy giving and taking; and form follows function. ConclusionsThis design-based investigation displays how nurse educators could design and implement a debriefing procedure to facilitate students' clinical reasoning skills and how students could learn from this. This method integrates research, innovation and collaboration. The design and enactment under real-life hospital conditions generated design principles for educators and researchers which may be useful for those seeking to improve teaching and learning clinical reasoning in practice. More clarification is needed about the path from design through enactment to real change in practice.

Informed Consent in Clinical Training: Perspectives from Medical Students and Faculty in Portugal.

The student-patient relationship represents the cornerstone of medical education, shaping future doctors' knowledge, skills and attitudes. While most patients allow student involvement in their care, some may express discomfort. Thus, obtaining explicit consent is essential to respect patients' right of autonomy. This study mainly aims to assess the practical application of informed consent by medical students and teachers regarding students' presence and participation in patients' care. An observational cross-sectional study was performed, and an online questionnaire was given to students and teachers at a single medical school, via institutional email. The study included 289 participants, namely 232 students and 57 teachers. While 81% of teachers reported always asking the patient's consent for students' presence, only 28% of students claimed this to be the case. Despite challenges like overcrowding and limited time, involving students in healthcare benefits both students and patients. Moreover, medical ethics education is crucial to foster compassionate care and promote ethical reasoning. The disparities found between teachers' practices and students' perspectives highlight the need to intervene and provide them with an adequate education on ethical values in clinical practice. Strategic interventions at institutional levels are required for a simultaneous high quality of patient care and clinical training.

Personal values and moral reasoning: An empirical study

This exploratory study examined the personal values (using the Rokeach values survey) and moral reasoning (according to the DIT-2 P-scores) of a sample of 51 students taking business courses at a Canadian University in Winter 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. The mean P-Score of the sample was 32.16 with females having a mean P-score (37.4) significantly higher (at 5% level) than the males (mean of 28.62). Health was ranked as the most important terminal value, followed by Family Security and Self-Respect while Honest was considered as the highest-ranking instrumental value, followed by Responsible and Ambitious. Female respondents considered the value of Self-Respect to be of more priority than the male respondents. The results suggest that most of the respondents (66%) according to the Musser-Orke classification, place emphasis on social than on personal goals and thus on serving others rather than themselves. No significant correlation was, however, detected between the respondents’ P-Scores and either their social terminal or moral instrumental value scores.

Publish or Perish? Game Design Based on Self-Determination Theory and Persuasion

The academic world is known for its competitiveness and collaboration, demanding researchers to possess resilience and adaptablility. In light of this, this paper examines the self-designed game called Publish or Perish and its potential benefits in gamifying academic experiences and replicating the complexities of scholarly researches. The objective of this research is to investigate how game design can improve understanding of academic processes, develop crucial skills such as teamwork and ethical reasoning, and cultivate player resilience. The findings from this study suggest that gamification can effectively engage participants by simulating real academic challenges, offering valuable insights into the nuances of academic life. This research holds significant importance due to its potential in creating an innovative educational tool that not only entertains but also equips researchers with greater confidence and proficiency in navigating the complexities of academia.By expanding on these findings, educators may be able to develop more interactive learning methods that capture students attention while imparting crucial knowledge about academic life.