Masaryk University Journals / Časopisy Masarykovy univerzity
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Moralizing Beauty – Some Critical Observations
No full textIn this paper, I intend to criticize an argument, made by the philosopher Panos Paris, claiming that moral goodness is both a necessary and a sufficient condition of beauty. I will argue that Paris’s idea of functional beauty, on which his argument relies, does not work, as it misrepresents judgements of beauty, in fact reducing them to moral judgements. I will argue that judgements of beauty and moral judgements should be understood as distinct and independent of each other. That is, the morally good is not necessarily beautiful, and the beautiful is not necessarily morally good
Spiritual and social strategies of the Matsés ethnic group : application of the poisonous secretion Kambo (Acaté), diet, the snuff mixture në-në, and gender flexibility as natural adaptations
No full textThe negative impacts of environmental changes, the introduction of new diseases, and disputes over land and resources require natural adaptations that enable optimal survival and reproductive success in an ever-changing environment. This article focuses on the social and spiritual strategies developed by the indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon, the Matsés, to adapt to the challenging conditions of the rainforest. The methodology is based on ethnographic research conducted in the Matsés Reservation in 2018, 2023, and 2024. Participant observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted among the residents of the town of Angamos and the community of San Roque. Key strategies identified with spiritual elements include the application of Kambo (in the Matsés language "Acaté"), the poisonous secretion from the frog species Phyllomedusa bicolor; the practice of a diet involving the snuffing of the psychotropic mixture në-në; and gender flexibility that supports adaptation. These strategies have helped increase the socio-ecological resilience of the Matsés people at various levels and, along with an enhanced spiritual relationship with nature, have increased their adaptability and the psychological support available to them
[Rehman, Sofia. Gendering the Ḥadīth tradition: recentring the authority of Aisha, mother of the believers]
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Czech and Italian Anti-Establishment Challengers´ survival Comparative analysis of party organisation and leadership of FI, FdI, ANO and SPD parties
No full textOur paper explores the organisational and leadership strategies of new anti-establishment parties in Czechia and Italy. The electorally volatile party systems in the countries of Central-Eastern and Southern Europe are associated with the constant emergence of new parties. Czech and Italian party systems are great examples of this phenomenon. Whilst many newcomers make electoral breakthroughs, only some outlive their initial electoral success. Organisational survival and the role of party leaders often precede the parliamentary survival of these parties.
We compare the organisational and leadership strategies of four such parties. Our case studies include Forward Italy/Forza Italia (FI), YES2011/ANO2011 (ANO), Brothers of Italy/Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) and Freedom and Direct Democracy/Svoboda a přímá demokracie (SPD). All four emerged running on the anti-establishment ticket. Simultaneously to being formed as anti-establishment challengers, the former two are considered the pioneers of entrepreneurial parties. The latter two, represent the most successful far-right parties in their respective countries.
Analysing their statutes and organisational affairs, we explore the internal decision-making and positions of party leaders. Leader's decision-making capacity, interventions to the autonomy of territorial structures, and parties´ policy towards membership form the basis of our comparative analysis.
It allows us to determine what they have in common in regards to the studied variables, and if these play any role in their survival. Centralised hierarchy combined with a strong position of party leaders are expected to influence it. The similarity between the studied cases helps to empirically test these expectations
Expertise and Conflicts in State Business Management During the Era of “Normalisation” in Czechoslovakia: Pluralism or Corporatism?
Get PDFThe socialist industrial managers were a specific elite group within Czechoslovak society. During the era of normalisation, their position was so solid that they could assertively manifest particular interests. At the same time, they were confronted with the demands of various political circumstances. First of all, they were bound by the production plan, which was set by the ministries for individual production sectors. At the same time, the functioning of enterprises was connected to the system of state administration. Most notably, the factories were under the steady control of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. This article ponders the uneasy relations of directors with multiple centres of power: the ministries, societal organizations, and both local and central organs of the Communist Party. The focus on “interests”, “groups”, and “conflict” reintroduces classic debate between proponents of pluralism and corporatism – both addressing the mode of interest representation. The core of the text, based on research on the realities of one particular factory, is a discussion on the conflict between ideological and technocratic/expert demands which directors were supposed to deal with
Give Realistic Cyber Peace a Chance
Get PDFThe topic of Cyber peace is receiving surprisingly little attention. Having considered some characteristics of Cyberspace affecting the topic of Cyber peace and having considered whether we benefit from trying to strictly define what we mean by Cyber peace, the article proceeds to offer a defence for the role that law may play towards Cyber peace. Against this background, the article proposes a focus on the three criteria Alfred Nobel articulated for his famous Peace Prize: (1) advance fellowship among nations, (2) the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and (3) the establishment and promotion of peace congresses, as a suitable point of departure towards Cyber peace. The article concludes that to move towards Cyber peace we need specific, practical, and realistic actions rather than lofty proclamations. Thus, it calls for the establishment of a realistic "Cyber Peace Agenda" and introduces ongoing work towards such an Agenda under the custodianship of the Norwegian Nobel Institute
Ekopsychoterapie: trend, forma, modalita? Metodologická reflexe
No full textPředkládaný článek popisuje a třídí rozmanité přístupy práce s klienty/klientkami v přírodě s důrazem na ekopsychoterapii. Nabízí přehled studií, které efektivitu této práce dokládají. S odvoláním na ekoterapeutické paradigma se postupně vytyčuje prostor pro ekopsychoterapii. Její podstatné rysy se pak pojmenovávají v rámci distinktivní fenomenologické analýzy. Na závěr se řeší otázka, jestli lze ekopsychoterapii považovat za trend, formu nebo modalitu, a předkládají se doporučení, co ekopsychoterapie potřebuje, aby si v prostoru psychoterapie vytvořila své vlastní místo.The presented article describes and classifies various approaches of working with clients in nature with an emphasis on ecopsychotherapy. It offers an overview of studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of this work. With reference to the ecotherapeutic paradigm, the space for ecopsychotherapy is gradually being defined. Its essential features are then named within the framework of a distinctive phenomenological analysis. At the end, the question whether ecopsychotherapy can be considered a trend, form or modality is addressed, and recommendations are made as to what ecopsychotherapy needs to create its place in the psychotherapy space