CAS Newsletter 2015/2016
Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
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Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
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Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
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Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
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Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
More...
Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
More...
Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
More...
Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
More...
Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
More...
Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
More...
Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
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Articles, pictures and interviews can be reprinted only with the consent of Centre for Advanced Study Sofia (CAS - Sofia). Any citations should be duly acknowledged.
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Our main objective in the present paper is to analyse how time is understood and reflected in some theological and some literary examples, while connecting these perspectives with how science, on the other hand, understood and reflected this dimension of our universe, in different historical periods. We use in our analysis three scientific sources in which the transdisciplinary or the vulgarisation approaches prevail, from which we extract the physical explanations and models. Our starting point is that fiction and religion are often annexes to science in the paradigm of knowledge, as they ask questions and propose answers, in accordance with their own rules, distinct from the ones that science puts forward, but which wonderfully converge so often, that the mirroring is worth bringing to light. Our approach focuses on three main topics, i.e. the issue of the beginning/ending of the universe, the past-present relationship, and the existence of the ‘multiverse’ in relation to the existence of the multiple universes as treated by narratology.
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The implementation of online education has roughly the same beginnings as the Internet. Without being new, therefore, education in the online system - adopted selectively and optionally, depending on the needs and possibilities of different geographical areas of the world - has become, as a result of the medical context generated by COVID-19, part of the educational reality of any student and teaching staff respectively. An extreme situation that required the adaptation and instant reconfiguration of methods of knowledge transmission and evaluation within the institutionalized training process. Beyond the component of replacing the physical space of the class/course with a domestic environment, (a variable of great psychological impact on the subjects) there is the problem of adjustment, respectively reception and reproduction (through evaluation) of informational contents in an exclusively non-interactive manner proved to be the real challenge. One that everyone involved in the didactic process had to face, this time the "selective" and "optional" criteria becoming imperative. Even though before the start of the period in question, the e-learning system was an integral part of the educational process, it operated in a hybrid manner, with participants having the possibility of direct collaboration. The new reality, translated by cancelling these possibilities, brought with it profound transformations, especially at the cognitive, behavioural, and relational level. How the students understood to report this new reality from the perspective of ethical behaviour objectifies this article.
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The models are systems that orient, give direction and convey values, so their choice is essential for the path they draw. Throughout the specifics of his profession, the knowledge transmission and the education offered by himself, the teacher is a model that children follow and he is responsible for. Education transmitted to children includes personal competences, authenticity and self-respect, attitude towards learning, educational partners and learning environment, but also motivation as a resource of psychic energy necessary for learning. The own value system is the benchmark to which the teacher relates and which can be inspired by life experiences, specific teaching methods, the Bible and the supreme model, Jesus. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of having an authentic role model for children to follow. Qualitative research has shown that models can influence the life course.
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While God is the creator and giver of life, man can become co-creator in having offspring by following His command to “increase and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1: 28). Man's synergy in the creation of life is expressed by the free will of the future parents and is reflected in the resemblance between the parents and the child, due to the laws of heredity. Parenthood is therefore not determined solely by God, but it is also shaped by man based on his personal desires and goals. At the same time the notion of man as a cocreator indicates that his reproductive freedom should be in accordance with divine providence and wisdom. Therefore, procreation should not only be understood as a personal right, but also as a significant responsibility, both towards God and the child who comes into existence. The theological understanding of man as co-creator allow us to come to some conclusions regarding the ethics of termination of the unborn human life through abortion, and the human desire to overcome the obstacle of infertility through the methods of assisted reproduction.
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Modern medical science aims at the benefit of the patient which is achieved through the treatment of the patient. The physician must act in the best interest of the patient and consequently his health. In an ideal world every doctor besides treating a patient would also love him. In this text, there will be examined two fundamental ethical imperatives that can be applied in the doctor – patient relationship. On the one hand the position, do not do unto others as you would not like to do unto you, on the other hand the positive formulation of that sentence which is, do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. The first of those two positions can be found in the ancient oath of Hippocrates, whereas the second position is the basis of the Golden Rule of Christian ethics. These two ethical imperatives will be examined in the context of modern bioethics as well, since the benefit of the patient is the major concern of two of its basic principles, namely the principle of beneficence and that of non-maleficence. The oath of Hippocrates moves in the realm of the moral idea that you should not do to others what you do not want to be done to yourself. The above position is based on the affirmative propositions that are imprinted within the oath. On the other hand, the Golden Rule of Christian ethics consists of a positive exhortation, to do to the other what you would like to happen to you. Each Christian is called to love his fellowman as he loves himself, since the supreme good in Christian morality is the love of God and fellowman that fulfills the purpose of man’s existence, which is the communion with God. Both positions examined in the text have relevant content, aiming at the benefit of the patient, the patients good, either by a direct positive obligation, or by preventing the doctor from harming the patient.
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The main thesis defended in the report is that modern social networks and virtual civil communities, among other things, can and should be analyzed as generators of fake news. The impact of fake news is not at all in the field of credibility. To reflect this fact, the term „post-truth“ emerged. In our opinion, in order to reveal the essence of fake news, it is necessary to use the concept of „illusion“, one of the main concepts in epistemology, but also in psychology, and in a certain sense also in sociology. In short, to understand why people believe fake news, one must analyze their need to live in an illusory world.
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The report examines the possible security risks associated with ensuring the ethical behavior of artificial intelligence systems.
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Mythology is the basic feature of every ethnicity.The Creation of the world is an important starting point and is differently represented by every nation. In addition, myths are spread into pieces. Here is a brief comparison of the Chinese, Greek, Japanese Egyptian, Indian and Hittite Anatolia mythology. Each of them has its unique features, but they also have some overlapping points. Generally speaking there are one and the same elements, people or things appearing in the myths mentioned above. For example we can find the conception of the Chaos not only within the Chinese myths but also in the Greek and Indian ones.
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Knowledge in the mystical tradition of Islam progresses from the exoteric to the esoteric. We are referring to a progress that transforms the reality of the sensible world into a way to get access to the secrets that only the devoted sâliq – wayfarer – is able to discover. On the other hand, the way and the thresholds along the way to the esoteric require perseverance, patience and bravery from the Soufi. The reason is the fact that the progress towards the esoteric knowledge is consubstantial with the progress towards the knowledge of God, the knowledge of the Truth. This knowledge is not available to everyone, but it divulges itself in the heart of the wayfarer as being God’s secret word. Le langage des oiseaux by Faridud- Din ‘Attâr, the text we deal with in the present paper, comes in the wake of the Soufi masters’ Thresholds leading to the esoteric knowledge, in many respects. Indeed, the birds crossing the seven valleys (thresholds, stations) in order to find the Simurgh (God) end up discovering themselves as being God. The illumination, God’s light, reigns then and the esoteric knowledge takes shape and makes sense, resulting in the access to the Numinous. Our paper questions the Thresholds of this mystical progress towards the ultimate experience of the Xvarnah, God’s light and glory.
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