JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
A Comprehensive, Academic Journal of the Philosophy, History, Sociology and Cultural Studies of Science and Technology
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The Responsibility Deficiency of “Engineering Bystanders” in Engineering Ecology: Causes and Possible Remedies Abstract: As an emerging engineering paradigm, engineering ecology not only brings about an ethical turn but also exposes the difficulty of defining and attributing responsibility. Within this context arises a new type of engineering subject—the engineering bystander, referring to those situated within the engineering ecological network yet failing to effectively assume responsibility. The responsibility deficiency of engineering bystanders represents a reflective response to the attribution dilemma in engineering ecology. It stems not only from individual moral disengagement but also from the structural interplay of ecological complexity and intelligent technological embedding. Addressing this issue cannot rely solely on conventional role-based responsibility allocation or regulatory instruments. Instead, it requires elevating ethical responsibility to the ecological level, emphasizing an ecosystem-oriented conception of responsibility as the foundation for reconstructing moral agency and achieving the effective bearing of responsibility within engineering ecology. Key Words: Engineering ecology; Engineering bystanders; Responsibility absence; Engineering-Niche responsibilitypage: 1-9How to Be Evidence: Mechanisms as Medical Causal Evidence Abstract: Establishing causal relationships in clinical medical research is not only a highly challenging scientific practice problem but also a core topic of concern in contemporary philosophy of medicine. The debate on this topic mainly focuses on what kind of evidence is sufficient to support the establishment of causal relationships. One side argues that association evidence obtained from randomized controlled trials is sufficient to establish causal relationships; the other side argues that association evidence alone (obtained from randomized controlled trials) is insufficient, as mechanistic evidence must also be provided as a supplement. The former believes that association evidence is sufficient, while the latter believes that both association and mechanistic evidence is necessary but not sufficient. This article, by demonstrating the untenability of the above two viewpoints, proposes a third approach: that the mechanism is both sufficient and necessary for establishing causal relationships. Key Words: Causation; Clinical medicine; Mechanism; Evidence; Randomized controlled trialspage: 28-35Forest Investigation and Development in Gannan During the Republic of China from the Perspective of State Power Abstract: Since modern times, coniferous timber produced in Northeast China had excellent quality and was widely sold in large quantities in the markets of North and East China. However, after the September 18th Incident, the fall of the Northeast China, and the domestic demand for coniferous timber had to seek new sources. Through field investigations conducted by some forestry experts using modern forestry knowledge and technology, the Gannan region was identified as a natural producing area of coniferous forests in northwest China. Its forests were extensive and their economic value was great. Driven by profits, timber merchants cut down a lot of forests, making the cutting area gradually expand into remote places with poor transportation, while large-scale timber output formed a seasonal pattern of movement. Subsequently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Bank of China and the provincial government of Gansu established forestry agencies in Gannan, and implemented measures such as cutting permits, diameter-grade selective logging, and small timber embargoes according to local conditions, which effectively slowed the rate of forest destruction. State power gradually penetrated into the frontier and strengthened the effective control and scientific management of the forest resources. As a new order, forestry shaped the landscape of the frontier and promoted the economic and social relations between the frontier and inland. Key Words: Forest resources; Gannan region; State power; Frontier construction; Forest landscapepage: 61-70Ethical Dilemmas and Governance of Paternalism in Medical Artificial Intelligence Abstract: With the intelligent development of society in depth, the application of medical artificial intelligence (AI) has become a trend, and gradually gives rise to paternalistic tendencies. Although these participants, the AI systems, may reshape the roles and responsibilities of physicians and patients and they are often justified in domains such as data management and decision support, the hidden ethical risks should not be overlooked. This paternalism of medical AI can constrain both patient and physician autonomy, undermine the realization of the principle of medical beneficence, compromise the reliability and fairness of medical decision-making, and addressing these challenges has therefore become increasingly urgent. In response, patient empowerment promotes meaningful participation of patients in decision-making. At the same time, a moderated form of physician authority remains necessary to compensate for the limitations of machine decision-making and continued technical refinement of medical AI is the key to play its beneficial function. In addition, a more balanced and collaborative relationship among physicians, patients, and medical AI systems is needed to mitigate the ethical dilemmas associated with the paternalism in medical AI. Key Words: Medical artificial intelligence; Paternalism; Decision-making; Ethicspage: 79-86JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
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