Philosophical Notions Research Articles

English language as a cognitive tool for learning philosophy: A comparative analysis from Moroccan higher education

This study explores the intricate relationship between language and cognition, concentrating on how linguistic competence affects philosophical knowledge acquisition. The study, which was carried out at Cadi Ayyad University, examines the learning results of two different groups of college students who are all fluent in English as a second language: final-year English Studies students and Philosophy Studies students. Determining if a linguistic foundation facilitates a quicker and more profound comprehension of philosophical notions in comparison to a philosophical background devoid of advanced language instruction is the main goal. The results show that students who had a strong background in English Studies were more accurate and efficient at understanding abstract philosophical concepts than their Philosophy Studies counterparts. This result emphasizes how important language is as a tool for communication as well as a possible container of thinking that shapes and facilitates cognitive processes. The work also tackles the age-old philosophical query of whether knowledge can be conceptualized and comprehended apart from language structures. These observations have important ramifications for multidisciplinary education, especially in higher education in Morocco. The research promotes creative instructional approaches that cross disciplines, foster critical thinking, and aid in students' holistic development by highlighting the advantages of combining language and philosophical training.

The Haptic in Soundscape Composition

This article presents the concept of a ‘haptic aurality’ in soundscape composition, an aesthetic and perceptual model derived from visual art theory, media studies and phenomenology that extends the haptic beyond its common association to vibroacoustic phenomena in the sonic arts. Included in this framework are both the standard haptic arguments, from psychology and engineering, including notions of kinaesthesia and proprioception, and varied definitions of the haptic as a not necessarily tactile mode of knowing touch that involves synaesthesia, transmodal perception and philosophical notions of sensory dedifferentiation. In adapting this survey of sometimes contradictory accounts of the haptic as parameters for compositional analysis and application, the article simultaneously creates novel engagements between soundscape composition and acousmatic practice.

How does place impact intrapartum practice for midwives and obstetricians?

BackgroundRising rates of labour and birth interventions are causing concern, having the potential to cause harm if used inappropriately. International evidence demonstrates that place itself influences birth outcomes, but evidence is limited as to how. In New Zealand there are differences in the rates of spontaneous vaginal births by place, along with differences when benchmarking uncomplicated primiparae birthing in hospital maternity facilities throughout the country. AimTo develop understanding of how place influenced midwives’ and obstetricians’ practice in relation to supporting physiological birth. MethodFor this Hermeneutic Phenomenological study participants were purposively selected and consisted of nine midwives (employed and self-employed) and three obstetricians, all practising in midwifery led units or hospital maternity facilities. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews. The method of analysis involved writing and rewriting to surface interpretive insights, drawing on philosophical notions from Heidegger and Gadamer. FindingsThe findings revealed that place influences what practitioners are attuned to, what is easier for them to achieve, and their ability to provide woman-centred care. Competing tensions and pressures within place can blur the perceived relationship between normality and risk, influencing what is considered to be safe. SummaryPlace is not neutral; it influences how midwives and obstetricians practise and shapes how they support physiological labour and birth. The findings of this research contribute to a deeper understanding of the barriers and enablers to supporting physiological birth within place.

The Separation of Powers and Judicial Independence in South Africa: A Theoretical Critique

Section 165(2) of the South African Constitution of 1996 proclaims the independence of the courts. This principle is predicated on the philosophical notion of separation of powers prominently adopted in democratic countries like South Africa (SA). Separation of powers and the behavioural demands on judgeship have produced a general conception that the judiciary is independent; even of politics. This is not the case, politics and judiciary are inseparable since they both seek to achieve the same political objectives. This article adopts Critical Legal Theory (CLT) with historical and philosophical analysis to theoretically repudiate the generalisation. This is a qualitative study and has identified a gap in SA constitutional scholarship regarding interrogating the concept of judicial independence. Resolving this issue the article contends that politics are innate to the judiciary. This reasoning stems from the interrogation of the classical development of the “separation of powers”, and the principle of judicial independence. As a complex phenomenon, judicial independence here is not being explored institutionally and administratively. Rather, it is probed from its conceptual premises. Through court judgments, court activism, and South Africa’s history of constitutional development, the article determines that the judiciary and the law in SA are innate in politics. The intent is to disabuse scholarship from accepting the generalisation of the principle of judicial independence. This is not an anti-constitution critique, but a belief/notion that if adjudicators are not strangled with “judicial independence” general narrative, the courts will expedite the constitutions’ transformative objectives.

Un ideologo sentimentale: Stendhal, Rousseau e la nascita dell’amore

This article aims to analyse Stendhal’s theory of love as formulated in Filosofia nova and De l’amour, with the objective of highlighting Henri Beyle’s complex attempt to reconcile two rival epistemological paradigms: the sensational-ideological tradition (particularly Condillac, Cabanis, and Destutt de Tracy) and the sentimental tradition (Rousseau). The cross-examination of the texts reveals how Stendhal’s philosophical reflection sought to refute a purely physical view of love—informed by the concept of ‘unproductive imagination’—and aimed for a middle ground between the ‘coldness of geometry’ and the ‘sentimental ardour’. Specifically, this article suggests the philosophical centrality of Rousseau’s theorization of a dynamic and subjective imagination, often overlooked in critical literature on Stendhal, which emphasizes the programmatic ‘scientific’ foundation of his theory of affectivity. ousseau, a kind of father-master towards whom Beyle always harbored a mixture of respect and resentment. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the constructive presence of Rousseau's thought—often reduced to a counter-model—in Stendhal's explanation of love. Such an operation allows for the simultaneous highlighting of the philosophical interest in Stendhal's writings, which lies not so much in the invention of new concepts but in the specific conceptual twist he manages to subject the heterogeneous philosophical notions that intertwine in the fabric of his thought.

Nature as Event: A Study on John Dewey’s Naturalism

John Dewey’s naturalism requires viewing nature and experience from the perspective of holism, emphasising the continuity between these two. To Dewey, nature is not a fixed entity, but an event in an ongoing process of unfolding. The temporality of an event can meet Dewey’s requirement of constructing a philosophical notion about change and development. The event has a relatively stable structure. The continuity between living things and non-living things becomes possible because of the characteristic transactions of events, and experience thus becomes something emergent in nature and actively intervenes in its unfolding. The emergence of human intelligence and the application of language has lifted nature to a controllable and operable plane, making experience a crucial guide for the unfolding of nature.

On the Actuality of Integrative Intellect-Mystical Asceticism as Self-Realization in View of Nicolaus de Cusa, Ibn Sīnā, and Others

I argue for a transformative revival or actualization of the very core of an integrative, methodologically secured form of intellect-mystical asceticism. This approach draws on traditional sources that are re-examined from a systematic—synthetic and transcultural—philosophical perspective and in light of the multi-civilizational global environment of the 21st century. The main traditional points of reference in this paper are provided by Nicolaus de Cusa and Ibn Sīnā, and I refer to a few others, such as Attar of Nishapur, in passing. In the beginning, I develop a basic concept of intellect-mystical asceticism. It is distinguished from mystification, science, scientism, and modes of everyday communication and cognition. After that, I make the case for an updated, transcultural approach to intellect-mysticism that can foster the internal (social) and external (environmental) reintegration of the human noosphere and technosphere in future planetary development. In this context, a modern intellect-mystical philosophical notion of “knowing non-knowing” (wissendes Nichtwissen, docta ignorantia) is developed. It is inspired by Nicolaus de Cusa and contextualized from a systematic transcultural angle at the same time. Finally, I discuss the problem of the practical, or rather, ascetic realization of the related possibilities of intellect-mystical self-enfolding. Here, the preceding steps of the reflection are mapped onto an outline regarding distinct developmental stages of such a transformative intellect-mystical practice in Ibn Sīnā’s Remarks and Admonitions (al-Ishārāt wat-Tanbīhāt).

A Study Into the Principles and Solutions of Humanistic Thought Permeating Political and Ideological Education

In today s world, social structure and values have experienced significant transformations due to the growing impact of globalization and information technology. In light of this, the significance of political and ideological education in cultivating socialist successors and builders is becoming increasingly prominent. Humanistic thinking, as a philosophical notion that stresses individual value and dignity and concentrates on the holistic development of an individual, provides a new perspective and theoretical support for ideological and political education. Incorporating humanistic thinking into political and ideological education can not only encourage students individual growth but also make political and ideological education more appealing and effective. In order to offer a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the reform and development of ideological and political education, this study attempts to investigate the application principles and solutions of humanistic thinking in this field.

Self-creation Without Natural Limits? On a Certain Blindness in Richard Rorty’s Anti-authoritarian Pragmatism

Abstract This article argues that Richard Rorty’s philosophy has a blind spot regarding our relationship with nature. It examines his distinct version of pragmatism to find ways to address this shortcoming. Rorty’s antirepresentational “pragmatism as anti-authoritarianism” and its anthropocentric character are discussed. His linguistic instrumentalism is problematized since it entails an unapologetic Baconian view of knowledge as power and nature as a manipulable object. While Rorty’s Darwinian image of the human being somewhat relativizes this Baconian humanism, it does not address the dependence of the human species on its natural environment. According to the romantic dimension in Rorty, the human being is rather exalted, and the imperative of infinite self-creation ignores natural limits. However, there are valuable resources in Rorty’s philosophy that can limit this imperative and his instrumentalism. For instance, Rorty’s anti-authoritarianism reminds us of the moral responsibility of choice about (our) nature. Furthermore, his inclusivist ethic of solidarity implies the potential extension beyond the human species. Lastly, his notion of philosophy as cultural politics could foster democratic discussion on the pressing issues of technological advance.

Waging a Just and Ethical War – Contemplating Saint Augustine, ‘Just War’ theory, Gaza, and other Philosophical Notions

In this paper, the author presents a basic overview of a range of philosophical approaches to the notion of war from the early ancient Greek traditions relating to war, to the conservative tradition. The desktop research methodology employed combines a review of existing literature with a focus on analysis, synthesis, and ethical considerations. By utilizing a diverse range of sources and analytical techniques, it aims to contribute to a better understanding of a ‘just and ethical war’ and provides insights for further research. A range of philosophical ideas through the ages are briefly discussed followed by discussion on the Just War Theory. The role of abolitionists per se is not discussed since this work is then traversing St. Augustine’s philosophy and ethical stance apropos the waging of war which exemplifies the justice and peace aspect in restoring order out of chaos. He calls for an ethos of humanness to prevail when conducting war based on the intention to preserve harmonious co-existence between peoples. Augustine argues that waging any war should be avoided where this is possible, however, a just war allows for the acquisition of virtue which then hopefully leads to justice. The morality of waging war is severely compromised once narcissistic vested immoral interests are the primary motivators for belligerence and no genuine peaceful resolution to conflict has been seriously sought as is seemingly the case in the current Gaza war and its prevailing atrocities. Predictably various philosophers have investigated the subject of ‘just war’ and over time have determined the criteria of jus ad bellum (justice toward war), jus in bello (justice in war), and also jus post bellum (justice after war). It is clear that it is imperative to operate off a strong ethical basis when opting for a state of war to exist and to strongly consider preserving the safety and security of non-belligerents at all costs.

Privacy as a Kantian-Misesian a priori condition for the preservation of property rights

This article analyzes the relation between the philosophical notion of privacy, its practical implementation in the domain of cryptocurrencies, and the Western regulatory financial environment. A libertarian (anarchocapitalist, agorist) perspective is adopted. The main question concerns what kind of notion privacy is. Utilitarianism, privacy as a natural right, and privacy as a Kantian-Misesian a priori condition for the preservation of property rights are analyzed. First, it is shown that utilitarian approaches do not work because they let the government define privacy, thus corrupting its practical implementation. The cases of Tornado Cash and of Privacy Pools, two privacy-preserving cryptocurrency protocols, are discussed to prove the point. Second, the theory of privacy as a natural right is discarded because it is not compatible with libertarian reductionism. Third, the main proposal of this article is to define privacy as a Kantian-Misesian a priori condition for the preservation of property. This proposal is coherent with libertarian reductionism because privacy is not understood as a natural right; moreover, it is superior to utilitarianism because the a priori status of privacy protects it from the arbitrary wishes of politicians and bureaucrats. The origin of a priori notions is not empirical, but their use is: privacy cannot but impact how the acting man protects real-world property and interacts with fellow human beings.

Political friendship, respect, community: Hannah Arendt’s de-materialization of Aristotelian political friendship

In this article I demonstrate how Hannah Arendt both appropriates and transforms Aristotle’s view of political friendship. I argue that the brief discussion of Aristotelian political friendship in The Human Condition relies on an earlier de-materialization of Aristotle’s work on friendship. This de-materialization of Aristotle’s view of friendship allows Arendt to discuss Aristotelian friendship as a kind of ‘respect’, where ‘respect’ is a philosophical notion unavailable to Aristotle. Ultimately, for Arendt, the experience of friendship opens up a space for human beings to begin to practice a distinct way of seeing one another – a ‘respect’ – that can in turn be practiced in public, making the experience of friendship an important precursor to action.

Chrysostom Javellus and Francis Silvestri on Final Causation

Abstract For many areas of philosophy, we lack an understanding of their developments between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. One such area is the development of the notion of final causation. The rejection of final causation is often described as one of the distinguishing hallmarks of so called Early Modern philosophy in relation to the Scholastic philosophical tradition. Our lack of understanding of the development of this notion in philosophy therefore impedes our ability to write an adequate history of philosophy spanning these centuries. In this article, the notion of final causation as treated in the works of Chrysostom Javellus (1472–1538) and Francis Silvestri (of Ferrara) (1474–1526) is presented. It is argued that the treatment of final causation in these thinkers is already shaped by concerns regarding finality that we find in Early Modern philosophy.

Inventing safe sport: Comparing Swiss and global strategies

The revelations from the Magglingen Protocols article (Gertsch & Krogerus, 2020) brought a spotlight of Switzerland’s national attention to the issues concerning safeguarding against maltreatment in sport. The experiences of the athletes featured in the article were certainly not the first, nor the last, of their kind in Switzerland, and much less in the world. While the International Olympic Committee provided guidelines for international federations and national Olympic committees to follow in the development of their own safeguarding programs (Burrows, 2017), the implementation of such programs varies considerably. Few, if any, in the emerging field would claim to have found the “right” way to handle the many facets of safeguarding, which are complexified by sociocultural norms and definitions, sport-specific practices, and local jurisprudence. Questions about who within the sports ecosystem is responsible, and for what, in the safeguarding process lack consensus, and countries have answered them in their own ways. Fundamentally, the philosophical notions of what constitutes “abuse,” “maltreatment,” “care,” and “wellbeing” (among others) underpin any attempt to understand the safeguarding problem and respond to it with policy. The cultural differences in the meanings behind these notions leads consequently to the dissimilar implementation of efforts to address them. This presentation proposes a critical reflection on the strategic efforts globally and within Switzerland to understand and frame the issue of safeguarding to create a unified approach in policy making. While not an exhaustive comparison of every nation’s approach, the reflection will compare the Swiss strategy with certain notable examples, highlighting what pressing moral and philosophical questions the Swiss strategy has yet to answer.
 References
 Burrows, K. (2017). IOC Safeguarding Toolkit for IFs and NOCs. International Olympic Committee. https://d2g8uwgn11fzhj.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/18105952/IOC_Safeguarding_Toolkit_ENG_Screen_Full1.pdf
 Gertsch, C., & Krogerus, M. (2020, October 31). Die Magglingen Protokolle. Tages-Anzeiger Das Magazin. https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wie-turnerinnen-in-magglingen-gebrochen-werden-170525604713

Holding of the Nothing: Nihilation in Paul Celan’sSprachgitterandDie Niemandsrose

This article considers Paul Celan’s poetic treatment of the philosophical notion of the nothing ( das Nichts) in Sprachgitter (1959) and Die Niemandsrose (1963). In his middle period, Celan is drawn to what Martin Heidegger calls “the nihilation of the nothing.” For Heidegger, the nothing is a withdrawal of Being that crucially reveals beings as a whole and opens up chances of transcendence and freedom. For Celan, on the other hand, the question is instead to force thought-images of the nothing out of pre-existing conceptions in a way related to but different from both Heideggerian and theological discourses. Celan seems more concerned with how to be free in the face of the nihilation of memory and history, or how to “stand” on the philosophical un-ground as a German-Jewish poet after two world wars and the Holocaust. While recognizing the nothing as constitutive of Dasein, Celan treats the experience of nothingness as an endless fall into pure expanse due to the loss of the Same ( das Selbe).

Satisfaction and quality of palliative care in patients with neoplasms diseases

Introduction: The role of palliative care at the end of life is vital in alleviating suffering through comprehensive assessment and treatment of patients' physical, psychosocial and spiritual symptoms.Objective: argue the importance of the quality of palliative care in patients with neoplastic diseases.Methods: the research was carried out by collecting information in different scientific article search engines such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, Scielo, Sciencia Direct, Elseiver, Medigraphic, ResearchGate. The search strategy was limited to articles ranging from 2019 to 2023, in Spanish and English, about palliative care in patients with oncological diseases and the importance of the satisfaction of users of outpatient services for such purposes. . The search terms used in the writing were verified with the MESH and DeCS descriptors, and were: “palliative care”, “oncological diseases”, “oncological patient”, “emotional support”.Development: palliative care improves the quality of life of patients despite the circumstances in which they may find themselves and supports families facing organizational problems associated with the suffering of the imminent loss due to the life-threatening illness of a loved one. Palliative care stands out through the relief of suffering through the early identification, evaluation and precise treatment of physical, psychological and spiritual pain; requires an interdisciplinary approach that involves the patient, family, and community in action; indeed, the practical and philosophical notion of an interdisciplinary team is crucial to providing quality palliative care

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration of Patients’ and Student Nurses’ Experiences of the Time They Share Together on Personality Disorder Forensic Units

This hermeneutic phenomenological study illustrates the value of key aspects of interpretative hermeneutics for illuminating the time shared between patients and students in forensic unit for men carrying a personality disorder diagnosis through interviews. The participants were being‐with in their own time and space, sharing ordinary activities and common interests, and having a laugh, ultimately making enduring connections. This was despite experiences of thrownness into the world, ward landscapes, or the bearing of diagnostic labels. Students experienced a balance between therapeuticness (leaping‐ahead) and professionalism (leaping‐in). They were immune to the relational vacuum of the ward office and were viewed as “sponges”, reflecting their availability to patients, as opposed to other staff occupying more distant, identity defining set roles. On transition to fully fledged staff roles, students can become holders of keys, but can weather the ride by treasuring the everyday mundane, being‐with and connecting with patients. This temporality of student‐patient’s relationships encompasses mutual recognition of shared humanness. This hermeneutic phenomenological study uniquely explores the time shared between patients and students in forensic settings. Learnings from their experiences as illuminated using philosophical notions aid our understanding of this time to ensure focus on human connection.

TRUTH, REALITY, AND LANGUAGE IN TOM STOPPARD’S JUMPERS

This study emphasizes the problem of truth, reality, and language, highly philosophical notions, as they are expressed in Jumpers (1972) by the contemporary British playwright, Tom Stoppard (1937: 87 years old). Basing our analysis on some theories of analytical philosophy and the postmodern thought, we show how Stoppard stresses, in his aforementioned play, the problem of knowledge or truth in a context where old certainties have collapsed. After displaying the intrinsic link between truth, reality, and language from a historical and philosophical perspective, the study focuses on the relativity of human knowledge, particularly with regard to questions of an ethical and/or metaphysical nature. It also shows that reality is ultimately only the subjective interpretation or representation that individuals have of facts and things. This means that it only exists in subjective consciousness and is, from this point of view, always elusive.

Concept Of OM And Relativity In Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha

Siddhartha, published in 1922, is a literary work authored by Hermann Hesse. The literary work in question explores the metaphysical odyssey of an individual named Siddhartha, who embarks on a quest for self-realization within the historical context of the Gautama Buddha's era. This article centers its attention on a specific artwork and engages in a critical examination of the notion of Om and the relative nature of the issues explored within the novel. The notion of Om, representing the interconnectedness and unity of all phenomena, serves as essential catalysts for Siddhartha's moments of enlightenment. The attainment of enlightenment by Siddhartha is facilitated by his eventual comprehension of the concept of Om. However, throughout his journey, he encounters this thought on multiple occasions, each instance provoking a transformative effect on his being. Siddhartha, feeling disillusioned with many religious doctrines, chooses to renounce all religious avenues in his pursuit of enlightenment. This article centers its attention on the philosophical notion of "om" and explores its thematic significance in the novel Siddhartha, particularly in relation to the concept of relativity.

On the Value of a Scientific Document. Part 1

The author considers the terminological confusion associated with designations of properties of scientific documents represented by their citation rate. Once again, we argue in favor of the statement that the citedness of research documents directly represents their use, which in turn represents their value. The need to continue the relevant polemic and strengthen the argumentation is caused by the fact that many experts either do not associate citedness with value or are indifferent to the issue of properties of documents represented by citation rate. Also, many bibliometricians confuse value of documents with their quality. Moreover, there is a point of view according to which the use is only one of the factors that cause citations to scientific documents; while just addressing to documents is considered, on the contrary, as an undoubted evidence of their use – though in this case it remains unknown whether the full text of the retrieved document has been at least briefly reviewed by the user. The article gives critical consideration to these issues. The opinion is expressed that a certain misunderstanding of the concept “use of a document” is due to its involuntary confusion with the traditional library concept “use of a library stock”. It is also shown that taking the philosophical notion of value for consideration can add even more confusion to the terminology used to denote the properties of a scientific document that are represented by its citation rate par excellence. Some definitions of the concept “document’s value” that circulate in contemporary library science are critically analyzed. Accordingly, the author makes an attempt to clarify the concepts and content of the terms “value of a scientific document” and “use of a scientific document”. Specifically, the present first part of this work contains mainly examples and criticism of the terminological confusion about the designation of the properties of a scientific document represented by its citedness and use. They are considered through the prism of the unspecified concepts of value and quality of a research document. The author used them before completing his work on the second part of this article. It will elaborate and specify the concept of value of a scientific document.