A concise and accessible introduction to natural law ethics, this book introduces readers to the mainstream tradition of Western moral philosophy.

Respect for human embryos is often defended on the basis of the potentiality argument: embryos deserve respect because they already possess potentially the features that in adults are fully actualized. Opponents of this argument challenge it by claiming that if embryos should be respected because they are potentially adults, then gametes should be respected because they are potentially embryos. This article rejects this reductio ad absurdum argument by showing that there are two different types of potentiality involved so that the (...) transitivity of potentiality does not hold up in this case. Respect for embryos does not logically entail respect for gametes. (shrink)

Truthlikeness is a property of a theory or a proposition that represents its closeness to the truth. We start by summarizing Niiniluoto’s proposal of truthlikeness for deterministic laws, which defines truthlikeness as a function of accuracy, and García-Lapeña’s expanded version, which defines truthlikeness for DL as a function of two factors, accuracy and nomicity. Then, we move to develop an appropriate definition of truthlikeness for probabilistic laws based on Niiniluoto’s suggestion to use the Kullback–Leibler divergence to define the distance between (...) a probability law X\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$X$$\end{document} and the true probability law T\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$T$$\end{document}. We argue that the Kullback–Leibler divergence seems to be the best of the available probability distances to measure accuracy between PL. However, as in the case of DL, we argue that accuracy represents a necessary but not sufficient condition, as two PL may be equally accurate and still one may imply more true or truthlike consequences, behaviours or true facts about the system than the other. The final proposal defines truthlikeness for PL as a function of two factors, p-accuracy and p-nomicity, in intimate connexion with García-Lapeña’s proposal for DL. (shrink)

El término “ambivalencia” cumple con varias de las funciones teóricas más relevantes tanto para el psicoanálisis como para su tesis fundacional: la del inconsciente. Este artículo se plantea la necesidad de elaborar una revisión somera que sea capaz de enlazar los condicionantes socio-históricos de la disciplina freudiana con los antecedentes teóricos más relevantes de su objeto de estudio. En este nexo surge la historia de la filosofía y sus contribuciones a la constitución de su concepto de inconsciente, comportándose como si (...) se tratara de un “alter ego”, incómodo pero imprescindible, de cuya acechanza Freud nunca se llega a emancipar. (shrink)

In a recent article published in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, David DeGrazia criticized the two pivotal assumptions that underlie President Bush’s policy on funding stem cell research. Those assumptions are that we originate as single-cell zygotes at the time of conception and that we have full moral status as soon as we originate.In this paper, I would like to concentrate on the first of those assumptions and show in light of recent findings in embryological development that DeGrazia’s (...) criticisms have to be rejected. I shall save my discussion of DeGrazia’s critique of the second assumption for a later article that can take into account DeGrazia’s further elaboration of his position. (shrink)

En el marco de los estándares profesionalizantes de la academia, con sus “rankings” y productividad científica, las humanidades subsisten. Una explicación de este fenómeno es que, según la ontología social, las razones para la acción independiente de deseos son piezas clave en la educación. Por ello, dichas razones, que constituyen obligaciones, también serían claves para el desarrollo de las humanidades. Aquí examino de qué forma el individualismo y la competencia tensionan la dinámica entre deseos y obligaciones. Ciertamente, el mercado valora (...) más la satisfacción de deseos que la teorización sobre la intencionalidad colectiva y su producto: la civilización humana. (shrink)

En este artículo analizo como, dadas algunas tesis filosóficas compartidas, comparar a Searle y Descartes crea un efecto déjà vu. La primera tesis es la mente consciente que existe en primera persona. La segunda es que aquella se define mediante un concepto primitivo. La tercera es que la intencionalidad implica condiciones de satisfacción internistas. La cuarta es el cuerpo-máquina. Segundo, argumento que ambos hablan desde cosmovisiones incompatibles –la metafísica deísta versus los “hechos básicos”; y como un hecho “básico” biológico indica (...) la no separabilidad entre mente y cuerpo (cerebro)–, Searle ni es dualista cartesiano ni de propiedades. Palabras clave: dualismo cartesiano; dualismo de propiedades; Searle; mente consciente primitiva; intencionalidad; hechos básicos. (shrink)

A imagem sugestiva "retorno do outro" ajuda a indicar o modo como a alteridade interpela no actual contexto de globalização. Esse "outro", o grande ausente da maior parte da história da filosofia ocidental, aparece com força renovada (ou, pelo menos, resiste aos embates da homo-geneização) frente à lógica económica, política e cultural, que pretende anulá-lo na imposição uniforme de um estilo de vida. O seu "retorno" abre possibilidades em várias perspectivas. Aqui apenas esboçamos o que significou este "retorno do outro" (...) na irrupção do pensamento intersubjectivo, bem como as possibilidades que abre para a relação intercultural. The suggestive image, "turn to the other", gives an indication of how alterity challenges the current context of globalisation- This "other" is the great absent in the greater part of the history of Western philosophy. It appears with renovated strength (or at least resists the pressures of homogenisation) in the face of the economic, political, and cultural logic that seeks to annul it through the uniform imposition of a given lifestyle. Its return opens possibilities of varying kinds. Here we wish only to sketch the meaning of this "turn to the other" in the irruption of the inter-subjective thought and possibilities it opens for intercultural relations. (shrink)

Se muestra como las tesis de la filosofía de la historia de Benjamin, permiten que pensemos la historia y la acción política en forma distinta a como han sido concebidas en la historiografía y la política tradicional. Así mismo, en contra de lo que podría sugerir una lectura inicial de la tesis, lo que Benjamin denomina como la acción política revolucionaria, necesitaría de una acción desligada de la violencia para poder romper con el continuo de la historia. Por último, señalamos (...) como los límites de pensar la política desvinculada de la noción del progreso histórico, permite que ésta pueda contribuir al reconocimiento de las víctimas y olvidados de la historia. (shrink)

ABSTRACTThis article analyzes different positions on the relationship between politics and the experience of time, both those which defend the legitimacy of institutions and those which claim to liquidate them. Recognizing the links between certain theological arguments and certain modalities of time and politics, the article describes and analyzes three different theses: the one that defends institutions against the erosion of subjectivity in capitalist societies, the one that proposes a mystical anarchism with a messianic profile and, finally, the thesis that (...) argues for the need to accelerate the contradictions of capitalism in order to overcome it and, at the same time, to preserve its conquests. Finally, I vindicate certain experiences that involve and prioritize the body against sense or meaning. To do this, I make use of some ideas of Agamben and Hans U. Gumbrecht. (shrink)

En este artículo continuamos el debate con Graham Harman en torno a la filosofía de Ortega, la fenomenología de Husserl y la re-lación entre fenomenología y realismo especulativo. Tras exponer los antecedentes y los temas centrales del debate en un apartado introductorio, dividimos nuestro trabajo en tres grandes apartados. En el primero se exponen algunos conceptos fundamentales de la fenomenología, sobre todo el sentido del idealismo trascendental; la peculiaridad fenomenológica del concepto de inmanencia, y en consecuencia los conceptos de reducción (...) y epojé. En el siguiente apartado se clarifica la vinculación de Ortega y Gasset con el movimiento fenomenológico, que se da hasta mitades de 1929 sin ninguna reticencia, y expo-niendo la crítica orteguiana a partir de ese momento, pero relativizándola. En el apartado último y tercero, al hilo de la discusión crítica de la interpretación que Harman mantiene de am-bas cuestiones, ampliamos el debate a la relación entre fenomenología y realismo especulativo, respondiendo a las objeciones que nos plantea el filósofo norteamericano en su escrito anterior.In this essay we continue the debate with Graham Harman around Ortega's philosophy, Husserl's phenomenology, and the relationship between phenomenology and speculative realism. After presenting the background and the central themes of the debate in an introductory section, we divide our paper into three main sections. In the first one, some fundamental concepts of phenomenology are exposed, especially the meaning of transcendental idealism; the phenomenological peculiarity of the concept of immanence, and consequently the concepts of reduction and epoché. In the following section, the link between Ortega y Gasset and the phenomenological movement is clarified, which runs until the middle of 1929 without any reluctance, then the Ortega criticism is exposed from that moment, but relativizing it. In the last and third section, following the critical discussion of Harman's interpretation of both questions, we extend the debate to the relationship between phenomenology and speculative realism, responding to the objections raised by the American philosopher in his previous writing. (shrink)

This paper articulates and argues for the plausibility of the Presentation View of Perceptual Knowledge, an under-discussed epistemology of perception. On this view, a central epistemological role of perception is that of making subjects aware of their surroundings. By doing so, perception affords subjects with reasons for world-directed judgments. Moreover, the very perceived concrete entities are identified as those reasons. The former claim means that the position is a reasons-based epistemology; the latter means that it endorses a radically anti-psychologist conception (...) of reasons. First, I articulate and motivate the Presentation View. Then, I defend the view from three incarnations of a major objection levelled within the ranks of reasons-based epistemologies: McDowell’s version of the accusation that a view like this falls prey to the Myth of the Given. I argue that all three incarnations fail to show the Presentation View to be inadequate. The first version holds that a general characterization of the Myth clearly shows that it is an incoherent idea. The second version holds that endorsing the Myth makes it impossible to construe non-conceptual items as items that can stand in rational relations to judgements and beliefs. The third version holds that endorsing the Myth leads to a conception where perceptual experiences merely cause, but do not warrant, our perceptual beliefs and judgements. I explain in detail how the Presentation View has the elements to respond to each of these objections. (shrink)

En el contexto del homenaje filosófico que rendimos a Lester Embree, este trabajo intenta ofrecer un análisis genético del Análisis reflexivo del filósofo norteamericano, tomando como hilo conductor el debate público y privado entre Lester Embree y Javier San Martín, e intentando profundizar en los problemas que nos plantean. Para ello me remitiré, en un segundo momento, a dos ensayos de Ludwig Landgrebe publicados en Faktizität und Individuation. Finalmente, como cierre de este escrito, añado un breve “Epílogo para orteguianos. Lester (...) Embree in memoriam”.As a part of the philosophical tribute we render to Lester Embree, this essay aims at presenting a genetic analysis of the Reflective Analysis of the American philosopher, by focusing on the public and private debate between Lester Embree and Javier San Martín, and trying to deepen the problems that they pose to us. For this I will refer, in a second part, to two essays of Ludwig Landgrebe published in Faktizität und Individuation. Finally, as conclusion of this paper, I add a brief "Epilogue for Orteguian. Lester Embree in memoriam". (shrink)

En este estudio introductorio presentamos la traducción castellana del artículo de Edmund Husserl “La idea de una cultura filosófica. Su primera germinación en la filosofía griega” publicado originalmente en 1923 en la Japanisch-deutsche Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Technik. Asimismo, ofrecemos una contextualización histórico-filosófica del artículo que presentamos, situándolo en el conjunto de la obra de Husserl, y prestando especial atención a su estrecha relación con los artículos que Husserl publicó sobre esta misma temática en la revista japonesa Kaizo entre 1923 (...) y 1924, recopilados y traducidos al castellano bajo el título de "Renovación del hombre y de la cultura".The present paper offers an introduction to the Spanish translation of "The Idea of a Philosophical Culture: Its First Germination in Greek Philosophy" by Edmund Husserl, first published in 1923 in Japanisch-deutsche Zeit-schrift für Wissenschaft und Technik. It contextualizes it historically and philosophically within Husserlian work. We pay special attention to the link between the afore mentioned article and other publications from 1923-1924, that appeared in Japanese journal Kaizo, and which focus on similar issues. The latter were published in Spanish translation under joint title "Renovación del hombre y de la cultura". (shrink)

The papers presented in this volume in honour of Alfonso Maieru cover some of the major topics of his research area. The institutional and intellectual life of university training in the Middle Ages, including the peculiar tradition of related works, is the focus of the papers by Louis Jacques Bataillon, William J. Courtenay, Jacqueline Hamesse, Zenon Kaluza, Loris Sturlese and Olga Weijers. Three papers, by Jacopo Costa, Pasquale Porro and Thomas Ricklin, deal with philosophical problems in Dante'sMonarchia and Convivio. (...) The complex interrelations between logic and the other main aspects of medieval philosophy, with a particular attention to theology, metaphysics and natural philosophy, are the core of the other papers by Stefano Caroti, Sten Ebbesen, Barbara Faes de Mottoni, Simo Knuuttila, Alain de Libera, Olga Lizzini, Costantino Marmo, Claude Panaccio, Ivan Bendwell, Irene Rosier-Catach, Lambert Marie de Rijk, Leonardo Sileo, Luisa Valente, and Albert Zimmermann. A larger number of friends and colleagues of Alfonso Maieru than those who appear as contributors and editors of this volume have warmly welcomed its publication. We could say, therefore, that it is absolutely contingent that the Editors are: Stefano Caroti (Universita degli Studi di Parma), Ruedi Imbach (Universite de Paris-Sorbonne), Zenon Kaluza (Centre d'Etudes des Religions du Livre, C.N.R.S), Loris Sturlese (Universita degli Studi di Lecce) and Giorgio Stabile(Universita degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"). (shrink)

En la actualidad vivimos como “ciudadanos sin brújula”, según una expresión de Cornelius Castoriadis. Los tiempos parecen ser de perplejidad e incertidumbre, dando lugar a un aumento notorio de la insignificancia o pérdida del sentido. Por ello, esta reflexión busca presentar el pensamiento político de Castoriadis en todo su movimiento de ampliación y radicalidad. Tal vez así, nutriendo nuestra imaginación creadora, podremos asimilar críticamente algunos elementos que nos posibiliten el cuestionamiento de lo ya instituido, abriendo horizontes para la institución de (...) una verdadera autonomía democrática en el mundo globalizado de nuestros días. (shrink)

(2013). Complexity and Transdisciplinarity: Reflections on Theory and Practice. World Futures: Vol. 69, The Complexity of Life and Lives of Complexity, pp. 200-230.

This study contributes to the emerging literature on the negative effects over consumption that social media users may develop as a consequence of being engaged on social media platforms. The authors tested materialism’s direct and indirect impacts on compulsive, conspicuous, and impulsive buying, adding two novel mediators: attitudes toward social media content and social media intensity. The study uses a convenience sample of 400 Thai social media users analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the well-established positive relationships between (...) materialism and each of the three-negative consumption behaviors also in the social media domain. A novel finding showed the important role played by SMI which was found to be a strong predictor of each of the three negative consumption behaviors and it was also found to significantly mediate the relationship between materialism and the three-negative consumption behaviors. An additional contribution of the study was found on the role of attitudes which, contrary to what is commonly believed, were often not significant in predicting any negative behavior. (shrink)

Although the problems of the Indian communities of Mexico are not identical with those of other Latin American countries, they are nevertheless similar, and I am sure that the solutions that have been tried in Mexico can also be used in other countries on that continent.The present territory of the Republic of Mexico was divided, in the period prior to the Spanish conquest, into two great cultural provinces: There was on the one hand the Northern region which was generally inhabited (...) by nomadic tribes—hunters and gatherers whom the Mexicans used to call by the name of chichimecas—and on the other hand the central region of the country which extended towards the North-West as far as Sinaloa along the Western Sierra Madre and towards the North-East as far as Soto la Marina along the Eastern Sierra—a province which is now called Mesoamerica—and which then comprised various native peoples with a plurality of languages and characteristic cultural features, whose manner of life was based essentially on the cultivation of corn, beans and other edible plants and who lived without exception in cities organized already according to a political system which was essentially monarchical and theocratic. (shrink)

Este trabajo es una aproximación a la crítica de Martin Heidegger a la cibernética. La primera parte es una descripción de lo que él escribió o dijo sobre el tema y de algunas nociones cercanas como la de ciencia, técnica y el principio de razón. Para Heidegger la cibernética es una nueva ciencia fundamental que sustituye a la filosofía. Las nuevas ciencias cibernéticas son el derecho, la naturaleza, la historia o el arte. En la segunda parte me pregunto si la (...) crítica de Heidegger sigue vigente. ¿Todavía puede hablarse de ciencia en el mismo sentido que él? Su vigencia depende de si la causalidad todavía es el saber perseguido por la inteligencia artificial. Concluyo que sí, la causalidad todavía es perseguida por razones de utilidad. Por último, presento y dejo abiertos algunos de los temas relacionados con el Derecho como nueva ciencia cibernética. (shrink)

The present study pursues three objectives. First, to expose and discuss the contributions of the philosopher José Ortega y Gasset to the phenomenological study of gestures and emotive gesture. Secondly, to critically review one of the central theses defended by Ortega, according to which “every expressive phenomenon”—including, therefore, the emotive gesture—involves “a transposition, that is to say, an essential metaphor.” This thesis invites us, in the third objective, to establish a dialogue between phenomenology and cognitive linguistics (as developed by Lakoff, (...) Langacker and Talmy), assuming an experientialist position vis‐à‐vis human reason and language, in opposition to the objectivist and formalist position of Chomsky's generative linguistics. In this interdisciplinary context, we will study the phenomenon of emotive gesture, in particular the expression of the emotion of anger, as analyzed phenomenologically by Ortega y Gasset. (shrink)