This paper describes intellectual property legislation in the European Union, the US and the Draft Treaty on the legal protection of unoriginal databases, usually available in the Internet. I argue that this type of legislation, if enforced upon developing countries and countries in transition through international ‘agreements’, could in effect deprive them of their own information commons, their own public domain. With examples from China, India, Africa and Iceland, I argue that this deprivation in the case of developing countries is, (...) morally, equal to a virtual war against them by the West, wholly unjustified and dangerous-an example of virtual imperialism. (shrink)

Organized into three main parts, this paper examines some challenges for the informed-consent process in medical research where DNA databanks are employed. In Part 1, we briefly describe the principle of informed consent and show why it is ethically important. Part 2 focuses on some specific challenges that that arise for the traditional informed-consent process in population-wide genetics/genomics research, especially where data-mining techniques are used. In the third and final section, we defend a model of consent based on the notion (...) of a "charitable trust," which we believe can help to preserve the integrity of the consent process in the context of medical and genetic research involving DNA databanks. (shrink)

Iris Murdoch has long been known as one of the most deeply insightful and morally passionate novelists of our time. This attention has often eclipsed Murdoch's sophisticated and influential work as a philosopher, which has had a wide-ranging impact on thinkers in moral philosophy as well as religious ethics and political theory. Yet it has never been the subject of a book-length study in its own right. Picturing the Human seeks to fill this gap. In this groundbreaking book, author (...) class='Hi'>Maria Antonaccio presents the first systematic and comprehensive treatment of Murdoch's moral philosophy. Unlike literary critical studies of her novels, it offers a general philosophical framework for assessing Murdoch's thought as a whole. Antonaccio also suggests a new interpretive method for reading Murdoch's philosophy and outlines the significance of her thought in the context of current debates in ethics. This vital study will appeal to those interested in moral philosophy, religious ethics, and literary criticism, and grants those who have long loved Murdoch's novels a closer look at her remarkable philosophy. (shrink)

Se aborda, desde una perspectiva evolucionista, el papel desempeñado por el "asco moralizado", entendido como repulsión emocional ante individuos y prácticas sociales que consideramos objeto de evaluación moral. Se parte de un análisis general de la emoción de asco y sus desencadenantes. A continuación, se abordan dos posiciones opuestas en relación con la confiabilidad y valor instrumental del asco para promover juicios morales "adecuados" e incitar a la acción moral. Se propone una reinterpretación del problema desde un enfoque evolucionista, procurando (...) correlacionar los diversos juicios de valor que puede promover el asco moralizado, con diferentes estrategias adaptativas. Finalmente, se correlacionan tales estrategias con posiciones morales liberales y conservadoras. The article addresses the role played by "moralized revulsion", understood as the emotional disgust we feel against individuals and social practices that we deem to be the object of moral evaluation, from an evolutionist perspective. The first part provides a general analysis of the emotion of revulsion and its triggers. Then, the paper discusses two opposing positions regarding the reliability and instrumental value of revulsion in promoting "adequate" moral judgments and inciting to moral action. It then proposes a reinterpretation of the problem from an evolutionist perspective, attempting to correlate the diverse value judgments promoted by moralized revulsion with different adaptive strategies. Finally, it correlates those strategies with liberal and conservative moral positions. Este artigo pretende abordar, sob uma perspectiva evolucionista, o papel desempenhado pelo "nojo moralizado", entendido como repulsão emocional ante indivíduos e práticas sociais que consideramos objeto de avaliação moral. Parte-se de uma análise geral da emoção de nojo e seus desencadeantes. A seguir, abordam-se duas posições opostas em relação com a confiabilidade e valor instrumental do nojo para promover juízos morais "adequados" e incitar a ação moral. Propõese uma reinterpretação do problema a partir de um enfoque evolucionista, o qual procura correlacionar os diversos juízos de valor que o nojo moralizado pode promover, com diferentes estratégias adaptativas. Finalmente, correlacionam-se essas estratégias com posições morais liberais e conservadoras. (shrink)

El debate en torno a Aristipo de Cirene, cuya concepción de la felicidad coloca en el centro de la escena al placer, pone en tela de juicio las afirmaciones propias de aquellas éticas nucleadas bajo el epíteto de eudemonistas. Con el desplazamiento de la felicidad del sitial del fin, Aristipo reformula la dimensión ética tradicional: a través del ejercicio de la enkráteia, y lejos de caer en un relativismo subjetivista, intenta construir una ética que tenga como base un objetivismo gnoseológico. (...) Demostraremos, además, que al ejercicio de la enkráteia cirenaica subyace la noción de autosuficiencia ( autárkeia ) –entendida en términos aristotélicos– del individuo . Esto nos enfrentará, irremediablemente, a la noción aristotélica de felicidad (en estrecho vínculo con la noción de enkráteia ), la cual no comporta una noción de autosuficiencia individual sino que restringe la posibilidad de la autárkeia a la autosuficiencia de la pólis. (shrink)

Siegfried Kracauer was a leading figure on the Weimar arts scene and one of the foremost representatives of the Frankfurt School of critical theory. Best known for a wealth of writings on sociology and film theory, his influence is felt in the work of many of the period’s preeminent thinkers, including the critic Theodor W. Adorno, who once claimed he owed more to Kracauer than any other intellectual. Kracauer.Photographic Archive, a companion volume to The Past’s Threshold: Essays on Photography, collects (...) previously unpublished photographs by Siegfried and Elisabeth, “Lili,” Kracauer. With its remarkably rich material, the book tells the story of the Kracauer’s close working relationship, from their marriage in Germany to their escape to Paris and the war and postwar years in the United States. While neither Kracauer nor his wife trained in photography, their portraits, city views, and landscapes evince impressive aesthetic and technical skill, while simultaneously shedding light on their lives marked by exile and flight. (shrink)

L’oxymore d’« art apophatique » nous sert ici pour envisager la spécificité de l’icône au-delà des mystifications dont elle fait souvent l’objet. L’art byzantin pourrait être entendu « en négations » par rapport à ce qui fut instauré comme principe esthétique à l’Occident depuis le temps de la Renaissance. En essayant de l’illustrer à travers cette juxtaposition, on constate toutefois que l’attitude « apophatique » loge au cœur de l’esthétique byzantine, conditionnant la vie des formes, ainsi que son socle théorique. (...) On pourrait donc y reconnaître un aspect fondamental de l’icône, qui permet de mieux appréhender la civilisation qui l’engendre. (shrink)

Decisions where there is not enough information for a well-informed decision due to unidentified consequences, options, or undetermined demarcation of the decision problem are called decisions under great uncertainty. This paper argues that public policy decisions on _how_ and _if_ to implement decision-making processes based on machine learning and AI for public use are such decisions. Decisions on public policy on AI are uncertain due to three features specific to the current landscape of AI, namely (i) the vagueness of the (...) definition of AI, (ii) uncertain outcomes of AI implementations and (iii) pacing problems. Given that many potential applications of AI in the public sector concern functions central to the public sphere, decisions on the implementation of such applications are particularly sensitive. Therefore, it is suggested that public policy-makers and decision-makers in the public sector can adopt strategies from the argumentative approach in decision theory to mitigate the established great uncertainty. In particular, the notions of framing and temporal strategies are considered. (shrink)

Various authors hold that what is wrong with risk imposition is that being at risk diminishes the opportunities available to an agent. Arguably, even when risk does not result in material or psychological damages, it still represents a setback in terms of some legitimate interests. However, it remains to be specified what those interests are. This article argues that risk imposition represents a diminishment of overall freedom. Freedom will be characterized in empirical terms, as the range of unimpeded actions available (...) to an agent. After briefly outlining the main characteristics of overall freedom as defended by Hillel Steiner and Ian Carter, the article shows that this notion is able to capture many of our intuitions about when and how risk imposition disadvantages an agent, without reference to welfare indicators. The article argues that if this non-welfarist perspective can be defended, then it would be easier to approach a number of applied questions about risk, including the questions of when risk imposition is permissible or legitimate, in which ways risk can be an object of distributive justice and how one can be compensated for being subject to a risk. (shrink)

The role of demographic terminology in the fields of medicine and public health is critical in the identification and allocation of resources to the communities that most benefit from intervention...

ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on the representation of the notion of employability and the job-seeking ‘reality’. It is part of a wider research project that looks closely into the careers services se...

En un interesante y polémico texto publicado por Alejandro Pinzani y Nuria Sánchez Madrid en 2016, bajo el título “The State Looks Down: Some Reassessments of Kant’s Appraisal of Citizenship”, los autores plantean una pregunta a la que aludo en el título del presente trabajo: Kant ¿liberal? ¿republicano? ¿o ambas cosas?, decantándose finalmente por un “ambas cosas”. Procuro discutir ciertas consideraciones sobre la distinción entre ciudadanía pasiva y activa; y la tesis que afirma que: por su clara aversión ante la (...) intervención del Estado en materia económica –incluso en casos de privación material- Kant podría ser enrolado en una posición liberal clásica en la que el Estado no debe intervenir en el status quo económico, pues se trata de transacciones privadas entre individuos libres. (shrink)

This work presents an analysis of the feeling of guilt and in particular of the cognitive defenses against it. It shows how the need to avoid or mitigate the feeling, with the suffering implied, affects the perception and judgment of oneself and others. It is in fact claimed that to copy with their guilt people try to alter the appraisal processes implied by the emotion. Once described the main cognitive components of the feeling of guilt, an analysis is offered of (...) the interventions of the cognitive defenses on such components, to alter the original appraisal processes underlying the feeling. (shrink)

"Meaning, the complex phenomenon of individuation and the definition of identity are the core theme of this work. Grounded on a theoretical framework that gives particular emphasis to the semiotic process common to all forms of cognition, human cognitionis conceived here as specific of organisms that, in the course of their interactions, produce symbolic forms, defining the specific physical, social and cultural environments in which they evolve. Individuation, inherent to that semiotic process, is complex and double-sided. It involves, on one (...) hand, the definition of semantic identities and their acknowledgment as world objects naming; on the other hand, it comprehends the specific lexical and morphosyntactic strategies different languages have found todesignate particular entities referring. The definition of world objects and its symbolic translation presents variations from language to language. In the second part of the book, we define what we have called a 'structure-motivated ontology' to represent how this symbolic translation is accomplished in English and European Portuguese. Plus, we try to show how the nature of this symbolic translation affects structural realisation, namely the individuation of reference and the construal of 'one-off referring' expressions."--Publisher's description. (shrink)

Leading scholars examine the relation between Irigaray’s early writings and her later, more political work.

How do we measure economic growth? In the eighteenth century, well before the birth of Gross Domestic Product commonly used today, looking at the sign of the balance of trade was a way to take the pulse of a nation's economy. Adam Smith rejects this measure and instead suggests that we should look at population growth. Nations that are able to produce enough to support the life of a growing population have growing economies, nations with constant population have stagnant economies, (...) and nations that face a declining population have contracting economies. Thus, population for Adam Smith is a proxy for our Gross Domestic Product, indicating the changes in production in a country over time. (shrink)

L’article prend en considération la façon dont différents auteurs rassemblés sous l’étiquette générale de « présocratiques » commençaient leurs discours. Dans le contexte d’une transmission essentiellement orale tel que celui de la culture de la Grèce archaïque, l’incipit prend une importance fondamentale, dans la mesure où il pose les bases de la communication, définit le type de message que l’auteur veut transmettre et indique dans quelle voie il s’engage. Il donne donc des indications non seulement sur le type de texte, (...) mais aussi sur le genre de public auquel ce texte était adressé. S’il s’agit d’un public restreint et choisi, l’incipit est généralement élitiste, obscur, et fait référence à un code auquel il est difficile d’accéder ou, comme dans le cas de l’écrit d’Alcméon, mise sur la difficulté d’une entreprise que les disciples doivent surmonter à l’aide de l’enseignement du maître. Si le texte est destiné à un public plus large d’amateurs cultivés, il mise sur des phrases ronflantes qui suscitent des visions grandioses et des émotions et placent l’orateur dans une position dominante vis-à-vis de l’auditoire. Ici on prend en considération en particulier les incipit de quatre auteurs assez différents les uns des autres, de la fin du vie au dernier tiers du ve siècle av. J.‑C. : Héraclite, Alcméon, Anaxagore et Diogène d’Apollonie. En recourant à l’analyse linguistique et en les confrontant avec d’autres textes de même époque, on cherche à définir la particularité de chaque texte en relation avec le message qu’il véhicule et avec ses destinataires. Les résultats de cette analyse invitent à reconsidérer la méthode à employer pour aborder les fragments des auteurs dits présocratiques et à se libérer du modèle herméneutique « anthologique » d’Aristote qui vise à rechercher un « système » philosophique et néglige le rythme prosodique, l’harmonie de la langue, le caractère persuasif des textes et leur contexte culturel. (shrink)

Este texto oferece uma reflexão nascida de uma experiência com literatura, poesia e também filosofia na escola, com turmas do ensino fundamental nos anos iniciais. A experiência foi iniciada em 2011 e deu origem a um projeto de pesquisa, ensino e extensão, hoje em curso em escolas públicas. O projeto tem como fundamentação teórico-metodológica pensamentos críticos à escola voltada para a formação compreendida como utilitarista. Concepção esta que segue dominante, a despeito das inúmeras mudanças na base curricular, ao longo do (...) tempo. Não parece razoável que a preocupação que promove as mudanças na organização curricular tome por base aspectos como o baixo rendimento na aprendizagem refletido em reprovações e “fracassos” ou no próprio abandono e evasão precoce da escola, sem que se questione as razões inerentes à experiência escolar. Diante desse fato, a reflexão aponta para a defesa de uma escola que possa ser compreendida como desinteressada na perspectiva de Gramsci e recorre à literatura e poesia como dispositivos para impulsionar o fazer pedagógico transformador. O estudo da literatura sobre poesia, assim como os resultados obtidos pela experiência em questão, permitem pensar uma concepção de escola revolucionária no sentido gramsciano e libertadora como propugnava Paulo Freire. Nesse sentido, propõe conexões com a felicidade, que conjuga o propósito da escola desinteressada com a filosofia de Epicuro. Na pesquisa, a poesia é compreendida como um caminho para se contemplar a valorização do lúdico, que é um aspecto dos mais relevantes para a aprendizagem nas infâncias. (shrink)

La “Escuela de Salamanca”, como etiqueta histórica, ha sido cuestionada y actualizada en múltiples ocasiones y desde intereses muy diversos. En este artículo se investiga el origen del concepto en la teología alemana del siglo XIX (en autores como Franz Ehrle y Gerhard Schneemann, especialmente) y se presta atención al contexto político y religioso en el que emerge (la denominada _Kulturkampf _alemana), con el propósito de comprender mejor las notas definitorias que se le otorgaron.

This paper deals with Ramsey's theory of truth and its aim is twofold: on the one hand, it will explain what position about truth Ramsey actually defended, and, on the other hand, we will pursue Ramsey's insight in the 20th Century. When the name of Frank Ramsey is mentioned, one of the things that comes to mind is the theory of truth as redundancy. In the following pages we will argue that Ramsey never supported such a theory, but rather an (...) analysis of truth noticeably similar to the prosentential account. In fact, the very word "pro-sentence" appears for the first time in the 20th Century in Ramsey's unfinished work "The nature of truth," written around 1929. Besides, we will show that the prosentential account of truth is a neglected trend throughout the history of analytic philosophy, even though relevant analytic philosophers, such as Prior, Strawson, Williams, Grover, and Brandom, have endorsed it. (shrink)

The article explores the living legacy of Carla Lonzi for Italian feminism. In so doing, it highlights some key contributions made by Lonzi, in particular focussing on the necessity of taking leave of patriarchy (thanks to the invention of self-awareness), the critique of the universal (beyond the false alternative between female identity and equality with man), and the dogma of the heterosexual couple and clitoral pleasure.

In this paper, we seek to understand the psychology and cognitive strategies of people with the psychological profile of authoritarian leaders. To understand their personality traits, we compare them with literature concerning successful psychopaths. We also see both personalities in the light of literature in the field of self-help for success in business. We say these psychological profiles are shaped by culture, as self-help literature shows. Our intention in comparing successful psychopaths and authoritarian leaders is not to reinforce the idea (...) that authoritarian leaders are unemotional, but rather the opposite. We wish to explore this relationship from the perspective of embodied cognition, according to which emotions are a fundamental part of decision-making, including political decision-making. Traditionally, both successful psychopaths and authoritarian leaders are understood as unemotional and therefore completely rational: here we explore the idea that this apparent rationality hides a particular emotional profile and a certain stubbornness and impulsivity regarding previously set goals. Also, as self-help literature reveals, set goals are closely associated with their identity, so that compromise regarding goals is seen as a loss of said identity. The study of the authoritarian leader as a gnoseological category helps us think about the relationship between volition, rational thought, identity, and emotions in decision-making; and to understand the way of acting of authoritarian leaders, and the way they succeed and fail. (shrink)

Los diseños experimentales adoptados en las ciencias empíricas traducen y seleccionan exteriorizaciones fenoménicas, de modo tal que ellas constituyan ciertas formas de percepción y posibilidades de comprobación que proceden del "objeto" mismo. En un nivel meta-teórico, podríamos identificar en tales diseños reduccionismos que facilitan toda suerte de simplificaciones epistémicas y metodológicas a costa, de eliminar cosas que necesitan ser entendidas y que son parte de una imagen completa del fenómeno que estudiamos. Por reduccionismo entendemos el proceso de simplificación y operatividad (...) que exige un diseño experimental. Pues bien, tanto Ortega y Gasset como Paul Karl Feyerabend denuncian las consecuencias y absurdos que se siguen de las diversas modalidades de reduccionismos para la misma ciencia. No es novedad en absoluto reconocer en Ortega y Gasset un auténtico filósofo de la ciencia ni mucho menos encontrar afinidades con los grandes representantes de este campo disciplinar. En este trabajo analizaremos como las lecturas orteguianas de esta problemática, así como su propuesta, corre en líneas paralelas a las denuncias de Feyerabend. (shrink)