In current China, the 9073 elderly care system is accelerating the process of intelligentization. The fundamental tension between conventional filial piety ethics and technological rationality is evident in the numerous ethical debates triggered by intelligent older people’s care services, despite their convenience. This study proposes an analytical paradigm called relational vulnerability, which creatively combines the philosophy of technology with Confucian relational ethics. Through the use of intricate mechanisms, this framework seeks to shed light on how technological mediation alters intergenerational (...) ethics. According to research, intelligent services that improve physical care for older people while weakening emotional ties have a paradoxical effect that creates new kinds of alienation, such as the measurement of filial duty and the breakdown of ritual-embodied behaviors. By incorporating cultural calibration into the development of human-machine symbiosis, this study addresses this issue by proposing the design concepts of “differential regulation” and “embodiment retention.” This counteracts the interpretive shortcomings of the Western autonomy-based ethical paradigm in the context of Chinese older people care, creating new avenues for the application of Confucian bioethics in the age of technology and offering fresh perspectives on moral dilemmas in intelligent older people care. (shrink)

In the event that AI tools afford aid to a human mediator anteceding, during, or succeeding a face-to-face session, such tools yield not a mere economy of time, but indeed reconstitute the very object of the dispute. This paper contends that AI-augmented mediation engenders a latent vulnerability: the encounter may remain human in outward semblance while its immanent sense is tacitly constricted by algorithmically generated summaries, labels, and drafts. Drawing on a semiotic understanding of mediation as a structured (...) process of shared meaning-making, the paper proposes the “Proximity–Care–Responsibility Test”, a practical standard requiring that every AI output preserve closeness to the lived dispute, support disciplined attention to injury and dignity, and remain explicable, revisable, and professionally owned by the mediator. Albeit AI may subserve mediation, it must under no circumstances assume the mantle of a tacit co-mediator. (shrink)

The American Journal of Bioethics, Volume 12, Issue 8, Page 10-11, August 2012.

In their systematic review of the work of the ASBH Core Competencies Update Task Force, Anita Tarzian and ASBH Core Competencies Update Task Force (2013) write, “The ethics facilitation approach do...

This article examines the relation between mathematical objects and physical en- tities through a rigorous ontological and epistemological framework. We develop a conceptual typology distinguishing formal, operational, and physical levels of object- hood, and analyze the transitions from mathematical structures to physical reality via stabilized regimes of projection. The proposal aims to clarify long-standing con- fusions in the philosophy of physics and advocate for a regulated, stratified ontology of scientific entities.

Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process that is becoming more and more popular particularly in English-speaking countries. In contrast to traditional litigation it has not benefited from technological advances and little research has been carried out to make this increasingly widespread practice more efficient. The study of argumentation in dispute mediation hitherto has largely been concerned with theoretical insights. The development of argumentation theories linked to computational applications opens promising new horizons since computational tools could support mediators, (...) making sessions quicker and more efficient. For this, we need tools for close analysis of mediation discourse in order to explore the argumentative activity in depth, and ultimately get an accurate image of how dialogues unfold in this particular context. This paper therefore aims at laying the foundations of a theory of close analysis for discourse in dispute mediation. Theories provided by the literature serve as a basis for argumentative analyses of transcripts of mediation sessions in order to deliver a clear image of the argumentative structure. Analyses of the argumentative strategies in mediation discourse will allow for the development of a dialogue protocol that can be used to develop operational models which can be embodied in software to help make the mediation process easier and more effective. (shrink)

This paper puts forward an account of imaginative immersion. Elaborating on Kendall Walton’s thesis that imagining aims at the fictional truth, it first argues that imaginings are inherently rule- or norm-governed: they are ‘regulated’ by that which is presented as fictionally true. It then shows that an imaginer can follow the rule or norm mandating her to imagine the propositions presented as fictional truths either by acquiring explicit beliefs about how the rule (norm) is to be followed, or directly, without (...) acquiring such beliefs. It proceeds to argue that to the extent that an imaginer follows this rule (norm) without holding such beliefs, she is more immersed in her imaginings. The general idea is that immersion in an activity is a matter of following rules or norms that apply to that activity without explicitly thinking about how to follow them, that is, without ‘doxastic mediation.’ Lastly, the paper shows that this thesis can explain various features associated with imaginative immersion, such as the sort of attentiveness it involves, the emotional response it generates, and its relation to spoilers. (shrink)

Critical theory of technology brings technology studies to bear on the social theory of rationality. This paper discusses this connection through a reconsideration of the contribution of the Frankfurt School to our understanding of what I call the paradox of rationality, the fact that the promise of the Enlightenment has been disappointed as advances in scientific and technical knowledge have led to more and more catastrophic consequences. The challenge for critical theory is to understand this paradox without romantic and anti-modern (...) afterthoughts as a contribution to a progressive worldview. (shrink)

Digital technologies mediate engagement with the world by making activities visible. The automaticity and physicality of the ways in which they do this suggest that it could be productive to view them as responsive digital materials. This paper explores the structure and function of responsive materials in order to develop a conceptualization of responsive digital materials. It then begins to unpack the complexities of digital material mediation through both drawing on and extending existing postphenomenological theory.

Mediators utilize a wide range of skills in the process of facilitating dialogue and resolving conflicts. Among the most useful techniques for clinical ethics consultants (CECs)—and surely the least discussed—are those employed in acrimonious, hostile conversations between stakeholders. In the context of clinical ethics disputes or other bedside conflicts, good mediation skills can reverse the negative interactions that have prevented the creation of workable treatment plans or ethical consensus. This essay lays out the central framework mediators use in distinguishing (...) positions from interests and describes a set of strategies for managing contentious ethics consultations or working with “difficult” patients, families, or patient-careprovider interactions. (shrink)

This volume proposes an interdisciplinary framework that views attention from a particular angle: as a means of accessing, that is, disclosing the world in a practical and meaningful way. Moreover, it investigates how this access is concretely mediated. The book is structured in the following two parts: 1) Attention and Access The first section is concerned with attention as such. What is attention and what does it do? A common thread between the expected contributions addresses attention as a directional disclosing (...) process, opening up a possibility of access to the world. This section brings contributions from a cognitive psychology/neuroscience into dialogue with phenomenology and philosophy of mind; and links attention research to new paradigms, such as predictive coding, and 4e cognition. 2) Attention and Mediation The second section tackles the question of how this disclosing process may work. Concrete disclosing is always framed by different factors and frames the world. The contributions in this section spell out the different ways in which attention is mediated and shaped by technology, situations, sociality etc., and the ways in which attention mediates our access to the world. (shrink)

Mediation, negotiation and arbitration are recognized as processes of conflict resolution and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in peace and legal studies. This implies that such processes are different from litigation and that they represent a non-violent mechanism to address disputes and deep-rooted conflicts. As a sign of the growing importance of conflict resolution processes, mediation has been incorporated into the official legal system in many European and non-European countries in recent decades, while arbitration and negotiation have historically been (...) employed to address conflict issues and territorial claims at the international level. However, previous studies have examined those processes of conflict resolution in a separate manner. Therefore, this paper discusses mediation, negotiation and arbitration in collective and comparative terms. It also highlights the key similarities and differences in the practices of mediation, negotiation and arbitration with supporting examples. The chapter is divided into four major sections. The first section presents conceptual clarity and definitions. The second section analyzes the common characteristics of mediation, negotiation and arbitration as key ADR processes. The third section comparatively identifies and examines the distinct characteristics of mediation, negotiation and arbitration. The fourth and concluding section provides a summary of the main discussions in the chapter and it briefly reflects on the limitations of the ADR techniques. (shrink)

While reviewing relevant recent research, it becomes apparent that cognitive approaches have been rejected and excluded from Critical Discourse Analysis by many scholars out of often unjustified reasons. This article argues, in contrast, that studies in CDA would gain significantly through integrating insights from socio-cognitive theories into their framework. Examples from my own research into the comprehension and comprehensibility of news broadcasts, Internet discussion boards as well as into discourse and discrimination illustrate this position. However, I also argue that there (...) are salient limits to cognitive theories which have to be taken into account, specifically when proposing social change via rational/cognitive insights. Examples from recent political debates on immigration and from the election campaign in the US in 2004 serve to emphasize these arguments. (shrink)

BackgroundDisputes over authorship are increasing. This paper examines the options that researchers have in resolving authorship disputes. Discussions about authorship disputes often address how to prevent disputes but rarely address how to resolve them. Both individuals and larger research communities are harmed by the limited options for dispute resolution.Main bodyWhen authorship disputes arise after publication, most existing guidelines recommend that the authors work out the disputes between themselves. But this is unlikely to occur, because there are often large power differentials (...) between team members, and institutions (e.g., universities, funding agencies) are unlikely to have authority over all team members. Other collaborative disciplines that deal with issues of collaborative creator credit could provide models for scientific authorship. Arbitration or mediation could provide solutions to authorship disputes where few presently exist. Because authors recognize journals’ authority to make decisions about manuscripts submitted to the journal, journals are well placed to facilitate alternative dispute resolution processes.ConclusionRather than viewing authorship disputes as rare events that must be handled on a case by case basis, researchers and journals should view the potential for disputes as predictable, preventable, and soluble. Independent bodies that can offer alternative dispute resolution services to scientific collaborators and/or journals could quickly help research communities, particularly their most vulnerable members. (shrink)

Education as a deliberate activity and purposive process necessarily involves mediation, in the sense that the educator mediates between the child and the world. This can take different forms: the educator may function as a guide who initiates children into particular practices and domains and their modes of thinking and perceiving; or act as a filter, selecting what of the world the child encounters and how; or meet the child as representative of the adult world. I look at these (...) types of mediation at the hand of the work of John Dewey, Martin Buber, Hannah Arendt, and Richard Peters. The purpose of this paper is to explore the bearing that the mediating role of the educator—as interpreted by these authors—has on the role wonder may play in the educational process. I suggest that initiation highlights the familiarizing function of wonder, and is most readily associated with inquisitive wonder; representation draws attention to the defamiliarizing role of wonder, as well as to its world-affirming role; and selection foregrounds the distinction between momentary and dispositional wonder. (shrink)

The advent of new media interactions has not only transformed the way museums curate and present cultural heritage but has also significantly influenced the reconstruction of religious memory and identity. Digital technologies enable immersive engagement with sacred artifacts, texts, and narratives, fostering deeper emotional and intellectual connections between visitors and religious traditions. By integrating interactive media into museum exhibitions, institutions can enhance the spiritual resonance of religious heritage, providing visitors with a participatory experience that strengthens their connection to sacred history, (...) theological concepts, and collective identity. This study explores the theoretical foundations of _collective religious memory_ and _spiritual identity formation_ in the context of digital museum design. By constructing an audience activity model and a hierarchical framework for narrative and interactive design, the research examines how digital storytelling, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) enhance the experiential and educational value of religious exhibitions. Strategies for digital museum design are proposed, including immersive contextual atmospheres that allow visitors to engage with religious narratives in a deeply personal and contemplative manner. The integration of mirrored storytelling and interactive theological discourse fosters a heightened sense of spiritual connection and participation, reinforcing both individual and communal religious identity. Additionally, intelligent digital memory systems facilitate personalized engagement with religious texts, artifacts, and rituals, creating an adaptive learning environment that strengthens both cognitive and emotional understanding of religious traditions. By bridging the gap between traditional religious experience and modern technological advancements, this study highlights how digital museums serve as contemporary spaces for the preservation, reinterpretation, and transmission of sacred memory. It argues that new media interactions not only enhance the accessibility of religious heritage but also provide innovative pathways for engaging with theological discourse, fostering interfaith dialogue, and deepening spiritual reflection. Future research should further explore the role of digital museum spaces in shaping contemporary religious consciousness and their potential for sustaining and revitalizing sacred traditions in an increasingly digitalized world. (shrink)

Mediation of Legitimacy in Early China: A Study of the Neglected Zhou Scriptures and the Grand Duke Traditions. By Yegor Grebnev. New York: Columbia University Press, 2022. Pp. 368. $65.

Given its centrality to the intellectual thought processes through which the great structures of logic, nature, and spirit are unfolded it is clear that mediation is vital to the very possibility of Hegel’s encyclopaedic philosophy. Yet Hegel gives little specific explanation of the concept of mediation. Surprisingly, it has been the subject of even less attention by scholars of Hegel. Nevertheless it is casually used in discussions of Hegel and post- Hegelian philosophy as though its meaning were simple (...) and straightforward. In these discussions mediation is the thesis that meanings are not atomic in that the independence of something is inseparable from its relation to something else. Hence being is mediated by nothing, the particular by the universal, the individual by society. But does Hegel ever explain mediation in a way which justifies such use of the concept? The same easy employment of mediation is found in Theodor Adorno whose works are replete with the use of this concept and, indeed, acknowledgements of its Hegelian origin. But the concept of mediation in Adorno’s negative dialectic is operative in an entirely different context from that of Hegel. How, it might be asked, can a concept be so adaptable? I want to argue that mediation is, in fact, an equivocal term which in both Hegel and Adorno covers a variety of entirely different conceptual relations. Furthermore, as propounded by both Hegel and Adorno it lacks the rigour which could allow the particular conclusions which the concept allegedly facilitates. (shrink)

Mediation must be considered not only in working life but also at the political level, in international relations, in relations between humanity and the rest of the living world, and, finally, in relations between the living and the non-living world. It therefore calls into question an epistemology based on the supremacy of humanity over the rest of the planet, living and non-living, and of Western logic over the different cultures among which humanity is divided. It is a paradigm shift (...) away from techno-industrial civilization. (shrink)

Causal mediation analysis is complicated with multiple effect definitions that require different sets of assumptions for identification. This article provides a systematic explanation of such assumptions. We define five potential outcome types whose means are involved in various effect definitions. We tackle their mean/distribution’s identification, starting with the one that requires the weakest assumptions and gradually building up to the one that requires the strongest assumptions. This presentation shows clearly why an assumption is required for one estimand and not (...) another, and provides a succinct table from which an applied researcher could pick out the assumptions required for identifying the causal effects they target. Using a running example, the article illustrates the assembling and consideration of identifying assumptions for a range of causal contrasts. For several that are commonly encountered in the literature, this exercise clarifies that identification requires weaker assumptions than those often stated in the literature. This attention to the details also draws attention to the differences in the positivity assumption for different estimands, with practical implications. Clarity on the identifying assumptions of these various estimands will help researchers conduct appropriate mediation analyses and interpret the results with appropriate caution given the plausibility of the assumptions. (shrink)

This paper contributes to philosophy of technology and military studies by demonstrating how drone warfare is both materially and symbolically mediated, requiring new conceptual tools to understand modern conflict. Using a postphenomenological approach, it employs epistemic and symbolic mediation to analyze human-drone relations in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Building on Don Ihde and Peter-Paul Verbeek, it argues that drones reshape battlefield phenomenology by introducing new perceptual and hermeneutical frameworks. Epistemic mediation captures how drone technologies enable soldiers to construct knowledge (...) through hybrid human-technology relations, reconfiguring the hunter-target relationship and accelerating the rhythms of warfare. Beyond the battlefield, symbolic mediation extends drone-generated imagery into the online sphere, shaping macroperceptions and weaponizing attention. These representations blur distinctions between physical and digital war, integrating drones into a ‘power grammar’ that reinforces strategic narratives. This study expands postphenomenological discussions of military technology and highlights the entanglement of warfare and digital networks. (shrink)

The article argues that historical materialism is not only a theory of historical change but more generally a mediation between the natural foundations of human life and its meaningful symbolic expressions. The article begins with an interpretation of the general philosophical significance of the basic premises of historical materialism as they are sketched in the German Ideology. I argue that these premises point us in two different directions: down, towards a scientific understanding of the natural world, and up, towards (...) interpretations of meaningful human expressions. Reductionist scientific models are appropriate for the understanding of natural forces, but these reveal their own limitations when applied to social life. Social life cannot be understood outside its symbolic expressions, but these are not free floating ideal abstractions, but remain connected to fundamental human purposes and must be understood as such. (shrink)

(2013). De-Escalating Conflict: Mediation and the “Difficult” Patient. The American Journal of Bioethics: Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 11-12. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2013.768855.

Dieter Henrich’s emphasis on the via negationis offers a compelling interpretation of Being and Nothing in the Hegelian logical beginning, but it does not account for the inner necessity driving their development into Becoming. Drawing on Hegel’s retrospective justification of Being, this paper argues that the self-dialectic of mediation functions as the metalogic underlying Hegel’s logical beginning. First, by analyzing the self-dialectical operation of mediation, it demonstrates the internal necessity that underlies Hegel’s approach via negationis. Second, it proposes (...) that Being and Nothing can be understood as the “im-mediate” poles generated by a contracting motion. Third, in the extreme intensity between Being and Nothing, it contends that Becoming emerges as the neutralization of polarization. Finally, this paper analyzes Hegel’s critique of the law of excluded middle by constructing a thought experiment to reveal the empirical truth of mediation and its self-dialectical operation. (shrink)

Bioethics mediation is increasingly used as a method in clinical ethics cases. My goal in this paper is to examine the implicit theoretical assumptions of the bioethics mediation method developed by Dubler and Liebman. According to them, the distinguishing feature of bioethics mediation is that the method is useful in most cases of clinical ethics in which conflict is the main issue, which implies that there is either no real ethical issue or if there were, they are (...) not the key to finding a resolution. I question the tacit assumption of non-normativity of the mediation method in bioethics by examining the various senses in which bioethics mediation might be non-normative or neutral. The major normative assumption of the mediation method is the existence of common morality. In addition, the four-principle formulation of the theory articulated by Beauchamp and Childress implicitly provides the normative content for the method. Full acknowledgement of the theoretical and normative assumptions of bioethics mediation helps clinical ethicists better understand the nature of their job. In addition, the need for a robust philosophical background even in what appears to be a purely practical method of mediation cannot be overemphasized. Acknowledgement of the normative nature of bioethics mediation method necessitates a more critical attitude of the bioethics mediators towards the norms they usually take for granted uncritically as valid. (shrink)

Blogs, online tutorials, citizen journalism and interactive services across institutions are but a few of the new technological platforms available for people to express themselves in public. This...

Purpose This study aims to investigate the association between Facebook network heterogeneity and affective polarization among ethnic groups in Afghanistan. In addition, through a moderated mediation model, it explores the indirect impact of network heterogeneity on affective polarization. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey (n = 417), inclusive of diverse ethnic groups among students at Badakhshan and Kabul universities, was administered, and the data were used to test the hypothesized moderated mediation model. Findings The findings demonstrate that Facebook network heterogeneity (...) has depolarizing potential in a multiethnic context. It was also found that while diverse content exposure did not directly predict affective polarization, it positively mediated the impact of network heterogeneity on affective polarization. Moreover, the effect of diverse content exposure on affective polarization was moderated by public knowledge acquisition. The findings highlight two depolarizing mechanisms of Facebook network heterogeneity: it contributes to the connection among different ethnic groups, fostering positive contact, and provides diverse information that enhances public knowledge, augmenting mutual understanding among ethnic groups. Originality/value The rise of polarization, particularly political polarization among parties in developed nations, and its association with social media have attracted numerous scholars. However, the association between other polarizing factors, such as ethnicity, race and religion – which are more prevalent in developing countries – and social media has not received sufficient attention. This study offers insights into an understudied topic and significantly contributes to social media polarization literature. (shrink)

Doubt, Conflict, Mediation is an interdisciplinary examination and reassessment of standard assumptions in social theory about modern time. Rethinks capitalist and neo-liberal conceptions of time from both a sociological and anthropological perspective Blends innovative and rich ethnographic studies from around the world with clear theoretical approaches Examines the timescapes of a variety of institutions and social movements, such as biotech laboratories, civic organizations, planning offices, global sea-trade, urban squatting, and state bureaucracies.

The article looks at how the Internet can be imagined as a kind of psychedelic technology – in the sense of ‘manifesting’ new realities – through the lens of different ideas associated with Deleuze and Guattari. It considers a darker strain of their ideas and their reception, initially looking back to discussions from earlier cybertheory before taking as its case study the production of ‘microfascist’ subjectivities on the notorious website 4chan – arguably the point of origin of both the ‘alt-right’ (...) and ‘QAnon’. To unpack this case study, the article develops the idea of ‘weird mediation’ (in dialogue with Gilbert Simondon), as well as considering some ‘shamanic’ aspects from Deleuze and Guattari’s thought (in dialogue with Carlos Castenada), which together offer insights and warnings about the power of mind manifesting technologies. (shrink)

While we agree with Fiester and Yuan (2023) that ethicists should not execute behavioral agreements in their role as clinical consultants along with many of the authors’ criticisms of such contract...

This study aimed to investigate the serial-multiple mediation effect of professional identity, psychological capital, work-related stress, and work-related wellbeing among intensive care unit nurses in China. The cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 2017 to May 2017 in two Grade III A general hospitals in Jining, Shandong Province, China. Cluster sampling was used to recruit participants from the two hospitals. A total of 330 ICU nurses participated in the study. The nurses’ work stress scale, Chinese nurse’s professional identity scale, (...) the PsyCap questionnaire, and Chinese work-related wellbeing scale were used to collect the data. Descriptive analysis, independent-samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. The average score for the work-related wellbeing of ICU nurses was 85.91 ± 13.94. Work-related stress, professional identity, and PsyCap correlated significantly with work-related wellbeing. The major predictors of work-related wellbeing were PsyCap, work-related stress, professional identity, and monthly salary. The serial-multiple mediation effects of professional identity and PsyCap in the relationship between work-related stress and work-related wellbeing were statistically significant. Positive professional identity and PsyCap were sequentially associated with decreased work-related stress, which in turn was related to increased work-related wellbeing among ICU nurses. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of ICU nurses’ work-related stress on work-related wellbeing, as well as the mediating effect of professional identity and PsyCap. It is hoped that hospital care managers will pay attention to the mental health of ICU nurses, increase their professional identity, and reduce work-related stress to improve the quality of the ICU nursing service and stabilize nursing work. (shrink)

Phenomenological accounts of technology, mediation, and embodiment are beginning to problematize traditional distinctions between subject (human) and object (machine). This shift is often attributed to a material or post-human turn since it is usually associated with an interest in the non-human actors and objects that make media interfaces possible. This article contends that these tendencies should also be considered part of a deeper lineage of dialectical thought in critical theory. Using videogames as an example, I argue that academic debates (...) related to the player/game relationship can be read through the lens of Adorno’s aesthetic theory. Developing Adorno’s concept of mimesis, I argue that the interface is often treated as a dialectical question of how the space between subject and object should be traversed. I reflect on the possible advantages of focusing on this contested space through a discussion of game controllers and the Aristotelian concept of techne. (shrink)

Is there anything that is given immediately? This question seems to be of crucial importance for Phenomenology, a field perhaps known most principally for its attempt to return directly to the “things themselves.” The seeming simplicity of the idea is appealing: after all, where better for us to start in any philosophical investigation than with things as they appear to us in their most pure or “immediate” state? When put in its historical context as well, Husserl’s phenomenological project could even (...) be interpreted as a breath of fresh air in the midst of the environment of early 20th century philosophy in comparison with the seemingly constructive philosophy of its Neo-Kantian contemporaries. Indeed, rather than starting with a merely systematic account of our cognition and reality, is it not better for us to first return to the world just as it is given to us in perception or intuition in order to have a more faithful account of these issues? (shrink)