This paper explores the nature of trust in nurse–patient relationships from the perspective of the patient's trust in the nurse and what might be said to then render such a relationship trustworthy, from the patient's point of view. The paper commences with a general examination of the nature of trust, followed by consideration of the nature of professional–patient relationships in healthcare, with emphasis on nurse– patient relationships in particular. The nature of this relationship is used to provide grounds for arguing, (...) both morally and conceptually, that the nature of patients’ trust in those who nurse them is generally such that for the nurse to respond in a trustworthy way, she must care about her patients, not just for them. In arriving at this conclusion, the paper deliberately restricts its focus to nurse–patient encounters where patients are adults and a relationship, as opposed to a brief engagement between two people, can be said to have taken place. The context for this focus is public sector health care in the United Kingdom. In the text, gendered pronouns referring to doctors, nurses and patients are meant to be inclusive of both sexes. (shrink)

This article examines one aspect of the criticism of inauthenticity that can be levelled against the trustworthiness of professional relationships in general and nurse-patient relationships in particular. The overall question is: are such relationships inherently trustworthy or untrustworthy, from the patient’s point of view? The author concludes that, in spite of legitimate grounds for concern, and while it remains true that nurse-patient relationships may be untrustworthy, they are not inherently so for reasons of inauthenticity relating to emotional labour. The arguments (...) used to defend this claim take their force from the idea that different criteria may be needed to assess the authenticity of nurse-patient relationships from those used to evaluate authenticity in ordinary social relationships. The utility of Hochschild’s idea of ‘deep’ acting, as offering a useful model for the management of emotions in nursing, is examined and rejected. (shrink)

Background Speech understanding may rely not only on auditory, but also on visual information. Non-invasive functional neuroimaging techniques can expose the neural processes underlying the integration of multisensory processes required for speech understanding in humans. Nevertheless, noise (from fMRI) limits the usefulness in auditory experiments, and electromagnetic artefacts caused by electronic implants worn by subjects can severely distort the scans (EEG, fMRI). Therefore, we assessed audio-visual activation of temporal cortex with a silent, optical neuroimaging technique: functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods (...) We studied temporal cortical activation as represented by concentration changes of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin in four, easy-to-apply fNIRS optical channels of 33 normal-hearing adult subjects and 5 post-lingually deaf cochlear implant (CI) users in response to supra-threshold unisensory auditory and visual, as well as to congruent auditory-visual speech stimuli. Results Activation effects were not visible from single fNIRS channels. However, by discounting physiological noise through reference channel subtraction, auditory, visual and audiovisual speech stimuli evoked concentration changes for all sensory modalities in both cohorts (p<0.001). Auditory stimulation evoked larger concentration changes than visual stimuli (p<0.001). A saturation effect was observed for the audiovisual condition. Conclusions Physiological, systemic noise can be removed from fNIRS signals by reference channel subtraction. The observed multisensory enhancement of an auditory cortical channel can be plausibly described by a simple addition of the auditory and visual signals with saturation. (shrink)

This article suggests that there is a relationship between successfully maintaining integrity in nursing and the practical provision of opportunities for shared reflection offered by good clinical supervision. In order to establish this case, I will first give some definitions and then proceed to consider how these ideas relate conceptually. The article makes no attempt to offer empirical research as confirmation, but provides a conceptual and moral argument making use of anecdotes for puposes of clarification and illumination. It is the (...) author’s belief that, if it is understood and implemented properly, clinical supervision offers a radical challenge to nursing’s existing culture. If nurses are interested in the survival of the profession, it is perhaps a challenge that has to be addressed. (shrink)

This article explores the question of whether or not the ‘art’ of nursing can properly be described as an ‘aesthetics’. The author concludes that, although much nursing literature on the subject is confused and even incoherent, there is nevertheless some justification for seeing a connection between the art of nursing and aesthetics. The philosophical writings of Martha Nussbaum and Iris Murdoch are used to support this position.

This paper explores the issue of the serving of food in hospital from both a moral and a philosophical point of view. The concepts of 'having a meal' and of 'feeling nourished by food' are examined; it is suggested that the former is a necessary condition for the latter. The implications of this for nursing care are considered and it is argued that there is a moral imperative for us to try and serve 'meals', rather than simply 'food' to patients. (...) The importance of this is highlighted by current concerns about malnutrition in hospital. (shrink)

This research project investigated manifestations of critical thinking in pupils 10 to 12 years of age during their group discussions held in the context of Philosophy for Children Adapted to Mathematics. The objective of the research project was to examine, through the pupils' discussions, the development of dialogical critical thinking processes. The research was conducted during an entire school year. The research method was based on the Grounded Theory approach; the material used consisted of transcripts of verbal exchanges among the (...) pupils. Analysis of the transcripts revealed that: critical thinking appears to the extent that a 'dia-logue' is established among pupils; on the cognitive level, dialogical critical thinking is comprised of four thinking modes: logical, creative, responsible and meta-cognitive; and on the epistemological level, dialogical critical thinking is only manifested in a context where egocentricity of perspective and relativism of beliefs are transcended. (shrink)

To commemorate 40 years since the founding of the Journal of Business Ethics, the editors in chief of the journal have invited the editors to provide commentaries on the future of business ethics. This essay comprises a selection of commentaries aimed at creating dialogue around the theme Ethics at the centre of global and local challenges. For much of the history of the Journal of Business Ethics, ethics was seen within the academy as a peripheral aspect of business. However, in (...) recent years, the stakes have risen dramatically, with global and local worlds destabilized by financial crisis, climate change, internet technologies and artificial intelligence, and global health crises. The authors of these commentaries address these grand challenges by placing business ethics at their centre. What if all grand challenges were framed as grand ethical challenges? Tanusree Jain, Arno Kourula and Suhaib Riaz posit that an ethical lens allows for a humble response, in which those with greater capacity take greater responsibility but remain inclusive and cognizant of different voices and experiences. Focussing on business ethics in connection to the grand challenge of environmental emergencies, Steffen Böhm introduces the deceptively simple yet radical position that business is nature, and nature is business. His quick but profound side-step from arguments against human–nature dualism to an ontological undoing of the business–nature dichotomy should have all business ethics scholars rethinking their “business and society” assumptions. Also, singularly concerned with the climate emergency, Boudewijn de Bruin posits a scenario where, 40 years from now, our field will be evaluated by its ability to have helped humanity emerge from this emergency. He contends that Milieudefensie v. Royal Dutch Shell illustrates how human rights take centre stage in climate change litigation, and how business ethics enters the courtroom. From a consumer ethics perspective, Deirdre Shaw, Michal Carrington and Louise Hassan argue that ecologically sustainable and socially just marketplace systems demand cultural change, a reconsideration of future interpretations of “consumer society”, a challenge to the dominant “growth logic” and stimulation of alternative ways to address our consumption needs. Still concerned with global issues, but turning attention to social inequalities, Nelarine Cornelius links the capability approach to global and corporate governance, arguing that CA will continue to lie at the foundation of human development policy, and, increasingly, CSR and corporate governance. Continuing debate on the grand challenges associated with justice and equality, Laurence Romani identifies a significant shift in the centrality of business ethics in debates on managing differences, positing that dialogue between diversity management and international management can ground future debate in business ethics. Finally, the essay concludes with a commentary by Charlotte Karam and Michelle Greenwood on the possibilities of feminist-inspired theories, methods, and positionality for many spheres of business ethics, not least stakeholder theory, to broaden and deepen its capacity for nuance, responsiveness, and transformation. In the words of our commentators, grand challenges must be addressed urgently, and the Journal of Business Ethics should be at the forefront of tackling them. (shrink)

La pratique de la divination, telle que Xénophon l’expose tout au long de l’Anabase, est la mise en œuvre d’un mode de communication avec les dieux qui peut emprunter des formes diverses, mais dont la principale est le sacrifice et l’observation des signes positifs ou négatifs, offerts par les victimes. Elle suppose une bienveillance de la divinité toujours prête, semble-t-il, à répondre aux questions posées par les hommes, dans le domaine public comme dans le privé, pourvu que ces questions soient (...) légitimes. Le reste de l’œuvre relève de la même conception, influencée par Socrate, comme le suggèrent les Mémorables, et trouve son origine dans la consultation de l’oracle de Delphes, au moment de son départ pour l’expédition organisée par Cyrus et qui deviendra l’expédition dite des Dix Mille.Divination, as described by Xenophon in the Anabasis, represents a means of communication with the gods, which can take several forms. The offer of a sacrifice is the first of these, with the observation of the signs given by the victims. This practice assumes that the gods are kind and that they are always ready to respond to questions posed by people either in public or in private, if these questions are legitimate. The same idea, influenced by Socrates, is found in all Xenophon’s works, as evidenced in the Memorabilia, beginning with Xenophon’s consultation of the Delphic oracle on joining Cyrus’ expedition, which would known as the “Ten Thousand” expedition. (shrink)

Les 18 cahiers inédits des « Études psychologiques sur moi-même » écrits entre 1862 et 1876 sont caractéristiques de ces écritures de l’intime qui connaissent un déploiement certain dans la sphère privée et un succès éditorial dans la sphère publique au XIXe siècle. Premières écritures tardiennes, si ces cahiers représentent pour Tarde un support matériel pour une écriture et une lecture de soi, ils nous plongent aussi dans le laboratoire intérieur de Tarde où la pratique d’une introspection à visée scientifique (...) se construit et s’affirme comme la genèse d’une véritable méthode de travail de la pensée tardienne en devenir. (shrink)

The reality of spirits? A historiography of the Akan concept of 'mind' (La réalité des esprits: Vers une historiographie de la conception akan de l'esprit). In this article the following thesis is considered: the classifications used to define African Indigenous Religions are 'inventions' of Western scholars of religion who employ categories that are entirely "non-indigenous". The author investigates the presumptions of this statement and discusses the work of scholars of religion studying the Akan and in particular the Akan concept of (...) mind. In the analytic philosophical tradition the precise meaning of Akan concepts of mind such as okra and sunsum, described by various scholars of religion in different eras, are reviewed. The pre-colonial, colonial and the postcolonial era all have had specific influence on the conceptualisation of the mind. On the basis of an historiography of the Akan mind the author concludes that, contrary to the originally thesis under review, 'cultural background' and 'academic discipline' are relatively unimportant in the classification of 'indigenous religions'. The 'paradigm' prevailing within a discipline , 'personal belief' and the spatio-temporal context in which conceptualisations are created, turn out to be far more significant. (shrink)

Dans un premier temps, l’auteur accuse le ministère canadien de la Santé de travailler insidieusement au démantèlement de la Direction générale de la protection de la santé pour dorénavant confier la responsabilité de veiller à la sécurité des aliments et des médicaments à l’industrie privée. Face à cette dangereuse déresponsabilisation des pouvoirs publics, l’auteur reproche ensuite aux instances éthiques leur instrumentalisation politique. Par opposition, il importe de mettre en place une éthique de la responsabilité, chien de garde des instances publiques (...) de recherche, d’examen et de contrôle. (shrink)

L'environnement numérique oblige à revoir les modèles sur lesquels se fondent les sciences de l'information et de la communication. La pensée du signe, du message et du document doit en effet évoluer vers une pensée de la traçabilité. Indicielle et détachable, automatique et malléable, la trace est un objet paradoxal, qui atteste le caractère indissociablement technique et politique de la présence numérique. Dans le règne de l'information sur mesure, la personnalisation nous rend plus actifs, tout en nous exposant au profilage. (...) Elle va jusqu'à redéfinir l'identité comme une collection de traces que nous devons apprendre à protéger, mais aussi à administrer. Cette nouvelle économie des empreintes enchevêtre les hiérarchies entre stock et flux comme entre contenu et relation. Recyclant nous-mêmes les traces que d'autres ont déposées, c'est désormais dans l'ombre numérique de la cité que nous sommes appelés à naviguer. Au-delà de la défense de la vie privée, il en va donc aussi de la mémoire et de l'oubli qui nous relient.The digital environment is forcing us to re-think the models on which media studies and information science are based. Theories of signs, messages and documents need to evolve towards reflections on traceability. Traces are paradoxical objects: linked to the personal yet detachable, automatic yet malleable, they bear witness to the inextricable links between the technical and the political in the digital sphere. In an age of "customized information", personalization makes people more active, and also exposes them to profiling, to the point where identity is being redefined as a collection of traces which we must learn to protect, and also to manage. This new economy based on digital "footprints" is overturning the hierarchical relationships between stock and flow, and between content and interaction. As we ourselves recycle the traces that others have left, we are having to find our way through the shadowlands of digital citizenship. Over and above privacy protection, what is at issue are the memories, but also the forgetting, that bind us to each other. (shrink)

Quelle lumière l'idée d'athéisme et la figure de l'athée jettent-elle sur les concepts de tolérance, de liberté de conscience et de laïcité? Pour répondre à cette question, cet ouvrage fait le choix d'éclairer le présent par une perspective historique, en analysant la manière dont l'athéisme est apparu et s'est développé dans le questionnement théologico-politique et philosophique depuis le XVIIe siècle."--Page 4 of cover.

Comme chacun sait, nous vivons à une époque où le changement est une donnée fondamentale de I’ action et aussi de Ia pensée. De ce point de vue, il est bizarre de penser que des hommes, disons des philosophes, aient non seulement posé l'immutabilité comme critère constitutif de Ia vérité mais en outre qu'ils aient défendu ce critère selon les règles de l'éloquence, avec un succès public notoire. En effet, dire d'un concept qu'il se définit au sein d'une rhétorique c'est (...) dire, entre autres choses, qu'il présente, aux yeux du locuteur qui le propose avec succès, une valeur et une importance qui peuvent être montrées. Encore une fois, dans un monde où le changement est devenu banal, Ia défense efficace de l'immutabilité est non seulement un anachronisme: elle est bizarre. (shrink)

This paper is as much about a particular depiction of the tribune P. Sulpicius Rufus as it is about Cicero's De Oratore, a dialogue regularly called upon by historians to give evidence on the 90s b.c. and the characters who take part in the conversation it depicts. My main focus is literary: I will argue that, given what we know about the historical Sulpicius, Cicero's choice of Sulpicius for a prominent minor role in De Oratore drives the tragic historical framework (...) that undercuts the optimism expressed within the dialogue by the main protagonist L. Licinius Crassus for the civic value of oratory. The Rhetorica ad Herennium illustrates a certain type of allegory with the statement ‘as if one should call Drusus a “faded reflection of the Gracchi”’. In De Oratore, Drusus’ friend and successor Sulpicius functions as a reflection of the Gracchi and his eloquence reinforces the problem posed by such orators as the notoriously eloquent Gaius Gracchus for any such grand claims about the civic value of oratory. By examining Cicero's use of relatively recent history, we therefore discover that De Oratore is significantly more pessimistic than it may at first seem. This pessimism, however, has important implications for historians, since expanding our understanding of De Oratore as a literary construct should encourage historians to be significantly more cautious about using the text as a historical source. As Görler points out with regard to Crassus’ swansong at De or. 3.4–5, although ‘a naive reader of Oratorum Romanorum Fragmenta could be left with the impression that some sentences are quite well attested’, most of the fragments of Crassus’ speech can actually be traced back to De Oratore. Likewise, a significant proportion of the standard elements in Sulpicius’ backstory go back to De Oratore and become a great deal less convincing once we accept De Oratore as a sustained fictional account featuring people who were neither as politically ‘safe’ nor as intellectually united as Cicero would have them be. My secondary focus in this paper is therefore on the broader lessons to be drawn from Sulpicius’ role in De Oratore. I will begin by outlining the historical context of the dialogue, which was written in the mid 50s but is set in 91, a few weeks before the natural death of Crassus, one of its two protagonists. Next, I will discuss the dialogue's literary context, specifically the Platonic allusions Cicero embeds within the text. These allusions encourage us to treat De Oratore’s historical framework carefully, if not sceptically, and I will outline the ‘off notes’ struck by references to the Gracchi and by the presentation of Crassus and Antonius before examining the problem Sulpicius poses for a straightforwardly optimistic reading of De Oratore. I will conclude by considering first the literary implications for De Oratore of accepting that Sulpicius is a deliberately problematic character and then the historical implications of taking a sceptical approach towards De Oratore as an historical source for our picture of Sulpicius. (shrink)

Prenant appui sur une récente expérience dans le cadre d’une alliance de recherche universités-communautés (ARUC) impliquant quelques communautés innues du Québec, cet article aborde certains des enjeux propres à une éthique collaborative. La relation de recherche entre autochtones et allochtones demeure profondément marquée par l’histoire et par la tradition scientifique occidentale. Dans un contexte ou plusieurs communautés et organisations autochtones élaborent des protocoles et lignes directrices portant sur l’éthique et les pratiques de recherche, et ou les chercheurs se tournent vers (...) des approches qui se veulent plus inclusives et des méthodologies davantage participatives, cette réflexion vise a mettre en évidence le pouvoir critique de la collaboration, les obstacles et les limites sur lesquels elle se heurte actuellement, et aussi son potentiel de transformation, voire de guérison individuelle et collective. (shrink)

Responsibility within life science research is a highly scrutinised field. Increasingly, scientists are presented with a range of duties and expectations regarding their conduct within the research setting. In many cases, these duties are presented deontologically, forgoing extensive discussion on how these are practically implemented into the minutiae of daily research practices. This de-contextualized duty has proven problematic when it comes to practical issues of compliance, however it is not often considered as a fundamental aspect of building ethics discourse. This (...) paper examines this issue in detail, particularly focusing on how differences in the contrasts between the ideal and real physical research environments cause conceptual problems for scientists and retard ethical engagement. Such issues are particularly pertinent in low- and middle-income countries. This paper combines theoretical and empirical analyses using the concept of “dual-use” as a focalizing topic. The data show that the research environment acts as an intimate component in the interpretation and implementation of ethical actions. (shrink)

L'environnement numérique oblige à revoir les modèles sur lesquels se fondent les sciences de l'information et de la communication. La pensée du signe, du message et du document doit en effet évoluer vers une pensée de la traçabilité. Indicielle et détachable, automatique et malléable, la trace est un objet paradoxal, qui atteste le caractère indissociablement technique et politique de la présence numérique. Dans le règne de l'information sur mesure, la personnalisation nous rend plus actifs, tout en nous exposant au profilage. (...) Elle va jusqu'à redéfinir l'identité comme une collection de traces que nous devons apprendre à protéger, mais aussi à administrer. Cette nouvelle économie des empreintes enchevêtre les hiérarchies entre stock et flux comme entre contenu et relation. Recyclant nous-mêmes les traces que d'autres ont déposées, c'est désormais dans l'ombre numérique de la cité que nous sommes appelés à naviguer. Au-delà de la défense de la vie privée, il en va donc aussi de la mémoire et de l'oubli qui nous relient. (shrink)

Dans cet article, la question de l'immobilisme est abordée à la suite d'un détour par la description sommaire de diverses tendances féministes regroupées sous les catégories de féminismes de revendication, féminismes de libération et féminismes d'affirmation de la différence. Cette présentation permet de retracer une histoire des femmes et de leurs mouvements. À la suite de ce tour d'horizon, l'auteure essaie d'analyser le trait d'immobilisme dont on taxe les femmes et que l'on retrouve même, à des degrés et à des (...) titres divers, dans de nombreuses thèses féministes. S'agit-il d'une caractéristique spécifiquement féminine ou cette constatation dépend-elle du lieu d'énonciation ? Quelques hypothèses sont envisagées pour ouvrir la question.In this article the issue of immobility is dealt with following a brief digressive description of the various femenists leanings, regrouped into categories of protest feminism, liberation feminism, and feminism assertive of difference. This presentation makes it possible to relate a history of women and their movements. Following this general survey, the author attemps to analyse the trait of immobility of wich women are accused and wich is found in many feminist argumentations to various degrees and under various labels. Is this a specifically feminine trait or does this observation depend on the context of uttering. Several hypotheses are considered in dealing with this issue. (shrink)

The Catholic Church assumed vast power and influence in early twentieth century Ireland based on political, social and religious developments in the course of the nineteenth century. The first Irish governments under Costello and de Valera were deferential in relation to the power and place of the Catholic Church in Irish life. The 1950s represented the final phase of the dominance of the Catholic Church. Since then, a wide variety of influences from emigration to the mass media to issues related (...) to family planning have undermined the social framework of Church dominance in Irish life. By highlighting the ideas and arguments of priests and prelates, this article summarizes the remarkable changes that have come to Ireland undermining the status and privilege of the Church in Irish politics and society. (shrink)

Dans les débats suscités par les écrits de Thomas Kuhn, je me suis intéressée au caractère habituellement non thématisé d'une objection levée contre sa théorie des paradigmes, ainsi qu'au caractère ambigu de la réfutation que lui apporte Kuhn. L'objection porte sur le rapprochement abusif que la théorie des paradigmes opérerait entre l'homme de science et l'homme ordinaire, comme si pour Kuhn la science relevait du bon sens. De son côté, et en dépit de la fréquence de ses références à l'homme (...) ordinaire, Kuhn déclare que cette interprétation de sa théorie n'est pas pertinente. (shrink)

This article explores issues involved in representing Buddhism in museums, drawing on the author’s experience of curating the Buddhism display at the World Museum Liverpool. It is concerned with processes of de-contextualization and re-contextualization, focussing on whether sacred images become divested of their religious functions once they enter a museum or if, instead, the gallery can be considered an alternative arena for contemplation. The article begins by reviewing the literature on museums and the sacred. It discusses the lack of concern (...) historically for religion in museums, noting how sacred objects have tended to be ‘secularized’ in exhibitionary contexts. It then examines the Buddhism display at the World Museum Liverpool, part of the permanent World Cultures gallery which opened in 2005, with its reconstructions of a shrine, an altar and a protective chapel — this is a museological environment which deliberately evokes the atmosphere of a temple. (shrink)

L’objectif principal de cet article est d’initier la réflexion à propos du rôle que joue l’animal dans l’éthique aristotélicienne. La plupart des études consacrées à ce sujet expliquent comment l’animal est exclu de la morale, ou encore traitent du travers qu’Aristote nomme «bestialité». Ces perspectives, toutefois, sont réductrices dans la mesure où l’animal apparaît dans les Éthiques autrement que pour servir de repoussoir. Nous nous proposons donc d’éclairer les raisons pour lesquelles le Stagirite fait intervenir l’animal dans ses traités de (...) morale en déterminant les fonctions qu’il remplit. Les textes considérés à cette fin sont les exposés nicomachéen et eudémien concernant les vertus morales de courage et de tempérance, lesquels, de l’avis général, sont particulièrement intéressés au règne animal. L’étude prendra la forme d’un bestiaire, où chaque notice détaillera le contexte d’introduction de l’animal en question, la fonction qu’il vise ainsi que les enjeux que sa présence soulève. (shrink)

In Québec, the Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information provides an exception to transparency to most public institutions where public health research is conducted by allowing them to not disclose their uses of personal data. This exceptionalism is ethically problematic due to important concerns and we argue that all those who conduct research should be transparent and accountable for the work they do in the public interest.