Prominent Schools Research Articles

Efficacy and safety of the orthopaedic manipulation techniques of the Lin School of Lingnan Region in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: protocol of a participant-and-assessor-blinded randomized controlled study

BackgroundAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common developmental spine disorder among children. It is characterized by a lateral deviation of the spine that gives rise to the distinctive “S” or “C” shaped bending of the spine. The Lin School of Lingnan Region (LSLR), one of the prominent schools for bare-handed orthopaedic manipulation in southern China, provides preliminary evidences that the orthopaedic manipulation techniques help to correct deviations of the spine. Previous research found that Orthopaedic Manipulation Techniques of LSLR (OMT-LSLR) could reduce the Cobb’s angles in patients with AIS. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the effectiveness and safety of the OMT-LSLR in treating teenagers with AIS.MethodsIn this participant-and-assessor-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial, 50 participants identified AIS without surgical indications will be recruited and randomized into two groups to receive physiotherapy scoliosis-specific exercises training with either orthopaedic manipulation or sham manipulation treatment for 16 weeks, followed by post-treatment visits at week 24. Primary outcome measure is the change of Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire score. Secondary outcome measures include Traditional Chinese version of Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (TC-SAQ) score, Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life (ISYQOL) score, the change of Cobb’s angle measured by Xray, and the change of Cobb’s angle, spinal rotation and muscle volume measured by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound. The trial will be conducted at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Specialty Clinic cum Clinical Teaching and Research Centre in Hong Kong (CUHK-CMSCTRC).DiscussionThe results of this study will establish comprehensive clinical evidence about the efficacy and safety of the Orthopaedic Manipulation Techniques of the Lin School of Lingnan Region in the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis. One of the characteristics of this trial is that it is a participant-and-assessor-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial with sham manipulation. The study would also apply three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound technology to investigate the relationship between the change of the muscle volume and the spinal curve.Trial registrationThe trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05639023) on December 6, 2022.

Sensitive Research: a Trial of Retrospective Analysis and Conceptualizations

The article is devoted to understanding the problem of sensitivity in survey research. A retrospective analysis of the formation and development of the field of scientific knowledge, which in western sociology in the 1990’s was refereed to as “sensitive research”, is presented. A brief historical outline of the study of sensitive issues is given with an emphasis on the most prominent schools in world sociology and the most renowned authors who have made a significant contribution to the study of this topic (representatives of the Chicago School, A. Kinsey, S. Warner, G.S. Becker, R. Lee, C. Renzetti, R. Tourangeau, T. Yang and others). The early and modern conceptualizations of sensitivity are critically analyzed, the weaknesses and shortcomings of both expansive (J. Sieber and B. Stanley) and restrictive (N. Farberow) interpretations of this concept are shown. A multifactorial approach developed by R. Lee and K. Renzetti is considered as an alternative, one that takes into account various types of threats that determine the sensitive nature of the questions asked and the answers received. The social nature of sensitivity is discussed. It is shown how the socio-cultural context and the specifics of respondents’ perception of questions influence the results of survey studies. The main consequences of using sensitive issues in sociological research are also analyzed. At the same time, there are three most dangerous effects that have a detrimental effect on the quality of empirical data: weakening cooperation on behalf of respondents, the increase in the number of missing questions (non-answers) and the emergence of socially desirable (insincere) answers. The factors causing these effects are identified, and methods are proposed to help neutralize them. Conclusions are drawn about the socio-cultural conditionality of question sensitivity, its contextual and situational nature.

Critical Thinking in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq Schools: A Case Study of Two Prominent Schools in Erbil

Critical thinking goes beyond memorization, promotes independent thinking and reasoned judgment. It is a crucial element in connecting ideas, solving problems, and creating knowledge. Schools are considered to be among the initial steps in developing critical thinking where pedagogical methods would guarantee the formation of it. Critical thinking in schools develops the intellectual capability instead of using it as a memory bank of information where mind does not have any role to play. This work is an attempt to demonstrate role and effect of practicing critical thinking in primary school and analyse reflection and ability of practicing critical thinking in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The study relies on deep interview and observation of eighth-grade students and teachers in two prominent schools in Erbil, focusing on four different subjects. Type of questions raised by teachers and students during the lectures have been examined, and a detailed analysis of the reflection and ability to practice critical thinking is presented.

Doktrin Predestinasi dan Determinisme: Antara Muktazilah dan Asy’ariyah

In classical Islamic thought, ‘divine predestination’ (qada’ wa’l-qadar) versus ‘human free will’ (ikhtiyar) is one of the most hotly contested topics. This article critically analyses the contribution made to this discourse by the two prominent schools of Islamic theology, the Asharites and the Mu’tazilites, by focusing on a topic that is crucial to the philosophy and theology of theology. This article seeks to properly understand Islamic intellectual history and culture by arguing that the treatment of the two schools of Islamic theology on the issue of qada’ wa’l-qadar and ikhtiyar is innovative, influential, and fundamentally more complex than previously acknowledged. On the subject of free will versus fate, the study’s findings indicate that the Mu’tazilah and Ash’ariyah have made compromises between philosophical, theological (kalam), and esoteric (sûfi) perspectives. Given that the subject matter and methodology of kalam, falsafah, and tasawwûf are frequently considered to be very different or even contradictory, this attitude of accommodation is plainly exceptional.

The approach to understanding security based on the foundations of Islamic jurisprudence and the prominent schools of thought in security studies.

The central question addressed in this paper revolves around how the process of achieving security aligns with the teachings of Islamic jurisprudence. It also explores the comparative prominence of different approaches to security across various schools of thought. In the process of seeking security, different schools employ their unique approaches, ranging from "force" and "authority" to "persuasion." Within democratic frameworks, the term "persuasion" is often used. However, within liberal schools of thought, a dual policy is observed, where they leverage the element of "persuasion" against liberals and the element of "force" against non-liberal countries. Additionally, in power-centric approaches, the primary objective is the acquisition of power, thus advocating for a "forceful" approach in this discourse. Finally, in the Sharia-based approach, which heavily revolves around the dimension of authority, achieving security in Islam encompasses various aspects, including political, military, cultural, economic, and environmental security.
 In political security, ensuring justice and fairness, consultation, and providing necessary freedoms in relevant areas make security possible. In social security, practicing good deeds, forbidding wrongdoing, advising, reminding, and respecting people's privacy facilitate security. Cultural security, in Islamic political jurisprudence, is achieved through migration, invitation, enjoining good, forbidding evil, and adherence to religious teachings. Economic security, through establishing social justice, fair wealth distribution, and combating factors endangering economic security, becomes attainable. Environmental security, by adhering to the jurisprudential rules in this field, is also feasible.

বিদ‘আত থেকে দীনের সুরক্ষায় সাদ্দ্ আয্-যারাঈ‘ এর প্রয়োগ: একটি উসূলী বিশ্লেষণ|Applications of Sadd Al-Dharaiʻ (blocking the means) for protecting the Dīn from Bidʻah (innovation in religious matters): An Uṣūli Analysis

The protection and preservation of Dīn is the fundamental and ultimate objective of the Islāmic Sharī'ah. Two types of provision, i.e., practicable and exclusionary, have been in place to protect Dīn. Bidʻah belongs to the second. To ensure the protection of Dīn the Prophet PBUH has strictly prohibited engaging in Bidʻah. Sadd al-dharaiʻ is recognized as the complementary evidence of the Sharī'ah in all the prominent schools of Islāmic law. The term Sadd al-dharaiʻ means blocking all means of action, which are permissible, but it can lead to any forbidden action. The means of Bidʻah also push Dīn towards serious harm and destruction. Therefore, it is imperative to stop all the means that lead to Bidʻah. Considering Sadd al-dharaiʻ the means of Bidʻah also need to be excluded. In order to ensure the protection of Dīn, the salaf-e-sālihīn, Usulists and jurists have applied it. By adopting analytical and descriptive methods, the discussion revolves around three main issues. Firstly: Introduction to Sadd al-dharaiʻ, its authenticity as one of the complementary evidences of usūl al-fiqh, classifications, terms of condition, importance and necessity of application of Sadd al-dharaiʻ in protecting Dīn from Bidʻah, Secondly: definition and the methods of identifying Bidʻah, Thirdly: The application of Sadd al-dharaiʻ in protecting Dīn from Bidʻah, and its terms and impact.

Skills That Matter: Qualitative Study Focusing on the Transfer of Training Through the Experience of Thai Vocational Students

Ensuring the transfer of training and preparing students to gain skills required for their specific professions are at the heart of vocational education and training (VET). Accordingly, school-work alignment is a key determinant in the transfer of training. Today, vocational graduates with mechatronics-based skillsets are highly sought-after. It is thereby crucial for VET to develop relevant pedagogies that can equip students with the skills they need to ensure the transfer of training. Literature has suggested that soft skills are increasingly important, yet rarely has there been research focusing on the lived experiences of vocational students in this field. This study aims to understand the important skills—both hard and soft skills—for vocational mechatronics and robotics students in Thailand through their own experiences, by exploring what skills they acquired from school that are significant to them, and what skills they need when they practise their jobs. The study employed qualitative methods, drawing from 40 semi-structured interviews with vocational mechatronics and robotics students, who are in their last year in dual vocational training programmes from two prominent technical schools in Thailand. Findings reveal that the most significant skills that students acquired from mechatronics and robotics programme were technical knowledge and skills, creative and innovative thinking, teamwork, and perseverance. The most important skills for their future work, interestingly, were all soft skills considered to be necessary when it comes to practical work, namely, language and communication, adaptability and interpersonal skills, willingness to learn, and innovative thinking. Our data also yielded an understanding of some relations across skillsets and the culturally specific meanings ascribed to certain skills and skillsets. This research not only identifies important skills for vocational mechatronics students, but also why those skills are perceived as important and how they are applied in practice. Vocational mechatronics and robotics curriculum should pay more attention to soft skills development to ensure adequate skills of students for their work settings. We recommended that VET across different cultural contexts should explore the meaning and values of skills requirements according to their respective cultural group to make suitable curriculums for their specific contexts.

‘I will never love anyone like that again’: cognitive behavioural therapy and the pathologisation and medicalisation of ordinary experiences

Psychiatry has a long history of being criticised for the pathologisation and medicalisation of ordinary experiences. One of the most prominent of these critiques is advanced by Allan Horwitz and...

Theorizing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Special Needs Students and Teachers in Physical Education and Sports in Jamaica

Students with special needs are one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. Special needs students require distinct treatment and attention to function and make sense of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the routine and the special attention that are normally available to these students when they are in face-to-face school. One of the most anticipated aspects of face-to-face school is participating in physical education (PE) and sports, which provides physical, social, and psychological benefits for special needs students. However, the pandemic has forced schools online and has changed the ascetics of PE and sports. Furthermore, like a third-world country, Jamaica does not have the technological resources needed to fully engage special needs students in PE. As a result, this study sought to investigate the challenges that are facing special needs students and teachers in PE while conducting classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the teacher’s perspective. The research took the form of a qualitative approach while utilizing a multiple case study design that used a purposive sampling method in selecting the four (out of 11) most prominent public special education schools in Jamaica. The results revealed that student participation in PE was significantly impacted. In some cases, up to 80% of the students were unaccounted for in PE classes since the start of the pandemic. The challenges were seen as magnified twofold, ranging from physical, psychological, social, environmental, and societal issues. The results of this study raise serious concerns about the physical health of students with special needs, with Jamaica struggling to reduce physical inactivity rates and chronic lifestyle diseases. The risk of special needs students developing secondary disabilities because of sedentary lifestyles practices is very worrying. A lack of physical activity also means lower levels of socialization and increased psychological issues that could worsen with the strict COVID-19 lockdown measures, internet connectivity issues, and lack of devices.

When Parallel Schools of Thought Fail to Converge: The Case of Cost Overruns in Project Management

This paper investigates the conflicting and contrasting views between two prominent schools of thought (SOT), the conventional project management empirical school and the incoming behavioural and psychological sciences, to explain the cost overrun phenomenon in transportation infrastructure projects. Although theories within these SOTs seem to coexist and are used interchangeably, there exists a widening knowledge gap that leads to conflicting and contrasting ideological views. In this paper, we contend that there is a lack of a cross-fertilisation mechanism to fuse and co-join contemporary theories on cost overruns. This has led to the encapsulation and fragmented adhocracy in theory building. Utilising a critical review approach, this study proposes the concepts of ideological distancing and encapsulation between “empiricism” and “behavioural” SOTs as the focus of analyses for understanding the root causes of cost overruns in project studies. The study showed that the extant debate on cost overruns is limited and divergent, effectively contributing to the problem of continued expansion and non-convergence of theories that maintain parallel identities. This creates a space for inquiry, reflecting, theorising, and debating for the convergence of SOTs on cost overrun research and theories on what can be deemed project knowledge. This paper contributes to extant project studies by identifying the need for convergence and co-joining theories with different epistemes through causal linkages. Consequently, this will improve the public sector’s infrastructure policymaking by exposing the theoretical limitations of the current ad hoc manner and application of project management concepts based on the project professionals’ bounded decision-making rationalities.

Readability Level of English Reading Text Used In The Era of Pandemic

This study attempts to investigate the readability level of the text used in the Junior High School. Taking the material from those read in the two prominent schools; public and private school. Being measured by the given formula and then followed by the given test to students, this study reveals that the readability level of four reading texts as the source of the data in this study indicates various level. It is only one out of four texts that was appropriate for 9th grade students. This affects the students’ purpose of reading competencies of the students in private Junior school who have tendency toward unassisted reading than the students in the public school. It implies the number of students who need the instruction or need assisted in reading. The students within this school demand more instruction than those in private school. The similar condition shown in the students who categorized in the frustration level. As the consequences, this circumstance requires teacher’s serious intervention among others by cautiously doing text selection and adjusting teaching strategy to students’ reading level competency.

Urdu-24 An Interpretation of the Different Stages and Procedures of Contracts in the Era of Ignorance and the duration of Islam

Ever since the beginning of human pedigree/genealogy religion has remain the binding force of man’s social life by giving him a sense and account of his individual and collective responsibilities. Religions make certain practices binding on their believers to keep the society, man, and nature in harmony among each other. Islam provides clear, logical, and improvised (Fiqhee) bases for the ends mentioned earlier in the form of obligations defined and laid out for every person capable of solid reasoning. These bases are known as “aqd”in Islamic Shari’-a body of Islamic injunctions binding on believers to lead successfully a meaning full life. Aqd covers all aspects of Muslim society for varied needs of social life: hence emerging in different forms for different aspects of Muslims’ social life ranging from marriage to state affairs with the sole objective of making people realize their role in the society, that they are responsible and answerable before other human beings and Allah for their choices and deeds. In Arabic the word “Aqd” means “fastening or tying together of two or more things”. The injunctions of Aqd having vast connotations concerning the very meaning provided above makes it most concise and comprehensive aspect of Islam. Contemporarily Aqd translates to legal terms such as “contract, oath, lease, deed, pact, charter, covenant, act, intrument, cast, contribute, and agreement to mention the very few. As for the connotative aspects taken into account, Islam provides guiding principles and conditions for establishing or declaring an act or practice to be labeled as “aqd”. These concerns of these principles range from fostering relationships to governing a state. The article explores the etymological information about aqd, its historical significance, and brings together the perspectives of different and prominent early Islamic schools of thought on the subject concerned. The article is part historical, and part content analysis on the literature concerning the subject of “aqd” through the words of Qur’anic scripture, sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUT), and Leading noble scholars of Islamic education and practices.

Paradigm Shift in the Schools of European Structuralism: From Pre-Structuralism to Post-Structuralism

The present article aims to review the paradigm shift, a concept proposed by Thomas Kuhn (1962), and how its manifestation in the developments of language studies contributed to the advent of different structural schools of European linguistics. To further explore the topic, this article begins by identifying the actual meaning of Kuhn’s paradigm shift and how it influenced other disciplines of science. Second, the history of structuralism is discussed and reviewed from two different perspectives, pre stage and the post stage of structuralism. The revolutions throughout the history of structuralism, primarily in the European context, led to paradigmatic shifts and the emergence of several influential and prominent structural schools, namely European structuralism, the Prague Linguistic Circle, and the London school of linguistics.

ARTICLES OF THE MEJELLE ON SALAM CONTRACT: JURISTIC EVALUATION AND APPLICATIONS

The Majallat al-Aḥkām al-‘Adliyyah, known as the Mejelle, is the code of Islamic civil transactions which was prepared under the auspices of the Ottoman Caliphate. This code was established based on the Ḥanafī School of Islamic law. However, people, who follow other than the Ḥanafī School, are reluctant to rely on the Mejelle even though they are interested to know the stands of their respective School of Islamic law on the articles of the Mejelle. Thus, considering the importance and relevance of Salam contract to the contemporary context, the paper attempts to conduct a juristic evaluation of the articles of the Mejelle on salam contract along with an investigation of its contemporary applications. Salam is a sale contract in which the commodity’s delivery is deferred until a defined period, while the buyer must settle the payment upon the contract’s conclusion. Although the general principle says that sale of something which is not possessed and not present is not permissible, salam contract is made valid as an exception from this, considering the need of the people. The study follows a qualitative approach and uses the content analysis method to achieve the objectives. For data source and analysis, the study consults with related classical and contemporary literature. The study finds that in general, the articles of the Mejelle on salam contract conform to the prominent Schools of Islamic law. Among the notable contemporary applications of salam contract are salam financing, parallel salam, salam ṣukūk, salam in short selling, and so forth.

Türkiye’de Çalışma Ekonomisi ve Endüstri İlişkileri Lisansüstü Tezlerinin “Sosyal Politika” Bağlamında Değerlendirilmesi

In the present day, the discipline of “social policy” is mainly studied under the departments of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations (LEIR) since it includes topics such as resolving problems of workers during production and reducing class conflicts. Apart from the departments of “Labour Economics and Industrial Relations,” courses and academic studies on “social policy” are also current in other departments such as sociology and public administration. Even though the development of social policy in Turkey is mainly covered by two prominent schools (Istanbul University and Ankara University), there are different opinions on the matter. The present study analyses the outlook of the academic projection of “social policy,” which has a long-standing tradition within the context of graduate theses. Narrowly defined, social policy aims to eliminate the conflicts, imbalances, and conflicts of interest that arise between employers and workers in the capitalist order, to harmonize between classes and to address the problems of industrial societies. Broadly defined however, social policy refers to studies that deal with issues of all social groups, covering common areas and producing solutions to problems. Social policy, which is one of the fundamental fields of the Labour Economics and Industrial Relations discipline, has spread to fields such as labour markets, labour, social security law, human resource management, sociology of work and organizational management, and work psychology. This study aims to assess postgraduate dissertations on the existing Turkish literature in the field of “social policy.” In this context, postgraduate theses in the field of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations from the dissertation archive of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) were studied by document examination. Findings obtained as a result of the investigation were interpreted by showing percentage and frequency tables.

Kathakaliyude Kaipusthakam (A Handbook of Kathakali) by Vellinezhi Achuthankutty

Reviewed by: Kathakaliyude Kaipusthakam (A Handbook of Kathakali) by Vellinezhi Achuthankutty Vishnu Achutha Menon KATHAKALIYUDE KAIPUSTHAKAM (A Handbook of Kathakali). By Vellinezhi Achuthankutty. Dubai: Thiranottam, 2013. 745 pp. Paper, $7.80. This book is an amalgamation of Kathakali repertoire's basic information, geographic setting, demographics, and the critical reflections of Vellinezhi Achuthankutty's experiences from the field. He spent more than 25 years at various institutions (Kalaris) collecting data about Kathakali artists; the book has details of 430 performing troupes and clubs covering 2312 artists across the globe. There are 1544 photographs; some of them are unique and rare, appearing for the first time in print. Kathakali terms and characters are included; some of the chapters are strictly dedicated to the innate structures of Kathakali performances such as chapters three and four, where he explains Bhavas and Rasas. This book highlights various schools of performances, technical characteristics, training aspects, and performance sequences of Kathakali in an elaborate manner. Instead of classifying the schools with a personal bias as Southern or Northern, Kaplingadan or Kalluvazhi, the author factually depicts the peculiarities of each style through diagrams and pictures. By the fall of the feudal system in Kerala in the first quarter of the last century, Kathakali slowly started losing its patronage throughout. Small groups started evolving, centred on maestros of art who had social and financial influence. This slowly paved the path towards institutionalization, wherein small troupes were adopted by societies formed by influential organizers and connoisseurs. As a result of institutionalization, the authority of classical arts became vested with those who were easily influenced by commodification and mass culture. Besides the history of the art of six centuries, as well as its present existence under institutionalization, Achuthankutty elaborates the aforementioned points objectively with evidence gained by interviewing masters and collecting literature. The first chapter narrates the classical arts of Kerala and the uniqueness of Kathakali in the Chadurvidhabhinaya context. This is [End Page 602] followed by chapter two, an evolutionary history of the art that chronologically lists various eras and prominent schools. This chapter includes tables and time-flow charts, photographs of relevant places, and list of proponents of each school. The history of some prominent ancient Kalaris and Kaliyogams like Pindalil Kalari, Kavungal Kalari, Thoppil Kaliyogam, Mathur Kalari, Kurichi tradition, and Changalavatta Kalari is accompanied by interesting anecdotes. Of notable interest in this chapter is the pictorial representation of these styles. The third chapter deals with historic details of Kathakali. Achuthankutty discusses and lists elements of this dance-drama such as facial depictions of the Bhavas, Mudras, Chuzhippu, types of culminations, enacting verses in the slowest tempo, script, melodies & rendering methods, percussion instruments, facial make-up of character types, stage settings, ornaments, headgears, arms, and costumes with appropriate reference tables. This is followed by a chapter on training processes, the greenroom, the presentation of characters, and the order of customary presentation of seven elements. The next chapter is devoted to general information regarding the theatre, including a list of available plays (Attakathas), authors, choreographic intricacies of popular plays, the rhythmic structure of verses, and a short dictionary on heroes of mythological stories enacted. The two sessions of chapter six summarize past and present proponents of the art, Kathakali troupes, institutions, and clubs. One of the interesting points of the first session is the anecdotes about renowned artists which are collected and highlighted in small boxes. The book is quite vast, with 743 pages, but its well-laid out structure and comprehensiveness is commendable. Some of the opinions that the author expresses in this work need extensive discussion, especially when he refutes the existing concept that Kathakali has been transformed from Krishnattam. The most interesting part of the work is the well-elaborated genesis of Kathakali from origin to the current norms arranged in chronological order, with diagrams and timely structures of Kaliyogams, clubs, and artists that adds legitimacy to the work. The process of Bhavas in a Kathakali play is also well studied by Achuthankutty. Passing sessions in the work points to ponder in future research and stand as guidelines for in-depth thought. A Handbook of Kathakali is the result of a scholar with insight, sincerity, and determination...

Benthic fish behavior characterization with a mechanically scanned imaging sonar

A point stationary, acoustic-based surveying system was proposed to fulfill the necessities of benthic fish behavior assessment. The surveying system can be split into two major and inter-dependent techniques, i.e., acoustic image acquisition and image post-processing. The first part comprises a high-frequency, mechanically scanned imaging sonar (MSIS) with bottom-fixed, side-looking working configuration. Major modules of the proposed image processing procedure include: stationary objects subtraction, region and textural feature extraction, unsupervised classification, fish target identification and quantification. For the specific case study conducted in a deep water fishpond, it is evident that both individual and school fish could be discriminated by image frames collected at a randomly selected point with scanning range setting at 5 m and frame rate at 75 s. Based on spatial and temporal analyses on position and area of the discriminated fish targets, it was concluded that fish movement pattern in the scanned area followed two distinctive corridors with significant different passage rate, i.e., a discrete, periodic and high passage rate mode in Corridor#1 and a continuous, steady and low passage rate mode in Corridor#2. Environmental features, such as bank slope, substrate mound and float raft represented specific meeting points for dynamic aggregations and schooling. Fish tended to converge into prominent schools subsequent to interactions with these features. The proposed system represented a practical and cost effective tool in acquiring image frames with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution for the characterization of fish behavior.

A Metaphysics for Phenomenal Freedom: An Analysis from Classical Indian and Western Philosophical Perspectives

The metaphysical possibility of agency at the phenomenal level, given the truth of a nomological and binding causal force, has long been a moot point in both Indian and western philosophical traditions. While an underlying implication of fatalistic resignation hangs over the possibility of phenomenal freedom within the ambit of the classical Indian interpretation of the Law of Karma, which forms the basis of the assumption that a fatalistic nexus of vāsanā (cravings for mundane achievements) and the ensuing karma (action-tendencies to reach a mundane goal) circumscribes an agent’s choices, the western thought on the question of the freedom of choice has rather been preoccupied with the putative threat posed by the deterministic law of various nuances, such as theological determinism and logical determinism. A close analysis of the western philosophical debate surrounding free will reveals that the kind of linear causation that determinism supposedly entails is the primary reason for its being conflated with fatalism. The source of all the misgiving about determinism’s free will subduing influence is the oversight that it renders the agent’s rational endeavour a futile exercise in the same way as fatalism does. In this paper, therefore, an attempt has been made to disentangle determinism from fatalism. A key proposal advanced in this paper is that the causative force of the karmic law, admitted by most of the classical schools of Indian philosophy, may prima facie have a circumscriptive effect on agentic rational pursuits and choices. However, an intimate study reveals that this law does not preclude phenomenal freedom, although of a higher echelon. The classical Indian schools of philosophy admitting the undeniable presence of this karmic law allow the possibility of this seemingly inexorable causative force of the law being overridden by a more reason-guided pursuit, adopted by the agent, after an overhaul of his egoistic cravings. The model of agency developed in this paper is based on the claim that it is by way of undergoing self-determination that phenomenal freedom reaches its pinnacle. Drawing on the theories of volition and self advanced by some prominent classical Indian philosophical schools and the classical western philosophical theories of free will in the light of the deterministic threat, an attempt has been made to bring into harmony the rhetoric of both worlds, exploring the possibility whether phenomenal freedom can be salvaged through agentic self-determination and self-development.

Ziya Gökalp’in Düşüncelerindeki Bazı Anahtar Kelimelere Dair

Just like Mehmed Akif, known as the poet of the Hymn to Independence (İstiklal Marşı şairi), Ziya Gökalp also obtained his degree from the School of Veterinary Medicine (Baytar Mektebi), which was one of the prominent schools opened during the post-Tanzimat period; and was thus highly influenced by contemporary strands of thought, and notably positivism. Hence, it is easy to discern the impact of positivism upon the ideas he propounded as a Turkish or Turkish nationalist. The trauma of collapse that the Ottoman Empire suffered in the wake of the Balkan War continued into the First World War years. Although the formation period of his ideas can be traced back to the years before the Second Constitutional Period, it was actually the first two decades of the 20th century when Ziya Gökalp penned his works of intellectual maturity and sophistication. The years in question correspond to the end of the Ottoman Empire and foundation of the Turkish Republic. As an intellectual striving to propose remedies for the Late Ottoman society and the state while faced with the dual mission of standing up against the collapse of the Empire and building a new society, Ziya Gökalp largely drew upon certain keywords expressing his own original ideas, along with the-then popular concepts such as Islamisation, Turkisation and modernization. Some of them pertaining to sociology and some others to ideology and economy, these keywords play a central role in understanding Ziya Gökalp’s thought.

A Question of ‘Government’ Control: Afghanistan DDR Programs Since 2001

Since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), the United States, the United Nations, and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have funded and led three different Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs. Despite a significant investment in time and treasure, all of them have failed to significantly reduce the number of insurgents or arbaki (militia). This article explores why these programs failed despite incorporating ideas from the prominent DDR schools of thought. Utilizing Stathis Kalyvas’ theory of The Logic of Violence in Civil War as a lens, this article argues that GIRoA and ISAF did not have sufficient control of territory to entice insurgents or arbaki to reconcile and/or reintegrate with the government. Further, in areas GIRoA nominally controlled in northern and western Afghanistan, regional powerbrokers who controlled these areas balked at these programs.