The main thesis defended in this paper is that Hildebrand’s distinction between what we could call quiddities—or “quasi-essences,” endowed with chaotic and accidental unity—and genuine essences possessing an intrinsically necessary unity, grounds the radical distinction between analytic and synthetic a priori knowledge. This thesis has not been expressly emphasized by Hildebrand himself. In order to prove it, we: (1) relate the three types of unities distinguished by Hildebrand with the three kinds of judgments discriminated by Kant; (2) outline what we (...) can call the “crux of empiricism”; (3) analyze four characteristic examples of synthetic a priori judgements; and (4) elaborate a provisional typology of synthetic a priori propositions, trying to include in it Hildebrand’s favorite examples. (shrink)

¿Cuál es la mejor imagen para representar la actividad filosófica? García Morente analiza tres esculturas: Le penseur de Rodin, Il pensieroso de Miguel Ángel y la escultura de El doncel de Sigüenza que se encuentra en la catedral de esta ciudad. Esta última, afirma Morente, refleja mejor que ninguna otra la naturaleza de la filosofía. En este ensayo se rechaza esta opinión de Morente y se proponen otras dos representaciones de la actividad filosófica, en este caso pinturas, que simbolizan más (...) adecuadamente el acto de filosofar, entendido como un diálogo socrático inacabable. (shrink)

Popper acepta que es imposible realizar una falsación práctica definitiva, pero cree que esto no afecta a la posibilidad de una falsación en sentido lógico y, por tanto, no pone en cuestión el criterio de demarcación. Frente a esta convicción aquí se propone que la imposibilidad de efectuar una falsación definitiva modifica necesariamente la noción de demarcación de Popper.

La división de los deberes morales en estrictos y amplios se corresponde con la distinción entre las dos clases de contradicción que pueden darse al universalizar las máximas. Por tanto, su omisión dificul ta una correcta interpretación del imperativo categórico.

Popper acepta que es imposible realizar una falsación práctica definitiva, pero cree que esto no afecta a la posibilidad de una falsación en sentido lógico y, por tanto, no pone en cuestión el criterio de demarcación. Frente a esta convicción aquí se propone que la imposibilidad de efectuar una falsación definitiva modifica necesariamente la noción de demarcación de Popper.

Tras caracterizar brevemente el formalismo ético que constituye el núcleo de la ética de Kant y recordar la convicción kantiana de que el imperativo categórico no es sino la aclaración del principio moral que la razón vulgar prefilosófica posee, se intenta mostrar como algunas tesis que se siguen del sistema moral de Kant entran en contradicción con certezas de ese saber moral vulgar. Estas tesis son cuatro: la no existencia de voliciones indiferentes, la carencia de auténticos preceptos positivos que expresen (...) deberes y no sólo prohibiciones, la equivalente gravedad de todo acto indebido y la no aceptación de lo meritorio, pero no obligado. (shrink)

Popper acepta que es imposible realizar una falsación práctica definitiva, pero cree que esto no afecta a la posibilidad de una falsación en sentido lógico y, por tanto, no pone en cuestión el criterio de demarcación. Frente a esta convicción aquí se propone que la imposibilidad de efectuar una falsación definitiva modifica necesariamente la noción de demarcación de Popper.

Esta introducción presenta los estudios del volumen como respuestas a la primera de las tres preguntas fundamentales de la ontología: ¿Qué hay?, ¿Qué es el ser?, ¿Por qué hay algo y no más bien nada? A pesar de que la tercera cuestión ha sido considerada como la más originaria, la admiración de la que nace alcanza su plenitud cuando el filósofo se pregunta, además, por qué las cosas son así y no de otro modo. Pero esta nueva pregunta solo puede (...) surgir cuando el filósofo detiene su mirada ante la irreductible variedad de lo real, es decir, cuando se ocupa con los problemas fundamentales de la teoría de las categorías. (shrink)

In the Middle Age it was tried to show that índex of five predicables that Porfirio proposes in Isagoge was suitable and complete. More recently it is affirmed that chis índex is incomplete, and thal can add a new predicable that also Aristotle would have considered: the accidents per se.

Nietzsche uses many of the arguments used by himself against metaphysics in general to criticize the Cartesian cogito. The affinity indicated by Descartes himself between cogito and conscience means that the study focuses on the Nietzschean analysis of the problem of conscience, paying special attention to its anthropological implications. Faced with Cartesian reasoncentrism, Nietzsche maintains that, given that conscience is not an entity removed from the natural world, it is possible to present a strictly naturalist anthropology, eliminating the need to (...) resort to dualist hypothesis drawn from metaphysics or theology. (shrink)

Delimitando el problema mente-cerebro como específicamente moderno, diverso del de las relaciones cuerpo-alma, el autor realiza una fenomenología del darse de lo físico y de lo mental como pórtico necesario para indagar el tipo de relaciones que cabe concebir entre esos dos ámbitos fenoménicos. El recorrido de las diversas teorías se hace agrupándolas en dos enfoques generales: las teorías dualistas y las teorías monistas. A la exposición de cada una se acompañan las objeciones principales que cabe alzar contra ellas. Al (...) final del recorrido, el autor ofrece un argumento contra el materialismo monista, que, sin ser definitivo, parece abonar la mayor plausibilidad de la hipótesis dualista. (shrink)

El objeto de este trabajo es exponer la enseñanza de los comentarios neoplatónicos griegos sobre el carácter completo del catálogo aristotélico de las categorías en sí mismo considerado. Esta enseñanza puede contribuir a la clarificación del debate actual sobre el problema de la naturaleza de las categorías y su número. Se analizan y discuten los comentarios a las Categorias debidos a Porfirio, Dexipo, Ammonio, Simplicio, Olimpiodoro, Elías y Filopón.

Which is the best icon of philosophical activity? The Spanish philosopher Garcia Morente analyses three sculptures: Le penseur by Rodin, Il pensieroso by Michelangelo and a sculpture known as El Doncel de Siguenza, in the cathedral of this Castilian town. Morente asserts that the latest reflects better than anyone else the nature of philosophy. In this paper the Morente’s view is rejected and another two ways of representing the philosophical activity are suggested: two ancient paintings that represent more properly (...) the philosophical labour, understood as an unending Socratic dialogue. (shrink)

To naturalize the concept of teleological causality in biology it is not enough to avoid assuming backward causation or positing the existence of an inscrutable te- leological essence like the élan vital. We must also specify how the causality of or- ganisms is distinct from the causality of designed artifacts like thermostats or asym- metrically oriented processes like the ubiquitous increase of entropy. Historically, the concept of teleological causality in biology has been based on an analogy to the familiar experience (...) of purposeful action. This is experienced by us as a disposition to achieve a general type of end that is represented in advance, and which regulates the selection of efficient means to achieve it. Inspired by this analogy, to bridge the gap between biology and human agency we describe a simple molecular pro- cess called autogenesis that shows how two linked complementary self-organizing processes can give rise to higher-order relations that resemble purposeful disposi- tions, though expressed in terms of constraints on molecular processes. Because the autogenic model is described in sufficient detail to be empirically realizable, it provides a proof of principle demonstrating a simple form of teleological causality. (shrink)

Wittgenstein distinguished between two uses of ‘I’, one “as object” and the other “as subject”, a distinction that Shoemaker elucidated in terms of a notion of _immunity to error through misidentification_ (‘IEM’); in their use “as subject”, first-personal claims are IEM, but not in their use “as object”. Shoemaker argued that memory judgments based on “personal”, _episodic_ memory are only de facto IEM, not strictly speaking IEM, while Gareth Evans disputed it. In the past two decades research on memory has (...) produced very significant results, which have changed the philosophical landscape. As part of it, several new arguments have been made for and against the IEM of personal memories. The paper aims to defend the Shoemaker line by critically engaging with some compelling recent contributions. (shrink)

In this paper I provide a new account of linguistic presuppositions, on which they are ancillary speech acts defined by constitutive norms. After providing an initial intuitive characterization of the phenomenon, I present a normative speech act account of presupposition in parallel with Williamson’s analogous account of assertion. I explain how it deals well with the problem of informative presuppositions, and how it relates to accounts for the Triggering and Projection Problems for presuppositions. I conclude with a brief discussion of (...) the consequences of the proposal for the adequacy of Williamson’s account of assertion. (shrink)

From the thought of mid-twentieth century Mexican philosopher Jorge Portilla, I develop an account of what I call ‘ethics of ethnic identity,’ which include: a) a set of norms of agency grounded in ethnic identity, or ethnic norms of agency—reasons for action and obligations that spring from a given ethnic identity, and b) a type of normativity governing these ethnic norms of agency. I argue that one of the theoretical advantages of this account is that it fares well with respect (...) to human flourishing, moral obligations, and freedom and autonomy. I also develop an account of ethics of ethnic identity from Christine Korsgaard’s account of the sources of normativity and use it as a sophisticated foil against which my elaborations of Portilla’s views can be fruitfully contrasted. (shrink)

This article analyses how samples of pathological anatomies were transformed into collectible objects in 19th-century Mexico, revealing a process that involved multiple locations and the mixture of the practices of physicians, anthropologists, and amateur collectors. Historiography has focused on the Museo de Anatomía Patológica (Museum of Pathological Anatomy), an institution devoted to the training of medical students created in 1853 at the Escuela Nacional de Medicina (National School of Medicine) in Mexico City. Archival evidence shows that medical collections existed far (...) beyond this space; namely, in private collections and museums organized in the provinces by local physicians whose existence was overshadowed by the metropolitan institutions. As this article discusses, anatomical specimens connected these two circles around the question of how to define “Mexican pathologies.” Through an examination of the collections held at the Museum of Pathological Anatomy and the Museo Michoacano in Morelia in western Mexico, this article analyses those debates in a context where this evidence was also used to highlight the differences between Mexicans, Europeans, and people of indigenous ancestry. Whereas this conceptualization embodied the way in which diseases differentially affected the indigenous, mestizo, and Mexican peoples, for doctors in the provinces, “Mexican pathologies” also referred to anatomical signs of abnormalities or primitiveness in the indigenous population. Tracing the professional career of Dr. Nicolás León (1859–1929), a well-known collector and physical anthropologist, the paper describes the geography of the exchanges of anatomical specimens and the complex relationships that emerged among actors in the Mexican provinces and the capital as they sought to identify pathologies associated mainly with the local native population. In addition, it shows that the production and circulation of specimens of pathological anatomy were connected to a wider circle of providers that extended far beyond medical museums and experts in medicine, and who exhibited these Mexican pathologies as part of the—almost always unfinished—forging of the national. (shrink)

Gottfried Leibniz embarked on a research program to prove all the Aristotelic categorical syllogisms by diagrammatic and algebraic methods. He succeeded in proving them by means of Euler diagrams, but didn’t produce a manuscript with their algebraic proofs. We demonstrate how key excerpts scattered across various Leibniz’s drafts on logic contained sufficient ingredients to prove them by an algebraic method –which we call the Leibniz-Cayley (LC) system– without having to make use of the more expressive and complex machinery of first-order (...) quantificational logic. In addition, we prove the classic categorical syllogisms again by a relational method –which we call the McColl-Ladd (ML) system– employing categorical relations studied by Hugh McColl and Christine Ladd. Finally, we show the connection of ML and LC with Boolean algebra, proving that ML is a consequence of LC, and that LC is a consequence of the Boolean lattice axioms, thus establishing Leibniz’s historical priority over George Boole in characterizing and applying (a sufficient fragment of) Boolean algebra to effectively tackle categorical syllogistic. (shrink)

Susan B. Levin argues that the human confidence that an ageless body would be better is irrational. She offers a Kantian-inspired argument to show that human understanding cannot rationally access the experiences of a post-human and ageless existence. We challenge this rationale with a three-step argument: first, an ageless body does not have to be post-human. One should distinguish between the transhumanist projects of life extension and accounts focused on enhancing well-being and quality of life. An existence without aging does (...) not require a radical change in one's temporal intuitions, which makes rational discussion possible. Second, we defend that biological aging does not entail any valuable goods. These goods refer to the chronological dimension of aging. Finally, we argue that biological aging is indeed negative and one may need biotechnological interventions in aging to achieve internal transcendence. Thus, we rationally argue that an ageless body would be better. (shrink)

Shmuel Nili claims that when a country buys fossil fuels from dictatorships it becomes complicit with property rights violations in those dictatorships. Thus, Nili argues, people who have a strong commitment to property rights should support a ban on fossil fuel imports from dictatorships, and a transition to renewable energy. This article critically discusses Nili’s argument. The argument fails to consider competing moral reasons that some people may have to oppose a ban on fossil fuel imports from dictatorships, such as (...) moral preference for family and compatriots. The argument also mistakenly assumes that renewable energy would be overwhelmingly economically attractive when fossil fuel imports are forbidden, and that switching to renewable energy would not involve importing stolen goods too. The article ends more propositively, by elaborating an alternative argument that Nili dismisses too quickly, and which may help persuade those who are strongly committed to property rights of transitioning to renewable energy: the argument that transitioning would help avoid violating those rights through contributions to harmful climate change. (shrink)

As this paper coincides with the first anniversary of Pablo Melognos passing, it delves into his profound contributions as a distinguished philosopher of science to the field of science education. Focused on his unique perspective shaped by an extensive exploration of Thomas Kuhn’s philosophy, the paper aims to elucidate Melogno’s distinctive insights into science education. The methodology employed involves a theoretical and exploratory analysis of Melogno’s limited but qualitatively rich works on science education. Melogno’s perspective on science education emerges in (...) a deep engagement with Kuhn’s philosophy. Despite shifts in his assessment of Kuhn’s ideas, Melogno’s core vision about science education remains steadfast throughout all his texts. By advocating a holistic understanding of the history of science, Melogno emphasizes the importance of cultivating critical thinking skills in students, while not forgetting to teach scientific concepts, methods, and theories. His stance rejects the notion of total ruptures in scientific paradigms as a way to avoid indoctrination. Furthermore, the paper proposes investigations into the relationship between Melogno’s defense of partial ruptures, fostering a more nuanced historical perspective and promoting critical thinking in science education. In essence, Melogno’s legacy extends beyond the footsteps of Kuhn, as he carved his own philosophical path, leaving indelible marks on the landscape of scientific thought. (shrink)

Drawing on Husserl, Ingarden and Levinas’ works, this article explores Ibsen’s Rosmersholm from a phenomenological perspective, aiming to shed light both on this play and on the phenomenology of hunger and theatre, as well as on the larger meaning of alimentary enjoyment.

Vaidya and Wallner [2021] claim that most relevant theories in recent epistemology of modality, that is, Conceivability-Theory, Counterfactual-Theory, and Deduction-Theory, face what they name “the problem of modal epistemic friction”, in a nutshell, the need to add some relevant information about the nature of the world that is not provided by the theories as such. Their proposal is that essences supply the needed information. In this paper I will agree with Vaidya and Waller’s detection of the problem of modal epistemic (...) friction, but I will importantly disagree with their solution in terms of a metaphysics and epistemology of essences. I will argue that knowledge of essence is neither necessary nor sufficient for metaphysical modal knowledge and claim instead that modal knowledge is firstly grounded in the categories that conform the facts of reality. Categorial knowledge does the job of creating the friction needed in all cases of modal metaphysical knowledge.Moreover, given the structural character of metaphysical categories, intuition is the basic proper form of modal knowledge. In fact, I will contend that intuition is the source of a priori knowledge invoked in Kripkean schemas for a posteriori modal truths. (shrink)

There is a relationship between touch and language at the heart of which lies the philosophical problem of the secret. As Derrida points out, since Aristotle touch has been qualified as ἄδηλον: secret, nocturnal, barely apparent. After some brief etymological remarks, in this article, I explore the mystery that touch represents for language through Levinas’ concept of the secret, thematizing two levels: first, that of the contemporary critique of ocularcentrism, then the level of the tactile experiences that can hardly be (...) put into words. (shrink)

This paper delves into the character concept as applied to reproduction. Our argument is that the prevailing functional-adaptationist perspective falls short in explaining the evolution of reproductive traits, and we propose an alternative organismal-relational approach that incorporates the developmental and interactive aspects of reproduction. To begin, we define the functional individuation of reproductive traits as evolutionary strategies aimed at enhancing fitness, and we demonstrate how this perspective influences the classification of reproductive characters and modes, the comprehension of shared traits as (...) resulting from conflicts of evolutionary interest between individuals, and the explanation of reproductive diversity. After outlining the shortcomings of this framework, we introduce an organismal-relational approach grounded in evolutionary developmental studies of reproduction. This view provides a revised classification for reproductive characters and modes and offers a new understanding of interorganismal traits that takes into account their inherently relational nature. Lastly, we present the research agenda that emerges from this approach, which addresses the core explanatory gaps left by the adaptationist perspective, including the explanation of reproductive homologies and homoplasies, the developmental constraints associated with the evolution of reproductive modes, and the evolvability of reproductive characters. (shrink)

In this article, I explore the role of the body in Indian thought through the lens of Lilian Silburn’s works, focusing on the idea of carving the cosmos, namely of somatic performances that have cosmological relevance. First, I delve into her biography, to study, subsequently, her analysis of ancient Vedic philosophy, the Brāhmaṇa, the Upanişad, and Buddhism. In this manner, I touch upon a series of conceptual developments, trying to understand the constant tensions between the discontinuous and the continuous, the (...) non-arranged and the arranged, the multiple and the One, and finally between eternalism and nihilism. I conclude by examining the way Buddhism has of resolving these tensions in the non-substantial theory of Karman. (shrink)

We present here the papers selected for the volume on the Unity of Propositions problems. After summarizing what the problems are, we locate them in a spectrum from those aiming to provide substantive, reductive explanations, to those with a more deflationary take on the problems.

Transitional justice in Colombia has evolved, reflecting the political, social, and academic changes in the country. This study is a systematic review of the literature through articles indexed in Web of Science, applying the PRISMA protocol. Out of 3819 articles published in the last five years (2019-2024), 109 articles were selected following strict exclusion criteria. The methodology includes a quantitative analysis complemented with the visual analysis tool Posit PBC™ for bibliometric analysis in Biblioshyni. The study addresses the research question on (...) the evolution of the main research interests in the field of Transitional Justice in Colombia. The results show that initially, analyses on transitional justice focused on documenting the atrocities of the armed conflict, with a focus on truth and reparation, grounding legal mechanisms such as the Justice and Peace Law of 2005; with the 2016 Peace Agreement, research expanded into more complex issues, including the interaction between transitional justice and development, and the importance of civil society and victim engagement. The inclusion of the gender perspective, particularly after the 2016 Peace Agreement, led to studies on how women and LGBTI+ communities were differentially affected by the conflict. In addition, recent research has focused on the comparison between the peace processes with the AUC and the FARC-EP, analyzing the differences in their transitional justice frameworks and the challenges of implementing these agreements in a context of persistent violence. (shrink)

Castañeda, Perry and Lewis argued that, among singular thoughts in general, thoughts about oneself ‘as oneself’—first-personal thoughts, which Lewis aptly called de se—have a distinctive character that traditional views of contents cannot characterize. Drawing on Anscombe, Annalisa Coliva has argued that a feature she calls Real Guarantee marks apart de se thoughts—as opposed to others including Immunity to Error through Misidentification that have been proposed for that role. I'll argue that, while her work points to a truly distinguishing feature of (...) the de se, we need an account of the notion other than hers and Echeverri's recent development of it. I'll offer an alternative, drawing on Léa Salje's work. Finally, I'll briefly outline how, thus understood, the Real Guarantee feature could be adequately explained by theories of de se thoughts like the one I favour, even if it is an open option to just explain it away. (shrink)

Watson’s monograph, The Right to Know: Epistemic Rights and Why We Need Them, clearly, succinctly and deftly introduces the notion of the right to know or epistemic rights to the epistemology literature. She does this partly by connecting the conclusions and theoretical motives of the moral and legal rights literature to the epistemology literature. In part, motivated by this book’s great value, I present two objections to some of the book’s central claims. The first objection is that there is tension (...) between (i) the book’s claim that information distribution is a basic epistemic duty that epistemic rights generate and (ii) the book’s claim that epistemic rights are complied with if subjects receive epistemic goods such as understanding and knowledge that respect their final value. The second objection is that the dyadic nature of Watson’s account of epistemic rights violation does not comport with plausible cases in which non-dominant groups’ epistemic rights have been violated and as a consequence the book’s claim that epistemic rights provide those who wield them an especially forceful rhetorical tool requires further motivation. (shrink)

We live in an institutional world, where our identity is significantly shaped by our membership in institutional groups (from sports clubs and condo boards to state and international organisations). As such, then, understanding what those groups are and how they affect our reality through their actions is imperative. To that end, some philosophers have taken on the task of elucidating ‘institutional agency' (the capacity of institutional groups to act). Most recently, for example, Michael Bratman has introduced a theory of institutional (...) agency, according to which an institutional group can act if the relevant participants act on an institutional intention (viz., a decision output that satisfies certain rationality constraints). Crucially, he develops this approach on the assumption that ‘planning agency' is the core capacity involved across various forms of human practical organization: individual, social, and institutional. However, this paper shows that while true that planning agency may be a basic element of individual and shared intentionality, it is not so relevant for institutional intentionality. In fact, contra Bratman’s intuitions, it argues that institutional agency is constructed out-of-group attitudes and actions, for which group agency, but not planning agency, is the core capacity. (shrink)

Imagination and Convention by Ernie Lepore and Matthew Stone is a sustained attack on a standard piece of contemporary philosophical lore, Grice’s (1975) theory of conversational implicatures, and on indirect meanings in general. Although I agree with quite a lot of what they say, and with some important aspects of their theoretical stance, here I will respond to some of their criticism. I’ll assume a characterization of implicatures as theory-neutral as possible, on which implicatures are a sort of indirectly conveyed (...) meanings, illustrated by some traditional examples. Then I will discuss the claim that one can make an assertion indirectly, through a mechanism essentially like the one envisaged by Grice in his account of implicatures. This is something that not just L&S have argued against, but other writers as well, for more or less related reasons. Since it will be clear that assertions, the way I will characterize them, “convey information inthe usual sense” and provide “information in the semantic sense of publicly accessible content that supports inquiry”, I will be thereby arguing for a claim clearly at odds with some of those made by L&S. (shrink)

I will argue that the diminishment of hip hop music as a hermeneutical resource for Black and Latinx persons by white supremacy promotes the ubiquity of ignorance of racial injustice in North America. To this end, I will defend what I call the hermeneutical-diminishment thesis. According to this thesis, white supremacy has diminished hip hop as a hermeneutical resource for Black and Latinx persons. To defend this thesis, I will substantiate two sub-theses. The first is the prescriptive-rap sub-thesis. According to (...) this sub-thesis, white supremacy has caused prescriptive rap to predominate the content of hip hop in comparison to descriptive rap. The second sub-thesis is the descriptive-rap sub-thesis. According to this sub-thesis, if (i) hip hop can have prescriptive or descriptive content, (ii) hip hop is a poorer hermeneutical resource for Black and Latinx people with prescriptive content and (iii) hip hop is dominated by rap music with prescriptive content, then (iv) hip hop is a poorer hermeneutical resource for Black and Latinx people. The defense that I present of the hermeneutical-diminishment thesis will take the following form. If (P) the prescriptive-rap sub-thesis is true and the descriptive-rap sub-thesis is true, then (C) the hermeneutical-diminishment thesis is true. I show that (P), thus (C) obtains. (shrink)

Project-based teaching (PBE) has emerged as an effective pedagogical strategy for the development of key skills in higher education, especially in areas such as critical thinking and technological competencies. This study analyzes the impact of EBP on the development of these skills in university students of technological careers. Through a mixed methodology that includes surveys and analysis of academic results, the progress of 120 students was evaluated before and after participating in a project-based course. The findings suggest that EBP not (...) only significantly improves critical thinking skills, but also encourages a more efficient and creative use of technological tools. (shrink)

Language is an essential tool that shapes human interactions and understanding from birth, blending innate abilities with environmental factors. Oral language is the first form of communication, while written language develops through structured learning. Piaget's theory suggests a strong connection between language development and cognitive growth, with cultural context playing a significant role. Sociolinguistic theory also emphasizes how social and cultural factors influence linguistic interactions, shaping expression in different settings. This study examined the relationship between reading comprehension and cultural identity. (...) A reading test, featuring texts reflecting diverse linguistic and cultural realities, was administered to 120 students in Barranquilla. The test included informal, informational, and literary readings, each tied to specific contexts. The results demonstrated that students more easily understood culturally familiar texts, while unfamiliar contexts posed greater challenges. This suggests that cultural familiarity significantly enhances reading comprehension, while cultural distance can hinder interpretation. The findings highlight the critical role of cultural and linguistic context in reading comprehension. Texts aligned with a reader's cultural experiences improve understanding and retention, pointing to the need for educational approaches that integrate students' cultural backgrounds to enhance learning and motivation. (shrink)

Despite the tight link between the visibility of the iris and pupil, the perceived effects of these two have been studied largely in isolation. We demonstrate, across two experimental studies, that the effects of perceived pupil size are dependent on the visibility of the iris. In a first study, our participants donated more and had more positive impressions of portraits of non-human primates when these were manipulated to appear having larger pupils. Post-hoc inspection of our data suggested that the difference (...) was greater for species with more conspicuous irises. In a second study, we concomitantly manipulated iris brightness and pupil size. Brighter irises and larger pupils elicited greater donations. Participants rated photographs with brighter irises as cuter, more attractive and friendlier, but only when they had dilated pupils. Our results have methodological implications for studies manipulating eye appearance, and help interpret results from previous studies. (shrink)

The connections between structural violence and the climate crisis have received scant attention in the literature, despite their significant implications. Structural violence is deeply entrenched in our social, cultural, and economic systems, to the extent ordinary individuals, engaged in legal and routine activities, can become indirect participants in harming others. The climate crisis is not only an expression of structural violence but also deepens structural violence, creating a vicious cycle through multi-directional and self-reinforcing linkages. To address violent outcomes and resolve (...) the climate crisis, we need to shift power relations at the heart of our social and cultural arrangements. Taking a structural lens has the power to radically change how we tackle the problem of climate change. Rather than focusing solely on state-level goals and ambitions, this lens highlights the moral gravity of the climate crisis, pressing for urgent action to address the violence exerted among ourselves as human beings and to the environment on which we depend. (shrink)