Understanding the Human Rights of Modern Individuals—Revisiting Habermas’s Dual Critique and the Reconstruction of Intersubjectivity

Human rights are not only pivotal in depicting the relationship between individuals and communities but also a focal point of political philosophical concerns oriented towards reality. The inseparability of human rights from individual self-identity reveals a contradiction between practicality and historicity in understanding individuals, as highlighted in the debate between liberalism and communitarianism. In order to reconcile this contradiction, Habermas,drawing from German classical philosophy, examines practicality and historicity separately: while Fichte intertwines objectivity in self-identity, revealing the practicality of individuals but neglecting their real elements, Hegel interprets self-identity under the concept of unity,examining individuals from a historical dimension but letting rational rules dominate reality. Ultimately, Habermas reconstructs the process of modern individual self-identity from the theory of communicative action by critiquing the shackles of subjective philosophy. He not only reconciles the divergence between practicality and historicity in self-identity, but also elucidates the intersubjective core inherent in human rights.

Between Euthanasia and Dysthanasia: The Ethical Issue of Sedation in the Terminal Phase of Illness

Background: Deep sedation, euthanasia and therapeutic relentlessness lead us today to rethink the paradigm of life and the contingency of human existence. Between therapeutic relentlessness, the unreasonable care which uses heavy therapeutic means which are often disproportionate to the expected benefit, namely keeping alive a patient whose condition is considered medically hopeless;and euthanasia which would precipitate the process of death would be sedation in the terminal phase of the illness. Should doctors and families of comatose patients decide the “life” and “death” of their patients? For anti-euthanasia associations, doctors, relatives of terminally ill patients and the State itself, if they accept the principle of euthanasia, they are “murderers”, while for pro-euthanasists, the dignity of the human being would recommend that the days of patients in situations considered critical be shortened, to avoid unnecessary suffering and humiliation. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was carried out to identify relevant articles relating to euthanasia, dysthanasia and sedation in the terminal phase of illness. The search was conducted in French or English in three databases: PubMed, Google Scholar and Science Direct. Objectives: The objectives of this article are: 1) define the terminologies and concepts of palliative sedation, deep sedation, deep and continuous sedation until death, euthanasia and dysthanasia;2) present aspects of the meaning of life and the human person in African cultures;and 3) propose an ethical reflection on the value of life. Results: After precisely defining the concepts of euthanasia, dysthanasia and sedation, this research presented the African anthropological and ethical approach to the mysteries of life and death. Conclusion: With this in mind, the golden rule of medicine always remains as such “Primum non nocere”.

The Paradigm Transformation of Postmodern Philosophy of Religion--Taking Don Cupitt and George Lindbeck as an Example

Western postmodern philosophy of religion is the third significant shift following the ancient ontology paradigm and the modern subject paradigm.Postmodern religious philosophers,taking the focus on language as their theoretical basis,criticize the paradigm of the traditional philosophy of religion.At the same time,as a kind of complex thought trend,the postmodern philosophy of relligion also presents different ideological trends--one is radical and the other is conservative.

On the Development of the Natural Law in the Western Political Philosophy

Natural law is an important concept in political philosophy,the theme of this paper is the development of natural law in the western political philosophy.To specify this statement,this paper is divided into three parts.The first is the origin of natural law in the western political philosophy.The second is the development of natural law in Aquinas'thoughts.The third is the development of natural law in Hobbes'thoughts.

Philosophy of Science and Post-theoretical Life-World

Philosophy of science has arisen as alternative to epistemology, because scientific development wanted another kind of explanation than traditional epistemological one. The latter kind of explanation is theoretically loaded and based on latent ontological assumptions. Epistemology offers science a ＂road map＂ for researcher＇s thinking. Thus epistemology knows what science should be, and philosophy of science take science for granted--existing as an empirical fact. Philosophy of science had always been a reflective and critical discipline that didn＇t want any a-priory knowledge. The main distinction between these fields of knowledge is as follows： epistemology is theoretical and projective kind of knowledge whereas philosophy of science is a non-theoretical, or better, a ＂post-theoretical＂ discipline. All facts and statements arising from philosophy of science lie within the heterogeneous space, where there is continuous transit of pre-theoretical, theoretical and post-theoretical versions of knowledge. The inevitability of conservation and utilization of human thought products is recognized, which is supplemented by the need to study the impact of theoretical thinking upon social practices.

Asouzu＇s Critique of Philosophy of Essence and Its Implication for the Growth of Science

The balkanization of reality by Aristotelian Philosophy has been a thought provoking exercise in the history of Western Philosophy. Aristotle＇s idea as conceptualized by Asouzu as Philosophy of Essence has been the central instrument for bifurcation and polarization of all entities into classes, such as： Essence and Accident, Matter and Form, Cause and Effect, Rationalism and Empiricism etc. This dualistic ontology be believes has eaten deeply into the mind of Western scholars to perceive science dualistically. In view of the above, the disagreement with Aristotle＇s compartmentalization of reality from Ibuanyidanda Philosophy （Philosophy of Complementarity） by Asouzu is an attempt to restructure scientific dualistic ontology into one unified, non-polarized, non-absolutistic, harmonious framework capable of fascinating unity in science. Hence, the subject matter of Ibuanyidanda Philosophy is to restore the broken unity between theory and praxis that exists in science because everything that exists serves a missing link of reality. The aim of this paper is to critically examine from the philosophical eye, the various critique by Asouzu on this thought provoking polarization of reality in Aristotle＇s Philosophy of Essence. We are of the view that Aristotle had to balkanize reality to solve the various problems of his era. Thus, if applied to contemporary scientific issues, it will lead us to no unity and growth in science. Furthermore, from Ibuanyidanda＇s perspective, we are of the view that its nature of harmonious non-polarized ontology is a breakthrough to contemporary scientific issues especially the debate within macro physics, theory of relativity, and sub-atomic particles physics （Quantum Mechanics）.

Ontological Foundation of Chinese Philosophy on the Implicit Beauty of Images

The Chinese philosophy on the implicit beauty of images is based on the idea that the whole world is very much like an infinite crisscrossing web, in which everything is an intersection point, and the infinite world around it serves as the origin. Discerning the implicit beauty means that you must watch the intersection-point-composed "images" and figure out the original "meaning" beyond them. Such a process of experiencing and reflection is what we call "the aesthetic consciousness." Therefore, the implicit beauty of images in our daily life also reminds us that we can both face and transcend reality.

Tales de Miletus,Hegel,and the Theory of Everything

The author takes how focus of your reflection the no achievement of the Theory of Everything in the Whole,he indicates that the cause of that frustrated attempts it is the basis of construction of the thought used to,lay emphasis on the inadequacy of the thought supported in the metaphysical from material basis,with roots in Tales de Miletus,in ruling to find a solution,and he presents the metaphysical from relational basis,proto-enunciated in the Hegel’s thought,like a possible foundation to think what can be capable to apprehend the effectiveness reality in the flow of its happen,so in the scope of the existence of phenomena infra nanos,so well,in the hyper macros events.

Incentivization and the moral problem of involuntary consent in medical research

The legal and moral permissibility of clinical research entails that researchers must secure the voluntary,informed consent of prospective research participants before enrolling them in studies.In seeking the consent of potential participants,researchers are also allowed to incentivise the recruitment process because many studies would fail to meet enrollment goals without a financial incentive for participation.Some philosophers and bioethicists contend that the use of incentives to secure consent from research subjects is problematic because it constitutes undue inducement and a coercive offer.Some proponents of this view are Ruth Macklin(1981,1989)and Joan McGregor(2005).Macklin claims that it is ethically inappropriate to pay research subjects.The payment is likely to coerce the research subject,thereby violating the ethical requirement on the voluntariness of research participation.Also,such offers can prompt subjects to lie,deceive or conceal information that,if known,would disqualify them as participants.For McGregor,incentives could be undue and coercive because they make offerees better off relative to their baseline as well as constrain them to accept the offer of incentives as the only eligible choice or option.I argue that coercive offers are distinct from undue inducement.Coercive offers are essentially morally objectionable because by making people accept an offer through threats for the sake of some interests or ends,the offeror vitiates the offeree’s capacity to make informed,voluntary,and rational decisions and choices.I further claim that the quantity of an incentive does not render an inducement undue.I contend that the only condition under which incentives are regarded as an undue inducement and as such vitiates an agent’s voluntary consent is if they are offered through deceptive or manipulative means.

Claude Bernard’s experimental method of head and hand

According to Claude Bernard,each of the sciences investigates different natural phenomena using experimental methods unique to that science,especially experimental medicine.However,Bernard also argued that these sciences share a“common”experimental method that depends on both the“head”and the“hand”.What he accomplished with his common method is to combine both rationalism and empiricism-head and hand,respectively-to undergird the unity of the experimental sciences while maintaining their plurality.Bernard’s experimental method as articulated in terms of the rational head and the empirical hand metaphor is relevant today to the unity of science vs.pluralism debate,as well as to the rationalism vs.empiricism debate and to the hypothesis-driven vs.data-driven science debate-each of which is explored in turn after briefly reconstructing Bernard’s philosophy of experimental medicine.And his metaphor of head and hand provides a means for examining the natural and biomedical sciences as they evolve with regard to specialization.

The Possibility of Returning to Experience:The Essence of Philosophical History in Chinese Philosophy and Its Reflection

The Chinese construction of the science of philosophy takes as its basic form the narrative of the history of philosophy.The introduction into Chinese philosophy of the normative character of philosophy and its problem framework via the narrative of the history of philosophy has to some extent enabled the practice of philosophy to remain separate from the norms and methods of traditional Chinese thought.Philosophical norms and problem frameworks from the West have changed the happenings of the historical world towards the eternal Dao of the classical world into intellectual texts,and have transformed the situationbased expressive strategy that develops the principles of things in the world of concrete experience into concepts and categories.As a consequence of these two positions,the ground of Chinese philosophy,based as it is on the history of philosophy,may not only be separated from the everlasting world of experience of the classics,but may also be divorced from the present experience of the modernization process.If we start from an analysis of the historicity of the Chinese intellectual tradition and its classical character,Chinese philosophy has obtained the possibility of returning to experience by means of parsing jishi yanli,a way of thinking that uses the investigation of things to fathom principles.The pathway of integrating philosophical thinking and experience will enhance and stimulate the contemporary value of the classics.More importantly,regarding the unique methods and strategies of expression in traditional Chinese thought as a general philosophical approach can facilitate the promotion of the construction of a world philosophy oriented toward currentexperience.

Cultured meat in western media: The disproportionate coverage of vegetarian reactions, demographic realities, and implications for cultured meat marketing

This paper examines the media coverage of the 2013 London cultured meat tasting event, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Using major news outlets, prominent magazines covering food and science issues, and advocacy websites concerning meat consumption, the paper characterizes the overall emphases of the coverage, the tenor of the coverage, and compares the media portrayal of the important issues to the demographic and psychological realities of the actual consumer market into which cultured meat will compete. In particular, the paper argues that Western media gives a distorted picture of what obstacles are in the path of cultured meat acceptance, especially by overemphasizing and overrepresenting the importance of the reception of cultured meat among vegetarians. Promoters of cultured meat should recognize the skewed impression that this media coverage provides and pay attention to the demographic data that suggests strict vegetarians are a demographically negligible group. Resources for promoting cultured meat should focus on the empirical demographics of the consumer market and the empirical psychology of mainstream consumers.

Water Distribution in the Perspectives of Stakeholders and Water Users in the Tarim River Catchment, Xinjiang, China

Many river basins in the arid and semi-arid parts of the world are experiencing water scarcity due to water consumption by agriculture resulting in conflicts between upstream and downstream, conflicts between water users, and degradation of the natural ecosystems. The Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China, has developed into the world’s most important cotton production region with 8.85% of the world’s production. Under the extremely arid climate with annual precipitation of below 100 mm, the water consumption due to irrigation resulted in water scarcity and conflicts between water users as well as between upstream and downstream. The Tarim river catchment harbors about half of the world’s Populus euphratica riparian forests, which are impacted by water shortage. Starting in the 1990s, a unified water management system with a quota system for water distribution has been set up. We introduce this unified water management system and analyze how the water distribution works in practice. Ecologists and forestry officials claim more water for environmental flow, whereas water management officials give priority to agricultural, industrial, and domestic water use. The water quotas for downstream regions are frequently not fulfilled, especially during the non-flood season in spring and early summer posing a risk to water users. Water users with financial and political advantages gain more water security than others. The water quotas are annual quotas. These quotas should be differentiated into seasonal quotas, in order to enhance water security for the downstream section of the Tarim all year round.

A Model of Dark Matter and Dark Energy Based on Relativizing Newton’s Physics

The nature and properties of dark matter and dark energy in the universe are among the outstanding open issues of modern cosmology. Despite extensive theoretical and empirical efforts, the question “what is dark matter made of?” has not been answered satisfactorily. Candidates proposed to identify particle dark matter span over ninety orders of magnitude in mass, from ultra-light bosons, to massive black holes. Dark energy is a greater enigma. It is believed to be some kind of negative vacuum energy, responsible for driving galaxies apart in accelerated motion. In this article we take a relativistic approach in theorizing about dark matter and dark energy. Our approach is based on our recently proposed Information Relativity theory. Rather than theorizing about the identities of particle dark matter candidates, we investigate the relativistic effects on large scale celestial structures at their recession from an observer on Earth. We analyze a simplified model of the universe, in which large scale celestial bodies, like galaxies and galaxy clusters, are non-charged compact bodies that recede rectilinearly along the line-of-sight of an observer on Earth. We neglect contributions to dark matter caused by the rotation of celestial structures (e.g., the rotation of galaxies) and of their constituents (e.g., rotations of stars inside galaxies). We define the mass of dark matter as the complimentary portion of the derived relativistic mass, such that at any given recession velocity the sum of the two is equal to the Newtonian mass. The emerging picture from our analysis could be summarized as follows: 1) At any given redshift, the dark matter of a receding body exists in duality to its observable matter. 2) The dynamical interaction between the dark and the observed matter is determined by the body’s recession velocity (or redshift). 3) The observable matter mass density decreases with its recession velocity, with matter transforming to dark matter. 4) For redshifts z 0.5 the universe is dominated by dark matter. 5) Consistent with observational data, at redshift z = 0.5, the densities of matter and dark matter in the universe are predicted to be equal. 6) At redshift equaling the Golden Ratio (z ≈ 1.618), baryonic matter undergoes a quantum phase transition. The universe at higher redshifts is comprised of a dominant dark matter alongside with quantum matter. 7) Contrary to the current conjecture that dark energy is a negative vacuum energy that might interact with dark matter, comparisons of our theoretical results with observational results of ΛCDM cosmologies, and with observations of the relative densities of matter and dark energy at redshift z ≈ 0.55, allow us to conclude that dark energy is the energy carried by dark matter. 8) Application of the model to the case of rotating bodies, which will be discussed in detail in a subsequent paper, raises the intriguing possibility that the gravitational force between two bodies of mass is mediated by the entanglement of their dark matter components.

Multitemporal Analysis of Land Use and Coverage in the Low Course of the Araguaia River

This work aimed to analyze the spatial behavior of plant formations and land use in the Ecological Tension Area Amazon—Cerrado. To this end, the Araguaia river basin was selected, in its low course, because it constitutes a physical-natural limit between the two Biomms, with intense dynamics of use and land cover Thus, in addition to researching scientific references and socioeconomic data from secondary sources, a geographic database was elaborated, with georeferenced data, and spatial operations are carried out. Among them, a supervised classification of land use and coverage, with multi-temporal analysis between the years 1984, 2000 and 2018. Thus, an expansion of 4.2 ha of Forest (Amazon biome) was observed on the savanic phytophysiognomy (Cerrado). However, the suppression of forested areas reached values around 21,700 km2, with direct conversions to anthropic activities, mainly pasture, about 71%. The results of the mapping compared with the data of the agricultural census show that the landscape of the Araguaia river basin, in its low course, is dominated by areas of pasture managed. However, public policies and government investments have fomented the expansion of agriculture in the direct bank of the river Araguaia, from 2000 onwards, and that the landscape of the left bank is dominated by pasture managed. Finally, it was found that the implantation of protective areas contributed to the vegetational regeneration of both biomms.

An Outline of Zhu Xi＇s Dual Personality

Zhu Xi is a comprehensive synthesizer of Neo - Confucianism that developed during early Song Dynasty. Follow ing the meticulous spiritual direction of Cheng Yi,he has expanded the moral rationalism in the Song dynasty to the utmost. His strong group orientation leads him to attaching priority to normative rules and operative convenience,but his individual orientation leads him to seeking for the unrestrained poetic w ay of life. His pursuits of both the moral ideal of rationalism and the poetic life of romanticism result in his dual personality. He devoted all his life to the efforts to solve the conflict and tension betw een his dual pursuits,w hich provide an important clue for the profound understanding of the complexity of his philosophy.

Somewhere This Side of the View from Nowhere: On the Phenomenological Prepredicative Grounding of the Idea of Objectivity

Although objectivity is mainly accounted for in terms of linguistic thought and communication,in this article I will aim to showthat at least one condition of possibility for our understanding of objectivity is grounded on a prepredicative,i. e. pre-linguistic and pre-communicative,level. I will endorse a Husserlian viewpoint on the issue,and I will try to develop some aspects of the Husserlian account of three-dimensional thing-perception by means of which I will showhowprepredicative experience can actually offer us a fundamental element of our common understanding of objectivity. In doing this,it will be necessary to acknowledge thing-perception as being primarily intertwined with indeterminacy. I will claim that only on the basis of such an intuitive and prepredicative access to the things as partially indeterminate,first,and as determinable,second,is it possible to have an understanding of the world as something (at least partially) independent from the intuition (s) all subjects can have of it. By means of the addition of a consciousness of the thing as accessible to other subjects,one achieves a vision of the thing as fully determinate in itself. This"vision",however,takes one to be aware of the determination of the thing as lying beyond any intuitive grasp of it. The result will,thus,be that the prepredicative constitution of our basic sense of objectivity leads us to intend the world as something which should be accounted for (also) by means of sources different from intuition.

The Contemporary Value of the Marxist View of Happiness

With the rapid development of the market economy and the establishment of the harmonious society,the happiness index of life has been draw ing more and more attention at present. However,in the current situation,there is not the positive correlation between the happiness index and the development of economy and society. On the contrary,some people feel unhappy and worried. The traditional cultural system seems to collapse and the gap between the rich and the poor tends to increase,so being happy is easier said than done. Under such a circumstance,the Marxist view of happiness is of great theoretical value and practical value to the realization of happy life.

On the Informational Essence of Emergence and Evolution：An Analysis of the New Dualistic Approach

Information is probably the single most important factor shaping the beginning of twenty-first century social life.Robert Logan,in his book"What is Information",explores certain issues related toinformation on the basis of the connotation of information itself,and puts forward two importanttheories of"extended mind"and "symbolosphere".Based on the strong-emergence theory,Logandepicts the material emergence and non-material emergence,and proposes a neo-dualism view,aweak form of dualism.According to this,different from the biosphere,the evolution andreproduction mechanism in symbolosphere do not follow the rules of genetic inheritance,but themechanisms of memes,belonging to the territory of information study.However,the new dualismfaces the difficulty to correctly explain the ontological position of the symbolosphere,while thephilosophy of information provides a standard solution in its theory of human evolution.