The Brahmavihāras and the Achievement of Nonegocentricity

2021 ◽  
pp. 131-151
Author(s):  
Jay L. Garfield
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Perspective

This chapter characterizes the four brahmavihāras, or divine states: friendliness, care, sympathetic joy, and impartiality. Also addressed are their relationship both to their antitheses and to their “near enemies,” or the states that are similar enough to masquerade as these virtuous ones, yet differ because they are egocentric, and thus become a vice. The chapter examines the question of why morality is rational, including discussions of this topic in both Western and Buddhist thought, and its connections to egoism, and argues that the four divine states, when considered together, can be understood to constitute an analysis of a non-egocentric ethical perspective.

Test Validation Without Measurement

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie Lacot ◽  
Mohammad H. Afzali ◽  
Stéphane Vautier
Keyword(s):  
Test Data ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Scientific Explanation ◽  
Test Validation ◽  
Clinical Tests ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Power Of Test ◽  
Memory Accuracy ◽  
Social Uses ◽  
Special Case

Abstract. Test validation based on usual statistical analyses is paradoxical, as, from a falsificationist perspective, they do not test that test data are ordinal measurements, and, from the ethical perspective, they do not justify the use of test scores. This paper (i) proposes some basic definitions, where measurement is a special case of scientific explanation; starting from the examples of memory accuracy and suicidality as scored by two widely used clinical tests/questionnaires. Moreover, it shows (ii) how to elicit the logic of the observable test events underlying the test scores, and (iii) how the measurability of the target theoretical quantities – memory accuracy and suicidality – can and should be tested at the respondent scale as opposed to the scale of aggregates of respondents. (iv) Criterion-related validity is revisited to stress that invoking the explanative power of test data should draw attention on counterexamples instead of statistical summarization. (v) Finally, it is argued that the justification of the use of test scores in specific settings should be part of the test validation task, because, as tests specialists, psychologists are responsible for proposing their tests for social uses.

On diversity in the social sciences: Why homogeneous research groups are an ethical mistake

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Nusbaum ◽  
Toby SantaMaria
Keyword(s):  
Minority Groups ◽  
Academic Science ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Scientific Enterprise ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Good ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Responsibility ◽  
Principles Of Justice

The scientific enterprise reflects society at large, and as such it actively disadvantages minority groups. From an ethical perspective, this system is unacceptable as it actively undermines principles of justice and social good, as well as the research principles of openness and public responsibility. Further, minority social scientists lead to better overall scientific products, meaning a diverse scientific body can also be considered an instrumental good. Thus, centering minority voices in science is an ethical imperative. This paper outlines what can be done to actively center these scientists, including changing the way metrics are used to assess the performance of individual scientists and altering the reward structure within academic science to promote heterogenous research groups.

Dignity and the Case in Favor of Assisted Suicide

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Stoecker
Keyword(s):  
Human Dignity ◽  
Assisted Suicide ◽  
Physician Assisted Suicide ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Commit Suicide

Advocates of legalization of physician-assisted suicide usually argue that it is as matter of respect for human dignity that people get help in ending their lives (1) because the prohibition interferes with a fundamental liberty to conduct life according to one’s own preferences and (2) because sometimes suicide is an appropriate measure to avoid living an undignified life. In this chapter, it is argued that although the first argument is strong, the second argument is misguided. Hence, from an ethical perspective, society should not legally prohibit physician-assisted suicide. Yet, the person him- or herself should not commit suicide either. In particularly, the person should not regard such a suicide as a demand of his or her dignity.

Narrative Paradigm Scenarios

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Plantinga
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Narrative Paradigm ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Good And Evil

This chapter examines the revenge scenario, arguing that, from an ethical perspective, screen storytellers should approach the scenario with caution and, when using it, complicate, nuance, and question it. The revenge scenario works because it is a reliable way to elicit the strong emotions that draw viewers. The pleasures of revenge scenarios depend upon Manichaean distinctions between good and evil—the good tribe and the bad tribe, the morally upright protagonist and the vile offender. If humans are tribal creatures, the typical revenge scenario exaggerates tribal feelings through narrative means and uses them to elicit strong and pleasurable emotional responses dependent on clear distinctions between us and them and simplified exaggerations of the Good and the Bad. The chapter examines the revenge scenario as it is employed in Django Unchained, Funny Games, and True Grit.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document