Robert C. Solomon
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195181579
- eISBN:
- 9780199786602
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195181573.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre were the giants of 20th-century “existentialism”, although neither of them was comfortable with that title. Their famous differences aside, they shared a ...
More
Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre were the giants of 20th-century “existentialism”, although neither of them was comfortable with that title. Their famous differences aside, they shared a “phenomenological” sensibility and described personal experience in exquisite and excruciating detail and reflected on the meaning of this experience with both sensitivity and insight. That is the focus of this book: Camus and Sartre, their descriptions of personal experience, and their reflections on the meaning of this experience. They also reflected, worriedly, on the nature of reflection. The thematic problem of the book is the relationship between experience and reflection. The book explores this relationship through novels and plays, Camus’ The Stranger, The Plague, and The Fall, Sartre’s Nausea and No Exit, and Sartre’s great philosophical tome, Being and Nothingness.Less
Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre were the giants of 20th-century “existentialism”, although neither of them was comfortable with that title. Their famous differences aside, they shared a “phenomenological” sensibility and described personal experience in exquisite and excruciating detail and reflected on the meaning of this experience with both sensitivity and insight. That is the focus of this book: Camus and Sartre, their descriptions of personal experience, and their reflections on the meaning of this experience. They also reflected, worriedly, on the nature of reflection. The thematic problem of the book is the relationship between experience and reflection. The book explores this relationship through novels and plays, Camus’ The Stranger, The Plague, and The Fall, Sartre’s Nausea and No Exit, and Sartre’s great philosophical tome, Being and Nothingness.
David Atkinson
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265536
- eISBN:
- 9780191760327
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265536.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Responding to the onset of tipping points evokes a combination of fear, bravado, greed, wonder, and worship. The Christian ethos bestows responsibility and care upon the human conscience and ...
More
Responding to the onset of tipping points evokes a combination of fear, bravado, greed, wonder, and worship. The Christian ethos bestows responsibility and care upon the human conscience and behaviour, widening the perspective to compassion, to living for sufficiency, and to sharing burdens. In tipping points there can be hope without fear so long as the ethics are firmly but respectfully in place.Less
Responding to the onset of tipping points evokes a combination of fear, bravado, greed, wonder, and worship. The Christian ethos bestows responsibility and care upon the human conscience and behaviour, widening the perspective to compassion, to living for sufficiency, and to sharing burdens. In tipping points there can be hope without fear so long as the ethics are firmly but respectfully in place.
Irwin Epstein
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195335521
- eISBN:
- 9780199777433
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335521.001.0001
- Subject:
- Social Work, Research and Evaluation
Clinical data-mining (CDM) involves the conceptualization, extraction, analysis, and interpretation of available clinical data for practice knowledge-building, clinical decision-making, and ...
More
Clinical data-mining (CDM) involves the conceptualization, extraction, analysis, and interpretation of available clinical data for practice knowledge-building, clinical decision-making, and practitioner reflection. Depending upon the type of data mined, CDM can be qualitative or quantitative; it is generally retrospective, but may be meaningfully combined with original data collection. Any research method that relies on the contents of case records or information systems data inevitably has limitations, but with proper safeguards these can be minimized. Among CDM's strengths however, are that it is unobtrusive, inexpensive, presents little risk to research subjects, and is ethically compatible with practitioner value commitments. When conducted by practitioners, CDM yields conceptual as well as data-driven insight into their own practice- and program-generated questions. This book covers all the basics of conducting practitioner-initiated CDM studies or CDM doctoral dissertations, drawing extensively on published CDM studies and completed CDM dissertations from multiple social work settings in the United States, Australia, Israel, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. In addition, it describes consulting principles to help with forging collaborative university-agency CDM partnerships.Less
Clinical data-mining (CDM) involves the conceptualization, extraction, analysis, and interpretation of available clinical data for practice knowledge-building, clinical decision-making, and practitioner reflection. Depending upon the type of data mined, CDM can be qualitative or quantitative; it is generally retrospective, but may be meaningfully combined with original data collection. Any research method that relies on the contents of case records or information systems data inevitably has limitations, but with proper safeguards these can be minimized. Among CDM's strengths however, are that it is unobtrusive, inexpensive, presents little risk to research subjects, and is ethically compatible with practitioner value commitments. When conducted by practitioners, CDM yields conceptual as well as data-driven insight into their own practice- and program-generated questions. This book covers all the basics of conducting practitioner-initiated CDM studies or CDM doctoral dissertations, drawing extensively on published CDM studies and completed CDM dissertations from multiple social work settings in the United States, Australia, Israel, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. In addition, it describes consulting principles to help with forging collaborative university-agency CDM partnerships.
Mark R. Leary
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195172423
- eISBN:
- 9780199786756
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195172423.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
Human beings are unique in their ability to think consciously about themselves. Because they have a capacity for self-awareness not shared by other animals, people can imagine themselves in the ...
More
Human beings are unique in their ability to think consciously about themselves. Because they have a capacity for self-awareness not shared by other animals, people can imagine themselves in the future, anticipate consequences, plan ahead, improve themselves, and perform many other behaviors that are uniquely characteristic of human beings. Yet, despite the obvious advantages of self-reflection, the capacity for self-thought comes at a high price as people's lives are adversely affected and their inner chatter interferes with their success, pollutes their relationships, and undermines their happiness. Indeed, self-relevant thought is responsible for most of the personal and social difficulties that human beings face as individuals and as a species. Among other things, the capacity for self-reflection distorts people's perceptions, leading them to make bad decisions based on faulty information. The self conjures up a great deal of personal suffering in the form of depression, anxiety, anger, envy, and other negative emotions by allowing people to ruminate about the past or imagine the future. Egocentrism and egotism blind people to their own shortcomings, promote self-serving biases, and undermine their relationships with others. The ability to self-reflect also underlies social conflict by leading people to separate themselves into ingroups and outgroups. Ironically, many sources of personal unhappiness — such as addictions, overeating, unsafe sex, infidelity, and domestic violence — are due to people's inability to exert self-control. For those inclined toward religion and spirituality, visionaries throughout history have proclaimed that the egoic self stymies the quest for spiritual fulfillment and leads to immoral behavior.Less
Human beings are unique in their ability to think consciously about themselves. Because they have a capacity for self-awareness not shared by other animals, people can imagine themselves in the future, anticipate consequences, plan ahead, improve themselves, and perform many other behaviors that are uniquely characteristic of human beings. Yet, despite the obvious advantages of self-reflection, the capacity for self-thought comes at a high price as people's lives are adversely affected and their inner chatter interferes with their success, pollutes their relationships, and undermines their happiness. Indeed, self-relevant thought is responsible for most of the personal and social difficulties that human beings face as individuals and as a species. Among other things, the capacity for self-reflection distorts people's perceptions, leading them to make bad decisions based on faulty information. The self conjures up a great deal of personal suffering in the form of depression, anxiety, anger, envy, and other negative emotions by allowing people to ruminate about the past or imagine the future. Egocentrism and egotism blind people to their own shortcomings, promote self-serving biases, and undermine their relationships with others. The ability to self-reflect also underlies social conflict by leading people to separate themselves into ingroups and outgroups. Ironically, many sources of personal unhappiness — such as addictions, overeating, unsafe sex, infidelity, and domestic violence — are due to people's inability to exert self-control. For those inclined toward religion and spirituality, visionaries throughout history have proclaimed that the egoic self stymies the quest for spiritual fulfillment and leads to immoral behavior.
Richard Crouter
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195379679
- eISBN:
- 9780199869169
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195379679.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book is a primer on the political prophet and Christian social ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), who is widely cited for his political realism in the aftermath of George W. Bush’s ...
More
This book is a primer on the political prophet and Christian social ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), who is widely cited for his political realism in the aftermath of George W. Bush’s presidency. His works are on the favorite reading list of Barack Obama. In addition to mapping the “Niebuhr revival” on the political left and right, the book’s seven chapters acquaint readers with the central teachings and ways of thinking behind this fresh interest. The core of Niebuhr’s Christian realism and the role of irony in his thought are made accessible to non-specialists in ways that explain his appeal to secular as well as deeply religious minds. The book begins with an account of the fresh interest in the Protestant thinker and argues for Niebuhr’s sense of history as a prelude to explaining how his view of the human self as sinful and self-preoccupied (individually and in groups) relates to his passion for social justice. Three chapters then examine Niebuhr’s teaching as a preacher and writer with uncommon literary sensitivity, take up his classic 1952 title, The Irony of American History as an expression of his Christian realism, and probe the reasons for his mixed reception in contemporary Christian circles, both popular and academic. A final chapter examines the ways that Niebuhr’s legacy invites levels of self-reflection that judiciously illumine the personal, political, and religious challenges that we face in the contemporary world.Less
This book is a primer on the political prophet and Christian social ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971), who is widely cited for his political realism in the aftermath of George W. Bush’s presidency. His works are on the favorite reading list of Barack Obama. In addition to mapping the “Niebuhr revival” on the political left and right, the book’s seven chapters acquaint readers with the central teachings and ways of thinking behind this fresh interest. The core of Niebuhr’s Christian realism and the role of irony in his thought are made accessible to non-specialists in ways that explain his appeal to secular as well as deeply religious minds. The book begins with an account of the fresh interest in the Protestant thinker and argues for Niebuhr’s sense of history as a prelude to explaining how his view of the human self as sinful and self-preoccupied (individually and in groups) relates to his passion for social justice. Three chapters then examine Niebuhr’s teaching as a preacher and writer with uncommon literary sensitivity, take up his classic 1952 title, The Irony of American History as an expression of his Christian realism, and probe the reasons for his mixed reception in contemporary Christian circles, both popular and academic. A final chapter examines the ways that Niebuhr’s legacy invites levels of self-reflection that judiciously illumine the personal, political, and religious challenges that we face in the contemporary world.
Roger E. Raab and Owen L. de Lange
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198567271
- eISBN:
- 9780191717970
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198567271.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Atomic, Laser, and Optical Physics
The book opens with a chapter on the classical theory of multipoles in electromagnetism, in which static and dynamic multipole expansions of various physical quantities are derived, including of the ...
More
The book opens with a chapter on the classical theory of multipoles in electromagnetism, in which static and dynamic multipole expansions of various physical quantities are derived, including of the Maxwell fields D and H. Chapter 2 presents a semi-classical account of multipole theory, in which the Barron-Gray gauge is used to derive multipole polarizabilities describing the induction of molecular moments by a harmonic plane wave. Aspects of symmetry are treated in Chapter 3 — space-time behaviour of tensors and physical properties of molecules and crystals. In Chapter 4, D(E,B) and H(E,B) are obtained for linear anisotropic media, yielding expressions for the material constants which are required to satisfy origin independence, the Post constraint, and certain symmetries but fail the first two. Despite these difficulties, the standard theory is used in Chapter 5 to derive a wave propagation equation; this is applied to explain various physical effects in transmission, two of which are also described in a scattering theory. Chapter 6 deals with the reflection of electromagnetic waves from an anisotropic medium. The reflected intensities violate origin independence, showing again the unphysical nature of existing multipole theory. In Chapter 7, the fields are transformed while leaving Maxwell's equations unchanged, from which new material constants are derived in Chapter 8 that meet the three requirements in Chapter 4. Chapter 9 applies the transformed expressions to transmission and reflection phenomena, confirming the results of Chapter 5, while yielding reflected intensities that satisfy space and time invariances.Less
The book opens with a chapter on the classical theory of multipoles in electromagnetism, in which static and dynamic multipole expansions of various physical quantities are derived, including of the Maxwell fields D and H. Chapter 2 presents a semi-classical account of multipole theory, in which the Barron-Gray gauge is used to derive multipole polarizabilities describing the induction of molecular moments by a harmonic plane wave. Aspects of symmetry are treated in Chapter 3 — space-time behaviour of tensors and physical properties of molecules and crystals. In Chapter 4, D(E,B) and H(E,B) are obtained for linear anisotropic media, yielding expressions for the material constants which are required to satisfy origin independence, the Post constraint, and certain symmetries but fail the first two. Despite these difficulties, the standard theory is used in Chapter 5 to derive a wave propagation equation; this is applied to explain various physical effects in transmission, two of which are also described in a scattering theory. Chapter 6 deals with the reflection of electromagnetic waves from an anisotropic medium. The reflected intensities violate origin independence, showing again the unphysical nature of existing multipole theory. In Chapter 7, the fields are transformed while leaving Maxwell's equations unchanged, from which new material constants are derived in Chapter 8 that meet the three requirements in Chapter 4. Chapter 9 applies the transformed expressions to transmission and reflection phenomena, confirming the results of Chapter 5, while yielding reflected intensities that satisfy space and time invariances.
Sadamichi Maekawa (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198568216
- eISBN:
- 9780191718212
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568216.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Condensed Matter Physics / Materials
Nowadays, information technology is based on semiconductor and ferromagnetic materials. Information processing and computation are performed using electron charge in semiconductor transistors and ...
More
Nowadays, information technology is based on semiconductor and ferromagnetic materials. Information processing and computation are performed using electron charge in semiconductor transistors and integrated circuits, and the information is stored by electron spins on magnetic high-density hard disks. Recently, a new branch of physics and nanotechnology, called magneto-electronics, spintronics, or spin electronics, has emerged, which aims to exploit both the charge and the spin of electrons in the same device. A broader goal is to develop new functionality that does not exist separately in a ferromagnet or a semiconductor. This book presents new directions in the development of spin electronics in both the basic physics and the technology which will become the foundation of future electronics.Less
Nowadays, information technology is based on semiconductor and ferromagnetic materials. Information processing and computation are performed using electron charge in semiconductor transistors and integrated circuits, and the information is stored by electron spins on magnetic high-density hard disks. Recently, a new branch of physics and nanotechnology, called magneto-electronics, spintronics, or spin electronics, has emerged, which aims to exploit both the charge and the spin of electrons in the same device. A broader goal is to develop new functionality that does not exist separately in a ferromagnet or a semiconductor. This book presents new directions in the development of spin electronics in both the basic physics and the technology which will become the foundation of future electronics.
Sander Van Smaalen
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198570820
- eISBN:
- 9780191718762
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198570820.003.0009
- Subject:
- Physics, Crystallography: Physics
This chapter presents the steps that are required to determine the superspace group of an aperiodic crystal from its diffraction pattern. This includes the analysis of the metric of the reciprocal ...
More
This chapter presents the steps that are required to determine the superspace group of an aperiodic crystal from its diffraction pattern. This includes the analysis of the metric of the reciprocal lattice in superspace, the point symmetry of the diffraction pattern, and the reflection conditions.Less
This chapter presents the steps that are required to determine the superspace group of an aperiodic crystal from its diffraction pattern. This includes the analysis of the metric of the reciprocal lattice in superspace, the point symmetry of the diffraction pattern, and the reflection conditions.
Maureen Duffy and Len Sperry
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195380019
- eISBN:
- 9780199932764
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195380019.003.0016
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This final chapter of the book presents reflections on the ubiquitousness and destructiveness of the social process of mobbing in all of the major institutions and organizations of human life—school, ...
More
This final chapter of the book presents reflections on the ubiquitousness and destructiveness of the social process of mobbing in all of the major institutions and organizations of human life—school, work, religious organizations, the legal system, and in communities where people live, such as condominium and homeowners’ associations. The reflections on mobbing include recognition of its significant health impact on adult workers and on children and adolescents, and suggest that these negative health consequences are of an order of magnitude that cannot ethically be ignored. Examples of mobbing introduced earlier in the book are revisited and reimagined in terms of how things might have turned out for the victims if the organizations involved had accepted responsibility for the development and resolution of the mobbing and responded differently.Less
This final chapter of the book presents reflections on the ubiquitousness and destructiveness of the social process of mobbing in all of the major institutions and organizations of human life—school, work, religious organizations, the legal system, and in communities where people live, such as condominium and homeowners’ associations. The reflections on mobbing include recognition of its significant health impact on adult workers and on children and adolescents, and suggest that these negative health consequences are of an order of magnitude that cannot ethically be ignored. Examples of mobbing introduced earlier in the book are revisited and reimagined in terms of how things might have turned out for the victims if the organizations involved had accepted responsibility for the development and resolution of the mobbing and responded differently.
Yolanda Y. Smith
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195167979
- eISBN:
- 9780199784981
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019516797X.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, World Religions
This chapter introduces four teaching strategies that emerge from the characteristics of a triple-heritage model of Christian education that is grounded in the African American spirituals. The model ...
More
This chapter introduces four teaching strategies that emerge from the characteristics of a triple-heritage model of Christian education that is grounded in the African American spirituals. The model consists of the following: communal, creative, critical, and cooperative. The teaching strategies that emerge from these characteristics include communal dialogue, creative engagement, critical reflection, and cooperative action. The chapter then discusses various aspects of a course called “Christian Education in the African American Experience” and details how these strategies have shaped and informed the teaching of the course. The primary purpose of this chapter is to examine the teaching/learning process that emerges throughout the course.Less
This chapter introduces four teaching strategies that emerge from the characteristics of a triple-heritage model of Christian education that is grounded in the African American spirituals. The model consists of the following: communal, creative, critical, and cooperative. The teaching strategies that emerge from these characteristics include communal dialogue, creative engagement, critical reflection, and cooperative action. The chapter then discusses various aspects of a course called “Christian Education in the African American Experience” and details how these strategies have shaped and informed the teaching of the course. The primary purpose of this chapter is to examine the teaching/learning process that emerges throughout the course.
Niels Christian Hvidt
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195314472
- eISBN:
- 9780199785346
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314472.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The phenomenon of Christian prophecy investigated in this book is controversial. Prophets have easily been associated with religious fanatics who preach doom and gloom. Historical, exegetical, and ...
More
The phenomenon of Christian prophecy investigated in this book is controversial. Prophets have easily been associated with religious fanatics who preach doom and gloom. Historical, exegetical, and theological arguments have been adduced by many for the extinction of prophecy. The conclusions in this chapter state that none of these arguments are sound, since they merely argue for the cessation of one form of prophecy, not the prophetic phenomenon itself. This book argues that prophecy never died, but rather proved its dynamism by mutating according to the preconditions of new historical developments. Exploring Christian prophecy as a theme for systematic theology means we should regard revelation as more than a past event. Instead, inherent to revelation is the eternal Word's continuous salvific operation that actualizes and realizes what was given in Christ's Incarnation for the edification of the church. Therewith, prophecy becomes an integral part of revelation as one of the forms in which the Word of God continues to unfold and give itself to the people of God.Less
The phenomenon of Christian prophecy investigated in this book is controversial. Prophets have easily been associated with religious fanatics who preach doom and gloom. Historical, exegetical, and theological arguments have been adduced by many for the extinction of prophecy. The conclusions in this chapter state that none of these arguments are sound, since they merely argue for the cessation of one form of prophecy, not the prophetic phenomenon itself. This book argues that prophecy never died, but rather proved its dynamism by mutating according to the preconditions of new historical developments. Exploring Christian prophecy as a theme for systematic theology means we should regard revelation as more than a past event. Instead, inherent to revelation is the eternal Word's continuous salvific operation that actualizes and realizes what was given in Christ's Incarnation for the edification of the church. Therewith, prophecy becomes an integral part of revelation as one of the forms in which the Word of God continues to unfold and give itself to the people of God.
Alvin I. Goldman
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195138924
- eISBN:
- 9780199786480
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195138929.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Simulation is first examined in the domains of visual and motor imagery, where brain imaging confirms that many of the same regions are activated in both visual imagery and vision, and in motor ...
More
Simulation is first examined in the domains of visual and motor imagery, where brain imaging confirms that many of the same regions are activated in both visual imagery and vision, and in motor imagery and motor execution. An analogous use of simulation characteristically occurs in high-level mindreading. Since an important stage of simulation for mindreading requires reflection on one’s own current states, it is confirming evidence that neuroimaging studies find loci of activation in mindreading tasks that are also found in self-reflective thought. A distinctive feature of simulation is that it invites the risk that one’s own genuine states will contaminate the process; so it is further confirming evidence that mindreading studies consistently find pronounced egocentric errors. High-level mindreading involves assignment of contentful states, and content assignment follows the procedure predicted by simulation theory, viz., default use of one’s own concepts and combinatorial operations in assigning contents to others.Less
Simulation is first examined in the domains of visual and motor imagery, where brain imaging confirms that many of the same regions are activated in both visual imagery and vision, and in motor imagery and motor execution. An analogous use of simulation characteristically occurs in high-level mindreading. Since an important stage of simulation for mindreading requires reflection on one’s own current states, it is confirming evidence that neuroimaging studies find loci of activation in mindreading tasks that are also found in self-reflective thought. A distinctive feature of simulation is that it invites the risk that one’s own genuine states will contaminate the process; so it is further confirming evidence that mindreading studies consistently find pronounced egocentric errors. High-level mindreading involves assignment of contentful states, and content assignment follows the procedure predicted by simulation theory, viz., default use of one’s own concepts and combinatorial operations in assigning contents to others.
Hilary Kornblith
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199563005
- eISBN:
- 9780191745263
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199563005.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind
Philosophers have frequently extolled the value of reflective self-examination, and a wide range of philosophers, who differ on many other things, have argued that reflection can help to solve a ...
More
Philosophers have frequently extolled the value of reflective self-examination, and a wide range of philosophers, who differ on many other things, have argued that reflection can help to solve a number of significant philosophical problems. The importance of reflecting on one’s beliefs and desires has been viewed as the key to solving problems about justification and knowledge; about reasoning; about the nature of freedom; and about the source of normativity. In each case, a problem is identified which reflective self-examination is thought to address. This book argues that reflection cannot solve any of these problems. There is a common structure to these issues, it is argued, and the problems which reflection is thought to resolve are ones which could not possibly be solved by reflecting on one’s beliefs and desires. More than this, the attempt to solve these problems by appealing to reflection saddles us with a mystical view of the powers of reflective self-examination. Recognition of this fact motivates a search for a demystified view of the nature of reflection. Views about knowledge, reasoning, freedom, and normativity are examined in detail in order to better understand the motivations for extolling self-reflective examination. Both the logic of these views, and the psychological commitments they involve, are discussed at length. In the final chapter, a more realistic view of reflection is offered, drawing on dual process approaches to cognition.Less
Philosophers have frequently extolled the value of reflective self-examination, and a wide range of philosophers, who differ on many other things, have argued that reflection can help to solve a number of significant philosophical problems. The importance of reflecting on one’s beliefs and desires has been viewed as the key to solving problems about justification and knowledge; about reasoning; about the nature of freedom; and about the source of normativity. In each case, a problem is identified which reflective self-examination is thought to address. This book argues that reflection cannot solve any of these problems. There is a common structure to these issues, it is argued, and the problems which reflection is thought to resolve are ones which could not possibly be solved by reflecting on one’s beliefs and desires. More than this, the attempt to solve these problems by appealing to reflection saddles us with a mystical view of the powers of reflective self-examination. Recognition of this fact motivates a search for a demystified view of the nature of reflection. Views about knowledge, reasoning, freedom, and normativity are examined in detail in order to better understand the motivations for extolling self-reflective examination. Both the logic of these views, and the psychological commitments they involve, are discussed at length. In the final chapter, a more realistic view of reflection is offered, drawing on dual process approaches to cognition.
Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199936472
- eISBN:
- 9780199980697
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199936472.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This book gives an extended argument for epistemic authority from the implications of reflective self-consciousness. Epistemic authority is compatible with autonomy, but epistemic self-reliance is ...
More
This book gives an extended argument for epistemic authority from the implications of reflective self-consciousness. Epistemic authority is compatible with autonomy, but epistemic self-reliance is incoherent. The book argues that epistemic and emotional self-trust are rational and inescapable, that consistent self-trust commits us to trust in others, and that among those we are committed to trusting are some whom we ought to treat as epistemic authorities, modelled on the well-known principles of authority of Joseph Raz. Some of these authorities can be in the moral and religious domains. The book investigates the way the problem of disagreement between communities or between the self and others is a conflict within self-trust, and argue against communal self-reliance on the same grounds as the book uses in arguing against individual self-reliance. The book explains how any change in belief is justified—by the conscientious judgment that the change will survive future conscientious self-reflection. The book concludes with an account of autonomy.Less
This book gives an extended argument for epistemic authority from the implications of reflective self-consciousness. Epistemic authority is compatible with autonomy, but epistemic self-reliance is incoherent. The book argues that epistemic and emotional self-trust are rational and inescapable, that consistent self-trust commits us to trust in others, and that among those we are committed to trusting are some whom we ought to treat as epistemic authorities, modelled on the well-known principles of authority of Joseph Raz. Some of these authorities can be in the moral and religious domains. The book investigates the way the problem of disagreement between communities or between the self and others is a conflict within self-trust, and argue against communal self-reliance on the same grounds as the book uses in arguing against individual self-reliance. The book explains how any change in belief is justified—by the conscientious judgment that the change will survive future conscientious self-reflection. The book concludes with an account of autonomy.
Robert C. Solomon
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195181579
- eISBN:
- 9780199786602
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195181573.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
Camus’ novel, The Stranger, can be read as a philosophically profound phenomenological study of personal experience, more or less devoid of reflection. The novel also presents the development of ...
More
Camus’ novel, The Stranger, can be read as a philosophically profound phenomenological study of personal experience, more or less devoid of reflection. The novel also presents the development of reflective consciousness through the increasing awareness of the significance of other people. Camus himself has interpreted the hero of the book as a hero for the truth, but the point is made here that Meursault (the supposed hero) is not sufficiently reflective to either be concerned with the truth or to tell a lie.Less
Camus’ novel, The Stranger, can be read as a philosophically profound phenomenological study of personal experience, more or less devoid of reflection. The novel also presents the development of reflective consciousness through the increasing awareness of the significance of other people. Camus himself has interpreted the hero of the book as a hero for the truth, but the point is made here that Meursault (the supposed hero) is not sufficiently reflective to either be concerned with the truth or to tell a lie.
Robert C. Solomon
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195181579
- eISBN:
- 9780199786602
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195181573.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
Sartre’s Being and Nothingness is one of the great books in philosophy of the 20th century. One of the most excerpted and most discussed sections of that book is the chapter on “Bad Faith”. Sartre’s ...
More
Sartre’s Being and Nothingness is one of the great books in philosophy of the 20th century. One of the most excerpted and most discussed sections of that book is the chapter on “Bad Faith”. Sartre’s analysis centers on the twin concepts of facticity and transcendence and the complex relationship of the two. He also suggests that bad faith may be inescapable, a thesis seriously challenged here. This chapter also examines Sartre’s famous examples of bad faith in considerable detail.Less
Sartre’s Being and Nothingness is one of the great books in philosophy of the 20th century. One of the most excerpted and most discussed sections of that book is the chapter on “Bad Faith”. Sartre’s analysis centers on the twin concepts of facticity and transcendence and the complex relationship of the two. He also suggests that bad faith may be inescapable, a thesis seriously challenged here. This chapter also examines Sartre’s famous examples of bad faith in considerable detail.
Robert C. Solomon
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195181579
- eISBN:
- 9780199786602
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195181573.003.0008
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
Camus’s last novel, The Fall, returns to the Absurd and individual experience and the conflict between experience and reflection. Clamence is a brilliant but burnt out Parisian lawyer languishing ...
More
Camus’s last novel, The Fall, returns to the Absurd and individual experience and the conflict between experience and reflection. Clamence is a brilliant but burnt out Parisian lawyer languishing away in gloomy Amsterdam. Having escaped from what he describes as his perverse role in the French judicial system, he is living the rest of his days as what he calls a “judge-penitent”, wallowing in his own guilt and doing whatever it takes to escape judgment. But this chapter analyzes the story by focusing on Clamence’s overweening pride.Less
Camus’s last novel, The Fall, returns to the Absurd and individual experience and the conflict between experience and reflection. Clamence is a brilliant but burnt out Parisian lawyer languishing away in gloomy Amsterdam. Having escaped from what he describes as his perverse role in the French judicial system, he is living the rest of his days as what he calls a “judge-penitent”, wallowing in his own guilt and doing whatever it takes to escape judgment. But this chapter analyzes the story by focusing on Clamence’s overweening pride.
Meira Levinson
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250448
- eISBN:
- 9780191599750
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250448.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Addresses the practical implementation of the liberal educational ideal. Section 5.1 identifies the ways in which choice, cultural coherence, and citizenship fit together within an autonomy‐driven ...
More
Addresses the practical implementation of the liberal educational ideal. Section 5.1 identifies the ways in which choice, cultural coherence, and citizenship fit together within an autonomy‐driven education, and also discusses three other possible liberal or educational aims that should potentially help guide the implementation of the liberal ideal: economic competitiveness, democratic self‐reflection, and equality. Section 5.2 constructs a public policy of liberal education, arguing for strict state regulation of schools (both public/state and private) as well as for school choice in the form of controlled choice. Section 5.3 discusses the changes that would need to take place in the areas of legislation, pre‐service and in‐service teacher training, public dialogue, school accountability, and cultural attitudes about education in order to make the liberal educational ideal a reality, especially in the US and Britain.Less
Addresses the practical implementation of the liberal educational ideal. Section 5.1 identifies the ways in which choice, cultural coherence, and citizenship fit together within an autonomy‐driven education, and also discusses three other possible liberal or educational aims that should potentially help guide the implementation of the liberal ideal: economic competitiveness, democratic self‐reflection, and equality. Section 5.2 constructs a public policy of liberal education, arguing for strict state regulation of schools (both public/state and private) as well as for school choice in the form of controlled choice. Section 5.3 discusses the changes that would need to take place in the areas of legislation, pre‐service and in‐service teacher training, public dialogue, school accountability, and cultural attitudes about education in order to make the liberal educational ideal a reality, especially in the US and Britain.
Edward Craig
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198238799
- eISBN:
- 9780191597237
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198238797.003.0011
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
Objectivization forces the requirement of a high likelihood that an informant will be right if she is to be classified as a good one, but this does not, argues Craig, equal 1, for that figure has ...
More
Objectivization forces the requirement of a high likelihood that an informant will be right if she is to be classified as a good one, but this does not, argues Craig, equal 1, for that figure has little basis in practical life. Nevertheless, the example of a lottery, and, in particular, the claim that one will not win, brings closer to our real experience the idea that one may not always be advised to act on information that has a chance of less than 1 of being true. A similar push towards this stringent idea is sometimes exerted by the wish to draw inferences from multiple premises and to be able to rely on the result. However, though real situations can require a very high likelihood, they do not force us to set it at 1; that final push comes from reflection lying outside the framework of everyday practice.Less
Objectivization forces the requirement of a high likelihood that an informant will be right if she is to be classified as a good one, but this does not, argues Craig, equal 1, for that figure has little basis in practical life. Nevertheless, the example of a lottery, and, in particular, the claim that one will not win, brings closer to our real experience the idea that one may not always be advised to act on information that has a chance of less than 1 of being true. A similar push towards this stringent idea is sometimes exerted by the wish to draw inferences from multiple premises and to be able to rely on the result. However, though real situations can require a very high likelihood, they do not force us to set it at 1; that final push comes from reflection lying outside the framework of everyday practice.
Fred Luthans, Carolyn M. Youssef, and Bruce J. Avolio
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195187526
- eISBN:
- 9780199789863
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195187526.003.0002
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This chapter starts with five key discoveries of PsyCap efficacy (or confidence) and then, drawing from Albert Bandura's extensive theory and research, defines it and identifies the characteristics ...
More
This chapter starts with five key discoveries of PsyCap efficacy (or confidence) and then, drawing from Albert Bandura's extensive theory and research, defines it and identifies the characteristics of those with high self-efficacy. The supporting cognitive processes of symbolizing, forethought, modeling, self-regulation, and self-reflection are then discussed. The major focus of the chapter is given to the development of PsyCap efficacy in managers and employees: mastery and successful experience, vicarious learning/modeling, social persuasion/positive feedback, and psychological and physiological arousal/well-being. The concluding sections discuss collective efficacy, some potential pitfalls, and future directions for research and practice.Less
This chapter starts with five key discoveries of PsyCap efficacy (or confidence) and then, drawing from Albert Bandura's extensive theory and research, defines it and identifies the characteristics of those with high self-efficacy. The supporting cognitive processes of symbolizing, forethought, modeling, self-regulation, and self-reflection are then discussed. The major focus of the chapter is given to the development of PsyCap efficacy in managers and employees: mastery and successful experience, vicarious learning/modeling, social persuasion/positive feedback, and psychological and physiological arousal/well-being. The concluding sections discuss collective efficacy, some potential pitfalls, and future directions for research and practice.
