The Limits and Promise of Exclusivism and Inclusivism

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-69
Author(s):  
John J. Thatamanil
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Central Question ◽  
Religious Truth ◽  
Theory Of Religion ◽  
Truth Criterion ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Do So

This chapter surveys major exclusivist and inclusivist theologies of religious diversity. The central question that the author brings to bear in assessing any theology of religious diversity is, “Does this theory make interreligious learning possible?” The author proposes four major criteria: 1) The difference without incommensurability criterion: does this theology of religious diversity affirm that traditions are genuinely different such that real learning is possible but not so different as to be incommensurable? 2) The truth criterion: does this theology of religious diversity affirm that at least some strands of other traditions grant access to religious truth? 3) The critical theory of religion criterion: does this theology of religious diversity offer a sophisticated theory of religion that makes interreligious learning possible? 4) The intrinsic religious interest criterion: can I be interested in another tradition’s own religious ends, while remaining a member of my own? The author shows that when theologies of religious diversity fail, they do so most often because of an inadequate theory of religion. The author also shows that, surprisingly, even some exclusivist leave room for interreligious learning.

On the moral-existential facet of religious studies today

1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-43
Author(s):  
Marc P. Lalonde
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Religious Life ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Critical Design ◽  
Religious Truth ◽  
Postmodern Philosophy ◽  
Cultural Tensions ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Do So

This article argues that part of the purpose of religious studies is to facilitate the reflexive exploration of moral-existential frameworks of religious meaning in view of contemporary socio-cultural tensions, problems and contradictions. I argue for a non-theological view of religious studies capable of examining issues of religious truth, value and purpose, though quite different from theology. The first section of this study takes up the moral-existential facet of religious studies in relation to the modern fear of meaninglessness as a socio-cultural motivation for analyzing sources of religious insight. To do so thoughtfully yet nontheologically, however, requires a new mode of critical deliberation that can stimulate creative speculation which is found in Foucault's notion of "transgressive transformation" as the critical approach most germane to the moral-existential facet of religious studies. By way of demonstrating the value of this critical design, section three sets out to untangle the postmodern contingencies motivating Habermas' peculiar assessment of religious life and thought, where the religious serves to keep postmodern philosophy at bay—a tactic that rebounds to betray Habermas' own want of a religiously informed social ethic. In order to meet that want, section four presents a reflection on Levinas' unique view of the religio-ethical as that which transgressively transforms Habermas' position. On the hither side of this transformation, I suggest, resides a future work for the moral-existential facet of religious studies today as a critical theory of religious insight.

Adjectives and their keyness: a corpus-based analysis of tourism discourse in English

Corpora ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Durán-Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Domain Specific ◽  
Adventure Tourism ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Relevant Reference ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Do So

This paper attempts to shed some light on the importance of adjectives in the linguistic characterisation of tourism discourse in English in general and in adventure tourism in particular as well as to prove how significant the difference in usage is compared to the general language. It seeks to understand the role that adjectives play in this specific subdomain and to contribute to the linguistic characterisation of tourism discourse in this respect. It also aims to confirm or reject previous assumptions regarding the use, and frequency of use, of adjectives and adjectival patterns in this specialised domain and, in general, to promote the study of adjectivisation in domain-specific discourses. To do so, it proposes a corpus-based study that measures the keyness of adjectives in promotional texts of the adventure tourism domain in English by comparing their usage in the compiled corpus to the two most relevant reference corpora of English (coca and the bnc).

scholarly journals A Secular Critique of Religious Ethics and Politics

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Cliteur
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Case ◽  
Moral Autonomy ◽  
Religious Ethics ◽  
Religious Leader ◽  
Political Autonomy ◽  
Central Notion ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Do So ◽  
The Ideal ◽  
Ethics And Politics

This chapter discusses the difference between a nonsecular or religious critique of religious ethics and politics and a specifically secular critique. It introduces the central notion of a secular critique, autonomy, and its two types, moral and political. Moral autonomy entails the separation of religion from ethics. The ideal of making that separation is called “moral secularism.” The opposite of moral autonomy is “moral heteronomy.” An extreme case of moral heteronomy is discussed: Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his own son when God commanded him to do so. Next, the importance of political autonomy and political secularism is illustrated with reference to the conflict between the king Ahab (the model of a secular ruler) and the prophet Elijah (the model of a religious leader). Some stories in the holy scriptures of the monotheist religions held in common by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are unfavorable toward secularism (both moral and political).

Equal Opportunity in a Pluralistic Society

1987 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Nickel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Religious Pluralism ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pluralistic Society ◽  
Self Image ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The U.S

The United States has never been culturally or religiously homogeneous, but its diversity has greatly increased over the last century. Although the U.S. was first a multicultural nation through conquest and enslavement, its present diversity is due equally to immigration. In this paper I try to explain the difference it makes for one area of thought and policy – equal opportunity – if we incorporate cultural and religious pluralism into our national self-image. Formulating and implementing a policy of equal opportunity is more difficult in diverse, pluralistic countries than it is in homogeneous ones. My focus is cultural and religious diversity in the United States, but my conclusions will apply to many other countries – including ones whose pluralism is found more in religion than in culture.

Rule Fitness and Pathology in Learning Classifier Systems

2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Kovacs
Keyword(s):  
Value Functions ◽  
Classifier Systems ◽  
Reward Function ◽  
Learning Classifier ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
General Rules ◽  
Strength Based ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Value Function ◽  
Do So

It has long been known that in some relatively simple reinforcement learning tasks traditional strength-based classifier systems will adapt poorly and show poor generalisation. In contrast, the more recent accuracy-based XCS, appears both to adapt and generalise well. In this work, we attribute the difference to what we call strong over general and fit over general rules. We begin by developing a taxonomy of rule types and considering the conditions under which they may occur. In order to do so an extreme simplification of the classifier system is made, which forces us toward qualitative rather than quantitative analysis. We begin with the basics, considering definitions for correct and incorrect actions, and then correct, incorrect, and overgeneral rules for both strength and accuracy-based fitness. The concept of strong overgeneral rules, which we claim are the Achilles' heel of strength-based classifier systems, are then analysed. It is shown that strong overgenerals depend on what we call biases in the reward function (or, in sequential tasks, the value function). We distinguish between strong and fit overgeneral rules, and show that although strong overgenerals are fit in a strength-based system called SB-XCS, they are not in XCS. Next we show how to design fit overgeneral rules for XCS (but not SB-XCS), by introducing biases in the variance of the reward function, and thus that each system has its own weakness. Finally, we give some consideration to the prevalence of reward and variance function bias, and note that non-trivial sequential tasks have highly biased value functions.

Horst Wolfram Geißler (1893–1983)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Schulz-Nieswandt
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Critical Theory ◽  
Central Question ◽  
Key Points

This study analyses the work of Horst Wolfram Geißler and his poetics in the context of the post-1945 period. Its hermeneutical reconstruction focuses on questions relating to ontological reflections on freedom and destiny with regard to developmental challenges during the life cycle of individuals. Its central question relates to understanding the role of cheerfulness and merriment in confrontation with existential tasks of meaningfulness. The study’s autobiographical dimensions facilitate certain relevant intertextual mechanisms of hermeneutics. Understanding the compensatory role of the poetics of cheerfulness and merriment in relation to the melancholy and negativity of social reality’s critical theory is also one of its key points.

Pure and Applied Research in Linguistics: Is the Difference Merely One of Motivation?

1979 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.P. Corder
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Academic World ◽  
The Social ◽  
Learned Societies ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Own Name ◽  
Do So

It is perhaps natural that in the early years of emergence of a new field of study and research its practitioners should from time to time ask themselves what is the nature of the activity they are engaged in. The need to do so may stem from a number of different causes: philosophical, sociological and psychological. The practitioners may feel the need to establish a personal identity, that is, some accepted place for themselves in the social structure of the academic world, to achieve respect and recognition as workers in the field of scholarship, a role in the institution of higher studies. They may feel that the discipline they profess is not properly recognised within the scholarly domain, its place not clearly determined in the structure of science or scholarship, its value to society not appreciated; and that consequently it does not attract research funds in its own name, permit the establishment of courses and programmes which lead to academic degrees or qualifications bearing its name, or of learned societies devoted to discussing its problems and disseminating its notions. All of these factors I believe play a part in the motivations for the constantly renewed discussion of WHAT IS APPLIED LINGUISTICS? None of them is in any way reprehensible or unworthy. The intensity or frequency with which these discussions occur is a response to the prevailing orthodox views about the discipline itself and its relation to neighbouring disciplines found in the society where the discussions take place, and to the degree to which its practitioners (i.e. people who call themselves applied linguists) feel oppressed, unrecognised or undervalued by the members of the institution in which they work and with whom they interact. This is a whole field of investigation open to the sociologist of science to describe and explain.

Method of Generated Responses and Schizophrenic Deficit

1971 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 975-982
Author(s):  
Anne Marie Bercik ◽  
John H. Mueller
Keyword(s):  
Paired Associates ◽  
High Dominance ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Control ◽  
Two Populations ◽  
Do So

Schizophrenic and control Ss were compared on the method of generated responses (MGR) and conventional paired-associates (PA), using lists of stimuli which elicited either primarily one response or several responses. The low-dominance list was more difficult, and schizophrenics were generally slower in learning. The MGR, with Ss producing their own responses, was easier than conventional PA (yoked controls). While the MGR reduced the difference between the low- and high-dominance lists, it did not do so differentially for the two populations. The results were discussed in terms of Broen and Storms' theory of “collapsed” response hierarchies in schizophrenia.

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