Abstract The present scholarship on Kilīdar (1978–1984) focuses on its fictional characters as embodiments of historical individuals and offers “essentialist humanistic” interpretations of the novel. Since the novel portrays a patriarchal world, such analyses reproduce the male-focused viewpoint of the narrative, either discounting its female perspectives or relegating them to a peripheral status. The scholarship approaches the novel through the perspective of the main male protagonist and presents him as a revolutionary hero, fighting the Iranian government on behalf of the disenfranchised villagers. Without overlooking the significance of such approaches in understanding patriarchal societies that the novel dutifully replicates, this article offers an interpretation of Kilīdar that critically considers the female voices of the novel. Through a “radical interpretation” that includes both male and female voices, it argues the novel, first, represents the broad currents of contemporary Iranian history through its characters, and second, both validates and challenges the patriarchal codes imposed on men and women in rural Iranian communities in the 1940s.

ABSTRACT Guo Xiang 郭象 made an innovative development of the Zhuangzian no-self view. This paper analyzes Guo’s conception of the self through the lens of contemporary metaphysics, arguing that his rejection of the conventional understanding of the self for ordinary people corresponds with presentist four-dimensionalism. By asserting that the previous self is not the present self, Guo rejected the notion of an enduring self across time. This idea corresponds with the four-dimensionalist account of persistence. By claiming that the previous self has already vanished, Guo denied the existence of the past self. This view supports a presentist claim that only present things exist. In the presentist four-dimensionalist framework, we can understand how Guo provided a more radical interpretation of the Zhuangzian no-self view better: the presentist four-dimensionalist conception of the self deconstructs both the enduring self and the past self, thereby expanding the no-self view to include ordinary people.

This paper critically examines the impact of radical social justice ideologies on academic freedom, exploring their dual role in both fostering inclusivity and imposing constraints on open inquiry. Beginning with a historical analysis of academic freedom, the study underscores its foundational role in intellectual progress, innovation, and democratic discourse. The paper then delves into the evolution of social justice movements, highlighting their contributions to academic inclusivity and curriculum transformation. However, it also addresses the unintended consequences of radical interpretations of these ideologies, such as self-censorship, ideological conformity, and the suppression of dissenting viewpoints. Drawing from case studies, including the University of the South Pacific, the paper illustrates the tensions that emerge when ideological activism intersects with academic autonomy. Using a systematic literature review methodology, the research synthesizes theoretical and empirical perspectives to assess the broader implications of ideological rigidity on intellectual diversity. Ultimately, this paper advocates for a balanced approach that safeguards academic freedom while advancing social justice objectives, proposing strategies to cultivate inclusive yet intellectually open academic environments.

The misinterpretation of the concept of jihad in Islam has led to significant negative effects on both the Muslim community and the image of Islam globally. The term jihad is often mistakenly viewed solely as a holy war associated with violence, which has become the root cause of various conflicts between Muslims and other communities. This misunderstanding fails to capture the broader essence of jihad, which encompasses moral, spiritual, and social dimensions. This study aims to reinterpret the meaning of jihad within the framework of national jurisprudence, contextualizing the concept to align with modern challenges. The research method employed is library research, utilizing primary and secondary sources, including religious texts and scholarly articles. The findings indicate that jihad should be understood as efforts directed toward achieving progress and social justice, focusing on combating corruption, social injustice, and defending national sovereignty. Furthermore, jihad in the educational sphere aims to enhance the quality of education, fostering an informed society that contributes to national development. The contribution of this research is to provide a nuanced understanding of jihad that promotes peace and national unity, while countering radical interpretations.

Hitler made arbitrary use of the authors he read to form his worldview. From Houston Stewart Chamberlain, for instance, he adopted elements of his theory of race, his anti-Semitism and his belief in the German mission. How Hitler chose to use those elements, however, was independent of the author’s intentions. Yet authors such as Houston Stewart Chamberlain could be described as visionaries of National Socialism. Firstly, Chamberlain’s racist and anti-Semitic resentment prepared the way for an even more radical interpretation. Secondly, Chamberlain himself believed that Hitler was the longed-for saviour of Germany and of the world.

During the late Soviet era, science fiction was one of the first zones of its ideological cosmos, registering the exhaustion of the communist utopia precisely within the literary genre aimed at its representation. In this article I consider the history of the “editing to death” of the Strugatsky brothers’ short novel Roadside Picnic as a representative case of the anti-utopian “uneasiness in civilization” of late actually existing socialism. Simultaneously with the censorship taming of the uneasiness, the Strugatsky’s science fiction dystopia underwent a radical interpretation in Andrei Tarkovsky’s film adaptation Stalker as a Hegelian “good music with text”. In comparison to the censored edition, which is barely a timid emendation, ultimately yearning modestly for a good life during the most consumeristic and moderately repressive years of Soviet power, Tarkovsky’s aesthetically singular re-reading is truly a “Zone” of editing to death.

Abstract Based on fieldwork with two related Afro-Brazilian religions, Umbanda and Quimbanda, this article explores the value of Donald Davidson’s semantic theory for making sense of ethnographic fieldwork. Specifically, we look at the role of scriptedness in communication, including religious ritual. We first clarify the role of social externalities in Davidson’s view of communicative interpretation, which is broader than his initial framework of radical interpretation. We then offer an account of what constitutes communicative and interpretational success, by drawing on Davidson’s account of prior and passing theory. Prior theories are interpreters’ initial hypothetical frameworks, ranging from general (e.g., the rational, intentional nature of self and other, and a shared perceivable world) to local (e.g., assumptions about cultural, social, and institutional contexts). Passing theories are tactical, on-the-fly modifications that we hypothesize in order to get mutual understanding back on track. We introduce the concept of ‘semantic reduction’ to operationalize the view that specific, local social externalities provide clues that help keep interpretation on track. In the case of religious ethnography, these include ritual, doctrinal, narrative, symbolic, material, temporal, and spatial frames that constrain the generation of passing theories. Examples from fieldwork illustrate the potential value of our appeal to Davidson’s ideas.

The artistic development project Radical Interpretations investigates two iconic works for solo percussion and re-composes these. The goal of the project was to develop new creative and transdisciplinary research in interpretation of musical works. Participants: percussionist Kjell Tore Innervik, Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH), composer Ivar Frounberg, NMH, designer Maziar Raein, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, experience designer Ståle Stenslie, The Oslo School of Architecture and Design, and music recording producer Morten Lindberg. During the 3 years project, the team engaged with the music of Morton Feldman and Iannis Xenakis. The solo percussion pieces The King of Denmark and Psappha were the point of departure. The cd [UTOPIAS ](http://www.2l.no/pages/album/141.html)(2L) contains the pure audio version of the pieces in high definition and immersive sound.-><- On this site you will find other interpretations and iterations of the music made by the team.

This article begins with a short reconstruction of the long-forgotten Death of God movement and its development of the concept of a Radical Theology during the 1960s in the United States of America and in Western Germany (The “Death of God” as a Signature of Secular Culture). In my view, protestant theology and the church have thus far failed to discuss Nietzsche’s proclamation of the “Death of God” as a genuine signature of modernity in a constructive way. In refusing the debate, they did not see the theological potential of the diagnostic and ambiguous metaphor “Death of God” as a “tremendous event still on its way”. With regard to a current perspective on Radical Theology (The Rise of Religious Fundamentalism and the Renaissance of Radical Theology), the intention is a creative and radical interpretation of this heretical concept as a step towards a modern religiosity after (the Death of) God which includes a new awareness of the finitude of human life and of its limitations. The theological symbol of the “Death of God” in my concept of “Heretical Religiosity” leads to a new approach to the theology of wisdom as symbolized in the Hebrew Bible by the book of Ecclesiastes (Heretical Religiosity: Radical Theology and Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible).

Abstract This paper presents a literature review of science teaching approaches that seek to support equity in science classrooms, focusing on marginalization based on (i) race/ethnicity, (ii) social class/socioeconomic background, and (iii) religion. Considered were approaches that science teachers can use in science classes in secondary schools. They were analyzed and discussed against the backdrop of critical pedagogy by Paulo Freire and the educational theory by Hannah Arendt, which constitutes a novelty in science education research. The review used meta interpretation combined with systematic searches in the ERIC database. It is, thus, limited to works published in English. A total of 930 articles (2013–2021) were identified out of which 64 were fully analyzed. The analysis shows that most approaches strive to provide more equal access to the existing science knowledge and structures of the community. This corresponds to the introduction to the “old world” in a conservative interpretation of Arendt's term. I argue that in addition, it is necessary to employ a more radical interpretation of the “old world” as fundamentally plural which is done in translanguaging and grappling with racism. Further, the transformative nature of science education needs to be strengthened in terms of Freire's critical pedagogy and Arendt's concept of natality. This means allowing students to become aware of oppressive structures to induce change. Only youth participatory science, youth participatory action research, and grappling with racism explicitly aim for this. This shows that nuanced perspectives on equity in science education are needed.

The article analyzes the dynamic characteristics of the concept of the "Russian world" based on a series of sociological studies of student consciousness in the South of Russia (2015–2021) conducted by the staff of the Southern Federal University. The actualization of this concept in student consciousness occurred against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis of 2014 and underwent a certain transformation from 2015 to 2021. The methodological basis of the study was a series of focus groups and a questionnaire survey. In the process of analyzing the data collected by means of the questionnaire survey, factor, correlation and regression types of statistical analysis were used. As a result, the specifics of the decontestation of the concept of the "Russian world" in student consciousness were established, as well as a change in the conceptual framework for interpreting this concept. In particular, it was found that in 2015, the decontestation of the concept of the "Russian world" in the structure of values ​​of student consciousness occurred in the right ideological spectrum (up to right-wing radical interpretations), but in 2019, this concept is more often placed in the cultural and civilizational context in the structures of student identity. Key factors influencing the process of decontestation of the concept of the "Russian world" were also identified. The general conclusion based on the results of the study is that despite the fact that these variables substantively intersect with the three meanings of the concept of the "Russian world" presented in the media space of modern Russia (imperial-civilizational, super-ethnic and Orthodox-civilizational), the shifts occurring in student consciousness indicate deeper changes - about the increasing rootedness of the concept under study in the structures of student identity, and not just at the superficial level of ideological attitudes.

Sustainable career development is a great priority for organizations, governments and individuals alike. Facing the grand challenges of our global world, careers and their development have to be re-designed to incorporate more sustainable ways of living and working. However, most work around sustainable careers is centered around neoliberal modes of organizing, amplifying individual responsibility of individuals for their careers, while treating careers merely as an instrumental ‘tool’ towards organizational performance and viability. Hence, sustainable careers are a hypernormalized ideology. In the current paper, a psychology of sustainable career development is introduced that deviates from earlier, more conservative models, of career development towards a more radical interpretation and recognition of truly sustainable ways of organizing and developing careers. Anchored in an interpretation of sustainable careers as promoting dignity and capabilities of people, this conceptual paper formulates a new psychology of the sustainable career, towards integration rather than individualization.

This article develops a discussion of Albert Serra’s Honor of the Knights (2006) and his radical interpretation of Don Quixote on a final journey before death. The analysis explores Serra’s portrayal of the quixotic myth and argues that the film demythologizes the literary figure and unveils underlying meanings that can be read from the perspective of gender and aging. The article argues that rather than divest the myth, Serra’s film recognizes the quixotic mythology and reclaims the elements of the character that cast Don Quixote as the prototype of the sorrowful errant knight. Drawing from discourses on masculinity and aging the reading explores how Serra’s avant-garde esthetics and minimalist dialogues present an intimate and contemporaneous portrayal of the characters. Don Quixote’s journey through the landscapes becomes an allegory for a life journey where aging and decline, and the ordinariness of life, are juxtaposed with the chivalric ideals of the wandering knight. The discussion will focus on aspects of the film narrative where the quixotic myth as archetype speaks to us and voices his concerns about defection and decline, which resonates with present collective anxieties about senectitude and the perils of old age.

As one of the main tenets of mainstream Shiʿa, the radjʿa doctrine is potentially open to radical interpretations. In the background of this belief, the concept of ghayba (occultation) with the special meaning attributed to it has vital importance. According to the Imāmiyya or Twelve Imams (Ithnā ʿAshʿariyya) Shiʿism, which has survived to date within Shiʿism and constitutes the vast majority of them, the twelfth imam, Muhammad b. al-Hasan went into major occultation in 941. According to this doctrine, it is believed that one day the hidden imam will return and rule over the whole world, which is filled with injustice. In fact, examples of the belief in radjʿa can be traced back to earlier periods. In the early history of Islam, some extreme sects (ghulāt) emerged by claiming the immortality of important figures such as, ʿAlī b. Abī Tālib (d. 40/661) and his son Husayn (d. 61/680). The 10th century also became the scene of such claims among Shiʿa such as the return of the hidden imam, Muhammad b. al-Hasan who is believed to be in occultation and will one day reappear to guide all humanity. This study examines three sub-sects of Shiʿīsm, namely the Nusayrīs, the Druzes and the Bābī-Bahāīs that all interpret the doctrine of radjʿa from a gnostic point of view. The first two emerged in the tenth century simultaneously, while the Bābī-Bahāīs in the nineteenth. It is worth to note here that the concept of bāb has played the mediating role in the approach to the radjʿa doctrine. Ibn al-Nusayr, the founder of the Nusayrī sect, put forward a ground breaking approach to the doctrine by declaring himself as the gateway to the eleventh and twelfth imam. In addition, the belief in the incarnation of God’s soul into the body of ʿAli, and later on its transfer to bodies of the imams until it reached the twelfth imam, spread. The Druzes focused directly on the divinity of al-Hakīm bi-Amrillah rather than on the concept of bāb. The Bābīs and Bahāʾīs, on the other hand, interpreted the doctrine of radjʿa on the basis of the concept of bāb and the claim of messiahship, and a new religion. Especially, the Nusayrīs and the Druzes interpreted radjʿa phenomenon and transformed it into hulūl (incarnation) and tanāsukh (metempsychosis). The Bābī-Bahāī community, however, transformed the doctrine of radjʿa into the doctrine of prophethood by refusing the termination of the prophethood with the prophet Muhammad. Thus, they claim to be a new religion that abolishes the rules of previous religions. The purpose of this study is to analyse the way in which the selected sub-sects of Shiʿa have approached the doctrine of radjʿa and the extent of their interpretation of this phenomenon.

Abstract One of the common traits ancient speculative Daoist texts share is their aversion to a society based on Confucian morals. The Liezi’s anecdote about Huazi has often been cited as prime example for this attitude and its inherent yearning for a return to the Dao. Remarkably, one of the most radical interpretations of this passage was authored by a high-ranking member of the Northern Song imperial court. Combining references to other classics with Buddhist concepts and terminology to expound a mysticism rooted in the Daoist tradition, Fan Zhixu’s 范致虛 (?–1129) commentary is not only a masterpiece of exegetical literature, but also provides valuable insights into the unique intellectual atmosphere at and around Emperor Huizong’s court. This case study serves as introduction to Fan’s forgotten work and simultaneously to a widely neglected set of sources regarding the religio-political developments during Huizong’s controversial reign.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the issue of the best constitution given Aristotle’s account of human flourishing articulated in the Nicomachean Ethics. There, Aristotle claims that monarchy is the supreme form of constitution. A similar claim is repeated in Politics. The paper argues that these claims sit uneasily with Aristotle’s teleological accounts of the polis, the citizen, and his discussion of the virtues of the citizen and the good man in Politics. Given Aristotle’s philosophical definition of the state as “an association of equals for the sake of the best possible life” and his notion that “the best is happiness, and that consists in excellence and its perfect actualization and its employment”, and Aristotle’s argument on the relationship between the good man and the good citizen, this paper concludes that the best constitution is politeia. Yet, simply to argue so is not enough if we are to rescue Aristotle from his inconsistencies and his claims on “natural inequalities”. Finally, a more radical interpretation of Aristotle is outlined, which rejects Aristotle’s separation between the oikos and the polis and argues that the verticality of the former is philosophically arbitrary and contradicts the revolutionary implications of Aristotle’s normative teleology.

The article analyzes the Australian philosopher Neil Levy’s approach to the problem of the moral responsibility of psychopaths; it examines his arguments based on empirical data in favour of reducing or even denying their responsibility, and his use of the case of psychopaths as an argument against proponents of attributionism in general and T. M. Scanlon in particular. It should be noted that the studies Levy cites are isolated and contradictory. The most radical interpretations of the experiments he cites have been subsequently corrected by him, but even the weakest thesis he proposes (that the degree of moral responsibility should be greatly reduced in the case of some of the psychopaths) should, it seems, be rejected primarily on the basis of the inconsistency of the very concept of psychopathy that he uses too recklessly. Using the results of empirical research can help philosophers clarify the phenomenon of moral responsibility, but to do so philosophers should use more accurate experiments and interpret them more thoughtfully and carefully.

Abstract This article addresses the theme of ‘death and immortality’ from the perspective of consciousness, and takes as its starting point a root text of Hindu philosophy, the Sāṃkhyakārikā by Īśvarakṛṣṇa (c. fourth century ce). The text posits a dualist ontology in which consciousness is separate and autonomous from a material reality that includes body and mind. The goal is to be ontologically situated in a ‘pure’ consciousness (non-objective), which signifies existential liberation. There are mundane ways to understand this claim, such as referring to cognitive states that produce affective dissociation, or more radical interpretations, such as a post-death state. This article explores the question of what Sāṃkhya's consciousness is like: it is said to be immortal, plural, individuated, and contentless. What is the motivation for and implication of engagement with a system that describes an existential freedom that may only be known in a dualist reality or after death? And how can Sāṃkhya's concepts be brought into conversation with contemporary investigations into mind–body questions? Sāṃkhya rationality counters the argument of eternal oblivion or of consciousness as an illusion confined to the brain. Yet there are resonances with Chalmers's notion of consciousness as fundamental. This article concludes that contemporary Anglo-American philosophy of religion can be enhanced by adding Sāṃkhya thought to its purview.

Abstract The so-called “intentional object” occupies a central position in the debates about intentionality in Brentano and the Brentano School. How does it relate to the correlate, the content, or the intended, possibly external, transcendent object? Does it perhaps even coincide with one of these? There was no clear consensus on this neither in Brentano’s time nor today. In order to develop a new perspective on the problem of the intentional object, I would like to introduce a deliberately radical interpretation and related terminological change: what if we were to avoid any talk of “object” in this context altogether? Perhaps this could help avoid the ambiguities and misunderstandings associated with talk of “intentional objects.” In my contribution I would like to sketch such an interpretation and consider whether this attempt could be useful to reframe the debate.

ABSTRACT This paper highlights the perspectives of defence workers regarding a Just Transition of their industry, one of the most environmentally harmful sectors in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pollution and use of non-renewable resources. It is based on (i) interviews with defence sector workers in the United States and the United Kingdom (n58); and (ii) focus groups with key representatives of national and international labour unions, defence companies and relevant NGOs (n18). Some of these defence workers and their trade union representatives envisioned a transformational path towards sustainability, including converting the defence sector to more socially useful production. Drawing on Gramsci, we define these as ‘counter-hegemonic views’, since they challenge the hegemonic ‘growth coalition’ and ‘treadmill of destruction’ paradigms. Such views support and echo more radical interpretations of Just Transition, emphasising the necessity of a structural transformation of society to achieve a fair and effective transition to sustainability.