A history of the altruism–morality debate in biology

Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 147-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oren Harman

Many different histories of the altruism–morality debate in biology are possible. Here, I offer one such history, based on the juxtaposition of four pairs of historical figures who have played a central role in the debate. Arranged in chronological order, the four dyads — Huxley and Kropotkin, Fisher and Emerson, Wynne-Edwards and Williams, and Hamilton and Price — help us grasp the core issues that have framed and defined the debate ever since Darwin: the natural origins of morality, the individual versus collective approach, the levels of selection debate, and the Is–Ought distinction. Looking forward, the continued relevance of the core issues is discussed.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Л. Ю. Логунова ◽  
Е. А. Маженина

The article presents the results of a long-term study of protest as a cultural phenomenon, the transformation of values, realized in the activities of the best people of the planet and their followers. These values have absorbed the experience of many generations and the behavior of people defending the rights of an individual to dignity, equality before the law, fair attitude, freedom of thought. In the history of the development of political thought, values have formed that constitute the core of civil culture. The genesis of the birth of the nucleus of civil culture from the thinkers of Antiquity, ideologists of nonviolent resistance, leaders of the French bourgeois revolution, activists of the “new left” movement to the protests of our time is shown. The basis for updating the protection of these values is the socio-political situation, characterized by the divergence of interests of civil society and ruling political groups. The values of the core of civil culture (freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of assembly, human rights) acquire an acute urgency in situations of power crisis. This is the time of the birth of new values that will mobilize new generations of protesters. Protest, as an act of protecting the values of the individual, is a measure of the level of development of political culture in the state. The protest — it's not just a mass exit of dissent on the area. This is an indicator of the level of self-awareness of citizens and the development of the political culture of society. The symbols of political protest actions are a special text that expresses the meanings of values. The authors present the results of a sociological study, which used comparative, value-semantic, interpretive approaches, studied the meanings and values of political protests of the 20th — early 19th centuries, analyzed visual and publicistic evidence of protest actions: photo and video materials, publications in the press.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Senad Mrahorović

The very first verse revealed to the Prophet of Islam ﷺ, namely ﴾ Read in the name of your Lord ﴿ implied the concept of knowledge that corresponds with the intellectual attestation of the first article of Islamic faith, that is, the belief in the unity of God, which for its part requires a specific kind of knowledge related to the Divine. With the same token, the Revelation continued to provide the Prophet ﷺ with the intellectual and spiritual insights that he ﷺ perfectly transformed into the nucleus based on which the first Islamic state known as the Madīnian polity was firmly established. Hence, in this paper, the analysis will cover the intellectual dimensions of the Madīnian polity portrayed here in three essential aspects: the revelation as the principal source of knowledge, the affirmation as the intellectual and practical application of knowledge, and the manifestation as the individual and communal reflection of knowledge. I will argue that the said aspects as they were displayed in the Madīnian polity are the core factors that underpin the Islamic governance as such.


AILA Review ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 42-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Wei ◽  
Zhu Hua

The nature of diaspora is changing in the 21st century. Yet many of the communication issues remain the same. At the heart of it is multilingual and intercultural communication across time and space. There is much that applied linguists can contribute to the understanding of diaspora in the era of globalization. This article discusses some of the core issues of communication between the diaspora and the homeland, the past and the present, the individual and the community, and the sense of belonging and the ascribed category with a detailed analysis of empirical data collected through linguistic ethnography in the Chinese diaspora in Britain and elsewhere. It also highlights the significance of dynamic multilingualism in everyday communication.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Krawczyk

The purpose of the presented thesis is to show a figure of one of the directors of the Jagiellonian Library in the 19th century, a professor at the Jagiellonian University and historian – Józef Muczkowski. In the thesis, the Professor’s personal life has been presented in chronological order, as well as his achievements in the professional field and his scientific accomplishments. The thesis consists of seven chapters, each dealing with issues related to the individual stages of the Professor’s life. Special attention has been focused on the process of intellectual and scientific development of Józef Muczkowski from his birth, through youth, to the period of holding office of the director of the Jagiellonian Library, and finally up to the last days of his life. Large part of the work is devoted to changes that were implemented by the Professor during the period when he was the Jagiellonian Library director. It concerns, among others, the organisation of library collections and complete reconstruction of the library building which is located within the Collegium Maius edifice. The thesis also introduces a broad spectrum of activities undertaken by the Professor in the political field. Presentation of profiles of his loved ones and relationships that connected him with his family and other people of science constitutes important part of the work because it connects all chapters. The thesis is based largely on unpublished sources, such as manuscripts, numerous fragments of official letters and the Professor’s correspondence. Analysis and interpretation of many types of information sources, followed by their elaboration and organisation, allow to fill the “information gap” regarding the person of Józef Muczkowski. As a result, by recreating Józef Muczkowski’s professional path, the thesis also supplements the information resource of history of the Jagiellonian Library in the first half of the 19th century.


Author(s):  
Lieve Van Hoof

Libanius’s letter collection is the largest to survive from antiquity, and indeed it is one of the most important sources on the socio-cultural history of late antiquity. Nevertheless, it has been only partially translated and selectively studied; this chapter, by contrast, focuses on the collection as a whole. First, it analyzes the three most important manuscripts, which shows 300 roughly identical letters in varying order. Second, it examines the collection’s design and its effects on interpretation. Finally, it dives into the question of editorial origins: did Libanius or some posthumous admirer compile the collection? Thus this chapter will show that reading Libanius’ letters in their original order—not in the chronological order first proposed by Otto Seeck and adopted by most editors and translators—not only enriches our understanding of the individual letters, but also shows the value of the letter collection as a unified literary composition.


SATS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-52
Author(s):  
Steen Brock

Abstract In this essay, I will discuss a variety of considerations that Goethe expressed in his writings. I will with few exceptions address these writings in chronological order. I include both literary and scientific-philosophical works. In this way I hope to show that a certain theme is at the heart of Goethe’s thinking, and that Goethe’s later works expresses a sophisticated and “deep” account of this theme. In addition, I will try to explain how one can ascribe this Goethean theme to major philosophers of the twentieth century – Cassirer, Merleau-Ponty, and Wittgenstein. The theme in question concerns the individuality of a human life in a metaphysical sense, characterizing the individual as situated “in between” Nature and Culture. By being both a child of Nature and a child of Culture, the fate of individuals is the transformation of previously given human concerns and practices. There never is a natural child nor a cultural formation securing human individuality. In Goethe’s words: The history of an individual human being is the individual human being. “Die Geschichte der Wissenschaft ist die Wissenschaft selbst, die Geschichte des Individuums, das Individuum”. See Hamacher (2010, 182). Hamacher’s book has been a major source for me!


1985 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles I. Brooks

A procedure is described in which college students portray individuals studied in the History of Psychology course. The students work in teams, and develop a presentation allowing figures from different time periods (e.g., Locke, Wundt, Thorndike, and Rogers) to discuss and debate psychological issues. Additionally, each student prepares a bibliography and position summary of the individual portrayed. Variations of this basic procedure, some more successful than others, have been tried in three different classes and are also described. It is concluded that the exercise can be a valuable pedagogical tool that gives students personal appreciation of historical figures, plus a better understanding of continuity in the evolution of psychological issues.


2018 ◽  
pp. 64-75
Author(s):  
IRINA ATADJANYAN

The main theme of the article is the allusion to the Russian history of the XVII – XVIII centuries in Brusov`s works that aroused interest due to the launch of research on the topic of “The history of Russian lyric”. The theme of Moscow is the core subject matter. The material was mainly preserved in the form of a manuscript. Our goal is to render Brusov`s attitude towards both history and historical figures.


Author(s):  
Roger Masterman ◽  
Ian Leigh

This chapter briefly traces the history of the Human Rights Act, contextualising the academic and popular debates which have seen the long-term future of the Act placed in doubt. It introduces some of the core constitutional questions addressed in this volume, detailing the individual essaying and highlighting common themes.


Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meshan Lehmann ◽  
Matthew R. Hilimire ◽  
Lawrence H. Yang ◽  
Bruce G. Link ◽  
Jordan E. DeVylder

Abstract. Background: Self-esteem is a major contributor to risk for repeated suicide attempts. Prior research has shown that awareness of stigma is associated with reduced self-esteem among people with mental illness. No prior studies have examined the association between self-esteem and stereotype awareness among individuals with past suicide attempts. Aims: To understand the relationship between stereotype awareness and self-esteem among young adults who have and have not attempted suicide. Method: Computerized surveys were administered to college students (N = 637). Linear regression analyses were used to test associations between self-esteem and stereotype awareness, attempt history, and their interaction. Results: There was a significant stereotype awareness by attempt interaction (β = –.74, p = .006) in the regression analysis. The interaction was explained by a stronger negative association between stereotype awareness and self-esteem among individuals with past suicide attempts (β = –.50, p = .013) compared with those without attempts (β = –.09, p = .037). Conclusion: Stigma is associated with lower self-esteem within this high-functioning sample of young adults with histories of suicide attempts. Alleviating the impact of stigma at the individual (clinical) or community (public health) levels may improve self-esteem among this high-risk population, which could potentially influence subsequent suicide risk.


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