This study examined possible ways to ensure that participants provide fully informed consent for online surveys. Participants were randomly assigned to read either a traditional informed consent or one of three modified versions: enhanced, consent for each key element, or a combination of these two. Those who read the combination version scored higher on a comprehension quiz, guessed at fewer questions, and were more likely to read all of the informed consent than those who received the traditional version. These findings (...) suggest that comprehension can be improved by adopting alternatives to the traditional informed consent. (shrink)

Objectives—While clinical practice is complicated by many ethical dilemmas, clinicians do not often request ethics consultations. We therefore investigated what triggers clinicians' requests for ethics consultation. Design—Cross-sectional telephone survey.Setting—Internal medicine practices throughout the United States.Participants—Randomly selected physicians practising in internal medicine, oncology and critical care.Main measurements—Socio-demographic characteristics, training in medicine and ethics, and practice characteristics; types of ethical problems that prompt requests for consultation, and factors triggering consultation requests. Results—One hundred and ninety of 344 responding physicians (55%) reported requesting ethics (...) consultations. Physicians most commonly reported requesting ethics consultations for ethical dilemmas related to end-of-life decision making, patient autonomy issues, and conflict. The most common triggers that led to consultation requests were: 1) wanting help resolving a conflict; 2) wanting assistance interacting with a difficult family, patient, or surrogate; 3) wanting help making a decision or planning care, and 4) emotional triggers. Physicians who were ethnically in the minority, practised in communities under 500,000 population, or who were trained in the US were more likely to request consultations prompted by conflict. Conclusions—Conflicts and other emotionally charged concerns trigger consultation requests more commonly than other cognitively based concerns. Ethicists need to be prepared to mediate conflicts and handle sometimes difficult emotional situations when consulting. The data suggest that ethics consultants might serve clinicians well by consulting on a more proactive basis to avoid conflicts and by educating clinicians to develop mediation skills. (shrink)

Although Gene Sharp was a pacifist, he was also, in the last few decades of the 20th century, the initial framer of a new methodology of political and social struggle, which is now often referred to as civil resistance. Organizers of successful people’s movements in Poland, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, Mali, Ukraine, Tunisia and a score of other countries in the last thirty years pushed out rights-violating rulers and did so without resort to violence.

The practice of nonphysician ethicist-consultants giving ethics advice concerning the appropriate medical treatment of patients in hospitals is a relatively recent development. Although only a minority of hospitals make substantial use of any formal ethics consulting service, the number is growing and apparently will continue to do so. Indeed, at least among urban teaching hospitals, some sort of ethics consulting service is increasingly commonplace.

Clinical Study Agreements can have profound effects both on the protection of human subjects and on the independence of investigators to conduct research with scientific integrity. Sponsors, institutions, and even investigators may fail to give adequate attention to these issues in the negotiation of CSAs. Despite the key role of CSAs in structuring ethically important aspects of research, they remain largely unregulated and unreviewed for adherence to ethical norms. Academic institutions routinely enter into research contracts that fail to meet adequate (...) ethical standards. This is a failing that can have serious consequences.Accordingly, it is necessary that some independent body have the authority both to review research contracts for compliance with norms of subject protection and ethical integrity, and to reject studies that fail to meet ethical standards. Such review should take place prior to the start of research, not later. Because of its expertise and authority, the institutional ethics review board is the appropriate body to undertake such review. Much recent commentary has focused on contractual restrictions on the investigator’s freedom to publish research findings. The Olivieri experience, and that of other investigators, has brought freedom of publication issues into sharp focus. Clinical study agreements also raise a number of other ethical issues relating to human subjects and research integrity, however, including disclosures relating to patient safety, data analysis and reporting, budget, confidentiality, and premature termination of the study. This paper describes the ethical issues at stake in structuring such agreements and suggests ethical standards to guide institutional ethics review. (shrink)

Les premiers travaux réalisés sur les effets du confinement du printemps 2020 sur les enfants ont établi que ceux qui étaient en résidence alternée l’avaient mieux vécu que les autres. L’objectif de cet article est de comprendre pourquoi. À partir de l’enquête Sapris et plus particulièrement du sous-échantillon des enfants âgés de 8-9 ans des cohortes Elfe et Epipage2, nous comparons les conséquences du confinement sur les enfants selon la structure familiale dans laquelle ils vivaient. Continu dans les familles nucléaires, (...) le temps familial est habituellement beaucoup plus fractionné entre les résidences des parents pour les enfants de familles séparées. Le confinement est venu transformer les expériences habituelles du temps familial pour les enfants, aussi bien dans son organisation que dans sa texture. Il a modifié leur cadre de vie ordinaire, en réorganisant leurs occupations au quotidien et en modifiant leurs relations avec leurs parents. En observant particulièrement les différences apparues entre les résidences alternées qui ont continué et celles qui ont été interrompues, nous montrons que si les mouvements réguliers des enfants ont pu constituer une respiration bienvenue pour les différents acteurs concernés, les alternances interrompues ont ouvert des espaces exceptionnels dans lesquels il a été possible de renouer avec des formes passées de continuité familiale. (shrink)

Bajo el título «Utopías, distopías y otras nostalgias», la cuarta edición del Congreso de Pensamiento Interdisciplinar, organizado por alumnos del grado de Filosofía, Política y Economía de la Alianza 4 Universidades, abordó el controvertido fenómeno woke, una supuesta mezcla de izquierda identitaria y progresismo políticamente correcto al que se acusa de promover la censura y la llamada «cultura de la cancelación». Sobre esta cuestión conversaron la escritora y filósofa Elizabeth Duval, la investigadora Ayme Román y el director académico y profesor (...) del Instituto Superior de Sociología, Economía y Política (ISSEP), Miguel Ángel Quintana Paz, en un debate moderado por dos de los alumnos organizadores del congreso, Guzmán Díez e Isabel Rodríguez. (shrink)

To address the issue of the growing need for measuring populist attitudes, researchers have proposed several instruments with different theoretical backgrounds in conceptualizing the construct. This study aimed to verify the psychometric properties of the recently developed Three-dimensional populist scale by Shultz and her associates. As opposed to scales which define populist attitudes as uni-dimensional constructs, this one is based on the presumption that it is a latent higher-order construct with three distinct first-order dimensions. The convenient sample was comprised of (...) 535 participants, all ethnic Macedonians (53.1% women) from 25 urban (52.6% from the capital city) and 15 rural areas of the country, with average age M = 36.2 (SD = 12.4) and mostly (65%) with completed high school. All participants voluntarily answered the set of selected instruments which included two populist attitudes scales, several other scales the measure related variables and demographic data. The psychometric characteristics of the instrument in this particular cultural context were explored by performing item-analysis, factor analysis and testing the proposed hypotheses generated on the basis of previous relevant research. Results confirmed the three-dimensional structure of the Shultz’s scale with excellent fit indicators, while the Alpha coefficients showed acceptable reliability of the scale and its subscales. The construct dimensions exhibit significant associations with other measures expected to be related to populist attitudes endorsement. It was concluded that the Shultz et al. three-dimensional scale on populist attitudes translated in Macedonian is adequate to be used as a measure of this variable and that its efficacy for predicting electoral choices should be further scrutinized. (shrink)

Modern sovereignty is anthropocentric, constituted and organized by reference to human beings alone. Although a metaphysical assumption, anthropocentrism is of immense practical import, enabling modern states to command loyalty and resources from their subjects in pursuit of political projects. It has limits, however, which are brought clearly into view by the authoritative taboo on taking UFOs seriously. UFOs have never been systematically investigated by science or the state, because it is assumed to be known that none are extraterrestrial. Yet in (...) fact this is not known, which makes the UFO taboo puzzling given the ET possibility. Drawing on the work of Giorgio Agamben, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Derrida, the puzzle is explained by the functional imperatives of anthropocentric sovereignty, which cannot decide a UFO exception to anthropocentrism while preserving the ability to make such a decision. The UFO can be "known" only by not asking what it is. (shrink)

Business Ethics, the Environment &Responsibility, Volume 32, Issue 3, Page 877-881, July 2023.

Research shows that commitment-based interventions are among the most effective strategies to encourage pro-environmental behaviors, but methods to elicit commitments from a large number of individuals are often costly and unrealistic. Predictions requests—a commitment-type strategy—are an effective mass-communication strategy and have the potential to influence pro-environmental behavior among large audiences. This research is the first to demonstrate that prediction requests in a consumer behavior context influence preference for environmentally friendly products. In addition, this research examines the role of individual and (...) contextual factors in influencing the efficacy of prediction requests. Study 1 shows that exposure to an advertisement with a prediction request leads to increased preferences for environmentally sustainable household cleaning products, compared to a control advertisement, and that this effect is greater when the prediction request is paired with an audience cue . Study 2 indicates that the effect of prediction requests on preference for sustainable products is greater for individuals with interdependent self-construal. Substantive implications and directions for future research are discussed. (shrink)

The effects of aging on the cognitive and affective dimensions of theory of mind , and on the latter’s links with other cognitive processes, such as information processing speed, executive functions and episodic memory, are still unclear. We therefore investigated these effects in young , middle-aged and older adults , using separate subjective and objective assessment tasks. Furthermore, a novel composite task probed participants’ abilities to infer both cognitive and affective mental states in an interpersonal context. Although age affected the (...) objective ToM tests, results revealed a direct aging effect on the second-order ToM, but an indirect one on the first-order cognitive ToM, mediated mainly by age-related declines in executive functions. This study supports the notion of an age-related distinction between subjective and objective assessments of ToM, and confirms that ToM is a complex mental ability with several characteristics reliant to some extent on executive processes. (shrink)

In Vanuatu, small-scale farmers’ subsistence still largely relies on the sustainable use and maintenance of a wide-ranging biodiversity out of which root and tuber crops provide the bulk of daily subsistence. In neighboring countries, foreign influence since the first European contacts, further associated changes and the introduction of new crop species have induced a loss of cultivated diversity. This paper presents a baseline study of the diversity of root and tuber crops in ten communities throughout Vanuatu. In a context where (...) the smallholders’ agrosystems are increasingly considered as key components for the global conservation of crop genetic resources, this study provides clues to better understand the effective roles of biodiversity in traditional agrosystems. It also provides insights on the rationale behind the constitution of agricultural portfolios and discusses how the cultivated diversity allows communities to cope with changes and pressures. The paper also shows that recently introduced crops neither seem to have compromised agricultural diversity nor drastically changed the agrosystems in Vanuatu. On the contrary, such crops are used by farmers to strengthen the resilience of their agrosystems. A discussion then presents the idea of continuity through change and novelty as a critical factor for resilience. The paper concludes by discussing the role of indigenous agriculture and culture in ensuring food security and in development strategies in a larger context. (shrink)

A systematic philosophy that presupposes an ecocentric world view, rather than a homocentric or egocentric world view, can be a viable resource for investigating issues in environmental philosophy and conservation ethics. Generally speaking, the Japanese philosophical and religious tradition represents a commitment to ecocentrism. This philosophical orientation is in concert with the world view of manynaturalists. We explore one example of ecocentrism by unveiling the crosscultural connection between the naturalistic philosophy of Louis Agassiz, a nineteenth-century French-American biologist, and the early (...) writings of Nishida Kitarō, a twentieth-century Japanese philosopher. We suggest that the central player in understanding the ecocentric connection between Agassiz and Nishida is American philosopher-psychologist William James. James was once a student of Agassiz and his writings influenced Nishida's early work. Related issues concerning conservation ethics and the Japanese intellectual tradition are also addressed. (shrink)

Explorées depuis 1924, les fortifications de l’oppidum de Saint‑Blaise dans le Sud de la France ont récemment fait l’objet de nouvelles investigations à l’occasion de la mise en valeur projetée du site.S’ils ont confirmé l’empilement et/ou la succession d’au moins quatre lignes de défense appartenant aux périodes gauloise, tardo-antique et médiévale, ces travaux ont beaucoup renouvelé notre connaissance et notre interprétation de ces murailles, en particulier pour la période protohistorique. Deux points principaux doivent être relevés : l’existence d’un puissant mur (...) gaulois dès la fin du viie s. av. J.‑C., qui nous permet d’identifier ici la forteresse de la tribu gauloise des Ségobriges que les Phocéens ont abordé avant la fondation de Marseille ; la muraille hellénistique en grand appareil de type grec doit désormais être interprétée comme un ouvrage gaulois inachevé, anéanti par les Romains lors de la chute de l’oppidum à la fin du iie s. av. J.‑C. (shrink)

O presente trabalho argumenta, a partir do filósofo Ludwig Wittgenstein, que o jogo de linguagem pode contribuir na discussão sobre educação. Objetivamos introduzir a percepção da linguagem como elemento inerente ao ser humano para abordar a relação sobre educação. Diante desse panorama, o trabalho discute as possibilidades dos jogos de linguagem, onde há regras que podem ser ou não as mesmas entre um jogo e outro. Jogar não significa ganhar, ter razão ou a verdade. Podemos jogar pelo prazer de inventar (...) um jogo ou para fazer valer argumentativamente nossa opinião. As considerações finais apontam para o desafio da pesquisa em educação, na disciplina de Paradigmas Filosóficos da Educação e provocam desafios na área da pesquisa filosóficoeducacional.Le présent travail argumente, à partir du philosophe Ludwig Wittgenstein, que le jeu de langage peut contribuer dans la discussion sur éducation. Nous objectivons introduire la perception du langage comme élement inhérant à l’être humain pour aborder le rapport sur éducation. Devant ce panorama, le travail discute les possibilités des jeux de langage, où il y a des règles qui peuvent être ou ne pas être les mêmes entre un jeu et l’autre. Jouer ne signifie pas vaincre, avoir raison ou la vérité. Nous pouvons jouer par le plaisir d’inventer un jeu ou pour faire valoir argumentativement notre avis. Les considérations finales objectivent pour le défis de la recherche en éducation, dans la discipline de Paradigmes Philosophique de la Éducation et causent des défis dans le domaine de la recherche philosofique-éducationale. (shrink)

If clinical trials become a commercial venture in which self-interest overrules public interest and desire overrules science, then the social contract which allows research on human subjects in return for medical advances is broken.BackgroundIn the past two decades, the involvement of non-academic sponsors of biomedical research, particularly clinical trial research, has increased exponentially. The value of such sponsored research is difficult to ascertain. However, it is estimated that, between 1980 and 2003, overall research and development expenditures by US pharmaceutical companies (...) increased from $2 billion to $33 billion and that, in 2001, clinical trial research expenditures in Canada totaled $800 million to $1 billion.The source of funding for biomedical research has shifted significantly from predominantly government and private foundations to industry. By 2002,70% of funding for clinical trials came from industry. These factors have affected the conduct of research, particularly clinical trial research, in a variety of ways. (shrink)

(1997). Are we postinterruption? Postmodernism, resistance, and practice. The European Legacy: Vol. 2, Fourth International Conference of the International Society for the Study of European Ideas, pp. 690-696.

Deduction systems and graph transformation systems are compared within a common categorical framework. This comparison results in a proposal for a new deduction method in diagrammatic logics, allowing the deletion of intermediate lemmas.

The air pollution generated by motor vehicles and by static sources is, in certain geographic areas, a very serious problem, a problem that exists because of a failure of the marketplace. To address this marketplace failure, the State of California has mandated that by 2003, 10% of the Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet (LDV) be composed of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). However, the policy-making process that was utilized to generate the ZEV mandate was problematic and the resulting ZEV mandate is economically unsound. Moreover, (...) an ethical analysis, based primarily upon the work of John Rawls, suggests that implementation of the California ZEV mandate is—in spite of the wide latitude that ought to be given to policy decision makers—unethical. A more ethical and economically efficient approach to the pollution caused by marketplace failure is one that relies on market incentives and thereby achieves the desired improvement in air quality by appealing both to the self-interest of motorists and to those businesses that are directly or indirectly involved with the automobile industry. Such an approach would take better advantage of the creative forces of the market and improvements in technology over time and avoid the infringements on individual liberty and fairness embodied in the ZEV mandate. (shrink)

My dissertation is a study of the relationships among aesthetics, ethics and politics in the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. In this project I use primary texts, records of conversations, and correspondence to describe Wittgenstein's "moral perfectionism." I then consider what place there might be for political action within his conception of the good life. The aim of the dissertation is twofold. First, it is an analysis of Wittgenstein's ethical thought and the continuity it provides between his early and later work. (...) I begin with Wittgenstein's claim that "Ethics and aesthetics are one," and then I trace the development of his views on ethics through the middle and later periods of his work. Second, the study of Wittgenstein's ethical views is an occasion for the study of the relationships among aesthetics, ethics, and politics. I argue that Wittgenstein's views on ethics and ethical language suggests a "politics of health". I read Wittgenstein as a critic of modernity whose work suggests both that our future political endeavors should be detached from questions of certainty, and that we should return to the Aristotelian model of allowing the good person to stand as a moral and political exemplar without epistemic or scientific justification. (shrink)