http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/653 2017-07-16T03:20:18Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/101115 Games of truth in the age of transparency: international organisations and the construction of corruption Snyman, Roan Alexander ENGLISH SUMMARY: The objective in this thesis is to analyse the role that the anti-corruption industry plays in international governance and in the administration of states. The anti-corruption industry has expanded at a very rapid rate since its inception in the mid-1990s. Despite the growth of the industry, anti-corruption reforms have failed to make progress in the alleviation of corruption. This failure to address the widespread prevalence of corruption has not deterred the expansion of the industry. On the contrary, failure in the alleviation of corruption has served only to incite its vigour and vitality. There is very little understanding of what the anti corruption industry is and what its actual global impact has been. For this reason, it is very important to come to grips with the underlying motivating factors that drives the expansion of the industry, as well as the totalising nature of its discourse. Therefore my aim in this thesis is to create a better understanding of the fight against corruption as an international governmental practice. This entails unpacking its discourses and practices and the role that international organisations have played in bringing the industry to life and driving its global proliferation. I make use of Foucault’s method of genealogy to trace the development of anticorruption discourse since the 1950s. Additionally, Foucault’s concepts of governmentality, disciplinary power, normalisation and the three modes of objectification are used to analyse the industry. Utilising Foucault’s work presents a clear picture of how knowledge and truth are constructed for the purposes of achieving governmental, political and ideological objectives. The argument is made that International organisations and western actors have fostered into existence a totalising form of discourse which is part of an endeavour to clarify the complexities of the international political economy, as well as part of a strategy to mitigate the risks that are presented by unpredictable and ‘abnormal’ states, societies and cultures. This indicates that the failure of the industry to address the prevalence of corruption is not due to a lack of support or resources. On the contrary, the industry has not failed at its objective, because fighting corruption is not its primary purpose. The industry is driven, legitimised and globally propagated with the objective of displacing and transposing divergent governmental structures, institutions, policies, and practices of states and societies that operate contrary to international norms. As such, anti-corruption has become an endeavour to instil a normative framework of governance globally; a framework through which alternative modes of governance, different ethical codes, morals and societal values are characterised as abnormal and thereby delegitimised and displaced.; AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis het ten doel om 'n analise te doen ten opsigte van die rol wat die teenkorrupsie bedryf speel in internasionale bestuur en staats-administrasie. Die teenkorrupsie-bedryf het 'n tydperk van baie vinnige uitbreiding en ontwikkeling ervaar sedert dit in die middel-1990s as 'n bedryf ontstaan het. Ten spyte van hierdie bedryfsgroei het teenkorrupsie-regstellings nie voldoende vooruitgang in die vermindering van korrupsie getoon nie. Die mislukking om die omvattende voorkoms van korrupsie te beperk, het egter nie die ontwikkeling en uitbreiding van die bedryf benadeel nie. Dit het inteendeel tot gevolg gehad dat daar met groter ywer en doelgerigtheid gepoog word om meer sukses te behaal. Daar bestaan 'n beperkte begrip ten opsigte van die teenkorrupsie-bedryf en die globale impak wat dit tot dusver gehad het. Dit is dus noodsaaklik om insig te verkry in die onderliggende faktore wat as motivering dien tot die ontwikkeling en uitbreiding van die bedryf. Ek het dus met hierdie tesis gepoog om 'n beter begrip te verkry ten opsigte van korrupsie as internasionale bestuurspraktyk. Hierdie navorsing behels die ontleding van die diskoerse en praktyke asook die rol wat internasionale organisasies gespeel het om die teenkorrupsie-bedryf tot stand te bring en aanleiding te gee tot die vinnige globale groei. Ek gebruik Foucault se genealogiese metode om die bedryfsontwikkeling van teenkorrupsie-aktiwiteit sedert die 1950s na te spoor. Tesame hiermee is gebruik gemaak van die konsepte beheerbaarheid (governmentality), dissiplinêre mag (disciplinary power), normalisering (normalisation) en die drie vorme van objektifikasie soos gedefinieer deur Foucault. Deur gebruik te maak van Foucault se navorsing en metodes kan 'n duidelike beeld verkry word van hoe kennis en waarheid gekonstrueer word met die doel om regerings-, politiese en ideologiese mikpunte te bereik. Internasionale organisasies en westerse betrokkenes het 'n allesomvattende vorm van diskoers en praktyk ontwikkel waardeur meer duidelikheid verkry kan word ten opsigte van die kompleksiteite van die internasionale politieke ekonomie. Dit vorm ook deel van 'n strategie om die risiko’s en gevolge van onvoorspelbare en ‘abnormale’ state, gemeenskappe en kulture te versag en verminder. Die rede waarom die teenkorrupsie-bedryf voortdurend verder uitbrei en ontwikkel ten spyte van die teleurstellende resultate is dus nie omdat die studieveld misluk het om voldoende ondersteuning te verkry of omdat dit so 'n besonder skadelike onderwerp is nie. Daar moet kennis van geneem word dat die vermindering van korrupsie nie die primêre doelwit is nie, maar dat die teenkorrupsie-bedryf voordurend ontwikkel, geregverdig en globaal uitgedra word met die doel om uiteenlopende regerings-strukture, instellings, beleide, etiese waardes en praktyke van regerings en gemeenskappe te omvorm en te normaliseer volgens algemeen aanvaarde riglyne. As sulks het die teenkorrupsie-bedryf ‘n onderneming geword waardeur gepoog word om ontslae te raak van gebruike wat in konflik is met internasionale norme en praktyke. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2017. 2017-03-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/100833 Justice as fairness and property rights: beyond property-owning democracy Schaafsma, Gerrit ENGLISH SUMMARY: The aim of this thesis is to place the debate about the relationship between property rights and justice as fairness on a new footing. I begin by exploring Rawls’s argument that justice as fairness is compatible with both a system of private property rights and a system of collective ownership, before shifting the focus to Rawls’s favoured regime type, namely property-owning democracy. This is a regime type in which property is privately held, but widely distributed. Rawls opts for property-owning democracy, in part, to show that contemporary capitalist welfare states, which also allow the private ownership of property, do not meet the requirements of justice as fairness. In the first part of the thesis, I argue that (i) the methodology behind Rawls’s appeal to property-owning democracy as a regime type is flawed and (ii) the core features of property-owning democracy – that property be both privately owned and widely held – conflict with one another. Having shown that Rawls’s understanding of the relationship between private property rights and justice as fairness fails, I present an alternative approach. First, I argue that the idea of a property-owning democracy should be abandoned and that theorising about the appropriate institutions for a just basic structure must be grounded in the specific circumstances of a given society. This implies that devising just institutions is a matter of non-ideal, rather than ideal theory. If this argument is accepted, it implies that institutions are always only provisionally just. Changing circumstances might require that the institutions of the basic structure be altered in order to maintain background justice. Next, I show that it is possible to justify private property rights within the framework of justice as fairness only if they form part of a larger set of interlocking institutions. Following this, I argue that, if private property can only be justified in this way, and if the institutions of the basic structure may have to be periodically altered, this has implications for the way in which distributive justice is dealt with within justice as fairness. I conclude that the use of pure procedural justice to settle questions about what constitutes a just distribution must be abandoned and replaced with imperfect procedural justice in order to deal with my findings about how the justness of the basic structure can be maintained over time. The notion of imperfect procedural justice offers proponents of justice as fairness a more viable approach to the difficult questions of distributive justice.; AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die debat oor die verband tussen privaat eiendomsregte en geregtigheid as billikheid op ’n nuwe grondslag te plaas. Ek begin met ‘n ondersoek na Rawls se argument dat geregtigheid as billikheid versoenbaar is met beide ’n stelsel van privaat eiendomsregte sowel as ‘n stelsel van kollektiewe eienaarskap, alvorens ek die fokus na Rawls se voorkeur regime-tipe verskuif, naamlik eiendombesittende demokrasie (“property owning democracy”). Dit is ’n regime-tipe waarbinne eiendom privaat, maar wydverspreid, besit word. Rawls kies vir eiendombesittende demokrasie ten dele om te bewys dat die kapitalistiese welsynstaat, wat ook die privaatbesit van eiendom toelaat, nie die vereistes van geregtigheid as billikheid nakom nie. In die eerste deel van die tesis, argumenteer ek dat (i) die metodiek agter Rawls se gebruik van eiendomsbesit demokrasie as ‘n regime-tipe gebrekkig is en (ii) die kerneienskappe van eiendombesittende demokrasie – dat eiendom beide privaat en wydverspeid besit kan word – in konflik met mekaar staan. Nadat ek veruidelik het hoekom Rawls se begrip van die verwantskap tussen privaat eiendomsregte en geregtigheid as billikheid faal, bied ek ’n alternatiewe benadering aan. Ek argumenteer eerstens dat die idee van eiendomsbesittende demokrasie laat vaar moet word, en dat die voorwaardes vir geregtigheid waaraan instellings moet voldoen aan die spesifieke omstandighede van ’n gegewe samelewing gemeet moet word moet word. Dit impliseer dat die ontwerp van regverdige instellings ’n saak vir nie-ideale, eerder as ideale teorie is. Indien hierdie argument aanvaar word, impliseer dit dat instellings altyd slegs tydelik geregtig is. Veranderende omstandighede mag verg dat die instellings van die basiese struktuur aangepas moet word om agtergrond-geregtigheid in stand te hou. Vervolgens bewys ek dat dit slegs moontlik is om die reg tot privaateiendom as deel van geregtigheid as billikheid te hanteer in soverre die instelling van eiendom deel uitmaak van ’n groter stel aaneengeskakelde instellings. Ek demonstreer verder dat, indien privaateiendom slegs op hierdie gronde regverdig kan word, en indien die instellings van die basiese struktuur periodiek aangepas moet word, dit implikasies inhou vir die manier hoe distributiewe geretigheid binne regverdigheid as billikheid hanteer word. Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat die gebruik van suiwer prosedurele geregtigheid laat vaar moet word en met imperfekte prosedure-geregtigheid vervang moet word, ten einde met my bevindings te handel oor hoe die regverdigheid van die basiese struktuur met die verloop van tyd onderhou kan word. Die gebruik van die idee van imperfekte prosedure-geregtigheid is van waarde, in soverre dit aan voorstanders van geregtigheid as billikheid ‘n nuwe en meer sinvolle manier bied ten einde moeilike vrae van distributiewe regverdigheid te benader. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2017. 2017-03-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/100349 Towards responsible leadership in the financial planning industry in South Africa Saayman, Johannes Petrus ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The financial services industry in South Africa has, for some time now, seen sweeping changes take place. Many of these changes have been driven by the Legislatures. Similarly, financial products have undergone many changes, driven by both client-needs and technological advances. These changes have also influenced how businesses in financial services are managed and led. While leaders practice numerous leadership styles, this study will pay particular attention to contrasting leadership styles and comment on the ethical content of such styles, followed by a discussion on good leadership and responsible leadership. Two dimensions to responsible leadership are explored: the relational and the ethical. Within the relational dimension, this thesis will focus on the stakeholder-approach and the virtuous approach will enjoy focus within the ethical dimension. Weaving a web of inclusion among stakeholders is considered an essential ability for a responsible leader to have. Responsible leaders face many challenges. It is the responsible leader’s ability to build relationships that will allow the responsible leader to bring various stakeholders together and build enduring relationships with such stakeholders. The virtuous approach will be discussed from a virtue-ethics perspective and, as such, it is important to differentiate between values and virtues. The virtuous approach provides the responsible leader with a fixed point from which to make decisions. The cardinal virtues are discussed and used as the foundation to synergise the two approaches, i.e. the relational and virtuous approach. The two approaches are complementary and form the basis for moving the financial planning industry towards becoming a responsible industry. Heading towards responsible leadership in the financial planning industry in South Africa will not come without its own unique challenges. Understanding why leaders fail is important to ensure that safeguards can be put into place to prevent leadership failures. The challenges responsible leaders will face in the future will come from external as well as internal sources. However, the economic advantages and the impact responsible leaders can have on their organisations and society will far exceed any negative aspects brought about by the various challenges that responsible leaders face. It is envisaged that responsible leaders in the financial planning industry can have a marked impact on other leaders, be they business or societal.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid Afrikaanse finansiële dienste industrie, het oor die afgelope paar jare groot veranderinge beleef. Die veranderinge is onder andere deur wetlike aspekte beïnvloed. So ook, is finansiële produkte aangepas, om te voldoen aan kliënte behoeftes en tegnologiese ontwikkeling. Hierdie veranderinge het 'n direkte impak op die bestuur en leiding van besighede in die finansiële dienste industrie. Alhoewel leiers gebruik maak van verskeie leierskap style, fokus hierdie studie op kontrasterende leierskap style as ook op die etiese inhoud van genoemde style. Gevolg deur 'n bespreking oor goeie leierskap en verantwoordelike leierskap. Twee dimensies van verantwoordelike leierskap word ondersoek: die etiese en relasionele. Die relasionele dimensie omvat die belanghebbende-benadering en die etiese dimensie sal deur die deugsaamheid benadering uitgelig word. Die samestelling van 'n inklusiewe platvorm wat alle belanghebbendes is 'n noodsaaklike eienskap van 'n verantwoordelike leier. Die verantwoordelike leier beleef verskeie uitdagings. Die verantwoordelike leier se vermoë om suksesvolle verhoudings te kweek, sal bepaal of die verantwoordelike leier die verskeie belanghebbendes bymekaar kan bring as ook die suksesvolle ontwikkeling van blywende verhoudings met die betrokke belanghebbendes. Die deugsame benadering sal vanaf 'n deugde-etiek perspektief bespreek word, dus is dit belangrik om te onderskei tussen waardes en deugde. Die deugsame benadering bied die verantwoordelike leier met 'n vaste punt vanwaar besluite geneem kan word. Die kardinale deugde word bespreek en word gebruik as die grondslag om die twee benaderings te harmoniseer, met ander woorde die relasionele en deugsame benadering. Die twee benaderings is aanvullend en vorm dus die basis vir die manier waarop die finansiële beplanning bedryf kan beweeg in die rigting om as 'n verantwoordelike bedryf beskou te word. Die skyf na verantwoordelike leierskap in die finansiële beplanning bedryf in Suid-Afrika sal nie teweeg gebring kan word sonder unieke uitdagings nie. Om te verstaan hoekom leiers faal is dit belangrik om te verseker dat veiligheidsmaatreëls in plek gestel kan word om leierskap mislukkings te voorkom. Die uitdagings wat verantwoordelike leiers in die gesig staar sal vanaf beide eksterne en interne bronne ontstaan. Die ekonomiese voordele en die impak wat verantwoordelike leiers kan hê op hul organisasies en die gemeenskap as ‘n geheel, sal enige negatiewe aspekte wat deur die verskillende uitdagind gebied word oorskry. Daar word beoog dat verantwoordelike leiers in die finansiële beplanning bedryf 'n merkbare invloed op ander leiers kan hê, of dit nou in besigheid of die samelewing is. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016. 2016-12-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/100213 Moral perspectives on the problem of elective D/deafness Ukena - Kotze, Alexandra Rosanna Gertrude ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As empirical knowledge is progressing within the field of genomic medicine, the scope of medical treatments that are able to diagnose, cure or prevent disability widen and as a result, the questions regarding the ethical permissibility surrounding these procedures become more complex. While reproductive technologies were originally designed to assist with issues such as infertility or test embryos for genetic diseases before implantation, it has now become clear that these technologies can offer an even wider array of reproductive options. Morally speaking, it seems that parents have a duty to use reproductive technologies responsibly and should refrain from explicitly choosing a child with a disability. The claim that parents have a moral obligation to choose the “best” possible child has been very controversial. This thesis specifically focuses on the ethical questions that arise in cases where culturally D/deaf parents express the wish to ensure the birth of a deaf child by making use of modern prenatal screening methods such as Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) that could in principle fulfil this wish. Selecting for a disability and particularly deafness through prenatal screening methods triggers a morally complex debate, firstly because the parent’s wish is based on the belief that deafness is not a disability and secondly, because the practice of prenatal selection for disability itself is questionable on the grounds that this selection could possibly harm the future child. In this thesis, the belief that deafness is not a disability will be subjected to critique by presenting both sides of the debate, on the one hand showing that our perception of normality is a concept that is shaped by various historical influences and contexts and on the other, suggesting that deafness, regardless of definition, is a very real limitation and therefore a disability that should be treated as such. If it can be shown that deafness is indeed a disability, then it follows that the use of reproductive technologies for the sole purpose of selecting a deaf embryo over a hearing one is unethical. The aim of this thesis is firstly to advance our understanding of the so-called disability challenge by bringing together information from various sources and perspectives, highlighting the ethical, social and legal issues regarding reproductive choices and secondly, to give a suggestion on how to deal with these choices. The arguments imply the need for stricter and more elaborate guidelines in terms of public regulation surrounding available genetic information and a reassessment of parental moral obligation in terms of reproductive liberty.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Soos wat die empiriese kennis binne in die veld van genomiese medisyne bevorder is, het die omvang van mediese behandelings wat gestremdheid kan diagnoseer, genees of voorkom verbreed. As gevolg hiervan het die vrae oor die etiese toelaatbaarheid van hierdie prosedures al hoe moeiliker geword. Terwyl reproduktiewe tegnologie oorspronklik ontwerp is om te help met probleme soos onvrugbaarheid, of om embrios vir genetiese siektes te toets voor hul inplanting, het dit nou duidelik geword dat hierdie tegnologie 'n groter verskeidenheid van reproduktiewe opsies kan bied. Moreel gesproke is dit die ouers se plig om reproduktiewe tegnologie op ‘n verantwoordelike manier te gebruik en hulle word al hoe meer deesdae daarvan afgeraai om 'n kind met 'n gestremdheid te kies. Dit is wel omstrede dat beweer word dat ouers 'n morele verpligting het om die "beste" kind moontlik te kies. Hierdie tesis fokus spesifiek op die etiese vrae wat na vore kom vir gevalle waar D/dowe ouers spesifiek vra om van moderne swangerskaptoetse en -metodes, soos Voor-inplanting Genetiese Diagnose (Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis - PGD), gebruik te maak om te verseker dat die gebore kind doof is. Die keuse rondom 'n gestremdheid, veral doofheid, wat bewys kan word deur swangerskaptoetse, veroorsaak ‘n komplekse morele debat, omdat die ouers se wense gebaseer word op die oortuiging en geloof dat doofheid nie ‘n gestremdheid is nie en tweedens, omdat die praktyk van swangerskaptoetse en die keuse vir gestremdheid bevraagteken word as gevolg van die moontlike skade aan die kind se toekoms. In hierdie tesis sal die oortuiging en siening dat doofheid nie ‘n gestremdheid is nie van albei kante gedebatteer word, om te bepaal of die siening van doofheid bloot ʼn historiese sosiale konstruk is en of, ongeag van definisie, gestremdheid die persoon wel ernstig beperk en daarom sover moontlik behandeling vereis. As dit bewys kan word dat doofheid wel 'n gestremdheid is, beteken dit dat die gebruik van reproduktiewe tegnologie wat aan 'n dowe embrio, eerder as ʼn horende een, voorkeur verleen, oneties is. Die doel van hierdie tesis is om kennis te verbreed rondom hierdie gestremdheiddebat deur gebruik te maak van verskeie bronne en sieninge. Die fokus sal wees op die etiese, sosiale en regskwessies met betrekking tot reproduktiewe keuses, asook om voorstelle te maak oor hoe mens te werk kan gaan met hierdie keuses. Die verskillende argumente vir en teen toon dat daar nie net ‘n behoefte bestaan aan strenger en meer omvattende reëls en riglyne nie, maar ook aan vrylik beskikbare genetiese inligting en 'n herevaluasie van ouers se morele verpligtinge as dit kom by reproduktiewe keuses. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016. 2016-12-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/99028 Gogo the sangoma : an initiation into biography writing Saffer, Margot ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is a study in the field of life writing. It is a biography. It also tracks the relationship between Gogo, an elderly Christian Xhosa sangoma (sacred specialist / ‘traditional healer’), and her would-be biographer. Both are women, both are South African, but like many South Africans, their race, religion, age, level of education, and class has separated them. This thesis tells of how the project of the one to tell the story of the other brought the two women together, but also highlighted their differences. As a black person, Gogo was disadvantaged during apartheid South Africa, working in domestic labour, one of the few careers available to her. As a woman in the milieu of African Traditional Religion, she was downtrodden by the patriarchal society in general - and her father and husband in particular. This situation was overlaid by the repression of both the Christian missionaries who, upon settling the land, dominated its peoples and their faith; and further, the Afrikaner Nationalist government’s theological justification of apartheid laws. It is through religion that Gogo was oppressed, but it is also through religion that she gained her power. It was one of her employers, whom Gogo describes ‘like a sister’, who encouraged Gogo to follow her calling into traditional healing, which she had avoided most of her life. Gogo returned to the tradition that oppressed her, but this time as mouthpiece of the Ancestors. The thesis draws on the ‘Tribal Politics’ theories of postmodern sociologist, Zygmunt Bauman. He proposes that within today's ‘imagined tribal communities’, we appeal to ‘experts’ to approve our ‘self-constitution’ – we construct our own identities from available models of identity. She has become an expert within her own community. Her ‘sacredness’ lends her status in an environment where New Age spirituality is a growing ‘imagined tribal community’ from within which indigenous cultures are being respected and resanctified by the descendants of colonialists, Christian Missionaries, and apartheid supporters. To tell her story, the author conducted over twenty interviews with Gogo, over two years. She travelled to Gogo’s hometown of Zastron in the Free State Province. This dissertation is Gogo’s biography. It tells of her hometown, her family of origin, her working life, her relationships and her children. As a psychology student, the author was interested in an indigenous tradition of physical, social, spiritual, and psychological healing. From a feminist psychological standpoint, she felt Gogo’s story of overcoming oppression should be given a voice. The author discusses theories of life writing, most specifically Paul J. Eakin’s theory of relational biography. He states that one’s life story is simultaneously the story of all the people in one’s life. This is not dissimilar to the South African notion of umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (we are people because of other people). Beyond this, though, as proposed in feminist psychology, and the theory of observer effect - the life story is also affected by the person listening to and recording it. Despite the literature, the author learned that the process of recording a life is more difficult than she anticipated. She dealt with other players in her subject’s life. She had to discern fact from fantasy. She had to trust and be trusted. This dissertation tells of the relationship between the author and Gogo, the biographer and her subject. This is a discussion of attempting to build and maintain a relationship of equality. More than Gogo’s narrative, it is the author’s initiation into the process of life writing, with its assumptions, intentions, problems, theories, interpretations, setbacks and ultimate conclusion.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie voorlegging is 'n studie in die gebied van lewensbeskrywing. Dit is 'n biografie. Dit volg die verhouding tussen Gogo, 'n bejaarde Christen-Xhosa sangoma (heilige spesialis / ‘tradisionele geneser’), en haar biograaf. Beide is vrouens, beide is Suid-Afrikaners, maar soos baie Suid-Afrikaners, het hul ras, godsdiens, ouderdom, vlak van opvoeding en klas hulle geskei. Hierdie tesis vertel hoe die projek van die een wat die storie van die ander vertel, die twee vroue saam gebring het, maar ook hul verskille beklemtoon het. As 'n swart persoon was Gogo benadeel gedurende die Suid-Afrikaanse apartheid. Gedurende hierdie tydperk het sy as huishulp gewerk, een van die min beroepe wat aan haar beskikbaar was. As 'n vrou wat haarself in die miliur van Afrika Tradisionele Godsdiens bevind was sy oor die algemeen vertrap deur 'n patriargale samelewing en in besonder deur haar vader en haar man. Hierdie situasie is vererger deur die onderdrukking van Christen sendelinge wie, na vestiging in hierdie land, sy mense en hul geloof oorheers het, en verder deur die Afrikaner Nasionalistiese regering se teologiese verdedeging van apartheids wette. Gogo is deur godsdiens onderdruk, maar godsdiens is ook waar Gogo haar krag gevind het. Een van Gogo se werkgewers, wie sy as 'n suster beskryf, het haar aangemoedig om haar roeping in tradisionele genesing, wat sy voorheen vermy het, te volg. Gogo keer toe terug na die tradisie wat haar onderdruk het, maar hierdie keer as mondstuk vir die Voorvaders. Hierdie tesis is gebasseer op die ‘Tribal Politics’ teorieë van die postmoderne sosioloog, Zygmunt Bauman. Hy stel voor dat in vandag se ‘imagined tribal communities, ons 'n beroep doen op ‘kenners’ om ons ‘self-constitution’ goed te keur - ons bou ons eie identiteite uit die beskikbare identiteit modelle. Sy het 'n kenner geword in haar eie gemeenskap. Haar ‘heiligheid’ het haar status gegee in ‘n omgewing waar ‘New Age’ spiritualiteit ‘n groeiende ‘imagined tribal community’ skep, waarvan die inheemse kulture gerespekteer en verheilig word deur die nasate van kolonialiste, Christen-sendelinge, en apartheid ondersteuners. Om haar storie te vertel, het die skrywer gedurende twee jaar meer as twintig onderhoude met Gogo gevoer. Sy het na Gogo se tuisdorp van Zastron in die Vrystaatse Provinsie gereis. Hierdie tesis is Gogo se biografie. Dit vertel van haar tuisdorp, haar gesin van oorsprong, haar werks lewe, haar verhoudings en haar kinders. As 'n sielkunde student, was die skrywer geïnteresseerd in 'n inheemse tradisie van fisiese, sosiale, geestelike en sielkundige genesing. Vanuit ‘n feministiese standpunt, her sy gevoel sy moet ‘n stem gee aan Gogo se storie van onderdrukking en how sy dit oorwin het. Die skrywer bespreek teorieë van lewensbeskrywing, en meer spesifiek Paul J. Eakin se teorie van ‘relational biography’. Hy beweer dat jou eie lewensvehaal ook die verhaal van al die mense in jou lewe vertel. Dit is soortgelyk aan die Suid-Afrikaanse begrip van ‘umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’ (ons is mense as gevolg van ander mense). Verdermeer, soos voorgestel in feministiese sielkunde, en die teorie van die sogenaamde ‘waarnemer effek’ – word die lewensverhaal ook deur die persoon wat daarna luister en dit opneem beïnvloed. Ten spyte van die letterkunde, het die skrywer geleer dat die proses waardeur 'n lewensverhaal opgeneem work moeiliker is as wat sy verwag het. Sy het ook met ander spelers in die hoofkarakter se te doen gehad. Sy moes onderskei tussen feite en fantasië. Sy moes vertrou en so ook vertrou word. Hierdie tesis vertel van die verhouding tussen die skrywer en Gogo, die biograaf en haar onderwerp. Dit is 'n bespreking van' n poging om 'n verhouding van gelykheid te bou en in stand to hou. Meer as Gogo se verhaal is dit die skrywer se inisiasie tot die proses van lewensbeskrywing, met sy aannames, intensies, probleme, teorieë, interpretasies, terugslae en die uiteindelike gevolgtrekking. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2010. 2010-12-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/98864 An investigation of the libertarian philosophy, applied to business ethics Hattingh, Cornelius Johannes ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Libertarianism, as a broad philosophy and frame of thinking, is concerned with one core concept, that of personal liberty; specifically, the liberty of each person to live according to her own choices, with the caveat that she does not attempt to coerce other people and/or prevent them from freely living according to their own individual choices. This view of human beings, and by extension what constitutes im/moral behaviour, also includes what sorts of role(s) the state is justified in playing in people’s lives – when it comes to issues within business ethics, libertarians hold that they should be resolved from within instead of via state-intervention. Libertarianism, as a popular philosophy, has gained more and more traction over the past few years across the world, and especially in the United States, and it could possibly challenge other perspectives on government action in the years to come (Croucher, 2014). The field of business ethics offers us many challenges and issues to confront and possibly solve, and the overall goal of this paper will be to assess whether libertarianism can bring anything useful to solving these issues. This thesis will attempt to examine and understand the libertarian philosophy and where it might lack certain points of justification and to then judge whether those points can be surpassed or whether they are fatal for the perspective itself. The case for libertarianism, as advocated for by the philosopher Robert Nozick in Anarchy, State, and Utopia, will be examined in this paper, with the goal of better understanding this particular school of philosophical thought and then applying libertarian principles to the field of business ethics. Instead of a more traditional shareholder or stakeholder view, I will argue that the libertarian lense brings more to the table to aid us in solving, or at least attempting to solve, some issues within the field of business ethics, such as sustainability. Instead of a pragmatic, whichever-method-works-best approach, I believe that a strong, philosophically principled approach can provide a much stronger basis from which to work. Examining the underlying philosophical foundations of documents such as the third King Report in South Africa through this libertarian perspective will prove to be a contextual and highly-relevant exercise, as we need to make sense of these important documents, and the ideas proposed within them, if we are to successfully navigate the business ethics field, both at home and abroad, and to in turn assist other people in doing the same. In addition to using Nozick’s writings, the work of other libertarians will be used to bring different nuances into the discussion. Finally, certain critiques of the libertarian philosophy will be used for the purposes of better examining the philosophy and assessing whether its weaknesses are serious enough to jettison the philosophy instead of advocating in favour of it.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Die libertynse filosofie is gefokus op een sentrale ideë; die van persoonlike vryheid van elke persoon om haar lewe te lei volgens haar eie rasionele oordeël. Hierdie vryheid het die een voorwaarde dat sy nie die vrye keuses van ander mense afdwing nie. Hierdie siening van die mens (dit sluit in wat im/morele gedrag is), sluit ook die verskillende rol(le) wat die staat in mense se lewens kan speel. Wanneer dit kom by kwessies binne besigheids-etiek, dink die libertyn dat mense hulle eie probleme moet oplos, sonder inmenging van die staat. Libertarianisme, as 'n filosofie, het meer en meer momentum oor die afgelope paar jaar in die wêreld, en veral in die Verenigde State van Amerika, ervaar. Dit kan moontlik binnekort ander perspektiewe op die rol van die staat verander (Croucher, 2014). Die gebied van besigheids-etiek bied ons baie uitdagings en kwessies om te konfronteer en hopelik op te los, en die oorhoofse doel van hierdie vraestel sal wees om te bepaal of libertarianisme enigiets nuttig kan bring tot die oplossing van hierdie kwessies. Hierdie tesis sal probeer om die libertynse filosofie te ondersoek en te verstaan, en of daar sekere aspekte die strengste kritief kan oorleef. Die saak vir libertarianisme, soos aanbeveel deur die filosoof Robert Nozick in Anarchy, State and Utopia sal in hierdie skripsie ondersoek word, met die doel om 'n beter begrip van hierdie spesifieke skool van filosofiese denke te bekom, en daarna die toepassing van hierdie beginsels tot die veld van besigheids-etiek. In plaas van 'n meer tradisionele aandeelhouer of belanghebbendes perspektief, sal ek argumenteer dat die libertynse lens meer na die tafel bring om ons te help in die oplossing, van 'n paar kwessies binne die veld van besigheids-etiek, soos byvoorbeeld volhoubaarheid. In plaas van 'n pragmatiese benadering glo ek dat 'n sterk, filosofiese, sistematiese benadering 'n baie beter basis om van te werk kan voorsien. Die ondersoek na die onderliggende filosofiese ideës van dokumente soos die derde King-verslag in Suid-Afrika, deur middel van hierdie libertynse perspektief, sal ‘n konteks-sensitiewe en hoogs-relevante oefening wees, aangesien ons moet sin maak van hierdie belangrike dokumente as ons suksesvol wil wees in die veld van besigheids-etiek, in Suid-Afrika sowel as die buiteland, en op sy beurt om ander mense te help om dieselfde te doen. Benewens die gebruik van Nozick se boek sal die werk van ander libertyne gebruik word om verskillende perspektief te betrek. Ten slotte sal kritiek van die libertynse filosofie gebruik word om te verseker dat ons die filosofie beter kan beoordeel en besluit of dit die kritiek kan weerstaan. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2016. 2016-03-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/98791 Moral relevance of oaths, declarations and codes in modern medicine Simpson, Andries Johannes ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Oaths, declarations and codes are seen as moral guides to which physicians can subscribe in the daily practice of medicine. Due to events since the Second World War, the World Medical Association was prompted to change the Hippocratic Oath to establish the Declaration of Geneva. In this thesis I ask the question: Are oaths, declarations and codes still morally relevant in addressing the realities of medicine, given the pluralistic belief systems of physicians from a variety of cultural backgrounds? Furthermore I address the following question: Do oaths, declarations and codes have any moral relevance, or are they just documents of a symbolic nature? In answering the central moral question; should the medical profession move away from oaths, declarations and codes and establish a new medical professionalism where more emphasis is placed on virtues, the characteristics and differences of the aforementioned documents are discussed. The consequences of the changes to the Declaration of Geneva are explored on a symbolic as well as a practical level. It seems as if the changes had little effect on the moral behaviour of physicians after 1948. If one evaluates the pledges of the Declaration of Geneva, one can come to the conclusion that it is mostly very difficult to expect of physicians to adhere to these pledges fully and that this document is more of symbolic significance. In conclusion I argue for establishing a new medical professionalism where the emphasis is more on virtues of the individual physician and continued medical education in this regard, at the undergraduate as well as the postgraduate level.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ede, deklarasies en kodes kan gesien word as dokumente wat as ‘n morele kompas gebruik kan word in die daaglikse beoefening van medisyne deur geneeshere. As gevolg van die gebeure tydens die Tweede Wereld Oorlog, het die Wereld Mediese Vereniging besluit om die Hippokratiese Eed aan te pas en te verander om die Geneefse Deklarasie daar te stel. In hierdie tesis vra ek die volgende vraag: Is ede, deklarasies en kodes nog steeds moreel relevant om die realiteit van medisyne in die moderne wereld aan te spreek, gegewe die pleuralistiese en multikulturele omgewing waarbinne die moderne geneesheer hom/haarself bevind? Ek probeer ook die volgende vraag beantwoord: Het bogenoemde dokumente nog steeds enige morele relevansie of is hulle waarde slegs simbolies van aard? In my poging om die sentrale morele vraag; behoort die mediese professie weg te beweeg van ede, deklarasies en kodes na die daarstelling van ‘n nuwe mediese professionalisme met die klem op deugde, te beantwoord, bespreek ek die verskille van genoemde dokumente. Die gevolge van die verandering na die Geneefse Deklarasie word bespreek op ‘n simboliese sowel as ‘n praktiese vlak. Dit wil voorkom asof die veranderinge nie veel effek gehad het op die gedrag van geneeshere na 1948 nie. As ‘n mens die onderskeie verklarings van die Geneefse Deklarasie evalueer, kom ‘n mens tot die gevolgtrekking dat dit uiters moeilik blyk wees om van geneeshere te verwag om ten volle aan hierdie vereistes te voldoen. Dit wil voorkom asof hierdie dokument meer simbolies van aard is. Ek sluit die tesis af met ‘n motivering vir die daarstelling van ‘n nuwe mediese professionalisme waar die klem geplaas word op die deugde van die geneesheer as individu. Ek voer ook die argument dat persoonlike deugde van die geneesheer as sulks verder ontwikkel en ondersteun moet word deur voortgesette mediese opleiding op voorgraads sowel as nagraadse vlak. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2016. 2016-03-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/98489 Funksie en doel in lewende organismes: uit die perspektief van kompleksiteitsdenkers en biologie-filosowe Malan, Tanja ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this thesis is to revisit and rethink the two concepts: function and purpose. These two concepts are often confused with each other and are sometimes even used synonymously. I find this study necessary to distinguish between the two concepts as well as to find their similarities. To expand on the concept of function, I will rely heavily on ideas from biology, and will make use of the works of Robert Rosen (1991) as a point of departure. Even though I will use literature from complexity thinkers, such as Edgar Morin (1992, 2006a, 2006b, 2008) and Paul Cilliers (2000, 2005), to elaborate and to support Rosen’s ideas, the literature used in this thesis will mostly consist of biology-philosophers and will not be strictly philosophical. The concept of function appears in Rosen’s book Life itself (1991) and the concept of purpose appears in the book Anticipatory systems (2012). The book, Anticipatory systems (2012), is very technical in nature and I will therefore use the works of Roberto Poli (1972, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014), who builds on Rosen’s ideas, to elaborate on the idea of purpose. Rethinking the concepts, function and purpose, will be of little value without revisiting Aristotle’s ideas about these concepts. Aristotle’s idea regarding the four causes will be of great help in distinguishing between these concepts, as well as Rosen’s further elaboration on Aristotle’s four causes. I argue that the item in question2 does not have an absolute function. By using the relational biology approach to function, which emphasize the rich and dynamic interaction between components of a system, I will argue that function can only be determined in a context, hence it is context dependent. If the context of the item in question changes, its interactions change and therefore makes it possible to have a different function in that context, or even no function at all. This approach moves away from a normative view of function which tries to determine what the function of an item in question should be, but rather determines what the function of an item in question is within a context. How we can determine the function of an item in question will also be discussed. Purpose is different to function because it incorporates the idea of the future. A living organism sets a purpose for herself that she would like to achieve in the future. The future is not something tangible that has a direct influence on the present, but I will argue that we pull the idea of the future into the present in what can be called the present model of the future. Purpose, I will further argue, is an anticipatory model which living organisms set in the present to make decisions in that present based on that model. These anticipatory models can be updated, thus purpose, as in the case of function, is not absolute but always provisional. 2 The item in question will refer throughout this thesis to that item which we are determining the function of, whether the item in question is an object, a non-living system, or a living system.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die twee konsepte, funksie en doel, te herbesoek en te herbesin. Hierdie twee konsepte word verwarrend en somtyds verwisselend met mekaar gebruik en daarom vind ek ʼn nadere bestudering van die twee konsepte noodsaaklik. In my uitbreiding oor funksies gaan ek veral gebruik maak van idees in biologie. Ek gaan veral van die skrywe van Robert Rosen (1991) gebruik maak as uitgangspunt. Alhoewel ek van kompleksiteitsdenkers se literatuur gebruik maak, soos Edgar Morin (1992, 2006a, 2006b, 2008) en Paul Cilliers (2000, 2005), om Rosen se idee aan te vul en te ondersteun, sal die literatuur grotendeels dié wees van biologie-filosowe en nie streng filosofies nie. Die twee vernaamste boeke waarin Rosen die twee begrippe, funksie en doel, verduidelik is Life itself (1991) en Anticipatory systems (2012) onderskeidelik. Die laasgenoemde boek is tegnies van aard en gaan ek die werke van Roberto Poli (1972, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014) gebruik wat op Rosen se idee van antisipasie uitbrei. ʼn Herbesinning oor die onderwerpe, funksie en doel, is nie volwaardig indien die werke van Aristoteles nie ook herbesoek word nie. Aristoteles se idee oor die vier oorsaaklikheidsverduidelikings gaan van vele nut wees om die twee terme van mekaar te skei, veral hoe Rosen op hierdie idee van Aristoteles uitbrei as sisteme ter sprake is. Ek argumenteer dat ʼn item ter sprake1 nie ʼn absolute funksie vervul nie. Met behulp van die relasionelebiologiebenadering, wat klem plaas op die dinamiese en ryk interaksie tussen komponente in ʼn sisteem, voer ek aan dat funksie konteksgebonde is. Indien die konteks verander is dit moontlik vir die item om ʼn ander funksie te vervul, of selfs geen funksie meer nie. Hierdie benadering beweeg weg van ʼn normatiewe siening oor funksie wat beweer wat ʼn funksie van ʼn item behoort te wees, maar bepaal eerder die funksie binne ʼn sekere konteks en wat dit werklik is. Hoe ons die funksie van ʼn item kan bepaal word ook verduidelik. Anders as funksie, inkorporeer doel die idee van die toekoms. ʼn Lewende organisme stel vir haar ʼn doel wat sy graag wil bereik in die toekoms. Eerder om die toekoms te beskou as iets tasbaars wat ʼn invloed het op die hede, argumenteer ek in hierdie tesis dat die idee van die toekoms in die hede ingetrek word en wat beskou word as ʼn huidige model van die toekoms. Doel, sal ek aanvoer is ʼn antisiperende model wat lewende organismes in die hede skep om so dus besluite te maak op grond van die idee van die toekoms. Antisiperende modelle is opdateerbaar, en soos in die geval van funksie, is dit nie absoluut nie maar eerder voorlopig. 1 Die item ter sprake sal deurgaans in hierdie tesis verwys na die spesifieke voorwerp, lewende organisme of nie-lewende sisteem wie/wat ons die funksie van wil bepaal. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2016. 2016-03-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/98361 The problem of political legitimacy : a comparative analysis of the theories of John Rawls and Seyla Benhabib Kruger, Petrus Jacobus ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this thesis is twofold: In the first place, I aim to define the main features of the problem of political legitimacy – understood as the normative justification of a governing regime – together with the criteria which a convincing theory of political legitimacy must fulfil. In the second place, I evaluate two influential theories of political legitimacy in light of these criteria: John Rawls’s liberal principle of legitimacy and Seyla Benhabib’s theory of deliberative democracy. My conclusion is that the latter provides us with a better standard for evaluating and justifying political rule than the liberal model developed by Rawls. In order to reach this conclusion, I begin by interrogating the concept of political legitimacy generally. I argue for a normative rather than a purely descriptive understanding of political legitimacy, give a brief overview of the historical development of the question of legitimacy and then turn my attention to the current state of the debate about the normative justification of political authority. From the preceding investigation, I extrapolate five criteria that a convincing account of political legitimacy must fulfil. Such an account must: 1) provide a coherent method for evaluating – as opposed to merely describing citizens’ beliefs about – any particular government; 2) address the problem of plurality; 3) provide normative grounds for the authority of a governing regime; 4) account of the relationship between such authority and citizens’ duties/obligations; and lastly 5) incorporate the pursuit of stability. With these five criteria in hand, I move on to the evaluation of Rawls’s and Benhabib’s theories of political legitimacy. Chapter Two is devoted to Rawls’s position. After explaining the main tenets of this position, I evaluate his theory in light of the five specified criteria, and conclude that his account of political legitimacy ultimately fails to account for genuine plurality in so far as he seeks to limit political conflict to a very small and tightly defined public sphere. Chapter Three is devoted to Benhabib’s theory of deliberative democracy, and follows much the same structure as the previous chapter. I first set out the main tenets of Benhabib’s theory, and then evaluate this theory in light of the specified criteria. I conclude that the theory of deliberative democracy provides us with a more convincing theory of political legitimacy than the liberal model espoused by Rawls, for three reasons: 1) contrary to Rawls’s attempt to minimize, contain and ultimately remove fundamental disagreement within our political lives, Benhabib takes the deep and dividing disagreements among citizens seriously, and develops a theory of political legitimacy that is able to incorporate these disagreements within a more expansive public sphere; 2) as a direct result of the previous feature, the theory of deliberative democracy is better able to account for the relationship between political authority and citizens’ duties and obligations, and hence 3) resolves the problem of stability in a way that Rawls’s liberal model of political legitimacy is unable to do.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis het twee doelwitte: Eerstens wil ek die hoofeienskappe van die probleem van politieke legitimiteit – bedoel as 'n normatiewe regverdiging van 'n regerende regime – definieer, asook die kriteria wat 'n oortuigende teorie van politieke legitimiteit moet vervul. Tweedens evalueer ek twee invloedryke teoretici van politieke legitimiteit aan die hand van hierdie kriteria: John Rawls se liberale prinsiep van legitimiteit en Seyla Benhabib se onderhandelde demokrasie. My gevolgtrekking is dat laasgenoemde 'n beter standaard vir die evaluering en regverdiging van politieke regering verskaf as Rawls se liberale model. Om tot hierdie gevolgtrekking te kom, begin ek deur die konsep van politieke legitimiteit in die algemeen te bespreek. Ek stel die argument vir 'n normatiewe eerder as 'n suiwer beskrywende begrip van die konsep, dan verskaf ek 'n kort oorsig van die historiese ontwikkeling van die vraag van politieke legitimiteit en daarna fokus ek op die huidige stand van die debat oor die normatiewe regverdiging van politieke outoriteit. Afgelei uit die voorafgaande ontleding ontwikkel ek vyf kriteria wat 'n oortuigende weergawe van politieke legitimiteit moet vervul. So 'n weergawe moet: 1) 'n koherente metode vir die evaluering – teenoor blote beskrywing – van burgers se sienings oor 'n spesifieke staat verskaf; 2) die probleem van pluralisme aanspreek; 3) normatiewe gronde vir die outoriteit van 'n regerende regime verskaf; 4) rekenskap gee van die verhouding tussen so 'n outoriteit en die burgers se pligte/verpligtinge; en laastens 5) die strewe na stabiliteit inkorporeer. Met hierdie vyf kriteria in gedagte, beweeg ek na die evaluering van beide Raws en Benhabib se teorië oor politieke legitimiteit. Hoofstuk Twee handel oor Rawls. Nadat ek die hoofeienskappe van sy posisie verduidelik, evalueer ek sy teorie aan die hand van die vyf kriteria en kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat hy nie daarin slaag om werklike pluralisme ernstig op te neem nie, omdat hy politieke konflik tot 'n baie beperkte en eng-gedefinieerde openbare sfeer beperk. Hoofstuk Drie handel oor Benhabib se teorie van onderhandelde demokrasie en volg dieselfde struktuur as Hoofstuk Twee. Ek begin deur eerstens die hoofeienskappe van die teorie te verduidelik en daarna wend ek my tot die evaluering van die teorie aan die hand van die vyf kriteria. Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat onderhandelde demokrasie 'n meer oortuigende teorie van politieke legitimiteit is as die liberale posisie, om drie redes: 1) teenoor Rawls se poging om fundamentele meningsverskille te minimaliseer en uiteindelik uit ons politieke lewens te verwyder, neem Benhabib fundamentele meningsverskille ernstig op en ontwikkel 'n teorie van politieke legitimiteit wat die meningsverskille in 'n groter openbare sfeer kan inkorporeer; 2) as 'n direkte gevolg van die vorige punt is onderhandelde demokrasie beter in staat om rekenskap te gee van die verhouding tussen politieke outoriteit en burgers se pligte en verpligtinge en kan daarom 3) die probleem van stabiliteit oplos op 'n wyse wat Rawls se model van politieke legitimiteit nie in staat is om te doen nie. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016. 2016-03-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/98058 Ethical aspects of genetic information about hereditary cancer syndromes Loftus, Izak Adriaan Johannes ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The practice of medicine is constantly changing as technology enables us to redefine our understanding of the pathophysiological basis of disease. These new medical techniques and technologies often raise new moral and ethical dilemmas, forcing us to constantly reflect on our practice of bioethics, and to keep it relevant if we do not want to create a bioethical void. Neoplastic diseases, like colon and breast cancer, are sometimes associated with genetic abnormalities, some of which are inherited. A number of hereditary cancer syndromes have been identified, including Lynch syndrome. Two issues, related to scientific developments in the fields of histopathology and molecular pathology, and both of which are of importance to the histopathologist and the clinician/genetic counsellor, are discussed in this thesis. The first issue relates to the apparent merging of the concepts of the genotype and phenotype, and the consequences of such a unified concept. I believe that the staggered approach to obtain consent for the examination of a histopathology specimen, is outdated in view of the availability of a whole range of modern techniques and technologies, which allow us to analyse any point along the genotype – phenotype spectrum. Some investigations straddle the concepts of genotype and phenotype, and it is not always clear whether these investigations may be performed without the specific consent of the patient. If we accept a merged concept of the genotype and phenotype, I believe best clinical and ethical practice would be to obtain specific informed consent for the histopathology examination of the specimen in advance. This consent must be comprehensive and inclusive of all investigations, including genetic testing for both somatic and germline mutations. My second argument is based on the ownership of genetic information related to hereditary cancer syndromes. It does sometimes happen for various reasons, including the fear of stigmatisation or discrimination, that the index patient refuses to disseminate this information to his family. The ethical dilemma then arises whether the healthcare worker can divulge this information without the necessary consent and against the index patient’s express wishes. This dilemma hinges mainly on two ethical issues, i.e. confidentiality and privacy. An analysis of the professional guidelines as well as current legislation and case law, is supportive of my opinion that the right to confidentiality and privacy is not absolute, and that this information may be divulged to at-risk family members. The ethical and moral implications are analysed from the perspective of the three main ethical and moral theories – virtue ethics (especially the virtue of phronesis as basis of an ethics of responsibility), utilitarianism and deontology – as well as the principles of biomedical ethics as formulated by Beauchamp and Childress. I believe that there is professional, legal and also moral justification to divulge important and potential life-saving information regarding the possibility of a hereditary cancer syndrome to at-risk family members. In fact, there is a duty to do so.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die praktisering van geneeskunde verander gedurig soos tegnologiese vooruitgang ons begrip aangaande die patofisiologiese basis van siektes herdefinieer. Hierdie nuwe mediese tegnieke en tegnologie skep dikwels nuwe morele en etiese dilemmas. Dit forseer ons om gedurig te reflekteer oor ons praktisering van bio-etiek, dit relevant te hou, en so te verhoed dat ‘n morele leemte ontstaan. Neoplastiese siektes, soos kolon- en borskanker, is soms assosieerd met genetiese abnormaliteite, waarvan sommige daarvan oorerflik is. ‘n Aantal oorerflike kanker sindrome is reeds identifiseerd, insluitende Lynch sindroom. Twee aangeleenthede wat spruit uit die wetenskaplike vooruitgang in die mediese dissiplines van histopatologie en molekulêre patologie, en wat beide van belang is vir die histopatoloog en die klinikus/genetiese raadgewer, word in hierdie tesis bespreek. Die eerste kwessie spruit uit die skynbare samesmelting of eenwording van die konsepte van die genotipe en fenotipe, en die gevolge van sodanige verenigde konsep. Ek glo dat die stapsgewyse benadering om toestemming te verkry vir histopatologie ondersoeke oudmodies is, in die lig van die beskikbaarheid van ‘n hele reeks moderne tegnieke en tegnologie, wat ons in staat stel om enige punt op die genotipe-fenotipe spektrum te kan analiseer. Sommige ondersoeke oorbrug die konsepte van genotipe en fenotipe en dit is nie altyd duidelik of die ondersoek uitgevoer mag word sonder die spesifieke toestemming van die pasiënt nie. Ek glo dat as ons ‘n verenigde konsep van die genotipe en fenotipe aanvaar, dit dan die beste kliniese en etiese praktyk sal wees om spesifieke ingeligte toestemming vir die histopatologiese ondersoek vooraf te verkry. Hierdie toestemming moet omvattend wees en al die ondersoeke insluit, insluitende moontlike genetiese toetse vir sowel somatiese en kiemlyn mutasies. My tweede argument is baseer op die eienaarskap van genetiese inligting wat verband hou met oorerflike kanker sindrome. Soms gebeur dit dat die indeks pasiënt weens verskeie redes, soos die vrees van stigmatisering en diskriminasie, weier om hierdie inligting deur te gee aan die familie. Die etiese dilemma ontstaan dan of die gesondheidswerker by magte is om hierdie inligting te openbaar sonder die nodige toestemming en teen die uitdruklike wense van die indeks pasiënt. Hierdie dilemma berus grotendeels op twee etiese aspekte, naamlik vertroulikheid en privaatheid. ‘n Ontleding van die professionele riglyne asook huidige wetgewing en hofuitsprake ondersteun my mening dat die reg tot vertroulikheid en privaatheid nie absoluut is, en dat hierdie inligting openbaar mag word aan die familielede blootgestel aan die risiko. Die etiese en morele implikasies word benader vanuit die perspektief van drie belangrike etiese en morele teorieë – die etiek gebaseer op deugde (veral phronesis as deug en as basis van ‘n etiek van verantwoordbaarheid), utilitarianisme en deontologie - asook die beginsels van biomediese etiek soos formuleer deur Beauchamp en Childress. Ek glo dat daar professionele, wetlike en ook morele regverdiging bestaan om belangrike en potensieel lewensreddende inligting aan familielede met ‘n risiko vir ‘n oorerflike kanker sindroom, oor te dra. Daar is inderwaarheid ‘n plig om dit te doen. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. 2015-12-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/97960 Closing the gap : exploring edentulism through Norman Daniels’ approach to health and healthcare Valentine, Terence Albert ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Statistics from the Western Cape Department of Oral and Dental Health Services show an alarming decrease in the construction of dentures by dentists working at state health facilities. In addition, statistical evidence shows that the most common treatment modality used by dentists in the public sector is extraction, the result of which is a growing sector of society presenting with partial or full edentulism. Edentulism is a condition characterised by partial or complete loss of natural teeth. The aim of this thesis is to explore edentulism as a healthcare need in the light of Norman Daniels’ approach to health and just healthcare provision. Daniels argues that healthcare is morally important because of the role that it plays in ensuring fair equality of opportunity. This thesis will argue that for individuals whose dependence is solely on the public healthcare system, edentulism can restrict opportunity. A requirement of justice would therefore require that denture or other appropriate prosthesis construction be incorporated into macro level healthcare design so that it would serve to protect and maintain opportunity in order for individuals to realise their life plans relative to others in their society. Where resource constraints make this difficult, Daniels’ “Accountability for Reasonableness” approach can be applied to ensure that procedural justice is maintained in making fair decisions around rationing.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Statistieke van die Weskaapse Departement van Mond en Tandheelkundige Dienste toon ‘n kommerwekkende afname in die konstruksie van kunsgebitte deur tandartse verbonde aan die staat se gesondheidsfasiliteite. Daar is verdere bewyse wat aandui dat die mees algemene behandeling deur tandartse verbonde aan die openbare sektor die trek van tande is. Die laasgenoemde tandheelkundige behandeling veroorsaak ‘n groeiende sektor in die gemeenskap wat tandeloos is. Tandeloosheid is ‘n toestand gekenmerk deur gedeeltelike of algehele verlies van natuurlike tande. Die doel van hierdie tesis is om tandeloosheid te ondersoek deur middel van Norman Daniels se benadering tot gesondheid en regverdige gesondheidsorg voorsiening. Daniels beweer dat gesondheidsorg van morele belangrikheid is vanweë die rol wat dit in die versekering van billike gelykheid van geleenthede speel. Hierdie tesis argumenteer dat persone met tandeloosheid en wat uitsluitlik van die openbare gesonheidstelsel gebruik kan maak ‘n beperking van geleenthede sal hê. Die vereiste vir regverdigheid sal dan op makrovlak by die beplanning van gesonheidsdienste aandag moet geniet oor die beskikbaarheid van fasiliteite vir die rekonstruksie van die gebit asook die beskikbaarheid van die aangewese prostese. Dit sal dan aan die beskerming van geleenthede voorsien ten einde die lewens beplanning van individue met tandeloosheid relatief tot ander in hul gemeenskap. In gevalle van beperkinge op hulpbronne kan Daniels se “Aanspreeklikheid vir Redelikheid” benadering toegepas word sodat regverdigheid gehandhaaf kan word in besluite rondom billike rantsoenering. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. 2015-12-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/97136 The moral community and moral consideration : a pragmatic approach Stephens, Christopher ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this thesis is to argue for a new metric for determining the moral status of another being. Determining this status is of foundational importance in a number of legal, political, and ethical concerns, including but not limited to animal rights, the treatment of criminals, and the treatment of the psychologically afflicted. This metric will be based upon one’s capacity to morally consider others. In other words, in order to have full moral status, one must be able to have moral concern for others and act upon this concern to even a minimal degree. In doing so, one will be considered to belong to a “moral community”, which affords the member a certain set of rights, privileges, and duties towards other community members. Arguing for the existence of such a community achieves the pragmatic aspect of this thesis. I argue that morality is geared towards group-survival strategies which have been evolutionarily selected for, and thus by organizing societal structures towards the tools which nature has armed us with, we may maximize the powers and capacities of the community members. In order to achieve these aims, I defend a concept of morality as based in emotion, requiring certain neurological structures, which gives the first set of criteria for identifying potential members of the moral community. I then discuss the issue of identifying the capacity for morality in non-human minds, arguing that we may infer moral capacities from behaviourism. In summary, the findings of this paper are that first, morality is essentially emotional in nature and is a product of the nature of our neurological system, although rational processes and enculturation shape particular moral sensitivities and priorities. Second, one can infer the existence of moral capacities in animals from their behaviour, and, at risk of engaging in anthropomorphism, to deny these capacities completely entails solipsism. Thirdly, and most importantly, those who are capable of morally considering others ought to be afforded full moral status themselves and be brought into a “moral community” wherein special rights, freedoms, and privileges allow the members to most efficiently contribute to the community, maximizing the powers and benefits of the community.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis is om ’n nuwe maatstaf voor te hou waarvolgens die morele status van ’n ander wese bepaal kan word. Die bepaling van hierdie status is van fundamentele belang vir ’n hele aantal regs-, politiese en etiese aangeleenthede. Dit sluit, onder andere, diereregte, die behandeling van misdadigers en die behandeling van diegene met sielkundige probleme in. Hierdie maatstaf sal gebaseer word op die vermoë van die individuele wese om ander moreel in ag te neem. Met ander woorde om volle morele status te hê, moet 'n wese daartoe in staat wees om moreel besorg te wees oor ander en om, ten minste tot ’n minimale mate, na gelang van hierdie besorgheid op te tree. Op grond hiervan kan daar aanvaar word dat daardie wese tot ’n “morele gemeenskap” behoort, wat ook aan hom ’n stel regte, voordele en pligte teenoor ander gemeenskapslede sal besorg. Om ’n argument vir die bestaan van só ’n gemeenskap te maak sal die pragmatiese doelwit van hierdie tesis bereik. Ek argumenteer dat moraliteit ingestel is op groepsoorlewingstrategieë wat evolusionêr geselekteer is. Dit wil sê deur samelewingstrukture op só ’n wyse te organiseer dat dit gebruik maak van die gereedskap waarmee die natuur ons bewapen het, sal ons die bevoegdhede en die vermoëns van gemeenskapslede kan maksimaliseer. Om hierdie doelwitte te bereik, verdedig ek ’n verstaan van moraliteit as gebaseer in emosies wat sekere neurologiese strukture benodig. Dít verskaf die eerste stel kriteria waarvolgens potensiële lede van die morele gemeenskap geïdentifiseer kan word. Ek bespreek vervolgens die moontlikheid om die vermoë tot moraliteit in nie-menslike verstande te identifiseer en argumenteer dat morele vermoëns vanuit gedragsleer afgelei kan word. Ter opsomming is die bevindinge van hierdie tesis, eerstens, dat moraliteit wesenlik emosioneel van aard en ’n produk van ons neurologiese sisteem is, alhoewel rasionele prosesse en verkulturering spesifieke morele sensitiwiteite en prioriteite vorm. Tweedens kan die bestaan van morele vermoëns in diere afgelei word vanuit hulle optrede, en, alhoewel ons hier die risiko van antropomorfisme loop, behels die ontkenning van hierdie vermoëns solipsisme. Derdens, en die belangrikste, diegene wat daartoe in staat is om ander moreel in ag te neem behoort self volledig morele status toegeken te word. Hulle word sodoende in die “morele gemeenskap” betrek waar spesiale regte, vryhede en voordele gemeenskapslede sal toelaat om op die mees effektiewe wyse tot die gemeenskap by te dra om sodoende die bevoegdhede en voordele van die gemeenskap te maksimaliseer. Thesis (MA)--Stellembosch University, 2015. 2015-04-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/96874 Delinearizing the insuperable line : deconstruction as an animal ethic Cruise, Adam John ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Jacques Derrida’s The Animal that Therefore I Am published posthumously first in France (2006) and then translated in English (2008) has potentially become one of the most powerful philosophical discourses on animal ethics to date. His seminal undertaking begins with a personal experience the philosopher has with his cat that one day follows him into the bathroom. What follows is a classic deconstructive reversal when Derrida, ashamed at his nudity in front of the cat, reverses the perspective and asks what the cat sees and thinks when faced with a man – a naked one at that, and how he, as a shamed human, responds to it. Using his well-established deconstructive methods Derrida weaves through the pillars of traditional philosophy and rigorously unpicks our traditional and historical thinking about how we regard animals and calls into question both the humananimal distinction as well as the latent subjectivity on the matter. It is this text primarily that I utilized in my thesis, as well as some of Derrida’s earlier influential works, to show that deconstruction is a powerful and persuasive strategy toward providing a new ethic for (other) animals. As with Derrida, my point of departure is to put traditional philosophy under the hammer by showing how deconstruction as a post-modern tool unpicks the inherent flaws within its structure. I hope to reveal that a deconstruction of the anthropocentric and logocentric attitude of humans toward other animals is necessary in providing a new ethic for (other) animals. I begin first by breaking down the traditional hierarchy of humans over (other) animals – anthropocentrism, logocentrism and ‘carnophallogocentrism’ – as well as, in a separate chapter, a deconstruction of contemporary animal rights thinkers, and replace these perceptions and theories with what Matthew Calarco called a ‘proto-ethical imperative’ (Calarco, 2008: 108), which, I argue, is a foundation stone toward a new ethic. Then, by multiplying the possibilities of an equitable co-existence between human and other animals, I chart a path toward a better understanding and approach to our relationship with non-human animals. In short, this thesis is an attempt to discover, through deconstruction, a way toward an applied (animal) ethic.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Jacques Derrida se The Animal that Therefore I Am wat postuum die eerste keer gepubliseer is in Frankryk (2006) en daarna vertaal is in Engels (2008) het potensieel een van die mees kragtige filosofiese diskoerse oor diere-etiek tot op datum geword. Sy seminale onderneming begin met 'n persoonlike ervaring wat die filosoof het met sy kat wat hom een dag in die badkamer volg. Wat daarop gebeur is 'n klassieke dekonstruktiewe omkeer toe Derrida, skaam oor sy naaktheid voor die kat, die perspektief omswaai en vra wat die kat sien en dink wanneer gekonfronteer met 'n man – en boonop nog 'n naakte man, en hoe hy, as 'n beskaamde mens, daarop reageer. Met behulp van sy goed gevestigde dekonstruktiewe metodes weef Derrida deur die pilare van die tradisionele filosofie en met sy streng ontledings ontrafel hy ons tradisionele en historiese denke oor hoe ons diere beskou, en bevraagteken hy sowel die mens-dier onderskeiding as die latente subjektiwiteit oor die aangeleentheid. Dit is hoofsaaklik hierdie teks wat ek gebruik in my tesis, sowel as 'n paar van Derrida se vroeëre invloedryke werke, om aan te toon dat dekonstruksie 'n kragtige en oortuigende strategie is om 'n nuwe etiek ten aansien van (ander) diere te voorsien. Soos by Derrida, is my uitgangspunt om tradisionele filosofie onder die hamer te plaas deur aan te toon hoe dekonstruksie as 'n post-moderne denkstrategie die inherente gebreke in sy struktuur kan blootlê. Ek hoop om aan te toon dat 'n dekonstruksie van die antroposentriese en logosentriese ingesteldheid van mense teenoor ander diere noodsaaklik is vir die formulering van 'n nuwe etiek vir (ander) diere. Ek begin deur die tradisionele hiërargie van die mens oor (ander) diere – antroposentrisme, logosentrisme en 'carnophallogosentrisme' af te breek – asook, in 'n ander hoofstuk, met 'n dekonstruksie van kontemporêre diereregtedenkers, en vervang hierdie sieninge en teorieë met wat Matthew Calarco 'n sogenaamde 'proto-etiese imperatief' noem (Calarco 2008: 108), wat ek argumenteer 'n hoeksteen is van 'n nuwe etiek. Dan, deur die moontlikhede van 'n billike mede-bestaan tussen mens en ander diere te vermenigvuldig, karteer ek 'n weg na 'n beter begrip van, en benadering tot ons verhouding met niemenslike diere. In kort, hierdie tesis is 'n poging om deur middel van dekonstruksie, 'n pad na 'n toegepaste (diere-)etiek te ontsluit. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. 2015-04-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/96022 The refugee as citizen : the possibility of political membership in a cosmopolitan world Cilliers, Judy-Ann ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this thesis is to determine what responsibilities democratic states have toward refugees. This problem is stated within the broader framework of the tension inherent in all democratic states: on the one hand, the sovereign right of a state over its territory and, on the other hand, the cosmopolitan or universal human rights norms upon which the state‟s constitution is founded. I argue that this tension is brought to the fore when refugees cross borders and enter into democratic territories, asking for protection and claiming their human rights. The sheer magnitude of the refugee crisis makes this an issue every state should address. My answer to the question of state responsibility is worked out in four phases. Firstly, I give a conceptual clarification of refugeehood, sovereignty, and cosmopolitanism. I show that neither absolute sovereignty (which implies closed borders) nor extreme cosmopolitanism (which implies no borders) is desirable. Secondly, I draw on Immanuel Kant‟s cosmopolitan theory as a possible solution. Kant proposes a world-federation of states in which right is realised on the civic, international, and cosmopolitan level. Kant also insists that every individual has the right to hospitality – a right which foreign states should recognise. Thirdly, I examine three prominent theories which could offer us a way to address the refugee crisis. I argue that the first two – multiculturalism and John Rawls‟ „law of peoples‟ – are not adequate responses to the refugee crisis, but that the third – Seyla Benhabib‟s cosmopolitan federalism – is more promising. Hospitality is the first responsibility states have toward refugees, and Benhabib proposes that it be institutionalised by (i) forming a federation of states founded on cosmopolitan principles, (ii) revising membership norms through the political process of democratic iterations, and (iii) extending some form of political membership to the state to refugees. Lastly, I justify the claim that political membership should be extended by referring to Hannah Arendt‟s argument that the ability to speak and act publicly is part of what it means to be human. If we deny refugees this ability, or if we deny them access to political processes, we deny their humanity. Benhabib proposes institutional measures to ensure that this does not happen, including allowing for political membership on sub-national, national, and supranational levels. Ultimately, I argue that democratic states have the responsibility to (i) allow entry to refugees, (ii) give refugees legal status and offer protection, and (ii) extend political membership to them on some level.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie tesis is om te bepaal wat die verantwoordelikhede van demokratiese state teenoor vlugtelinge is. Ek plaas hierdie probleem binne die breër raamwerk van die onderliggende spanning in demokratiese state: die soewereine reg van ‟n staat oor sy grondgebied, aan die een kant, en die kosmopolitiese of universele menseregte-norme waarop die staat se grondwet berus, aan die ander kant. Ek argumenteer dat hierdie spanning na vore gebring word wanneer vlugtelinge, op soek na beskerming, grense oorsteek, demokratiese state binnetree en aanspraak maak op hulle regte. Ek bespreek die vraagstuk in vier stappe. Eerstens verduidelik ek die begrippe van vlugtelingskap, soewereiniteit en kosmopolitisme. Ek toon aan dat nóg absolute soewereiniteit (wat geslote grense impliseer), nóg ekstreme kosmopolitisme (wat geen grense impliseer) ‟n wenslike ideaal is. Tweedens kyk ek na Immanuel Kant se kosmopolitiese teorie vir ‟n moontlike oplossing. Kant stel voor dat state saamkom in ‟n wêreld-federasie, om sodoende reg te laat geskied op die plaaslike, internasionale, en kosmopolitiese vlak. Kant dring ook aan daarop dat elke individu die reg tot gasvryheid besit, ‟n reg wat ook deur ander state buiten die individu se staat van herkoms erken behoort te word. Derdens ondersoek ek drie prominente teorieë wat moontlike oplossings bied vir die vlugteling-krisis. Ek argumenteer dat die eerste twee – multikulturalisme en John Rawls se „law of peoples‟ – nie voldoende is om die vlugteling-krisis die hoof te bied nie. Die derde teorie, Seyla Benhabib se kosmopolitiese federalisme, blyk meer belowend te wees. Benhabib stel voor dat die staat se verantwoordelikheid om gasvryheid te toon geïnstitusionaliseer kan word deur (i)‟n federasie van state gegrond op kosmopolitiese beginsels te vorm, (ii) lidmaatskap-norme te hersien deur ‟n politieke proses genaamd demokratiese iterasie, en (iii) politieke lidmaatskap van een of ander aard aan vlugtelinge toe te ken. Laastens regverdig ek die aanspraak op lidmaatskap. Ek verwys na Hannah Arendt se argument dat die vermoë om in die publieke sfeer te praat en dade te kan uitvoer, deel uitmaak van wat dit beteken om ‟n mens te wees. As ons verhoed dat vlugtelinge hierdie twee vermoëns kan uitleef, ontken ons hulle menslikheid. Benhabib stel sekere institutionele maatreëls voor om dit te voorkom. Dit sluit politieke lidmaatskap op ‟n sub-nasionale, nasionale, en supra-nasionale vlak in. Uiteindelik argumenteer ek dat demokratiese state se verantwoordelikhede teenoor vlugtelinge uit die volgende bestaan: (i) toegang tot hierdie state se grondgebied, (ii) wetlike status en beskerming, en (iii) politieke lidmaatskap op een of ander vlak. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. 2014-12-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/95879 Ethical issues in pre-eclampsia : hurry up and wait Hall, David R. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Pre-eclampsia is a common and dangerous condition of pregnancy. During clinical care the sensitive obstetrician will frequently recognise moral ambiguity and ethical conflicts. It is important to understand the pertinent issues and find ways of resolving them. Counselling is an important element of modern medicine. In deciding which counselling model to apply, clinicians must consider many variables including the particular clinical scenario, strength of evidence, and the justifiable limits of paternalism and autonomy in a position of shared responsibility. Couples have a moral right to procreate even when the pursuit of pregnancy involves significant risks. However, with their understanding of care ethics as well as rights ethics, informed women are well placed to negotiate the extremes of these positions when deciding whether to risk a pregnancy or not. The concept of the “fetal patient” is a helpful one. An autonomous woman may choose to confer or deny this status to her previable fetus, while obstetricians must balance autonomy- and beneficence-based obligations to the pregnant woman with beneficence-based obligations to her fetus. Maternal behaviour that harms the fetus and future child is categorised as maternal-fetal conflict. However, any pregnant woman is morally required to avoid harming the fetus, if this can be done without sacrificing her own important interests. The term non-compliance implies a hierarchical nature in the doctor-patient relationship. This reduces patient agency, erodes trust and conflicts with informed choice. Although sometimes justified, this “label” generally does more harm than good. Expectant management of early pre-eclampsia recognises that neonatal intensive care is an expensive and limited resource. The ultimate goal of expectant management remains the safety of the mother and the delivery of a live infant who will not require intensive and prolonged neonatal care. This judicious use of neonatal intensive care improves distributive justice but by consenting to expectant management as an inpatient, the pregnant woman voluntarily restricts her freedom. The decision is morally undergirded by the value accorded to the viable fetus and the scientific evidence informing the decision. When an extremely preterm, growth restricted fetus requires delivery, resuscitation may become an issue for consideration. The distinction between withholding resuscitation in such cases, or initiating but later withdrawing care is morally irrelevant. Categories of optional and obligatory treatments are more helpful, but perinatologists must determine treatment thresholds through understanding the relevant data and ethics issues. Finally, women do not lose their rights when they become terminally ill. When an undelivered woman is declared brain dead following complications of pre-eclampsia, her doctors and family must formulate clear plans for her and her living fetus. She must still be treated with respect and her right to die with dignity not forgotten. Extension of somatic support to optimise the outcome of her fetus can be supported ethically provided that the fetus is at the threshold of viability, the support is not prolonged (distributive justice), advanced level support is available with a successful outcome likely, and that doctors and family are in clear agreement.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Pre-eklampsie is ‘n algemene en gevaarlike toestand van swangerskap. Die verloskundige met ‘n fyn waarnemingsvermoë sal dikwels morele dubbelsinnigheid en etiese konflik tydens kliniese sorg erken. Dit is belangrik om die kernaspekte te verstaan en maniere te vind om dit op te los. Berading is ‘n belangrike komponent van moderne geneeskunde. Tydens besluitneming oor watter model van berading toegepas moet word, moet klinici ‘n aantal veranderlikes teen mekaar opweeg insluitend die spesifieke kliniese senario, sterkte van die getuienis, die geregverdigde perke van paternalisme en outonomie in ‘n posisie van gedeelde verantwoordelikheid. Die egpare het ‘n morele reg om voort te plant selfs wanneer die verlange na swangerskap betekenisvolle risiko’s inhou. Vrouens wat goed ingelig is, het die vermoë om die uiterstes van etiek van sorg en regte teen mekaar op te weeg wanneer hulle besluit om die risiko van swangerskap te loop. Die konsep van “fetus as pasiënt” kan wel tot verdere besluitneming bydra. Die outonome vrou mag self besluit of die fetus daardie status het. Aan die ander kant moet die verloskundige outonomie en goedwilligheid- (“beneficence”) gebasseerde verpligtinge teenoor die swanger vrou opweeg teen die goedwilligheid-gebasseerde verpligting teenoor haar fetus. Moederlike gedrag wat die fetus en toekomstige kind skend, word as ‘n moeder-fetus konflik beskou. Enige swanger vrou is egter moreel verplig om nie die fetus skade te berokken nie, mits dit gedoen kan word sonder die prysgawe van haar eie noodsaaklike belange. Die term “nie-inskiklikheid” (“non-compliance”) impliseer hiërargie in die dokter-pasiëntverhouding. Hierdie hiërargie doen afbreuk aan die besluitneming van die pasiënt, ondermyn vertroue en bots met ingeligte keuses. Alhoewel besluitneming op grond van hiërargies-gebaseerde gesag soms geregverdig is, veroorsaak hierdie kategorisering gewoonlik meer kwaad as goed. Afwagtende hantering van vroeë pre-eklampsie gaan van die standpunt uit dat neonatale intensiewe sorg ‘n duur en skaars hulpbron is. Die uiteindelike doel van afwagtende hantering bly die veiligheid en gesondheid van die ma en die verlossing van ‘n lewendige baba wat nie verlengde intensiewe- en neonatale sorg benodig nie. Hierdie oordeelkundige gebruik van neonatale sorg bevorder distributiewe geregtigheid, maar wanneer sy toestemming gee tot afwagtende behandeling as binnepasiënt, beperk die swanger vrou vrywilliglik haar vryheid. Hierdie besluit word moreel ondersteun deur die waarde wat aan die lewensvatbare fetus toegevoeg word en die wetenskaplike gronde waarop die besluit berus. Wanneer ‘n erge voortydse, groeivertraagde fetus verlossing benodig, word ressussitasie soms iets wat oorweeg moet word. Die onderskeid tussen die weerhouding van ressussitasie in sulke gevalle en die onttrekking van sorg waar dit aanvanklik begin is, is moreel irrelevant. Kategorieë van opsionele en verpligte behandelings is meer behulpsaam, maar perinatoloë moet die behandelingsdrempels bepaal deur die relevante data en etiek te verstaan. Laastens, vroue verloor nie hul regte wanneer hulle terminaal siek word nie. Wanneer die komplikasies van pre-eklampsie breindood van die vrou veroorsaak voor die verlossing van haar baba, moet haar dokters en familie duidelike planne vir die hantering van haar en haar fetus ontwikkel. Sy moet nogsteeds met respek behandel word en haar reg om met waardigheid te sterf, mag nie uit die oog verloor word nie. Verlenging van die ondersteuning van lewensfunksies om die uitkoms van haar fetus te verbeter, kan eties ondersteun word, mits die fetus na aan lewensvatbaarheid is, die ondersteuning nie te lank duur nie (distributiewe geregtigheid), gevorderde ondersteuning beskikbaar is met ‘n goeie kans vir suksesvolle uitkoms en dat die dokters en familie ten volle saamstem. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. 2014-12-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/86727 The morality of transhumanism : assessing human dignity arguments Palk, Andrea Christy ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The transhumanist movement propounds the view that the evolution of humanity must be extricated from the contingencies of blind natural selection and actively directed by human beings themselves, utilising existing as well as nascent technologies, in order to radically enhance and thus transform individual human capabilities to levels which far surpass current capacities. Transhumanism has elicited vehement critique, however, due to the claim that the transformations it proposes will result in a new posthuman species; and thus, that its aims represent a violation of human dignity. In order to assess this claim it is necessary to firstly investigate the aims and values of the transhumanist movement, as well as the technological means through which it proposes these aims will be fulfilled. This task is the focus of the first half of this thesis. Secondly, the concept of dignity itself must be examined in order to ascertain its status as a means of critiquing transhumanism. The second half of this thesis therefore explicates the notion of dignity by tracing its historical interpretations and uses, as well as the way in which it has been employed to uphold human rights and to adjudicate bioethical dilemmas in the contemporary milieu. This investigation enables the assessment of the two most renowned dignity arguments, namely, the arguments of the bioconservative thinkers Leon Kass and Francis Fukuyama which have been lodged against transhumanism, as well as the counter-argument of the transhumanist Nick Bostrom. In light of this discussion, the conclusion is that the notion of dignity is plagued by irrevocable ambiguity, vagueness and inconsistencies, due to the presence of conflicting interpretations. These findings have implications for the concept’s efficacy to adjudicate the complex ethical conundrums posed, not only by transhumanism, but in the bioethics arena in general.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die transhumanistiese beweging verteenwoordig die standpunt dat die evolusie van die mensdom losgemaak moet word van die toevallighede van blinde, natuurlike seleksie en aktief gerig moet word deur die mens self, deur van bestaande sowel as ontwikkelende tegnologieë gebruik te maak ten einde individuele menslike vermoëns radikaal te verbeter en dus te transformeer tot op vlakke wat huidige vermoëns ver oorskry. Transhumanisme het egter hewige kritiek ontlok weens die aanspraak dat die transformasies wat dit voorstel ‘n nuwe post-menslike spesie tot gevolg sal hê en dus dat die oogmerke daarvan ‘n skending van menswaardigheid verteenwoordig. Ten einde hierdie aanspraak te beoordeel, was dit eerstens nodig om die oogmerke en waardes van die transhumanistiese beweging te ondersoek, sowel as die tegnologiese middele wat voorgestel word as dit waardeur hierdie oogmerke verwesenlik sal word. Hierdie taak is onderneem in die eerste helfte van die tesis. Tweedens is die konsep van waardigheid self krities onder die loep geneem ten einde die status daarvan as ‘n middel om transhumanisme te kritiseer, te beoordeel. Die tweede helfte van hierdie tesis verhelder dus die idee van waardigheid deur die historiese interpretasies en gebruike daarvan na te gaan, sowel as die manier waarop dit aangewend is om menseregte te ondersteun en om dilemmas in die bioetiek in die hedendaagse milieu te bereg. Hierdie ondersoek maak die beoordeling van die drie mees bekende waardigheidsargumente wat teen transhumanisme gebring is, naamlik die argumente van die biokonserwatiewe denkers Leon Kass en Francis Fukuyama, sowel as die teenargument van die transhumanis Nick Bostrom, moontlik. Na aanleiding van hierdie bespreking is die gevolgtrekking van die skrywer dat die idee van menswaardigheid deurspek is met onvermydelike dubbelsinnigheid, vaagheid en teenstrydighede as gevolg van teenstrydige interpretasies. Hierdie bevindinge het implikasies vir die doeltreffendheid van die konsep om die komplekse etiese probleme wat gestel word, nie net deur transhumanisme nie, maar deur die bioetiek arena oor die algemeen, te beoordeel. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. 2014-03-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/86698 Towards a convincing account of intention Conradie, Niel Henk ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis has two aims. The first is to assess the cogency of the three most influential theories of intention – namely those of Elizabeth Anscombe, Donald Davidson and Michael Bratman. I identify five requirements that a convincing account of intention must fulfil, and then assess each of these theories in light of these five requirements. In the course of this analysis, I demonstrate that, while each of these theories contributes to our understanding of intention, none of them meet all the specified requirements. This leads to the second aim of this thesis, which is to develop an account of intention capable of overcoming the problems inherent in the foregoing theories of intention and hence fulfilling the specified requirements. This account is built around the definition of intention as a complex mental entity, consisting of two components: a revisable pro-attitude and a belief that the agent will try to fulfil this pro-attitude. It must further be possible for the agent to reflexively reconstruct the belief component without external information. I begin by setting out the five requirements for a convincing account of intention. In each case, I explain why it is necessary for a theory of intention to meet the relevant requirement, and elaborate on what is needed for an account of intention to fulfil this requirement. The five requirements for a convincing account of intention are: 1) It must explain the unity of the three seemingly irreconcilable uses of intention; 2) it must explain the epistemic requirements for intention; 3) it must clarify the relationship between intention and motivation, intention and causes, and intention and reasons; 4) it must explain the relationship between intention and practical reasoning, and 5) it must clarify the relationship between intention and moral responsibility. Together, these five requirements form the yardstick against which I evaluate the different theories of intention. With this yardstick in mind, I am then able to assess each of the influential theories of intention developed by Anscombe, Davidson, and Bratman. In each case, I examine how the relevant theory of intention fares in meeting each of the five requirements. This analysis shows that, while each theory provides a number of important insights, none of them succeeds in meeting all five requirements. Such analysis further enables me to identify the specific difficulties that have stymied the attempts of all three thinkers to develop a convincing account of intention. Having identified the strengths and weaknesses of the three preceding accounts of intention, I then try to work out an alternative account of intention that would not fall prey to the same complications. Following the same modus operandi as before, I evaluate my proposed account against the five requirements for a convincing theory of intention. In each case, I show that my account not only succeeds in meeting the specified criterion, but also, crucially, that it is able to overcome the difficulties that have plagued previous attempts to fulfil this criterion. I conclude that, while this account is not necessarily conclusive, it does meet the conditions for a convincing account of intention and thereby casts some light into the conceptual darkness surrounding intention that Anscombe identified more than half a century ago.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis het twee oogmerke. Die eerste is om die oortuigingskrag van die drie mees invloedryke teorieë van intensie te beoordeel – naamlik die van Elizabeth Anscombe, Donald Davidson en Michael Bratman. Ek identifiseer vyf vereistes waaraan ‘n oortuigende verklaring van intensie moet voldoen en beoordeel dan elk van hierdie teorieë aan die hand van hierdie vyf vereistes. In die loop van hierdie analise wys ek dat, alhoewel elkeen van hierdie teorieë tot ons verstaan van intensie bydra, geeneen aan al die gespesifiseerde vereistes voldoen nie. Dit lei tot die tweede oogmerk van die tesis, wat die ontwikkeling van ‘n teorie van intensie behels wat daartoe in staat is om die probleme wat inherent aan die voorgenoemde teorieë is, te oorkom en wat dus aan die gespesifiseerde vereistes voldoen. Hierdie teorie berus op die definisie van intensie as ‘n komplekse mentale entiteit wat uit twee komponente bestaan: ‘n wysigbare pro-houding en ‘n oortuiging dat die agent hierdie pro-houding sal probeer vervul. Dit moet verder ook vir die agent moontlik wees om die oortuigingskomponent refleksief te rekonstrueer sonder eksterne inligting. Ek begin deur die vyf vereistes vir ‘n oortuigende verklaring van intensie uiteen te sit. In elke geval verduidelik ek hoekom dit nodig is vir ‘n teorie van intensie om aan die relevante vereiste te voldoen en werk ek uit wat nodig is vir ‘n verklaring van intensie om aan hierdie vereiste te voldoen. Die vyf vereistes vir ‘n oortuigende verklaring van intensie is: 1) Dit moet die ooreenstemming tussen die drie skynbaar onversoenbare gebruike van intensie verduidelik; 2) dit moet die epistemiese vereistes vir intensie verduidelik; 3) dit moet die verhouding tussen intensie en motivering, intensie en oorsake, en intensie en redes verhelder; 4) dit moet die verhouding tussen intensie en praktiese redenering verhelder; en 5) dit moet die verhouding tussen intensie en morele verantwoordelikheid verhelder. Gesamentlik vorm hierdie vyf vereistes die maatstaf waarvolgens ek die verskillende teorieë van intensie evalueer. Met hierdie maatstaf in gedagte is ek dan in staat daartoe om elkeen van die invloedryke teorieë van intensie, wat ontwikkel is deur Anscombe, Davidson en Bratman, te beoordeel. In elke geval ondersoek ek hoe die relevante teorie van intensie vaar in die voldoening aan elkeen van hierdie vyf vereistes. Hierdie analise wys dat, alhoewel elke teorie ‘n aantal belangrike insigte bied, geen van hul daarin slaag om aan al vyf vereistes te voldoen nie. So ‘n analise stel my verder in staat om die spesifieke probleme te identifiseer waardeur die pogings van al drie denkers om ‘n oortuigende verklaring van intensie te ontwikkel, gestuit is. Nadat ek die sterk en swakpunte van die drie voorafgaande verklarings van intensie geïdentifiseer het, probeer ek dan om ‘n alternatiewe teorie van intensie uit te werk wat nie aan hierdie selfde komplikasies onderhewig is nie. Deur dieselfde modus operandi as voorheen te volg, evalueer ek my voorgestelde verklaring aan die hand van die vyf vereistes vir ‘n oortuigende teorie van intensie. In elke geval wys ek dat my verklaring nie bloot daaraan slaag om aan die gespesifiseerde kriterium te voldoen nie, maar ook, van deurslaggewende belang, dat dit in staat daartoe is om die probleme te oorkom waardeur vorige pogings om die kriterium te vervul, geteister is. Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat, alhoewel hierdie teorie nie noodwendig afdoende is nie, dit wel die voorwaardes vir ‘n oortuigende verklaring van intensie vervul en hierdeur lig werp op die konseptuele duisternis waarin intensie gehul is en wat meer as ‘n halfeeu gelede deur Anscombe geïdentifiseer is. Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. 2014-04-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/86654 Ethical considerations surrounding Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) in South Africa as an intervention for HIV prevention May, Robyn Walker ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In efforts to combat the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, the WHO/UNAIDS published the Joint Strategic Action Framework to Accelerate the Scale-up of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Eastern and Southern Africa which outlines the aim of a VMMC (voluntary medical male circumcision) prevalence of 80% among males 15-49 year old in 14 countries by 2016 (WHO/UNAIDS, 2011). In line with this directive, South Africa has launched a national VMMC campaign. However, a lot of ethical issues remain unaddressed surrounding VMMC. These can be categorised as individual considerations (autonomy and informed consent; non-maleficence and unintentional, unforeseen harm; risk compensation in circumcised men; risk of undermining current HIV prevention strategies; age of circumcision), community considerations (cultural considerations; justice: the gender divide and female subjugation; distributive justice; social stigmatisation as a result of VMMC), national considerations (adverse events and complications on a macro level; cost saving and unforeseen expenditure of VMMC; the implications of international funding for VMMC; the public health ethics of VMMC; risks of “de-medicalisation” of a surgical procedure; the ever present danger of corruption), global considerations (female genital mutilation; non-sexual HIV transmission; a dangerous shift in focus) and other considerations (a statistical perspective on VMMC; circumcision technique; lack of ethical awareness; dealing with medical uncertainty). Finally, I shall consider neonatal circumcision, which is in itself a contentious issue, and has no role to play in VMMC. The unresolved issues raised by these ethical considerations cast doubt on the moral status of VMMC and I conclude that the VMMC campaign as it stands in South Africa currently is morally indefensible. There is, undeniably, a pressing need for HIV/AIDS prevention strategies in South Africa and other developing countries but the role of circumcision has been overemphasised to the detriment of more holistic approaches. While there are no easy answers to any of the ethical dilemmas presented in this thesis, it is imperative to raise ethical awareness surrounding VMMC.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In ‘n poging om die globale MIV/VIGS-pandemie te bekamp, het die WHO/UNAIDS in 2007 die Joint Strategic Action Framework to Accelerate the Scale-up of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention in Eastern and Southern Africa gepubliseer wat ‘n aksie-plan is wat poog om ‘n voorkoms van VMMC (vrywillige mediese manlike besnyding) van 80% in 14 lande onder 15-49 jaar oue mans in 2016 (WHO/UNAIDS, 2011) te bewekstellig. In ooreenstemming met dié riglyn, het Suid-Afrika 'n nasionale VMMC veldtog geinnisiëer. Maar baie van die etiese kwessies verbonde aan VMMC is nie bevredigend aangespreek nie. Hierdie kwessies kan geklassifiseer word onder individuele oorwegings (outonomie en ingeligte toestemming; nie-kwaadwilligheid en onbedoelde, onvoorsiene skade; risiko vergoeding in mans wat besny is; VMMC ondermyn die huidige MIV-voorkoming strategieë; ouderdom van besnyding), gemeenskap oorwegings (kulturele oorwegings; geregtigheid: die oorweging van die geslag verdeel en vroulike onderdanigheid; distributiewe geregtigheid; sosiale stigmatisering as gevolg van VMMC), nasionale oorwegings (newe-effekte en komplikasies op 'n makro-vlak; kostebesparing en onvoorsiene uitgawes van VMMC; die implikasies van internasionale befondsing vir VMMC; die openbare gesondheid etiek van VMMC; risiko's van "de-medikalisering" van 'n chirurgiese procedure; die alomteenwoordige gevaar van korrupsie), globale oorwegings (vroulike genitale verminking; nie-seksuele oordrag van MIV; 'n gevaarlike verskuiwing in fokus) en ander oorwegings ('n statistiese perspektief op VMMC; besnyding tegniek; die gebrek aan bewustheid van hierdie etiese kwessies; die hantering van mediese onsekerheid) bespreek. Ten slotte, sal ek neonatale besnyding ondersoek, wat op sigself 'n omstrede kwessie is, en geen rol behoort te speel in VMMC nie. Die onopgeloste kwessies wat deur hierdie etiese oorwegings aan die lig gebring word veroorsaak twyfel oor die morele status van VMMC. Ek lei dus af dat die VMMC veldtog soos dit tans bestaan in Suid-Afrika moreel onverdedigbaar is. Daar is ongetwyfeld 'n dringende behoefte vir MIV/VIGS- voorkoming strategieë in Suid-Afrika en ander ontwikkelende lande, maar die rol van besnydenis word oorbeklemtoon ten koste van ‘n meer holistiese benadering. Hoewel daar geen maklike antwoorde op enige van die etiese dilemmas wat in hierdie skripsie verken is nie, is dit noodsaaklik dat etiese bewustheid rondom VMMC verhoog word. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. 2014-04-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/86647 Ethical aspects of traditional male circumcision among certain ethnic groups in South Africa : the grounds for change and societal intervention Sibiya, Sydney Langelihle ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Traditional male circumcision (TMC) is non-therapeutic ritual removal of the penile foreskin of a male person undertaken as part of a rite of passage from childhood into adulthood and manhood. The practice of TMC has received increased attention in recent years as a result primarily of complications that have led to hospitalization, penile amputations, and death of initiates. This study is a literature review and philosophical-ethical reflection with the following objectives: • To explain the current problems that beset TMC in South Africa • To explore the socio-cultural context in which TMC takes place in South Africa • To engage in ethical deliberation on the harms and benefits of TMC and determine whether, in its current form, the practice constitutes a net harm or benefit • To establish the ethical basis on which society ought to intervene in TMC, and to explore the modes of intervention proposed. Kepe (2010:729-730) identifies three concurrent crises that beset TMC in South Africa- the crisis of disease, injuries, and death suffered by some initiates, the crisis of the tension between the government and traditional leaders with regards to government intervention in TMC, and the crisis of the uncontrolled and negative way in which societal changes have impacted on the practice of traditional male circumcision. Male circumcision is the most widely accepted cultural practice among the Xhosa-speaking people of South Africa, and it is considered to be the only manner in which a boy can attain manhood and adulthood (Vincent, 2008). In view of the ongoing, unambiguous and preventable harm associated with TMC as it is currently practised, I think that it ought not to be allowed to continue in its current format. But I also think that the defect in TMC is remediable. I therefore feel sufficiently warranted to advocate for intervention to make the practice safer for all concerned. Intervention in TMC may be justified on public health, socio-cultural, autonomy, and beneficence grounds.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tradisionele manlike besnyding (TMB) is die nie-terapeutiese, rituele verwydering van die peniele voorhuid van ’n manspersoon. Dit word gedoen as deel van ’n seremonie van oorgang vanaf kinderjare na volwassenheid en manlikheid. Die praktyk van TMB het die afgelope jare toenemende aandag geniet, hoofsaaklik as gevolg van komplikasies van die prosedure wat gelei het tot hospitalisasie, peniele amputasies en dood van die persone wat geïnisieer is. Hierdie studie is ’n literatuuroorsig en filosofies-etiese refleksie met die volgende doelwitte: • Om die huidige probleme met TMB in Suid-Afrika te verduidelik • Om die sosio-kulturele konteks waarin TMB in Suid-Afrika plaasvind, te ondersoek • Om vanuit etiese oorweging te verduidelik wat die nadele en voordele van TMB is en te bepaal of die praktyk, in die huidige vorm, suiwer nadelig of voordelig is • Om die etiese basis waarop die gemeenskap in TMB behoort in te tree, asook die voorgestelde metode van intervensie, te ondersoek. Kepe (2010:729-730) identifiseer drie samevallende krisisse wat TMB in Suid- Afrika insluit – die probleem van siekte, beserings en dood ondervind deur sommige inisiandi, spanning tussen die regering en tradisionele leiers met betrekking tot regerings-intervensie in TMB, en die ongekontroleerde en negatiewe wyse waarin samelewingsveranderinge ’n impak het op die praktyk van tradisionele manlike besnyding. Manlike besnyding is die mees algemene aanvaarde kulturele praktyk in die Xhosa-sprekende mense van Suid-Afrika. Dit word beskou as die enigste manier waarop ‘n seun manlikheid en volwassenheid kan bereik (Vincent, 2008). In die lig van die voortdurende, ondubbelsinnige en voorkomende nadele wat geassosieer word met TMB soos dit tans beoefen word, dink ek dit behoort nie toegelaat te word in die huidige formaat nie. Maar ek dink ook dat die gebrek in TMB herstelbaar is. Daarom voel ek genoegsaam verseker om intervensie te verdedig om die praktyk veiliger te maak vir almal betrokke. Intervensie in TMB mag geregverdig word op grond van publieke , sosiaalkulturele en outonomiese voordele. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. 2014-04-01T00:00:00Z http://scholar.sun.ac.za:80/handle/10019.1/86624 Identity formation : a key to transforming teaching and learning Schoeman, Madeleine ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This paper proposes a possible solution to the current state of education in South African public schools, notably the underperforming schools. It uses various international studies, namely the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the 2003 Third International Maths and Science Study (TIMMS), the Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ), as well as the matriculation results to explore the reality of the education crisis as a poverty trap. I then explore possible reasons for the failure of the basic education system by means of the ‘Four As’ of the International Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural rights as a starting point to measure basic education. The ‘Four As’ (Woolman and Bishop, 2012:57-19 to 57-32) are Availability/Adequacy, Accessibility, Acceptability and Adaptability. I propose identity formation within a framework of complexity thinking as an approach to the problems in the underperforming system, especially the problems arising from education not meeting the criteria of the ‘Four As’, and in particular because education is a determining factor in social justice. Complexity thinking is inseparable from the ethics of complexity, just as identity formation cannot be separated from the ethics and politics of identity. Finally, the insights are applied to the purpose of teaching and learning, in terms of complexity thinking and identity formation, and in terms of the National Development Plan. The latter is the policy document shaping the future of teaching and learning, amongst others, in South Africa. This is followed by an assessment of the National Development Plan in the light of the requirements of the ‘Four As’.; AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie skryfstuk stel ‘n moontlike oplossing voor vir die huidige stand van onderwys in Suid-Afrikaanse publieke skole, veral die onderpresterende skole. Dit gebruik verskeie internasionale studies, naamlik die ‘Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)’, die ‘2003 Third International Maths and Science Study (TIMMS)’, die ‘Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ)’, asook die matriekuitslae, om die realiteit van onderwys as ‘n put van armoede te ondersoek. Voorts ondersoek ek moontlike redes vir die mislukking van die basiese onderwyssisteem. Dit word gedoen aan die hand van die sogenaamde ‘Four As’ van die Internasionale Komitee vir Ekonomiese, Sosiale en Kulturele regte. Die ‘Four As’, soos vervat deur Woolman en Bishop (2012:57-19 tot 57-32) is, in Engels: 'Availability /Adequacy, Accessibility, Acceptability’ en ‘Adaptability’. Dit kan vertaal word as Beskikbaarheid/Voldoendenheid, Toeganklikheid, Aanvaarbaarheid en Aanpasbaarheid. Ek stel identiteitsvorming binne ‘n raamwerk van kompleksiteitsdenke voor as ‘n benadering tot die probleme in die onderpresterende onderwyssisteem, veral die probleme wat voortspruit uit onderwys wat nie aan die kriteria van die ‘Four As’ voldoen nie. Dit word gedoen omdat onderwys by uitstek ‘n bepalende faktor in sosiale geregtigheid is. Kompleksiteitsdenke is onafskeidbaar van die etiek van kompleksiteit, net soos identiteitsvorming onlosmaaklik deel is van die etiek en politiek van identiteit. Laastens, word die insigte toegepas op die doel van onderrig en leer, in terme van kompleksiteitsdenke en identiteitsvorming, en in terme van die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan. Laasgenoemde is ‘n beleidsdokument wat rigting tot 2030 verleen aan, onder andere, onderrig en leer, in Suid-Afrika. Dit word gevolg deur ‘n evaluering van die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan aan die hand van die vereistes van die ‘Four As’. Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. 2014-04-01T00:00:00Z