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Molière's Alceste is often discussed with reference to his misanthropic personality, but what he aspires to doing, truth-telling, has received relatively less attention. This is curious especially if we consider that Alceste defines flattery, the opposite of truth-telling, as his main adversary. Indeed, it is Alceste's hatred of flattery that explains his misanthropy, not the other way around. We will first discuss the significance of flattery. Then, we trace the consequences of this idea in the play drawing on Aristophanes, Plato, and Aristotle where they define flattery as a relation to untruth and in opposition to friendship. In Plato's Gorgias, however, a second sense of flattery transpires: distorting ideas and practices through instrumental use. We ask what a reflection on flattery in these two interrelated senses can contribute to our understanding of Molière's comedy. What frames our discussion is the relation between Alceste and Philinte (as a stand-in for the social), on the one hand, and the relation between Alceste and Célimène (as a stand-in for seduction) on the other. Alceste cuts an abject figure in relation to both Philinte and Célimène. We end with a discussion of how Alceste can, for all his abjection, continue to fascinate us.

In nineteenth-century Ottoman thought, the idea of mankind emerged in response to state crisis and epistemic transformation. This article explores how Ottoman and Turkish intellectuals and statesmen conceptualized and redefined the idea of humanity—shaped by Orientalist discourses—through their engagement with Victor Hugo's statement: “to have the world as our homeland and humanity as our nation,” between the 1860s and 1930s. Beginning with Şinasi, who translated Hugo's statement in one of his odes as “My nation is mankind, my homeland is the earth” to articulate a new conception of humanity, this article traces the transformation of the idea of universal humanity and civilization through the intellectual discourse that emerged around this statement. Universal humanity and civilization, along with their Ottoman counterpart—Ottomanism—were regarded as mechanisms to integrate the population and convince them of the state's continuity. However, the global rejection of universalism, the occupation of Ottoman territories by Western powers, the Balkan Wars, the perception that non-Muslims could not be convinced of Ottoman unity, and the rise of nationalism led to the marginalization of universal values and Ottomanism itself. Ultimately, the universal neo-human came to represent the Turks, whereas the West became the “one-toothed beast called ‘Civilization!’”

This article's purpose is to explore the cinematic portrayal of Dalit empowerment and resistance in Mari Selvaraj's Maamannan (2023). The film investigates the intricacies of Dalit identity, resilience, and social mobilization, offering a compelling narrative that challenges established norms and prejudices. The research tries to respond to the question of how Maamannan (2023) aims to portray the evolution of Dalit characters from marginalized subjects into empowered agents. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from film studies and Dalit studies to answer the research question of how Maamannan (2023) employs visual storytelling techniques, character development, and narrative structure to depict the complex journey of Dalit individuals striving for empowerment and justice in a deeply stratified society. This research highlights the significance of Maamannan (2023) as a cinematic representation of Dalit empowerment and resistance, shedding light on the transformative power of cinema in advocating social justice and equality. This paper adopts a semiotic analysis of the film as a research methodology to examine the story elements such as narrative structure, character, and plot. The findings of this study contribute to the ongoing discourse on representation, identity, and activism in contemporary Indian cinema.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of historical sociology from 2005 to 2025, identifying key trends and challenges within the discipline. Despite a modest annual growth rate of 10.59% and increased publication rates, a significant decline in average citations per document raises concerns about the field's impact and recognition. The authorship landscape is characterized by a predominance of single-authored works and limited international collaboration, predominantly within national contexts, with the USA and UK as leading contributors. Thematic evolution indicates a shift toward emerging topics, such as political sociology and nationalism, whereas traditional concepts appear to be waning. Influential articles addressing critical themes, such as international relations and the sociology of knowledge, highlight ongoing and relevant discussions. A notable transition from a European-centric focus to a broader examination of Asian, Oceanian, and African contexts presents new research opportunities, particularly in digital humanities and education. Methodological advancements, including quantitative methodologies and synthesis analysis techniques, enhance the discipline's adaptability. However, the study's reliance on the Scopus database limits its findings, suggesting that future research should incorporate additional databases for a more comprehensive perspective. The analysis also indicates areas for further exploration, particularly regarding the roles of countries, institutions, journals, and authors in shaping the field.

This study investigates the perspectives of Muslim student activists in New York City regarding digital public sphere and activism. The research question is: How do digital activist Muslim individuals in the United States conceptualize the relationship between cyberspace and the real world and the impact of digital activism discourses on social change? The issue is examined through a qualitative research design, employing in-depth interviews—conducted between January and August 2022—using semi-structured questions and analyzed through content analysis. The findings indicate that, contrary to the notion that the digital realm operates autonomously and dominates real life, participants do not find the “divided world” narrative convincing. Although acknowledging the distinct nature of each realm, they emphasize the interwoven relationship between the digital and the physical. The effectiveness of digital activism, according to participants, depends on the specific issues addressed, with the digital public sphere offering a meaningful platform for exerting pressure on policymakers.

This study endeavors to measuring workplace spirituality and social desirability among individuals in the context of higher education addressing the challenges posed by Taiwan's low birthrate. It aims to identify the interrelationships between factors enhance workplace spirituality within Taiwan's higher education setting. Initially, instrument construction involved a literature review and back translation. Data collection was carried out using judgmental sampling, resulting in a sample size of 758 participants. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized for data analysis. The results of confirmatory factor analysis, which includes model-fit indices, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and cross-validity, supported the validity of the developed instrument. The subjects of the study focused on in-service university staff and faculties; however, the findings have limitations in terms of generalizability. Given the pressing challenges posed by the low birthrate, Taiwan's higher education sector has experienced significant impacts on freshman enrollment competition. Thus, the development of a valid instrument to address this situation is crucial for researchers and policymakers. The study's findings reveal a particularly serious situation of freshman shortage in private universities, emphasizing the necessity of motivating staff and faculty to actively engage in administrative tasks and services.

The emergence of Prussia's mid-19th century “agricultural revolution” has been attributed to, variously, the actions of state reformers, the origin of the manorial system centuries prior, or the quotidian effects of compounding economic growth. This paper, instead, proposes a new explanation that identifies two unprecedented structural transformations in the rural economy as bringing about this change. First, the establishment of rural credit institutions in the wake of the Seven Years' War unintentionally pushed Prussian landlords into dependence on agricultural commodity markets. Second, the rapid demographic increase in the mid-18th century, unfolding in the context of traditions of impartible inheritance, produced a proletarianized rural labor force available to be recruited into expanded agricultural production. The distinctive “Prussian path” to capitalism originated from the confluence of these two developments.

This article employs a dynamic-relational critical biography framework to analyze O Cortiço by Aluísio Azevedo, a foundational text in Brazilian naturalist literature. By integrating psychoanalysis, Foucault's power dynamics, and Bourdieu's concept of habitus, this study examines how socioeconomic structures shape characters' psychological development, desires, and conflicts. Azevedo's depiction of the intersections of race, class, and gender within the oppressive environment of the tenement reflects the societal tensions of 19th-century Brazil. The interdisciplinary framework sheds light on how Azevedo's life experiences—particularly his observations of urbanization, racial inequalities, and class struggle—shaped the novel's critique of social hierarchies and individual repression. This study also explores the potential of contemporary theories, such as postcolonialism, intersectionality, and ecocriticism, to further deepen the analysis of power, identity, and social resistance in O Cortiço.

This paper tries to develop a critical approach to the philanthro-activism of civil society by focusing on the earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023. The earthquakes that struck 11 provinces in total have brought the philanthropic activities of civil society organizations to the top of the country's agenda. Although the government seemed not to have any preparation or policy to be able to take action immediately to protect the earthquake victims, civil society organizations were the first to lend the earthquake victims a helping hand. However, the paper questions the philanthro-activism of civil society ontologically and argues that it has proved ineffective in transforming the political-economic structure, but rather functions as an apparatus to secure the existing hierarchical and unequal structure. The main aim of this paper is not to deny or belittle the helping hand that civil society organizations extend to the victims but to emphasize that it is high time to talk about new ways and methods to transform the neoliberal political-economic order.

This research study’s aim was to examine the development of philanthropic activities in Orenburg from the 19th to early 20th century, focusing on their institutional pathways, functional classifications, and social dimensions. This study contextualizes philanthropic initiatives within the ideological, confessional, and political framework of late imperial Russia, analyzing how these practices influenced social welfare and perpetuated hierarchical structures, rather than depicting charity as solely altruistic. In the course of the study, historical-critical, comparative, generalization, historical-genetic, retrospective, and system-structural analysis and data volume analysis methods are used. As a result of the conducted study, it is identified that charitable activities in Orenburg in the 19th to early 20th centuries were conducted very actively. At that time, in Orenburg, benefactors opened several important institutions of a religious and educational nature, which had a substantial impact on the state of culture and society in general. Among such institutions were the St. Olga's Orphanage, opened in 1872, the Burnaev madrasah, the mosque and the Khusainiya madrasah, opened in 1891. The resources from this study may be used in further research on the subject, and the findings may enhance understanding of attitudes toward charity acts in modern society.