1,946 research outputs found
Frankenberg G Comparative Constitutional Studies – Between Magic and Deceit
No full textThis contribution reviews the book by Günter Frankenberg titled Comparative Constitutional Studies – Between Magic and Deceit published by Edward Elgar Publishing in 2018
Godsdienspluraliteit en die liberale staat – die illusie van sekulêre neutraliteit
No full textReligious pluralism and the liberal state – the illusion of secular neutrality. Whereas church and state have long been separated since the emergence of the modern state, law and religion have not been separated and can never be separated. The notion of the liberal-democratic state, which is still dominant in legal thinking, induces state authorities to seek refuge in secular neutrality when confronted with religious issues to be resolved by law and judicial resolution. This article sketches the constitutional background, the undeniable relationship between law and religion, the standard liberal response to resulting difficulties and the dawn of a post-secular era. Examples are discussed from German, Canadian and South African jurisprudence that dealt with religious issues, leading to an assessment of the viability of secular neutrality. It is found that neutrality is unachievable. A suggestion is made that objective reciprocity founded on the teachings of Jesus and accepted as a universal human norm, independently of Christian teachings, may present an appropriate approach to avoid the dilemmas brought about by secularism. The implication of this analysis is that some firm arguments based on biblical justification have universal persuasive power, because they appeal to universal values also acceptable to non-believers and other religions. These arguments may be used in courts and by other organs of state for the resolution of religious matters that have legal implications in the pluralistic society of the 21st century
Environmental Stewardship: Confluence of Law and Religion?
No full textWhy should we bear responsibility for the degradation of the environment? A wide range of responses is on offer to this question. Common to them all is that they are all rooted in one or the other ontological and epistemic point of departure or set of premises. This raises the question of the relationship between law and religion and linkages of religion with environmental concerns. What emerges, perhaps against the volition of the scientific world, is that the foundational links between environmental law and religion are significant – even where environmentalists shirk from or even denounce religion. Justification of this view is found in a concise survey of the essence of law and religion. The analysis leads to the notion of stewardship, a concept steeped in, but not exclusive to religion in its diverse manifestations. Examples of ecocentric religious attitudes – ranging from the traditions of the North American Anishinabek, aboriginal Australians and indigenous African culture to Buddhism and Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity in its principal manifestations – provide a broad picture of adherence to beliefs in human responsibility to take care of the environment. This widespread conviction of stewardship endures despite awareness of the human inability to create or sovereignly to determine the course of nature (here termed "the hypothesis of incompetence")
Die akademie as professie
No full textThere is an obvious conceptual link between the words "professor" and "profession". May one however assume that being a professor entails belonging to a profession, an academic profession?
One may have various motives for entering into and staying in the academy, eg the advantage of progression one the basis of one's own, independent efforts, earning a good salary and following one's calling to expend the energy and abilities one receives in life sensibly.
Professors are expected to be (at least) adequate teachers; they are required to have and maintain specialised knowledge of their field and to generate new knowledge by means of the production and dissemination of original research results.
Insofar as professions are characterised by their members having specialised knowledge or skills, performing specialised services, are bound by ethical codes and holding an acknowledged social status often expressed in titles, there should therefore not be any doubt as to the existence of an academic profession distinct from other professions (especially those related to the field of scholarship concerned).
Practising academics should work towards the active acknowledgment by all of the professionalism of the professorial institution
Interview with Jean Francois Revel, author
No full textJean Francois Revel, the author of Without Marx or Jesus, has been quoted as saying, "The United States is now a microcosm for all of the problems man faces." In this interview with Meredith Watts, he discusses a new kind of revolution which could produce successful change without violent upheavalGrayscaleSoun
Konstitusionalisme in Suid-Afrika
No full textTeen die agtergrond van 'n veelbewoë staatsregtelike geskiedenis is konstitusionalisme deur die 1993- en 1996-Grondwette in die Suid-Afrikaanse regsorde ingevoer. Konstitusionalisme is 'n term wat, as deel van die globale tendens na die ontwikkeling van 'n gemeenskaplike staatkundige woordeskat, toenemend gebruik word. Wat dit presies beteken, is egter nie eenvoudig te verklaar nie, veral in ag genome dat dit in 'n uitgebreide verskeidenheid verbande en nuanses gebruik word. Dit is egter moontlik om, aan die hand van die vakkundige literatuur bepaalde strukturele, substantiewe en doktrinêre elemente te tabuleer ten einde 'n oorsigbegrip van konstitusionalisme te weerspieël. So 'n tabel word aangebied.
Die aard van die konsep van konstitusionalisme wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg ingevoer is, word aan die hand van die grondwetlike bepalings van 1993 en 1996 gedemonstreer. Daar word egter ook uitgewys dat daar bepaalde "genetiese defekte" in die 1996-Grondwet is wat ruimte skep vir die ondermyning van konstitusionalisme.
Vervolgens word die manier waarop Suid-Afrikaanse konstitusionalisme deur die nastrewing van seksionele politieke belange beproef word, aan die hand van 'n aantal gewysdes toegelig. Die sake wat behandel word, handel oor selektiewe begenadiging, die tot niet making van die Skerpioene, optrede van die onderwysburokrasie, benoeming van 'n veroordeelde moordenaar tot gesagsposisies en gebrekkige diplomatieke beskerming.
Teen hierdie agtergrond, en die elemente wat kenmerkend van konstitusionalisme is, word oorweeg of Suid-Afrikaanse konstitusionalisme verstaan moet word as 'n lewensvatbare embrio of as 'n sterwende jeugdige. Vier scenario's van die moontlike vestiging of degenerering van konstitusionalisme op Suid-Afrikaanse bodem word geskets. Hierdie scenario's dien as verwysingsraamwerk vir die beoordeling van moontlike toekomstendense in hierdie verband. Die afleiding word gemaak dat, wat die toekoms ook al mag inhou, konstitusionalisme in Suid-Afrika in die moeilikheid is en dat die terugkeer na 'n pad waarop die grondwetlike ideale van 1994 verwerklik kan word, moeisaam sal wees
Die staat, staatsreg en globalisering
No full textAs navorser oor die publiekreg is Ig Rautenbach van akademiese "kindsbeen" af 'n regsvergelyker. Hy het sy dissipline gedurende sy loopbaan sien groei en verander. Hier, in erkenning van sy inspirerende werk oor meer as drie dekades, is hierdie artikel 'n poging om 'n greep te kry op die grondige veranderinge wat die staatsreg ondergaan.Binne een akademiese generasie het die staatsreg sy aard van 'n relatief parogiale dissipline, grootliks beperk tot die nasiestaat se funksionering binne sy territoriale jurisdiksie, verander na 'n regsgebied wat oopgesper is vir invloede vanuit vele ander wetenskaplike dissiplines
Religion in the classroom: comparative observations
No full textAs a profound characteristic of humanity that cannot be circumvented or dismissed, faith, religion and religious practices are ubiquitous. There is a direct link between the propagation of religions and education. Despite the fact that faith is a matter of intensely personal conviction, religious practices inevitably have communal and public dimensions, whereby society is directly involved. Since religion is foundational to strong and often oppositional convictions, it is essential that the state as keeper of the social peace is involved in regulating the repercussions of religious practices in society. The question here is how successful the South African educational system currently is in its regulation of religion in the classroom for the purposes of maintaining balance in this multireligious society
Liberal democracy : The unintended consequence. South African constitution-writing propelled by the winds of globalisation
No full texthttp://www.sabinet.co.za/abstracts/ju_sajhr/ju_sajhr_v26_n1_a3.htm
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