What place discourse, what role rigorous argumentation? Against the standard image of Hadot's conception of philosophy as a way of life

After an introduction situating the piece in light of debates surrounding Hadot et al's work on the history of philosophy, Part I of what follows lays out, as briefly as possible, the 'standard view' of Hadot promoted by the texts that have been translated hitherto, and which has attracted Cooper, Nussbaum et al’s criticisms about misrepresenting--or dismissing-the place of rational argument in philosophy 'comme manière de vivre'. In Part II, will we see how several of Hadot’s as-yet-untranslated pieces, led by 'La Philosophie Antique: Une Éthique ou une Pratique?', indicate his own much more qualified perspectives about the place of discourse in ancient philosophy conceived as a way of life. To argue that philosophy included the paranoetic prescription of imaginative, mnemic, and even somatic exercises to rehape subjects' beliefs, habits, and desires is not to deny that these exercises were justified rationally, or based in rigorous theoretical accounts of the human being and its place in the cosmos.

Meta-philosophy of religion : the analytic-continental divide in philosophy of religion

How is the philosophical study of religion best pursued? Responses to this meta-philosophical question tend to recapitulate the analytic-Continental divide in philosophy in general. My aim is to examine the nature of this divide, particularly as it has manifested itself in the philosophy of religion. I begin with a comparison of the stylistic differences in the language of the two traditions, taking the work of Alvin Plantinga and John Caputo as exemplars of the analytic and Continental schools respectively. In order to account for these stylistic divergences, however, it is necessary to delve further into meta-philosophy. I go on to show how each philosophical school models itself on different theoretical practices, the analytic school mimicking the scientific style of inquiry, while in Continental philosophy it is the arts and humanities rather than the sciences that provide the model for philosophical discourse. By situating themselves in such different genres,  analytic and Continental philosophers have developed contrasting, if not mutually exclusive, methods for pursuing the philosophy of religion.

Philosophy has consequences! Developing metacognition and active learning in the ethics classroom

The importance of enchancing metacognition and encouraging active learning in philosophy teaching has been increasingly recognised in recent years. Yet traditional teaching methods have not always centralised helping students to become reflectively and critically aware of the quality and consistency of their own thinking. This is particularly relevant when teaching moral philosophy, where apparently inconsistent intuitions and responses are common. In this paper I discuss the theoretical basis of the relevance of metacognition and active learning for teaching moral philosophy. Applying recent discussions of metacognition, intuition conflicts and survey-based teaching techniques, I then outline a strategy for encouraging metacognitive awareness of tensions in students’ pretheoretical beliefs, and developing a critical self-awareness of their development as moral thinkers.

Gatekeeping or redressing social exclusion : expectations on social work educators in relation to incarcerated students

Until recently, the author was in Scotland, where professional registration in social work extends to students and involves criminal record checks prior to acceptance into a course of study. She is now teaching at Deakin University in Australia, which places a high priority on making higher education available to persons and groups who have traditionally been excluded, both through the provision of courses through off campus (distance education) study mode and an innovative and culturally sensitive mode of provision for indigenous Australians. One result of our attempts to redress social exclusion is that, on occasion, we discover that some of our students are incarcerated. There are important logistical issues which may emerge as a consequence of accepting prisoners into a program of social work education. However, it would seem that the inclusion of prisoners is symbolic of a fundamental difference in philosophy with programmes of social work education in countries where there is a strong expectation that social work educators act as gatekeepers to the profession, especially in respect of students with criminal convictions. This in tum reflects an expectation among social work educators in Australia that it may be more appropriate for professional associations or registration bodies to determine whether or not a graduate with a criminal record is suitable for employment as a professional social worker. In some settings, a prior criminal record is not a barrier to being an effective service provider, as well as international differences in understandings of the social work role and employment
destinations of social work graduates.

Becoming at home in the natural world

This thesis links the environmental crisis with a contemporary sense of meaninglessness, which the philosopher Martin Heidegger interprets in terms of unrecognised ontological homelessness. Within his work it discerns a transitory and transformative pathway of thinking that reveals an enduring, thoughtful and holistic self-understanding and enables an authentically human response.

Developing and using an S3R model to analyze reasoning in web-based cross-national exchanges on sustainability

Within the increasing body of research that examines students' reasoning on socioscientific issues, we consider in particular student reasoning concerning acute, open-ended questions that bring out the complexities and uncertainties embedded in ill-structured problems. In this paper, we propose a socioscientific sustainability reasoning (S3R) model to analyze students' reasoning exchanges on environmental socially acute questions (ESAQs). The paper describes the development of an epistemological analysis of how sustainability perspectives can be integrated into socioscientific reasoning, which emphasizes the need for S3R to be both grounded in context and collective. We argue the complexity of ESAQs requires a consideration of multiple dimensions that form the basis of our S3R analysis model: problematization, interactions, knowledge, uncertainties, values, and governance. For each dimension, in the model we have identified indicators of four levels of complexity. We investigated the usefulness of the model in identifying improvements in reasoning that flow from cross-national web-based exchanges between groups of French and Australian students, concerning a local and a global ESAQ. The S3R model successfully captured the nature of reasoning about socioscientific sustainability issues, with the collective negotiation of multiple forms of knowledge as a key characteristic in improving reasoning levels. The paper provides examples of collaborative argumentation in collective texts (wikis) to illustrate the various levels of reasoning in each dimension, and diagrammatic representation of the evolution of collective reflections. We observe that a staged process of construction and confrontation, involving groups representing to some extent different cultural and contextual stances, is powerful in eliciting reasoned argument of enhanced quality. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Try walking in my shoes: empathy and portrayals of mental illness on screen

How is mental illness represented in film and television? What emotions are elicited from the viewer? How have these portrayals changed over time? And what are the implications of these portrayals for mental health awareness in the community?This interdisciplinary symposium brings together academics, filmmakers, mental health practitioners and consumers to explore these and other questions concerning the portrayal of mental illness on screen. Across two days of screenings, lectures, panels and workshops, we will discuss a range of representations of mental illness, from early cinema to Hollywood studio films, from ethnographic documentaries to television programs. The symposium has a particular focus on women’s mental health and the portrayal of mental illness in Australian films.A key theme of the symposium is the emotion of empathy. If sympathy suggests feeling for someone (that is, feeling sorry for them), empathy is distinguished by feeling with them. This sharing of emotion gives us valuable insight into how things are with another person. This insight can lead to a greater understanding that reduces stigma and discrimination, and helps us to see ‘the other’ as an equal human being. That is why empathy is such an important concept in philosophy, politics, psychology and human rights education.Cinema and television are powerful media that can take the audience on an imaginative journey and tap into our potential to empathise with another human being. Our speakers will examine the ways in which the viewer’s empathy is elicited (or not) by these screen portrayals of mental illness, as well as the benefits and limitations of an empathetic relationship between viewer and character. In this way, the symposium contributes to the broader discussion initiated by the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions about the ways in which emotions shape individual, community and national identities.We welcome discussion of these issues from all participants – both speakers and audience members – and we look forward to a dialogue that is open-minded and sensitive to all involved. We hope this will be the start of many more conversations on this important issue that affects us all.

Inclusion and accountability: communications research with consumers with disabilities

Over the past two decades there has been an increasing focus on doing research with and for consumers rather than on consumers. Research that is collaborative and inclusive has been called for by people with disabilities. People with disabilities are a group of telecommunications consumers who are disadvantaged because of social barriers and access issues with equipment, services and information. In this paper, the benefits and challenges of collaborative (e.g. participatory, participatory action, emancipatory) research with these consumers and the processes that can facilitate inclusive and accountable research outcomes are addressed. Throughout the paper, four questions will be explored: Who determines which research issues are explored and the methods that are used? What is the level of consumer involvement in the research process? How can academics and government ensure that consumer-focused research is inclusive and participatory? How, and to whom, should research results be made available?

In the first part of the paper, the perspectives on consumer research by people with disabilities are presented. Respect for and appreciation of consumers' views underpins the philosophical stance needed by researchers and funding bodies before serious engagement in empowering, person-centred research can be successful.

In the second part of the paper, there is a focus on defining the features of collaborative research approaches. Participatory research, participatory action research, and emancipatory research are variations that incorporate differing levels of consumer involvement. Each of these, however, embrace shifts in philosophy and methods away from more traditional 'scientific' research. Such changes result in a greater sense of inclusion and project ownership by consumers.

The third part of the paper addresses some of the issues associated with collaborative research for consumers with disabilities, for academic researchers, and for government funding bodies. Differing understandings of the social nature of disablement influence attitudes toward consumer involvement and are demonstrated in the choice of research questions, project aims, and the methodologies used. Differing agendas are reflected in reactions to the traditional project requirements and processes of government, the preferred research methodologies of researchers, and the perceived accountability of researchers or government for the dissemination and sharing of research results. The challenges to successful engagement with consumers in collaborative research have been identified in the literature and a number of strategies recommended (Barnes, 2003; Clear, 1999; Mercer, 2002; Oliver, 1992, 1997; Zarb, 1997). Application of inclusive strategies by researchers and funding bodies is essential for positive change and inclusive, empowering outcomes.

The paper concludes with a case study of a DCITA-funded research project. The project is evaluated using participatory/emancipatory research criteria modified from Zarb (1992) and addresses consumer, researcher, and funding body participation. The four questions used in the discussion of the paper are applied to this particular project. In addition, the benefits and learnings from the project will be compared with the outcomes desired by consumers who espouse collaborative research approaches.

Michael Polanyi and Karl Mannheim

This essay reviews historical records that set forth the discussions and interaction of Michael Polanyi and Karl Mannheim from 1944 until  Mannheim’s death early in 1947. The letters describe Polanyi’s effort to assemble a book to be published in a series edited by Manneheim. They  also reveal the different perspectives these thinkers took about freedom and the historical context of ideas. Records of J.H. Oldham’s discussion group “the Moot” suggest that these and other differences in philosophy were  debated in meetings of “the Moot” attended by Polanyi and Mannheim in 1944.

Some of my students are prisoners : issues and dilemmas for social work educators

Higher education recruitment principles and procedures which seek to redress social exclusion have inadvertently resulted in the authors discovering that some of their students are incarcerated. Notwithstanding the important logistical issues which may emerge as a consequence of accepting prisoners into a programme of social work education, it would seem that the inclusion of prisoners is symbolic of a fundamental difference in philosophy with a risk management stance which expects that social work educators act as gatekeepers to the profession, especially in respect of students with criminal convictions.

Critical perspectives on communities of mathematical inquiry

While the notion of Communities of Inquiry (CoI) has its origins in philosophy, there has been widespread interest in mathematics classrooms as Communities of Mathematical Inquiry (CoMI). This paper outlines the structure and content of Research Forum 2: Critical Perspectives on Communities of Mathematical Inquiry, gives a brief review of research in the area, and highlights some key issues.