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- Volume 45, Issue 4, 2024
Filosofie & Praktijk - Volume 45, Issue 4, 2024
Volume 45, Issue 4, 2024
- Artikel
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Oorlog, AI en de voorzorgplicht om nevenschade te vermijden
Authors: Carl Ceulemans & Ann-Katrien OimannAbstractThe recent war in Gaza shows once again that conducting military operations in densely populated areas is, to say the least, problematic both from a legal and a moral perspective. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Just War Theory do not entirely prohibit military actions that will knowingly provoke unintended harm to noncombatants. For this type of actions to be permissible two conditions must be satisfied. First, the military advantage should outweigh the harm done to the civilian population. Second, all feasible precautions must be taken to minimize the risk of collateral harm. This article primarily addresses the second condition. In the first part, the focus will be on what IHL has to say about the duty to take precautionary measures. Given the fact that IHL is not very precise in stipulating what ‘feasible’ precautions are, we will turn in the second part to the military ethics literature for more guidance. In the last part of the article, we want to ascertain to what extent the introduction of AI-enabled decision support systems can be considered a relevant ethical factor in the debate on the scope of precautionary measures.
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Filosofisch racisme en Ubuntu.
By Cees MarisAbstractThis essay continues a longstanding dialogue between Mogobe Ramose and the author on ubuntu, an African concept of humanity. It discusses two political-philosophical theses which the author has previously filed against Ramose, and to which Ramose has replied. (1) Some founders of liberal political philosophy are guilty of philosophical racism, but as a consequence of the distinction between genesis and justification this does not fatally infect liberal theory as such. Political liberalism has since purged itself of the prejudices of its spiritual forefathers. Liberal human rights exclude racism as a matter of principle. (2) Ubuntu is an essentially contested concept, and therefore unsuitable as a decisive constitutional standard for the application of state force. The constitutional model of political liberalism presents a reasonable alternative, since it is designed precisely to solve the problem of social plurality and ideological conflict. In support of his thesis that Africans and Westerners are equally rational, Ramose stipulates extensive definitions of philosophy and rationality that include practical wisdom, myth and magic. However, this extension is counter-productive.
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Koranverbrandingen: wat staat er op het spel?
By Tim WolffAbstractSeveral European countries have seen a rise in quran burnings by far right activists. These acts tend to cause turmoil, both nationally and internationally, including riots and diplomatic incidents. In the Dutch political arena a debate on this issue is now underway. It has so far largely been characterized by platitudes about the evident importance of free speech and the evident outrageousness of quran burnings. But why is free speech important and why are quran burnings objectionable? This article considers the most prominent philosophical justifications for free speech and examines whether they apply to quran burnings. In addition, the article considers the most important arguments for restricting speech and explores their relevance to the context of quran burnings. It is hoped that by clarifying what is at stake on both sides of the issue, the article may help elevate the national debate.
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- Oneigentijdse Beschouwingen
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Is nucleaire afschrikking te verdedigen?
More LessAbstractIs nuclear deterrence defensible? Sometimes it has good consequences to threaten to do something while it would be disastrous to carry out the threat. Nuclear deterrence is a case in point. It has arguably prevented war between the superpowers, but dropping a bomb would cause unacceptable damage to civilians and nature. Can’t you argue that, if the threat is credible enough, it is still better on the whole to make the threat and carry it out, if necessary, than not to make it? That is the question I briefly discuss in this column.
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- Minima Philosophica
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Weg van de psychologie
More LessAbstractPsychological problems among young people are very common, as I know from my own experience. The default way of treating these problems is by classifying them as psychological syndromes like depression and treating them with pharmaceutics. Using examples from my own experience I try to argue that Heidegger offers a more relevant perspective. I argue that the way society treats psychological problems is a symptom of the technical and instrumental way our modern society distorts our view on existence. Heidegger argues that negative moods are in fact confrontations with the important questions of life. Instead of treating them as illnesses they should be treasured and seen as signals for change. In accordance with Damiaan Denys I argue that instead of psychological treatment, mental education is a more promising alternative.
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- Review-Artikel
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Agonistisch pluralisme: met Nietzsche tegen Schmitt
Authors: Vincent Seminck & Lukas van den BergeAbstractIn a PhD-thesis that he recently defended at the University of Amsterdam, Vincent Seminck describes, evaluates and compares the ideas of conflict, friendship and enmity in the works of Friedrich Nietzsche and Carl Schmitt. Drawing on Nietzsche’s concept of the agôn (a productive contest among equals) and Schmitt’s friend-enemy distinction, Seminck contrasts Nietzsche’s vision of conflict as a force for individual self-fulfillment with Schmitt’s view of existential enmity aimed at preserving collective identity. Through this lens, he also provides a critique of Chantal Mouffe’s theory of agonistic pluralism, arguing that Nietzsche’s agonal thinking provides a more suitable starting point for her theory than Schmitt’s political antagonism. As such, Seminck’s study contributes not only to intellectual history, but also to contemporary debates on populism and liberal democracy.
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