James Scott Johnston

De-ubiquitinating enzymes: intracellular signalling and disease

Ubiquitination is now accepted as an important process for regulating intracellular signalling and the realization that many known signalling molecules exhibit E3 ligase activity has led to great strides in our understanding of how these pathways are regulated. However, as most of the de-ubiquitinating enzymes have as yet no identified substrate, little is known about their potential role in the regulation of intracellular signalling. Here, we examine what is known about de-ubiquitinating enzymes and signalling, with particular emphasis on their role in the regulation of immune signalling and the initiation of DNA repair. In addition, we look at the evidence implicating these enzymes in the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Dewey's Critique of Kant

In this article I examine Deweys critique of Kant in light of recent interpretations of Deweys early works, as well as of his 1915 work, German Philosophy and Politics. My aim is to bring the earlier criticisms of Kant in line with the later ones. I make three claims in this paper: first, that Deweys critique of Kant was indebted to Hegel as much as to the neo-Hegelians; second, that there is a continuous thread between the early criticisms and the later ones, as represented by German Philosophy and Politics; third, that Deweys critique of Kant portrays Kant as more of a transitional philosopher, one wedded to experience over and against absolute idealism, than is commonly recognized.

Does a Sentiment-Based Ethics of Caring Improve upon a Principles-Based One? The Problem of Impartial Morality.

My task in this paper is to demonstrate, contra Nel Noddings, that Kantian ethics does not have an expectation of treating those closest to one the same as one would a stranger. In fact, Kantian ethics has what I would consider a robust statement of how it is that those around us come to figure prominently in the development of ones ethics. To push the point even further, I argue that Kantian ethics has an even stronger claim to treating those closest to oneself as imperative than Noddings and sentiment‐based ethical theory in general, proposes.

John Dewey and Science Education

This chapter examines John Dewey’s statements on inquiry and science and relates them to current trends in science education. Beginning with a brief biographical sketch of Dewey, the chapter proceeds to outline his statements on science and science education with attention to the role and scope of inquiry, or method. Attention will be paid to the experiential, epistemic, social and political role of inquiry, science and science education. After discussing Dewey’s understanding of inquiry, science and science education, more recent developments in Dewey scholarship in science education will be noted. Themes common to Dewey and science education (including the role of constructivism and inquiry in the science curriculum) will be broached.

Kant and prejudice, or, the mechanical use of reason

Abstract This paper examines an issue of recent Kant scholarship on education: the supposed disconnect between his theory of morals and his theory of character. While the debate is often couched in terms of Kant’s ‘phenomenal–noumenal’ distinction, or the distinction between moral theory and culture, I follow scholarship suggesting the best way to understand Kant’s distinction is by following his account of the ‘conduct of thought.’ Doing so demonstrates the Lectures on Logic and particularly, his account of prejudice, as playing a large role in the articulation of what it is to think subjectively. We also see the importance of conducting our thinking from the subjective standpoint to an objective (moral) one in order to fulfill our obligations to both think and act morally.

Rival readings of Hegel at the fin de siècle: the case of William Torrey Harris and John Dewey

William Torrey Harris and John Dewey were the two most important philosophers of education in America at the fin de siècle. This paper discusses their rival idealisms through an examination of their philosophical and educational pronouncements. As I will show, both are indebted to, and align themselves with, Hegel. However, each manifests his Hegelian reading in a particular way, leading to very different consequences for education. What these manifestations are, and how two very different understandings can be drawn from a similar source, constitute the matter of the paper.