Western Values in International Relations

This essay presents the three main traditions of thinking about international relations in Western societies since the sixteenth century, with particular attention to the ‘middle ground’ between extremes. These extremes are typified by thinkers such as Machiavelli and Hobbes at one pole, and Kant and Wilson at the other. The via media is associated with the development of constitutional government and the rule of law, as represented by thinkers such as Grotius and Gladstone. The essay illustrates the differences among these three traditions by analysing their distinct positions concerning international society, the maintenance of order, intervention, and international morality. ‘Western values’ are most effectively supported by thinkers and leaders who neither deny the existence of international society nor exaggerate its foreseeable prospects for gaining greater cohesion and strength. The middle course—the mainstream of the ‘Western values’ tradition—respects moral standards and sees moral challenges as complex, instead of regarding them as simple or nonexistent.

a) Switzerland: Extreme Positive Case Study (Worldwide)

Historically, Switzerland’s population and cantonal system have been characterised by mixed denominational distribution (Roman Catholics and Protestants). Even if the two main denominations have not always coexisted harmoniously, and despite internal differences, Switzerland is nowadays the most competitive (prosperous) country worldwide with well-recognised political, economic, and social stability.The Swiss case explored the nexuses of prosperity and of a religiously mixed society in which the Protestant Reformation played a prominent historical role in shaping federal institutions. Following the 1848 anti-clerical Constitution, many Conservative Catholics remained in mountainous and rural areas, in an attempt to keep the ancient order. The Catholic ancient order included maintaining the pervasive influence of the Roman Church-State on virtually every moral and social aspect, including education (i.e. the “maintenance of ignorance”). In turn, liberals and Protestants mostly remained in flat areas that were subsequently industrialised. Currently, the historical Protestant cantons tend to be the most competitive, and the mountainous Roman Catholic cantons the least competitive, in the Swiss Confederation. Historically mixed confessional cantons (e.g. Thurgau and St. Gallen) perform in the middle of the cantonal ranking of competitiveness (11th and 13th, respectively, out of 26 cantons). Protestantism in Switzerland may have also contributed to prosperity via democratisation, state secularism and the creation of trust and moral standards. Yet, the influence of Protestantism owes more to its accumulated historical impact on institutions than to the proportion of current followers.

POETRY OF IRAN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE THEME OF "DEMONISM" BY M.YU. LERMONTOV: BI-DIRECTIONALITY OF THE VECTOR INTERTEXTUAL CONNECTIONS

Статья посвящена изучению воздействия сюжета и идей поэмы Лермонтова «Демон» на поэтов Ирана, осмыслению причин их неослабевающего интереса к образному воплощению демонизма представителем иной ментальности, иного эстетико-культурного опыта. «Демон» неоднократно переводился на персидский язык, но самым авторитетным признан перевод Т. Таша, сыгравший значительную роль в творческой жизни таких современных персидских авторов, как Нима Юшидж и Мохаммад Хосейн Шахрияр. Масштабы влияния на них поэмы Лермонтова не ограничиваются мотивными и образными перекличками. В лексической и синтаксической структуре, в описании природы, в характере повествования и романтическом стиле иранских стихотворений явно прослеживаются следы лермонтовского воздействия. Вместе с тем в статье затронута проблема двувекторности интертекстуальных связей: ставится вопрос об истоках древнеиранского дуализма в «Демоне», о кавказских фольклорных заимствованиях, в частности, трансформации в лермонтовском сюжете осетинского предания о духе Гуд-горы; раскрыто значение символики Иблиса в мистической литературе Ирана. В качестве методологической основы в работе использован сравнительный метод, способствующий выявлению сходства и единства человеческого духа и мировоззрения. Компаративистский анализ творчества иранских поэтов дает также возможность показать особенности взаимодействия национальных культурных кодов. Постановка на уровне архетипа демонизма проблемы выбора между добром и злом, между сопротивлением искушению и отходом от духовно-нравственных норм поведения проясняет акценты художников в изображении дисгармоничности мира как следствия слепых и разрушительных страстей, в обрисовке изъянов и слабостей человеческой натуры, трагизма бытия отступившего и отверженного. Доказывается, что всемирный характер литературы, позволяющий мыслям одного поэта проникать в душу и разум поэта другой национальности, создает единое смысловое поле. Материал и выводы статьи представляют практическую ценность при изучении литературных связей Ирана с другими народами, могут быть использованы в преподавании курсов компаративистики на кафедрах русского языка в иранских университетах. The article is devoted to the study of the impact of the plot and ideas of Lermontov's poem "Demon" on the poets of Iran, understanding the reasons of the unrelenting interest of Iranian authors in the different embodiment of demonism by a representative of a different mentality, a different aesthetic and cultural experience. "Demon" was repeatedly translated into Persian, but the most credited is the translation made by T. Tash, which influenced such modern Persian poets as Nima Yushij and Mohammad Hossein Shahriyar. The extent of the influence of Lermontov's poem on their work is not limited to motivational and figurative roll-calls. In the lexical and syntax structure, in the description of nature, in the nature of the narrative and the romantic style of Iranian poems Lermontov’ influence is distinctly traceable. Alongside with this, the article touches on the problem of two-vector intertextual connections: the question of the origins of the ancient Iranian dualism in “Demon” and the Caucasian folklore borrowings, in particular, the transformation in Lermontov’s plot of the Ossetian Stories about the spirit of Gud-gori; this article, in parallel with this issue, reveals the significance of Iblis's symbolism in Iran's mystical literature. A comparative method was used as a method of work, which allowed to prove the similarity and unity of the human spirit and worldview. Comparative analysis of the work of the Iranian poets also provides an opportunity to show the peculiarities of interaction of national cultural codes. The choice between good and evil on the level of the demonism archetype, between resisting temptation and a departure from spiritual and moral standards of behavior clarifies the accents of artists in depicting the disharmony of the world as the consequence of the blind and destructive passions, in depicting the flaws and weaknesses of human nature, the tragedy of being estranged and outcast. The results of the study contribute to the development of comparative literary studies. The article proves that the world nature of literature, allowing the thoughts of one poet to penetrate into the soul and mind of a poet of another nationality, creates a single semantic field. The materials and conclusions of the article are of practical value in studying Iran's literary ties with other nations, and can be used in teaching comparative studies at The Russian Language Departments in Iranian universities.

Heir and Bastard (Notes on the Social Genesis of Ressentiment)

The article focuses on redefining the social genesis of ressentiment. The concept of ressentiment, widely used today in the form shaped by Friedrich Nietzsche and fine-grained by Max Scheler, turns out to be both overly and insufficiently connected to the social structure of the societies, for the analysis of which it is used. The reason is that although Nietzsche’s and Scheler’s ideas about ressentiment refer to the socio-structural aspects of its genesis, they do so in a contradictory and incorrect manner. Without noticing their own contradictions, both thinkers elevate genesis of ressentiment to the moral standards of the lower classes. Using the examples of younger heirs and bastards of the medieval aristocratic families, as well as the examples of other relatively privileged social groups, the author shows that one should rather seek the genesis of ressentiment within higher social strata. At the same time, the author shows that the moral feelings and behavioral strategies germane to ressentiment can be adopted and are adopted by representatives of other classes. In this form, it attracts attention in times when the oppressed classes obtain real opportunities to change their position, or, at the very least, they receive reasons to believe that they could achieve more if such an opportunity had been given to them.

Morality in the era of smart devices

PurposeDoes using smart devices change people's moral standards? The objective of this paper is to investigate how people's moral behavioral intentions while employing smart devices are modulated by their socioeconomic status (SES; as measured by educational level and income).Design/methodology/approachParticipants were randomly assigned to either the smart devices condition or the non-smart devices condition, and their moral standards was measured by the adapted Moral Foundations Questionnaire. Data were collected from both China and the UK.FindingsIndividuals' SES moderated people's moral standards when using smart devices. Specifically, when employing smart devices (vs non-smart devices), moral standards declined for low-SES individuals. However, the effect of employing smart devices was not significant for high-SES individuals. This suggests that certain demographics may be more inclined to harm others with smart devices.Practical implicationsIn emerging markets, the widespread of smart devices in workplace may lower consumers' and employees' moral standards for certain demographics. Managers and marketers need to be aware of this erosion of morality and employ some preventive measures in advance.Originality/valueThis paper examined morality in the era of smart devices. Even though the use of smart devices has become a norm in developed markets, smart devices usage is still on the rise in emerging markets. The authors findings enhance the understanding of moral behaviors and contribute to the knowledge of how smart devices are changing human behaviors.

Cheating under the Circumstances in Marital Relationships: The Development and Examination of the Propensity towards Infidelity Scale

Most of the previously developed scales addressing infidelity were developed on young samples in dating relationships and with limited couple experience. The present study proposes an instrument to measure the proneness for infidelity among married people with substantial experience as a couple. Specific contexts described by the items, in which unfaithful behavior might occur, were selected from those revealed by previous research on people’s motives of past infidelity. Across two studies (N = 618) we examined the factorial structure and the psychometric characteristics of the Propensity towards Infidelity Scale (PTIS). Results revealed a one-dimensional structure of the PTIS and supported its reliability, its construct, criterion and incremental validity. PTIS emerged as negatively associated with two measures of adherence to moral standards, and positively related to past unfaithful behavior. Furthermore, the new instrument was found to bring a significant contribution in explaining these behaviors beyond two other scales of infidelity intentions.

Evaluación del proceso enseñanza aprendizaje vinculado a la Comunidad las Vivianas, en el CICS UMA IPN

Una de las responsabilidades apremiantes de la educación en México es dar respuesta de calidad a las necesidades en materia de formación de profesionales competentes para la solución de los problemas que se presentan en las distintas áreas del quehacer social. De ahí que una preocupación permanente de las instituciones educativas es establecer sistemas de evaluación que evidencien que se logra el objetivo en materia de formación profesional. En el Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias de la Salud, Unidad Milpa Alta, del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CICS-UMA. IPN) se está aplicando un sistema de aprendizaje basado en la investigación con responsabilidad social, mismo que nos ha permitido operar las unidades de aprendizaje, integradas en la etapa terminal del Programa Académico de Optometría, aplicarlas a la solución de problemas sociales mediante la práctica comunitaria y de esta manera evaluar realmente la calidad del futuro profesional. Es en la comunidad donde nuestros estudiantes deben demostrar mediante la aplicación de protocolos de atención basados en la investigación, que han adquirido los conocimientos cognitivos y procedimentales y su aplicación con un sentido ético basado en las normas morales que se observan en las comunidades objeto de estudio y servicio en el campo de la salud visual. One of the pressing responsibilities of education in Mexico is to provide quality response to the needs in training of competent professionals to solve problems that arise in different areas of social life. Hence a permanent concern of educational institutions is to establish evaluation systems that demonstrate that the objective is achieved in vocational training. In the Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Unit Milpa Alta, the National Polytechnic Institute (CICS-UMA. IPN) is applying a learning system based on research with social responsibility, it has allowed us to operate the learning units integrated in the terminal stage of the Academic Program Optometry, apply them to solving social problems through community practice and thus really evaluate the quality of professional future. It is in the community where our students must demonstrate through application of treatment protocols based on research, that have acquired cognitive and procedural knowledge and its application with an ethical sense based on moral standards observed in the communities under study and service in the field of visual health.

Повышение безопасности электротехнического персонала путем профессионального отбора

The statistics of occupational injuries in the Russian Federation are analyzed. For 2019–2020 there was an increase in occupational injuries and fatal injuries. It was also revealed that among incidents at the workplace, electrical injuries are less common, but cases of electric shock most often result in high-severity injuries and fatal case. As a rule, electrical personnel suffer from electrical injuries. Professional selection of electrical personnel is proposed as one of the ways to reduce occupational injuries. Electrical personnel must have certain qualities (developed at the required level of thinking, attention, responsibility for the result of work, for their own and other people lives, communicative potential, moral standards, etc.) that allow employees to carry out their activities, which will contribute to improving occupational safety. Therefore, professional selection must consider the peculiarities of working with electrical installations. Occupational safety is also influenced by the tension of the labor process. In this regard, the fragments of the protocols on the indicators of the intensity of electrical personnel labor process, which were drawn up during the assessment of working conditions, were analyzed. It is noted that each profession related to electrical personnel differs in the class of working conditions according to the factors of labor process intensity at the workplace. Situations can also be observed when one profession at the different workplaces can have a different class of working conditions for the same indicators of labor process intensity. Based on the analysis of the protocols, it can be concluded that professional selection should consider the characteristics of the electrical personnel, as well as the classes of working conditions according to the indicators available in the protocols of the labor process intensity.

Article 62, 63 of Constitution of Pakistan and Moral Standards for Leadership in an Islamic State: An Analytical Study

High-status positions and leadership at the state level require high moral values in every country and society. This fundamental principle is common irrespective of countries' religious or liberal orientation despite some variations in its details. Pakistan came into being in the name of Allah, and Muslims of this region laid countless sacrifices. Thus they demanded Islamic laws and principles. This desire of Muslims was expressed in the Objectives Resolution. The inception of articles 62 & 63 in the constitution of Pakistan 1973 also reflects their passion through the eligibility criteria of the country's leadership. Article 62 demands members of parliament to run the state affairs under the principles of Islamic values, including truthfulness, honesty and trustworthiness; they should follow the same principles to lead their individual lives. Article 63 explains if there is any mismanagement in the administrative matters of a member of parliament, he would be deposed from that position. Both these articles are absolutely according to the Islamic teachings. Muslim history also endorses the high moral values for leadership. In this essay, articles 63 and 63 are thoroughly analyzed under Islamic teachings and history.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Events Scale in Two Canadian Armed Forces Samples

Moral injury (MI) is defined as the profound psychological distress experienced in response to perpetrating, failing to prevent, or witnessing acts that transgress personal moral standards or values. Given the elevated risk of adverse mental health outcomes in response to exposure to morally injurious experiences in military members, it is critical to implement valid and reliable measures of MI in military populations. We evaluated the reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity, as well as the factor structure of the commonly used Moral Injury Events Scale (MIES) across two separate active duty and released Canadian Armed Forces samples. In Study 1, convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated through correlations between MIES scores and depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, anger, adverse childhood experiences, and combat experiences. Across studies, internal consistency reliability was high. However, dimensionality of the MIES remained unclear, and model fit was poor across active and released Canadian Armed Forces samples. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.