Search Results (1,481)

Political polarization in policy evaluations arises from identity-driven cognitive–affective dynamics, yet the neural mechanisms underlying the real-time processing of policy texts remain unexplored. This study bridges this gap by employing EEG to capture neurobehavioral responses during a COVID-19 vaccine mandate judgment task. The analysis of 70 politically stratified participants revealed significantly elevated gamma1 (30–50 Hz) activity in the right prefrontal cortex among policy supporters, reflecting enhanced attentional engagement and value integration. These topographically specific neural dissociations demonstrate how ideological alignment modulates cognitive–affective processing. Our findings establish EEG as a robust tool for quantifying implicit identity-driven evaluations, offering new pathways to decode polarization in contested policy contexts. Full article

The article addresses the question of the relative importance of human population size and growth in relation to the environmental problems of planetary heating and biodiversity loss in the current, Anthropocene era. To what extent could policies to encourage lower fertility be justified, while observing that this subject is an inherently contested one. It is proposed that a helpful distinction can be made between specific threats to habitats and biodiversity, as opposed to those related to global energy use and warming. Pressures of over-population can be important in relation to the former. But with regard to the latter—rising per capita energy usage—reduced fertility has historically been positively, not negatively correlated. A case can be made that the high-fertility nations of sub-Saharan Africa could benefit from culturally respectful fertility reduction policies. However, where planetary heating is concerned, it is the hydrocarbon-based, per capita energy-consumption patterns of already low-fertility populations on the other five inhabited continents that is rather more critical. While it will be helpful to stabilise global human population, this cannot be viewed as a solution to the climate crisis problem of this century. That requires relentless focus on reducing hydrocarbon use and confronting the rising inequality since c.1980 that has been exacerbating competitive materialist consumerism. This involves the ideological negotiation of values to promote a culture change that understands and politically embraces a new economics of both human and planetary balance, equity, and distribution. Students of populations can contribute by re-assessing what can be the appropriate demographic units and measures for policies engaging with the challenges of the Anthropocene. Full article

The essay offers an expansive and multi-stratified investigation into the role of esoteric traditions within the development of Russian modernity, reframing occultism not as an eccentric deviation but as a foundational epistemological regime integral to Russia’s aesthetic, philosophical, and political evolution. By analyzing the arc from Petrine-era alchemical statecraft to the techno-theurgical aspirations of Russian Cosmism and the esoteric visual regimes of the avant-garde, this essay discloses the deep ontological entanglement between sacral knowledge and modernist radical experimentation. The work foregrounds figures such as Jacob Bruce, Wassily Kandinsky, and Kazimir Malevich, situating them within broader transnational currents of Hermeticism, Theosophy, and Rosicrucianism, while interrogating the role of occult infrastructures in both late-imperial and Soviet paradigms. Drawing on recent theoretical frameworks in the global history of esotericism and modernist studies, the long-read article elucidates the metaphysical substrata animating Russian Symbolism, Abstraction, Malevich’s non-Euclidian Suprematism and Moscow Conceptualism. This study contends that esotericism in Russia—far from marginal—served as a generative matrix for radical aesthetic innovation and ideological reconfiguration. It proposes a reconceptualization of Russian cultural history as a palimpsest of submerged sacral structures, where utopia and apocalypse, magic and technology, converge in a distinctively Russian cosmopoietic horizon. Ultimately, this essay reframes Russian and European occultism as an alternate technology of cognition and a performative semiotic universe shaping not only artistic modernism but also the very grammar of Russian historical imagination. Full article

Commitments to carbon neutrality at both international and national levels have spurred the development of market-based mechanisms that incentivize low-carbon technologies while penalizing emissions-intensive activities. These policies have wide ranging impacts for the Australian agricultural sector, and associated rural communities, where the majority of carbon credits and biodiversity credits are sourced in Australia. Undeniably, the introduction of carbon and environmental markets has created the opportunity for an expansion and diversification of local, rural economies beyond a traditional agricultural base. However, there is much complexity for the agricultural sector to navigate as environmental markets intersect and compete with food and fiber livelihoods, and entrenched ideologies of rural identity and purpose. As carbon and environmental markets focused on primary producers have expanded rapidly, there is little understanding of the associated situated and relational impacts for farming households and rural communities. Nor has there been much work to identify the barriers to engagement. This study explores these tensions through qualitative research in Stanthorpe and Roma, Queensland, offering insights into the barriers and benefits of market engagement. The findings inform policy development aimed at balancing climate goals with agricultural sustainability and rural community resilience. Full article

Background/Objectives: Vaccine hesitancy is becoming an increasing concern, leading to preventable outbreaks of infectious diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States served as an intriguing case study for exploring how risk perception and trust in health authorities, including scientists, are influenced by government policies and how these factors affect vaccine hesitancy. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis using the MIT COVID-19 Survey dataset to investigate whether risk perception and trust differ between states governed by Democratic or Republican governors. Results: Our analysis (n = 6119) found that participants did not vary significantly by state political affiliation in terms of their sociodemographic factors (such as age, gender, self-rated health, education, and whether they live in a city, town, or rural area), their perceived risk for the community, or their ability to control whether they become infected. However, there was a difference in the perceived risk of infection, which was higher in states governed by Republicans. Trust also varied by gubernatorial affiliation, with higher levels of trust reported among residents of Democratic-leaning states. We also found a strong mediation effect of trust on vaccine hesitancy, but this was not the case for risk perception. Conclusion: Therefore, it appears that vaccine acceptance relies on trust in health authorities, which is influenced by governmental policies. State officials should work with local health officials to build trust and increase timely responses to public health crises. Full article

In the Chan Buddhism koan (gong’an 公案) tradition, the act of “slaying the snake” functions as a signature gesture imbued with complex, historically layered cultural meanings. Rather than merely examining its motivations, this paper emphasizes tracing the semantic transformations that this motif has undergone across different historical contexts. It argues that “snake-slaying” operated variously as an imperial narrative strategy reinforcing ruling class ideology; as a form of popular resistance by commoners against flood-related disasters; as a dietary practice among aristocrats and literati seeking danyao (elixirs) 丹藥 for reclusion and transcendence; and ultimately, within the Chan tradition, as a method of spiritual cultivation whereby masters sever desires rooted in attachment to both selfhood and the Dharma. More specifically, first, as an imperial narrative logic, snake-slaying embodied exemplary power: both Liu Bang 劉邦 and Guizong 歸宗 enacted this discursive strategy, with Guizong’s legitimacy in slaying the snake deriving from the precedent set by Liu Bang. Second, as a folk strategy of demystification, snake-slaying acquired a moral aura—since the snake was perceived as malevolent force, their slaying appeared righteous and heroic. Finally, as a mode of self-cultivation among the aristocracy, snake-slaying laid the groundwork for its later internalization. In Daoism, slaying the snake was a means of cultivating the body; in Chan Buddhism, the act is elevated to a higher plane—becoming a way of cultivating the mind. This transformation unfolded naturally, as if predestined. In all cases, the internalization of the snake-slaying motif was not an overnight development: the cultural genes that preceded its appearance in the Chan tradition provided the fertile ground for its karmic maturation and discursive proliferation. Full article

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains a critical global challenge. This study analyses the environmental priorities related to SDGs 12, 14, and 15—interlinked and focused on responsible production and consumption, life below water, and life on land respectively—reflected in political party manifestos from the 2019, 2022, and 2024 Portuguese general elections, assessing their alignment with the SDGs and broader European political ideologies. A content analysis reveals significant disparities in attention across these goals, with SDG 15 receiving greater prominence than SDGs 12 and 14. Findings highlight the influence of political ideology, showing left-wing parties emphasize all three SDGs more consistently than their right-wing counterparts. These results underscore the need for a more balanced and comprehensive political commitment to sustainability. By exploring the interplay between national and European political agendas, this research provides valuable insights for aligning environmental policies with the UN 2030 Agenda and fostering transformative change in sustainability governance. Full article

How to promote sustainable development and deal with the actual development demands in economic transformation through land-use planning is crucial for local governments. The urban sustainable development mainly relies on creativity and talents in the digital era, and talents are increasingly attracted by local people-oriented land use. However, the current planning ideology remains at meeting corporate and people’s basic needs rather than specific needs of talents, especially the increasingly emerging digital creatives. To promote the talent agglomeration and sustainable development through land planning, this paper uses micro-celebrities on Bilibili, an influential creative content creation platform among young people in China, as an example to study the geographical distribution of digital creative talents and its relationship with urban amenities by constructing an index system of urban amenities, comprising natural, leisure, infrastructure, and social and institutional amenities. The concept of borrowed amenities is introduced to examine the effects of amenities of surrounding cities. This study demonstrates that micro-celebrities show a stronger preference for amenities compared with other skilled talents. Meanwhile, social and institutional amenities are most crucial. Furthermore, urban leisure represented by green spaces and consumption spaces is also attractive. At the regional scale, with prefecture-level cities as units, the local talents agglomeration is also influenced by the borrowed amenities in the context of regional integration. It indicates that the local land use should consider the characteristics of the surrounding cities. This study provides strategic inspiration that a happy and sustainable city should first be people-oriented and provide sufficient space for consumption, entertainment, and interaction. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most influential and rapidly developing phenomena of our time. New fields of study are being created at universities, and managers are constantly introducing new AI solutions for business management, marketing, and advertising new products. Unfortunately, AI is also used to promote dangerous political parties and ideologies. The research problem that is the focus of this work is expressed in the following question: How does the symbiotic relationship between artificial and natural intelligence manifest across three dimensions of human experience—philosophical understanding, educational practice, and pastoral care—and what hermeneutical, phenomenological, and critical realist insights can illuminate both the promises and perils of this emerging co-evolution? In order to address this issue, an interdisciplinary research team was established. This team comprised a philosopher, an educator, and a pastoral theologian. This study is grounded in a critical–hermeneutic meta-analysis of the existing literature, ecclesial documents, and empirical investigations on AI. The results of scientific research allow for a broader insight into the impact of AI on humans and on personal relationships in Christian communities. The authors are concerned not only with providing an in-depth understanding of the issue but also with taking into account the ecumenical perspective of religious, social, and cultural education of contemporary Christians. Our analysis reveals that cultivating a healthy symbiosis between artificial and natural intelligence requires specific competencies and ethical frameworks. We therefore conclude with practical recommendations for Christian formation that neither uncritically embrace nor fearfully reject AI, but rather foster wise discernment for navigating this unprecedented co-evolutionary moment in human history. Full article

In this paper, I question what the relationship between psychology and spirit would mean for mental well-being if the ideas of the human being and the notion of spirit are viewed from the perspective of Max Scheler’s philosophical anthropology. Scheler provides a view of the human being and of spirit that differs radically from the generally held views, and his philosophical anthropology provides intellectual nourishment. This approach means that I do not look at spirituality as a religious activity or technique, but rather as a dimension of what constitutes the human being, and I explore how this view of spirituality is related to mental health. This paper is therefore divided into two parts. In the first part, I provide a summary of Scheler’s view of five ideologies of the human being in the history of Western philosophy that he identified, pointing out what he saw as their shortcomings. Next, I examine Scheler’s own philosophical anthropology that views the human being as the meeting place of the interpenetrating movements of spirit and impulsion, and as ens amans—a loving being. After that, I explore Scheler’s notion of spirit and personalism, drawing attention to the crucial role of what he describes as the dimension of spirit in his anthropology. In the second part of this paper, I explore the basic theories of well-being—hedonism, desire theories, and objective list theories—and question what a reading of spirituality as the participation in the movement of love would mean to addressing mental health. I conclude that spirituality should not be viewed as just another source of practices and techniques that could enhance human mental health. Rather, spirituality should be understood as a human being’s execution of the act that constitutes the core of his or her being. Spirituality viewed as the execution of the spiritual act of love—spirituality as loving being. Full article

The rise of algorithm-driven virtual museums presents a philosophical challenge for how cultural meaning is constructed and critiqued in digital curation. Prevailing approaches highlight important but partial aspects: the loss of aura and authenticity in digital reproductions, efforts to maintain semiotic continuity with physical exhibits, optimistic narratives of technological democratisation, and critical technopessimist warnings about commodification and bias. Yet none provides a unified theoretical model of meaning-making under algorithmic curation. This paper proposes a dialectical-semiotic framework to synthesise and transcend these positions. The Dialectical Modelling Nexus (DMN) is a new conceptual structure that views meaning in virtual museums as emerging from the dynamic interplay of original and reproduced contexts, human and algorithmic sign systems, personal interpretation, and ideological framing. Through a critique of prior theories and a synthesis of their insights, the DMN offers a comprehensive model to diagnose how algorithms mediate museum content and to guide critical curatorial practice. The framework illuminates the dialectical tensions at the heart of algorithmic cultural mediation and suggests principles for preserving authentic, multi-layered meaning in the digital museum milieu. Full article

This article investigates the political cost of poverty in democracies marked by deep social divisions. We develop a probabilistic voting model that incorporates clientelism as a strategic tool employed by elite political parties to secure electoral support from non-elite voters. Unlike models based on ideological proximity, our framework conceptualizes party competition as structured by the socioeconomic composition of their constituencies. We demonstrate that in contexts of high inequality and widespread poverty, elite parties face structural incentives to deploy clientelistic strategies rather than universalistic policy agendas. Our model predicts that clientelistic expenditures by elite parties increase proportionally with both inequality (GINI index) and poverty levels, rendering clientelism a rational and cost-effective mechanism of political control. Empirical evidence from a cross-national panel (2013–2019) confirms the theoretical predictions: an increase of the 1 percent in the GINI index increase a 1.3 percent in the clientelism, even after accounting for endogeneity and dynamic effects. These findings suggest that in divided democracies, poverty is not merely a condition to be alleviated, but a political resource that elites strategically exploit. Consequently, clientelism persists not as a cultural residue or institutional failure, but as a rational response to inequality-driven constraints within democratic competition. Full article

The rapid advancements in healthcare technologies are reshaping the medical landscape, prompting a reconsideration of clinical methodologies and their ethical foundations. This article explores the need for an updated approach to medical deontology, emphasizing the transition from traditional practices to a hybrid clinical methodology that integrates both human expertise and technological innovations. With the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and advanced medical tools, healthcare professionals are presented with new ethical and professional challenges. These challenges demand a reevaluation of professional responsibility, highlighting the importance of scientific evidence in decision-making while mitigating the influence of economic and ideological factors. By framing medical practice within a systemic and integrated perspective, this article proposes a model that moves beyond the reductionist and anti-reductionist dualism, fostering a more realistic understanding of healthcare. This new paradigm necessitates the evolution of the Medical Code of Ethics, integrating the concept of “medical intelligence” to address the complexities of data management and its ethical implications. The article ultimately advocates for a dynamic and adaptive approach that aligns medical practice with emerging technologies, ensuring that patient care remains person-centered and ethically grounded in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Full article

The development and validation of the Ideological Radicalization Sensitivity Inventory (ISIR-14) in a Mexican sample is presented. A total of 537 participants were assessed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a five-factor structure that explained 53.7% of the variance, with excellent model fit indices (CFI = 0.985, TLI = 0.978, RMSEA = 0.033). Evidence of concurrent validity was suggested through significant correlations with the Emotional Response to Unfairness Scale (ERU) and the Exposure to Violent Extremism Scale (EXPO-12). Reliability analyses indicated good internal consistency (ω = 0.819) for the instrument. Additionally, temporal stability, analyzed in a second study with 171 participants, showed moderate stability (r = 0.601). The study aimed to test the hypothesis that sensitivity to ideological radicalization can be reliably measured through a multidimensional instrument aligned with theoretically derived psychological risk factors, namely, inclination to seek redress, perceived social disconnection, ideological superiority, exposure to extreme ideologies, and collective/group identity. The results suggest that the ISIR-14 is a reliable and valid tool for assessing sensitivity to ideological radicalization. The scale provides a foundation for future research and interventions aimed at identifying and addressing factors associated with radicalization processes. Full article

Background/Objectives: This paper introduces a pedagogically grounded framework for transforming canonical literary texts in primary education through generative AI. Guided by multiliteracies theory, Vygotskian pedagogy, and epistemic justice, the system aims to enhance interpretive literacy, developmental alignment, and cultural responsiveness among learners aged 7–12. Methods: The proposed system enables educators to perform age-specific text simplification, visual re-narration, lexical reinvention, and multilingual augmentation through a suite of modular tools. Central to the design is the Ethical–Pedagogical Validation Layer (EPVL), a GPT-powered auditing module that evaluates AI-generated content across four normative dimensions: developmental appropriateness, cultural sensitivity, semantic fidelity, and ethical transparency. Results: The framework was fully implemented and piloted with primary educators (N = 8). The pilot demonstrated high usability, curricular alignment, and perceived value for classroom application. Unlike commercial Large Language Models (LLMs), the system requires no prompt engineering and supports editable, policy-aligned controls for normative localization. Conclusions: By embedding ethical evaluation within the generative loop, the framework fosters calibrated trust in human–AI collaboration and mitigates cultural stereotyping and ideological distortion. It advances a scalable, inclusive model for educator-centered AI integration, offering a new pathway for explainable and developmentally appropriate AI use in literary education. Full article