Mario Villena-González Laboratorio de Neurodinámica Básica y Aplicada, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile Cuando nuestra atención se orienta internamente … Read More →.

El presente trabajo explora la postura bergsoniana en torno a la imagen, toda vez que es constituida, de fondo, por la pregunta ¿qué se puede conocer? A propósito del tema Bergson se ubica en un punto intermedio entre el idealismo y el realismo, considera que la imagen es aquello que es más que una representación pero menos que la cosa en sí que el realismo pretende mostrar como objeto de conocimiento. La comprensión de la imagen no sólo (...) lleva a escenarios epistemológicos, también posibilita observar que ahí donde hay una perspectiva ocurre un enfoque interesado de cierto tema. De tal forma que la relación objeto-sujeto se ve trastocada por la implementación de la imagen, como disposición afectiva del mundo que rodea al humano. Si sólo se conocen imágenes, la pertinencia de las distintas ramas científicas cambia según estas estudien imágenes interiores o exteriores. Para nada la actividad mental, puede ser el propiciador de las imágenes mentales, únicamente es una imagen más del conjunto de imágenes. En lo subsecuente, habrá un desarrollo del conocimiento de las imágenes, una propuesta teórica que ofrece una posibilidad distinta a la científica, pero que no es contradictoria. Palabras clave: Bergson - Imagen - Conocimiento - Idealismo - Realismo - Percepción. (shrink)

El presente trabajo explora la postura bergsoniana en torno a la imagen, toda vez que es constituida, de fondo, por la pregunta ¿qué se puede conocer? A propósito del tema Bergson se ubica en un punto intermedio entre el idealismo y el realismo, considera que la imagen es aquello que es más que una representación pero menos que la cosa en sí que el realismo pretende mostrar como objeto de conocimiento. La comprensión de la imagen no sólo (...) lleva a escenarios epistemológicos, también posibilita observar que ahí donde hay una perspectiva ocurre un enfoque interesado de cierto tema. De tal forma que la relación objeto-sujeto se ve trastocada por la implementación de la imagen, como disposición afectiva del mundo que rodea al humano. Si sólo se conocen imágenes, la pertinencia de las distintas ramas científicas cambia según estas estudien imágenes interiores o exteriores. Para nada la actividad mental, puede ser el propiciador de las imágenes mentales, únicamente es una imagen más del conjunto de imágenes. En lo subsecuente, habrá un desarrollo del conocimiento de las imágenes, una propuesta teórica que ofrece una posibilidad distinta a la científica, pero que no es contradictoria. Palabras clave: Bergson - Imagen - Conocimiento - Idealismo - Realismo - Percepción. (shrink)

The idea that guides this paper is that visual images of law have contributed in a very important way to the creation of a mental image of law that supports the belief in an obligation to obey the law. My purpose is: first, to identify and to analyse the visual representation of law and the messages they convey. Second, attempt to find out how they shape the mental image we have of law by following the construction of judicial (...) space and, then, through the iconography of law in order to understand how they build the belief that there is an obligation to obey the law; hence the idea that law has authority.Resumen:La idea central de este ensayo es que las imágenes visuales del derecho han contribuido en un modo importante a la creación de una imagen mental del derecho que apoya la creencia de que hay una obligación de obedecer el derecho. Así, el propósito de la autora es: primero, identificar y analizar la representación visual del derecho y los mensajes que ellas transmiten. Segundo, tratar de averiguar cómo estas representaciones conforman la imagen mental que tenemos del derecho: siguiendo la distribución del espacio judicial y, entonces, a través de la iconografía del derecho para comprender cómo construyen la creencia de que hay una obligación de obedecer el derecho; y por lo tanto la idea de que el derecho tiene una autoridad. (shrink)

Los experimentos mentales son dispositivos epistémicos de la imaginación, o de análisis de problemas filosóficos, que recorren las fronteras de aquella, desde el sillón. Dichas fronteras tocan dilemas perennes de la filosofía: cuestiones de la metafísica, como el tiempo, el espacio y la realidad, el problema de la libertad y el determinismo, la naturaleza de la mente, la identidad personal, los argumentos acerca del significado, las posibilidades, fuentes y condiciones del conocimiento, las relaciones entre discurso y lógica, la ética, cuestiones (...) de la filosofía social y política, y la estética. Muchos problemas de la filosofía han sido abordados mediante experimentos mentales, una herramienta útil de la caja de herramientas del filósofo. No todas las herramientas son populares, no obstante. Los experimentos mentales son, pese a sus defensores, falibles, incluso si son argumentos bien planteados. Justamente, este libro recopila artículos con las principales defensas y ataques a los experimentos mentales, especialmente en términos de su confiabilidad para llegar a conclusiones, o bien de su relevancia en términos de su origen: el sillón de la filosofía. Este ha sido vapuleado por los nuevos aires de la filosofía analítica, que trata al sillón como un viejo artefacto del análisis a priori. De hecho, hay posturas que critican a los experimentos mentales por constituir bombas de intuiciones no confiables. Por supuesto, no hay razón irrefutable para aceptar los experimentos mentales y las filosofías de sillón. Pero ¿hay alguna en la filosofía? El libro no pretende convencer al lector del valor de los experimentos mentales y las filosofías de sillón. Por el contrario, su objetivo es formar una imagen propia de estos dispositivos epistémicos, tanto en relación con sus virtudes y limitaciones. Si ello se logra, habrá valido el esfuerzo llevado a cabo en esta compilación de artículos, los que muestran los límites, desafíos y críticas de la experimentación mental desde el sillón. (shrink)

El objetivo de este artículo es describir el fenómeno del autoconocimiento desde una perspectiva wittgensteiniana. En la obra tardía de Wittgenstein gran parte de sus reflexiones se centra en el análisis de expresiones de estados fenomenológicos y actitudes proposicionales. A partir del análisis de las autoadscrip-ciones de estados mentales, muchos filósofos han intentado construir una imagen de lo que sería el autoconocimiento para el filósofo austríaco en sus últimos escritos. En este artículo pretendemos mostrar que Wittgenstein tiene una posición (...) dual en lo que se refiere al significado de los verbos psicológicos en primera persona. En unas ocasiones tendría un uso expresivo; en otras, un uso informativo y que ninguno de los tres intentos que mostraremos es acertado, aunque los tres parecieran encontrar apoyo textual en la obra del filósofo austriaco. The aim of this paper is to explore the phenomenon of self-knowledge from a Wittgensteinian perspective, subject of great interest to the philosophy of psycholo-gy. In Wittgenstein's later work, much of his thoughts are focused on the analysis of phenomenological states expressions and propositional attitudes. From the analysis of self-ascriptions of mental states, many philosophers have tried to build an image of what would be the self-knowledge for the Austrian philosopher in his later writings.In this article we show that Wittgenstein has a dual position in regard to the meaning of psychological verbs in the first person. On some occasions would use expressive in other, informational use. And that none of the three attempts that we will show is successful, although all three appear to find textual support in the work of Austrian philosopher. (shrink)

RESUMEN La trayectoria fijada en este artículo busca explorar una geografía mental o atmósfera ambiente donde el encuentro y relevo entre imaginarios singulares permita trazar una nueva cartografía en la que pensamiento crítico y decolonialidad converjan hacia un horizonte común. Por lo tanto, daré nuevo curso al tránsito que conduce de una razón insular a una razón archipiélica, explorando y rastreando la imagen de la isla emergente en diversos textos filosóficos y en ensayos sobre el Caribe. El itinerario (...) trazado parte de "la isla del entendimiento" en la Crítica de la razón pura, pasando por La Atlántida y La nueva Atlántida, retoma su rumbo hacia "La isla desierta" y La isla que se repite, para acostar finalmente sobre La isla encallada. ABSTRACT This article embarks upon a new journey that explores a mental geography or ambient atmosphere, where the encounter and relief amongst singular imaginaries allows one to trace a new cartography, one in which critical and decolonial thought may converge in a common horizon. Thus, undertaking anew the transit that leads from an insular reason to an archipelagic reason, by tracing the forms taken by the image of the island in different texts, is proposed. Accordingly, our point of departure will be the "island of understanding" in the Critique of Pure Reason, we will pass swiftly through Atlantis and The New Atlantis, then we will move on to "the desert island" and The island that repeats itself to finally land on The stranded island. (shrink)

El propósito de esta investigación se centra en la propuesta de una práctica artística sobre “poesía visual” en la asignatura de Ilustración del Grado en Bellas Artes. El objetivo principal de esta actividad será la de mostrar los paralelismos existentes entre la ilustración y la poesía verbal. Con él se pretende el alumno conozca y domine los ele-mentos del lenguaje visual, además de favorecer la comprensión crítica al desarrollar el propio trabajo artístico. En el proceso de elaboración el estudiante aplicará (...) las técnicas y conocimientos adquiridos en las clases teóricas, además de documentarse de diversos trabajos previamente realizados por profesionales. Los ejercicios finales serán clasificados y analizados en función de los contenidos teóricos propuestos, el lenguaje y la retórica visual. A partir de esta primera clasificación se investigará sobre el impacto expresivo de la poesía visual y la nuevas dimensiones “paragramaticales” que suscita la imagen de un poema verbal. Las conclusiones extraídas mostrarán las nuevas asociaciones mentales que surgen más allá de la desviación de la norma gramatical, es decir, la imagen modifica la percepción de lo escrito y activa una nueva interpretación del texto. (shrink)

Este artículo investigó al profesional que utiliza el enfoque psicoanalítico en los servicios de salud mental y su imaginación sobre su propio desempeño, centrándose en la visibilización del uso del psicoanálisis en las instituciones. Se trata de una investigación cualitativa-exploratoria que utilizó un cuestionario abierto para siete psicólogos que actúan con la práctica psicoanalítica en servicios de salud mental en dos ciudades de São Paulo. Para el análisis de los datos se utilizó la técnica de análisis de contenido (...) temático. En los relatos, el desafío más notable fue la interposición de la postura profesional del analista en su práctica con su propia evaluación de su trabajo, considerando cómo se identifica con el psicoanálisis, cómo fundamenta y evalúa su actuación y cómo se presenta ante los sujetos y la comunidad, la institución, es decir, cómo el profesional se relaciona con el inconsciente. Como resultados se logró obtener cuatro unidades temáticas, a saber: 1) “Identificación a través del psicoanálisis: el lugar que ocupa el psicoanálisis en la vida del profesional”; 2) “Teoría junto con práctica: ¿qué psicoanálisis es esto?”; 3) “El profesional para el profesional: construyendo su propia imagen” y 4) “Desafíos de la práctica institucional: los diferentes matices”. Por tanto, la práctica psicoanalítica en instituciones es un área en expansión que merece más investigación. La práctica también mostró aceptación entre los profesionales involucrados, destacando que el propio imaginario colectivo del profesional sobre su actuación puede influir en su postura psicoanalítica en la institución. (shrink)

Entre las críticas de los más férreos oponentes de la teoría kuhniana de la ciencia sobresale un reparo que fue planteado simultáneamente tanto por Popper, como por su discípulo Watkins. Ambos filósofos sostuvieron que, si nos comprometemos con la tesis que afirma que hay Ciencia Normal, tendríamos que aceptar la consecuencia absurda de que las teorías científicas degeneran en dogmas. En este trabajo mostraré que la tesis de Kuhn no tiene las implicaciones desastrosas atrás señaladas y que Popper -y Watkins- (...) ofrecen una imagen increíblemente distorsionada de la naturaleza misma de la Ciencia Normal y de los paradigmas, a tal punto que las razones en las cuales Popper basa la acusación de dogmatismo dependen de un argumento defectuoso. Para ello, voy a contrastar los patrones históricos que Kuhn identifica en los episodios de Ciencia Normal, con las características que le atribuyen sus críticos. Argumentaré, a partir de las contribuciones de Hooke a la mecánica clásica, que no es cierto que uno de los atributos que distingue a los “científicos normales” sea la adhesión doctrinaria, i.e., que el científico normal está obligado a suscribir una teoría por moda o por autoridad. Palabras-clave: paradigmas, ciencia normal, teoría dominante, dogma, mecánica clásica de partículas. (shrink)

Este trabajo tiene como propósito aportar algunos elementos para una reflexión sobre los procesos de industrialización en la provincia de Catamarca - Argentina en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX. Para orientarnos en esta dirección partiremos del proyecto de una enciclopedia genética propuesta por el filósofo Gilbert Simondon cómo propuesta de abordaje. Luego analizaremos el espíritu enciclopédico presente en los escritos económicos de Federico Schickendantz y Samuel Lafone Quevedo estructurados como máquinas de enseñar. Por último, presentaremos la descripción de dos (...) objetos técnicos creados por el D. Mardoqueo Molina y Bazán elaborada en estos escritos. Consideramos que estos objetos técnico aportaron un paradigma de inteligibilidad para la construcción de ciertas imágenes del porvenir de la actividad industrial en la provincia de Catamarca en estos escritos. Desde nuestra perspectiva, la falta de una estado metaestable a nivel social, necesario para amplificar estas imágenes del provenir, impidieron el desarrollo de una mentalidad técnica. (shrink)

In the mid XIXth century, an illustrated intellectual minority questioned the colonial mentality of the system of Spanish domination revealing in its writings an attempt at construction of the sign of woman based on liberal, progressive and post independence ideologies. Within this minority we find the Colombian writer Soledad Acosta de Samper, whose concern for the social condition of women is revealed in her work in the image of an educated woman. Using the text La mujer en la sociedad moderna (...) [Woman in Modern Society] and the novel Una holandesa en América [A Dutch Woman in America], this article analyzes two aspects of the image of women in Acosta: that of woman as a moralizer and that of religiosity. The analysis of these two themes shows Acosta’s use of the normative discourses of the period in her project of giving woman a more important social role and they become strategies to tone down the potential for transgression of the new situation for women that she desires. (shrink)

Segundo Bruno Latour, “a ecologia nos enlouquece; e é daí que precisamos partir” (LATOUR, 2020a, p. 31). Propomos, portanto, que as imagens do Antropoceno sejam pensadas através de seus afetos: em especial a tristeza profunda. Através dos conceitos de psicopolítica (Byung-Chul Han) e cosmopolítica (Isabelle Stengers), este artigo demarca uma investigação inicial a respeito das possíveis relações entre depressão e clima; melancolia e cosmologia. Abordamos a racionalidade diagnóstica dos Modernos, assim como potenciais críticos e criativos do sujeito depressivo diante à (...) intrusão de Gaia. Por fim, indicamos futuros caminhos desta pesquisa por meio de uma sondagem de riscos atrelados à incomensurabilidade entre múltiplas perspectivas. Pode a depressão traçar, para além dos sentimentos de paralisia e impotência, alguma linha de fuga da emergência climática? Há tratamento? Pharmakon adequado? Uma resposta que não seja bárbara?Palavras-chave: Depressão; Gaia; Psicopolítica; Cosmopolítica; Antropoceno. (shrink)

Sin lugar a duda, reflexiones sobre lanaturaleza de la mente han preocupado apensadores a lo largo de los siglas. Hoy en dia, laFilosofia de la Mente enfoca e! fenómeno de lomental principalmente desde un punto de vistafisicalista. Esta quiere decir que todos losprocesos mentales de una u otra manera sondescriptibles en términos de lo que ocurre en e!cerebro a nivel neuronal. Parece que estaapreciación se aleja considerablemente deiconcepto de lo mental en la Edad Media. De estamanera pareceria que en (...) Tomás de Aquino lomental queda relegado a una descripción dualistaque afirma una diferencia esencial entre lo mentaly lo corporal. Quisiera entonces, en estacomunicación, presentar una imagen un tantodistinta, según la cual los procesos mentalessegún e! Aquinate no se limitan al intelecto. Setendrá que incluir la teoria de los sentidosinteriores, los que representan facultadascognitivas que llevan a los ser sensibles, ytambién a seres humanos, a reconocer su mundocircundante de una manera no trivial. Un análisísde esas capacidades mentales demostrará queson necesartos crtterios fisicalistas para poder asiradecuadamente lo mental en la teoria de Tomásde Aquino. (shrink)

En Investigaciones filosóficas y otros escritos postractarianos Wittgenstein rechazó la concepción de lo mental que incorpora la Tesis de Brentano. Ese rechazo, dirigido específicamente contra la idea de que los pensamientos representan la realidad conteniendo representaciones que concuerdan con ella, denuncia una confusión gramatical: los objetos a los que se dirigirían los pensamientos son sombras proyectadas por la gramática del lenguaje. Autores como Hacker y Glock consideran que esa confusión se produce al asimilar las oraciones mediante las cuales se (...) adscriben estados mentales a oraciones transitivas sin verbos psicológicos. El presente trabajo argumenta a favor de una imagen mucho más compleja de los medios utilizados por Wittgenstein para rechazar la Tesis de Brentano. Se defiende también que en la visión corregida de la intencionalidad de lo mental desempeñan un papel decisivo los requisitos de inocencia semántica, expresivismo, sistematicidad del significado y del lenguaje como vehículo del pensamiento, ignorados hasta el momento. (shrink)

In Memory: A Self-Referential Account, Fernández offers a functionalist account of the metaphysics of memory, which is portrayed as presenting significant advantages over causal and narrative theories of memory. In this paper, I present a series of challenges for Fernández’s functionalism. There are issues with both the particulars of the account and the use of functionalism more generally. First, in characterizing the mnemonic role of episodic remembering, Fernández fails to make clear how the mental image type that plays this (...) role should be identified. Second, I argue that a functionalist approach, which appeals to the overall structure of the memory system and tendencies of mental state types, is ill-suited to the metaphysical question about episodic remembering that is of interest to the causal and narrative theorists with which Fernandez engages. Fernández’s self-referential account of memory has many other virtues, but functionalism is a poor fit for episodic remembering. (shrink)

En este trabajo se ofrece una propuesta de aplicación práctica del concepto de Pathosformeln acuñado por el historiador del Arte alemán Aby Warburg para los estudios literarios, estableciendo un vaso comunicante desde las imágenes representativas y visuales estudiadas por éste, hacia las imágenes mentales originadas en las descripciones de un texto literario, y las emociones que ellas comunican. Para ello, se escoge un variado corpus de ocho crónicas latinoamericanas, desde modernistas hasta el siglo XXI, cuyo tema sea la prostitución travesti, (...) acotando luego el ejemplo de aplicación a la exacerbación de la feminidad por parte de los protagonistas, y el punto de vista de los narradores al respecto, apoyado a su vez en la noción de performatividad de género de Judith Butler. Mediante citas textuales y comparación entre las representaciones de la prostituta travesti en estos textos de no ficción, se discute la aplicabilidad del concepto, así como las diferencias con el ampliamente estudiado uso de éste en la historiografía de las artes visuales. (shrink)

El presente es un estudio de corte cualitativo, que tiene por objetivo conocer las concepciones y construcciones sociales de los docentes de educación superior chilena acerca de las carreras en modalidad e-learning. Consta de 30 entrevistas en profundidad (15 docentes universitarios y 15 docentes de institutos universitarios), cuyas respuestas fueron analizadas bajo la teoría de las construcciones sociales y la noción de concepción como una imagen mental, para posteriormente ser codificados y categorizados. El objetivo final de este estudio (...) es replicar la metodología en estudiantes y empleadores de educación superior, y contrastar los resultados para establecer un modelo de calidad. (shrink)

Embora a extensão da dependência entre teorias da estética e modelos da mente seja urna questão de aceso debate, é justo afirmar que as abordagens actuáis da consciência sugerem novas perspectivas sobre a natureza da experiência estética. As recentes descobertas da neurociência têm afetado a nossa forma de ver a estética e a arte. Todavia, enquanto é frequentemente sugerido que a neurociência vai, em breve, obter urna descrição completa da natureza da mente e, portanto, da experiência estética, aqui consideram-se as (...) consequências da recente bifurcação teórica a respeito da localizacão da mente (ou seja, as posições externalistas versus internalistas). A partir deste ponto de vista, as questões da unidade e do significado são usadas para investigar a natureza da experiência estética e da arte. A discussão baseia-se na distinção de William James entre núcleo e periferia, levando a uma perspectiva de convergência entre a psicologia, a fenomenologia e a neurociência. Por fim, a arte é explorada como urna janela para olhar para dentro de aspectos fundamentais da vida mental, quer por meio dos recentes resultados de imagens do cérebro, quer através dos modelos mais abrangentes da mente. While the extent of the dependence between theories of aesthetics and models of the mind is a matter of lively debate, it is fair to claim that current approaches to consciousness suggest new perspectives about the nature of aesthetic experience. Recent findings of neuroscience have affected how we see aesthetics and art. Nevertheless, while it is often suggested that neuroscience will soon offer a comprehensive account of the nature of mind and thus of aesthetic experience, here we consider the consequences on the recent theoretical bifurcation as to where mind is located (namely the externalist vs. the internalist stance). From such a view, the issues of unity and meaning are used to probe into the nature of aesthetic experience and art. The discussion draws upon William James' distinction between nucleus and fringe and puts forward a converging perspective between psychology, phenomenology and neuroscience. Eventually, art is exploited as a window to peer inside fundamental aspects of mental life by means both of recent brain imaging results and more extended models of the mind. (shrink)

El cóndor es una presencia común que vuela y se posa en nuestro territorio mental, como parte de esa memoria simbólica que se alimenta por generaciones a través del relato oral. Estas imágenes –visuales y orales- se nos reiteran en el tiempo desde el relato inmemorial hasta las redes de comunicación del siglo XXI. En ese contexto, el cóndor -más como símbolo que como patrimonio natural tangible- concita una afinidad de miradas y de identificaciones adquiridas, que convergen en las (...) piedras, las cavernas, los ritos, los objetos utilitarios, la heráldica, la numismática, la filatelia, los productos de consumo, las imágenes en el ciberespacio: del ave sagrada, a la institucional ave nacional; de la sordidez de la Operación Cóndor al cómic representado por Condorito. En el humor y en el horror. En la reverencia y la irreverencia. En la cotidianidad. En la atmósfera cultural, el cóndor es parte de la «respiración» del imaginario común. (shrink)

En distintos estudios que se ocupan del eufemismo se ha puesto de relieve la función que desempeñan las expresiones eufemísticas en el discurso político como herramientas de las que se sirve el emisor para ocultarle al destinatario aquellos aspectos desagradables o inoportunos que podrían dañar su imagen. Este artículo se fundamenta en una teoría pragmático-cognitiva del eufemismo y explica los efectos que produce en la mente de los hablantes un conjunto de expresiones eufemísticas empleadas en el discurso político español (...) durante los últimos años. En concreto, se propone la existencia de tres fenómenos que influyen en la representación mental de la realidad que construye el intérprete: el encuadre léxico, la obstrucción del acceso al referente y la estigmatización de conceptos. (shrink)

Neste texto refletiremos sobre a importância da imagem como possibilidade de construção mental e social. Investigaremos o discurso laico em representações imagéticas dos monarcas franceses Francisco I e Henrique II. Nesse período, a sociedade passava por mudanças sociais entre o Medievo e a Modernidade, implicando a construção da ideia de Estado, como organizador social. Entendemos que as imagens além de revelar as relações sociais, eram também, um veículo formador. Acreditamos, assim, na relevância da realização de pesquisas na História, na (...) Educação e na Arte, nos oportunizando a compreensão da formação do sujeito social. (shrink)

en este trabajo analizo las diversas interpretaciones que ha suscitado la teoría del conocimiento de Giordano Bruno a partir de la segunda mitad del siglo XX. El objetivo principal es destacar una serie de problemas fundamentales que han de ser superados si se quiere esclarecer adecuadamente el conjunto de la propuesta gnoseológica de Bruno, en concreto sus tesis relativas al estatuto y función de la facultad fantástica y sus productos, las imágenes. Son tres los problemas destacados: la confusión terminológica que (...) por parte de los intérpretes se observa en torno al concepto “imago”, en su doble sentido ontológico y gnoseológico; la tesis de que los productos mentales carecen de rasgos lógicos, idea a su vez derivada de una interpretación en exceso idealista de la génesis del conocimiento y la tesis de la “inmanencia fantásica”, consistente en reducir toda actividad gnoseológica al ámbito de la fantasía. Para justificar la problematicidad inherente a estas ideas acudiré tanto al texto bruniano como a la conocida distinción escolástica entre “concepto formal” y “concepto objetivo”. (shrink)

No momento em que oposições seculares – tais como real versus imaginário, razão versus mito, inteligível versus sensível, vida mental versus vida material – se encurtam e o poder passa a ser exercido não só pela coerção material, mas também pela dominação simbólica, percebe-se que, cada vez mais, procura-se conciliar razão e imaginário. Entende-se, assim, que a tradição é mantida através dos mitos e das lendas. O que se deseja, realmente, é manter-se o passado dentro do futuro. A sociedade (...) tem, como objetivo, o futuro. Entretanto, ela se mantém sob as regras do passado. O imaginário é sempre, em certa medida, imitação do passado, mas é uma imitação deformada pelo próprio mecanismo de projeção, que mais não pode fazer a não ser transformar os preceitos, as estruturas adquiridas pelas aprendizagens adaptativas, suprimindo-lhes outros preceitos e outras estruturas, condicionando-os a tornarem-se, sem apelo nem agravo, diferentes daquilo que são. A criança não está livre desse processo. Constantemente ela é bombardeada pelas imagens publicitárias, cinematográficas e televisionada, além das várias modalidades de Literatura que permeiam o seu cotidiano. Palavras-chave: Literatura fantástica; Infância; Imaginário e religião. ABSTRACT In a moment when secular oppositions curtail (such as the real versus the imaginary, reason versus myth, the intelligible versus the sensitive, mental life versus material life) and power comes to be exerted not only through material coercion but also through symbolical domination, one notices a growing tendency towards conciliating reason and the imaginary. Thus, tradition is kept through myths and legends, as the aim is really to hold the past inside the future. Society aims at the future. However, it keeps the rules of the past. In a way, the imaginary is always an imitation of the past, but an imitation deformed by its own projection mechanism, which cannot but transform precepts and frameworks acquired through adaptive learning, suppressing other precepts and frameworks and conditioning them to become different from what they are. The child is not free from that process, being constantly exposed to publicity, cinema and television images, besides the various kinds of literature that permeate his daily life. Key words: Fantastic literature; Childhood; The imaginary and religion. (shrink)

En el núcleo de nuestra imagen de sentido común se encuentra la idea de que los seres humanos somos agentes, es decir, orientamos nuestras acciones a partir de pensamientos, intenciones y deseos. En este texto, Norman Malcolm examina si disponer de una teoría neurofisiológica completa podría llevarnos a abandonar esta suposición. Malcolm argumenta que nuestras explicaciones cotidianas del comportamiento humano dependen de principios a priori que conectan a lo mental con la acción. Puesto que las explicaciones proporcionadas por (...) una teoría neurofisiológica completa dependerían de leyes contingentes, no de verdades conceptuales, tales explicaciones estarían en competencia con las explicaciones psicológicas. Para respaldar esta afirmación, Malcolm introduce un supuesto que se ha vuelto extremadamente influyente en el debate sobre la causación mental: el ‘principio de exclusión causal’. Si las leyes neurofisiológicas fuesen suficientes para explicar la acción, entonces podría prescindirse por completo de las explicaciones psicológicas. La incompatibilidad entre explicaciones psicológicas y explicaciones neurofisiológicas sumada a que las primeras involucran verdades conceptuales parecería conducir a una refutación a priori de la posibilidad de una teoría neurofisiológica completa. Pero la conclusión de Malcolm es más moderada. Él afirma que tal teoría es inconcebible; aun así, sigue siendo una posibilidad lógica. (shrink)

: Recently developed projective models of consciousness and its contents challenge received schemas in which all contents of consciousness are held to be well contained in the skull. Working our way into this from several angles, it becomes evident that there are inconsistencies in how we frame classes of mental contents which are arguably equivalent in being. Particular examples of imagery, of dancing and of words, are brought forward to highlight the clash in our apprehensive assumptions, focusing on possible (...) cognitive as well as psychological costs of such inconsistency. A coherent way to blend the container and projector schemas is pointed out; yet such a blend does not support the standard claim for any kind of purely inner voice, contained but not projected. Conscious reflection may in all instances depend on projection, with reflection in imagery - visual, audible, even tactile and otherwise felt - placed just the far side of what can schematically be grasped as the sensory horizon where, in the space-time just beyond here and now, our imaginative expectations backstop recognition of here-now present things. Resumo: Os modelos projetivos de consciência e de seus conteúdos, recentemente desenvolvidos, desafiam os esquemas tradicionais, nos quais todos os conteúdos da consciência são mantidos bem contidos dentro do crânio. Trabalhando desta forma, a partir de vários ângulos, torna-se evidente que existem inconsistências na forma como emolduramos classes de conteúdos mentais que são possivelmente equivalentes em seu ser. Exemplos particulares de imagens, de dança e de palavras são apresentados para ressaltar o choque em nossas suposições apreensivas, focalizando possíveis custos cognitivos e psicológicos de tal inconsistência. Uma maneira coerente de misturar os esquemas do “continente” e do “projetor” é apontada; no entanto, tal combinação não suporta as exigências gerais, encontradas na literatura, para qualquer tipo de fala puramente interna, que esteja contida, mas não projetada. A reflexão consciente pode, em todos os casos, depender da projeção, com reflexo na imagem - visual, audível, até tátil e sentida - situada apenas no lado distante do que pode ser esquematicamente compreendido como o horizonte sensorial onde, no espaço-tempo e agora, nossas expectativas imaginativas apóiam o reconhecimento das coisas presentes e atuais. (shrink)

El objetivo del presente texto es definir cuál es el concepto que Antonio Damasio desarrolla sobre el hombre, lo humano y la inteligencia humana. La tesis principal de Antonio Damasio es la hipótesis del sujeto cerebral, una imagen neural y materialista del hombre fundamentada en el cerebro. Para Antonio Damasio, lo humano se entiende en términos de una compleja interacción entre el cuerpo, la mente y el entorno. Para ello, se exponen tres nociones clave que definen esta idea en (...) Antonio Damasio: la reflexión emocional, la ética sentimental y la teoría gradualista de la conciencia. Ello confluirá en la concepción personal de inteligencia en Damasio quien enfatiza la importancia de la homeostasis en la inteligencia humana. Nuestra capacidad para adaptarnos al entorno y tomar decisiones efectivas está intrínsecamente ligada a nuestra capacidad de regular nuestras necesidades biológicas y emocionales. (shrink)

Resumen El uso del término imaginación remite a un cierto tipo de actividad mental que en su formulación más básica refiere a la capacidad humana para crear imágenes en ausencia de lo representado, es decir, para representarnos objetos o estados de cosas que están ausentes, y a la capacidad para crear imágenes a partir de otras que ya se poseen. Esta formulación permite dar cuenta de una amplia gama de experiencias humanas que van desde la creación artística y la (...) innovación técnica hasta la anticipación de posibles escenarios en los que intervenir. En particular voy a centrarme en un uso específico de la imaginación que denominaré imaginación práctica y que consiste principalmente en la anticipación contrafáctica de posibles estados de cosas resultantes de nuestras acciones. A partir de esto sostendré la existencia de una relación interna entre imaginación práctica y racionalidad práctica, en virtud de la cual la primera oficia de posibilitadora de la segunda. Para ello relevaré cuatro formas de ejercicio de la racionalidad práctica que han sido tematizadas a lo largo de la historia de la filosofía: la ética, la moral, la política y la legal.The use of the term imagination refers to a certain type of mental activity that in its most basic formulation refers to the human capacity to create images in the absence of what is represented, that is, to represent objects or states of things that are absent, and the ability to create images from others that are already possessed by the agent. This formulation allows to account for a wide range of human experiences ranging from artistic creation and technical innovation to the anticipation of possible scenarios in which to intervene. In particular, I will focus on a specific use of the imagination that I will call practical imagination and that consists mainly in the counterfactual anticipation of possible states of affairs resulting from our actions. From this perspective I will sustain the existence of an internal relation between practical imagination and practical rationality, by virtue of which the first enables the second. To do this, I will highlight four types of practical rationality that have been thematized throughout the history of philosophy: ethical, moral, political and legal rationality. (shrink)

RESUMEN Desde 1980, C. D. Frith investiga la esquizofrenia, y explica sus síntomas centrales como las alucinaciones, con miras a aclarar cuál es el déficit originario de este trastorno mental. Frith propone una hipótesis centrada en el concepto de conciencia, que ha elaborado como parte del desarrollo científico contemporáneo. En primer lugar, como parte de la aplicación de modelos neurocognitivos de control motor, según los cuales el déficit se atribuye al concepto de copia eferente y su función. En segundo (...) lugar, la actualiza y complementa con evidencia de imagen cerebral de la atenuación de la actividad cortical parietal, como efecto derivado de la copia eferente. En tercer lugar, adiciona el concepto de sentido de agencia, y el componente de cognición social, intentando integrar la experiencia del paciente y la relevancia del ámbito intersubjetivo a su propuesta. Este artículo hace una revisión crítica de la hipótesis de Frith y se divide en cuatro partes: primero, se presenta una síntesis de la evolución de la hipótesis; segundo, se sintetiza su argumentación; tercero, se presentan los principales puntos críticos y, por último, se derivan unas conclusiones generales. ABSTRACT Since 1980, C. D. Frith has been working on schizophrenia, and explaining central symptoms such as hallucinations, in an attempt to clarify the basic deficits of this mental disorder. Frith has put forth a hypothesis based on the concept of consciousness, and has been adjusting it alongside contemporary scientific developments. In first place, it begins with the use of neurocognitive models of motor control, according to which the deficit is attributable to the concept of efferent copy and its function. In second place, he updated the model by including neuroimaging evidence of attenuation in parietal activity, as a consequence of the efferent copy. In third place, he added the concept of sense of agency, and the social cognition component, trying to integrate to his proposal the patient's experience and the relevance of the inter-subjective aspect. The current paper, which critically reviews Frith's hypothesis, it's divided in four parts: First, the hypothesis' evolution is synthesized; second, the main arguments are summarized; third, the main critical points are presented; and, finally, some general conclusions are drawn. (shrink)

Durante muchos años las enfermedades mentales han sido vetadas del análisis filosófico. Afortunadamente, las modas filosóficas y el interés académico hoy ha cambiado y reconocen la importancia de la enfermedad mental (como paradigma de la disrupción mental) para el estudio del funcionamiento normal de la mente. Por esta razón, cualquier teoría contemporánea en filosofía de la mente debe tener en consideración una imagen detallada de lo que significa la parcial o total disolución de la mente. En este (...) escrito, revisamos el aparato conceptual básico usado hasta la fecha por los filósofos para analizar y comprender las psicopatologías.…. (shrink)

Apesar das grandes transformações do conhecimento, o século XVI conservou numerosos produtos de fantasia que desempenharam uma influência considerável sobre os viajantes e navegadores. O encontro com mundos desconhecidos ou pouco conhecidos fez-se muitas vezes através de categorias mentais anteriormente estabelecidas. A lenda do Paraíso Terreal continuava activa na literatura cristã e teve grande popularidade nessa época. Como figura de estilo ou como firme convicção, os navegadores e os autores descreveram mundos como se fossem jardins edénicos. As imagens transmitidas reflectem (...) o modo como a estrutura mental e cultural dos viajantes filtrava as informações recolhidas. Fruto da «utensilagem mental» dos narradores, o Paraíso surge como um conceito nostálgico, revelando-se, nas suas diversas representações, como um local privilegiado, aprazível, provido de todas as riquezas da criação, de clima ameno e terra fértil, sem enfermidades nem tristezas, repleto de aromas, cores e melodias de encantar, onde tudo se harmonizava na felicidade e imortalidade dos seres. É a criação de uma maravilha, construída fora da realidade que existe «para além das palavras» que lhe dão vida e revelam as ansiedades, e as várias maneiras de ver o possível e o impossível. (shrink)

Planear una "estética plural de la naturaleza" es darle a la obviedad del enunciado que se trata de explorar algo parecido a un impulso haciéndolo avanzar por el camino de la complejidad. Esto en primer lugar. Después, hay que pararse a pensar que la articulación de estos términos, arte y naturaleza, no sólo implica enlazar la actividad relativa al primero con una imagen o arsenal de imágenes en las que esta segunda se representaría; también es vincularla a un concepto (...) que la significa. ¿Cuál? Lógicamente, la imitación, la mímesis. Aunque dadas las variaciones que ha sufrido dicho concepto a lo largo de la historia, parece necesario valorar la necesidad de comprender su objeto, la naturaleza, en lo que llamaría su dinamismo temporal. En otras palabras, habría que intentar una "historia de la naturaleza", cuya oportunidad aconsejaría mantenerla en paralelo con la "historia del arte". Y si este paralelismo -desde luego estético- del arte y la naturaleza implica en sus respectivas trayectorias temporales aquella parte de la reflexión estética que explora cada momento histórico con una atención especial en el "arte como mímesis", entonces el objetivo de dicha reflexión será también la naturaleza, que toca ir a buscar allí donde se encuentra efectivamente: en el pensamiento de la época. Tendríamos así los términos Arte, Naturaleza, Mímesis. Y de este último, la Mímesis, ya sabemos que no es la representación fiel de entidades o configuraciones naturales. ¿Qué es entonces? La proyección en una obra de Arte de unos contenidos mentales que tienen por objeto la Naturaleza. Quedan vinculados así los tres términos barajados en este libro. (shrink)

Joaquin Segura. Untitled (fig. 40) . 2007 continent. 1.2 (2011): 117-124. The interview that follows is a dialogue between artist and gallerist with the intent of unearthing the artist’s working strategies for a general public. Joaquin Segura is at once an anomaly in Mexico’s contemporary art scene at the same time as he is one of the most emblematic representatives of a larger shift toward a post-national identity among its youngest generation of artists. If Mexico looks increasingly like a foreclosed (...) home burning to the ground, Segura could likely be the one walking away, charred matchstick between thumb and forefinger and shit-eating grin on his face. His corrosive attacks on institutions, ideologies, and power reflect a deep general distrust of authority, increasingly evident within the work of younger Mexican artists. It is perhaps most directly the result of President Calderon’s deeply unpopular war against the cartels but no doubt equally the product of decades upon decades of rampant corruption and errant policy within Mexico. Brett W Schultz (BWS): A recurring—if not dominant—theme within your current work and investigation explores ideological extremism in reaction to some perceived political and economic disenfranchisement, especially that espoused and practiced by right-wing groups in United States. That's exactly why I thought of you when I was approached to contribute a piece to an issue on the subject of the moraine—taken metaphorically here to signify a certain set of beliefs that have resurfaced within mainstream American culture in the wake of a probably over-exaggerated political sea-change, marked by Obama's election. You're a Mexican artist who now lives and works in Guadalajara, far from the border cities where such concerns would seem more likely to be relevant to a contemporary artist; of course, you're even farther from the culture that birthed this nature of extremism. What interests you so intensely about this movement, if we can call it that? Joaquin Segura (JS): I think there are several seminal points that you touch on in this particular question. There's a very specific set of interests that make me address the socio-political issues I've been dissecting through my practice in the last few years. First of all, I don't really consider myself a 'mexican' artist. As I've made clear in the past, I don't really believe in the notion of 'identity' or the idea of 'nation', which I find totally laughable and heartwarmingly passé. I'm convinced that these are totally outdated models of understanding our differences and similarities, expanding our already immense and irreconcilable cultural abysses instead of bringing them together, thus resulting in their total dispersion among the complex and extremely arbitrary weaving of contemporary social nucleii. Pretty much a frankly bad joke, if I may say so. The fact that I live and work in Mexico is a completely random geographical and temporal factor, which of course affects what I think and what I do, but I've chosen not to be limited by this specific circumstance. In the past, while working abroad, I've taken advantage of this preconception of Mexico—to be more exact, pretty much all of Latin America—as one of the last barbaric bastions of western civilization. Totally amusing, if you ask me about it. I consider my practice to be, among other things, a gonzo strategy of deceit: there are quite a few roles you can adopt in this approach that may actually reveal themselves to be a privileged vantage point. In my experience, the gentle savage is one of the most effective ones to establish my standing position. Thus, I'm a mexican artist if I need it to prove my point. If it's not necessary in a specific circumstance, I'm not. Quite simple, I think. Said in other words, it's just an ace I can play to win a particular match. It has worked so far, at least for me. L: Hey, America… , 2009. R: The Inaugural Address , 2009. I am interested in the nature of power and the rise and fall of totalitarian ideological and political apparatuses nowadays. But I guess, going even further, I'm essentially fascinated by the fissures and contradictions that have made these structures spectacularly crumble to the ground. I do believe extreme ideologies have played a crucial role in the globalization of socio-political crisis. In the end, our world is nothing more than a fading monument to all things gone wrong—the inspiring triumph of failure, in every sense. I see this as an exciting parable. And of course, it is an undeniable fact that the US, through their influence in world economy, international policies and general attitude towards the rest of the planet is the largest structure waiting to collapse. I think we are all secretly awaiting that moment of splendor, even americans. It'll be disastrous and as nasty as it can get, but it will also be liberating and incredibly inspirational. Not just because it’s the US but because it'll prove that absolutely everything is susceptible to fall. And not only that, most importantly, it would confirm that radical change may actually be possible and not just one more of the unfulfilled promises modernity has left us to struggle with on our own. BWS: I want to talk first about two of your works in particular: Hey, America... and The Inaugural Address . I feel like your more recent work has a subtle —or even hidden—sinisterness, but these two works are perfect examples of how brutally confrontational your earlier work has been. When we showed Hey, America... at Mexico City's Zona Maco art fair in 2010, there were at least a couple visitors to our stand who were absolutely ready to punch me in my gringo face for having done so. Certainly the shock value of these works is crucial to their central ideas, but can you tell me more about your intentions and how these works relate to your general oeuvre? JS: So funny. Perhaps we do deserve to be punched in the face. I think that's what I'm sometimes looking for, but I hardly ever get it. I do think of such works as some sort of logical trap, a somewhat perverse ambush waiting for someone to walk into head-on. I think what I tried to do with those two specific works, as well as some other past projects, is just emphasize issues or themes that do disturb or make me uneasy and restless. I consider my essential intention a need to make clear that we do not have to look the other way, ignore or forget. We must address, understand and solve these manifestations of senseless violence and absurdity because if we don't confront them this way, they'll end up consuming us. In other words, I do consider these works as a personal need of coming to terms with the nonsense of the world we all are living in. I don't particularly consider myself to be someone with a clear set of beliefs. Perhaps my only certainty would be that everything is there to be denied, demolished and obliterated—even my supposed unquestionability of that particular 'dogma.' My practice is a reflection of that paradox, and I do think that's how these two pieces relate to a wider body of work. Every democratic system and so-called developed contemporary society is deeply flawed on the inside, and that is because each has swept things under the rug. Of course, there's tolerance, good will and eagerness to make a difference but there's also hatred, pain and fear lingering all around. We must learn to relate to both sides of the spectrum. In a way, I approach the themes behind these particular works in what I think to be a non-biased, somewhat 'neutral' way. I do think there's an encryption process going on in the way I work, some sort of formal refinement of this somewhat outrageous content. A digest of infamy, if we can refer to it that way. It is up to the individual experiencing the work to decide which way these pieces lean. They can easily be seen from both positions and I'm ok with that. If you look closely at these works, there's nothing that establishes an unrelenting position—neither support nor rejection. I don't want my personal political views to directly set an agenda for the spectator as that’s essentially propaganda, which is one of the things I absolutely despise. To sum it up, I strive for the spectator to complete the piece in that sense. The work then becomes a reflection of his or her own contradictions, a playground of the mind. I'm interested in achieving a deadpan and deadlock state in the observer. So, in a way, those visitors threatening to beat the shit out of you unconsciously became that particular issue the work is alluding to. Just blind and senseless reaction to god knows what people feel must be defended, the overwhelming virtue of ambiguity. Beautiful. Perhaps you can also think of my practice as a uber-sophisticated and snobbish version of Punk'd. And you wouldn't be far from what I'm trying to convey. Untitled (Disturbance Scenarios #2) . 2010. BWS: To me, an important transitional marker in the overall trajectory of your work is the series, Disturbance Scenarios , which evokes a similar generalized state of panic, paranoia, and impending doom through its incorporation of sensationalist newspaper headlines, yet also suggests this slyly mysterious meta-narrative via the context in which the newspaper itself is placed. How did you arrive at this series and why did you choose photorealistic painting as the medium for it? JS: I consider this series to be a by-product of the process I follow when making work. I spend an important part of my time just doing research, going through documentation and accumulating visual or historical references for the themes or episodes I'm interested in, in that particular moment. These are, of course, valuable assets that connect among themselves in a mysterious and almost undetectable manner, sometimes a few years between one and the other. I've employed similar production strategies in the past, in ongoing series like Random Moments of Urban Decay , in which I document what I consider to be physical traces of ethnic, religious or ideological violence in the form of text graffiti, invisibly scattered in different cities of the world, mostly in the US. Disturbance Scenarios was started in early 2010, following a particularly intense period of traveling here and there that lasted for most of the year. I've always felt compelled by text, as I find quite intriguing the idea of how words can create equally intense evocations of what I call a mental panorama of uneasiness than those produced by aesthetically-charged imagery; of course, if handled right. I have a close relationship to print media—due both to my academic background and to my attraction to its ubiquity and almost unlimited influence, which in the end, is nothing else but power—so I found myself with a growing archive of newspaper headlines snapshots from cities like Melbourne, Auckland, London, and LA. Going through them, I noticed that they had in common a very specific thematic slant: they were all about some sort of conflict: energy crisis, political unrest, local episodes of domestic violence, you name it. So as you very well put it, I felt they all connected through this feeling of anxiety and anguish and I decided to start thinking of them as a body of work. Basically, I felt an interest in creating what I think of as my personal fragmented prefigurements of the end of civilization. There were few elements on the shots that could give away its actual location, geographically speaking, and I liked that. I find this sensation of vagueness and uncertainty quite alluring. The more subtle, the more perverse. The formal resolution of the series—as photo-realistic painting—is linked to my intention of creating distance between me as the artist and the themes I work with. I rarely execute my own work, and that is more a personal choice as I'm more interested in the ideas I mingle with than in the actual outcome of that process, understood as an "art-object" with certain market value. I did some tests with light-jet prints of those snapshots and I found them devoid of that nightmarish, disturbing indistinctness that I felt was so important for them to be able to project the turmoil I experienced upon encountering them and in conceiving of them as a series. So I thought that photorealistic painting would be an interesting resource to play with, as I hardly had worked with that medium before because of my lenient animosity toward painters and their craft. So they were executed like that and I think it turned out to be just right. Homemade (Napalm #2) . 2010. BWS: Though Disturbance Scenarios remains ongoing, it's an interesting contrast to another series of yours, Homemade, which are these beautifully banal photographs of the ingredients used to make improvised explosives. Whereas Disturbance Scenarios still confronts the viewer aggressively with its visual emphasis on loaded texts, in Homemade , you've dropped the surface-level bravado entirely. They're pieces that require explanation to someone not already versed in the fine art of amateur explosive-making. You weren't known for subtlety in your past work; why this change in direction? JS: I'm personally convinced that these are just two angles of the same conceptual preoccupation. I mentioned before my obsession with the idea of encryption. I'm quite enticed by how these processes of translation can politically and semantically alter and deviate purportedly subversive materials such as the ones these works allude to. I do think subversion is futile. I was really troubled by that thought for some time, but I think now I understand that it's not really that important. What is really significant is to elaborate on these alternate views, to envision and refine possible escape routes. It doesn't really matter if they go nowhere, but that is because nothing really matters. A "mute" artwork is a notion that captivates me. When you look at the works you mention, you know there's something off, but it's not fully clear how and why that is. I rely on that insecurity—on that moment of hesitation. And that can also be achieved through an approach like the one I'm now interested in. Let's just call it a smoke screen, a surrogate ruse to get to the same point: to talk about impotence and defeat in contemporary life. The notion that readily accessible information is actually a weapon is a double-edged fallacy: sure, you can make use of whatever resources you can lay your hands on, but that doesn't set you free because freedom is impossible. Still, that doesn't mean you can't blow up stuff during the process, metaphorically or not. I didn't understand the nature of subtlety before. I used to think that you needed to be loud and manifest anger and unconformity in the most aggressive manner possible. Then I finally realized that you can actually permeate and rarify a battleground—because after all, this is low-intensity war—if you actually aim at silently building up the contradictions and making the symbolic value of ideas and acts clash within themselves. Or perhaps it is that I am just getting old. I guess I used to be an angry kid until recently. Now I think of myself as a disenchanted post-teenager, and of course that reflects in my work and my approach to art-making. Kind of a rite of passage and I laugh at it because, overall, it has been overwhelmingly fun. And that doesn't mean that I'm not ready to stick it in someone or something's face again if I feel like it. BWS: You're now taking the subtlety of the Homemade series even further with your newest series, Definitive Reader For a Botched Revolution , in which you photograph a series of politically-charged books side-on, negating their content entirely—essentially reducing them to purely aesthetic objects in which the subject matter is only revealed in the title of the work. Can you talk about the ideas behind this series? Furthermore, is your recent interest in this idea of the "botched revolution" an indication of a general attitudinal or philosophical shift you've since adopted? JS: This new series of works is the logical outcome of a brief period I went through. Probably the last couple years, in which due to a number of circumstances that don't really have to do with my art-making, I was forced to renegotiate my ideas, my beliefs and practically everything that surrounds me. It was quite distressful and turbulent, but in the end, I think it was also almost epiphanic. I came to terms with myself and now I'm calm and serene. That is, of course, my personal take on it but I mention it because I do think it's important to address this shift you mention. The idea of an artwork as a container for latent revelations enthralls me quite a bit. That's how I see these particular works: art as an incendiary agent. It's up to the artist and the spectator to do whatever they please with it. I think the detachment and almost surgical cleanliness from the Definitive Reader series is also my take at poking fun of the way some art is totally innocuous and uncompromising. These images may be pleasing to the eye, but there's something twisted and rotten within them, well hidden beneath. You'll either see it or not, but without a doubt, it will not cancel its presence. This series is intrinsically linked to Homemade . I'm pretty much horsing around with similar ideas and statements here. And well, yes, I do think any revolution is a botched one. There's nothing too heavy about their own downfall. Decay and breakdown are here and will not go away. Perhaps we must learn to embrace them in one way or another, for our own sake. L: Untitled (T.A.Z.). R: Untitled (United States Marine Guidebook of Essential Subjects) . 2011. BWS: Finally, let's discuss the near future. You've got an upcoming solo show at the Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros [SAPS] in Mexico City this summer. What can we expect from that? What else do you have planned? JS: I'll go and get seafood as soon as I'm done with this interview. It's pretty good here in Guadalajara. That's my top priority at this very moment. About my solo project at SAPS, it's due to open in late July. I'm quite looking forward to it. I'm still closely working with the curator on the general feel for the show but I can say that it'll be more of a revision of past works that have not been shown in Mexico City except for a couple pieces. It definitely won't be a showcase for new projects, although we may include one or two previously unseen works. What you can expect is a rereading of what I've been working on during the past few years. In a way, that's exciting to me because for some reason I don't really care about, I'm not that active in Mexico City even though that's where I lived and work for years. I've hardly shown there after my solo project at Yautepec in February of 2010. It'll be nice to see how it all comes together and I'm more thrilled about it because I totally love the space and I think they're doing an excellent job with their programming and its direction. And in a certain way it feels like going back home. About everything else, I need a period to reflect and fully understand what I've been thinking and working on. I've got a few group shows here and there: New York, San Francisco, and Melbourne are the ones happening soon. I will present my censored project Untitled ( Gringo Loco ) as part of the programming of the Museo de Arte de Zapopan in Guadalajara, two years after being escorted at gunpoint from the installation site by police sent by the extreme right-wing mayor of the city, which I found pretty amusing for an otherwise typical Saturday afternoon. I'm also involved in a couple "curatorial" projects. In my case, "curatorial" means that I help put together stuff I like and I'm interested in. One of them will open in late September of 2011 at Arena Mexico Arte Contemporaneo, and I will work with three of whom I consider to be some of the best artists in a lively and active scene such as the one here in Guadalajara. But most importantly, I've been doing heavy research so there are also a number of projects that I've yet to finalize. That'll be my main focus during the rest of the year, even though I really enjoy procrastination. There'll be time for that later. Or maybe not. We'll see. About Joaquin Segura The action, installation, intervention and photographic work of Joaquin Segura (b. Mexico City, 1980) has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in Mexico, the United States, Europe, and Asia. Some spaces that have featured his work include La Panaderia, Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, Centro de la Imagen and Ex-Teresa Arte Actual in Mexico City; El Museo del Barrio and apexart, New York, NY; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain; National Center for Contemporary Art, Moscow, Russia; and Palace Adria in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2008 and 2009, Segura was an artist-in-residence at the International Studio and Curatorial Program, New York, NY and at the 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA. He is represented YAUTEPEC in Mexico City and by Arena Mexico Arte Contemporáneo in Guadalajara. Further Reading Joaquin Segura’s website YAUTEPEC artist page for Joaquin Segura Capps, Kriston. “ID-ENTITY: Washington, DC.” ART PAPERS . 2009. (shrink)

Bullying often results in negative coping in victims, including an increased consumption of alcohol. Recently, however, an increase in alcohol use has also been reported among perpetrators of bullying. The factors triggering this pattern are still unclear. We investigated the role of empathy in the interaction between bullying and alcohol use in an adolescent sample (IMAGEN) at age 13.97 (±0.53) years (baseline (BL), N = 2165, 50.9% female) and age 16.51 (±0.61) years (follow-up 1 (FU1), N = 1185, 54.9% (...) female). General empathic distress served as a significant moderator of alcohol use in perpetrators (F9, 493 = 17.978, p < 0.01), which was specific for males and FU1. Male perpetrators, who are generally less sensitive to distress, might thus be more vulnerable to alcohol abuse. (shrink)

A growing number of theorists have looked to the enactivist approach in philosophy of mind or the affordance-based approach from ecological psychology to make sense of a wide variety of phenomena; some theorists believe that these theoretical accounts can offer rich insights about the nature of mental disorders, their etiology, and their characteristic symptoms. I argue that theorists who adopt such approaches also should embrace the further claim that all mental disorders are affective disorders. First, enactivist accounts of (...) mental disorder push us toward such a view insofar as they characterize such conditions in terms of disordered sense-making and conceptualize sense-making as fundamentally affective. Second, conceptions of mental disorder that emphasize affordance perception likewise motivate such a view insofar as they highlight the role that affectivity plays in the disclosure of action possibilities. What is more, both sense-making and affordance disclosure are best understood as processes of selective attention and responsiveness that rely heavily on affectivity. To illustrate and support these claims, I discuss how (a) language disturbances in schizophrenia and (b) “context blindness” in autism both result from disruptions to affectivity and selective attention that make it difficult for subjects to engage effectively with relevant affordances. (shrink)

Positive mental health involves not the absence of mental disorder but rather the presence of certain mental goods. Institutions, practitioners, and theorists often identify positive mental health with well‐being. There are strong reasons, however, to keep the concepts of well‐being and positive mental health separate. Someone with high positive mental health can have low well‐being, someone with high well‐being can have low positive mental health, and well‐being and positive mental health sometimes conflict. (...) But, while positive mental health and well‐being are not identical, there is an informative conceptual connection between them. Positive mental health usually contributes instrumentally to the living of a good human life, where a good human life includes (but is not limited to) well‐being. (shrink)