Tesis doctoral presentada en el departament de Lògica Història i Filosofia de la Ciencia de la Universitat de Barcelona per optar al títol de Doctor en Filosofia.

This paper reconciles an inconsistency between the benefits of mind wandering and a prominent conception of attention in philosophy and cognitive psychology, namely, the prioritization view. Since we prioritize the information in a task less if we are doing it while mind wandering compared to solely concentrating on it, why does our performance in the task sometimes improve when we are mind wandering? To explain this, we offer a conception of diffuse attention that generalizes from external to internal forms of (...) attention and captures deep commonalities between the two (Chun et al. 2011). We conceptualize mind wandering as an instance of internal diffuse attention that also induces diffuse attention in other concurrent tasks. Moreover, pace the prioritization view, certain tasks are in fact better performed with diffuse attention, which prioritizes information less than focused attention. Our account of mind wandering as an instance of the more general category of diffuse attention improves upon current leading philosophical views of mind wandering (such as Irving 2016) by better explaining the interaction between mind wandering and other tasks. (shrink)

This article contends that environmental organisations vary in type, scale and purpose in ways that help stewards self-sort into the opportunities that align with their individual motivations and environmental concerns. To explore these potential links between personal motivations and environmental organisational attributes, we rely on descriptive and inferential statistics from surveys of two partner environmental organisations: one local scale community based-organisation and one a broader scale environmental non-profit organisation, both located in Central Texas, USA. These partners were selected based on (...) their compatible pro-environmental missions but disparate spatial scales of operation. The survey results (n=377) revealed meaningful between-organisation differences in volunteer environmental stewards, which raise the possibility of a ‘First Law of Environmental Stewardship’ whereby all stewards are related (by their values), but stewards in the same organisation are more related than stewards in different organisations. These findings expose some of the nuances of environmental volunteerism by highlighting connections between personal motivations, geographic scale, and organisation type. (shrink)

In this article, we examine scholarly analyses of justice and develop a framework that can help assess the claims from the parties in the Russian state-led doping scandal, including, but not limited to, Russian athletes, non-Russian athletes, the World Anti-Doping Agency, and sport governing bodies. The two key components of this justice framework are pluralism and relationality/contextuality. We argue that a justice framework built upon these elements better captures the nature of justice. We conclude that no party in the Russian (...) state-led doping case has exclusive access to justice. Rather, all the parties have legitimate calls for justice against one another. Thus, the administration of justice will fail to serve justice, in its different meanings, for all parties. (shrink)

It has been argued that measurement-induced collapses in Orthodox Quantum Mechanics generates an intrinsic (or built-in) quantum arrow of time. In this paper, I critically assess this proposal. I begin by distinguishing between an intrinsic and non-intrinsic arrow of time. After presenting the proposal of a collapse-based arrow of time in some detail, I argue, first, that any quantum arrow of time in Orthodox Quantum Mechanics is non-intrinsic since it depends on external information about the measurement context, and second, that (...) it cannot be global, but just local. I complement these arguments by assessing some criticisms and considerations about the implementation of time reversal in contexts wherein measurement-induced collapses work. I conclude that the quantum arrow of time delivered by Orthodox Quantum Mechanics is much weaker than usually thought. (shrink)

Advocates of culture-change management suggest that the right sort of managerial philosophy can transform nursing homes from impersonal institutions into safe, caring communities. However, participant observation carried out at Heartland Community, a nonprofit culture-change nursing home, suggests that culture change founders on the structural problem of inadequate staffing. Resource limitations imposed by Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates mean that even nonprofit facilities desiring to maximize staffing cannot afford to hire enough staff to live up to basic care standards. Thus, above-average (...) staffing notwithstanding, Heartland's nursing aides could not complete their work on time without compromising the quality of care by breaking important care rules. Resource limitations also forced management to adopt a series of punitive personnel policies that actively undercut the rhetoric and aims of culture change, turning culture change into a rhetorical device for shifting blame for care problems fromstructural resource limitations onto the attitudes of nursing aides. (shrink)

Valerie Plumwood introduced in "Some false laws of logic" a series of arguments on how the rules Exported Syllogism, Disjunctive Syllogism, Commutation, and Exportation are not acceptable. Based on this we define the class of Plumwood algebras - logical matrices that do not verify any of these theses. Afterwards we provide conditional variants of the characteristic matrix of the logic RM3 that are also Plumwood algebras. These matrices are given an axiomatization based on First Degree Entailment and are endowed with (...) Belnap-Dunn Semantics. Finally we provide results of Soundness and Completeness in the strong sense for each of the defined variants. (shrink)

ABSTRACTIn this paper we explore the role of Digital Grassroots Innovation in the construction of a more participatory smart city. 18 DGIs from four Spanish cities (Santander, Valencia, Bilba...

Después de una visión general del Gorgias de Platón, se hace una presentación del realismodel personaje Calicles y la respuesta de Sócrates, así como de las tesis centrales sobre la justicia en el texto. Posteriormente se sintetizan algunas de los elementos nucleares de la ética de la investigación que compete a los comités de regulación de los estudios clínicos, poniendo énfasis en los vacíos que dejan ver desde la perspectiva filosófica, a la luz del propio texto platónico, y los aportes (...) que este último podría ofrecer, sobre todo desde perspectiva de la prudencia y la equidad griegas.After an overview of Plato’s Gorgias a presentation of Callicles’ realism and the response of Socrates is made, as well as the main theses on justice in the text. Then some of the main elements of research ethics concerning regulation committees of clinical studies is synthesized, pointing out the gaps that appear there from a philosophical perspective, in the light of the platonic text and the contributions that this text can make, in particular from the perspective of Greek prudence and equity. (shrink)

"Essays and photography on the nature and culture of the Llano Estacado. Demonstrates multiple visions of the region and serves as a much-needed corrective to characterizations of the Llano Estacado as featureless, flat, and uninteresting"--Provided by publisher.

In the last century, professional sport has experienced a process of standardization that has favoured the development of its two most recent characteristics: the quantification and the pursuit of records, as Guttmann exposed in From Ritual to Record (1978). This article reflects on the ramifications that those characteristics have had in the sport consumption of sport in recent times, focusing particularly on the temporal consequences. The work proposes an ‘evolutive time’ perspective to understand the double fundaments of the sporting temporality: (...) its cyclical dimension of recurrences and familiar elements; and its linear dimension of newness and uniqueness. The argument is that sport draws on elements derived from quantification and records such as time serialization and time disruptions in order to produce a globally appealing and intelligible commodity. (shrink)

Réfléchir à l’idée de justice et de prise en compte des intérêts, notamment économiques, ouvre un champ d’étude considérable, même en prenant comme point de départ l’analyse juridique. Aussi pour tenter de circonscrire l’objet de cette recherche, le choix a été fait de partir d’une situation, provoquant la mise en tension de l’idée même de justice d’une manière originale et d’envisager une réponse juridique nouvelle. A cet égard, partir des catastrophes industrielles s’est imposé à plusieurs titres. D’une part, le phénomène (...) est mondial puisque des catastrophes ont eu lieu tant dans des pays développés qu’en développement. D’autre part, il questionne l’idée de justice de manière complexe car les conséquences ne sont pas univoques et le profil des victimes est très divers. Enfin, les modalités d’intervention juridique pour réguler ces situations poussent à envisager un cadre transnational d’intervention cohérent avec la portée des catastrophes industrielles. Néanmoins, cette réglementation, au sein de traités négociés entre pays et qui relève du droit international économique ne fait pas figure d’évidence. Pour dépasser l’horizon national en matière de normes juridiques, il convenait donc d’identifier un concept à même de le justifier : la justice socio-environnementale. (shrink)

We shall prove here that any binary relation on a base E with cardinality n > 6 is reconstructible from its restrictions of cardinality 2, 3, 4 and . This proof needs results of part I of this paper where we characterize any pair of relations R, R' which are 2-, 3- and 4-hypomorphic. As a corollary we obtain that any binary relation is -reconstructible.

Esta introducción explica el impacto que las tradiciones judía e islámica tuvieron en la fi losofía medieval, así como el intercambio intelectual que existió entre las tradiciones abrahámicas. El papel de la tradición islámica fue particularmente importante, ya que las teorías e ideas fi losófi - cas de pensadores como Avicena, Averroes, Avempace, y otros, fueron discutidas y con frecuencia reinterpretadas, adaptadas y adoptadas por muchos teólogos y fi lósofos cristianos y judíos, quienes recurrieron a ellas para utilizarlas de distintas (...) formas y en discusiones diversas, tal como se muestra en la presentación de cada uno de los artículos que conforman este volumen. (shrink)

De Dreu and Gross offer a compelling synthesis of a growing literature on the psychology of attack and defense. I argue that human raiding ecology suggests the need to endogenize attacker-defender move order as well as opportunities for tactical mismatch available to defenders. Perhaps most significantly, I draw attention to the surprising lacunae in sex differences across attack and defense.

An extension of the Quantified Propositional Calculus1 obtained by the addition of two binary propositional functions is put forward as an inheritor of E. Schröder's “Algebra der Logik”. The formal system is itself not new, in fact it forms part of A. P. Morse's “A Theory of Sets”; although the latter is considered as a first-order system. Since the additional propositional functions are not invariant under the logical biconditional, this system–and many others naturally obtained from it–give us a collection of (...) examples of non-standard, but mathematically meaningful, propositional systems. (shrink)

This dissertation studies the relationship between divine providence and human freedom in Hegel's thought. The view taken in this study is that an understanding of this relationship in the philosophy of Hegel hopefully will shed significant light on the contemporary dialogue that considers religious faith not as an alienating human experience, but rather, as fundamental for full human liberation and self-realization. ;The underlying hypothesis of this study is that the Absolute Spirit in Hegel's philosophy, not only is the providential trinitarian (...) God of the Christian religion; but it is also thereby what constitutes precisely the ultimate foundation and necessary condition of possibility for authentic human freedom. ;In line with this, for Hegel, on the one hand, authentic human freedom necessarily entails man's creative commitment to the revolutionary progressive process of human liberation from oppression that is taking place in man's history under divine providence; and on the other hand, the nature of divine providence coincides with the internal logic of the reconciling love of the trinitarian God. Hence, our study attempts to show that, according to Hegel, world history is constituted by a progressive process of liberating reconciliation among men, that takes place in the very process wherein men reconcile themselves with the trinitarian love of God. This reconciliation of man with the trinitarian love of God specifically entails man's "paschal" elevation to the eternal death and resurrection of God that takes place in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. ;While our study concentrates especially on Hegel's Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion and on the Introduction to his Lectures on the Philosophy of History, its main ideas are elucidated by taking into consideration also the works of Hegel's mature system since and including the Phenomenology of Spirit. (shrink)

Kai kurios šiuolaikinio kognityvinio mokslo teorijos teigia, kad žmogaus prote veikia dvi sistemos: sistema, vykdanti greitą intuityvų mąstymą, bei sistema, vadovaujanti lėtam logiškam mąstymui. Būtų galima manyti, kad šių sistemų egzistavimą patikrinti sudėtinga. Šiame straipsnyje pateikiamas būdas palaipsniui patvirtinti šių dviejų sistemų egzistavimą. Pasitelkiamas dviejų sistemų, pasireiškiančių per mentalinių modelių teoriją, principas. Be to, laikantis Carnapo redukcijos idėjos, straipsnyje aprašomos dvi procedūros, kuriomis hipotezė patvirtinama palaipsniui. Viena iš jų tyrinėja, kaip žmogaus protas nagrinėja žmogaus proto veiklą darant išvedimus pagal modus (...) tollendo tollens. Kita hipotezė tyrinėja išvedimus iš griežtosios disjunkcijos su trimis disjunktais. (shrink)

Given current studies in moral psychology and following recent cases of wrong behaviour occurred in elite sporting events—i.e. the racist chants scandals in the English Premier League or the events following Mourinho’s poke in the eye scandal—, I shall analyze the extent to which supporters’ brain makeup is biasing them to behave in an “unfair way”. Yet, this paper is not just a work on descriptive ethics, but a normative ethics work. Therefore, once I have developed the “psycho-biological account of (...) sports supporters”, I shall explore whether or not a more virtuous account of sports supporting can be drawn. To conclude, I shall utilize such neuroethical analysis of the sport supporter in order to propose some policies or strategies that can help us to promote a “healthy” and virtuous behaviour among fans. (shrink)

We examine whether the behavior of institutional investors representatives on boards leads to observable differences in corporate finance. We find that directors representing pressure-sensitive investors prefer lower financial leverage whereas pressure-resistant directors show no particular preference. When analyzed separately, directors appointed by banks and insurance firms have different attitudes. Bank representatives on boards increase both the financial leverage and the banking debt. This result suggests that some types of institutional directors provide financial resources to the firms on whose board they (...) sit, supporting the view that boards manage the uncertainty associated with strategic decision making and provide firms with preferential access to resources and financial expertise. This research has interesting academic and policy implications for the debate over the proper degree of institutional involvement in corporate governance. Different institutional investors have different agendas and incentives for corporate governance, and, therefore, both researchers and policy makers should no longer consider institutional investors as a whole. In addition, our paper calls for new research on the causes and implications of institutional investor involvement in the corporate governance of nonfinancial firms. This new research could require new insights on the dynamics within the boards and on the interplay among the knowledge, incentives and attitudes of quite different directors. (shrink)

The objective of this study is to determine the contribution made by knowledge of letters, phonological awareness, phonological memory, and alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric rapid automatized naming at the ages of six and seven to the ability of Spanish children to read words at 7 years of age. A total of 116 Spanish-speaking school children took part in the study, from schools located in an average socio-cultural setting, without special educational needs. The reading ability of these pupils was evaluated at the (...) age of seven, and cognitive variables were assessed at 6 and 7 years of age. Descriptive-exploratory analyses, bivariate analyses, and multivariate regressions were performed. The results show that cognitive variables measured at these ages contribute differently to the ability to read words at 7 years of age. Rapid naming does not seem to influence word reading; knowledge of letters no longer influences word reading as children grow older; and phonological awareness and phonological memory maintain their contribution to the explanation of word reading. These results indicate that reading in Spanish depends on different cognitive variables and that this relationship varies according to age. The findings have key educational implications in terms of teaching reading skills and the prevention of specific learning difficulties in Spanish Primary Education. (shrink)