Prajna Vihara: Vol. 20, No. 2 (July - December 2019)

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    The trial of commander data
    (Bangkok : Assumption University, 2019) Pattarawin Tipkrailash ; Clark, Michael
    This paper’s aim is to explore the moral topics raised in the TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation” Season 2 Episode 9 entitled “Measure of Man”. In this episode Commander Data, an Android, is put on trial to determine if can be considered human, or if he has the same rights as a human being. This paper discusses ethical issues raised by this trial. Picard’s argument in defence of Data appeals to epistemological doubts about whether or not Data is sentient. But this paper will take an alternative approach. It will show how inanimate objects can also possess a value which demand ethical obligations from sentient beings. It will also show how the trial reflects back on human morality and the measure of man refers less to the audience and more to the human beings conducting and observing the trial.
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    Zhou Dunyi's concept of Taiji in the Taiji Tushuo
    (Bangkok : Assumption University, 2019) Qin, Zenyu ; Wang, Shang-Wen
    As a renowned philosopher of Song Dynasty, Zhou Dunyi played a significant role in creating a new approach for Chinese philosophy. This involved a reinterpretation of Confucianism inspired by the ideas of Daoism and Buddhism. This was a huge influence in the development of Neo-Confucian thought. He did not write many works in his life, but he did write a very significant work entitled Taiji Tushuo, which explains the famous Taiji diagram. This paper mainly introduces the historical context and formative influences on Zhou Dunyi’s Taiji Tushuo, the content of Taiji Tushuo and its main concepts. It will also try to assess the modern social value of Taiji thought. The purpose of this paper is to give readers a clear picture of Taiji and the concept of Taiji thought.