Even with obvious deficiencies, large prompt-commanded multimodal models are proving to be flexible cognitive tools representing an unprecedented generality. But the directness, diversity, and degree of user interaction create a distinctive “human-centred generality” (HCG), rather than a fully autonomous one. HCG implies that —for a specific user— a system is only as general as it is effective for the user’s relevant tasks and their prevalent ways of prompting. A human-centred evaluation of general-purpose AI systems therefore needs to reflect the personal (...) nature of interaction, tasks and cognition. We argue that the best way to understand these systems is as highly-coupled cognitive extenders, and to analyse the bidirectional cognitive adaptations between them and humans. In this paper, we give a formulation of HCG, as well as a high-level overview of the elements and trade-offs involved in the prompting process. We end the paper by outlining some essential research questions and suggestions for improving evaluation practices, which we envision as characteristic for the evaluation of general artificial intelligence in the future. (shrink)

This Open Access book (see link to Taylor & Francis below) critically examines the recent discussions of powers and powers-based accounts of causation. The author then develops an original view of powers-based causation that aims to be compatible with the theories and findings of natural science. Recently, there has been a dramatic revival of realist approaches to properties and causation, which focus on the relevance of Aristotelian metaphysics and the notion of powers for a scientifically informed view of causation. In (...) this book, R.D. Ingthorsson argues that one central feature of powers-based accounts of causation is arguably incompatible with what is today recognised as fact in the sciences, notably that all interactions are thoroughly reciprocal. Ingthorsson’s powerful particulars view of powers-based causation accommodates for the reciprocity of interactions. It also draws out the consequences of that view for the issue of causal necessity and offers a way to understand the constitution and persistence of compound objects as causal phenomena. Furthermore, Ingthorsson argues that compound entities, so understood, are just as much processes as they are substances. A Powerful Particulars View of Causation will be of great interest to scholars and advanced students working in metaphysics, philosophy of science, and neo-Aristotelian philosophy, while also being accessible for a general audience. (shrink)

Davis called for “extreme caution” in the use of non-invasive brain stimulation to treat neurological disorders in children, due to gaps in scientific knowledge. We are sympathetic to his position. However, we must also address the ethical implications of applying this technology to minors. Compensatory trade-offs associated with NIBS present a challenge to its use in children, insofar as these trade-offs have the effect of limiting the child’s future options. The distinction between treatment and enhancement has some normative force here. (...) As the intervention moves away from being a treatment toward being an enhancement—and thus toward a more uncertain weighing of the benefits, risks, and costs—considerations of the child’s best interests diminish, and the need to protect the child’s autonomy looms larger. NIBS for enhancement involving trade-offs should therefore be delayed, if possible, until the child reaches a state of maturity and can make an informed, personal decision. NIBS for treatment, by contrast, is permissible insofar as it can be shown to be at least as safe and effective as currently approved treatments, which are themselves justified on a best interests standard. (shrink)

This study examines the relationship between the prestige of elite universities and the actual educational value they deliver, using a data-driven Return on Investment (ROI) framework. While elite institutions are often associated with high income, social capital, and career advancement, existing literature suggests that much of their perceived advantage stems from branding, accumulated resources, and social networks rather than intrinsic educational quality. To explore this issue empirically, we simulate the educational ROI of ten students from diverse academic backgrounds, comparing inputs—including (...) tuition, family support, and opportunity costs—with post-graduation returns such as income, occupational status, and social recognition. Results indicate that although Tier 1 elite university graduates achieve high nominal benefits, their substantial input costs yield lower short-term ROI than graduates from ordinary or community colleges. These findings challenge the conventional belief that elite education automatically confers superior value and highlight the importance of considering efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and social equity in higher education. The study contributes to ongoing debates on educational branding, knowledge democratization, and the ethical purpose of higher education, suggesting that future reforms should prioritize genuine skill development, critical thinking, and social responsibility over symbolic prestige. (shrink)

Un court passage de l’Économique de Xénophon (IV, 18-25) fait figure d’exception en tant que le paradis [παράδεισος] qui y est évoqué n’y est pas réduit aux usages ludiques habituellement assignés aux jardins royaux par les Grecs. À l’occasion de son échange avec Critobule, Socrate y dépeint plutôt le paradis comme un espace donnant lieu à un certain « travail ». Partant de ce passage, nous soutiendrons que la vie que mène Cyrus le Jeune – présenté de manière non négligeable (...) comme un homme « heureux » – constitue un archétype de la vie bonne dans la mesure où il incarne l’idéal de maîtrise de soi promu par Xénophon dans tout le dialogue, voire dans l’ensemble de son oeuvre. Nous verrons que la capacité de Cyrus le Jeune à entretenir son jardin nous incite à lui reconnaître certaines vertus éthiques et politiques qui trouvent, dans les jardins d’inspiration perse, les conditions et l’occasion de leur développement. (shrink)

Cloud migration has become a strategic imperative for organizations seeking competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. The business case for cloud adoption is driven primarily by the promise of enhanced return on investment (ROI), operational agility, and accelerated innovation. This paper explores these core drivers and provides a critical evaluation of the financial and strategic benefits associated with cloud migration. Drawing upon a robust body of literature, case studies, and empirical findings, the study presents insights into how organizations (...) can justify the transition to cloud computing. The paper also highlights methodologies for evaluating ROI, and demonstrates how agility and innovation outcomes are realized in practice. Through a comparative analysis of pre- and post-migration metrics, the research outlines actionable strategies for businesses considering or undergoing digital transformation through cloud adoption. (shrink)

Le modèle éducatif de Platon (paidèia) différencie le niveau d'éducation selon les compétences des élèves. Ainsi, une éducation de base comprend, outre la gymnastique et le combat (l'exercice du corps), la musique (l'exercice de l'esprit), sans être imposée par la force car un homme libre doit être libre dans la conquête du savoir. Si l'élève a des compétences, il est éduqué en mathématiques pour devenir stratège, et en astronomie pour élever l'âme. Parmi ceux-ci, les meilleurs sont sélectionnés pour devenir de (...) bons leaders, étudiant la philosophie et la dialectique. Les femmes auront les mêmes droits et devoirs que les hommes. Selon les principes socratiques, pour faire justice, il faut savoir ce qui est bien, et c'est ce que le philosophe sait le mieux. Platon a détaillé ce concept en soulignant la distinction entre le philosophe (qui cherche les principes de vérité sans prétendre les posséder) et le sophiste (qui se laisse guider par l'opinion comme seul paramètre valable de la connaissance). Platon considère les philosophes comme des leaders idéaux pour deux raisons principales : parce qu'ils savent ce qui est juste et parce qu'ils ne veulent pas diriger. -/- DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.14844.82564. (shrink)

A Hebrew translation of William James's essay "Reflex Action and Theism", The Will to Believe and other essays in Popular Philosophy (1897): 111-144.

This rejoinder responds to A Call for Constructive Engagement from the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences dated April 22, 2025, an open letter issued by purported institutional leaders in American higher education with various signatories. Abstract (Rejoinder) This scholarly rejoinder critically examines 'A Call for Constructive Engagement' (April 2025), revealing how purported institutional leaders in American higher education have systematically prioritized dishonesty and ideological conformity over truth-seeking while demanding continued public (...) funding in direct violation of American higher education principles as enshrined in constitutional tradition (AAUP 1940) and legal precedent (Keyishian v. Board of Regents). What presents itself as a defense of academic freedom is, in truth, not a modest institutional gesture but a deliberate effort by a self-reinforcing cabal of intellectually dishonest scholars to evade lawful oversight, obscure ideological enforcement, and maintain unrestricted access to public funding without producing anything of demonstrable truth value. Institutions that receive public support are obligated to serve the public trust. As Cooley et al. (2021) document in their analysis of reputational laundering within universities, the signatories of this letter trade institutional legitimacy for self-protection. They launder ideologically predetermined conclusions as credible scholarship by channeling compulsory public funding, using taxpayer dollars to shield systemic dishonesty behind hollow invocations of academic freedom. The public knows better. The question is not whether these purported academics and signatories lie. The question is what they are trying to do and what they are for. And by every measure that once defined American higher education, they are trying to do something else entirely than what they are for. By every constitutional, philosophical, and public standard, they have abandoned the telos of the university. American higher education principles, according to both constitutional tradition and legal precedent, exist to serve the telos of truth. In Keyishian v. Board of Regents, 385 U.S. 589 (1967), the Supreme Court affirmed that "the classroom is peculiarly the marketplace of ideas. The Nation's future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to that robust exchange of ideas." Likewise, the American Association of University Professors, in its 1940, (obviously not 2025), Statement on Academic Freedom and Tenure affirmed that "the purpose of academic freedom is to promote the unfettered pursuit and dissemination of truth." At its core, American higher education is defined by openness to error, willingness to revise, and a commitment to standards that transcend only the ideology of wokeism, only the Democratic political party to name a few. The signatories of A Call for Constructive Engagement reject all American higher education principles. Regardless of the language they use, their letter is not about education, science, freedom, speech, or the public good of higher learning in the United States of America. It reflects an entirely different telos. That telos has been described many ways over the last decade and may be described as the pursuit of social justice (Haidt, 2018), the death of truth (Mac Donald, 2018), or belief versus inquiry (Ellis, 2020). Most precisely, it reflects wokeism: a system that suppresses inquiry and replaces dialogue with imposed alleged moral guilt, such that dialog no longer serves truth but becomes a tool of control (Camlin, 2024). The signatories may pursue any telos they choose, but unless that telos is truth, they are not entitled to pursue it using public resources or under the legal protections intended for institutions of open inquiry and American higher education principles. The signatories enjoy all the academic freedom they claim is "under siege." They have had, and always will have the freedom on their own time, with their own money, and under the same conditions as any other American citizen to pursue happiness. What they are not entitled to is the privilege of public funding, legal insulation, and institutional authority while engaging in sustained intellectual and scientific dishonesty. They have every right to be wrong in private. What they do not have is the right to deceive the public at its own expense. The open letter invokes student "well-being" to oppose public oversight, yet this appeal serves as merely a rhetorical shield. Universities, as stewards of public trust, accept federal subsidies while evading accountability for outcomes. They profit from tuition revenue and taxpayer-backed loans, even as students shoulder debt and taxpayers absorb defaults—all while justifying tuition hikes with dubious ROI claims. This violates the Borrower Defense to Repayment regulation, which affirms that institutions should be held accountable when students are misled or receive substandard educational outcomes (Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. § 1087e(h); U.S. Department of Education, 2022). To invoke students while evading all accountability is dishonest not only to those students, but to the public that underwrites their education. American higher education has fallen into a self-referential authority trap: a circular system where claims become "true" simply because they're endorsed by those with academic credentials. This epistemic sleight-of-hand allows institutions to maintain their privileged status as knowledge-bearers while not only abandoning the rigorous truth-seeking practices that originally justified that status, but on top of that claiming those who do engage in rigorous truth-seeking practices are being “coercive.” When these individuals sign open letters defending "academic freedom," they aren't offering evidence or argument but merely displaying their credentials, expecting deference by virtue of their titles rather than the merit of their ideas. This creates a dangerous immunity to criticism in which they invoke academic authority to shield themselves from accountability, while simultaneously undermining the very truth-seeking practices that would make their authority legitimate. The result is a hollow authority that is glossy and prestigious in appearance but intellectually bankrupt in practice. The signatories do not defend academic freedom but exploit its language to shield ideologically motivated scholarship from scrutiny while relying on public funding that mandates neutrality as a condition of trust. Perhaps it is time for an American principled education to replace the ethically and intellectually bankrupt American higher education. (shrink)

The most trending behavioral approach of mass people nowadays hovers to acquire a specific area to live on for their mental satisfaction. It is the person registered home to live on the next days of life. This issue has firmly increased due to the rapid and mostly uncontrolled increase of population within most of the countries. Now that, it is the conscious craving for men to settle up for a property that has the highest credential service and maintenance ease possibility; (...) it leads them to the housing provider with the highest product quality offering. The easiest way is to redirect them to go for a trustworthy name in the REM providers. Now, narrowing down to a developing country such as Sri Lanka, its Real estate developers have rewarded investors with strong returns post 2009. It is the time when Sri Lanka saw the end of the civil conflict. When the real estate sector has always been a major factor in the development of the economy in every country. Regionally, Sri Lanka remains attractive as an emerging market, when considering the ROI on Real Estate. For an effective discussion, this paper states the linkage of consumer behavior to the highest quality housing provider offers to them. The paper discusses all the necessary factors to prove the enhanced purchase of supreme quality property company dealers like Prime LnadPvt. Ltd is a leading real estate company in Sri Lanka. However, the valuation of property is most vital for the real estate industry. It depends on the type of artifact, the real estate sector offers to its clients. For this industry, infrastructure quality is the most important factor. All the contributing factors, analyses reveal this lesson. This truth is supported by many theories and analyses to lead today’s provider, meeting the original demand factor of the mass people. (shrink)

With the limited initial availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the first months of 2021, decision-makers had to determine the order in which different groups were prioritized. Our aim was to find out what normative approaches to the allocation of scarce preventive resources were embedded in the national COVID-19 vaccination schedules. We systematically reviewed and compared prioritization regulations in 27 members of the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Israel. We differentiated between two types of priority categories: groups that have increased (...) infection fatality rate (IFR) compared to the average for the general population and groups chosen because their members experience increased risk of being infected (ROI). Our findings show a clear trend: all researched schedules prioritized criteria referring to IFR (being over 65 years old and coexisting health conditions) over the ROI criteria (eg occupation and housing conditions). This is surprising since, in the context of treatment, it is common and justifiable to adopt different allocation principles (eg introducing a saving more life-year approach or prioritizing younger patients). We discuss how utilitarian, prioritarian, and egalitarian principles can be applied to interpret normative differences between the allocation of curative and preventive interventions. (shrink)

Le contrôle de constitutionnalité, dont la magistrature parlementaire de l’Ancien Régime revendiquait le plein droit, n’était pas fondé uniquement sur les lois fondamentales du royaume, mais sur l’ensemble des principes (« les maximes ») tirés de la « Tradition ». Cette dernière était composée en premier lieu par le droit divin et le droit naturel, c’est-à-dire par des systèmes juridiques qui nécessitaient, tous les deux, une interprétation juridictionnelle ‘sapientiale’. Cette activité interprétative était ‘révélatrice’ d’un corpus de valeurs métaphysiques à laquelle (...) seule la Scientia Juris des magistrats pouvait puiser. Mais dans la sphère de la Tradition juridique rentraient aussi le « dépôt légal », c’est-à-dire l’ensemble de toutes les lois, même des lois ainsi dites « ordinaires », c’est-à-dire celles qui avaient été produites par la simple manifestation de volonté souveraine d’un roi prédécesseur « car tel avait été son plaisir » (moderne formulation du brocarde de droit romain : « quidquid principi placuit legis habet vigorem »). Ainsi la juridiction parlementaire donnait lieu à un jugement de constitutionnalité qui était normalement exercé de manière très flexible par le corps de la magistrature, dépendant des circonstances et des intérêts politiques momentanés des situations juridiques qu’elle voulait protéger. La hiérarchie des normes était ainsi un formidable instrument de protection de cet ordre juridique dont les legum doctores se sentaient les tuteurs. Elle était, donc, directement liée au gouvernement politique des juges. (shrink)

This paper explores the current applications, benefits, and challenges of generative AI in various business do- mains, drawing from recent literature and industry reports from literature published in 2025. We examine key use cases including content creation, knowledge management, business process automation, and decision support. The paper also discusses implementation challenges, ethical considerations, and future directions for generative AI adoption in business contexts. We analyze key applications in operational efficiency, risk management, and strategic decision-making through recent industry reports and academic (...) perspectives. This paper presents a comprehensive visual framework for analyzing generative AI applications in business through 18+ original diagrams. The framework systematically organizes key findings across four dimensions: value creation, functional impact, implementation roadmaps, and risk management. Central to our analysis are three core visualizations: (1) an enterprise implementation diagram mapping productivity gains of 30-50% across business processes, (2) a functional impact wheel identifying marketing and data analytics as highest-potential applications, and (3) a comparative ROI matrix showing process automation delivering 50% cost reductions versus content generation’s rapid 3-month implementation cycles. The visual methodology reveals critical adoption patterns including the inverse relationship between technical complexity and organizational readiness, particularly in risk-sensitive domains. Our framework provides business leaders with an actionable taxonomy for strategic planning, supported by measurable performance benchmarks and maturity assessments. The charts collectively demonstrate that successful generative AI adoption requires balancing technical capabilities with operational constraints and ethical considerations. (shrink)

By extending Husserl’s own historico-critical study to include the conceptual mathematics of more contemporary times – specifically category theory and its emphatic development since the second half of the 20th century – this paper claims that the delineation between mathematics and philosophy must be completely revisited. It will be contended that Husserl’s phenomenological work was very much influenced by the discoveries and limitations of the formal mathematics being developed at Göttingen during his tenure there and that, subsequently, the rôle he (...) envisaged for his material a priori science is heavily dependent upon his conception of the definite manifold. Motivating these contentions is the idea of a mathematics which would go beyond the constraints of formal ontology and subsequently achieve coherence with the full sense of transcendental phenomenology. While this final point will be by no means proven within the confines of this paper it is hoped that the very fact of opening up for the possibility of such an idea will act as a supporting argument to the overriding thesis that the relationship between mathematics and phenomenology must be problematised. (shrink)

En 600 av. J.-C., les Bituriges, « rois du monde », dominent la Celtique sous l’autorité d’Ambigat. Leur territoire est uni par le contrôle des bassins versants de la Loire et l’occupation d’une grande clairière céréalière, la Champagne, cernée par les forêts. Le chef-lieu est Avaricum, que Vercingétorix choisira pour venir à bout des légions de César. L’issue est tragique. Malgré Gergovie, la Gaule devient romaine. Commence alors l’histoire du Berry, qui sera pendant 1700 ans le théâtre d’événements majeurs. Parce (...) que le Berry n’a jamais été une province, son destin se fond dans le roman national. Pourtant, c’est en Berry que s’effondre l’Empire romain. C’est en Berry qu’après la double trahison d’Aliénor se joue l’unité de la France. C’est en Berry que Charles VII assure la survie du royaume quand il est chassé de Paris. De Bourges, le duc Jean fait rayonner le gothique international. Puis la seconde renaissance du droit illumine l’Europe des humanistes. C’est sur le Berry que Sully compte pour exalter sa gloire, en Berry que Condé organise la Fronde. Le Berry s’étiole ensuite, et la Révolution l’effacera des cartes. Mais en 1913, le Grand Meaulnes le fait entrer dans la littérature mondiale comme ce paradis perdu, bordé de bois et d’étangs, qui s’est à jamais retiré du temps. (shrink)

Al-Fârâbî, que l’on surnomme le second maître, a jeté les bases de la philosophie politique islamique du Moyen-Âge avec un texte fortement inspiré de La République, du Politique et des Lois de Platon. Dans le Traité sur les opinions des habitants de la cité idéale, le penseur persan met de l’avant les qualités et le fonctionnement d’une civilisation dite « idéale » ou « vertueuse ». Il en profite pour décrire l’antithèse des habitants de cette cité, en l’occurrence ceux des (...) cités imparfaites. Une notion du traité l’écarte en revanche des écrits grecs, tout spécialement de ceux de Platon. Contrairement au roi-philosophe de La République, Al-Fârâbî prône l’instauration d’un prophète à la tête de l’État politique. Les qualités, l’intelligence et la voyance que la première fonction civile exige de son titulaire donnent au texte un caractère utopique et religieux que nous démystifierons. (shrink)

Les défenseurs d'Ion Antonescu considèrent l'acte du roi Mihai I comme une erreur tragique ou une « grave erreur politique », affirmant que le roi aurait dû attendre encore un mois ou deux pour que le Maréc lui-même exige un armistice. L'historien Neagu Djuvara a déclaré que ces « conditions plus faciles » qu'aurait obtenues Ion Antonescu « sont de pures fables », en réalité Antonescu avait l'intention de donner aux Allemands une pause pour quitter la Roumanie. Entre le 24 (...) et le 26 août, l'armée roumaine a vaincu les derniers points de résistance allemande, avec l'aide de volontaires civils. Jusqu'au 28 août, il n'y avait plus de troupes allemandes à Bucarest et ses environs, et jusqu'au 31 août, toutes les troupes allemandes du pays étaient expulsées. Le 10 février 1947 a lieu la cérémonie de signature du Traité de paix de Paris entre les puissances alliées et associées et la Roumanie. Les Alliés n'ont pas reconnu la Roumanie comme une nation co-belligérante, la considérant comme une « alliée de l'Allemagne hitlérienne ». La frontière avec l'URSS et la Bulgarie a été fixée dans son état en janvier 1941, mais la Roumanie a repris le nord de la Transylvanie, suite à la reconnaissance que la Roumanie « a agi dans l'intérêt de toutes les Nations Unies » après le 23 août 1944. -/- DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32483.02086. (shrink)

Tout au long de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, les services secrets roumains ont collecté des informations sur l'emplacement des unités allemandes dans le pays. Les officiers du groupe complotiste pour retourner les armes contre l'Allemagne augmentent le nombre d'unités roumaines présentes dans la capitale, afin de pouvoir affronter les Allemands. Une mission alliée clandestine a été parachutée à Bucarest et secrètement hébergée par le général Constantin Sanatescu. Suite au succès de l'offensive allemande sur l'alignement Iasi-Chisinau, le groupe complotiste décide d'accélérer (...) les préparatifs. Le 20 août, Mihai I et le groupe de soldats du complot ont fixé la date de l'action au 26 août. Dans la nuit du 21 août, les membres de l'opposition ont secrètement convenu de cette date. Cependant, apprenant que le maréc Antonescu avait l'intention de retourner au front le 24 août, le roi Mihai fut contraint de changer la date au 23 août 1944. -/- DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29048.93443. (shrink)

De l'entre-deux-guerres jusqu'à la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, la Roumanie s'est trouvée dans une sorte de labyrinthe géopolitique, dans lequel elle semblait avoir de multiples possibilités, mais elles allaient toutes dans le même sens : l'alliance avec l'Allemagne au début de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, l'acte du 23 août 1944 tel qu'il se présentait et le statut établi par la suite par le traité de Paris. Tout au long de cette période, l'armée roumaine a joué un rôle majeur (...) à travers ses dirigeants et le sacrifice des soldats roumains, et l'acte du 23 août 1944 a été un acte légitime et légal, dans lequel le roi Mihai I et l'armée ont été les principaux décideurs. Après une présentation du contexte de l'entrée de la Roumanie dans la Seconde Guerre mondiale, suit la description de l'évolution de la Roumanie pendant la guerre, en mettant l'accent sur les tentatives de conclure un armistice avec les Alliés occidentaux et le rôle de l'armée pendant cette période. L'acte du 23 août 1944 est ensuite détaillé à part, soulignant la diversité des opinions sur cet événement. La dernière section présente les implications de cet acte sur la Roumanie, après la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. -/- TABLE DES MATIÈRES: -/- Résumé 1. Le contexte de l'entrée de la Roumanie dans la Seconde Guerre mondiale 2. La Seconde Guerre mondiale 3. L'acte du 23 août 1944 4. Les implications de l'acte du 23 août 1944 Bibliographie Notes -/- DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17016.52482, ISBN 978-606-033-713-3. (shrink)

Acest E-book, intitulat „ASISTENȚĂ SOCIALĂ NEO-UMANISTĂ: REZUMATE CĂRȚI ȘI ARTICOLE DIN SFERA ASISTENȚEI SOCIALE (de Petru Ștefăroi) cuprinde în principal rezumatele unor cărți și articole publicate în ultimii aproximativ douăzeci de ani sub numele autorului, Petru Ștefăroi. Deși multe dintre cărțile sau articolele rezumate abordează explicit concepte din asistența socială generic numită umanistă, accentuat personalistă, individualistă, titlul „ASISTENȚĂ SOCIALĂ NEO-UMANISTĂ” a fost ales pentru a opera ca o umbrelă cuprinzătoare pentru întregul spectru de abordări prezentate. Această decizie este în perfect (...) acord și cu noile tendințe din cultura socială și filosofia umanistă contemporană, care se îndreaptă tot mai mult spre o soluție pan-umanistă, sau neo-umanistă, o perspectivă mai amplă ce implică nu doar individul, dezvoltarea și emanciparea personală, ci și comunitatea, etica civică și spiritualitatea de tip cultural. Lucrările ale căror rezumate sunt expuse în acest volum au văzut lumina tiparului prin intermediul unor edituri de prestigiu și platforme de publishing recunoscute, precum Editura Lumen, Revista de Asistență Socială / Editura Polirom, Editura Presa Universitară Clujeană, și platforme internaționale de publishing precum CreateSpace Amazon și KDP Amazon, marcând o prezență semnificativă în peisajul academic și practic al asistenței sociale până în anul 2025. Structurat în trei părți distincte, acest volum, oarecum atipic, își propune să ofere o panoramă cuprinzătoare și detaliată a contribuțiilor mele publicistice la dezvoltarea unei asistențe sociale autentic umaniste, cu deschidere din ce în ce mai mare spre viziunile, metodele și practicile de tip neo-umanist. Prima parte a acestei colecții este dedicată rezumatelor cărților cu conținuturi și tematici preponderent din sfera asistenței sociale, și debutează cu o alocare semnificativă de spațiu și atenție lucrării „ȘTIINȚĂ, FILOSOFIE ȘI UMANISM ÎN ASISTENȚA SOCIALĂ: De la modelul pasiv-sociologist la modelul proactiv-multidisciplinar și de la „asistent” social la „profesionist” social”. Această carte își propune să demanteleze critic paradigma tradițională, adesea pasiv-sociologistă, care tinde să reducă asistentul social la un rol de observator, de „asistent”, sau de simplu executant al politicilor de „asistență” socială. Lucrarea propune, în schimb, un model proactiv de profesionist, centrat pe schimbare, normalizare și integrare, și un cadru conceptual reformator care transformă radical rolul și statutul acestuia. Prin acest model, „asistentul” social este elevat la statutul de „profesionist” social, un agent al schimbaării cu o autonomie sporită, capabil să integreze cunoștințe și să aplice metode, în viziune autentic umanistă, din multiple domenii – de la psihologie și filosofie, la sociologie și management. Această abordare holistică și integrativă îi permite profesionistului să diagnosticheze, să planifice intervenții complexe și să inițieze schimbări sistemice și individuale, depășind simpla gestionare a crizelor. Cartea subliniază nu doar necesitatea unei fundamentări epistemologice solide a asistenței sociale, care să o ridice la rangul de știință umanistă aplicată, ci și imperativul ca această știință să fie ghidată de principii filosofice fundamental asumate. Prin analiza sa comprehensivă, precum și aprofundată, lucrarea își propune să argumenteze teza că trecerea de la un rol reactiv la unul proactiv și de la o abordare unidisciplinară la una multidisciplinară este esențială pentru ca asistența socială să devină o forță motrice în promovarea bunăstării autentice și a justiției sociale, inclusiv aplicabil la spațiul românesc contemporan. Continuând această linie de gândire, colecția prezintă rezumatul cărții „ASISTENȚĂ SOCIALĂ UMANISTĂ: de la subzistență și îngrijire la reabilitare umană și fericire”. Această lucrare, deși cu un titlu explicit „umanist”, se încadrează perfect sub umbrela neo-umanistă prin accentul pus pe reabilitarea umană holistică și pe atingerea fericirii individuale și comunitare, extinzând obiectivele dincolo de simpla supraviețuire. Se argumentează că rolul asistenței sociale nu trebuie să se limiteze la ameliorarea suferinței, ci să vizeze activ construirea unei vieți împlinite în contextul social larg. Apoi, „FILOSOFIE ȘI ASISTENȚĂ SOCIALĂ: fundamente, modele și surse filosofice pentru o asistență socială umanistă” oferă o bază teoretică solidă și o justificare filosofică riguroasă a acestei abordări centrate pe om, explorând curentele filosofice care au influențat și pot continua să inspire practica asistenței sociale într-o manieră holistică și proactivă. Lucrarea „TEORIA FERICIRII ÎN ASISTENȚA SOCIALĂ: de la managementul îngrijirii la managementul fericirii” extinde această perspectivă, propunând o orientare inovatoare către managementul fericirii, un concept care depășește managementul clasic al îngrijirii prin integrarea obiectivelor de bunăstare subiectivă și împlinire personală în strategiile de intervenție, cu implicații pentru individ și comunitate. Această secțiune subliniază constant centrarea pe om și pe bunăstarea sa holistică, nu doar ca un ideal, ci ca un obiectiv realizabil prin metode specifice. Rezumatele lucrărilor esențiale precum „CALITĂȚI PSIHOLOGIC-SUFLETEȘTI ALE PROFESIONISTULUI ÎN ASISTENȚA SOCIALĂ UMANISTĂ” aprofundează dimensiunea personală și etică a practicii, evidențiind atributele interioare indispensabile unui profesionist eficient – empatia, autenticitatea, spiritualitatea și capacitatea de a construi relații de încredere, toate esențiale într-o abordare neo-umanistă. Nu în ultimul rând, includerea rezumatului lucrării în limba engleză, „HUMANISTIC SOCIAL WORK – THE THIRD WAY/ FORCE IN THEORY, PRACTICE AND POLITICS: Core Qualities, Skills and Conducts of the Practitioner”, confirmă anvergura internațională a viziunii, poziționând asistența socială umanistă ca o a treia forță distinctă și influentă în dezbaterile globale privind direcția profesiei, o forță care prefigurează conceptele neo-umaniste. A doua parte a volumului, intitulată „CĂRȚI CU CAPITOLE SAU SECȚIUNI DIN SFERA ASISTENȚEI SOCIALE – REZUMATE”, extinde aria de aplicabilitate a neo-umanismului dincolo de limitele stricte ale asistenței sociale, demonstrând caracterul său transversal și universal. Aici sunt prezentate rezumate ale unor lucrări care explorează legături interdisciplinare profunde, evidențiind cum gândirea, viziunea și metoda neo-umanistă poate iriga și îmbogăți diverse domenii ale științelor și practicilor socio-umane, inclusiv sfera asistenței sociale. Rezumatul cărții „PERSONOLOGIE UMANISTE: O teorie umanist-ontologică a persoanei și personalității. Aplicații în terapie, asistență socială, educație, management și artă”, prezintă în fapt elementele centrale ale unei teorii ontologice a persoanei și personalității cu aplicații directe și inovatoare în diverse domenii precum psihologia, sociologia, pedagogia, asistența socială și managementul. Această carte subliniază capacitatea umanismului personalist de a oferi cadre conceptuale unificatoare, ce integrează și perspectiva comunitară și culturală. Tot în această a doua parte, un rezumat aprofundat al relației dintre dezvoltarea personală și cea comunitară, sub titlul „PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT VERSUS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: The Dual Humanistic Approach to the Relation between Person and Community”, explorează dinamica complexă dintre individ și colectivitate, argumentând că dezvoltarea autentică a societății este inseparabilă de creșterea individuală și de implicarea civică. De asemenea, rezumatul lucrării „PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT STARTS IN CHILDHOOD: How to Educate the Child Through Personal Development for a Successful Adulthood” subliniază importanța fundamentală a perioadei copilăriei în modelarea unui adult echilibrat și împlinit, propunând strategii educaționale centrate pe dezvoltarea integrală a copilului în contextul său social, și integrarea lui socială la naturitate. Rezumatele titlurilor precum „THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH IN PSYCHOLOGY & PSYCHOTHERAPY, SOCIOLOGY & SOCIAL WORK, PEDAGOGY & EDUCATION, MANAGEMENT AND ART” și „PHILOSOPHIE HUMANISTE : Idées, Valeurs, Orientations, Mouvements et Méthodes Humanistes en Philosophie, Science, Société et Pratiques Sociales” confirmă acest demers integrativ și pluridisciplinar, ilustrând impactul vast al gândirii, metodei și filosofiei umaniste/ neo-umaniste, inclusiv în sfera asistenței sociale. (shrink)

V rámci filosofie věd panuje široká shoda na tom, že druhá polovina 20. století složila „labutí píseň" pozitivismu. Milton Friedman a Paul Samuelson, dva klíčoví autoři k metodologii ekonomie v daném časovém období, přitom tento vývoj ve filosofii vědy prý nikdy nereflektovali. Pozitivistická východiska - v prvé řadě v podobě redukcioni- stického přístupu - jsou tudíž stále přítomna ve vlivných teoretických konceptech rozvinutých ekonomy hlavního proudu. Značný počet autorů však v současnosti sdílí náhled, že tyto koncepty v nezanedbatelné míře přispěly (...) k vývoji, jenž ústil ve finanční krizi, vrcholící v letech 2008 a 2009. Předkládaný článek se proto táže, zda to byla právě krize - v níž mnozí spatřují empirické zamítnutí řady pozitivistických konceptů - která napsala „labutí píseň" pozitivismu v ekonomii hlavního proudu. (shrink)