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This paper inquires the ways in which paper folding constitutes a mathematical practice and may prompt a mathematical culture. To do this, we first present and investigate the common mathematical activities shared by this culture, i.e. we present mathematical paper folding as a material reasoning practice. We show that the patterns of mathematical activity observed in mathematical paper folding are, at least since the end of the nineteenth century, sufficiently stable to be considered as a practice. Moreover, we will argue that this practice is material. The permitted inferential actions when reasoning by folding are controlled by the physical realities of paper-like material, whilst claims to generality of some reasoning operations are supported by arguments from other mathematical idioms. The controlling structure provided by this material side of the practice is tight enough to allow for non-textual shared standards of argument and wide enough to provide sufficiently many problems for a practice to form. The upshot is that mathematical paper folding is a non-propositional and non-diagrammatic reasoning practice that adds to our understanding of the multi-faceted nature of the epistemic force of mathematical proof. We then draw on what we have learned from our contemplations about paper folding to highlight some lessons about what a study of mathematical cultures entails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenomenological research has focused on embodiment. This paper examines how the body is experienced in passive contemplation, understood as a finite province of meaning in Alfred Schutz's sense. The six features characteristic of any province of meaning (epoché, form of spontaneity, tension of consciousness, sense of self, temporality, and sociality) function distinctively in each province of meaning and alter one's experience of one's body. In the foundational province of pragmatic everyday life, one transforms deliberately and bodily the surrounding world, but this experience undergoes modifications in the religious/spiritual contemplative province. To clarify passive contemplation, the paper develops, as a contrast, active contemplation, the active, restless pursuit of chains of appresentational symbols and images. In passive contemplation, one separates from everyday life, orients toward unity rather than dialogue with God, refrains from following appresentative chains, and relaxes one's tension of the consciousness/body (e.g., through breathing), single-mindedly attending to God's presence. One can trace passive contemplation genetically to a primordial entwinement with one's mother's body, in which subjective/objective boundaries are blurred (as in Merleau-Ponty's "flesh"). In passive contemplation, one assumes an often-wordless social role (child, lover) toward God and abides tranquilly in the present rather than moving distractedly toward any future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Portfolio use to support self-regulated learning (SRL) during clinical workplace learning is widespread, but much is still unknown regarding its effectiveness. This review aimed to gain insight in the extent to which portfolio use supports SRL and under what circumstances. Methods: A realist review was conducted in two phases. First, stakeholder interviews and a scoping search were used to formulate a program theory that explains how portfolio use could support SRL. Second, an in-depth literature search was conducted. The included papers were coded to extract context–mechanism–outcome configurations (CMOs). These were synthesized to answer the research question. Results: Sixteen papers were included (four fulfilled all qualitative rigor criteria). Two primary portfolio mechanisms were established: documenting as a moment of contemplation (learners analyze experiences while writing portfolio reports) and documentation as a reminder of past events (previous portfolio reports aid recall). These mechanisms may explain the positive relationship between portfolio use and self-assessment, reflection, and feedback. However, other SRL outcomes were only supported to a limited extent: formulation of learning objectives and plans, and monitoring. The partial support of the program theory can be explained by interference of contextual factors (e.g., system of assessment) and portfolio-related mechanisms (e.g., mentoring). Discussion: Portfolio research is falling short both theoretically—in defining and conceptualizing SRL—and methodologically. Nevertheless, this review indicates that portfolio use has potential to support SRL. However, the working mechanisms of portfolio use are easily disrupted. These disruptions seem to relate to tensions between different portfolio purposes, which may undermine learners' motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a reading of Aquinas' treatment of the value of music in religious teaching and preaching about God that reinterprets his claim in ST II-II, q. 91, a.2 that language is of 'a more noble kind' than music. Through an understanding of Aquinas' writings on 'contemplation' a more complex and thorough treatment of music can be outlined. Far from simply presenting an argument for the superiority of language over music for the purpose of gaining religious understanding, this paper argues that Aquinas' wider literary corpus on the subject of contemplation provides both implicit and explicit support for the parallel value music and language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of economics, work is typically considered a form of barter for wages. This perspective reduces work to a mere activity serving profit, productivity, and, ultimately, the economy. Such a reduction also diminishes the person performing the work, treating them merely as a "cog in a machine." To fully appreciate its true meaning, work must be seen as labor serving temporal goods and as a pathway to contemplation. This paper argues that personalist economics is necessary to achieve contemplative labor, affirming the totality of the person--as composed of both body and soul--involved in work and economic activity. Consequently, both the person and their work are irreducible to mere profit, productivity, and economic activity. In this light, the paper seeks to answer the question: Is it possible to retrieve the meaning of the person in today's economy through labor? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey explores the symbiotic relationship between Machine Learning (ML) and music, focusing on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the musical sphere. Beginning with a historical contextualization of the intertwined trajectories of music and technology, the paper discusses the progressive use of ML in music analysis and creation. Emphasis is placed on present applications and future potential. A detailed examination of music information retrieval, automatic music transcription, music recommendation, and algorithmic composition presents state-of-the-art algorithms and their respective functionalities. The paper underscores recent advancements, including ML-assisted music production and emotion-driven music generation. The survey concludes with a prospective contemplation of future directions of ML within music, highlighting the ongoing growth, novel applications, and anticipation of deeper integration of ML across musical domains. This comprehensive study asserts the profound potential of ML to revolutionize the musical landscape and encourages further exploration and advancement in this emerging interdisciplinary field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For much of history, philosophers and theorists have considered the abstract, rational contemplation of music to be the true form of spiritual activity. This has often come at the cost of making the practical aspect of music (which consists of listening, performance, subjective experience, among others) subservient to theory. This paper examines the implications of separating abstract music theory from its practical side and explores where spirituality can be situated. It was not until the nineteenth century, under the influence of Schopenhauer, that a proper unification of music theory and practice truly took on metaphysical and spiritual dimensions. Schopenhauerian metaphysics allowed music to legitimately become a spiritual refuge in the age of positivism, paving the way for projects such as Scriabin's Mysterium. The described tension between theory and practice in Western music will be contrasted with Sufism as a point of comparison. The comparison will illustrate how a spiritual movement like Sufism poses a challenge for musicological research. Additionally, reflecting on the state of current music research, the paper explores how music and musicology of the twentieth century onward fall short of the spiritual aspirations of preceding generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper of ‘Natural Selection Favors AIs over Humans,’ Dan Hendrycks applies principles of Darwinian evolution to forecast potential trajectories of AI development. He proposes that competitive pressures within corporate and military realms could lead to AI replacing human roles and exhibiting self-interested behaviors. However, such claims carry the risk of oversimplifying the complex issues of competition and natural selection without clear criteria for judging whether AI is selfish or altruistic, necessitating a more in-depth analysis and critique. Other studies, such as ‘'The Threat of AI and Our Response: The AI Charter of Ethics in South Korea,’ offer diverse opinions on the natural selection of artificial intelligence, examining major threats that may arise from AI, including AI’s value judgment and malicious use, and emphasizing the need for immediate discussions on social solutions. Such contemplation is not merely a technical issue but also significant from an ethical standpoint, requiring thoughtful consideration of how the development of AI harmonizes with human welfare and values. It is also essential to emphasize the importance of cooperation between artificial intelligence and humans. Hendrycks’s work, while speculative, is supported by historical observations of inevitable evolution given the right conditions, and it prompts deep contemplation of these issues, setting the stage for future research focused on AI safety, regulation, and ethical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to the Member States has given rise both to a controversial phraseology and a controversial case-law. This paper offers a reconstruction of the constitutional intent and proposes a conceptualization in conformity with the structural function and the constitutional contemplation of the pouvoir constituent. As to the phraseological debate, it demonstrates that the Charter's application to the Member States may occur by reason of either "implementation" or "interpretation" of EU law and the two strands are embraced but not synthetized by "scope" as a collective term. As to the substantive debate, it demonstrates that the CJEU's case-law on "implementation" is not only amorphous but also inconsistent with the Charter's constitutional mandate. The paper proposes a novel approach based on the notion that the application to the Member States is accessory to the supremacy of EU law. The paper's argument is presented in the following steps. First, the paper presents the pristine rationale and constitutional function of the application to the Member State through its emergence and historical context. Second, it provides a taxonomy and critical overview of the CJEU's amorphous case-law and presents the Court's futile attempt to create a coherent doctrine that faithfully reproduces the constitutional contemplation behind the diagonal application and that reflects the division of competences between the EU and its Member States. Third, it sets out the proposed doctrine of "displacement." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses narrative inquiry, ethnographic observations, and philosophical consideration of phenomenology to explore the role of mindfulness training, specifically a yoga-based practice, in supporting resiliency, academic achievement, and holistic well-being. Holistic well-being has become a critical and significant area of focus in education as increasing stress, anxiety and depression are resulting in both mental and physical illness, causing a significant decrease in overall resiliency observed both in students and teachers. This problem has been compounded by COVID-19, increasing use of technology and social isolation (Kush, Badillo-Giocoechea, Musci, & Stuart, 2022). It is critical to seek ontological ways of being and epistemological opportunities that consider relationality and holism to deepen our understanding of the complexity of our human experience, individually and collectively. The purpose of this paper is to offer proactive considerations to achieve well-being in our increasingly complex and overwhelming educational environments by considering the lived experience of the author as a yoga practitioner, academic researcher, and classroom educator. It begins by exploring the concept of interconnectivity and reflection on lived experience, and then it establishes a working definition for both resiliency and yoga. It then connects the key concepts of yoga practice to educational neuroscience, curriculum, teaching, and learning. Finally, it explores practical applications to teaching and learning and future research to be considered regarding resiliency, yoga, and holistic well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a theoretical exploration that works through a global Indigenous consciousness. As a critically reflexive story work and auto-ethnographic contemplation it begins by confronting a presumed genealogy in a post-apocalyptic world of coloniality through a global Indigenous lens. Extending beyond racially legalised genealogical ancestry, the metaphysics of indigeneity in the context of Western modernity can be re-positioned as a metaphor of past future human-being-ness or person/people-hood. Global Indigeneity and Indigenous metaphysics are framed as a portal and entry beyond coloniality through fugitive sociality and subversive relationality. Confronting the tensions of colonially purist and racially essentialist categories of indigenous identity, lineages of the post-post-apocalyptic world are forming in the enduring social connections embodied in an Indigenous genealogical consciousness of the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to demonstrate that the poetic oeuvre of Derek Mahon oscillates between two contrary impulses: a temperamental affinity towards a morose form of solitariness and a more warily sanguine desire to break out of such isolation by seeking out connections. Attempts to make connections, however, prove difficult, especially when directed at society and people in general than when in the presence of nature or objects of contemplation. Even moods of contemplation prove to be less a matter of escaping from solitariness than of finding relief in a solicitude that negotiates with the condition of being alone (and of always feeling alone) through the writing of poetry. Poetry thus represents a form of solicitude that enables the poet to translate solitariness into the more amenable form of solitude, at least until the urge to step out of being alone starts the cycle again. The paper attempts to show how metaphor and metonymy play a significant role in the see-saw between the desire to make connections and the temporary relief afforded when solitariness is translated into a form of solitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about a practice-based research on curating exhibits of sounds and exhibits for and about listening in the Philippines. The term "sounds" is used in this essay to refer to sound art works and music. As one of the few active curators who have been exhibiting sound/music in Manila in the past decade, I reflected on exhibits I have curated over the years as well as exhibits curated or staged by my contemporaries. This essay is a contemplation on and examination of lessons from such exhibits that may be useful in developing curatorial practice for sound exhibition in the Philippines. Special attention is given to exhibiting sounds as a counterpoint to the more conventional acts of performing sounds or exhibiting objects to look at. The act of exhibiting sounds, though it may appear random, actually expands the curatorial practice. This paper proposes that in exhibiting sounds, the task and responsibility of curators are not limited to selecting or putting up objects but cover a trifecta of affective actors. Sounds, spaces, and bodies perform together in sound exhibits, where each component contributes to a wholeness that the exhibit tries to achieve. Specifically, this paper focuses on exhibited sounds as omni-participant, observable boundaries of spaces, and frames audiences of such as listening bodies. Understanding the nature of sound as an exhibitable object (i.e., a physical object, idea, or sensation) vis-à-vis the act of exhibiting and of exhibition, as well as the place of sound among the audience, forms a complex armature that shapes the particular challenges and opportunities of exhibiting non-visual (art) objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within IR, scholars are starting to consider difference on the level of ontology rather than epistemology. Other worlds are introduced into IR's political pluriverse, however, these are often encountered in faraway places, thereby playing into the colonial narrative that ontological difference does not exist in the 'West'. This paper introduces another real from within the 'disenchanted North' that is shaped by contemplative activists: people using contemplation as a form of protest. An engagement with contemplative activism challenges our commonly held assumptions about what contemplation and social change are, thereby undermining the institutions of 'science' and 'religion' underlying the universe. It argues that the project of political ontology in IR should consist of two moves: drawing in other, in particular spiritual, realities into the political imaginations of IR and challenging the ontological assumptions underpinning concepts. Consequently, it suggests that the pluriverse in IR should be a methodological rather than an ontological commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the making of Bamiyan Buddhas beyond the Bamiyan valley in Afghanistan since 2002. Recounting the building and rebuilding of a monastic complex in Bangkok, the study focuses on one of these new Buddhas, more complete than the "original" Bamiyan Buddha of the dually inscribed grotto, "Bamiyanguha-Bamiyan Museum", at Wat Saket. In their global manifestations, the Bamiyan Buddhas have emerged as mobile sites, as place holders with direct and indirect citations to the destroyed Buddhas of the valley. The building of Wat Saket's Bamiyan Buddha is situated within larger transnational histories of planned, projected, rejected, and reproduced Bamiyan Buddhas, within stylistic decisions related to questions of shifting material media, scale, and iconography involved in copying and reproductions, in the context of Thailand's changing engagements with itinerance, multiplication, and copying strategies around Buddha images, and in national and global circuits of collecting, exhibitions, gift, and piety. The museum, specifically the cave-museum of Wat Saket, as a site of retinal and haptic vision which continues to challenge and blur the distinctions between curatorial visions, specialist pedagogy, visual instructions, aesthetic contemplation, and rapidly shifting and evolving complex of ritual practices and leisure, remains at the heart of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the tenability of a project for Islamic liberation theology by exploring the religious lives of Egyptian prisoners—with an emphasis on their encounters with the Qur'an, devotional and contentious contemplation, and theodicy. It employs an ethnographic approach to the study of Islam in Egyptian prisons by interviewing former political prisoners incarcerated after the 2013 military coup. By examining the work of key liberation theologians Farid Esack (b. 1959), Hamid Dabashi (b. 1951), and Asghar Ali Engineer (b. 1939), I ask: can a justice-oriented hermeneutics, concerned with pluralism and breaking down binaries, be a meaningful starting point to those struggling under oppression? I posit that the concern with developing hermeneutics can potentially limit the praxis whereby the faithful struggle with the text in the very moment of suffering. It shows how Egyptian prisoners' devotional (and contentious) contemplation (taddabur) of the Qur'an—rather than reading liberation into the Qur'an—allowed for emancipatory embodiments of scripture. Furthermore, I show how prisoners stripped of their agentic power come to understand human action and divine action in history and how the metaphysical responses to human suffering inevitably shaped how they view both structures of inequality and domination as well as their potential liberation from it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on Kojève's account of history and philosophy of science. Kojève's understanding of science can be characterized as internalism, which is evident in his holistic view of philosophy, theology, quantum physics, and the history of classical Newtonian mechanics. It precipitates the facilitation of a further inquiry into the Christian genesis, secular evolution, and subsequent de-Christianization of scientific thought. The paper includes a critical scrutiny of Kojève's philosophical tenets, followed by a comparative analysis of the views of Hegel, Koyré, and Kojève. The primary objective of this research is to juxtapose Kojève's doctrines with Hegel's contemplations on the history and philosophy of science. In addition to identifying affinities, notably the emphasis on the Christian concept of God's Incarnation for the advancement of science, I draw the distinctions between the positions of Hegel, Kojève, and Koyré, specifically concerning the valuation of mathematical knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are more than 150 (grand and micro) theories of emotion. Even as European phenomenological perspectives do mention self and agency, the mainstream discourse on emotion in psychology is quite limited in presenting a coherent theory of affective process. A key aspect of Euro-American theories of emotion is that, these theories are topographically flat, thus, unable to provide mechanisms of transformation of emotion relevant for well-being. In this paper, a theory-based framework for emotional transformation through understanding Indian concepts in āyurveda, yoga sutras and the nātya is discussed. Second, the paper proposes that it is Śānta (the Indian conceptualisation of peace) alone, that permits a substantive possibility to a radical re-emotion or experiencing and articulating well-being. The concept for a radical re-emotion is called Bhāvanā, indicating the possibility of conscious and radical re-creation and re-imagination of affective relationships with objects, concepts, processes and people in the world, re-orienting from the isolated 're-appraisal', 'self-regulation and control' of emotion as discussed in the mainstream paradigm. The paper contends that these culturally relevant models educate and inform global psychology theory and applied practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the grammar of Christian spirituality, meditation and contemplation are often seen as synonyms. Is there a difference? This paper traces out the origin of contemplation, locating the practice of contemplation in Lectio Divina, reformed spirituality, and the experimental piety of the Puritans. This paper shows the differences in meditation and contemplation, and how they cooperate in the spirituality of those whose faith is seeking understanding. The clarification and retrieval of contemplation in evangelical spirituality is well served by attending to the Puritans and their understanding of how contemplation functions in the life of those who have been raised with Christ and are setting their minds on things above, where Christ is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of insights and lessons learned from nearly 20 years of running a Master's unit called Leadership in Sustainability and how it has been used to foster change agents in small business enterprises, as well as other parts of our economy and community. The unit is based on five 'C' pillars, which are discussed in this paper to show how the teaching was able to assist potential leaders in their journey towards sustainability. Collective Wisdom is the theory of how leaders have used their imagination to solve collective 'wicked problems' and how sustainability requires such wisdom. The unit covers such theory from innovation, complexity, leadership, management and sustainability literatures, and the students are required to show they used this in solving a problem. Conversations are the main tool that is used because only through integrating diverse opinions have solutions been found to such problems as sustainability. The unit is based around case studies from leaders (including SMEs) who have approached sustainability from various perspectives, and conversations were created with the leaders to illustrate this. Creativity is introduced as a tool that draws upon different layers of perspectives on how to tackle wicked problems, as well as facilitating the breadth of conversations and actions required to solve them. The unit requires students to make a creativity contribution and the teachers provide assistance in how to make this work. Contemplation is designed to show how leadership requires reflection to enable the creativity and conversations to reach the depth and breadth required. The unit introduces students to the Theory-U tools to help instil the link between creativity and reflection or contemplation in addressing sustainability challenges and enabling leadership that creates change in personal, organizational and social systems. Finally, Courage is shown as a necessary part of the role of a leader in sustainability to make the magic of collective and creative solutions, based on conversations and contemplation, come to life through a demonstration-based transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vladimir Solovyov was a philosopher of culture who sought to understand the essence of the most central and deep cultural crisis, as he spoke of Russia in the twentieth century. He has often been interpreted as a close follower of Schelling, someone who just took the basic methodology and concepts from Schelling without any deep contemplation of his own. The goal of this article is to reconsider one of the most widespread misconceptions, according to which Solovyov is a Russian Schellingian. Despite a certain resemblance in style and occasionally similarly sounding arguments, Solovyov was not just a rewriter of Schelling or his ardent follower. The second aim of the paper is to reconstruct the concepts of culture in Solovyov and Schelling. The two aims are strongly connected. In this respect, this paper is less an attempt to summarize Solovyov and Schelling and compare their ideas, than a speculative attempt to speak about the philosophy of culture and to represent the philosophy of Solovyov and Schelling. On my reading, despite many terminological and argumentative parallels, Solovyov and Schelling were pursuing fundamentally different tasks. Their systems cannot be viewed as identical, as it is often the case; rather, Solovyov's philosophy begins where Schelling's ends. The fundamental difference between the two systems will be demonstrated based on the analysis of two writings: Schelling's Philosophical Investigations into the Essence of Human Freedom and Solovyov's Lectures on Divine Humanity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During history humans have developed a large variety of contemplative practices, in many different areas of life, and as part of many different traditions and contexts. Although some contemplative practices are very old, the research field of Contemplation Studies is young, and there are no agreed-upon definitions of central concepts such as contemplative practices and contemplative experiences. The present paper focuses on contemplative practices, defined as practices that are engaged in for the sake of the contemplative experiences they afford (e.g., the contemplation of nature, or the contemplation of various aspects of being-in-the world). The purpose of the present paper is to discuss the potential of experimental phenomenology to contribute to the development of the research field of Contemplation Studies. Experimental phenomenology is defined as the investigation of phenomenological practices and their effects on experience. Phenomenological practices involve intentional variations of experiencing by means of changes in the direction of attention and the choice of attitude, typically as guided by verbal instructions or self-instructions. It is suggested that contemplative practices represent a subcategory of phenomenological practices. Two different varieties of experimental phenomenology are described and illustrated in the present paper: (1) an informal variety which involves the development of new phenomenological practices by creative variation of procedures and observation of effects; and (2) a more rigorously scientific variety, which involves the systematic variation of phenomenological practices in accordance with experimental designs to study their experiential effects. It is suggested that the development of contemplative practices during the ages is the result of an informal experimenting of the first kind; this variety of experimental phenomenology can also be used to develop personalized health interventions in a clinical setting. As to the more rigorously scientific experimental phenomenology, it is possible that it may lead not only to an improved understanding of general principles underlying contemplative practices, but also to a more systematic development of new contemplative practices. The experimental-phenomenological approach to contemplative practices is illustrated by various examples involving mindfulness, gratitude, receiving and giving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of analogia entis has undergone a long intellectual development and gained unprecedented importance in the twentieth century with the elaboration of Przywara. It seems difficult to correlate the development of this classical theological idea with Thomas Merton (1915–1968). Nevertheless, in the face of the challenges of the modern world, Merton's way of thinking resonates with many of the connotations of analogia entis as articulated by Przywara. This paper attempts to argue that Merton, in his late works, alludes to the metaphysics, epistemology, and, by extension, the methodology of inter-religious dialogue that analogia entis entails by elaborating on the ideas of natural contemplation, symbolism, and metaphysical intuition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than a century ago, Friedrich Nietzsche warned that calm and contemplation were going out of fashion, soon to be replaced by widespread haste and mindlessness. Confirming the diagnosis sixty years later, Adorno observed that metropolitan modernity had given rise to a nervousness and discontinuity so profound that reflection could only occur in its shadow; consequently, intellectual labor tends always to appear “abgestohlen” [stolen] from some other (pre)occupation. Proceeding from a study of Franz Kafka – whose rich creative and intellectual work took place almost exclusively on time borrowed from other tasks and obligations – this paper argues that such “stolen” moments are perhaps more fecund than we might at first imagine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This research paper explains the changing global world order under the leadership of China. The qualitative method with secondary sources describes the Chinese struggle for peace and interdependence in the post-Covid-19 era, maligned with the Russia-Ukraine war and American support to Ukraine under the banner of NATO. The theory of meditated realism (a third kind of realism, which results from contemplation and introspection, which leads to being proactive instead of reactive.) is used in the paper to explain the trilateral agreement. China is heading towards more alliances and agreements with Brazil, India, Russia, and South Africa. It is reshaping the global world order and striving to replace the dollar with the yuan. It may start a new financial war between China and the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Towards the end of his life, Bataille became increasingly fascinated by prehistoric culture. His analysis of the Lascaux cave frames it as the symbolic site of our birth, envisioning in its art the final step to anthropogenesis: we, as a species, became human once we began smearing pigment on cave walls. Bataille’s account of this dual birth of art and humanity is neither an ode to our rational mind nor to our capacity for aesthetic contemplation. Rather, the murals adorning the cave would be the result of primordial ecstatic experiences. For Bataille, art ties in with excess: an activity devoid of use-value rising above necessity or instinct. Lascaux becomes the scene of a primordial crime against utility. Bataille’s cave stands as a counterargument to the enlightenment’s fixation on progress and productivity. The decades since, have seen our obsession with productivity grow even more pervasive. This paper explores the constellation of excessive behaviours which Bataille presents as key to the birth of art and, through an autoethnographic study, asks whether, and how, this ‘spectrum of excess’ is still relevant to artists today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn the film Sans Soliel, Chris Marker challenges received wisdoms with regard cinematic production of real worlds and real people. In Marker’s techniques, Jacques Rancière observes an intensely political, highly accessible, art form that leads to a theorisation of cinema for its democratic and educational functions. In this paper we take up Rancière’s interest in the democratic and educational functions of cinema through a reading of three films: Sans Soliel, Minority Report, and After Yang. Marker’s essayist cinema produces an uncanny experience of anthropological irony, and a mode of rethinking imperialism, revealing stories of communities that typically do not get told. Spielberg’s film adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s story is a cautionary contemplation on the ethics of the future of a police force that has access to visions of the future. Kogonada’s poetic lens muses on what it is to be human, what it is to be a family, and what it is to be a child and a parent negotiating complexity, loss, and identity. Each film is of interest here for the openness with which they engage thinking about democracy and education. They are democratic and educational precisely because they do not tell us what to think about democracy and education. Each film at the same time provides insight into Rancière’s thinking about the functions of cinema in producing senses of politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that in the Eudemian Ethics (EE), Aristotle aims to prove the Pleasure Thesis (PT). According to the Pleasure Thesis, happiness is the most pleasant thing of all. Through a reconstruction of the argument in favor of PT, this paper shows that happiness is most pleasant for three reasons: (1) it is pleasant by definition; (2) it is constituted by the most pleasant activities (virtuous actions and contemplation); (3) it is pleasant by nature. A reconstruction of the argument in favor of PT is philosophically interesting not only in order to better understand the argument in the EE —and in particular the debated status and role of NE VII/ EE VI.11–14—but also insofar as it sheds light on the relation between the pleasant and the good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses Socrates' claim in the Cratylus that he and Hermogenes must learn of the correctness of names from "Homer and the other poets." I argue that, in treating poetry as the starting point for investigating the relationship of language to reality, Plato reveals language to be a discursive articulation of non-discursive divine Being. Thus, while language cannot fully capture Being once and for all, it can function as a moving image of it by being kept in continual motion. Poetic language, as divinely inspired, sits at the threshold between language's discursivity and the unified reality it strives to articulate, and can therefore reinvigorate philosophical contemplation by de-sedimenting concepts articulated in language that have become stagnant, re-opening them for examination in new, previously unarticulated, ways. This vision of philosophical contemplation through language is part of a greater theme of the tension between mortal and divine modes of knowing. Humans desire divine understanding but only approach it through the motion of contemplation. Plato's treatment of Apollo at 404e–406a reveals the two-fold nature of philosophical contemplation as relying on a certain tension between the revelation of the inarticulable, unchanging divine Being and the attempt to employ reason to test and interpret such disclosures through the unfolding motion of dialectic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a reference to the voice of the legendary musician Orpheus in Plato's Protagoras. I propose that the Orpheus image does serious philosophical work in the text. Understanding the mythic and religious elements of the Orpheus tradition can help us conceptualize the harms of sophistry from a Platonic viewpoint. In the light of the image, the sophist emerges as a quasi-magical manipulator of rhetorical beauty who charms his students into subrational creatures. Furthermore, the image provides insight into Plato's conception of the difference between sophistic and Socratic education. Playing on the tradition of Orpheus as (failed) psychopomp, I suggest that the sophist employs a descent-style education which holds students captive in an underworld of glamorous but empty sensibles. In sharp contrast, Socratic ascent-style education pulls students upwards to active contemplation of ultimate reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Discussions in contemporary spirituality frequently highlight a phenomenon of spiritual seeking; moreover, people often describe their spiritual journeys in terms of a search. This paper takes a closer look at this metaphor by presenting a study that analysed spiritual seeking and its informational features in contemporary non-institutionalised settings. Design/methodology/approach: In this study, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with thirteen spiritual teachers and speakers who were asked questions about spiritual seeking in contemporary non-institutionalised spirituality. Findings: The authors' participants explained that contemporary spiritual seekers sought spiritual information as a result of affective, developmental and metaphysical concerns. Moreover, their analysis indicated that spiritual information-seeking behaviour incorporated practices such as prayer, yoga and meditation, and contemporary spiritual information interactions were facilitated through spiritual retreats, meditation classes, yoga classes and online social platforms. Research limitations/implications: Since the authors focused on spiritual seeking in contemporary non-institutionalised settings, their findings cannot exhaustively represent all spiritual pursuits in contemporary society. Their study (1) identifies the informational features of contemporary spiritual seeking, (2) explains spiritual seeking as an activity that may theoretically reside within a broader framework of profound information interactions and (3) helps theorise the concept of qualitative profundity in information science research. Originality/value: This study provides an intuitive contextual approach for undertaking information research in under-explored domains such as contemplation and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the Yuan dynasty Daoist Huang Gongwang's 黃公望 (1269–1354) painting Clearing after Sudden Snow resonates with the principles of inner alchemy (neidan, 內丹), particularly the stage known as the resurgence of yang force. Within this painting, four prominent visual elements—the sun, the spirit room, the cliff, and the snowy mountains—come together to imbue the painting with a rich tapestry of inner alchemical connotations. They collectively portray the sequential stages of cultivation, refinement, and transformation in the context of inner alchemy. The painting not only captures the moment of transition where the snow-covered terrain is gradually transforming into a fresh and awakened state, but it also embodies a visual metaphor for the inner alchemical transformative journey. Furthermore, each individual who engages with the painting may undergo their own personal transformation through the act of contemplation and reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There could be various comparative studies between Kant and Kierkegaard on fields like human knowledge, ethics, faith, art, etc. This paper aims to compare the two philosopher's epistemology through their writings. The main common ground of Kant's and Kierkegaard's epistemology is their belief in the idea of a "fissure" between theory and practice, which constitutes the core of their contemplations on human knowledge. This article shows that Kant's theory of knowledge paved the way for Kierkegaard to describe his notions of the "fissure" between being and thought. Thus, it will be shown that Kant and Kierkegaard have been led to believe in the finitude of human beings in knowledge by this split. Then, it will be demonstrated that Kierkegaard, following Kant, distinguishes "being" from "essence" and "actuality" from "ideality". Finally, we argue that Kant's critique of the traditional proofs of God's existence anticipates Kierkegaard's conflict with natural theology and his idea that traditional demonstrations are useless for a believer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of DAYAH: Journal of Islamic Education is the property of DAYAH: Journal of Islamic Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Paradigma is the property of Universidad Pedagogica Experimental Libertador and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores mysticism as seen in Ernesto Cardenal's El Evangelio en Solentiname (The Gospel in Solentiname), aiming at both defining Cardenal as a revolutionary and a traditional mystic, shaped by Thomas Merton's influence and by Latin American political circumstances. Mysticism is usually defined as individual contemplation of God, immediate and unmediated. Yet, in the context of Latin American 20th-century struggles for liberation, mysticism became contemplation of God while the individual is committed to the community. This perspective is studied in Cardenal's book, supported with his memoir Las ínsulas extrañanas (The Strange Islands), to show that Cardenal is a mystic, notwithstanding his political commitment, or precisely because of that. The theoretical background draws notions from liberation theology and liberation philosophy. Paradoxically, in spite of its revolutionary claims, Cardenal's The Gospel in Solentiname can be seen in the line of traditional mysticism, in its challenge of power from the margins and its presentation of alternative modes of communicating with the divine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sophia, Colección de Filosofía de la Educación is the property of Universidad Politecnica Salesiana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present paper aims to investigate the manner in which the structure of a certain musical discourse can suggest the superiority of reason above senses, as well as the static or flowing quality of time. In this sense, François Couperin's (1668-1733) Leçons de ténèbres pour le mercredi saint (1714) was analyzed, striving to observe the manner in which the composer approaches certain parameters of the musical discourse (rhythm and metre, tempo, dynamics, ornaments) in order to suggest the meaning of the sacred text and to induce the listener a certain feeling of withdrawal, the absorption of the senses that can eventually lead to the mystical union with the Divine, accomplished through reason. The paper strives to highlight the differences between the Italian and French Baroque, as reflected in the work of Couperin, who strove to accomplish in his compositions the union between the French and Italian styles and forms. The question that arises is whether music is capable to express the passive state of devotion and contemplation, despite its unfolding in time, and whether it is possible to conceive the musical discourse in a manner that refrains from the anticipation of its future evolutions? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lady White Bone, a demon from the sixteenth-century novel Journey to the West (Xiyou ji 西遊記), has grown into one of the most celebrated femme fatales in popular imagination. This paper explores the formation of this monster as a gendered skeleton and its association with the dead body. Contextualizing this character in a broadly defined genre of skeleton fantasy, I investigate her lineage in a textual network of literature and religion, focusing on zhiguai 志怪 (accounts of anomalies) short stories and the Buddhist meditation "White Bone Contemplation" (baigu guan 白骨觀), which in turn, leads to the notion of "beauty is white bone" (meiren baigu 美人白骨), a highly gendered rendering of the Buddhist notion "form is void" (se ji shi kong 色即是空). To study the creation and development of this dazzling undead is to examine how women are posed as danger in various traditions, and to understand how this character continues to fascinate readers and viewers centuries after its creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the challenges and prospects of universities of technology as research institutions in South Africa. Currently, universities of technology have suffered a great deal of polarity in terms of academic works and research quality. Ideas, innovations, and trajectories from such institutions are not received with the same energy and vitality as those from traditional universities. While one can attribute the laxity thereof to the historical development of the universities of technology, mainly starting as Technikons and teaching universities, one cannot categorically assume that this is the entire reason for such a lack of enthusiasm for studies emanating from such institutions. Nowadays, universities of technology engage in as much research as traditional universities as they also have centers, directorates, and units overseeing the administration and management of research. Using the Durban University of Technology as a case study, through interviews with research focus area leaders and strategic members of the institution’s research and innovation section, the study investigates the possible challenges of research administration and management as a potential challenge to understand the necessary areas for improvement and the prospects that lie within research outputs in universities of technology by suggesting new research management strategies. Four themes emerged from the study: improving the administrative support system, insufficient financial resources, institutional attitude to research culture, and inadequacies in postgraduate enrolment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the concept of epistrophé in the Neoplatonic metaphysics of procession and causation, pagan and Christian, focusing on Plotinus, Proclus, and pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. Plato's and Aristotle's invitation to turn to the Good, as well as the Stoic ethics of turning towards oneself, have been adopted and elaborated into a mystical doctrine of ascent to the first Principle. At the moral level, epistrophé has anagogical significance and is linked to memory, contemplation, and love. At the metaphysical level, epistrophé is identified as the self-constitutive act of the first reality proceeding from the One (i.e. the Intellect-Being). Since this, the newly generated reality imitating the One, is turned to itself while converting to the One, the conversion, at the level of Intellect, coincides with self-conversion. Already in Plotinus, but principally in Proclus, conversion is integrated into the Neoplatonic emanation process, giving it its unique character and triadic structure of abiding, proceeding, and returning (moné, próodos, and epistrophé). It also sets new rules of causality, according to which the highest Cause must always remain immutable and transcendent, even when giving itself forth. In the pagan metaphysics of Plotinus' Neoplatonism, epistrophé is presented primarily as an act of creative (self-)contemplation of the Cause, as well as of the thing caused, while in the Christian theology of pseudo-Dionysius, it manifests itself as a mutual turning to each other, i.e. as the inclination of God sending his light through all of creation, and as the ascent of that creation loving its Maker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SituArte is the property of Universidad del Zulia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper focuses on the Jesus Prayer, attempting to explain (1) how in this prayer, by the grace of God, our mind can be united with the heart and (2) what the fruits of this marvellous union are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this interview, artists Jason Patterson and Lauren Frances Adams discuss the history of white supremacy in America and how it shapes their own experiences and artistic subject matter. Patterson is an artist whose work consists of portraiture and the recreation of historical documents. He also designs and builds ornate wood frames that house his portraits and paper artifacts. These frames aesthetically reference the design of the time periods of his subject matter. Patterson's artwork centers around Black history in the United States, but his recent work has focused on the Black history of Maryland's Eastern Shore. Adams' paintings and installations engage museum collections and commemorative landscapes to address historical memory and craft traditions. Both artists describe their process of working with archival subject matter and generating ideas in relationship to education, literature, landscape, genealogy and philosophy. They discuss recent projects about 19th and 20th century histories of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Baltimore City and Maryland's Kent County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In academic theology, prayer is often relegated to the theologian's private life. 1 What happens when prayer is integrated in a theologian's ethnographic research, challenging this divide? In this paper, I explore my experience of reading my own interview transcriptions from research with women in Palestine, utilizing the practice of lectio divina. This form of contemplative prayer forces the reader to slow down and meditate on the text, rather than solely engaging the transcription through an analytical frame. In this way, the words of the interview transcription are engaged as more than information and data; in the context of contemplative prayer, the insights of those I spoke with mediate God's presence. I further suggest that lectio divina encourages the researcher to continue to encounter her 'informants' as full persons, even during the 'analysis' stage of her project, as well as calls her to grapple with how this (re)encounter with the interviewee in the transcription may require her to move beyond writing to engage in concrete acts of solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the confluence of feminist and ecological concerns across Elena Ferrante's literary corpus. After a discussion of Ferrante's engagement with Giacomo Leopardi, this paper considers references to the climate emergency and the Campania waste crisis in her work. An analysis of 'Tremore' illuminates Ferrante's ecofeminism — an ethics of radical openness to all living beings. Proposing an ecofeminist attitude of interspecies solidarity on a damaged planet, the tetralogy explores the concurrent oppressions of women and nonhuman animals. While the episode of Lila's exploitation in the factory connects the butchering of animals to women's physical and financial abuse at the hands of men, Lila's characterization as a snake and a falcon challenges human exceptionalism. Smarginatura is understood as an experiment in ecological writing: rather than engaging in an aesthetic or anthropomorphizing contemplation of the world that entails remoteness, Ferrante reminds us of our enmeshment with every form of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]