Philosophy Commons^™

Killing, Letting Die, And The Case For Mildly Punishing Bad Samaritanism, Ken M. Levy

Journal Articles

For over a century now, American scholars (among others) have been debating the merits of “bad-samaritan” laws – laws punishing people for failing to attempt “easy rescues.” Unfortunately, the opponents of bad-samaritan laws have mostly prevailed. In the United States, the “no-duty-to-rescue” rule dominates. Only four states even have bad-samaritan laws, and these laws impose only the most minimal punishment – either sub-$500 fines or short-term imprisonment.

This Article argues that this situation needs to be remedied. Every state should criminalize bad samaritanism. For, first, criminalization is required by the supreme value that we place on protecting human life, a …

The Effect Of Initial Entry Training On The Moral And Character Development Of Military Police Soldiers, Kenneth R. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Army conducts extensive training on its core values beginning with initial entry training (IET), commonly referred to as basic training, in order to shape soldiers' behavior and decision making in combat and noncombat situations. This mixed methods study addressed the problem of limited empirical research on the effects of U.S. Army IET on soldiers' moral and character development. The purpose was to explore the effects of Military Police (MP) IET on soldiers in training through a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative model. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Rest's four component model (FCM) of moral …

Personality Disorders And Moral Responsibility, Mike W. Martin

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

In “Personality Disorders: Moral or Medical Kinds—or Both?” Peter Zachar and Nancy Nyquist Potter (2010) reject any general dichotomy between morality and mental health, and specifically between character vices and personality disorders. In doing so, they provide a nuanced and illuminating discussion that connects Aristotelian virtue ethics to a multidimensional understanding of personality disorders. I share their conviction that dissolving morality–health dichotomies is the starting point for any plausible understanding of human beings (Martin 2006), but I register some qualms about their discussion of responsibility.

Brain‐Mind And Structure‐Function Relationships: A Methodological Response To Coltheart, Adina L. Roskies

Dartmouth Scholarship

In some recent papers, Max Coltheart has questioned the ability of neuroimaging techniques to tell us anything interesting about the mind and has thrown down the gauntlet before neuroimagers, challenging them to prove he is mistaken. Here I analyze Coltheart’s challenge, show that as posed its terms are unfair, and reconstruct it so that it is addressable. I argue that, so modified, Coltheart’s challenge is able to be met and indeed has been met. In an effort to delineate the extent of neuroimaging’s ability to address Coltheart’s concerns, I explore how different brain structure‐function relationships would constrain the ability of …

What's Good About Feeling Bad Handout For Aacc World Conference 2009, John C. Thomas

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based upon the book "What's good about feeling bad: Finding purpose and a path through pain" by Drs. John C. Thomas and Gary Habermas. The presentation covers the benefits that God can bring from suffering

Editors’ Introduction, Glenn Hartelius, Harris Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Beyond Mind Iii: Further Steps To A Metatranspersonal Philosophy And Psychology (Continuation Of The Discussion On The Three Best Known Transpersonal Paradigms, With A Focus On Washburn And Grof ), Elías Capriles

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper gives continuity to the criticism, undertaken in two papers previously published in this

journal, of transpersonal systems that fail to discriminate between nirvanic, samsaric, and neithernirvanic-

nor-samsaric transpersonal states, and which present the absolute sanity of Awakening

as a dualistic, conceptually-tainted condition. It also gives continuity to the denunciation of the

false disjunction between ontogenically ascending and descending paths, while showing the truly

significant disjunction to be between existentially ascending and metaexistentially descending paths.

However, whereas in the preceding paper the focus was on Wilber’s so-called integral system, in this

paper the focus of the main body is …

Volume 02, Joseph A. Mann, Kathryn J. Greenly, Scott E. Jenkins, Andrew E. Puckette, Daniel M. Honey, Jeffery P. Ravenhorst, Jamie Elizabeth Mesrobian, Thomas Scott, Jay Crowell, Sarah Spangenberg, Amy S. Eason, Kenny Wolfe, Liz Hale, Rachel Bouchard, Will Semonco, Carley York, Ryan Higgenbothom, Adrienne Heinbaugh, Melissa Dorton, Madeline Hunter, June Ashmore, Clark Barkley, Jay Haley

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Dean Dr. Charles Ross

Mike's Nite: New Jazz for an Old Instrument by Joseph A. Mann

Investigation of the use of Cucumis Sativus for Remediation Of Chromium from Contaminated Environmental Matrices: An Interdisciplinary Instrumental Analysis Project by Kathryn J. Greenly, Scott E. Jenkins, and Andrew E. Puckette

Development of GC-MS and Chemometric Methods for the Analysis of Accelerants in Arson Cases by Scott Jenkins

Building and Measuring Scalable Computing Systems by Daniel M. Honey and Jeffery P. Ravenhorst

Nomini Hall: A Case Study in the Use of Archival Resources as Guides for Excavation at An Archaeological Site by …

Ua12/2/1 7 Deadly Sins, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Special Valentine's Day edition of the College Heights Herald.

• Barczak, Mary. Greed – Spouses, Economics, David Zimmer
• Stewart, Colleen. Gluttony – Psychology, Sam McFarland
• Brandenburg, Katie & Susie Laun. Pride – Theology, Don Schweitzer
• Ulber, Emily. Sloth – Psychology, Sam McFarland
• Waggoner, Tabitha. Wrath – Psychology, Sam McFarland
• McCrarey, Magen. Envy – Philosophy & Religion, Arvin Vos
• Simpson, Mandy. Lust – Philosophy & Religion, Arvin Vos

Children’S Insensitivity To Information From The Target Of Agreement: The Case Of Xhosa, Sandile Gxilishe, Mantoa Rose Smouse, Thabisa Xhalisa, Jill De Villiers

Philosophy: Faculty Publications

The paper presents an account of number agreement phenomena arguing that the target of agreement may be bleached of number information. This would explain why English-speaking children have difficulty relying on the target alone as a clue to number, despite producing it correctly. Xhosa has a very rich subject-verb agreement system and pro-drop, and there is theoretical dispute over its properties. An experiment with Xhosa-speaking children revealed that they, too, are unable to use the morpheme on the verb as a cue to subject number. It is argued that this may be further evidence that the morpheme is agreement rather …

Truth And Healing A Veteran's Depression, Mike W. Martin

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

Comments on an article by Christopher Bailey (see record 2009-24345-002). Dr. Christopher Bailey portrays an American veteran, Colin, who slips into a "serious but not severe" depression upon returning from the Iraq War, After ruling out post-traumatic stress disorder, the psychiatrist comes to believe that Colin's depression is tied to his feelings of being a wimp, of not having "done his part or proven his manhood," and of losing his chance to become a hero because he had been assigned non-combat duty—feelings that the psychiatrist glosses (misleadingly?) as a "painful lack of wounds." (I speak of the "the psychiatrist," rather …

Editors’ Introduction, Harris Friedman, Glenn Hartelius

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Reconciling Modern Knowledge With Ancient Wisdom, Papalii F. Avegalio

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper is about an academic as well as cultural journey of (re)affirmation. Imbued with

Western knowledge, I was nearly swayed to alter my beliefs and core assumptions towards a

modern world view. I was referred to an article by Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese (hereafter Tui

Atua) which significantly assuaged the tensions of seemingly opposing values rooted in two

different world views. I realized now that in many ways, Tui Atua’s publications on Samoan

wisdom, culture and philosophy had the effect of a gentle wind tapping my shoulder. The

articles reaffirmed my sense of heritage and strengthened my resolve to …

The Plurality Of Religions And The Spirit Of Pluralism: A Participatory Vision Of The Future Of Religion, Jorge N. Ferrer

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper first uncovers the subtle spiritual narcissism that has characterized historical approaches

to religious diversity and discusses the shortcomings of the main forms of religious pluralism that

have been proposed as its antidote: ecumenical, soteriological, postmodern, and metaphysical. It

then argues that a participatory pluralism paves the way for an appreciation of religious diversity that

eschews the dogmatism and competitiveness involved in privileging any particular tradition over the

rest without falling into cultural-linguistic or naturalistic reductionisms. Discussion includes the

question of the validity of spiritual truths and the development of a participatory critical theory of

religion. The essay concludes …

Towards A Transpersonal Psychology Of Daoism: Definitions, Past Research, And Future Directions, Christopher Cott, Adam Rock

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper is aimed at facilitating the study of Daoism, a collection of Chinese philosophical

beliefs and psychospiritual practices with a history of thousands of years and a living

community that stretches throughout East Asia, from a transpersonal psychology perspective.

Transpersonal psychologists who wish to embark upon a study of Daoist phenomena

must first be cognizant of the often nebulous parameters of the Daoist field of inquiry.

Therefore, an overview is offered of the two primary Daoist informational sources: the living

Daoist tradition as represented predominantly by the Quanzhen and Tianshi traditions,

and textual sources in collections such as the …

Paradigm Shift, Then And Now: The Shakespearean Winter’S Tale And Renewal Through The Feminine, Judy Schavrien

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper explores postmodern and Shakespearean-baroque parallels in asking, “Can we

make a New World?” In Shakespeare’s case, paradigm shift was occurring willy-nilly—a New

World hoving into view, geographically, socio-politically, spiritually, and through a science

that shifted views of earth and heaven. This inquiry into The Winter’s Tale, in search of a

new coherence then and now, discovers that Shakespeare envisioned a rebalancing of hypermasculine

internal and external life by way of the Feminine, both youthful and mature.

Portraying the tragic ruler at the center of his tale as part puer and part jealous tyrant, Shakespeare

established what is almost …

Holarchical Development: Discovering And Applying Missing Drives From Ken Wilber’S Twenty Tenets, Kevin J. Bowman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Ken Wilber’s AQAL model offers a way to synthesize the partial truths of many theories

across various fields of knowledge such as evolutionary biology and sociology, developmental

psychology, and perennial and contemporary philosophy to name only a few. Despite its

reconciling power and influence, the model has been validly criticized for its static nature

and its overemphasis on the ascendant, versus descendant, path of development. This

paper points out areas of Wilber’s writing that suggest a way to overcome these criticisms.

Doing so allows for the refinement of AQAL’s Twenty Tenets for an extension of its formal,

dynamic features. This …

Ayahuasca–From Dangerous Drug To National Heritage: An Interview With Antonio A. Arantes, Beatriz C. Labate, Ilana Goldstein

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This interview with Antonio A. Arantes, Brazilian anthropology professor and recognized

specialist on the topics of intellectual property and traditional knowledge, addresses the 2008

request by Brazilian ayahuasca groups to be recognized as part of the immaterial cultural

heritage of Brazil. In the first portion of the interview, Arantes reflects on the challenges

of the new conceptions of the Brazilian national immaterial policy program. He discusses

several examples of cultural goods recognized by the Brazilian state, such as the candomblé

and the samba, and analyzes the controversial issues involving authenticity and tradition in

these and other similar cases. In the …

Reflections On Transpersonal Psychology’S 40th Anniversary, Ecopsychology, Transpersonal Science, And Psychedelics: A Conversation Forum, Mark A. Schroll, Stanley Krippner, Miles A. Vich, James Fadiman, Valerie Mojeiko

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Recollections of humanistic and transpersonal psychology’s origin’s morph into the

pros and cons of humanistic/transpersonal oriented schools developing APA accredited

clinical programs. This discussion dovetails with the question will ATP ever become an

APA division, raising an interesting alternative for those of us considering a career in

counseling: becoming a spiritual coach. Enter the issue of psychedelic therapy and the

Supreme Courts decision to allow ayahuasca as a sacrament by the Uniao Do Vegetal

Church, and the importance of why humanistic and transpersonal psychology need to

clearly map out the territories and sub-divisions of science and religion. Finally this

conversation …

Perspectives In Spirituality: Introduction To Special Topic Section, Glenn Hartelius, Harris Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

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Identity And Spirituality: Conventional And Transpersonal Perspectives, Douglas A. Macdonald

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Though the relation of spirituality to self has long been recognized in established spiritual

and religious systems, serious scientific interest in spirituality and its relation to identity has

only started to grow in the past 20 years. This paper overviews the literature on spirituality

and identity. Particular attention is given to describing and critiquing conventional and

transpersonal perspectives with emphasis given to empirically testable theories. Using

MacDonald’s (1997, 2000) five dimensional model of spirituality, a structural model of

spirituality is proposed as is a model of spiritual identity formation.

Xenophilia As A Cultural Trap: Bridging The Gap Between Transpersonal Psychology And Religious/Spiritual Traditions, Harris Friedman

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

Xenophilia, seen as a type of romanticism, is proposed as an explanation for the tendency

within transpersonal psychology to privilege so-called exotic religious and spiritual traditions,

as opposed to the xenophobic tendency within mainstream Western psychology of

religion and spirituality to privilege the Judeo-Christian tradition. Claims made in a recent

article published in a major psychology journal that Buddhism does not rest on supernatural

faith and is the most psychological spiritual tradition are challenged as examples of this type

of romanticism. Demographic trends showing conversion rates to Buddhism in the US

are contrasted with conversion rates to Christianity in South …

A Viable Model And Self-Report Measure Of Spiritual Intelligence, David B. King, Teresa L. Decicco

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

A four-factor model of spiritual intelligence is first proposed. Supportive evidence is reviewed for the

capacities of critical existential thinking, personal meaning production, transcendental awareness,

and conscious state expansion. Based on this model, a 24-item self-report measure was developed

and modified across two consecutive studies (N = 619 and N = 304, respectively). The final version

of the scale, the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory (SISRI-24), displayed excellent internal

reliability and good fit to the proposed model. Correlational analyses with additional measures of

meaning, metapersonal self-construal, mysticism, religiosity, and social desirability offer support

for construct and criterion-related validity. According to both …

Reflections On A Silent Meditation Retreat: A Beginner’S Perspective, Chad V. Johnson

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

This paper explores the experience of a silent meditation retreat from the perspective of

a novice practitioner. The 7-day Scientist Meditation Retreat was held at the Spirit Rock

Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. It was intended to provide meditation researchers

an intensive silent retreat experience. The author shares his reflections throughout the retreat

and concludes with some of the personal insights he gained.

Ciis Today, Fall 2008 Issue, Ciis

CIIS Today

This volume is the Fall 2008 issue of CIIS Today, the Magazine of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Heuristics, Biases, And Philosophy, Jeffrey J. Rachlinski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Commenting on Professor Cass Sunstein's work is a daunting task. There is simply so much of it. Professor Sunstein produces scholarship at a rate that is faster than I can consume it. Scarcely an area of law has failed to feel his impact. One cannot today write an article on administrative law, free speech, punitive damages, Internet law, law and economics, separation of powers, or animal rights law without addressing one or more of Sunstein's papers. And his work is typically not a mere footnote. Sunstein has changed how scholars think about each of these areas of law. More broadly, …

Sport As The “Opiate Of The Masses”: College Football In The American South, Eric Bain-Selbo

Philosophy & Religion Faculty Publications

Karl Marx famously describes religion as the “opiate of the masses.” Marx argues that religion is an ideological tool that legitimates and defends the interests of the dominant, wealthy classes in the population. It does so in part by placating the poor and exploited classes. Faced with an arduous and seemingly unjust life in this world, the poor and exploited at least can look forward to a more perfect existence in the afterlife. To reach that afterlife, however, one must peacefully and quietly persevere through life’s tribulation—respecting the life, liberty, and (especially) private property of others. In this way, religion …

Volume 01, Jessica Fields, Stephanie Neeley, Derek W. Hambright, Mary E. Lehman, Andrew R. Grzankowski, Zachary Johnson, Boone M. Prentice, Ashley M. Swandby, Victoria Morgan, Katie Williamson, Kristine G. Bender, Katelyn N. Romaine, D. Nicole Swann, Jessica Fox, Mike Mcateer, Alex Grabiec, Laura Nodtvedt, Nick Costa, Rachel Wolfe, Zack Dalton

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Dean Dr. Charles Ross

Three Decades of Digging: Undergraduate Archeology at Longwood by Jessica Fields and Stephanie Neeley

Interactions of Allelopathy and Heat Stress in Plants by Derek W. Hambright and Mary E. Lehman

Inertial Electrostatic Confinement D-D Fusion Device: Construction and Simulation by Andrew R. Grzankowski

Shackled Nim by Zachary Johnson

Development of GC-MS and Chemometric Methods for the Analysis of Accelerants in Arson Cases by Boone M. Prentice

A Comparison of Image Analysis Methods in cDNA Microarrays by Ashley M. Swandby

Perceived Sexual Activity of Short and Long-Term Relationships by Victoria Morgan and Katie Williamson

Elderly …

Character Counts! Incentive Program : Implementation And Evaluation, Julie A. Rouse

Graduate Research Papers

In order to better serve the school population, the school counselor is often called upon to deliver the counseling curriculum to all students. Data often drives the curriculum the counselor will present to the students. As a result of a program audit and perception data, a school counselor at West Elementary chose to implement a character education piece to the curriculum. Furthermore, an incentive program was added to encourage positive behavior and to recognize student achievement. Due to the age of accountability, the school counselor created a survey to assess the program. In addition to the survey, other sources of …

Espousing Interactions And Fielding Reactions: Addressing Laypeople's Beliefs About Genetic Determinism, David S. Moore

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Although biologists and philosophers of science generally agree that genes cannot determine the forms of biological and psychological traits, students, journalists, politicians, and other members of the general public nonetheless continue to embrace genetic determinism. This article identifies some of the concerns typically raised by individuals when they first encounter the systems perspective that biologists and philosophers of science now favor over genetic determinism, and uses arguments informed by that perspective to address those concerns. No definitive statements can yet be made about why genetic determinism has proven so resilient in the face of empirical evidence pointing up its deficiencies, …