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Do we have a unified pre-theoretical concept of morality? This paper makes a start on the larger argument that we do not, by countering criticisms of virtue ethics on the ground that it does not adequately capture such a pre-theoretical concept. One criticism is discussed and met, namely that the reasons on which virtuous people act fail to have the special force of moral reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral options are permissions to do less than best, impartially speaking. In this paper, we investigate the challenge of reconciling moral options with the ideal of justifiability to each individual. We examine ex-post and ex-ante views of moral options and show how they might conflict with this ideal in single-choice and sequential-choice cases, respectively. We consider some ways of avoiding this conflict in sequential-choice cases, showing that they face significant problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on recent findings that mothers make social comparisons to idealized portrayals of motherhood on social media, this study was designed to explore how two individual difference variables (social comparison orientation and self-esteem) affect such social comparison processes. A 2 (social comparison orientation: low vs. high) X 2 (self-esteem: low vs. high) X 2 (idealization of motherhood portrayals: non-ideal vs. ideal) mixed factorial design experiment was conducted among 464 new mothers to test how these individual difference variables moderate the effects of social media motherhood portrayals on the outcomes of state social comparison, perceived parenting competence, and life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rousseau coined the term perfectibilité to name what he claimed was the faculty that distinguished human beings from other animals. Although Rousseau himself largely associated perfectibility with the tendency of the human race to become corrupt, later thinkers adopted his term but then transformed it into a concept denoting the human capacity for progress. This article has two goals. The first goal is to analyse Rousseau's discussion of perfectibilité in order to identify a specifically Rousseauean of perfectibilité. I identify three related features of Rousseau's perfectibilité: the ambiguous status of both instinct and freedom, the unique malleability of human nature, and the fact that perfectibilité operates on both the levels of the individual and the species. The second goal is to examine the transformation of this specifically Rousseauean conception in the thought of one of the thinker largely responsible for giving it a very different direction, Condorcet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following Heidegger, Severino called 'technology' the lógos that interprets the world according to our fundamental belief in téchne. He considered Giacomo Leopardi to be the only thinker who brought this ideology to its logical conclusion: if we can transform the world, then everything is meaningless. We try to escape this conclusion, but if Severino is right, we cannot. His philosophy thus reminds us that we still aren't aware of the fundamental meaning of our beliefs. Confronting its arguments may help us become more self-aware and, perhaps, even move us to question the unquestionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard account of Kantian moral weakness fails to provide a psychologically realistic account of moral improvement. It assumes that moral strength is simply a matter of volitional resolve and weakness is a lack of resolve. This leaves the path to moral improvement unclear. In this paper, I reconstruct an alternative character-based account of Kantian moral weakness and strength. On this account, moral strength is the possession of sympathy and self-knowledge, key practical-epistemic virtues from Kant's Doctrine of Virtue, and moral weakness is a lack of these virtues. This identifies moral strength with a high degree of development, integrity, or fitness in one's character, and not merely an ability to somehow try harder. It also resolves an exegetical puzzle concerning the change of heart in Kant's Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary reflection on the concept of value oscillates between positions that advocate absolutist realism and positions that propose total relativism. The present paper aims to distance itself from these two ways of reading the topic, rejecting any monolithic conception, and proposing a stratified theory of value. Beginning with an analysis of values that differentiates them from both "goods" and "valuations," the author outlines an understanding of value that must be investigated in its multiple, interconnected layers. The stratification starts from the role of the emotional sphere and comes down to a formal and absolute conception of the concept. The goal of the paper is to outline the different levels of validity of each proposed layer, which must be recognized and differentiated, with the aim of also capturing the difficulties and ambiguities that characterize the transition from one level to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nils Christie's (1986) ideal victim is said to receive "complete and legitimate status as a victim." Many victims of intimate partner sexual assault (IPSA), are not given this status, resulting in their cases being unfounded. The current study evaluates 16 years of reported IPSA cases (n = 1,558) in a large municipal police department in the midwestern United States. Through multivariate logistic regression this study evaluates which factors lead a reported IPSA case to be unfounded. Further, it examines how the IPSA victim fits into the concept of the ideal victim. The results indicate that several variables representing the ideal victim criteria are influence in unfounding IPSA cases; however, many are the opposite of what might be expected based on Christie's work. Results further indicate that race (victim race, detective race, racial composition of district) has a substantial impact on IPSA cases being unfounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the idea of art as self-expression can sound old-fashioned, it remains widespread—especially if the relevant 'selves' can be social collectives, not just individual artists. But self-expression can collapse into individualistic or anthropocentric self-involvement. And compelling successor ideals for artists are not obvious. In this light, I develop a counter-ideal of creative receptivity to basic features of the external world, or artistic objectivity. Objective artists are not trying to express themselves or reach collective self-knowledge. However, they are also not disinterested or emotionless. They can be unmoved by personal feelings and human concerns, but they are still receptive—just attuned to the more elemental forces that creatively inspire them. I elaborate this ideal in dialogue with John Ruskin's influential critique of the pathetic fallacy. By contextualizing Ruskin's view vis-à-vis Romantic and Modernist poetics, post-Kantian aesthetics, modern environmental art, and contemporary theories of expressiveness, I show how it indirectly motivates my account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the concepts of n-sequence prime ideal and n-sequence quasi prime ideal are introduced. Some properties of such ideals are investigated. The relations between n-sequence prime ideal and each of primary ideal, n-prime ideal, quasi prime ideal, strongly irreducible ideal, and (k, m) closed ideal, are studied. Also, the ideals of a principal ideal domain are classified into quasi prime ideals and n- sequence quasi prime ideals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an uptick in attention paid to institutional questions in ideal theory. The fundamental question concerns whether the ideal social world would include a state. The answer turns on how one models the ideal social world. I identify three parameters of such a model and show that there is no a priori answer to the aforementioned question. It depends, in part, on whether there exist political disputes—or "friction"—between the agents in the model. What generates this friction? Pace a series of recent arguments that suggest the generation of political friction comes from the presence of injustice, I argue that it is actually political diversity or pluralism that produces the types of disagreements relevant to the justification of the state. Injustice is merely one potential source of disagreement and only generates "friction" when there are also just agents in the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines two conceptions of the ancient ideal of 'living in the present', one that may be called 'Platonic', suggested by a remark of Ludwig Wittgenstein, and one that may be called 'Stoic', developed by Pierre Hadot. On both conceptions, a life lived and considered in the right way is complete in the present, so that nothing is wanting. I introduce a problem concerning the coherence of this concept: Life involves movement, and movement is aimed at some completion in the future. How, then, can a life be complete in the present and yet not be static? I consider and reject an answer by Hadot, based on psychological concentration on the present. I then propose an alternative answer, based on Aristotle's concept of complete activity, and discuss its significance for both the Platonic and the Stoic conception of the ideal. Throughout, my focus is on this metaphysical and conceptual problem, thus preparing the way for the ethical question whether 'living in the present' would be a good way to live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the popularity of American actress Audrey Hepburn by South Koreans. Topics include her role in the South Korean film "Miss Granny" or "Susanghan kunyo," her influence on South Korean popular culture, ideals, and consumption, and the popularity of her Western films, such as "Roman Holiday" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

While organizations today make extensive use of complex algorithms, the notion of algorithmic accountability remains an elusive ideal due to the opacity and fluidity of algorithms. In this article, we develop a framework for managing algorithmic accountability that highlights three interrelated dimensions: reputational concerns, engagement strategies, and discourse principles. The framework clarifies (a) that accountability processes for algorithms are driven by reputational concerns about the epistemic setup, opacity, and outcomes of algorithms; (b) that the way in which organizations practically engage with emergent expectations about algorithms may be manipulative, adaptive, or moral; and (c) that when accountability relationships are heavily burdened by the opacity and fluidity of complex algorithmic systems, the emphasis of engagement should shift to a rational communication process through which a continuous and tentative assessment of the development, workings, and consequences of algorithms can be achieved over time. The degree to which such engagement is, in fact, rational can be assessed based on four discourse-ethical principles of participation, comprehension, multivocality, and responsiveness. We conclude that the framework may help organizations and their environments to jointly work toward greater accountability for complex algorithms. It may further help organizations in reputational positioning surrounding accountability issues. The discourse-ethical principles introduced in this article are meant to elevate these positioning contests to extend beyond mere adaption or compliance and help guide organizations to find moral and forward-looking solutions to accountability issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a model of ideals-based accountability (IBA) which we have witnessed at work in several long-thriving family businesses. The owners and managers of these firms eschew individualism and materiality in the pursuit of ethical ideals such as supporting democracy and bettering the human condition. Although accountability is to these ideals, not for outcomes such as profitability or even reputation, IBA has resulted in outstanding reputations for some firms. We characterize IBA according to its missions, leadership, culture, and stakeholder relationships. We also contrast it with traditional forms of accountability and differentiate IBA from related stakeholder, stewardship, and CSR perspectives. Finally, we examine its manifestations within five long-lived family enterprises, in the process generating propositions to advance the concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on translating material qualities to spiritual ideals with respect to Chinese thing-metaphor. Topics discussed include Romantic metaphor with the Chinese poetic device xing; relationship between "tenor" and "vehicle" in metaphor transfigured to bear the human meaning, and feeling and scene.

This article presents the findings from a study on sexual and gender diversity within Spain's Civil Guard. The focus is on the experiences of civil guards who assume their sexual or gender diversity in a fully masculine environment. After a theoretical reflection on the structural conditioning involved in the institutionalisation of male domination, the discourses and practices of a group of civil guards are analyzed, looking at how they perceive their differences with respect to the existing hegemonic normative mandates; how they perceive their acceptance or rejection by their colleagues and commanders, as well as their identificatory strategies to conform to dominant ideals and practices in the Civil Guard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the George Mason University's the Enslaved Children of George Mason Project. Topics include its aim to expand the university narrative, encourage discussion about American ideals of equality and freedom, and transform a complex historical legacy and memorial into an inclusive campus place for reflection and dialogue.

The article explores the ideas and theories presented by Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky and Marxist author Evald Ilyenkov on the concept of consciousness, the ideal, and human activity. Topics discussed include the appearance of consciousness in the form of language, the way Vygotsky defined consciousness as a social relation, and the production of tools for transformative activity through creative thinking according to Ilyenkov.

In recent work in political philosophy there has been much discussion of two approaches to theorizing about justice that have come to be called 'ideal theory' and 'non-ideal theory'. The distinction was originally articulated by Rawls, who defended his focus on ideal theory in terms of a supposed 'priority' of the latter over non-ideal theory. Many critics have rejected this claim of priority and in general have questioned the usefulness of ideal theory. In diagnosing the problem with ideal theory, they have frequently fingered for blame the idealization it involves. In this paper I focus on one particular, much-discussed idealization—full compliance—in order to defend it. Focusing on the assumption, I argue that Rawls's work is not ideal in the way that it is usually thought to be, is less ideal than is widely recognized, and became less ideal over time. I also argue that critics who in effect claim that it is not realistic enough simply fail to understand Rawls's central motivation. Finally, I defend the assumption by arguing that there is an important sense in which all theories of justice must assume full compliance. Such an assumption, I argue, is needed if we are to have a plausible basis on which to judge the normative attractiveness of a theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preserving national unity in light of diversity—e pluribus unum—is a challenge in immigrant-receiving nations like the United States We claim that endorsement of this view is structured by the varied bond between ethnic and national identity among immigrant minorities and native majorities, a proposition we test across three studies of US Latinos and whites. Study 1 uses national survey data to show that ethnic and national identity are associated with support for this objective, though in varied ways, among these groups. Studies 2 and 3 sharpen these results experimentally by illuminating the role of elite rhetoric in forging these connections. We show that elite remarks about the (in-)compatibility of ethnic and national identity motivate support for e pluribus unum through the specific attachment it influences. That is, elite rhetoric causes shifts in ethnic or national identity, which then asymmetrically shapes support for e pluribus unum among Latinos and whites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on philosophy of loyalty in the time of catastrophe. Topics discussed include information on challenges for young adults seeking direction in their lives and facing personal debt, global and local political dysfunction, and anthropogenic ecological collapse; concept and practice of loyalty for living in a time of unfolding catastrophe; and understanding of philosopher Josiah Royce of life that defined not by success but by ideals, grounded not in open horizons but in sorrow and solidarity, speaks directly to the challenges of living in the Anthropocene.

The article discusses the normativity of possibilities and ideals and discusses views of author Arthur Jacobson. Topics include the Jewish law piece by considering the topic of lifnim mi-shurat ha-din; the experience of the Jewish people and its relationship to God; and Christoph Moellers' contribution to the discussion of normativity.

I maintain that intrinsic value is the fundamental concept of axiology. Many contemporary philosophers disagree; they say the proper object of value theory is final value. I examine three accounts of the nature of final value: the first claims that final value is non‐instrumental value; the second claims that final value is the value a thing has as an end; the third claims that final value is ultimate or non‐derivative value. In each case, I argue that the concept of final value described is either identical with the classical notion of intrinsic value or is not a plausible candidate for the primary concept of axiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work motivates the Combined Model for Combining Ideals, which Larry Temkin introduces in "sketch" form in Rethinking the Good, and goes on to begin filling in the details of the sketch. It argues that the Combined Model for Combining Ideals is most plausible when there are upper and lower caps on the extent to which an ideal can add to or subtract from the overall goodness of an outcome, but the caps for different values can and should differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is intended to problematize on the conditions of political participation of the child in the consumer society, pointing out how much the child education has to do to become a potential way that overcomes practices of exclusion and fragility of the social bonds. A critical discussion of the ideals of a culture that disavows many of its members, denying their ability to make meaningful changes in their everyday experiences, is currently important. Methodologically, bibliographic analyzes based on critical and historical-cultural theory, were articulated to the results of a thesis research, aiming to reflect on the constitution of autonomy in children in school environment in the consumer society. Considering the dynamics of relationships and social spaces, the school needs to reinvent itself, injecting pedagogical practices that favor the child's participation in collective projects and that promote their creative ability as a way to enable their social and moral development, as well as the exercise of their citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years a number of studies have focused on the disadvantages confronted by students who are the first in their families to attend university. Their liabilities include relatively low levels of preparedness, a lack of involvement in campus activities, and low levels of academic achievement. Rather than accepting the universality of this characterization, in this article, these negative characteristics and experiences were viewed as one 'ideal type.' Using this ideal type as a reference point, the current study focused on a period in Canadian history in which first generation students were the norm. In an examination of Glendon College, York University, located in Toronto Canada, in the mid 1960s, it was found that the experiences of the first generation did not fit the ideal type. Those who likely were the first in their families to attend university were prepared for their studies, involved in campus activities, and earned good grades. Possible explanations for this deviation from the ideal type include the buoyancy of the economy in the mid‐sixties, an expanding university sector, the size and relative intimacy of the College, the way in which high schools prepared students for university, and stringent admission requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are children's value priorities different from their parents' generation? We present data from the youngest children's sample that has been included in a comprehensive family study of values so far: Our study is based on self‐reported values of 127 six‐ to eleven‐year‐old German children (M = 7.89, SD = 1.35) and their mothers and fathers. We further took into account two potentially interacting developmental variables that have been suggested in the literature: (a) family members' gender and (b) cultural milieu (we looked specifically at families with Turkish immigration background and families without immigration background). While values of self‐transcendence, self‐enhancement and openness to change did not differ significantly between the two generations, children found conservation significantly more important than their parents. This contrasts with findings from previous studies with older participants. We discuss to what extent this effect may be unique to this developmental stage of middle childhood that had not been covered by previous research. Females valued conservation more than males, and conservation was more important in families with as compared to families without Turkish immigration background. There was neither a gender × generation nor a cultural milieu × generation interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the recent methodological debates within political theory have focused on the ideal/non-ideal theory distinction. While ideal theorists recognise the need to develop an account of the transition between the two levels of theorising, no general proposal has been advanced thus far. In this article, I aim to bridge this conceptual gap. Towards this end, I first reconstruct the ideal/non-ideal theory distinction within a simplified two-dimensional framework, which captures the primary meanings usually attributed to it. Subsequently, I use this framework to provide an algorithm for the bidirectional transition between ideal and non-ideal theory, based on the incremental derivation of normative models. The approach outlined illuminates the various ways in which principles derived under highly idealised assumptions might be distorted by the circumstances of our current world and illustrates the various paths which we can pursue in moving from our current state of the world to an ideal one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of literature needs a kind of justification that it currently does not appear to have. It needs a justification that can articulate its role in relation to democratic social and political values, and it needs to do so in ways that are able to distinguish those from the economic motives and the interests of science that also drive culture, and ultimately it needs to do so in relation to a very changed global order. The historical picture reveals that while literature has long been looked to as a source for the transmission of cultural values, it has also been without a very solid set of well‐articulated principles to justify its role within higher education. This lack is attributable (1) to the divergence between 'college' and 'university' institutional models; (2) to the framing of the value of literature in relation to science rather than independently; and (3) to the fact that literature provides resources for practical reasoning (phronēsis), reasoning about what to do, rather than knowledge of facts or of universal laws. The stresses under which democratic ideals currently find themselves further challenge those who would advocate for the teaching of literature as part of higher education to identify a more expanded range of capacities that literary education can support than was the case up until the end of the 20th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses utopian and dystopian literature and its role in political education in order to make the case for imparting a 'utopian aspiration' that nurtures hope for the pursuit of political ideals. I note an 'anti‐utopian' theme in both literature and political philosophy, a theme that emerges in a particularly fascinating pair of works in the dystopian canon, Orwell's 1984 and Zamyatin's We. I argue that Zamyatin's story provides a more nuanced and valuable approach to the problem of political ideals and their potential for harm than the bleak message favoured by Orwell. Utopian and dystopian themes, I contend, can offer an invaluable orientation in political critique and practice if they nourish a utopian aspiration. The idea of hope for the new is a vital part of our political education, which is too easily dismissed by critics who purport to proffer more 'realistic' views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I introduce a new aporia, the aporia of perfection. This aporia includes three claims: (1) Ought implies possibility, (2) We ought to be perfect, and (3) It is not possible that we are perfect. All these propositions appear to be plausible when considered in themselves and there are interesting arguments for them. However, together they entail a contradiction. Hence, at least one of the sentences must be false. I consider some possible solutions to the puzzle and discuss some pros and cons of these solutions. I conclude that we can avoid the contradiction that follows from (1) - (3) and still hold on to our basic intuitions, if we instead of (1) - (3) accept some slightly different propositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views regarding the political philosophy and theory of justice. The author argues on the different conceptions about ideal and nonideal theory as well as its distinction. An overview on the operation of strict compliance theory to regulate society, individuals and compliance of institutions in the requirement of ideal theory, is also provided.

Research on value congruence rests on the assumption that values denote desirable behaviors and ideals that employees and organizations strive to approach. In the present study, we develop and test the argument that a more complete understanding of value congruence can be achieved by considering a second type of congruence based on employees’ and organizations’ counter-ideal values (i.e., what both seek to avoid). We examined this proposition in a time-lagged study of 672 employees from various occupational and organizational backgrounds. We used difference scores as well as polynomial regression and response surface analyses to test our hypotheses. Consistent with our hypotheses, results reveal that counter-ideal value congruence has unique relations to employees’ trust in the organization that go beyond the effects of ideal value congruence. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of this expanded perspective on value congruence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originating from philosophy and science, many different ideas have made their way into educational policies. Educational policies often take such ideas completely out of context, and enforce them as general norms to every aspect of education; even opposing ideals make their way into school's curricula, teaching techniques, assignments, and procedures. Meanwhile, inside the actual classrooms, teachers and students are left in limbo, trying to comply with, techniques, evaluation forms and a growing technical educational vocabulary. Here I would like to propose an antidote to this absurdity by reminding us what teachers and students already know. Such an antidote can be found in J. L. Austin's speech act theory. In this paper, I propose we revisit speech act theory and treat it as an educational theory. That might help us dismantle false dichotomies troubling education for decades. The point is not that the discussion over educational policies and priorities should stop, but that it should be kept in appropriate perspective. A modified speech act theory can help us facilitate such a perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most controversial issues in recent studies of Fichte concerns the status of his normative ethics, that is, his theory of what makes actions morally good or bad. Scholars are divided over Fichte's view regarding the 'final end' of moral striving, since it appears this end can be either a specific goal permitting maximizing calculations (the consequentialist reading defended by Kosch 2015), or an indeterminate goal permitting only duty-based decisions (the deontological reading defended by Wood 2016). While I think both interpretive positions contain an element of truth, my aim in this paper is to defend a third alternative, according to which Fichte's normative ethics presents us with a unique form of social perfectionism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay argues that critics have overlooked the importance of the 1970s in David Foster Wallace's The Pale King. Critical focus on the novel's depiction of 1980s neoliberalism downplays the way it asks readers to consider that decade's changes to be dependent on the transformation of civic ideals in the 1970s. This can be seen most clearly in Chris Fogle's narrative, which this essay argues is an emblematic 1970s story, incorporating the decade's tropes of malaise, uncertainty, self-examination, and surveillance. While Fogle's conversion from selfish student to IRS worker may be seen to run counter to the growth of individualism and suspicion of institutions in the 1970s, this essay argues that Wallace uses it to revive and ventriloquize arguments about civic-mindedness that took place in the 1970s, ultimately offering a definition of civic-mindedness that echoes the work of writers such as Christopher Lasch and Robert N. Bellah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]