Albert Schweitzers Weltanschauungsphilosophie und Ethik der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben

In vorliegender Dissertation werden die von Albert Schweitzer ersonnene Weltanschauungsphilosophie sowie dessen Ethik der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben untersucht und auf ihre Kohärenz sowie auf ihre argumentative Tragfähigkeit geprüft. Es zeigt sich dabei, dass dieselben, entgegen der Meinung vieler Kritiker, keineswegs nur weltfremde Gedankenkonstrukte sind, sondern sehr wohl Orientierung hinsichtlich der ethischen Ausrichtung unserer Zeit zu geben vermögen und insbesondere die Schweitzer’sche Ehrfurchtsethik aus diesem Grunde als theoretisch vollwertiges Konzept einer philosophischen Ethik respektiert zu werden verdient. Schweitzer hat als Hintergrund all seiner Ausführungen die Vorstellung vom "Verfall der Kultur", daher sind sämtliche seiner philosophischen Überlegungen als Antwortversuche auf diesen von ihm konstatierten Kulturverfall zu verstehen. Ist der Verfall der Kultur seiner Zeit für Schweitzer bedingt durch das Fehlen einer lebens- und weltbejahenden Weltanschauung, so kann ein entsprechender Wiederaufbau der Kultur für ihn nur über den Weg der Konzeption einer aus tiefstem Denken ersonnenen lebens- und weltbejahenden Weltanschauung führen; das Kernstück dieser gesuchten neuen Weltanschauung ist für Schweitzer schließlich die Ethik der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben. Es entbehrt indes nicht einer gewissen Tragik, dass diese Ethik der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben, welche Schweitzer selbst ein Herzensanliegen war und um die sein gesamtes Denken seit Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts kreiste, weder bei philosophisch interessierten Laien noch bei den Gelehrten dieser Zunft auf reges Interesse stieß. Mit Verweis auf die unsystematische Verfasstheit sowie den unausgereiften bzw. unvollkommenen Zustand dieses Ethikkonzepts schenkte (und schenkt) man demselben in Fachkreisen so gut wie keine Beachtung und auch im Blickpunkt des öffentlichen Interesses standen (und stehen) für gewöhnlich die greif- und sichtbaren Aktivitäten Schweitzers – so etwa sein humanitäres Engagement in Afrika oder seine Rolle als "kritisches Gewissen" seiner Zeit hinsichtlich der damals mehr oder minder akuten Bedrohung der Menschheit durch das atomare Wettrüsten der beiden Supermächte USA und UdSSR – wobei man jedoch verkennt, dass diese letztlich nur verstehbar sind vor dem Hintergrund der Ethik der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben und nur von dort einen Sinn erhalten. Um diese überragende Bedeutung der Ethik der Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben im Gesamtgefüge des Schweitzer’schen Denkens angemessen einschätzen zu können, werden die tragenden Begriffe dieser Ethikkonzeption aus den Texten Schweitzers heraus so exakt als möglich bestimmt sowie der innere Zusammenhang derselben aufgezeigt, um wiederum die diese Begriffe fundierende Architektonik freizulegen.

The role of indigenous people in national development processes: Participation and marginalisation of indigenous Bedouin in South Sinai tourism development

The Bedouin of South Sinai have been significantly affected by the politics of external powers for a long time. However, never had the interest of external powers in Sinai been so strong as since the Israeli-Egyptian wars in the second half of the 20th century when Bedouin interests started to collide with Egypt’s plans for a development of luxury tourism in South Sinai. rnrnThe tourism boom that has started in the 1980s has brought economic and infrastructure development to the Bedouin and tourism has become the most important source of income for the Bedouin. However, while the absolute increase of tourists to Sinai has trickled down to the Bedouin to some extent, the participation of Bedouin in the overall tourism development is under-proportionate. Moreover, the Bedouin have become increasingly dependent on monetary income and consequently from tourism as the only significant source of income while at the same time they have lost much of their land as well as their self-determination.rnrnIn this context, the Bedouin livelihoods have become very vulnerable due to repeated depressions in the tourism industry as well as marginalization. Major marginalization processes the Bedouin are facing are the loss of land, barriers to market entry, especially increasingly strict rules and regulations in the tourism industry, as well as discrimination by the authorities. Social differentiation and Bedouin preferences are identified as further factors in Bedouin marginalization.rnrnThe strategies Bedouin have developed in response to all these problems are coping strategies, which try to deal with the present problem at the individual level. Basically no strategies have been developed at the collective level that would aim to actively shape the Bedouin’s present and future. Collective action has been hampered by a variety of factors, such as the speed of the developments, the distribution of power or the decay of tribal structures.rnWhile some Bedouin might be able to continue their tourism activities, a large number of informal jobs will not be feasible anymore. The majority of the previously mostly self-employed Bedouin will probably be forced to work as day-laborers who will have lost much of their pride, dignity, sovereignty and freedom. Moreover, with a return to subsistence being impossible for the majority of the Bedouin, it is likely that an increasing number of marginalized Bedouin will turn to illegal income generating activities such as smuggling or drug cultivation. This in turn will lead to further repression and discrimination and could escalate in a serious violent conflict between the Bedouin and the government.rnrnDevelopment plans and projects should address the general lack of civil rights, local participation and protection of minorities in Egypt and promote Bedouin community development and the consideration of Bedouin interests in tourism development.rnrnWether the political upheavals and the resignation of president Mubarak at the beginning of 2011 will have a positive effect on the situation of the Bedouin remains to be seen.rn

Talents in Migration Processes in the Conditions of the Czech Republic of the Nineties

The transformation of the 1990s has had a bearing on the academic and scientific world, as is becoming increasingly obvious with the changing numbers of foreign students wishing to study in the Czech Republic and of Czech students wishing to study abroad, the virtual collapse of doctoral studies, and the rapidly increasing age of Czech academics (placed at 48 by official sources and at rather more by this research). At the same time there is an apparent lack of interest in analysing and understanding these trends, which Mr. Cermak terms an ostrich policy, although his research showed that academics are in fact both aware and concerned about them. The mid-1990s migration of talent to and from R+D in the Czech Republic is also reflected in the number of talented Czech students studying abroad, who represent the largest and most interesting group of actual and potential migrants. Mr. Cermak's study took the form of a Delphi enquiry participated in by 44 specialists, including experts in the problems of higher education and science policy from the Presidium of the Higher Education Council (n = 23), members of the Council's Science and Research Commission (n = 14), former and current managers of higher education authorities (n = 4) and selected participants of the longitudinal talent research (n = 3). Questions considered included the influence of continuing talent migration from domestic R+D on the efficiency of domestic higher education, the diversification of forms of the brain drain and their impact on other processes in society, the possibility of positive influence on the brain drain processes to minimise the risks it presents, and the use of the knowledge obtained about the brain drain. The study revealed a clear drop of interest in brain drain problems in higher education in the mid-1990s, which is probably related to the collapsed of Czech R+D in the field of talent education. The effects on this segment of the labour market appeared earlier, with a major migration wave in 1991-1993 which significantly "cleared" the area of scientific talent. In addition, prospective talents from the ranks of younger students have not been integrated into domestic R+D, leading to the increasing average age of those working in this field. "Talent scouting" tended to be oriented towards much younger individuals, even in some cases towards undergraduate students. The R+D institutions deprived of human resources considered as basic in a functional R+D system have lost much of their dynamism and so no longer attract not only domestic talent but also talent from other regions. As a result the public, including the mass media and political structures, have stopped regarding the support of domestic science as a priority. This is clear both among the young people who are important for the future development of R+D (support for the education of talented children has dropped), from the drop in the prestige of this area as a profession among university students, and from the lack of explicit support for R+D by any of the political parties. On the basis of his findings Mr. Cermak concludes that there is no basis for the belief that the brain drain will represent a positive force in stimulating the development of the open society. Migration data shows that the outflow of talent from the Czech Republic far exceeds the inflow, and that the latter is largely short-term. Not only has the number of returning Czech professors dropped to half of its level at the beginning of the 1990s, but they also tend to take up only short-term contracts and retain their foreign positions. Recruitment of scientific talent from other countries, including the Slovak Republic, is limited. Furthermore internal contacts between those already involved in R+D have been badly hit by economic pressures and institutional co-operation has dropped to a minimum. There have been few moves to counteract this situation, the only notable one being the Program 250, launched in 1996 with government support to try and attract younger (i.e. under 40) talent into R+D. Its resources are however limited and its effects have not so far been evaluated. The deficit of academic and scientific talent in the Czech Republic is increasing and two major directions of academic work are emerging. Classic higher education science based on the teaching process is declining, largely due to economic factors, while there is an increasing emphasis on special; ad hoc projects which cannot be related directly to teaching but are often interesting to specialists outside the Czech Republic. This is shown clearly by the increase in publishing and in participation in domestic and foreign grant projects, which often serve to supplement the otherwise low salaries in the higher education sector. This tend was also accelerated by the collapse of applied R+D in individual sectors of the national economy and by substantial cutbacks in the Czech Academy of Sciences, which formerly fostered such research. Some part of the output of this research can be used in the education system and its financial contribution does significantly affect the stability of the present staff, but Mr. Cermak sees it as generally unfavourable for the development of talent education. In addition, it has led to a certain resignation on the question of integration into international structures, due to the emphasis on short-term targets, commercial advantages and individualism rather than team work. At the same time, he admits that these developments reflect those in other areas of the transformation in the Czech Republic.

The 1960s: A Bibliography

The time period covered by this bibliography is circa 1960 to 1974, an unusual "decade," to be sure. But because the Civil Rights movements and Watergate framed this era, it became impossible to compile a bibliography on the 1960s without entering the 1970s. The Vietnam War did not end until 1975, which would seem a logical place to end the decade. However, Nixon's resignation sparked more public interest and energy than did the anti-climax of the end of the war. Thus, the time period covered. Although there are some key books on the Civil Rights Movement, which started in the late 1950s, that movement has been adequately covered in other resources.

An interactive intervention to impact adherence to antiretroviral treatment among treatment-naive HIV-infected adults in Thailand: A pilot randomized controlled study

Background. Consistent adherence to antiretroviral treatment is necessary for a treatment success. Improving and maintaining adherence rate >95% are challenging for health care professionals. This pilot randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the impact of the interactive intervention on adherence to GPO-VIR, to describe the feasibility of the interactive intervention in Thailand, and to illustrate the adherence self-efficacy concept among HIV treatment-naïve patients in Thailand who were starting antiretroviral treatment. ^ Methods. The study took place at three HIV clinics located in Phayao, Thailand. Twenty-three patients were randomly assigned into the experimental (n=11) and the control groups (n=12). Each participant in the experimental group and a significant person to the patient received 5 educational sessions with a nurse at the clinics and at their homes. They also received 3 follow-up evaluations during the 6-month period of the study. The participants in the control group received the standard of care provided by HIV clinical personnel plus three follow-up evaluations at the clinic. ^ Results. Seventeen patients (7 in the experimental and 10 in the control group) completed the study. The 4-day recall on the Thai ACTG Adherence Scale demonstrated adherence rate >95% for most participants from both groups. After the first measurement, no experimental group patients reporting missing ART, while one control group participant continuously skipped ART. Participants from both groups had significantly increased CD4 cell counts after the study (F(1, 15) = 29.30, p = .000), but no differences were found between two groups (F(1, 15) = .001, p = .98). Examination of the intervention showed limitations and possibilities to implement it in Thailand. Qualitative data demonstrated self-efficacy expectations, resignation and acceptance as related concepts to improve adherence outcomes. ^ Conclusions. This interactive intervention, after appropriate modifications, is feasible to apply for Thai HIV-treatment naïve patients. Because of limitations the study could not demonstrate whether the interactive intervention improved adherence to ART among HIV-treatment naïve in Thailand. A longitudinal study in a larger sample would be required to test the impact of the intervention. ^ Keyword: antiretroviral treatment, adherence, treatment-naïve, Thailand, randomized controlled study ^

Association of coping styles & adolescent substance use

Adolescent substance use is a serious public health concern with long-lasting consequences. Although specific coping behaviors have been associated with adolescent substance use, less is known about the role of multidimensional coping styles that account for both positive and negative coping behaviors. This study examined the association of coping styles and substance use (alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs) of 1,019 ethnically diverse high school students. Coping styles were categorized by high or low negative coping behaviors (e.g. distraction, social withdrawal, self-criticism, blame others, wishful thinking, resignation, and negative emotional regulation) and high or low positive coping behaviors (e.g. cognitive restructuring, problem-solving, social support, and positive emotional regulation). My hypothesis that high positive coping, regardless of the use of negative coping behaviors, would be protective against substance use was rejected. Logistic regression analyses controlling for age, gender, race, and parent education indicated that adolescents who relied primarily on adaptive coping were 45-67% less likely to report lifetime or past year substance use than any other coping style. However, mixed copers (i.e. high in both positive and negative coping behaviors) were 2 to 3 times as likely to report substance use than their adaptive coping counterparts.^

Un aspecto de la oposición radical yrigoyenista al gobernador Crotto, las interpelaciones parlamentarias

José Camilo Crotto llegó al gobierno de la provincia de Buenos Aires por la incuestionable presión que ejerció el presidente Yrigoyen para que así sucediera. Sin embargo, rápidamente el apoyo presidencial habría de convertirse en oposición; este cambio se debió a que Crotto designó, sin consultar al presidente, a allegados suyos, no sólo como ministros sino que también, luego de desplazar a varios yrigoyenistas, nombrados en su momento por el interventor federal Cantilo, a amigos de su confianza. Desde entonces, la ruptura del radicalismo yrigoyenista fue inevitable; los nuevos opositores a Crotto lo atacaron de todas maneras a fin de lograr, cosa que consiguieron en 1921, su renuncia como gobernador. Una de las formas de oposición, fue a través de las interpelaciones, siendo las más importantes aquí estudiadas.

Miradas al último espejo : La despedida de Fernando Ortiz

Fiel a los temas recurrentes en sus hondos versos elegíacos, en su último libro Miradas al último espejo, Fernando Ortiz recuerda las personas y los lugares de su existencia, canta los efectos del paso del tiempo y la precariedad de la vida, reflexiona sobre la poesía haciendo hincapié en el papel fundamental de la tradición. Lo que pertenece al pasado sobrevive aquí en unas palabras llenas de belleza y emoción, que pretenden abatir la barrera entre el hoy y el ayer: las distintas épocas se mezclan en el sentir de Ortiz y concurren juntas a guiarlo hasta el punto final. El poder lenitivo de los versos, el sarcasmo y la ironía alivian la resignación ante el fluir temporal y le ayudan a aceptar el disgregarse del ser humano en su rápido recorrido por la vida. La única certeza del peregrino es su viaje, razón por la que tiene que aprovecharlo, mostrando gratitud y gozando de los placeres de este mundo entre los que prima indudablemente el amor. Concibiendo la ardua tarea del poeta como una búsqueda de la verdad para transmitirla en sus versos, en Miradas al último espejo Ortiz avisa a sus lectores del destino que todos compartimos, aconseja sobre cómo actuar a lo largo del camino, ofrece el alivio de su poesía y se despide 'con cervantino agradecimiento de la vida'

¿Quiénes son las autoridades? Un análisis socioeconómico de las autoridades locales en un partido del sur de la campaña de Buenos Aires : Chascomús entre 1808 y 1821

El artículo aborda el estudio del perfil socioeconómico de los Alcaldes de Hermandad de Chascomús entre 1808 y 1821. Ello comprende la identificación y el análisis de las actividades económicas que desempeñaban los mismos, así como la caracterización de sus vínculos en el entramado social local. Sobre la base del análisis de casos de renuncias al cargo y de conflictos en los nombramientos, se intentan establecer los criterios más importantes que se tuvieron en cuenta para la elección de Alcaldes en este partido, resaltando la importancia de los conflictos a escala local en la constitución y ejercicio de esta instancia de autoridad en la campaña rural

Enrique Díez-Canedo, Buenos Aires, 1936 : Selección de cartas recibidas

Una selección de cartas (hasta ahora no publicadas excepto una) provenientes en su mayoría del archivo de Enrique Díez-Canedo, embajador de la República española en Argentina desde julio de 1936 hasta febrero de 1937, ofrece la posibilidad de reconstruir con detalle las relaciones, movimientos e intrigas de la diplomacia hispano argentina en palabras de los protagonistas, así como de entender las complicaciones de su gestión y las razones de su precipitada dimisión del cargo de embajador, a menos de un año de haberlo asumido

Un aspecto de la oposición radical yrigoyenista al gobernador Crotto, las interpelaciones parlamentarias

José Camilo Crotto llegó al gobierno de la provincia de Buenos Aires por la incuestionable presión que ejerció el presidente Yrigoyen para que así sucediera. Sin embargo, rápidamente el apoyo presidencial habría de convertirse en oposición; este cambio se debió a que Crotto designó, sin consultar al presidente, a allegados suyos, no sólo como ministros sino que también, luego de desplazar a varios yrigoyenistas, nombrados en su momento por el interventor federal Cantilo, a amigos de su confianza. Desde entonces, la ruptura del radicalismo yrigoyenista fue inevitable; los nuevos opositores a Crotto lo atacaron de todas maneras a fin de lograr, cosa que consiguieron en 1921, su renuncia como gobernador. Una de las formas de oposición, fue a través de las interpelaciones, siendo las más importantes aquí estudiadas.

Miradas al último espejo : La despedida de Fernando Ortiz

Fiel a los temas recurrentes en sus hondos versos elegíacos, en su último libro Miradas al último espejo, Fernando Ortiz recuerda las personas y los lugares de su existencia, canta los efectos del paso del tiempo y la precariedad de la vida, reflexiona sobre la poesía haciendo hincapié en el papel fundamental de la tradición. Lo que pertenece al pasado sobrevive aquí en unas palabras llenas de belleza y emoción, que pretenden abatir la barrera entre el hoy y el ayer: las distintas épocas se mezclan en el sentir de Ortiz y concurren juntas a guiarlo hasta el punto final. El poder lenitivo de los versos, el sarcasmo y la ironía alivian la resignación ante el fluir temporal y le ayudan a aceptar el disgregarse del ser humano en su rápido recorrido por la vida. La única certeza del peregrino es su viaje, razón por la que tiene que aprovecharlo, mostrando gratitud y gozando de los placeres de este mundo entre los que prima indudablemente el amor. Concibiendo la ardua tarea del poeta como una búsqueda de la verdad para transmitirla en sus versos, en Miradas al último espejo Ortiz avisa a sus lectores del destino que todos compartimos, aconseja sobre cómo actuar a lo largo del camino, ofrece el alivio de su poesía y se despide 'con cervantino agradecimiento de la vida'

¿Quiénes son las autoridades? Un análisis socioeconómico de las autoridades locales en un partido del sur de la campaña de Buenos Aires : Chascomús entre 1808 y 1821

El artículo aborda el estudio del perfil socioeconómico de los Alcaldes de Hermandad de Chascomús entre 1808 y 1821. Ello comprende la identificación y el análisis de las actividades económicas que desempeñaban los mismos, así como la caracterización de sus vínculos en el entramado social local. Sobre la base del análisis de casos de renuncias al cargo y de conflictos en los nombramientos, se intentan establecer los criterios más importantes que se tuvieron en cuenta para la elección de Alcaldes en este partido, resaltando la importancia de los conflictos a escala local en la constitución y ejercicio de esta instancia de autoridad en la campaña rural

Enrique Díez-Canedo, Buenos Aires, 1936 : Selección de cartas recibidas

Una selección de cartas (hasta ahora no publicadas excepto una) provenientes en su mayoría del archivo de Enrique Díez-Canedo, embajador de la República española en Argentina desde julio de 1936 hasta febrero de 1937, ofrece la posibilidad de reconstruir con detalle las relaciones, movimientos e intrigas de la diplomacia hispano argentina en palabras de los protagonistas, así como de entender las complicaciones de su gestión y las razones de su precipitada dimisión del cargo de embajador, a menos de un año de haberlo asumido

¿Quiénes son las autoridades? Un análisis socioeconómico de las autoridades locales en un partido del sur de la campaña de Buenos Aires : Chascomús entre 1808 y 1821

El artículo aborda el estudio del perfil socioeconómico de los Alcaldes de Hermandad de Chascomús entre 1808 y 1821. Ello comprende la identificación y el análisis de las actividades económicas que desempeñaban los mismos, así como la caracterización de sus vínculos en el entramado social local. Sobre la base del análisis de casos de renuncias al cargo y de conflictos en los nombramientos, se intentan establecer los criterios más importantes que se tuvieron en cuenta para la elección de Alcaldes en este partido, resaltando la importancia de los conflictos a escala local en la constitución y ejercicio de esta instancia de autoridad en la campaña rural