“Matrixes and Frames: Two Figures of Norm Functioning in the Work of Judith Butler”. The concepts of “intelligibility matrix” and “frame”, each corresponding to different periods in the thought of the feminist philosopher Judith Butler, seem to converge in so many aspects that one is tempted to hold that they may be used indistinctly. Nevertheless, the problem this paper deals with is the possible uniqueness the usage of the latter concept involves, thus pointing to the differences between both concepts. I (...) aim to solve the problem by studying the main sources that Butler herself uses in order to formulate the concept of frame, and by putting in evidence that which is gained by the use of that notion. I also aim to show more clearly the difference between the two concepts by appealing to their functions in the critique of speciffical cultural phenomenon: pornography as a frame and element of the heterosexual matrix. (shrink)

Resumen Este artículo ofrece una lectura de la pintura renacentista según los principios establecidos por Leon Battista Alberti, uno de los primeros teóricos de la perspectiva en cuyo Tratado de pintura se refiere al cuadro como “una ventana abierta a la historia”. El concepto de historia empleado por Alberti, que se presta a numerosas interpretaciones, es abordado a partir de las reflexiones de Erwin Panofsky en torno a la perspectiva como “forma simbólica”, avanzando hacia una hipótesis en torno al carácter (...) simbólico de la configuración y representación del tiempo en el cuadro-ventana albertiano.This paper offers a reading of the renaissance painting according to the principles established by Leon Battista Alberti, one of the first theorists of perspective in painting which Trattato della pittura define the frame of the painting as “an open window into history”. The concept of history employed by Alberti, which lends itself to many interpretations, is approached from the reflections of Erwin Panofsky about the prospect as “symbolic form”, moving towards a hypothesis about the symbolic nature of the configuration and representation of time in the alberti’s window. (shrink)

Cultural evolution studies are characterized by the notion that culture evolves accordingly to broadly Darwinian principles. Yet how far the analogy between cultural and genetic evolution should be pushed is open to debate. Here, we examine a recent disagreement that concerns the extent to which cultural transmission should be considered a preservative mechanism allowing selection among different variants, or a transformative process in which individuals recreate variants each time they are transmitted. The latter is associated with the notion of “cultural (...) attraction”. This issue has generated much misunderstanding and confusion. We first clarify the respective positions, noting that there is in fact no substantive incompatibility between cultural attraction and standard cultural evolution approaches, beyond a difference in focus. Whether cultural transmission should be considered a preservative or reconstructive process is ultimately an empirical question, and we examine how both preservative and reconstructive cultural transmission has been studied in recent experimental research in cultural evolution. Finally, we discuss how the relative importance of preservative and reconstructive processes may depend on the granularity of analysis and the domain being studied. (shrink)

Cultural evolution researchers use transmission chain experiments to investigate which content is more likely to survive when transmitted from one individual to another. These experiments resemble oral storytelling, wherein individuals need to understand, memorize, and reproduce the content. However, prominent contemporary forms of cultural transmission—think an online sharing—only involve the willingness to transmit the content. Here I present two fully preregistered online experiments that explicitly investigated the differences between these two modalities of transmission. The first experiment (_N_ = 1,080 participants) (...) examined whether negative content, information eliciting disgust, and threat-related information were better transmitted than their neutral counterpart in a traditional transmission chain setup. The second experiment (_N_ = 1,200 participants) used the same material, but participants were asked whether or not they would share the content in two conditions: in a large anonymous social network or with their friends, in their favorite social network. Negative content was both better transmitted in transmission chain experiments and shared more than its neutral counterpart. Threat-related information was successful in transmission chain experiments but not when sharing, and finally, information eliciting disgust was not advantaged in either. Overall, the results present a composite picture, suggesting that the interactions between the specific content and the medium of transmission are important and, possibly, that content biases are stronger when memorization and reproduction are involved in the transmission—as in oral transmission—than when they are not—as in online sharing. Negative content seems to be reliably favored in both modalities of transmission. (shrink)

Alireza Bagheri supports a policy on organ procurement where individuals could choose their own definition of death between two or more socially accepted alternatives. First, we claim that such a policy, without any criterion to distinguish accepted from acceptable definitions, easily leads to the slippery slope that Bagheri tries to avoid. Second, we suggest that a public discussion about the circumstances under which the dead donor rule could be violated is more productive of social trust than constantly moving the line (...) between life and death. (shrink)

The paper frames the issue of intergenerational justice by addressing an historical source and a theoretical difficulty. In relation to the historical point of view, the paper offers a preliminary re-reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights aimed at revealing the intergenerational commitment that lies behind it (§1). In addressing the second point, it presents the issue of intergenerational justice from a phenomenological perspective (§2). In developing such a perspective, the paper articulates a comprehensive ethical question that is constitutively (...) related to any possible shaping of an intergenerational justice theory (§3). In turn, the explanation of that question presents the opportunity to propose a theory of motivation for the elaboration and implementation of policies explicitly aimed at fulfilling the intergenerational need, beyond any skepticism arising from pragmatic objections. Finally, the paper proposes to address this need by presenting a model of obligation ranking in which the flexibility and strength of the normative bond for the present generation and future ones are considered (§4). (shrink)

We experimentally investigated the influence of context-based biases, such as prestige and popularity, on the preferences for quotations. Participants were presented with random quotes associated to famous or unknown authors, or with random quotes presented as popular, i.e. chosen by many previous participants, or unpopular. To exclude effects related to the content of the quotations, all participants were subsequently presented with the same quotations, again associated to famous and unknown authors, or presented as popular or unpopular. Overall, our results showed (...) that context-based biases had no, or limited, effect in determining participants’ choices. Quotations preferred for their content were preferred in general, despite the contextual cues to which they were associated. We conclude discussing how our results fit with the well-known phenomenon of the spread and success of misattributed quotations, and we draw some more general implications for cultural evolution research. (shrink)

This paper presents a brief discussion on the evolution of macroeconomics and economic policy after Keynes. Particularly, we describe the emergence of a new standard of economic research, after the «stagflation» of the 1970s, which resurrects the confidence in the self-correcting properties of the market economy. It also considers economic policy as a potential obstacle for the economic system in reaching the «natural» equilibrium. Finally, some perspectives for macroeconomics in the aftermath of the Great Recession are discussed.

Psychoanalysis in Italy is a particularly diverse and vibrant profession, embracing a number of influences and schools of thought, connecting together new thinking, and producing theorists and clinicians of global renown. _Reading Italian Psychoanalysis_ provides a comprehensive guide to the most important Italian psychoanalytic thinking of recent years, including work by major names such as Weiss, E.Gaddini, Matte Blanco, Nissim Momigliano, Canestri, Amati Mehler, and Ferro. It covers the most important theoretical developments and clinical advances, with special emphasis on contemporary (...) topics such as transference, trauma and primitive states of mind where Italian work has been particular influential. In this volume, _Franco Borgogno, Alberto Luchetti_ and _Luisa Marino Coe_ of the Italian Psychoanalytical Society provide an overview of how Italian psychoanalysis has developed from the 1920’s to the present day, tracing its early influences and highlighting contemporary developments. Forty-six seminal and representative papers of psychoanalysts belonging to the two Italian psychoanalytical societies have been chosen to illuminate what is special about Italian theoretical and clinical thinking, and what is demonstrative of the specificity of its psychoanalytic discourse. The selected papers are preceded by a first introductory section about the history of psychoanalysis in Italy and followed by a "swift glance at Italian psychoanalysis from abroad". They are grouped into sections which represent the areas particularly explored by Italian psychoanalysis. Each section is accompanied by introductory comments which summarize the main ideas and concepts and also their historical and cultural background, so as to offer to the reader either an orientation and stimulus for the debate and to indicate their connections to other papers included in the present volume and to the international psychoanalytic world. The book is divided into six parts including: History of psychoanalysis in Italy Metapsychology Clinical practice, theory of technique, therapeutic factors The person of the analyst, countertransference and the analytic relationship/field Trauma, psychic pain, mourning and working-through Preverbal, precocious, fusional, primitive states of the mind This volume offers an excellent and detailed "fresco" of Italian psychoanalytic debate, shining a light on thinking that has evolved differently in France, England, North and Latin America. It is an ideal book for beginners and advanced students of clinical theory as well as experienced psychoanalysts wanting to know more about Italian psychoanalytic theory and technique, and how they have developed. (shrink)

Tratar cuál es el carácter de la relación entre ciencia y tecnología en el complejo mundo de la Ilustración, es lo que plantea este libro. Los historiadores de la ciencia y de la tecnología han venido suponiendo en las últimas décadas que dicha relación se había producido en un único sentido. La presente obra desafía esta visión por simplificadora y replantea la cuestión para ofrecer un análisi más completo de la interacción entre ciencia e industria en este período.

A alimentação é uma necessidade de todo o ser vivo, que só pode lutar contra a morte e crescer integrando no seu corpo elementos seleccionados do mundo exterior a que se chama alimentos. Como tantas outras necessidades vitais, a alimentação não pôde eximir-se à interferência religiosa, sob a forma de tabus e outros tipos de restrições, quer para evitar a infracção destas normas sob a forma de pecado, quer para tributar à divindade uma homenagem de latria sob a forma de (...) sacrifícios, quer ainda para compensar o prazer haurido da manducação. E assim se impuseram restrições alimentares e ritos, inicialmente sacrais, muitos dos quais subsistem sob formas de protocolo às vezes bem complicadas. Estas interdições versaram sobre certos tipos de alimentos considerados “impuros” e determinados troços do calendário considerados “de penitência”. Muitas destas normas ainda subsistem, outras perderam-se, mas outras há que nasceram (ou renasceram) como cogumelos. (shrink)

En el presente trabajo se presentan algunos resultados obtenidos del estudio acerca de la configuración del Estado en el discurso político de las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo durante el 2001 - 2002. Para cumplir con lo enunciado, se realiza un análisis crítico del discurso con el objeto de identificar cómo el dispositivo utilizado por este movimiento social durante el periodo mencionado ocupa un conjunto de elementos discursivos que delimitan y/o fortalecen el sentido de la noción de Estado en (...) Argentina y, a su vez, conforman las relaciones de significación que este tiene para el desarrollo democrático de un país. (shrink)

This article aims to discuss the concepts of natural right and property in Bodin's Iuri distributio universi and the political consequences of these ideas in Methodus ad facilem historiarum cognitionem and Les Six Livres de la République .Este artigo pretende discutir os conceitos de direito natural e propriedade no Iuri universi distributio e as suas conseqüências políticas no Methodus ad facilem historiarum cognitionem e no Les Six Livres de la République , de Jean Bodin.

The present study is based on the work by Sara Maitland entitled A Book of Silence and seeks to reflect on this theme in the line of high spirituality by crossing it with the figures of the imaginary that form the silence itself. To this end, we seek in the first part, devoted to silence, to understand the nature of silence in its manifestations, types and images, as it was thought and studied by Sara Maitland in her A Book of (...) Silence. Then, in the second part, reflect on the meaning of this constellation of images to try to delineate the imaginary of silence. In the third part, taking into account the developments of the first and second parts, we will reflect on the trilogy of silence-imaginary-creativity. We will conclude with some reflections and questions raised by the analysis of the author’s work. (shrink)

Folk-economic beliefs may be regarded as “evidential fictions” that exploit the natural tendency of human cognition to organize itself in narrative form. Narrative counter-arguments are likely more effective than logical debunking. The challenge is to convey sound economic reasoning in narratively conspicuous forms – an opportunity for economics to rethink its role and agency in public discourse, in the spirit of its old classics.

El artículo provee una interpretación de la actual crisis financiera como parte de una crisis económica que tiene una serie de facetas sincronizadas, -amén de lo financiero, en lo ambiental, lo energético, lo alimentario- eventuales antesalas de una profunda y prolongada crisis civilizatoria. Plantea la necesidad de no reducir la atención sólo a los temas coyunturales y de diseñar una estrategia que permita sentar las bases estructurales para el cambio, aprovechando las actuales dificultades coyunturales y las debilidades relativas de los (...) centros de poder mundial. Presenta tres propuestas que apuntan hacia la construcción de un nuevo y mejor sistema económico internacional, pilares sobre los cuales se puede empezar a diseñar un nuevo sistema financiero y monetario mundial: un Código Financiero Internacional; un Banco Central Mundial, y un Tribunal Internacional de Arbitraje de Deuda Soberana. Plantea la necesidad de repensar íntegramente la Organización Mundial de Comercio (OMC), así como la creación de una Organización Mundial de Medio Ambiente y del Cambio Climático y dar paso a la Declaración Universal de los Derechos de la Naturaleza, tal como lo hizo la Asamblea Constituyente del Ecuador. El objeto de esta estrategia que apenas se esboza, es el Buen Vivir de la población. (shrink)

TikTok ha emergido como una plataforma dominante para la creación y difusión de contenido en redes sociales, cautivando a millones de usuarios, especialmente jóvenes. En este contexto, los políticos han empezado a utilizar TikTok para construir y proyectar su imagen pública, buscando acercarse a la ciudadanía de manera más directa y moderna, identificando las dinámicas, percepciones y efectos que esta plataforma genera en el comportamiento cívico y en la interacción de los ciudadanos con los líderes políticos locales. La presente investigación (...) analiza las estrategias digitales que emplean políticos cuencanos en la red social TikTok para convertir su cuenta en un canal de comunicación sólido y atrayente. La metodología que se empleó en la investigación fue mixta y de tipo relacional y corte transversal, ya que recopiló datos de una población o muestra en un tiempo concreto. Los resultados obtenidos evidenciaron de cómo el uso de la imagen política en la red social TikTok impacta en la participación ciudadana en Cuenca, Ecuador. En conclusión, la estrategia digital empleada por políticos de Cuenca en sus cuentas de TikTok posibilita el crecimiento de su audiencia y el posicionamiento de su marca personal. (shrink)

During his philosophical career Karl Popper sought to characterize natural laws alternately as strictly universal and as 'naturally' or 'physically' necessary statements. In this paper we argue that neither characterization does what Popper claimed and sketch a reconstruction of his views that avoids some of their major drawbacks.