Prudent Judgment Research Articles

Thomas Kuhn's Quasi‐Fideism

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

The nudging effect of AIGC labeling on users' perceptions of automated news: evidence from EEG.

In the context of generative AI intervention in news production, this study primarily focuses on the impact of AI-generated content (AIGC) labeling cues on users' perceptions of automated news based on nudge theory. A 2 (authorship disclosure nudge cues: with vs. without AIGC label) × 2 (automated news type: descriptive vs. evaluative news) within-subject experiment was carried out. Thirty-two participants were recruited to read automated news, evaluate the perceived content trustworthiness, and record with an EEG device. The results demonstrated that disclosure of AIGC labeling significantly reduced the trustworthiness perception of both fact-based descriptive and opinion-based evaluative news. In EEG, the delta PSD, theta PSD, alpha PSD, and beta PSD with disclosure of AIGC labeling were significantly higher than those without AIGC labeling. Meanwhile, in descriptive news conditions, TAR with AIGC labeling was higher than without AIGC labeling. These results suggested that AIGC labeling significantly improves the degree of attention concentration in reading and deepens the degree of cognitive processing. Users are nudged by AIGC labeling to shift their limited attention and cognitive resources to re-evaluate the information quality to obtain more prudent judgment results. This helps to supplement the theoretical perspective on transparent disclosure nudging in the Internet content governance research field, and it can offer practical guidance to use content labeling to regulate the media industry landscape in the face of AI's pervasive presence.

A Review of Research on the Role of Translation in Second Language Acquisition

The central aim of this review is to explore the significance of translation within the process of acquiring a second language. This will be achieved by examining existing relevant research. The findings suggest that incorporating translation can result in favorable outcomes, enhancing vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, and writing proficiency among second language learners. However, its important to recognize that an overreliance on translation might hinder the overall learning journey of second language learners. Therefore, its crucial for learners of a second language (L2) to thoughtfully assess the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating translation as a learning strategy in a foreign language. Furthermore, they should determine the suitable contexts in which this approach is appropriate, utilizing it with prudence and careful consideration. Similarly, educators should exercise prudent judgement and offer suitable guidance in their teaching methods, aiming to expedite students mastery of the foreign language in a more efficient and effective manner.

Lord Byron and the Free Press: A Burkean Outlook?

This article endeavours to resolve the apparent inconsistencies between Lord Byron’s advocation of the free press and his suppression of the revolutionary press in Missolonghi. The novel approach uses a methodological framework based on recent studies on Byron’s forms of thinking and Edmund Burke’s ideas on prudential judgement and rejection of metaphysical abstraction in political matters. After a brief outline of Byron’s experience of censorship and a short analysis of The Vision of Judgement , his clash with Stanhope and motives to suppress The Greek Chronicles are investigated. The set of ideas articulated by Burke is used as a prism to interpret Byron’s actions and resolve prima facie inconsistencies. Overall, it is suggested that Byron’s relativist and sceptical outlook was subtly Burkean in regard to the free press, a framework that could be used in future research to resolve further questions in Byron studies.

Gun Laws and Gun Deaths: An Empirical Analysis and Theological Assessment

The current state of gun violence in the United States involves an uneven distribution of firearms’ lethal violence that undermines the common good by creating intolerable risks of gun death for certain communities and certain people. Building on Catholic commitments to the dignity of every human life and the importance of solidarity as a counterbalance to structural sin, this article explains how Catholics can respond to this problematic status quo in a fashion that aligns with their faith convictions. The article draws on empirical data about the correlations between firearm availability and firearm mortality rates both internationally and within the United States to lay the foundation for a more nuanced evaluation of gun control laws, consistent with the expectation that Catholics will engage political life thoughtfully and with prudential judgment.

과학영재의 생명과학 R&E 연구수행을 위한 사전탐구활동 프로그램의 개발 및 적용

This study was aimed to develop R&E pre-exploratory activity program to help science gifted students perform a self-directed project-type life science R&E. It was also aimed to apply it prior to main R&E and determine its application effects. The developed R&E pre-exploratory activity program would provide students with genuine experiences similar to those performed by real scientists and various empirical and methodological knowledge using plant molecular biology experiments, and the molecular biology concept of gene-protein-phenotype inheritance. A total of 7 weeks of activities were composed in the developed program using a model that reflected the research process by real scientists. Contents of the activity recordings and questionnaire answers were obtained during the application of the R&E pre-exploratory activity program for five 11th grader of the G Science Gifted High Schoollocated in Gyeonggi-do. The application effect was as follows: Students seemed to experience the actual scientific inquiry through the developed R&E pre-exploratory activity program, and gradually became familiar with various empirical and methodological knowledge, such as the principles of molecular biology experiments and general experimental techniques. Students also seemed to acquire the molecular biology concept leading to the gene-protein-phenotype relationship. It was shown that the related inquiry process can be carried out more easily through the application of some inquiry skills and methodological knowledge learned from the developed pre-exploratory activity program. In addition, it is expected that students can make prudent judgments and reflective thinking through the experience of authentic scientific inquiry acquired through the R&E pre-exploratory activity program. In the future, the teaching-learning materials for the R&E activity program similar to this developed R&E pre-exploratory activity program need to be prepared. It will help science gifted students during R&E research process in various aspects and guidance for student research activities need to be considered.

A new paradox for well-being subjectivism.

Subjectivists think that our well-being is grounded in our subjective attitudes. Many such views are vulnerable to variations on the 'paradox of desire', where theories cannot make determinate judgements about the well-being of agents who take a positive valuing attitude towards their life going badly. However, this paradox does not affect all subjectivist theories; theories grounded on agents' prudential values can avoid it. This paper suggests a new paradox for subjectivist theories which has a wider scope, and includes such prudential judgement theories. I outline the new paradox and show how two plausible idealisztions (coherence and consideration) will not help. Subjectivists about well-being must either add an additional idealization that can solve the paradox of judgement or explain why such paradoxes do not constitute serious objections to a theory of well-being.

The Boundaries and Authority of Catholic Social Teaching: A Reply to John Finnis

This article submits that getting clearer on the complexity of practical reasoning is crucial for clarifying the relationship between Catholic social teaching (CST) and what is commonly understood as Catholic moral teaching. It engages as its principal interlocutor the philosopher and legal theorist John Finnis, who contributed three chapters to the recent, monumental Catholic Social Teaching: A Volume of Scholarly Essays. It is argued that practical reasoning is more complex than Finnis allows and accordingly that a hard distinction between “authoritative moral teachings” and “matters of prudential judgment” cannot be sustained. Against Finnis’s deflationary view of the authority of CST, reducing it to a set of principles of indeterminate application, the paper concludes by proposing that there is no one, overarching answer to the question of the authority of CST for the faithful Catholic. Instead, different social teachings, on diverse topics (e.g., the rights of labor), will be found and come to have varying authority as the faithful receive, examine, and prayerfully consider them.

Theology, Medicalization, and Risk: Observations from the New Testament

Abstract This article reflects on the intersection of the New Testament’s witness with current questions of illness, medication, risk, luck, death, and hope. Drawing principally on the Gospel of Matthew and the letters of Paul, I argue that, for Christians, hope in the resurrection—not the ability to avoid suffering and death—provides the best context for prudential judgment in light of the inscrutability of the future and the concomitant opacity that attends medical decision-making. We do not and will not know what we would need to know in order to make decisions we can count on with surety, and we thus read Scripture in order to become the people who can make wise judgments in the meantime called hope.

A Plea for Prudence

Non-philosophers could be forgiven for thinking that philosophers are a cautious bunch. For philosophers are becoming increasingly preoccupied with prudence. Naturally, however, philosophers have something different in mind than the ordinary sense of ‘prudence’. Rather than denoting the quality of cautiousness, philosophers typically take ‘prudence’ to denote an evaluative or normative standpoint, one whose evaluations are in some sense determined by facts about what is good and bad for us; or, to use some more terminology that is apt to mislead the lay reader, facts about well-being, welfare or self-interest. Two recent examples of this trend are Guy Fletcher’s Dear Prudence: The Nature and Normativity of Prudential Discourse and Dale Dorsey’s A Theory of Prudence. Each book covers a lot of ground, incorporating previously published work together with new material. Fletcher’s primary focus is the meta-prudential, the philosophy of well-being’s answer to meta-ethics. His book covers such topics as the nature of prudential judgment, the semantics of prudential language, the normativity of prudence, its implications for traditional meta-ethical views such as realism, anti-realism and error theory, and much else besides. While Fletcher defends various views in relation to these issues, the primary aim of the book is to argue that these debates, which he thinks have been largely neglected, deserve much more attention. To adapt a well-worn platitude from recent political discourse, the idea is that whatever you think about the issues, it would be good if we were having a robust debate about them.

SUBVERZIVNOST I LOJALNOST U PRVOJ APOLOGIJI JUSTINA FILOSOFA

The conspicuous absence of Christians of the pre-Constantinian era from public mani- festations associated with polytheistic cults and the cult of the emperor caused the suspicion of the Roman citizenry and government, which eventually grew into accusations of atheism, political subversiveness and disloyalty to the Empire. This text examines the attempt to, in the context of the accusations and persecutions to which they were exposed, shape a more profiled early Christian political self-awareness, primarily in the apologetic literature of the second century and in the writing of the First Apology of the most significant apologist of the era - St. Justin the Philosopher. In the context of refuting the thesis about the anti-state activ- ity of Christians, Justin achieved a revaluation of the terms “subversiveness” and “loyalty”. Emphasizing the eschatological orientation of the Christian ethos, he argued that it is possi- ble for Christians to simultaneously, without necessary internal contradictions, exercise dual loyalty, that is, devotion to the Christian monotheistic faith and commitment to the political entity in which they live. In this way, Justin relativized the association of the terms mos maio- rum and pax deorum with the prosperity and progress of the Roman Empire and hinted at the possibility that “prudent judgment” could enable the Roman emperors to see the existing capacities for their potential conversion and alliance with Christianity. In this way, Justin’ s text represents a kind of anticipation of a great upheaval, in the form of the Christianization of the Empire, which took place less than two centuries later.

A színpadon : A természettel kötött szerződés

This article reflects on Michael Serres’ philosophical insights in Le Contrat Naturel (1990), emphasizing the urgency of redefining humanity’s relationship with the Earth. Serres proposes a symbiotic alliance between the knowledge of natural sciences and prudent judgment, advocating for a profound shift in our interaction with the planet. The article delves into Serres’ conceptualization of the five elements - earth, air, fire, water, and the universe of the living - while scrutinizing the role of sciences in fostering a harmonious coexistence with nature. It also examines Serres’ critique of contemporary philosophy and social sciences, highlighting the unique position of natural sciences in acknowledging the material realities of the world. The interpretation of the two included images draws our attention to the consequences of neglecting the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. The author contends that scientists, as stewards of the Earth, must engage in a transformative process to ensure the sustainability of the planet for future generations.

Parenting Style and Suicidal Behavior: A Focused Review

Objectives. Parenting is the general child-rearing practice that has both long- and short-term impacts on the physical, emotional, mental, and social development of the children. We aims at seeing the relationship between parenting style and suicidal behaviors. Methods. A search was conducted in Medline, Embase, and PsychINFO to identify the articles assessing the relationship between different types of parenting styles and suicidal behavior. We included 32 articles in the review published from inception to search date. Results. Among the 32 studies, 27 studies used a cross-sectional study design, 17 were published between 2011 and 2020, and most of the studies included respondents with ages between 9 and 21 years. A wide variety of the used instruments to assess suicidal behavior, and parenting style was noted. Eight studies revealed that authoritarian parenting style is one of the predictors of suicidal behavior, while one study reported the authoritarian parenting style as a resilient factor. Both dominating and flexible parenting styles were associated with higher suicidal behavior, and two studies reported that the permissive style is a contributing factor to suicidal ideation among participants. Conclusion. This review identified the supportive notion that authoritarian parenting style has an association with suicidal behavior in adolescence, and later life. However, a prudential judgment is warranted due to the heterogeneity of study methods, population, contexts, and measurement tools.

Clozapine treatment and risk of COVID-19.

The antipsychotic clozapine is known to have immune-modulating effects. Clozapine treatment has been reported to be associated with increased risk of COVID-19 infection. However, it remains unclear whether this is because of increased testing of this patient group, who are closely monitored. We linked anonymised health records from mental health services in Cambridgeshire (UK), for patients taking antipsychotic medication, with data from the local COVID-19 testing hub. Patients receiving clozapine were more likely to be tested for COVID-19, but not to test positive. Increased testing in patients receiving clozapine suggests prudent judgement by clinicians, considering the overall health vulnerabilities of this group.

Making decisions under uncertainty: The Prudent Judgement Approach

AbstractThis article offers an alternative conceptualisation of prudence as encompassing four normative components: reflective reasoning, experience, long-term well-being, and moderation. Prudence involves a pattern of reflective reasoning informed by experience in the pursuit of long-term well-being through moderate judgements and actions. This conceptualisation allows distilling a set of prescriptions for guiding deliberation and choice under uncertainty, which I name the Prudent Judgement Approach. An analysis of John F. Kennedy's deliberations at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis uncovers evidence of prudent judgement and demonstrates the practical feasibility and value of this approach. Although the numerous cognitive and procedural sources of errors in decision-making under uncertainty are by now well understood, there are few prescriptive approaches for guiding the process of formulating judgements and making choices. This article shows how prudence can help improve the quality of deliberative processes and policy choices.

Critical Success Factors for Lean Implementation

Companies have increasingly acknowledged the strategic value of lean philosophy and the potential for developing a competitive edge via rigorous lean implementation. However, many companies have struggled to establish and sustain lean. Considering this opportunity, the purpose of this paper is to thoroughly and systematically review the development of lean literature focused on the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for lean adoption in contemplation of identifying what CSFs have been addressed since the genesis of the lean concept through the assessment of secondary data from the literature published during the period 1990 – 2021. The findings of this study will assist companies in making more mature and prudent judgments on how their resources and capabilities can be configured for a successful lean initiative deployment. To the author's best knowledge, this study advances existing knowledge by being perhaps one of the most comprehensive systematic literature reviews covering three decades of lean literature on manufacturing and service industries.

Madison as Reformer: The Montesquieuan Roots of Madison on Slavery

In the Vices of the Political System of the United States, Madison writes “Where slavery exists the republican Theory becomes still more fallacious.” Statements from seemingly different periods of his intellectual life—the Constitutional Convention and the Party Essays in the Virginia Gazette—show us that Madison consistently viewed slavery as one of the cruelest vices committed by the majority, though a vice that he never overcame himself. Alongside those who characterize the founding fathers as men “who built better than they knew,” I argue that Madison approached the problem of slavery on terms presented by Montesquieu, that is, from a perspective of moderation and prudential judgment meant to delicately touch the relationship between law and mores. Though Madison never forcefully opposes slavery, I suggest throughout his career he follows the most read political writer among the men of the Founding Era. Through a careful reconstrual of Madison’s letters, his speeches at the Constitutional Convention, and later essays and writings about gradual emancipation, I show that this Founding Father, influenced by Montesquieu’s advice about indirect legislation for combating vice in Spirit of the Laws, made a sustained attempt to end American slavery through indirect legislative devices and public writings meant to change American mores to countenance emancipation.

The Horrible Sepulture of Mannes Resoun: Intoxication and Medieval English Felony Law

The modern Anglo-American common law tends toward a hardline stance on intoxication, typically not treating it as an excuse to a criminal charge but offering a few well-guarded exceptions, most notably the idea in some jurisdictions that intoxication may be invoked to negate specific intent given its deleterious effect on cognitive capacity. A similar ambivalence toward the intersection of intoxication and criminal responsibility may be found in early English felony law, which offered no formal, intoxication-based exceptions to liability, but nevertheless countenanced jurors exercising their prudential judgment to treat intoxication as either an inculpatory or exculpatory factor in particular cases. Medieval English felony law treated drunkenness similarly to anger, recognizing that both conditions – which could be intertwined – often traced their roots to condemnable character formation and long-cultivated habit, and yet could result in a person’s detachment from their capacity to reason and exercise self-control while under the influence. In the legal context, drunkenness was not equated with insanity, which was presumptively exculpatory, despite the fact that the two conditions could result in similar effects on a defendant’s observable behavior. Evidence from non-legal texts, including vernacular literature and guides for confessors, helps explain the concerns medieval English judges and jurors brought with them to the task of felony adjudication when faced with alcohol-laced facts, revealing a world in which tavern culture ensured alcohol’s omnipresence, but in which drunkenness was nevertheless not generally available as an excuse, partial or otherwise, for allegedly felonious behavior. Recommended citation: Papp Kamali, Elizabeth, The Horrible Sepulture of Mannes Resoun: Intoxication and Medieval English Felony Law, in: Rechtsgeschichte - Legal History Rg 30 (2022) 20-44, online: http://dx.doi.org/10.12946/rg30/020-044

Are we ready for a rational discussion? The existence of biases in construction dispute negotiation

Embedded in a network constellation of multi-stakeholders with various professional backgrounds and differing goals, the construction industry is featured with adversarial relationships and inevitable disputes. Therefore, high quality communication and negotiation among the parties are essential in achieving speedy and less costly dispute resolution. As rational evaluation underpins quality negotiation decisions, are construction disputing parties rational as they assumed? Are there any biases that could possibly prohibit them from making prudent judgement? This study seeks to understand the existence and impact of bias in construction dispute negotiation (CDN). The existence of four types of bias in CDN were discussed: preconception, self-affirmation, optimism and interest-oriented. Three categories of de-biasing strategy were also suggested to support the efficient settlement of construction dispute. Vast resources would be saved and amicable relationship among the collaborating parties could be developed when the impact of bias was curbed. Stepping into the digital era, construction dispute resolution professionals should develop the capabilities needed to harness the benefits of technologies for innovative ways of designing a bias-free dispute resolution mechanism.

Ethics of vaccination prioritization and compulsory vaccination: An integrative approach

Abstract Vaccine scarcity and availability distinguish two central ethics questions raised by the Covid-19 pandemic. First, in situations of scarcity, which groups of persons should receive priority? Second, in situations where safe and effective vaccines are available, what circumstances and reasons can support mandatory vaccination? Regarding the first question, normative approaches converge in prioritizing most-vulnerable groups. Though there is room for prudential judgement regarding which groups are most vulnerable, the human dignity principle is most relevant for prioritization consideration of both medical and non-medical issues. The second question concerning mandates is distinct from considerations about persons’ individual moral duty to receive vaccines judged reasonably safe and critical for individual and public health. While there is consensus regarding the potential normative support for mandated vaccination, the paternalistic government intervention of vaccine mandates requires a high bar of demonstrated vaccine safety and public health risk. We discuss stronger and weaker forms of paternalism to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic from an “integrative” approach that integrates leading normative approaches. We argue against a population-wide compulsory vaccination and support prudential measures to 1) protect vulnerable groups; 2) focus upon incentivizing vaccine participation; 3) maintain maximum-possible individual freedoms, and 4) allow schools, organizations, and enterprises to implement vaccine requirements in local contexts.