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54Poverty as a Threat to Democratic ValuesPublic Affairs Quarterly 22 (2): 175-193. 2008.The reluctance to eradicate poverty shown by citizens and governments of many modern constitutional democracies is puzzling. If poverty threatens societies in various ways, why would many countries with a strongly agreed upon system of democratic governance fail so painfully to find the commitment and appropriate action to eradicate poverty? In this essay I want to investigate the discordance between poverty and democracy. I will first briefly articulate the broad underlying values of modern con…Read more
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15John Rawls [1921–2002]South African Journal of Philosophy 23 (2): 111-111. 2004.This article is a very brief introduction to the work of John Rawls, the topic of this special edition of this journal.
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521When I needed a neighbour, were you there?Lux Verbi. 2008.In the book "When I needed a neighbour were you there? Christians and the Challenge of Poverty" I highlight the overwhelming evidence that involvement with poor people and the issues of poverty is a fundamental part of what it means to be Christian. The life and teaching of Jesus Christ suggest that all Christians should be seriously concerned about the plight of poor people. Why? Let me explain. Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith and role model for Christian behaviour in the world. …Read more
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1229Refashioning Rawls as a true champion of the poorPolitikon 37 (1): 149-171. 2010.Rawls champions the cause of the poor because of his strong moral sentiments about the eradication of poverty. I present these sentiments, which he converts into normative elements of his theory of justice. However, the conceptual framework and intellectual resources that he uses to articulate these sentiments are inadequate. His sentiments against poverty cannot be accommodated neatly, simply, and coherently in his liberal theoretical framework. Also, I point out that his definition of the iden…Read more
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984How to judge scientific research articlesSouth African Journal for Language Teaching 34. 2000.How should scientists judge the quality of research articles? In this article I present general criteria for judging the scientific value of a research report submitted for publication. These criteria can improve the quality of research articles and produce fair referee reports that are scientifically justifiable. My view is based on four fundamental rules that guide all good science. These rules ought to determine whether scientific research reports merit publication in scientific journals. The…Read more
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Areas of Interest
Social and Political Philosophy |
General Philosophy of Science |