Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act forbids discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin — and sex. Although the sex provision was treated as a joke at the time (and was originally introduced by a Southern Congressman in an attempt to defeat the bill), the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) — charged with enforcing the Act — discovered in its first year of operation that 40% or more of the complaints warranting investigation charged (...) discrimination on the basis of sex. According to a report by the EEOC, nearly 6,000 charges of sex discrimination were filed with that agency in 1971 alone, a 62% increase over the previous year. Title VII extends as well to practices which aid and abet discrimination. For example, the Act forbids job advertisements from indicating a preference for one sex or the other unless sex is a bona fide occupational qualification for employment. In interpreting this provision, the EEOC has ruled that even the practice of labeling help-wanted columns as "Male" or "Female" should be considered a violation of the law. (shrink)

A proposta que se insere neste artigo é a de ampliar a discussão sobre a presença da Filosofia na Educação Básica, a partir das formulações propostas pela Base Nacional Comum Curricular, instituídas a partir do Parecer CNE n. 15/2017 e da Resolução CNE n. 2/2017 e suas relações com o Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio, realizado, anualmente, pelo Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira, órgão vinculado ao Ministério da Educação e aplicado a estudantes e egressos do sistema (...) educacional brasileiro, ou seja, o exame é de adesão voluntária e se propõe a avaliar os conhecimentos que os inscritos indicam saber sobre os conteúdos apreendidos durante os anos finais de formação na Educação Básica. O estudo utiliza a investigação exploratória e tem como objetivo estudar os resultados do Enem entre os anos 2013 e 2018, seu histórico, suas dinâmicas e propor uma análise sobre a avaliação do desempenho escolar por meio de habilidades e competências. Busca-se, também, compreender as avaliações externas, seus aspectos históricos e sua evolução com base em autores como Borges e Rothen, Ferreira, Minhoto, Oliveira, Soares, Vieira, entre outros, além das normativas legais que impactam e regulam as ações do microespaço da sala de aula. As análises indicam que a disciplina de Filosofia, possivelmente, desaparecerá do currículo escolar, uma vez que seus conteúdos se encontram diluídos nos chamados itinerários formativos dentro das disciplinas de Ensino Religioso e de História, reforçando a afirmação de Soares de que as “demandas socialmente úteis ao sistema capitalista tendem a fortalecer ideias perigosas, como a possível extinção dos cursos de Ciências Humanas dos currículos, bem como afasta a educação de sua prerrogativa fundamental, que é educar para a emancipação”. Palavras-chave: Avaliação. Enem. Ensino de Filosofia. (shrink)

: Throughout its history, pragmatism has served as the bearer of an unsystematic welter of philosophic insights from which varying movements or individuals could abstract bits and pieces as these were seen to serve the cause of their respective, often conflicting, philosophic claims. One common result to be found in these conflicting uses of pragmatic doctrines is a loss of the distinctively pragmatic philosophic vision which defies assimilation and which dissolves in the dismembering of its parts. What such endeavors further (...) have in common is a failure to adequately recognize the nature of the scientific method to which pragmatic thought is linked and which provides the key to the unity of its systematic vision. It is this key which the present paper proposes to use to explore, in broad outlines, the depth and breadth of the pragmatic vision as offering a unique well structured and systematic conceptual paradigm.Key-words: pragmatism, philosophy, scientific method, system, paradigm.Resumo: Por toda a sua história, o pragmatismo serviu como o suporte de um turbilhão assistemático de insights filosóficos, do qual movimentos ou indivíduos variados poderiam abstrair pedaços ou partes quando se considerava que eles serviam à causa de seus respectivos, em geral conflitantes, argumentos filosóficos. Um resultado comum encontrado nesses usos conflitantes das doutrinas pragmáticas é uma perda da visão filosófica distintivamente pragmática que desafia a assimilação e que se dissolve no desmembramento de suas partes. O que tais esforços possuem ainda em comum é um fracasso para reconhecer adequadamente a natureza do método científico ao qual o pensamento pragmático está ligado e que fornece a chave para a unidade de sua visão sistemática. É essa chave que o presente artigo se propõe a utilizar para explorar, em linhas gerais, a profundidade e a dimensão da visão pragmática enquanto esta oferece um paradigma único, bem estruturado e sistemático.Palavras-chave: pragmatismo, filosofia, método científico, sistema, paradigma. (shrink)

O trânsito religioso é indicador de que os “modelos oficiais e religião” têm sido substituídos, ou coexistem com oferenciais religiosos cambiantes, respondendo à demanda dos sujeitos de fé. Os anseios de significação imediata dos sujeitos de fé encontram na “vagabundagem religiosa” sua atitude mais coerente. A vagabundagem semântica dos crentes infiéis é o elemento dinamizador do campo religioso moderno. No presente texto nos propomos a discutir o trânsito religioso de mulheres, suas motivações e as implicações dessa “andança religiosa” para a (...) concepção que estas têm a respeito do sagrado. Para tanto nos utilizamos e dados de nossa pesquisa de campo realizada para a Universidade Católica de Goiás no ano 2000 em Alto Paraíso – GO, bem como de dados obtidos em pesquisa que realizamos para a Universidade Metodista de São Paulo na cidade de São Bernardo do Campo – SP em 2003, como parte do projeto intitulado: “Religiosidade caleidoscópica – nomadismo espiritual: implicações de gênero”. Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram um trânsito maior das mulheres por força das representações de gênero. Palavras-chave: Trânsito religioso; Secularização; Gênero. ABSTRACT Religious transit indicates that ‘official models of religion’ have been replaced, or coexist with mutable religious references, answering the believers’ demand. Their desire for immediate signification finds their most coherent attitude in ‘religious nomadism’. Unfaithful believers’ semantic nomadism is the dynamic element of modern religion. This text discusses women’s religious transit, their motivations and the implications of that ‘religious walk’ to their conception of the sacred. The date used are from a field research for the Universidade Católica de Goiás, developed in Alto Paraíso - State of Goiás, in 2000, and from a research for the Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, carried out in São Bernardo do Campo – State of São Paulo, in 2003, as part of a research project entitled: “Kaleidoscopic religiosity – spiritual nomadism: gender implications”. The results indicate women’s broader transit due to gender representations. Key words: Religious transit; Secularization; Gender. (shrink)

Este artigo analisa a trajetória do Jardim da Infância da Escola Normal de São Paulo idealizada por republicanos paulistas que tinha como projeto a organização e modernização da instrução pública do estado em fins do século XIX. Mesmo fazendo parte do complexo construído para atender a educação do povo, o prédio idealizado para o Jardim da Infância não resistiu às pressões políticas e econômicas, e foi demolido em 1939. As razões da demolição deste prédio que pôs por terra a estrutura (...) física e administrativa da instituição, que teria perdido relevância na história de sua constituição serão apontadas bem como os valores defendidos e praticados que indicavam a suntuosa arquitetura pensada para esta instituição. Razões que levaram ao desmonte dessa escola na década de 1930, com as possíveis consonâncias e dissonâncias entre as autoridades políticas estão indicadas e analisadas. As transformações urbanas e sociais a partir da Proclamação da República aceleraram o crescimento econômico o qual se traduziu em mais capacidade de investimento para a cidade e ajudou a consolidar o desejo da nova elite de produzir um novo espaço urbano para viver. A modernização da cidade acompanhou essa visão. O palco da nova vida devia ser moderno, confortável e bonito. Seduzido pela propaganda oficial estadonovista e fascinado pelas mensagens de progresso, o povo – sem perceber – aplaudiu a agonia da República e saiu às ruas para venerar Getúlio, pai dos pobres. As constantes reformulações do ensino, as transformações urbanísticas e verticalização da cidade possibilitaram a Prestes Maia dar prosseguimento ao seu Plano de Avenidas e ruir com o prédio original e monumental dessa instituição escolar pública de atendimento a primeira infância. (shrink)

Este artigo discute, de forma interdisciplinar, como é possível, em um Estado Democrático de Direito, existir formas de vida expostas às mais diversas possibilidades de violações de direitos e garantias fundamentais, como as das pessoas em situação de rua no Brasil. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar como se deu o início do problema das pessoas em situação de rua no país e como o Estado brasileiro enxerga a questão, e a partir disso refletir como o acesso a direitos impede (...) que estes indivíduos detenham participação na sociedade. Assim, se tratará a hipótese de que as pessoas em situação de rua, do ponto de vista do Estado, por não habitarem o contexto político, econômico e social de forma efetiva não são tratados como seres sujeitos de direitos na ordem pública, o que legitima tomada de decisões que são, em parte, danosas a esta classe e cobertas por um véu falacioso de cuidado com este contingente populacional. Para sustentar e desenvolver este artigo foi utilizada uma metodologia de pesquisa que analisa como se deu a formação da questão no contexto sócio político brasileiro, bem como uma abordagem crítica das bases normativas instituídas em torno da problemática. Ainda, se utilizou das contribuições bibliográficas de autores que escrevem sobre: politização da vida, poder estatal e relações sociais, tais como Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben e Achille Mbembe. (shrink)

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

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:The Annual Meeting of the Society for Buddhist-Christian StudiesSan Diego, California, USA November 21–23, 2014Sandra Costen Kunz, SBCS Secretary and Jonathan A. Seitz, Newsletter EditorThe annual meeting is an opportunity to meet, to reconnect, and to share our work. As a “Related Scholarly Organization” of the American Academy of Religion, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies holds its meetings concurrently with the AAR’s national conference. The SBCS normally organizes two (...) panels and holds board and members meetings. This year’s panels were “Liberation Theology and Engaged Buddhism: Challenging Each Other, Learning from Each Other,” and “Old Buddhist Texts: New Womanist Thought.” The papers from panels are often published in this journal.board meetings (officer and committee reports)The society’s annual board meeting was held on Friday, November 21, and its members meeting Sunday, Nov. 23. The board approved officer reports submitted by the treasurer, Denise Yarbrough, the interim journal editors, Terry Muck and Rita Gross, and the newsletter editor, Jonathan Seitz and the minutes submitted by secretary Sandra Kunz. An extended discussion treated the history of the relationship between the society, the journal, and the University of Hawai’i Press. The board voted to continue publishing with UHP while working out a new memorandum of understanding.We reviewed reports from the Nominating Committee, Streng Book Award Committee, Graduate Student Award Committee, Membership Committee, Social Media and Website Committee, and Program Committee.Nominating CommitteeThe Nominating Committee reported that the governing board terms of Yifa and John Makransky end with this board meeting. John remains on the board as vice president. We discussed nominees for these two board positions.Streng Book Award CommitteeThe Streng Book Award Committee noted that it would be helpful to receive nominations. Thomas Hastings joined the committee and J. Abraham Vélez de Cea was elected to another term. [End Page 207]Graduate Student Award CommitteeKaren Enriquez reported for the Graduate Student Award Committee, noting that although a good paper was selected this year, the problem of paper quality remains. Rita Gross suggested that members with students working in Buddhist-Christian studies should encourage them to present papers at regional AAR meetings and submit these to the award committee. Judith Simmer-Brown suggested we start a subsidiary online journal that would publish, among other things, commentaries on BCS articles, including grad student commentaries. John Makransky suggested that we also post important articles from past issues we see as classics in the field. In light of the board’s enthusiasm about this idea for publishing grad student papers online, and in light of the difficulties of scheduling graduate student award papers within our sessions, John moved that we discontinue the oral presentation of graduate student award papers. Judith seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. John later moved, and Judith seconded the motion, that the board charge Karen, Glenn Willis, and Sarah Swenson to develop a proposal by March for a website that would host a subsidiary peer-reviewed online journal, being sure to articulate how this could promote the society among younger scholars. It passed unanimously.Membership CommitteeReminding us of Jonathan Seitz’s list of past members, John Makransky suggested we send out a membership mailing to them. Sarah Swenson and Alice Keefe were charged with creating a comprehensive distribution list and sending out a mailing asking everyone to join, rejoin, or renew their membership.Social Media and Website CommitteeIn light of our proposal to start a subsidiary online journal, Judith Simmer-Brown was gratefully charged with chairing a new committee with David Gardiner and Glenn Willis, who has been handling Facebook publicity. They will get bids for hiring a professional website designer who can configure it in such a way that we could maintain it ourselves.Program CommitteeJohn Makransky reported briefly on the potential session topics suggested at the lunch meeting. We discussed pros and cons of forming panels of known experts and using AAR’s blind submission process. The discussion ended with general exhortation to scout out scholars with pertinent work to enlarge our pool of presenters.We briefly discussed the pros and cons of organizing an international conference and reviving and regularizing the... (shrink)

The aesthetic category of the sublime has been theorized (especially in the Kantian tradition) as integrally intertwined with the moral. Paradigmatic experiences of the sublime, such as gazing up at the starry night sky, or out at a storm-whipped sea, lead in a moral or religious direction depending on the cognitive stock brought to the experience, since they typically involve a feeling of awe and reflection on the peculiar situation of the human being in nature. The monumental is a similar (...) aesthetic category, integrally intertwined with the political, but, by contrast, has garnered almost no attention from aestheticians. My main goal in this paper is to sketch a theory of ‘the monumental’ as an aesthetic category—one that is a species of the sublime but differs qualitatively from the natural/environmental sublime in significant ways, and thus merits a distinctive label. In doing so, I aim to shed light on the nature and power of monuments specifically, and to begin to address a lacuna in our understanding of a long-standing and culturally important form of public art. (shrink)

In this paper I discuss recent debates concerning etiological theories of functions. I defend an etiological theory against two criticisms, namely the ability to account for malfunction, and the problem of structural doubles. I then consider the arguments provided by Bigelow and Pargetter (1987) for a more forward looking account of functions as propensities or dispositions. I argue that their approach fails to address the explanatory problematic for which etiological theories were developed.

The problem is pain. Patients and their families tell the story:He is your son. You love him. You want to help him in every way you can, but when he is in that kind of pain, you are helpless in a sense. Im his daddy. It was-what was I supposed to do for him? I felt, you know, helpless.It terrifies you. You want to run away from it. Pain is something you wish would kill you but does not. Agony results (...) from the pain that does not have the decency to knock you out.[W]e had a good family, but how much can you watch? How much suffering can you watch from your child, your 7-year-old child, and still keep your mind?I am a forty-six-year-old registered nurse who specializes in oncology care and education. I am also a patient who suffers from chronic nonmalignant pain, and this malady has been the most frightening, the most humiliating, and the most difficult ordeal of my life. (shrink)

This argument has emphasized the professional character of Darwin's early activities, largely in order to balance the usual portrayal of the amateurishness of his early training and field of study. Arguing this way has revealed the interplay between Darwin's personal interests and his professional obligations, the latter being particularly important for the period from October 1836 to July 1837. In several instances, notably the treatment of his collections, the progress of his thought followed the professional lead directly. In the absence (...) of such a lead Darwin did not pursue certain issues, if only for lack of time. Thus the subject of man did not figure in his initial formulation of a transmutationist position. Only after the commitment to the new point of view had been made did the issues emerge which will be treated in Part II of this article. However, we may close by noting Darwin's inherited disposition on the subject: in the summer of 1837 Darwin responded to Lyell's claim that the change from irrational animal to rational man represented “a phenomenon of a distinct kind from the passage from the more simple to the more perfect forms of animal organization and instinct” with a fanciful doodle in the margin.121 The thoughts behind the bemused scribbling were to occupy a good portion of Darwin's time for the next two years. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Balancing Depth and Breadth in Our Conversations:Denver 2022 SBCS Annual MeetingSandra Costen KunzIn 2020 and 2021, due to the corona virus pandemic, the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies (SBCS) held its annual board meeting, members meeting, and paper sessions online. This year, in 2022, we were delighted to meet face-to-face again on November 18–19 in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Because we are (...) an AAR "related scholarly organization," all of our events were scheduled through, and publicized by, AAR's staff. President Mark Unno not only presided at the board's table but also graciously ran a video conference, primarily to accommodate board and committee members who were outside the United States or dealing with travel-prohibiting health issues.The 2020 and 2021 fully online governance meetings, led by then-president Leo Lefebure, had been well organized, well run, highly effective, and a lot of fun. But as I watched the attentive eyes around the table this year and listened to the laughter, empathetic sighs, and plans for follow-up conversations, it seemed to me that meeting in person, in some ways, more powerfully supports the society's aim to foster in-depth Buddhist-Christian dialogue and comparative studies. Mark, then vice president, had organized the 2020 and 2021 online paper sessions carefully for online audiences. We were thrilled that these beautifully crafted and moderated presentations drew audiences that were amazingly broad in terms of both size and diversity. Planned as emergency extensions of the society's efforts to create, through our blog and Facebook page, safe online spaces for Buddhist-Christian dialogue and comparative studies, these sessions drew an international audience whose breadth astounded us! Conversations that had begun in these sessions could not, however, be quickly continued over a meal or coffee. In some ways, they did not appear to me to spark the same depth of ongoing conversation that the SBCS has prompted in our four decades of face-to-face meetings.As the board continues to discuss how to balance our desires for both depth and breadth of conversation among our board, our members, and nonmembers who attend our events, we sincerely welcome the wisdom of members and other readers. You can submit suggestions to: https://www.society-buddhist-christian-studies.org/contact. [End Page 263]board of governors meetingPresident's Opening RemarksCalling this year's board meeting to order a little past 9 a.m., Mark Unno said that he sensed that his father, Taitetsu Unno, "is with us, encouraging and congratulating the society on how far we've come in the past forty years." He recalled his father's participation in the Cobb–Abe dialogues and the network that evolved into the SBCS, and that these initial conversations were often highly theological—and testy—and often involved a translator. Mark is convinced, however, that this early debate was a necessary foundation for developing a more robust mutual learning community. Describing two significant ways the society is modeling collaborative learning, he said:1. We're providing a model of interreligious engagement for other people in our various traditions.2. Although we do have impacts on scholars and general audiences through our AAR sessions, journal, and online resources, our greatest impacts as board members have been on each other! Furthermore, any impact of lasting value will come through our embodiment of deep dialogue and mutual learning.Mark explained that we'd begin with the online European Network report, move to the Japan Society's report, and then to the treasurer's and secretary's reports, both of which would be presented online.International Advisor Report from EuropeElizabeth Harris, representing the European Network of Buddhist Christian Studies, explained that since its formation in the 1990s, its main work has been to hold a conference every other year and publish the papers. EOS Verlag has now published the papers that she and Perry Schmidt-Leukel edited from the 2020 conference titled "A Visionary Approach: Lynn A. de Silva and the Prospects for Buddhist-Christian Encounter." The 2022 conference titled "Euro-Buddhism and the Role of Christianity," whose papers are now being edited... (shrink)

Humans may be the only creatures conscious of having a future, but all too often we would rather not think about it. Likewise, our societies, unable to deal with radical uncertainty, do not make policies with a view to the long term. Instead, we suffer from a sense of powerlessness, collective irrationality, and perennial political discontent. In _The Future and Its Enemies_, Spanish philosopher Daniel Innerarity makes a plea for a new social contract that would commit us to moral and (...) political responsibility with respect to future generations. He urges us to become advocates for the future in the face of enemies who, oblivious to the costs of modernization, press for endless and unproductive acceleration. His accessible book proposes a new way of confronting the unknown—one grounded in the calculation of risk. Declaring the classical right-left divide to be redundant, Innerarity presents his hopes for a renewed democracy and a politics that would find convincing ways to mediate between the priorities of the present, the heritage of the past, and the challenges that lie ahead. (shrink)

Il testo analizza tre diverse declinazioni del concetto di illuminismo nella riflessione hegeliana e cerca di mostrare che l’intento di Hegel è quello di dispiegare un nuovo concetto di ragione, nei confronti del quale la ragione illuminista si presenta come istanza necessaria, ma al contempo incompleta. L’Illuminismo rappresenta un’esperienza storica di negazione dell’esistente che si diffonde come una malattia infettiva che distrugge il corpo collettivo che la ospita, ma che non può e non deve essere arrestata. Piuttosto, l’unico modo di (...) produrre gli anticorpi necessari per superare quel contagio dilagante è attraversare il baratro in cui esso fa sprofondare il legame tra io e mondo, tra particolare e universale. (shrink)

Should journalists resist business constraints they perceive as a threat to their professional integrity? This article suggests that the answer, at least sometimes, is yes. But in choosing a resistance strategy, journalists should not consider the "take this job and shove it" stance as the only option with moral integrity-or even as the best ethical option. This article develops a model of resistance strategies using the experiences of journalists at one newspaper to illustrate the range of options available for resisting (...) business constraints within a news organization. The types of strategies identified vary along the ethical dimensions of (a) consideration of organizational, as well as professional, goals; and (b) openness with regard to journalists' preference for professional goals. (shrink)

This volume portrays the Polish or Lvov-Warsaw School, one of the most influential schools in analytic philosophy, which, as discussed in the thorough introduction, presented an alternative working picture of the unity of science.

Precision medicine relies on data and biospecimens from participants who willingly offer their personal information on the promise that this act will ultimately result in knowledge that will improv...

Kant -- Decomposition -- Meaning and analysis -- A substitutional theory -- Analyticity -- Consequence -- Justification and proof -- A priori knowledge -- Things, collections and numbers -- Frege -- Husserl, logical psychologism, and the theory of knowledge.

Should journalists resist business constraints they perceive as a threat to their professional integrity? This article suggests that the answer, at least sometimes, is yes. But in choosing a resistance strategy, journalists should not consider the "take this job and shove it" stance as the only option with moral integrity-or even as the best ethical option. This article develops a model of resistance strategies using the experiences of journalists at one newspaper to illustrate the range of options available for resisting (...) business constraints within a news organization. The types of strategies identified vary along the ethical dimensions of consideration of organizational, as well as professional, goals; and openness with regard to journalists' preference for professional goals. (shrink)

Adaptation to novel visuomotor transformations for example when navigating a cursor on a computer monitor by using a computer mouse, can be explicit or implicit. Explicit adjustments are made when people are informed about the occurrence and the type of a novel visuomotor transformation and intentionally modify their movements. Implicit adjustments, in contrast, are made without reportable knowledge of a novel visuomotor transformation and without a change intention. The relation of implicit adjustments to explicit adjustments needs further clarification. Here we (...) show that these two types of adjustment occur at the same time and remain functionally independent. The size of total adjustment turned out to be the sum of explicit and implicit adjustments measured in isolation, even when both processes produce opposite outcomes. In perspective our results demonstrate that automatic, implicit processes of motor control are not superseded by intentional, explicit ones, but only superposed. (shrink)

Law wrangles with setting and applying standards for the practice of medicine in many different arenas. One of the most prominent is medical malpractice litigation in which the trial process examines a physician's performance and measures it against the standard of care. The profession's prevailing custom, with some substantial tolerance for “respectable minority” views, has been the gold standard for scrutinizing physician practice and treatment decisions in the malpractice context. Using the profession's custom as the measure against which a physician's (...) performance is judged defers to the expertise of medicine. Deference to the medical profession is attractive as a tool for reining in law. Reliance on customary practice is criticized, however, for driving physicians to the relative safety of the middle of the herd. Creating such a strong incentive for compliance with customary practice can dampen medical innovation and the diffusion of new clinical knowledge. The safety of the herd can also deprive individual patients of the best care in their particular circumstances.Several current trends are strengthening claims that professional practice patterns are an inappropriate tool for distinguishing between high‐quality and substandard care. In particular, advocacy for evidence‐based medicine aggressively asserts that the traditional way of making medical treatment decisions is largely untethered from scientific method or data, rendering professional judgment, even in the aggregate, suspect. (shrink)

The rise of genomic technologies has catalyzed shifts in the health care landscape through the commercialization of genome sequencing and testing services in the genomics marketplace. The development of consumer genomics into a growing array of information technologies aimed at collecting, curating, and broadly sharing personal data and biological materials reconstitutes the meaning of health and reframes patients into biocitizens. In this context, the good biocitizen is expected to assume personal responsibility for health through consumption of genomic information and acquiescence (...) to public and private efforts at data surveillance and aggregation. These shifts raise fundamental questions about how competing interests of the public, the state, and corporate entities will be reconciled and what trade‐offs are demanded for the promise of precision health. (shrink)

The capacity to treat pain has never been greater; but, as you will read in the articles that follow, the problem of undertreated and neglected pain in the United States persists. Deep-seated perceptions and practices undergird this strong and well-documented pattern of neglect. Among the reasons frequently noted for the inadequacy of treatment for pain, however, is that the legal system actually penalizes effective interventions to relieve pain while it leaves neglect of pain unthreatened. It is the mission of the (...) American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics to explore areas, such as this one, where developments in medicine directly encounter the law and, in turn, create ethical issues for clinicians, regulators, patients, and lawyers.This special issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics is part of a multi-year project in which ASLME, with the wonderful support of the Mayday Fund, has worked to address legal and regulatory barriers to effective pain relief. (shrink)

This article examines the nature and structure of witness and defendant narrative accounts in the evidential portions of courtroom trials, using the O.J. Simpson, Oklahoma Bombers and Louise Woodward trials as a database. The article proposes a means of distinguishing narrative from non-narrative accounts, using Labov's definition of the `minimal narrative' as a starting point, and puts forward a modified model of narrative structure. A range of narrative structures are explored, and the model is used to analyse a series of (...) representative example narratives taken from the trial data. Different types of narrative fragmentation produced by multiple tellers of the same narrative are also examined, along with the frequent disjunction between `tellers' and `knowers'. Lastly, the article explores the relationship between narrative structures and narrative fragmentation and the discourse strategies used by lawyers in direct and cross-examination. (shrink)

Scholarship has intrinsic value, of course; but when good scholarship can stimulate change for the better in an area as fundamental to human dignity as health care and the relief of suffering, there is a special satisfaction. This has been our experience since 1996, when the first of now four special issues of this journal focused on legal, regulatory, ethical, professional, and financial issues in medical treatment for pain.With the generous and steadfast support of the Mayday Fund, the American Society (...) of Law, Medicine & Ethics has generated a significant body of scholarship published in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. This research has proven absolutely essential in changing public policy to support better care for those who suffer pain.Over these years, the Mayday Project at ASLME has tackled many of the real and perceived barriers to effective pain relief. In pain management, both real and perceived obstacles can have a powerful negative effect. (shrink)

In this paper we evaluate two sets of theistic arguments against the traditional position that Cod created with absolute freedom. The first set features several variations of Leibniz’s basic proof that Cod must create the best possible world. The arguments in the second set base the claim that Cod must create on the Platonic or Dionysian principle that goodness is essentially self-diffusive. We argue that neither the Leibnizian nor the Dionysian arguments are successful.