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-/- Bridging Capitalism and the Resource-Based Economy Through the Universal Formula of Natural Balance By Angelito Malicse -/- Human civilization stands at the edge of a great transformation. The 21st century confronts us with a choice: continue the cycle of wealth accumulation rooted in capitalism, or move toward a more balanced, equitable system—what many visionaries have called a resource-based economy (RBE). At the heart of this choice lies a fundamental question: What is the purpose of accumulating wealth in (...) a system destined to evolve into onebased on universal access, sustainability, and natural harmony? -/- The answer can be found by understanding the universal laws of nature, particularly the universal law of balance, which governs all life and systems—both organic and inorganic. I have developed a universal formulabased on three such natural laws, which serve as an exact solution to the ancient problem of free will and provide a foundation for decision-making that adheres to nature’s order. This formula can guide societies in transitioning from capitalism to a resource-based economy in a way that maintains internal and external equilibrium. -/- The Sense of Wealth in Capitalism -/- Capitalism functions on the principle of private ownership, competition, and profit-driven innovation. Under this model, the accumulation of wealth is seen as a symbol of success, security, and power. It drives progress but also creates systemic imbalances—poverty, overconsumption, environmental degradation, and mental distress. Wealth, in capitalism, is a limited resource distributed unequally, often with little regard for long-term societal balance. -/- Yet, if capitalism is a transitional phase in human evolution, then the very act of accumulating wealth begins to lose meaning once a more advanced system comes intoview. Capitalism cannot sustainably provide for all of humanity within the constraints of finite planetaryresources. It must therefore give way to a system whereresources, not profit, determine value—a resource-based economy. -/- The Resource-Based Economy and the Need for a New Paradigm -/- A resource-based economy eliminates the concept of monetary wealth in favor of intelligent resource management. Using advanced technology, automation, and global cooperation, it aims to meet the needs of all Individuals while protecting the Earth’s ecosystems. In such a system, access to life’s essentials—food, shelter, education, health care—is guaranteed, not earned through labor or competition. -/- However, the transition to this model requires more than infrastructure—it requires a transformation in human consciousness. People must unlearn centuries of conditioned thinking rooted in individualism, scarcity, and consumerism. They must learn to think in systems, in balance, and in relation to nature and to each other. -/- The Universal Formula as a Bridge -/- This is where the universal formula of natural balance plays its critical role. It offers a scientific, rational, and universally applicable framework for decision-making—whether personal, collective, or systemic. The formula is composed of three natural laws, the first being the Law of Karma understood not just as cause and effect, but as a principle of system integrity. A defective system—be it a government, an economy, or a human body—will inevitably malfunction unless restored to balance. -/- The other two laws of the formula (confidential here) reinforce the idea that all human decisions must align with natural feedback mechanisms—whether those come from the environment, social structures, or internal psychological states. This understanding leads to a profound realization: the pursuit of wealth, when done without regard for natural balance, leads to imbalance, conflict, and collapse. -/- Thus, the universal formula serves as an educational and ethical compass, guiding humanity away from the destructive instincts of unregulated capitalism and toward the holistic, feedback-aware approach necessary for a resource-based future. -/- Implementing the Transition Through Education -/- To successfully transition, the educational system must be restructured to teach the universal formula from the earliest levels of schooling. Students must be trained not only in science and mathematics but in decision-makingbased on natural law, feedback awareness, and systems thinking. This foundational shift will prepare future generations to understand that: -/- True wealth lies in balanced systems, not in ownership. -/- Individual and collective well-being are interdependent. -/- Decisions must harmonize with nature’s limits and processes. -/- This holistic educational approach will also bypass the barriers posed by religious dogma and political ideologies. It will not require the abandonment of faith but will reprogram thinking in a way that integrates scientific understanding with moral clarity. -/- Conclusion -/- The accumulation of wealth in capitalism made sense within the limited framework of that system. But humanity is evolving. The resource-based economy represents not just a technological upgrade, but a civilizational maturity—one where balance, sustainability, and equitable access are the new measures of success. -/- My universal formula provides the missing link—a rational, natural, and universally applicable foundation upon which to base this transition. With the right educational implementation and leadership guided by this formula, humanity can finally solve the age-old problems of inequality, suffering, and ecological destruction—not through ideology, but through natural law. -/- Let us teach balance. Let us build the bridge. And let us walk it together toward a better world. -/- . (shrink)

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-/- Integrating Angelito Malicse’s Universal Formula as the Governing Logic of a Resource-Based Economy -/- Abstract This paper explores the integration of Angelito Malicse’s universal formula, which emphasizes natural laws and balance, into a Resource-Based Economy (RBE). The application of Malicse’s formula offers a cohesive framework for managingresources, guiding ethical decision-making, and achieving sustainability by aligning economic systems with ecological limits and human well-being. The transition from profit-driven systems, which often result in environmental degradation and inequality, (...) to an RBEbased on feedback loops, systemic thinking, and natural law, is discussed. This paper presents a practical pathway for implementing these principles into governance, technological systems, education, and social frameworks. -/- I. Introduction -/- Throughout history, human economic systems have been structured around profit maximization and capital accumulation, often at the expense of social equity and environmental sustainability. Modern capitalist economies, relying on fiat currency and market competition, have produced negative externalities, such as resource depletion, pollution, and inequality (Korten, 2006). This economic model also generates unsustainable growth, a pursuit that does not align with the finite nature of Earth’sresources (Daly, 1991). -/- A Resource-Based Economy (RBE) offers an alternative where human needs are met within the planet’s carrying capacity. The allocation ofresources is managed through technology, scientific principles, and ethical decision-making rather than through monetary systems (Fresco, 2012). This paper argues that Angelito Malicse’s universal formula—which is grounded in balance, feedback mechanisms, and natural laws—can serve as the governing logic of an RBE, providing both the moral and scientific foundation necessary to guide sustainable governance and resource management. By examining the universal formula’s principles and their application to RBE, this paper outlines how such a society can operate effectively, minimizing harm and enhancing human well-being. -/- II. The Universal Formula and Resource-Based Economy: Key Principles -/- 1. The Law of Balance in Nature -/- Central to Malicse’s universal formula is the law of balance in nature, which asserts that all systems, whether natural or artificial, must function in harmony with their environment. This principle calls for humans to operate within the boundaries of ecological sustainability, ensuring that resource use does not exceed regenerative capacities. In capitalist systems, resource extraction and consumption are often dictated by the demand for profit, resulting in environmental degradation and resource depletion (Meadows et al., 2004). This imbalance leads to environmental crises, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean acidification (Rockström et al., 2009). -/- In an RBE, the law of balance would guide the sustainable use ofresources. Every decision, from production to distribution, would be evaluated in terms of its environmental impact and its ability to sustain the system’s ecological health over the long term. The goal is to manageresources within the planetary boundaries while ensuring that the needs of all humans are met (Steffen et al., 2015). -/- 2. Feedback Mechanisms in Decision-Making -/- Malicse’s universal formula emphasizes the importance of feedback mechanisms in decision-making processes. This concept aligns with cybernetic theory, where systems are viewed as self-regulating through continuous feedback loops (Wiener, 1948). In the context of an RBE, feedback mechanisms ensure that resource management and societal functions are responsive to both human and ecological needs. -/- Technological systems, such as smart grids, environmental sensors, and data-driven agricultural systems, can collect real-time data on resource use, environmental conditions, and societal needs. This information feeds into decision-making processes, enabling real-time adjustments in resource allocation and use. By utilizing technology to monitor environmental and societal conditions, feedback ensures that the RBE operates in harmony with its ecological and social context, preventing wasteful practices and correcting imbalances as they occur. -/- 3. Decision-Making Governed by Natural Laws -/- The third key principle of Malicse’s universal formula is that decision-making must be grounded in natural laws, particularly the law of balance and the cause-and-effect principle. In a traditional market economy, decisions are often driven by profit motives and speculative financial interests, which can lead to unsustainable practices and social inequality. These systems disregard the long-term consequences of their actions, which leads to environmental damage, economic instability, and social unrest (Korten, 2006). -/- In an RBE governed by Malicse’s formula, all decisions—whether they concern resource allocation, infrastructure development, or social programs—must adhere to the principles of natural law. This ensures that all actions are aligned with ecological sustainability and social well-being. For instance, resource extraction decisions would not be madebased on short-term profit butbased on ecological science and long-term sustainability, ensuring that the Earth’s natural capital is preserved for future generations. -/- III. Integrating the Universal Formula into RBE Governance -/- 1. Role of the Universal Formula as a Constitutional Principle -/- In an RBE, Malicse’s universal formula would serve as the core constitutional principle that guides all governance structures. Just as national constitutions enshrine fundamental values such as justice, liberty, and equality, the universal formula would enshrine principles of ecological balance, social equity, and ethical decision-making. All public policies, economic models, and technological innovations would be evaluated through the lens of Malicse’s formula to ensure they contribute to a sustainable, just, and balanced society. -/- For instance, urban development projects would be designed to minimize environmental impact, incorporate renewable energy sources, and meet the needs of all community members. Policies would be implemented to ensure that economic activities are in line with the carrying capacity of the planet, and that human activities do not exceed ecological thresholds (Rockström et al., 2009). -/- 2. The Universal Formula in AI and Technological Systems -/- AI and technological systems would play a critical role in an RBE governed by natural laws. Under Malicse’s formula, AI systems and automated processes would be programmed to prioritize the principles of balance and feedback. For example, resource allocation algorithms could ensure thatresources are distributed equitably and sustainably, while environmental monitoring systems could adjust production practicesbased on real-time data about resource availability and ecological health. -/- This concept is supported by cybernetic theory, where systems are designed to optimizebased on feedback from their environment. By using AI and sensors, the RBE would be able to respond dynamically to changing ecological and societal conditions, continuously adjusting policies and practices to maintain balance. -/- 3. The Universal Formula as the Educational Foundation -/- For the principles of Malicse’s universal formula to be successfully implemented, they must first be ingrained in educational systems. Current educational frameworks often prioritize competition, individualism, and economic growth—values that are incongruent with the principles of sustainability and collective well-being (Orr, 1992). In an RBE, however, systems thinking and ecological literacy would form the foundation of education. -/- Students would be taught not only about scientific principles and natural laws, but also about the ethical responsibility humans have to maintain balance with the Earth’s ecosystems. This foundational education would produce future leaders, technocrats, and citizens who understand that decision-making must align with the long-term health of both society and the planet. By instilling these values from an early age, society can create a population that is equipped to address the complex challenges of living sustainably within ecological limits (Davidson, 2017). -/- IV. Transitioning from Capitalism to a Resource-Based Economy -/- 1. Educational and Technological Transformation -/- The transition from a capitalist model to an RBEbased on Malicse’s formula would require both educational and technological transformations. First, the educational system would need to be restructured to teach systems thinking, ecological balance, and ethical decision-making. Schools, universities, and training programs would focus on sustainability, cooperation, and resource management to prepare individuals for their roles in a resource-based society. -/- Parallel to educational reform, technology would play a crucial role in managingresources efficiently. The technological infrastructure of an RBE would rely on feedback-driven systems, such as automated resource allocation, smart infrastructure, and sustainability-monitoring technologies. These technologies would ensure that resource use is optimized and that the economy operates within ecological limits. -/- 2. Governance and Policy Reform -/- In terms of governance, the transition to an RBE would involve policy reform that aligns with the principles of balance, feedback, and natural law. Governments would be responsible for ensuring that policies foster sustainability, equity, and environmental health. Policies would also ensure that social programs, such as healthcare, education, and public services, are accessible to all and are aligned with ecological sustainability. -/- Additionally, governance structures would need to move away from profit-driven politics and toward a more ethical, cooperative, and feedback-based decision-making system. The goal would be to create a political system that prioritizes the well-being of all people and the health of the planet (Raworth, 2017). -/- V. Conclusion -/- The integration of Angelito Malicse’s universal formula into a Resource-Based Economy offers a robust framework for creating a society that operates within ecological limits, promotes human well-being, and adheres to natural laws. By emphasizing balance, feedback, and natural law, this approach provides an alternative to the profit-driven, unsustainable economic systems that dominate the world today. The successful implementation of this framework requires education reform, technological innovation, and policy change to align societal practices with the values of sustainability and cooperation. Ultimately, the universal formula offers a pathway to a just, sustainable, and equitable future, where human activities are harmonized with the natural world. -/- References -/- Daly, H. E. (1991). Steady-State Economics: The Economics of Biophysical Equilibrium and Moral Growth. -/- Davidson, C. (2017). Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World. -/- Fresco, J. (2012). The Venus Project: The Redesign of a Culture. -/- Korten, D. C. (2006). The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community. -/- Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., & Randers, J. (2004). Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update. -/- Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist. -/- Rockström, J., et al. (2009). A Safe Operating Space for Humanity. Nature, 461(7263), 472-475. -/- Wiener, N. (1948). Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. -/- . (shrink)

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Although high-performance human resource practices do not directly affect corporate social performance strengths, they do positively affect CSP strengths in companies that are highly innovative or have high levels of slack. High-performance human resource management practices also directly and negatively affect CSP concerns. Drawing on the resource-basedview and using secondary data from an objective, third-party database, the authors develop and test hypotheses about how high-performance HRM affects a company’s CSP strengths and concerns. Findings suggest that HRM and (...) innovation are important capabilities because they create and enhance other capabilities. (shrink)

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Organizations are increasingly finding it challenging to balance economic and environmental performance particularly those that face competitive, regulatory and community pressure. With the increasing pressures for environmental sustainability, this calls for the new formulation of strategies by the manufacturers in order to minimize their products and services negative impact on the environment. Hence, Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) continues to be an important research agenda among the researchers. In Palestine, green issues are new and still developing. Constant study is needed (...) to fully understand and update information regarding this area. Objective: The aim of this paper is to explore the views and level of acceptance of GHRM practices among manufacturing firms in Palestine. Results: Through the use of e-mail survey, 121 responses were obtained to generate the results of the study. The result showed GHRM practices have been practiced to somewhat to a greater extent a firms in Palestine. Findings can be extended to study on the issues in further. Academicians and practitioners can apply this result to their research and business strategies on how to improve sustainable performance and to effectively implement GHRM practices. (shrink)

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Business ethicists should examine ethical issues that impinge on the perimeters of their specialized studies (Byrne 2011 ). This article addresses one peripheral issue that cries out for such consideration: the international resource privilege (IRP). After explaining briefly what the IRP involves I argue that it is unethical and should not be supported in international law. My argument isbased on others’ findings as to the consequences of current IRP transactions and of their ethically indefensible historical precedents. In particular (...) I examine arguments from political philosophy for more equitable distribution ofresources and appeals to property rights as a means of achieving this; business ethicists’ critiques of contemporary resource appropriations; and legal historians’ accounts of despoliation of aboriginal peoples, especially in what is now the United States, involving acquisition via conquest, asserted jurisdiction, and religious and racial preeminence. I also consider relevant human rights’ standards; supportive views of some theorists, especially early modern realists and current supporters of group rights and multidimensional rectification; some de facto incidences of substantive restitution; and proposals for effecting further rectification. (shrink)

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I focus here on archaeologists who work with Indigenous descendant communities in North America and address two key questions raised by their practice about the advantages of situated inquiry. First, what exactly are the benefits of collaborative practice—what does it contribute, in this case to archaeology? And, second, what is the philosophical rationale for collaborative practice? Why is it that, counter-intuitively for many, collaborative practice has the capacity to improve archaeology in its own terms and to provoke critical scrutiny of (...) its goals and methodological norms? The broader import, I argue, is a rethinking of traditional views of objectivity that takes social, contextual values to be a resource for improving what we know, rather than inevitably a source of compromising error and distortion (as discussed in detail in Chapters 7 and 9). (shrink)

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The emergence of new techniques in both microbial biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) is opening up a completely new field for monitoring and sometimes even controlling the evolution of pathogens. However, the now famous generative AI extracts and reorganizes prior knowledge from large datasets, making it poorly suited to making predictions in an unreliable future. In contrast, an unfamiliar perspective can help us identify key issues related to the emergence of new technologies, such as those arising from synthetic biology, whilst (...) revisiting old views of AI or including generative AI as a generator of abduction as a resource. This could enable us to identify dangerous situations that are bound to emerge in the not-too-distant future, and prepare ourselves to anticipate when and where they will occur. Here, we emphasize the fact that amongst the many causes of pathogen outbreaks, often driven by the explosion of the human population, laboratory accidents are a major cause of epidemics. This review, limited to animal pathogens, concludes with a discussion of potential epidemic originsbased on unusual organisms or associations of organisms that have rarely been highlighted or studied. (shrink)

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Abstract. In this article we developed scientific and applied foundations of commercialization of the nature-resource potential of anthropogenic objects, on the example of exhausted mines. It is determined that the category of “anthropogenic object” can be considered in a narrow-applied sense, as specific anthropogenic objects to ensure the target needs, and in a broad theoretical sense, meaning everything that is created and changed by human influence, that is the objects of both artificial and natural origin. It was determined that problems (...) of commercialization of the natural-resource potential of anthropogenic objects are most often considered by researchers for specific objects, without having complex methodological coverage from the point ofview of combining environmental, technical, economic and managerial components. When studying the substantiation of the scientific base, the authors confirmed the feasibility of the commercialization of natural-resource potential of anthropogenic objects on the example of a number of theoretical scientific studies in reclamation, reconstruction, recreation, remediation, restoration of biological productivity and economic value of land disturbed by economic activity. The considered examples of exhausted mines in the 21st century in the USA, Canada, Germany, Romania, and Poland indicate a wide range of opportunities for their commercialization. The study of the potential for commercialization of exhausted mines in the post-Soviet countries testified to the underused reserves for the commercialization of their nature-resource potential and their high potential for further development. The authors proposed the identification of anthropogenic objects on the basic livelihood spheres of society. There were identified the main system (natural, biological, technical, economic, social, managerial) and structural (subjects, trends, threats, risks, problems, challenges) factors of diagnosing the state of an anthropogenic object. A set of measures has been developed for commercialization of an anthropogenic object in functional and production activities, product policy, financial and investment spheres, pricing and sales policies, promotion, management and determination of property rights. Recommendations were provided on optimizing the management decision-making processbased on a set of positivistic development principles, methods, and management functions. The study allows international organizations, state and local authorities, territorial communities, owners and potential investors to see new opportunities and make mutually beneficial decisions on the rational use of the nature-resource potential of anthropogenic objects. (shrink)

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The literature is predominated by studies seeking to clarify the extent of the availability, functionality, accessibility and/or utilisation of library materials in schools at various levels. The extent of principals' management of libraryresources and their contribution to the lesson preparation activities of teachers seems to have been under-researched. In bridging the gap, the current study was designed to assess the extent and contribution of principals’ management of libraryresources to teachers’ lesson preparation practices. Six specific objectives were (...) of interest to the researchers. The quantitative research method, following the ex-post facto research design, was adopted. The stratified proportional random sampling technique was used to choose a sample of 743 respondents from a population of 1,857 secondary school teachers in Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. An instrument named "Management of LibraryResources and Teachers' Lesson Preparation Questionnaire" (MLRTLPQ) was used to gather data. The quantitative content validity method was used to assess the degree to which the items in the instrument were clear, relevant, and represented a wide range of the anticipated contentbased on the views of domain experts. One sample t-test and hierarchical regression analyses were used for data analyses. Four stepwise hierarchical linear models were specified and fitted accordingly. It was found that teachers’ lesson preparation practice is significantly low generally; there is a significantly low extent in principals’ management of textual, auditory, visual and audio-visual libraryresources; there is a significant composite contribution of principals’ management of libraryresources on teachers’ lesson preparation practices in public secondary schools in model 3 and model 4.Based on these findings, practical implications are discussed, with recommendations made for a better library management practice in secondary schools for quality lesson preparation practices. (shrink)

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-/- A Natural Law-Based Assessment of the Israel–Palestine Conflict -/- Using the Universal Formula to Solve the Problem of Free Will By Angelito Malicse -/- Introduction -/- The prolonged war between Palestine and Israel is one of the most tragic and complex conflicts in modern history. For decades, it has caused immense human suffering, regional instability, and global political division. While manyview this conflict through political, religious, or historical lenses, I propose an alternative and foundational approach: the (...) application of the universal laws of nature that govern all decision-making, both individual and collective. -/- This assessment uses my Universal Formula to Solve the Problem of Free Will, which is composed of three interconnected laws: -/- 1. The Law of Karma (cause and effect in systems), -/- 2. The Law of Feedback Mechanism, and -/- 3. The Law of Balance (homeostasis in nature and society). -/- When properly understood, these laws expose the root causes of the conflict and point toward a path of lasting peace and balance. -/- 1. The Law of Karma: Systemic Defects and Predictable Collapse -/- The law of karma, as defined in my universal formula, states that any system—natural or man-made—must be free of defects or errors to function safely and properly. If a system is defective, its effects will inevitably be destructive. -/- Application to the Conflict: -/- The root of the war lies in deeply flawed systems: colonial-era territorial decisions, religious exclusivity, imbalanced foreign policies, and the failure to recognize the mutual right to exist. -/- Both the Palestinian and Israeli political systems have built-in defects, including corruption, militarization, and extremism. -/- Every act of aggression, occupation, terror, or retaliation creates a predictable reaction—more violence, more instability, and systemic breakdown. -/- Natural Law Conclusion: -/- To end the war, both systems must undergo fundamental restructuring, removing systemic defects such as: -/- Injustice -/- Biased narratives -/- Discriminatory laws -/- Extremist ideologies -/- Only by creating error-free, inclusive, and just governance systems can lasting peace emerge. -/- 2. The Law of Feedback Mechanism: Distorted Inputs Create Destructive Outputs -/- This law highlights that every mind—individual or collective—is part of a continuous feedback loop with its environment. The decisions of leaders, communities, and nations are shaped by the quality of information, beliefs, and experiences they receive. -/- Application to the Conflict: -/- Israeli and Palestinian societies are locked in a destructive feedback loop: trauma feeds fear, fear feeds aggression, and aggression feeds trauma. -/- Internal feedback—education systems, media, religious interpretations—often reinforce fear, hatred, and victimhood. -/- External feedback from global powers is often biased or unbalanced, reinforcing one side over the other and escalating division. -/- Natural Law Conclusion: -/- To restore peace, both societies must reprogram their internal and external feedback systems by: -/- Educating youth with critical thinking and empathy -/- Promoting truthful historical understanding -/- Eliminating propaganda -/- Demanding balanced international intervention -/- The conflict will continue as long as feedback mechanisms continue to echo imbalance, fear, and superiority rather than truth and reconciliation. -/- 3. The Law of Balance: True Freedom Exists Only in Natural Homeostasis -/- This final law states that freedom, peace, and sustainability can only exist when decisions align with the law of balance in nature. Any attempt to dominate, oppress, or ignore the needs of others will cause imbalance and inevitable collapse. -/- Application to the Conflict: -/- The entire region suffers from imbalance: in land ownership, military power, economic access, and recognition of suffering. -/- Oppression leads to resistance, and domination breeds rebellion. The denial of balanced rights and dignity ensures endless instability. -/- As long as one population is under siege or denied self-determination, there can be no natural balance. -/- Natural Law Conclusion: -/- A lasting solution must ensure balanced rights,resources, and recognition for both Israelis and Palestinians. This includes: -/- Equal value of life -/- Shared access to land, water, andresources -/- Mutual security and sovereignty -/- A balanced and inclusive narrative of history and pain -/- Only through balanced decision-making, founded on fairness and natural equality, can the region experience true peace. -/- Final Reflection: The Path to a Natural Peace -/- According to the universal formula I present, the war between Israel and Palestine is not a mystery. It is the result of human decisions that violate the natural laws of karma, feedback, and balance. Until these laws are respected and restored, no political agreement or military action will succeed. -/- Therefore, the solution is not only diplomatic but educational and systemic. It begins with teaching both societies—especially the youth—how to align decisions with natural law. It requires courageous leadership that prioritizes long-term balance over short-term control. -/- This is not idealism—it is realism grounded in the immutable laws of nature. Just as the human body breaks down when homeostasis is lost, so too does any society or region that ignores the natural requirements for harmony. -/- By embracing this universal formula, we can move beyond blame and vengeance toward healing, truth, and lasting peace—not just for Israel and Palestine, but for all humanity. -/- . (shrink)

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June 2022 A Revolutionary New Metaphysics,Based on Consciousness, and a Call to All Philosophers We are in a unique moment of our history unlike any previous moment ever. Virtually all human economies arebased on the destruction of the Earth, and we are now at a place in our history where we can foresee if we continue on as we are, our own extinction. As I write, the planet is in deep trouble, heat, fires, great storms, and (...) record flooding, weather patterns drastic everywhere. Capitalism has been so successful in supplying us with an endless array of consumer items, that we have never noticed there is a cost. But there is a cost, the cost is the very life of the Earth herself, and now the day of reckoning is here. Days of reckoning are most often days of rath. But I am hoping that this is a day of major Awakening over the entire planet. We have caused a crisis so great for the Earth we can hardly get our minds around it. But I am proposing that deeply embedded in the crisis are ideas, about who and what the Earth is, Ourselves, and what we are here for. I am proposing that this is a call to all philosophy and philosophers to rethink ourselves from the ground up. The human race has never gotten the Earth right and now we must, for the Earth is the true foundation for civilization. We are in deep trouble with the Earth, and it owes to the fact that the great male thinkers never got the Earth right, they could never make the connection between the life of mind and the life of the Earth. I am proposing that deeply embedded in the crisis we are in are ideas. And that in fact the planet is in the grip of a false metaphysics, and scientific image of nature that really comes most recently from Descartes. His conviction that matter, and with it the Earth, are simply the weighable, the measurable the extended in space and time, utterly devoid of any inner life of mind thoughts or Consciousness. Thisview of matter and the Earth goes back to the very dawn of thought, Descartes is just its most recent and comprehensive version of things. Thisview of matter is really a false metaphysics that dominates most of the modern world and underpins the whole scientific image of nature itself. I am proposing this is a false metaphysics and offering a new version of thingsbased on Consciousness. If there is a single idea fueling and driving the destruction of the planet, it is the conviction that the Earth is something without Consciousness. When you intend to ravage and savage the planet, turn it into consumer items to be converted into money in the bank, first pretend that all of the bright beings in the natural world are devoid of Consciousness, just “things” you do not have to have any conscious about destroying them. I am proposing that this term Consciousness, that has appeared as term and a problem for modern science, is the key to getting ourselves right with the Earth. I propose this new theory for science will ramify into every other disciplines as well, and the ways we think just about everything. This old paradigmbased on a false theory of matter, has run its course, it has brought us to the brink of our own extinction. We need new ideas, and we need them now. You will find my recent work in the Scientific God Journal under the title: Consciousness as the Organizing Principle, and a very complete version of my arguments for this term Consciousness, along with radical reinterpretation of modern science itself, on the Galileo Commission site. It is a radical moment for all of the thinkers among us, take this as my small contribution to rethinking ourselves in new terms,based on my understanding that the true basis for the whole of Being, the Universe, the Cosmos, and with them Ourselves, is this term Consciousness. And unpack it. And I predict that with this term Consciousness every intractable human problem in both science and the modern world will go down like a line of dominos before it. And so, here are a few new ideas I would offer you. These are the times of the Reappearance of the Feminine, a great Awakening as of Springtime after a long dark and lonely Winter. We are leaving behind us an old civilizationbased on male dominance, fear lies and control, now in decay, disease, and death disintegrating all around us. We are moving into a whole new civilizationbased on Love and Truth. A new civilization requires new basic terms values and first principles. And so, I return to Descartes. 1. Just over 300 years ago a young man travelling with the army found himself stranded in a foreign town in a bare room lit by a candle with nothing to do but think. And in a couple of nights Descartes laid the entire thought foundations for modern science and most of the modern world. It isn’t clear that modern philosophers with their funding sources of grants, their graduate students, their reputation and all the perks and privileges of academia can do any better. Descartes claimed there are just two principles in the Universe, Matter and Mind. God was pure mind; human beings were mind and matter. And we are the only ones on the planet with mind. Everything else all of the bright array of beings who share the planet with us are simply matter. And matter? The weighable the measurable the extended in space and time utterly devoid of any inner life of thoughts, feelings, or Consciousness This classification was a boon for developing science. Scientists did not have to worry about any inner life in nature, ideas or Consciousness, they could just set about weighing and measuring, as they have until the present day. But it was a disaster for the Earth. Earth was once worshiped as a Goddess. With Descartes she became almost overnight “things.” Simply commodities andresources, an endless of supply of consumer items, to be turned into money in the bank. And now Descartes concept of matter is up for us. If there is a single idea that is enabling and driving the destruction of the Earth, it is the conviction that Earth is something without Consciousness. This whole scientific image of nature as something devoid of Consciousness is driving the destruction of the Earth, and driving us all insane, and it needs to change. Ever since Descartes formulated Dualism, scientists and philosophers have been trying to get rid of it. They have done this by attempting to make matter the fundamental term of reality, and to explain mind or Consciousness in terms of matter. And now, Consciousness has emerged as term and a problem for modern science. 2. The prevailing Universe picture has been mainlybased on the belief that Consciousness appears only at the end of evolution in ourselves and some of the higher animals when matter attains “a certain state of complexity” and it is produced by neurons in the brain. But Consciousness is nothing real in itself, the neurons are doing the work, Consciousness is simply a byproduct of neural activity. As William James summed up this position, not his: Consciousness is to the brain as a shadow to the runner, it runs beside him but never influences his stride. And so, the great problem of neuroscience: How do neurons produce Consciousness? So far, no one has been able to say how. All we have is parallelism. Two processes are running in parallel a train of neural events and a train of Consciousness events. And so, which one is primary? The face of neuroscience and much of the modern world is that the neural events are what is really real, Consciousness is secondary. The conviction that Consciousness is something produced by neurons is so deeply held and has been so for so long, that it seems like an obvious fact. It is in fact an assumption and a theory, and it could all well be the other way around. The scientific image of nature as something devoid of Consciousness is now up for us. It has enabled the destruction of the Earth, and we are now at a unique place in our own evolution where we can foresee if we continue on as we are, our own extinction. And so, there are the best reasons for rethinking Descartes concepts of matter. Scientists and philosophers have been trying to escape dualism by making matter the fundamental term. And now, this has not worked. In a nutshell: The mind body problem, the “hard problem of Consciousness” ---how do neurons in the brain, atoms and molecules give rise to ideas thoughts and feelings and who what and where is the “I” who sees them? And then, the near-death experience. I remind you of the truth of the near-death experience. The body in the bed is brain dead eeg flat, but the patient, pure Consciousness is hovering at the ceiling watching the doctors work over the body below, able to read dials he could not have seen from the bed, sometimes able to events in the corridor beyond the room, all subsequently confirmed by the doctors. Evidence as good as it gets that the patient really was out of his body. And so, the patient is able to see without eyes, hear without ears and to think and remember without a brain. There is not a single scientific principle that can account for this. And I am proposing that the near-death experience is a threshold and a key for a much deeper understanding of the Universe. These three problems are so hard they cannot be solved by present scientific principles and therefore call all present principles and ways of thought into question. When your axioms cannot account for the data, it is time to drop them and find better fundamental terms. We have not been able to solve the problems of Consciousness with the assumption that matter is the most basic and fundamental term. And so, if Cartesian dualism is to be overcome at all, we need to try it the other way around. 3. We are in the position of Copernicus. Remember Copernicus? He was making his calculations on the assumption that the Earth was the center of the Universe until they became so unwieldy that he decided to try it all the other way around. To make the sun the center, the Earth revolving around it. And lo, all of his data fell neatly into place. I am proposing a whole new Universe picture. Evolution makes us continuous with every other being, Consciousness would not be in us if it were not in them also, and then, in the atoms and molecules and cells that make up living beings. I propose to make Consciousness the most basic term and see what follows. I am in fact, proposing a new Copernican Revolution, that Consciousness is the true basis for the Universe and the right fundamental term, for science itself all other disciplines as well, and the whole of the modern world. And I predict that every intractable problem in science or the modern world, will go down like a line of dominos before it. In a nutshell: Consciousness and not matter is “first and fundamental” in the Universe, it is there from the very “Beginning” everything has it and all of the true causalities, the explanatory principles belong to it. Not to matter. What then is matter? All matter is an Appearance of something much more real, Consciousness. All matter is an expression of Consciousness, even the least little bit of matter contains Consciousness, and is an expression of Consciousness. And so, we revise the scientific image of nature. Science at present is two termed, matter/energy. It needs to become three termed: Matter/energy/Consciousness, with the recognition that all of the basic principles, the true causalities of events, and of the Universe belong to Consciousness. And now physics. To accommodate this new Universe picture physics needs to alter just one term, energy. All energy contains Consciousness, that idea alone will change our world forever. The animals the trees the plants are just as conscious as we are, as is the Earth herself, a continuum of many forms of Consciousness of which our own is one. The Earth consists of interacting and intersecting forms of Consciousness, Consciousness within Consciousness within Consciousness within Consciousness. A remarkable work has just appeared entitled “Beyond Words What Animals Feel and Think.” Describing in detail how like ourselves all of the animals are. And the more we can see how like us everything else really is, the harder it will be for us to do them all in, in the interest of turning them into consumer items. And so, here is a new principle of understanding, that entails completely new forms of explanation, and a whole new Universe picture to be spelled out in terms of Consciousness and its various properties. This is a Universe that is aware awake and Enspirited throughout. And so, there is only one principle, not two. And so, how does Consciousness work? There is “no mind/body problem.” My Consciousness is aligning the Consciousness of neurons in the brain, that aligns the Consciousness of all other cells in the body, that aligns the Consciousness of molecules and atoms themselves. Mainly from the top down, but also interactive, and not reduction to the purely physical forces. 4. And so, here is a radical new Universe picture, and with it a new way to think about the Universe itself, the Earth, Ourselves, and Spirit. It requires a complete revision of both of the terms of modern science itself. The problem of the modern world owes in deep measure to Descartes concept of matter as something devoid of interior life. But he is only the most powerful and simple expression of a whole tradition of thought that predates him, that goes back to the very dawn of thought itself. It owes to the conviction of both Plato and Aristotle that the Earth was something devoid of reason, or mind, and therefore something to be held in complete contempt. We are emerging from a civilizationbased on contempt for the Earth, and down the road, it will become contempt for the body, sex, women, the Native people, and people of color everywhere. And so, this entire tradition is now up for us, it has brought us to the brink of our own extinction, and we need to get beyond it. I am proposing that this term Consciousness is the way out. The missing piece of the puzzle and the idea whose time has come. And it will enable us to move into a completely new civilizationbased on respect for the Earth, women, sex, people of color, that honors everyone and has a place for all. Revolutions in science occur when new data show up that cannot be accounted for by existing paradigms (Thomas Kuhns: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions). Consciousness, and all the properties and problems of Consciousness are just such data, and they compel a new scientific revolution. But we are a scientific age. A new Copernican revolution in science is such as revolution everywhere. And Consciousness is the key to getting every other reality at all levels and depths right as well. It will enable us finally to get the Earth right, get ourselves right with the Earth, and with one another. Archimedes: Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world. I am proposing a new synthesis among our fundamental terms in which this term Consciousness is the new lynchpin. And so, I return once more to Descartes. Descartes in the Mediations was a dualist, they were two realities interacting in the pineal gland mind and body. But Descartes age was high on “Cartesianisms,” on Descartes concept of matter. Animals were simply cleverly wired machines (Hobbes called them automata). Rumor had it that Descartes followers went about kicking dogs reasoning that their howls were not due to any feelings of pain, but simply the wiring of the machine. We have been doing this to the Earth ever since, and now the Earth is not going to stand for it any longer. It is time we all woke up. There is no matter in Descartes sense of it, or in Plato and Aristotle’s sense of it. This old concept of matter is embedded in all of the crisis and catastrophes---fires, drought, pandemics, over population, the disintegrating economies, our ways of life, capitalism and consumerism themselves. All matter is Enspirited, contains Consciousness, and is an expression of Consciousness. Now I tell you something about Descartes you may not know. In the Mediations was a dualist, there are minds and bodies. But by the end of his life, he knew the truth. Descartes guided his whole life by these vivid dreams, and toward the end of his life he had this dream: He saw the Universe as a giant machine and in the heart of the machine propelling the whole, was Consciousness. And so, out of the shades and shadows and into the light of day. Here is a renewed and a new science, a new cosmology. And with it, a revolutionary new metaphysics. The whole of the modern world is in the grip of a false metaphysics,based on Descartes theory of matter. Here is a new, and finally true metaphysicsbased on the single term, Consciousness. 5. And in all my works, I spell out this new metaphysicsbased on Consciousness, and what it means for how we think about virtually everything: The Universe, the Earth, Ourselves, and Spirit. Of who, what and where Spirit is, that we may connect with Spirit everywhere. There is only one term for the Universe, and not two, this single term Consciousness, that manifests itself in two modes: Consciousness in Form, Consciousness Formless. And so, here is a sketch of what this new term Consciousness really means. For four great aspects of the real, four new cornerstones for a whole new civilization on Earth,based on Love and Truth. A. For the Universe: New causalities, all matter is an expression of Consciousness, awake and aware, Enspirited throughout, which has a place for the causalities of love ideas intent plan and purpose, what Aristotle called final causality, that for the sake of which. And it has a place for subjectivity, the greatest mystery in the whole of the Universe, knowable only in ourselves, but there in everything else as well, bedrock in the chain of causalities. The buck stops here. Here are two very different Universe pictures. The Cartesian Universe consists of things, pushed, and pulled around by the physical forces that function blind. The true Universe consists of selves and not things. Selves at least in ourselves, are organized and focused about an I, an I am, or a sense of self in everything, ever other being dear to itself. Just one aspect of subjectivity. And so, it is Consciousness all the way down, and subjectivity all the way down. Science proceeds on the basis of the negligible of what it can leave out as unimportant. Subjectivity is the ultimate animating principle of the Universe. What Descartes really did was to strip from nature what is most essential about it, its animating principle Consciousness. And so, we come out of a long history of “clunk.” The great male thinkers have killed creation. First in concepts and now in the lived life. And so, after centuries of fruitless search, not all of it in vain, finally, and just in time the true basic principle for the Universe has shown up in virtually all disciplines, this term Consciousness. B. And so, the Earth: What does this term Consciousness really mean for the Earth? It means that all of the bright array of beings around us have Consciousness. And the more we can realize how like us they are, the harder it will be to do them all in. Is this what it really means to be “made in the image of Spirit?” To destroy ever other living being? The god of Genesis is a creator god who has created billions and billions of living forms. Man, taking himself to be made in the image of Spirit has destroyed virtually all of it. The Earth is not things, not commodities andresources, not an endless array of consumer goods. The Earth consists of conscious living spiritual beings like ourselves, who need to be honored and respected, nurtured and cared for, to be Loved. And if the human race can finally pull it off and bring Love here and start helping the Earth rather than destroying her, even our vast numbers now at 8 billion, may not matter. Deeply embedded in the modern world is a false cosmologybased on the hitherto useful but ultimately false metaphysics of Descartes. In particular it owes to Descartes concepts of matter, and of the Earth, as something devoid of Consciousness. And now this concept is up for us. If there is a single idea enabling and driving the destruction of the planet, it is the conviction that the Earth is something devoid of Consciousness. And we all have a vested interest in keeping this false concept in place. When you intend to ravage and savage the Earth, to turn it into consumer items, and money in the bank, first pretend she has no Consciousness that way we need not have any conscious about it. We are in deep trouble with the planet. Virtually all human economies arebased on the destruction of the Earth, and we are now at a place in our history where we can foresee if we continue on as we are, our own extinction. And so, here are a few new guiding principles for the planet,based on Consciousness. Consciousness has field properties. The Earth is Consciousness throughout, connected and interconnected throughout, intersecting and interacting fields of Consciousness of which our own is one. To harm one is to harm all. Only this understanding of the Earth can set our destructive technologies, and capitalism, their goals, and their limits. The real problem with capitalism, and with civilization itself is it has no true understanding of the Earth, all the exquisite networks and webworks that connect all beings with one another. Nor it is about to admit that the Earth is our “life support system,” reason gone insane in the modern world. We are destroying our life support system, capitalism is the full expression of the human death wish in the modern world, and it needs to change. And now, let the barriers between ourselves and all other beings go down. C. And so, Ourselves. This new Universe picturebased on Consciousness opens into and has a place for new concepts of human identity. In particular, it has a place for reincarnation, a process whereby one Consciousness dons’ bodies again and again and lays them down. This is a process wholly impossible on materialistic theories. This newview of things puts a higher perspective on Freudian determinism, which is a partial knowing in a greater account. We are something more than the victims of genes drives and childhood. We are immortally eternal evolving spiritual beings who take on a cycle of earthly lives in order to achieve certain goals and abilities, and then, our earthly cycle complete, we depart the Earth plane for other areas of the Universe physical or purely spiritual, to continue our evolution elsewhere. The scientific evidence for reincarnation is increasing on all sides, see for example the work of Michael Newton, a mainstream scientist forced to confront the fact of reincarnation. A completely new reincarnational picture is now emerging everywhere. We choose our parents for abilities we could acquire through them. We all come here with reasons for being here, and we all have free will, an original property of Consciousness, and we work out our issues accordingly. We all come here with the same reason for being here. It is to experience the Earth plane and human society at all levels and depths, in every social role, every climate, both sexes male and female and in all races. We are all here to acquire a deep understanding of the Earth plane with all its challenges and all of its present problems. We are not here to devour and consume the Earth, but to honor her for the learning experience she makes available for us. And so, reincarnation is the great equalizer, the fundamental basis for any bill of rights. Many of the problems of the modern world owe to the fact that reincarnation has not been taught in the West. Reincarnation was the center piece of Jesus teachings. It was banned by a fourth century council that decided the populous could best be controlled through fear. They edited all mention of reincarnation from the scriptures, and inserted fear terms instead, a judgmental god, and so on. If reincarnation had been taught, there would have been no suppression of women, but the gift of both sexes would have been honored and developed. And there would have been no reason for contempt for people of color because who they are, we have been or will be. There is no reason to look down on anyone when we know that our own identity includes membership in theirs. The truth of reincarnation needs to be the foundation for getting ourselves right with the Earth, and with one another. D. And so, Spirit. This new Universe picture,based on Consciousness, has a place for Spirit as simply Infinite Consciousness. All universes all worlds are formed out of this Consciousness, divine and sacred throughout. And Spirit is everywhere in the Earth and can be connected everywhere. And the Native North American people had things right. Everything has its own Spirit, and without contradiction is also an expression of Spirit. And what I am really doing in terms of concepts of modern science is presenting the Native North American version of the Real. And this new Universe picture has a place for the essential insight of all religions almost smothered by church tradition: Love. Not an emotion but a great Oneness, that can be found everywhere, even in a busy city street. But especially in the Earth, that is levels and depths of Oneness everywhere. And so, for the first time in their long and bitter antagonistic history, science and religion now share a common base with this term Spirit, the lynchpin in a new conceptual framework. And I offer an interpretation of where we are in our history, this present moment of historical grace, and these tumultuous times in which we live, the return of the Goddess and the Divine Feminine, the Reappearance of the Feminine in history, the Advent of Women, this great Awakening, as of Springtime after a long dark Winter, the Awakening, the Second Coming. And so, stay tuned! (shrink)

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Although the author's criticalview of functionalism has a considerable intuitive pull, his argumentbased on the color room scenario does not work. Functionalism and other relational views of the mind are capable of providing coherent accounts of conscious experience that meet the challenge set up by the “color room argument.” A simple example of such an account is presented.

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Background: This study sought to understand the ethical issues encountered by medical residents during their residencies, evaluate the solutions proffered by them, and present their suggestions. Material/Methods: A survey consisting of 32 questions, including demographic information, was developed and distributed to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) residents from December 2020 to January 2021. A total of 53 completed questionnaires were submitted to the researchers. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26.0. Results: Of the participating residents who returned completed forms, (...) 50.9% were male and 49.1% were female, with an overall mean age of 30.5±4.4 years. Most residents’ views on ethical issues concerned themselves, the clinic, and patients/patient relatives. Responses showed a number of commonalities with the views of ICU physicians in other countries. Suggestions for resolving ethical issues solutions included instruction in medical ethics for all staff, increasing and strengthening pathways of communication both inside and outside of the clinics, regular inventory of medical supplies and assessment of equipment to prevent a shortage ofresources, and the establishment of a hospital ethics committee. Conclusions: As numerous and varied ethical issues were encountered in the participating ICUs, we propose the following: preparation of an ICU-specific guide for resolving ethical problems, clarification of rulesbased on legal regulations, determining a hierarchy of responsibilities, and ethics courses for all ICU staff. In addition, hospital managers should support ICU services from both a legal and ethical standpoint. (shrink)

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The study dealt with the present socio-economic status, perceptions and opportunities of maximizing the benefits of ecotourism to the local community. Responses from the local community, officials of the local government unit, and visitors using quantitative and qualitative method, particularly the inductive approach through survey, observation and interview was used. Local community involvement in tourism activity is limited to tour guiding, particularly the children, while the rest of the population are into farming, fishing and harvesting forest products. The park was (...) categorized as “Protected Landscape” under Republic Act 7586, now gaining its popularity and one of the fastest growing ecotourism sites in the Philippines is under the supervision of a private company. Visitor satisfaction and potential risk on environmental degradation were observed due to lack of regulation on the observance of carrying capacity. Tourism Action Plan for the destination was prepared but allocation for project for the local community that would contribute to their present socio-economic status was not evident. The geographical unit of the destination, its breath-takingview, the presence of various distinct flora and fauna made it to be labelled as the “Hidden Paradise and Mystical Eco-tourism in Nueva Ecija”. Sustainability in ecotourism, involves the participation of the communities that protect and manage the naturalresources, cultural and indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education and ethics. Community involvement equipped with proper education and conservation awareness, training, and employment opportunities may sustain the destination and enhance visitor satisfaction. (shrink)

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In this paper, I will draw on the capabilities approach to social justice and human development as advanced, among others, by Martha Nussbaum, and seek to provide some theoreticalresources for better understanding our obligations to future persons. My argumentative strategy is as follows: First, I’ll briefly reconstruct a capabilities approach to justice, examining this sort ofview’s normative foundations and methodology. Using Nussbaum’s capabilities list as a basis, I will argue that various social and environmental functions which (...) are threatened by climate change are crucial with respect to enabling morally and politically central capabilities for both current and future people. Here, I will draw on recent work by Breena Holland to establish the notion of a sustainable climate system as a necessary precondition for the enablement and protection of these entitlements. Then, I’ll extend this strategy to argue that the capabilities approach provides a uniquely useful threshold conception of harm to inform our thinking about our relationship to our posterity. It is my hope that the capabilities approach so applied can give us a novel way of understanding our responsibilities toward future people in a time where such an understanding is both unfortunately lacking and increasingly dire. Finally, I will discuss some implications of a capability-based account in the intergenerational context and some justifications for applying the approach in this way. Ultimately, I submit that this sort ofview seems more well-fitted to this context than other approaches (e.g., contractarianism and consequentialism), and that it offers a unique vehicle for understanding our relations and obligations to future people. (shrink)

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Sustainability is a crucial issue for many sectors in Malaysia, including the manufacturing sector. Many businesses, especially the chemical manufacturing industry, aim to achieve a sustainable business through the implementation of green practices. Green practices provide guidelines for the employees to simultaneously sustain the organisation in a sustainable manner and carry out the required manufacturing activities. Focusing on that, this study aimed to examine the effects of green practices on corporate sustainability performance through Islamic work ethics, organisation size, and organisation (...) age as moderators. Using the stratified random sampling technique, 344 chemical manufacturing organisations in Malaysia were invited to participate in a survey. Data from 130 completed questionnaire sets were subjected to partial least square (PLS) analysis. The results demonstrated significant effects of green practices on corporate sustainability performance via Islamic work ethics and organisation size. However, organisation age was found to exhibit no moderation effect on the relationship between green practices and corporate sustainability performance. Conclusively, as part of the organisational strategies, the sustainability of chemical manufacturing organisations must involve successful implementation of green practices, Islamic work ethics, and organisation size. This study offered several theoretical and practical contributions on green practices, Islamic work ethics, organisation size, and organisation age, and corporate sustainability performance. Theoretically, this study extended literature on the resource-basedview theory, natural-resource-basedview theory, and stakeholder theory. Al-Quran and hadith were used to support this study to link the relationships of the variables under study, particularly in the context of chemical manufacturing organisations in Malaysia. Practically, this study was expected to assist chemical manufacturers in selecting the appropriate green practices to achieve corporate sustainability performance and good implementation of Islamic work ethics. Additionally, it is recommended for future research to explore other types of industries in the manufacturing sector given the focus of this study on the chemical manufacturing industry only. (shrink)

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Abstract: Nowadays fresh water severe scarcity is a global concern and it is alarming for the future. In order to fully understand the progress of the water system and its impacts, a sustainability assessment of waterresources is needed. This accelerates the achievement of sustainability and management of waterresources. This work aims to assess the sustainability of the waterresources system by applying the integration approach proposed by (Xu, 2011). This integration approach isbased on (...) integrating the DPSIR-ANP method to the System Dynamics (SD) model, which is considered as a unique work in waterresources management field. SD is a computer simulation model to understanding the behavior of complex systems over time, while Analytic Network Process (ANP) is a decision finding method used in model complex decision problems which contains feedback connections and loops. DPSIR is an analytical framework for describing the interactions between the economy, society and the environment. This integrated approach enables decision makers toview the sustainability problems of waterresources system more comprehensively. The results showed that there is an increasing impact on the sustainability of waterresources systems in Egypt over the research period. This is attributed to the increase in waterresources consumption due to the increase in population, agriculture expansion and an increase in the value of GDP. So, the officials for managing waterresources in Egypt should take actions to increase the efficiency of water use and increasing the renewable waterresources for compensating water shortage. (shrink)

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Orthodoxy holds that the difference between weakness of will and compulsion is a matter of the resistibility of an agent's effective motivation, which makes control-based views of agency especially well equipped to distinguish blameworthy weak-willed acts from non-blameworthy compulsive acts. I defend an alternativeview that the difference between weakness and compulsion instead lies in the fact that agents would upon reflection give some conative weight to acting on their weak-willed desires for some aim other than to extinguish (...) them, but not to their compulsive desires. Thisview allows identificationist theorists of moral responsibility to explain why weak-willed actions, but not compulsive actions, are attributable to agents such that they can, in theory, be praised or blamed for them. After motivating and presenting theview in detail, I show how it has uniqueresources for explaining the ethics of managing one's compulsions. (shrink)

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The archaeological record is very limited and its analysis has been contentious. Hence, molecular biologists have shifted their attention to molecular dating techniques. Recently on April 2013, the prestigious Cell Press Journal Current Biology published an article (Fu et al. 2013) entitled “A Revised Timescale for Human EvolutionBased on Ancient Mitochondrial Genomes”. This paper has twenty authors and they are researchers from the world’s top institutes like Max Planck Institute, Harvard, etc. Respected authors of this paper have emphatically (...) accepted that the fossil record is inadequate and unreliable. These statements clearly substantiate that now biologists are agreeing that fossil records do not provide any significant evidence at all for conventional evolution theory. Despite the well-recorded fact of the continual grand propaganda of Darwinismbased on fossil evidence for more than 150 years, in recent times biologists are surprisingly coming up with such statements,based on their confidence that evolution can be explained purely by the genealogical/genomic record provided by modern molecular biology. Still many respected journals (for example the article in Nature, Retallack, 2013) continue to publish articles on fossil evidence to support Darwinian evolution. These incoherently diverse claims prove that Darwinists are struggling with unscientific ideological approaches to explain biodiversity. Darwinian evolutionary theory is not only the basis of modern biology, but also acts as the guiding principle of science and intellectual reasoning for modern civilization. Hence, a scientific understanding of the breakdown of the Darwinian theory of objective evolution is very important for overcoming the traditional scientific temper of mechanistic intellectualism that characterizes this ideology. In my article “21st Century Biology Refutes Darwinian Abiology” (published in two parts in November and December 2012 issues of The Harmonizer: www.mahaprabhu.net/satsanga/harmonizer) it was noted that several recent findings challenge the credibility that random mutations and natural selection can provide a valid basis for justifying the naturalistic evolution of species. The present article summarizes the problems associated with the fossil record and dating techniques, and its implication on the neo-Darwinian mechanistic misconception of biological life as mere molecular chemistry or abiology. An alternative approachbased on the Vedānticview for explaining biodiversity in the light of 21st century biology is also discussed in the end of the article. (shrink)

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The paper develops a new model of instrumental rationality: There is a general concept of instrumental rationality that has two types of instances that differ with regard to coherence and scope. The ‘primary aspect’ applies in effect only to cases where an agent has reason to do what she intends to do and corresponds to a narrow-scope requirement. The ‘secondary aspect’ applies also to cases where an agent does not have reason to do what she intends to do and corresponds (...) to a wide-scope requirement. The model has a number of significant features: (i) It enables accounts of the connections between instrumental rationality and coherence. (ii) It enables accounts of the connections between instrumental rationality and reasons. (iii) It makes it possible to explain different cases of instrumental rationality and irrationality and how they are related to one another. The model can be employed by both structure-based and reason-based views on instrumental rationality that consequently may make use of its explanatoryresources. (shrink)

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Short‐term memory in vision is typically thought to divide into at least two memory stores: a short, fragile, high‐capacity store known as iconic memory, and a longer, durable, capacity‐limited store known as visual working memory (VWM). This paper argues that iconic memory stores icons, i.e., image‐like perceptual representations. The iconicity of iconic memory has significant consequences for understanding consciousness, nonconceptual content, and the perception–cognition border. Steven Gross and Jonathan Flombaum have recently challenged the division between iconic memory and VWM by (...) arguing against the idea of capacity limits in favor of a flexible resource‐based model of short‐term memory. I argue that, while VWM capacity is probably governed by flexibleresources rather than a sharp limit, the two memory stores should still be distinguished by their representational formats. Iconic memory stores icons, while VWM stores discursive (i.e., language‐like) representations. I conclude by arguing that this format‐based distinction between memory stores entails that prominent views about consciousness and the perception–cognition border will likely have to be revised. (shrink)

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Philosophers have routinely taken a pessimisticview of the account of cognition offered by David Hume in his Treatise of Human Nature, claiming that Hume's limited explanatoryresources cannot capture the rich complexity of our thought, judgment, and reasoning. I provide a qualified defense of Hume's attempt to analyze a cognitive activity in terms of objectual conception, ie conceiving or imagining an object. I defend Hume from objections offered by his contemporary Thomas Reid (and echoed by various recent (...) Hume scholars), presenting an interpretation of the account that resolves these worries. (shrink)

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Marx thinks that capitalism is exploitative, and that is a major basis for his objections to it. But what's wrong with exploitation, as Marx sees it? (The paper is exegetical in character: my object is to understand what Marx believed,) The receivedview, held by Norman Geras, G.A. Cohen, and others, is that Marx thought that capitalism was unjust, because in the crudest sense, capitalists robbed labor of property that was rightfully the workers' because the workers and not the (...) capitalists produced it. Thisview depends on a Labor Theory of Property (LTP), that property rights arebased ultimately on having produced something. (Aview oddly enough shared with the libertarian right, though the LTP is better support for egalitarian or socialist views; see my From Libertarianism to Egalitarianism, 18 Social Theory & Prac. 259-288 (1992).) -/- I show that the idea that Marx's objection to exploitation isbased on injustice or LTP-grounded theft is mistaken. Marx's real objection to exploitation isbased on unfreedom, that capitalist relations of production, he thinks, unnecessarily limit human freedom. In the first place Marx is quite clear that he vehemently rejects the concepts of justice, fairness, or rights as bourgeois ideology. It is true that he uses the language of "theft" on occasion, but either a literal interpretation of that language must be abandoned, or his consistent, life-long objection to rights- and justice talk must be given up. Second, the structure, indeed the point, of his analysis of the laws of motion of capitalism, is that capitalists make profits through exploitation of labor -- without cheating -- by the normal "legitimate" operation of the system. Other arguments make the same point. -/- The unfreedom or force-basedview, though not necessarily my specific arguments advocated so far is shared by a minority of other writers, such as Nancy Holmstrom and Richard Arneson. What my paper offers that is novel, part from arguments for the foregoing that are different and better than those found elsewhere (although Holmstrom and Arneson are excellent), is an account of in detail of what Marx regards as the real problem with exploitation. -/- I analyze Marx's objection that capitalist exploitation causes unnecessary unfreedom by distinguishing and spelling out three different kinds of freedom that he invokes: classic negative freedom, or noninterference; positive freedom, understood as control over or access to theresources enabling one to exercise one's negative freedom; and "real" freedom, as he puts it, the ability to "give the law to oneself," to regulate one's own activities under rules chosen by oneself, to develop one's capacities by autonomous choice. This puts Marx in the tradition going back through Hegel and Kant to Rousseau, the first express advocate of this idea. The opposite of real freedom, the unfreedom due to lack of autonomy, is alienation. -/- I conclude by stating that I think that justice-based objections to exploitation that avoid Marx's objections to the concept are possible. I do not attempt to spell these out here. I take up that task in my subsequently published paper Relativism, Reflective Equilibrium, and Justice, 17 Legal Stud.,128-168 (1997). -/- The present paper is related to and partly overlaps with my paper In Defense of Exploitation, 11 Econ. & Phil. 49-81 (1995), a critique of John Roemer's equalitybased account of the nature of exploitation and its wrongness. The research and writing of this paper was financially supported by the philosophy department of The Ohio State University. -/- Keywords: Exploitation, Justice, Unjustice, Theft, Labor Theory of Property, Marx, Freedom, Unfreedom, Rights, Fairness, Critique of Justice, Negative Freedom, Positive Freedom, Real Freedom, Alienation, G.A. Cohen, Norman Geras. (shrink)

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Cloud computing is considered as a new type of technology, in fact, it is an extension of the information technology's developments which arebased on the pooling ofresources and infrastructure to provide services depend on using the cloud, in the sense that instead of these services andresources exist on local servers or personal devices, they are gathered in the cloud and be shared on the Internet. This technology has achieved an economic success no one can (...) deny it and resorting to use it has many advantages, today it becomes known and recognized and begins to invade the libraries' area and imposes itself day by day because of the benefits afforded by using applications that have the ability to change the nature of library's services through the web hosting services which can be accessed via any internet connected device. And actually, libraries started using services provided by this technology especially in the field of digitization, indexing, supply, storage and the service of sharing and exchanging informationresources in the virtual environment. For this, there is a need to conduct scientific research to find out librarians' trends and motivations about the use of cloud computing in their field of work. Where this research examines the librarians' trends towards the use of cloud computing according to the technology acceptance model (TAM). The study depended on descriptive analytical method using a questionnaire tool, and it has included all the libraries of Mentouri-Constantine1, libraries of university Abdelhamid Mehri-Constantine2, libraries of university Constantine 3, and libraries of Emir Abdelkader university of the Islamic science. And it reached a set of results including: that cloud computing is not used in a very large proportion by librarians, and they haven't a good cognitive level of its services, but in return, an interest was found by them to the cloud as a technology helps the office work implementation and the performance efficiency lifting and appreciates library services. (shrink)

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The purpose of this paper is to shed light on what liberal states should tolerate outside their borders. This requires definitions of `liberalism, ́ `toleration, ́ and `state. ́ In the first section of this paper, I briefly indicate how I use those and other terms necessary to the discussion and introduce the normative principle I take liberals to be committed to. In the second section, I continue clearing the path for the rest of my discussion. In the rest of (...) the paper, I draw conclusions about what liberals should tolerate outside their state that I believe follow from the proffered definitions and principles. I limit myself to interference aimed at providing humanitarian aid, but do so in a way that is meant to provideresources for thinking about other sorts of interventions. In the third section, I consider humanitarian interventions done with the permis- sion of the other state and will point toward a toleration-basedview; here we are really talking about non-toleration of suffering. In the fourth section, I consider humanitarian interventions done without the permission of the other state; here we are talking about non-toleration of a state that harms its residents. I consider an objection in section five. (shrink)

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The Profit Motive: A Reality or an Illusion of Capitalism? -/- Introduction -/- The profit motive has long been considered a fundamental driver of economic activity, particularly in capitalist societies. It is the principle that businesses, individuals, and economies are primarily motivated by financial gain. However, when examined through the lens of capitalism and fiat currency, an important question arises: Is the profit motive a genuine economic force, or is it an illusion created by the artificial value of money? This (...) essay explores the nature of the profit motive, its connection to capitalism, and the potential illusory aspects of wealth accumulation within a fiat currency system. -/- The Role of the Profit Motive in Capitalism -/- Capitalism institutionalizes the profit motive by making financial success the key measure of progress. In a capitalist system, individuals and businesses seek to maximize their earnings through innovation, efficiency, and strategic decision-making. The promise of financial gain incentivizes entrepreneurs to take risks, develop new products, and improve services. -/- Supporters of capitalism argue that the profit motive leads to economic growth, job creation, and technological advancements. Competition in the marketplace forces companies to innovate and provide better goods and services at lower costs. Additionally, businesses that generate profits attract investments, which allows them to expand and create more economic opportunities. Thus, the profit motive serves as a crucial mechanism in capitalist economies. -/- However, the pursuit of profit can also lead to negative consequences, such as wealth inequality and environmental degradation. Those who control financial and industrialresources often accumulate disproportionate amounts of wealth, while lower-income individuals may struggle to compete. This raises ethical questions about whether the profit motive truly benefits society or if it primarily serves the interests of the elite. -/- Fiat Currency and the Illusion of Wealth -/- The concept of fiat currency further complicates the understanding of the profit motive. Unlike commodity-backed money (such as gold or silver), fiat currency derives its value from government regulation and public trust rather than intrinsic worth. Since money in modern economies is created through banking systems and debt, its value is largelybased on collective belief rather than tangible assets. -/- This raises concerns about whether financial profits are an illusion rather than a reflection of real wealth. If money itself has no intrinsic value, then the pursuit of profit—measured in fiat currency—could be seen as chasing a fabricated metric rather than achieving real economic progress. Inflation, economic crises, and financial bubbles reveal the vulnerabilities of a system that relies on fiat currency, making profits unstable and sometimes illusory. -/- Furthermore, the constant need for economic growth in a fiat-based system pressures businesses and individuals to continuously accumulate more wealth, regardless of actual resource availability. This dynamic fosters consumerism, financial speculation, and debt-driven economies, which can lead to economic instability and artificial booms and busts. -/- Is the Profit Motive an Illusion? -/- The debate over whether the profit motive is an illusion depends on perspective. From a practical standpoint, profit is necessary for businesses to survive and grow. It determines purchasing power, access toresources, and overall economic influence. In this sense, profit is not an illusion but a real force shaping human behavior and societal structures. -/- However, from a philosophical and systemic perspective, the profit motive can be seen as a social construct rather than an absolute reality. The value of money is dictated by economic policies and collective agreements, meaning that financial wealth is only meaningful as long as society recognizes it. If fiat currency were to collapse, the illusionary nature of profit would become evident, as material goods and essentialresources would become the true determinants of wealth. -/- Alternative Perspectives on Success -/- While capitalism promotes profit as the primary measure of success, alternative economic models suggest different ways of defining progress. Some propose prioritizing sustainability, resource-based economies, or social well-being rather than monetary accumulation. Economic models like cooperative businesses, universal basic income, and post-scarcity societies challenge the traditionalview that profit is the ultimate goal. -/- In such systems, success is defined not by financial gain but by factors such as quality of life, environmental balance, and social equity. This perspective aligns with the idea that the profit motive may not be the only—or even the best—way to drive human progress. -/- Conclusion -/- The profit motive is both a reality and a construct shaped by the economic system in which it operates. In capitalism, it serves as a driving force for innovation, competition, and economic growth. However, its dependence on fiat currency introduces elements of illusion, as financial wealth is largelybased on societal belief rather than intrinsic value. While profit remains a central force in modern economies, reconsidering its role in defining success may open pathways to more sustainable and equitable economic models. Ultimately, the question is not just whether profit is an illusion, but whether society should continue prioritizing it as the primary measure of success. -/- . (shrink)

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The article provides a critical assessment of The Central Bank of the Russian Federation policy in response to the sanctions of the US, the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and a number of other countries. The effect of sanctions on the Russian economy and its financial market is viewed through the prism of credit, interest rate, and currency risk, and the risk of a decline in business activity. Special attention is paid to the inflationary component and inflationary expectations (...) of the Russian Federation, as well as to the forecasts for a decline in business activity in Russia. A critical assessment is given to the actions of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the economic bloc of the government of the Russian Federation as a whole in response to the sanctions of the civilized world, which disable the normal existence of the economy and the main purpose of which is not to destroy the economy of the Russian Federation but to ensure the end of hostilities on the European continent. The results of our study will be useful to everyone who studies the problems of the effect of economic sanctions on the resource-based economy and the processes of stimulating political decisions by economic methods. (shrink)

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Theview that folk psychology is primarily mindreading beliefs and desires has come under challenge in recent years. I have argued that we also understand others in terms of individual properties such as personality traits and generalizations from past behavior, and in terms of group properties such as stereotypes and social norms (Andrews 2012). Others have also argued that propositional attitude attribution isn’t necessary for predicting others’ behavior, because this can be done in terms of taking Dennett’s Intentional Stance (...) (Zawidzki 2013), appealing to social structures (Maibom 2007), shared norms (McGeer 2007) or via solutionbased heuristics for reaching equilibrium between social partners (Morton 2003). But it isn’t only prediction that can be done without thinking about what others think; we can explain and understand people in terms of their personality traits, habitual behaviors, and social practices as well. The decentering of propositional attitude attributions goes hand in hand with a move away from taking folk psychology to be primarily a predictive device. While experiments examining folk psychological abilities in children, infants, and other species still rest on asking subjects to predict behavior, theoretical investigations as to the evolutionary function of folk psychology have stressed the role of explanation (Andrews 2012) and regulative functions (McGeer 2007, Zawidzki 2013, Fenici 2011). In this paper I argue that an explanatory role for folk psychology is also a regulative role, and that language is not required for these regulative functions. I will start by drawing out the relationship between prediction, explanation, and regulation of behavior according to both mindreading approaches to folk psychology and the pluralistic account I defend. I will argue that social cognition does not take the form of causal reasoning so much as it does normative reasoning, and will introduce the folk psychological spiral. Then I will examine the cognitiveresources necessary for participating in the folk psychological spiral, and I will argue that these cognitiveresources can be had without language. There is preliminary evidence that some other species understand one another through a normative lens that, through looping effects, creates expectations that community members strive to live up to. (shrink)

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Theview that living beings as well as plant-based medicaments possess causal properties that are caused by the causal properties of their constituents, without being reducible to the combination of the causal properties of these constituents goes back to ancient thinkers such as Alexander of Aphrodisias and Johannes Philoponus. In the early modern period, thisview was not only criticized by natural philosophers taking a reductionist stance; it was also criticized by Neo-Platonic thinkers such as Jean Fernel. (...) One of the relatively few early modern natural philosophers who adopted an emergentist position was Jacob Schegk. The present article discusses whether Schegk’s analysis of the structure of plants and medicaments offers the theoreticalresources required to answer Fernel’s critique of the tradition going back to Alexander. In particular, it examines whether Schegk’s account of synchronic upward causation and diachronic downward causation could offer solutions to two interrelated problems identified by Fernel: the question of whether a mere aggregates of material particles could form a composite that possesses substantiality, not only accidental unity; and the question of whether multitudes of material particles could bring forth simple forms, whose existence seems to be presupposed by powers that cannot be ascribed to the constituents. (shrink)

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Although theview that sees proper names as referential singular terms is widely considered orthodoxy, there is a growing popularity to theview that proper names are predicates. This is partly because the orthodoxy faces two anomalies that Predicativism can solve: on the one hand, proper names can have multiple bearers. But multiple bearerhood is a problem to the idea that proper names have just one individual as referent. On the other hand, as Burge noted, proper names can (...) have predicative uses. But theview that proper names are singular terms arguably does not have theresources to deal with Burge’s cases. In this paper I argue that the PredicateView of proper names is mistaken. I first argue against the syntactic evidence used to support theview and against the predicativist’s methodology of inferring a semantic account for proper namesbased on incomplete syntactic data. I also show that Predicativism can neither explain the behaviour of proper names in full generality, nor claim the fundamentality of predicative names. In developing my ownview, however, I accept the insight that proper names in some sense express generality. Hence I propose that proper names—albeit fundamentally singular referential terms—express generality in two senses. First, by being used as predicates, since then they are true of many individuals; and second, by being referentially related to many individuals. I respond to the problem of multiple bearerhood by proposing that proper names are polyreferential, and also explain the behaviour of proper names in light of the wider phenomenon I called category change, and show how Polyreferentialism can account for all uses of proper names. (shrink)

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On a standardview about reasons, evidence, and justification, there is justification for you to believe all and only what your evidence supports and the reasons that determine whether there is justification to believe are all just pieces of evidence. Thisview is mistaken about two things. It is mistaken about the rational role of evidence. It is also mistaken about the rational role of reasons. To show this, I present two basis problems for the standardview (...) and argue that it lacks theresources to solve these problems. It is easy to spot these mistakes once we are clear on the ontology of reasons and have a better understanding of the role that belief plays in the theory of possessed evidence. After attacking the standardview, I offer an alternative account of justification. On thisview, the justificatory status of a belief is not a function of the reasons/evidence on which it isbased (it might not bebased on any) but is instead a function of the basis that it can provide. (shrink)

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This paper presents aview of nature as a network of infocomputational agents organized in a dynamical hierarchy of levels. It provides a framework for unification of currently disparate understandings of natural, formal, technical, behavioral and social phenomenabased on information as a structure, differences in one system that cause the differences in another system, and computation as its dynamics, i.e. physical process of morphological change in the informational structure. We address some of the frequent misunderstandings regarding the (...) natural/morphological computational models and their relationships to physical systems, especially cognitive systems such as living beings. Natural morphological infocomputation as a conceptual framework necessitates generalization of models of computation beyond the traditional Turing machine model presenting symbol manipulation, and requires agent-based concurrent resource-sensitive models of computation in order to be able to cover the whole range of phenomena from physics to cognition. The central role of agency, particularly material vs. cognitive agency is highlighted. (shrink)

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It has been argued that the explanation of self-control requires positing special motivational powers. Some think that we need will-power as an irreducible mental faculty; others that we need to think of the active self as a dedicated and depletable pool of psychic energy or – in today more respectable terminology – mentalresources; finally, there is the idea that self-control requires postulating a deep division between reason and passion – a deliberative and an emotional motivational system. This essay (...) argues that no such special motivational powers are necessary. Yet, at the same time, self-control does powerfully illustrate the importance of a feature of the mind. What it illustrates, I argue, is the importance of the mental activity of attention in the control of all action. It is by appeal to this mental activity that we can dispense with special motivational powers. If we think of Humeanism as theview that there is fundamentally only one kind of motivational system and that all action isbased in that system, then this essay contributes to a defense of Humeanism. On the other hand, the essay also shows that any model of agency in terms of only beliefs and desires, motivational and representational states, or preferences and credences is incomplete. A different conception of Humeanism as theview that every mental state is either motivational, representational, or a combination of them, is false. (shrink)

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While many bibliometric techniques have been employed to represent the structure of academic research communities over the years, much of this work has been conducted on scientific fields as opposed to those in the humanities. Here we use graphing techniques to present two networks that allow us to explore the structure of a subset of the philosophy community by mapping the citations between philosophical texts on the topic of ontology (the study of what exists). We find a citation gap between (...) philosophers studying material and abstract objects, and between analytic and continental ontologists, but other predictions were not confirmed by this method. We conclude by considering several additional methods for further exploring both the structure of philosophy and other disciplines in the humanities. (shrink)

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Informational Evolution and Multidimensional Systems This text proposes a multidimensional framework for understanding evolution, human systems, and existence itself through the lens of information theory. Key insights address the following questions: 1. How does evolution extend beyond genetic mechanisms? Evolution operates through four interconnected dimensions: genetic, epigenetic (heritable gene expression changes), behavioral (learned practices), and symbolic (language, culture). These channels interact reciprocally, enabling organisms to reshape environments, which in turn influence selection pressures. This expandedview challenges gene-centric models, emphasizing (...) developmental plasticity, niche construction, and cultural inheritance as co-drivers of adaptation. 2. What forces govern human institutions? Human systems—from nations to online communities—are shaped by three axes: - Freedom: The range of choices and autonomy available, analogous to evolutionary variation. - Power: The distribution of control, determining which ideas/behaviors thrive (akin to selection). -Resources: Material and informational constraints that enable or limit growth. These dimensions create feedback loops: resource distribution affects power dynamics, while power structures constrain or enable freedom. 3. Why do individuals tolerate suboptimal systems? Institutional resilience arises from exit barriers (material, social, or cognitive costs of leaving), loss aversion (preference for stability over uncertain change), and loyalty (identity-based commitment). Systems persist not because they are optimal but due to path dependence, vested interests, and narratives that legitimize their existence. 4. How do language and culture shape systemic participation? Language and embodied cognition act as filters, structuring perception and framing possibilities. Cultural narratives (e.g., meritocracy, market logic) normalize systemic norms, while metaphors rooted in bodily experience (e.g., “power hierarchies”) unconsciously guide reasoning. These filters constrain innovation by rendering alternatives inconceivable or illegitimate. 5. How do humans and institutions co-evolve? Through niche construction, humans create environments (e.g., cities, technologies) that alter selection pressures, driving genetic, cognitive, and cultural adaptations. Conversely, institutions evolve via feedback from human behavior—a dynamic termed gene-culture coevolution. For example, dairy farming selected for lactase persistence, while digital tools now reshape cognition and social dynamics. 6. What is the fundamental nature of existence? Reality is understood as a series of informational processes: biology operates like culture, functioning as individual and collective software programsbased on rules—such as those of evolutionary theory—and consciousness acts as driver and an observer of the interface, perceiving a portion of symbolic codes as information. Physical laws, genetic constraints, and cultural norms constitute “syntax” governing these processes. Evolution and societal change are thus akin to iterative code revisions, constrained by logical consistency and historical paths. -/- Implications: This framework integrates biological, cultural, and cognitive evolution into a unified theory of information. It suggests that addressing global challenges—from inequality to ecological crises—requires debugging systemic “code” by reshaping narratives, redistributingresources, and leveraging co-evolutionary feedback. Existence, as a self-writing informational text, positions humans as both products and authors of evolutionary dynamics. (shrink)

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The issue of justice after catastrophe is an enormous challenge to contemporary theories of distributive justice. In the past three decades, the controversy over distributive justice has centered on the ideal of equality. One of intensely debated issues concerns what is often called the “equality of what,” on which there are three primary views: welfarism, resourcism, and the capabilities approach. Another major point of dispute can be termed the “equality or another,” about which three positions debate: egalitarianism, prioritarianism, and sufficientarianism. (...) On these topics of distributive justice, authors are concerned with the current difference between the better-off and the worse-off or the present situation of the badly-off. By contrast, it is essential to take account of the past distribution of well-being as well as the present situation in order to explore questions of post-catastrophe justice. Without looking at the pre-disaster distribution of income, preference satisfaction, or basic capabilities among affected people, no present assessment of the damage caused by the disaster could be correct and no proposed remedy adequate. It is true that luck egalitarians assess the current distribution among people by referring to the decision that each individual made. Yet they pay scant attention to the situation in which each one stayed in the past. Therefore, we can legitimately say that most theorists of distributive justice, including luck egalitarians, have failed to give consideration to the past state of each person. -/- To fill this gap in the literature, the present article explores philosophical questions that arise when we take account of each person’s past and present situations in discussing distributive justice regarding public compensation and assistance to survivors and families of victims of natural and industrial disasters. In addressing these novel questions, I develop and refine various concepts, ideas, and arguments that have been presented in the study of distributive justice in normal settings. I tackle two tasks, the first of which is to explore the foundation and scope of luck egalitarianism. Despite the moral appeal it has in many cases, luck egalitarianism has attracted the so-called harshness objection. Some luck egalitarians attempt to avoid this objection in a pragmatic way by combining the luck egalitarian doctrine with the principle of basic needs satisfaction. However, they do not provide any systematic rationale for this combination. In contrast with such pragmatic responses, I seek to offer a principled argument for holding individuals responsible for their choices only when their basic needs are met, by invoking the ideas of respect for human voluntariness and rescue of human vulnerability.Based on this argument, I propose a form of responsibility-sensitive theory, which considers the pre-disaster distribution of well-being as a default position. The second task I take on is to refine sufficientarianism in the context of post-catastrophe justice. Luck egalitarianism with boundaries set by the basic needs principle seems to indicate the potential for sufficientarianism. But major proponents of thisview conceive the welfarist assumption, a considerably high standard of well-being, and the controversial treatment of persons staying below the threshold, all of which seem problematic in the post-disaster situation. I try to construct a new version of sufficientarianism by replacing these current features with more robust ones. (shrink)

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-/- Title: A Practical Model for a Resource-Based Economy Guided by Natural Laws -/- Author: Angelito Malicse -/- Introduction -/- The current global economic system, primarilybased on money, has long contributed to inequality, ecological degradation, and systemic inefficiencies. These problems persist because the system itself is not aligned with the natural laws that govern sustainable life on Earth. This essay proposes a practical model for a Resource-Based Economy (RBE), grounded in a universal formulabased on (...) the law of balance in nature, the law of karma as system integrity, and continuous feedback mechanisms. This model is not theoretical; it is designed for real-world implementation in a small country or prototype community. -/- The Foundation: Universal Natural Laws -/- The universal formula guiding this RBE model is built upon three essential laws: -/- 1. Law of Balance in Nature – All decision-making must maintain equilibrium between internal human needs and external environmental realities. Any decision that violates this balance results in systemic breakdowns. -/- 2. Law of Karma as System Integrity – Every system, whether mechanical or social, must be free from internal defects and contradictions. An economic system must operate with the same integrity as a finely-tuned engine or a healthy human body. -/- 3. Law of Feedback Mechanism – Decision-making must continuously adaptbased on real-time feedback from the environment and from the conscious interactions between individuals and systems. -/- Together, these laws form the ethical and operational basis of a Resource-Based Economy that transcends the limitations of traditional monetary systems. -/- Structural Components of the RBE Prototype -/- 1. Resource Survey and Management System -/- A full inventory of naturalresources, human skills, technologies, and infrastructure is conducted.Resources are classified into renewable, non-renewable, and recyclable categories. Advanced sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) track real-time data such as agricultural output, energy use, and water supply. This data-driven system enables scientifically grounded decisions that support environmental and societal balance. -/- 2. Needs-Based Distribution -/- Instead of pricing goods and services through a currency system, distribution isbased on actual human needs. A digital platform enables individuals to request what they require—food, clothing, shelter, healthcare—without exchanging money. AI logistics systems ensure efficient, fair, and sustainable delivery of goods and services. -/- 3. Contribution SystemBased on Time and Value -/- Community members contribute to the system not through monetary labor but through time, skills, and value. Contributions include farming, teaching, maintenance, design, caregiving, and more. AI optimizes labor distribution to prevent overwork and to match individuals with meaningful tasks that align with both personal fulfillment and societal needs. -/- 4. Education and Decision-Making System -/- Education is restructured to emphasize critical thinking, systems understanding, and natural laws. From early education to adulthood, individuals are taught the ethical and ecological foundations of decision-making. Community decisions are made through open deliberation, guided by data, transparent reasoning, and the universal formula. Leaders function as coordinators rather than authoritarian figures. -/- 5. Technology as the Nervous System of the Economy -/- Advanced technologies such as AI, sensors, and real-time data analytics form the nervous system of the economy. These technologies: -/- Monitor the flow ofresources -/- Track environmental impact -/- Assess the needs and well-being of individuals -/- Identify imbalances and suggest corrections -/- Technology enables proactive governance, reduces human error, and ensures transparency and accountability throughout the system. -/- Pilot Implementation and Location Considerations -/- A suitable location for the first RBE prototype could be a small island, rural town, or autonomous eco-village. Criteria for selection include: -/- Willingness of local population to shift away from traditional money systems -/- Availability of basic infrastructure -/- Support from academic institutions and sustainability organizations -/- Initial funding would be required for infrastructure development, sensor networks, and education programs. However, once operational, the system becomes self-sustaining by eliminating economic waste, inefficiency, and social inequality. -/- Benefits and Problem Solving Capacity -/- The RBE model solves major societal problems as follows: -/- Conclusion -/- The Resource-Based Economy proposed in this essay offers a practical, ethical, and scientific alternative to current money-driven systems. By aligning economic structure with the universal laws of balance, system integrity, and feedback, society can evolve beyond artificial scarcity, competition, and exploitation. Implementing this model on a small scale can serve as a blueprint for future communities and nations seeking sustainable and just systems. -/- Bibliography -/- Fresco, J. (2007). The Best That Money Can’t Buy: Beyond Politics, Poverty & War. Global Cyber-Visions. -/- Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist. Chelsea Green Publishing. -/- Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., & Randers, J. (2004). Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update. Chelsea Green Publishing. -/- Illich, I. (1971). Deschooling Society. Marion Boyars. -/- Boulding, K. E. (1966). The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth. In H. Jarrett (Ed.), Environmental Quality in a Growing Economy. Johns Hopkins Press. -/- Malicse, A. (2024). The Universal Formula: Solving the Problem of Free Will through Natural Laws. [Unpublished manuscript]. -/- . (shrink)

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Recent feminist critiques of development have questioned some fundamental assumptions of feminist political theory; such critiques have also been successful in subverting long-held assumptions of conventional economic development. Viewed in the context of women’s subordination in third world countries, a redefinition of development must not only be about economic growth, but ensure a redistribution ofresources, challenge the gender-based division of labour and also seek to provide for an egalitarian basis in social arrangements. Further, as this article argues, (...) any starting point for feminist critiques of development must also seek to link the end of gender oppression to multiple theories of justice – a justice not juridical but one that recognises the cultural membership of women in the community. (shrink)

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Pictures are 2D surfaces designed to elicit 3D-scene-representing experiences from their viewers. In this essay, I argue that philosophers have tended to underestimate the relevance of research in vision science to understanding the nature of pictorial experience. Both the deeply entrenched methodology of virtual psychophysics as well as empirical studies of pictorial space perception provide compelling support for theview that pictorial experience and seeing face-to-face are experiences of the same psychological, explanatory kind. I also show that an empirically (...) informed account of pictorial experience providesresources to develop a novel, resemblance-based account of depiction. According to what I call the deep resemblance theory, pictures work by presenting virtual models of objects and scenes in phenomenally 3D, pictorial space. (shrink)

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In this paper I will take it for granted that Zagzebski's position articulates a broadly Catholic perspective, and that Plantinga's position accurately represents a broadly Calvinist one. But I will argue that so construed, the Catholic and the Calvinist are much closer than Zagzebski implies: both views are person-based in an important sense of that term; both are internalist on Zagzebski's usage and externalist on the standard usage; and Plantinga's position is consistent with the social elements that Zagzebski stresses (...) in herview. In the second part of the paper I will identify what I think is the real issue between Zagzebski and Plantinga. Namely, Zagzebski thinks that knowledge requires epistemic responsibility, in the sense that instances of knowledge must be appropriately praiseworthy. Plantinga thinks that no such condition is required for knowledge or warranted belief. I will argue that on this issue Zagzebski is right, and that her virtue approach gives usresources for seeing why. Finally, I will look at the consequences for religious knowledge. Here I will argue that the consequences are minimal. Even if knowledge requires responsibility, Plantinga can still make a good case that religious belief is properly basic. And even if religious belief is properly basic, natural theology can still have an important role in the justification of religious belief. (shrink)

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dolce, the first top-level (foundational) ontology to be axiomatized, has remained stable for twenty years and today is broadly used in a variety of domains. dolce is inspired by cognitive and linguistic considerations and aims to model a commonsenseview of reality, like the one human beings exploit in everyday life in areas as diverse as socio-technical systems, manufacturing, financial transactions and cultural heritage. dolce clearly lists the ontological choices it isbased upon, relies on philosophical principles, is (...) richly formalized, and is built according to well-established ontological methodologies, e.g. OntoClean. Because of these features, it has inspired most of the existing top-level ontologies and has been used to develop or improve standards and public domainresources (e.g. CIDOC CRM, DBpedia and WordNet). Being a foundational ontology, dolce is not directly concerned with domain knowledge. Its purpose is to provide the general categories and relations needed to give a coherentview of reality, to integrate domain knowledge, and to mediate across domains. In these 20 years dolce has shown that applied ontologies can be stable and that interoperability across reference and domain ontologies is a reality. This paper briefly introduces the ontology and shows how to use it on a few modeling cases. (shrink)

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Non-Humean accounts of the metaphysics of nature posit either laws or powers in order to account for natural necessity and world-order. We argue that such monistic views face fundamental problems. On the one hand, neo-Aristotelians cannot give unproblematic power-based accounts of the functional laws among quantities offered by physical theories, as well as of the place of conservation laws and symmetries in a lawless ontology; in order to capture these characteristics, commitment to governing laws is indispensable. On the other (...) hand, ontologies that entirely exclude some kind of power ascription to worldly entities face what we call the Governing Problem: such ontologies do not have theresources to give an adequate account of how laws play their governing role. We propose a novel dualist model, which, we argue, has theresources to solve the difficulties encountered by its two dominant competitors, without inheriting the problems of eitherview. According to the dualist model, both laws and powers are equally fundamental and irreducible to each other, and both are needed in order to give a satisfactory account of the nomological structure of the world. The dualist model constitutes thus a promising alternative to current monistic views in the metaphysics of science. (shrink)

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Satisficing Consequentialism is often rejected as hopeless. Perhaps its greatest problem is that it risks condoning the gratuitous prevention of goodness above the baseline of what qualifies as "good enough". I propose a radical new willpower-based version of theview that avoids this problem, and that better fits with the motivation of avoiding an excessively demanding conception of morality. I further demonstrate how, by drawing on theresources of an independent theory of blameworthiness, we may obtain a (...) principled specification of what counts as "good enough". (shrink)

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In this paper we introduce theview that realism about a social kind K entails that the grounding conditions of K are difficult (or impossible) to manipulate. In other words, we define social kind realism in terms of relative frame manipulability (RFM). In articulating ourview, we utilize theoreticalresources from Epstein’s (Epstein, The ant trap: Rebuilding the foundations of the Social Sciences. Oxford University Press, 2015) grounding/anchoring model and causal interventionism. After comparing ourview with (...) causal and principle-based (Tahko, Synthese 200(2):1–23, 2022) proposals, we motivate RFM by showing that it accommodates important desiderata about the social landscape (such as recognizing the context-relativity of social properties and the emancipatory dimension of social practice). Finally, we consider three objections. First, we tackle frame-necessitarianism (FN), theview that social kind frames are metaphysically necessary (and thus unmanipulable). Secondly, we engage with what Epstein (Epstein, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 99(3):768–781 2019a) calls UNIVERSALITY (theview that social kinds can hold in the absence of anchors) and we argue that it should also be resisted. Finally, we tackle a recent objection from Mason’s (Mason, Philosophical Studies, 178(12):3975–3994) essentialism about social kinds. (shrink)

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In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in thedevelopment of ontologically well-founded conceptual models for Information Systems in areas such as Service Management, Accounting Information Systems and Financial Reporting. Economic exchanges are central phenomena in these areas. For this reason, they occupy a prominent position in modelling frameworks such as the REA (Resource-EventAction) ISO Standard as well as the FIBO (Financial Industry BusinessOntology). In this paper, we begin a well-founded ontological analysisof economic exchanges inspired by a recent ontological (...)view on the nature of economic transactions. According to thisview, what counts asan economic transaction isbased on an agreement on the actions thatthe agents are committed to perform. The agreement is in turnbased on convergent preferences about the course of action to bring about. Thisview enables a unified treatment of economic exchanges, regardless the object of the transaction, and complies with theview that all economictransactions are about services. In this paper, we start developing our analysis in the framework of the Unified Foundational Ontology (UFO). (shrink)

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One leading approach to justification comes from the reliabilist tradition, which maintains that a belief is justified provided that it is reliably formed. Another comes from the ‘Reasons First’ tradition, which claims that a belief is justified provided that it isbased on reasons that support it. These two approaches are typically developed in isolation from each other; this essay motivates and defends a synthesis. On theview proposed here, justification is understood in terms of an agent’s reasons (...) for belief, which are in turn analyzed along reliabilist lines: an agent's reasons for belief are the states that serve as inputs to their reliable processes. I show that this synthesis allows each tradition to profit from the other's explanatoryresources. In particular, it enables reliabilists to explain epistemic defeat without abandoning their naturalistic ambitions. I go on to compare my proposed synthesis with other hybrid versions of reliabilism that have been proposed in the literature. (shrink)

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I argue that moral principles, construed as moral generalizations, can be genuinely explanatory. Specifically, I present and respond to a challenge according to which moral generalizations are explanatorily redundant. In response, I present and defend an explanatory dimension of moral generalizations that isbased on the idea of unification. I do so in the context of motivating a realist-friendly moral explanatory pluralism (i.e., theview that there can be many, equally legitimate, explanations of moral facts). Finally, I appeal (...) to the same theoreticalresources to tackle an objection from explanatory circularity. (shrink)

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In this paper, we articulate a version of non-standard A-theory—which we call Flow Fragmentalism—in relation to its take on the issue of supervenience of truth on being. According to the Truth Supervenes on Being (TSB) Principle, the truth of past- and future-tensed propositions supervenes, respectively, on past and future facts. Since the standard presentist denies the existence of past and future entities and facts concerning them that do not obtain in the present, she seems to lack theresources to (...) accept both past and future-tensed truths and the TSB Principle. Contrariwise, positions in philosophy of time that accept an eternalist ontology (e.g., B-theory, moving spotlight, and Fine’s and Lipman’s versions of fragmentalism) allow for a “direct” supervenience base for past- and future-tensed truths. We argue that Flow Fragmentalism constitutes a middle ground, which retains most of the advantages of both views, and allows us to articulate a novel account of the passage of time. (shrink)

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Recent work on the quality assurance of the Gene Ontology (GO, Gene Ontology Consortium 2004) from the perspective of both linguistic and ontological organization has made it clear that GO lacks the kind of formalism needed to support logic-based reasoning. At the same time it is no less clear that GO has proven itself to be an excellent terminological resource that can serve to combine together a variety of biomedical database and information systems. Given the strengths of GO, it (...) is worth investigating whether, by overcoming some of its weaknesses from the point ofview of formal-ontological principles, we might not be able to enhance a version of GO which can come even closer to serving the needs of the various communities of biomedical researchers and practitioners. It is accepted that clinical and bioinformatics need to find common ground if the results of data-intensive biomedical research are to be harvested to the full. It is also widely accepted that no single method will be sufficient to create the needed common framework. We believe that the principles-based approach to life-science data integration and knowledge representation must be one of the methods applied. Indeed in dealing with the ontological representation of carcinomas, and specifically of colon carcinomas, we have established that, had GO (and related biomedical ontologies) followed some of the basic formal-ontological principles we have identified (Smith et al. 2004, Ceusters et al. 2004), then the effort required to navigate successfully between clinical and bioinformatics systems would have been reduced. We point here to the sources of ontologically-related errors in GO, and also provide arguments as to why and how such errors need to be resolved. (shrink)

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The literature on counterfactuals is dominated by strict accounts and variably strict accounts. Counterexamples to the principle of Antecedent Strengthening were thought to be fatal to SA; but it has been shown that by adding dynamicresources to theview, such examples can be accounted for. We broaden the debate between VSA and SA by focusing on a new strengthening principle, Strengthening with a Possibility. We show dynamic SA classically validates this principle. We give a counterexample to it (...) and show that extra dynamicresources cannot help SA. We then show VSA accounts for the counterexample if it allows for orderings on worlds that are not almost-connected, and that such an ordering naturally falls out of a Kratzerian ordering source semantics. We conclude that the failure of Strengthening with a Possibility tells strongly against Dynamic SA and in favor of an ordering source-based version of VSA. (shrink)

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