Happiness, Virtue, and Political Society

Author(s):  
T. M. Rudavsky

Chapter 9 is concerned with social and political behavior. Even in the context of moral philosophy, Jewish philosophers discuss issues within the wider context of a rational scientific perspective. This chapter begins with specific moral codes developed by Jewish thinkers, focusing in particular upon the works of Ibn Gabirol, Baḥya ibn Paquda, Maimonides, and Crescas. Can there be ethical dictates independent of the commandments? The rabbis already worried whether there existed a domain of “right behavior” that pre-dates, or exists independently of, divine commandment. Does Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean apply to divine law? Furthermore, can all humans achieve intellectual perfection? Is the road the same, and open, to all? And is there only one road to ultimate felicity, or are there many routes? The chapter ends with a discussion of whether human felicity can be achieved in this life, and whether the prophet best represents the ideal model for such achievement.

Philosophy ◽  
1974 ◽  
Vol 49 (190) ◽  
pp. 375-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Broadie ◽  
Elizabeth M. Pybus

Some of the greatest writers on moral philosophy have claimed that their theories about morality do not run counter to the moral views of ordinary men, but on the contrary are an elucidation of such views, or provide them with a sound philosophical underpinning. Aristotle, for example, made it quite clear that he could not take seriously a moral view that was at odds with the heritage of moral wisdom deeply imbedded in his society. His doctrine of the mean was based on a philosophical consideration of such wisdom. And Immanuel Kant thought that his moral philosophy articulated the moral views of ordinary men.


Author(s):  
Hongxia WANG

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.中庸是孔子儒學思想的核心。中庸既承認絕對道德的存在,即“玄德”的存在,又承認具體道德的相對性,即“時權”的方法。與此同時,中庸帶有一定的功利主義的思想。本文認為,中庸的思想可以用不同的方式,解決義務論和功利主義(或效益主義)之間的矛盾。由於中庸提倡既不能“過”,也不能“不及”,其思想為我們看待生命倫理學原則的一般性和特殊性的關係、義務性和功利性的關係,以及對我們解決生命倫理學中的具體問題,如生死,提供了理論與實踐的基礎。This essay explores the doctrine of the mean as the key concept in Confucian thought and practice, contending that it has both general and specific dimensions as it recognizes the absoluteness of moral and ethical principles while acknowledging the importance of relativity in concrete situations when those principles are used. The notion of the “mean” is thus not merely a moral virtue that enables the avoidance of extremes; rather, it is utilitarian because it looks for goodness and effectiveness.This essay points out that the Confucian notion of the mean can be applied to a wide range of bioethical issues, particularly the way we look at life and death in the case of euthanasia and abortion. In Western moral philosophy, there has always been some disagreement about the importance of principles and rules to morality exemplified by the debate between Kantians and utilitarians. The essay argues that the doctrine of the mean in Confucianism offers an alternative way of examining the differences between these two moral approaches.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 300 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia A. Zanini ◽  
Sara Rubinelli

This paper aims to identify the challenges in the implementation of shared decision-making (SDM) when the doctor and the patient have a difference of opinion. It analyses the preconditions of the resolution of this difference of opinion by using an analytical and normative framework known in the field of argumentation theory as the ideal model of critical discussion. This analysis highlights the communication skills and attitudes that both doctors and patients must apply in a dispute resolution-oriented communication. Questions arise over the methods of empowerment of doctors and patients in these skills and attitudes as the preconditions of SDM. Overall, the paper highlights aspects in which research is needed to design appropriate programmes of training, education and support in order to equip doctors and patients with the means to successfully engage in shared decision-making.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ayuna ◽  
Ayyaz Sultan

Abstract Background Early diagnosis and treatment of ACS can reduce the risk of complications and death. Delay calling for help can increase morbidity and mortality. It is unclear which age group among patients with acute coronary syndrome tend to delay their call for help. Results Our observational retrospective study showed that men and women in their 50s and 40s respectively tend to delay their call for help from symptoms onset. For the former, the mean time delays (590 ± 71.1 min), whereas for the latter it was (1084 ± 120.1 min). Moreover, these groups tend to have a longer time delay between symptoms onset and arrival at the hospital. Among deaths, we observed that the death rate was proportional to the time delay, which is not unexpected. Next step, we plan to perform a qualitative study in the form of questionnaires to target the individuals with a high risk of CVD within these age groups. Conclusion Middle age group of both genders tend to delay their call for help when they experience symptoms of ACS; moreover, regardless of the age, the longer the delay, the higher the mortality rate. The results of this study gave us a better understanding of our local population and will pave the road for a well-structured teaching programme for them to minimise the time delay for calling for help.


Author(s):  
Chiwon Ahn ◽  
Seungjae Lee ◽  
Jongshill Lee ◽  
Jaehoon Oh ◽  
Yeongtak Song ◽  
...  

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a novel chest compression (CC) smart-ring-based feedback system in a manikin simulation. In this randomized, crossover, controlled study, we evaluated the effect of smart-ring CC feedback on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The learnability and usability of the tool were evaluated with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Participants were divided into two groups and each performed CCs with and without feedback 2 weeks apart, using different orders. The primary outcome was compression depth; the proportion of accurate-depth (5–6 cm) CCs, CC rate, and the proportion of complete CCs (≤1 cm of residual leaning) were assessed additionally. The feedback group and the non-feedback group showed significant differences in compression depth (52.1 (46.3–54.8) vs. 47.1 (40.5–49.9) mm, p = 0.021). The proportion of accurate-depth CCs was significantly higher in the interventional than in the control condition (88.7 (30.0–99.1) vs. 22.6 (0.0–58.5%), p = 0.033). The mean SUS score was 83.9 ± 8.7 points. The acceptability ranges were ‘acceptable’, and the adjective rating was ‘excellent’. CCs with smart-ring feedback could help achieve the ideal range of depth during CPR. The smart-ring may be a valuable source of CPR feedback.


2006 ◽  
Vol 78 (22) ◽  
pp. 7828-7840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiqiang Hao ◽  
Xiangmin Zhang ◽  
Keyong Hou

This paper uses the method of kinematic waves, developed in part I, but may be read independently. A functional relationship between flow and concentration for traffic on crowded arterial roads has been postulated for some time, and has experimental backing (§2). From this a theory of the propagation of changes in traffic distribution along these roads may be deduced (§§2, 3). The theory is applied (§4) to the problem of estimating how a ‘hump’, or region of increased concentration, will move along a crowded main road. It is suggested that it will move slightly slower than the mean vehicle speed, and that vehicles passing through it will have to reduce speed rather suddenly (at a ‘shock wave’) on entering it, but can increase speed again only very gradually as they leave it. The hump gradually spreads out along the road, and the time scale of this process is estimated. The behaviour of such a hump on entering a bottleneck, which is too narrow to admit the increased flow, is studied (§5), and methods are obtained for estimating the extent and duration of the resulting hold-up. The theory is applicable principally to traffic behaviour over a long stretch of road, but the paper concludes (§6) with a discussion of its relevance to problems of flow near junctions, including a discussion of the starting flow at a controlled junction. In the introductory sections 1 and 2, we have included some elementary material on the quantitative study of traffic flow for the benefit of scientific readers unfamiliar with the subject.


DIALOGO ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-143
Author(s):  
Spyridon Stelios ◽  
Alexia Dotsi

In this paper, we investigate the political and religious projection of Aristotle’s Doctrine of the Mean. According to Aristotle and his virtue ethics theory, humans succeed the mean when they acknowledge in what they are physically inclined to. If someone knows towards where she is deviating, either in terms of exaggeration or understatement, then she can, at some point, achieve the mean as the end goal of ethical virtue. But what if these moral evaluations refer to collective processes, such as politics, culture and religion? In this case, the notion of “intermediate” could be paralleled with the notion of ‘optimized’. A way of locating the optimized point on the political or cultural public sphere is to acknowledge in what people are politically or culturally inclined to. This seems to be guided by their cultural traditions, political history and aims. In politics and modern democracies, the doctrine may be applied in virtues, such as justice. Excess in the administration of justice causes "witch hunts" and deficiency lawlessness. Respectively, in today’s religious-oriented societies - countries that could be ranked according to their religiosity – where there is little tolerance in their permissible cultural patterns, the application of Aristotle’s mean reveals interesting findings. More specifically, in the case of the virtue of honor, the excess may lead to honor crimes and deficiency to contempt.


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