Why do humpback whales sing? This paper considers the hypothesis that humpback whales may use song for long range sonar. Given the vocal and social behavior of humpback whales, in several cases it is not apparent how they monitor the movements of distant whales or prey concentrations. Unless distant animals produce sounds, humpback whales are unlikely to be aware of their presence or actions. Some field observations are strongly suggestive of the use of song as sonar. Humpback whales sometimes stop (...) singing and then rapidly approach distant whales in cases where sound production by those whales is not apparent, and singers sometimes alternately sing and swim while attempting to intercept another whale that is swimming evasively. In the evolutionary development of modern cetaceans, perceptual mechanisms have shifted from reliance on visual scanning to the active generation and monitoring of echoes. It is hypothesized that as the size and distance of relevant events increased, humpback whales developed adaptive specializations for long-distance echolocation. Differences between use of songs by humpback whales and use of sonar by other echolocating species are discussed, as are similarities between bat echolocation and singing by humpback whales. Singing humpback whales are known to emit sounds intense enough to generate echoes at long ranges, and to flexibly control the timing and qualities of produced sounds. The major problem for the hypothesis is the lack of recordings of echoes from other whales arriving at singers immediately before they initiate actions related to those whales. An earlier model of echoic processing by singing humpback whales is here revised to incorporate recent discoveries. According to the revised model, both direct echoes from targets and modulations in song-generated reverberation can provide singers with information that can help them make decisions about future actions related to mating, traveling, and foraging. The model identifies acoustic and structural features produced by singing humpback whales that may facilitate a singer’s ability to interpret changes in echoic scenes and suggests that interactive signal coordination by singing whales may help them to avoid mutual interference. Specific, testable predictions of the model are presented. (shrink)

We agree with Rendell and Whitehead that cetaceans acquire knowledge from caretakers and peers, and that a clear understanding of this process can provide insight into the evolution of mammalian cognition. The passive observational methods they advocate, however, are inadequate for determining what cetaceans know. Only by experimentally investigating the cognition of cetaceans can we hope to understand what they learn through social interactions.

The theoretical framework proposed by Dienes & Perner sets the wrong standards for knowledge to be considered explicit. Animals other than humans possess knowledge, too, some of which is probably explicit. We argue that a comparative approach to investigating knowledge is likely to be more fruitful than one based on linguistic constructs and unobservable phenomena.

Singing humpback whales (Megaptera noavaengliae) collectively and progressively change the sounds and patterns they produce within their songs throughout their lives. The dynamic modifications that humpback whales make to their songs are often cited as an impressive example of cultural transmission through vocal learning in a non-human. Some elements of song change challenge this interpretation, however, including: (1) singers often incrementally and progressively morph phrases within and across songs as time passes, with trajectories of change being comparable across multiple time (...) scales; (2) acoustically isolated subpopulations singing similar songs morph the acoustic properties of songs in similar ways; and (3) complex sound patterns, including phrases, themes, and whole songs, recur across years and populations. These properties of song dynamics suggest that singing humpback whales may be modulating song features in response to local conditions and genetic predispositions rather than socially learning novel sound patterns by copying other singers. Experimental and observational tests of key predictions of these alternative hypotheses are critical to identifying how and why singing humpback whales constantly change their songs. (shrink)

Current psychological theories of performance anxiety focus heavily on relating performers’ physiological and mental states to their abilities to maintain focus and execute learned skills. How task-specific expertise and past experiences moderate the degree to which individuals become anxious in a given performance context are not well accounted for within these theories. This review considers how individual differences arising from learning may shape the psychobiological, emotional, and cognitive processes that modulate anxious states associated with the performance of highly trained skills. (...) Current approaches to understanding performance anxiety are presented, followed by a critique of these approaches. A connectionist model is proposed as an alternative approach to characterising performance anxiety by viewing performers’ anxious states at a specific time point as jointly determined by experience-dependent plasticity, competition between motivational systems, and ongoing cognitive and somatic states. Clarifying how experience-dependent plasticity contributes to the emergence of socio-evaluative anxiety in challenging situations can not only help performers avoid developing maladaptive emotional responses, but may also provide new clues about how memories of past events and imagined future states interact with motivational processes to drive changes in emotional states and cognitive processing. (shrink)

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a specialized nanomachine that enables bacteria to secrete proteins in a specific order and directly deliver a specific set of them, collectively known as effectors, into eukaryotic organisms. The core structure of the T3SS is a syringe‐like apparatus composed of multiple building blocks, including both membrane‐associated and soluble proteins. The cytosolic components organize together in a chamber‐like structure known as the sorting platform (SP), responsible for recruiting, sorting, and initiating the substrates destined to (...) engage this secretion pathway. In this article, we provide an overview of recent findings on the SP's structure and function, with a particular focus on its assembly pathway. Furthermore, we discuss the molecular mechanisms behind the recruitment and hierarchical sorting of substrates by this cytosolic complex. Overall, the T3SS is a highly specialized and complex system that requires precise coordination to function properly. A deeper understanding of how the SP orchestrates T3S could enhance our comprehension of this complex nanomachine, which is central to the host‐pathogen interface, and could aid in the development of novel strategies to fight bacterial infections. (shrink)

This thesis consists in six articles and a comprehensive summary. • The pourpose of the summary is to introduce the AGM theory of belief change and to exemplify the diversity and significance of the research that has been inspired by the AGM article in the last 25 years. The research areas associated with AGM was divided in three parts: criticisms, where we discussed some of the more common criticisms of AGM. Extensions where the most common extensions and variations of AGM (...) are presented and applications where we provided an overview of applications and connections with other areas of research. • Article I elaborates on the connection between partial meet contractions [AGM85] and kernel contractions [Han94a] in belief change theory. Also both functions are equivalent in belief sets, there are notequivalent in belief bases. A way to define incision functions from selection functions and vice versa is presented. It is explained under which conditions there are exact correspondences between selection and incision functions so that the same contraction operations can be obtained by using either of them. • Article II proposes an axiomatic characterization for ensconcement-based contraction functions, belief base functions proposed byWilliams and relates this function with other kinds of base contraction functions. • Article III adapts the Fermé and Hansson model of Shielded Contraction [FH01] as well as Hansson et all Credibility-Limited Revision [HFCF01] for belief bases, to join two of the many variations of the AGM model [AGM85], i.e. those in which knowledge is represented through belief bases instead of logic theories, and those in which the object of the epistemic change does not get the priority over the existing information as it is the case in the AGM model. • Article IV introduces revision by comparison a refined method for changing beliefs by specifying constraints on the relative plausibility of propositions. Like the earlier belief revision models, the method proposed is a qualitative one, in the sense that no numbers are needed in order to specify the posterior plausibility of the new information. The method uses reference beliefs in order to determine the degree of entrenchment of the newly accepted piece of information. Two kinds of semantics for this idea are proposed and a logical characterization of the new model is given. • Article V focuses on the extension of AGM that allows change for a belief base by a set of sentences instead of a single sentence. In [FH94], Fuhrmann and Hansson presented an axiomatic for Multiple Contraction and a construction based on the AGM Partial Meet Contraction. This essay proposes for their model another way to construct functions: Multiple Kernel Contraction, that is a modification of Kernel Contraction,proposed by Hansson [Han94a] to construct classical AGM contractions and belief base contractions. • Article VI relates AGM model with the DFT model proposed by Carlos Alchourrón [Alc93]. Alchourrón devoted his last years to the analysis of the notion of defeasible conditionalization. His definition of the defeasible conditional is given in terms of strict implication operator and a modal operator f which is interpreted as a revision function at the language level. This essay points out that this underlying revision function is more general than AGM revision. In addition, a complete characterization of that more general kind of revision that permits to unify models of revision given by other authors is given. (shrink)

This paper is intended as a set of notes on the philosophical use of metaphors, similes, analogies, and the like (Part I), the analysis of Neurath-Quine’s famous nautical metaphor (Part II), and a discussion of Quine’s views concerning the revisability of beliefs, common sense convictions, and the Continuity Thesis (Part III).

Trilogia da ancestralidade : ensaios de filosofia Africana -- Introdução -- I. Verso e re-verso da pureza nagô -- II. Da pureza nagô à (re) Africanização -- III. Da (re) Africanização à ancestralidade -- Considerações finais.

Este ensayo propone las tesis siguientes. i) Se ha producido un cambio de conciencia de nuestro pasado filosófico en los últimos decenios. ii) A ello ha contribuido tanto la asimilación de la filosofía continental y anglosajona como la investigación sobre la filosofía española llevada a cabo en las universidades de Madrid, Granada, Murcia, Oviedo, Salamanca, entre otras. iii) La filosofía española tiene un futuro prometedor tanto en investigación como en docencia.

L'histoire de la réception littéraire de l'Utopie de Thomas More au Portugal a été une histoire d'omissions, de censures et de traductions différées qui met en évidence un défaut dans le système culturel portugais. En effet, il est quelque peu ironique qu'une œuvre aussi représentative de la littérature et de la pensée occidentale, historiquement associée à l'ouverture des horizons géographiques du monde, et qui attribue au personnage d'un marin lusitanien, Raphaël Hythlodée, la découverte d'un lieu idéal, n'a été traduite en (...) portugais que dans la seconde moitié du vingtième siècle. Cependant, la première décennie du vingt-et-unième siècle semble annoncer une fortune littéraire plus favorable à l'Utopie de More dans la langue portugaise: non seulement une édition du chef d'œuvre de More a finalement été traduite du latin, mais aussi deux romans ont été publiés en 2004, A lenda de Martim Regos, de Pedro Canais, et Rafael, de Manuel Alegre. Dans le cadre de leurs propres déroulements narratifs, les deux œuvres réaccentuent les traits complexes du personnage du marin portugais et découvreur de l'île idéale. La même réinvention du personnage de Raphaël avait déjà été tentée, en 1998, par José V. de Pina Martins dans son long récit dialogique Utopia III. Dans cet essai, je me concentrerai à la fois sur les sources documentaires liées à la culture portugaise qui sont à la base de l'Utopie de More et sur certains aspects pertinents de la réception du personnage de Raphaël Hythlodée dans les romans susmentionnés. (shrink)

This work aims to make a critical and propositional exposition about the semantics of concepts in general, from the book Transcendental semantics of Kant (2000), by Loparic. In general terms, the exposition of the theme, by this author, focused on the general classification of the semantics of concepts, their meanings and referents. In turn, the critics was directed to several aspects of its exposition, such as: the precision of the nomenclature used, the introduction of new definitions and the correction of (...) others, the reformulation of the classification of the semantics of the concepts. Finally, the proposition highlighted three main points: (i) the conception of the equivalent epistemological status between logic and mathematics, as symbolic sciences with their own form and content; (ii) the weak and strong concept of sciences in general (formal and empirical) as pure and applied sciences, respectively; (iii) the possible metalinguistic conception of the semantics of concepts. (shrink)

Achieving energy sovereignty is increasingly gaining prominence as a goal in energy politics. The aim of this paper is to provide a conceptual analysis of this principle from an ethics and social justice perspective. We rely on the literature on food sovereignty to identify through a comparative analysis the elements energy sovereignty will most likely demand and thereafter distinguish the unique constituencies of the energy sector. The idea of energy sovereignty embraces a series of values, among which we identified: (i) (...) accessibility, to allow access to everyone, (ii) empowerment and recognition, to develop and sustain capabilities to collaboratively produce solution-oriented energy system knowledge and effectively participate in governance, (iii) stewardship and sustainability, to be able to design and manage decentralised renewable systems in view of protecting the environment, (iv) self-sufficiency, to reduce the negative shocks of exploitative business practises, (v) resilience, to maintain production capacities while withstanding socioeconomic, political, environmental and climatic shocks, (vi) peace, to establish production systems that do not involve hostile relations, (vii) transparency and self-determination, to establish democratic decision-making mechanisms that give a voice to previously underrepresented groups and limit corporate takeover (viii) gender-justice, by acknowledging the contributions of women and eliminate barriers to their empowerment. With a conceptual framework of energy sovereignty, we present a rationale that draws on the key values to be considered when formulating policy solutions for the energy sector. (shrink)

A transição do trabalhador da Idade Média para a Moderna forçou os meios de produção burgueses a criarem modos de positivar a cultura do trabalho. Para além das ideologias e da própria miséria como impulsionadores da cultura do trabalho, o que pretendemos neste artigo é jogar luz sobre o papel das previdências como instrumentos de subjetivação e normalização, originalmente disciplinares; utilizando então uma leitura foucaultiana do tema. Partiremos do como as técnicas disciplinares ajustaram os corpos trabalhadores para o trabalho e (...) fixaram-nos com o auxílio das caixas previdenciárias, até chegarmos à compreensão atual das reformas e contrarreformas previdenciárias como resultados disto que tem sido reconhecido hoje como uma necropolítica. A atualidade, não mais apenas dos trabalhadores europeus, vista então como algo que em nome de uma biopolítica se converteu nesta ultradefesa da vida. Uma defesa que, no seu limite, justificaria até mesmo a morte de larga parcela da população. Temos então a passagem da biopolítica para a necropolítica. E na mesma ordem, temos a passagem de um sistema previdenciário que não é mais feito para o auxílio ou a fixação do trabalhador, mas para a gestão do uso e do descarte deste mesmo sujeito frente ao mercado de trabalho. (shrink)

A recent study by McGee from the University of Oregon has led to discussions in international media and on the web. This study addresses an interesting question and applies advanced statistics for its analysis. However, we identify several methodological flaws that invalidate the results. First, McGee tests a hypothesis that does not correspond to his main question and which does not allow McGee to derive the conclusions that are drawn in his paper and reported in the media coverage. Second, the (...) data used are not adequate for the analysis because: i) the dependent variable does not reflect the greenhouse gas emissions characteristics of organic agriculture, ii) the explanatory variables neglect the livestock sector, and iii) trade aspects are missing. Third, McGee fails to discuss his findings in the light of quite a substantial body of experimental, bio-physical research from the US and elsewhere. (shrink)

El presente artículo indaga si ¿es el sujeto un ser autónomo en la deliberación política o sonlos pensamientos, las posturas y las formas de la organización política mediadas por las distintas herramientas comunicacionales a las que se ve expuesto quienes lo determinan? Así, analiza larelación que existe entre mass media y política, con la capacidad deliberativa del individuo altomar decisiones en el contexto político, a partir de Chomsky y Han. La metodología es cualitativa con diseño documental, el instrumento son fichas (...) bibliográficas aplicadas a fuentes primarias y secundarias. Se usan bases de datos con el algoritmo: “Neoliberalismo, psicopolítica, big data, medios de comunicación de masas y democracia”. Se analizan 13 libros y 20 artículos. Se identifican las nuevas formas y herramientas de organización política y la relación entre política y medios de comunicación. Se concluye que: 1) el neoliberalismo direcciona la idea de libre mercado hacia el individuo mismo, 2) es necesaria una ciudadanía crítica que tenga un rol más activo en lademocracia, 3) se identifica a la psicopolítica como una nueva forma de organización política, 4) lanueva herramienta de la política es el big data, 5) se evidencia que la relación entre política y massmedia está vinculada con los grupos de poder y 6) la emocionalización de la comunicación políticadisminuye la autonomía individual. (shrink)

El último año un número significativo de países desarrollados y del tercer mundo iniciaron procesos de transformación social y política a partir de levantamientos, revoluciones y movimientos impulsados por una ciudadanía hasta ahora distanciada e incluso segregada de la esfera política. En algunos países el imperio del mercado, en otros la fuerza represiva de regímenes autoritarios, en los más privilegiados, un nihilismo extendido producto del bienestar material acumulado, venía desde hace añ..

RESUMEN Este trabajo se propone analizar los aportes de Judith Butler a las actuales lecturas norteamericanas sobre la introducción del deseo en la Fenomenología del espíritu de Hegel. Para ello, en primer lugar, situamos la aparición del deseo en la obra mencionada; en segundo lugar reconstruimos los principales lineamientos de las interpretaciones estadounidenses en boga; en tercer lugar nos ocupamos del análisis que Butler realiza sobre esta cuestión en Sujetos del deseo. Reflexiones hegelianas en la Francia del siglo XX. Por (...) último, en la conclusión, sistematizamos las contribuciones de Butler, destacando fundamentalmente tres: la significación particular que le otorga al deseo en su momento de emergencia; el modo de abordaje de esta problemática que se detiene en el estudio del tercer capítulo de la Fenomenología del espíritu; y la perspectiva retórica desde la que explica el deseo. ABSTRACT This paper aims to analyze Judith Butler's contributions to the recent interpretations of the introduction of desire in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, proposed by American scholars. In order to achieve this goal, we situate the appearance of desire in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. Then, we reconstruct the main recent American readings. Finally, we examine Butler's interpretation. In the conclusion of this paper, we systematize the most important features of Butler's reading: the meaning of desire in the context of its moment of emergency; the way in which Butler studies this issue, which consist in a thorough reading of chapter III ofHegel's Phenomenology of Spirit; and Butler's rhetorical perspective of desire. (shrink)

El documento presenta la propuesta ecuatoriana como una política pública viable tanto desde el punto de vista nacional como internacional. Se analizan las razones de por qué no debe atarse esta iniciativa al mercado de carbono, y se proponen premisas para impulsar acuerdos políticos que tendrán como momento clave la reunión del Convenio de Cambio Climático en Copenhague. En el documento se proponen varias posibilidades y condiciones políticas y económicas para estructurar un fondo solidario a fin de hacer viable (...) la iniciativa de no explotación del crudo en el Parque Nacional Yasuní. Se destaca que la propuesta ha recibido ya el respaldo del Parlamente Alemán, y que está en la agenda de varios parlamentos y gobiernos a nivel internacional. (shrink)

Las expectativas de reconocimiento que tienen los migrantes puede entenderse en desde la noción de falso reconocimiento, en que el sujeto se identifica con la posición desfavorable que le impone la sociedad receptora. Las expectativas de los migrantes están mediadas por la percepción de que se contrae una deuda con la sociedad en virtud de que esta le ha entregado un espacio de oportunidades para la realización de un proyecto de vida orientado al bienestar y la seguridad. Lo cual redunda (...) en una concepción del acceso a los derechos restringida y centrada en el acceso al mercado de trabajo y de bienes de consumo. En este marco las principales estrategias de incorporación identificadas son el ocultamiento, la adaptación, la distinción al interior de los colectivos, el fortalecimiento de las redes y la priorización del trabajo. (shrink)

La expansión de las actividades informales de feriantes en el conurbano bonaerense constituye una de las manifestaciones del fenómeno de la heterogeneidad no regulada del aprovisionamiento de bienes de consumo, que a su vez, emergen como intermediarios económicos que atienden a necesidades y demandas de consumidores territorialmente segregados y no articulados a los mercados formales, en su mayoría.Es en ese sentido que el presente artículo quiere rescatar y señalar los componentes centrales que asoman en un proceso que parte con el (...) supuesto de que la confianza constituye un elemento central cuando otras formas que actuarían como garante de las interacciones aparecen débiles, ausentes o no primordiales como garantía de las interacciones sociales, como es el caso de la feria de Solano. (shrink)

Este artigo apresenta considerações sobre possíveis infl uências teóricas de Theodule A. Ribot sobre S. Freud por ocasião de suas formulações teóricas iniciais sobre o psiquismo. Infl uências a partir de noções como memória e consciência, mas especialmente de cerebração inconsciente. Essas serão investigadas especialmente nas obras Les maladies de la mémoire e Projeto de psicologia, respectivamente. Destacamos que essa influência se deu pela contribuição e mediação de J. M. Charcot, tal como apresentada em Leçons sur les maladies du système (...) nerveux faites a la Salpêtrière – Tome III, 1887), dedicada à abordagem da histeria psíquica/ideativa. Apresentaremos as duas primeiras obras destacando o que entendemos como infl uências, heranças e inclusive divergências entre os autores, mas especialmente destacando uma linha de continuidade entre eles, para a qual Charcot teve papel fundamental. Esperamos que nossa pesquisa proporcione melhor esclarecimento sobre o estatuto inicial do psiquismo concebido por Freud bem como sobre a emergência de uma explicação alternativa que propiciou a introdução de uma instância psíquica inconsciente tal como a conhecemos. (shrink)

Contentivo de las memorias del "III Seminario de Filosofía y Derecho Contemporáneo", en homenaje al profesor Günther Jakobs, en el cual se analizan algunos de los componentes del derecho penal al tenor de la filosofía del derecho. Esta obra retoma los conceptos de Günther Jakobs, Jaime Bernal Cuéllar, Manuel Cancio Meliá y Teresa Manso Porto, entre otros.

This work aims to make a critical and propositional exposition about the semantics of concepts in general, from the book Transcendental semantics of Kant (2000), by Loparic. In general terms, the exposition of the theme, by this author, focused on the general classification of the semantics of concepts, their meanings and referents. In turn, the critics was directed to several aspects of its exposition, such as: the precision of the nomenclature used, the introduction of new definitions and the correction of (...) others, the reformulation of the classification of the semantics of the concepts. Finally, the proposition highlighted three main points: (i) the conception of the equivalent epistemological status between logic and mathematics, as symbolic sciences with their own form and content; (ii) the weak and strong concept of sciences in general (formal and empirical) as pure and applied sciences, respectively; (iii) the possible metalinguistic conception of the semantics of concepts. (shrink)

We investigated the influence of maternal depression (MD) on the communication and motor dimensions of child neurodevelopment, by a longitudinal and descriptive study. We assessed 1,555 mother-baby dyads from two Brazilian cities with discrepant sociodemographic characteristics: Ribeirão Preto (RP) (N=663) and São Luís (SL) (N=892). MD during pregnancy and at the second year of child´s life was assessed, respectively, through the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-CES-D (≥24) and the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale-EPDS (≥12). Child development was assessed through the (...) screening test from the Bayley Scale (BSID-III), when children were 12-24 months old. There was association between MD at the second year of child´s life and impairment on the Receptive Communication dimension of language development, especially when analysis included depression during pregnancy and sociodemographic variables. Such association was found only in the city with worse sociodemographic indicators. Our findings supported the influence of MD in the second year of child´s life on child neurodevelopment, specifically on the Receptive Communication dimension of language development in SL. Moreover, findings suggested a possible role of environmental and socioeconomic variables in such association, drawing attention to prenatal care monitoring and intervention programs for mothers living in unfavorable socioeconomic contexts. (shrink)

Las miopatías metabólicas son un grupo de trastornos genéticos que disminuyen la capacidad del músculo esquelético para utilizar sustratos energéticos y sintetizar ATP. Estas alteraciones pueden clasificarse en tres tipos fundamentalmente: i) trastornos del metabolismo de los carbohidratos (del glucógeno y de la glucosa), ii) defectos del metabolismo lipídico, y iii) alteraciones de la fosforilación oxidativa –OXPHOS-. Las dos primeras se deben a deficiencias enzimáticas de las rutas metabólicas de degradación y síntesis de glúcidos y lípidos y muestran diversas manifestaciones (...) clínicas, pero una buena parte de ellas cursan con intolerancia al ejercicio. Aunque un buen número de pacientes con estos trastornos musculares presentan síntomas en la infancia, el diagnóstico normalmente se retrasa hasta la segunda y tercera década de la vida. Por tanto, reconocer las características clínicas de estas deficiencias conduce a un diagnóstico precoz y a un mejor tratamiento. Las enfermedades mitocondriales son un grupo de trastornos originados por una deficiencia en la síntesis de ATP a través del sistema de fosforilación oxidativa. Este sistema está formado por proteínas codificadas en los dos genomas de la célula (nuclear y mitocondrial) y, por tanto, pueden presentar un modelo de herencia mendeliano o materno. En esta revisión se describirán las características especiales del sistema genético mitocondrial y las principales mutaciones que causan enfermedades en humanos. (shrink)

O livro visa apresentar o tema sob inovadoras formas - linguagem (textos científicos, literários, filosóficos e depoimentos), identidade visual (diálogo com as artes visuais), e a participação de renomados estudiosos em direitos humanos do Brasil e do exterior com formação em antropologia, direito, educação, filosofia, história, serviço social e sociologia. Os temas que constituem o livro são - sistema prisional no Brasil, exploração sexual de adolescentes, maternidade e prisão, Sistema Único de Saúde, direitos da criança e do adolescente, tráfico de (...) mulheres, migração internacional, população em situação de rua, dignidade, humanização, sustentabilidade, acesso à Justiça, liberalismo, mulheres na economia solidária, desigualdades raciais na educação e no mercado de trabalho, quilombos, racismo, desigualdade, diversidade, ética em direitos humanos, políticas públicas para travestis e transexuais, e defensores de direitos humanos. (shrink)

Con este volumen de la serie Academia y egresados, la Colección La Fuente ofrece una selección de los trabajos presentados en junio de 2014 en el III Encuentro de Egresados de la Maestría en Estética y Arte de la BUAP. El encuentro resultó ser inter-académico, por las diversas procedencias institucionales tanto de los conferencistas invitados, como de los propios exalumnos. De ahí el título general del libro, que también busca expresar la circularidad total de un movimiento que nace en la (...) Academia y regresa a ella. Compuesta de tres partes –De Academia a Academia, Desde el interior de la Academia y De regreso a la Academia–, la obra incluye, por ese orden, las aportaciones de académicos visitantes, propios y egresados, presentadas respectivamente en el encuentro como conferencias, mesas redondas y ponencias. (shrink)

En A Letter Concerning Toleration John Locke argumenta en favor de la tolerancia religiosa afirmando que el Estado no puede mejorar la vida de las personas forzándolas a vivir de acuerdo con creencias que ellas no suscriben. Más recientemente, Ronald Dworkin y Will Kymlicka han desarrollado argumentos similares. En el caso del primero, contra ciertas políticas paternalistas; en el del segundo, en apoyo de la tesis liberal de la neutralidad estatal. Mi propósito en el presente artículo es analizar la plausibilidad (...) de dichos argumentos concebidos como una defensa de la tesis de la neutralidad estatal. Intentaré demostrar que ambas versiones del argumento fracasan. En la sección II, cuestionaré la capacidad de los argumentos para respaldar las conclusiones que aspiran establecer, sin objetar la plausibilidad de las premisas involucradas. En la sección III, desarrollaré tres objeciones contra la concepción del bienestar crítico que constituye el corazón de ambas versiones del argumento. In A Letter Concerning Toleration, John Locke argues in favor of religious toleration positing that the state cannot make a person's life better by forcing that person to live according to beliefs he refuses. More recently, Ronald Dworkin and Will Kymlicka have developed similar arguments. In the first case, against some paternalistic policies; in the second, in support of the liberal ideal of state neutrality. My aim in the present paper is to analyze the plausibility of these arguments conceived as a defense of liberal neutrality. I will prove that both versions of the argument fail. In section II, I will object the argument's capability to support the conclusions it attempts to establish, without raising doubts about the reliability of its premises. In section III, I will submit three objections against the conception of critical well-being that constitutes the core of both versions of the argument. (shrink)

What place does freedom have in Confucianism? We find a wide spectrum of views on the matter: some deny that Confucians value or even conceive of freedom, while others celebrate uniquely exalted fo...

The present text constitutes a summary of a talk given by the author at the III Conferência Brasileira de Educação. It is here claimed that there is a need to discuss the roots of the idea of rights of the individual and of its link, in Locke's founding thought, with property and, moreover, with the freedom and autonomy of the human person. Furthermore, a discussion is made of the liberal-rationalist assumption of the optimum allocation of social resources through the clash (...) and combination of private interests. A twofold crisis of our times: crisis of the view of a self-regulated Laplacean universe and the crisis of the belief in the optimum allocation via market. The idea of the intervention of the State in the economy does not mean a destruction of private property nor of the value law and of profit. It only attests to its survival and seeks to ensure its implementation. Can't the idea of education be analogously thought of as a social right guaranteed and allocated by the State; as an investment in "human capital"? What is the meaning of the expression "educational policy"?O presente texto constitui síntese de comunicação do autor à III Conferência Brasileira de Educação. Afirma-se a necessidade de discutir as raízes da idéia de direitos do indivíduo e seu vínculo, no pensamento fundador de Locke, com a propriedade e, mais ainda, a liberdade e autonomia da pessoa humana. Discute-se ainda o suposto liberal-racionalista de alocação ótima dos recursos sociais através do choque e combinação de interesses privados. Uma dupla crise de nossos tempos: crise da concepção de universo auto-regulado laplaceano e a crise da crença na alocação ótima via mercado. A idéia de intervenção do Estado na economia não significa a destruição da propriedade privada, da lei do valor e do lucro. Apenas atesta a sua sobrevivência e procura garantir seu desenvolvimento. Não se pode pensar analogamente a idéia de educação como direito social garantido e alocado pelo Estado, como investimento no "capital humano"? Qual o sentido da expressão - uma "política educacional"? (shrink)

Holmes Rolston challenges the sociobiological orthodoxy that would naturalize science, ethics, and religion. The book argues that genetic processes are not blind, selfish, and contingent, and that nature is therefore not value-free. The author examines the emergence of complex biodiversity through evolutionary history. Especially remarkable in this narrative is the genesis of human beings with their capacities for science, ethics, and religion. A major conceptual task of the book is to relate cultural genesis to natural genesis. There is also a (...) general account of how values are created and transmitted in both natural and human cultural history. The book is thoroughly up-to-date on current biological thought and is written by one of the most well-respected figures in the philosophy of biology and religion. (shrink)

Recently, it has been proposed to understand a logic as containing not only a validity canon for inferences but also a validity canon for metainferences of any finite level. Then, it has been shown that it is possible to construct infinite hierarchies of ‘increasingly classical’ logics—that is, logics that are classical at the level of inferences and of increasingly higher metainferences—all of which admit a transparent truth predicate. In this paper, we extend this line of investigation by taking a somehow (...) different route. We explore logics that are different from classical logic at the level of inferences, but recover some important aspects of classical logic at every metainferential level. We dub such systems meta-classical non-classical logics. We argue that the systems presented deserve to be regarded as logics in their own right and, moreover, are potentially useful for the non-classical logician. (shrink)

At a minimum, a fiduciary is one who is entrusted to act for the benefit of others. But as the essays in this volume indicate, fiduciary relationships can be conceived or argued to be thicker and/or more robust. In addition to a relation of trust and action on behalf of another, fiduciary relationships are often thought to include some or all of the following additions: asymmetries of power, knowledge, skill or ability; discretion or reasonable judgment on the part of the (...) fiduciary; loyalty of the fiduciary to the interests of the trustor, or potential beneficiary; and the ethical obligation to act in good faith, with due care, or with professional or special knowledge in advancing the interests of the trustor. Due to the vulnerability of dependents, their trust in fiduciaries, and ethical obligations of trustees to act beneficently, fiduciary relationships lie at the heart of much ethical reflection, discourse and argumentation. This is especially so for professional fields in which fiduciaries have special knowledge and skill, and consequently special powers. Yet, apart from the specialized sub-disciplines of business ethics, legal ethics and medical ethics, fiduciary roles and relationships have not received much scrutiny and discussion in philosophy. In our view, this deficiency is best remedied by treating fiduciary ethics as a more general sub-field within ethics and deserving of attention in its own right. (shrink)

When it becomes a subject for a deep and systematical analysis, Platonism proves to be a serious rival for contemporary realisms in providing a modern metaphysics. Not only that pure Platonic realism has the advantage of elegance and clarity, but it also show at least three less abstract advantages: first, the Parmenidean principle is adhered to rather than being accepted just most of the time. Second, pure realism avoids the category of metaphysical necessity and third, the ontology becomes more simple, (...) consisting only of natures. (shrink)