Machine vision is one of the main applications of artificial intelligence. In China, the machine vision industry makes up more than a third of the national AI market, and technologies like face recognition, object tracking and automated driving play a central role in surveillance systems and social governance projects relying on the large-scale collection and processing of sensor data. Like other novel articulations of technology and society, machine vision is defined, developed and explained by different actors through the work of (...) imagination. In this article, we draw on the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries to understand how Chinese companies represent machine vision. Through a qualitative multimodal analysis of the corporate websites of leading industry players, we identify a cohesive sociotechnical imaginary of machine vision, and explain how four distinct visual registers contribute to its articulation. These four registers, which we call computational abstraction, human–machine coordination, smooth everyday, and dashboard realism, allow Chinese tech companies to articulate their global ambitions and competitiveness through narrow and opaque representations of machine vision technologies. (shrink)

In paragraph 162 of Cato’s De agricultura there is an inconsistency between the topic announced in the headline - Salsura pernarum ofellae Puteolanae - and the subsequent text, as it is solely concerned with the salsura pernarum. All recent discussions assume that the text deals with two different recipes. In my paper, I suggest that, given Cato’s usus scribendi as well as the form of other recipes, Cato presents one recipe only: The headline specifies its name and alludes to the (...) process of its production (in reversed order) so that neither et nor a comma should be inserted between pernarum and ofellae (as most editors have done ever since Merula’s editio princeps). Finally, I offer an explanation for the inconsistency between the different forms of the title in the rubrica and in the summarium that correspond to this paragraph. (shrink)

Interdisciplinaridade, totalidade e a construção do conhecimento em artigos das áreas de Educação e Ensino Resumo: Neste artigo interrogamos: O que se mostra sobre a interdisciplinaridade e totalidade, tomadas sob a ótica do materialismo dialético, nos artigos de periódicos das áreas de Educação e Ensino, disponibilizados no Google acadêmico? Por meio da análise de conteúdo realizada em 27 pesquisas. Os resultados revelaram que ainda que não exista na literatura uma concepção única do que vem a ser a interdisciplinaridade, há entre (...) os estudiosos a compreensão comum de que ela está vinculada à busca pela ruptura com a fragmentação do conhecimento. No contexto escolar, explicita-se dos artigos analisados, a interdisciplinaridade impulsionada pelos interesses dos modos de produção capitalista, bem como o discurso de que a ampliação do debate sobre ela na escola solicita mudanças no modo como se dá o trabalho pedagógico, uma vez que requer abertura ao estabelecimento de uma relação dialógica para a construção do conhecimento, de modo que a totalidade possa ser almejada sem que as particularidades sejam desconsideradas. Palavras-chave: Interdisciplinaridade; Totalidade; Construção do Conhecimento; Materialismo dialético; Análise de conteúdo. Interdisciplinarity, totality and the construction of knowledge in articles of the areas of Education and Teaching: Article we question: What is shown about interdisciplinarity and totality, taken from the viewpoint of dialectical materialism, in the articles of Education and Teaching journals made available on Google scholar? Performing A content analysis, we consider 27 researches. The results revealed that even though there is no literature, a unique conception of what is interdisciplinarity, there are among scholars the common understanding that it is linked to the search for rupture with the fragmentation of knowledge. In The school context it is explained by the analyzed articles, the interdisciplinarity driven by the interests of the capitalist modes of production and discourse that the expansion of the debate on it in the school, calls for changes in the way the work is given Pedagogical and openness to the establishment of a dialogical relationship in the construct of knowledge, so that the totality can be pursued without the particularities being disregarded. Keywords: Interdisciplinarity; All Knowledge Construction; Dialectical Materialism; Content Analysis. La interdisciplinariedad, la totalidad y la construcción del conocimiento en los artículos de las áreas de educación y enseñanza Resumen: En este artículo cuestionamos: ¿lo que se muestra acerca de la interdisciplinariedad y la totalidad, tomada desde el punto de vista del materialismo dialectico, en los artículos de Educación y docencia revistas disponibles en Google Academico? Realizando un análisis de contención, consideramos 27 investigaciones. Los resultados revelan que aunque no hay literatura, una concepción único de lo que es la interdisciplinariedad, hay entre los eruditos el museo de común que está vinculado a la búsqueda de ruptura con la fragmentación del conocimiento. En el contexto escolar es explica por los artículos analizados, la interdisciplinariedad por las intereses de los modos de producción y discurso capitalistas que la expansión del debate sobre el mismo en la escuela, cambio s en la forma en que se da el tiempo Pedagógica y apertura al establecimiento de una relación dialógica en la construcción pueda del conocimiento, se puede desear la totalidad sin que se tengan en cuenta las particularidades. Palabras clave: interdisciplinariedad; todo Construcción del conocimiento; Materialismo dialéctico; Análisis de contenido. Financiamento: CAPES Data de registro: 02/04/2019 Data de aceite: 30/10/2019. (shrink)

This essay deals with the problem of the status of colours, traditionally considered as the paradigmatic case of secondary qualities: do colours exist only as aspects of experience or are they real properties of objects, existing independently of human and animal perception? Recently, John Campbell has argued in favour of the simple view of colours, according to which colours are real properties of objects. I discuss the place of Campbell's position in a debated which was started by John Mackie and (...) continued by John McDowell, and defend it from a criticism due to Michael Smith. I conclude that the simple view is a philosophically credible position. Subsequently, I consider an alleged contradiction between the simple view and semantic externalism pointed out by Jim Edwards. I suggest that a supporter of the simple view may consistently maintain semantic externalism, if she also accepts epistemological externalism about the canonical warrant of perceptual judgements. (shrink)

A psicoterapia domiciliar é uma prática pouco conhecida que, entretanto, adquire importância junto a pacientes com dificuldade de locomoção ou com presença de patologias que dificultem o acesso à hospitais/ clínicas. Tendo em vista a escassez de estudos sobre o tema, este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa exploratória sobre o atendimento psicológico domiciliar, realizado com 21 psicólogos da cidade de Curitiba (PR). O objetivo foi identificar o tipo de clientela atendida, quais as abordagens e quais as principais vantagens (...) e desvantagens relacionadas a esse tipo de atendimento. Identificou-se que essa modalidade é mais cômoda para o cliente, mas nem sempre para o profissional. Há predominância de algumas vantagens na psicoterapia realizada em domicílio como manutenção do vínculo terapêutico, maior acesso a informações importantes advindas da observação do ambiente e dos comportamentos espontâneos devido à familiaridade do paciente com o ambiente, o que possibilita novas referências para análise diagnóstica. (shrink)

As the specter of climate change looms on the horizon, people will face complex decisions about whether to support climate change policies and how to cope with climate change impacts on their lives. Without some grasp of the relevant science, they may find it hard to make informed decisions. Climate experts therefore face the ethical need to effectively communicate to non-expert audiences. Unfortunately, climate experts may inadvertently violate the maxims of effective communication, which require sharing communications that are truthful, brief, (...) relevant, clear, and tested for effectiveness. Here, we discuss the ‘mental models’ approach towards developing communications, which aims to help experts to meet the maxims of effective communications, and to better inform the judgments and decisions of non-expert audiences. (shrink)

O trabalho proposto objetiva investigar alguns pontos referentes à narração e à interioridade nas Confissões de Agostinho à luz das considerações sobre a identidade em Hannah Arendt. Ao descobrir a vida interior individual, é possível dizer que Agostinho tenha sido o fundador do romance autobiográfico. É de se notar que a “questão que me tornei para mim mesmo”, retirada das Confissões, esse tipo de rememoração e autorreflexão religiosa, parece insolúvel tanto em seu sentido psicológico individual como em seu sentido filosófico (...) geral, segundo Arendt. Isto porque é pouco provável que nós possamos conhecer nossa essência assim como conhecemos as coisas naturais que nos rodeiam. Neste sentido, para a autora, apenas no discurso e na ação os homens revelam ativamente suas identidades pessoais únicas, mostram quem são, à diferença da alteridade que partilhamos com tudo que vive. No entanto, essa qualidade reveladora quase nunca pode ser alcançada como um propósito deliberado. Nesse sentido o quem aparece claramente apenas para os outros, enquanto permanece oculto para a própria pessoa. Assim, somente quando as pessoas estão com as outras, mediadas pela ação e pelo discurso, é que a qualidade de revelação dos indivíduos acontece. (shrink)

No terceiro livro de o Mundo como vontade e representação, Schopenhauer desenvolve considerações sobre estética, apresenta os conceitos de belo e sublime, descreve as artes plásticas e poéticas, até chegar na música e na caracterização desta enquanto distinta de todas outras artes. A leitura deste livro teria impressionado o jovem Nietzsche, especialmente a concepção de música como obra de arte fundamental, sendo esta inspiração comum na estética schopenhaueriana um dos temas de sua interlocução com Wagner. O objetivo deste artigo é (...) acompanhar esse livro para seguir a formulação da metafísica da música de Schopenhauer e apresentar brevemente um pouco da recepção desta metafísica no escrito de Wagner sobre Beethoven e na obra inicial de Nietzsche. (shrink)

This paper presents an analysis of face emoji (disc-shaped pictograms with stylized facial expressions) that accompany written text. We propose that there is a use of face emoji in which they comment on a target proposition expressed by the accompanying text, as opposed to making an independent contribution to discourse. Focusing on positively valenced and negatively valenced emoji (which we gloss as _happy_ and _unhappy_, respectively), we argue that the emoji comment on how the target proposition bears on a contextually (...) provided discourse value endorsed by the author. Discourse values embody what an author desires, aspires to, wishes for, or hopes for. Our analysis derives a range of non-trivial generalizations, including (i) ordering restrictions with regards to the placement of emoji and text, (ii) cases of apparent mixed emotions, and (iii) cases where the lexical content of the accompanying text influences the acceptability of a face emoji. (shrink)

The Direct Argument argues for the claim that determinism and moral responsibility are incompatible. The most controversial assumption of the argument is the thought that "not being responsible for" transfers across conditionals: if no one is (even partially) morally responsible for the fact that p is true, and no one is (even partially) morally responsible for the fact that p ⸧ q is true, then no one is (even partially) morally responsible for the fact that q is true. Here we (...) argue that the principle is true if one accepts a truth-maker account of the relationship between non-responsibility and propositions. While non-responsibility transfers across conditionals, one upshot of the truth-maker account is that it allows one to be responsible for necessary truths. (shrink)

We examine the expressive power of probabilistic context free grammars (PCFGs), with a special focus on the use of probabilities as a mechanism for reducing ambiguity by filtering out unwanted parses. Probabilities in PCFGs induce an ordering relation among the set of trees that yield a given input sentence. PCFG parsers return the trees bearing the maximum probability for a given sentence, discarding all other possible trees. This mechanism is naturally viewed as a way of defining a new class of (...) tree languages. We formalize the tree language thus defined, study its expressive power, and show that the latter is beyond context freeness. While the increased expressive power offered by PCFGs helps to reduce ambiguity, we show that, in general, it cannot be decided whether a PCFG removes all ambiguities. (shrink)

Immanuel Kant gilt zu Recht als einer der wichtigsten Philosophen in der Geschichte der westlichen Philosophie. In dieser Einführung werden – neben einem Seitenblick auf seine Biografie und seinen intellektuellen Werdegang – die bedeutendsten Werke seiner kritischen Periode vorgestellt und anhand ihrer Schlüsselbegriffe erklärt. Außerdem wird Kants Neuansatz in der Philosophie aus einer zentralen Idee verständlich gemacht: der Idee, dass nicht nur das menschliche Handeln, sondern alle leitenden menschlichen Weltbezüge «normativ» strukturiert sind.

O presente artigo pretende discorrer sobre o conceito de natureza possibilitado pela ontologia de Heidegger, que busca no pensamento grego seu sentido mais originário, e a crítica do filósofo ao conceito proporcionado pela metafísica clássica que teria provocado distopias na relação entre o homem e a natureza ao objetivá-la. Tal relação de domínio, além de evidenciar a necessidade de uma reflexão sobre o antropocentrismo, também e, por consequência disso, desvela-se através da crise ambiental vivida hoje por nós. Dessa forma, Heidegger (...) encontra tal sentido originário na palavra physis, o qual discuto nas páginas seguintes suas nuances a partir do que foi levantado pela obra do filósofo. Busca-se assim encontrar um sentido autêntico de natureza, antes do que foi assimilado pela tradição metafísica e desencoberto pelo ser humano como uma reserva ao seu dispor. (shrink)

Zeit spielt in Adornos Philosophie eine tragende, allerdings vergleichsweise verdeckte Rolle. Gabriele Geml zeigt in diesem Buch, wie Adorno über die Zeit seiner Zeit dachte, indem sie modellhaft unterschiedliche Stränge dieser Zeittheorie rekonstruiert. Deren Besonderheiten liegen in der Zusammenführung von soziokulturellen, geschichtsphilosophischen und ästhetischen – insbesondere musikästhetischen – Problemkreisen; darüber hinaus in der sprachlichen Darstellungsform, die Adorno gemäß seiner Auffassung von Kritischer Theorie als eine Gestalt von Praxis begriff.

In a recent paper, ‘Peripersonal perception in action’ (Synthese, 2018), Frédérique de Vignemont tackles the problem of defining what is peculiar to the visual perception of objects falling within the peripersonal space of the observer, i.e. the space immediately surrounding the body, and which is commonly described as the space in which action takes place. In this paper, I first discuss the proposal offered by de Vignemont about what characterizes peripersonal perception. Then, I suggest an extension of this account that (...) offers a meticulous description of the nature of the Content of Peripersonal Visual Experience - a topic never explicitly considered in the philosophical literature on vision - by discussing some peculiar features of it that, as recognized also by de Vignemont’s account, still need to be explained. In particular, I offer a philosophical examination of the specificity of peripersonal visual experience, in relation to its phenomenological dimension, its optical mechanisms and its neurophysiological underpinnings, in the light of our best theories from vision science, and in comparison to the visual experience of other visual spaces. (shrink)

Für diesen Titel ist kein Beschreibungstext vorhanden.

Le texte de SVF III 514 reproduit un texte tiré de la correspondance du rhéteur Fronton (De el. II, 4-5) contenant une classification d’officia. La place de cette théorie dans la topique stoïcienne du καθῆκον, où von Arnim l’insère, ainsi que sa fonction dans l’argumentation de Fronton ne sont pas évidentes. Plusieurs commentateurs ont essayé d’expliquer l’un ou l’autre enjeu, mais une étude approfondie qui intègre les deux aspects manque. Dans cette contribution nous tentons de combler ce vide en analysant (...) l’ensemble des lettres de Fronton thématiquement liées à celle où la classification des officia apparaît et en rapprochant celle-ci de plusieurs témoignages stoïciens sur les καθήκοντα. Nous en concluons que la théorie rapportée par Fronton se situe du côté de la question de la « découverte de l’acte convenable » et constitue une application de la doctrine stoïcienne des « genres ». Le rhéteur recourt à cette théorie pour persuader son correspondant, Marc Aurèle, de l’urgence qu’il mette en pratique le style oratoire que Fronton lui a enseigné ; Fronton emploie cette théorie pour convaincre Marc Aurèle à travers un dogme emprunté à la philosophie stoïcienne, chère à l’Empereur. Par cette étude nous espérons enrichir la discussion entre les spécialistes de la pensée frontonienne et du stoïcisme. (shrink)

La Ley de la Mujer discutida en el libro V de la República, conocida como la primera ola, es un ejemplo notorio de la intención reformista de Sócrates de lograr justicia en la pólis. La legislación de la mujer, en general, históricamente ha sido relegada por los intérpretes de la República. El objeto del artículo es analizar este pasaje, del 449a al 457c, a través de los argumentos propuestos por Sócrates al considerarlos cruciales para concebir la igualdad entre los sexos (...) y favorecer el cambio institucional según su naturaleza, katà phýsin, dejando espacio para que las mujeres gobiernen la pólis. Antes de partir hacia el enfrentamiento externo, Sócrates considera urgente que sus interlocutores, Adimanto, Glaucón y Polemarco, estén de acuerdo entre ellos. Así, los insta a iniciar la discusión cuestionando la naturaleza humana de la mujer y su capacidad para las mismas funciones que desempeñan los hombres en la ciudad. El examen de lo inteligible permitió que el lógos sobre la capacidad intelectual de las mujeres respaldara una legislación adecuada. Este nómos puesto en práctica demuestra ser lo mejor para la ciudad y sus guardianes. En esa medida, Sócrates puede concluir dicha investigación con un consenso sobre qué hacer y la voluntad de confrontar urgentemente las opiniones opuestas en la ciudad. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Frühmittelalterliche Studien Jahrgang: 36 Heft: 2 Seiten: 251-268.

The use of facial recognition systems in concerts provides a perfect pretext to semiotically discuss the role of the face in contemporary culture, identifying different strategies and axiologies (systems of values). In his visionary essay Bruits (“noises”) from 1977, the French thinker Jacques Attali establishes a close connection between music and power and locates it in the site of the collective unfolding of music: the concert hall. Following this hint, the article reconstructs the current debate on facial recognition systems in (...) the music business, with a particular focus on concerts and festivals. The different positions (of musicians, authorities, and professionals) are outlined (some are openly in favor, others openly against), key moments are identified (Beyoncé’s concert in Cardiff, 2017; Jacky Cheung’s in Nanchang, 2018; Taylor Swift’s at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, 2018; the “banfacialrecognition.com” campaign launched in 2019; the case of Barbara Hart at Brandi Carlile’s show at the Madison Square Garden, 2022) and, finally, the issue is framed within the broader debate about the face as an indexical marker of presence, identity, and humanity (the contrast between Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben and American sociologist and design theorist Benjamin Bratton is addressed). (shrink)

The article presents a semiotic mapping of what is generally regarded as “disfigurement”, both as an extralinguistic somatic condition and as a linguistic-conceptual unit. It distinguishes between genetic, traumatic and elective “disfigurement”, also addressing the idea that such a phenomenon is to some extent structurally linked to the very existence and functioning of the face which we use as a relational interface. The article reconstructs the lexical semantics of “disfigurement”, including the alternative terminology that goes beyond derogative intent and is (...) referred to by activists and experts as “visible difference” (title’s “noncompliant faces”). Representation in the media, particularly cinema, seems unable to escape the chain according to which ‘different’ means ‘ugly’ and is a synonym for ‘bad’ or at best ‘negative’. The face, traditionally an invisible filter defining personhood and identity in Western thought, when “disfigured” reveals the ideological overlay of these concepts. The conservative and authoritarian nature of the face (the supposed index of the form of life that lies beneath and is reduced to it) compels those who cannot or will not base everything on the face, and thus risk being dehumanized, to imagine alternatives for vicarious identity expression through a relational interface that can detach themselves from the biological face and the body perceived as a delimited realm. (shrink)

This volume develops a theory of meaning and a semantics for both mathematical and empirical sentences inspired to Chomsky’s internalism, namely to a view of semantics as the study of the relations of language not with external reality but with internal, or mental, reality. In the first part a theoretical notion of justification for a sentence A is defined, by induction on the complexity of A; intuitively, justifications are conceived as cognitive states of a particular kind. The main source of (...) inspiration for this part is Heyting’s explanation of the intuitionistic meaning of logical constants. In the second part the theory is applied to the solution of several foundational problems in the theory of meaning and epistemology, such as Frege’s puzzle, Mates’ puzzle about synonymy, the paradox of analysis, Kripke’s puzzle about belief, the de re/de dicto distinction, the specific/non-specific distinction, Gettier’s problems, the paradox of knowability, and the characterization of truth. On a more general philosophical level, throughout the book the author develops a tight critique of the neo-verificationism of Dummett, Prawitz and Martin-Löf, and defends a mentalist interpretation of intuitionism. (shrink)

O problema deste paper constitui-se a partir da seguinte pergunta: seria Platão um plagiador dos pitagóricos? A suspeita nasce de uma tradição já antiga pela qual Platão é acusado de ter plagiado uma suposta obra atualmente perdida de Filolau de Crotona. Tomou-se, então, como objeto de análise, a obra Timeu, a fim de verificar a existência de trechos que poderiam sugerir um plágio por parte de Platão. Para tanto, realizou-se um levantamento das principais teorias “pitagóricas” identificáveis no Timeu, a partir (...) de uma revisão da história da crítica. Concluiu-se que, inegavelmente, há referência implícita ao pitagorismo na obra, a qual, entretanto, não configura propriamente um plágio, mas, sim, pode ser melhor considerada como uma influência pitagórica. Efetivamente, Platão acaba por transpor diversas teorias “pitagóricas” – bem como de outros filósofos pré-socráticos – para seus próprios interesses filosóficos. (shrink)

I respond to Karin de Boer, Thomas Land, and Claudio La Rocca’s comments on Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason and the Method of Metaphysics (CUP 2023). I first provide a quick outline of some of the main claims I make in the book. I then directly address their criticisms, which I group into three categories. The first group of comments raises doubts concerning my characterization of the central tasks of the critique of pure reason. The second targets the fact that (...) I downplay faculty analysis as an essential characteristic of the critique. The third has to do with my claim that the Critique of Pure Reason aims to show that metaphysics is capable of architectonic unity, where this unity is only achievable when we construe metaphysics according to the worldly concept of philosophy. (shrink)

"Viel ist über Medien geschrieben worden, und doch ist dem Medium aller Medien bislang keinerlei Abhandlung gewidmet. Die Rede ist vom Schleim. Nicht irgendein Schleim, sondern der Urschleim jeglichen Lebens, dem Rätsel der Wissenschaft, das bis heute als ungelöst gilt. Und noch ein Rätsel gilt es zu lösen, nämlich von der eigenartigen Koalition von Schleim und technischen Medien. Schleim, so die Wissenschaft, ist nicht nur Beginn der Menschwerdung sondern auch die Zukunft der Technologie. Much has been written about media, but (...) the medium of all media has not been studied so far: I am referring to slime. Not just any slime, but the protoplasm of all life, the scientific mystery, which is still regarded as unsolved. And another mystery remains be solved, namely the peculiar coalition of slime and technical media. According to science, slime is not only the origin of the human species, but also the future of technology. ". (shrink)

Digital games can be considered as composed of two main components: the props, i.e. visual, textual, and aural elements such as codes, 3D models and animations; and the form, specially the interaction between players and games, the act of playing itself. This dichotomy thus begs the question whether digital games are indeed games if nobody plays them, and ultimately: who is the owner of the gameplay and any by-product of the interaction between the game and the players? This paper explores (...) the copyright status of content created by users with digital games, such as gameplay videos and images, for example art based on digital game assets, namely virtual photography; as well as customized in-game objects. Many modern digital games offer considerable freedom to players, in terms of how the action on screen evolves and the visual outcomes that the game can produce. Scholars have asserted that digital games avatars, the characters created in games, should be considered a joint work between players and the game developers and some game companies allow the commercial use of videos created from their games. Conversely, other companies expressly prohibit such use, and issue DMCA takedown notices to infringers. Attention will be devoted to specific games as authorial tools, such as _SpaceEngine_ and _Townscaper_, where there are neither objectives nor challenges, but they are rather tools that enable players’ creativity. (shrink)

No Banquetede Platão, Fedro é considerado o “pai do discurso” e ocupa na sala o primeiro assento à esquerda. Ele introduz o tema do amor e inicia seu discurso com uma série de referências à tradição, incluindo figuras como Hesíodo, Acusilau e Parmênides, para elogiar Eros. Fedro enfatiza o papel do amor na guerra, na política e nas relações amorosas, ressaltando como o amor motiva os humanos a agirem de maneira excepcional. Seu argumento culmina na ideia de que o ápice (...) do amor é a disposição de morrer por aqueles a quem amamos. Ilustra essa perspectiva com exemplos de casais: Alceste e Admeto, Orfeu e Eurídice e Aquiles e Pátroclo, demonstrando como o amor está intrinsecamente ligado à morte e como este sacrifício é recompensado pelos deuses. Esta tradução destaca termos específicos usados em contextos pederásticos como erastes e eromenos, através da transliteração, diferenciando-os de termos mais genéricos para amantes e amados. A introdução aborda brevemente como a compreensão das relações pederásticas e questões relacionadas ao gênero das personagens podem influenciar a interpretação do discurso. Esta tradução convida os leitores a uma análise minuciosa do discurso de Fedro, explorando as complexidades discutidas e suas implicações para o entendimento do amor na obra de Platão. (shrink)

According to Glaucus of Rhegium Democritus was “a disciple of a Pythagorean” (dk 68 A1, 38). The tetralogical catalog of his works prepared by Thrasylus begins its section on ethics with the three following works: Pythagoras; On the Disposition of the Wise Man; On the Things in Hades (dk 68 B0a–c). The very order of the first three ethical works of Democritus could point to some sort of dependence on Pythagoreanism. This was suggested earlier by Frank (1923: 67), who believes (...) that this is due to the fact that Democritus saw Pythagoras as basically the founder of an ethic-religious sect. Without being forced to agree with Frank, it is undeniable that there are many similarities between Pythagorean and Democritean ethics. The Democritean sentences that speak about the sense of shame before oneself as a way of preventing evil deeds (dk 68 B84, 244, and 264) recalls the practice of anamnesis, the examination of conscience in the Pythagorean tradition. Even more important are the parallel uses of measure as a basis for ethical reasoning. This paper aims to review this connection between Pythagorean traditions and Democritus, examining what emerges as the most probable core issue to determine how close this relation between atomists and Pythagoreans could have been: the Aristotelian testimony (de An. 1.2 404a16-20 [dk 58 B40]) on the material conception of the Pythagorean soul. In fact, a corpuscular conception of the soul (“dust in the air”), foreshadowing the psychology of Democritus, is attributed to the Pythagoreans. Is the argument of de An. 1.2 404a16-20 a misunderstanding by Aristotle? Or does this testimony represent an actual dialogue that Pythagoreans were having with atomists in the fifth century bce? (shrink)

This paper aims to look at the ancient city of Athens and some of its political challenges through the eyes of Plato. I will do this by relating two concepts that permeate Plato's political concerns: democracy and misology. Beyond the tragic event of Socrates' death at democratic hands, there is perhaps something even deeper in Plato's struggle to see democracy as something that can work, so to speak. Plato no doubt has a profoundly pessimistic view of the human being. And (...) the city, who was traditionally supposed to educate men, is not delivering anymore (if ever). First of all, Plato clearly identifies the origin of political and social instability in the economic imbalance between πλοῦτος (richness) and πενία (poverty). Secondly, Plato's diagnosis, what his eyes are seeing, is even more perceptive and accurate. He outlines a second source of problem for democracy, one the probably resonate even more dramatically in our very present days: one that Socrates calls misology in the Phaedo: the hatred of discourses. Apart from the fact that there is a significant distance and a radical difference between the democracy of the 5th and 4th centuries, when Plato actually writes his dialogues, the most relevant question that emerges from the investigation is probably that a democracy itself is not something stable, an ontological object, not even today. And Plato was well aware of all this. (shrink)

Otto Friedrich Bollnow (1903-1991) verdanken wir eine allgemeine Pädagogik, die Anschlussstellen für die Gewinnung anthropologischer Grundlagen einer phänomenologisch orientierten Religionspädagogik enthält.