Moral Transformation Research Articles

What does the future hold for Italian universities? Critical perspectives from Bernard Stiegler

ABSTRACT This article aims to provoke thoughtful reflection on the university’s raison d'être and the factors contributing to its current state of crisis in an era marked by efficiency and rapid technological advancements. Drawing inspiration from Bernard Stiegler’s philosophical ideas, it explores potential new roles for the university within the current educational context, with a particular focus on the Italian case. Given the transitory nature of the industrial model inherited from the twentieth century, the discussion, framed through a pedagogical lens, addresses how higher education can be reoriented to foster critical thinking and promote societal and moral transformation amid neoliberal reforms and technological progress. It also highlights the importance of de-proletarianisation in education as a means to counter the limited perspectives perpetuated by marketisation.

The Implementation of Repentance, Confession, and Penance in the Sacrament of Reconciliation at Stasi Santo Thomas Onan Rihit

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, central to Catholic doctrine, facilitates the restoration of relationships between the penitent, the community, and the divine. This study examines the implementation and experiences of the sacrament through the essential acts of repentance, confession, and penance, highlighting their roles in spiritual and moral transformations. Employing a qualitative approach, the research gathered data through observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation at Stasi Santo Thomas Rasul Onan Rihit. The findings reveal that repentance initiates spiritual renewal while confession promotes transparency and humility, thereby strengthening communal bonds. Penance, tailored to individual transgressions, not only addresses past wrongs but also fosters spiritual growth and community harmony. Challenges remain in fully engaging penitents with the sacrament, pointing to the need for enhanced pastoral support and theological education. This study underscores the sacrament's enduring relevance and its capacity to facilitate profound spiritual life within the contemporary Catholic context.

Moral Injury as a Precondition for Reconciliation: An Anthropology of Veterans’ Lives and Peacemaking

In this article, I rely on religious existential philosophy to make sense of the moral restoration expressed by combat veterans who engage in reconciliation with former enemies after suffering from moral injury. Moral injury is the persistent feeling of having betrayed one’s deepest moral values. Anthropological research and analyses of combat veterans’ testimony suggest that moral injury may be associated with reconciliation, which is considered here as a manifestation of an inner transformation akin to existential philosophies of striving for moral authenticity. Specifically, it is argued that Thomas Merton’s defense of living a morally authentic life, which constitutes a process of moving from spiritual woundedness to social engagement with the other, parallels the transition of combat veterans involved in postconflict reconciliation efforts. Given this correspondence, existential moral transformation is considered alongside the anthropology of peace for explaining moral injury as a precondition for reconciliation, notably after armed conflict.

Moral Transformation in Greco-Roman Philosophy of Mind, written by Max J. Lee

Moral Transformation in Greco-Roman Philosophy of Mind, written by Max J. Lee

Moral Transformation as Shifting (Im)Possibilities

AbstractThe phenomenon of moral transformation, though important, has received little attention in virtue ethics. In this paper we propose a virtue-ethical model of moral transformation as character transformation by tracking the development of new identity-defining (‘core’) character traits, their expressions, and their priority structure, through the change in what appears as possible or impossible to the moral agent. We propose that character transformation culminates when what previously appeared as morally possible to the agent now appears impossible, i.e. unconceived and unthinkable, moving through stages of transformation where some possibilities gradually disappear while others open up. While we show an example of moral transformation towards virtue, we allow that such transformation can occur in the opposite direction, hence we make claims about ‘character traits’ rather than virtues of vices. Through the example of former slave-trader Rodrigo’s transformation in the film The Mission, we follow the parallel development of new objects of value and ways of valuing (with respect to a group of indigenous people of South America) with the closing down of the possibility of disrespecting and harming them, to the end-point of transformation, where allowing their capture is for Rodrigo both unconceived and, when conceived, unthinkable.

Does Richard Rorty have ‘anything to say to blacks’? Greater cruelties, lesser cruelties and the permanence of racism

Richard Rorty does have something ‘to say to [Black Americans]’ and to their racially conscious nonblack allies in the sense that his understanding of liberalism, his prophecies about the future and his urgent appeals to the American Left all paint a picture of a white middle class fully prepared to make life increasingly miserable for Black Americans unless it is ‘protected from catastrophe’. Rorty hopes that this group will undergo a moral transformation that enables it to see past its narrow group interests, but doubts that it will. He, nevertheless, prescribes a politics of hope and appeasement as a hedge against both despair and backsliding. In so doing, he fails to appreciate the availability and the suitability of an alternative ‘racial realist’ (and tragicomic) posture vis-à-vis American liberalism inspired by thinkers like Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin and Derrick Bell. This alternative enables racially conscious Americans to respond to the intransigence of (certain) white Americans with cunning rather than by escaping into fantasies of a ‘dream country’ unmarked by the damage caused by racism and its long-lingering effects. I uncover and explore this alternative through Rorty’s warnings regarding the white middle class, a somewhat surprising consistency between Rorty’s brand of class politics and Bell’s understanding of ‘racial fortuity’, and, finally, through a development of Bell’s ‘racial realist’ posture combined with Baldwin’s ‘uses of the blues’ resulting in a ‘hard-eyed’ tragicomic sensibility sufficient to effectively pair continued struggle with creative consolation and resilience.

Слияние человека и машины: взгляд Дэвида Кроненберга на проблему киборга

The article discusses the topic of interaction between technology and human being through the prism of the cyborg concept. The author provides an introduction to this concept, starting with its invention by scientists Manfred Kleins and Nathan Kline in 1960, the subsequent interpretation of the cyborg phenomenon by modern philosophers, and further demonstrates how the problematics surrounding this concept is developed by the film director David Cronenberg in his movies. The relevance of this topic is determined by the fact that technology is currently developing so rapidly and intensively that literally before our eyes the integration of the products of these technologies into social life is beginning to have a serious impact on all its areas, and, according to a number of scientists, is capable of having a qualitative impact on human evolution. In this paper, the author uses the methods of film analysis and interpretation to the greatest extent, as these methods in combination allow us to deal with the movies on various levels in the most productive way. Based on the presented material, the author proves that the concept of the cyborg is a relevant and promising phenomenon that allows us to soberly reflect on the way humans are merging with technology and to predict what consequences this may lead to. For a multifaceted study of this topic, the author also touches upon such phenomena as the transformation of morality and social attitudes in a changing world. The author puts special emphasis on David Cronenberg's most recent film "Crimes of the Future", released in 2022, which, in the opinion of the author of the paper, is a definite manifesto in the career of the filmmaker, where he has collected the most important and significant positions from his previous works.

Scientific Acculturation in Russian Turkestan: from Collecting Antiquities to the Practice of Scientific Research

In this article an attempt is made to comprehend the possibilities of applying acculturation approaches to the description of the history of scientific work, scientific societies in Turkestan, as well as joint activities of Russian orientalists and local local historians — “antiquity lovers” in the study of history, archaeology, ethnography, numismatics, cultural heritage of the peoples of Central Asia in the late 19th — early 20th centuries. The article deals with how the traditions of collecting and gathering antiquities among the local population of Turkestan under the influence of the emerging socio-cultural and scientific environment, represented by Russian orientalists, gradually acquired its scientific form. In particular, this contributed to the involvement of local local historians in the scientific study of the region, their mastering of techniques and methods of scientific work with sources and archaeological artifacts, their participation in one of the first and significant scientific societies of Turkestan — Turkestan Circle of Amateurs of Archaeology (TKLA). Involvement of scientific literature and rethinking of archival sources allow us to trace how under the influence of Russian orientalists and “big science” the attitude of local local local historians to antiquities changed, and they came to realize the necessity of its study, careful preservation and the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of the peoples of Central Asia. At the same time, using acculturation approaches, one can see that communication and contacts between representatives of two different ethno-cultural and social groups had a great influence on each other, contributing to scientific and moral transformations. What moved local local historians when they participated in scientific activities? How significant was the influence of acculturation and do acculturation approaches to the history of Turkestan “work” in the study and development of this problem? Local local historians, cooperating with Russian orientalists in the socio-cultural field, contributed to laying the foundations of national archeology, establishment of archeological research, formation of the first numismatic and manuscript collections, provided invaluable assistance to Russian orientalists in the study of local topography, ethnography, history and culture of the peoples of Central Asia. Methodological basis of the study is the concept of acculturation.

Concepts of an ideal city in the history of philosophy.

This article reviews the primary ideas that have been proposed about the «ideal city» from the time of ancient civilization to the present, and it draws key findings that are important for comprehending the details of contemporary urban development. The article pays a lot of attention to the social essence of the dynamics of the city, ideas about the ideal organization of urban space and its infrastructure. The comparison of modern models of the ideal city with the views of Plato, Aristotle, Al-Farabi and other thinkers and scientists on the ideal city testifies to the importance of these ideas. The authors consider the evolution of ideas about the geometry of urban space, conditioned by certain socio-ethical, aesthetic, mythological and religious priorities, basic scientific concepts and prevailing worldviews, as well as practical tasks of ensuring the safety of the city. Projects of urbanization and social reconstruction, where the ideas of spiritual and moral transformation of man and society prevail, for all their utopianism, cannot sink into the past. They encourage thinking about the possibility of building models of urban and social reconstruction that meet millennial aspirations for security, justice, the common good, and comfort. The article draws attention to the growing negative consequences of the urbanization process, the need for a serious justification of the policy of formation and development of megacities, its implementation taking into account the principle of multifactoriality.

John Fante's Ask the Dust: Between art and self-dramatisation

In John Fante's Ask the Dust, Arturo Bandini's ambition to become a great writer overrides his disadvantages as the son of Italian immigrants searching for his place in American society. With cocksure arrogance he cultivates the fantasy self-image of a confident womaniser to compensate for his lack of sexual experience. His inability to confront reality without distorting its features through his wild fantasies continually frustrates his attempts to write a novel as a follow-up to his short story The Little Dog Laughed. Criticism on the novel has traced his moral transformation from egotism to empathy without, however, taking into proper consideration Bandini's idea of himself as an author and the manner in which Fante constructs a series of narrative voices to create a self-dialogue within the text between the older Bandini as narrator and the younger Bandini as protagonist.

The Moral Matrix of Capitalism: Insights from Central and Eastern Europe

This special section aims to shed light on moral milieus and agencies in contemporary capitalist central and eastern Europe. Drawing on case studies from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Russia, it offers insight into changing perceptions of proper economy and practice amongst a broad range of actors—from landfill workers to business managers and the super-rich. The contributors explore how actors at various scales morally construct, contest, and defend ideas of justice, (re-)distribution, and social worth, as well as socio-economic hierarchy, inequality, and harm. They analyse the capitalist moral transformation and order in the region and examine the local appropriation of and buy-in to (as well as critique of) aspects of neoliberal moral orders—a topic sidelined in much of the existing moral economy scholarship. Exploring a broad range of moral economic phenomena, the contributors move beyond the conventional definition of morals as prosocial norms and action, approaching morals as a broader empirical phenomenon of economy and politics. They examine the actions, practices, and reasoning of different actors in relation to shifting notions of acceptable and unacceptable, just and unjust, and praiseworthy and blameworthy behaviour. As such, this collection makes the case for widening the empirical object and analytical purchase of moral economy to include the study of not only moral critiques and resistance to capitalism but also the diverse moral agencies, milieus and orders of capitalism, and the ways in which the advancement and embedding of the capitalist moral order has shaped economic life in the region.

How Much Moral Psychology Does Anyone Need? Tolstoy's Examples of Character Development and Their Impact on Readers

AbstractNothing was more important to Tolstoy than character development. For him, the purpose of life is to grow morally. The purpose of literature — as all art — is to aid that growth. Abstract philosophy and pedantic scholarship are therefore redundant. Indeed, even the psychological novel is a distraction. Moral truths are self‐evident. They are always simple. They are expressed by the humble. They are known by the meek. To become good, all we need to do is peel back the layers of hypocrisy and deceit that have overwrought us. Moral truths are known all over the world, but they are forgotten or covered up. There is nothing like a folktale, a pithy aphorism, or the words of a farm laborer or child to point this out. We may be surprised by what we already know and how deceived we were. All Tolstoy's varied endeavors, his literature, pedagogic theory and philosophy, center on moral conversion and its only legitimate motivation: love. Tolstoy's affront on modern civilization, documented vehemently in his later works sought to teach this lesson. This was a view of character development that had wide ranging impact all over the world, influencing many of the most famous thinkers, educators, and activists of the twentieth century. Tolstoy's stories continue to enthrall and inspire moral transformation. In this article Daniel Moulin explains why.

Be Friendly, Never Friend – Quality of Relationship Between Juvenile and Educator

The educator profession at the Youth Detention Centre undoubtedly requires specific abilities, skills, and concrete knowledge since, from the beginning of their work, an educator must interact with youth who often exemplify pathological behaviour models. The article refers to the paradigms of social rehabilitation pedagogy. Referring to the social rehabilitation process of minors, it is worth presenting the figure of a social rehabilitation educator, who undoubtedly plays a vital role in this process. The role of an educator, perceived as a helping person, is not the easiest one, especially when working with demoralized people who do not comply with social and legal norms. The staff must have a positive attitude towards social rehabilitation goals. The article's primary purpose is a contemporary reflection on understanding the art of being an educator, a social rehabilitation pedagogue, communication, the relationship between the educator and the juvenile, and the barriers in everyday work with juveniles at social rehabilitation centres. As an autotelic value, juveniles staying in social rehabilitation institutions deserve subjective and understanding relationships with an educator whose competencies, desire for personal development, and knowledge of their weaknesses will contribute to creating an interaction initiating the juvenile's moral transformation process.

Research on moral issues related to the use of artificial intelligence in modern society

The purpose of the article was to highlight the philosophical and axiological guidelines in the moral and ethical dimension of artificial intelligence. The task of the article was to analyse the ideas and beliefs in the contemporary scientific discourse on the positioning of artificial intelligence in the mental and worldview paradigm of the modern world. Based on the analysed scientific works (a total of 55 studies covering the issues of correlation between morality and artificial intelligence published over the past 5 years), an attempt was made in order to determine the relationship between morality and technicality. Methodology. The methodological arsenal was provided by general scientific methods, primarily of the analytical cluster. At the same time, purely philosophical methodological approaches were used: dialectical and synergistic methods, which determined the level of coexistence and interaction between artificial intelligence and moral norms. The results of the study indicated the inter-integration of technology and morality in modern society. This trend is expressed in several key dimensions: artificial intelligence as the basis for a new moral paradigm, the transformation of morality under the influence of artificial intelligence, balance, and autonomy of innovative technologicality and traditional morality. Prospects for further research include the development of unified guidelines that will determine the moral norms of artificial intelligence and the potential level of technological impact on the transformation of morality. Conclusion. Thus, artificial intelligence has de facto integrated into socio-cultural use at the global level, which has actualised the need for its assessment and understanding in terms of morality and ethical principles.

The Way of the Bodhisattva

Abstract What can Buddhism offer contemporary religious understandings of King Lear? Shakespeare's great wisdom play has been viewed, more often than not, as pessimistic, even nihilistic, in its tragic rendering of the human condition. A Buddhist perspective challenges the premises of such a bleak reading by offering profound insight into how suffering gives rise to compassion, empathy and wisdom, rather than despair. Focusing particularly on the enigmatic spirituality and moral function of Edgar, this article illuminates his character through the revered teachings of a classic Indian text of Mahāyāna Buddhism, Shāntideva's Way of the Bodhisattva. Edgar appears in the heroic light of a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who seeks to alleviate the suffering of others. His journey exemplifies the human potential for moral transformation, selflessness and universal love in his responsiveness to the suffering of others who wander in a saṃsāric world of ignorance, attachment and aversion.

In critique of moral resilience: UK healthcare professionals’ experiences working with asylum applicants housed in contingency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic

This research explores the experiences of UK NHS healthcare professionals working with asylum applicants housed in contingency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a critical understanding of the concept of...

Tea Art

This paper sheds light on the operative dynamics of Chinese Contemporary Tea Art, eschewing a formalist reading that equates it with the gongfu ceremony, taking as a jumping-off point instead the Chinese terms that are usually translated into Tea Art: chayi and chadao. I analyze Tea Art through analytics that are raised by its own practitioners, namely the interrelated yet irreducible logics of yi and dao. First, I analyze the yi logic of chayi, demonstrating how the aesthetic register of Tea Art evokes broader, historically rooted ideas about the role of aesthetics as a vector for the moral transformation of society. Second, I turn to the dao logic of chadao, where I illustrate the ways in which Tea Art practice incorporates popular discourses on the interconnectedness of humans and their environment through interpretations of the dao and its adjacent concepts, transforming it into a modality of self-work that reconfigures one’s relationship to self, other, and nature. Third, I place the rise of Tea Art in a sociocultural context to demonstrate that it is neither the revival of an ancient Chinese tradition nor a purely invented tradition but rather a highly complex contemporary phenomenon built at a critical juncture of the Chinese modernization project where urbanites have increasingly pondered issues of spiritual and psychological well-being.

For the Common Good: The Symbiosis between Individual and Community in the Philosophy of Xunzi

The concept of community within Confucianism is deeply rooted in its unique understanding of individuals. This is exemplified by Xunzi, who claims that individuals, driven by their growing desires for satisfaction, would fight over limited resources and hence lead themselves to social disorder and distress. Thus, he evaluates human nature to be evil, thereby highlighting the necessity of forming a community. Keeping in view Xunzi’s aims of establishing a harmonious co-existence amongst individuals who “desire or hate the same things” (yuwu tongwu 欲恶同物), this paper explores his considerations and justifications when accessing the individual and the community. Firstly, the origins of community arise from the survival crises of individuals in the state of nature. As individuals face the dilemma of disorder, they opt to form a community. This would, to a certain extent, endow individuals with rationality and the capacity to suppress their desires, therefore differentiating them from animals. Secondly, the principle of fen 分 (social division) is important in maintaining social order and uniting individuals under the governance of the jun 君 (lord). Differentiated justice embodied in the concept of fen also presents a contrast from the universal implications of qun 群 (community). Following social distinctions and affiliations, people are then absorbed into the ritual structure and social relationships as embedded individuals. Thirdly, realizing the common good would depend on the moral transformation of individuals and their identification with values that define an ideal community on a spiritual level, ultimately reflecting the essence of ancient Chinese universalism.

Beyond Retribution: Exploring Theories of Punishment in Ethics and Philosophy

This research paper delves into the intricate realm of punishment theories within the frameworks of ethics and philosophy, transcending conventional notions of retribution. It embarks on a journey to unravel the multifaceted dimensions of punishment, shedding light on its philosophical underpinnings, ethical implications, and societal ramifications. Departing from traditional retributive paradigms that prioritize vengeance and deterrence, this study navigates through alternative perspectives that advocate for rehabilitation, restoration, and moral transformation. Drawing upon a diverse array of philosophical insights and ethical considerations, this paper critically evaluates various theories of punishment, including consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. It examines how these theories conceptualize the purpose and justification of punishment, contemplating their compatibility with principles of justice, fairness, and human dignity. Moreover, it scrutinizes the practical applications of these theories within contemporary legal systems, assessing their effectiveness in promoting social harmony, individual accountability, and communal well-being. By exploring the complexities of punishment beyond retribution, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the moral and philosophical frameworks that shape our attitudes towards justice and punishment. It advocates for a nuanced approach that acknowledges the inherent complexities of human behaviour, the potential for redemption, and the imperative of fostering a more compassionate and rehabilitative justice system. Ultimately, this paper endeavours to provoke critical reflection and stimulate discourse on the ethical foundations of punishment, paving the way for a more enlightened and humane approach to justice in society.

Features of the sociocultural identity of a modern student

Introduction. The study of the basic characteristics of the sociocultural identity of a modern student as value and semantic foundations of personal development is relevant due to the cultural and moral transformations of modern society and the practical need to change the system of education in higher education.Aim. The current research aims to reveal the sociocultural characteristics by which a modern student describes himself/herself when compared with a group and to identify groups, communities, which is the subject of identification for the student.Methodology and research methods. The authors used a quantitative approach to the collection and analysis of the data obtained. This made it possible to cover a large sample and obtain statistically reliable results. The theoretical methods of research were historiographical and comparative types of analysis (allowed to formulate the initial provisions of the study); conceptual and terminological analysis of philosophical, psychological, psychological-pedagogical, socio-psychological literature (used to describe the categorical field of the problem); systematisation and conceptualisation of scientific ideas. The following empirical methods were applied: questionnaires, testing. Data processing methods: methods of mathematical statistics (descriptive statistics, Student’s T-test, one-factor analysis of variance).Results. The article contains the results of an empirical study of the sociocultural identity of students. The authors defined the foundations of the ideas of modern youth about themselves. In particular, students describe themselves through belonging to family, profession, gender and national groups. The authors identified the groups with which the respondents identify themselves: this is a family and a circle of friends. Moreover, the authors revealed that the socio-cultural identity of students has gender, age differences, and depends on the direction of training at the university. The role of the presented results in the modern international scientific discourse was analysed.Scientific novelty. The authors conceptualised the concept of sociocultural identity and described the mechanisms of its formation; identified the main components in the structure of sociocultural identity of young people; established gender, age and educational differences in the characteristics of sociocultural identity of students; identified dominant groups in the process of identification of a young person with a high degree of significance.Practical significance. The results of the study can be used as a spiritual and moral, value-oriented basis of the education programme in higher education.