scholarly journals Japanese Reinterpretations of Confucianism

Asian Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-208
Author(s):  
Marko Ogrizek

This article aims to introduce the study of Itō Jinsai from the point of view of the value of his Confucian interpretations within the context of the project of Confucian ethics—in other words, trying to ascertain in what ways Jinsai’s project can help facilitate the study of Confucian ethics beyond the realm of intellectual history in the global context of the 21st century. It is imperative to allow Jinsai’s notions, as much as possible, to speak for themselves; but it is also of great importance to first place Jinsai within his own time and inside the intellectual space in which he formulated his ideas. A number of scholarly sources will be considered, with the intention of illuminating Jinsai’s work from a few different angles.

2021 ◽  
pp. 096394702110097
Author(s):  
Naomi Adam

Framed by cognitive-poetic and possible worlds theories, this article explores two 21st century novels by the British postmodernist author Ian McEwan. Building upon Ryan’s (1991) seminal conceptualisation of the theory in relation to literature and using the novels as case studies, possible worlds theory is used to explain the unique and destabilising stylistic effects at play in the texts, which result in a ‘duplicitous point of view’ and consequent disorientation for the reader. With reference to the stylistically deviant texts of McEwan, it is argued that revisions to current theoretical frameworks are warranted. Most significantly, the concepts of suppositious text-possible worlds and (total) frame readjustment are introduced. Further to this, neuropsychiatric research is applied to the novels, highlighting the potential for interdisciplinary overlap in the study of narrative focalisation. It is concluded that the duplicity integral to both novels’ themes and texture is effected through artful use of hypothetical focalisation and suppositious text-possible worlds.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 1611-1631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilari Lehtonen ◽  
Ari Venäläinen ◽  
Matti Kämäräinen ◽  
Antti Asikainen ◽  
Juha Laitila ◽  
...  

Abstract. Trafficability in forest terrain is controlled by ground-bearing capacity, which is crucial from the timber harvesting point of view. In winter, soil frost affects the most the bearing capacity, especially on peatland soils which have in general low bearing capacity. Ground frost similarly affects the bearing capacity of forest truck roads. A 20 cm thick layer of frozen soil or 40 cm thick layer of snow on the ground may already be sufficient for heavy forest harvesters. In this work, we studied the impacts of climate change on soil frost conditions and, consequently, on ground-bearing capacity from the timber harvesting point of view. The number of days with good wintertime bearing capacity was modelled by using a soil temperature model with a snow accumulation model and wide set of downscaled climate model data until the end of the 21st century. The model was calibrated for different forest and soil types. The results show that by the mid-21st century, the conditions with good bearing capacity will decrease in wintertime in Finland, most likely by about 1 month. The decrease in soil frost and wintertime bearing capacity will be more pronounced during the latter half of the century, when drained peatlands may virtually lack soil frost in most of winters in southern and western Finland. The projected decrease in the bearing capacity, accompanied with increasing demand for wood harvesting from drained peatlands, induces a clear need for the development of sustainable and resource-efficient logging practices for drained peatlands. This is also needed to avoid unnecessary harvesting damages, like rut formation on soils and damage to tree roots and stems.


Asian Studies ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristýna VOJTÍŠKOVÁ

 According to some thinkers, in the 21st century, the Japanese society is facing a crisis of values. The postmodern approach to the individual and society may be one of the causes of this problem. In this point of view, an inadequate grasp of the relationship between the individual and the society seems to play an important role. The problem of this relationship was elaborated by the early 20th century philosopher Watsuji Tetsurō who endeavoured to re-define the role of an individual in the society. This paper attempts to examine the contemporary problem of Japanese identity from the perspective of Watsuji’s conception of interpersonal relationships. 


The article focuses on identifying contradictions of functionalist oriented sociological thought, which accumulates various tendencies that determine the ways and styles of sociological theorizing. In particular, an analysis of the link between the life and creative biography of Tolcott Parsons as one of the founders of structural functionalism, their influence on the way and style of his sociological thinking. From the point of view of the authors of the article, T. Parsons' autobiography suggests that the liberal way of thinking was natural to the American scientist. It is this method that has found its adequate reflection in his scientific work and determined the thinking style of one of the most prominent representatives of structural functionalism. It is emphasized that, in response to the accusations of violating the "balance between succession and opportunism" in his "intellectual history", T. Parsons raised questions that did not resolve this contradiction but significantly exacerbated it. Similar situations are classified by a number of intellectuals as schizophrenic in the culture of late capitalism. But they have their logic, based on the rules of which theorists offer different ways of getting out of contradictory social situations that provide temporary success, while creating the effect of their delayed exacerbation. It is emphasized that in the works of T. Parsons the contradiction between “social” and “societal” is realized but not resolved, where “societal” requires development and “social” requires order. It is proved that the functionalist style of sociological thinking creates the illusion of the possibility of its solution by the method of undeclared refusal to develop in the name of order, which, in turn, leads to a radical rejection of the principle of rationalism.


Author(s):  
Parvin Rustamova

The article is devoted to the analysis of the concert for piano and symphony orchestra by the modern Azerbaijani composer R. Agababayev. The article is very relevant from the point of view of identifying ways to implement classical traditions in a modern piano concerto of the 21st century. It must be said that in this issue we have found many such stylistic features that testify to the strong reliance of Azerbaijani composers on classical traditions. This article is devoted to the study of identifying the stylistic features of R. Agababayev’s piano concerto in the context of the historical development of this genre. Research methodology. The choice of the methodological basis for this study is due to the above goals and tasks that we set ourselves in the framework of this work. Based on the subject matter of the article, the methodological basis of this scientific work is a complex analysis, which implies the interaction of several research methods at different levels. The basis for the analytical analysis of the piano concerto was a theoretical approach, in which such aspects of the work as the problem of form formation, stylistic features of individual elements of the musical language are subject to research. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that for the first time as special research work is the study and detailed analysis of R. Agababayev’s piano concerto. Conclusions. The main conclusion of our scientific research was to determine the stylistic features of the Azerbaijani piano concert created in the 21st century. Based on the data obtained during the analysis, we were able to determine the main trends and ways of development of this genre at the present stage of the development of Azerbaijani academic music. One of the important, if not decisive, aspect in achieving this kind of goal is to identify issues of preserving and transforming traditions, as well as innovative tendencies in the composer’s solution of a particular work. Single-movement piano concertos have become widespread in academic music since the beginning of the era of romanticism. And in the Azerbaijani one-part piano concerts, connections with romantic traditions are deeply felt. Moreover, in each specific work, these traditions are reflected especially. Since the concert by R. Agababayev demonstrates an interesting and original one-part interpretation, combined with an inner poly-part one, this is a typically romantic tendency associated with the composers’ desire to compress the cycle.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-87
Author(s):  
Louise Harder Fischer ◽  
Richard Baskerville

A predominant understanding in information systems research (ISR) is that technology has institutionalizing, routinizing, and socializing effects in its interaction with users in the human enterprise. Subscribing to these effects from an organizational point of view no longer provides a full understanding of the more complex dynamics in the 21st century workplace inhabited by a vast amount of different technologies with different purposes. Through a critical realist analysis, focusing on patterns in socio-technical structures and more specific actions and outcomes afforded by the recent and forceful adoption of unified communication and collaboration platforms (UCC), the authors see a new, powerful socio-technical mechanism of individualization that is profoundly changing these socio-technical dynamics. Through 18 interviews with knowledge professionals, the study finds that the mechanisms of individualization reduce the influence of the organization as an institutionalizing and socializing socio-technical system. As an example, the power of individualization creates new parallel structures of small networks of close colleagues. Thus, this research sees new structural patterns and dynamics emerging, forming a much more complex, yet self-organizing socio-technical system. The authors suggest expanding the socio-technical understanding of the present techno-organizational reality by taking into account the socio-technical mechanisms that produce certain outcomes. By understanding the fundamental mechanisms at work, they provide those with a fuller understanding of how these mechanisms can enable, while simultaneously crippling, each other. This fuller understanding also aids the pursuit of providing workplaces that achieve both humanistic and economic objectives.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-286
Author(s):  
Bella Kotik-Friedgut ◽  
Alfredo Ardila

Luria has long been one of the most influential authors in cognitive neurosciences, in particular in neuropsychology. New scientific advances and clinical observations have confirmed many of his proposals and hypotheses. In this paper one of his major ideas is analyzed: the influence of cultural factors on human cognition. The systemic-dynamic Lurian analysis of brain activity is based on Vygotsky's concept of higher mental functions, which are social in origin and complex and dynamic in their structure. Higher mental functions are based on a complex system of operations and means both external and internal. Living conditions and hence cultural characteristics have dramatically changed during the last half century with the development of new media and new virtual ways of communication. Review of contemporary developments supporting the appropriateness and usefulness of these concepts is presented. It is finally concluded that Luria is one of the major founders of contemporary neuropsychology not only from the clinical point of view, but also from the cultural perspective. His influence has continued undiminished during the 21st century.


2019 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 03005
Author(s):  
Alexander Stoyanov

The following work focuses on the study of the energy complex in a particular country (Sweden) and in specific conditions (Luleå municipality in the first and second decades of the 21st century). The conclusions and results obtained during the work might be interesting from the point of view of applicability of practice in other countries, as an example of successful experience in implementing an effective fuel and energy complex, which allows each of the parties (producers and consumers) to derive the maximum mutual benefit. The main features of the energy economy of Sweden as a whole have also been considered, which may contribute to the deepening of research in this vein, in order to allow other municipalities to be considered, which in turn will make it possible to assess the efficiency and prospects of the fuel and energy complex in the country as a whole. The work also proposes and considers possible points of intensification of the production cycle in order to increase production capacities and improve the conditions for consumers who, due to the geographical features of the country’s location, are forced to spend large amounts of money on innovative technologies, illustrated in consumer prices for electricity and heat supply (especially other municipalities in Sweden, for example, the difference between Luleå and them in terms of consumer prices can reach 30-40%).


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 11-22
Author(s):  
Gaël Giraud

At the cost of unprecedented suffering to a significant part of our populations, we now realize in many developed world countries, from a health point of view, we do not have adequate infrastructure and public resources for this era and this crisis. How can we address these challenges in the 21st century from a public health perspective? This is what many countries have had to accept and implement in a few weeks in the face of a pandemic that, as we write, promises to rage across the planet in recurring waves of contamination and mutations of the virus. Let us see how and why.


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