寻找伦理存在的自我——《培尔·金特》中的理性意志与伦理选择

易卜生的诗剧《培尔·金特》是一则关于斯芬克斯因子的不同组合与变化的寓言,展示了理性意志、自由意志和非理性意志之间的伦理冲突.培尔的“白日梦”是其兽性因子的表达与彰显,培尔的“出行”是对伦理责任的逃逸和规避,是其理性意志处于蒙昧状态、非理性意志肆意膨胀的体现;培尔的“归家”是其理性意识得到提升,克服非理性意志,摆脱兽性因子,向人性因子靠拢的选择,最终成为与兽相区别的、伦理的存在.本文紧扣“白日梦”“出行”“归家”三条伦理主线,通过逐一解构伦理选择、伦理身份、伦理意识等若干伦理结,来试图剖析易卜生蕴含在作品深处的道德旨趣:在受到道德指引、遵守道德准则的情况下,人的理性意志就会增强,人性因子得以彰显,人会成为一种伦理的存在;如果缺乏伦理意识,违背道德准则,缺乏道德指引,人的非理性意志就会占据上风,兽性因子就会失控,人就会误入歧途,实施伦理犯罪,引发伦理混乱.     

马克思博士论文中的自由思想探析

马克思的博士论文为我们建构了一个自由的体系,是一篇自由的宣言。自由具有偶然性之维,只有打破必然性命运的束缚,人才能获得自由。自由的基本因素是人的自我意识,自我意识就是人的能动性之所在。马克思追求的自由是定在之中的自由,也就是现实性的自由。这种自由通过世界的哲学化和哲学的世界化来实现。     

重思“法律信仰”

法律信仰在我国是一个充满争议的话题,其之所以如此在很大程度上是因为对法律信仰这个源自西方的命题不加审视地视其为真理而简单接受。笔者在考察伯尔曼法律信仰命题背后的问题意识的基础上,认为法律信仰是将二元论下两个根本有别的秩序体简单联合在一起的失败努力。同时,基于对引发法律信仰思考的问题意识的肯定和公民宗教问题的讨论中,笔者认为在一元论社会条件下应该提倡的是"法律信心"而非法律信仰。     

ANALYZING SELF‐ORGANIZED LOCAL GOVERNANCE INITIATIVES: ARE THERE INSIGHTS FOR DECENTRALIZATION REFORMS?

In spite of the great enthusiasm and arguments supporting decentralization in Africa, its performance has frequently fallen well below expectations. However, a number of self‐initiated, local governance efforts have been quite successful. The article finds that all governance initiatives face a number of collective action problems that they must overcome to succeed. These include issues of collective choice, free riding, principal–agency, and constitutional design. The article explores two cases of locally initiated self‐governance initiatives where smaller population size, the ability to focus on only a few services, and the ability flexibly to redesign their institutions were important in their success in overcoming these governance challenges. In one case, challenge by and negotiation with formal governance institutions furthered their success. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Barack Obama vs Bristol Palin: why the President’s sex education policy wins

The federal government has exponentially increased funding for abstinence‐only sex education over the last few decades, a position supported by former vice‐presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol. Unfortunately, empirical research indicates that abstinence‐only education is ineffective and may have negative consequences for adolescents. Despite encouragement of abstinence, adolescents continue to engage in sexual relationships, indicating that a different approach to sex education should be supported. This situation raises a number of justice issues because it is important for the government to fund sex education curricula that instruct adolescents on how to protect themselves from pregnancy and STDs. The majority of parents also disagree with the federal funding of abstinence‐only education and support more comprehensive education. This indicates that funding abstinence‐only education is diametrically opposed to community sentiment. Federal funding of abstinence‐only sex education is also problematic as such policies violate a number of adolescents’ constitutional rights. Therefore, the federal government must revise its current sex education policies. President Obama’s proposed plan has the potential to overcome many of these issues associated with abstinence‐only education.     

Post-decision confidence,decision time,and self-reported decision processes as postdictors of identification accuracy

Abstract

Post-decision confidence, decision time, and decision processes were evaluated concerning their usefulness for postdicting identification accuracy. One hundred and ninety-two participants witnessed a filmed theft and were tested with target-absent or target-present simultaneous lineups 1 week later. Post-decision confidence was positively associated with, and decision time negatively associated with choosers’ identification accuracy. For several measures of self-reported decision processes, the expected associations were non-significant. Using a decision rule including highly confident and fast participants led to more correct classifications than either variable alone. Significant associations between postdictors highlight the need to consider the different processes jointly as, in combination, they may be more useful in assessing identification decisions.     

SELF‐CONTROL THROUGH EMERGING ADULTHOOD: INSTABILITY,MULTIDIMENSIONALITY, AND CRIMINOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study assesses self‐control theory's stability postulate. We advance research on self‐control stability in three ways. First, we extend the study of stability beyond high school, estimating GBTMs of self‐control from ages 10 to 25. Second, drawing on advances in developmental psychology and social neuroscience, especially the dual systems model of risk taking, we investigate whether two distinct personality traits—impulsivity and sensation seeking—often conflated in measures of self‐control, exhibit divergent developmental patterns. Finding that they do, we estimate multitrajectory models to identify latent classes of co‐occurring developmental patterns. We supplement GBTM stability analyses with hierarchical linear models and reliable variance estimates. Lastly, using fixed effects models, we explore whether the observed within‐individual changes are associated with changes in crime net of overall age trends. These ideas are tested using five waves of data from the Family and Community Health Study. Results suggest that self‐control is unstable, that distinct patterns of development exist for impulsivity and sensation seeking, and that these changes are uniquely consequential for crime. We conclude by comparing our findings with extant research and discussing the implications for self‐control theory.     

The Use of Drones in Pakistan: an Inquiry into the Ethical and Legal Issues

It is clear the United States and other major powers see drone warfare as the wave of the future. Today more than 70 countries possess drone technology and many others are seeking to acquire it. It is expected that within 20 years, there will be swarms of drones and many autonomous fighters and bombers in use around the globe. If the trends continue as anticipated, these drones will usher in a ‘boundless and borderless war without end’. The development of technological improvements will eventually lead to a militarisation of foreign policy and unnecessary conflicts. While the circumstances in Pakistan are unique, the questions surrounding the US drone programme in non‐combat zones such as Pakistan raise important issues regarding how drone use should be governed in the future. This article is an attempt to analyse legal and ethical issues raised by the US use of drone technology in non‐combat zones such as Pakistan, and it looks into its underpinnings and also its repercussions as tool in prospective warfare.     

Reform of Press Self‐regulation

In July 2011 following the revelations about phone hacking, all three political party leaders called for radical reform of the current system of press self‐regulation. Those within the press itself, including the Daily Mail, also conceded that serious changes were necessary. At the same time both politicians and press stressed the importance of protecting the freedom of the press and preventing undue government interference. Starting with both these pre‐requisites in mind—the creation of a new independent system and the protection of press freedom—this essay suggests four possible models of reform. For each model the essay sketches the basic parameters of reform and then suggests three problems associated with each. It argues against those who claim that anything more than small changes to the status quo would be too costly, would threaten press freedom, or would be technologically impractical.