Protest kobiet. Wizerunek katolicyzmu w wytwórczości współczesnych polskich reżyserek

In the second decade of the 20th century (especially in the years 2016-2020), a significant number of films by Polish female directors were released in which Catholicism and the Catholic Church were attacked. They were: W imię… [In the Name of…], Body/ciało [Body], Twarz (Mug) and Córka boga [The Other Lamb] – all directed by Małgorzata Szumowska; Dzikie róże [Wild Roses] by Anna Jadowska, Pokot [Spoor] by Agnieszka Holland and Kasia Adamik, Wieża. Jasny dzień [Tower. A Bright Day] by Jagoda Szelc, Powrót, [Back Home] by Magdalena Łazarkiewicz, Maryjki [Marygoround] by Daria Woszek, as well as a documentary Komunia [Communion] by Anna Zamecka. The polemic related to the above-mentioned movies commented on the religiosity of Catholics and the quality of the institutional church (priests, hierarchies, methods of ministering and teaching), religious control and repression of corporeality and sexuality (including female sexuality), and Catholicism as the foundation of the patriarchal system. These films also feature elements of the "positive program", a proposal for a new cultural paradigm (new spirituality), organized around Nature, with the suggestion of matriarchy. From the point of view of social communication, the content and poetics of above-mentioned the films were similar, according to the author, to the content of the protests of the Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet (Polish Women's Strike), which demonstrated in 2016 and 2020 against the tightening of abortion laws.

One-Eyed King: Phenomenon of “Positive Program” in Russian Politics

One of the central issues of the Russian politics is whether its participants have the so-called “positive program”, and the representatives of both the ruling regime and opposition regularly talk about the need for such program. The article examines three interrelated issues: 1) what a “positive program” means and how this phenomenon is interpreted in the Russian political space; 2) to what extent it is correct to accuse Russian parties in their lack of a “positive program”; 3) whether the current government, which articulates the demand for a positive program more often than others, has such a program. In this article the author shows that, being a specifically Russian phenomenon, a “positive program” today presupposes not only the advancement of concrete proposals and initiatives that look into the future and represent an alternative to the current political course. Its most important feature is the acceptance of the status quo: in order for the initiatives of an individual politician or a party to be recognized as “positive”, they should not infringe on the legitimacy of the existing order. It is this criterion alone, according to which the programs of a number of parties can be deemed “non-positive”. In terms of their concrete, alternative and future-oriented programs, many parties are not inferior, if not superior, to the United Russia that largely devotes its party program to the chronicle of the achievements made by the country (not the party) as well as to Vladimir Putin who did not offer to the public a single document called “program” in any of his presidential campaigns.

Non velut Reges, sed ministros et praecones veritatis: Pastor in the Early Modern Philosophical Discourse

Early Modern philosophy pays some attention to the image of minister of reli­gion. While its anticlericalism is well known, the positive program of pastor seems to be neglected. This article considers the structure and grounds of this positive image, concentrating on the texts of Hobbes, Spinoza and Pufendorf. It argues that the universal and yet subjective natural light turns out to be the key element for the image of pastor. The method of mathematical demonstration al­lows early Modern philosophers to establish the clear and distinct grounds of morality. They demand the same basis for the pastoral care that should consist of teaching and preaching. The same universal and subjective grounds underlie the division of power and authority between sovereign and individual. Conse­quently, pastor is deprived of any form of power except for the power of demon­stration. The doctrine preached by the pastor should be coherent to the natural light. The use of eloquence or any (other) form of coercion is not allowed for him. Otherwise this doctrine is designated as superstition, i.e. political, moral and epistemic evil. This kind of reasoning brings the pastor under control of in­stances of the reason (represented e.g. by the philosophers) and the sovereign. Finally, the assumption is made that the structure of this ideal Early Modern pas­tor sets the limits of rational-legal order of authority of the religious leader.

Making Come-Alive and Keeping Un-Alive: How People Relate to Self-Guided Web-Based Health Interventions

Health interventions delivered online (self-guided web-based interventions) may become more helpful through a person-to-program “working alliance.” In psychotherapy, the working alliance signifies a therapeutically useful client–therapist relationship and includes an emotional bond. However, there exist no theories of how program users relate to online programs, or that explain a person-to-program bond theoretically. Addressing this gap, we conducted qualitative interviews with and collected program data from users of a self-guided web-based intervention. Taking a grounded theory approach, the analysis arrived at a model of relating based on two relational modes— making come-alive and keeping un-alive. Different combinations of these modes could describe a range of ways of relating to the program, including a nonsocial interaction, a semi-social interaction, and a semi-social relationship. A person-to-program bond is explained by the model as an experienced supportive social presence, enabled by making come-alive and a positive program interaction.

A Theory of Comparison

This chapter presents a positive program of comparison. In doing so, it criticizes the method and presuppositions of mimesis criticism (spearheaded by Dennis Ronald McDonald). Mimesis criticism compares texts on the basis of assuming direct genetic causations. A better theory vouches for polymorphous influence based on dynamic cultural interaction. Also treated is the notion of gospel genre, the identity of the evangelists, the themes of their gospels, and brief biographies of five contemporary Greco-Roman historians who serve as major sources of data: Diodorus of Sicily, Plutarch, Suetonius, Philostratus, and Iamblichus.

Is There an Agenda of Neoliberal Emancipation?

This paper argues that one of the weaknesses of the neoliberals of the 1940s was their failure to develop a positive program of individual emancipation. It is demonstrated that in conversation with the critics of neoliberalism (Foucault, Cooper, and others) such an agenda can be developed. To do so we should disentangle the neoliberal agenda from the conservative social agenda with which it has long been associated. It is argued that in particular the Chicago School approach to the individual and social conditions such as the modern workplace, online communities and city life provides inspiration for an agenda of neoliberal emancipation.

From Revolution to Evolution

Chapter 3 introduces the contours of REC’s positive program for relating to and allying with other major theories of cognition. In these efforts it aims to provide analyses and arguments designed to sanitize, strengthen, and unify existing representational and antirepresentational offerings. This theoretical work takes the form of RECtification—a process through which the target accounts of cognition are radicalized by analysis and argument, rendering them REC-friendly. This chapter shows how this process works in action by targeting Predictive Processing accounts of Cognition, or PPC. Some theorists have already argued that it is fruitful to combine PPC with E-theories of cognition. Yet they continue subscribe to a cognitivist reading of PPC. This chapter shows how an alliance between PPC with E-theories of cognition can only be properly forged, by giving the central ideas of PPC a REC rendering. It also shows why this crucial adjustment to PPC avoids crippling problems. This reveals why allying with REC is independently well motivated and theoretically beneficial.

Journey Toward Evidence-Based Status: Seeking Admission to Formal Program Registries

In the past two decades, evidence-based status has been a coveted credential for many nonprofit organizations hoping to legitimize their programs or interventions. Several formal registries exist to provide a collection of health and prevention programs evaluated by experts and deemed “evidence-based.” While registries offer positive benefits like allowing for a centralized listing of approved programs, there have been concerns about issues pertaining to the process of obtaining the evidence-based credential. Namely, some of the criticisms include the use of inappropriate study designs, the lack of consistent evaluation of evidence provided in support of programs, as well as program creators being involved in the evaluation that ultimately shows positive program effects. Using focus groups of prevention specialists, this study explores the quest for evidence-based status. The results show themes of vindication, acting as a resource, and perceptions of relevant others informing the deeper meaning of motivation for pursuit of evidence-based status. Additionally, emergent themes of program iteration and evolution inform program preparation. The article shows that while placement on an evidence-based registry is a highly sought-after achievement, many program creators fail to understand the evaluation process for admittance as well as the potential criticisms of the lists.

Scientific Atheism as a Cultural System

Olena Panych’s article «Scientific Atheism as a Cultural System» explores scientific atheism as a worldview and cultural system that were artificially constructed in the USSR in 1960s-80s. Panych argues that scientific atheism had its peculiar specific ethics, practices and discourse. Being essentially a propagandist paradigm aimed at negation of religion, scientific atheism also developed a positive program of the formation of integral worldview. The discourse of scientific atheism was focused on the construction of community that would be alternative to the religious one. In its peculiar way, scientific atheism asserted general collectivist values of the Soviet epoch.