The Relevance of Anthropology and the Evolutionary Sciences for Political Philosophy

Two contrasting interpretations of the interrelation between politics and anthropology have co-existed in recent literature. On the one hand, the social sciences have freed themselves al-most completely from the idea that there is a basic nature common to all human beings. After the “cultural turn” within these disciplines, they took it for granted that immediate access to facts is methodologically impossible, including facts about the purported nature of human beings. On the other hand, the past century was triumphal procession of evolutionary sci-ences. These disciplines unquestionably shed light on the biological species homo sapiens. This essay defends neither of these two extreme positions, but looks for possibilities of updating the traditional synthetic view that is based upon an interrelation of natural and political sciences. To do so, it focuses on two questions. What do evolutionary sciences tell us about human be-ings and about the development of culture? What practical consequences can we draw from this for political philosophy? Answering these questions calls for a discussion of the work of Darwin, Gehlen, von Hayek, Diamond, Burkert and others

Bamberger Feuilleton 2009. Beiträge von Bamberger Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern in der deutschsprachigen Presse

Der vorliegende Band präsentiert ein paar ganz besondere Texte. Unser Bamberger Feuilleton stellt eine Lese in doppelter Hinsicht dar: Früchte der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit von Bamberger Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern – aufgelesen in der deutschsprachigen Presse während des vergangenen Jahres. Es handelt sich um Beiträge aus dem Übergang von Wissenschaft zu Journalismus, zum Teil essayistisch, zum Teil feuilletonistisch, Miszellen, Analysen, Berichte – alle zu aktuellen gesellschaftlichen, politischen und kulturellen Brennpunktthemen

Moral Realism and Political Decisions. Practical Rationality in Contemporary Public Contexts

The challenge of realism is one of the common features of current philosophical debates, across different cultural traditions, and in many areas of investigation (epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, theory of action, etc.). The implications of realism for political philosophy and political practice, though, are just starting to become an object of systematic discussions. Such implications, however, are significant, since the area of politics is contiguous with that of ethics and action, for example. This volume intends to contribute to debates on the relevance of realism – especially moral realism – for politics. The essays included in the collection address a number of related issues, ranging from foundational problems of realism in ethics, action theory and politics, to questions about pragmatics, to difficulties in political theory, and to political hindrances related to economics and legal theory. The common focus of all essays is the relevance of realism for a conception of practical rationality in political contexts.Die Herausforderungen, vor die uns der Realismus stellt, sind in aktuellen philosophischen Debatten gegenwärtig und sie machen sich durch unterschiedliche kulturelle Traditionen und viele Untersuchungsbereiche (Erkenntnistheorie, Metaphysik, Ethik, Ästhetik, Handlungstheorie, etc.) hindurch bemerkbar. Die Auswirkungen des Realismus auf die Politische Philosophie und die politische Praxis sind jedoch erst seit kurzem Gegenstand systematischer Diskussionen, obwohl sie von Bedeutung sind, denn letztlich steht der Bereich der Politik immer in einem Zusammenhang mit Fragen der Ethik und der Handlung. Dieser Band möchte einen Beitrag zu den Debatten über die Relevanz des Realismus für die Politik leisten und hat dabei insbesondere den moralischen Realismus im Blick. Die hier versammelten Aufsätze enthalten eine Reihe von Auseinandersetzungen mit damit zusammenhängenden Problemstellungen, die von grundlegenden Problemen des Realismus in der Ethik, Handlungstheorie und Politik, Fragen zur Pragmatik, über die Schwierigkeiten der Politischen Theorie, bis hin zu politischen Hindernissen für Wirtschaft und Recht reichen. Der gemeinsame Fokus aller Aufsätze liegt dabei in der Betrachtung der Relevanz eines Realismus‘ für eine Konzeption einer praktischen Vernunft im politischen Kontext

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline