The aim of this article is to indicate the difficulties in maintaining a dogmatic interpretation of Plato, and to develop some reflections about the relationships between dogmatism, scepticism and dialectics.Este artigo procura mostrar as dificuldades existentes para sustentar a interpretação dogmática de Platão e, a partir daí, indicar algumas reflexões sobre as relações entre dogmatismo, ceticismo e dialética.

Posthumous homage to Professor José Cavalcante de Souza.

Thinking, Language, and Experience was first published in 1989.Hector-Neri Castañeda's intricate and provocative essays have been widely influential, especially his work in epistemology and ethics, and his theory on the relation of thought to action. The fourteen essays in Thinking, Language, and Experience -- half of them written expressly for this volume -- demonstrate the breadth and richness of his recent work on the unitary structure of human experience.A comprehensive, unified study of phenomena at the intersection between experience, thinking, (...) language, and reality, this book focuses on singular reference -- that is, reference to individuals insofar as they are thought of as individuals: indicators, quasi-indicators, proper names, singular descriptions. Castañeda establishes a large number of new facts -- linguistic, semantic, psychological, and sociological -- about the workings of language in human experience, and from them develops a network of new theories, all grounded in his comprehensive Guise Theory.These theories offer a systematic account for: the structure of human experience and the world at large; the mental powers required to think of the world and to undergo experiences; self-consciousness; the language for thinking of other minds; perception and the interaction between indexical reference and perceptual fields; and the role of subjectivity in perception and intentional action. (shrink)

The paper investigates how field experimentation of genetically modified crops became central to the French controversy on genetically modified organisms in recent years. Initially constructed in the 1980s as a cognitive endeavor to be preserved from lay interference, field trials of genetically modified crops were reconceived as “an intrusion in the social space,” which had to be negotiated with actors from that space. In order to analyze this transformation, the authors suggest that it is necessary to develop an interpretive framework (...) that combines theoretical perspectives from science and technology studies and the sociology of social problems, and emphasizes the importance of the way in which actors compete in a heterogeneous public space, to put forward alternative framings of problems. The authors present a detailed analysis of the interactions and conflicts between actors in diverse social arenas in order to better understand the dynamics of this sociotechnical controversy. (shrink)

La eleuthería tiene una connotación política y cultural para los antiguos griegos. Refiere la condición libre de los ciudadanos griegos frente a los pueblos bárbaros que prefieren el gobierno tiránico. Platón y Aristóteles, además, hablan de la eleuthería en un sentido moral; esto es, como la condición libre del hombre virtuoso. Pero Aristóteles se refiere a una virtud en concreto: la liberalidad. La liberalidad supone el uso prudente de las riquezas, es decir, el justo medio entre la avaricia y la (...) prodigalidad. Pero el ejercicio de esta virtud repercute en el ámbito político. Primero, porque la ciudadanía presupone en sí misma la virtud moral. Segundo, porque en el núcleo de la liberalidad radica la estabilidad de la pólis; la avaricia o la ambición desmedidas son las que ponen en peligro la estabilidad de la pólis. Por lo tanto, eleuthería tiene un sentido unitario, que va del ámbito privado al político. (shrink)

Resumo: Este artigo busca obter contribuições de Jacques Lacan para a educação, não em aspectos técnicos e metodológicos, mas no que se refere à constituição da subjetividade dos professores. A primeira seção analisa as reflexões lacanianas sobre a linguagem, assumindo seu vínculo com a Sofística, de um lado, seu distanciamento ante as teorizações de Aristóteles, de outro, e adotando Montaigne como intermediário para dialogar com Lacan. A segunda seção assume Freud como ponto de partida para entender o conceito lacaniano de (...) angústia, visando revelar seu potencial criativo mediante a noção de sublimação. O artigo propõe a performance como linguagem artística capaz de atuar sobre a subjetividade dos professores, o que só pode ser realizado com a adoção de uma pedagogia disposta a romper com os parâmetros vigentes na atualidade, cuja inclinação mercantilista faz da educação uma ferramenta voltada à inserção dos estudantes no mercado e vê os educadores como peças de uma engrenagem sem poder de decisão sobre si mesmos. Palavras-chaves: Lacan; Psicanálise; Sofística; Trabalho Docente Performance as logos-pharmakon: Lacan for teachers Abstract: This article seeks to draw contributions from Jacques Lacan to education, not in technical and methodological aspects, but in terms of the constitution of teachers’ subjectivity. The first section analyzes Lacan’s reflections on language, assuming firstly its link with Sophistry, secondly its distance from Aristotle’s theories and finally adopting Montaigne as an intermediary to dialogue with Lacan. The second section takes Freud as a starting point to understand the Lacanian concept of anguish, aiming to reveal its creative potential through the notion of sublimation. The article proposes performance as an artistic language capable of acting on the subjectivity of teachers, something that can only be achieved with the adoption of a pedagogy that breaks up with the parameters in force today, which tend towards mercantilism in making education a tool aimed at the insertion of students in the market and in seeing educators as cogs in a gear with no decision-making power over themselves. Keywords: Lacan; Psychoanalysis; Sophistry; Teaching Work Performance como logos-pharmakon: Lacan para professores Resumen: Este artículo busca obtener aportes de Jacques Lacan a la educación, no en aspectos técnicos y metodológicos, sino en cuanto a la constitución de la subjetividad de los docentes. El primer apartado analiza las reflexiones de Lacan sobre el lenguaje, asumiendo su vinculación con la Sofística, por un lado, su alejamiento de las teorías aristotélicas, por otro, y adoptando a Montaigne como intermediario para dialogar con Lacan. La segunda sección toma a Freud como punto de partida para comprender el concepto lacaniano de angustia, con el objetivo de revelar su potencial creativo a través de la noción de sublimación. El artículo propone la performance como un lenguaje artístico capaz de actuar sobre la subjetividad de los docentes, lo que sólo puede hacerse con la adopción de una pedagogía dispuesta a romper con los parámetros vigentes hoy, cuya inclinación mercantilista hace de la educación una herramienta dirigida a la inserción de estudiantes en el mercado y ve a los educadores como engranajes sin poder de decisión sobre sí mismos. Palabras clave: Lacan; Psicoanálisis; Sofistería; Trabajo Docente Data de registro: 06/07/2022 Data de aceite: 22/03/2023. (shrink)

In this article, the author argues against a dominant trend in the literature on Nietzsche and the environment that is mostly concerned with assessing Nietzsche’s relevance to environmental ethics. The author departs from this trend by showing that Nietzsche can hardly provide the kind of intrinsic value theory typically needed to ground an environmental ethic. The author then suggests that an environmentalist reading of Nietzsche has much to gain from closer attention to his concept of “earth” and briefly outlines the (...) evolution of this concept throughout the Nietzschean corpus. The author concludes by coming back to Zarathustra’s mysterious claim that “the overhuman shall be the meaning of the earth” and clarifying how, though it should not be thought of as a new foundation for an environmental ethic, it might still be significant in the context of the Anthropocene. (shrink)

El trabajo ensaya un análisis sobre los perfiles subjetivos en la política dentro del esquema comunicacional vigente. El mundo global, la conectividad y las imágenes son elementos que invitan a atender como la palabra y la información funcionan en la actualidad. Esta revisión toma aportes de Sartori, Serres y Rancière, entre otros. Luego se discute el lugar de lo letrado como dispositivo de articulación de la comunidad. Para ello se examinan las tesis de Ángel Rama: el primado de la letra (...) implica un orden social con un impacto severo en la institucionalidad política. Posteriormente, se incorpora la noción de poslexia sugerida por Mark Fisher, quien afirma el carácter “iletrado” de la actualidad. Se construye así un diálogo en el que se profundizan algunas de las perspectivas implicadas. Finalmente, se sugieren algunas interrogantes sus efectos en la subjetividad política. Estas preguntas acuden a los aportes de Virno, Castillo y Ferraris, entre otros. (shrink)

Alcohol intoxication is a major source of antisocial behavior in our society, strongly implicated in various forms of interpersonal aggression. Yet, moral philosophers have paid surprisingly little attention to the literature on alcohol and its effects. In part, this is because philosophers who have adopted a more empirically informed approach to moral psychology have gravitated toward moral sentimentalism, while the literature on alcohol intoxication fits very poorly with the sentimentalist account. Most contemporary research on the psychological effects of alcohol is (...) focused upon variants of the “disinhibition” theory, which suggests that alcohol does not provoke any specific affect, it merely weakens executive control. This research, we argue, lends support to a deontic moral psychology, which identifies our ability to suppress behavioral impulses as a central feature of moral agency. (shrink)

Die Medizin der Gegenwart ist durch eine Reihe von Tendenzen charakterisiert, die dazu fuhren, dass sich das traditionelle Verstandnis der Medizin als blosser Heilkunde nicht mehr von selbst versteht. Zu nennen sind hier etwa die oft beklagte Okonomisierung der Medizin oder der Trend zur wunscherfullenden Medizin. Angesichts dieser Veranderungen gewinnt die theoretische Frage nach dem Wesen der Medizin an praktischer Bedeutung. Der Band "Was ist Medizin?" beantwortet die Frage aus verschiedenen Perspektiven. Beitrage aus der Geschichte der Medizin informieren uber Konstanten (...) und Wandlungen im Verstandnis der Medizin. Medizin- und wissenschaftstheoretische Auseinandersetzungen beschaftigen sich mit der Frage, was fur eine Art von Wissenschaft die Medizin ist. Dabei gilt ihr Augenmerk u. a. der Spannung zwischen der wissenschaftlichen Forschung und der klinischen Praxis. Ausserdem werden aus der Sicht der Ethik die vieldiskutierten Fragen erortert, ob die Medizin ein inharentes Ethos aufweist, worin dieses bestehen konnte und ob es einen Beitrag zur Klarung medizinethischer Probleme leisten kann. Schliesslich wird anhand von Anwendungsfallen nach den Grenzen der gegenwartigen Medizin gefragt. (shrink)

Chemero's concept of sensorimotor empathy offers a relevant introduction to the study of human/non-human relationships. This article proposes an empirical characterization of this phenomenon occurring in human–horse interactions through the notion of 'contact', which is a core concept in the technical tradition of the equestrian world. According to the assumptions of 4E cognition, we approach the notion of contact with a broader meaning than how it is usually defined, i.e.as the connection of the rider's hand with the horse's mouth. We (...) state that contact involves the whole body and that it is not a passive touch but a dynamic one. Contact is intersubjective, meaning that its quality depends on the two agents of the interaction: the human and the horse. Within such an interaction, sensorimotor empathy allows the human and the horse to understand through the body and to fine-tune with each other to bring about 'good contact'. (shrink)

Mind-wandering is a psychological process involving the emergence of spontaneous thoughts in daily life. Research has shown that mind-wandering influences diverse psychological outcomes; however, less is known about possible individual differences that may drive mind-wandering. In this study, we argue that personality traits, expressed in neuroticism and openness to experience, may lead to the individual’s self-perception of their mind-wandering activity, due to meta-awareness processes. In a three-wave survey study with 273 college students, we gathered data which supported a positive association (...) of both neuroticism and openness to experience with mind-wandering self-perception, mediated by the individual’s meta-awareness. Thus, this study contributes to the literature on spontaneous thinking by showing that mind-wandering processes may be a function of individual differences expressed in personality traits. (shrink)

Les contributions réunies dans ce volume visent à explorer le champ des postérités généalogiques de Nietzsche. Dans cette perspective, il convient d'abord de faire une nette distinction entre la dimension programmatique de la Généalogie de la morale et les postérités effectives que le livre a eues par la suite aux XXe et XXIe siècles, pour tenter ensuite de comprendre comment le mot 'généalogie' a pu se détacher de Nietzsche et acquérir progressivement des significations multiples, bien au-delà de ce que Nietzsche (...) lui-même avait pu anticiper ou imaginer. Il s'agit ainsi de se confronter à un enjeu crucial pour l'historien des idées: celui de retracer les métamorphoses du supposé concept nietzschéen de généalogie, notamment après ses reprises décisives par Deleuze et Foucault, pour faire ressortir la créativité, l'originalité et peut-être aussi la pertinence contemporaine de ces nouveaux discours. Cheminant dans cette direction, notre volume esquisse une sorte de généalogie des 'généalogies.' Il montre comment de nombreux lecteurs de Nietzsche ont fait 'grincer' et 'crier' sa pensée en se la réappropriant sous les espèces de la généalogie"--Page 4 of cover. (shrink)

Este trabajo plantea, en primer lugar, una visión global acerca de la evolución de la representación de la naturaleza en la cultura artística visual europea del Alto Medievo. Resultado de la misma es la detección de una parálisis en la evolución estética de la representación de la naturaleza que sin embargo había pasado previamente por fases de esplendor decorativo y simbólico. A continuación se examinan diferentes propuestas historiográficas acerca de la evolución de la relación entre ser humano y naturaleza en (...) la Alta Edad Media y su posible contextualización con el cuadro evolutivo artístico trazado. Esa contextualización lleva finalmente a la búsqueda de una relación del fenómeno detectado con los fundamentos teológicos de la cultura monástica y sus planteamientos escatológicos. This paper first presents an overview about the evolution of the representation of nature in European artistic culture of the High Middle Ages. A result of this is the detection of a paralysis in the aesthetic evolution of nature in visual arts after previous phases of decorative and symbolic richness. Different historiographic proposals on the evolution of the relationship between man and nature in the Middle Ages show a possible contextualization with the artistic paralysis we have stated. That path leads to the search for a relation of the phenomenon detected with the theological foundations of the monastic culture and its eschatological discourses. (shrink)

Les travaux rassemblés dans cet ouvrage concernent évidemment l'étude de ces thèmes dans l'œuvre de Bachelard, au niveau systématique comme au niveau historique, dans l'analyse comme dans la critique.

In this article we discuss the contextual character of quantum mechanics in the framework of modal interpretations. We investigate its historical origin and relate contemporary modal interpretations to those proposed by M. Born and W. Heisenberg. We present then a general characterization of what we consider to be a modal interpretation. Following previous papers in which we have introduced modalities in the Kochen-Specker theorem, we investigate the consequences of these theorems in relation to the modal interpretations of quantum mechanics.

RESUMEN El presente artículo pretende ofrecer un breve recorrido por algunos aspectos del pensamiento filosófico y teológico de Abraham Heschel, un rabino polaco del siglo XX, conocido por ser asesor y maestro espiritual de Luther King. El texto inicia presentando algunos aspectos biográficos y contextuales de la vida de Heschel. Luego de ello se aluden las pautas centrales de su crítica a la religión, resaltando la intención auténtica de la misma y mostrando los peligros de separarla de la razón. Se (...) denuncia la simulación de Dios en las religiones y el daño social que estas ocasionan cuando no favorecen la autocrítica y eluden su colaboración en el desarrollo social. ABSTRACT This article aims to provide a brief summary of some aspects of the philosophical and theological thought of Abraham Heschel, a Polish rabbi of the 20th century, known for being an advisor and spiritual teacher to Luther King. The text begins with some biographical and contextual aspects of Heschel's life. After that, the central guidelines of Heschel's critique of religion are alluded to, highlighting the authentic intention of religion and showing the dangers of separating it from reason. The simulation of God in religions and the social damage that these cause when they do not favor self-criticism and avoid their collaboration in social development are denounced. (shrink)

In recent years, much has been learned about the strategic and organizational contexts of suicide attacks. However, motivations of the agents who commit them remain difficult to explain. In part this is because standard models of social learning as well as Durkheimian notions of sacrificial behavior are inadequate in the face of the actions of human bombers. In addition, the importance of organizational structures and practices in reinforcing commitment on the part of suicide recruits is an under-explored factor in many (...) analyses. This essay examines the potential applicability of evolutionary models of altruism to the understanding of commitment to suicide on the part of terrorist organizational recruits. Three evolutionary models of sacrificial behavior in nonhuman species and many categories of human behavior are explored cross-organizationally: reciprocity, inclusive fitness theory, and induced altruism. Reciprocal altruism is unlikely to be a major motivator in suicide attacks because the costs exhibited by attackers are too high to be adequately compensated. However, the role of evolved self-deception in perceptions of personal death, and thus of rewards in the afterlife, is potentially illuminating. Inclusive fitness theory can help explain the motivations of attackers because rewards to kin often are offered by organizations to suicide recruits. However, suicide bombers also often act out of revenge for the loss of or injury to relatives, and inclusive fitness theory generally, as well as more specific theoretical models of retaliatory aggression, may not adequately account for the bombers' actions. Predictions from induced altruism theory appear to be well supported because suicide terror organizations tend to be tightly structured around practices intended to maintain and reinforce commitment though the manipulation of kinship-recognition cues. (shrink)

A Computable Universe is a collection of papers discussing computation in nature and the nature of computation, a compilation of the views of the pioneers in the contemporary area of intellectual inquiry focused on computational and informational theories of the world. This volume is the definitive source of informational/computational views of the world, and of cutting-edge models of the universe, both digital and quantum, discussed from a philosophical perspective as well as in the greatest technical detail. The book discusses the (...) foundations of computation in relation to nature. It focuses on two main questions: What is computation? How does nature compute? The contributors are world-renowned experts who have helped shape a cutting-edge computational understanding of the universe. They discuss computation in the world from a variety of perspectives, ranging from foundational concepts to pragmatic models to ontological conceptions and their philosophical implications. The volume provides a state-of-the-art collection of technical papers and non-technical essays representing a field that takes information and computation to be key to understanding and explaining the basic structure underpinning physical reality. It also includes a new edition of Konrad Zuse's "Calculating Space", and a panel discussion transcription on the topic, featuring worldwide experts (including a Nobel prize) in quantum mechanics, physics, cognition, computation and algorithmic complexity.A Computable Universe is a collection of papers discussing computation in nature and the nature of computation, a compilation of the views of the pioneers in the contemporary area of intellectual inquiry focused on computational and informational theories of the world. This volume is the definitive source of informational/computational views of the world, and of cutting-edge models of the universe, both digital and quantum, discussed from a philosophical perspective as well as in the greatest technical detail. The book discusses the foundations of computation in relation to nature. It focuses on two main questions: What is computation? How does nature compute? The contributors are world-renowned experts who have helped shape a cutting-edge computational understanding of the universe. They discuss computation in the world from a variety of perspectives, ranging from foundational concepts to pragmatic models to ontological conceptions and their philosophical implications. The volume provides a state-of-the-art collection of technical papers and non-technical essays representing a field that takes information and computation to be key to understanding and explaining the basic structure underpinning physical reality. It also includes a new edition of Konrad Zuse's "Calculating Space", and a panel discussion transcription on the topic, featuring worldwide experts (including a Nobel prize) in quantum mechanics, physics, cognition, computation and algorithmic complexity. (shrink)

English summary: Benoit Spinosa presents a much needed French biography and study of the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679). Spinosa discusses Hobbes controversial Leviathan and his unique understanding of the political machine in the Early Modern period. French description: Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), philosophe anglais, doit sa celebrite au Leviathan, a une conception de la souverainete politique longtemps jugee monstrueuse. Par-dela contresens et accusations, Hobbes est bien le premier penseur de la modernite a avoir voulu maitriser la machination politique comme (...) la science galileenne controlait les mecanismes naturels. Il eut l'idee d'un systeme global, allant du corps en general, chose physique, au corps politique engendre par la puissance humaine d'artifice, en passant par le corps humain, objet d'une anthropologie nouvelle qui s'appuie sur une vision originale du desir. Sans le langage, la science des corps serait pourtant impossible. C'est par l'imposition de noms, que les hommes peuvent se soustraire aux aleas de l'experience, construire des chaines de raisonnement et envisager ainsi les choix politiques que la necessite laisse ouverts. Dans un monde expose aux violences de la revolution et des conflits religieux, Hobbes a cherche les moyens rationnels de resister aux folies de l'histoire. La question n'est visiblement pas close. (shrink)