RSS 1.0Globethics Collections
Browse by
Sub-communities within this community
Collections in this community
Recent Submissions
-
Music as an Universal Language for Peacebuilding: A Review of Counter-argumentsMany people claim that music is a universal language considering the impact and beneficial results that it usually triggers, whereas others reject the idea due to contextual or cultural sentiments and parameters that must be considered. Both sides’ arguments make sense but, despite skepticism, music should be considered as a universal language, which becomes clear by depicting it in the context of peacebuilding and by exploring its linguistics and therapeutic effects, through various domains such as philosophy, music theory and the contemporary world. The author argues that considering the counter-arguments and balancing it with this central claim, it is possible to reach an inspiring and complementary common ground between performing arts as music and philosophy.
-
Language Dynamics as an Interpersonal Phenomenon: The African ExperienceThis study uses secondary data to explore language dynamics in interpersonal communication for interpersonal relationships in Africa. Specifically, it looks at how the African society thrives in the use of this form of communication for the preservation of its culture and values and concludes that for these reasons interpersonal communication will continue to remain an intrinsic part of the African life and society.
-
Revue du livre : Diangitukwa et Siadous, Les prisons sont-elles utiles?Le contexte des prisons africaines offre amplement matière à revisiter l’idée classique de l’inutilité de certaines criminalisations. Dans un monde plus que jamais dominé par le spectacle des châtiments et des modèles de justice expéditives, il est bienvenu de replacer le rôle de l’éducation dans la prison, puisque tout détenu emprisonné, aussi démuni et à plaindre soit-il, est riche de son temps, et capable de résilience et de perfectionnement. Encore faut-il, sous peine de paraître très idéaliste, dessiner de manière convaincante les lignes directrices de la rédemption par la formation et les études dans le cadre de la prison. Les prisons ne sont pas des mouroirs, tel est le leitmotiv de l’entretien passionnant entre sept spécialistes des prisons dans l’enceinte de la prison de Libreville et le truchement de l’œuvre de Diangitukwa et de Siadous.
-
Language and Value Orientations in Higher Education: An African Socio-Ethical UnderstandingLanguage plays a central role in the life and activities of our world. This article is a theoretical analysis of the dynamic powers of language in driving possible value-based orientations in higher education. The multilingual nature of the continent of Africa and its bilateral lingual experiences during the colonial eras should be considered as both factual and impacting factors in evaluating language dynamics within value orientations and learning in the African case study. To this end, the article attempts to contribute to the fact that there is a need to find or reinstate value in Africa’s linguistics dynamics and its complexities, as well as give them properly structured orientations within the new phase of repositioning Africa in the global spaces.
-
Review of Dr Hassan Fartousi, A Portrait of Trade in Cultural GoodsThis is a book review of: Dr Hassan Fartousi, A Portrait of Trade in Cultural Goods in Respect of the WTO and the UNESCO Instruments in the Contexts of Hard-Law and Soft-Law, Theses Series No. 40, Geneva: Globethics Publications, 2023. 493p. Online ISBN: 978-2-88931-529-1
-
Book Review of The Ten Commandments: A Chinese Catechism of LivingThis book review discusses You Bin’s intercultural approach to construct a Chinese version of catechism through the Ten Commandments as the vital content for both Chinese Christians and non-Christians in the Chinese context. It shows that integrating God’s Ten Commandments into Chinese traditional culture and social settings is not necessarily meant to compromise its biblical-theological essence with one’s self-critical awareness of culture. It suggests how this book might set an example for both theologians and practitioners to bring back the catechism, to bear upon the needs of contemporary Christians in the non-Western setting.
-
L’hospitalité par la langue ou la spécificité d’un droit culturelL’usage heureux des langes est probablement une des meilleures entrées pour comprendre l’importance et la puissance des droits culturels au coeur de l’ensemble des droits humains. Une langue bien vécue comme ouvrant les possibilités quasi infinies d’impression, d’expression, d’étonnement, d’admiration et de révolte, permet d’éprouver nos capacités d’hospitalité, en soi et auprès des autres. Le et les verbes de ces langues habitées sont les principales forces pour réaliser nos espaces de rencontres, intimes et publics.
-
Détournement et instrumentalisation de la Parole de DieuCet article pointe vers les conséquences induites par l’usage d’artifices rhétoriques et l’abus du pouvoir du langage dans l’Église. Ce sont ceux-là même, les responsables d’institutions religieuses, qui censés défendre un service honnête de la Parole, qui souvent laissent se creuser un fossé entre paroles et actions. Une intention louable de servir de manière altruiste autrui est dans ce cas détourné vers des fins égoïstes : comme gagner davantage de notoriété et de moyens financiers ; assouvir un amour immodéré du pouvoir. C’est moins à démasquer des « usurpasteurs » que nous invite l’auteur, mais bien à la relecture patiente des textes. Il n'y a rien de plus beau qu'une bible dont « les pages ont été cornées, marquées et dont la reliure fatiguée raconte l'assidue fréquentation de son propriétaire ». Chaque fois qu'une « bible se détruit par son utilisation, une femme, un homme se construit ! »
-
Review of Data Ethics, C. Stückelberger / P. Duggal : A report based on the WSIS 2023 launch eventThis review is based on an expanded version of the session outcome document we prepared for WSIS. The outcome was providing a summary of the session: Data Ethics and the Ethics of Digital and Emerging Technologies – Building Trust, Serving Humanity – Globethics, which was held a few days earlier from 16:00 to 16:45, Monday, 13 March 2023 at the Geneva International Conference Center, under the auspices of the ITU.
-
Translating Western Philosophical Concepts: Observations from the Perspective of Translating into ChineseTranslation of western philosophical concept into Chinese is often considered to be challenging. This is attributed to both linguistic and cultural differences. This article discusses these challenges under four categories, namely terminology, semantic understanding and context, philosophical disputes, and language reconstruction and combination. For each category, one or two examples are presented to illustrate the challenges.  How each of these challenges is resolved is also discussed so as to provide the readers with some guidelines if they encounter similar challenges in their work.
-
Machines: to Have or to Be? Small (Trans-, Post-, Bio-) humanistic Thought ExperimentsWhen we think about “machines”, or “robots”, or “AI”, what comes to our minds is generally an extension of our common relationship with objects in our humane and mundane world: there is a clear distinction between the subject, “we”, and the object. Upon review of some of the most important literary trends of the last centuries, this article invites us to consider the prevalence of this classical ontological division, taking into consideration examples such as Frankenstein, the “brain in a vat” thought experiment, and the last advances towards the reality of “cyborg” beings. The question behind the article bring us to consider to what extent an absolute division between us and machines is still a thing in our days.
-
Elderly expectation toward their family, society, and government: A cross-sectional observational studyThe elderly face very challenging situations due to their mental and physical conditions. Like the other country in the world, Bangladesh Government has enacted laws to protect the elderly rights. However, the law does not seem to represent what the elderly actually needs. Therefore, 385 elderly people, aged between 60 and 90 years were surveyed to understand their expectations from family, society, and government. There were 57.1% men and 42.9% women. Most of the elderly (80%) were educated. Just over half (53.5%) had ordinary mental and physical health, while a quarter (31.4%) had good status. More than half (53%) of the participants required 2000–5000 BDTK (Bangladeshi Taka) equivalent to $20-50 to cover monthly treatment expenditures. The majority (67.3%) felt government Old Age Allowance should be increased to BDT 5,000 ($50). Of 13.8% of individuals experienced harsh discourse from family because of the cost of therapy. However, 16.9% of people choose not to respond to this question. More than half (57.4%) of the respondents’ thought caregivers were insufficient. One-third felt that legislation should be changed to take care of parents (33.5%) and One-third felt that children should take care of more (33.5%). Some (3.6%) thought that children should act as they did in their childhood respectively. Almost half (44.2%) of respondents did not know that the elderly should receive a separate senior citizen card for preferential treatment, yet 51.9% thought this. Some (44.7%) felt the elderly should get priority in any queue and discounts in Bus/Uber/Rickshaw. Results also showed that expectation is more than the service provided. Further, a one-stop elderly care clinic is required to provide integrated care and support for the quality of life of the elderly.
-
Senior Citizen’s Understanding Regarding the Quality of Life and Policy of BangladeshOlder people are encouraged to participate more in the economic, social, and governmental sectors as part of progressive aging policies worldwide. Very little is known about applying engagement techniques or carrying out strategies in Bangladesh that are important for involving seniors in social engagement. Therefore, this qualitative research was conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, among 385 people aged sixty or above to assess their understanding of the quality of life and the gap in government policy. Results showed that between 60 and 65 were more mobile, creative, engaged in productive activity, and had significantly higher decision-making power (p<0.000). Aging greatly enhances dependency (p<0.000). Lower-educated people were significantly dependent on their families (p<0.000). Moreover, elderly income and the cost of treatment were significantly correlated to abuse (p<0.001). Furthermore, 10% of participants reported negative relationships with family members (p<0.031). However, most (61.6%) were unaware of the 2013 Parent's Care Act. Though most participants (73.2%) knew of the government-funded Old Age Allowance, 92.5% received no non governmental assistance. The research concluded that education and economic condition have a long-term relationship with reducing dependency. In recommendation, Government can increase the retirement age from 59 to 65 years which may increase self of security, respect, and self-esteem and reduce harassment. Parent's Care Act 2013 should implement. Government should include Community Health and Social Service centers for the quality of life of the elderly.
-
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and ABS-CBN through the Prisms of Hermann and Chomsky's Propaganda ModelThis paper is an attempt to localize Herman and Chomsky’s analysis of the commercial media and use this concept to fit in the Philippine media climate. Through the propaganda model, they introduced the five interrelated media filters which made possible the “manufacture of consent.” By consent, Herman and Chomsky meant that the mass communication media can be a powerful tool to manufacture ideology and to influence a wider public to believe in a capitalistic propaganda. Thus, they call their theory the “propaganda model” referring to the capitalist media structure and its underlying political function. Herman and Chomsky’s analysis has been centered upon the US media, however, they also believed that the model is also true in other parts of the world as the media conglomeration is also found all around the globe. In the Philippines, media conglomeration is not an alien concept especially in the presence of a giant media outlet, such as, ABS-CBN. In this essay, the authors claim that the propaganda model is also observed even in the less obvious corporate media in the country, disguised as an independent media entity but like a chameleon, it camouflages into an invisible creature leaving predators without any clue. Hence, the reason to analyze and scrutinize a highly reputable news organization in the country, namely, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in relation to their portrayal of the Duterte presidency.
-
Critical Discourses on Technology in the Era of the AnthropoceneThis paper attempts to unravel and explore the stark contradiction between the quest for technological advancement and the struggle for human welfare and well-being. In the frame of Hegel’s master and slave dialectic, the author tries to present the notions of humanity and technology as thesis and antitheses by which the dawning synthesis of technological sensitivity to nature and an ecologically friendly human innovation and emancipation can be made possible. The paper draws heavily from the concepts introduced by notable philosophers, such as, Bernard Stiegler, Donna Haraway, N. Katherine Hayes, Andrew Feenberg, Douglas Kellner, Herbert Marcuse, George Lukacs, Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel, Karl Marx, Martin Heidegger, Karl Popper, Aldo Leopold, and Enrique Dussel. Out from the brilliant concepts of these thinkers, altogether their ideas had served as the building blocks in tracing the origin, nature, history, development, and the future of both the humankind and technology, and its impact to the natural ecology. The author attempts to work out a coherent synthesis of these prevailing thinkers. Their ideas aimed to lead, support, enhance, or give way to the possibility of the notion of an ecologically, environmentally, nature and human-friendly technology.
-
Enrique Dussel’s Philosophy of Liberation : Philosophical Reflections at the time of the COVID-19 Global PandemicIn this brief philosophical exposé, I will narrate the events as well as my personal and eco-spiritual reflections pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic which began in Wuhan, China sometime in November 2019. The virus has spread sporadically across countries and continents wreaking havoc medically, politically, and individually as it claimed more than three hundred thousand lives and had virally infected more than four million of the global population. This phenomenon has led us to confront inevitable eschatological questions: Is this a sign of the end times? Will this efface the vulnerable human race? Will this disrupt the global economy as capitalism had collapsed worldwide? Do these events signal a new political era, perhaps the dawn of socialism and communism as countries worldwide are led to confront its own deficiencies and inadequacies? Which social and political systems and worldviews are efficient particularly in this age of globalization? What are our chances for human survival? These apocalyptic questions have led me to my reflections on Enrique Dussel’s philosophy of liberation, particularly on his concept of Christian ethics and the moral theology of liberation. In so doing, the paper incorporates a holistic outlook on the pandemic viewing it in a global scale, and considers an all-inclusive interpretation on the pandemic.
-
Inteligencia territorial y protocolos comunitarios bioculturales como mecanismos que permiten la deliberación ética y bioética en las intervenciones territorialesWe reflect on the need for territorial intervention methodologies that allow for community participation and include criteria for the protection of life, autonomy and traditional knowledge, among others. Without these mechanisms, practices such as: exploitation of resources and knowledge without communityconsent, homicide of social leaders, forced displacement of communities and contamination, among others, which are common in Colombia and other countries when interventions are carried out in the territories, will continue to be perpetuated. Two methodologies that allow community empowerment and direct participation in projects are given as examples: biocultural community protocols and territorial intelligence, whose strengths are centered on a territorial reading from the complexity and processes of dialogue and deliberation between actors and agents that allow the adoption of ethical and bioethical criteria applied to territorial management. Their weaknesses are: the scarce knowledge of agents and actors in some countries that do not allow a better adoption and the pace of intervention that may not coincide with the time and costs required by the agents, which would lead to inadequate practices that blur these mechanisms.
-
Aportes bioéticos y franciscanos en torno a una antropología de la muerte y una hermenéutica del dolorNext, we want to put for the reader’s consideration the reflection carried out around two related topics both to Bioethics and to Franciscan Humanism: pain and death. The double horizon of thought proposes the discursive debate based on two questions: How can the meaning of pain and death be understood in the proposed double perspective? And how does pain influence, build, rebuild the subject in contemporary society? Likewise, it is proposedto detect some of the most outstanding conceptions of the phenomenon of death among students and the attentive care that both teachers and curricula will take into account, to work on the meaning and meaning of life in the subjects-objects of study. From our belonging and identity as a Bonaventurian university, these hermeneutics, which were carried out from a pluralistic and interdisciplinary perspective, also sought to highlight the horizon of Franciscan meaning, for this reason questions such as: What does Franciscan spirituality contribute to topics such as these: pain from an anthropological perspective and death as an anthropological-existential category?
-
Territorio y bien común : una propuesta de diálogo fraternoWe want to present some principles derived from the encyclicals Laudato Sí and Fratelli Tutti, of Franciscan inspiration, which could be used from bioethics, and would allow decision makers and technicians who accompany them some guidelines for the planning of the territory that they have these three elements: the space as a natural element, the community that in habits it and the power relations that contribute to its ordering. For this, it is necessary to understand that the territory is made up of different visions of the same space in which the natural and the anthropic are mixed, generating a varied and complex network of relationships. When analysing a territory, it must be considered its physical-spatial components and the different relationships woven with the communities that inhabit it, shaping their identities, loaded with cultural, social, economic, and political experiences, among others, that give theplace particular characteristics that help to differentiate it from other spaces. Therefore, the territory is the base and sustenance of the different communities that inhabit it, where it is determined by them, generating different scales of understanding, boundaries and collective experiences, that print their quality of complex socio-ecological space and in constant change, which is why it is necessary to establish a fraternal dialogue between decision makers and communities that allow the common good and justice between generations and achieve the protection of their biological and cultural diversity.
