Aristotle and Principlism in Bioethics

Aristotle and Principlism in Bioethics

Author(s): Joseph Cimakasky,Ronald Polansky / Language(s): English / Issue: 45/2015

Keywords: Aristotle ; principlism; bioethics; cardinal virtues

Principlism, a most prominent approach in bioethics, has been criticized for lacking an underlying moral theory. We propose that the four principles of principlism can be related to the four traditional cardinal virtues. These virtues appear prominently in Plato's Republic and in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. We show how this connection can be made. In this way principlism has its own compelling ethical basis.

ART and Age − Gender Stereotypes in Medical Students’ Views

ART and Age − Gender Stereotypes in Medical Students’ Views

Author(s): Anna Alichniewicz,Monika Michałowska / Language(s): English / Issue: 45/2015

Keywords: artificial reproductive technology; in vitro fertilization; age limit; gender stereotypes; feminist approach

It seems interesting to find out how the situation of the Polish ART practice is reflected in the medical students’ opinions. To answer this question we carried out a two-stage research adopting a data-driven methodology based upon the grounded theory, in which we collected a mixture of quantitative and qualitative data. Our study has revealed students’ high acceptance of IVF and most of the additional procedures, except for IVF in the case of women over 40 and postmenopausal ones. The students’ main concerns were to be compatible with what is presented in medical literature and commonly accepted in medical practice, so the core categories they focused on in their argumentation were medical evidence and medical standards. Whereas the students were consistently trying to ground their reasoning on medical knowledge, their opinions reflected not only statements based on hard data, but also some gender stereotypes hidden in medical literature.

Two Models of Trust in Health Care

Dwa modele zaufania w opiece zdrowotnej

Author(s): Aleksandra Głos / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 45/2015

Keywords: trust; health care; new medical technologies; altruism; health care reform; I. Bohnet; J. Mansbridge; A. Howson; J. Brownlie; M. Hillen

Trust is a fundament of decent and just health care. In a subtle relation between patient and physician trust not only fuels the process of therapy but also plays a therapeutic role itself. Trust is a precondition of successful cooperation – it lowers its costs, increases efficiency and brings satisfaction to the partners. Only altruistic (as opposed to calculative) trust acts as such. Philosophical arguments as well as experiments analysing birth of trust in health care praxis prove the validity of the altruistic model. Distinction between these two models casts light on the contemporary health care crisis. Many of todays’ reforms improve only cognitive side of trust by increasing predictability and efficiency of the health care system, while neglecting its crucial – ethical side. Article analyses also ambivalent influence of new technologies on these processes.

Remarks on Grassmann’s Arithmetic

Uwagi o arytmetyce Grassmanna

Author(s): Jerzy Hanusek / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 45/2015

Keywords: Hermann Grassmann; Giuseppe Peano; arithmetic; axiomatic theory

Hermann Grassmann’s 1861 work [2] was probably the first attempt at an axiomatic approach to arithmetic (of integers with a distinguished subset of positive ones). The historical significance of this work is enormous, even though the set of axioms has proven to be incomplete. Basing on the interpretation of Grassmann’s theory provided by Hao Wang in [4], I present its detailed discussion, define the class of models of Grassmann’s arithmetic and discuss a certain axiom system for integers, modeled on Grassmann’s theory. At the end I propose to modify the set of axioms of Grassmann’s arithmetic, which consists in adding an elementary sentence and removing a non-elementary one. I prove that after this modification the only model of the theory up to isomorphism is the standard model.

Constructivism in Metaethics: An Aristotelian Perspective

Konstruktywizm w metaetyce – perspektywa Arystotelesowska

Author(s): Jacek Jaśtal / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 45/2015

Keywords: Aristotle; constructivism in metaethics; social constructivism; virtue ethics; coherentism

Recently, constructivism has become one of the most important movements in metaethics. According to metaethical constructivism, moral judgements do not refer to moral facts but are constructed as solutions to practical problems. At the same time this claim is not seen as incompatible with cognitive realism. A variant of metaethical constructivism, developed in opposition to the dominant Kantian branch (Ch. Korsgaard), alludes to Aristotle’s practical philosophy. In this article I raise two issues. Firstly, I present a new version of the Aristotelian constructivism in metaethics, more elaborate than the previous proposals (M. LeBar). Its fundamental element is the concept of the coherence of emotional response seen as a complex cognitive-affective state. Secondly, I argue that the acceptance of the Aristotelian version of metaethical constructivism entails the need to accept constructivism in the area of the theory of knowledge, which is contrary to the metaethical premises of constructivism.

Habits and Customs in Herbert L.A. Hart’s Philosophy of Law

Zwyczaje i obyczaje w filozofii prawa Herberta L.A. Harta

Author(s): Michał Zabdyr-Jamróz / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 45/2015

Keywords: Herbert L.A. Hart; validity of norms (rules); habit; custom; internal aspect of validity; sanction

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical framework – derived from the Herbert L.A. Hart’s philosophy of law – for the study of the phenomenon of habit and custom from the perspective of normativity. Its starting point is the Hart’s concept of “internal aspect of rules” (recognition of obligation) as a necessary criterion for the rule’s normative character (“external aspect” is a punishment or a reward). The internal aspect exists in two forms: the “recognition” based on specific rules (applicable to the legal systems), and “acceptance” (of already existing practice). The concept of acceptance reveals a difference between habit (merely collective practice) and custom, by capturing the normative character of the latter (as a collective practice that has been accepted as obligatory). The formation of the customs – by way of unprecedented punishment (sanction) of a rule’s violation – reveals the ambiguity of the term “sanction” as referring to not only the external aspect, but also to internal aspect of rules.

The Philosophical Roots of Individuals and Persons. Personalism and Individualism against the Background of Kant

Filozoficzne korzenie jednostki i osoby. Personalizm i indywidualizm wobec kantyzmu

Author(s): Zbigniew Ambrożewicz / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 46/2015

Keywords: Thomism; personalism; individualism; Kant; Wojtyła; Maritain Krąpiec; N. Hartmann

In the paper I argue that Kant’s philosophy underlies both contemporary individualism and personalism. The Kantian categorical imperative may be, in my opinion, interpreted in an anti-egotistical way and in an entirely individualistic one. The first kind of interpretation not only made a contribution to the emergence of numerous and manifold kinds of personalism, but it also inspired many critics of individualism. The second kind of interpretation, together with the Kantian analyses of human self, became essential to the conceptualization of modern individualism. I argue that Kantian tradition in many respects appears to be close to Thomism as far as the conception of person and human individual is concerned. As the dispute between American Thomists, discussed in the paper, reveals, Thomistic personalists found, in Kant’s philosophy (broadly conceived) issues which filled some gaps in the scholastic heritage, especially in anthropology, ethics, and social problems.

The Moral Evaluation of Living Organ Donation and Trade in Human Organs in Light of Kant's Ethics

Ocena moralna transplantacji ex vivo i handlu ludzkimi organami w świetle etyki Kanta

Author(s): Piotr Grzegorz Nowak / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 46/2015

Keywords: living organ donation; market in human organs; slippery-slope argument; Kant; Jean-Christophe Merle; Niccole Gerrand

In the article I justify the acceptability of ex vivo transplantation and I provide the ethical evaluation of trafficking in human organs from the Kantian perspective. Firstly, I refer to passages of Kant's works, where he explicitly states that depriving oneself of one’s body parts for other purposes than self-preservation is not permitted. I explain that the negative ethical evaluation of the disposal of the body parts was given various justifications by Kant. Subsequently, I provide partial criticism of this justification, resulting in the recognition of the admissibility of ex vivo transplantation. Secondly, I analyse the Kantian slippery-slope argument which, as some philosophers believe, supports banning trade in human organs. It turns out, however, that this argument has wider application, namely it applies to all forms of the instrumental treatment of the human body. Using a previously introduced distinction between organs of the first and the second order, I show that the slippery-slope argument is inconclusive. However, I propose a reinterpretation of this reasoning, which results in using this argument as an additional reason to support prohibiting trade in human organs.

The Perceived Meaning of Life in the Case of Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Poczucie sensu życia rodziców dzieci niepełnosprawnych intelektualnie

Author(s): Żaneta Stelter / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 46/2015

Keywords: perceived meaning of life; parenthood; children with intellectual disabilities ; V.E. Frankl; K. Dąbrowski; K.Obuchowski

The perceived meaning of life significantly affects the quality of human life. It is of particular significance in borderline situations. One of such situations is the birth of an intellectually disabled child. The article presents the results of the study concerning the perceived meaning of life in the case of parents who bring up a child with limited intellectual abilities. The study included 87 mothers and 65 fathers bringing up an intellectually disabled child. In the studied cases, parents perceived their life as highly meaningful. The results indicated that the perceived meaning of life in the case of parents of intellectually disabled children was related with: suffering experienced by the parents as a result of a limited intellectual ability of their daughter/son, the manner of performing their parental role and the sense of parental identity (experiencing oneself in the role of the mother/father).

On Freedom and Language in Jaspers' Understanding of Philosophy

O związku wolności i języka w pojmowaniu filozofii u Karla Jaspersa

Author(s): Maciej Urbanek / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 46/2015

Keywords: Jaspers; Existenz; freedom; transcendence; language; philosophy

The main objective of this text is to show that for Karl Jaspers all authentic philosophy is an attempt to express subjectivity in terms of the intersubjective categories of intellect. Subjectivity is understood as a plane of individual experience which ultimately comes down to the consciousness of freedom. Intersubjectivity on the other hand is perceived as a plane of expression of this experience, which can boil down to language. For it is only through the mediation of language that one can illuminate its own being – its connection to the world and transcendence. Thus, the rational expression of experience is the essential condition for self-comprehension of any subjectivity. Ultimately, however, any attempt of rational inquiry reveals itself as insufficient. The human being, in his or her, pursuit of self-comprehension has to reach the boundary of language-based expression and therefore the boundary of all reasoning, where rational knowledge must give way to direct but inexpressible experiencing of what is the absolute source of all being. Thus, in the end, silence is the only true expression of transcendence.

Reflective Solidarity as to Provincial Globalism and Shared Health Governance

Reflective Solidarity as to Provincial Globalism and Shared Health Governance

Author(s): Michael J. DiStefano,Jennifer Prah Ruger / Language(s): English / Issue: 46/2015

Keywords: Solidarity; justice; reflective solidarity; health capability; health capability paradigm; provincial globalism; shared health governance; global health governance; plural subject theory

There is a special need for solidarity at the global level to address global health disparities. Ter Meulen argues that solidarity must complement justice, and is, in fact, more fundamental than justice to the arrangement of health care practices. We argue that PG/SHG, though a theory of justice, is fundamentally synergistic with solidarity. We relate PG/SHG to Jodi Dean’s conceptual work on reflective solidarity, contrasted with conventional solidarity, as an approach to transnational solidarity that dovetails with PG/SHG. We argue that PG/SHG meets both the need for solidarity at the global level and the need for solidarity within theories of the arrangement of health care practices.

Kant and the Hard Problem of Concepts

Kant i trudny problem pojęć

Author(s): Piotr Kozak / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 46/2015

Keywords: Kant; Tomaszewska; concepts; conceptualism; non-conceptualism; theory of perception

Review of Anna Tomaszewska's The Contents of Perceptual Experience: A Kantian Perspective, De Gruyter Open, Warsaw/Berlin 2014

Introduction

Narracje o Zagładzie. Otwarcie

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

"Do not Hurry me to Close the Canon”. A conversation with Professor David G. Roskies, co-authored the book "Holocaust Literature. A History and Guide"

„Nie spieszy mi się domykać kanon”. Rozmowa z Profesorem Davidem G. Roskiesem, współautorem książki "Holocaust Literature. A History and Guide"

Author(s): Paweł Wolski,David G. Roskies / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Translations: "The SS-State" (parts )

Przekłady: Dzień w obozie koncentracyjnym (fragmenty "Państwa SS")

Author(s): Eugen Kogon / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

A conversation: „Writing is inherently immoral”. A discussion about the narrative and the Shoah with Michał Głowiński led by Marta Tomczok and Paweł Wolski

Rozmowa numeru: „Pisanie jest ze swej natury niemoralne”. O narracji i Zagładzie z Michałem Głowińskim rozmawiają Marta Tomczok i Paweł Wolski

Author(s): Michał Głowiński,Marta Tomczok,Paweł Wolski / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

The garden of life and the garden of death – two instances of existence in a camp. Eden vs. Auschwitz

Ogród życia i ogród śmierci – dwie egzystencje w obozie. Eden kontra Auschwitz

Author(s): Agnieszka Kłos / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Keywords: Auschwitz; Sonderkommando; gas chamber; nature

In her article the author describes the ways in which the prisoners of the Sonderkommando KL Auschwitz-Birkenau experienced the space of the camp. The form of perceiving and describing the camp forces one to submit to the conditioning of the description by two interrelated topoi. The imagined garden of life and the garden of death, i.e. two areas which were experienced by the prisoners in the camp and which were traversed by them during their work, inspired in those prisoners a feeling of awe, of transgressing a taboo and of embracing the structure of a myth. The text indicates the factors which in the memories constitute the narration about the living and the dead areas of the camp, and which are an interesting instance of creating a memory about this place. Recycling the elements of life and death, the mixing of the categories of the living and the dead which attracts the attention of the reader of the memoirs of the former prisoners and of the one who engages in a conversation with them. An important role in the formation of these concepts is also played by the visual iconography which is analysed by the author (photographs taken in the camp, sketches and drawings made by the former prisoners). In the text an attempt was made to reproduce the structure of the extreme experiences of the prisoners of the Sonderkommando, by researching the particular elements of their accounts which refer to various recurrent themes such as the pure – impure opposition, the images of the bodies which fall out from the gas chamber, gassing people, the “dead area” (graves and post-incineration pits), nakedness and the camp trees as the permanent reference points which recur in the recollections of the prisoners.

“Each poet is a Jew with a yellow patch”. Two voices about Woroszylski’s vision of Baczyński

„Poeta każdy to z żółtą łatą na sercu Żyd”. Dwa głosy o Baczyńskim Woroszylskiego

Author(s): Anita Jarzyna,Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Koschany / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 1/2015

Keywords: antisemitism; Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński; Marina Tsvetaeva; Wiktor Woroszylski; Holocaust

The article is a multicontextual interpretation of a poem by Wiktor Woroszylski entitled "Krzysztof Kamil B.", which was published for the first time in the 1988 volume entitled "W poszukiwaniu utraconego ciepła i inne wiersze". The work indicates one of the most distinguished Polish poets of the war generation, Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, who died at the age of twenty-three during the Warsaw Uprising. The poem by Woroszylski who was six years his junior has to do with the controversial question about the Jewish roots of the author of "Elegia o chłopcu polskim" (his mother, Stefania Baczyńska, had a Jewish background and was an assimilated, Catholic convert). The article firstly refers to various studies upon this subject which were initiated in 1979 by Józef Lewandowski’s essay. The studies were then engaged by a number of researchers and critics in the last decade of the 20th c. and at the beginning of the 21st c. They deliberate among other things whether this fact of the poet’s biography actually influenced his works. Theauthors demonstrate the manner in which Woroszylski reveals and at the same time nullifies the anti-Semitic overtones which such speculations feature, the attempts at a more or less categorical determination of someone’s national affiliation. For an important context for the interpretation of the poem "Krzysztof Kamil B." is furnished by its motto – an initial phrase of a famous statement by Marina Tsvetaeva, whose culminating point that “all poets are Jews” is placed by Woroszylski at the very end of his work, where he paraphrases these words.