Source: Author: Mohsen Mehrara, Yazdan Gudarzi Farahani, Farzan Faninam, Abbas Rezazadeh Karsalari This paper examines the relationship between stock market index and macroeconomic policies on Iran's economy using quarterly data in the period 1999-2013. This study employed cointegration test and vector autoregressive models to examine relationships between the stock market index and the macroeconomic variables. The empirical results reveal that a positive money shock can increase stocks return. According to impulse responses, the government expenditure had a slight impact (...) on stocks return in the short term. But the government expenditure has a positive effect on exchange index in long run. Also the effect of taxes on the stock's price index is negative, so that it reaches its maximum level after the third lag and then alleviates. The GDP shock has positive effect on the stock's price index. Increase in production level leads to increase in earnings and profitability, leading to a positive response from stocks index. Therefore the results showed that the macroeconomic variables such as inflation, exchange rate and GDP have significant effects on Tehran exchange price index. So the hypothesis that the improving economic factors can have a useful role in the booming capital market is confirmed. Also the effect of fiscal policy factors such as tax revenues and government expenditures is more than monetary policy factors on stock returns. ]]>. (shrink)

In this paper an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was used to help cars dealers recognize the many characteristics of cars, including manufacturers, their location and classification of cars according to several categories including: Make, Model, Type, Origin, DriveTrain, MSRP, Invoice, EngineSize, Cylinders, Horsepower, MPG_Highway, Weight, Wheelbase, Length. ANN was used in prediction of the number of miles per gallon when the car is driven in the city(MPG_City). The results showed that ANN model was able to predict MPG_City with 97.50 (...) % accuracy. The factor of DriveTrain has the most influence on MPG_City evaluation. Similar studies can be carried out for the evaluation of other characteristics of cars. (shrink)

Nursing, a scientific and practical discipline, faces continuing challenges of finding new direction in order to decipher its core values and develop current ethical codes for nursing practice. In 2009–10, 28 nurses were purposely selected and interviewed using a semi-structured format in focus groups and individually. Thematic Content Analysis helped explore the perception of Iranian nurses on ethical values in patient care. Seven major themes emerged: respect for dignity, professional integrity, professional commitment, developing human relationships, justice, honesty, and promoting individuals (...) and the nursing profession. Iranian nurses revealed a unique and culture-based set of ethical values. This study found that Iranian nurses place a greater emphasis on preserving the dignity of those accompanying the patient and in showing regard for patients' religious beliefs in a gender appropriate environment. (shrink)

Many advocates of grounding believe that a proposition’s truthmaker grounds its truth—what I call the Alethic Grounding Principle. The principle was attacked by (Griffith, Inquiry 57(2):196-21, 2014), (Saenz Synthese, 2018), and (Audi, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 1-24, 2019). According to Griffith, truthmaking is a species of grounding: however, something might be a proposition’s truthmaker, although its ground is not that proposition’s truthmaker. Saenz suggests that the ground of a proposition’s truth includes its truthmaker, but it includes a lot more. In (...) Audi’s view, what counts as the relation between truths and truthmakers lacks certain logical properties of the grounding relation; therefore, it does not count as grounding. I will suggest that Griffith’s and Saenz’s views imply an unnecessary inflation in ontology, as they rule out one motivation for the truthmaker theory. Furthermore, Audi’s conception of grounding is very similar to emergence. Taking some of these objections into account, I provide a revised version of the Alethic Grounding Principle, according to which the truth of a proposition is grounded in both the proposition and its truthmaker. (shrink)

Although Avicenna does not explicitly develop a ‘theory of intentionality', one can reconstruct his account of intentionality through an analysis of his thoughts on the relation between mind, meaning, and thing. We take up this task in this paper through an analysis of Avicenna's theory of the considerations of quiddity. First, we clarify Avicenna's idea of ‘quiddity', and show how it functions as a core of ‘meaning' which remains identical in its different modes of realization. Second, through an examination of (...) the very notion of ‘consideration' (i‘tibār), we distinguish between two aspects of the mind, i.e. mental act and mental existence. This helps us clarify what Avicenna means by the existence of a quiddity in mind and in what sense, if any, it is essential to intentionality. Third, addressing the problem of the relation between ‘mental existence' and ‘external existence’, we show how the mode of existence of a quiddity, including its concrete existence, is posited in and through intentionality. This implies that both being and quiddity are moments of the intentional object, and thus, intentionality, for Avicenna, is a dyadic relation between the intentional act and the intentional object. We conclude by reconstructing the structure of intentionality in Avicenna. (shrink)

In this paper I deal with the relation between the disjunction thesis—that the truthmaking relation is distributed over a disjunction—and the necessary connection thesis—that the existence of some entities requires the existence of other distinct entities. I will first show that because of this very relation, the arguments for and against the disjunction thesis that overlook its metaphysical considerations will fail. Finally, I will show that the commitment produced by truthmaker maximalism to totality states of affairs, or some relevantly similar (...) things, requires one to accept a necessary connection that disaffirms the disjunction thesis. (shrink)

We use the left self‐distributive axiom to introduce and study a special class of weak Heyting algebras, called self‐distributive weak Heyting algebras (SDWH‐algebras). We present some useful properties of SDWH‐algebras and obtain some equivalent conditions of them. A characteristic of SDWH‐algebras of orders 3 and 4 is given. Finally, we study the relation between the variety of SDWH‐algebras and some of the known subvarieties of weak Heyting algebras such as the variety of Heyting algebras, the variety of basic algebras, the (...) variety of subresiduated lattices, the variety of reflexive WH‐algebras (RWH‐algebras), and the variety of transitive WH‐algebras (TWH‐algebras). (shrink)

Why is there something concrete rather than nothing? There are many suggestions to explain the existence of our world. But a suggestion can rule out all others that leave no concrete thing unexplained and throw up no further why question. One such ultimate explanation may only be found in something that can carry its own explanation within itself. In this article, I attempt to find one such explanation for all existence. A variant of self-explanation, namely self-subsumption—obtaining of a fact literally (...) in virtue of itself—may succeed in offering an ultimate explanation. One suggestion for a self-subsuming principle is that all possible worlds exist; however, it cannot satisfy us in our deep convictions concerning inductive inferences. Thus, I construct a self-subsuming ultimate explanation that is sufficient to fulfil the latter convictions. My hypothesis is based on the Axiological explanation and suggests that all intrinsically valuable possible worlds are required to exist; the latter fact also obtains as one of those intrinsically valuable possibilities and therefore is required to exist. (shrink)

Publication date: 15 October 2018 Source: Author: Mohsen Hanif, Hamed Badri Theodor Dreiser's Sister Carrie dramatizes the unbridled greed for wealth and craze for status in an extremely commercialized world. It exemplifies the servitude of a society beholden to a consumerist market, where the affluent prey on the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the poor. The novel captures human relations in their seismic change, where family bonds are breaking down and the family is losing its role as a basic social (...) unit. This article will argue that human desire lies at the heart of family breakdowns in Sister Carrie. In doing so, it will provide an insight into the workings of the capitalist system, including its inroads into the shores of human desire – explaining how it robs individuals of their true essence and dehumanizes them. Finally, the article will call for checks and balances vis-à-vis our uncontrollable desires and recommend collective efforts in order to protect the institution of family and bring back commercialized societies from the brink. (shrink)

Editorial expression of concern: The editor and publisher express a note of concern regarding this article ‘ ‘Islamic Culture’ textbook content and religious needs of literacy students’, by Mohsen Dibaei Saber, Soolmaz Nourabadi, Ammar Abdel Amir Al-Salami, Harikumar Pallathadka, Sarvar Inatullaevich Nazarkosimov, Hoang Viet Linh, Forqan Ali Hussein Al-Khafaji, Iskandar Muda. An investigation is underway regarding the authorship of this article.

This study explored the associations between the Dark Triad traits and mental well-being in a Korean adult sample. The role of the conceptions of happiness as mediators of these associations was also investigated. Eight conceptions of happiness, 3 dimensions of hedonic well-being, and 2 dimensions of eudaimonic well-being were included in the study. The results showed that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were negatively and narcissism was positively associated with well-being. The pattern of associations between the dark triad and conceptions of happiness (...) showed that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were associated with valuing personal happiness but also considering it to be out of one’s control, and to have negative consequences when achieved. People high on narcissism endorsed generally positive notions of happiness. Results showed that conceptions of happiness functioned as partial mediators in the relationships between the dark triad and well-being. Hence, it seems that the dark triad traits provide a context for the formation of certain beliefs surrounding the nature and value of well-being, which per se influence experienced levels of well-being. (shrink)

This paper adopts a conceptual–phenomenological approach to examine Minecraft’s potential to foster abstract thinking in children. Drawing on Piaget’s cognitive development theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, Dewey’s philosophy of experience, and Gadamer’s hermeneutics of play, it integrates conceptual analysis of in-game structures such as three-dimensional blocks, Redstone circuits, spatial relations, symbolism, and metaphor with a phenomenological exploration of children lived gameplay experiences. Fourteen key components of abstract thinking are identified, including spatial visualization, symbolic and logical reasoning, algorithmic thinking, analogy, systems thinking, (...) planning, imagination, and metacognitive reflection. Empirically, the study is supported by interviews and participant observations with 25 children aged 10–12 over five weeks. The findings indicate that Minecraft’s iterative processes of building, testing, and redesign, together with collaborative interaction and low-risk experimentation, enhance spatial and logical skills while promoting higher-order thinking, symbolic understanding, and early forms of theorization. The game’s multimodal environment further supports visual meaning-making, pattern recognition, and self-regulation. Overall, Minecraft is presented not merely as a space for play, but as a philosophically and educationally significant medium that contributes to the development of conceptual thinking and offers a model for rethinking learning environments in contemporary education. (shrink)

This article employs a descriptive-analytical approach to examine the evolution of anthropological paradigms from the Aristotelian definition of the human as a “rational animal” to the concept of the “Ḥayeh Motaleh” (Divine-Lived Being) in Islamic philosophy. It argues that this conceptual transition, which originated in the thought of al-Farabi and Avicenna and reached its culmination in the works of Mulla Ṣadra, Ṭabatabaei, and Javadi Amoli, signifies a profound transformation in the metaphysical and teleological foundations of human self-understanding. While the “rational (...) animal” paradigm, centered on instrumental rationality and anthropocentrism, reduces nature to a mere “resource” and underpins the contemporary environmental crisis, the “Ḥayeh Motaleh” paradigm, grounded in principles such as the “primacy of existence,” “substantial motion,” and the “transcendent unity of being,” establishes an ontological respect for nature and humanity’s responsibility as divine vicegerent. This paper demonstrates that this transcendent paradigm not only offers a fundamental solution to the environmental crisis but also, by providing the foundations for a “Theomorphic Management” and an “Ontological Social Responsibility,” supplies a transformative framework for business ethics and corporate governance. (shrink)

In The Phenomenological Psychology of Mindfulness, Sayyed Mohsen Fatemi draws on the latest scholarly findings in Langerian psychology and examines their implications in clinical and social psychology.

We have provided a model-theoretic proof for the decidability of the additive structure of integers together with the function f mapping x to $$\lfloor \varphi x\rfloor $$ where $$\varphi $$ is the golden ratio.

Despite the role of hope in disease recovery, it is not considered a component of the physician–patient relationship in modern medical literature. However, Persian medicine (PM) believes that hope should always be inspired. We explored this issue by comparing the PM opinions with those of modern medical ethics (MME). Using a descriptive-analytical method and relying on historical library evidence, we investigated the ideas of two famous Persian thinkers. After classifying the data on the areas related to the physician–patient relationship in (...) PM and MME, the role of “hope-giving” was compared with four principles of biomedical ethics. We found that the physician’s obligations to the patient were similar in the two perspectives. The only difference was the emphasis of the sages on “always giving hope to the patient,” which did not seem to follow the principle of truth-telling in MME. An in-depth analysis of the concept in both perspectives resolved this disagreement by indicating that the PM principle of “always giving hope to the patient” was in line with the four principles of MME. It is suggested that hope-giving skills should be included in the physician training system to improve the physician–patient relationship and achieve better outcomes. (shrink)

Armstrong appeals to the existence of totalities in order to solve the problem of negative truths. The totality of first-order states of affairs is a truthmaker for all negative truths, but it involves things which are irrelevant to many such truths. To solve this problem, Armstrong claimed that negative truths have minimal truthmakers which usually consist in totalities smaller than the totality of first-order states of affairs. Merricks objects to this claim by arguing that given Armstrong’s definition of minimal truthmakers, (...) the totality of first-order states of affairs is a minimal truthmaker for every negative truth. In this article, I respond to Merricks’s objection. I will first show that the definition of minimal truthmakers that he proposes is not plausible. However, Merricks’s objection, I will argue, also works on the standard definition of minimal truthmakers. I will then show that for independent reasons, the standard definition should be revised, and, given my revised definition, Merricks’s objection fails. (shrink)

There are two dimensions to Fine’s truthmaker semantics. One involves a claim about the nature of propositions: propositions are not structural and nothing but sets of their possible truthmakers, and the other talks about the relation between truthmaking and Boolean operations. In this paper, I show that a claim by Fine in the latter dimension—that truthmaking is distributed over “or”—faces a counterexample. I will then go on to argue that one possible way to do away with the counterexample is to (...) restrict truthmakers to fundamentals, namely entities that are not grounded in anything else. This would, nevertheless, pose a problem for the first dimension of truthmaker semantics: certain distinct propositions would fail to be distinct. (shrink)

For years, Jeddah, a significant Red Sea port city, has served as a cultural and economic crossroads. Its urban expansion, heavily driven by its discovery of petroleum in the mid-twentieth century, changed it from a small commercial town to a huge metropolis. This chapter looks at the urban growth of Jeddah, concentrating on the consequences of oil reliance and ongoing attempts to transform the city’s future under Saudi Vision 2030. Vision 2030, a strategy framework designed to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy (...) and lessen its dependency on oil, paves the way for Jeddah’s transformation to a more resilient, sustainable, and diverse urban landscape.The chapter goes into the several obstacles Jeddah confronts in transitioning away from its oil-driven economic paradigm. The chapter examines how oil riches have affected Jeddah’s urban growth and how the city is currently tackling the socioeconomic and environmental implications of that dependence using a combination of historical research, policy evaluation, and case studies. The chapter examines Jeddah’s reliance on oil in defining its infrastructure, urban expansion, and socio-spatial inequities, all of which are relevant to the debate of sustainable development in cities. Jeddah’s pre-oil development was defined by organic, human-scale expansion based on commerce and pilgrimage, as opposed to the fast urbanization powered by oil profits, which favored car-dependent systems and large-scale contemporary developments.The topic at hand revolves around the 2030 plan, which seeks to transition Jeddah to a post-oil era by fostering economic diversity, improving heritage protection, and promoting environmental sustainability. The next section assesses the outcome of these attempts, focusing on significant programs like the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and the Al-Balad Revitalization Project. These studies demonstrate Jeddah’s attempts to diversify its economy through tourism, technology, and finance, all while retaining its distinct cultural and historical character. The research also takes into account the city’s environmental difficulties, such as air pollution, waste management, and a lack of green space, which have all been exacerbated by oil-centric development. The chapter takes a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate Jeddah’s urban change. This contains information about transportation infrastructure, economic statistics, green space development, and environmental measures including carbon emissions and air quality. The findings emphasize the need for sustainable urban design, particularly the development of walkable communities, the growth of public transit, and the use of renewable energy sources.The chapter finishes with a SWOT analysis of Jeddah’s urban transformation, which identifies both difficulties and possibilities on the city’s path to a sustainable future. Key issues include managing growing urbanization, resolving socio-spatial disparities, and minimizing environmental deterioration. However, the opportunities given by Vision 2030, particularly in terms of promoting economic diversification and increasing cultural and environmental resilience, provide a bright journey forward. (shrink)

Recent years have seen a surge of attention to the problem of logical pluralism; most of which has been a reaction to Beall and Restall’s account of logical pluralism as the existence of more than one equally correct semantic relation of logical consequence. The underlying thesis is that the indeterminacy of the notion of validity goes beyond what the inductive-deductive distinction can precisify. The notion of deductive validity itself is indeterminate as well and this indeterminacy has its roots in the (...) indeterminacy of the more fundamental notion of case. Cases are what make the premisses and the conclusion of an argument true; the most notable example being Tarskian models for classical logic. Deductive validity is the preservation of truth across all cases. This paper argues that unless this account of logical pluralism is supplemented with an argument in favor of the equal legitimacy of the purported cases it becomes merely a semi-controversial exposition of how different logics can be generated. (shrink)

The primary aim of this study is to identify the objects of ethical criticism in the art world. It seeks to demonstrate that the scope of ethical critique extends beyond artworks, traditionally considered the most prominent subject of moral evaluation. Accordingly, the research explores additional objects of ethical criticism in the art world, elucidates the methods of critique for each domain, and highlights their significance, ultimately proposing a comprehensive framework for the ethical assessment of the entire art domain. Adopting a (...) qualitative and analytical approach, the study employs conceptual analysis and inductive reasoning. Data is drawn from historical texts, philosophical theories, and case studies in art. This method integrates theoretical exploration with practical insights to establish a robust evaluative framework. The research identifies eleven core objects for ethical criticism in the art world and elaborates on how ethical critique applies to each through examples while explaining their importance: (1) artworks, (2) the process of artistic creation, (3) the artist, (4) the audience, (5) the process of artistic perception, (6) the products of art criticism, (7) the critic, (8) the process of art presentation, (9) art distributors and promoters, (10) the process of art education, and (11) art educators. By presenting a theoretical and practical framework, this study argues that extending ethical criticism to all these dimensions is essential for elevating ethical standards in both the art world and society. Conversely, neglecting these aspects risks limiting art’s potential to serve as a positive ethical force. (shrink)

The field of non-invasive brain stimulation has developed considerably over the past few decades with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) emerging as an effective treatment to reduce the burden of depression for patients, families, and society. As scientists and clinicians explore new avenues to optimize TMS, sustain its therapeutic effects, and democratize its access, it is important that individuals involved with this therapy are well-informed of its benefits, risks, and the ethical considerations of its use. In recent years, there have been (...) several important advancements in hardware, software, and protocols that have made it easier to provide TMS to patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). Despite this, there continue to be considerable disparities in access to TMS that create inequities and limit this important therapy. This chapter discusses the ethical considerations of using TMS as treatment for mood disorders, specifically from the two main perspectives of its effects on personhood and its equitable and just accessibility. To this end, this chapter first addresses how development and experience induce plastic changes to individual’s brain, how mood disorders affect neuroplasticity, and consideration of the influence of TMS on the pathophysiology that changes the personhood of patients receiving this therapy. The second half of the chapter focuses on ethical considerations of not treating psychiatric disorders, disparities of access to TMS treatment, and solutions to these inequities. (shrink)

Oil is non-arguably the major brand for Khuzestan among the Iranian people. Oil discovery brought massive changes to several parts of the province. New settlements were developed for foreign engineers and businessmen, and numerous nomadic people were settled to play the role of labor for the newborn oil companies. As a result, the landscape of eastern Khuzestan became one of the most advanced parts of the country. However, this landscape is no longer prosperous due to a series of events. Currently, (...) settlements and cities within the eastern landscape of Khuzestan are undergoing challenging circumstances, especially in comparison to those in the early twentieth century. This chapter will briefly review the story of the oil industry in the landscape of eastern Khuzestan, including a short recap of the area’s start, peak, and after-oil circumstances. The next step involves studying a case to better understand the situation. Finally, the study will conclude by introducing potentials and possibilities to regenerate this valuable case of Naft-Sefid as a part of this postindustrial landscape. In this sense, the initial data were gathered by reviewing historical records and related literature, and for the case study, observation and documentation play a central part in conducting the research. The qualitative chapter concludes with a discussion of practical potentials derived from analysis. (shrink)

Although the beliefs that Sufis (Sūfī) have introduced and promoted in the Islamic world seem to have had far-reaching influence on the way Muslims think and act, neither theorizing nor empirical research in the psychological literature has as yet focused on such beliefs and their impact on Islamic societies. Furthermore, although intellectual controversies about the functionality of Sufi beliefs abound, there is no instrument to address the existing issues empirically. The purpose of the three studies presented here is to identify (...) major domains of Sufi belief, to describe the development and factor structure of a scale used to assess them, and to test the internal consistency, temporal stability (Study 1), and the convergent validity of this scale's scores (Studies 2 and 3) in three samples of Iranian Shi'ite university students. The combined findings from the three studies reported here provide initial evidence that the Sufi Beliefs Scale is reliable, valid, and can be used in further studies. (shrink)

This article follows an aspect of Spenser’s structure of the The Faerie Queene, namely that of duality, to discuss how the notion of the body is treated. This representation gives way to doubleness, if not to say problematic expression of bipolarity, someties as both male and female figures, in the process of “sexual” regeneration or creation. The article, thus, mostly highlights the role of Britomart, the heroine of Book III, and Artegall, hero of Book V, as the one is presented (...) in an armour, brandishing a “phallic” lance, and the other is introduced in a woman’s attire. In both of them, therefore, one finds the principle of the duality of bodily representation, or as Pico della Mirandola has it, that the male and female representation can be seen as “two powers in the same substance.”. (shrink)

Among fundamental metaphysical quests, one might wonder: Why is there anything at all rather than just nothing? Many reject that question because they think it is meaningless, trivial, or necessarily unanswerable. But I provide reasons for thinking that the Why question could make sense and one might even expect an answer to it. I begin by asking why the world is not empty of all concrete things. One might regard this question as important if one accepts that it is, in (...) some sense, possible for all concrete things to vanish, one-by-one. I argue finally that possible replies to the Why question concerning concrete things might point to realities that are abstract instead of concrete. Abstract realities might be explanatorily powerful without their power being guaranteed by Logic. (shrink)

In “Is Justified True Belief, Knowledge?” Gettier shows us two counter examples of analyzing Knowledge, as “Justified True Belief” or “JTB”. Lots of scholars have reconstructed similar counter examples to JTB but we can see they follow a similar algorithm. Other scholars have tried to re-analyze knowledge by adding a fourth element to JTB and reformulating knowledge in a “JTB+X” formula and some replaced justification with another alternative component (Y) and proposed a “YTB” analysis of knowledge. In this article I (...) first overview Gettier’s problem and I show that we can construct a similar Gettier problem for each “JTB+X” or “YTB” formula. After that, I will focus on re-analyzing knowledge with a phenomenological attitude that can avoid Gettier’s problem. (shrink)

Inefficiency or inadequateness of Western liberal democracy at home is not the problematic of the rest because they have not experienced it yet! ‘Minimal democracy’ is the problematic of the reside...

This chapter discusses the social and moral obligation of physicians to speak out against societal oppression and the violation of human rights. In the same way that they choose different specialties that suit their varied temperaments, the type and intensity of the activism and advocacy that physicians engage in should only be dictated by their priorities and modus operandi. The film _The Lives of Others_ (2006) sets the stage for the discussion. It tells the story of Captain Wiesler (Ulrich Muhe), (...) a devoted Stasi agent assigned to conduct 24-hour surveillance on the nation's beloved playwright, Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his actress girlfriend Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). As time goes on, he begins to admire the colorful and vibrant intellectual and creative lives of his charges. Hence, despite discovering clear evidence indicating their betrayal of his Communist ideals, Wiesler chooses to cover up their “treason”. (shrink)

In this paper, we study (open) filters and deductive systems of self-distributive weak Heyting algebras (SDWH-algebras) and obtain some results which determine the relationship between them. We show that the variety of SDWH-algebras is not weakly regular and every open filter is the kernel of at least one congruence relation. Finally, we characterize those SDWH-algebras which are weakly regular by using some properties involving principal congruence relations.

International economic law is peculiar. It claims universal character, yet eschews engagement with many, if not all, the racialised features of the global political economy. Its scholars mostly ignore imperialism, colonialism, and capitalism; they exclude slavery, predation, and racism altogether. In the following article, we draw upon Walter Rodney’s dialectics of development to offer a racial capitalist critique of international economic law. The disciplinary boundaries and operative logic normalised by its denizens corral us in a white, Eurocentric episteme. Ahistoricism, decontextualisation, (...) and externalisation are three epistemic devices at the forefront of the exclusionary discourse of IEL. In this space, the histories and epistemologies of Black peoples are ghettoised, treated as alien to the framework. After identifying this bias, we use the Black Radical Tradition to evaluate IEL’s amenability to the racial capitalism critique. (shrink)

Self-esteem (a positive attitude toward oneself) and self-efficacy (confidence in one's ability to perform actions that lead to desired outcomes) are predictors of affective well-being. However, there is a lack of longitudinal research on their relative importance in predicting positive and negative affect. This study sought to examine the relative strength of these 2 variables in predicting affective well-being. Data from the German Aging Survey (DEAS), collected in 4 waves between 2008 and 2017, were used. The random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (...) was used for data analysis. Within-person results showed that self-esteem and self-efficacy did not predict future levels of negative affect. Self-esteem, but not self-efficacy, was found to be a predictor of future levels of positive affect. In addition, positive affect predicted future self-efficacy. A longitudinal mediation model showed that self-esteem predicted future self-efficacy via positive affect. Thus, self-esteem contributes directly to future levels of positive affect and indirectly to future levels of self-efficacy. (shrink)

There are two main theories of ontological commitment: the quantifier view, and the truthmaker view. Since there are some truths that apparently commit us to certain entities, but actually do not, any ontological commitment theory must also contain an ontological reduction theory. Advocates of the quantifier view propose the paraphrasing method of reduction, while advocates of the truthmaker view propose the supervenience method. In this paper, after a brief discussion of the quantifier view, I propose a modified version of truthmaker-based (...) ontology, and show that a plausible account of the supervenience method can be deduced from my version. I then show that the supervenience method could explain why the paraphrasing method is successful, albeit that there are some cases in which the supervenience method works but the paraphrasing method does not, or so it seems prime facie. I also argue that according to the truthmaker view we must accept composite objects as something over and above the particles which constitute them. (shrink)

Many believe that the world exists without a cause or reason. Most of them reject an explanation for the whole concrete world because they accept the traditional idea that concrete existence comes only from things that concretely exist. But I provide reasons for thinking that the world might be actual as a result of a feature that is not concrete but abstract. I begin by outlining ideas that some followers of the Platonic Theory of Forms have developed about whether actuality (...) of something can be explained by its possibility. Next, I show that many who think they reject all paths for explaining actuality by abstract facts about possibilities in fact follow such paths. The question of why there exists anything concrete might be answered not by saying that the world exists reasonlessly, but by following some such paths: Having a certain nature for something concrete can turn its possibility into its actuality. Still, we might in the end be forced to accept that the world exists without any reason. (shrink)

Society Must Be Defended is a collection of Michel Foucault’s courses at the College de France in 1976. In this volume, Foucault discusses the emergence of a new technology of domination called biopower. It is a power that is not “individualizing”, but “massifying”, that is directed at man as a member of a “species”. Biopolitics exerts control over relations between the human races. Yet, some critics claim that Foucault’s biopower does not address colonial societies and problems. This paper argues that (...) Foucault’s theory of biopower could be applied to the postcolonial discourse, too. To trace Foucauldian biopower in postcolonial literature, the authors of this article have focused on E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India. In this paper, the plot and the dialogue of Forster’s novel is studied based on Foucault’s theory of biopower as discussed in his Society Must Be Defended. It is concluded that in Forster’s novel, it can be noticed that the English power, which dominated early twentieth century Indian society, employs biopower to subjugate the Indian population. The English officials control India not merely by means of disciplinary institutions, but by manufacturing norms for an entire race which are explainable in terms of Foucault’s theory of biopower. (shrink)

Will there be any joint future for science and Islam? Although such questions have recently received considerable attention, more basic questions are often ignored. This article aims at addressing some of those more basic questions through exploring the assumptions that underlie different possible understandings of the question about the future of Islam and science. By investigating the relation between conceptualizations of religion and the question about the future of Islam and science, it will be argued that different understandings of the (...) concept of religion (i.e., whether it denotes real objects, whether it is universal, and whether it is belief centered) lead to extremely different readings of the question. Besides, it will be argued that different answers to the question about the future of Islam and science can be understood in terms of the inference to best theological explanation; thus, the criteria that one assumes for the best theological explanation result in different criteria for evaluation of the answers. (shrink)

The principles of medical ethics, common as they are in the world at the present time, have been formed in the context of Western secular communities; consequently, secular principles and values are inevitably manifested in all corners of medical ethics. Medical ethics is at its infancy in Iran. In order to incorporate medical ethics into the country's health system, either the same thoughts, principles, rules, and codes of Western communities should be translated and taught across the country, or else, if (...) the principles and values and consequently the prominent moral rules and codes of Western medical ethics are not consistent with the culture, customs, and religion of our country, then new principles and values should be formulated that are more in harmony with our society. According to the available literature in Iran, the four principles proposed by Beauchamp and Childress do not contradict the Islamic-Iranian culture and can thus be generally applied in the mentioned context. However, the application of these four principles and their derivatives requires careful examination and adaptation to Islamic ethics. A comparison of the ontological, anthropological and epistemological foundations of secular and Islamic attitudes shows the differences between these two attitudes to be deep-rooted. “Rationalism,” “scientism,” and “humanism” are the main foundations of secularism, whereas “Godcentrism,” “pure human servitude to God,” the belief in “returning of humans to God,” “resurrection day,” and also human's accountability to God are all fundamental beliefs and principles of religion for Muslims of all cults and sects. It can thus be concluded that the principles of secularist thought are different from and to some extent inconsistent with the principles of Islam. Instructions derived from secular thought can therefore not be implemented in an Islamic community; rather, these communities should adopt Islamic foundations as the source for the norms and standards of their medical ethics. The capacities of religious thought make possible the formation of an ethical system consistent with Islamic Ummah. (shrink)