Thesis (DPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study involves a critically evaluation of evidence-based patient choice as partnership model in clinical decision making. It pays attention to the emergence of the concept of autonomy in modern moral philosophy and in particular to the pivotal contributions of Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill in this regard. Against this background, it elaborates on the ethical principle of respect for autonomy, informed consent as paradigm for patient autonomy in clinical decision making, the conflicts that arise between the ethical concepts of autonomy and beneficence, the dominance of paternalism in clinical decision making, the challenges posed to the dominance of paternalism, the resulting emergence of the concept of partnership in clinical decision making and evidence-based patient choice as partnership model in clinical decision making. Moreover, it provides an exposition of the context, nature and practice of evidence-based patient choice and of the four key decision making skills required from health care professionals to involve patients in clinical decision making, namely shared decision making, risk communication, decision analysis, and the use of decision aids. Against this background, it critically evaluates the effectiveness of evidence-based patient choice as partnership model in clinical decision making by judging it in terms of the ethical concept of patient autonomy as reflected in the informed consent elements of competence, disclosure, understanding and voluntariness and indicates that none of the key skills of evidence-based patient choice can be regarded as completely adequate in honouring the principle of respect for autonomy in clinical decision making and that consequently each of these four key skills leave evidence-based patient choice with a challenge that needs to be addressed from another angle in order to establish and maintain the ethical principle of respect for autonomy. In response to these challenges, the study makes three recommendations for the transformation of evidence-based patient choice to a therapeutic alliance health care, namely to review and further develop the philosophical foundations of evidence-based patient choice, to consider the continental philosophical perspectives of Edmund Husserl, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Jürgen Habermas on the evidence-based patient choice challenges of the separate worlds of doctor and patient, the constitution of meaning in illness and the dangers of abstractions and informational manipulation in health care and to transform the practice of evidence-based patient choice to a therapeutic alliance in health care by individualising the provision of information by embedding it in the human processes of sense making, knowledge creation and decision making through which information is transformed into insight, knowledge and action. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie behels 'n kritiese evaluering van evidence-based patient choice as vennootskapsmodel in kliniese besluitneming. Dit verwys na die opkoms van moderne morele filosofie en in die besonder na die deurslaggewende bydraes van Immanuel Kant en John Stuart Mill in hierdie verband. Teen hierdie agtergrond bespreek dit die etiese beginsel van respek vir outonomie, ingeligte toestemming as paradigma vir pasiënt outonomie in kliniese bsluitneming, die moontlike konflikte tussen die etiese konsepte van outonomie en weldadigheid, die dominansie van paternalisme in kliniese besluitneming en die uitdagings wat dit ontlok het, die gevolglike ontstaan van die konsep van vennootskappe in kliniese besluitneming, asook evidence-based patient choice as vennootskapsmodel in kliniese besluitneming. Voorts verskaf die studie 'n uiteensetting van die konteks, wese en praktyk van evidence-based patient choice, asook van die vier sleutelvaardighede wat van medici vereis word ten einde pasiënte in kliniese besluitneming te betrek, naamlik gedeelde besluitneming, die kommunikasie van risikos, die analise van besluitneming en die gebruik van besluitnemingshulpmiddels. Teen hierdie agtergrond onderneem die studie 'n kritiese evaluering van die effektiwiteit van evidence-based patient choice deur dit te meet aan die ingeligte toestemming elemente van kompetensie, blootlegging, verstaan en vrywilligheid en toon aan dat geeneen van hierdie sleutelvaardighede as volledig toereikend in die nastreef van die beginsel van respek vir outonomie in kliniese besluitneming beskou kan word nie en evidence-based patient choice daarom met uitdagings laat wat vanuit 'n ander hoek bearbei moet word ten einde die beginsel in die praktyk te vestig en te onderhou. In reaksie hierop maak die studie drie aanbevelings met die oog op die transformering van evidence-based patient choice na 'n terapeutiese alliansie in gesondheidsorg, naamlik om die filosofiese grondslae van evidence-based patient choice in oënskou te neem en verder te ontwikkel, om oorweging te skenk aan die kontinentaal filosofiese perspektiewe van Edmund Husserl, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty en Jürgen Habermas met betrekking tot die evidence-based patient choice uitdagings van die verskillende wêrelde van dokter en pasiënt, die konstituering van betekenis in siekte en die gevare verbonde aan die abstrahering en manipulering van inligting in gesondheidsorg en om op grond hiervan die praktyk van evidence-based patient choice te transformer. Dit sal gedoen word deur die verskaffing van inligting aan pasiënte te individualiseer deur dit in te bed in the menslike prosesse van sinmaking, kennis generering en besluitneming waardeur inligting getransformeer word tot insig, kennis en aksie.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The dissertation traces the development of environmental assessment and environmental ethics as these disciplines have evolved independently in response to the global environmental crisis. The aim is to determine the extent to which they can promote the integration of the dissociated objective and subjective spheres of human valuation of the environment. This is a necessary condition, it is argued, for arresting the pathology in the human-environment relationship. The study concludes that both disciplines were initially trapped in narrow, monistic approaches, which rendered them largely ineffective. However, their evolutionary advancement, and a common grounding in a radical conceptualization of sustainable development, greatly enhances their usefulness in environmental decisionmaking. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die verhandeling ondersoek die evolusionêre ontwikkeling van omgewingsimpakbepaling en die filosofie van omgewingsetika, na die ontstaan van die twee disiplines in reaksie tot die globale omgewingskrisis. Die studiedoelwit is om te bepaal tot watter mate hulle die integrasie van die gedissosieerde objektiewe en die subjektiewe sfere van menslikeomgewingswaardering kan bevorder. Daar word geredeneer dat sodanige integrasie noodsaaklik is om die patologie in die verhouding tussen die mens en sy omgewing te stuit. Die belangrikste gevolgtrekking is dat beide disiplines, tydens hulle aanvangsstadia, vasgeval was in 'n monistiese benadering wat hul doeltreffendheid belemmer het. Die onlangse ontwikkeling van omgewingsimpakbepaling en omgewingsetika, sowel as 'n gemeenskaplike uitgangspunt binne 'n radikale vertolking van volhoubare ontwikkeling, versterk grootliks hulle bruikbaarheid vir omgewingsbesluitneming.

Thesis (DPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study commences with a critical, philosophical exploration of the ethical theories that constitute the normative basis of the dominant business ethics paradigm. It is argued that the universal and communitarian notions of the good upon which this paradigm is based, are inadequate in helping us deal with the complexities that define the modern day business environment. It is suggested that a sophisticated and affirmative account of postmodernism is a better suited alternative, as this paradigm is geared towards assisting us in finding workable solutions to our problems in the absence of universal truths or homogenous operating environments. Although postmodernism serves as a useful starting point for challenging the normative basis of business ethics, this study moves beyond this broad paradigm in providing an analysis of both complexity theory (specifically critical complexity theory), and Jacques Derrida’s deconstructive philosophy. The paradigm of critical complexity presents us with a useful framework for understanding, and thinking through the implications that complex phenomena hold for us, for our practices, and for our understanding of our responsibilities. Deconstruction (which serves as a philosophical example of a complex position) contributes to, and supplements this paradigm. Specifically, deconstruction draws attention to the processual nature of ethical decision-making and action, as well as to the ethical and political implications that arise from our limited knowledge of complex phenomena. Once critical complexity theory and deconstruction are adequately defined, a close reading of a critical text on the relevance of Derrida for understanding business ethics is presented. In undertaking the close reading, a number of criticisms against deconstruction are addressed, and an argument is made for why a more complex understanding of ethics is preferable to universal or communitarian notions of the good – and, therefore, preferable as a normative basis for business ethics. After making the case for a complex ethics, a general circumscription of a complex ethics is provided. This circumscription is premised on an understanding of ethics as a critical, provisional, transgressive, and imaginative enterprise. The specific implications that such a notion of ethics hold for teaching business ethics, and for understanding prominent business ethics themes (such as corporate social responsibility, responsible leadership, and sustainable development) are also elaborated upon. In conclusion, it is argued that taking cognisance of the insights and implications that arise from this study will help to support the future viability of business ethics. This is because a complex understanding of ethics can promote the development of robust and flexible strategies, which are needed for dealing with the realities of the modern business environment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie begin met ‘n kritiese, filosofiese ondersoek na die etiese teorieë wat die normatiewe basis van die dominante sake-etiek paradigma vorm. Daar word aangevoer dat die universele en kommunitaristiese idees van die goeie, waarop hierdie paradigma berus, onvoldoende is om ons in staat te stel om die kompleksiteite wat die hedendaagse sakeomgewing definieer sinvol te hanteer. Die voorstel word gemaak dat ’n gesofistikeerde en positiewe beskrywing van postmodernisme ’n meer gepaste alternatief is, omdat hierdie paradigma gerig is op werkbare oplossings vir ons probleme in die afwesigheid van universele waarhede of homogene werksomgewings. Alhoewel postmodernisme as ’n nuttige vertrekpunt dien om die normatiewe basis van sake-etiek te bevraagteken, beweeg hierdie studie verby die breë paradigma deur ’n analise van beide kompleksiteitsteorie (meer spesifiek kritiese kompleksiteitsteorie), en Jacques Derrida se dekonstruktiewe filosofie aan te bied. Die paradigma van kritiese kompleksiteitsteorie verskaf aan ons ‘n nuttige raamwerk om komplekse verskynsels te verstaan, en ook om deur die gevolge wat kompleksiteit vir ons praktyke en ons begrip van ons verantwoordelikhede te bedink. Dekonstruksie (wat dien as ’n filosofiese voorbeeld van ’n komplekse posisie) dra by tot, en vul hierdie paradigma aan. Meer spesifiek fokus dekonstruksie ons aandag op die prosessuele aard van etiese besluitneming en optrede, sowel as die etiese en politieke implikasies wat uit ons beperkte kennis van komplekse verskynsels voortspruit. Nadat kritiese kompleksiteitsteorie en dekonstruksie deeglik omskryf is, word ‘n kritiese teks oor die moontlike bydrae wat Derrida tot ons begrip van sake-etiek kan lewer noukeurig ontleed. Deur die loop van die ontleding word ’n aantal punte van kritiek teen dekonstruksie aangespreek, en ’n saak word uitgemaak dat ’n meer komplekse begrip van etiek verkieslik is bo universele en kommunitaristiese idees van die goeie – en dus meer geskik is as ’n normatiewe basis vir sakeetiek. ’n Algemene omskrywing van ’n komplekse etiek word ook verskaf om verdere steun te bied vir die verkieslikheid van so ’n opvatting van die etiek. Hierdie omskrywing is op die begrip van die etiek as ’n kritiese, provisionele, oorskryende, en verbeeldingsryke onderneming gebaseer. Die bepaalde implikasies wat hierdie idee vir onderrig in sake-etiek en ’n kennis van prominente sake-etiek temas (soos korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid, verantwoordelike leierskap, en volhoubare ontwikkeling) inhou, word aangespreek. In die gevolgtrekkig word daar geargumenteer dat kennisname van die insigte en implikasies wat uit hierdie studie voortspruit die toekomstige lewensvatbaarheid van sake-etiek kan bevorder. Dit is omdat ‘n komplekse begrip van die etiek die ontwikkeling van robuuste en buigsame strategieë, wat nodig is vir die hantering van die realiteite van die moderne sakeomgewing, kan aanspoor.

Thesis (DPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation has two quite separate and rather different starting points. The first centres on the significant renaissance of virtue ethics as a moral theory that has occurred in the last 50 years. The second starting point is embedded in the recent discourse about the need for an ethical framework for public-health policymaking. (Up until now the ethical theories of deontology, manifested as either a ‘principlebased’ or ‘human-rights’ approach, and utilitarianism, have provided the theoretical background to this discourse.) When these two starting points fuse, the question arising – can character or virtue ethics contribute positively to the moral debates surrounding many vexing public-health issues? – seeks an answer. Broadly speaking, the ethics of public-health policymaking deals with ethical issues that occur within the macro-environment and that arise out of relationships between entities other than individuals, for example, states, regions, institutions, etcetera, and the policies in terms of which these interactions are regulated. Public health ethics ‘seeks to find a balance between the notions of ‘common good’ or ‘public interest’ and individual autonomy. I plan to investigate whether a virtue-based ethics, -which is concerned with a notion of human flourishing that is not primarily atomistic but intricately linked to the mutual well being of others and to notions of what the ‘good life for man’ means within the context of a shared history and connectedness with fellow human beings,- could contribute positively to current ‘public health ethics’ discourse. I believe that an exploration of the ethical basis of public health decision-making, focusing particularly on virtue ethics, but also examining other approaches like utilitarianism, principlebased approaches and the human-rights approach, will make a positive and original contribution to this area of philosophical discourse. Chapter one is an introduction which provides the rationale and motivation for the dissertation and briefly introduces the layout of each subsequent chapter. Chapter two is a concept analysis of ‘public health’ and justifies why I argue that the concept of public health is contingent, and ought to be contingent on an inextricably linked, and context appropriate concept of social justice. In this chapter I clarify the scope of the concept of public health used for this dissertation. Chapter three is an in-depth literature review of virtue ethics and similarly the next chapter is a literature review of the current status of public health ethics. Chapter five is entitled “Virtue Ethics, Social Justice and Public health”. My overall aim in this dissertation is to consider if virtue ethics as a moral theory can contribute positively to the practice of public health and thus by inference to an underlying concept of social justice. This receives in-depth consideration in this chapter. In chapter six I explore virtue theory in relation to public health from various other perspectives. In particular I return to MacIntyre to consider his concept of a ‘practice’1 which I apply specifically to the domain of public health, exploring the concepts of “extrinsic goods” and “intrinsic goods”, and how they translate to the practice of public health. Chapter VII is entitled “Theory and Practice: Critical Perspectives”. In this chapter I explore the challenges of adapting philosophical theory to actual context. I focus particularly on the problems of public health policy within a Southern African context. I conclude this dissertation by conceding that while virtue ethics can indeed make a positive contribution in some respects, its applicability is largely limited to public health problems that pertain to specific localised contexts. It has very limited applicability as an ethical theory or framework for trans-global public health issues, and public health issues influenced by global politics and economics. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling het twee heeltemal afsonderlike en taamlik uiteenlopende uitgangspunte. Die eerste handel oor die beduidende oplewing in deugde-etiek as 'n morele teorie oor die afgelope 50 jaar. Die tweede uitgangspunt is veranker in die onlangse diskoers oor die behoefte aan 'n etiese raamwerk vir die bepaling van openbaregesondheidsbeleid. (Tot dusver het die etiese teoriee van deontologie, hetsy in die vorm van . 'beginselgegronde' of 'menseregte'-benadering, en utilitarisme as teoretiese grondslag vir hierdie diskoers gedien.) Wanneer hierdie twee uitgangspunte egter byeenkom, ontstaan die vraag: Kan karakter- of deugdeetiek 'n positiewe bydrae tot die morele debatte oor talle netelige openbaregesondheidskwessies lewer? Oor die algemeen handel etiek in die bepaling van openbaregesondheidsbeleid oor etiese kwessies in die makro-omgewing wat ontstaan vanuit die wisselwerking tussen entiteite anders as individue, soos state, streke en instellings, en die beleid wat hierdie wisselwerking reguleer. Openbaregesondheidsetiek is daarop uit om 'n balans te vind tussen die konsepte 'algemene welsyn' of 'openbare belang', en individuele outonomie. Hierdie ondersoek beoog om vas te stel of 'n deugdegegronde etiek 'n wat gemoeid is met 'n konsep van menslike welstand wat nie grootliks atomisties is nie, maar ten nouste verband hou met die onderlinge welstand van ander, en 'n begrip van 'die goeie lewe' in die konteks van 'n gedeelde geskiedenis en verbondenheid met ander mense 'n positief tot die huidige diskoers oor 'openbaregesondheidsetiek' kan bydra. Die navorser argumenteer dat 'n ondersoek van die etiese grondslag van besluitneming oor openbare gesondheid, met 'n bepaalde klem op deugde-etiek, dog ook 'n nuwe bydrae tot ander benaderings soos 'n utilitaristiese benadering, beginselgegronde benaderings en die menseregtebenadering, 'n positiewe en oorspronklike bydrae tot hierdie filosofiese diskoers (kan) lewer. Hoofstuk 1 bied 'n inleiding wat die beweegrede en motivering vir die verhandeling uiteensit, en verduidelik kortliks die uitleg van elke daaropvolgende hoofstuk. Hoofstuk 2 is 'n konseptuele ontleding van 'openbare gesondheid', en ondersteun die navorser se betoog dat die konsep van openbare gesondheid afhanklik is en afhanklik behoort te wees van . kontekstoepaslike begrip van sosiale geregtigheid wat onlosmaaklik daarmee verbind is. In hierdie hoofstuk word die betekenis en omvang van die begrip 'openbare gesondheid' soos dit in hierdie verhandeling gebruik word, ook verduidelik. Hoofstuk 3 bevat 'n omvattende literatuuroorsig van deugde-etiek, terwyl die daaropvolgende hoofstuk eweneens 'n literatuuroorsig van die huidige stand van openbaregesondheidsetiek behels. Hoofstuk 5 is getiteld 'Deugde-etiek, sosiale geregtigheid en openbare gesondheid'. Die oorkoepelende doelwit van hierdie verhandeling is om daaroor te besin of deugde-etiek as 'n morele teorie positief tot die praktyk van openbare gesondheid, en dus ook tot 'n onderliggende konsep van maatskaplike geregtigheid, kan bydra. Dit word omvattend in hierdie hoofstuk bespreek. In hoofstuk 6 ondersoek die navorser deugde-teorie met betrekking tot openbare gesondheid uit verskeie ander oogpunte. Die studie konsentreer in besonder op MacIntyre se konsep van . 'praktyk',2 wat bepaald op die gebied van openbare gesondheid toegepas word om so die begrippe 'ekstrinsieke goedere' en 'intrinsieke goedere', en hoe dit in die praktyk van openbare gesondheid omgesit word, te bestudeer. Hoofstuk 7, getiteld 'Teorie en praktyk: Kritiese perspektiewe', bevat . ondersoek van die uitdagings om filosofiese teorie by die werklike konteks aan te pas. Die navorser konsentreer veral op die probleme van openbaregesondheidsbeleid in Suider-Afrikaanse verband. Die verhandeling sluit af deur toe te gee dat, hoewel deugde-etiek inderdaad in sommige opsigte 'n positiewe bydrae kan lewer, die toepaslikheid daarvan grootliks tot openbaregesondheidsprobleme in bepaalde gelokaliseerde kontekste beperk is. Dit het 'n uiters beperkte nut as 'n etiek-teorie of raamwerk vir globale openbaregesondheidskwessies, en openbaregesondheidskwessies wat deur die wereldpolitiek en -ekonomie geraak word.

Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the practice of language use on road signs in Switzerland. The language used in public spaces constitutes our image of a specific place to a remarkable degree. We are constantly exposed to signs, whether road signs, advertisements or notifiers. These signs not only convey information such as “Caution”, “Final sale” or “Speed limit 60 here”, but also highlight aspects of culture and, where written text appear on them, aspects of the language(s) used in that area. Language use within the public space enables us to conceptualize, as well as recognize, the ways in which language use occurs, often (but not always) informing us whether a country is monolingual, bilingual or multilingual. In addition, these signs also indicate how language use is linked to other processes such as globalisation, social change and cultural heritage. The main purpose of this thesis was to establish how language is used on road signs in presentday, officially multilingual Switzerland. In this regard, three Swiss cantons (in which bilingual or multilingual societies are found) were investigated as to the language(s) – or lack thereof – which appear on their road signs, as well as to the order in which these languages appear. Specifically, bilingual or multilingual signs, as well as so-called Bildersprache (“picture language”, in other words on a board or plaque with a picture, symbol or other image on it), were studied in these cantons. Data for this research consists of photographic material (taken during visits to the study areas) as well as interview data. It was found that the social and political identities, as well as the economic interests, of language groups in a particular area affect the design and placement of road signs in that area. The results of this study serve as a framework for future research, and the photo material enables us, to a certain extent, to see how an apparently stable language system (such as the multilingualism found in Switzerland) encounters changes due to internal and external influences, but also how creative language can be. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is die taalgebruik op padtekens in Switserland ondersoek. Die taalgebruik in openbare plekke vorm tot ’n merkwaardige mate die beeld wat ons van ’n spesifieke plek het. Ons word konstant blootgestel aan tekens, hetsy padtekens, advertensies of kennisgewings. Hierdie tekens verskaf nie net inligting soos “Versigtig”, “Finale uitverkoping” of “Spoedgrens 60” nie, maar beklemtoon ook kulturele aspekte en, in daardie gevalle waarin geskrewe teks op tekens verskyn, ook aspekte van taal/tale wat in die betrokke gebied gebesig word. Taalgebruik in die openbare ruimte help ons om die wyses waarop taalgebruik voorkom te konseptualiseer en te herken, en dui gereeld (maar nie altyd nie) vir ons aan of ’n land eentalig, tweetalig of veeltalig is. Verder gee die tekens ook ’n aanduiding van hoe taalgebruik gekoppel is aan prosesse soos globalisasie, sosiale verandering en kulturele erfenis. Die hoof doel van hierdie tesis was om te bepaal hoe taal in die hedendaagse Switzerland op padtekens gebruik word. Drie Switserse kantons (met tweetalige en veeltalige gemeenskappe) is in hierdie verband ondersoek in terme van die taal/tale – of die gebrek daaraan – wat op padtekens verskyn asook die volgorde waarin hierdie tale op die padtekens verskyn. Spesifiek tweetalige of veeltalige tekens asook sogenaamde Bildersprache (“prentetaal”, met ander woorde ’n bord met ’n prent, simbool of ander voorstelling daarop) is in hierdie kantons bestudeer. Die data vir hierdie navorsing bestaan uit fotografiese materiaal (wat verkry is tydens besoeke aan die studie-areas) sowel as inligting wat verkry is deur onderhoudvoering. Daar is bevind dat die sosiale en politiese identiteite, sowel as die ekonomiese belange, van taalgroepe in ’n spesifieke area die ontwerp en plasing van padtekens in daardie area beïnvloed. Die resultate van hierdie studie dien as ’n raamwerk vir toekomstige navorsing en die fotomateriaal stel ons tot ’n sekere mate in staat om vas te stel hoe ’n klaarblyklik stabiele taalsisteem (soos die veeltalige een wat in Switserland aangetref word) veranderinge weens interne en eksterne invloede kan ervaar, maar ook hoe kreatief taal kan wees.

The following dissertation examines Sartre’s notion of bad faith before identifying parallels found in Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals. Bad faith is often construed as lying to oneself; however, this entails an individual being both the deceiver and deceived which presents a number of paradoxes. By reconceptualising bad faith as self-deception rather than lying to oneself these paradoxes are avoided. Nietzsche’s Genealogy examines the development of modern morality and explains its genesis through identifying a specific psychological tendency, namely, ressentiment. Ressentiment is central to the Genealogy as it results in the idealisation of asceticism and the development of the bad conscience into guilt. These are core elements of what Nietzsche terms slave morality. By exposing ressentiment as a manifestation of bad faith this dissertation highlights the self-deception lying at the foundation of slave morality. Nietzsche believes that it is slave morality which predominantly constitutes modern morality, and manifestations of bad faith in Nietzsche’s account of modern morality therefore give credence to Nietzsche’s call to revalue our values. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

This thesis is centrally concerned with the current nee-liberal world order and its effects upon society. It is concerned to expose the contradictions and weaknesses within the knowledge systems that underpin our political reality. It considers economics as the determining discourse of neo-liberal politics, analytic biology as its determining discourse of individual persons, and analytic and neo-pragmatist philosophy as its leading systems of thought. In each case it finds a linear rationalism compatible with the determinist materialism of noo-Darwinism, and indeed explicitly invoking Darwin. This seems to vindicate Manuel Castells's fmding of this 'Knowledge Society' as driven by 'an abstract, universal instrumentalism'. The thought systems of this economic liberalism have seen politics subsumed within economics, de-humanising most of the institutions of the earlier Liberal tradition, to the detriment of both freedom and democracy. But it disputes Castells's assumption that this is a necessary reality and finds in neo-liberal education the exception to this dehumanising trend. Revitalised as 'Mode 2' knowledge production, this form of teaching, learning and research is found to be ideally suited to challenge the underpinnings of the very social order which initially produced it. The thesis as a whole is designed to employ Mode 2 methods in order to support this contention. Using this approach it seeks to demonstrate that in place of neo-Darwinism the ideas of the South African natural scientist Eugene Marais, concerning the significance of conscious thought itself within evolution, can provide a more convincing epistemoloy than the behaviourism and materialism of analytic biology. It finds John Maynard Keynes's acceptance of economics as a moral and not a natural science, more logically convincing and more inherently useful for social reconstruction than the current mathematicisation of economic theory. Prevalent philosophical approaches appear to serve only to reinforce the systems of thought already found (and found wanting) in politics, biology and economics. But again these philosophies are shown to be vulnerable to a Mode 2 critique, particularly employing the ontological understanding of the contemporary pragmatist philosopher Joseph Margolis, whose strong version of relativism allows for both bivalent and multivalent truth values more appropriate to understanding the complex realities of ethical and democratic societies. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

The rise of the Private Military Industry has been cemented in modern global political reality, but where next will this multi-billion dollar industry go and what form will it take after the market boom of Iraq? Post-Colonial Africa is considered the birthplace of the modern mercenary and historically features prominently as a testament to the potential for immoral privately sponsored military activities within unstable states. Moreover, it is a rich market that the Private Military Industry is increasingly turning its attention to, albeit focussing on support functions for now, but a massive industry with a competitive and poorly regulated market environment will invariably begin to explore different avenues as competition grows. With market diversification grows the ethical risk of abuse. At the same time, peacekeeping efforts across the continent are hampered by numerous factors, not least of all a chronic lack of trained personnel. Could the legal and political legitimacy, not to mention the sustainable market environment sought by the PMI potentially exist in multilaterally sanctioned, privatised peacekeeping and peace support operations in Africa? Can the ethical challenges of mercenarism be suspended or even bypassed for the sake of expedient intervention in potential genocides, or be perhaps pragmatically accepted as an inevitable development that should be embraced rather than condemned, for strategic security reasons? Can the ethical condemnation of the proposed means of peace support be overridden by the potential ends generated by such a move? Is the world ready for privatised peacekeepers? This dissertation explores the ethical background to the privatisation of military operations and how these foreign policy trends and social perceptions of control of force impact on the notion of privatised peacekeeping, particularly in the context of operations in Africa. It investigates the philosophical implications of privatised peacekeeping by way of a constrained pragmatic form of consequentialist evaluation that warns against reckless expediency. Ultimately, this dissertation offers a more philosophically suitable argument to justify and control this seemingly inevitable next step in the trend of privatisation of force. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

Abstract available in pdf file.

Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / As poverty continues to impact billions of people across the world – to the extent that millions die daily simply because they are too poor to live – there is a pressing ethical question to ask: Who, if anyone, should be taking moral responsibility to end extreme poverty? The key moral problem that my thesis addresses is that those individuals who should primarily be taking moral responsibility to eradicate extreme poverty because they have the power and thus responsibility to make a real difference are not. My contention is that capitalism as it is currently practiced perpetuates extreme poverty and that the very individuals who have the greatest power to eradicate poverty do not view this as a real ethical challenge nor as their primary responsibility to address. I argue that these individuals are global corporate business leaders and that extreme poverty will only be eradicated when these leaders take moral responsibility to apply capitalism in a far more sustainable way - a way that has continuity for future generations and that is fundamentally just towards all human beings. The practice of sustainable capitalism as a solution to extreme poverty is dependent on a ‘critical mass’ of business leaders acting in a way that displays virtuous moral character and sets the example for others to follow. I will assume as a starting point that global poverty does exist and that people dying of poverty when others have far in excess of their needs cannot be ethically justified, irrespective of which moral theory it is viewed from. My thesis will commence by assessing the virtue of virtue ethics theory in comparison to other moral theories and I will illustrate that virtue ethics theory is most appropriate in addressing the moral problem of extreme poverty because it places moral responsibility firmly on the individual human being rather than on any metaphysical principle or context that exists ‘above’ the individual. In my analysis of the relationship between virtue and justice, I will specifically argue that capitalism as it is currently being practiced is unjust and unsustainable. I will further argue that it does not represent Aristotle’s ideal of ‘the good life’ for all and that the outdated modernist principles on which capitalism is currently premised, need to be challenged. Since global corporate business leaders are both the architects of capitalism as we currently experience it and the greatest beneficiaries of it, they have the corresponding greatest moral responsibility to act to eradicate extreme poverty. Business leaders need to take primary moral responsibility to eradicate extreme poverty through practicing a more just and sustainable form of capitalism that is inclusive of all, balancing society and profit needs. In closing I will propose that the African humanist concept of ‘ubuntu’ provides a unique opportunity in South Africa to inform an ethical consciousness that could underpin a future sustainable capitalist approach and perhaps serve as an example to influence global corporate business leaders.