Se trata de la reseña bibliográfica del libro de Emmanuel Biset et. al., Sujeto, una categoría en disputa.

This book presents some of the challenges bioethics in Latin America faces today. It considers them through the lenses of vulnerable populations, those incapable of protecting their own interests, such as the illiterate, women in societies disrespectful of their reproductive rights, and research subjects in contexts where resources are scarce.

This essay examines the construction of a symbolic figure who has worked to support the reordering of power relationships. It is the invention of a foreign enemy, Islamic radicalism from which United States has served its objectives of establishing a new hegemony. Since the terrorist threat, has extended a speech level that adulterated and showed us a world divided into two opposite poles: a virtuous and civilized axis that is forced to attack to defend itself, and a barbaric and evil (...) axis that threatens global security. But this process is fraudulent, that has been able to violate international law, has a political, historical and economic issues should be unmasked. (shrink)

El debate en torno a Aristipo de Cirene, cuya concepción de la felicidad coloca en el centro de la escena al placer, pone en tela de juicio las afirmaciones propias de aquellas éticas nucleadas bajo el epíteto de eudemonistas. Con el desplazamiento de la felicidad del sitial del fin, Aristipo reformula la dimensión ética tradicional: a través del ejercicio de la enkráteia, y lejos de caer en un relativismo subjetivista, intenta construir una ética que tenga como base un objetivismo gnoseológico. (...) Demostraremos, además, que al ejercicio de la enkráteia cirenaica subyace la noción de autosuficiencia (autárkeia) -entendida en términos aristotélicos- del individuo. Esto nos enfrentará, irremediablemente, a la noción aristotélica de felicidad (en estrecho vínculo con la noción de enkráteia), la cual no comporta una noción de autosuficiencia individual sino que restringe la posibilidad de la autárkeia a la autosuficiencia de la pólis. The debates on Aristippus of Cyrene, whose happiness' conception puts pleasure in the center of the scene, questions the claims of those ethical nucleated under the epithet "eudemonists". Through the shift of happiness from the shrine of the goal, Aristippus reformulates the traditional ethical dimension: by the enkráteia's exercising -and far from falling into a subjective relativism- he tries to build an ethic based on an epistemological objectivity. We are going to demonstrate also that the self-sufficiency concept (autárkeia) -speaking in Aristotelian terms- of individual underlies the exercise of Cyrenaic enkráteia. It will face us inevitably to the Aristotelian concept of happiness (in close connection with the enkráteia's concept), which doesn't involve a notion of individual self-sufficiency, but rather it restricts the possibility of autárkeia to the pólis' self-sufficiency. (shrink)

In this paper I analyse changes AIDS brought to research with human beings . One of the issues I consider is the relevance of ethical codes to these new proposals in research and if we are justified to think this implies a new paradigm in research . I evaluate some of the arguments activits of AIDS have done, the relevance of considering informed consent as the only criterium and I give special importance to the benefit-risk evaluation as one of the (...) necessary conditions for research work. (shrink)

According to Bronislaw Baczko, utopias may be considered as different forms—they are not linked to any precise literary genre—of critique of social reality and the quest for alternatives. Some consist of a detailed description of a new social order, whereas others confine themselves to an overall design, which solely defines a series of values and principles. They all contain an ideal of perfection: a utopian view of the world always stems from the awareness of a breach between what must be (...) and social reality, which is deemed to be in crisis and dominated by evil. There is, thus, no utopia without an ideal opposed to reality. That said, idealized as they may be, utopias do allow such reality to cease to be deemed.. (shrink)

Non-communicable diseases are no longer largely limited to high-income countries and the elderly. The burden of non-communicable diseases is rising across all country income categories, in part because these diseases have been relatively overlooked on the global health agenda. Historically, communicable diseases have been prioritized in many countries as they were perceived to constitute the greatest disease burden, especially among vulnerable and poor populations, and strategies for prevention and treatment, which had been successful in high-income settings, were considered feasible and (...) often affordable in low-income settings. This prioritization has reduced the communicable diseases burden globally but has left non-communicable diseases largely neglected. A new approach is urgently needed to tackle non-communicable diseases. Based on an analysis of potential features which may have underlain the different approaches to non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases until now, including acuity of disease, potential for control or cure, cost, infectiousness, blaming of individuals and logistical barriers, little ethical or rational justification can be found to support continued neglect of non-communicable diseases. Justice demands access to quality and affordable care for all. An equitable approach to non-communicable diseases is therefore strongly mandated on medical, ethical, economic, and public health grounds. Funding must not however be diverted away from communicable diseases, which continue to require attention—but concomitantly, funding for non-communicable diseases must be increased. International and multi-sectoral action is required to accelerate progress towards true universal health coverage and towards achievement of all of the sustainable development goals, such that prevention and access to care for non-communicable disease can become a global reality. (shrink)

The poverty of stimulus argument is one of the most controversial arguments in the study of language acquisition. Here we follow previous approaches challenging the assumption of impoverished primary linguistic data, focusing on the specific problem of auxiliary (AUX) fronting in complex polar interrogatives. We develop a series of corpus analyses of child‐directed speech showing that there is indirect statistical information useful for correct auxiliary fronting in polar interrogatives and that such information is sufficient for distinguishing between grammatical and ungrammatical (...) generalizations, even in the absence of direct evidence. We further show that there are simple learning devices, such as neural networks, capable of exploiting such statistical cues, producing a bias toward correct AUX questions when compared to their ungrammatical counterparts. The results suggest that the basic assumptions of the poverty of stimulus argument may need to be reappraised. (shrink)

El siguiente trabajo parte del análisis de dos obras literarias que vieron su aparición en el Siglo XXI: Historia de los abuelos que no tuve, de Ivan Jablonka, y El gueto interior, de Santiago Amigorena, dos novelas que toman como eje temático y vertebrador de las narraciones la búsqueda e indagación del pasado reciente a través de dos historias de vida que guardan una profunda conexión con los hechos acontecidos durante el Holocausto. El objetivo es abordar y analizar la construcción (...) de la voz narrativa en cada una de las obras propuestas a partir de su articulación con la figura del silencio. En la obra de Jablonka, se observa, hay una identificación entre el narrador y sus abuelos paternos, mecanismo que se despliega al anular toda inconsistencia o vacío memorial; el silencio dejado por Mates e Idesa es el silencio de su nieto. Por su parte, en el relato de Amigorena, la voz del narrador toma distancia respecto a los acontecimientos al adoptar un punto de vista externo; a la vez que ficcionaliza la historia de su abuelo Vicente y la envuelve de un silencio absoluto e impotente, deja entrever que ese silencio desolador que atraviesa su historia familiar puede ser resignificado desde el presente. (shrink)

En este trabajo se investigan cuáles fueron las razones de Benjamin para proyectar su tesis doctoral sobre el concepto de "tarea infinita" en la filosofía de la historia de Kant, así como los motivos por los que abandonó ese plan. Se destaca la influencia decisiva de Hermann Cohen en este intento, así como las diferencias entre sus concepciones del mesianismo, y se muestra que en los esbozos de aquel proyecto doctoral frustrado se encuentra en germen la aspiración benjaminiana de fundamentar (...) el conocimiento en una concepción mesiánica de la historia. Además, se sostiene que, con este fin, Benjamin reelaboró la noción de "tarea infinita" en relación con una exigencia de redención que fundamenta la esfera cognoscitiva. In this paper we investigate the reasons which led Benjamin to project his doctoral dissertation on the concept of "infinite task" in Kant's philosophy of history, as well as the motives behind his subsequent abandonment of that project. We stress both the crucial influence of Hermann Cohen behind Benjamin's expectations and the differences between their conceptions of messianism. Our aim is to show that the outlines remaining from Benjamin's frustrated doctoral project contain the seeds of his lasting aspiration to lay the foundation of knowledge in a messianic conception of history. With this intention, we maintain, Benjamin interprets the notion on "infinite task" in connection with a demand of redemption that grounds the cognitive sphere. (shrink)

This article presents some of the ethical and theoretical problems that reproductive decisions pose. I considerer the difficult situation of HIV infected women who have to decide whether to begin or continue pregnancy, knowing about the possibility of transmitting the infection. Could reproductive freedom be limited? I discuss, among others, Parfit, Harris and Purdy´s proposals. I try to show that a paternalistic solution is inadequate and argue on behalf of the importance of responsible and informed decisions on the part of (...) the mother or the parents. (shrink)

In this article I examine several criticisms of the concept of vulnerability. Rather than rejecting the concept, however, I argue that a sufficiently rich understanding of vulnerability is essential to bioethics. The challenges of international research in developing countries require an understanding of how new vulnerabilities arise from conditions of economic, social and political exclusion. A serious shortcoming of current conceptions of vulnerability in research ethics is the tendency to treat vulnerability as a label fixed on a particular subpopulation. My (...) paper examines the role of this “label” metaphor in current statements of research ethics. In contrast to this prevailing “label” metaphor, my own positive account of vulnerability develops a dynamic way of understanding the structure of the concept of vulnerability based on the idea of “layers of vulnerability.” I examine several cases involving women, as they are sometimes labeled as a vulnerable population and sometimes not. My analysis demonstrates the essential role of this revised concept of vulnerability in bioethics and research ethics. (shrink)

Fotografía y pasado reciente. Entrevista pública al fotógrafo EduardoLongoni.

“Vulnerability” is a key concept for research ethics and public health ethics. This term can be discussed from either a conceptual or a practical perspective. I previously proposed the metaphor of layers to understand how this concept functions from the conceptual perspective in human research. In this paper I will clarify how my analysis includes other definitions of vulnerability. Then, I will take the practical‐ethical perspective, rejecting the usefulness of taxonomies to analyze vulnerabilities. My proposal specifies two steps and provides (...) a procedural guide to help rank layers. I introduce the notion of cascade vulnerability and outline the dispositional nature of layers of vulnerability to underscore the importance of identifying their stimulus condition. In addition, I identify three kinds of obligations and some strategies to implement them. This strategy outlines the normative force of harmful layers of vulnerability. It offers concrete guidance. It contributes substantial content to the practical sphere but it does not simplify or idealize research subjects, research context or public health challenges. (shrink)

The goal of this paper is to show how culture – shared norms and values – is challenged and used to facilitate cooperative behavior within the context of farmer field schools (FFS) in central Luzon, Philippines. The success of the FFS is primarily associated with cultural norms that encourage experiential and collective learning and eventually lead to the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) methods among the farmers. The study was conducted in central Luzon, the rice granary region of the (...) Philippines, from 1992 to 1995 and again in 1999. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed. Results indicate that a keen understanding of Filipino culture and values is essential if FFS is to be successful and if farmers are to successfully learn and practice IPM. (shrink)

It is widely assumed that language in some form or other originated by piggybacking on pre-existing learning mechanism not dedicated to language. Using evolutionary connectionist simulations, we explore the implications of such assumptions by determining the effect of constraints derived from an earlier evolved mechanism for sequential learning on the interaction between biological and linguistic adaptation across generations of language learners. Artificial neural networks were initially allowed to evolve “biologically” to improve their sequential learning abilities, after which language was introduced (...) into the population. We compared the relative contribution of biological and linguistic adaptation by allowing both networks and language to change over time. The simulation results support two main conclusions: First, over generations, a consistent head-ordering emerged due to linguistic adaptation. This is consistent with previous studies suggesting that some apparently arbitrary aspects of linguistic structure may arise from cognitive constraints on sequential learning. Second, when networks were selected to maintain a good level of performance on the sequential learning task, language learnability is significantly improved by linguistic adaptation but not by biological adaptation. Indeed, the pressure toward maintaining a high level of sequential learning performance prevented biological assimilation of linguistic-specific knowledge from occurring. (shrink)

Malgré des changements législatifs "progressifs" concernant la communauté des lesbiennes, gays, bisexuels et transgenres et les technologies de reproduction assistée en Argentine, les femmes et leurs droits sexuels et reproductifs ont été négligés. Cet article présente une perspective critique de certaines de ces modifications législatives dans le pays. Il explique pourquoi certains législateurs et membres de la société sont prêts à défier une approche conservatrice, voire traditionnelle, pour certains groupes tout en ignorant les autres. Plusieurs facteurs sont en jeu. Il (...) n'y a pas une seule explication. Je souligne qu'un double standard frappant prévaut en Argentine en ce qui concerne les femmes et leurs droits sexuels et reproductifs. Je soutiens également qu'il existe une discrimination puissante, en particulier contre les femmes pauvres, qui continuent de souffrir et d'être "punies" à travers la criminalisation de l'avortement. (shrink)

El artículo analiza algunas problemáticas centrales de la literatura caribeña, en particular de expresión francófona y anglófona, relacionadas, por un lado, con la falta de desarrollo y el funcionamiento colonial de sus sistemas literarios, y, por el otro, con el problema social, económico y político de la emigración en las Antillas. Como propongo, es la misma condición migrante de la literatura caribeña, en tanto sistema atravesado por el desplazamiento masivo de sus productores, la que en gran parte determina sus motivaciones (...) e intereses, enfocados a la identidad regional (y a la cultura regionalista) de modo recurrente. El artículo indaga, entre otros lugares-comunes (Glissant) del discurso literario caribeño, su estética geográficamente marcada que es enunciada aun desde un locus migrante (distante) con fines descolonizadores, los cuales se vinculan con la tradición anticolonialista, masculina y de sesgo militante del siglo pasado. Luego de una revisión de este legado a partir de dos aproximaciones críticas (Tinsley, Condé), se lee una serie de textos donde se observa la persistencia de la geoestética antillana, como A Small Place de Jamaica Kincaid, los cuales se apropian creativamente del discurso turístico desde una perspectiva geopolítica de resistencia a las dominaciones aún coloniales. (shrink)

In this article I focus on two issues concerning bioethics in Argentina: reproductive health and ethics in research. Although these topics are quite dissimilar, they share a particular feature: their special relationship with context.

El siguiente trabajo tiene por objeto analizar la experiencia del Museo popular de Siloé como lugar de memoria, de acuerdo con la categoría acuñada por Pierre Nora. Para ello, se hace una breve descripción del lugar donde se ubica Siloé tanto en términos espaciales, como socio-históricos. A partir de allí, el escrito refiere a los modos que adquirieron las políticas de memoria en Colombia y el posicionamiento fluctuante del Estado en relación con la Memoria en general, y con el conflicto (...) armado en particular. Para luego, ir acercándonos a la experiencia del Museo Popular de Siloé como espacio de resistencia. Al respecto se hace una caracterización en relación con sus iniciativas, funciones y fines, llegando a considerar que los objetivos del Museo son dos, por un lado que los visitantes conozcan la historia de Siloé, la reivindiquen y repliquen; y por otro, incorporar a los jóvenes y niños en la construcción de la memoria colectiva, adquiriendo un sentido pedagógico que conlleva la edificación de una identidad común. (shrink)

Paulo Freire, preocupado por una educación que salga al encuentro del pueblo que estaba emergiendo como sujeto político y de su historia, en la apertura democrática que atravesaba Brasil, avanzó hacia una lectura estratégica de fuentes europeas y de su tradición. Entabló un diálogo crítico, para la construcción de una teoría del ser humano, con el existencialismo, marxismo, fenomenología y la Escuela de Frankfurt. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo es analizar la categoría de conciencia crítica presente en este modelo antropológico, (...) sus implicancias y relaciones con otras categorías fundamentales del mismo. Esta indagación la proponemos en diálogo y debate con las problemáticas centrales del pensamiento filosófico latinoamericano, que dan cuenta de los principales procesos de emancipación de América Latina, y nos permiten operar interrupciones a la filosofía de raíz eurocéntrica. En consecuencia, consideramos que nuestro enfoque, desde una perspectiva del pensamiento latinoamericano crítico, nos permitirá una comprensión más acabada de una de las preocupaciones que atraviesan toda la obra de Freire: la constante lucha por una educación libre de alienación, que respete la “vocación ontológica del ser humano de ser más”. (shrink)

The role of academic satisfaction on persistence and successful academic behavior has been the focus of research for decades. Nevertheless, driven by positive educational psychology, subjective well-being has been highlighted as another central feature in the academic path of students. Studies aimed at identifying the variables that contribute to explain different aspects of academic performance have been widely investigated, although studies aimed at identifying the determinants of subjective well-being are still limited. The present paper examined the contribution of AS judgments (...) on subjective well-being. To this end, it was hypothesized that SWB levels depend on the balance between positive/negative emotions and life satisfaction judgments. Furthermore, it was stipulated that AS has an indirect contribution on SWB, through life satisfaction, whereas the balance of emotions influences both AS judgments and life satisfaction. Using an analysis strategy based on structural equation modeling, the results indicated that the model fitted satisfactorily, explaining 32% of the variance of SWB. Particularly, it was observed that AS judgments contributed to life satisfaction judgments. Although no direct contribution of AS on SWB was reported, a total contribution partially mediated by life satisfaction judgments was revealed. These findings support the importance of academic satisfaction judgments, not only because of their importance in academic terms, but also because of their impact on university students’ subjective well-being and health. (shrink)

ResumenEl trabajo investiga la relación entre las nociones de «imagen dialéctica» [dialektisches Bild] y de recuerdo [Erinnerung] en la obra tardía de Walter Benjamin. Parte de la hipótesis de que, para comprender dicho vínculo, es necesario recurrir a la categoría de «mímesis» como mediación entre ellas. El abordaje de la mímesis busca recuperar su íntima relación con lo figurativo y la experiencia sensible, relegada frente al énfasis que los estudios sobre el tema han puesto en la filosofía del lenguaje. Con (...) este objetivo, se indaga el diálogo velado de Benjamin con la tradición warburguiana, cuyo tema central es la imagen.Palabras claveBenjamin, Warburg, imagen dialéctica, recuerdo, mímesisAbstractIn this paper we research the connection between the concepts of «dialectical image» and «memory» in Walter Benjamin’s late work. We start from the hypothesis that, in order to understand this relationship, it is necessary to turn to the notion of «mimesis» as a link betweenthem. We draw attention to the intimate connection of mimesis with the figurative and sensible experience, generally left out by the studies that emphasize its relationship with the philosophy of language. To reach our aim we investigate the veiled dialogue between Benjamin and the Warburgian tradition, whose main topic is the image.KeywordsBenjamin, Warburg, dialectical image, memory, m. (shrink)

Este número de acceso abierto tiene como objetivo resaltar los puntos de vista de los países latinoamericanos sobre la justicia en un contexto de pandemia y contribuir al diálogo entre estos y con la comunidad científica global. Explora los desafíos globales de la pandemia de COVID-19, las diferencias relevantes entre las medidas de salud pública y su impacto en los países de ingresos altos versus los países de ingresos bajos o medios, y cómo la injusticia global se profundizó debido a (...) la pandemia de COVID-19. También llama la atención sobre las experiencias, los resultados y las respuestas del norte global a la pandemia con respecto a poblaciones vulnerables y trayectorias de exposición que se reproducen en América Latina. (shrink)

This open-access issue aims to highlight views about justice in a pandemic context from Latin American countries and to contribute to the dialogue between them as well as with the global scientific community. It explores the global challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, relevant differences between public health measures and their impact on high-income countries versus low- or middle-income countries, and how global injustice deepened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also draws attention to experiences, outcomes, and responses to the pandemic (...) from the global north regarding vulnerable populations and exposure paths that are also present in Latin America. (shrink)

El trabajo presenta una revisión analítica de la literatura alrededor de los debates regionales en Argentina, Chile y Uruguay sobre familia, matrimonio y filiación suscitados en torno a la redacción de los códigos civiles en las últimas décadas del siglo XIX y sus primeras reformas, acontecidas en la primera mitad del siglo XX. Se interrogan los distintos mecanismos jurídicos – y los argumentos en que se sustentaron – a través de los cuales se establecieron y se regularon las demarcaciones entre (...) lo público y lo privado, lo político y lo íntimo, lo natural y lo social. (shrink)

This paper challenges the traditional account of vulnerability in healthcare which conceptualizes vulnerability as a list of identifiable subpopulations. This list of ‘usual suspects’, focusing on groups from lower resource settings, is a narrow account of vulnerability. In this article we argue that in certain circumstances middle-class individuals can be also rendered vulnerable. We propose a relational and layered account of vulnerability and explore this concept using the case study of cord blood (CB) banking. In the first section, two different (...) approaches to ‘vulnerability’ are contrasted: categorical versus layered. In the second section, we describe CB banking and present a case study of CB banking in Argentina. We examine the types of pressure that middle-class pregnant women feel when considering CB collection and storage. In section three, we use the CB banking case study to critique the categorical approach to vulnerability: this model is unable to account for the ways in which these women are vulnerable. A layered account of vulnerability identifies several ways in which middle-class women are vulnerable. Finally, by utilizing the layered approach, this paper suggests how public health policies could be designed to overcome vulnerabilities. (shrink)

The article examines the meaning of the concepts of "doctrine" and "tradition" in Walter Benjamin's 1917 reflections, concepts that are closely linked to his reception of Kant. Given the scarce analysis of this appropriation, the paper seeks to show that these concepts express an interest in Kant's idea of the systematic unity of knowledge and that Benjamin reinterprets such unity in Messianic terms, that is, not as a necessary assumption, but as a demand for redemption. Finally, it shows how these (...) notions are implicit in Benjamin's On the Program of the Coming Philosophy. (shrink)