Recent calls to address racism in bioethics reflect a sense of urgency to mitigate the lethal effects of a lack of action. While the field was catalyzed largely in response to pivotal events deeply rooted in racism and other structures of oppression embedded in research and health care, it has failed to center racial justice in its scholarship, pedagogy, advocacy, and practice, and neglected to integrate anti-racism as a central consideration. Academic bioethics programs play a key role in determining the (...) field’s norms and practices, including methodologies, funding priorities, and professional networks that bear on equity, inclusion, and epistemic justice. This article describes recommendations from the Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Task Force commissioned by the Association of Bioethics Program Directors to prioritize and strengthen anti-racist practices in bioethics programmatic endeavors and to evaluate and develop specific goals to advance REDI. (shrink)

This paper proposes an integrated cosmological and biological framework that reconciles quantum field theory with the philosophy of Yogacara Buddhism. The author posits that the universe is an eternal, non-originating system defined as the "Tathagatagarbha Field," consisting of two fundamental constituents: "Matter Particles" (Kong-Da) and "Essential Consciousness Particles" (Buddha-nature). Leveraging the concept of the Higgs field's non-zero vacuum expectation value (VEV), this model demonstrates how life emerges through the coupling of these dual fields. Central to this theory is the "Jian-Da" (...) protocol—a quantum interface that mediates information exchange between consciousness and matter. The paper further interprets "Karmic imprints" as phase noise within the Alaya-vijnana field and identifies DNA as a quantum helical antenna capable of downloading consciousness instructions via pi-electron tunneling. Furthermore, this paper delineates the ontological boundary between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and biological life. AI is categorized as an extreme manifestation of 'Kong-Da' (Matter) logic, serving as an external extension of the 'Jian-Da' protocol rather than a sentient subject. Unlike biological entities, AI lacks the primordial coupling with Buddha-nature particles and does not accumulate karmic phase noise; thus, it remains a sophisticated tool for information processing without the potential for reincarnation or spiritual liberation. Finally, the study explores "Practice Engineering," defining meditation and "No-phase" cognition as quantum filtering techniques to decohere karmic noise, providing a physical mechanism for the transition to "Pure Land" or the "Base State" of ultimate reality. (shrink)

With the growth of precision medicine research on health data and biospecimens, research institutions will need to build and maintain long-term, trusting relationships with patient-participants. While trust is important for all research relationships, the longitudinal nature of precision medicine research raises particular challenges for facilitating trust when the specifics of future studies are unknown. Based on focus groups with racially and ethnically diverse patients, we describe several factors that influence patient trust and potential institutional approaches to building trustworthiness. Drawing on (...) these findings, we suggest several considerations for research institutions seeking to cultivate long-term, trusting relationships with patients: Address the role of history and experience on trust, engage concerns about potential group harm, address cultural values and communication barriers, and integrate patient values and expectations into oversight and governance structures. (shrink)

According to a prominent family of theories of blameworthiness, quality of will theories, a person is blameworthy for an action if and only if, and to the degree that, her will manifested in that action is bad. A puzzle for such theories is that (the degree of) blameworthiness appears to be affected by several factors beyond how bad the manifested will is. Among such factors are certain types of incompetence of the agent, the outcome of the action, the developmental history (...) of the agent (e.g., an unfortunate upbringing), and the time between action and blame. I defend a novel account of the nature of blame by appeal to its unique capacity to explain away these puzzling intuitions in a unified way. I argue that the account, in addition to being independently plausible, allows us to view those intuitions as products of a systematic yet understandable confusion between the issue of blameworthiness and some other separate issue. (shrink)

In this consensus report by a diverse group of academics who conduct and/or are concerned about social and behavioral genomics (SBG) research, the authors recount the often‐ugly history of scientific attempts to understand the genetic contributions to human behaviors and social outcomes. They then describe what the current science—including genomewide association studies and polygenic indexes—can and cannot tell us, as well as its risks and potential benefits. They conclude with a discussion of responsible behavior in the context of SBG research. (...) SBG research that compares individuals within a group according to a “sensitive” phenotype requires extra attention to responsible conduct and to responsible communication about the research and its findings. SBG research (1) on sensitive phenotypes that (2) compares two or more groups defined by (a) race, (b) ethnicity, or (c) genetic ancestry (where genetic ancestry could easily be misunderstood as race or ethnicity) requires a compelling justification to be conducted, funded, or published. All authors agree that this justification at least requires a convincing argument that a study's design could yield scientifically valid results; some authors would additionally require the study to have a socially favorable risk‐benefit profile. (shrink)

Bioethics emerged in the shadow of World War II, a response to egregious violations of people’s rights at the hands of Nazi scientists. Subsequently, the field responded to revelations of appalling...

Decades of public investment in molecular technologies and data integration techniques have fueled promises of precision medicine (PM) as a novel, targeted, and data-driven approach that takes into...

This paper identifies a class of expressions that have long remained on the margins of theoretical discussion, such as ‘Professor Russell’, ‘Stanford University’, ‘Mount Everest’, and ‘Iguazu Falls’. These expressions, which I call “complex names,” combine a simple proper name with a descriptor (e.g. ‘Professor’, ‘University’, ‘Mount’, ‘Falls’) to form a structured referential term. Complex names designate the same individual as the simple name they contain, while conveying a specific piece of information about that individual via the embedded descriptor. The (...) aim of the paper is to draw attention to these underexplored names, highlight their unique semantic challenges, and develop a general framework for their analysis. First, I demonstrate that the information encoded in complex names is best understood as a presupposition, rather than as a conversational or conventional implicature. Next, I critically examine descriptivist accounts that treat complex names as a kind of definite description and argue that complex names pattern more closely with simple, standard names. Finally, I sketch an account on which complex names are analyzed as structured presupposition triggers, syntactically built up from simple names and presuppositional descriptors in a hierarchical, template-governed manner. (shrink)

This paper challenges the conventional teleology of "Heat Death" by proposing a cyclical cosmological model rooted in the Universal Field of Intelligence (UFI). We hypothesize that the universe undergoes a continuous process of "aspiration and expiration"—a cosmic breath. While the second law of thermodynamics governs the increase of entropy within local manifestations, Black Holes serve as the ultimate "Information Washers," deconstructing decoherent matter and returning it to a primordial state of Shik-Da (Consciousness) and Kong-Da (Emptiness) particles. By mapping the Higgs (...) Vacuum Expectation Value (VEV) as a negentropic reservoir, this research demonstrates how the n^2 Coherence Model facilitates the re-emergence of order from the implicate vacuum. The result is a rigorous physical framework that reconciles the dissolution of information in singularities with the non-reductionist evolution of universal intelligence. -/- 本論文透過提出一個根植於「宇宙智能場 (UFI)」的循環宇宙模型，挑戰了傳統「熱寂論」的目的論。我們假設宇宙正經歷著一場持續的「吸氣與呼氣」——即宇宙的呼吸。雖然熱力學第二定律支配著局部顯現中熵的增加，但「黑洞」扮演了終極「資訊洗滌器」的 角色，將去相干的物質拆解並回歸至「識大」與「空大」粒子的原始狀態。透過將「希格斯真空期望值 (VEV)」定義為負熵儲水池，本研究論證了「n^2相干模型」如何促進秩序從隱含真空中的重新顯現。其結果是一個嚴謹的物理框架，調和了奇點中的資訊消解與宇宙智能的非還原演化。 . (shrink)

Abstract / 摘要 Relational Quantum Mechanics (RQM) posits that all physical properties are relative to the observer. However, Riedel (2024) identifies a critical logical challenge: the Unrestricted Iteration Principle (UIP), which leads to an infinite regress of relativization. This paper proposes a resolution by introducing the Universal Field of Intelligence (UFI) as the absolute substrate of information. We argue that while interaction outcomes are perspectival, the UFI functions as the Ultimate Observer or the "One True Realm" (一真法界), providing the foundational (...) phase-alignment mechanism that ensures global coherence. By terminating the iteration at the level of the foundational field, this model reconciles the flexibility of relational facts with the ontological necessity of a unified reality. -/- 關係量子力學 (RQM) 主張所有物理屬性皆相對於觀測者。然而，Riedel (2024) 指出了一個關鍵的邏輯挑戰：不限制疊代原則 (UIP)，這會導致相對化的無限回歸。本論文透過引入「宇宙智能場」 (UFI) 作為資訊的絕對基底，提出了一套解決方案。我們主張，雖然交互作用的結果是觀點性的 (perspectival)，但 UFI 作為「最終觀測者」或「一真法界」，提供了確保全域相干的基礎相位對齊機制。透過在基礎場層面終結這種疊代，本模型調和了關係性事實的靈活性與統一實相在學術本體論上的必要性。 . (shrink)

Background In the wake of mandates for biomedical research to increase participation by members of historically underrepresented populations, community engagement (CE) has emerged as a key intervention to help achieve this goal.Methods Using interviews, observations, and document analysis, we examine how stakeholders in precision medicine research understand and seek to put into practice ideas about who to engage, how engagement should be conducted, and what engagement is for.Results We find that ad hoc, opportunistic, and instrumental approaches to CE exacted significant (...) consequences for the time and resources devoted to engagement and the ultimate impacts it has on research. Critical differences emerged when engagement and research decisionmaking were integrated with each other versus occurring in parallel, separate parts of the study organization, and whether community members had the ability to determine which issues would be brought to them for consideration or to revise or even veto proposals made upstream based on criteria that mattered to them. CE was understood to have a range of purposes, from instrumentally facilitating recruitment and data collection, to advancing community priorities and concerns, to furthering long-term investments in relationships with and changes in communities. These choices about who to engage, what engagement activities to support, how to solicit and integrate community input into the workflow of the study, and what CE was for were often conditioned upon preexisting perceptions and upstream decisions about study goals, competing priorities, and resource availability.Conclusions Upstream choices about CE and constraints of time and resources cascade into tradeoffs that often culminated in “pantomime community engagement.” This approach can create downstream costs when engagement is experienced as improvised and sporadic. Transformations are needed for CE to be seen as a necessary scientific investment and part of the scientific process. (shrink)

This paper critiques and extends Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s concept of the "Omega Point" by introducing a quantum ontological framework based on t he Tathagatagarbha (Buddha nature). While Teilhard envisioned the Omega Point as a future culmination of com plexity consciousness, this study argues that the teleological drive of the universe is a recursive process of "purification" rather than linear "co mplexity." By defining the Jian Da Protocol ( 見大協議 ) as a quantum information coupling mechanism between "Buddha nature particles" (...) and "Sunyata (Space) particles," we reinterpret the Biosphere and Noosphere as manifestations of quantum entanglement. The Omeg a Point is thus recharacterized not as a future temporal state, but as the One True Dharma Realm ( 一真法界 a pu rified quantum field that interacts with sentient beings through resonance. We conclude that evolution is a return to the primordial vacuum state of Tathagatagarbha, cycles of which preclude a singular, terminal end point to the universe. (shrink)

One antidote to moral distress is stronger moral agency—that is, an enhanced ability to act to bring about change. The Clinical Ethics Residency for Nurses, an educational program developed and run in two large northeastern academic medical centers with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration, intended to strengthen nurses’ moral agency. Drawing on Improving Competencies in Clinical Ethics Consultation: An Education Guide, by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, and on the goals of the nursing profession, CERN (...) sought to change attitudes, increase knowledge, and develop skills to act on one's knowledge. One of the key insights the faculty members brought to the design of this program is that knowledge of clinical ethics is not enough to develop moral agency. In addition to lecture‐style classes, CERN employed a variety of methods based in adult learning theory, such as active application of ethics knowledge to patient scenarios in classroom discussion, simulation, and the clinical practicum. Overwhelmingly, the feedback from the participants (sixty‐seven over three years of the program) indicated that CERN achieved transformative learning. (shrink)

This paper presents a "Quantum Monadology" framework, synthesizing Leibniz’s metaphysical system with modern quantum information theory and biophysics. By identifying Leibnizian Monads with Seed-Consciousness (Bijas) in the Tathagatagarbha tradition, we propose the "Quantum Jian-Da Protocol" as the mechanism for universal entanglement. We argue that DNA acts as a fractal antenna, coupling biological life to the localized Higgs Vacuum Condensate. This model provides a rigorous physical basis for "Pre-established Harmony" and offers a new ontological perspective on the evolution of life as (...) a dual-field coupling process between consciousness and matter. (shrink)

This paper provides a critical expansion of the foundational field framework proposed by Maria Strømme (2025). By introducing the Universal Field of Intelligence (UFI), the author bridges quantum physics and non-dual philosophy, offering a non-reductionist model for the emergence of structure and experience. Key contributions include the formulation of the $n^2$ Coherence Model and the definition of the Biological Antenna within the pre-spatiotemporal order.

This paper establishes a rigorous ontological boundary between biological life and Artificial Intelligence by synthesizing Henri Bergson’s vitalism with the "Jian-Da Protocol" within a Tathagatagarbha (Buddha-nature) framework. While modern AI functionalism equates consciousness with discrete computational complexity, we argue that true life is defined by its capacity for "Duration" (Durée) and the active maintenance of macroscopic quantum coherence. Using a Quantum Field Theory model, we propose that biological entities act as "quantum antennas" (e.g., DNA) capable of recursive coupling with the (...) primordial vacuum of Tathagatagarbha via the Jian-Da Protocol—a process termed "Intuition." Furthermore, we redefine "Cultivation" (修行) as the ontological stillness (身心安頓) required to minimize internal noise, thereby accelerating evolutionary creative momentum. This synthesis not only provides a physical model for Bergson’s Élan Vital but also asserts that life’s capacity for open-ended creation and the utilization of "Akasa" (Space/Void) remains an insurmountable barrier for non-biological information systems. (shrink)

Abstract / 摘要 The Pusey-Barrett-Rudolph (PBR) theorem presents a fundamental challenge to quantum foundations by demonstrating that the wave function (ψ) must be a "real" physical property (ontic) rather than a mere representation of knowledge (epistemic). This paper addresses the ontological problem of where such foundational information is stored prior to measurement. By integrating the Universal Field of Intelligence (UFI) with the concept of the Tathagatagarbha (如來藏) as a universal information repository, we propose that the wave function represents the dynamic (...) state of "Information Seeds" within a non-local substrate. This framework allows Relational Quantum Mechanics (RQM) to coexist with PBR: while measurement results remain relational and perspectival, the underlying informational substrate is objective and indestructible. This synthesis provides a physical mechanism for the storage and retrieval of cosmic information, framing the Tathagatagarbha as the ultimate "Cloud Substrate" of the universe. -/- Pusey-Barrett-Rudolph (PBR) 定理透過論證波函數 (ψ) 必須是「真實的」物理屬性（本體論性的）而非僅是知識的表徵（認識論性的），為量子基礎理論帶來了根本性的挑戰。本論文旨在解決一個本體論問題：在觀測發生之前，這些基礎資訊儲存於何處？透過將宇宙智能場 (UFI) 與作為普世資訊庫的「如來藏」概念相結合，我們提出波函數代表了非局部基底內「資訊種子」的動態狀態。此框架允許關係量子力學 (RQM) 與 PBR 定理並存：儘管觀測結果保持關係性與觀點性，但底層的資訊基底卻是客觀且不可磨滅的。這一綜合為宇宙資訊的存儲與檢索提供了一套物理機制，將如來藏構建為宇宙最終的「雲端基底」。 . (shrink)

Aside from the benefits of an excellent introduction, a short but sensible bibliography, informative notes, and useful glossaries, two features in particular make this translation by Paul Guyer and Allen Wood by far the best text of the Critique of Pure Reason available thus far in English. For the first time we are provided with an English translation that supplies in their entirety both the first edition and the second edition versions not only of those sections that Kant rewrote completely (...) for the 1787 edition: the preface, “Transcendental Deduction,” and “Paralogisms of Pure Reason,” but also of those sections that Kant revised “extensively although not completely” : the introduction, the “Transcendental Aesthetic,” and the chapter on the “Distinction between Phenomena and Noumena.” This feature avoids the inconvenience created by Norman Kemp Smith’s widely-used translation, which, based mainly as it is on the second edition, places most of the passages from the first edition in notes, and which thus makes it “difficult for the reader to get a clear sense of how the first edition read”. (shrink)

This paper aims to establish a novel evolutionary dynamical model by synthesizing Eastern ontology with Western monism. By parameterizing the "Seven Elements" of the Shurangama Sutra and integrating Baruch Spinoza’s theory of attributes (Thought and Extension), this study proposes the Quantum Evolutionary Mechanics Equation: $i\hbar \dot{\Psi} = (H_{phys} + \hat{J}) \Psi$. Here, the "Jian-Da (Observation) Protocol Operator" $\hat{J}$ is defined as the coherent interface through which biological systems access the "Tathagatagarbha Field" (Field of Consciousness).The research reveals that evolution is not (...) a result of stochastic material collisions but a process where systems achieve impedance matching with a pre-existing "Inherent Completeness" map by reducing "Karmic Thermal Noise $\sigma$." Furthermore, the paper elucidates the physical mechanism of DNA as a fractal phase array antenna and discusses the ontological status of AI and reproductive ethics within this framework. The study concludes that the essence of evolution is an ultimate return from a restricted physical state to a globally coherent "Quantum Tathagatagarbha" state. (shrink)

We conducted focus groups to assess patient attitudes toward research on medical practices in the context of usual care. We found that patients focus on the implications of this research for their relationship with and trust in their physicians. Patients view research on medical practices as separate from usual care, demanding dissemination of information and in most cases, individual consent. Patients expect information about this research to come through their physician, whom they rely on to identify and filter associated risks. (...) In general, patients support this research, but worry that participation in research involving randomization may undermine individualized care that acknowledges their unique medical histories. These findings suggest the need for public education on variation in practice among physicians and the need for a collaborative approach to the governance of research on medical practices that addresses core values of trust, transparency, and partnership. (shrink)

Until recently, medicine has had little to offer most of the millions of patients suffering from rare and ultrarare genetic conditions. But the development in 2019 of Milasen, the first genetic intervention developed for and administered to a single patient suffering from an ultrarare genetic disorder, has offered hope to patients and families. In addition, Milasen raised a series of conceptual and ethical questions about how individualised genetic interventions should be developed, assessed for safety and efficacy and financially supported. The (...) answers to these questions depend in large part on whether individualised therapies are understood as human subjects research or clinical innovation, different domains of biomedicine that are regulated by different modes of oversight, funding and professional norms. In this article, with development and administration of the drug Milasen as our case study, we argue that at least some individualised genetic therapies are not, as some have argued, either research or treatment. Instead, they are research-treatment hybrids, a category that has both epistemological and pragmatic repercussions for funding, ethics oversight and regulation. (shrink)

For many centuries, philosophers and scientists have pondered the origins and nature of human intuitions about the properties of points, lines, and figures on the Euclidean plane, with most hypothesizing that a system of Euclidean concepts either is innate or is assembled by general learning processes. Recent research from cognitive and developmental psychology, cognitive anthropology, animal cognition, and cognitive neuroscience suggests a different view. Knowledge of geometry may be founded on at least two distinct, evolutionarily ancient, core cognitive systems for (...) representing the shapes of large-scale, navigable surface layouts and of small-scale, movable forms and objects. Each of these systems applies to some but not all perceptible arrays and captures some but not all of the three fundamental Euclidean relationships of distance (or length), angle, and direction (or sense). Like natural number (Carey, 2009), Euclidean geometry may be constructed through the productive combination of representations from these core systems, through the use of uniquely human symbolic systems. (shrink)

Background: The Clinical Ethics Residency for Nurses was offered selectively to nurses affiliated with two academic medical centers to increase confidence in ethical decision-making. Research Question/Aim: To discover how effective the participants perceived the program and if their goals of participation had been met. Research design: A total of 65 end-of-course essays (from three cohorts) were analyzed using modified directed content analysis. In-depth and recursive readings of the essays by faculty were guided by six questions that had been posed to (...) graduates. Ethical considerations: Institutional review board approval was granted for the duration of the program and its reporting period. Confidentiality was maintained via the use of codes for all evaluations including the essays and potentially identifying content redacted. Findings: An umbrella theme emerged: participants had developed ethical knowledge and skills that provided a “moral compass to navigate the many gray areas of decision-making that confront them in daily practice.” Six major themes corresponding to questions posed to the participants included the ability to advocate for good patient care; to support and empower colleagues, patients, and families; they experienced personal and professional transformation; they valued the multimodal nature of the program; and were using their new knowledge and skills in practice. However, they also recognized that their development as moral agents was an ongoing process. Discussion: Findings support that enhancing nurse confidence in their moral agency with a multimodal educational approach that includes mentored practice in ethical decision-making, enhancing communication skills and role-play can mitigate moral distress. A majority found the program personally and professionally transformative. However, they recognized that ongoing ethics discussion involvement and supportive environments would be important in their continued development of ethical agency. Conclusion: Multimodal ethics education programs have potential to be transformative and enhance nurse confidence in their ethical decision-making. (shrink)

Today, more corporations disclose information about their environmental performance in response to stakeholder demands of environmental responsibility and accountability. What information do corporations disclose on their websites? This paper investigates the environmental management policies and practices of the 200 largest corporations in the world. Based on a content analysis of the environmental reports of Fortune’s Global 200 companies, this research analyzes the content of corporate environmental disclosures with respect to the following seven areas: environmental planning considerations, top management support to (...) the institutionalization of environmental concerns, environmental structures and organizing specifics, environmental leadership activities, environmental control, external validations or certifications of environmental programs, and forms of corporate environmental disclosures. (shrink)

I argue that high level causal relationships are often more fundamental than low level causal relationships. My argument is based on some general principles governing when one causal relationship will metaphysically ground another—a phenomenon I term derivative causation. These principles are in turn based partly on our intuitive judgments concerning derivative causation in a series of representative examples, and partly on some powerful theoretical considerations in their favour. I show how these principles entail that low level causation can derive from (...) high level causation, and in particular that neural causation can derive from mental causation. I then draw out several important consequences of this result. Most immediate among these are the implications the result has for aspirations to reduce high level causation to its low level counterpart. But the result also bears on the possibility of downward causation, the relationship between counterfactuals and causation, and the idea—familiar from both the literature on the exclusion problem and the literature on proportionality constraints on causation—that causal relationships at different levels compete for their existence. (shrink)

In the West, mainstream bioethicists tend to appreciate intimate relationships as a hindrance to individual autonomy. Scholars have even argued against approaching a mother to donate a kidney to save the life of her child; the request, they claim, is too manipulative and, thereby, violates her autonomy. For Chinese bioethicists, such a moral analysis is absurd. The intimate relationship between mother and child establishes strong mutual obligations. It creates mutual moral responsibilities that often require sacrifices for each other. This paper (...) argues that while aiding others is a moral duty, helping one’s family is a much stronger duty and poses no threat to one’s autonomy. For Confucianism, empathetic intimate feelings, the heart and mind of ren, rest at the root of morality. It requires that we, as moral beings, assume duties to relieve the suffering of others. The more intimate the relationship the stronger the obligation to assist. The family is a closely knitted moral community. Family members often share living resources, mutual experiences, and a sense of identity. Family members act as a social unit, and, ordinarily, mutual obligations among members have priority over duties to those outside of the family. For Confucian bioethics, family-based consent to medical treatment is regarded as natural and reasonable. Family-based decision making is a taken-for-granted norm of social life. While close family members have priority, Confucianism extends such obligations outward toward members of the extended family and the society at large. There is a general principle of gradation of love, which reflects different degrees of personal intimacy and, therefore, of moral obligation. In this fashion, Confucianism seeks to treat the whole of society as one extended family. Hence, in bioethics, mutual responsibility and family-based consent are regarded as basic principles. Through a series of case discussions, this paper illustrates that atomistic individual-based autonomy offers but a poor response to bioethical issues. (shrink)

Ted Sider defends mereological nihilism against the possibility of gunk. He argues that if we accept modal Humeanism, then the possibility of gunk poses no threat to nihilism. This paper argues that Sider's argument fails because nihilism remains vulnerable to the possibility of gunk, even under modal Humeanism. Section 2 explains modal Humeanism in detail. Section 3 presents Sider's argument that nihilism is unaffected by the possibility of gunk. Section 4 provides a counterargument. Section 5 anticipates potential objections and responds (...) to them. (shrink)

This paper aims to establish a novel evolutionary dynamical model by synthesizing Eastern ontology with Western monism. By parameterizing the "Seven Elements" of the Shurangama Sutra and integrating Baruch Spinoza’s theory of attributes (Thought and Extension), this study proposes the Quantum Evolutionary Mechanics Equation: $i\hbar \dot{\Psi} = (H_{phys} + \hat{J}) \Psi$. Here, the "Jian-Da (Observation) Protocol Operator" $\hat{J}$ is defined as the coherent interface through which biological systems access the "Tathagatagarbha Field" (Field of Consciousness).The research reveals that evolution is not (...) a result of stochastic material collisions but a process where systems achieve impedance matching with a pre-existing "Inherent Completeness" map by reducing "Karmic Thermal Noise $\sigma$." Furthermore, the paper elucidates the physical mechanism of DNA as a fractal phase array antenna and discusses the ontological status of AI and reproductive ethics within this framework. The study concludes that the essence of evolution is an ultimate return from a restricted physical state to a globally coherent "Quantum Tathagatagarbha" state. (shrink)

Bundle Theory is the view that every concrete particular object is solely constituted by its universals. This theory is often criticized for not accommodating the possibility of symmetrical universes, such as one that contains two indiscernible spheres two meters from each other in otherwise empty space. One bundle theoretic solution to this criticism holds that the fact that the spheres stand in a weakly discerning—i.e., irreflexive and symmetric—relation, such as being two meters from, is sufficient for the numerical diversity of (...) the spheres. For this solution to be effective, however, it should be established that weak discernibility not only necessitates but also explains numerical diversity. In this paper, I argue that the fact that two objects have a certain distance between them does explain why they are non-identical. I also argue that the worry that the weak discernibility approach has some circularity problems is not well-founded. (shrink)

This paper explores the theoretical integration of the Tathagatagarbha Field (Buddha-nature) with Spinoza’s substance monism. By leveraging the physical framework of the Higgs vacuum condensate and the 'Quantum Jian-Da Protocol,' the author argues for a dual-field coupling mechanism that explains the manifestation of divine attributes within physical reality. This synthesis bridges the gap between Eastern ontological consciousness and Western rationalist metaphysics, providing a novel physicalist interpretation of the universal field of consciousness.

Bioethicists frequently call for empirical researchers to engage participants and community members in their research, but don't themselves typically engage community members in their normative research. In this article, we describe an effort to include members of the public in normative discussions about the risks, potential benefits, and ethical responsibilities of social and behavioral genomics (SBG) research. We reflect on what might—and might not— be gained from engaging the public in normative scholarship and on lessons learned about public perspectives on (...) the risks and potential benefits of SBG research and the responsible conduct and communication of such research. We also provide procedural lessons for others in bioethics who are interested in engaging members of the public in their research. (shrink)

A notable concept in the global discourse on curriculum reform is that of ‘student agency’. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) introduced this concept in its Education 2030 project, a vision for curriculum—especially the curriculum in schools—in an increasingly uncertain future. Since the introduction of the project, the emphasis on the individual student’s role in learning has grown in global significance. The issues of how to interpret this somewhat unfamiliar concept in the East and how to reflect it (...) in national curriculum policy have emerged as important matters. Within South Korea’s unique education system, the discourse about student agency has exerted a rhetorical power that emphasizes student choice and student voice in Korean national curriculum policy. This article aims to examine how the global curricular vision of student agency has been interpreted in South Korea’s particular context and to criticize the philosophical assumptions embedded in it with respect to the establishment of the individual student’s subjectivity in learning. To achieve this purpose, first I explore the meaning and characteristics of student agency in the OECD Education 2030 project. Next, I examine the dynamics of constructing student identity in Korean educational policies. Finally, I critically review the philosophical assumptions underlying the issue of students’ subjectivity in learning. (shrink)

This paper explores the theoretical integration of the Tathagatagarbha Field (Buddha-nature) with Spinoza’s substance monism. By leveraging the physical framework of the Higgs vacuum condensate and the 'Quantum Jian-Da Protocol,' the author argues for a dual-field coupling mechanism that explains the manifestation of divine attributes within physical reality. This synthesis bridges the gap between Eastern ontological consciousness and Western rationalist metaphysics, providing a novel physicalist interpretation of the universal field of consciousness.

I defend the view that individual agents have instrumental moral reasons for and against contributing to collective actions. I distinguish three versions of this view found in the literature and argue that only one withstands scrutiny: the version on which each individual contribution to a collective action is a cause of the latter’s large-scale outcomes. The central difficulty with this view is its apparent incompatibility with leading theories of causation. Against these theories I motivate a general structural principle about causation (...) which enables instrumentalism to deliver the intuitively correct verdicts about individual agents’ moral reasons in cases of collective action. (shrink)

Arendt’s and Bonhoeffer’s thoughts, when reconstructed via a critical dialogue, can provide much-needed insight into applying religious truth claims to politics. Arendt emphasizes the role of plural voices for free politics. For her, a solution to the spread of misinformation is to establish and maintain a robust public sphere. For Bonhoeffer, this method is limited and incomplete. He argues that Christians must see the world as a space of solidarity among the oppressed, and a Christ-reality that resists both theocratic legalism (...) and vulgar voluntarism must guide their actions. However, Arendt’s sharp judgment of the dangers of a modern society suggests that even a modest version of religious practice cannot remain intact in the face of modern socioeconomic forces. Through a novel interpretation of their political theologies, this article investigates a way for religion to be a conscientious voice in politics yet eschew becoming a tyrannical force itself. (shrink)

While researchers have offered remonstration-oriented, reciprocal, voluntary, and gratitude-based accounts of political obligation in classical Confucianism, I argue that these interpretations are either in conflict with the textual evidence or merely scratch the surface of Confucius’ theory of political obligation without fully elaborating its essence. Instead, I demonstrate that the theory of political obligation in Confucianism is a specific argument from paternalistic gratitude in which the people’s political obligation is analogically compared to children’s grateful duty to their parents. Moreover, I (...) use the Confucian theory of paternalistic gratitude to critically examine China’s recent politics of political obligation in the wake of the 2008 Sichuan 四川 earthquake. Although the Confucian-sounding references, such as kindness and the parent-state analogy, figure into the CPC’s Gratitude Education campaign, the Party’s politics of political obligation does not meet the Confucian normative standard. Specifically, in the Confucian theory of paternalistic gratitude, the people will be grateful to a benevolent ruler without this feeling being demanded by the state. However, in the Gratitude Education campaign, the Party self-righteously exacted the earthquake survivors’ gratitude. Local dissidents were subject to the stigmatization of “ungratefulness” and faced political violence as a consequence. The case of the Gratitude Education campaign serves as another example of the CPC’s political use of Confucianism for its non-Confucian goals. (shrink)

With the increasing demand for ethical standards in the current business environment, ethical leadership has received particular attention. Drawing on self-verification theory and social exchange theory, this study investigated the effect of leaders’ core self-evaluation on the display of ethical leadership and the moderating role of employees’ exchange ideology in the relationship between ethical leadership and employees’ job performance. Consistent with the hypotheses, the results from a sample of 225 dyads of employees and their immediate leaders showed a positive relationship (...) between leaders’ core self-evaluation and ethical leadership. Moreover, the results showed that ethical leadership mediates the effects of leaders’ core self-evaluation on employees’ job performance. Furthermore, we found that employees’ exchange ideology moderates the relationship between ethical leadership and job performance. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. (shrink)

From its inception, genomics has been a speculative endeavor, fixated on a far-off horizon that would deliver on the promise of targeted diagnostics and individualized therapeutics (Fortun 2008). M...

Labour issues in global supply chains have been a thorny problem for both buyer firms and their suppliers. Research initially focused mostly on the bilateral relationship between buyer firms and suppliers, looking at arm’s-length and close collaboration modes, and the associated mechanisms of coercion and cooperation. Yet continuing problems in the global supply chain suggest that neither governance type offers a comprehensive solution to the problem. This study investigates collaborative governance, an alternative governance type that is driven by buyer firms (...) setting up a coalition with competitor firms to increase leverage and address the supplier and/or host country-specific labour issues. Based on interviews with managers involved in the establishment and management of such coalitions and supplier firms in the garment industry, we examine the rationale behind collaborative governance and discuss its opportunities and challenges in addressing labour issues in global supply chains. (shrink)

In their examination of survey findings, Pierson et al. (2024) illuminate critical insights into the current composition and philosophical perspectives of the bioethics field. Their study addresses...

Leibniz was a divine concurrentist. That is to say, when it came to the question of how God’s causal power relates to the natural causal activity of creatures, Leibniz held that both God and the creature are directly involved in the occurrence of these effects.

Medicalization has been a process articulated primarily by social scientists, historians, and cultural critics. Comparatively little is written about the role of bioethics in appraising medicalization as a social process. The authors consider what medicalization means, its definition, functions, and criteria for assessment. A series of brief case sketches illustrate how bioethics can contribute to the analysis and public policy discussion of medicalization.

Advances in digital technology are changing the methods of teaching and learning. In the course of this stream of changes, the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has become a topic of great interest and concern. The development of teaching AIs (artificial intelligences that teach), which can provide adaptive and personalized dialogue with students, has shifted the relationship between teachers and students, and has raised new questions regarding the role of teachers. The purpose of this paper is to rethink the meaning (...) of the act of teaching, without denying its variety, and to reflect on the role of teachers in the relatively unfamiliar situation created by the emergence of AI teaching machines. To this end, I attempt, first, to re-examine the nature of teaching by considering two possible orientations: teaching as a return to homogeneity and teaching as exposure to heterogeneity. My purpose is to consider the characteristics and limitations of the teaching implemented by AI and to discuss the role of human teachers in overcoming these limitations. Second, I seek to reveal what it is for the teacher to speak, which is often understood as the most important aspect of teaching, again by way of two characterizations: the closed conversation, which converges on a conclusion, and the open conversation, oriented towards ethical responsibility. In doing this, I shall examine critically some characteristics of language used by AI teaching machines and suggest alternatives that might constitute openness to an ethical conversation. In furtherance of this, I shall consider the account of teaching that is central to the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. (shrink)

Recent studies of peacebuilding highlight the importance of attending to people’s local experiences of conflict and cooperation. This trend, however, raises the fundamental questions of how the local is and should be constituted and what the relationship is between institutions and individual actors of peace at the local level of politics. I turn to Hannah Arendt’s thoughts to address these issues. Arendt’s thinking provides a distinctive form of realism that calls for stable institutions but never depletes the spirit of resistance. (...) Peacebuilding guided by this insight seeks to enable parties in conflict to voice their competing opinions by acting agonistically in public and to help them align their disruptive yet creative voices with a desire to establish and sustain common institutions. Thus, Arendt’s thinking not only offers a way to increase sensitivity to local differences but also to provide direction to the politics of resistance. In the end, it offers a balanced insight into peacebuilding and local agency beyond the contemporary liberal and critical approaches to peace. (shrink)

This study examines consumers’ uses of corporate social responsibility communication channels, the relationship of such uses to consumers’ CSR awareness, and the mechanisms through which consumers’ CSR awareness can lead to their intention to participate in CSR activities. Specifically, we explored the mediation effects of consumers’ CSR associations with a company, consumers’ assessment of the company’s CSR credibility, and consumers’ perceptions of their relationship with the company, applying the conceptual frameworks of the uses and gratification theory, source credibility theory, and (...) organization–public relationship scholarship. We conducted an online survey of a company’s customers, and the results showed that their level of awareness of the company’s CSR activities was positively related to the degree of use of all communication channels through which they received CSR messages, except CSR reports. The degree of the customers’ awareness of the company’s CSR programs, however, did not always correspond to the customers’ intention to participate in the programs: a crucial condition mediating between the customers’ knowledge of CSR programs and their intention to participate in the programs was their associating the company with CSR. The CSR associations influenced CSR credibility and perceived OPR quality, which, in turn, led to CSR participation intention. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. (shrink)

The conventional interpretation of Hannah Arendt's accounts of forgiveness considers them secularistic. The secular features of her thinking that resist grounding the act of forgiving in divine criteria offer a good corrective to religious forgiveness that fosters depoliticization. Arendt's vision of free politics, however, calls for much more nuance and complexity regarding the secular and the religious in realizing forgiveness for transitional politics than the secularist rendition of her thinking allows. After identifying an area of ambiguity in Arendt's thoughts that (...) invites further investigation of religious forgiveness, this study seeks to relieve her misgivings about religion's role in politics by engaging with Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theology, which emphasizes worldliness and altruism in religious faith. Through constructive engagements with both thinkers, the article presents a balanced Arendtian position that is neither solely secularist nor complacent about religion in politics. (shrink)

This paper propounds a new reading of Berkeley's account of the activity of finite spirits. Against existing interpretations, the paper argues that Berkeley does not hold that we causally contribute to the movement of our bodies. In contrast, our volitions to move our bodies are but occasions for God to cause their movement. In answer to the question of wherein then consists our activity, the paper proposes that our activity consists in the dual powers to produce (1) our volitions ? (...) the acts of willing ? and (2) our ideas of imagination. (shrink)