‘Living in a Material World’: Frankenstein and new materialism

This paper uses concepts from Karen Barad’s theories from quantum physics and other theoretical approaches from new materialism to show how Frankenstein can be used to introduce this new framework and to challenge an older one based on dualism, representationalism and individualism. A new ethical understanding of the message of the text emerges from this reading—one that rethinks the prohibitions against ‘playing God’ or creating the unnatural and relies instead on an ethics of care.

To Be or Not to Be God—The Issue of Authorial Power in Dostoevsky

This paper problematizes the now widely accepted concept of Dostoevsky’s dialogism, which alleges the ‘Author’s’ equal empowerment of all his characters. Using examples from Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, Zholkovsky focuses on instances of ‘scene-staging’ based on the ‘scripts’ devised and enacted by some characters, that are ‘read,’ with varying success, by their targets. He documents the resulting ‘discursive combat’ among the characters, with special attention paid to those ‘playing god’ and thus, the more ‘authorial’ among them. In several cases, the would-be ‘divine’ manipulation is shown to be consistently subverted by the Dostoevskian narrative. However, in one instance, where Aliosha Karamazov charitably scripts Captain Snegirev’s behavior, the ensuing discussion of this episode, in Aliosha’s conversations with Lise Khokhlakova, upholds Aliosha’s right to play god with the Other—“for the Other’s own good”, of course (not unlike the Grand Inquisitor).

IMMORALLY AND UNETHICALLY FACILITATING THE DIVINE: MEDICAL ASSISTED SUICIDE, DR. DEATH, AND PLAYING GOD

This article is amedicalethics opinion piece regarding the historical and questionable exercise of medical assisted suicide. As this is a practice involving significant debate over many years, opinions of those who follow a divine-led path should be voiced with cognition. Thoughts are expressed and specifiedconcerning the ethicality and morality of humanly facilitating Gods plans of life expectancy for individuals. It is not proper, nor is it inspired by our Creator to define life cycles based on our own wishes or perceived entitlements.

End of Life Decision: We are not Playing God?

Advances in neonatal care now enable more infants to be kept alive despite clear clinical evidence of inevitable or imminent death on a life-support system. It is therefore no longer acceptable to the society that a patient is left to die in the hospital, without any form of treatment or intervention. We report a case of severe birth asphyxia, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, neonatal seizures and left cephalohematoma. In spite of initial successful resuscitation, the infant could not survive until all possible methods of treatment were exhausted. This case illustrates one of many examples of the process involved in dealing with ending of life decision in a condition considered as futile.