I call illocutionary externalism (IE) the approach to the study of illocutionary force that I favor. IE is inspired by Austin's seminal ideas on performatives and speech acts. According to IE, in the analysis of a paradigmatic illocutionary force we must essentially mention some aspects of the social and natural environment that cannot be reduced to the (de dicto) speakers' mental states, no matter how these are individuated. A difficult problem for IE derives from the possibility of making explicit the (...) force of an utterance. This fact invites us to focus our attention on the utterer (the person who makes the force explicit) and his mental states (illocutionary intentions), and to support a mentalist approach in the study of forces. In this article I shall argue for the compatibility of IE with the phenomenon of the explicitability of illocutionary force. (shrink)

Although Aristotle attributes to metaphor - as an instrument that makes poetic imitation possible to the highest degree - an important function, he does not arrive at the conclusion that the essence of poetics is the metaphor. This is due, on the one hand, to the almost total identification of the poem with the tragedy, showing little interest in what we consider lyric poetry; on the other hand, for the little attention given to religious poetry. If the Stagirite had analyzed (...) these genres, he would have discovered that both have in common the attempt to express the ineffable. Metaphor is the privileged tool to talk about something that we can not conceptualize, because it is partially unknown to us - subjectivity - or because this reality (the divine) transcends all kinds of sensible experience. Hence, the metaphor becomes not only an analogical knowledge of sensible reality, but also communication of ineffable realities. (shrink)

Recent neuro-psychoanalytic literature has emphasized the view that our subjective identity rests on ancient subcortical neuro-psychic processes expressing unthinking forms of experience, which are “affectively intense without being known” (Solms and Panksepp, 2012). Devoid of internal representations, the emotional states of our “core-Self” (Panksepp, 1998b) are entirely “projected” towards the external world and tend to be discharged through instinctual action-patterns. However, due to the close connections between the subcortical and the cortical midline brain, the emotional drives may also find a (...) way to be reflected within an intrinsic self-referential processing, evident when the organism is not actively engaged with the external world. Thanks to such endogenous functioning, the core-Self emotional dispositions are not overtly executed, but they are organized within coherent dynamic mental structures, called “feeling-toned complexes” by C.G. Jung and “unconscious phantasies” by Melanie Klein. The intrinsic self-referential dynamism of the ‘brainmind’ originated from REM sleep arousal and then evolved in the resting-state activity of a complex of cortico-limbic midline brain structures (CMS), also called Default Mode Network (DMN). From our neuro-ethological perspective, it is sustained by an “introverted” SEEKING activity leading to the subjective exploration of internally constructed virtual scenarios. This “mind wandering” function, implicated in dreaming, fantasy processing, remembering and thinking, is the essence of the imaginative function and constitutes the first form of reflection, where intentions and drives gain a primordial form of conscious (but not self-conscious) representation. During postnatal development, this original (“archetypal”) imaginative function is slowly attuned in a relational “transitional” space and may be expressed first in non-verbal and eventually in abstract-verbal social communicative patterns. Our view has noticeable implications for psychotherapy. Instead of trying to directly modify interpersonal, extrinsic relationships (a top-down approach), dysfunctional emotional-relational patterns may be modified by a process in which the patient is helped to let-go of the perceived feeling-objects in favor of an immersion, via the actual feeling, from the superficial level of perception towards a void feeling-state, empty of images. Only starting from this “anoetic” feeling-state, the deep imaginal creative and re-structuring self-referential activity may be reactivated by a process of spontaneous imagination. (shrink)

The paper presents a metaphysical characterization of spatiotemporal backgrounds from a realist perspective. The conceptual analysis is based on a heuristic sketch that encompasses the common formal traits of the major spacetime theories, such as Newtonian mechanics and general relativity. It is shown how this framework can be interpreted in a fully realist fashion, and what is the role of background structures in such a picture. In the end it is argued that, although backgrounds are a source of metaphysical discomfort, (...) still they make a spacetime theory easy to interpret. It is also suggested that this conclusion partially explains why the notion of background independence carries a lot of conceptual difficulties. (shrink)

Der vorliegende Beitrag analysiert die griechische philosophische Strömung des Kynismus durch die Linse des Asketismus. Nach einer Darstellung des griechischen Konzepts der askesis, verstanden als Übung zur Vervollkommnung (§1), werden die Geschichte und die Hauptmerkmale des Kynismus rekonstruiert (§2) und die Bedeutung der Askese für diese Strömung dargestellt (§3). In §4 wird gezeigt, wie das kynische Konzept der Askese, das auf die Vervollkommnung des Subjekts durch eine Reihe von kontinuierlichen Übungen abzielt, im griechischen Kontext sowohl in Opposition zu den rituellen (...) und magischen Praktiken der Volksreligiosität als auch zu den Fleischopfern mit politischer Bedeutung der Polis zu interpretieren ist. (shrink)

El discurso sobre la seguridad que viene planteándose en el ámbito de la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) se caracteriza por un predominio de las perspectivas técnica y normativa. Los efectos ambivalentes de esta tecnología y su consideración como un sistema sociotécnico plantean la necesidad de complementar este discurso integrando una perspectiva moral. Así pues, el objetivo principal de este trabajo consiste en argumentar que la seguridad moral es un elemento indispensable para alcanzar una IA confiable, en virtud de las diversas situaciones (...) donde la dignidad humana puede verse comprometida. (shrink)

In this work, I investigate some questions pertaining to intentional actions and consciously morally reckless actions, seeking to answer the question whether it is possible to morally hold the agent responsible morally for the unwanted results arising from his intentional actions. The first conclusion reached was that the result of an action that was not the object of the agent's intention is a mere consequence of the main action, however, the action that provoked it can be characterized as a consciously (...) morally reckless action. The second conclusion is that, yes, the unwanted results arising from an intentional action are also the moral responsibility of the causative agent, therefore, it is reasonable to hold him responsible for this. (shrink)

Este volumen recoge las ponencias, comunicaciones y coloquios que se ofrecieron en la última reunión organizada por la Asociación Interdisciplinar “José de Acosta” (ASINJA). El tema vertebrador, como indica el título, es el sentido del hombre en el Universo. La toma de conciencia de sí mismo y del Universo en el que se encuentra inmerso, hacen platearse al hombre una serie de preguntas sobre el sentido de las cosas, o sobre el por qué y el para qué de la propia (...) exitencia humana. Estas misma preguntas centran los estudios contenidos en este libro. (shrink)

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a interpretação pragmatista da tradição da Teoria Crítica, e o papel que as idealizações neokantianas assumem nesta interpretação. Tentaremos mostrar que, em uma interpretação pragmatista, o cerne da Teoria Crítica consiste em uma tensão argumentativa vinculada à estruturação comunicativo-discursiva típica das sociedades democráticas contemporâneas, como estruturação que confere às discussões práticas um papel primordial na dinâmica social concreta. Partindo de uma análise das diferenças entre as perspectivas antiga e moderna de compreensão da discussão prática, (...) procuramos mostrar que, no âmbito das discussões práticas modernas ou contemporâneas, as idealizações neokantianas assumem um papel central, definido através da oposição a fatores objetivos ou objetivados, alheios à racionalidade, que admitidamente afetam tais discussões. Nesse contexto, as idealizações neokantianas se configuram como suposições idealizadoras, com as quais os participantes das discussões não podem deixar de em alguma medida se comprometer. AbstractThe aim of this paper is to analyze the pragmatist interpretation of Critical Theory, and the role that the neo-kantians idealizations assume in this interpretation. We argue that, in the pragmatist interpretation, the core of Critical Theory is located in an argumentative tension linked to the communicative and discursive structuring typical of the contemporary democratic societies, as a structuring which gives to the practical discussions a primordial role in the concrete dynamics of society. Starting from an analysis of the differences between the ancient and the modern perspectives of comprehension of practical discussion, we argue that, in the context of the modern or contemporary practical discussions, the neo-kantians idealizations assume a key role, defined by the opposition to objective or objectified elements, which are alien to rationality, and affect such discussions. In this context, the neo-kantians idealizations take the figure of idealizing suppositions, with which the participants cannot help engaging. (shrink)

The teaching of business in a business school is discussed, with special reference to the possibility of both learning and changing ethical abilities (virtues), the need of ethics in business, how to teach business ethics, and the contents of the course.