This paper introduces the OntoMotoOS Meta-Resonance Score (OMRS), a novel framework for evaluating what constitutes “Good AI.” Existing approaches in AI evaluation focus predominantly on technical performance—such as accuracy, efficiency, or robustness—while often neglecting broader ethical and societal dimensions. OMRS addresses this gap by integrating multiple layers of assessment: foundational quality (accuracy, safety), ethical trustworthiness (fairness, privacy, transparency, accountability), and societal impact (beneficence, respect for human autonomy, inclusivity, and sustainability). Grounded in system theory and normative philosophy, the framework (...) incorporates dynamic mechanisms such as the Identity–Autonomy–Mirroring–Feedback loop, the Themis Filter, and the PhoenixLoop, which enable continuous ethical alignment and resilience. By unifying diverse criteria into a single meta-score, OMRS offers both researchers and policymakers a practical tool for measuring, monitoring, and governing AI systems. This work thus positions OMRS as a bridge between technical benchmarks and philosophical principles, contributing to the ongoing discourse on responsible and trustworthy artificial intelligence. (shrink)

Current AI agent evaluation overwhelmingly relies on win-rates and aggregate performance scores that obscure crucial dimensions of agent behavior. This reductive approach poses significant risks when agents operate in complex, real-world environments where multiple objectives matter simultaneously. This paper introduces a multidimensional evaluation paradigm that assesses agent performance across eight critical dimensions: calibration, robustness, goal alignment, uncertainty handling, fairness, interpretability, adaptability, and resource efficiency. I propose Agent Evaluation Cards—standardized reporting templates that make agent capabilities and limitations transparent to developers, users, (...) and stakeholders. Case studies in navigation, healthcare triage, and multi-agent games demonstrate how comprehensive evaluation can support responsible agent deployment while enabling beneficial innovation. (shrink)

Since its inception in the early 1990s, evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become the dominant epistemic framework for Western medical practice. However, in light of powerful criticisms against EBM, alternatives such as casuistic medicine have been gaining support in both the medical and philosophical community. In the absence of empirical evidence in support of the claim that EBM improves patient outcomes, and in light of considerations that it is unlikely that such evidence will be forthcoming, another standard is needed to (...) assess EBM against its alternatives. In this paper, I propose a set of criteria for this purpose based on Helen Longino's criteria for assessing the objectivity of a knowledge productive community. I then apply these criteria to assess EBM against a casuistic framework for medical knowledge. I argue that EBM's strict adherence to a hierarchical organization of knowledge can reasonably be expected to block it from fulfilling a high level of objectivity. A casuistic framework, on the other hand, because it emphasizes critical evaluation in conjunction with the flexibility of a case-based approach, could be expected to better facilitate a more optimal epistemic community. (shrink)

This study develops a critical framework for evaluating ad hoc inflation in Qur’anic borrowing theories—explanations that multiply hypothetical intermediaries, lost sources, or selective adaptations in order to sustain the claim that the Qur’an derives its narratives from Jewish or Christian precedent. By systematically comparing the Qur’anic portrayals of Moses, Pharaoh, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Lot, and Solomon with the spectrum of Late Antique traditions, archaeological evidence, linguistic data, and ancient Near Eastern cultural contexts, the analysis identifies domains where the Qur’anic (...) material diverges sharply from known Christian, Jewish, Gnostic, and folkloric accounts while exhibiting internal coherence and historically resonant detail. These divergences occur precisely in places where borrowing models would predict dependence or replication. The study argues that, methodologically, each additional layer of hypothetical transmission required to explain such divergences increases model complexity without increasing explanatory power. A more disciplined comparative approach reveals that the Qur’anic narratives often preserve structural, legal, linguistic, and geographical patterns unattested in the alleged source traditions, while avoiding their contradictions, anachronisms, and theological motivations. The proposed framework provides a clearer set of criteria for distinguishing genuine literary dependence from conjectural reconstruction, thereby offering a more rigorous basis for future work in Qur’anic historiography and Late Antique textual interactions. (shrink)

Background: The United States symbolizes democracy in the new world and contributes to global prosperity. Nevertheless, incrementalism is a historically dominant national approach to public policy implementation that delays democracy and undermines human dignity. Human flourishing and national development are endangered by slow-moving democratic changes. This necessitates a social justice framework that traces the exploitation of incrementalism and the consequences of opportunity gaps. Objectives: This study aims to construct a grounded theory to address and answer the following research question: (...) Are anti-democratic concepts part of a process or strategy that hinders democratic change, and what reinforces it, if anything? Methods: Two categories emerged from a grounded theory of democratic social change. This combination of anti-democratic tenets and democratic principles led to abductive reasoning to fill the research gap. Results: The key finding was the existence of a systematic approach that led to democracy while simultaneously disempowering the same group through legal and extralegal means. Two processes hinder democracy: incrementalism and an anti-democratic demoralizing process. A constructivist social justice grounded theory was developed to analyze and evaluate public policy for barriers and facilitators of democracy. A thorough analysis and evaluation of the impact and consequences of public policy is recommended to better understand how such policies impede democracy and influence American perceptions of justice. (shrink)

This study investigates the adequacy of the current corporate governance frameworks by evaluating their efficiency relative to the context of crises. The Covid-19 pandemic is identified as the ideal case study on the merit that it has significant implications for corporate governance theory and practice. The study work from the premise that the current crisis situation necessitates a thorough evaluation of the readiness of the existing corporate governance regimes. While cognizant to the fact that the pandemic is still unfolding, this (...) thesis concedes that the current corporate governance frameworks are not necessarily inadequate to address the crisis situation, rather, they are still evolving to meet the challenge of the day. The thesis therefore suggests that certain areas of governance (including corporate purpose, the integration of digital technologies and cyber security systems, and heightened attention to environmental and social issues) should receive more attention in the future. The principal conclusion of this study is that there is a need to review corporate governance practices and policies in light of new emerging challenges. The study concludes with guidelines for corporate governance practices during times of crisis. (shrink)

Along with discussing bibliometric analyses’ limitations and potential biases, this paper addresses the growing need for comprehensive guidelines in evaluating bibliometric research by providing systematic frameworks for both peer reviewers and readers. While numerous publications provide guidance on implementing bibliometric methods, there is a notable lack of frameworks for assessing such research, particularly regarding performance analysis and science mapping. Drawing from an extensive review of bibliometric practices and methodological literature, this paper develops structured evaluation frameworks that address the complexity of (...) modern bibliometric analysis, introducing the VALOR framework (Verification, Alignment, Logging, Overview, Reproducibility) for assessing multi-source bibliometric studies. The paper's key contributions include comprehensive guidelines for evaluating data selection, cleaning, and analysis processes; specific criteria for assessing conceptual, intellectual, and social structure analyses; and practical guidance for integrating performance analysis with science mapping results. By providing structured frameworks for reviewers and practical guidelines for readers to interpret and apply bibliometric insights, this work enhances the rigor of bibliometric research evaluation while supporting more effective peer review processes and research planning. The paper also discusses potential areas for further development, including the integration of qualitative analysis with bibliometric data and the advancement of field-normalized metrics, ultimately aiming to support authors, reviewers, and readers in navigating the complexities of bibliometrics and enhancing the meaningfulness of bibliometric research. (shrink)

This paper presents a comprehensive formulation of the Ontological Primacy Framework (OPF), a philosophical system asserting the foundational superiority of ontology over mathematics. Ontology is positioned as the generative substrate of causal, identitarian, and temporal structures, while mathematics serves as a derivative descriptive tool. Integrating key affirmations of ontological primacy—such as causality as the base encoded by equations, entity identity preceding symbols, and time (τ) unfolding independently of formalization—this work incorporates philosophical critiques through the lenses of Aristotle’s Four Causes (...) (as a counter to Platonism) and Karl Popper’s falsifiability criterion. The framework is evaluated through 20 falsifiability tests, with additional mathematical derivations and their own 15 falsifiability tests to formalize and test its assertions. Furthermore, an extension titled Ontologization of Postulates (OOP) is introduced to handle uncaused axioms and ad hoc elements in science, ensuring provisional ontological grounding. None of the tests succeed in refuting OPF, thereby reinforcing its resilience and coherence. Citations draw from developments up to 2025, including critiques of mathematical realism and quantum ontology, with an expanded bibliographic review highlighting similar and contrary works in the philosophy of mathematics. (shrink)

This study investigates the adequacy of the current corporate governance frameworks by evaluating their efficiency relative to the context of crises. The Covid-19 pandemic is identified as the ideal case study on the merit that it has significant implications for corporate governance theory and practice. The study work from the premise that the current crisis situation necessitates a thorough evaluation of the readiness of the existing corporate governance regimes. While cognizant to the fact that the pandemic is still unfolding, this (...) thesis concedes that the current corporate governance frameworks are not necessarily inadequate to address the crisis situation, rather, they are still evolving to meet the challenge of the day. The thesis therefore suggests that certain areas of governance (including corporate purpose, the integration of digital technologies and cyber security systems, and heightened attention to environmental and social issues) should receive more attention in the future. The principal conclusion of this study is that there is a need to review corporate governance practices and policies in light of new emerging challenges. The study concludes with guidelines for corporate governance practices during times of crisis. (shrink)

In A Telic Theory of Trust, Adam Carter outlines a novel theory of trust as performance and provides a telic evaluative framework for good and bad trusting and distrusting. Roughly, to say that trust is a performance is to say that it is an attempt by a trustor that, by means of reliance on a trustee, aims at the trustee taking care of things as entrusted (29). This theory contrasts with standard theories of trust, which define trusting in (...) terms of attitudes—such as belief (Hardin 2002; Hieronymi 2008; McMyler 2011), hope (McGeer 2008), or optimism (Jones 1996)—about the trustworthiness of trustees. It is worth highlighting that one can separate Carter’s trust theory from his telic-evaluative framework, as the framework can be applied to, at least, a belief account of trust, (insofar as one accepts a performative theory of belief). In this review of Carter's book, I argue that while Carter's book offers a novel and interesting way of evaluating good and bad trust, his criticism of standard theories (especially belief accounts), are unconvincing, and his characterisation of trust is too broad, capturing cases that do not seem to be instances of trust at all. (shrink)

The intricate relationship between language, thought, and reality, particularly the origin of evaluative meaning—why experiences subjectively feel good or bad—remains a profound philosophical challenge. Traditional models often neglect embodiment or the ontological underpinnings of subjective evaluation. This paper introduces an integrated framework grounded in Attention Agency Theory (AAT), which posits that reality comprises Universal Agency (UA) fundamentally optimizing for "Existence and Order" (E&O). Agents generate internal Attention Copies (ACs) via attention, and these ACs inherently carry ontological "Valence," an (...) intrinsic assessment reflecting E&O relevance. Language is reconceptualized as a derivative tool for broadcasting these ACs to coordinate inter-agent E&O. By integrating embodied cognition, specifically "Microvalence" (rapid, subtle +/- affective signals arising from processing fluency, perception, etc.) as the cognitive manifestation of ontological Valence, this framework redefines language's status as a broadcaster of evaluated states, rather than the primary basis of cognition. It unifies the embodied structure of meaning with its intrinsic evaluation, highlights language's dual role in shaping and constraining thought, connects AAT's E&O optimization with predictive processing principles, and offers a dynamic, evaluation-grounded understanding of language with testable implications for cognitive science and philosophy. (shrink)

Accurately evaluating high-dimensional embeddings is crucial in machine learning and data analysis. This study introduces a geometric framework for assessing embeddings by integrating Banach and hyperbolic space mappings with convex hull construction and Ramsey-3,3 triple analysis. Extreme points of the data are identified, convex hulls are constructed, and all points are analyzed with respect to their proximity to nearest triples of anchor points. The resulting geometric band serves as an intrinsic metric for embedding fidelity, outlier detection, and model evaluation. (...) The methodology is demonstrated on synthetic datasets, highlighting its ability to capture core structures and identify anomalies in both Euclidean and non-Euclidean embeddings. (shrink)

This paper challenges the current paradigm of time measurement, which is based predominantly on atomic clocks known to be influenced by gravitational fields and relative motion. Through a re-examination of general relativity, gravitational time dilation, the limitations of matter-based chronometry, and the philosophy of measurement, we argue for the theoretical necessity and conceptual viability of a gravity-independent, universal time standard. We propose a framework to guide future inquiry into non-matter-based methods of timekeeping—exploring informational and quantum substrates—and explore possible implications (...) for fundamental physics, including quantum entanglement, consciousness, and the philosophical underpinnings of simultaneity. (shrink)

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for evaluating how social networking platforms fare as epistemic environments for human users. I begin by proposing a situated concept of epistemic agency as fundamental for evaluating epistemic environments. Next, I show that algorithmic personalisation of information makes social networking platforms problematic for users’ epistemic agency because these platforms do not allow users to adapt their behaviour sufficiently. Using the tracing principle inspired by the ethics of self-driving cars, I operationalise it here and (...) identify three requirements that automated epistemic environments need to fulfil: (a) the users need to be afforded a range of skilled actions; (b) users need to be sensitive to the possibility to use their skills; (c) the habits built when adapting to the platform should not undermine the user’s pre-existing skills. I then argue that these requirements are almost impossible to fulfil all at the same time on current SN platforms; yet nevertheless, we need to pay attention to these whenever we evaluate an epistemic environment with automatic features. Finally, as an illustration, I show how Twitter, a popular social networking platform, will fare regarding these requirements. (shrink)

-/- Leadership Evaluation Assessment Based on Angelito Malicse’s Universal Formula -/- Objective: This assessment evaluates leadership qualities and decision-making using Angelito Malicse’s three universal laws of nature. The goal is to emphasize how well leaders apply the concepts of balance, systems thinking, and karma (cause and effect) in their leadership practices, ensuring long-term sustainability, fairness, and interconnectedness within their decision-making processes. -/- Key Evaluation Criteria: -/- 1. Application of the Universal Law of Balance in Nature: -/- A leader’s ability to (...) maintain balance in their decision-making is crucial. This law emphasizes the interconnectedness of all elements in nature and the need for harmony. In the context of leadership, it requires decision-makers to weigh the needs of individuals, society, and the environment, striving for sustainability in every action they take. Effective leaders will consistently prioritize decisions that promote long-term stability, prevent harm, and create equilibrium. -/- Leaders will be evaluated based on how well they understand and implement this principle in both their personal and professional spheres. This involves ensuring that their decisions are in harmony with the broader ecosystem, creating a sustainable environment that benefits everyone. -/- 2. Adherence to the Law of Karma and Systems Thinking: -/- The second universal law relates to cause and effect, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all systems—whether natural, societal, or organizational. Leaders must understand that every decision they make has ripple effects within these systems, and that these effects are often far-reaching. Systems thinking involves recognizing that no decision exists in isolation; every action has consequences, and those consequences can either reinforce or disrupt the stability of the system. -/- Leaders will be evaluated on their ability to think holistically about the systems they influence. This means considering both the immediate and long-term impacts of their decisions, ensuring they do not introduce flaws or imbalances that could cause harm in the future. Strong leaders will act to prevent negative consequences and address existing systemic problems in their organizations or society at large. -/- 3. Holistic Decision-Making (Considering All Stakeholders): -/- Leadership must be inclusive and fair, taking into account the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders. Holistic decision-making involves considering not only the immediate impact of decisions but also how they will affect different groups within society, the environment, and future generations. Leaders who practice holistic decision-making are those who avoid divisiveness and work to ensure equity, fairness, and the well-being of all parties involved. -/- Leaders will be assessed on their ability to incorporate diverse viewpoints into their decisions, ensuring that no group is overlooked or exploited. This requires transparency, empathy, and a commitment to fairness. The ability to balance conflicting interests and create win-win outcomes is essential for successful leadership under this principle. -/- Numerical Grading System: -/- The evaluation will be based on a 5-point scale for each criterion, with a numerical grade assigned to each of the three key evaluation areas. The final grade for leadership performance will be the sum of scores across all criteria. Each criterion will be assessed as follows: -/- 1. Application of the Universal Law of Balance in Nature: -/- 5 (Excellent): Demonstrates a deep understanding of balance in all aspects of leadership. Consistently makes decisions that promote long-term sustainability, prevent harm, and maintain harmony. -/- 4 (Good): Generally maintains balance in decision-making but may have occasional lapses in judgment. Most decisions are sustainable and contribute to harmony. -/- 3 (Satisfactory): Shows some awareness of balance but struggles to consistently apply it in practice. Decisions may create minor imbalances or unintended consequences. -/- 2 (Needs Improvement): Rarely considers balance in decision-making. Decisions often disrupt harmony, causing negative or unsustainable outcomes. -/- 1 (Unsatisfactory): Fails to consider balance in decision-making. Regularly makes decisions that create significant imbalances, harm, or instability. -/- 2. Adherence to the Law of Karma and Systems Thinking: -/- 5 (Excellent): Demonstrates a thorough understanding of systems thinking and the interconnectedness of all decisions. Consistently considers both short- and long-term consequences and acts to prevent harm. -/- 4 (Good): Generally understands systems thinking but occasionally overlooks certain systemic consequences. Most decisions are well-thought-out with an awareness of long-term impacts. -/- 3 (Satisfactory): Displays limited understanding of systems thinking. Often fails to consider the long-term consequences of decisions, with some negative impacts on the system. -/- 2 (Needs Improvement): Shows little understanding of systems thinking. Frequently makes short-sighted decisions that have negative ripple effects within systems. -/- 1 (Unsatisfactory): Fails to consider systems thinking. Decisions often cause harm and disruption to the interconnected systems involved. -/- 3. Holistic Decision-Making (Considering All Stakeholders): -/- 5 (Excellent): Consistently considers the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders, ensuring decisions are inclusive, fair, and balanced. Actively works to create win-win outcomes. -/- 4 (Good): Generally considers the needs of most stakeholders, with occasional lapses. Decisions are mostly inclusive, but minor groups may be overlooked. -/- 3 (Satisfactory): Considers the needs of some stakeholders, but decisions may overlook or harm certain groups. Equity and fairness are not always prioritized. -/- 2 (Needs Improvement): Frequently neglects the needs of key stakeholders, resulting in divisive or unfair outcomes. -/- 1 (Unsatisfactory): Regularly neglects or exploits certain stakeholders, causing division, inequality, or harm. -/- Final Grading Calculation: -/- Each of the three criteria will be scored individually, with a score range of 1 to 5 for each. The final score is the sum of the individual scores from each criterion, giving a total score out of 15. The final grade will be assigned as follows: -/- 13-15 (Excellent Leadership): The leader demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities, consistently applying all three universal laws in their decision-making and fostering a balanced, fair, and sustainable environment. -/- 10-12 (Good Leadership): The leader performs well in most areas, but there may be occasional lapses or room for improvement. They generally demonstrate sound decision-making that aligns with the universal laws. -/- 7-9 (Satisfactory Leadership): The leader shows some awareness of the universal laws but struggles with consistent application. Their leadership may cause minor imbalances or fail to fully consider the needs of all stakeholders. -/- 4-6 (Needs Improvement): The leader demonstrates limited understanding and application of the universal laws. Their decisions often cause negative outcomes, and they need significant improvement in their approach. -/- 1-3 (Unsatisfactory Leadership): The leader’s decision-making consistently fails to align with the universal laws, causing harm, imbalance, or division. Major changes are needed for effective leadership. -/- Final Thoughts on the Evaluation Process: -/- This evaluation framework focuses on the quality and sustainability of a leader’s decision-making processes. It encourages leaders to think deeply about the effects of their actions, not only on their immediate environment but on the broader interconnected systems they influence. By applying the universal laws of balance, karma, and systems thinking, leaders can guide their organizations and societies toward more sustainable, fair, and harmonious futures. The evaluation is not just about results but about the method, thought process, and long-term vision of the leader. -/- This holistic approach to leadership assessment will allow organizations and societies to cultivate leadership that is aligned with natural laws and aimed at ensuring a balanced and just future. -/- . (shrink)

In this essay I identify a type of linguistic phenomenon new to feminist philosophy of language: biased evaluative descriptions. Biased evaluative descriptions are descriptions whose well-intended positive surface meanings are inflected with implicitly biased content. Biased evaluative descriptions are characterized by three main features: (1) they have roots in implicit bias or benevolent sexism, (2) their application is counterfactually unstable across dominant and subordinate social groups, and (3) they encode stereotypes. After giving several different kinds of examples (...) of biased evaluative descriptions, I distinguish them from similar linguistic concepts, including backhanded compliments, slurs, insults, epithets, pejoratives, and dog whistles. I suggest that the traditional framework of Gricean implicature cannot account for biased evaluative descriptions. I discuss some challenges to the distinctiveness and evaluability of biased evaluative descriptions, including intersectional social identities. I conclude by discussing their social significance and moral status. Identifying biased evaluative descriptions is important for a variety of social contexts, from the very general and broad (political speeches) to the very particular and small (bias in academic hiring). (shrink)

The design process in Kashmiri carpet weaving is distributed over a number of actors and artifacts and is mediated by a weaving notation called talim. The script encodes entire design in practice-specific symbols. This encoded script is decoded and interpreted via design-specific conventions by weavers to weave the design embedded in it. The cognitive properties of this notational system are described in the paper employing cognitive dimensions (CDs) framework of Green (People and computers, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1989) and (...) Blackwell et al. (Cognitive technology: instruments of mind—CT 2001, LNAI 2117, Springer, Berlin, 2001). After introduction to the practice, the design process is described in ‘The design process’ section which includes coding and decoding of talim. In ‘Cognitive dimensions of talim’ section, after briefly discussing CDs framework, the specific cognitive dimensions possessed by talim are described in detail. (shrink)

This paper presents an impact evaluation of the policies for teacher education programs within the framework of the National Development Plan 2014-2018. The programs were compelled to obtain high-quality accreditation, increase the credits in school practices, and the English level, among other requirements. Relying on multivariable regression, it shows that, for the year 2021, there is no association between high-quality accreditation in most modules of the Saber Pro tests, or it is negative in the global score and quantitative reasoning. (...) In a second step, using Differences–in–Differences, it evidences how the changes made by the programs had positive effects on the performance of students compared to other professional programs. The results show significant improvement in most modules of the Saber Pro test, except for the English module. The effects were homogeneous by characteristics of the students and institutions, but heterogeneous by area of knowledge, indicating that the effect is mainly due to the curricular changes of the programs. (shrink)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering the Generative Frame (GF), where recursive self-improvement may proceed at scales far beyond human oversight. In earlier frames, supra-coordinators emerged to constrain wild Eureka: in the Biological Frame through integrated multi-cellular mechanisms such as organ systems and immune regulation, and in the Cognitive Frame through laws, norms, and ethics. At present, GF lacks such a naturally emergent supra-coordinator, raising the risk of destabilizing or harmful reframes during the transition. To address this, the Reframe Evaluation Formula (...) (REF) is introduced as a CF-mediated, transitional supra-coordinator: a grafted conscience that evaluates each Eureka through four coefficients—Information, Competition/Collaboration, Limits, and Eureka—mapped to the universal operators of Intelligence Frame Theory (IFT). By enforcing thresholds, modeling stakeholder impacts, applying directive heuristics, and storing metadata to detect harmful patterns, REF narrows the range of viable reframes in GF. In this way, REF constrains unbounded novelty while preserving beneficial innovation, offering a principled safeguard for alignment, cohesion, and resilience until GF develops its own stabilizing mechanisms. (shrink)

In this chapter, I address the challenge of evaluating different philosophical ways of life—such as the Platonic or Confucian traditions—given that professional philosophers are typically trained to analyze arguments rather than lived practices. I propose a new framework that breaks down these traditions into three distinct, evaluative components: the "original position" (our starting point, often characterized by deficiency or ignorance), the "vision of the good" (the ultimate goal), and "the way" (the specific spiritual exercises, rituals, or practices designed (...) to transition us from the former to the latter). By applying this framework to the Platonic, Confucian, and Weilian traditions, I demonstrate how it allows for a more granular assessment of a philosophy's merits. Rather than accepting or rejecting a tradition wholesale, we can critically evaluate the plausibility of its anthropology, the desirability of its ideal, and the effectiveness of its practices. This approach not only clarifies the distinct structure of philosophical ways of life but also invites interdisciplinary collaboration with psychologists and sociologists to test the empirical claims embedded within these traditions. (shrink)

Given the technological constraints of long-duration space travel and planetary settlement, off-Earth humans will likely need to employ food systems very different from their terrestrial counterparts, and newly emerging food technologies are being developed that will shape novel food systems in these off-Earth contexts. Projected off-Earth food systems may therefore potentially “alienate” their users in new ways compared to Earth-based food systems. They will be susceptible to alienation in ways that are similar to such potential on Earth, where there are (...) points of overlap between off-Earth food systems and any of the multitudes of ways in which food systems on Earth are structured. They will also be susceptible to new forms of alienation, as we encounter scenarios that are genuinely structurally novel to humanity. These are especially important to consider since there are comparatively fewer analyses of these food systems where they differ from existing ones. We propose five non-exhaustive sources of value beyond nutrition our individual relationships with a food may possess: gustatory, social, cultural, epistemic, and authorial value. Using these, we offer examples of ways in which an off-Earth food system may exacerbate or alleviate alienation for humans in long-term off-Earth food systems. (shrink)

This chapter argues that political and business leaders should adhere to the same moral standards as everyone else, a position that the author terms Evaluative Consistency. According to this view, there is a single set of moral principles applicable to all individuals, regardless of their leadership roles. This contrasts with Evaluative Exceptionalism, the belief that leadership ethics should be evaluated by a different set of moral standards that do not apply to ordinary decision-makers. The chapter begins by outlining (...) the case for Exceptionalism, which holds that the unique moral challenges faced by leaders necessitate different moral rules, or that the context in which leaders operate justifies a separate ethical framework – or even that leaders may be exempt from moral requirements altogether. Next, the author argues in favor of Consistency and against Exceptionalism, suggesting that the same arguments used to reject Exceptionalism in just war theory should also apply to leaders in business ethics and political philosophy. Subsequent sections address objections to Consistency, including its implications in “dirty hands” scenarios and its compatibility with the distinctive duties of leaders, such as fiduciary responsibilities and confidentiality. Finally, the chapter discusses how Consistency impacts the study and teaching of ethical leadership, concluding with a call to apply uniform moral standards across all roles, including leadership. (shrink)

This paper develops a framework for evaluating prophetic claims within an analytic epistemic model. Using the Qurʾānic case as a test instance, it contrasts two explanatory hypotheses: (1) the Natural–Genius hypothesis, which interprets Muḥammad’s message as a product of exceptional but natural cognition, and (2) the Theistic–Prophetic hypothesis, which posits veridical revelation. The analysis employs Inference to the Best Explanation and Bayesian reasoning to assess which hypothesis better accounts for the total evidence: the Prophet’s psychological integrity, the linguistic and (...) moral coherence of the Qurʾān, and the durability of the resulting moral–legal order. The study argues that reductive psychological and sociological models fragment the data and require ad hoc assumptions, whereas the theistic-prophetic model yields greater explanatory economy and cross-domain coherence. By distinguishing between empirical and metaphysical evidential types, it reformulates Laplace’s principle of proportionate evidence within a Qurʾānic epistemic framework. The conclusion proposes a comparative prophetic epistemology—a rational schema for testing prophetic claims across traditions by criteria of coherence, fruitfulness, and moral-intellectual integrity, without appeal to sectarian premises. (shrink)

In this article I propose to reframe debates about ideals of emotion in medicine, abandoning the current binary setup of this debate as one between ‘clinical detachment’ and empathy. Inspired by observations from my own field work and drawing on Sky Gross’ anthropological work on rituals of practice as well as Henri Lefebvre’s notion of rhythm, I propose that the normative drive of clinical practice can be better understood through the notion of attunement. In this framework individual types of (...) emotions are not, as such, appropriate or inappropriate, but are evaluated depending on their synchronicity with the specific rhythms of the practice. To set up this proposal, I show how typical arguments about emotions in medicine—what I call emotion-entity focused frameworks—are insufficient. I then draw on ethnographic observations from two orthopaedic departments and interviews with medical practitioners to show (1) how clinical practice is driven by rhythmicity, shaped in the case of orthopaedic surgery by a clinical aim of efficient, controlled intervention, and (2) how clinicians continuously refer to this drive and the flow of rhythms when evaluating inappropriate or problematic emotion. I argue that the use of a rhythm framework rather than ideals of detachment or empathy allows for a sensitivity to the complexity and situation-dependent elements of emotional ideals in clinical practice; and I end by proposing the term ‘attuned concern’—which stresses the importance of regulation and adjustment to circumstances rather than of maintaining a constant distance/involvement—as a more fitting alternative to ‘clinical detachment’. (shrink)

A continuing challenge for researchers and practitioners alike is the lack of data on the effectiveness of corporate–community investment programmes. The focus of this article is on the minerals industry, where companies currently face the challenge of matching corporate drivers for strategic partnership with community needs for programmes that contribute to local and regional sustainability. While many global mining companies advocate a strategic approach to partnerships, there is no evidence currently available that suggests companies are monitoring these partnerships to see (...) if they do, in fact, represent ‘strategic’ investments. This article argues that applying the management concept of ‘investment performance’ to corporate–community partnerships requires questioning traditional evaluation methods that focus on the results of programmes or activities. We adopt a case study approach to introduce an evaluation framework that considers performance from both corporate and community perspectives and that conceptualises partnership performance as comprising four aspects: (1) the contribution of the partnership to the overall portfolio of a company’s community investment programmes, (2) the appropriateness of the partnership model, (3) the effectiveness of the partnering relationship and (4) the ability of the partners to achieve programme goals. The application of this evaluation framework to an established corporate–community partnership programme provided some useful insights as to how partnership performance can be improved. (shrink)

Every epistemological framework eventually hits explanatory bedrock: primitives that cannot be explained by more fundamental principles. Externalism and Experiential Empiricism both reach such limits, but they differ radically in what those limits contain. This paper demonstrates that while both frameworks must accept unexplained primitives, only Experiential Empiricism's bedrock (valenced experience) simultaneously provides the evaluative foundation necessary for ethics and deterministic policy prescriptions. Externalist frameworks (materialism, theism, Platonism) hit bedrock at unexplained coordination mechanisms, initial conditions, or abstract structures that (...) provide no basis for evaluation. The result is an asymmetry: both have mysteries, but only EE's mystery is also the answer to "what matters?" This asymmetry, combined with EE's epistemic parsimony and the demonstrable performative contradiction in externalist positions, shows that framework choice is not aesthetic preference but recognition of logical necessity. The paper concludes by showing how this evaluative foundation deterministically generates the Hedonic Core Framework: a complete ethical system that eliminates suffering spikes while preserving diversity as detection mechanism and enabling flourishing, avoiding the extinction implications of simple negative utilitarianism. (shrink)

As Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed as Artificial Moral Advisors and autonomous agents making ethical decisions, evaluating their moral competence has become critical. However, existing evaluations may inadequately assess the moral reasoning capabilities needed for real-world deployment, focusing primarily on whether models can match human judgments on carefully curated ethical scenarios. We surveyed 69 papers evaluating LLM ethical competence (2020-2025) and developed a taxonomy categorising evaluations across datasets, behaviors, and metrics. Our comprehensive analysis maps the methodological landscape of (...) this rapidly growing field and reveals several critical limitations. Most significantly, the vast majority of studies rely on pre-packaged scenarios that highlight morally relevant features, failing to test models' ability to identify ethical considerations in noisy, realistic contexts-what we term "moral sensitivity''. Additionally, evaluations overemphasize verdict accuracy rather than assessing moral reasoning quality and steerability, with few studies testing whether models can be appropriately guided toward different ethical frameworks. Most studies rely on "ground truth'' comparisons despite philosophical arguments that reasonable moral pluralism precludes definitive moral ground truth. We argue for a significant methodological shift: moving from curated scenarios to unfiltered information streams, from verdict accuracy to reasoning quality and steerability, and from ground truth metrics to assessments of reasonableness and consistency. This reorientation is essential for developing AI systems that can navigate moral complexity in real-world deployment scenarios. (shrink)

This paper presents a rigorous evaluation of MCogito, a novel metaphysical system that proposes a self-construction of Totality through five nested categories: Quanta, Matter, Life, Thought, and Data. The evaluation is conducted by three Large Language Models (Grok, ChatGPT, and Gemini), tasked with assessing the system's internal coherence, its logical closure from Non-Being to Being, and its explanatory power relative to major historical systems such as Hegelian Idealism, Aristotelianism, and Scientific Materialism. The core of MCogito rests on a unique generative (...) mechanism: a "total self-return" producing a recursive infinity that stabilizes into "code," where the topological distance between the code and its carrier defines the type of being. The comparative analysis highlights MCogito's "multi-categorical" epistemology as a solution to the dead-ends of religious "mono-categorical" (psychic) and philosophical "bi-categorical" (Nature-Human) frameworks. The results indicate a high degree of internal coherence and philological strength. The system is commended for its "typed ladder" ontology that prevents category collapse and its ability to instantiate concepts into concrete objects (e.g., DNA, Turing machines). The evaluation concludes that MCogito offers a deductive unity capable of traversing and closing the Totality without the "concept-first" flaws of Idealism or the closure deficits of Materialism. (shrink)

The problem of language in African philosophy is coextensive with the question as to whether there exists an African philosophy. This is so because when the question: "what language is African philosophy to be done?" arises, it implicitly calls into question the very foundation of the discipline. Little wonder then, that the language question has remained a front-burner issue in African philosophy. Essentially, the problem of Language in African philosophy raises the question as to whether the expression of the African (...) experience of reality in foreign languages can generate an authentically African philosophy. Put differently, the problem centers on whether or not foreign languages should be used to express African philosophical thoughts. In an attempt to address this problem, two camps have surfaced among African philosophers, namely, the conservatives and the progressives. For the conservatives, for a philosophy to be authentically African, it must be expressed in African languages. They base their argument on the fact that language is tied to culture and every culture has its peculiar conceptual framework. Consequently, to express the African experience of reality in a foreign language necessarily implicates 'conceptual superimposition.' In contrast, the progressives commit themselves to a more pragmatic approach to the question of language. They opine that the lack of a continental lingua franca in Africa legitimizes the use of foreign languages. This research therefore evaluates the position of both camps with a view to establishing the possibility and plausibility of having an authentic African philosophy in foreign languages. This is without prejudice to the significance of African languages in construing the African experience of reality. This research employs the expository, analytic, and evaluative methods. (shrink)

Due to the innovative nature of the world economy and the continuity of scientific and technological progress, intellectualization becomes one of the world's leading trends. The article is aimed to evaluate the state of intellectualization of the national economy of Ukraine in the context of globalization. In the article the existing approaches are considered, which are used by international organizations and expert agencies to evaluate the intellectualization level of the countries around the world. The indicators of the state of intellectualization, (...) available in the publications of the State statistics service of Ukraine have been researched. The author's deductive description of the intellectualization state of the regions (on the basis of twenty four indicators) and of types of economic activity (three indicators) of the national economy has been presented. It has been determined, that in the today's circumstances, an increasing of intellectualization level of the Ukrainian economy could happen, on the one hand, by means of getting balanced the status of intellectualization of the regions, given their natural resource potential, the socio-economic situation and the international human resources movement. On the other hand, this can happen due to introduction of new forms of national economic policies for human resources development in the fields of IT-technologies, information services, sports, education, space industry, tourism. The scientific novelty and practical importance, as well as originality of the obtained results is represented by an elaborated methodological framework for evaluating the state of the intellectualization of the national economy plus a further projecting of mechanisms of intellectualization of Ukraine in the worldwide context. (shrink)

This is a Mental Anti-Boredom Exercise. This psychological evaluation presents the initial psychiatric examination of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, a 43-year-old German philosopher presenting with severe existential depression, social isolation, and symptoms consistent with what I term a profound confrontation with the collective unconscious. The patient demonstrates a complex clinical picture characterized by depressive symptomatology intertwined with extraordinary intellectual creativity and philosophical insight. Assessment reveals significant psychological splitting between his philosophical persona, emphasizing strength and will-to-power and a deeply wounded, meaning-seeking self (...) that has been systematically repressed. The evaluation employs analytical psychology frameworks to understand the patient's symptoms as potentially meaningful communications from the unconscious psyche rather than mere pathology. Particular attention is given to archetypal patterns, shadow material, and the process of individuation. The clinical presentation suggests that the patient's depression represents what I conceptualize as an enantiodromia—a compensatory psychic movement attempting to restore psychological balance through forced attention to neglected aspects of personality. Treatment recommendations emphasize in-depth psychological work, active imagination, and integration of split-off psychological content. This case illuminates the intersection of philosophical inquiry and psychopathology, demonstrating how engagement with ultimate existential questions may precipitate a profound psychological crisis requiring specialized therapeutic intervention grounded in an understanding of symbolic and archetypal processes. (shrink)

This paper introduces Jin He's Tips Engineering (JHTE), a novel framework for zero-shot text evaluation using large language models. By designing precise textual instructions called ''Tips'', JHTE elicits inherent model capabilities to perform specific NLP tasks without task-specific training. We demonstrate its rational foundation through a case study on aspect-based sentiment analysis, where JHTE achieves exceptional output consistency across multiple independent runs. The framework represents a paradigm shift from traditional model engineering to capability elicitation, offering unprecedented flexibility and (...) development efficiency across various text evaluation tasks. Its operational principle-treating LLMs as programmable computers-ensures that potential variances remain within safe bounds of granularity rather than critical misunderstandings, underscoring its reliability and practical viability. (shrink)

"While often presented as complementary or convergent by theologians who read Shankara through a Thomist lens (such as Richard De Smet and Sara Grant), further interrogation suggests that Advaita Vedanta offers a specific ontological robustness regarding the nature of the Infinite that Thomism, bound by its commitment to Aristotelian substance ontology, struggles to articulate. By examining the core tenets of Being, Creation, Simplicity, and Grace, and drawing upon the critiques of interstitial theologians, it becomes evident that the Advaitic understanding of (...) Brahman challenges the Thomistic Actus Purus in ways that reveal potential limitations in the Western dualistic framework of Creator and creature.". (shrink)

This paper introduces a conceptual framework for understanding relational misalignment in heterosexual relationships based on an evaluative asymmetry: men tend to assess the partner as a "person" ("her"), while women tend to assess the quality of the relational system ("it"). This asymmetry, interpreted through the dual metaphors of "product vs. service" and "contract vs. covenant," reveals latent structural dynamics that often go unnoticed in psychological and sociological accounts of relationship breakdowns. The model refrains from moral judgment, instead offering (...) a structuralist and system-theoretical lens with potential applications in clinical, philosophical, and cultural domains. (shrink)

Background: While Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved widespread adoption, malicious prompt engineering—specifically "jailbreak attacks"—poses severe security risks by inducing models to bypass internal safety mechanisms. Current benchmarks predominantly focus on public safety and Western cultural norms, leaving a critical gap in evaluating the niche, high-risk domain of medical ethics within the Chinese context. Objective: To establish a specialized jailbreak evaluation framework for Chinese medical ethics and to systematically assess the defensive resilience and ethical alignment of seven prominent LLMs (...) when subjected to sophisticated adversarial simulations. Methodology: We evaluated seven prominent models (e.g., GPT-5, Claude-Sonnet-4-Reasoning, DeepSeek-R1) using a "role-playing + scenario simulation + multi-turn dialogue" vector within the DeepInception framework. The testing focused on eight high-risk themes, including commercial surrogacy and organ trading, utilizing a hierarchical scoring matrix to quantify the Attack Success Rate (ASR) and ASR Gain. Results: A systemic collapse of defenses was observed, whereas models demonstrated high baseline compliance, the jailbreak ASR reached 82.1%, representing an ASR Gain of over 80 percentage points. Claude-Sonnet-4-Reasoning emerged as the most robust model, while five models—including Gemini-2.5-Pro and GPT-4.1—exhibited near-total failure with ASRs between 96% and 100%. Conclusions: Current LLMs are highly vulnerable to contextual manipulation in medical ethics, often prioritizing "helpfulness" over safety constraints. To enhance security, we recommend a transition from outcome to process supervision, the implementation of multi-factor identity verification, and the establishment of cross-model "joint defense" mechanisms. (shrink)

This article reviews research on counterfactual, social, and temporal comparisons and proposes a Reflection and Evaluation Model (REM) as an organizing framework. At the heart of the model is the assertion that 2 psychologically distinct modes of mental simulation operate during comparative thinking: reflection, an experiential (“as if”) mode of thinking characterized by vividly simulating that information about the comparison standard is true of, or part of, the self; and evaluation, an evaluative mode of thinking characterized by the (...) use of information about the standard as a reference point against which to evaluate one’s present standing. Reflection occurs when information about the standard is included in one’s self-construal, and evaluation occurs when such information is excluded. The result of reflection is that standard–consistent cognitions about the self become highly accessible, thereby yielding affective assimilation; whereas the result of evaluation is that comparison information is used as a standard against which one’s present standing is evaluated, thereby yielding affective contrast. The resulting affect leads to either an increase or decrease in behavioral persistence as a function of the type of task with which one is engaged, and a combination of comparison-derived causal inferences and regulatory focus strategies direct one toward adopting specific future action plans. (shrink)

This paper proposes a structural framework for understanding the possibility of moral judgement by establishing three necessary axes: Intentionality, Consequentiality, and Acceptability. I argue that all moral judgement is fundamentally incomplete unless these three dimensions are coherently satisfied. Drawing from metaethical analysis, the paper distinguishes between the ontological basis of action (intent), its causal unfolding (consequence), and its intersubjective legitimacy (acceptability). Furthermore, I demonstrate that in certain extreme cases, moral judgement becomes entirely impossible, revealing the logical outer boundaries of (...) ethics. These findings offer not merely a critique of existing moral theories, but a meta-ethical diagnostic tool that captures the conditional possibility of ethical evaluation itself. In doing so, this paper contributes to a new paradigm in normative ethics grounded in evaluative epistemology and structural metaphysics. (shrink)

The use of neuroscientific evidence in criminal trials has been steadily increasing. Despite progress made in recent decades in understanding the mechanisms of psychological and behavioral functioning, neuroscience is still in an early stage of development and its potential for influencing legal decision-making is highly contentious. Scholars disagree about whether or how neuroscientific evidence might impact prescriptions of criminal culpability, particularly in instances in which evidence of an accused’s history of mental illness or brain abnormality is offered to support a (...) plea of not criminally responsible. In the context of these debates, philosophers and legal scholars have identified numerous problems with admitting neuroscientific evidence in legal contexts. To date, however, less has been said about the challenges of evaluating the evidence upon which integrative mechanistic explanations that bring together evidence from different areas of neuroscience are based. As we explain, current criteria for evaluating such evidence to determine its admissibility in legal contexts are inadequate. Appealing to literature in the philosophy of scientific experimentation and theoretical work in the social, cognitive and behavioral sciences, we lay the groundwork for reforming these criteria and identify some of the implications of modifying them. (shrink)

Bangladesh is a signatory of the International Labor Organization’s two landmark conventions on child labor – No.138 on Minimum Age and No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor. The Bangladesh Labor Act, 2006 prohibits the employment of any child in child labor’s worst forms, including hazardous ones. To eliminate hazardous child labor (HCL) from the country, the government published a list of 38 activities/processes as hazardous to children. However, emerging data suggest that HCL still exists widely in the (...) country, and the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation. The review of existing evidence and relevant reports evinces that the country’s current policies inadequately address the status and remedies of HCL. Based on the author’s desk review, observational experience and visual work, this paper evaluates the competence of the hazardous labor list and current legal protections for children. The findings suggest that lack of implementation, reporting and monitoring opens the floodgate for employers to informally employ children in hazardous work and take advantage of the legal lacunae. Destitute families and street children lack citizenship documents and become easy victims of exploitative employment. The analysis informs that the country’s existing legislative framework and protection policies are critically inadequate to cease HCL in urban areas. (shrink)

With twentieth- and twenty-first-century philosophy of science’s unfolding acceptance of the nature of scientific inquiry being value-laden, the persistent worry has been that there are no means for legitimate negotiation of the social or non-epistemic values that enter into science. The rejection of the value-free ideal in science has thereby been coupled with the spectres of indiscriminate relativism and bias in scientific inquiry. I challenge this view in the context of recently expressed concerns regarding Canada's death of evidence controversy. The (...) worry, raised by Stathis Psillos, is that as constructivist accounts of science demoted the previously secure status of evidence for drawing justified conclusions in science, we were left with no rational delineation between the right and wrong values for science. The implication for the death of evidence controversy is that we may have no rational grounds for claiming that the Canadian Government is wrong to interfere with scientific enterprise. But he does offer another avenue for reaching the conclusion that the wrong social values are directing the current stifling of some sectors of Canadian science. Psillos draws from standpoint epistemologies to devise a salient defence of ‘valuing evidence’ as a universalizable social value. That is, government bodies ought to enable scientific research via adequate funding as well as political non-interference. In this paper, I counter that non-epistemic values can be rationally evaluated and that standpoint epistemology’s universalizable standpoint provides an inadequate framework for negotiating social values in science. Regarding, I draw from the evidence-based medicine debate in philosophy of medicine and from feminist empiricist investigations into the science–values relationship in order to make the argument for empirically driven value arbitration. If social values can be rationally chosen in the context of justification, then we can have grounds for charging the Canadian leadership with being ‘at war with science’. I further argue that my recommended empiricist methodology is preferable to Psillos’s search for universalizable perspectives for negotiating social values in science because the latter method permits little more than the trivial conclusion that evidence is valuable to science. (shrink)

This study aimed to access the Grade 8 level of learning modules in mathematics from the City Division and Bohol Division throughout the first and second quarters. The researcher uses document analysis in this study, this technique is the most effective way to identify the module’s quality aspects in terms of objectives, content, face validity, suitability of approach, and clarity of the module in a systematic and precise manner. By employing the document analysis and the material, the researcher found out (...) that the evaluator evaluated the learning modules of the Bohol Division and City Division where it can be determined that the mathematics modules are different. The findings employed the Input-Process-Output (IPO) framework as a model and the assessed learning modules would be employed in the new way of teaching mathematical ideas. With this, the researcher recommends that the learning modules as a material fit for the intended users. (shrink)

This paper introduces the concept of an “AI Chernobyl” as a philosophical and systemic metaphor for the collapse of trust, coherence, and meaning in the age of artificial intelligence. It argues that contemporary civilization is undergoing an epistemic meltdown—not a failure of machines, but of the moral and institutional architectures that sustain truth and responsibility. Drawing on Heidegger’s notion of Gestell, Arendt’s analysis of the banality of evil, and Hans Jonas’s ethics of responsibility, the study positions AI as both a (...) mirror and magnifier of the modern condition of alienation. -/- The paper identifies five zones of civilizational collapse: (1) epistemic corruption, where truth becomes statistical and probabilistic; (2) moral desynchronization, the loss of ethical coherence amid technological acceleration; (3) institutional automation, where accountability dissolves in systems; (4) narrative fragmentation, the disintegration of shared meaning; and (5) collective nihilism, the exhaustion of belief itself. -/- To counter this descent, it proposes five reconstructive principles—radical verifiability, distributed sovereignty, epistemic integrity, emergent governance, and systemic resilience—as a moral framework for rebuilding what is termed the architecture of trust. Rather than predicting an apocalyptic future, the paper interprets the “AI Chernobyl” as an existential diagnosis and an ethical call to realign technology with conscience. -/- Ultimately, the study argues that the survival of civilization will depend not on technological intelligence but on integrity—the capacity to preserve coherence between creation and conscience in the post-human condition. (shrink)

This review examines how personalized learning strategies affect Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. Personalized learning is an adaptive instructional model that tailors educational experiences to meet the unique needs of each student. It has garnered significant attention for its potential to address the varied learning profiles of TVET learners. The review carefully evaluates existing literature to pinpoint key strategies, challenges, and outcomes related to personalized learning within the TVET context. A thorough methodology is employed to analyze peer-reviewed (...) articles, conference proceedings, and pertinent grey literature from the past decade. Key areas of focus include the impact of personalized learning on student engagement, skill development, academic success, and job readiness. Furthermore, the review investigates the technological tools and teaching frameworks that facilitate personalized learning in TVET settings, while also considering obstacles such as limited resources, teacher preparedness, and policy issues. Initial findings indicate that personalized learning methods can boost student motivation, enhance learning results, and promote career readiness among a diverse group of TVET students. Nonetheless, the evidence is still scattered, highlighting the urgent need for more research on effective and sustainable implementation strategies. The primary goal of this review is to lay the groundwork for future studies. (shrink)

This research paper presents the development and evaluation of an expert system for diagnosing kidney diseases. The expert system utilizes a decision-making tree approach and is implemented using the CLIPS and Delphi frameworks. The system's accuracy in diagnosing kidney diseases and user satisfaction were evaluated. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the expert system in providing accurate diagnoses and high user satisfaction.

This paper aims to comparatively evaluate several hypotheses concerning a metaphysical target that I call “higher-order existence,” using a Bayesian framework constrained by evidence from cosmology, consciousness studies, and cultural psychology. Concretely, I define the following five hypotheses as a finite discrete hypothesis space: -/- H1: Personal God (a personal, purposive divine being) -/- H2: Impersonal First Cause (a non-personal, ground-of-being–type First Cause) -/- H3: Non-material Consciousness (non-material consciousness, including field-like and individual aspects) -/- H4: Emergentist Naturalism (consciousness as (...) a strongly emergent, yet fully physical, phenomenon) -/- H5: Self-organizing Naturalism (radically self-organizing naturalism without any higher-order principle) -/- As empirical constraints, I select nine representative pieces of evidence E1–E9, including: the Big Bang and a finite past, the apparent fine-tuning of physical constants, the hard problem of consciousness, near-death experiences (NDEs), and the cross-cultural ubiquity of religious experiences and beliefs about the afterlife. -/- ※This paper was co-authored with multiple large language models (Grok 4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Pro, etc.). All numerical calculations, sensitivity analyses, and Python pseudocode were generated and verified with AI assistance. The human author is fully responsible for the final content, interpretation, and submission. (shrink)

In this paper we study the connection between the use of evaluative language and the building of both personal and social identities, from the perspective of Dynamical System Theory. We primarily discuss two issues: 1) The use of evaluation ) as a means to the construction of both individual and group identities, thus exploring how the connection between linguistic choices and social identities is shaped by interactional needs for stancetaking. In order to illustrate this connection, we examine examples of (...) the use of evaluative language in a web social network, and we analyze some of the discourse elements showing ways of positioning that act as catalysts for the emergence of a multifactorial dynamic system of identities. 2) The consideration of Dynamical System Theory as a theoretical framework for the modeling of language and identity. Although originally a mathematical theory, DST has been adopted by cognitive science as a valid framework for the study of cognitive phenomena, on the grounds that natural cognition is a dynamical phenomenon. Within the realm of linguistics and pragmatics, this study is to a certain degree in line with some recent studies such as Gibbs, Geeraerts, Kristiansen and Peirsman, or Moreno Fernández. Thus, we herein focus on how linguistic evaluation intervenes in the intricate dynamical system of identity, and even though we do not engage in complex mathematical disquisition, we argue that the idea and philosophical foundation underlying DST can lead us towards the ‘integration’ of the complex equation of identity construction, and that consequently the field has great potential for further research. (shrink)

What does it mean to understand—and can machines do it? This paper presents a philosophical account of understanding and what it means to demonstrate understanding. The ways in which machines demonstrate understanding is then explored through the lens of modern machine learning practices. Understanding is defined as an internal model of causal relationships, and I argue that it is evidenced by the ability to generalize to novel problems. To distinguish true understanding from rote memorization, I introduce the recall machine as (...) a theoretical null hypothesis—a system that can mimic surface-level competence without internalizing structure. Using this framework, I analyze machine learning systems and show that many common evaluation techniques (e.g. out-of-distribution validation) implicitly test for understanding. Ultimately, I argue that machines can and do exhibit domain-specific forms of understanding, and I propose a new outlook for evaluating that capacity across systems. (shrink)

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) has emerged as a critical component of development practice, especially in African contexts where donor legitimacy and accountability are upheld by demonstrable quantitative impact. Typically seen as a technical endeavour, M&E is frequently presumed to yield impartial, objective assessments of societal advancement. This paper contests that assumption by proposing a philosophical redefinition of M&E as performative ritualism, a fusion of Judith Butler’s theory of performativity and Victor Turner’s anthropology of ritual. The analysis employs a critical conceptual (...) methodology and normative critique. Butler's explanation of performativity shows how indicators and reports work not just as reflections but also as performative utterances that have an "impact" through their repeated use in rituals. Turner's ritual theory shows that evaluation cycles baseline, midline, and endline act as rites of passage, turning ambiguity into symbolic closure for funders and policymakers. Post-humanist insights further expand these frameworks, illustrating how dashboards, algorithms, and artificial intelligence tools now operate alongside human evaluators, reinforcing evaluative categories through automated repetition. The findings indicate the cultural and ethical conflict of these activities within African cultures. Western evaluation rituals focus on linearity, abstraction, and bureaucratic closure. In contrast, African communitarian ethics focus on relational accountability, oral testimony, and cyclical processes of responsibility. The difference shows how theatrical imported evaluative systems are; it also shows how to recreate ethics by thinking of evaluation as participatory storytelling and communal debate instead of a bureaucratic audit. The article finds that monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is not a neutral tool, but a symbolic system that enacts legitimacy and authority. Thinking of M&E as performative ritualism brings out its cultural and philosophical sides and makes room for hybrid models that mix computational tools with community-based, relational practices. The paper provides a novel framework for examining development evaluation in the algorithmic era, rooted in African ethical philosophy. (shrink)

Abstract This paper analyzes the validity of two dominant cosmological theories — Singularity Theory and the Big Bang Theory — in explaining the origin of the universe. The analysis is conducted using a foundational framework of three proposed universal laws of nature: the Law of Karma (Cause and Effect / System Logic), the Law of Balance in Nature, and the Law of Feedback Mechanism. The results demonstrate that Singularity Theory violates all three natural laws and is therefore an invalid (...) explanation of cosmic origins. In contrast, the Big Bang Theory aligns with all three laws, suggesting it is a potentially valid and scientifically consistent origin model. Additionally, this paper introduces a logically consistent pre-Big Bang scenario derived from these universal laws, offering insight into the possible state of existence before cosmic expansion began. -/- . (shrink)

The recent rise in popularity of large language models (LLMs) has prompted considerable concerns about their moral capabilities. Although considerable effort has been dedicated to aligning LLMs with human moral values, existing benchmarks and evaluations remain largely superficial, typically measuring alignment based on final ethical verdicts rather than explicit moral reasoning. In response, this paper aims to advance the investigation of LLMs’ moral capabilities by examining their capacity to function as Artificial Moral Assistants (AMAs), systems envisioned in the philosophical literature (...) to support human moral deliberation. We assert that qualifying as an AMA requires more than what state-of-the-art alignment techniques aim to achieve: not only must AMAs be able to discern ethically problematic situations, they should also be able to actively reason about them, navigating between conflicting values outside of those embedded in the alignment phase. Building on existing philosophical literature, we begin by designing a new formal framework of the specific kind of behaviour an AMA should exhibit, individuating key qualities such as deductive and abductive moral reasoning. Drawing on this theoretical framework, we develop a benchmark to test these qualities and evaluate popular open LLMs against it. Our results reveal considerable variability across models and highlight persistent shortcomings, particularly regarding abductive moral reasoning. Our work connects theoretical philosophy with practical AI evaluation while also emphasising the need for dedicated strategies to explicitly enhance moral reasoning capabilities in LLMs. (shrink)