In the Groundwork, we find three distinct conceptions of freedom: (i) A negative conception of freedom, understood as a capacity for spontaneous action independent of alien causes; (ii) a positive conception of freedom, understood as the capacity of giving law to oneself; and (iii) a second positive conception, understood as the capacity to give laws that bind others as well as oneself. The dominant interpretation of Kant ignores this third conception of freedom and interprets the second conception as a capacity (...) for self-determination or self-governance, which is seen as the most basic and important Kantian conception of autonomy. In this paper, we will focus mainly on explaining the distinction between the second and third conceptions of autonomy and will defend the claim that the third conception is morally the most basic. We will also explain briefly why Kant thinks that having the capacity for citizenship is necessary for having the capacity for self-governance. (shrink)

In a recent paper, Sun Demirli (2010) proposes an allegedly new way of conceiving of individuation in the context of the bundle theory of object constitution. He suggests that allowing for distance relations to individuate objects solves the problems with worlds containing indiscernible objects that would otherwise affect the theory. The aim of the present paper is i) To show that Demirli’s proposal falls short of achieving this goal and ii) To carry out a more general critical assessment (...) of the issue by appraising the costs and benefits of Demirli’s view as well as of existing alternatives. (shrink)

This article argues that resolutions are reason-giving: when an agent resolves to φ, she incurs an additional normative reason to φ. I argue that the reasons we incur from making resolutions are importantly similar to the reasons we incur from making promises. My account explains why it can be rational for an agent to act on a past resolution even if temptation causes preference and even judgment shifts at the time of action, and offers a response to a common objection (...) to the normativity of resolutions known as the bootstrapping problem, on which if resolutions were reason-giving they would problematically allow us to bootstrap any action into rationality simply by resolving to perform it. (shrink)

Some things look more complex than others. For example, a crenulate and richly organized leaf may seem more complex than a plain stone. What is the nature of this experience—and why do we have it in the first place? Here, we explore how object complexity serves as an efficiently extracted visual signal that the object merits further exploration. We algorithmically generated a library of geometric shapes and determined their complexity by computing the cumulative surprisal of their internal skeletons—essentially quantifying the (...) “amount of information” within each shape—and then used this approach to ask new questions about the perception of complexity. Experiments 1–3 asked what kind of mental process extracts visual complexity: a slow, deliberate, reflective process (as when we decide that an object is expensive or popular) or a fast, effortless, and automatic process (as when we see that an object is big or blue)? We placed simple and complex objects in visual search arrays and discovered that complex objects were easier to find among simple distractors than simple objects are among complex distractors—a classic search asymmetry indicating that complexity is prioritized in visual processing. Next, we explored the function of complexity: Why do we represent object complexity in the first place? Experiments 4–5 asked subjects to study serially presented objects in a self‐paced manner (for a later memory test); subjects dwelled longer on complex objects than simple objects—even when object shape was completely task‐irrelevant—suggesting a connection between visual complexity and exploratory engagement. Finally, Experiment 6 connected these implicit measures of complexity to explicit judgments. Collectively, these findings suggest that visual complexity is extracted efficiently and automatically, and even arouses a kind of “perceptual curiosity” about objects that encourages subsequent attentional engagement. (shrink)

This autoethnography presents a comprehensive personal journey of a transgender evolutionary biologist examining the origins of their gender identity, finally culminating in an argument for gender abolitionism. The author’s “gender identity” is not to an innate, ontological essence, but to a complex synthesis of internalised social norms, childhood trauma, aesthetic preferences, and reactions to a “pervasively gendered” society that repeatedly assigned gendered meaning to neutral behaviours, objects, and personality traits. -/- The narrative critically engages with mainstream gender theories, revealing logical (...) inconsistencies, circular reasoning, and category errors within concepts such as the sex/gender distinction, “innate gender identity”, “assigned sex at birth” (ASAB), and the cisgender/transgender binary. The author proposes a revolution in the form of gender abolitionism: a framework that strictly limits sex sensu stricto to gametes, dismantles phenotypic “sex” into a spectrum of sexual dimorphic traits, and advocates for the complete removal of gender as a social, legal, cultural, and self-identity category. -/- Furthermore, the article extends its critique to post-structuralist and queer theories, arguing that while their deconstructive intentions are noted, their real-world effect paradoxically reinforces gender-centrism and destructed an intersubjective world, ultimately failing to provide a path to liberation. Ultimately, the work is a defence of universalism and scientific realism as essential tools for dismantling all forms of oppression, arguing that a consistent application of reason offers the most profound and inclusive path toward human freedom, transcending the contemporary identity politics. (shrink)

This article argues that integrity requires living up to the requirements of our core commitments. I argue that an agent who violates the requirements of her core commitments and ceases to be integrated suffers a _practical death_: an experience characterized by psychological crisis, loss of direction, and a diminished capacity for instrumental reasoning. Because these conditions undermine self-governance, the account I offer illuminates an important but underexplored connection between integrity and self-governance.

What is the relationship between complexity in the world and complexity in the mind? Intuitively, increasingly complex objects and events should give rise to increasingly complex mental representations (or perhaps a plateau in complexity after a certain point). However, a counterintuitive possibility with roots in information theory is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the “objective” complexity of some stimulus and the complexity of its mental representation, because excessively complex patterns might be characterized by surprisingly short computational descriptions (e.g., if they (...) are represented as having been generated “randomly”). Here, we demonstrate that this is the case, using a novel approach that takes the notion of “description” literally. Subjects saw static and dynamic visual stimuli whose objective complexity could be carefully manipulated, and they described these stimuli in their own words by giving freeform spoken descriptions of them. Across three experiments totaling over 10,000 speech clips, spoken descriptions of shapes (Experiment 1), dot-arrays (Experiment 2), and dynamic motion-paths (Experiment 3) revealed a striking quadratic relationship between the raw complexity of these stimuli and the length of their spoken descriptions. In other words, the simplest and most complex stimuli received the shortest descriptions, while those stimuli with a “medium” degree of complexity received the longest descriptions. Follow-up analyses explored the particular words used by subjects, allowing us to further explore how such stimuli were represented. We suggest that the mind engages in a kind of lossy compression for overly complex stimuli, and we discuss the utility of such freeform responses for exploring foundational questions about mental representation. (shrink)

This article presents a critique of the concept “gender identity” based on a synthesis of evolutionary biology, neurology and philosophy of science, finally culminating in an argument for gender abolitionism. The narrative critically engages with mainstream gender theories, revealing logical fallacies within concepts such as the sex/gender distinction, “innate gender identity”, “assigned sex at birth” (ASAB), and the cisgender/transgender binary. The author proposes a revolution in the form of gender abolitionism: a framework that strictly limits sex sensu stricto to gametes, (...) dismantles phenotypic sex into a spectrum of sexual dimorphic traits, and advocates for the complete removal of gender as a social, legal, cultural, and self-identity category. Furthermore, the article extends its critique to queer theory. While their deconstructive intentions are noted, their real-world effect paradoxically reinforces gender-centrism and gender essentialism, ultimately failing to provide a path to liberation. Even for readers who do not agree with this strategy, it also provides a physicalist framework to help specific transgender people and onlookers to understand themselves or others. (shrink)

This chapter examines the conceptual tensions in understanding artificial intelligence (AI) agents’ role in creative processes, particularly focusing on Large Language Models (LLMs). Building upon Schmidt’s 1954 categorization of human-technology relationships and the classical definition of “author,” this chapter proposes to understand AI agency as existing somewhere between that of an inanimate puppet and a performing actor. While AI agents demonstrate a degree of creative autonomy, including the ability to improvise and construct complex narrative content in interactive storytelling, they cannot (...) be considered authors in the classical sense of the term. This chapter thus suggests that AI agents exist in a dynamic state between human-controlled puppets and semi-autonomous actors. This conceptual positioning reflects how AI agents, while they can certainly contribute to creative work, remain bound to human direction. We also argue that existing conceptual frames concerning authorship should evolve and adapt to capture these new relationships. (shrink)

When we evaluate artworks, we often point to what an artist could have done or what a work could have been in order to say something about the work as it actually is. Call this counterfactual reasoning in art criticism. On my account, counterfactual claims about artworks involve comparative aesthetic judgments between actual artworks and hypothetical variations of those works. The practice of imagining what an artwork could have been is critically useful because it can help us understand how artworks (...) achieve specific aesthetic effects. I conclude by responding to an objection to my account on the basis that it violates the widely accepted acquaintance principle in aesthetics, on which aesthetic judgments must be based on firsthand perceptual encounters with their objects. (shrink)

This article argues that consent must be revocable. I present two arguments for this conclusion. On the argument from informed consent, irrevocable consent lacks validity because it cannot be sufficiently informed. On the argument from bodily integrity, irrevocable consent lacks validity because we do not have the authority to deny our future selves the ability to protect our bodily integrity. I explain why the argument from bodily integrity captures unique moral problems raised by irrevocable consent and illuminates an important but (...) undertheorized distinction between autonomy and bodily integrity. (shrink)

This article revisits the philosophical critique launched by Judith Butler in Gender Trouble (1990) against the molecular geneticist David Page’s 1987 study of the ZFY (Zinc Finger Y-chromosomal protein) gene. Butler argued that Page’s study was underpinned by an Aristotelian metaphysics of “active male” and “passive female.” By returning to the primary scientific text and the historical context of the ZFY controversy, this article demonstrates that Butler’s critique relied on a selective reading that ignored Page’s dosage model and other possible (...) philosophical interpretations. (shrink)

Sudden enlightenment is awakening to be attained all at once. Hyun-Eung, a Korean Buddhist monastic, has proposed a new interpretation that sudden enlightenment is the revolutionary awakening of the dynamical and indivisible structure of cognitive subject and objects. I argue that Hyun-Eung’s ‘revolutionary enlightenment’ is achieved through a ‘paradigm shift’ in Thomas Kuhn’s sense as presented in his The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Enlightenment is obtained when one’s essentialist and realist worldview is replaced, through a revolutionary change of paradigm shift, (...) by a new perspective based on the Buddhist teaching of dependent arising and emptiness. Prior to enlightenment, each person views oneself as a separate and independent individual who has her own essence. However, when our perspective on self and the world changes with the understanding of dependent arising and emptiness, it becomes clear that no one and nothing can exist independently of conditions. Everything comes into existence, abides, and passes out of existence only in dependence on conditions. Sudden enlightenment requires a revolutionary change in one’s perspective of self and the world. I conclude that this concept of revolutionary enlightenment aptly explains the features of sudden enlightenment. (shrink)

Temporal Changes in Ovarian Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone mRNA Levels by Gonadotropins in the Rat Sung Ho Lee, Eun-Seob Song, Sun Kyeong Yu, Changmee Kim, Dae Kee Lee, Wan Sung Choi l and Kyungjin Kim* Department of Molecular Biofogy and SRC for Cell Differentiation, Seoul National University, Seoul 150-742, Korea; IDepartment of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Gyeongsanf; National University, Chinju 660-280, Korea (Recei·. cd on December 29, 1993) The present study examines whether gonadotropins are involved in the regulation of ovarian GnRH gene (...) expression and how ovarian GnRH gene expression temporalJy correlates with alterations in hypothalamic GnRH, pituitary LH~ gene expression in respons to gonadotropins. Hypothalamic and ovarian GnRH mRNA and pituitary LH~ mRNA levels were determined by respective RNA-blot hybridizations, and ovarian GnRH and estradiol contents and serum LH levels were measured by respective radioimmunoassays. Three animal models such as 1) PMSG-treated, 2) PMSG and heG-treated immature rats and 3) proestrous stage of adult rats were used. Immature rats (25-days old) were administered with PMSG (10 iu) at 10:00 hand 48 h later with heG (10 iu) to induce ovulation. In the PMSG-injected model, hypothalamic GnRH mRNA levels were markedly augmented about 9-fold at 50 h, and pituitary LH mRNA 3-fold at 52 h after PMSG administration. Serum LH levels were increased to the preovulatory surge levels at 56 h, and ovarian GnRH mRNA levels were augmented 4-fold at 60 h after PMSG injection. Administration of heG also induced a marked enhancement in ovarian GnRH mRNA levels in comparison to the values shown in both intact and PMSGtreated rats at 52 hand 54 h, respectively. In the proestrous stage of normal adult rats, pituitary LH~ mRNA levels were peaked at 16:00 h. The preovulatory LH surge was evident at 4 h before increment in ovarian GnRH mRNA levels as shown in PMSG-treated rats. The present study clearly showed the sequential increase in hypothalamic GnRH mRNA, pituitary LH~ mRNA and ovarian GnRH mRNA levels, indicating that ovarian GnRH may play a possible role in the control of follicular maturation and the ovulation process. (shrink)

CONTENT 1. Misconceptions of Darwin's Theory of Evolution 2. Darwinism against Essentialism and the Concept of Species 3. Function and Biological Explanation 4. The Gene 목차 1. 다윈의 진화론에 대한 오해들 2. 본질주의에 대한 진화론의 반대와 종(Species)의 개념 3. 기능(function)과 생명과학적 설명 4. 유전자 맺음말.

针对价值抉择难题存在不同的解决模式，以比较的视野检视几种有代表性 的模式，可以更加直观地展示它们的优缺点，从相对意义上凸显出当下存在的更为有效的 解决方案。 首先是罗蒂的自我实现与公民同胞等量齐观模式，此模式过于依赖个人与社 会两个领域的简单区分，同时也低估了不同诉求之间的张力；其次是伯林的不同价值体系 非此即彼模式，此模式夸大了不同价值体系的截然对立，错误地认为互有张力的价值不能 在同一价值体系里共存；最后是更具可行性的儒道互补模式，此模式重新解读儒道互补， 通过价值配置的方式解决了不可通约价值之间的张力问题，它允许多元价值体系的共存 和互补，从而有助于相辅相成地达成个人生活与社会的和谐。.

“Non-Self from the perspective of the Gene” November 2021, Buddhism and Culture (a Korean-language Buddhist magazine sponsored by the Foundation for the Promotion of Korean Buddhism), Korea.

“Non-Self from the perspective of the Gene” September 2021, Buddhism and Culture (a Korean-language Buddhist magazine sponsored by the Foundation for the Promotion of Korean Buddhism), Korea.

"Dependent Arising in Life and Environment" March 2021, Buddhism and Culture (a Korean-language Buddhist magazine sponsored by the Foundation for the Promotion of Korean Buddhism), Korea 생명과 환경이 보여주는 연기(緣起)의 진리.

“Darwin’s Evolutionary Theory of Dependent Arising” January 2021, Buddhism and Culture (a Korean-language Buddhist magazine sponsored by the Foundation for the Promotion of Korean Buddhism), Korea 진화론으로 이해하는 불교: 다윈의 진화론은 연기의 진화론.

“Impermanent Biological Phenomena” July 2021, Buddhism and Culture (a Korean-language Buddhist magazine sponsored by the Foundation for the Promotion of Korean Buddhism), Korea.

죽고 다시 태어나는 반복의 과정을 논하는 불교의 윤회설은 끊임없이 변화하는 생명현상의 본래 모습을 그대로 보여준다. 어느 생명체도 변하지 않고 영구한 것은 없다. 오래된 개체의 삶이 끝나고 새로운 삶이 시작되는 반복의 자연현상이 윤회이다. 본고는 윤회를 생명과학적으로 해석하며 삼라만상에서 일어나는 윤회란 개체들뿐만 아니라 세포와 분자선상에서도 일어나는 자연스런 생명현상임을 밝히겠다.

“Stem Cells Dependently Arising and Empty” May 2021, Buddhism and Culture (a Korean-language Buddhist magazine sponsored by the Foundation for the Promotion of Korean Buddhism), Korea.

“Buddhism Evolving” December 2021, Buddhism and Culture (a Korean-language Buddhist magazine sponsored by the Foundation for the Promotion of Korean Buddhism), Korea.

The present study examines the physiological alterations in prolactin (PRL) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and serum PRL levels during the rat estrous cycle and the effed of naloxone, an endogenous opioid peptide receptor antagonist, on PRL gene expression during the rat estrous cycle. Adult female rats exhibiting at least two consecutive 4-day estrous cycles were used in this study. A single injection of naloxone (2mg/kg b.w.) or saline was given sc 30 mm prior to decapitation. Animals were sacrificed at 10:00 (...) h of each stage of the estrous cycle, and at 2-h intervals from 10:00 h to 20:00 h during the proestrus. PRL mRNA and serum PRL levels were determined by an RNA-blot hybridization with the rat PRL cDNA probe and by a PRL radioimmunoassay, respectively. PRL mRNA and serum PRL levels were not dramatically altered in the morning of each stage of diestrus I, II, and proestrus, and naloxone failed to modify the two parameters. During estrus naloxone clearly suppressed serum PRL levels, but it was unable to modify PRL mRNA levels. A more detailed examination of the proestrus stage revealed that PRL mRNA and serum PRL levels fluctuated as a function of time: PRL mRNA levels reached a maximum level at 12:00 h and gradually decreased until 18:00 h. PRL mRNA levels then rose at 20:00 h. No difference in PRL mRNA levels between the control and naloxone-treated groups was observed. Changes in serum PRL level during proestrus were conversely related to changes in PRL mRNA: serum PRL levels were low from 10:00 h to 14:00 h, then increased and reached a maximum level at 16:00-18:00 h. Following then, serum PRL levels were decreased. Naloxone was effective in suppressing the characteristic afternoon surge of PRL from 16:00 h to 20:00 h. These data clearly showed that alterations in PRL mRNA levels were conversely correlated with changes in serum PRL levels on proestrus, indicating differential regulation of PRL gene expression and secretion. (shrink)

This work attempts to respond to Tomas Aquinas' Cosmological Argument in a way that combines Set Theory with the idea of the ‘Book of Change’. The study defines the ith Cause Set on which to operate on, which leads to the ontological commitment of austerity that the ‘First Cause's Compromise with emergence’ cannot be avoided. It is argued in the present paper that the concept that ‘emergence only consists of Synchronic Emergence and Diachronic Emergence’ should be extended to a broader (...) notion of emergence, which is made up of the two discussed elements and a third one ‘No-Boundary Emergence’ (beyond the time dimension). The article defines the concept of No-Boundary Emergence, proves why it is a type of emergence that differs from the traditional two types, and asserts that it underlies the bottom layer of the cosmos. This study describes the common feature of all emergence as communication protocols between layers. The assemblage of all emergences behaves similar to a distributed system that cannot be restricted by Gödel's theorem. The paper provides evidence (in Big Bang Cosmology, Conformal Cyclic Cosmology, Superstring Theory, Quantum Gravity) for this point of view, and notes that emergence (in the context of No-Boundary Emergence) is not only a simple scientific theory but also a progressive scientific research programme that can spontaneously grow from scientific theory based on Platonism at the expense of a degenerating shift to the ontological commitment of austerity. This paper proposes an improved model of Schrödinger Cat that provides a new explanation for quantum measurement and argues that there must be a forbidden zone of thought experiments. The study also introduces the implications of ancient Chinese thoughts (namely, the ‘Book of Change’ and Confucius). The paper comes to the conclusion that emergence (crossing the gap between ‘being’ and ‘nothing’, while ignoring the forbidden zone of thought experiments) relieves ‘cosmological insufficiency’ in the sense of Neo-Aristotelism. (shrink)

The present study examined the endogenous release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) from superfused hypothalamic slices derived from Korean native cattie (KNC). In addition, the in vitro secretory pattern of LHRH release in '(NC was compared with that in imported cattle such as Holstein cow. The median eminences (ME) of hypothalamic tissues were dissected out, sliced, and quickly placed in an ice-cold superfusion chamber. Superfusion chambers containing ME slices were maintained in a constant temperature water-bath at 37∘C. Effluents were collected (...) on the ice at 10 min intervals for a 4 hr superfusion period and kept -20∘C prior to LHRH radioimmunoassay. LHRH release was analyzed by the PULSAR algorithm. The spontaneous release of LHRH from both cows was episodic during a 4 hr superfusion period. The mean LHRH release, pulse amplitude and pulse interval m KNC were 11.08± 1.50 pg/min/mg x 10-2, 21.43 1 7.28 pg/mg x 10-2, and 39.42 ± 3.08 min, which was quite similar to those observed in Holstein cows. The basic characteristics of the LHRH pulse generator of KNC appear important for a better understanding about the endocrine function of KNC. (shrink)

The Confucian hermeneutic approach to the Yijing 易經(or Book of Changes) delineates a transition from the pursuit of divinatory meaning to the cultivation of virtue and action. As an integral part of the Yijing’s semantic framework, decisive phrases (Duanci 斷辭)— such as those denoting auspiciousness or ominousness—not only reflect historical efforts to ascertain the significance of divinatory cases, but also embody a distinct normative orientation inherent in the text’s teachings. This orientation not only guides human action but also shapes moral (...) character, which in turn provides the foundation for virtuous and effective action. The interpretive paradigm initiated by Confucian exegetes thus offers valuable insights for contemporary theories of ethics and practical philosophy. (shrink)

Recent frontier research in biology has demonstrated that the concept of “sex,” which we commonly refer to in our daily lives, comprises a collection of traits that are either developmentally or evolutionarily unrelated or only weakly related. There is no fixed standard for determining whether a trait qualifies as “sex” or whether it falls under the category of “gender.” Therefore, the concepts of sex/gender, as well as the binary division between biological and social concepts, are not scientific facts but rather (...) models constructed by humans. This reasoning similarly applies to concepts such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and transgenders, as their definitions rely on the distinctions between sex and gender. This insight prompts us to consider the feasibility and necessity of further deconstructing the sex-gender continuum. Additionally, we further analysed the inherent tensions within the current mainstream frameworks surrounding gender and sex, highlighting significant issues regarding their lack of inclusivity. This analysis reveals that the existing framework often fails to account for the diverse and multifaceted experiences of individuals, thereby marginalising many identities and expressions. Instead, we propose replacing these constructs with a more inclusive framework that acknowledges and embraces the complexities of human identity. (shrink)

What is no form? The simplest answer is: if Aristotle discovered form, then I have discovered no form. To be precise, Aristotle effectively understood and used form, and I have similarly managed to effectively understand and use no form. However, the biggest problem for Aristotle and other philosophers was that they did not clarify what no form is. This has also been a flaw in philosophy from that time to the present. To this day, the philosophy people study is still (...) one founded on the basis of form. Almost no one studies no form, or they have not fundamentally clarified what no form truly is. This is because one cannot attain an understanding of no form by following Aristotle's way. -/- No form action theory is a completely new philosophical framework, the cornerstone of which is a two-dimensional framework composed of 'form' and 'no form'. 'No form' is regarded as not possessing any formal determinacy in itself. Although no form itself is without determinacy, it possesses an intrinsic, absolute identity. This serves as the adhesive of the theory, ensuring the intrinsic connection, mutual transformation, and unity among the various actions and concepts derived from no form. -/- The combination of no form and form generates three of the most fundamental actions: -/- (1) manifestation action: Enables the form and essence of things to be presented, perceived, or understood. Related to consciousness, transparency, and essence. -/- (2) isolation action: Enables things to become independent, distinguishable individuals or concepts, establishing boundaries and structures. Related to being, entity, and logical certainty. -/- (3) motive force action: Drives the change, movement, generation, and transformation of things. Related to freedom, subject, cause, and energy. -/- No form action is the most fundamental action of this world, the highest-level action. These three actions do not exist in isolation; rather, they are mutually transformed and unified through the identity of no form, constituting the most fundamental operational model of the universe. -/- No form action theory is an extremely grand, original, and highly systematic philosophical framework. It takes 'form and no form' as its foundation, and through the three fundamental actions and their transformational relationships, it constructs a theoretical framework capable of uniformly explaining the core issues across a wide range of fields—from ontology, epistemology, and logic, to consciousness, the foundations of science (mathematics, physics), and even aesthetics and ethics. Its most prominent feature is the deep integration of philosophical speculation with logic, mathematics, and physics, which makes philosophy the foundation for these disciplines and allows the perspectives of philosophy and these disciplines to mutually corroborate each other. -/- . (shrink)

Professionalization, career development prospects, and social value are the three basic components of the status and prospects of community education workers, which influence their choice to continue their careers or not. In China, these problems are complex and lacking in systematic research, and the current situation does not meet the needs of community education. This study interviewed 24 community workers regarding their salaries, working conditions, and training and career advancement opportunities to evaluate this situation in Ningbo City. The findings highlight (...) challenges in the evaluation processes and work motivations of community education workers, including teams without professional knowledge, lack of training opportunities, unsupportive policies, and low salaries. These findings can be used by governments and community workers to find collaborative ways to facilitate community education processes, including the provision of adult education for community educators. New legal policies to raise the status of community educators are also suggested. (shrink)

Dans la République, le poète est condamné sans appel et expulsé de la cité pour avoir introduit la fausseté dans l’âme des citoyens à l’aide d’images. Or, dans ce dialogue, comme dans tous les autres, Platon n’hésite jamais à produire lui-même des images, en créant des mythes et des personnages imaginaires. « Parler par images » (δι’ εἰκόνων λέγειν), ou par ce qui semble être sans être, est ainsi le point de convergence et le point de divergence entre Platon et (...) les poètes. Comment comprendre alors cette double attitude de Platon que l’on retrouve dans ses critiques du faux et dans les usages qu’il en fait dans les dialogues? Comment le faux, en faisant naître le non-être, dispose-t-il d’une telle puissance sur l’âme, capable d’orienter celle-ci tantôt vers la vérité, tantôt vers un monde d’illusions où elle se réjouit de ce qui n’a aucun moyen d’exister? (shrink)

This paper intervenes in the ongoing philosophical discourse on free will by examining what, if anything, grounds genuine free will, and whether such a notion can truly exist. Through critical engagement with the arguments of prominent philosophers, I reject compatibilism on the grounds that free will and determinism are irreconcilable. I also object to libertarianism, which I argue is too obscure and vague in its attempt to pinpoint the source of our free will. Ultimately, I defend hard incompatibilism: the position (...) that free will cannot exist in a deterministic universe or an indeterministic one, as neither framework allows for the kind of free will worth wanting. Finally, I argue that while free will may be metaphysically false, its enduring illusion is an indispensable feature of human experience, underpinning our moral practices, social cohesion, and sense of identity. (shrink)

English: This collection compiles 18 core pieces, from the early sparks of theory to fully integrated practice. It’s not abstract philosophy—it’s a guide for anyone navigating complex systems who wants to take control of their actions. The starting point is simple: in a world full of distractions, how do you make decisions and act in ways that actually work and make things clearer and more effective? 中文： 這個合集整理了 18 篇核心想法，從理論萌芽到實踐整合。它不是抽象哲學，而是給身處複雜環境、想自己掌控行動的人看的指南。出發點很簡單：在充滿干擾的世界裡，怎麼做決策、怎麼行動，讓事情變得更清楚、更有效。.

'One must imagine Sisyphus happy.’ The final line of an influential philosophical essay written by the father of Absurdism, Albert Camus. Born in Algeria, Camus was a French writer and philosopher who explored around the ideas of suicide and the human condition. After winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957, he died in a sudden car accident 3 years later, which was seen by many as a tragic reflection of the doctrine of Absurdism - ‘the confrontation of man with (...) the irrational,’ or more simply put, the conflict between our desire for meaning and the meaningless and indifferent nature of the universe to our existence. This paper begins by recounting the Myth of Sisyphus, a story of Greek mythology where Sisyphus is condemned to rolling a boulder up a hill for eternity. It then moves on to explore the deeper philosophical questions posed by Camus from this Greek myth before delving into the philosophical stance of Absurdism, and questioning the essence of our existence. (shrink)

In the face of conflict, power can be defined as ‘the ability to get one’s needs met [1].’ Power requires not just an ability to do or act by strength and force, but also requires an inherent want and need for a commodity. Yet it is self-explanatory that a desire for power isn’t temporary, but perpetual, with those whose needs are satisfied always yearning for more. This can lead to longer term conflict, suggesting the gradient of power enrooted within society, (...) is the sole perpetrator towards worldwide violence; yet is it possible to completely eradicate violence from society, when individuals, parties and states will never stop their crave for greater power? (shrink)

Ethical decision-making frameworks assist in identifying the issues at stake in a particular setting and thinking through, in a methodical manner, the ethical issues that require consideration as well as the values that need to be considered and promoted. Decisions made about the use, sharing, and re-use of big data are complex and laden with values. This paper sets out an Ethics Framework for Big Data in Health and Research developed by a working group convened by the Science, Health and (...) Policy-relevant Ethics in Singapore Initiative. It presents the aim and rationale for this framework supported by the underlying ethical concerns that relate to all health and research contexts. It also describes a set of substantive and procedural values that can be weighed up in addressing these concerns, and a step-by-step process for identifying, considering, and resolving the ethical issues arising from big data uses in health and research. This Framework is subsequently applied in the papers published in this Special Issue. These papers each address one of six domains where big data is currently employed: openness in big data and data repositories, precision medicine and big data, real-world data to generate evidence about healthcare interventions, AI-assisted decision-making in healthcare, public-private partnerships in healthcare and research, and cross-sectoral big data. (shrink)

As opposed to a ‘one size fits all’ approach, precision medicine uses relevant biological, medical, behavioural and environmental information about a person to further personalize their healthcare. This could mean better prediction of someone’s disease risk and more effective diagnosis and treatment if they have a condition. Big data allows for far more precision and tailoring than was ever before possible by linking together diverse datasets to reveal hitherto-unknown correlations and causal pathways. But it also raises ethical issues relating to (...) the balancing of interests, viability of anonymization, familial and group implications, as well as genetic discrimination. This article analyses these issues in light of the values of public benefit, justice, harm minimization, transparency, engagement and reflexivity and applies the deliberative balancing approach found in theEthical Framework for Big Data in Health and Research to a case study on clinical genomic data sharing. Please refer to that article for an explanation of how this framework is to be used, including a full explanation of the key values involved and the balancing approach used in the case study at the end. Our discussion is meant to be of use to those involved in the practice as well as governance and oversight of precision medicine to address ethical concerns that arise in a coherent and systematic manner. (shrink)

This paper proposes a scientific-philosophical model of “natural-civilization prime ministers” based on historical cases, systems theory, and entropy analysis. By examining the human nature and governance strategies of Sun Shu’ao and Yan Ying during the Spring and Autumn period, the study identifies their low-disturbance, decentralized, and non-performance-driven traits, which maintained civilizational stability. Sun Shu’ao and Yan Ying are not moral exemplars but “low-entropy governance personalities,” functioning as steady-state regulators within political systems. A comparative analysis with the Warring States period demonstrates (...) the structural disappearance of such personalities due to accelerated civilization, militarization, and bureaucratic quantification. The paper further unifies this model with the Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology: prime ministers as “Earth,” rulers as “Heaven,” and civilization as a natural system, providing a scientifically grounded framework for individual governance, institutional design, and social self-organization. Finally, the study discusses implications for modern governance, emphasizing the scarcity and systemic importance of low-entropy personalities in highly engineered societies. This research offers a cross-temporal perspective connecting historical politics, civilizational evolution, and contemporary governance. (shrink)

This paper centers on the ancient Chinese cosmological notion of “Taiyi Generates Water” (太一生水) found in the Guodian Chu Bamboo Slips, alongside the Laozi’s metaphysical schema of “Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two give birth to Three, Three give birth to all things.” It proposes the core thesis: the Sun is the father of humanity and all living beings. Drawing on both Taoist philosophy and modern cosmology, it reinterprets “Taiyi” (the Great One) as the Sun, (...) the initiator of energy and order in the solar system, and positions the Sun as the foundational paternal entity in the genesis of water, life, and civilization. -/- Integrating the five-stage cosmic evolution—Galaxy → Sun → Earth → Moon → Life—this article formulates a unified cosmological model. It sees the Sun not merely as a physical source of light and heat, but as the “Cosmic Father,” the energetic principle that connects Heaven and Earth, nature and humanity. It ultimately calls for the reestablishment of an ecological ethic grounded in reverence for the Sun, and a future civilization rooted in cosmic consciousness. (shrink)

It is seen that women thinkers are not given enough space in studies examining the aesthetics/philosophy of art of the republican period. The main reason for this deficiency is the fact that a holistic evaluation of aesthetics, which has gained momentum since the Republican era, has still not been made, as well as the assumption that the establishment of aesthetics was completed with the works of İsmail Tunalı. The emphasis of Tunalı's effort to base aesthetics on a philosophical basis has (...) prevented other aesthetic works from being seen by being pushed into the background. However, when the aesthetic studies of the Republican era are evaluated holistically, the diversity and richness in the field of aesthetics emerge, and the share of women in this diversity becomes evident. Füsun Akatlı has a privileged place next to Necla Arat and Ioanna Kuçuradi, who contributed to the aesthetics/philosophy of art with their works in the Republican era. Akatlı, who has been interested in the problems of the philosophy of literature since her doctoral thesis, continued her studies in the critics and essay type and took care to exhibit her philosophy of art through a literary genre. One of Akatlı's main concerns is philosophy-based criticism and the other is work-oriented criticism. In his doctoral thesis, which she completed in the 70s, Akatlı examined the problem of evaluating literary works and compared the views of I. A. Richards and N. Hartmann, and found Richards's views incomplete. With the value view that added to the N. Hartmann's theory of layers, she found the basis for both philosophy-based criticism and criticism in the independent existence of the work of art. Akatlı continued her philosophy activity with the works written in the genre of essays and criticism on Turkish literature as well as being a university lecturer. Due to the fact that Akatlı's essayist and critic side prevailed, her philosophy was overshadowed, and her works could not find the place they deserved in the field of philosophy. However, Akatlı's philosophy of literature emerges when the views in her doctoral thesis are brought together with the views in her essays and criticisms, which she considers as the crossroads of philosophy and literature. With this aspect, Akatlı is in a special position as the only woman in the Republican era who has made a continuous and determined philosophy of literature with the productions she has continued since her doctoral thesis. (shrink)

Under semantic monism I understand the thesis “The Good is said in one way” and under semantic pluralism the antithesis “The Good is said in many ways”. Plato’s Socrates seems to defend a “semantic monism”. As only one sun exists, so the “Good” has for Socrates and Plato only one reference. Nevertheless, Socrates defends in the Philebus a semantic pluralism, more exactly trialism, of “beauty, symmetry and truth” . Therefore, metaphorically speaking, there seem to exist not only one sun, but (...) three suns. If the platonic Socrates defends a semantic monism on the one hand and pluralism on the other, how can we unite his pluralism with his monism? My thesis is that the three references are “qualities” of the one single reference, or again, speaking metaphorically, “side suns” of the single sun. In the following, I propose first an exegesis of Plato’s last written word on the Good in Phil. 65 A 1-5 by dividing it into five sentences. Second, I ask a philosophical question on this monism and the corresponding hierarchy of values. (shrink)

Through the philosophies of Martin Heidegger, Jacques Derrida, and François Laruelle, this paper deconstructs the metaphysics of the sun that undergirds the worlds of the three Dark Souls games developed by FromSoftware, while also identifying the internal critique of this metaphysics that the Dark Souls games successively elaborate. Indeed, as inversions of the western fantasy model, the three Dark Souls games also labour to invert western philosophy, striking at the heart of Platonic idealism and its variations throughout history.

A long chapter for The War of Appearances: Transparency, Opacity, Radiance (V2_Publishing, 2016) building on the findings of “Charis and Radiance,” an essay published two years earlier. It discusses the inherent connection between visibility and radiance within the framework of Plato’s sun model as the source of reality.

This paper argues that the principle “All things grow relying on the Sun” constitutes a foundational axiom uniting cosmology, biology, medicine, ecology, and philosophy. Far beyond an agricultural proverb, this statement encapsulates the fundamental dependence of Earth’s biosphere, human health, and civilization itself on solar energy and solar order. Drawing on astrophysics, biosciences, ecological science, and the framework of Lao–Yang Genesis Cosmology, the paper reinterprets the Sun not merely as a physical energy source but as the primary cosmic mediator through (...) which order, rhythm, and life emerge within the Earth system. -/- At the cosmic scale, the Sun is shown to be the gravitational, energetic, and structural center of the solar system, translating galactic energy into stable planetary conditions. At the biological level, photosynthesis establishes the Sun as the ultimate origin of all food webs, ecological cycles, and atmospheric balance. In animal and human systems, solar energy governs metabolism, behavior, circadian rhythms, mental health, and immune function, revealing sunlight as a critical regulator of physiological and psychological well-being. -/- Philosophically, the paper situates the Sun as a concrete manifestation of the Dao—operating without intention or command, yet sustaining all processes through natural order and self-regulation. The study further critiques modern civilization’s progressive detachment from solar rhythms through artificial energy systems and lifestyles, linking this disconnection to ecological crisis, chronic disease, and civilizational imbalance. -/- The paper concludes that re-aligning human civilization with the solar order—scientifically, biologically, and philosophically—is essential for sustainable development and long-term coexistence with nature. “All things grow relying on the Sun” is thus affirmed as a first principle of cosmic philosophy and an indispensable guide for future civilization. (shrink)

In contrast to many of his contemporaries, A. J. Ayer was an analytic philosopher who had sustained throughout his career some interest in developments in the work of his ‘continental’ peers. Ayer, who spoke French, held friendships with some important Parisian intellectuals, such as Camus, Bataille, Wahl and Merleau-Ponty. This paper examines the circumstances of a meeting between Ayer, Merleau-Ponty, Wahl, Ambrosino and Bataille, which took place in 1951 at some Parisian bar. The question under discussion during this meeting was (...) whether the sun existed before humans did, over which the various philosophers disagreed. This disagreement is tangled with a variety of issues, such as Ayer’s critique of Heidegger and Sartre, Ayer’s response to Merleau-Ponty’s critique of empiricism, and Bataille’s response to Sartre’s critique of his notion of ‘unknowing’, which uncannily resembles Ayer’s critique of Sartre. Amidst this tangle one finds Bataille’s statement that an ‘abyss’ separates English from French and German philosophy, the first recorded announcement of the analytic-continental divide in the twentieth century. (shrink)

This paper explores the persistent duplicity and moral inconsistency that characterize modern political ideologies by examining the deeper psychological roots of human motivation. Drawing on Arthur Schopenhauer’s diagnosis of the “objectification of the will,” I argue that many political ideals—whether progressive, conservative, or revolutionary—often conceal a fundamental self-interest that operates beneath the surface of public moral rhetoric. Yet Schopenhauer does not merely diagnose the problem; he also gestures toward a possible transcendence through the concept of the identity of the will, (...) most clearly embodied in the universalized experience of compassion. To illuminate this possibility, the paper presents the historical example of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, whose recorded reflections after the Battle of Myeongnyang reveal a rare psychological structure in which the suffering of the people is experienced as indistinguishable from one’s own. This case allows us to ground Schopenhauer’s metaphysical insight in an actual political and ethical practice. Finally, the paper suggests that integrating the Buddhist non-dual perspective—one that dissolves rigid self–other boundaries—provides a complementary philosophical framework for envisioning political action rooted beyond ideological self-interest. Together, these elements offer a proposal for a future political philosophy capable of overcoming the ideological hypocrisy that shapes much of contemporary political life. (shrink)