This paper proposes a comparison between the myth of Prometheus and Pliny the Elder’s account of the origins of painting to assess the technical characterof images. Such a character is seen as a precondition for understanding their epistemological value, as well as for supporting the need for hermeneutics at any level of artificial intervention. Finally, part of Horst Bredekamp’s work will be presented as an example of a methodology that combines hermeneutics and iconology based on such a technical character.

The philosopher Jorge J. E. Gracia engages fifteen prominent scholars on race, ethnicity, nationality, and Hispanic/Latino identity in the United States. Their discussion joins two distinct traditions: the philosophy of race begun by African Americans in the nineteenth century, and the search for an understanding of identity initiated by Latin American philosophers in the sixteenth century. Participants include Linda M. Alcoff, K. Anthony Appiah, Richard J. Bernstein, Lawrence Blum, Robert Gooding-Williams, Eduardo Mendieta, and Lucius T. Outlaw Jr., and their dialogue (...) reflects the analytic, Aristotelian, Continental, literary, Marxist, and pragmatic schools of thought. These intellectuals start with the philosophy of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and then move to the philosophy of African Americans and Anglo Americans in the United States and the philosophy of Latin Americans in Latin America. Gracia and his interlocutors debate the nature of race and ethnicity and their relation to nationality, linguistic rights, matters of identity, and Affirmative Action, binding the concepts of race and ethnicity together in ways that open new paths of inquiry. Gracia's Familial-Historical View of ethnic and Hispanic/Latino identity operates at the center of each of these discussions, providing vivid access to the philosopher's provocative arguments while adding unique depth to issues that each of us struggles to understand. (shrink)

An assertion is existentially known if and only if: (i) the speaker knows that the sentence she uses to make the assertion expresses a true proposition; (ii) she makes the assertion based on that knowledge; and (iii) she does not believe, have justification for, or know the proposition asserted. Accordingly, if existentially known assertions could be made correctly—as argued by Charlie Pelling in his ‘Assertion and the Provision of Knowledge’—this would show that the norm of assertion cannot be the speaker's (...) belief in, justification for or knowledge of the proposition. In this paper, I try to show that Pelling's argument is inconclusive, as it rests on two assumptions which can be resisted. In turn, I offer a pair of alternative strategies to explain how we can deal with existentially known assertions under the assumption that the speaker's knowledge is the norm of assertion. (shrink)

This study analyzes the adoption and performance implications of two certified management standards in Mexico. Basing our predictions on strategic balance theory we find that those firms seeking for higher levels of differentiation or legitimacy show inferior environmental performance that firms demonstrating higher strategic balance.

The author analyses the problems faced by Continental Europe's legal systems as a result of the appearance of the so‐called new religious movements. He is of the opinion that the expected change towards the achievement of full legal neutrality regarding the religious phenomena cannot be based on the sole assumption that each and every religion deserves protection. In fact, he considers that any system of equality should be aimed at protecting the legitimate expression of the individual's free will; that is (...) to say, neither a particular religion nor all of them, but the person considered as a citizen, regardless of whether he believes or not. (shrink)

In this paper, we propose an account of how perceptual evidence might allow us to draw justified conclusions about the existence of composite objects. We call the thesis at issue PERCEPTUAL ADEQUACY, and argue that a specific, naïve realist picture of the phenomenal character of perception provides us with a straightforward way to defend it. The claim that we have empirical evidence for the existence of macroscopic composites cannot be propped up merely by the plausible claim, granted by many, that (...) our perceptual experiences have composites-presenting phenomenology. Rather, a specific account of the nature of the phenomenology is needed so that it can provide the required evidence. We propose a way to accomplish this: one on which in the good cases it would be constituted by the presentation of the truth-makers of the relevant ontological claims. We argue, further, that this potential defence of a feasible empirically-informed approach to metaphysics is preferable to the best alternative, one based on an object-dependent version of intentionalism about perceptual consciousness. (shrink)

Classical, selectionist (adaptationist) evolutionary epistemology of science draws an analogy between development of science and natural selection. But natural selection immediately increases only the relative fitness of organisms with regard to specific and changing environment. Therefore evolutionary epistemology of science is exploited (by van Fraassen in particular) against scientific realism which presumes existence of absolute scientific progress as an approach to truth. In modern biology in order to explain absolute evolutionary progress nonadaptationist, nonselectionist models based on a passive trend mechanism (...) (a random walk limited by walls) were worked out, the ratchet model in particular. This paper suggests nonadaptationist extension of evolutionary epistemology of science, namely the ratchet model of scientific progress and illustrates it by history of thermodynamics. This model enables to combine realistic concept of scientific progress as an approach to truth with antirealistic concept of scientific development as an improvement of problem-solving ability: the former is ascribed to scientific dynamics on a global scale and the latter on a local. (shrink)

Este artículo se ubica en el ámbito de la formación jurídica y expone tres macro estrategias del aprendizaje, que bien pueden, como aquí se afirma, interactuar y complementarse entre sí. En primer lugar, se representa el modelo educativo centrado en la transmisión de conceptos, sin duda el más arraigado y tradicional en el contexto europeo-continental. En segundo lugar, se procede examinando el paradigma formativo por problemas, enfocado en el desarrollo de la capacidad analítica. En tercer lugar, se ilustra el método (...) educativo que entrena el discernimiento, impulsando la capacidad de elección, entre una multitud de opciones posibles, y empoderando la toma de decisiones racionalmente motivadas. En conclusión, se presenta una teoría formativa unitaria que pone en valor la relación funcional, potencialmente existente, entre estas diferentes metodologías formativas. (shrink)

Desde la constitución de un Estado social de derechos y justicia, toda autoridad está en la obligación de brindar seguridad y protección, a nivel social y jurídico para cada miembro del Estado; parte de esta protección es la representación del máximo amparo hacia aquellas personas consideradas grupos de atención prioritaria, como lo son las personas con enfermedades terminales, degenerativas o catastróficas, enfermedades que transgreden la dignidad de las personas. En estos casos, el Estado debe trabajar con mayor solvencia para asegurar (...) los derechos fundamentales que precautelan una calidad de vida adecuada para desarrollarse en la sociedad–. A partir de lo dicho, el trabajo subraya la importancia de brindar atención prioritaria a personas inmersas en esta situación, permitiéndoles ejercer una figura jurídica trascendental, la voluntad anticipada, misma que, aunque no es reconocida jurídicamente, tiene una representación interna que permite establecer un testamento vital; esta voluntad anticipada puede confluir con el derecho a una muerte con dignidad, como consecuencia de una vida digna como derecho constitucional otorgado por el Estado ecuatoriano. (shrink)

In this paper, my aim is to reintroduce and reclaim the concept of civility for the ongoing debates on democratic education within the Arendt-inspired philosophy of education. I juxtapose a prominent interpretation related to theories of radical democracy and radical democratic education, referring to Gert Biesta’s work, which amends Arendt’s ideas with insights from Jacques Rancière. Conversely, I explore an alternative construction of what can be considered ‘an Arendtian perspective on democratic education’ coming from another French philosopher, Étienne Balibar. Within (...) this perspective the role of institutions is redeemed, and the primary concern shifts from the political agency of individuals to the conditions that allow the space of politics to be constituted and preserved. The discussion includes an analysis of Marius von Mayenburg’s play ‘Martyr’ to illustrate importance of thinking about education, especially democratic education, as a matter of civility. (shrink)

Joan Oró Florensa (1923-2004), al mismo tiempo que fue un destacado científico del siglo XX, es una de las figuras más desconocidas y olvidadas por parte de la historiografía de la ciencia contemporánea. Su destacado papel en las primeras investigaciones sobre el origen de la vida, en los análisis bioquímicos de las muestras lunares recogidas en la misión Apollo 11, así como su decisiva participación en los experimentos biológicos de la misión Viking ―entre otras importantes aportaciones―, ameritan con mucho el (...) inicio de estudios históricos que atiendan y analicen pormenorizadamente alguna de las dimensiones de su poliédrica figura. Este artículo, que analiza su figura y aportaciones en el contexto histórico y científico en el que se desarrollaron y utiliza el archivo inédito de Joan Oró, busca conmemorarlo en el centenario de su nacimiento (2023) y contribuir a los estudios historiográficos sobre el bioquímico español. (shrink)

I connect the idea of an existential turn in philosophical science, presented by Ilya Kasavin and Vladimir Porus in their recent article, with the problem of rationality and culture crisis, as well as the opposition of profession and vocation in Max Weber’s famous speech on politics. I offer an analysis of the structure of vocation to politics and to science as affects of a special kind. To do this, I draw on Jacques Lacan’s analysis of hysteria. My conclusions are that (...) the structure of a target affect coincides to that of hysteria. This means that scientist tries to show that the truth exists, seeks to force other people to recognize this fact and submit to science as an only acceptable form of worldview. Until this can be done, the scientist gives his relationship to the community the character of service to the highest entity. At the same time, he waits for the inversion of this service, i.e. a transition to power through acknowledgement. It should be noted that scientific research is never limited by the science itself, no matter how dangerous it may be. The existential choice in science is a choice between the pursuit of truth in natural sciences and exact sciences and maintaining the sustainability of culture in social and humanitarian knowledge. The latter, contrary to Weber, is always intertwined with politics. The first is not political, but affective. This allows me to see the definition of the vocation to the science that Kasavin gives in a new way. At the center of the “cognitive-existential mood” in the search for truth, affect dominates, the engine of which is hysteria, and in its basic attitudes truth and the scientist are opposed to the plausible and the profane. (shrink)

Gli studi visuali hanno dato un fondamentale contributo alla comprensione del valore e del ruolo delle immagini nelle nostre società. Partendo dalla prospettiva della storia dell’arte e dei suoi strumenti interpretativi, il pensiero di Horst Bredekamp ne rappresenta uno degli snodi critici più significativi. Questo saggio percorre il suo itinerario teorico e si interroga sulla questione principale che lo orienta: quella del potere delle immagini, la cui posta in palio è la possibilità di una educazione dello sguardo e una diversa (...) organizzazione della cultura. È questo il punto in cui la nuova iconologia di Bredekamp rivela la sua affinità con la morfologia e da qui muove la ricostruzione del suo lavoro. (shrink)

Shortly after implantation the embryonic lineage transforms from a coherent ball of cells into polarized cup shaped epithelium. Recently we elucidated a previously unknown apoptosis‐independent morphogenic event that reorganizes the pluripotent lineage. Polarization cues from the surrounding basement membrane rearrange the epiblast into a polarized rosette‐like structure, where subsequently a central lumen is established. Thus, we provided a new model revising the current concept of apoptosis‐dependent epiblast morphogenesis. Cell death however has to be tightly regulated during embryogenesis to ensure developmental (...) success. Here, we follow the stages of early mouse development and take a glimpse at the critical signaling and morphogenic events that determine cells destiny and reshape the embryonic lineage. (shrink)

La exposición de los regímenes políticos del Tratado Político no es aleatoria; Spinoza expone en primer lugar el que menos conviene, esto es, el monárquico, después el que conviene más, la aristocracia, y finalmente la democracia, régimen al que concibe como el más perfecto. Este criterio de exposición no sirve de criterio para investigar cuál es el valor de la democracia para Spinoza, pero nos permite investigar cuál es el principal obstáculo o peligro que debe enfrentar la democracia para que (...) se pueda instituir realmente por parte de los ciudadanos, y para que no sea instrumentalizada por los intereses particulares de los gobernantes y políticos de turno. (shrink)

This paper explores the implications of the recent revival of Hegel studies for the philosophy of economics. We argue that Hegel’s theory of Objective Spirit anticipates many elements of modern approaches in cognitive sciences and of the philosophy of mind, which adopt an externalist framework. In particular, Hegel pre-empts the theories of social and distributed cognition. The pivotal elements of Hegelian social ontology are the continuity thesis, the performativity thesis, and the recognition thesis, which, when taken together, imply that all (...) mental processes are essentially dependent on externalizations, with the underlying pattern of actions being performative. In turn, performative action is impossible without mutual recognition in an intersubjective domain. We demonstrate the implications for economic theory in sketching an externalist approach to institutions and preferences. (shrink)

This article addresses some recent tendencies in economic methodology defined as a philosophy of science for economics. I review the problem of normative/positive distinction in methodology and argue that normativity in its past forms is intolerable today but is, at the same time, indispensable for methodological inquiry. Using recent texts by Mirowski and Nik-Khah and by Alexandrova and Northcott on the applications of auction theory as a case study, I compare in more detail various approaches to economic methodology inspired by (...) the science and technology studies (STS) and philosophy of science literatures, respectively. On the basis of this comparison, I show that the STS programme in economic methodology may prove fruitful in the future, but there is still a place for more aprioristic philosophical thinking. Methodology and history of economics also play a fundamental role that goes beyond the descriptive analysis of STS and offer conceptual clarification paired with normative concerns provided by philosophers of science. (shrink)

In a decisive episode of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained a former slave, Django Freeman, and his patron Dr. Schultz finally manage to buy Broomhilda, Django’s wife, and thus to free her from t...

Neste artigo apresentamos as propostas de Otto Neurath para o problema da unidade da ciência. Conhecido integrante do Círculo de Viena, Neurath defende que a ciência deve ser unificada por meio da chamada concepção de mundo científica, uma orientação ou atitude em relação ao mundo e aos problemas que é característica da ciência. Neste artigo apresentamos o caráter social dos projetos de Neurath, como o da Enciclopédia Internacional da Ciência Unificada. Contrastamos a proposta de Neurath com a crítica pós-modernista da (...) abordagem contextualizada dos estudos sobre a ciência. Essa crítica parte de estudos de comunidades científicas e, em geral, apresenta a conclusão de que não há um fator que unifique a ciência. O termo "ciência" denotaria apenas uma coleção de atividades sem características relevantes em comum. A comparação feita mostra que a posição de Neurath é compatível com a abordagem contextualizada, apesar de defender a unidade da ciência. Por fim, avaliamos o aspecto político da proposta de Neurath diante da crítica pós-moderna e notamos que as ideias do Círculo de Viena e da Enciclopédia podem ser valiosas nos dias de hoje. This paper discusses Otto Neurath's proposal for the problem of the unity of science. This author, a well-known member of the Vienna Circle, proposes that science is to be unified by the so-called scientific world-conception, a characteristic orientation or attitude of science towards the world and the problems it deals with. In this paper, emphasis is given to the social aspect of Neurath's projects, as found, for instance, in the International Encyclopedia of Unified Science. It contrasts Neurath's proposal with the post-modernist criticism, developed in the contextualized approach to science studies, that stems from studies of scientific communities and, in general, presents the conclusion that there is no unifying factor for science. The term 'science' would then denote just a collection of activities with no relevant common characteristics. The comparison made shows that Neurath's position is compatible with the contextualized approach, even though he defends the unity of science. Finally, the political aspect of Neurath's proposal is evaluated in the light of the post-modernist criticism, and it is pointed out that the ideas of the Vienna Circle and the Encyclopedia might be valuable nowadays. (shrink)

This book is a colorful journey into the fascinatingly diverse world of interneurons, an important class of highly heterogeneous cells found in all cortical neuronal networks. Interneurons are known to play key roles in many brain functions, from sensory processing to neuronal oscillations linked to learning and memory. The central aim of the volume is to provide new insights into the striking degree of cellular diversity found in interneuronal microcircuits. The book discusses the history of research into interneuronal variability, the (...) developmental origins of interneuronal diversity, the functional roles of heterogeneity in neuronal circuits, contemporary interneuronal classification systems, and the genetic and homeostatic mechanisms that shape the degree of cell to cell variability within interneuronal populations. It elaborates on new ideas about interneuronal diversity that rest upon theoretical and experimental results, with arguments touching upon evolution, animal behavior, and the mathematical theory of small world networks. This engaging volume is invaluable to neuroscientists and others interested in how neuronal newtworks function; electrical engineers, computational modelers, and physicists interested in neuronal network theory; neurologists and psychiatrists working on mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric disorders; and students and trainees in all of these fields. (shrink)

The first part of the paper will be devoted to addressing the nature and function of self-conceptions. In part two of the paper, I will briefly explore the issues of identity and self-awareness. Part three will examine pathologies of the self, while part ...

This paper tries to propose a reading focused mainly on some of Foucault’s late works, developed since the first volume of his Histoire de la sexualité, from 1976. The aim of our reading tends to note that the distance between Foucault and Deleuze, even marked in an explicit rupture after the publication of that book, is not so much due to Foucault's “fascination” with power, or to his peremptory challenge of desire and its leakage power, or its supposed abandonment of (...) the detailed analysis of dispositifs. According to our reading, the distance taken by Deleuze will account, in this impasse, for the possibility of a resistance that is not exerted on dispositifs and power formations, and that projects the problem of power towards differents ways of life, according to a logic of modulation of life, very similar to that outlined by Foucault in his later years, and creating a singular consonance between both projects of thought. (shrink)