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To Live Free or To Make Excuses: In Defense of Sartre’s (Revised) Concept of Radical Freedom
Full text linkIs the slave as free as his master? You may recognize this controversial idea from thephilosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre, who once equated the freedom of ‘the master’ with the freedomof ‘the slave’ based on a radical conception of human freedom, which has drawn strong criticismand mockery since then. This paper aims to defend a revised version of Sartre’s characteristictheory of ‘radical freedom’ by tracing its philosophical evolution and confronting keysociological and scientific objections. Beginning with Sartre’s early existentialism in Being andNothingness and Existentialism is a Humanism, I explore his concept of ‘bad faith’ and hisunderstanding of ‘authenticity’ as a moral imperative. I then examine Simone de Beauvoir’scritique of Sartre’s thesis, wherein she presents a more nuanced account of how socialization andoppression do shape one’s perceived possibilities without negating ontological freedom. Drawingon Jonathan Webber’s analysis of the two authors, I argue that Sartre’s later works – especiallySaint Genet – reflect his acceptance of Beauvoir’s insights and present a more realistic, sociallygrounded existentialism. Finally, I engage with contemporary neuroscience – particularly thework of Robert Sapolsky and Neil Levy – which challenges the very foundation ofexistentialism, i.e., free will. In response, I advocate for preserving a pragmatic belief in humanfreedom – not because it is metaphysically certain, but because perceiving ourselves as freeagents opens up the possibility to transcend past and present circumstances that may otherwisehold us back. Thus, without denying the influence of biological and social factors, we can rejectthe harmful defeatism of incompatibilist determinism, which encourages us to see ourselves aslifelong victims of circumstances outside of our control; in fact, I join Sartre and Beauvoir inarguing that we have the moral imperative to do so. Given our social tendency to make excuses
and flee into psychological determinism, this paper calls for a radical reaffirmation of ourfundamental capacity to transcend, even when the odds – and the science – suggest otherwise
Evaluating COVID-19 Eviction Crisis: Policy Responses in Prolonged Emergencies
Full text linkCOVID-19 was one of the most unexpected and devastating catastrophes of the 21st century. It not only forced tenants out of their homes and into hospital beds, but also onto the streets. In response, the U.S. government implemented short-term measures such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s eviction moratorium and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which yielded equally temporary results. While such short-sighted resolutions could be attributed to the persistent nature of the pandemic, the federal government’s failure to adapt, and the inconsistent responses from state governments, ultimately led to a vicious eviction crisis across the country. In this paper, I will evaluate the challenges and shortcomings of the response to the COVID-19 eviction crisis. Through an analysis of Alabama Association of Realtors v. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as state and city policies implemented after July 2021 in Minnesota, California, Seattle, the District of Columbia, and New York, I will show that extensive eviction moratoriums must be in place during national crises to ensure adequate and adaptable legal protections. Ultimately, I will highlight the need for structured and collaborative efforts among federal, state, and local governments to effectively address eviction crises by balancing protections for tenants and landlords during prolonged emergencies
Greece’s Breaking Away from the Public Monopoly on Higher Education
No full textAndreas Vasilopoulos is assistant professor at the University of Patras, Greece. E-mail: [email protected]
Private Higher Education: Patterns, Divergences, and Regional Trends
No full textPrivate higher education (PHE) has grown enormously and become quite diversified. While concentrated in Asia and the Americas, PHE is nearly ubiquitous globally. This overview identifies broader PHE patterns and the chief ways that regional and country variation bend or even break from the geographically broad patterns. Striking differences persist between private and public, and new differences arise. Few key concerns in contemporary higher education can any longer be contemplated without the inclusion of PHE
Shifting Research with International Students Away from Documenting Experiences Toward Transforming Practices
No full textThis article critically reflects on research with international students in higher education and its preoccupation with documenting “experiences.” A substantial knowledge base already exists regarding broad and undefined student “experiences,” often resulting in repetitive findings. A move toward evaluating and evidencing structural practices, rather than individual experiences, is suggested as a possible remedy, urging scholars to (re)consider how our work can contribute toward deconstructing and addressing known challenges rather than continuing to document them