Le présent article a pour but de montrer que la notion de chance , héritée d’Héraclite, revêt une place et une fonction fondamentales, architectoniques, dans l’ensemble de la pensée et de l’œuvre de Bataille. Symptôme en quelque sorte de son post-hégélianisme, elle permet de rendre compte de certaines des décisions ontologiques, anthropologiques mais aussi poétiques les plus singulières de Bataille, désormais en marge de Hegel et de Nietzsche.

" Façonner le monde atome par atome " : tel est l'objectif incroyablement ambitieux affiché par les promoteurs américains de la " National Nanoinitiative ", lancée en 1999. Un projet global de " convergence des sciences ", visant à " initier une nouvelle Renaissance, incorporant une conception holiste de la technologie fondée sur [..] une analyse causale du monde physique, unifiée depuis l'échelle nano jusqu'à l'échelle planétaire. " Ce projet démiurgique est aujourd'hui au coeur de ce qu'on appelle la " (...) technoscience ", étendard pour certains, repoussoir pour d'autres. En précisant dans ce livre la signification de ce concept, pour sortir enfin du sempiternel conflit entre technophiles et technophobes, son auteur propose d'abord une sorte d'archéologie du terme " technoscience ". Loin d'être un simple renversement de hiérarchie entre science et technique, il s'agit d'un changement de régime de la connaissance scientifique, ayant désormais intégré la logique entrepreneuriale du monde des affaires et mobilisant des moyens considérables. Surtout, Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent montre que le brouillage de la frontière entre science et technique n'est que la manifestation d'un tremblement plus général, marqué par l'effacement progressif des distinctions traditionnelles : nature/artifice, inerte/vivant, matière/esprit, homme/machine, etc. Alors que nos sociétés sont silencieusement reconfigurées par les nanotechnologies, Internet, le génie génétique ou les OGM, ce livre montre l'importance de faire enfin pleinement entrer les questions de choix technologiques et scientifiques dans la sphère du politique et dans l'arène publique. Car la technoscience est un processus historique qui engage la nature en la refaçonnant et qui implique la société dans son ensemble. (shrink)

Die Universalitat der Gedanken, die Goethe in seinen dichterischen und wissenschaftlichen Werken schopferisch realisierte, beruhrte tiefe Einsichten der Philosophie. ALs deren Denker im eigentlichen Sinne wollte er nie verstanden werden - trotz seines fundamentalen Interesses an metaphysischen Grundfragen. Goethes Aussagen sind stets mit den Augen dichterischer Anschauung aufgefasst worden, weil er sah, dass die analogisch-bildhafte Zusammenschau tiefer in die vom Gottlichen herruhrende Gestaltung der Natur mit ihrer symbolisierenden Bilderwelt eindringen kann. DAs gilt besonders fur die Lehre von der Ewigkeit des (...) Seins und der Gattungs- und Artformen, welche die Urphanomene oder gottlichen Urideen symbolisieren. ES ist unmoglich Goethes Realismus der lebendigen Form auf Platon, Aristoteles, Plotin oder Thomas von Aquin (dem er unerkannt nahe war) und die deutsche Mystik oder Leibniz festzulegen. Goethe lehnte die rationalistische Schulphilosophie und die zeitgenossische Transzentalphilosophie ab. SEin Genie grundete originar auch in alteren Traditionen. (shrink)

This book comprises two long chapters. The first chapter, entitled “The China syndrome, logical form, translation,” is a treatise on linguistic relativism with specific reference to Chinese language. It is not directly related to the title of the book, “Aristotle in China,” except by what it calls “the Aristotelian principle” implied in the “guidance and constraint hypothesis” of linguistic relativism. The writing of this chapter is motivated as a critical response to Angus Graham’s Disputers of the Tao, characterized by Robert (...) Wardy as adhering itself to the “ guidance and constraints hypothesis,” which means that the linguistic structure of a particular language is either guiding or giving constraint to a certain way of philosophical thinking. Chapter 1 traces this position back to B. Worf’s Language, Thought and Reality, which, on the basis of the Hopi language, propounds something similar to the guidance and constraint hypothesis. Then it shows the historical connection of this position to Levi-Bruhl’s Mentalité primitive and Von Humbolt’s monograph Lettre à M. Abel-Rémusat sur la nature des formes grammaticales en générale, et sur le genie de la langue chinois en particulier. For Robert Wardy, this hypothesis could be found also in philosophy of language, for example in Quine’s notion of “radical translation” and Davidson’s critique of it. It is also extended to sinology as in the case of French sinologists such as Granet and Gernet, who were under the influence of Humboldt’s legacy. (shrink)

In this chapter, we develop the claim that today, in light of the distributed catastrophe called the Anthropocene, the question of ethics first and foremost becomes a question of economy and energy. Supplementing existing ethical approaches to the question of economy and energy, we offer what we understand to be a more fundamental economical interpretation of the Anthropocene by way of Georges Bataille’s philosophical thought on economy. We will argue that inasmuch as it results from what has come to be (...) known as “the great acceleration”, the Anthropocene can be understood as a consequence of an economic consideration of energy that is oriented towards scarcity and utility, which is to say to Bataille’s “restricted economy”. Additionally, we show how for Bataille, such a ‘restricted’ consideration of energy is an ethical affair, since it misunderstands the constitutive abundance of energy associated with “the general economy”, thereby simultaneously and catastrophically misunderstanding the ethos of human existence in servile terms of labour and efficiency. Finally, we investigate how Bataille’s concept of sovereignty seeks to surpass such servility and efficiency by way of a consideration of energy that is oriented towards expenditure. We offer a reinterpretation of the ethics of sovereignty by confronting it with our contemporary deteriorating oikos inhabited in the Anthropocene. We close by arguing that notwithstanding its irrevocable difficulties, the question of ethics in the Anthropocene must be considered as an energetic ethics of sovereignty. (shrink)

This chapter contains sections titled: Why Authority? The Forms and Limits of Authority The Paradoxes of Authority The Justification of Authority Authority and the Obligation to Obey the Law Legal Authority Conclusion References.

Pregnancy-based employment discrimination has long been a topic of interest for gender inequality scholars and civil rights agencies. Prior work suggests that employer stereotypes and financial interests leave pregnant women vulnerable to being fired. We still know little, however, about women’s interpretations of their terminations and how employers justify such decisions in the face of arguably protective laws. This article provides much needed, in-depth analyses of such dynamics and a relational account of pregnancy-based employment discrimination claims. Elaborating on theoretical expositions (...) of power and research surrounding the patriarchal character of organizational life, we draw on unique quantitative and qualitative data from verified cases of pregnancy-based firing discrimination. Our analyses reveal a two-pronged legitimation process where employers symbolically vilified pregnant workers while simultaneously amplifying ostensibly meritocratic organizational procedures and concerns. Pregnancy discrimination plaintiffs attempted to counter employer arguments. Yet, their limited power within the organizational hierarchy along with the culturally resonant nature of employer logics—logics that seem gender-neutral but that reify gendered assumptions and prioritize business profit—place pregnant women at a considerable disadvantage. Without attending to such cultural and structural power imbalances and the relational processes that undergird them, pregnancy discrimination will remain a significant problem. (shrink)

Seven problems that occur in attempts to measure complexity are pointed out as they occur in four proposed measurement techniques. Each example method is an improvement over the previous examples. It turns out, however, that none are up to the challenge of complexity. Apparently, there is no currently available method that truly gets the measure of complexity. There are two reasons. First, the most natural approach, quantitative analysis, is rendered inadequate by the very nature of complexity. Second, the intrinsic magnitude (...) of complexity is still holding at bay attempts to use both quantitative and qualitative methods combined. Further progress in complexity science and in systems science is required. Any method that simplifies will fail because it ignores what complexity is. Techniques of understanding that do not simplify, but rather provide ways for the mind to grasp and work with complexity are more effective in getting its measure. (shrink)

The hype surrounding the emergence of nanotechnology proved extremely effective to raise public attention and controversies in the early 2000s. A proactive attitude prevailed resulting in the integration of social scientists upstream at the research level, research programs on Ethical, Legal and Societal Impacts, and various public engagement initiatives such as nanojury and citizen conferences. Twenty years later, what happened to the promises of SHS integration and public engagement in nanotechnology? Was it part of the hype, one of the many (...) promises made by the champions of nanotechnology initiatives that never materialized? As a contribution to this broad question, this paper focuses on public engagement initiatives in France and ventures some general reflections on their fate. I will first report, from an insider’s perspective, the public debates conducted by a civil society organization VivAgora, in the national context of fierce controversies. Then I will describe the permanent forum NanoRESP opened in 2013 when nano controversies waned out. On the basis of this case study, I will argue that the STS ideal of co-production of science and society gradually gave way to a more modest co-learning process between stakeholders in the 2010s. (shrink)

Hésitation vaccinale, refus de la 5G, théories du complot suscitent de nombreuses lamentations sur la montée de l'irrationalité et la perte de confiance dans la communauté scientifique. Pour y faire face, certains continuent d'en appeler à l'autorité de la science et des 'faits' comme à des totems. Cet affrontement rend aveugle aux problèmes inhérents à la fabrication des savoirs, et sourd aux préoccupations des publics concernés. Du changement climatique à la pandémie de Covid, les auteurs analysent les récentes controverses et (...) proposent ainsi une réflexion sur les pratiques de recherche et d'expertise en temps de crise. En donnant des clés pour repenser les rapports entre sciences, industrie et démocratie, cet essai salvateur plaide pour une transformation de la méfiance généralisée en une défiance exigeante, seule capable d'activer de nouveaux modes de production et de réception des sciences en société"--Page 4 of cover. (shrink)

Les biais cognitifs amènent l'être humain à croire ce qui confirme ses croyances plutôt que ce qui les infirme. Ces comportements irrationnels influent de manière conséquente sur le maniement des probabilités, la compréhension du hasard et les prises de décision. Or, certains acteurs les exploitent pour en tirer profit, parfois aux dépens des autres. [Electre].

The sentences, usually short and declarative, succeed one another with the rapidity and authority of left jabs. Like Lewis Mumford, Professor Weiss is not afraid, when it is appropriate, to call attention to the obvious. Thus he points out.

Geoffrey Hill’s prose has prompted longstanding critical controversy, much of which turns on the perceived difficulty, intransigence and anachronism of his œuvre as a whole. This paper proposes that new ways to navigate this controversy can be found in Hill’s preoccupation with the exemplary dimensions of writing – that is, in his interest in the poet’s capacity to offer examples (positive and negative) to a community of readers. The discussion pays particular attention to the connections Hill’s reviews establish between style (...) and ethical choice and between literary difficulty and democracy ; connections which are intertwined with his ethics of exemplarity in fundamental ways. The paper also engages with those dimensions of literary exemple-use which emerge in new or unusual ways in his prose : his presentation of “models” or ideals for the organisation of civil society ; his treatment of certain literary works as exemplars or embodiments of philosophical ideas ; and his procedural tic of “sampling” regularly for the purpose of chastisement the “bad example” set by some of the works he criticises. (shrink)

Este artículo es un acercamiento a la temática, construcción y recursos humorísticos de la obra Las miserables (2016) de la compañía Las Reinas Chulas, con el objeto de reconocer al cabaret y el humor como recursos de un artivismo que puede incidir en cambios culturales, políticos o sociales. Esta compañía es un referente obligado para comprender y valorar al teatro-cabaret contemporáneo mexicano que se ha caracterizado, desde sus orígenes en los años 80, por su crítica creativa y compromiso con los (...) feminismos y la comunidad LGTB+. Teniendo como telón de fondo la Revolución Francesa, la obra se refiere a los derechos de las mujeres, la diversidad sexual y la violencia de género. Su oportuno estreno en 2016, coincidió con las discusiones para la redacción de la actual Constitución de la Ciudad de México. (shrink)

Focuses on the development of justice‐based theory, predominantly after the publication of John Rawls Theory of Justice in 1971. After an overview of the concept of justice, it provides a critical discussion of desert and non‐desert theories, mutual advantage, impartiality, utilitarian, rational choice, and feminist and pluralist accounts of justice.

Examines the intellectual context of the works of Jürgen Habermas and Hans‐Georg Gadamer. Both thinkers successfully utilize language and dialogue to develop a viable perspective on political theory, which does not succumb to postmodern or conventionalist critique. The linking element underpinning all these discussions is the focus on language and dialogue as the central facets of political theory. This chapter examines the inception of critical theory and then provides a detailed review of the contribution of Habermas to contemporary political theory.

L’éthique, dans la perspective des auteurs protestants engagés dans le mouvement solidariste, commence avec l’affirmation de capacité à agir plus qu’avec l’affirmation du devoir… Ainsi y a-t-il davantage de continuité que de rupture entre les perspectives anthropologique et éthique. L’œuvre de Ch. Gide permet de souligner cette continuité qui relie les concepts – dont la charge éthique va en croissant – de relation, d’association et de coopération. Cette éthique est également riche d’implications théologiques et, on le soulignera, des penseurs comme (...) T. Fallot ou É. Gounelle n’hésitent pas à interroger la tradition théologique à la lumière du symbole de l’alliance, dont ils n’oublient pas l’ancrage dans l’aspiration commune à coopérer. In the perspective of protestant authors involved in the Solidarist movement, ethics begin not so much with the affirmation of duty, but with the affirmation of the ability to act. This implies that there is more a continuity than a break between the anthropological and the ethical perspectives. The work of Ch. Gide helps us to underline this continuity, which links together the concepts – with increasing ethical weight – of relation, association and co-operation.Moreover, these ethics have rich theological implications. Thinkers like T. Fallot or É. Gounelle do not hesitate to examine the theological tradition in the light of the symbol of the covenant, being aware that this is rooted in the common desire for co-operation. (shrink)

Cet ouvrage propose d'unifier les sciences de l'homme entre elles et avec la philosophie en les articulant grâce à trois concepts fondamentaux: forme, sens et historicité.

The paper is premised on the well-recorded fact that R.B. Haldane, throughout his working life, remained fascinated with German idealist philosophy. The paper unravels Haldane’s own perception of the relation between his philosophical interests and his diverse policy-orientated work at the beginning of the twentieth century. Many commentators have noted this relation but often pass over it as a curious detail of his biography. The most basic tool his philosophy gave him was a way of analysing problems. This philosophical stance (...) was not an ex post facto rationalisation but conversely was always his first thought on encountering a problem. To solve a policy problem one has to identify the leading ideas of that particular mode of human experience. Haldane believed that finding such rational principles underlying all forms of experience was the first duty of a politician, lawyer or civil servant. He contended that this painstaking ideational analysis would ultimately lead to the most effective policy solutions. The paper focuses first on Haldane’s initial encounter with German philosophical culture in both Edinburgh and Göttingen, second, it unpacks the key philosophical themes which characterize his approach, derived largely from his reading of Hegel’s Science of Logic. Thirdly, it turns - in the light of his philosophical beliefs - to his overt commitments to policy developments in the Edwardian new liberalism, military reform, administrative and civil service policy reorganisation, and finally his extensive work in education policy, particularly in the university sector. (shrink)