More learning, less activism: Narratives of childhood in Australian media representations of the School Strike for Climate

The School Strike for Climate campaign led to public discussion about children’s political participation. Children are generally excluded from formal political systems, however this campaign challenges mainstream attitudes that children are not sufficiently competent to participate in politics. This paper presents an analysis of Australian mainstream media representations of adult responses to the School Strike for Climate events held in Australia in March 2019. When analysed against theories of childhood, two primary narratives are reflected in what adults said about children’s participation in the campaign. Anticipatory narratives focus on children appropriately developing into adults, and are represented by the notion that strikers should be in school, be punished for missing school, and are ‘just kids’ who should not be listened to. Protectionist narratives seek to shelter children from adult matters, suggesting strikers were brainwashed and raising welfare concerns. Neither of these narratives regard children as citizens capable of political voice, despite these children acting prefiguratively to create a world in which their civic participation is valued. Social movement theories of prefiguration are also explored in this paper, providing a counter argument to suggestions that children have no political agency and should be excluded from activism and discussions regarding climate change.

Gödel`s Ontological Argument, Positive Properties, and Gaunilist Objection

The article is devoted to Gödel’s ontological argument, its place in the history of philosophy, and the current debate over the validity of ontological proof. First, we argue that Gödel's argument is a necessary step in the history of the development of ontological proof. Second, we show that Gödel’s argument (namely, its core concept of “positive property”) is based on implausible axiological principles (this fact raises many objections like Hajek’s counter-argument), but can be appropriately reformulated in terms of plausible axiological principles (Gustafsson’s argument). Also, we consider the debate over the validity of Gödel’s argument between contemporary neo-Gaunilist Graham Oppy and the advocate of Gödel’s ontological proof Michael Gettings. We conclude that Gödel’s ontological argument is immune to Oppy’s neo-Gaunilism. Finally, given the fact that Oppy’s parody is arguably the most fine-grained Gaunilo-style argument in the history of philosophy, we conclude that Gaunilist line of argumentation, even if successful in refuting Anselm’s ontological proof of God’s existence, does not work against Gödel’s ontological argument (what is evidenced by the results of the debate between Oppy and Gettings).

The Starting-Points for Knowledge

This paper examines some neglected Chrysippean fragments on insecure apprehension (κατάληψις). First, I present Chrysippus’ account of how non-Sages can begin to fortify their insecure apprehension and upgrade it into knowledge (ἐπιστήμη). Next, I reconstruct Chrysippus’ explanation of how sophisms and counter-arguments lead one to abandon one’s insecure apprehension. One such counter-argument originates in the sceptical Academy and targets the Stoic claim that insecure apprehension can be acquired on the basis of custom (συνήθεια). I show how Chrysippus could defend the possibility of custom-based apprehension, while also denying that there is custom-based knowledge.

Critiquing the Critique: Resisting Commonplace Criticisms of Antidepressants in Online Platforms

Critiques of antidepressants in public spaces such as print media, blogs, social media, websites, and radio and television programs are now commonplace. Such critiques typically center on issues such as the side effects and risks of antidepressants, overblown claims of effectiveness, the fallacy of the chemical imbalance hypothesis, overprescribing, and the availability of equally or more effective nonmedication interventions for depression. In this article, we employ a discursive analysis to show how online commenters fashion a particular counter-argument to these critiques. Prominent in this counter-argument is that only “real” depression benefits from antidepressants, and that a “one-size-does-not-fit-all” understanding of these medications is needed. We argue that, while this nuanced counter-critique contains features that make it difficult to undermine, it simultaneously embeds many unanswered questions.

Desdemona moksham: A Shakespearean murder revisited

This article examines two performances, Othello in Kathakali and The Magic Hour, concentrating the analysis around two different choices made around a single action: the killing of Desdemona. While Desdemona is killed in the Kathakali Othello, in The Magic Hour this does not occur. The argument in this article differs from a critique that suggests Othello in Kathakali, created by Sadanam Balakrishnan and performed by the International Center for Kathakali in New Delhi, fails to nuance the inherent misogyny in the original Shakespearean text while improvising on its own conventions. A sustained counter argument is presented, which suggests that the design of the performance has enough new elements, fresh codes and reinvented conventions to address the political/racial theme of the story, and that any misogyny inherently lies not in the creator’s intentions, but rather in the Shakespearean text itself. The Magic Hour, on the other hand, negotiates the misogyny in the Shakespearean text more directly and, by choosing not to kill Desdemona, transforms the murder sequence into a scene of liberation, of moksham.

Human security at the Mediterranean borders: humanitarian discourse in the EU periphery

This article provides a re-conceptualization of human security by exploring humanitarian discourse in the EU periphery. It analyzes human security at the Mediterranean borders by focusing on humanitarian, migrant-centered discourse concerned with defending the world’s most vulnerable populations (Barnett in Annual Review of Political Science 16(1): 379-398, 2013). Empirical research has detected humanitarian discourse defending migrants’ rights, based on claims for the right to be free from inhuman treatment (Aradau in Millennium: Journal of International Studies 33(2): 251–77, 2004), as a counter-argument to the defense and closure of the borders. A humanitarian discourse focused on the alleviation of migrants’ physical and mental suffering erupted at the EU periphery when the Italian government denied a port of safety to the SeaWatch3 vessel in January 2019. This case study provides an example of center-periphery conflictual dynamics. The Italian government, defending the EU/Italian borders by closing the Italian ports, was challenged by actors mobilizing pressure, shaming the state into compliance and requesting pro-migrant legislation.

The counter argument against environmental reductionism in Latinx immigration debates: Tracking the discussion and empirical evidence

This article discusses the debate and empirical bases of the environmental argument against Latinx immigration to the United State (US) since the 1980s decade. The environmental argument against immigration states that the level of immigration (undocumented and legal) has a statistical impact on the CO2 emissions, quality of air, and pollution. The argument also declares that immigrants exceed the emissions if they remained in their country of origin since the 1980s decade, and that immigration rapidly consumes environmental resources such as water, air, land, and increases biodiversity loss. This argument has neo-Malthusian, social Darwinism, and racist biases. This paper presents the core debates around the primary premises, the evolution inside the environmental movement in the US. This paper argues that the environmental argument against Latinx immigration lacks generalizable studies, objective data, and scientific validity. The environmental argument evolution has not present enough academic to support to its main claim that connects immigration with environmental degradation. Instead, we argue that immigration it is not the only cause of population growth, the environmental argument denies the strong evidence and studies that linkage environmental degradation with industrialization levels, emissions, economic development, and consumption levels of the US citizens.

Towards Symbiosis: Reflections on Government/Media Relations in Nigeria

The media, like other institutions, do not exist in a vacuum. They operate within societies, within geo-political entities, and within the framework, restrictive or liberal, provided by other institutions and structures within any given society. Government is one of the most important factors that influence the operations of the media. Ideally, the relationship between the government and the media should be symbiotic, but in Nigeria, that relationship is often adversarial. Although some scholars have argued that the media cannot afford to be in cahoots with the government if the public’s information needs are to be served, a counter-argument is provided in this paper to the effect that the aims of development journalism and of social responsibility cannot be easily achieved if politicians and journalists cannot find a way of coexisting. The authors of this paper point to instances where governments were toppled because of their perceived insouciance and their intolerance toward press freedom. Conversely, journalists are reminded of the media’s role in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, when some of the media were accused of beating the drums of discord and of internecine strife. In conclusion, the argument is made that the liaison between government and the media is one of society’s most important relationships and whoever trifles with that balance endangers not just the press and the government but the very survival of civilized society.

Revisiting An Islamic Approach to Humanities: A Critical Review

Purpose: The study aims to develop a relevant counter-argument and supporting justification on ideas offered by Zaman (2014) in his paper titled "An Islamic Approach to Humanities." Design/Method/Approach: This study adopts a quantitative approach in form of a literature survey, discourse and critical content analysis. For achieving the goal, we capitalize on Ghazi (2006) to support the argument that the source of knowledge is not only through observations. Kalin (2016) and Zarkasyi (2018) are being used to show that Islam encourages reasoning and observations. To support the argument that Islamic economics can be positivistic, we use Abdullahi (2018) as a related paper to deal with that issue. Findings: The study found that Islamic Economics can use the tools of logical positivists in its observation as long as such tools do not contradict the logical structure of the Islamic worldview. Social science like Islamic economics is only an avenue to see the expression of free will that Allah gives to the human being by observing the pattern of human behavior. When the results can describe closer to reality, it can survive and support the development of social science itself. Originality/Values: The main contribution of this study is to clarify the position of Islamic economics on the logical positivism method and its implication in value integration.