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Philosophy

2016

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Articles 1471 - 1500 of 1567

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Application Of The Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (Sisri-24) Among Hong Kong University Students, Arita W. Y. Chan, Angela F. Y. Siu Jan 2016

Application Of The Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (Sisri-24) Among Hong Kong University Students, Arita W. Y. Chan, Angela F. Y. Siu

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24). Two hundred thirteen undergraduate students in Hong Kong completed the Chinese SISRI-24, the Meaning of Life Questionnaire, the Metapersonal Self-Construal Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale to allow examination of internal reliability and construct validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was also performed to examine whether the model of King and DeCicco (2009) fit our data. Our results indicated that the full scale of the Chinese SISRI-24 and its four subscales had acceptable internal reliability. The results also showed …


The Effect Of Internally Versus Externally Focused Balance Training On Mindfulness, Kathleen J. Pantano, Jeremy E. C. Genovese Jan 2016

The Effect Of Internally Versus Externally Focused Balance Training On Mindfulness, Kathleen J. Pantano, Jeremy E. C. Genovese

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine how alternative types of instruction provided during a 6-week balance exercise program affect mindfulness. A sample of 63 college students was recruited for the study. Group 1 (N = 33) received a 6-week balance exercise intervention instructed with an internal focus of attention (IFA). Group 2 (N = 30) received the same intervention, but exercises were instructed with an external focus of attention (EFA). Mindfulness was measured at baseline and at 6 weeks using the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Baseline FMI scores between groups were similar (Group 1: 41.6; Group 2: 41.3), …


Going Berserk: Battle Trance And Ecstatic Holy Warriors In The European War Magic Tradition, Jenny Wade Jan 2016

Going Berserk: Battle Trance And Ecstatic Holy Warriors In The European War Magic Tradition, Jenny Wade

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Largely ignored in transpersonal studies to date, dark magic involves socially-transgressive processes called becoming-intense and becoming-animal that produce non-ordinary states useful in the arts, hunting, sex, and fighting. War magic, a form of dark magic that involves powers of destruction and invulnerability, is ubiquitous and universal, and one of its primary features is the production of helpful, nonordinary states in combat. Berserkergang (going berserk) is one such state, the latest documented in a long history of Indo-European ecstatic warrior cults. Berserkergang was the battle-trance of the elite consecrated warrior-shamans of Odin, god of magic, poetry, battle, and death. Distinguishing features …


Harnessing The Placebo Effect: A New Model For Mind-Body Healing Mechanisms, Gabriel Crane Jan 2016

Harnessing The Placebo Effect: A New Model For Mind-Body Healing Mechanisms, Gabriel Crane

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The placebo effect is a phenomenon that has confounded Western medicine and research for over sixty years. While the field has historically and continues to be rife with misconceptions and confusion, recent research aims to reignite the art of medicine by turning the effect's underlying mechanisms to therapeutic benefit. However, researchers may not have the appropriate theoretical framework to do so. While significant progress has been made in identifying a number of the placebo effect's underlying mechanisms, conceptual deficiencies hinder application of advances in the field. In part, this is because the placebo effect unearths a number of problematic philosophical …


Liminality And Ritual In Biographical Work: A Theoretical Framework For Cancer Survivorship, Alix G. Sleight Jan 2016

Liminality And Ritual In Biographical Work: A Theoretical Framework For Cancer Survivorship, Alix G. Sleight

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This article offers a theoretical framework for understanding the biographical work of cancer survivorship using two concepts from social anthropology: liminality and ritual. The framework is intended to foster greater understanding of survivorship and facilitate innovative psychosocial treatment approaches. First, the concept of biographical work will be defined. The notion of prolonged liminality will then be introduced in relation to the biographical work of cancer survivorship. Finally, the performance of ritual will be suggested as one possible approach to ending prolonged liminality and completing successful biographical work. Ultimately, it is proposed that marking a life transition through ritual may help …


Introduction To The Special Topic Section On Black Psychology And Spirituality, Angelina Graham Jan 2016

Introduction To The Special Topic Section On Black Psychology And Spirituality, Angelina Graham

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

N/A


A Critical Analysis Of African-Centered Psychology: From Ism To Praxis, A. Ebede-Ndi Jan 2016

A Critical Analysis Of African-Centered Psychology: From Ism To Praxis, A. Ebede-Ndi

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The purpose of this article is to critically evaluate what is perceived as shortcomings in the scholarly field of African-centered psychology and mode of transcendence, specifically in terms of the existence of an African identity. A great number of scholars advocate a total embrace of a universal African identity that unites Africans in the diaspora and those on the continent and that can be used as a remedy to a Eurocentric domination of psychology at the detriment of Black communities’ specific needs. Another group of scholars argue for a relative African identity, emphasizing diversity and differences among African people both …


Feeling Seen: A Pathway To Transformation, Michaela Simpson Jan 2016

Feeling Seen: A Pathway To Transformation, Michaela Simpson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Chronic exposure to racial indignities can engender a subjective sense of invisibility, in which an individual feels that the dominant culture fails to recognize one’s worth, abilities, and talents. The sense of feeling unseen can permeate myriad aspects of the lived experience and negatively impact well-being. Using the case of an African American male in therapy with an African American female psychotherapist, this article presents how implicit and explicit acts of recognition of the patient and acknowledgment of race, integrated into a change-oriented and experiential psychotherapeutic process can facilitate transformational experiences. This case study seeks to highlight the importance of …


Womanist Preservation: An Analysis Of Black Women’S Spiritual Coping, Angelina Graham Jan 2016

Womanist Preservation: An Analysis Of Black Women’S Spiritual Coping, Angelina Graham

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The highly spiritual and religious nature of Black women is fairly established in the social science arena, yet the transpersonal field yields very little discourse on this relevant nexus. This static void resembles the macro and micro aggressions Black women face routinely in the Western world which perpetually diminishes and nullifies their collective character and lived experiences. The ostracism Black women face regularly stems primarily from the triple threat of racism, sexism and socioeconomic status which thereby stimulates the inherent and roused use of spiritual practices as a form of resiliency. By analyzing existing research this investigation exposes the experiences, …


African-Centered Transpersonal Self In Diaspora And Psychospiritual Wellness: A Sankofa Perspective, Adeeba D. Deterville Jan 2016

African-Centered Transpersonal Self In Diaspora And Psychospiritual Wellness: A Sankofa Perspective, Adeeba D. Deterville

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The West African concepts of àse and sankofa have distinctive transpersonal value that should be explored in greater depth by the transpersonal field, particularly for their relational and participatory aspects. Transpersonal psychology is a Western psychology with philosophical roots in transcendentalism and perennialist traditions that may include theism and non-dualism. Officially established in 1968, transpersonal psychology has gone through a number of shifts, including the participatory turn in the early 2000s. The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi), also founded in 1968, has built a substantial body of research on a variety of African epistemology, cosmology, and philosophy to create the …


Sacred Women Of Africa And The African Diaspora: A Womanist Vision Of Black Women’S Bodies And The African Sacred Feminine, Arisika Razak Jan 2016

Sacred Women Of Africa And The African Diaspora: A Womanist Vision Of Black Women’S Bodies And The African Sacred Feminine, Arisika Razak

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Contemporary U.S. society is full of stereotypical images that marginalize and degrade Black women’s bodies (Bogle, 1994; Collins, 2000; Gilkes, 2001). However, many precolonial, spiritually based cultures of North and West Africa (Badejo, 1996; Gleason, 1987; Jell-Bahlsen, 2008) developed indigenous concepts of the African Sacred Feminine, a term I use to describe African representations of the feminine aspects of nature and divinity, as well as the innate, human and spiritual powers embodied by women. Using artistic depictions from ancient Algeria, dynastic Egypt, and West and Central Africa, this essay explores several iconographic traits of the African Sacred Feminine: nudity or …


Letter In Response To Editor’S Introduction, “Nonduality: Not One, Not Two, But Many”, Judith Blackstone Jan 2016

Letter In Response To Editor’S Introduction, “Nonduality: Not One, Not Two, But Many”, Judith Blackstone

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

NA


Book Review: The African Unconscious: Roots Of Ancient Mysticism And Modern Psychology, By Edward Bruce Bynum, Angelina Graham Jan 2016

Book Review: The African Unconscious: Roots Of Ancient Mysticism And Modern Psychology, By Edward Bruce Bynum, Angelina Graham

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

NA


Technology And The Impoverishment Of Experience: An Insight Through Heidegger And Marcuse, Brenna C. Gradus Jan 2016

Technology And The Impoverishment Of Experience: An Insight Through Heidegger And Marcuse, Brenna C. Gradus

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The influence of technology in contemporary society is increasingly pervasive. While humankind reaps the benefits technology has to offer, these benefits do not come without costs. Often these costs are neither articulated nor addressed. Technology, from the Industrial Revolution to the Information Age, has reestablished the way in which we orient ourselves in our world. In doing so it has, in many cases, lowered our standard of human experience, thus creating an impoverishment of experience itself. Martin Heidegger and Herbert Marcuse provide especially insightful considerations of the ways in which modern technology impoverishes human existence. Furthermore, they have both posed …


A Kantian Revision Of The Doctrine Of Double Effect, Andrew H. Chung Jan 2016

A Kantian Revision Of The Doctrine Of Double Effect, Andrew H. Chung

CMC Senior Theses

In this paper, I will present a Kantian revision of the Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE). In order to do so, I will explain the concept of jus in bello – focusing in particular on the distinction between intent and foresight. I will then argue that we ought to take an agency-inspired look at the DDE. Finally, I will conclude by arguing for my thesis that Boyle’s theory of agency, while good, needs to be revised in order to accommodate concerns stemming from Kant’s Formula of Humanity… namely consent.


A Hedgehog's Unity Of Value, Joseph Raz Jan 2016

A Hedgehog's Unity Of Value, Joseph Raz

Faculty Scholarship

The paper examines various interpretations of Dworkin’s thesis of the Unity of Value, as expressed and defended in his book Justice for Hedgehogs. Dworkin’s arguments for various aspects of his unity of value thesis are relied on in interpreting the which is then compared with versions of value pluralism.


Aggregating Moral Preferences, Matthew D. Adler Jan 2016

Aggregating Moral Preferences, Matthew D. Adler

Faculty Scholarship

Preference-aggregation problems arise in various contexts. One such context, little explored by social choice theorists, is metaethical. “Ideal-advisor” accounts, which have played a major role in metaethics, propose that moral facts are constituted by the idealized preferences of a community of advisors. Such accounts give rise to a preference-aggregation problem: namely, aggregating the advisors’ moral preferences. Do we have reason to believe that the advisors, albeit idealized, can still diverge in their rankings of a given set of alternatives? If so, what are the moral facts (in particular, the comparative moral goodness of the alternatives) when the advisors do diverge? …


Phenomenology And Blindness: Merleau-Ponty, Levinas, And An Alternative Metaphysical Vision, Jesse Younger Workman Jan 2016

Phenomenology And Blindness: Merleau-Ponty, Levinas, And An Alternative Metaphysical Vision, Jesse Younger Workman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project addresses the problem of an "ocularcentric" bias in philosophy, with a focus on phenomenological and continental thought. Being a blind phenomenologist, I noticed an ocularcentric tendency dominating philosophers' perspectives, including their arguments, use of metaphors, and choices of examples. As a blind reader I found that such ocularcentrism prevented me from understanding their claims. This made me wonder whether ocularcentric biases might be leading them to unbalanced or invalid arguments and world-views. The questions raised are: Can there be philosophy that is not reliant on vision above all other senses? Is it possible for philosophy to not be …


Process And Mind: Exploring The Relationship Between Process Philosophy And The Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Science Of Cognition, Larry A. Moralez Jan 2016

Process And Mind: Exploring The Relationship Between Process Philosophy And The Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Science Of Cognition, Larry A. Moralez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This work examines the relationship between Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy and the nonlinear dynamical systems framework for studying cognition. I argue that the nonlinear dynamical systems approach to cognitive science presupposes many key elements of his process philosophy. The process philosophical interpretation of nature posits events and the dynamic relations between events as the fundamental substrate of reality, as opposed to static physical substances. I present a brief history of the development of substance thought before describing Whitehead’s characterization of nature as a process. In following, I will examine the both the computational and nonlinear dynamical systems frameworks for …


The Legitimacy Of International Law, David Lefkowitz Jan 2016

The Legitimacy Of International Law, David Lefkowitz

Philosophy Faculty Publications

The conduct of international affairs is subject to three kinds of normative standards. The first of these is prudence or rational self-interest, and its most common manifestation in international affairs involves reference to a state's national interest as a basis for defending or critiquing its international conduct. Justice provides a second metric for assessing the international conduct of states, and sometimes other actors, and a set of normative concepts including freedom, equality and fairness with which to argue for or against particular acts or policies. Law, including both international law and the foreign law of particular states, provides the third …


Should The Law Convict Those Who Act From Conviction? Reflections On A Demands-Of-Conscience Criminal Defense, David Lefkowitz Jan 2016

Should The Law Convict Those Who Act From Conviction? Reflections On A Demands-Of-Conscience Criminal Defense, David Lefkowitz

Philosophy Faculty Publications

How should the judge or jury in a just criminal court treat a civil disobedient, someone who performs a conscientiously motivated communicative breach of the criminal law? Kimberley Brownlee contends that all else equal a court of law should neither convict nor punish such offenders. Though I agree with this conclusion, I contend that Brownlee mischaracterizes the nature of the criminal defense to which civil disobedients are entitled. Whereas Brownlee maintains that such actors ought to be excused for their criminal breach, I argue that they ought to enjoy a justification defense. Acts of civil disobedience are not (morally) wrongful …


Sari Not Sorry: A Discussion On Whether Or Not Gulabi Gang's Feminist Vigilantism Is Necessary In A Welfare State, Namrata Mohan Jan 2016

Sari Not Sorry: A Discussion On Whether Or Not Gulabi Gang's Feminist Vigilantism Is Necessary In A Welfare State, Namrata Mohan

Scripps Senior Theses

The Gulabi Gang is a feminist vigilante based in northern India. They are known as a group that uses physical violence to fight systems of oppressive power. The idea of a Gulabi Gang vigilante, interacting with the people and the state will be discussed, while incorporating John Locke’s social contract theory into the argument as a way to critique vigilantism, or as a basis of critique to then argue why the Gulabi Gang’s vigilantism is necessary. After both sides of argument are weighed, possible solutions of how the Gulabi Gang can better their organization will be discussed in the concluding …


Defending The Social Good Theory Of Punishment, Sydney R. Scott Jan 2016

Defending The Social Good Theory Of Punishment, Sydney R. Scott

Pomona Senior Theses

This paper attempts to justify punishment on the grounds that it is a benefit to the person being punished. I accept the basic premise of a previous theory of punishment, the Moral Good Theory (MGT), which states that we cannot harm anyone. Thus, punishment can only be justified if it is not a harm. The MGT claims that punishment is beneficial in that it provides a moral education to the offender. I reject the idea that punishment is morally educational and instead propose a new theory which revises and strengthens the MGT, accounting for its flaws. This new theory, the …


From The Anthropocene To The Ecozoic: Philosophy And Global Climate Change, Brian G. Henning Jan 2016

From The Anthropocene To The Ecozoic: Philosophy And Global Climate Change, Brian G. Henning

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.


Unearthing The Process Roots Of Environment Ethics: Whitehead, Leopold, And The Land Ethic, Brian G. Henning Jan 2016

Unearthing The Process Roots Of Environment Ethics: Whitehead, Leopold, And The Land Ethic, Brian G. Henning

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

The aim of this essay is twofold. First, I examine the role of Alfred North Whitehead and process thinkers in bringing about and shaping the field of environmental ethics. As we will see, our job is not so much to develop the connections between Whitehead and environmental thought as to recover them. Second, given this genealogical work, I invite process scholars to reconsider their generally hostile reception of Aldo Leopold and his land ethic. I suggest that a version of the land ethic grounded in a process axiology could make a significant contribution to contemporary environmental thought.


Reasons To Care About Reasons For Action: A Response To Paul S. Davies, Glenn "Boomer" Mac Trujillo Jan 2016

Reasons To Care About Reasons For Action: A Response To Paul S. Davies, Glenn "Boomer" Mac Trujillo

Faculty Scholarship

In eschewing the specialty-standards of neuro-babble and philosophical neologism, Paul S. Davies (2016) argues with courageous clarity. He connects issues in neuroscience and epistemology to problems surrounding agency. I agree with many of his claims, but I think they need more context and precision for application. This is because his argument as it stands now affects only a limited set of theories, and a hidden modality in thesis 3 tempers his argument further. And perhaps most urgently, if his theory fails to address “top-down”1 mental processes or social dimensions of knowledge, his argument fails to meet even his own goals …


Presidential War Powers As An Interactive Dynamic: International Law, Domestic Law, And Practice-Based Legal Change, Curtis A. Bradley, Jean Galbraith Jan 2016

Presidential War Powers As An Interactive Dynamic: International Law, Domestic Law, And Practice-Based Legal Change, Curtis A. Bradley, Jean Galbraith

All Faculty Scholarship

There is a rich literature on the circumstances under which the United Nations Charter or specific Security Council resolutions authorize nations to use force abroad, and there is a rich literature on the circumstances under which the U.S. Constitution and statutory law allows the President to use force abroad. These are largely separate areas of scholarship, addressing what are generally perceived to be two distinct levels of legal doctrine. This Article, by contrast, considers these two levels of doctrine together as they relate to the United States. In doing so, it makes three main contributions. First, it demonstrates striking parallels …


A Question Of Sin And Responsibility: Exploring Innocence In Dante, Cassandra Stephenson Jan 2016

A Question Of Sin And Responsibility: Exploring Innocence In Dante, Cassandra Stephenson

Global Tides

Dante’s use of the word innocent—referring to infants who died soon after birth—presents a unique perspective on the spiritual hierarchy of The Divine Comedy. Though labeled as innocent, Dante’s infants are nonetheless excluded from Paradise. Concurrent mentions of innocence and original sin raise the question of the meaning of Dante’s innocence and its implications on the concepts of true choice, merit, and ignorance. These combined factors determine infants’ placement in Limbo or just below Paradise, and they help further a complete understanding of Dante’s theology and work as a whole.


Education: An Unexplored Variable On Millennial Volunteer Attitudes, Darian N. Everding Jan 2016

Education: An Unexplored Variable On Millennial Volunteer Attitudes, Darian N. Everding

Honors Program Theses

For the 1.9 million nonprofit organizations in the United States, engaging potential volunteers in an efficient way is critical to their success. As Baby Boomers retire, the Millennial generation is expected to populate an ever-growing percentage of the volunteer workforce. The Millennial population totals nearly 80 million in the United States alone. The current body of research has been focused primarily on general attitudes of Millennials in regards to volunteering, philanthropy, and corporate social responsibility. There has been very little analysis on the attitudes of Millennials based on their demographic information, especially their education level. Less than a third of …


Consent, Culpability, And The Law Of Rape, Kimberly Kessler Ferzan Jan 2016

Consent, Culpability, And The Law Of Rape, Kimberly Kessler Ferzan

All Faculty Scholarship

This Article explores the relationship between consent and culpability. The goal is to present a thorough exposition of the tradeoffs at play when the law adopts different conceptions of consent. After describing the relationship between culpability, wrongdoing, permissibility, and consent, I argue that the best conception of consent—one that reflects what consent really is—is the conception of willed acquiescence. I then contend that to the extent that affirmative consent standards are aimed at protecting defendants, this can be better achieved through mens rea provisions. I then turn to the current victim-protecting impetus for affirmative expression standards, specifically, requirements that the …