Home About us Contact | |||
Sake
Kinds of Sake Selected AbstractsCover Picture: Electrophoresis 8'09ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 8 2009Article first published online: 20 APR 200 Issue no. 8 is an Emphasis Issue with 12 articles in Part I on various aspects of "Fundamentals and Methodologies" while the remaining 5 articles are grouped into Part II on "Bioanalysis". In addition, this issue includes a Fast Track article that demonstrates that "omic analyses unravels molecular changes in the brain and liver of a rat model for chronic Sake (Japanese alcoholic beverage) intake". Further selected topics from issue 8 are: Introducing a new parameter for quality control of proteome profiles: Consideration of commonly expressed proteins. (10.1002/elps.200800440) Improving sensitivity in micro-free flow electrophoresis using signal averaging. (10.1002/elps.200800497) [source] For the Sake of the Team: Unity and Disunity in a Multiparty Major League Baseball NegotiationNEGOTIATION JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005Larry Crump "Divide and conquer" is a well-known expression although the literature on distributive negotiation offers little theory in support of this technique. This article develops theory to explain increases or decreases in unity and disunity among negotiation groups comprising multiple parties in organizational settings. Specifically, this study analyzes the negotiations surrounding the purchase of the Seattle Mariners baseball team in 1992 by a group that included Japanese investors. The study identifies reframing as a technique that can be used strategically to create disunity between cooperating parties on the same side in a negotiation. This article also develops a theory about techniques that can enhance unity between cooperating parties and can protect against disunity that may be generated by the opposition. Dividing and unifying techniques are both components of a larger negotiation theory that seeks to evaluate actions designed to affect the degree of unity between parties working together in distributive settings. [source] Sunk Costs, Rationality, and Acting for the Sake of the PastNOUS, Issue 1 2004Thomas Kelly First page of article [source] For the Sake of Argument (Up to a Point)RATIO, Issue 4 2000Geoffrey Bennington First page of article [source] Relieving Unnecessary, Treatable Pain for the Sake of Human DignityTHE JOURNAL OF LAW, MEDICINE & ETHICS, Issue 2001Sandra H. Johnson No abstract is available for this article. [source] Science, religion and modernityCRITICAL QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2005STEPHEN GAUKROGER There is a widespread view that the centrality of science in our culture is due to the spectacular nature of its achievements, which derive in large part from the fact that it is answerable to nothing but reason and evidence. As a consequence it is believed to be untinged by historical or cultural factors, which can therefore be ignored, making science something which in essence has no context, historical or otherwise. Science has emerged on this view because it managed to free itself from religion and because it adopted a critical, adversarial method. In reality, the situation is quite different. Religion was in the driving seat during the period of the emergence of a scientific culture in the West, and it was always history rather than science that posed the threat to religion. Moreover, a commitment to critical, adversarial method was often rejected as argument for its sake in the crucial early development of science. A more balanced and informed view of just what happened is called for. [source] At Hospitality's Threshold: From Social Inclusion to Exilic EducationCURATOR THE MUSEUM JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Edith Doron Museums have strived to be valued resources in an increasingly diverse society. In aspiring to broaden their audience base, their work has shifted from developing educational policies that are "object-centered" to those that are "community-centered" , a change of strategy affecting everything from programs to exhibit design. Children's museums , distinct (if not marginalized) from the serious work of the traditional art or ethnographic or natural history museum , know and indeed say in their very name , "children's museum" , that they are for the sake of someone and not about something. They have always already been attuned to the visitor at the threshold. [source] The Puzzle of Museum Educational Practice: A Comment on Rounds and FalkCURATOR THE MUSEUM JOURNAL, Issue 2 2006Daniel Spock The mandate that museums place education at the center of their public service role has had the effect of framing a new set of questions and,inevitably,problems. If museums have primary value to society as educational institutions, what kind of learning actually happens in them? Jay Rounds and John Falk, writing at the leading edge of this inquiry, explore curiosity, motivation and self-identity as paramount considerations for the special type of learning museums promote. Their analyses present interesting challenges for the museum practitioner, who may observe that people find the pursuit of curiosity pleasurable and value it more highly than knowledge acquisition. The practitioner may conclude that museums have a calling: They stand for the value of curiosity for its own sake, and for that reason will never wear out their welcome. [source] Preaching a Risen Christ of Resistance among "Captive" AmericansDIALOG, Issue 4 2003Karen L. Bloomquist Abstract: In the midst of the current captivity of Americans to governmental policies which most of the rest of the world finds objectionable, what are the challenges facing those who preach? How can these be addressed biblically and theologically, grounded in what it means to be part of a global communion, and empowered by faith in the Resurrected Christ? How can preaching form faith communities through conversion, confession and conversation so that they might confront and change what is occurring, for the sake of the whole world? [source] Education and the Politics of Difference: Iris Young and the politics of educationEDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY, Issue 1 2006Avigail Eisenberg Abstract Three key contributions of Iris Young to democratic political theory, and three challenges that have arisen in response to Young's theory, are examined here in relation to education. First, Young has argued that oppression and domination, not distributive inequality, ought to guide discussions about justice. Second, eliminating oppression requires establishing a politics that welcomes difference by dismantling and reforming structures, processes, concepts and categories that sustain difference-blind, impartial, neutral, universal politics and policies. The infatuation with merit and standardized tests, both of which are central to measuring educational achievement, are chief amongst the targets in need of reform. Third, a politics of difference requires restructuring the division of labour and decision-making so as to include disadvantaged social groups but allow them to contribute without foregoing their particularities. The challenges that have arisen in response to Young's theory are first, that difference is merely another way of getting at inequality of resources or opportunities, and if it is not, then, second, a politics of difference values difference for the sake of difference rather than for the sake of alleviating social disadvantage. Third, in theory and in practice a politics that focuses on difference putatively jeopardizes a politics whose aim is to improve the redistribution of resources. [source] Equality and Merit: A Merit-Based Argument for Equity Policies in Higher EducationEDUCATIONAL THEORY, Issue 4 2005Evan Simpson We assume, for the sake of argument, that the sole purpose of colleges and universities is the advancement of knowledge through teaching and research, and that academic merit, as defined by each discipline, ought to be the only relevant criterion in admissions and hiring decisions. Even on this restrictive set of assumptions, we argue that hiring and admitting women and people of color is sometimes the best way for colleges and universities to advance knowledge. We then address two objections to our argument, that race and sex are no more relevant than being left- or right-handed, and that the epistemic attributes we ascribe to women and people of color belong to people as individuals, not as members of certain groups. We conclude that academic merit and social justice are mutually compatible. [source] Analysis and Speciation of Traces of Arsenic in Environmental, Food and Industrial Samples by Voltammetry: a ReviewELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 9 2004Andrea Cavicchioli Abstract Voltammetric approaches for the determination of arsenic and speciation at trace levels are critically appraised in a review covering the literature from 1970 to 2002. Special attention is devoted to stripping modes and to issues related to the choice of working material and supporting electrolyte. A section is dedicated to the management of real samples and aspects of sample preparation. An extensive compilation, organized by real sample type, gathers essential experimental conditions. Potentiometric stripping analysis is introduced for sake of comparison. The coupling of voltammetric detection or preaccumulation with FIA, chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and ICP techniques is also addressed. [source] Gatty's Tale; or virtue restoredENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 1 2008Vivienne Smith Abstract Most children's books assume a moral framework in which their characters live and grow, but in most cases, morality remains extrinsic to the characters themselves: it is what happens to them and what they do, rather than what they believe and who they become. Kevin Crossley-Holland's novel Gatty's Tale, is unusual in that it presents a protagonist for whom being good matters for its own sake. This article explores Gatty's developing goodness, and shows how Crossley-Holland helps young readers understand what virtue is. [source] Assessing the Potential of Zwitterionic NHC·CS2 Adducts for Probing the Stereoelectronic Parameters of N-Heterocyclic CarbenesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 13 2009Lionel Delaude Abstract Five imidazol(in)ium-2-dithiocarboxylates bearing cyclohexyl, mesityl, or 2,6-diisopropylphenyl substituents on their nitrogen atoms were prepared from the corresponding N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) by reaction with carbon disulfide. They were characterized by IR, UV/Vis, and NMR spectroscopy, and by thermogravimetric analysis. Their molecular structures were determined by X-ray diffraction. For the sake of comparison, tricyclohexylphosphonium dithiocarboxylate was also examined. The data acquired were scrutinized to evaluate their usefulness for assessing the steric and electronic properties of NHC ligands. Because of their outstanding ability to crystallize, the five NHC·CS2 betaines were found to be highly suitable for probing the steric influence of nitrogen atom substituents on imidazolylidene-based ligand precursors via XRD analysis, while the corresponding NHC·CO2 adducts were deemed more appropriate for evaluating the ,-donating properties of carbene ligands.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009) [source] The Jurisprudence of Constitutional Conflict: Some Supplementations to Mattias KummEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 2 2006Theodor Schilling This CBS is supposed to be part of neither the Community nor the municipal legal systems but to emerge from a legal practice comprising the whole of Community and municipal laws. Preliminarily Kumm claims, situating himself, for argument's sake, within the framework of analytical jurisprudence, that there is no legal reason for a court not to choose a different ultimate legal rule than the one it used to adhere to. These supplementations argue that Kumm's preliminary claim is erroneous. If accepted, this argument eliminates one of the reasons for the development of CBS. Concerning Kumm's main claim, these supplementations argue that the substantive content of CBS,its principles,may well be, and indeed largely already are, accommodated within the traditional structure of legal systems founded on ultimate legal rules, and that the structure proposed by Kumm would make impossible any distinction between general and legal discourses, thereby seriously undermining the determinacy of law. It also argues that Kumm's CBS can be reconstructed, within the analytical framework, only as outright supremacy of EC law. [source] On the Interaction of Risk and Time Preferences: An Experimental StudyGERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 3 2001Vital Anderhub Experimental studies of risk and time preference typically focus on one of the two phenomena. The goal of this paper is to investigate the (possible) correlation between subjects' attitude to risk and their time preference. For this sake we ask 61 subjects to price a simple lottery in three different scenarios. At the first, the lottery premium is paid ,now'. At the second, it is paid ,later'. At the third, it is paid ,even later,. By comparing the certainty equivalents offered by the subjects for the three lotteries, we test how time and risk preferences are interrelated. Since the time interval between ,now' and ,later' is the same as between ,later' and ,even later', we also test the hypothesis of hyperbolic discounting. The main result is a statistically significant negative correlation between subjects' degrees of risk aversion and their (implicit) discount factors. Moreover, we show that the negative correlation is independent of the method used to elicit certainty equivalents (willingness to pay versus willingness to accept). [source] Experimental study on the effects of blast-cap configurations and charge patterns on coke descending in CDQ cooling shaftHEAT TRANSFER - ASIAN RESEARCH (FORMERLY HEAT TRANSFER-JAPANESE RESEARCH), Issue 6 2008Y. H. Feng Abstract The coke descending behavior in a CDQ cooling shaft is studied experimentally by means of a tracing method with a digital camera. For three different blast-caps, the law of coke flow is studied under five conditions of coke charge. The experimental results show that, for the sake of the uniformity of the coke burden descending, a blast-cap with elliptical cross-section is a better choice than that with circular cross-section regardless of high or low placement. A coke charge pattern with a flat top burden surface is preferable to that with peak-valley surface, a double-peak superior to a one-peak. Trajectory and average velocity distribution of coke behavior are depend weakly on whether the coke is continuously fed or not as the discharging began. The blast-caps have local effects on the descending coke and hardly affect whether the cokes flow smoothly or not in the case of coke burden with enough depth. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 37(6): 352, 358, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20212 [source] Patriarchs and republicans: eighteenth-century Virginian planters and classical politicsHISTORICAL RESEARCH, Issue 194 2003Enrico Dal Lago This article argues that the metaphor of George Washington as Father of his Country, or Pater Patriae, must be seen in the context of the culture of the eighteenth-century Virginian planter élite. Classical education and English commonwealthmen's writings had given most planters familiarity with Roman republican figures such as Cicero, who first bore the title of Pater Patriae, and had prompted them to consider independence and disinterestedness for the sake of public good as the most important signs of virtue in the optimal republican citizen. At the same time, patriarchalism , the prominent ethos among Virginian planters , dictated that the representatives of the upper classes ought to display their virtue through an attitude of benevolence towards the lower strata of society, and especially towards the slaves. [source] The Israeli,Palestinian Road Block: Can Europeans Make a Difference?INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2004Rosemary Hollis Europe needs a resolution of the Israeli,Palestinian conflict for the sake of its own social harmony, and could reconfigure the calculations of the parties by inviting Israel to integrate into Europe's social, economic and security space in return for withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza and Arab East Jerusalem. The idea would be to capitalize on the drive for separation that prevails in Israel and abandon an unrealistic policy that requires the Arabs to integrate Israel in the region. It is also time for Europe to face up to its own role in the problem and the solution, and demonstrate that anti-Semitism does not influence its policy. [source] A constitutive model for bonded geomaterials subject to mechanical and/or chemical degradationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 9 2003R. Nova Abstract The mechanical behaviour of bonded geomaterials is described by means of an elastoplastic strain-hardening model. The internal variables, taking into account the ,history' of the material, depend on the plastic strains experienced and on a conveniently defined scalar measure of damage induced by weathering and/or chemical degradation. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that only internal variables are affected by mechanical and chemical history of the material. Despite this simplifying assumption, it can be shown that many interesting phenomena exhibited by weathered bonded geomaterials can be successfully described. For instance, (i) the transition from brittle to ductile behaviour with increasing pressure of a calcarenite with collapsing internal structure, (ii) the complex behaviour of chalk and other calcareous materials in oedometric tests, (iii) the chemically induced variation of the stress and strain state of such kind of materials, are all phenomena that can be qualitatively reproduced. Several comparisons with experimental data show that the model can capture the observed behaviour also quantitatively. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Crack edge element of three-dimensional displacement discontinuity method with boundary division into triangular leaf elementsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2001H. Li Abstract In this paper, the existing Displacement Discontinuity Method (DDM) for three-dimensional elastic analysis with boundary discretized into triangular elements, which is purely based on analytical integrals, is extended from the constant element to the square-root crack edge element. In order to evaluate the singular integral when the receiver point falls into the remitter element, i.e., the observed point (x,y) ,,, a part analytical and part numerical integration procedure is adopted effectively. The newly developed codes prove valid in estimating the Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) KI. Furthermore, for the sake of keeping the advantages of high-speed and high-accuracy in developing the numerical system, a novel method to realize pure analytical integration of influence function is found by the aid of symbolic computation technology of Mathematica. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Energy,momentum consistent finite element discretization of dynamic finite viscoelasticityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, Issue 11 2010M. Groß Abstract This paper is concerned with energy,momentum consistent time discretizations of dynamic finite viscoelasticity. Energy consistency means that the total energy is conserved or dissipated by the fully discretized system in agreement with the laws of thermodynamics. The discretization is energy,momentum consistent if also momentum maps are conserved when group motions are superimposed to deformations. The performed approximation is based on a three-field formulation, in which the deformation field, the velocity field and a strain-like viscous internal variable field are treated as independent quantities. The new non-linear viscous evolution equation satisfies a non-negative viscous dissipation not only in the continuous case, but also in the fully discretized system. The initial boundary value problem is discretized by using finite elements in space and time. Thereby, the temporal approximation is performed prior to the spatial approximation in order to preserve the stress objectivity for finite rotation increments (incremental objectivity). Although the present approach makes possible to design schemes of arbitrary order, the focus is on finite elements relying on linear Lagrange polynomials for the sake of clearness. The discrete energy,momentum consistency is based on the collocation property and an enhanced second Piola,Kirchhoff stress tensor. The obtained coupled non-linear algebraic equations are consistently linearized. The corresponding iterative solution procedure is associated with newly proposed convergence criteria, which take the discrete energy consistency into account. The iterative solution procedure is therefore not complicated by different scalings in the independent variables, since the motion of the element is taken into account for solving the viscous evolution equation. Representative numerical simulations with various boundary conditions show the superior stability of the new time-integration algorithm in comparison with the ordinary midpoint rule. Both the quasi-rigid deformations during a free flight, and large deformations arising in a dynamic tensile test are considered. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development of a class of multiple time-stepping schemes for convection,diffusion equations in two dimensionsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 12 2006R. K. Lin Abstract In this paper we present a class of semi-discretization finite difference schemes for solving the transient convection,diffusion equation in two dimensions. The distinct feature of these scheme developments is to transform the unsteady convection,diffusion (CD) equation to the inhomogeneous steady convection,diffusion-reaction (CDR) equation after using different time-stepping schemes for the time derivative term. For the sake of saving memory, the alternating direction implicit scheme of Peaceman and Rachford is employed so that all calculations can be carried out within the one-dimensional framework. For the sake of increasing accuracy, the exact solution for the one-dimensional CDR equation is employed in the development of each scheme. Therefore, the numerical error is attributed primarily to the temporal approximation for the one-dimensional problem. Development of the proposed time-stepping schemes is rooted in the Taylor series expansion. All higher-order time derivatives are replaced with spatial derivatives through use of the model differential equation under investigation. Spatial derivatives with orders higher than two are not taken into account for retaining the linear production term in the convection,diffusion-reaction differential system. The proposed schemes with second, third and fourth temporal accuracy orders have been theoretically explored by conducting Fourier and dispersion analyses and numerically validated by solving three test problems with analytic solutions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Accuracy analysis of super compact scheme in non-uniform grid with application to parabolized stability equationsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 5 2004V. Esfahanian Abstract A brief derivation of the super compact finite difference method (SCFDM) in non-uniform grid points is presented. To investigate the accuracy of the SCFDM in non-uniform grid points the Fourier analysis is performed. The Fourier analysis shows that the grid aspect ratio plays a crucial role in the accuracy of the SCFDM in a non-uniform grid. It is also found that the accuracy of the higher order relations of the SCFDM is more sensitive to grid aspect ratio than the lower order relations. In addition, to obtain a mathematical representation of the accuracy and making clear the role of the aspect ratio in the accuracy of the SCFDM in non-uniform grids, the modified equation approach is used. For the sake of demonstrating the analytical results obtained from the Fourier analysis and the modified equation approach, the super compact finite difference method is applied to solve the Blasius boundary layer and the non-linear parabolized stability equations as numerical examples indicating the difficulty with non-uniform grid spacing using the super compact scheme. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Predictive adaptive control of plants with online structural changes based on multiple modelsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND SIGNAL PROCESSING, Issue 8 2008J. M. Lourenço Abstract The objective of this paper is to present a new algorithm to improve the adaptation rate of a predictive adaptive controller. For that sake, the possible plant dynamic outcomes are covered by a bank of models. Each model is used to re-initialize the adaptive controller every time there is a large change in dynamics. The contribution of the paper consists in the development of a procedure that includes additional models in the bank when found suitable according to defined criteria. The algorithm is demonstrated in a benchmark problem consisting of the position control of two masses coupled by a spring of varying stiffness. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Simplified solution of developing laminar forced flow between parallel platesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2002Esmail M. A. Mokheimer Abstract A simplified simulation for developing laminar forced flow in the entrance region between two parallel plates is presented. This simulation is based on an implicit finite difference numerical representation of a boundary layer model describing the flow in the entry region. This boundary layer model comprises the two conservation equations of mass and momentum. A non-iterative implicit numerical scheme is developed to convert the partial differential form of these governing equations into algebraic equations. The resultant algebraic equations have been solved simultaneously via a simplified simulation using spreadsheet programs as well as a Fortran code for the sake of comparison. The numerically obtained developing axial velocity profile at large distance downstream of the entrance shows excellent agreement with the available fully developed analytical profile. Comparison between the abilities of the spreadsheet simulation with other high-level programming languages is outlined. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A levenberg,marquardt learning applied for recurrent neural identification and control of a wastewater treatment bioprocessINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 11 2009Ieroham S. Baruch The paper proposed a new recurrent neural network (RNN) model for systems identification and states estimation of nonlinear plants. The proposed RNN identifier is implemented in direct and indirect adaptive control schemes, incorporating a noise rejecting plant output filter and recurrent neural or linear-sliding mode controllers. For sake of comparison, the RNN model is learned both by the backpropagation and by the recursive Levenberg,Marquardt (L,M) learning algorithm. The estimated states and parameters of the RNN model are used for direct and indirect adaptive trajectory tracking control. The proposed direct and indirect schemes are applied for real-time control of wastewater treatment bioprocess, where a good, convergence, noise filtering, and low mean squared error of reference tracking is achieved for both learning algorithms, with priority of the L,M one. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Creative marketing and the art organisation: what can the artist offer?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 2 2002Ian Fillis The poem ,My Paintings', written in a deliberate, uncorrected dyslexic style offers an insight into the mind of a present day avant garde bad boy of British art, Billy Childish. Constantly challenging the art establishment through public demonstrations of distaste against the annual Turner Prize,[Button, V. (1999) ,The Turner Prize', Tate Gallery Publishing, London.] Childish and his cohorts launched an alternative, Stuck-ist, art manifesto,[Alberge, D. (1999) ,Rebels Get Stuck into the Brit Artists', The Times, Thursday 26th August, p. 7.] in the belief that it would assist in a shift in public perception of what good art is, as well as influence the creative practice of those artists concerned with more traditional, authentic forms of art. Childish's ex-girlfriend Tracey Emin, however, has had other ideas. She has revelled in mass media exposure and now dismisses the concept of traditional painting as a valid art from.[Brown, N. (1998) ,Tracey Emin', Art Data, UK.] These are two examples of contrasting creative, artistic behaviour. Their creativity has resulted in varying levels of commercial success. By examining the role that creativity plays in determining how the idea for a creative product is first identified, through to its commercial exploitation, there are valuable lessons contained in such a process for both profit-oriented and nonprofit art organisations alike. Instead of constantly fighting the conflicting philosophies of art for art's sake versus art for business sake, following the market and consumer demand, there is a much more effective method for establishing longer-term success, which mirrors the creative practice of the artist. The existing literature on arts marketing is examined. A critique of the usefulness of current thinking is presented, with the recommendation that the formal models of marketing offered in arts marketing literatures can only ever hope to offer general advice on marketing. What is called for is a much more in-depth analysis of how creative entrepreneurial marketers as artists can offer alternative visualisations of more appropriate models of marketing for the industry. This in turn should result in the stimulation of creative research methodologies that can inform both theory and practice within arts marketing in particular, and the wider remit of marketing in general. The use of the metaphor and the examination of published biographies of creative individuals are used to construct a manifesto of marketing artistry. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications [source] From Jerusalem to Baghdad?INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PERSPECTIVES, Issue 1 2009Israel, the War in Iraq The prevailing opinion that the Bush administration took the United States to war against Iraq in March 2003 under false pretenses has led many to believe that Israel's security was the secret rationale for the war. According to this "war for Israel" thesis, neoconservative policymakers in the Bush administration, the pro-Israel lobby in the United States, and Israel's government all pushed the United States to go to war with Iraq for the sake of Israel's security. This article critically assesses this controversial claim and examines Israel's role in the U.S. decision to invade Iraq. I argued that while neoconservatives were instrumental in promoting the Iraq war, Israel was not their primary concern and that although American Jewish organizations and the Israeli government did largely support the Iraq war, they did not seek it or actively lobby for it. [source] On Euthanasia: Blindspots in the Argument from MercyJOURNAL OF APPLIED PHILOSOPHY, Issue 2 2002Sarah Bachelard In the euthanasia debate, the argument from mercy holds that if someone is in unbearable pain and is hopelessly ill or injured, then mercy dictates that inflicting death may be morally justified. One common way of setting the stage for the argument from mercy is to draw parallels between human and animal suffering, and to suggest that insofar as we are prepared to relieve an animal's suffering by putting it out of its misery we should likewise be prepared to offer the same relief to human beings. In this paper, I will argue that the use of parallels between human and animal suffering in the argument from mercy relies upon truncated views of how the concept of a human being enters our moral thought and responsiveness. In particular, the focus on the nature and extent of the empirical similarities between human beings and animals obscures the significance for our moral lives of the kind of human fellowship which is not reducible to the shared possession of empirical capacities. I will suggest that although a critical examination of the blindspots in these arguments does not license the conclusion that euthanasia for mercy's sake is never morally permissible, it does limit the power of arguments such as those provided by Rachels and Singer to justify it. I will further suggest that examination of these blindspots helps to deepen our understanding of what is at stake in the question of euthanasia in ways that tend otherwise to remain obscured. [source] |