Yedi Herdiana,1 Dolih Gozali,1 Norisca Aliza Putriana,1 Muchtaridi Muchtaridi,2 Shaharum Shamsuddin,3,4 Ferry Ferdiansyah Sofian5 1Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia; 2Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia; 3School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; 4Nanobiotech Research Initiative, Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia; 5Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, IndonesiaCorrespondence: Yedi Herdiana, Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java, Indonesia, Email y.herdiana@unpad.ac.idAbstract: Animal-derived ingredients (ADIs) account for up to 75% of prescription drugs, triggering clinical risks such as alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), ethical-religious conflicts, and supply transparency issues. This calls for a systematic evaluation of ADIs and accelerated development of animal-free alternatives (AFAs). This critical review synthesizes evidence from the biomedical, regulatory, and ethical literature to analyze the persistence of ADIs, map their risk stratification (biological and religious), and evaluate progress in AFAs. ADIs persist due to their functional, regulatory, and biocompatibility advantages in various medical products. Methodologically, the proposed dual risk stratification framework integrates immunological risk profiles, specifically targeting the galactose-α-1,3-galactose epitope, with Halal jurisprudential criteria for categorizing pharmaceutical ingredients. Although various AFAs (plant-based, recombinant, and synthetic) have been developed and supported by global regulatory initiatives, significant challenges in scalability, cost, and bioequivalence remain. The transition to AFAs is crucial and increasingly technically feasible. A unified framework that integrates scientific, ethical, and religious analysis is needed to accelerate the adoption of safe and inclusive AFAs, while ensuring patient autonomy and safety.Keywords: animal-derived ingredients, immunogenicity, pharmaceutical ethics, halal pharmaceuticals, risk assessment, excipient safety
ABSTRACTWe take moral dilemmas to be situations where no fully “moral” resolution is possible. Even an action that is, on the whole, justified may involve an injustice against someone affected. Some philosophers and theologians rule out such dilemmas on the basis of logical incoherence, or incompatibility with the nature of a good and all‐powerful God. This essay defends the plausibility of moral dilemmas in Christian ethics, in light of Augustine's and Aquinas's reflections on ambivalent decisions; challenges to modern rationalist epistemologies; and contemporary theological hermeneutics of God, God's attributes, and the problem of evil. We propose a Christian ethical response entailing communal support for agents caught in moral dilemmas, as well as social‐political remediation of contributing structural injustices. Our focus is individual agents, yet we indicate how analogous dilemmas can arise for agents of institutions.
The sources shaping a moral theory range from “reason” to “societal command” to “religious texts.” The prominence and relationship between these sources is contingent upon the ethicists’ approaches and inquiries. Although Kant’s proposition of “pure reason” as a source of moral obligation marks a significant turning point in the field of ethics, scholars like Søren Aabye Kierkegaard argue for a divine command law of ethics, where religious texts become an inevitable source complementing individual ethical choices. This essay explores the intersection of religious texts and reasoning—the fusion between heteronomy and autonomy as sources of morality. It analyzes Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh Drāz’s “Moral Obligation” as a categorical imperative within moral theories and his incorporation of Western scholars such as Immanuel Kant and Henri Bergson into his work, among others. The discussion features a significant episode of Muslim intellectual engagement with Western scholarship and its impact on understanding morality in the Qurʾān. The study shows that Drāz’s La Morale du Koran adapts certain Western ethical theories and reinterprets specific Qurʾanic passages, creating a new synthesis: an integration of knowledge.
This article explores the specific role of courage in the context of the <i>Anthropocene</i>’s moment; it first examines Aristotle’s conception of virtues, focusing on courage, before comparing it to Confucian thought and analyzing the historical dialogue between Western and Chinese traditions on ethics through the works of François Noël (1651–1729). Aristotle views moral cultivation as a social process wherein habits shape inner dispositions; in his view, courage is linked to other virtues, such as temperance and justice. For Aristotle, courage implies the appropriate balance between extremes and must be directed toward a worthy end, such as promoting positive change within a community. This Aristotelian perspective was later incorporated into a biblical framework by Aquinas and Suarez, emphasizing dichotomies between body and soul, as well as between humans and other living beings. These dichotomies must be challenged in the face of the <i>Anthropocene</i>’s emergencies. The second part of this contribution proceeds to a <i>detour</i> examining Confucian ethics, which rests on a different anthropology, emphasizing continuities rather than discontinuities. Like Aristotelian thought, Confucian thought also underscores moral education within a community; it prioritizes humanity, embodied through empathy and loyalty. In the <i>Analects</i>, courage is balanced by a sense of rituals and righteousness. Mencius further distinguishes several types of courage, stressing self-cultivation and the ruler’s responsibility to make empathetic, appropriate decisions for the community’s sake. From this perspective, courage is understood as the continuous perseverance in self-cultivation, coupled with a firm intention oriented toward the good of the community. Zhu Xi’s comments on Zilu’s courage in the <i>Analects</i> extend this Confucian tradition. Finally, this article highlights how a dialogue between Aristotelian and Confucian ethics began four centuries ago, particularly through Noël’s <i>Philosophia Sinica</i>, which combined these traditions. This inter-religious approach to ethics, enriched by figures such as Aquinas, Suarez, Zhu Xi, and neo-Confucian thinkers, requires re-evaluation because the understanding of personal ethics and nature has evolved. The modern naturalistic approach, with its emphasis on dichotomies, has contributed to a mechanistic view of nature, fostering its exploitation, and a devaluation of the body. This contrast highlights the urgent need for renewed dialogue between Western and Chinese ethical traditions to address contemporary challenges, with François Noël serving as a historical witness of these exchanges.
Humaerah Hawalay, Arif Rahman Ramli, Dwi Handayani
This study examines public responses to MUI Fatwa No. 83 of 2023, which prohibits transactions with Israeli-affiliated products and emphasizes support for Palestine. The research aims to bridge the knowledge gap regarding how communities understand and implement the fatwa, while also exploring its potential social and political consequences. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilizing observation, interviews, and documentation as data collection techniques. The data sources include primary and secondary materials relevant to the fatwa and its community impact. The findings reveal that the community in Manggala Sub-district understands and accepts the fatwa’s principles. They view it as an essential step in showing solidarity with Palestine, often expressing support through joint prayers, fundraisers, and adherence to the prohibition of Israeli products. Practical implementations of the fatwa, such as organized charity activities, demonstrate a significant level of community engagement. This research is original in its focus on a localized response to MUI Fatwa No. 83 of 2023, contributing to a broader understanding of the social dynamics surrounding Islamic legal directives. The implications highlight the need for enhanced and sustainable education programs to socialize fatwas effectively. Local governments and the MUI should collaborate to provide direct counseling, community leader training, and support mechanisms for traders to adapt without economic disruption. By addressing these aspects, the study underscores the importance of aligning religious directives with practical societal needs.
Syahrul Basri, Yudi Adnan, Lilis Widiastuty
et al.
Environmental ethics provides a moral framework for addressing sustainability challenges, emphasizing the ethical responsibility of humanity toward ecological preservation. This study explores Islamic environmental ethics, focusing on principles such as khalifah (stewardship), amanah (trust), and adl (justice), and their applications in sustainable practices, education, and policymaking. Using a systematic literature review, 72 sources were analyzed to identify key themes, including the theoretical foundations of Islamic environmental ethics, practical applications in daily practices and resource management, and implications for policy development. Findings demonstrate the transformative potential of Islamic teachings in fostering environmental stewardship, with examples such as eco-pesantren initiatives and sustainable agriculture illustrating successful integration into community practices. The study also highlights the significance of incorporating Islamic principles into education to cultivate eco-conscious behaviors and align sustainability efforts with cultural and religious values. By providing a comprehensive framework for integrating Islamic environmental ethics into global sustainability strategies, this research offers a culturally resonant approach to addressing environmental challenges. Future studies are recommended to assess the real-world applications of these principles across diverse contexts and their impact on long-term ecological sustainability.
Fulfillment of the golden rule of ethics; Examining obstacles and solutions of orientationRahim Dehghan, Sayed Hadi SohrabiSummary:The golden rule as a general moral law recommends that; Treat others as you would like to be treated in the same situation. Despite the approval of this law by all people, it seems that there is a kind of gap between the opinion and practice of this law. Part of this gap is rooted in the obstacles related to the field of human tendency, which needs to be analyzed. Therefore, the main issue in this research, which was carried out with a descriptive-analytical method, is that what are the main obstacles related to human tendency towards the realization of this law and what solutions can be provided to solve these obstacles. . The research findings indicate that; Following the whims of the ego, weakness of will, and matching with the crowd are the main obstacles to the human tendency to realize this law. Based on this, mastery of reason over other powers of the soul, goal setting and planning and practice in strengthening the will, as well as strengthening the spirit of sacrifice and self-sacrifice in the society, can be considered among the solutions for tending obstacles. Therefore, it is necessary to fulfill this law by removing the mentioned obstacles based on the solutions stated in this article.
“Who can find a virtuous woman?” (Prov. 31:10 KJV). My entire life, I have heard and read messages about the “virtuous” woman, as depicted in Proverbs 31:10–31. Though many herald this character as the standard for godly women, I find her portrayal problematic. She is depicted as a one-dimensional worker bee, never engaged in rest, recreation, or relationship building. Further, her spiritual location and formation go unmentioned. How did such a limited illustration become the religious paradigm by which women and girls are measured? At its root is white supremacist, patriarchal, capitalistic misogyny (WSPCM), employed in churches to consign women to “safe”, secondary status while still using them as workhorses and sources of income to keep institutions viable. Once internalized, women and girls bear the crushing weight of an unhealthy, unattainable achievement, struggling to become a fictitious, unrealistic figure. In this article, I refute the WSPCM interpretation of the Proverbs 31 woman as the standard for faithful, Spirit-filled women, offering instead a liberative paradigm grounded in womanist hermeneutics, ethics, and spirituality. This approach provides a critique of and corrective for the oppressive, erroneous, and dangerous interpretations of “virtue” and “womanhood” that do violence to female personhood, especially in the name of religion.
While research has focused on financial and social goals in impact investing, we add to the limited research that focuses on how individuals manage identity multiplicity, defined as three or more role identities. Based on our qualitative study of Christian impact investors, we develop a model of identity multiplicity work, explaining how individuals manage their multiple role identities (financial, social, and religious) to reduce identity tensions during the process of impact investing. We find individuals engaged in an interactive, ongoing three-step process of identity multiplicity work: prioritizing one of their salient identities, managing their identity multiplicity interrelationships, and reinforcing their prioritized identity. Investors generally prioritized an identity that was neither financial nor social, but rather religious. We also find this identity work implemented through three novel mechanisms: shadowing, one identity casts a shadow over another thereby enabling the simultaneous pursuit of related goals; distinguishing, all identities are retained and at least a minimum threshold of role expectations are met; and surrendering, partial sacrificing of goals of one (or more) identity in favor of another identity based on an individual’s self-reflective importance of the role. Our findings offer new insights to multiple identities, impact investing and business ethics literatures.
Abbas Ebadi, jamileh Mokhtari Nouri, Batool Nehrir
INTRODUCTION
… [1]. Due to the lack of information related to the disease, the lack of understanding of the patient's needs and the lack of knowledge about how to care for the patient, the families of the patients do not have the necessary efficiency in providing adequate care [2]. … [3]. Education with a family-centered approach is a process in which family members are trained to increase their skills and abilities to help the sick family member [4]. ... [5, 6]. Different texts have other multiple consequences for the implementation of family-centered care including improving the psychological conditions of children and families, attachment increase, reducing the hospitalization time of patients, increasing the satisfaction of families, patients and healthcare personnel, reducing stress and restlessness, reducing negative effects of hospitalization, reducing stay in intensive care units as well as hospitals, and increasing satisfaction in the family [3, 7, 8]. A clinical trial study in France showed that improving relationships and support of family members in intensive care units can significantly reduce depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder [9]. ... [10]. In a review of parental participation in the care of hospitalized children, Power Frank stated that nurses usually have a good attitude towards parents' participation in care. However, due to the limitations of professional rules, they are reluctant to hand over some routine daily tasks [11]. With numerous advantages, this approach has been neglected in Iran, and less emphasis and attention has been paid to it. ... [12, 13].
AIM(S)
The present study was conducted to review recent studies in the field of family-centered care approach.
RESEARCH TYPE
This research is a review study.
RESEARCH SOCIETY, PLACE & TIME
The statistical population of this review study was the articles of 2000-2021 that investigated the approach of family-centered care.
SAMPLING METHOD AND NUMBER
Searching in Persian articles was done using the keywords family-centered approach and family-centered care and using the keywords Family-centered approach, Family-based centered, and Family-centered care in English articles. English articles were searched in Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Persian ones were searched in SID and Magiran databases. Repeated and unrelated cases after the initial screening were excluded from the studies in the next step. The screening criteria included the lack of relationship between the article to the topic and removing articles that were published in both Persian and English versions. All the articles containing the mentioned keywords in their titles or abstracts were included in the initial list in the next step. Then a checklist of the necessary information of the study, including the name of the author, the time of the study, the sample size, and the results of the study was prepared for the final evaluation. After reviewing the articles that met the inclusion criteria, the final articles obtained were reviewed by researchers. To select related articles, the article quality tool called Prisma Checklist was used [14] (Diagram 1).
ETHICAL PERMISSION
Ethical permission was observed at all levels of the research, and no seizure was made by the researchers while conducting the research. The code of ethics related to this study was also received from Baqiyatllah University of Medical Sciences as IR.BMSU.REC.1400.05.
FINDING by TEXT
Among 265 articles, after searching and screening, the final analysis was done on 100 articles. Many summarized studies related to the family-centered care approach were shown in table 1. Based on this table, the different effects of the family-centered approach can be categorized in different studies. The reviewed studies included nine descriptive-cross-sectional studies, 18 quasi-experimental studies, 60 randomized clinical trial studies, and 13 qualitative research studies. The findings showed that the most important effects of the family-centered approach included increasing the quality of life, the satisfaction of patients and families, improving the clinical outcomes of newborns, reducing anxiety and stress, separating from mechanical ventilation, improving hemodynamic conditions, and increasing the participation of families. Increasing the quality of life: Among the founded studies, 6 investigated the quality of life [15-20]. According to the World Health Organization, quality of life means a person's perception of his/her life situation and attention to the culture in which he/she lives and is related to his/her goals and priorities in life which affects the physical and mental activity of the person and his/her role in society [7]. There is a belief that living well leads to a longer life. For this reason, the concept of quality of life has attracted more attention in recent decades in medical science research. Today, most health-related quality-of-life studies emphasize examining patient care outcomes. After being discharged from the hospital, these patients often experience many problems, such as pain, fatigue, intolerance to activity, sleep disorders, wound care issues, anxiety, depression, and fear of their future condition, which significantly affect their quality of life [21]. Increasing the satisfaction of patients and families: Among the obtained studies, 31 have investigated the satisfaction of patients and their families [22-50, 3]. Patient satisfaction in improving the quality of health care services is one of the most influential factors in the quality of services. Patient satisfaction is evaluated through the recent experience of patients in the hospital. Family satisfaction indicates the extent to which health professionals meet the family's needs and expectations and may be influenced by family-related factors such as attitudes toward life and death and social, cultural, and religious backgrounds as well as patient-related factors such as the severity of the disease, the hospital's infrastructure and the care process [31]. One of the keys to caring is satisfaction with the care provided. Satisfaction is essential not only for patients but also for their families [10]. Improving the clinical outcomes of newborns: Among the founded studies, 13 ones have investigated the clinical outcomes of newborns [51-62]. Underweight and premature babies are at risk and experience many physical and mental problems. Their physiological characteristics require basic care to continue life and achieve normal growth and development. One of these cases is hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [63]. Since hospitalization is a stressful experience for the baby and parents, special attention has been paid to it in recent years. One of the most effective ways to prevent injuries and damages caused by hospitalization is the active involvement of parents in the care of the baby because it improves parents' ability and reduces the re-hospitalization rate [64]. Family-centered care in Intensive Care Units for newborns has caused the family to be involved in care and decision-making since the baby's birth. So parents are considered primary caregivers and cooperate with health workers [65]. Reducing anxiety and stress: Among the founded studies, 13 have investigated anxiety and stress [9, 25, 76-67]. One of the causes of severe anxiety in the family is facing life-changing conditions such as the hospitalization of one of the family members [25]. Illnesses and accidents that lead to the hospitalization of a patient in the Intensive Care Unit are usually life-threatening and lead to the anxiety of family members. Fear of the patient's death, financial concerns, role changes, and changes in daily life are sources of anxiety for the patients' families [66]. The high level of anxiety in the family of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit is due to factors such as not being familiar with the environment and advanced equipment of the hospital, lack of trust in the hospital staff, lack of response to treatment and dissatisfaction with care [44]. Separation from mechanical ventilation and improvement of hemodynamic conditions: Among the founded studies, six investigated hemodynamic conditions in patients with mechanical ventilation [77-82]. The process of isolating the patient from the mechanical ventilator is essential. Because if the patient does not have a stable hemodynamic condition, it will cause adverse effects for the patient. In recent years, many non-pharmacological methods have been recommended to reduce the complications of mechanical ventilation treatment. One of these methods is the family-centered care approach. Increasing the participation of families: Among the founded studies, six studies have investigated the effect of family participation [25, 59, 86-83]. The educational participation of families can provide a suitable basis for improving the clinical condition of patients. Ezzati stated that families' supportive presence and participation in the Intensive Care Unit cause positive patient recovery changes [84].
MAIN COMPARISION to the SIMILAR STUDIES
In line with the results of the present study, Qavidel and Shabani have stated in their studies that family-centered education for coronary artery bypass surgery patients has improved their quality of lives [15, 87]. In Lindenfelser's study, music therapy has been introduced as one of the approaches to family-centered care in children who spend their final life levels [17]. Wright and Ferrando stated that factors such as age, ethnicity, relationship with the patient and the number of patient visits affected the satisfaction of the companions and factors such as age, the severity of the disease, the length of the patient's stay in the hospital and invasive ventilation affected the satisfaction of the patients. [31, 45]. Heyland claims that variables related to overall satisfaction include completeness of the information received, respect for the patient and family members, and quality of health care [42]. Karlsson et al. believe that in addition to the mentioned factors, the skill of the ICU personnel and their behavior with the patient and family are important in increasing satisfaction [88]. Some researchers have stated that implementing family-centered programs have increased the satisfaction of patients and their families in the intensive care unit. Therefore, it is useful to implement this approach in the intensive care unit. [22-24, 26, 44, 45]. In general, it can be said that efforts to improve interaction and communication with families, emotional support, providing comprehensible and complete information and coordination in care, most likely lead to improvement of patient and family satisfaction and thus lead to satisfaction with the hospital, which finally, it increases the quality of service. Improvement of clinical results in infants was another effect of this method. Studies by Aliabadi and Ortenstrand have shown that family participation in the neonatal intensive care unit has reduced re-hospitalization and visits to the doctor and significantly reduced the average duration of hospitalization [59, 60]. Skene considered family-centered effects as sharing information with parents, family support, the possibility of parents' participation and improving the competence of supporting parents in care [61]. According to the results of Cooper's study, implementing this approach in the neonatal intensive care unit has made mothers feel less stressed, comfortable, aware and more confident, and more importantly, it has increased parental support in the neonatal intensive care unit by nurses [66]. Simeone et al. have concluded that the implementation of family-centered care before surgery for children with congenital heart has significantly reduced anxiety in parents by explaining the medical equipment and the treatment process [74]. Some researchers believe that this approach has reduced anxiety in the families of patients admitted to the intensive care unit [66, 68, 75]. Shoushi has also stated that this approach has reduced depression, anxiety and stress in the families of open-heart surgery patients [70]. However, Imanipour's study on the families of heart surgery patients found that informational support, orientation tour and provision of educational booklets did not reduce the anxiety of the patient on the day of discharge from the ICU [29], which is not in line with the findings of this study. Also, in Bailey's study, there was no significant relationship between informational support and family anxiety of patients admitted to the ICU [89]. Chien showed in a semi-experimental study in the intensive care unit that the anxiety level in the patient's families in the intervention group decreased compared to the control group and was associated with increased family satisfaction. However, it caused anxiety in family members [33], which is inconsistent with the study's results. It can be said that the increase in anxiety and stress resulting from this approach is because the family does not have enough information about the disease, the treatment process, the department's environment and the ward's complex equipment, and they feel anxious when they are asked for an opinion. Therefore, the participation of family members of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit in the care program has an effective role in reducing the anxiety of family members and improving the process of caring for patients. Early separation from mechanical ventilation and improvement of hemodynamic conditions are other effects of this approach. Safaeipour stated in his thesis that family-centered care reduced the time of isolation from mechanical ventilation in patients who had coronary artery bypass surgery [77]. Some researchers have reported that the fear of the unknown caused an increase in hemodynamic indicators, including blood pressure, heartbeat, and breathing. At the same time, implementing this approach improved hemodynamic symptoms and reduced hospitalization in the intensive care unit. The reason for this could be the lower anxiety of patients in the intervention group compared to the control group [4, 80, 82]. Also, Azimi Lolati has shown that visiting family members and friends led to a decrease in a heartbeat, breathing and more oxygen saturation in patients hospitalized in CCU. Also, meeting with family and friends can improve the feeling of well-being in MI patients and reduce their anxiety [82]. Hosseini Azizi et al. stated about the effect of family support on the recovery process of concussion patients in the intensive care unit that this approach has accelerated the recovery process of the patient. Also, solving the concerns among nurses and correcting their beliefs has provided the basis for using the benefits of family presence [90].
LIMITATIONS
The limitation of the study was the impossibility of accessing the full text of some articles, so they were not included in the study.
SUGGESTIONS
Due to the frequency of studies in this field, it is vital to conduct a meta-analysis study in this regard. It is suggested that nursing managers implement family-centered care, especially in children's and Intensive Care Units. It is also necessary that its various dimensions be studied and evaluated in universities and research centers; according to Iranian culture and society, and its hidden symptoms be identified, and the field for applying this approach in public and private medical centers be provided.
CONCLUSIONS
The current research showed that implementing family-centered approach increases the quality of life, and satisfaction of patients and families, improves the clinical results of newborns, reduces anxiety and stress, separates them from mechanical ventilation, and increases the participation of families. According to the findings and positive effects of this approach as a valuable and low-cost solution, it can be used as a scientific solution for more participation of patients and families in Iran's rehabilitation and treatment centers. Therefore, according to the mentioned materials, with a little expense, using different specialties, supporting the family, and involving the patient, the conditions for empowering the family can be provided
CLINICAL& PRACTICAL TIPS in POLICE MEDICINE
Teaching the principles of family-centered care creates group motivation, increases the quality of life, creates independence, and makes patients and families of the armed forces not dependent on health care providers.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This article results from a part of the Ph.D. dissertation in the Faculty of Nursing of Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences. The financial and moral support of the Research and Technology directorate of Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences and the Research Center of the Health and Treatment directorate of the Police Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran are gratefully acknowledged for this project.
CONFLICT of INTEREST
The authors state that the present study has no conflict of interest.
FUNDING SOURCES
This article was written with the financial support of the directorate of Research and Technology of Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences and the Research Center of the directorate of Health and police Headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
ABSTRAK
Kompetensi pedagogik guru saat ini belum mencapai kondisi optimal dalam mendukung peningkatan kualitas pendidikan nasional. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis tahapan pelaksanaan kegiatan lesson study dan mengidentifikasi pengembangan kompetensi pedagogik guru setelah mengikuti lesson study oleh musyawarah guru mata pelajaran (MGMP) PKn SMP Kabupaten Ogan Ilir. Pendekatan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kualitatif dengan studi kasus. Pengumpulan data menggunakan wawancara, observasi, dan dokumnetasi. Data dianalisis dengan reduksi data, penyajian, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pertama, tahapan lesson study mulai perencanaan, pelaksanaan, dan refleksi berjalan dengan baik sesuai dengan tujuannya. Kedia terkait pelaksanaan lesson study memberi dampak positif terhadap perkembangan kompetensi pedagogik guru baik secara manajerial maupun praktik pembelajaran. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa tahapan-tahapan pelaksanaan lesson study mampu mengembangkan kompetensi pedagogik guru. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari kesiapan MGMP dalam memfasilitasi guru mengikuti kegiatan di lapangan. Selanjutnya, dampak dari pelaksanaan tahapan lesson study bagi pengembangan kompetensi pedagogik guru dapat dilihat dari perubahan sikap, kebiasaan, kesiapan, dan pola pengajaran yang ditunjukkan oleh guru dalam setiap proses kegiatan belajar dan mengajar di kelas.
ABSTRACT
Teachers' current pedagogical competence has not yet reached optimal conditions for supporting the improvement of national education quality. This study aimed to identify the development of teacher pedagogic competence after attending lesson study by subject teachers' deliberations (MGMP) in Civics at SMP in Ogan Ilir Regency. The research employed a qualitative approach with case studies. The technique of data collection methods included interviews, observation, and documentation. Data were analyzed through data reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that the stages of lesson study, from planning to implementation to reflection, were completed successfully and following their objectives. Secondly, the use of lesson study positively impacts the development of teachers' pedagogical competencies, both managerially and in terms of learning practices. The findings of this study indicate that the stages of implementing lesson study can help teachers develop their pedagogical skills. It is evidenced by the MGMP's readiness to assist teachers in field activities. Furthermore, the impact of implementing the lesson study stages for the development of teachers' educational competencies can be seen in changes in attitudes, habits, readiness, and teaching patterns demonstrated by teachers in all teaching and learning activities in the classroom.
This study is going to answer how is humankind nature according to Hobbs views using descriptive analytical method and referring to anthropological ideas of Thomas Hobbs. Then it is going clarify and assess its ethical consequences according to Allameh Tabatabaee's views and its findings. Referring to Allameh Tabatabaee's views in this regard beside the clarification of consequences of Hobbes' views, facilitates comparative study and familiarity with the correct view in each topic. The findings show that human beings in his actions and behaviors in Hobbes view is obedient to his wills and interactions in such a way that even his intellect is under power of his wills and excitements. So Hobbes accepts that to control humans and create compatibility among them, there is no way except common agreement and obedience to the rulers. The result of this approach is to reject any real background for ethical values. In apposite, according to bilateral characteristic of human nature (body and soul) and his intellectual ability to recognize right and wrong, Allameh talks about real background if ethical values, innate right and wrong, justification and demonstrable ethical values. In his view making ethical values and applying them by rulers as Hobbes believes will cause obedience of wil, oppression and social class. And also there would be no guarantee for applying the ethical values. So Allameh is seeking to clarify the topic in a different way.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
“An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject, and how to avoid them.”
― Werner Heisenberg
INTRODUCTION
Bioethicists have long debated the question of expertise in clinical ethics and who gets a say in bedside clinical ethics consults.[1] From Seattle’s famous God Committee that decided on the allocation of kidneys, to clinical ethicists at a suburban hospital in Ohio, clinical ethics ‘experts’ have been central to bioethics and its development.[2] However, it is time to question what expertise in clinical ethics means, and if there can ever be such an expert. Does expertise mean proficiency in clinical care or the ethics part of clinical ethics? Should professionals who are not healthcare practitioners be involved in clinical ethics discussions? In this paper, I argue that clinical ethics consults involving non-clinicians should be done away with for two reasons: first, they lack clinical medical experience to properly analyze the ethical issues, and second, moral expertise should give way to medical expertise.
Although clinical ethics consultants might venture into areas of clinical expertise with a bona fide intention of helping patients or surrogates, their judgment is often based on knowledge of ethical theories.[3] However, bioethicists have cautioned against a casuistic method and signaled for clinical ethicists to have clinical experience and medical education.[4] While it is perfectly possible to familiarize oneself with the law and ethics, I argue that it is not possible to appreciate the complexity of certain medical decisions entirely without medical experience.[5] Bedside ethical conundrums are unique and impact every patient differently. Thus, when an ethics consultant or a healthcare practitioner draws on a single bedside dilemma and applies the knowledge gained from it to a different patient or a different dilemma, they may find themselves creating bad rules and ignoring autonomy. As non-clinicians who sit on ethics committees have no bedside clinical experience, their magnitude of transformative experiences (experiences that give the subject knowledge that would otherwise be otherwise unavailable)[6] is limited. The clinicians develop such experiences over time giving care. The ethics committee members do not have a similar way to gain experience. This also speaks to the importance of a phenomenological reading of clinical ethics decisions. Specifically, clinical ethics consultants without sufficient medical expertise may fail to guide patients in the best way possible in making medical decisions. A confined and parochial, or purely philosophical, approach that non-clinicians often use might not be in the best interests of the particular patient. If they were to venture into clinical situations to comment on the ethical aspect, they could step into matters they know little about which might end up causing harm to the patient.
We, as bioethicists, would be doing a disservice to patients if we let non-clinicians claim the moral high ground in the face of medical advice. As Scofield puts it, “(Clinical) Ethics consultation is and can only be what it purports not to be—a moral, if not an ethics, disaster. It has acted unprofessionally because … of its failure to do what a profession worthy of the name would do.”[7]
l. Medical Expertise May Be More Appropriate than Moral Expertise
An idea that a clinical ethics consult should be conducted by clinicians themselves comports with the makeup of clinical ethics committees. They are usually comprised primarily of medical professionals, but increasingly hospitals are attracting more ethics professionals who are not healthcare practitioners. As Hauschildt and De Vires note, “a closer examination suggests that clinical ethicists are likely to be clinicians themselves and that clinical considerations are often the ultimate authority in defining what is, and is not, determined to be ethical.”[8] In cases that are reported to ethics consults, 63 percent show a disagreement between the patient and the doctor about the course of treatments.[9] Those disagreements speak to ethical issues. For example, if a doctor recommends palliative care and patient wants to pursue an aggressive course of treatment, the ethical dilemma is built into the clinical care decision. While we would like to think that ethicists on hospital ethics committees deliberate on philosophical nuances of treatment (or the lack thereof), I argue that clinical ethics consults focus on resolving clinical ambiguities and reaching consensus, which ultimately relies on clinical judgment. An ethics consultant may not be able to appreciate the medical nuances of the situation. Studies conducted have clearly demonstrated that most ethics consults are called in when there is a lack of communication.[10] What would serve the patients, in this case, is perhaps investing the money that is spent in training and employing non-clinician consultants into teaching doctors and nurses how to communicate better.
ll. Authoritarian Ethics Consults
As with healthcare workers delving into ethics advice, in clinical ethics consults, there is a risk that the consultant might adopt an “authoritarian approach”[11] and impose his or her values, priorities, and/or religious convictions on the patients and their families. It is inevitable that in the work of bioethics, the personal meets the professional. Even if they do not mean to impose their values on the patients, there is strong empirical data to suggest that in most clinical ethics consults, patients end up following recommendations of the ethics committees. For example, in a study conducted of 229 clinical ethics consults, approximately 88 percent of the recommendations were followed. Certain types of consults such as initiating a palliative care treatment or proceeding with life-sustaining intervention had a 100 percent compliance rate with the ethics committee’s advice.[12] Additionally, studies have shown that clinicians frame consults in a way that nudges the patients in making decisions that maximize their welfare and is seen as an acceptable form of paternalism.[13] Yet, patients likely do not appreciate paternalistic nudges. In the studies, most questions were about futility or the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Arguably, these questions require clinical expertise and not ethical expertise. A clinician or a nurse may be better suited to help guide the patient’s family because they would be able to comprehend and explain the complexity of the clinical case to the family better. If the idea of a clinical ethics consult is to further patient autonomy, it is failing.
lll. Addressing Counterarguments
Two arguments may challenge a proposal as radical as kicking all the ethics consultants who are not also medical professionals or healthcare practitioners out of clinical ethics consults or committees: first, the argument that a broader variety of professionals should have a say in bioethics; and second, that ethics committee members may relate to patients more effectively than some physicians and other healthcare workers do. Yet, these claims are not strong rebuttals.
As bioethics developed within philosophy, it may have lost sight of the day-to-day ethical issues that arise in the clinic. Komesaroff argues that the task of handling clinical ethics consults is only one that clinicians can handle, and there is a need to separate bioethics from clinical ethics. He suggests that the time is ripe for clinical ethics to be considered through the lens of micro-ethics and established as an area of research distinct from bioethics.[14] I agree and assert that there is a need to distinguish the broader ethical debate from the work of everyday clinical practice, a work where clinicians are best suited to handle the issues, perhaps a subcategory of bioethics. This will involve the need for redefining the relationship between the macro ethical work of bioethics, and the micro ethical work of everyday medical/clinical ethics which happens at the bedside.[15] What is required in a clinical ethics setting, in my opinion, is for the doctor not to frame the issue in terms of bioethical or large philosophical concepts such as autonomy or deontology, but to talk to the patient and more importantly, listen to the patient. A smooth communication structure, if put in place, would help alleviate fear and establish a common ground on which decisions can be reached in clinical settings. That is, I see clinical ethics as also not necessary to the doctor-patient relationship but argue that better communication would help patients make important decisions. The ethics ultimately would belong to the patient, with the clinician providing necessary data that will help guide patient decision making and do no more.
The second issue is relatability. Clinicians are often constrained by their vocabulary and medical expertise and may not be able to break down the complex pathology of a disease to the patients. Thus, some may argue that non-clinicians, not held back by the jargon, would be able to relate to the patient. As I proposed earlier, the money spent hiring and training clinical ethics consultants could be redirected to teaching doctors how to be more effective communicators. That would perhaps further patient autonomy. Nurses may also make effective interlocutors between patients and doctors in cases where the doctor cannot get through to the patient. Nurses are often involved more in the day-to-day dealing with the patient and thus know the patient and their families closely. Secondly, they possess the requisite medical knowledge to help the patients through decision-making processes. Yet the current shortage of nurses also poses issues in this realm. Some doctors and nurses make a point to get to know the patients, their beliefs, and their goals of care and could thus be better at helping patients arrive at decisions by using open jargon-free communication.
CONCLUSION
Much of this paper stems from my experiences as a Master of Bioethics candidate at Harvard Medical School. As a non-clinician who studied clinical ethics for a semester, under excellent guidance, I often found myself turning to friends who had clinical experience with questions about the medical aspects of case discussions. More often than not, the clinical insight that they gave me helped me better understand the choices that were before me as a purported expert in simulations. I have been plagued with the question-- would I be qualified to consult in clinical ethics, after a Master of Bioethics degree at Harvard Medical School? My answer would be an unequivocal NO. While I expect to be highly qualified to weigh in at the policy level and I have been provided the skillset necessary for in-depth philosophical analysis of complex bioethical issues, I have not become, and I suggest others are not as well, a moral expert (if there is such a thing). The hubris of a bioethicist should not get in the way of patient care. I do not mean to say through this paper, that non-clinicians are to be brushed aside is bioethical discussions. Lawyers, ethicists, chaplains, and the diverse set of people that are attracted to the work of bioethics provide an incredibly diverse set of skills, knowledge, and views that the clinicians often miss. They discuss and bring in perspectives from a variety of vantage points which have been instrumental in furthering the debates in bioethics. But as I have argued, they need not populate clinical ethics committees where they are at risk of exerting moral expertise, especially as their ethics position on a case may not be grounded in a deep enough understanding of the medical issues at hand. Instead, they should be used in broad policy-making decisions, framing issues, debating in print and digital media, and on IRBs. Bioethics is “everyone’s business,”[16] but clinical ethics should not be.
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[1] Jan Crosthwaite, ‘In Defence of Ethicists. A Commentary on Christopher Cowley’s Paper’ (2005) 8 Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 281 <http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11019-005-0085-6> accessed 11 December 2021, Jukka Varelius, ‘Is Ethical Expertise Possible?’ (2008) 11 Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 127 <http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11019-007-9089-8> accessed 11 December 2021, Christopher Cowley, “A New Rejection of Moral Expertise,” Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 8, no. 3 (November 2005): 273–79, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-005-1588-x.Ana S. Iltis and Lisa M. Rasmussen, “The ‘Ethics’ Expertise in Clinical Ethics Consultation,” Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 41, no. 4 (August 2016): 363–68, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmp/jhw013.
[2] Albert R. Jonsen, “The God Squad and the Origins of Transplantation Ethics and Policy,” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 35, no. 2 (2007): 238–40, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-720X.2007.00131.x.
[3] Albert R. Jonsen, “Casuistry as Methodology in Clinical Ethics,” Theoretical Medicine 12, no. 4 (December 1991): 295–307, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00489890.
[4] Matthew A. Butkus, “The Necessity of Clinical Experience in Medical Ethics Expertise,” in Moral Expertise: New Essays from Theoretical and Clinical Bioethics, ed. Jamie Carlin Watson and Laura K. Guidry-Grimes (Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2018), 227–44, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92759-6_13.
[5] Butkus.
[6] L. A. Paul, “What You Can’t Expect When You’re Expecting,” Res Philosophica 92, no. 2 (2015): 149–70, https://doi.org/10.11612/resphil.2015.92.2.1.
[7] Giles R. Scofield, “What Is Medical Ethics Consultation?” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 36, no. 1 (2008): 95–118, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-720X.2008.00241.x.
[8] Katrina Hauschildt and Raymond De Vries, “Reinforcing Medical Authority: Clinical Ethics Consultation and the Resolution of Conflicts in Treatment Decisions,” Sociology of Health & Illness 42, no. 2 (February 2020): 307–26, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13003.
[9] Katrina Hauschildt and Raymond De Vries, ‘Reinforcing Medical Authority: Clinical Ethics Consultation and the Resolution of Conflicts in Treatment Decisions’ (2020) 42 Sociology of Health & Illness 307 <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.13003> accessed 12 December 2021, G DuVal, ‘What Triggers Requests for Ethics Consultations?’ (2001) 27 Journal of Medical Ethics 24 <https://jme.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/jme.27.suppl_1.i24> accessed 12 December 2021.
[10] Raymond De Vries, “Regarding Bioethics: A Sociology of Morality,” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 60, no. 1 (2017): 74–92, https://doi.org/10.1353/pbm.2017.0020.
[11] H. Tristram Engelhardt, “Core Competencies for Health Care Ethics Consultants: In Search of Professional Status in a Post-Modern World,” HEC Forum: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Hospitals’ Ethical and Legal Issues 23, no. 3 (September 2011): 129–45, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-011-9167-4.
[12] Jessica Richmond Moeller et al., “Functions and Outcomes of a Clinical Medical Ethics Committee: A Review of 100 Consults,” HEC Forum 24, no. 2 (June 2012): 99–114, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-011-9170-9.
[13] Ajay Aggarwal, Joanna Davies, and Richard Sullivan, “‘Nudge’ in the Clinical Consultation – an Acceptable Form of Medical Paternalism?,” BMC Medical Ethics 15, no. 1 (December 2014): 31, https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6939-15-31.
[14] Paul A. Komesaroff, “From Bioethics to Microethics: Ethical Debate and Clinical Medicine,” in Troubled Bodies, ed. Paul A. Komesaroff (Duke University Press, 1995), 62–86, https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822379782-004.
[15] Robert Sokolowski, Moral Action: A Phenomenological Study (Bloomington: The Catholic University of America Press, 2017).
[16] Amy Gutmann, Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die: Bioethics and the Transformation of Health Care in America, First Edition (New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2019).
AbstractMany scholars have argued that the Protestant Reformation generally departed from virtue ethics, and this claim is often accepted by Protestant ethicists. This essay argues against such discontinuity by demonstrating John Calvin’s reception of ethical concepts from Augustine and Aristotle. Calvin drew on Augustine’s concept of eudaimonia and many aspects of Aristotle’sNicomachean Ethics, including concepts of choice, habit, virtue as a mean, and the specific virtues of justice and prudence. Calvin also evaluated the problem of pagan virtue in light of traditional Augustinian texts discussed in the medieval period. He interpreted the Decalogue as teaching virtue, including the cardinal virtues of justice and temperance. Calvin was not the harbinger of an entirely new ethical paradigm, but rather a participant in the mainstream of Christian thinkers who maintained a dual interest in Aristotelian and Augustinian eudaimonist virtue ethics.
AbstractThis essay demonstrates the prominence of imitation in Kierkegaard’s ethics. I move beyond his idea of authentic existence modeled on Christ and explore the secular dimension of Kierkegaard’s insights about human nature and imitation. I start with presenting imitation as key to understanding the ethical dimension of the relationship between the universal and individual aspects of the human self in Kierkegaard. I then show that Kierkegaard’s moral concepts of “primitivity” and “comparison” are a response to his sociological and psychological observations about imitation from an ethical point of view. In the final section of this paper, I briefly engage Friedrich Schleiermacher’s “ethics of individuality” and Gabriel Tarde’s “laws of imitation” to explore Kierkegaard’s consideration of ethics and imitation as situated within the context of a broader conversation on imitation.
Throughout history, Didactic Literature has had a wide-ranging function and has dealt with ethics, religion, mysticism, consultation, politics, wisdom and more. The content of this literary genre has generally been created tailored to the social conditions, individual identity and creative abilities of the author. In the history of Iranian literature, there are so many brilliant examples of educational literature in the form of poetry and prose. "Qaboos Nameh" by Unsur al-Maali Kaykavus ibn Iskandar ibn Qabus, "Bustan" and "Golestan" by Saadi and "Masnavi Manavi" by Rumi are among the leading examples of educational literature. "Saqanefar" is a native and religious wooden structure in Mazandaran that was built with the influence of social and political developments of the late Safavid and Qajar periods. The original type of this wood structure was built in fields or adjacent to residential buildings to protect crops and in the process of becoming a religious and educational structure, it has undergone changes that gave it new meaning and function. Due to the weather conditions in Mazandaran, there are not many examples of the use of decorative forms in various independent art disciplines and architectural decorations. So, what has made the "Saqanefars" famous is not their wooden structure, but the motifs used to decorate them have attracted the attention of researchers. The Decorative motifs have been painted on thin wooden boards using a brush and using natural colors and have been installed under the ceiling. The wooden pillars of the structure have also been used as a surface for decoration. In this study, the decorations have been looked as visual texts that artists and founders have used them to convey their intended meanings. The aim of the present research is to scrutinize the basis for the formation, the objective of the production and the audience of the Saqanefars in order to identify the reason for their construction. This research questions the extent to which religious and non-religious designs are related to, and connected with the didactic teachings. The research hypothesis is that the main purpose of the creators of Saqanefars was to establish a didactic construction with the objective of conveying moral and ethical teachings, thus the ornamentations had been selected, implemented and executed with regard to a didactic/educational approach. The method of this research is descriptive-analytical and the function of the motifs has been analyzed based on their content. Data was collected by library research method. The Saqanefars studied in this study are Armij Kola in Babil, Ahangar Kolai in Ghaemshahr, Espi Kola in Babolsar, Shahidabad (Baei Kolai) Western Bandpey in Babol, Taligaran Lalehabad in Babol, Jazin in Imamzadeh Abdullah Fereydoonkenar, Hamzeh Kola Shesh Pol in Babel, Khoshkrud Rudbast in Babolsar, Ramenet in Babol, Sharmeh Kola Rudbast Babolsar, Shiyadeh Western Bandapi in Babol, Aliabad in Babolsar, Aliabad Sorkhrud in Mahmoudabad, Foolad Kola Rudbast Babolsar, Valik Rudposht in Rudbast in Babolsar, Quran Talar in Babolkenar in Babol, Navaei Mahale in Babolsar, Navaei Kola in Lalehabad in Babol, Kardgarkola in Rudbast in Babolsar and Kija in Hamzeh Kola in Babol. The results show that, depending on the subject, the decorations fall into two religious and non-religious groups with the same or different contents. The analysis of the extracted statistics shows that religious issues are used more quantitatively than non-religious ones. The common contents used are respectively "Courage", "Fairness", "Jihad and Martyrdom or Fighting Cruelty" and "Justice" all of which are educational. The proportion of use of "common contents" in non-religious decorations is more than religious ones. On this basis, it seems that the basic cause of the formation and the most extensive general function of Saqanefars were their educational aspect and artists have expressed selected doctrines using a variety of religious and historical narratives. This approach seems to have been influenced by the social, political, religious, and climatic conditions of the formation period, and topics and themes have been selected to suit the needs of the time. Examination of field reports showed that according to the traditions of the region and according to the content of the decorations used, the audiences of these works were young boys and men, which confirms the above-mentioned opinion. Other religious and ritual usages of decorations have found meaning in the shadow of the educational function. Saqanefar is a valuable masterpiece of indigenous architecture and Shiite art that has almost unlimited capabilities for educational, religious and cultural functions and has significant historical, social and cultural values. In addition, this structure makes it possible to study the formation and re-creation of the moral values in a new structure based on the original and native Iranian architecture.
Nasrin Moghimi, Sadra Sabzevari, Rasoul Nasiri Kalmarzi
et al.
Introduction: The number of lawsuits against doctors and healthcare personnel and medical institutions has steadily increased in recent years worldwide. The evaluation of medical malpractice in hospital’s mortality committees is one of the ways to investigate medical errors, which, despite the lack of complaints against doctors, addresses malpractices in cases of deaths in hospitals. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of medical malpractice in dead patients examined at the Tohid Hospital in Sanandaj, Iran in 2017.
Material and Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study. In this study, after obtaining the Ethics Committee approval of the Kurdistan University of medical sciences, the records of all the patients died at Tohid Hospital in Sanandaj in 2017 evaluated. Out of these cases, referral cases to the Mortality committee and the outcome of the evaluation of the baccalaureate of the committee were evaluated, and eventually information was extracted from cases where the malpractice was recorded by the hospital mortality committee. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, percentage and for analytical purposes, Chi-square test was used. Data analysis was done using SPSS 22 software.
Results: Among the total 732 deaths in Tohid Hospital, the highest number of cases was males (52.6%), illiterate (70.2%), urban residents (73.7%) and housewives (32.9%). The mean age of the deceased was 69.8 years. The largest cause of death was cancers (22.7%). Of the total number of deaths, 25 cases (3.5%) were suspected of having errors in the preliminary evaluation, which malpractice confirmed in 2.3% of all deaths and 68% of the cases referred to the mortality committee. The most type of malpractices were due to Indifference in 58%.
Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the most cases of medical failure were due to medical indifference in medical personnel. Considering the improvement of the abilities of physicians and other medical staff in various stages of treatment during their education and in the form of effective workshops after graduation, and paying more attention to religious standards and ethics can reduce the deaths due to medical malpractice have a significant impact on treatment centers.
Every human society and almost all of human life are infused with ethics. How do we best understand human morality and ethics? I want to argue that responsible ethics rests on a credible understanding of what it means to be human. This article proposes that a more comprehensive understanding of the distinctive human imagination, religious awareness and morality – all of which are significant aspects of being human – will facilitate a more responsible understanding and practice of ethics. Such an understanding entails a bottom-up view, which takes seriously the exploration of the fundamental evolutionary realities of human nature, that is, a natural history of morality. The quest for understanding the propensity for imagination, religious awareness and morality can be aided by exploring the core role of the evolutionary transition between becoming and being human. Accordingly, this research combines a niche construction perspective with fossil and archaeological evidence, highlighting the role of complexity in human evolution, which adds to our understanding of a completely human way of being in the world. A distinctively human imagination is part of the explanation for human evolutionary success and accordingly our sense of morality and religious disposition. The methodology this article applies is that of an interdisciplinary approach combining perspectives of some of the most prominent voices in the modern discourses on imagination, religious awareness and morality. What results from this approach is, first, a more comprehensive understanding of the human imagination, the capacity for religious awareness and morality. Ultimately, by creatively integrating the various perspectives evident in this research – by way of a philosophical bridge theory between evolutionary anthropology and theology – this article attempts to determine whether evolutionary thought can be constructively appropriated to interdisciplinary Christian theology and ethics.
AbstractThe authors of the three essays featured in this focus challenge assumptions that are central to the official Catholic teachings on sexual ethics. Elizabeth Antus and Megan McCabe do so by taking on topics that have not received much attention from the magisterium. Cristina Traina urges us to think differently about the way we usually frame the moral issue of abortion. Although they address different moral problems, I argue in this introduction that they highlight common themes—social sin, interruption, and solidarity—share methodological commitments to using empirical data and to valuing human experiences, and push us to imagine a sexual ethic grounded in a just vision of human sexual flourishing.