"De interpretatione" from Aristoteles. Aristotle (384-322 BCE) was a Greek philosopher born in Greece.

"De unitate intellectus contra Averroistas" from Thomas Aquinas. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), sanctus, doctor Ecclesiae catholicae, theologus italianus et philosophus mediaevalis.

Artificially intelligent machines are different in kind from all previous machines and tools. While many are used for relatively benign purposes, the types of artificially intelligent machines that we should care about, the ones that are worth focusing on, are the machines that purport to replace humans entirely and thereby engage in what Brian Cantwell Smith calls “judgment.” As impressive as artificially intelligent machines are, their abilities are still derived from humans and as such lack the sort of normative commitments (...) that humans have. So while artificially intelligent machines possess a great capacity for “reckoning,” to use Smith’s terminology, i.e., a calculative prowess of extraordinary utility and importance, they still lack the kind of considered human judgment that accompanies the ethical commitment and responsible action we humans must ultimately aspire toward. But there is a perfect technological storm brewing. Artificially intelligent machines are analogous to a perfect storm in that such machines involve the convergence of a number of factors that threaten our ability to behave ethically and maintain meaningful human control over the outcomes of processes involving artificial intelligence. I argue that the storm in the context of artificially intelligent machines makes us vulnerable to moral complacency. That is, this perfect technological storm is capable of lulling people into a state in which they abdicate responsibility for decision-making and behaviour precipitated by the use of artificially intelligent machines, a state that I am calling “moral complacency.” I focus on three salient problems that converge to make us especially vulnerable to becoming morally complacent and losing meaningful human control. The first problem is that of transparency/opacity. The second problem is that of overtrust in machines, often referred to as the automation bias. The third problem is that of ascribing responsibility. I examine each of these problems and how together they threaten to render us morally complacent. (shrink)

In 2020 the Wikimedia foundation launched its first new project in nearly a decade. The new project consists of two main parts: (1) Wikifunctions, a library of programming functions; and (2) Abstract Wikipedia, a language-agnostic Wikipedia that will be dynamically translated into the reader’s native tongue. Lying beneath both Wikifunctions and Abstract Wikipedia is a new system called Wikilambda, which can execute code in potentially any programming language, providing a massively flexible computing service drawing on Wikifunctions and powering Abstract (...) Wikipedia. The entire system is designed to address a fundamental bias in Wikipedia, namely its bias towards majority languages such as English and Spanish. In this paper, I present Wikilambda as an audacious attempt to realise a ‘perfect language’, as theorised by Umberto Eco (The Search for the Perfect Language. Making of Europe. Oxford, UK Eco U (1995) The search for the perfect language. Oxford, Cambridge, Mass., USA: Blackwell) Wikilambda provides a way of specifying functions that is supposed to transcend any particular ‘native’ language. In this way, it provides editors of Wikifunctions and Abstract Wikipedia with a way of contributing to the overall system no matter which ‘native’ programming languages they know. More broadly, Wikilambda aims to achieve the ‘democratization of programming’, by enabling any person to use any function without needing to know English or a particular programming language (Vrandečić 2021). To analyse the technical and ideological aspects of Wikilambda, I apply the techniques of Critical Code Studies (Marino in Critical Code Studies, The MIT Press, Marino MC 2020) Critical code studies. The MIT Press, Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/12122.001.0001) to ‘the orchestrator’, the JavaScript application that instantiates Wikilambda’s new functional programming language. In the absence of a formal specification of the language, the Abstract Wikipedia team has gradually hacked Wikilambda out of JavaScript, leaving a fascinating public record of their attempt to realise their vision for a universal programming system. (shrink)

“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them...well, I have others.”Groucho MarxWe also know of another superstition of that time: that of the Man of the Book. On some shelf in some hexagon (men reasoned) there must exist a book which is the formula and perfect compendium of all the rest: some librarian has gone through it and he is analogous to a god.... How could one locate the venerated and secret hexagon which housed Him? Someone proposed (...) a regressive method: To locate book A, consult first book B which indicates A’s position; to locate book B, consult first a book C, and so on to infinity... In adventures such as these, I have squandered and wasted my years.2 J.L. Borges, The Library of Babel. (shrink)

While the Philosophy for Children method has been adopted within classrooms by individual teachers and into some school systems by schoolboards, public and school libraries, the ideal users of this sort of programming, have been slow to recognise the benefits of this didactic methodology. This is particularly surprising given that the P4C method integrates perfectly with traditional story-time orientated programming. Not only is the integration of P4C into story-time sessions virtually seamless, but it might also help reinvigorate a well-established feature (...) of library programming with an aim to develop 21st-century information literacy competencies. This paper examines the case for the P4C method, explains the process of integration of the P4C method with traditional story-time, and highlights the potential benefits of incorporating Philosophy for Children in public and school library programming. (shrink)

The purpose of this work is to offer a critical examination of Immanuel Kant's ethic of suicide. Kant's suicidology marks an influential view regarding the moral stature of suicide, yet one that remains incomplete in important respects. Because Kant's moral views are rationalistic, they restrict moral consideration to rational entities. Many people who commit suicide are not rational at the time of its commission, for they suffer from severe mental illness. Because of this, Kant's suicidology devastatingly excludes certain human demographics (...) from moral consideration, current Canadian statistics indicating that such people mark one of the highest populations at risk of committing suicide in the first place. This work contains a presentation, analysis, and critique of Kant's ethic of suicide, leading to an attempt to state criteria for an adequate suicidology.Dept. of Philosophy. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2006.T66. Source: Masterss International, Volume: 45-01, page: 0101. Thesis --University of Windsor, 2006. (shrink)

Technological developments increasingly enable monitoring and steering the behavior of individuals. Enforcement of the law by means of technology can be much more effective and pervasive than enforcement by humans, such as law enforcement officers. However, it can also bypass legislators and courts and minimize any room for civil disobedience. This significantly reduces the options to challenge legal rules. This, in turn, can impede the development of legal systems. In this paper, an analogy is made with evolutionary biology to illustrate (...) that the possibility to deviate from legal rules and existing norms is sometimes necessary for the further development of legal systems. Some room to break the law, for instance, through civil disobedience or imperfect enforcement of the law, will ensure sufficient variation. This allows for properly evolving legal systems that can continue to provide fair solutions, even when society and concepts of fairness further develop. (shrink)

(1) a. Die Bibliothek ist seit 9 Uhr geöffnet. the library is since 9 o’clock opened b. Wolfgang hat Diano seit Freitag verlassen. Wolfgang has Diano since Friday left..

In 1964 radiographs of an Egyptian mummy displayed by the, then, Gulbenkian Museum of Art and Archaeology in Durham revealed an artificial upper limb attached to a deformed lower forearm. The limb was removed for further study. It concluded that the deformity was due to pre-mortem, amputation above the wrist, the ancient embalmers applying a crude restoration. In 2005 the author undertook a detailed reappraisal of this restored limb. These findings now suggest that this individual exhibits a congenital deformity to (...) the upper limb. Such a proposal prompts a discourse on how deformity was perceived, not only by ancient Egyptian society but by those across the ancient world. Textual sources have been selected to highlight how perfection of the physical body was prized by some cultures, contrasting this with how those who exhibited ‘otherness’,were either accepted or marginalized. (shrink)

The title of this book, by one of the great editors and publishers of our time, comes from its first and longest chapter: “How to Organize a Library.” In it, Calasso celebrates the “golden rule” proposed by Aby Warburg: “In the perfect library, when we look for a given book, we end up taking the one next to it, which would reveal itself even more useful than the one we were looking for.” It demands effort, knowledge, and (...) sensibility to “curate” such a library, where each book maintains good neighborly relations with the others. Such a library is an oeuvre requiring constantly to be maintained and refreshed, because a book is never a self-contained, self-sufficient object. Each book is connected to others in myriad and surprising ways.Calasso applies this relational understanding of books in a very short chapter on, reputedly, the first book review ever written: Madame de Sablé’s little note of 1665 on her friend La Rochefoucauld's Maximes. In that book, which prefigures some of Nietzsche's ideas, La Rochefoucauld argues that “most often our virtues are nothing but disguised vices” (Nos vertus ne sont, le plus souvent, que des vices déguisés). Before submitting her review to the Journal des Savants, which had been inaugurated only a few months earlier, Madame de Sablé sent it to La Rochefoucauld, asking him to amend it as needed or even to “throw it into the fire.” Calasso compares the original review and the corrected version that was eventually published. La Rochefoucauld erased many passages, making a short text (273 words) even shorter (189 words). In the process, he wiped out the first sentence, the most important, where Sablé summarized what she saw as the achievement of the Maximes: “It is a treatise about movements of the heart of man which we may say have been ignored until now” (C'est un traité des mouvements du cœur de l'homme, qu'on peut dire lui avoir été inconnus jusqu’à cette heure). Calasso comments: “Nothing more radical and more courageous could be written about the Maximes of La Rochefoucauld. However, the author of the work did not hesitate to cancel those very words—perhaps to avoid frightening people, himself included.” In other words, Calasso suggests that Sablé understood the Maximes better than its author did. The culture of book reviewing ushered in by Madame de Sablé taught and continues to teach us that a book may be more than its author believes it to be. Indeed, every book is in need of attentive and penetrating readers to discover its latent potentialities. (shrink)

The quest for the perfect classification system has been an important issue faced by libraries and librarians, over the centuries. Ultimately, it is still today a relevant chapter in the History of Libraries. Knowledge and knowledge organisation pertain not only to the intellectual efforts to elaborate a comprehensive hierarchical array of subjects but also with the practical actions involved in applying such a system when it comes to the physical displaying of books and other manifestations in the libraries’ shelves. (...) When António Ribeiro dos Santos was called upon to direct the Royal Public Library (1796) he already had the experience of a similar position at the library of the University of Coimbra. Furthermore, he was a man of the Enlightenment, with a strong intellectual reputation, and a bibliophile too, which made him aware of the best existing manuals and bibliographies that advised on how to build a library and how to choose the adequate classification system in order to make it useful for the readers. The object of this paper is to present Ribeiro dos Santos’ choices both intellectual and practical ones, in the Library’s organisation and management, highlighting his successful efforts to build a new “encyclopaedic” collection simultaneously focused on acquiring and displaying the latest scientific and technical bibliography, the valuable items of printed and manuscript cultural heritage and a cabinet of Antiquities, as was common on the eighteenth century. (shrink)

Preview: /Review: Jennifer A. Herdt, Forming Humanity: Redeeming the German Bildung Tradition, 312 pages./ Jennifer A. Herdt’s book Forming Humanity: Redeeming the German Bildung Tradition traces the post-Kantian secularization of Bildung from its roots in Pietism through its development into the human autocracy of Herder and Goethe, to the reconciliation and expression of the concept in Hegel. In the journey through the history of Bildung, Herdt specifically focuses on the role of Christianity in human formation, the tension between human formation (...) and divine formation, and the failures of Kunstreligion to achieve the formation of humanity. Reforming Humanity is a meticulously researched foray into the history of a question that has haunted humans since it emerged as the Greek paideia: How do we form humanity? For any scholars of the German philosophical or theological tradition, or any scholars of the aesthetic purpose of education, Herdt’s book is a vital library addition. (shrink)

_Purpose._ The purpose is to justify the validity of interpreting Descartes’ teachings as an enquiry into the search for forms and means of improving human nature, which implies a focus on the way he understands the openness of knowledge and education. The problem is considered from the perspective of representatives of university communities (teachers and librarians), historically included in the communication structure and system of the institution, including through the creation, management, use, preservation and dissemination of knowledge. _Theoretical basis._ One (...) of the tenets of Descartes’ teachings is his desire to improve the human being. For our consideration, it is fundamentally important that Descartes uses "knowledge" not only in a narrow sense – as natural scientific knowledge, but also in a broader sense. In the context of the theme of the study, the most important case is when the thinker recalls the knowledge that every person experiences without referring to philosophy. It is this knowledge that, for Descartes, is key in resolving the central problem of his ethics – how can human nature be perfected? For our consideration of Descartes’ key points, it is fair to focus on the manifestation of the phenomenon of altruism in Descartes’ philosophy and on the representative fact of his inner openness – his willingness to engage in dialogue. He appreciates and encourages his interlocutors to turn to books, which are a form of representation of the vivid personalities of their authors. _Originality._ For the first time in the research literature, the thesis of René Descartes as one of the forerunners of the open knowledge system is substantiated. The arguments are given for the validity of Descartes’ interpretation of the demand of his own epoch for the search of effective forms of human improvement. _Conclusions._ The idea of justification of Descartes’ philosophical legacy as a predictor of open knowledge became possible under the condition of paying attention to the anthropological turn he made and finding substantive analogues of openness, including open education. Drawing on Christianity as the basis for altruism, Descartes demonstrates a caring attitude towards the achievements of previous generations on the path of personal self-development. His attention is rightly drawn to education and books as representations of vibrant personalities. Their authentic and productive assimilation is possible only under the condition of a caring attitude towards the public good, which involves the intellectual volunteering of teachers and librarians. It is about self-realization through altruistic self-improvement, i.e. intellectual charity, which is especially evident today during martial law in Ukraine and is voluntary, conscious and free work for the benefit of others. (shrink)

This book offers a profound exploration of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, recognized as a masterpiece of traditional Chinese literature. Developed from a series of lectures at the Shanghai Library, the text features insights from ten prominent scholars, including Wang Meng and Bai Xianyong, addressing themes such as poetic aesthetics, tragic beauty, female perspectives, and cultural symbolism. The chapters delve into multifaceted interpretations, connecting literature with cultural, philosophical, and artistic heritage. Designed for both specialists and (...) general readers, this book enriches understanding of one of the world's literary treasures, blending cultural appreciation with critical scholarship. It highlights the novel's timeless narrative, intricate character portrayals, social critique, and artistic sophistication, offering a gateway to understanding Chinese culture's enduring legacy and its global significance. Readers will discover rich analyses, compelling arguments, and fresh perspectives that deepen their appreciation for this unparalleled literary classic. Wang Meng, a celebrated Chinese writer and scholar, is Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Writers'Association and former Minister of Culture. Author of nearly 100 novels, his works reflect the resilience of the Chinese people. Wang has received prestigious international honors, including Italy's Mondello Literary Prize and honorary doctorates from multiple universities. Bai Xianyong, a renowned novelist, essayist, critic, and playwright, is Bowen Chair Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Honorary Director of its Kunqu Studies Promotion Program. Recognized for his literary excellence, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of Shanghai Magnolia Theatre Performing Arts and the Yu Dafu Prize for Fiction. (shrink)

The perfect crime -- The spectre of the will -- The radical illusion -- Trompe-l'œl genesis -- The automatic writing of the world -- The horizon of disappearance -- The countdown -- The material illusion -- The secret vestiges of perfection -- The height of reality -- The irony of technology -- Machinic snobbery -- Objects in this mirror -- The Babel syndrome -- Radical thought -- The other side of the crime -- The world without women -- The (...) surgical removal of otherness -- The "laying-off" of desire -- The new victim order -- Indifference and hatred -- The revenge of the mirror people. (shrink)

The Perfect Baby is the most popular introduction to ethical issues in genetics. This new edition has been updated to discuss and debate advances in high tech reproduction, genetic testing, gene therapy, human cloning, and stem cell research. It includes a new epilogue by cloning pioneer Ian Wilmut and Glenn McGee.

The claim that perfect hallucination is introspectively indistinguishable from perception has been a centrepiece of philosophical theorizing about sense experience. The most common interpretation of the indistinguishability claim is modal: that it is impossible to distinguish perfect hallucination from perception through introspection alone. I run through various models of introspection and show that none of them can accommodate the modal interpretation. Rejecting the modal interpretation opens up two alternative interpretations of the indistinguishability claim. According to the generic interpretation, (...) hallucination is indistinguishable from perception despite the existence of possible exceptions, while according to the actuality interpretation, the indistinguishability of hallucination from perception consists in the actual failure to distinguish hallucination from perception. These alternative understandings of the indistinguishability claim have a number of significant implications for the problem of perception, including the rejection of perfect hallucination and illusion in favour of our ordinary, non-philosophical concepts of these states. (shrink)

Like other mathematically intensive sciences, economics is becoming increasingly computerized. Despite the extent of the computation, however, there is very little true simulation. Simple computation is a form of theory articulation, whereas true simulation is analogous to an experimental procedure. Successful computation is faithful to an underlying mathematical model, whereas successful simulation directly mimics a process or a system. The computer is seen as a legitimate tool in economics only when traditional analytical solutions cannot be derived, i.e., only as a (...) purely computational aid. We argue that true simulation is seldom practiced because it does not fit the conception of understanding inherent in mainstream economics. According to this conception, understanding is constituted by analytical derivation from a set of fundamental economic axioms. We articulate this conception using the concept of economists' perfect model. Since the deductive links between the assumptions and the consequences are not transparent in ‘bottom‐up’ generative microsimulations, microsimulations cannot correspond to the perfect model and economists do not therefore consider them viable candidates for generating theories that enhance economic understanding. (shrink)

The concept of the "Perfect Man" (al-Insān al-Kāmil) occupies a central place in Islamic mystical thought and Irfani literature. While its roots are deeply embedded in the Islamic tradition, the concept also reveals parallels with ancient Gnostic and philosophical systems. Teachings such as Mazdakism and Manichaeism include notions of the "Primordial Man" or the "Eternal Man," which essentially reflect various forms of the idea of the Perfect Man. In Islamic irfan, particularly in the works of thinkers such as (...) Mansur al-Hallaj, Ibn Arabi, Nasafi, Niffari, and Jalal al-Din Rumi, the concept of the Perfect Man acquires profound metaphysical and anthropological dimensions. Ibn Arabi, especially in his seminal work Fusūs al-Hikam ("The Bezels of Wisdom"), develops the idea that the Perfect Man is the mirror of the Divine Essence, embodying both divine and human attributes in a unique synthesis. The Fundamental Principles Underlying the Concept of the Perfect Man Can Be Summarized as Follows: 1.The Purpose of Creation: The Perfect Man is regarded as the ultimate goal of creation, through whom divine knowledge and love are manifested. 2.Mirror of the Divine Essence: He serves as a reflection of the divine attributes, acting as an intermediary between the Creator and creation. 3.Spiritual Connection to the Prophet Muhammad: The Perfect Man embodies the "Muhammadan Reality" (ḥaqīqat al-Muḥammadiyya), representing the manifestation of divine light that existed prior to the creation of the world. 4.Model for Emulation: He serves as an exemplar for spiritual development, guiding others on the path to self-realization and unity with the Divine. 5.Union of the Celestial and the Terrestrial: The Perfect Man integrates both heavenly and earthly dimensions, acting as a bridge between the spiritual and material worlds. 6.Manifestation of Divine Attributes: Through him, the divine names and qualities are revealed, making him a living embodiment of the divine will. Thus, the concept of the Perfect Man in Irfani literature represents a synthesis of metaphysical, anthropological, and ethical ideas, offering a model of the ideal human being- one who strives for unity with the Divine and serves as a conduit of divine light in the world. (shrink)

The article brings together a Charles Bronson false western and Jacques Lacan’s theory of the four discourses in order to illustrate the excessive symbolization of the hysteric jouissance, in its manifestation as a quest against satisfaction, a quest for the perfect Other. Employing Freud’s concepts of death drive and repetition compulsion, the hysteric position is further distinguished from both the obsessional subject and non-hysteric woman, which has access to a non-phallic, supplementary jouissance. A thief that stole a widow’s heart (...) is believed dead, and she uses his death to raise their short relation to a perfect, ideal level. When the thief returns, he is rejected, so that she can maintain the absolute, symbolic love for his dead-perfect alter ego. (shrink)

The Perfect Generosity of Prince Vessantara. Tr. Margaret Cone and Richard Gombrich. The Clarendon Press, Oxford 1977. xlvii + 111pp. £11.00.

Using qualitative data, this article makes a substantive and formal contribution to the growing academic literature on bodybuilding and the sociology of the body. Placing a question mark against existing knowledge claims, it argues theories ascribing bodybuilding to antecedent predispositions are not sufficient when accounting for the ongoing variable project of creating `the perfect body'. It is asserted that physique bodybuilding (as opposed to weight-training) in the late 1990s could be independent of the `masculinist imagery' of `the muscular body' (...) alongside feelings of gender and personal insecurity, but is increasingly dependent upon an acquired `ethnophysiological' appreciation of `excessive' muscularity. This phenomenological argument, which asserts the agency of bodies in social processes, focuses upon male participants' spatially and temporally contingent heterogeneous body-projects. (shrink)

I argue that perfect being theologians cannot endorse the Principle of Alternative Possibilities. On perfect being theology, God is essentially morally perfect, meaning that He always acts in a morally perfect manner. I argue that it is possible that God is faced with a situation in which there is only one morally perfect action, which He must do. If this is true, then God acts without alternative possibilities in this situation. Yet, unless one says that (...) this choice is not free, one must say that God has acted freely without alternative possibilities. (shrink)

The impossible task of navigating ethical dilemmas and challenges as teachers, students, and persons leaves us vulnerable. Susan B. Dion coined the term “perfect stranger” to describe the ways in which teachers and students protect themselves from this ethical vulnerability. Yet, there is no protection or resolution to be found in an ethical relation. According to Emmanuel Levinas, we are never capable of meeting the ethical demands that the other places upon us. A Levinasian metaphysical lens reveals two ontological (...) problematics of position of perfect stranger: objectivity and innocence. These two problematics go beyond Dion’s pedagogical and political critique. By articulating the metaphysical — and ethical — difficulties of this position that takes refuge in distance and refuses responsibility, the mythology of the perfect stranger is further broken apart by Levinas’ notion of infinite responsibility. (shrink)

In his travels, and in his accompanying readings, he had come to the conclusion that the essential secret of life was harmony. . . . And he proceeded to put his philosophy into practice by forcing order into the established world, translating the mystic word harmony into the practical word organisation.1 Harmony becomes organization. And Gerald dedicates himself to work, to feverish, totally absorbing work, inspired with an almost religious exaltation in his fight with matter. The world is split in (...) two: on one side matter , on the other side his own isolated will. He wants to create on earth a perfect machine, "an activity of pure order, pure mechanical repetition"; a man of the twentieth century with no nostalgia for the superannuated ideals of Christianity or democracy, he wishes to found his eternity, his infinity, in the machine. So inchoate and mysterious is the imaginative world Lawrence creates for Women in Love that we find no difficulty in reading Gerald Crich as an allegorical figure in certain chapters and as a quite human, even fluid personality in others. As Gudrun's frenzied lover, as Birkin's elusive beloved, he seems a substantially different person from the Gerald Crich who is a ruthless god of the machine; yet as his cultural role demands extinction , so does his private emotional life, his confusion of the individual will with that of the cosmos, demand death—death by perfect cold. He is Lawrence's only tragic figure, a remarkable creation on a remarkable novel, and though it is a commonplace thing to say that Birkin represents Lawrence, it seems equally likely that Gerald Crich represents Lawrence—in his deepest, most aggrieved, most nihilist soul. · 1. All quotations from Women in Love are taken from the Modern Library edition. Joyce Carol Oates' works include the novels Childhood, Son of the Morning, and a collection of short stories, Night-Side. “Lawrence’s Götterdämmerung” is part of a larger work exploring tragedy and comedy. Her contributions to Critical Inquiry include "Jocoserious Joyce" , and "The Picture of Dorian Gray: Wilde's Parable about the Fall". (shrink)

In this paper, I ask whether there is a defensible philosophical view according to which everybody is beautiful. I review two purely aesthetical versions of this claim. The No Standards View claims that everybody is maximally and equally beautiful. The Multiple Standards View encourages us to widen our standards of beauty. I argue that both approaches are problematic. The former fails to be aspirational and empowering, while the latter fails to be sufficiently inclusive. I conclude by presenting a hybrid ethical–aesthetical (...) view according to which everybody is beautiful in the sense that everybody can be perceived through a loving gaze. I show that this view is inclusive, aspirational and empowering, and authentically aesthetical. (shrink)

Thoughts and theoretical reflections about “governance” in Islamic society, whether theorizing about the desired structure of government or describing the characteristics of an ideal ruler, is one of the most important topics studied in the field of political thought and philosophy in Islam, to which great names such as Farabi, etc. are connected. In this context, this research, through a comparative approach, seeks to examine and analyze the views of Farabi and Sohrawardi about the ideal ruler from the perspective of (...) a judicial approach. Based on such an approach, a philosopher like Farabi considers the different ways of connecting to the active intellect as the separation of the theoretical intellect from matter and the connection to the active intellect, and a divine sage like Sohrawardi also speaks of the separation of the theoretical intellect and the separation of the power of imagination, which is manifested in a prophet. In the eyes of both thinkers, human reason has the ability to overcome material existence. This type of excellence is a condition for achieving complete metaphysical knowledge and theoretical perfection. The ultimate happiness is the achievement of the active intellect. “The Absolute First Leader” and “Quṭb (Imam or pole)” have both achieved this position. Introduction The ideal government and ruler, in the system of Islamic philosophy, are based on the approach of philosophers to wisdom and their opinions and ruling foundations. The philosophers’ approach to wisdom and intellect in the system of Islamic philosophy has changed and developed from Farabi to Sohrawardi and later. Based on this change in the method and approach to wisdom of the sages, philosophical issues and topics including the issue of government and the ideal ruler, have also undergone changes and transformations. Despite the significant evolution of Islamic philosophy in the two Peripatetic and Illuminative systems, it seems that the ideal ruler in Sohrawardi’s philosophy, which he refers to as “the pole/Imam (quṭb),” is compatible with the first leader of al-Farabi’s utopia. The problem of this research is to investigate the characteristic features of “Qutb” and “First Leader/Philosopher” in the Peripatetic and Illuminative systems of philosophy based on Sohrawardi and Farabi’s approach to wisdom and its types. “Qutb” in Sohrawardi’s thought In the wisdom of enlightenment, the perfect human being and the “Qutb” to whom the position of caliph belongs, is perfect in intuitive and argumentative wisdom, and in other words, he is both adept in reflection and adept in discussion. In Sohrawardi’s thought, the rulers must know wisdom as well be practical wayfarers, that is, they must possess a combination of theoretical and practical wisdom. On the one hand, Sohrawardi’s theory is influenced and consistent with Plato’s theory, both of which emphasize the “ruling sage,” and on the other hand, it is influenced by the Iranian tradition and the benefit of the ideal kings from wisdom and intellect, and “Khurra-yi Kiani”1 and the approval of God, which is in the interpretation Religious and close to Sufism and Shiism, it is interpreted as Qutb and divine sage. A Qutb or an Imam is one who is connected with the active intellect, receives grace from the higher realm, and spreads goodness, prosperity, knowledge, justice, and virtue among religions with a divine plan. “The First Leader” in Farabi’s thought The First Leader is someone who does not need the guidance of another human being; rather, all sciences and knowledge are obtained by him in esse and he is able to infer appropriate actions and behavior from general reasoning. He can also best guide others to perform these meritorious deeds; the same actions and actions that bring a person to happiness. These abilities are realized in people of great and outstanding nature by connecting to the active intellect. Such a person, in fact, in the eyes of the ancients, is a king and ruler and worthy of revelation. The rule of such a person is the first rule and his leadership is the first leadership, and the rule of others that is through his rule will be the subordinate rule, and people under the rule of this leader and leader are virtuous people, the chosen ones, and the fortunate ones. Conclusion In examining and comparing the two viewpoints, it should be said that a philosopher like Farabi considers the different ways of connecting to the active intellect to be the separation of the theoretical intellect from matter and the connection to the active intellect, and a Godly sage like Sohrawardi also speaks of the separation of the theoretical intellect and the power of imagination, which manifests itself in a prophet, where we witness detachment from matter and the ability to remove the soul from the body. In the eyes of both thinkers, human reason has the ability to overcome material existence. This type of excellence is a condition for achieving complete metaphysical knowledge and theoretical perfection. The ultimate happiness is the achievement of the active intellect.”First Leader”and “Qutb” have both achieved this position. Based on this, the complete transcendence of material existence is possible for certain people. (shrink)

The chapter examines Kant's treatment of lying, avarice, and servility or false humility in the "Doctrine of Virtue" (6:428–437). While those moral issues are traditionally construed as regarding moral demands towards others, Kant deals with them under the heading of the duty that a human being has toward himself merely as a moral being. The chapter analyzes Kant's arguments on each of those moral questions and concludes considering Kant's remarks on love of honour, or pride, as the corresponding virtue towards (...) oneself as a moral being. (shrink)

Resumen: Una lectura atenta acerca del Cautiverio Feliz de Pineda y Bascuñán, indudablemente, nos despertaría varias asociaciones, no solo con otras formas de literatura histórica propias de la época, sino que con otras obras de las que integra algunos elementos como: los modos de estructuración discursiva y los modelos o perfiles agenciales. En este sentido, la lectura de la obra de Pineda nos remitiría a El Cortesano de Baltazar Castiglione, por cuanto muchos de los rasgos del perfecto caballero, presentados en (...) El Cortesano, se encuentran insertos en algunos personajes de la obra de Pineda. No es raro encontrar en el Cautiverio, entre otras cosas, las cualidades del perfecto caballero plasmadas en los indígenas, virtudes que adornan también a algunos criollos y españoles antiguos.: A close reading to Pineda and Bascuñán’s Cautiverio Feliz, undoubtedly, would wake us a series of asociations, not only with other forms of historical literatura from the epoch, but also with other works that integrate some elements such as: kinds of speech structure and kinds of instrumental profiles. In this sense, reading Pineda`s work would lead us to Castiglione`s El Cortesano, because many of the characteristic of the perfect gentleman presented in El Cortesano, are inserted in some characters of Pineda`s work. It is not strange to find in El Cautiverio, among other things, the qualities of a perfect gentleman, shaped on the natives, virtues, virtues that also adorn some creole and old spaniards. (shrink)

The author criticizes an article by c b martin called "the perfect good." the author shows that martin's argument, That the theologians' argument is a contradiction, Does not hold. (staff).

Consider this book your invitation to the most exciting party of the century. We have invited you and some of the greatest minds of our species to dance, share cake, and ponder the age-old question: how can we make our world better? Seeking the Perfect World guides readers through thoughtful discussions of 21st century challenges while providing everything needed to critically engage with current events and personal dilemmas. This book explores topics humans have discussed for centuries... and more recent (...) developments. We discuss what is human nature, why humans go to war, international relations, education, animal rights, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, and more! Chapters introduce readers to different philosophies (and philosophers) and prompt nuanced reasoning via Socratic questions and thought experiments. Not only will this book enable readers to understand the complexities of some of the most pressing global challenges, but it will also provide a grounding on philosophical, sociological, and economic thinking and ideas. Whether you are dipping your toes into philosophy for the first time, or you are a bright, curious teen seeking interesting conversations on the current events and global challenges, or a parent seeking ways to discuss difficult topics with your child -- this book will provide you with the language and strategies needed to understand your own views and feelings while engaging in civic discourse. Come chat with philosophers, challenge your critical thinking, and expand your understanding of our world: past, present, and future. (shrink)

‘The one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does’ (James 1:25). Freedom, in one sense of the word or another, is a central theme of the bible, the Old Testament as well as the New. During the Middle Ages, Christian theologians developed this theme into a doctrine of the natural right of freedom of the (...) individual or natural person and made it into a moral and intellectual bulwark against the encroachments of the modern state. The classical liberal or libertarian tradition in Western political thought, from John Locke to the American Founding Fathers to Friedrich Hayek and Murray Rothbard, owes an immense debt to the likes of Thomas Aquinas, Jean Gerson, Francisco de Vitoria, Juan de Mariana and Batholomé de las Casas. Not coincidentally Christianity and classical liberalism together went into rapid decline towards the end of the nineteenth century and especially in the globalisation of European wars in the twentieth century. At that time, mass democracy and national expediency became the pretexts of choice to subvert constitutional limitations on the use of political power. The decline was not halted —was perhaps even accelerated—when Christians and liberals alike began to adopt ‘social doctrines’ and the advocacy of social policies that only confirmed the impression that there is no salvation outside the state. However, I do not intend to describe the historical linkages between classical liberalism and Christianity. Instead I shall try to explicate their relevant common concept of personal freedom and trace its role in some of the central stories of the bible, those that purport to be direct reports of the actions and words of God or Jesus Christ. I am not concerned here with the stories about the Jews or with the reports of what prophets and apostles said about the meaning and relevance of the divine words and actions. Important as they are for understanding the Jewish and the Christian traditions, they already are historical expressions and applications of religious beliefs rather than expositions of the story to which those beliefs refer.. (shrink)

Nūr Muḥammad is one of the teachings in Sufism that studies the beginning of the creation of the universe. The Sufis discussed Nūr Muḥammad through God's tajallī (manifestation), and they believed that only Insan Kamil (Perfect Humans) possessed the perfection of His tajallī. This Sufi theory can be comprehended through the dhawqi approach. This research will deal with Nūr Muḥammad's theory of Sufism through the perspective of Tijaniyah Tarekat. The data for this study was obtained through library research (...) utilizing a documentary technique. The collected data will be analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. This study finds that the Tijaniyah Tarekat is a Sufism institution that bases its teachings and practices on the concept of Nūr Muḥammad in the form of ṣalawāt al-fātiḥ and ṣalawāt jawharah al-kamāl. This Tarekat's elucidation of Nūr Muḥammad is also built on and consistent with the explication of authoritative Sufis in Islam's intellectual and spiritual tradition. (shrink)

The COVID-19 pandemic has both exposed and created deep rifts in society. It has thrust us into deep ethical thinking to help justify the difficult decisions many will be called upon to make and to protect from decisions that lack ethical underpinnings. This paper aims to highlight ethical issues in six different areas of life highlighting the enormity of the task we are faced with globally. In the context of COVID-19, we consider health inequity, dilemmas in triage and allocation of (...) scarce resources, ethical issues associated with research, ethical considerations relating to tracing apps, and exit strategies such as immunity passports and COVID-19 vaccines. Finally, we consider environmental issues in light of COVID-19. The paper also offers some ethical reflection on these areas as many parts of the world contemplate the recovery phase. (shrink)

The stories we tell ourselves about our nature, about the moral importance of being human that conversations about cruelty provoke, reveal us to be inconsistent, our thoughts and emotions often immature, and our calls to action against cruelties grip-less, resulting in frustration, anger, and helplessness—that is, if the news, policy making, and attempts to respond to bullying, for example, are any indication. This chapter encourages us to collectively acknowledge and to make ourselves vulnerable to our fundamental ignorance in order to (...) carve a new path. This very ignorance, if tended to with proper care, is not our downfall: on the contrary, it can be the tincture of our creativity, which helps us be better at humanity. This chapter concludes by proposing that the shadow of humanity we have been chasing and courting in this exploration into cruelty and inhumanity is a fundamental capacity to see another creature, and acknowledge another creature as a limit to one’s will, to one’s agency, and insight, and that that capacity is propelled by our natural need to understand what makes each kind of creature flourish as itself, or as one of its kind: whether it is a child, a cat, a fly, a friend, a student, or a master—or, as in The Little Prince, a “perfect” sheep that is perfect because the Little Prince can’t see it. He can only imagine it. This activity of perpetual learning --necessarily rooted in uncertainty, in ignorance and getting it wrong-- is often an indication that we are working, not that we are broken. It might be our ignorance that is the well-spring of our moral significance after all, but only if nurtured. Concentrating on our reflections in the shattered mirror of cruelty helps us understand how we can be better at being human. This chapter outlines how being aware that we often don’t know what we don’t know can help us cultivate ourselves, our children, and each other more deliberately, with more awareness and more consciousness. We can capitalize on what makes being human morally relevant, which, as we’ve seen, is not always the usual suspects (reason and religion). This chapter extracts from validated studies in moral psychology, educational theories, social psychology experiments, and speculative arts to explore a variety of habits and practices that encourage the development of the perceptions of others and our own self-knowledge. It proposes that awareness, perception, reaction, responsiveness, adaptability, and action are key developmental issues for understanding both how we can be cruel and how we can do so less often. (shrink)

The concept of Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments (SHAFE) emphasises the comprehensive person-centred experience as essential to promoting living environments. SHAFE takes an interdisciplinary approach, conceptualising complete and multidisciplinary solutions for an inclusive society. From this approach, we promote participation, health, and well-being experiences by finding the best possible combinations of social, physical, and digital solutions in the community. This initiative emerged bottom-up in Europe from the dream and conviction that innovation can improve health equity, foster caring communities, and sustainable development. (...) Smart, adaptable, and inclusive solutions can promote and support independence and autonomy throughout the lifespan, regardless of age, gender, disabilities, cultural differences, and personal choices, as well as promote happier and fairer living places. The New European Bauhaus initiative gathers “beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive projects and ideas” to inspire a positive transformation around us. The New European Bauhaus 2024 Festival took place between 9-13 April. “Designing the perfect New European Bauhaus neighbourhood: New European Bauhaus meets SHAFE” was a Satellite Event of the Festival, held as an online workshop, organised by the SHAFE Foundation on April 9th, 2024. At the event, a group of 50 participants with a multidisciplinary background discussed how to meet the challenges of the European Garcia family to enable them to live in a perfect neighbourhood. The White Paper presents the findings of the participants with the New European Bauhaus inspiring projects and ideas to house the European Garcia family in their neighbourhood. The White Paper recommends developers, designers, planners, and policymakers to include person-centred design of social and physical environments and technologies. Although awareness of person-centred design is growing, many initiatives still hamper the inclusion of citizens or end-users throughout the development of products and services. (shrink)

Ideas for integrating AI into politics are now emerging and advancing at accelerating pace. This chapter highlights a few different varieties and show how they reflect different assumptions about the value of democracy. We cannot make informed decisions about which, if any, proposals to pursue without further reflection on what makes democracy valuable and how current conditions fail to fully realize it. Recent advances in political philosophy provide some guidance but leave important questions open. If AI advances to a state (...) where it can secure superior political outcomes, leading perspectives in political philosophy suggest that democracy may become obsolete. If we find this suggestion troubling, we need to put the case for democracy on stronger foundations. (shrink)

This article is an overview of Epictetus’s Encheiridion. In focus are the core concepts of the fundamental divide between things up to us and those not, moral and emotional intellectualism, the concept of Stoic progress, and temptations that come from progress as a Stoic practitioner. Stoic philosophy promises to make practitioners invincible, that is, not able to be defeated. By valuing in accord with the fundamental divide, valuing only things up to them, Stoic practitioners will not be defeated by the (...) whims of fate or the designs of others. However, Stoic progress comes with temptations of pride, which can derail further progress and even undo progress made. (shrink)

This paper aims to address how artificial gestation might affect equality of opportunity for the unborn and any resultant generation of “ectogenetic” babies. It will first explore the current legal obstacles preventing the development of ectogenesis, before looking at the benefits of allowing this technology to control fetal growth and development. This will open up a discussion of the treatment/enhancement divide regarding the use of reproductive technologies, a topic featured in various bioethical debates on the subject. Using current maternity practices (...) in Western society as a comparator, this paper will conclude that neither naturally nor artificially gestated fetuses have interests that can conflict with those of potential parents who might want to use this technology to control fetal development. Such control may include selective implantation of embryos of a desired gender, deliberate choice of genetic traits, or maintenance of an ideal incubation environment to avoid fetal damage. Objections on the basis of disability as well as concerns regarding eugenics will be addressed. The paper will conclude that none of these objections are compelling grounds to prevent the development and use of ectogenesis technologies for the purpose of achieving specific reproductive goals, particularly when compared to current practices in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and selective abortion on the grounds of undesired traits. As such, when deciding whether to support ectogenesis research, the enduring interests of parents must be the primary consideration, with societal concerns regarding potential misuse the only valid secondary consideration. (shrink)

Part of the material contained in the present book was presented in the form of a lecture course given by me at the University of Oxford in I962 as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer. Scripps College and the Claremont Graduate School contributed to the cost of research and publication. The staff of the Honnold Library, Claremont, California, was extremely obliging in matters concerning inter-library loans. The page proofs were read in part by Professor Richard Walzer, the University of Oxford. (...) Mr. Salih Alich, Blaisdell Institute, Claremont, California, corrected many errors occurring in the transliteration from Arabic in Section V. To all these institutions and persons I express my most sincere thanks. The manuscript was essentially completed early in I960. Scripps College, Claremont, California. TABLES OF CONTENTS I GENERAL I Introduction 1-3 II Three neoaristotelian and neoplatonic concepts: mono­ psychism, mysticism, metaconsciousness III Three A verroistic problems I Collective immortality and collective perfection in A verroes and Dante 2 Ecstatic conjunction, death, and immortality in the individual 102 94- 3 The double truth theory and the problem of per­ sonal immortality in A verroes 102-II3 IV Collective consciousness, double consciousness, and metaconsciousness (unconscious consciousness) in Kant and some post-Kantians 114-137 V Select bibliography of translations of philosophical works by al-Kindi, al-Farabi, Avicenna, ibn-Bagga, and Averroes 138-150 VI Index of names 151-154 11 ANALYTICAL OF SECTION 11 I The starting point: Plotinus, Enn. V 1. Plotinus' principle l)'rL oux ~~c. u VOU 't"oc V01)'t"CX. (shrink)

Part 1. Introduction -- Introduction: Navigating the Perfect Moral Storm in Light of a Thirty-Five Year Debate -- Thirty-Five Year Climate Change Policy Debate -- Part 2. Priority Ethical Issues -- Ethical Problems with Cost Arguments -- Ethics and Scientific Uncertainty Arguments -- Atmospheric Targets -- Allocating National Emissions Targets -- Climate Change Damages and Adaptation Costs -- Obligations of Sub-national Governments, Organizations, Businesses, and Individuals -- Independent Responsibility to Act -- Part 3. The Crucial Role of Ethics in (...) Climate Change Policy Making -- Why Has Ethics Failed to Achieve Traction? -- Conclusion: Navigating the Perfect Moral Storm. (shrink)