Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Methodology And Ontology In Microbiome Research, John E. Huss

Philosophy Faculty Research

Research on the human microbiome has generated a staggering amount of sequence data, revealing variation in microbial diversity at the community, species (or phylotype), and genomic levels. In order to make this complexity more manageable and easier to interpret, new units—the metagenome, core microbiome, and enterotype—have been introduced in the scientific literature. Here, I argue that analytical tools and exploratory statisti- cal methods, coupled with a translational imperative, are the primary drivers of this new ontology. By reducing the dimensionality of variation in the human microbiome, these new units render it more tractable and easier to interpret, and hence serve …

Why We Should Stop Creating Pets With Lives Worth Living, Chelsea Haramia

Between the Species

Pedigreed breeding often leads to severe health problems for, say, those dogs who exist as a result of the practice. It is also the case that virtually all of those unhealthy animals would not exist at all if it were not for the practice of pedigreed breeding. If those animals have lives worth living, then it follows that they are not harmed by the practice—assuming that a life worth living is better than no life at all. It would seem, then, that the standard account of harm cannot account for the wrongness of our intentionally creating pets with lower welfare. …

From Hospice To Hospital: Short-Term Follow-Up Study Of Hospice Patient Outcomes In A Us Acute Care Hospital Surveillance System, Elizabeth B. Pathak, Sarah Wieten, Benjamin Djulbegovic

Philosophy Faculty Publications

Objectives: In the USA, there is little systematic evidence about the real-world trajectories of patient medical care after hospice enrolment. The objective of this study was to analyse predictors of the length of stay for hospice patients who were admitted to hospital in a retrospective analysis of the mandatorily reported hospital discharge data.

Setting: All acute-care hospitals in Florida during 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2012.

Participants: All patients with source of admission coded as ‘hospice’ (n=2674).

Primary outcome measures: The length of stay and discharge status: (1) died in hospital; (2) discharged back to hospice; (3) discharged to …

Reading Hume’S ‘Of The Standard Of Taste’ : Taking Hume Seriously, Ka Wing Kwok

Lingnan Theses

This thesis presents an interpretation of David Hume’s essay ‘Of the Standard of Taste’. The most distinguishing feature of this interpretation is the emphasis placed on the significance of Hume’s general philosophical position in a faithful reading of this philosophical classic. The success of this interpretation will show that Hume’s essay should be read as an integral part of his system of philosophy.

There are three parts in this thesis. The first part is an overview of some key aspects of Hume’s philosophy which are relevant to my interpretation. Unlike many contemporary philosophers in the analytic tradition, Hume is a …

Seeing Christ In Philosophy, Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"With philosophy, we can start to articulate those assumptions and cultural moods to better understand what we're doing, and then evaluate them to see why we do them and whether they are in keeping with God's loving design for his creation."

Posting about a Christian perspective on philosophy from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/philosophy-as-a-way-of-life/

Demandingness, Self-Interest And Benevolence In Śāntideva’S Introduction To The Practice Of Awakening (Bodhicaryāvatāra), Stephen E. Harris

Philosophy ETDs

This dissertation explores how benevolence and self-interest converge, thereby lessening moral demandingness, in the writing of the eighth century Indian Buddhist monk, Śāntideva. In the opening chapter, I argue that Śāntideva appears vulnerable to the overdemandingness objection, the claim that a moral system asks too much of its followers. This is because he endorses an extremely demanding process of virtue development during which an individual commits to becoming a bodhisattva, the Buddhist saint who voluntarily takes countless rebirths, often in painful situations, in order to attain full Buddhahood and liberate all beings from suffering. In the dissertation, I show that …

King Of The Meat Eaters, Anonymous

Between the Species

This article is a word for word reproduction of an unexpected resignation speech. It was given as—or rather, in place of—the presidential address of a recent annual meeting of ISEA (the International Society for the Eating of Animals). Because this is a secret society, the speaker’s and the transcriber’s names have been omitted. Those of us who were there for this speech will remember the anger and outrage that it provoked. Many of us still cannot believe the ridiculous spin-off resignations that this underwhelming speech somehow managed to provoke. This speech is reprinted here (where it cannot be returned to …

Immigration And Self-Determination, Bas Van Der Vossen

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

This article asks whether states have a right to close their borders because of their right to self-determination, as proposed recently by Christopher Wellman, Michael Walzer, and others. It asks the fundamental question whether self-determination can, in even its most unrestricted form, support the exclusion of immigrants. I argue that the answer is no. To show this, I construct three different ways in which one might use the idea of self-determination to justify immigration restrictions and show that each of these arguments fails. My conclusion is that the nature and value of self-determination have to do with the conditions of …

Nk≠Hpc, P.D. Magnus

Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

The Homeostatic Property Cluster (HPC) account of natural kinds has become popular since it was proposed by Richard Boyd in the late 1980s. Although it is often taken to define natural kinds as such, it is easy enough to see that something's being a natural kind is neither necessary nor sufficient for its being an HPC. This paper argues that it is better not to understand HPCs as defining what it is to be a natural kind but instead as providing the ontological realization of (some) natural kinds.

Review Of "Truly Human Enhancement: A Philosophical Defense Of Limits ", James Mcbain

Faculty Submissions

Review of "Truly Human Enhancement: A Philosophical Defense of Limits" by Nicholas Agar.

Philosophy Of Linguistics, Robert Stainton

Philosophy Publications

Rather than attempting to survey the rich array of topics within Philosophy of Linguistics, this article focuses on two questions: “What kind of thing is Linguistics about?” and “What is the proper evidence-base for Linguistics?” After describing various exclusionary answers, it argues for Pluralism on both fronts: the objects of study in Linguistics are metaphysical hybrids, with physical, mental, abstract and social facets; and evidence from every domain should in principle be welcomed.

Book Review: Brennan, Geoffrey; Eriksson, Lina; Goodin, Robert E.; And Southwood, Nicho- Las. Explaining Norms., David K. Henderson

Department of Philosophy: Faculty Publications

Explaining Norms is a work in philosophy of social science aspiring to provide an account of norms, their general character, their kinds ðformal, legal, moral, and socialÞ, what they can explain, and what explains their dynamic ðemergence, persistence, and unravelingÞ. The authors engage with various positions in ethics, political philosophy, and ðto some extentÞ the philosophy of law. The discussion is rewarding and inventive—it provides distinctive and intriguing views on several topics ðe.g., on the distinction between moral and social normsÞ. There are a lot of ideas here. Perhaps this is predictable, given that the work is a product of …

Seno'o Giro: Life And Thought Of A Radical Buddhist, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

No abstract provided.

Carl F. Craver And Lindley Darden: In Search Of Mechanisms: Discoveries Across The Life Sciences, Stuart Glennan

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Carl Craver and Lindley Darden are two of the foremost proponents of a recent approach to the philosophy of biology that is often called the New Mechanism. In this book they seek to make available to a broader readership insights gained from more than two decades of work on the nature of mechanisms and how they are described and discovered. The book is not primarily aimed at specialists working on the New Mechanism, but rather targets scientists, students and teachers who are looking for a broad, philosophically and historically informed image of discovery in the life sciences.

Han And Tang Ideals And The Future Of Chinese Arts, Curtis L. Carter, Yang Yibo

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Divine Sovereignty And Human Freedom: A Libertarian Approach, Daniel Shay

Masters Theses

Philosophers and theologians alike have debated endlessly over the relationship between divine sovereignty and human freedom. Too often, in these debates, human freedom is either denied altogether or reduced to a compatibilist notion. Many people fear that granting humans too much freedom would destroy God's sovereignty. However, the purpose of granting humans freedom is not to elevate the creature over the Creator; rather to uphold both moral responsibility and God's justice. Any theory that preserves God's sovereignty at the expense of His justice, or makes His justice arbitrary, by sacrificing the kind of freedom that preserves moral responsibility, is not …

Enframing The Flesh: Heidegger, Transhumanism, And The Body As "Standing Reserve", Jesse I. Bailey

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

I argue that Heidegger's account of technology as "enframing" is a helpful lens through which to understand the possible effects and dangers of transhumanism. Without resorting to nebulous concepts such as "dignity," Heidegger's analysis can help us understand how new technologies employed to modify the body, brain, and consciousness will enframe our own bodies and identities as something akin to "standing reserve." Under transhumanism, the body is enframed as an external, technologically modifiable product. I indicate some of the problems that might arise when our own bodies no longer appear as central to our identity as embodied beings. Further, I …

Ketamine—Its History, Uses, Pharmacology, Therapeutic Practice, And An Exploration Of Its Potential As A Novel Treatment For Depression, Philip E. Wolfson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Engagement In A Community-Based Integral Practice Program Enhances Well-Being, Cassandra Vieten, Mica Estrada, Adam B. Cohen, Dean Radin, Marilyn M. Schlitz, Arnaud Delorme

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This project examined associations between engagement in a community-based integral practice program and measures of health and well-being. In this prospective withinsubjects uncontrolled cohort study, 53 participants of Integral Transformative Practice (ITP), a program that incorporates movement, nutritional and exercise recommendations, affirmations, contemplative introspection, theory and philosophy, and group discussions and activities, were followed over one year. Participants completed online questionnaires upon enrollment, at six months, and one year later. Repeated measures analyses showed that participants reported improved overall health and reduced symptoms of ill health, as well as increased psychological well-being, vitality, and quality of life over the course …

Implications And Consequences Of Post-Modern Philosophy For Contemporary Transpersonal Studies Iii. Deleuze And Some Related Phenomenologies Of Felt Meaning: Psychosis And Mysticism As Inherent “Structures Of Thought”, Harry Hunt

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

There is a surprising confluence in the philosopher Deleuze, the psychoanalyst Bion, and phenomenological psychologist Gendlin on what Deleuze terms the immediate “sense” of understanding and Gendlin calls “felt meaning.” Beneath its more differentiated propositional articulations, all three understand this phenomenon as a felt sense of constantly shifting coherence and incoherence, and based in often tacit metaphoric, figural, and/or synesthetic processes. For Deleuze and Bion, in particular, psychotic thought disorder is understood as the exaggeration of this incoherence potential within all felt meaning. Correspondingly, the expansion or enhancement of the felt coherence aspect of ordinary thought becomes the basis for …

Ketamine For Depression: A Mixed-Methods Study, Philip E. Wolfson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Prior studies have reported variously on the presence or absence of dissociative effects at subanesthtetic doses of ketamine administered for treatment-resistant depression. This mixedmethods study emulated the protocol used for the studies in question, with IV administration of 0.5mg/kg over 40 minutes with eight experienced ketamine users. Quantitative measures were generally insignificant since this was not a population reporting depression; blood pressure increased as expected by 20-30mm systolic and 6-20mm diastolic, falling rapidly by 20 minutes after completion of the infusion. Individual qualitative reports reports of relaxation, pleasant sensation, decreased cognitive function, and some disabling of ordinary capacities. As experienced …

Ketamine And Depression: A Review, Wesley C. Ryan, Cole J. Marta, Ralph J. Koek

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Ketamine, via intravenous infusions, has emerged as a novel therapy for treatment-resistant depression, given rapid onset and demonstrable efficacy in both unipolar and bipolar depression. Duration of benefit, on the order of days, varies between these subtypes, but appears longer in unipolar depression. A unique property is reduction in suicidality although data are more limited. Strategies to extend duration, via multiple doses, maintenance treatment, or subsequent augmenting medications have yielded mixed results. There is a relative paucity of data regarding alternate methods of administration such as intramuscular, intranasal, and oral routes, though preliminary results are promising. Adverse effects most reliably …

Making Ketamine Work In The Long Run, Terrence S. Early

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Treatments such as ketamine psychotherapy face substantial financial and regulatory obstacles to dissemination into widespread use. Newly patented medications are able to generate enough capital to pay for studies required for FDA approval, personnel to apply for coverage on insurance plans, and marketing to establish a successful launch. Ketamine is an older drug with considerable evidence of efficacy for treatment resistant depression, and almost 50 years of data concerning safety as an anesthetic agent. However, it can no longer be patented, so there is no incentive for pharmaceutical companies to help get it into widespread use. In this paper we …

Ethnographic Accounts Of Ketamine Explorations In Psychedelic Culture, Kenneth Ring, Ralph Metzner, Philip E. Wolfson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Off-label use of ketamine as a mind-altering substance did not begin in the laboratory, but in the psychedelic culture that grew out of the 1960s counterculture movement. Whatever the risks and limitations of such experimentation, without them the remarkable therapeutic effects of the drug might well have gone unnoticed, and unresearched. The following personal accounts—both inspiring and cautionary—offer glimpses into the cultural contexts that found ketamine to be much more than a reliable anesthetic.

Psychedelic Experiential Pharmacology: Pioneering Clinical Explorations With Salvador Roquet (How I Came To All Of This: Ketamine, Admixtures And Adjuvants, Don Juan And Carlos Castaneda Too): An Interview With Richard Yensen, Philip E. Wolfson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Richard Yensen was a research fellow at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center from 1972 to 1976. He studied psychedelic psychotherapy with Stanislav Grof, M.D. and other senior staff. During this time he treated patients with substance abuse disorders, cancer, neurosis, and other health professionals seeking a training experience. Dr. Yensen did his Ph.D. dissertation on the use of MDA in psychotherapy with neurotic outpatients and conducted his research at the MPRC. Through many years of experience in governmentsanctioned psychedelic research, he has evolved a non-drug shamanistic psychotherapy called Perceptual Affective Therapy. In the 1990’s Richard was co-holder of IND 3250, …

The Transformative Power Of Ketamine: Psychedelic States And A Personal History Of Transformation, Philip E. Wolfson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A discussion of the nature of transformation and its relationship to psychedelic experiences— particularly ketamine experiences—is presented and discussed along with a schema for thinking about types of states that may be encountered and transformations that may occur related to psychedelic use and practice. This is followed by a longitudinal historical approach for portraying and examining personal transformation along with a proposed instrument— The Transformational Codex—for cataloging that history and the elements that compose it.

Regarding The Transpersonal Nature Of Ketamine Therapy: An Approach To The Work, Jeffrey Becker

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Recent evidence has shown that ketamine treatment can facilitate psychological insight and symptom resolution in various psychiatric disorders. To aid this process, psychotherapeutic support should be considered a fundamental aspect of treatment. The psychedelic experience produced by ketamine can be a deeply meaningful source of enduring change and personal growth. The author has repeatedly observed a rapid realignment of self-perception away from shame, fear, and dread toward authentic self-acceptance and gratitude, offering patients opportunity for insight and the consideration of new potentialities. The experience produced by ketamine is similar in quality to transpersonal experiences described by Jung and induced by …

The Imperative For Diversity In A Transpersonal Psychology Of The Whole Person (Editor's Introduction), Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Ketamine (Im) Assisted Psychotherapy (Kap): A Model For Informed Consent, Philip E. Wolfson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Informed consent is important for every medical intervention, and the unique nature of ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) calls for a particularly thoughtful and detailed informed consent document. The following is an informed consent form developed for the author’s use in his own private practice. No representations are made concerning its adequacy or appropriateness for use by other practitioners, or in any other contexts; author, editors, and publisher disclaim liability for any use of or reliance on this document. However, as a document created by a psychiatrist with experience in KAP, this form may serve to illustrate the range of issues …

Ketamine Psychedelic Psychotherapy: Focus On Its Pharmacology, Phenomenology, And Clinical Applications, Eli Kolp, Harris L. Friedman, Evgeny Krupitsky, Karl Jansen, Mark Sylvester, M. Scott Young, Anna Kolp

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Meant to be an authoritative guide for psychiatrists and others interested in understanding and applying ketamine psychedelic psychotherapy (KPP), this paper focuses on its pharmacology, phenomenology, and clinical applications. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic widely used by physicians and veterinarians in the United States. In addition to its anesthetic and dissociative properties, ketamine also has a multitude of other psychological and pharmacological properties, which include analgesic, sedative, neuroprotective, anxiolytic, antidepressant, stimulant, euphoriant, and hallucinogenic effects. The literature on the clinical application of KPP is comprehensively reviewed, practical advice for using KPP is given, and the pharmacology and phenomenology of ketamine-induced …