The essays in this volume bring to their focuses on philosophical issues the new angles of vision created by the multicultural, global, and postcolonial feminisms that have been developing around us.

Cutting edge feminist investigations of rationality.

This book articulates and defends an interpretation of Schopenhauer's ethics as an original and credible contribution to the history of ethics. It presents Schopenhauer's ethics of compassion in direct tension with his resignationism and aims to show surprising continuities with Kant's ethics.

This work runs counter to the traditional interpretations of Peirce's philosophy by eliciting an inherent strand of pragmatic pluralism that is embedded in the very core of his thought and that weaves his various doctrines into a systematic ...

SummaryPhilosophic questions about the adequacy of our prevailing Western conceptions of rationality have emerged from the growing recognition that one cannot simply “add women” as objects of knowledge to the existing bodies of our social and natural knowledge. Recent research in psychology and in moral development theory suggests that our understandings of the rationality of human activity are distorted and obscured by systematically identifying as universally desireable, as Human goals, conceptions of the self, others, and the appropriate relationships between the (...) two which are distinctively masculine. The essay suggests some implications of these research findings for the ways philosophers think about “the problems of philosophy”, moral theory, the role of formality and abstractness, and the “rational reconstructions” of the history of science.RésuméDes questions philosophiques se sont posées, a propos de ľadéquation de nos conceptions occidentales courantes de la rationalité, du fait de la reconnaissance qu'on ne peut pas simplement ajouter les femmes comme objets de connaissance aux corpus existants de notre connais‐sance sociale et naturelle. Des recherches récentes en psychologie et en théorie du développement moral suggèrent que notre comprèhension de la rationalité de ľactivité humaine est déformee et obscurcie par une identification systématique, comme universellement désirables, comme buts de ľhumanité, des conceptions de soi, des autres et des relations entre les deux qui sont distincte‐ment masculines. Cet essai suggère quelques applications de ces resultats de recherche quant à la maniere dont les philosophes pensent les problèmes de la philosophies la morale, le rôle du formel et de ľabstrait et les reconstuctions rationnelles de ľhistoire de la science.ZusammenfassungPhilosophische Fragen ïber die Angemessenheit unserer vorherrschenden Auffassungen von Rationalität im Westen sind durch die wachsende Einsicht entstanden, dass man nicht einfach Frauen als Objekte dem bestehenden Korpus unserer Sozial‐ und Naturwissenschaften hinzufügen kann. Neuere Forschungen in Psychologie und Theorien der moralischen Entwicklung legen nahe, dass unser Verstandnis der Rationalität von menschlichen Handlungen dadurch verzerrl und verdunkelt wird, dass systematische Auffassungen vom Selbst, den andern und den unter ihnen angebrachten Beziehungen als allgemein wünschbare Ziele anerkannt werden, die spezi‐fisch männlich sind. Es werden einige Implikationen dieser Forschungen t'iir die Art, wie Philoso‐phen über die Probleme der Philosophie denken, aufgezeigt – u.a. in bezug auf die Theorie der Moral, die Rolle der Formalisierung und Abstraktion, und die rationalen Rekonstruktionen der Geschichte der Wissenschaft. (shrink)

A good place to start in assessing a theory of truth is to ask whether the theory under discussion is consistent with Aristotle’s commonsensical definition of truth from Metaphysics 4: “What is false says of that which is that it is not, or of that which is not that it is; and what is true says of that which is that it is, or of that which is not that it is not.”1 Philosophers of a realist bent will be delighted (...) to see that Anselm unambiguously adopts the Aristotelian commonplace. A statement is true, he says, “when it signifies that what‐is is.”2 But the theory of truth that Anselm builds on this observation is one that would surely have confounded Aristotle. For no matter what the topic, Anselm’s thinking always eagerly returns to God; and the unchallenged centrality of God in Anselm’s philosophical explorations is nowhere more in evidence than in his account of truth. Indeed, we see in the student’s opening question in De veritate that the entire discussion has God as its origin and its aim: “Since we believe that God is truth, and we say that truth is in many other things, I would like to know whether, wherever truth is said to be, we must acknowledge that God is that truth.”3 The student then reminds Anselm that in the Monologion he had argued from the truth of statements to an eternal Supreme Truth. Does this not commit Anselm (the student seems to be asking) to holding that God himself is somehow the truth of true statements? But what definition of truth could make sense of such an odd claim? Anselm is happy to take up the challenge of showing that his description of God as “Supreme Truth” is no mere metaphor, but the expression of the deepest insight into the nature of truth. An account of truth is just theology under a different name. This first distinctive characteristic of Anselm’s theory, the centrality of God as Supreme Truth, helps account for a second distinctive characteristic: its strong insistence on the unity of truth. All truth either is God or somehow reflects God; thus, one simple being provides the.... (shrink)

Peirce’s pragmatic stress on meaning in terms of habits of response is, of course, well known. However, the language in which it is usually expressed tends too often to conflate its epistemic and ontological dimensions, thereby hiding from view its full systematic significance. The following discussion will focus on the emergence of such meanings as epistemic relational structures which embody the characteristics of the dynamics of organism-environment interaction in their very internal structure and which lead outward toward the universe, providing (...) an experienced content which is at once epistemic and ontological. (shrink)

Nous proposons dans ce volume une approche pluridisciplinaire du sens commun. Fruit d'un travail collectif organisé au CURAPP et dans le cadre du programme scientifique ASC, les articles ici présentés, par la diversité de leurs orientations théoriques et disciplinaires, contribuent à faire un état des lieux de la question. L'idée de sens commun est fréquemment utilisée et citée en sociologie, philosophie, linguistique, psychologie, sans qu'il en soit toujours proposé de définition ou d'analyse critique. Elle demandait un travail de définition et (...) de requalification historique et théorique, et de mise en rapport à des corrélats : la norme, le sens moral, le sens social, le sens critique. L'ouvrage vise donc la description, aussi précise que possible des formes et des normes du sens commun en tant qu'elles enveloppent des dimensions cognitives, perceptives, linguistiques, sociales et morales. Il apparaît vite que cette notion résiste à la simple analyse et que seule la superposition de différents points de vue permet d'en percevoir quelques contours. On ne sera pas étonné de la diversité des figures convoquées et de la variété des objets à partir desquels elle est manifestée et interprétée. L'intérêt du sens commun comme objet d'investigation philosophique est alors d'apparaître comme ce qui permet de reprendre de manière oblique certains questionnements classiques qu'il déplace. Ainsi de la question topique des formes affectives, linguistiques et sociales d'expression du sentiment, de l'ancrage de la moralité dans une nature humaine et dans une sensibilité partagée ou encore de la manière dont le sens commun permet de réinterpréter, dans l'histoire des sciences sociales, la question des liens entre action et critique. (shrink)

This study explored the nature of patient advocacy among 40 institutionally employed registered nurses, nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists and nursing administrators. Participants were asked to define patient advocacy, to discuss their experiences with advocacy in institutions and their perceptions of risk associated with advocacy in institutional settings, and to identify one concept central to patient advocacy. The results delineated conceptual definitions of advocacy and numerous factors that influence nurses' decisions about acting as patient advocates in institutions. Additionally, they showed (...) striking similarities between conceptual terms used to define advocacy and terms used to define caring. Cet article est basé sur une enquête auprés de quarante infirmiers/ères, directeurs/ directrices, infirmiers/ères spécialisé(e)s et administrateurs employés dans des institu tions. On a demandé aux participants de définir la défense des malades, de discuter de leurs expériences concernant cette activité dans les institutions, de leurs perceptions des risques courus au cours de la défense et d'identifier un principe central à la défense des malades. Les résultats de l'enquête présentaient des définitions conceptuels de la défense ainsi que de nombreux éléments qui influencent les décisions prises par les infirmiers/ères qui assument la défence des malades dans les institutions. En plus, les résultats montraient de grandes ressemblances entre les expressions conceptuelles utilisées pour définir cette défense et les expressions utilisées pour définir les soins. In dieser Studie wird untersucht, was vierzig in Insitutionen angestellte Pflegende, Man ager, und andere Pflegeexperten unter Fürsprache verstehen, wie sie sie definieren, und was ihre Erfahrung mit Fürsprache am Arbeitsort ist. Die Beteiligten wurden gefragt, wie sie die Risiken der Fürsprache in Institutionen einschätzen, und sie wurden aufgefordert, ein allgemein gültiges Konzept für Patientenfürsprache zu identifizieren. Das Resultat zeigt begriffliche Definitionen der Fürsprache sowei verschiedene Faktoren, die die Entscheidungen des Pflegepersonals beeinflussen, wenn sie als Fürsprecher der Patienten handeln. Zugleich zeigte diese Studie auch grosse Aehnlichkeiten zwischen Begriffen der Fürsprache und der Pflege. (shrink)

Identity, Morality, and Threat offers a critical examination of the social psychological processes that generate outgroup devaluation and ingroup glorification as the source of conflict. Daniel Rothbart and Karyna Korostelina bring together essays analyzing the causal relationship between escalating violence and opposing images of the Self and Other.

O trânsito religioso é indicador de que os “modelos oficiais e religião” têm sido substituídos, ou coexistem com oferenciais religiosos cambiantes, respondendo à demanda dos sujeitos de fé. Os anseios de significação imediata dos sujeitos de fé encontram na “vagabundagem religiosa” sua atitude mais coerente. A vagabundagem semântica dos crentes infiéis é o elemento dinamizador do campo religioso moderno. No presente texto nos propomos a discutir o trânsito religioso de mulheres, suas motivações e as implicações dessa “andança religiosa” para a (...) concepção que estas têm a respeito do sagrado. Para tanto nos utilizamos e dados de nossa pesquisa de campo realizada para a Universidade Católica de Goiás no ano 2000 em Alto Paraíso – GO, bem como de dados obtidos em pesquisa que realizamos para a Universidade Metodista de São Paulo na cidade de São Bernardo do Campo – SP em 2003, como parte do projeto intitulado: “Religiosidade caleidoscópica – nomadismo espiritual: implicações de gênero”. Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram um trânsito maior das mulheres por força das representações de gênero. Palavras-chave: Trânsito religioso; Secularização; Gênero. ABSTRACT Religious transit indicates that ‘official models of religion’ have been replaced, or coexist with mutable religious references, answering the believers’ demand. Their desire for immediate signification finds their most coherent attitude in ‘religious nomadism’. Unfaithful believers’ semantic nomadism is the dynamic element of modern religion. This text discusses women’s religious transit, their motivations and the implications of that ‘religious walk’ to their conception of the sacred. The date used are from a field research for the Universidade Católica de Goiás, developed in Alto Paraíso - State of Goiás, in 2000, and from a research for the Universidade Metodista de São Paulo, carried out in São Bernardo do Campo – State of São Paulo, in 2003, as part of a research project entitled: “Kaleidoscopic religiosity – spiritual nomadism: gender implications”. The results indicate women’s broader transit due to gender representations. Key words: Religious transit; Secularization; Gender. (shrink)

For well over a hundred years, commentators have examined the importance of the famous ‘neglected alternative’ (NA) objection to transcendental idealism. By contrast, very little attention has been paid to what the NA objection means for a later philosophical system of the 19th century that was highly indebted to Kant, namely, that of Arthur Schopenhauer. I seek to redress this lacuna in Schopenhauer scholarship and argue first that Schopenhauer acknowledged NA ( avant la lettre ) and took it seriously. Second, (...) I evaluate the arguments he gave against NA and in favor of the exclusive subjectivity of space and time, and thus for the thesis that the thing in itself is aspatiotemporal. Finally, I consider the threat posed by NA for Schopenhauer's thought in general. This investigation ultimately yields a clearer understanding of the basis upon which Schopenhauer founded his metaphysics, and how he attempted to provide a more self-consistent version of transcendental idealism. These topics have not been sufficiently appreciated by commentators to date. (shrink)

Douglas Husak contends that both criminalization and punishment can serve preventive goals, so long as they respect retributive culpability constraints. This Essay draws on Husak’s work to argue that, while Husak is right to defend the legitimacy of criminal law as a preventive endeavor, preventive coercion is also permissible on consequentialist grounds alone, outside the culpability constraints of the criminal law. The Essay presents a unified consequentialist theory of preventive coercion, addresses deontological objections to ‘pure’ preventive detention, and argues that (...) a consequentialist approach to prevention might ultimately be more protective of liberty and equality interests than the deontological ‘mad or bad’ approach that currently dominates Anglo-American jurisprudence and legal theory. (shrink)

Although Kant argues that a world republic with coercive public law is the only rational way to secure a lawful cosmopolitan condition, he states that it is an unachievable ideal, and he proposes a voluntary, non-coercive federation of states as a substitute. While some scholars have criticized Kant for moving away from this ideal due merely to pragmatic considerations, I argue that his rejection of a coercive world republic is based on his conception of state sovereignty and what is required (...) for a lawful condition. I consider how we can institutionalize a lawful condition between states without a coercive world republic in ways that go beyond Kant’s voluntary federation. I also consider how we can resolve this dilemma in Kant’s account to support a federal world republic. (Published online first on June 16, 2014). (shrink)

This essay offers a discussion of how Arthur Danto educated me philosophically both through his personal example and through his work. Along the way, I detail what I take to be his most important lesson: to engage deeply and seriously with the subject of one’s philosophy, in his case predominantly art, and thus always to retain contact with the world outside of philosophy. Danto modeled a truly engaged philosopher of art, attending to history, actual practices and contemporary currents, without sacrificing (...) philosophical clarity and depth. (shrink)

The contemporary world faces a number of problems that are both deep-seated and interrelated, since they arise from the very nature of technological society. The environment upon which all life depends is seriously threatened by climate change, rising sea levels, pollution, overpopulation, resource depletion and increased risks of droughts, forest fires, floods and other extreme weather events. Environmental degradation is intimately connected to the consumer lifestyle of developed countries. This lifestyle promotes materialism, entertainment and hedonistic superficiality that ultimately lead to (...) moral corruption. Our insensitive and destructive attitude towards nature is not isolated, or unrelated to other problems of social justice. The environmental crisis reflects human structures of domination that include political and economic exploitation, racism, sexism and ageism. These challenges are immense, and solutions to them will require a renewed dedication to moral reflection and a commitment to social justice. This book discusses the challenges in connection with topics such as human rights, economic exploitation and inequality, environmental protection, globalization, global food justice, technology, gender equality and ageism. It provides a plurality of moral and spiritual perspectives including Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Christianity that offer guidance in finding responses that are both possible and reasonable. (shrink)

The monographic section of Con-Textos Kantianos No. 4 entitled Kant in Eastern Europe provides an insight into the work of authors dealing with Kant’s philosophy in Russia and other Eastern European countries.

I approach a set of processes that involve transformations, transpositions, and intermediations between different expressive forms of Amazonian Indigenous Peoples associated with the use of ayahuasca. I focus on groups of the Pano linguistic stock, particularly the Huni Kuin (Kaxinawa) and the example of the MAHKU (Movimento dos Artistas Huni Kuin), a new artistic collective created by some of these Indigenous People. I point to the complex meanings of the various expressive forms of these peoples, from traditional (oral narratives, graphics, (...) visionary images linked to shamanic practices) to more recently adopted (figurative drawing and graphic recording in book format). I emphasize the importance of ayahuasca for the elaboration of these different expressive forms. By highlighting the meanings that imply the use of ayahuasca in certain Indigenous contexts, I also intend to contribute to the expansion of understanding of and broader debate about psychedelic experiences. (shrink)

Gene retrocopies are generated by reverse transcription and genomic integration of mRNA. As such, retrocopies present an important exception to the central dogma of molecular biology, and have substantially impacted the functional landscape of the metazoan genome. While an estimated 8,000–17,000 retrocopies exist in the human genome reference sequence, the extent of variation between individuals in terms of retrocopy content has remained largely unexplored. Three recent studies by Abyzov et al., Ewing et al. and Schrider et al. have exploited 1,000 (...) Genomes Project Consortium data, as well as other sources of whole‐genome sequencing data, to uncover novel gene retrocopies. Here, we compare the methods and results of these three studies, highlight the impact of retrocopies in human diversity and genome evolution, and speculate on the potential for somatic gene retrocopies to impact cancer etiology and genetic diversity among individual neurons in the mammalian brain. (shrink)