Humanistic Work Research Articles

David Hume's Skepticism - Expression of the Late Baroque

The early Baroque, characterized by the skeptical spirit of the 16th century, reaches its peak in the following century with Descartes' hyperbolic doubt. The purpose of this paper is to analyze two of Hume's works, "Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion" and "An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding" in order to place the philosopher in the tradition of Baroque thought. First of all, we will show that David Hume pushed skepticism far beyond its ancient or Cartesian limits, attacking even our way of formulating sentences, which is a subjective one, the result of some psychological factors that cannot be the basis of science. Secondly, we will demonstrate that Hume's skepticism belongs to the late Baroque and is, by its radical character, a form of metaphysical denial of any universal certainties. In conclusion, Hume's skeptical spirit, manifested in relation to the authority constructed by the post-Westphalian ideology, overcame the past, which was at the time denied, and represents, from a philosophical point of view, the origin of the revolutionary spirit of the second half of the 18th century.

The interplay of bureaucratic, humanistic work environment and organizational commitment

The study aimed to examine the interplay of bureaucratic, humanistic work environments and the organizational commitment of employees. To deepen the concepts of the study, literatures were reviewed. The study used a descriptive assessment and correlational research design. The population of the study were the employees of the Divine Word College of Laoag. To gather the data, validated questionnaires were used and weighted mean and Pearson r correlation were used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that the bureaucratic environment is higher than the humanistic environment which is at a moderate level and the organizational commitment of employees is also high. The correlation analysis demonstrates that there is no correlation between the bureaucratic, humanistic work environment and the organizational commitment of the employees. The higher organizational commitment is not caused by the work environment as suggested in the study, but it may be caused by other factors that are not considered in the current study. Thus, it is important to conduct other studies to investigate other factors like psychological factors and organizational factors that affect organizational commitment.

I Am Become Data: Lytle Shaw's Narrowcast and the Era of Machine Listening

Abstract Engaging with Lytle Shaw's Narrowcast: Poetry Audio Research as a point of departure and persistent interlocutor, this essay argues that new digital methods of studying recordings of poets as speech share common ground with the speech science used in insidious practices of state-sponsored surveillance. It extends Shaw's argument, which focuses on poetry audio in the 1960s, into the current moment to highlight how the work of digital humanists working with sound is liable to misappropriation. Machine listening, a practice used to parse thousands of hours of audio in condensed periods of time, is increasingly being used to study poetry recordings, and it fundamentally reorders traditional modes of reading/listening. Such practices also move the line between signal and noise, changing the threshold between audiotext and paratext. Poetry scholars interested in sound need to attune their ears to ways of listening that leverage machinic prostheses and to be aware of the dangers that come with such newfound abilities.

Investigating the influence of bureaucratic and humanistic work environment on the employees’ work ethics

The study aimed to investigate the effect of bureaucratic and humanistic work environments on the work ethics of the employees. To deepen the concepts, the literature was reviewed. The study used the assessment and correlational research design. The population of the study was the employees of the Divine Word College of Laoag. Validated questionnaires were used to gather the data dan the weighted mean and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that the bureaucratic work environment of the institution is higher than the humanistic work environment. The work ethics of the employees was also high. However, looking into their correlation, showed that there is no correlation between the work environment and the work ethics of the employees. The variances of work ethics are not attributed to the work environment but they may be caused by other individual or organizational factors. Thus, the current study recommends another study particularly the effect of individual work values on the work ethics of the employees.

Nec doctum satis: humanist translation and English recreational song

Abstract Studies of the literary dimensions of English Renaissance madrigals frequently cordon off these works from non-musical forms, such as the prosodic experiments being carried out by humanist poets or the humanist practices of literary translation and imitation. Conversely, studies of humanist translation in England almost never consider recreational song, instead focusing exclusively on more ‘serious’ genres. However, several collections of recreational song published in the period present these songs as legitimate humanist works. In some cases, these collections offer the first English translations of classical and Renaissance poems. Nicholas Yonge’s Musica transalpina (1588) and Thomas Watson’s Italian madrigalls Englished (1590), for example, call attention to their translations of eminent Italian poets (Petrarch, Ariosto, Tasso) and address themselves to classically learned readers. The humanist character of such anthologies was well enough known to be satirized by Thomas Weelkes in his Ayeres and phantasticke spirites (1608), whose classical references have seldom been seriously considered. At the heart of these exchanges is an implicit debate over whether recreational song texts are an appropriate vehicle for humanist learning.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ГУМАНИСТИЧЕСКИХ ИДЕЙ Л. БРУНИ НА ТВОРЧЕСТВО ВЕНЕЦИАНСКОГО ИСТОРИКА МАРКАНТОНИО САБЕЛЛИКО (КОНЕЦ XV В.)

The article examines the genesis of the methods and practices of constructing images of the past in the works of humanists in Florence and Venice in the 15th century on the basis of current research in the field of memory studies. The topic has considerable scientific potential today, as it makes it possible to trace the genesis of new concepts of historical knowledge, understand the regional features of memory culture formation in Italy, and study the ideological functions of historical narratives in the socio-political context of the city-states. The study of the reception of new perspectives on social changes and dynamics broadens the understanding of knowledge exchange in the Early Modern period as well as the perception of information by local intellectual elites. The author demonstrates the formation of new approaches to the analysis and representation of the past using the example of the "History of the Florentine People" by the famous humanist Leonardo Bruni (also known as Leonardo Aretino). The main focus of the study is Bruni's new philosophical, political, and social views, as well as his approaches to textual criticism and the use of sources. The author notes that the approaches and practises put forward by Bruni were adopted by the Venetian humanist Marcantonio Sabellico, who used them with reference to the Venetian chronicle-writing tradition.

Embracing the mystery: David Hume's playful religion of wonder

AbstractIn this article I show how David Hume's works provide the ingredients for a conception of religiosity understood as a feeling of wonder concerning nature or existence, accompanied by a playful attitude regarding the imaginative shapes that can be given to this emotion. Hume serves as an inspiration rather than an object of study: I respect the spirit and values of his work, while going beyond his own explicit points. My reading accounts for Hume's aversion to traditional religions (‘superstition’), and for his acknowledgement of the universal attraction of the idea of invisible intelligent power and his own fascination with it. I argue first that superstition is a natural reaction to existential uncertainty. Second, I argue that uncertainty fuels activity, creativity and morality, and thus may be left untended. Though it always involves a measure of pain, too, human happiness is found in challenge and activity. Traditional monotheist religions respond to this need by generating experiences of wonder, thus, however, stimulating passive devotion and dogmatism. Opposing this, the suggestion of Hume's works is to respect the mystery of nature rather than shrouding it in unfounded convictions. The fictional character Philo illustrates how the longing for an answer by is itself can already be a profoundly religious feeling. Hume's descriptions of ancient polytheism and Philo show how this can be accompanied by a playful, imaginative interaction with the world.

Clusius, Ellebodius and Purkircher: A Cross-Section of Humanist-Naturalist Cultural Exchange Between Vienna and Pozsony

Abstract Carolus Clusius (1526–1609) is primarily known as Europe’s most famous botanist in his time, but he pursued a wide range of activitites as an eminent member of the res publica litteraria. He had manyfold relations to Hungary; Clusius-scholarship has so far focused on his friendship with the aristocrat Boldizsár Batthyány, but in Vienna he also exchanged a number of letters with the two most important Pozsony humanists in the period: Nicasius Ellebodius, the excellent Grecist, also of Low Countries origin, and Georg Purkircher, city physician of Pozsony and author of a number of humanist works. Based on archival, literary and artistic sources, Clusius’ friendship to them, their encounters, and their common fields of interest can be well demonstrated. Beyond contributing to the biographies of these three men of letters, the mapping of these relations also provide a good cross-section of knowledge transfer within Central Europe at the end of the sixteenth century.

Civil landscapes

Drawing on philosophical writings ranging from the Enlightenment and the Romantics through to the contemporary world - including, among others, Rousseau, Hegel, and Thoreau - I explore the civil dimensions of Cornelia Hahn Oberlander’s gardens and landscape designs. I argue that Oberlander’s landscapes are not merely visual delights; they are civil, humanist works. I survey a selection of her designs, from collaborations with Arthur Erickson and Renzo Piano to her public housing projects and the playgrounds that she designed in-and-around her home of Vancouver, Canada. A secondary argument I make is that Oberlander’s gardens and landscapes are not merely aesthetic objects, but artworks, and they do the work of art as Hegel describes it: showing us something of our human spirit, and specifically our creative and political geist.

Patriotic Connotations in the National Anthem of the Republic of Yemen

This paper, based on a structuralist approach and content analysis, intends to investigate and analyze critically how the national poet, the author of the National Anthem of the Republic of Yemen, Abdullah Numan connotes patriotic lyric expressions and how he repeatedly uses lexical words such as unity, banner, and particularly the possessive adjective 'my' through the national anthem. Splendidly, due to indicating Numan's love for his country and feeling of belonging, it is of great interest to trace our concern, loyalty, and sense of belonging towards our homeland through his creative humanistic work (anthem) and its dignity. As to this worldly concern, most national anthems intuitively represent patriotism.
 The structure of this paper is divided into four parts; in the first part, the researcher initiates by introducing the topic including the geographical, historical and political overview of the Republic of Yemen and indicating the three symbols of the country: national emblem, national flag and more specifically national anthem. In addition to those, two patriotic pioneers of Yemen's stars are written about: the author of the National Anthem of Yemen Numan and the composer Taresh. The second part states the conceptual and theoretical framings of this paper. The third part is devoted to the methodological framework identifying the linguistic texture and thematic texture of the National Anthem of the Republic of Yemen. In this part, the researcher through the textual analysis of the anthem, furthermore, attempts to semiologically concentrate on structuring both the surface and the underlying systems to generate the production of meanings or connotations. She also follows some intrinsic ways of some social psychologists' emphasis on the main characteristics of patriotism as loyalty, love and individual's national belonging by elucidating the content of the text linguistically and signifying the religious, historical, cultural, nationalistic and ideological patriotic signified of the national identity of Yemenis. The last part summarizes the analysis of the text by portraying patriotically two important sides: first, struggling of the soldiers for their lives. Second, observing the two bisectors of the North and the South of Yemen in alliance with keeping the dignity of the national anthem despite of their different ideology. 
 Key words: Patriotism, Connotations/Signifieds, National Belonging, National Anthem, Identity, Love, Loyalty, Homeland, the Republic of Yemen

Sextus, Montaigne, Hume: Pyrrhonizers by Brian C. Ribeiro

Reviewed by: Sextus, Montaigne, Hume: Pyrrhonizers by Brian C. Ribeiro Jerry Green RIBEIRO, Brian C. Sextus, Montaigne, Hume: Pyrrhonizers. Leiden: Brill, 2021. ix + 165 pp. Cloth, $145.00; eBook, $149.00 As the title suggests, this short, engaging work explores a continuity between three major thinkers in the Western skeptical tradition. The label "Pyrrhonizers" is well chosen: What draws Sextus Empiricus, Montaigne, and Hume together is a set of attitudes about the limits of reason and the value of constant inquiry. These thinkers are united not by commitment to a set of propositions that would group them together in some kind of static philosophical school but, rather, by a kind of pessimism about rationality's power. Ribeiro uses these figures to prompt a thought-provoking inversion of a traditional challenge to skepticism: Not only is it possible for a skeptic to live his skepticism, it is also unexpectedly easy to do so, because rationality has a surprisingly weak hold on us. This means that we can continue to be skeptics even when we cannot bring ourselves to believe or reject dogmatic claims, so long as we continue to pyrrhonize. Chapter 1 is a defense of the psychological reality of epistemic akrasia, a phenomenon by which an epistemic agent fails to form beliefs governed by the evidence she takes herself to have (analogous to the more familiar weakness of will in moral psychology). In particular, Ribeiro focuses on skeptical cases where one takes oneself to have sufficient reason to suspend judgment regarding p but nevertheless persists in believing that p. This chapter engages with contemporary literature in epistemology that [End Page 158] denies the possibility of epistemic akrasia; Ribeiro points to real cases of the phenomenon to show that it is an actual occurrence in human psychology. Chapter 2 surveys the three eponymous subjects of the book, arguing that Sextus, Montaigne, and Hume are engaged in a single, historically continuous project regarding epistemic agency and human reason-responsiveness. Whatever differences these three figures may have, each is interested in probing the boundaries of belief, looking for the borders of rationality where our beliefs persist even in the face of evidence or arguments against them. Chapter 3 looks more closely at the version of Pyrrhonian skepticism found in Sextus Empiricus. Ribeiro argues that Sextus saw global suspension of belief as an ethical ideal conducive to tranquility and hence eudaimonia. Comparable to the Stoic moral sage, this ideal may not be fully realizable in actual life, but one can nevertheless make progress toward this ideal. Crucially, this progress is compatible with intractable beliefs about which suspension of judgment is difficult or fleeting: Even if one cannot globally suspend judgment about all matters at once, one can still become increasingly more tranquil as one develops the ability to suspend judgment more successfully over time. Chapter 4 transitions to Montaigne's Essays. Ribeiro devotes the bulk of the chapter to showing that Montaigne was explicitly influenced by ancient Pyrrhonian skepticism (via both Sextus and Cicero). The most important point, however, is that Montaigne exemplifies the Pyrrhonian project in his constant revisions to his Essays throughout his life, modeling the zetetic approach of perpetual investigation. Montaigne's chief contribution to this project is to redirect it away from the dogmatic disputes over unclear matters that we see among the ancient skeptics, and toward continual autobiographical self-reflection. Chapter 5 pauses the historical focus of the previous chapters, to return to the topic of human rationality. This chapter uses a Humean observation of the power of custom or habit compared to reason to argue that human rational self-control is surprisingly weak. Similar to the worry about epistemic akrasia discussed in chapter 1, here Ribeiro uses the plausibility of certain skeptical arguments to suggest that we may lack the ability to form beliefs even when we take the arguments supporting those beliefs to be persuasive. Chapters 6 and 7 return to a historical focus, this time concentrating on Hume. Drawing on the work of Karánn Durland, chapter 6 argues that there is an irresolvable tension across Hume's works: In some places Hume endorses naturalism, in others skepticism. Ribeiro takes this to be further evidence for...

Philosophy, the Humanities & the Life of Freedom

Abstract Humanistic disciplines have family resemblances rather than a simple shared common aim or method, and, like literal family resemblances, these have an explanation that comes from their historical relationships to one another. Philosophy, in particular, is closely connected to the sciences it has spun off over the centuries, but remains distinct from them, because normative inquiry uses methods different from those of any contemporary science. But much philosophical inquiry, like much humanistic work, is also idiographic rather than nomothetic; it focuses our attention on particular things, rather than seeking generalizations. The rewards of humanistic study are, therefore, as diverse as what we can gain from paying attention to its diverse objects of study. In ethics and political philosophy, in particular, we learn from studying particular episodes in which we discover the significance of certain values by recognizing what is wrong in societies in which they are not respected.

Marquard Freher and the presumption of goodness in legal humanism

ABSTRACT One of the most detailed early modern discussions of the morality of esteem can be found in the work of the reformed jurist and historian Marquard Freher (1565–1614). Since the question of how much esteem others deserve is fraught with a high degree of uncertainty, Freher relied on the work of other legal humanists, who discussed questions of esteem from the perspective of arguments from the presumption of goodness. The humanist approach to the presumption of goodness integrated considerations about presumed non-delinquency with considerations concerning natural needs, natural rights and natural duties grounded in natural rational capacities common to all (grown-up, healthy) human beings. It advised us to fulfill natural duties that derive from the natural need of being held in good esteem by others, and to develop socially valuable attitudes such as trust and positive emotions toward others. At the same time, this approach was responsive to considerations of prudence, both in grounding the presumption of goodness in considerations concerning causal powers and in balancing the presumption of goodness against a variety of presumptions of badness. Freher applied this understanding of the presumption of goodness to political practice in his role as an advisor to the Palatinate.

“The obligation of a promise” as a problem of double contingency: David Hume's ground‐breaking investigation into basic forms of social coordination

AbstractDavid Hume's work on “the obligation of promises” is the precursor of many ideas in contemporary sociology. Hume's analysis provides insight into problems of basic social coordination, which in modern theories are characterized as a problem of double contingency. His work has also paved the way for theories of social mechanisms such as trust and of operational principles such as self‐reference. In his writings about the inner workings of promises, Hume even lays the foundation for ideas concerning structure building via communication and the emergence of social systems. In his time, this kind of thinking must have been bold—arguing, for example, against religious beliefs or social contracts as constituting binding motives. In our time, Hume's work is astonishing in how nuanced he already exposed social problems that have to be solved continuously, from moment‐to‐moment, in every social situation anew. Hume's thinking paves the way for later system thinking, especially regarding the ways we can think about the “beginning” of social systems.

Organizational Conscience in the Service Industry: A Scale Development

Scholars and practitioners are paying increased attention to the concept of organizational conscience as it leads to positive outcomes in organizational life. Despite this increase, there is a gap measuring the perception of organizational conscience. To fill this gap, this study aims to develop a scale which measures the perception of organizational conscience. For this purpose, it uses a methodological approach with three steps which are item generation, scale purification and scale development. A special focus on developing a scale to measure organizational conscience using both qualitative and quantitative methods through data obtained from 239 service employees. As a consequence, a six-dimensional scale containing twenty seven items developed distinctive dimensions of organizational conscience: humanistic work climate, mindfulness, existential harmony, customer-oriented view, sensitive attitudes, ethical temperament. The results of this study suggest that the organizational conscience scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool for further research on management. 

Dual Minds: Lessons from the French Context of Hume's Social Theory

Hume's theory of mind is often interpreted in associationist terms, portraying the mind as psychological and social. It is also argued that in his most famous philosophical works Hume has an irreligious agenda. These views are problematic because they overlook the issue of social obedience to political authority. By contrast, I examine the connections between Hume's works and those of Bayle and Montaigne. I argue that the French context of Hume's social theory sheds a new light on the dual mind. Indebted to a French Pyrrhonian heritage, Hume invokes custom as an explanatory concept in psychology and in the natural history of society. He also introduces religious analogies as he adopts a historical perspective in social and political theory. Along with custom, faith is crucial in his theory of government. The double nature of the mind thus corresponds to two distinct approaches: the customary mind engaging in profane, habitual activities; and the faithful mind participating in the sacred. Hume's analogy between society and secular religion is comparable to Durkheim's anthropology of rituals. Hume's affinity with Montaigne, Bayle, and Durkheim concerning to the duality of the mind, as customary and faithful, emphasises his role in the history of the French humanities.

Les Aventuriers de la mémoire perdue: Léonard, Érasme, Michelet et les autres. Par Jean-Christophe Saladin

Jean-Christophe Saladin, editor-in-chief of the Miroir des humanistes series of editions of Renaissance humanist texts at Les Belles Lettres, brings his wide-ranging erudition to bear upon the protean phenomenon of the European Renaissance. Saladin’s volume promotes a holistic approach to the Renaissance, finding inherent unity in diverse social, cultural, and intellectual currents and products from the fourteenth century to the early seventeenth. The scope of this book, therefore, is necessarily ambitious, taking in the social history of Europe from 1350 to 1650 (Part One, ‘La Comédie de ce monde’), alongside its art history (Part Two, ‘Arts’, which also includes theatre), literature (Part Three, ‘Lettres’), science (Part Four, ‘Sciences et techniques’, which also includes print technology), religion along with philosophy (Part Five, ‘Philosophie et religion’), and politics (Part Six, ‘Politique’). Saladin’s book argues that the creative exploration of the culture of classical antiquity, epitomized in the work of early modern humanists...

Family Values of Students of Pedagogical Specialties of Graduation Courses

An early work by Leon Batista Alberti, Books on the Family, is relevant to the concept of upbringing, the purpose of which is to open up to the child the opportunities that the civil society provides him with. Family values correlate each Personal Action with the actions of the “Other”. The family “We” is transformed into a public “We”. The vice and virtue of an individual, embodied in his concrete actions, create the life of the people. Family values form the needs of the individual, which have a cause and a way of satisfaction only in the material and spiritual community of families. Leon Batista Alberti’s pedagogical work, expanding the space of personal life, finds associations and a response in the works of domestic humanists and teachers. The survey involved 157 people. As a result of statistical processing of the survey data, a hierarchy of students’ family values was obtained. The data obtained make it possible to demonstrate the structural features of the system of humanistic values of future teachers. Some gender differences have been identified. The general tendencies in the hierarchy of family values of students who have undergone active practice in educational institutions are considered. Keywords: hierarchy of family values, pedagogical system, family education, family values, goal of education

Who speaks for Hume: Hume's presence in the 'Dialogues concerning Natural religion'

One of the reasons for many different and even opposing interpretations of Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is the absence of consensus concerning the question of which character in the Dialogues represents Hume. In this paper I argue that taking Philo to be his primary spokesperson provides us with the most consistent reading of the whole work and helps us better understand Hume's religious viewpoint. I first stress the specific dialogue form of Hume's work, which requires us to take into account literary tools such as irony and double-talk when interpreting it. From there I proceed to show why I believe that my hypothesis is better supported than the other two main hypotheses concerning Hume's presence in the Dialogues, the first one being that Cleanthes represents Hume and the other one that none of the characters consistently speaks for Hume but rather that the whole structure of the work does that. Although there is both textual and historical evidence which suggests that Hume favoured Cleanthes, I show that his opinions deviate from Hume's well-known views on important subjects such as scepticism, morality and Christianity, while Philo's opinions on these subjects agree with Hume's almost verbatim. The second hypothesis is proven to be wrong by the fact that Philo actually consistently defends Hume's opinions. Finally, I argue that Philo's understanding of true religion as a philosophical position devoid of any religious import agrees with Hume's religious scepticism.

NICOLAE IORGA ON THE DEVELOPMENT STAGES OF ROMANIAN NATIONALISM

Known for his research on the elements of national unity which rose and developed in the minds of all Romanians and which eventually led to the establishment of Greater Romania, the great historian Nicolae Iorga identifies the stages through which the national sentiment of Romanians on both sides of the Carpathians had evolved from the Middle Ages to the modern era. After having researched the published works of Romanian humanists and Enlightenment writers in the archives and libraries of Romania, Bucovina and Transylvania, Nicolae Iorga identified the following stages of Romanian nationalist manifestations: primitive nationalism (9th to l0th century), enduring nationalism - the foundation of modern nationalism (17th century), definitive nationalism (18th century), and modern nationalism (the 1848/1849 generation). While Transylvanian nationalism was petitionary in nature, the nationalism that manifested south and east of the Carpathians was labelled as political, as it was accompanied by concrete own achievements. "Romanian nationalism" is seen as cultural and democratic, based on the traditional hospitality of the Romanian peasants and the sentiment of unity. These are the features of the Romanian national sentiment defined by Nicolae Iorga in 1922, which were used as a foundation for the Nationalist Democratic Party, the party he established in 1910 and whose leader he was until 1938.