Post-Secularism as a Basis of Dialogue between Philosophy and Religion

This article tackles the problem of religious radicalism. Religious radicalism is here interpreted as a protest against the pathology of secularism characterized by the privatization of religion. The privatization of religion is a process in which religion is regarded as an irrational and personal element, so that it cannot play a public role. In order to meet the pathology of privatization, this article offers the paradigm of post-secularism as proposed by Juergen Habermas that opens up the possibility for religion to actively participate in the public sphere. Furthermore, this writing argues that in post-secular society characterized by the public role of religion, it is essential to build a democratic and rational dialogue between religion and philosophy, faith and reason. A bridge that connects both is public reason. This article also shows that the post-secular condition opens up opportunities for theology to promote tolerance in a pluralistic society and to strengthen the public engagement of religion. This can avoid reducing religion to private piety without public responsibility while promoting the public engagement in religion in order to liberate the marginalized and oppressed.

‘I feel that injustice is being done to me’: a qualitative study of women’s viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for social egg freezing

Background During the last decade, the possibility for women to cryopreserve oocytes in anticipation of age-related fertility loss, also referred to as social egg freezing, has become an established practice at fertility clinics around the globe. In Europe, there is extensive variation in the costs for this procedure, with the common denominator that there are almost no funding arrangements or reimbursement policies. This is the first qualitative study that specifically explores viewpoints on the (lack of) reimbursement for women who had considered to uptake at least one social egg freezing cycle in Belgium. Methods To understand the moral considerations of these women, drawing from twenty-one interviews, this paper integrates elements of a symbiotic empirical ethics approach and thematic analysis. Results We identify three themes: (1) From ongoing concern to non-issue; (2) Negotiating the reimbursement for social egg freezing; (3) From fully out-of-pocket to (partial) free good. In the first theme, we found that some women were concerned about the cost of social egg freezing and the lack of clear information about it. Furthermore, they reported moral sentiments of injustice which they attributed to their lack of acknowledgement for their struggles and needs. Other women perceived the reimbursement controversy of social egg freezing as something far removed from their lived experience. The second theme illustrates diverse views on reimbursement, ranging from viewing social egg freezing as an elective treatment unbefitting reimbursement to preferences for greater public responsibility and wider access. Finally, we describe the participants’ varying proposals for partial reimbursement and the idea that it should not be made available for free. Conclusions This research adds important empirical insights to the bioethics debate on social egg freezing, in particular by presenting (potential) users’ views on the lack of reimbursement. Based on our results, it seems an oversimplification to portray social egg freezers as merely affluent women who are not concerned about the coverage of egg freezing costs. While there is much more to say about the ethical and political complexities of the reimbursement of this procedure, our study highlighted the voices of (potential) users and showed that at least some of them express a preference or a need for reimbursement.

Voluntary COVID-19 vaccination of children: a social responsibility

Nearly 400 million adults have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Children have been excluded from the vaccination programmes owing to their lower vulnerability to COVID-19 and to the special protections that apply to children’s exposure to new biological products. WHO guidelines and national laws focus on medical safety in the process of vaccine approval, and on national security in the process of emergency authorisation. Because children suffer much from social distancing, it is argued that the harms from containment measures should be factored in a broader perspective on the good of the child. Considering the available knowledge on the disease, vaccine, and coping strategies, the decision about vaccine access to children is a public responsibility. The ultimate choice is a matter of paediatric informed consent. Moreover, jurisdictions that permit non-participation in established childhood vaccination programmes should also permit choice of vaccines outside of the approved programmes. Even if vaccine supply is too short to cover the paediatric population, the a priori exclusion of children is unjust. It may also exacerbate local and global inequalities. The second part of the paper delineates a prudent and ethical scheme for gradual incorporation of minors in vaccination programmes that includes a rigorous postvaccination monitoring. This is a theoretical paper in ethics that uses the Pfizer vaccine as a stock example, without discussing possible differences among existing vaccines. The key purpose is reflection on the good of the child in emergencies and vaccine policymaking.

Moving Beyond the Clerical Paradigm: Practical Theology in the Korean Context

Over the past few decades, practical theologians in Korea have devised a framework to address important issues, correlating theory and practice and bridging the divide between pastors and lay people to facilitate open communication. However, the clerical paradigm has deep roots in Korean culture and ideology, which, combined with the Confucian patriarchal system, poses a challenge to Korean practical theology. These factors cause practical theology to reflect on its limitations and to move toward a hermeneutical-praxis paradigm by dealing with Christian praxis, connecting church with society for public responsibility, and providing an egalitarian leadership between pastors and lay people.

On certain aspects of public legal responsibility in the sphere of using artificial intelligence and autonomous robots

The subject of this research is certain theoretical aspects of public legal responsibility that may emerge in the spheres and situations of the use of artificial intelligence and robotic autonomous systems takes place. Special attention is given to interpretation of public legal responsibility as a legal category, and its role within the system of legal regulation of public relations in the country. The article explores the basic aspects of public responsibility in the sphere of potential use of the systems equipped with technological solutions based on artificial intelligence. The author describes the possible risks determined by the development and implementation of such technologies in accordance with trends of scientific and technological progress. The conclusion is made that currently in the Russian Federation does not have a liability system applicable particularly to damage or losses resulting from the use of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence. However, the existing liability regime at least ensures the basic protection for the victims suffered from the use of artificial intelligence technologies. However, the peculiar characteristics of these technologies and complexity of their application may hinder payment of compensations for inflicted harm in all cases when it seems justified, and not ensure fair and effective allocation of responsibility in a number of cases, including the violation of non-property rights of citizens.

Willingness To Pay Konsumen Pengguna Air Di Sub-Das Kali Dendeng – Kota Kupang

Global awareness towards climate change has been a serious concern for archipelago countries due to water shortage. This problem even causes more serious life-threating phenomenon because water is one of the main resources for energy circulation. Whether change anomalies have brought about impacts on seasonal shift on several islands of Indonesia, including those in East Nusa Tenggara province. These islands experience drought. Fresh water availability for industry and domestic use in cities like Kupang has been a serious problem. This issue becomes worse in recent years due to significant increase of city population. Public responsibility to maintain natural environment and resources is therefore required. This study tries to investigate public concerns over the water shortage issue in order (1) to know to what extent public is willing to pay their consumption of fresh water provided through Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng; and (2) to analyze factors that influence the willingness of the fresh water consumers to pay for environment services provided at Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng. Quantitative approach which relies on primary and secondary data gathered through interview and field observation is applied in this study. The data were analyzed by using Dichotomous Choice CVM, Turnbull Method, and Logistic Regression to find out WTP value. The results of this analysis are described within the environmental science perspective to find out the relationship among various factors for being water consumer responsibility towards water resources preservation at Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng in Kupang. The results of the analysis show that the willingness to pay for fresh water by consumer at Kelurahan Manutapen, Mantasi dan Airmata is significantly high. They are willing to pay between Rp. 3.362 to Rp.11.328 according to WTP calculation. This amount is much higher than that determined by the city freshwater supplier company (PDAM). The facts for the reason why the consumers are willing to pay for higher amount for fresh water supply are determined by several factors; they include bidding value, consumer’s level of education, consumer’s income, water quality, and the amount of the family members. These factors simultaneously influence the water consumer willingness to pay for the water they consume; and this willingness factor has significantly high impacts as seen in Negelkerke R. Square value at 0,600, or being comparable to 60%; meaning that various factors of 60% in Y are able to explain all free variable in X. Respondents for this study are those who use fresh water supplied from Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng, and those who reside around the Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng. It is believed that there must be more citizens around the Sub-DAS Kali Dendeng, who also contribute negative impact toward the ecological environmental change, yet these individuals have no direct responsibility, and therefore the responsibility for the environmental conservation examined trough this study might not be thoroughly measured by the amount of WTP they pay.