IntroductionThe present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Active Communication Education program on the social/emotional impacts of hearing loss in a group of older adults with a cochlear implant.DesignProspective cohort study design, with a “within-subject” control procedure.Study SampleTwenty adults over-65 post-lingually deafened CI users. All subjects were required to be native Italian speakers, to have normal cognitive level, have no significant psychiatric conditions and/or diagnosed incident dementia, and used CI for at least 9 months.Materials and MethodsTwenty participants were (...) assessed using the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly, the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale before, during, and after ACE program, with a one and 6-month follow up. The cognitive and audiological evaluation was carried out before commencing the ACE program.ResultsThe ACE program had a positive impact by reducing HL’s social/emotional effects. Participants benefited from a rehabilitative approach by improving multilevel skills: comprehension of audiological and hearing dimensions, acquisition of communicative, pragmatic and problem-solving strategies, and interaction and sharing of experiences with peers.ConclusionAlthough targeting the older adults with moderate HL, the ACE program also seemed to benefit older adult CI users. An improvement in social and emotional adaptation to hearing difficulties can, in turn, significantly promote optimal use of CI in the older adults, thereby possibly reducing the risk of losing motivation and engagement in device use and in rehabilitation protocols. (shrink)

Kan demokrati - folkets magt - realiseres. Forfatteren gennemgår dette på baggrund af den konflikt, der altid har været mellem den påtvungne magt og den valgte magt.

Tradicionalmente, las primas de los contratos de seguros se han considerado justas o equitativas cuando se corresponden exactamente con el riesgo de las pólizas, medido este último mediante la esperanza matemática de la siniestralidad. En este artículo llevamos a cabo una crítica de este enfoque aparentemente objetivo y proponemos una justificación alternativa de la denominada equidad actuarial, basada en argumentos contractualistas. Para ello nos apoyamos en ciertas intuiciones de Jean Domat, un jurista francés del siglo XVII, acerca de la incertidumbre (...) compartida, integradas dentro del marco general proporcionado por la teoría contractualista del economista y filósofo contemporáneo Robert Sugden. (shrink)

No presente artigo se apresenta uma análise do conceito marxiano de força de trabalho como uma categoria, um referente ideal geral de natureza teórica, cuja elaboração por Marx potencialmente faculta o rastreamento de traços essenciais para a compreensão crítica do caráter particular assumido pela individualidade nos contornos das formas de sociabilidade do capital. Nesse sentido, a discussão dos textos marxianos, bem como de obras de outros autores que abordam o tema ou questões conexas a este, tem como objetivo enumerar analiticamente, (...) de modo indiciário, as determinações que fazem da força de trabalho livre individual existente como mercadoria do capital uma verdadeira protoforma ou “paradigma” da individuação a partir da modernidade. Para tanto serão tratados quatro conjuntos conceituais, vetores da trajetória desse tipo histórico de elaboração social da individualidade, conforme pode se depreender do estudo das obras de Marx aqui abordadas: 1) a força de trabalho como Daseinsform do capital e força de sua produção; 2) o modo particular de alienação da força de trabalho (Veräußerung); 3) o caráter complexo do “objeto” do qual o capital se apropria; e 4) a relação que o indivíduo tem consigo mesmo como proprietário privado de força de trabalho. (shrink)

v. 1. Introducción a la teología moral. La conciencia moral -- v. 2. La violencia, el amor y la sexualidad -- v. 3. Etica y religión.

The essay examines Thomas Hill Green’s idealistic reading of Aristotle’s Metaphysics and De anima, starting from his “monopsychist” view of human understanding. His criticism of the Aristotelian notion of substance leads him to a recalibration of hylomorphism and a “noetization” of matter, which could be seen as an averroizing move. Green holds that there is only one “Eternal Consciousness” and that the individual thinking subjects are particular manifestations of it. As for Averroes’ unity of intellect, this idea derives from a (...) “left-wing” account of the potency of thought. But there are several other ontological, ethical, religious, and political consequences in making potency something essentially spiritual. The comparison between the two philosophers could help to throw light on the ‘obscure’ conception of “Eternal Consciousness”. (shrink)

Resumen: Este artículo pretende mostrar cómo Ortega y Gasset propone una ética vocacional, heroica y deportiva contra, por una parte, el idealismo abstracto y universalista de Kant y, por otra, contra el nihilismo ético de la época de las masas, que acaba en un positivismo utilitarista y en desorientación. Esa ética orteguiana presenta además un carácter humanista mundano, alejado de todo trascendentalismo y fundado sobre la autoilustración del sujeto. De esta forma, el sujeto puede ser dueño y señor de sí (...) mismo para libremente poder gobernar su existencia y dirigirla hacia la realización del sí mismo. Según Ortega y Gasset, oír la vocación que nos llama a ser nosotros mismos es lo que caracteriza al sujeto moral, o sea, al héroe moral. ‘Llegar a ser uno mismo’ es el concepto que Ortega y Gasset propone para rellenar el hueco que ha dejado en el alma europea la muerte de dios anunciada por Nietzsche. Abstract: This article aims to show how Ortega y Gasset proposes a vocational, heroic and sportive ethic against, on the one hand, Kant's abstract and universalist idealism and, on the other hand, against the ethical nihilism of the era of the masses, which ends in utilitarian positivism and disorientation. This orteguian ethics also presents a mundane humanist character, far removed from all transcendentalism, and founded on the self-clarification of the subject. In this way, the subject can be lord and master of oneself to freely govern his existence and direct it toward the realization of the self. According to Ortega y Gasset, to hear vocation that calls us to be ourselves is what characterizes the moral subject, that is, the moral hero. ‘To become oneself’ is the concept that Ortega y Gasset proposes to fill the gap left by God’s death announced by Nietzsche in the European soul. (shrink)

In the so-called digital culture, there is a constant presence of radical transformations on the cognitive and affective dimensions of the relations established among teachers and students. Upon this ubiquitous accessibility of information, the very historical and hierarchically verticalized relation between teachers and students has been increasingly questioned. Upon this situation, the authors in this article aim at stating that the revitalization of concepts developed by Paulo Freire, mainly the ones discussed in the books: ‘Pedagogy of Hope’, that sought a (...) re-encounter with ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’, ‘Extension or Communication’ and ‘Pedagogy of Freedom’ became essential to understanding how the relationship between teachers and students can be mutually re-signified. In these times of digital culture, we argue that the revitalization of the critical thinking proposed by Freire is able to foment a dialogical communication both in the pedagogical link shared by teachers and students and in the transformation of information into substantially and ethically experienced concepts. Such substantial and ethical experiences are the ones able to attest that the pedagogy of hope and the pedagogy of freedom are possible, provided they are constituted with the students and not for them. (shrink)

We show that the complete first order theory of an MV algebra has equation image countable models unless the MV algebra is finitely valued. So, Vaught's Conjecture holds for all MV algebras except, possibly, for finitely valued ones. Additionally, we show that the complete theories of finitely valued MV algebras are equation image and that all ω-categorical complete theories of MV algebras are finitely axiomatizable and decidable. As a final result we prove that the free algebra on countably many generators (...) of any locally finite variety of MV algebras is ω-categorical. (shrink)

This article integrates previously missing components of government quality into the governance-piracy nexus in exploring governance mechanisms by which global obligations for the treatment of IPRs are effectively transmitted from international to the national level in the battle against piracy. It assesses the best governance tools in the fight against piracy and upholding of intellectual property rights (IPRs). The instrumentality of IPR laws (treaties) in tackling piracy through good governance mechanisms is also examined. Findings demonstrate that: (1) while all governance (...) tools under consideration significantly decrease the incidence of piracy, corruption-control is the most effective weapon; (2) but for voice and accountability, political stability and democracy, IPR laws (treaties) are instrumental in tackling piracy through government quality dynamics of rule of law, regulation quality, government effectiveness, corruption-control, and press freedom. Hence, the need for a policy approach most conducive to expanding development is to implement an integrated system of both IPRs and corollary good governance policies. Moreover, our findings support the relevance of good governance measures in developing countries wishing to complement their emerging IPR regimes. (shrink)

Our economic system, the market economy, is a part of a broader system or “society.” We frequently study the operation of the market economy as if it were autonomous, even though there are many complex and mutual relationships between society, the economic system and the other systems – political, cultural, religious, legal, etc. – that form part of society. In a market economy we may identify several components: a frame or background in which the economic activity takes place, a set (...) of ideas and theories, the values shared by this society, the set of institutions, norms and rules that control the economic behavior of people, and the incentives or motivations of the economic agents. The play of these elements defines the operation of a market economy. Is ethics an institution, or does it belong to the set of values and ideas? In this paper I will discuss the role of institutions, norms and rules in society, with special reference to the economic system, in order to gain insight into the relationship between institutions and ethics. I study first the concept and features of social institutions and norms; second, institutional change, and third, the relationship between ethics and institutions. (shrink)

A cabal organização técnica do mundo corresponde à era da metafísica consumada –como a viu Heidegger, mas não Habermas– e à instrumentalização do pensamento que automatiza a existência humana, tornando-a inteiramente dependente do cálculo que move a disponibilização de tudo em conformidade com a vontade de poder da “armação”. A tecnificação da vida, com os constrangimentos que derivam da rigidez de sua própria lógica, não se apresenta como mero produto ou desdobramento de necessidades naturais do humano tornado “sujeito” da técnica. (...) A esse respeito, a metafísica do humanismo –e seu braço operativo, a ciência moderna enquanto tecnociência– consiste na antropologia da determinação técnica do mundo pela volição humana. (shrink)

After a short description of the major sociological theories based on the concept of risk (Douglas, Beck, Luhmann, Giddens) I propose to integrate the concept of risk with the concept of trust. On a less theoretical level I propose to consider governance as the institutional response to the growing complexity of the risk society. Above all, network governance – that is institutional steering based on a high community participation – seems to give good results in the field of health care (...) policies, as has been shown in the Emilia-Romagna area (Italy). (shrink)

Any analysis of the Hippocratic anthropology must begin by taking a stand on two quite different issues. On the one hand, it must ascertain a precise and definite meaning of the word ‘Hippocratic’ in such a context, considering the historical problems surrounding the 'real' Hippocrates and the doctrinal heterogeneity of the Hippocratic collection. On the other hand, it must justify the very possibility of an anthropology within the Hippocratic tradition, by accommodating it with the obvious animadversion that its most representative (...) works show towards any philosophical or speculative inquiry. The first problem can be solved by purely historical means, viz. by restricting the object of analysis to the texts that admittedly represent the views of the Hippocratic school. Not so with the second one, which constitutes the truesignificant problem from a philosophical point of view and with which the present article is therefore concerned. After discussing the texts where the question on the nature of man is posed, a general survey of the Hippocratic conception of the theoretical and scientific foundations of clinical practice is given, in order to understand the Statement according to which it is to medicine, and not to philosophy, that an answer to such a question truly belongs. From such a survey a thesis arises: that, according to the Hippocratic perspective, the appropriate answer to the question on the nature of man is not the one that seeks to determine what man is, even by means of the empirical methods of medicine, but the one that reshapes the question itself, thereby replacing the philosophical focus on the knowing of man, for the sake of knowledge, by the clinical focus on the caring of man, for the sake of man himself. (shrink)

Joseph E. Stiglitz, premio Nóbel de Economía, ha sostenido que la Guerra de Irak es «Una guerra que no ha tenido más que dos vencedores: las compañías petrolíferas y los contratistas de defensa». A su vez Jay Hanson, cita a Robert Constanza quien señala: «En los años 50, los productores de petróleo descubrieron 50 barriles de petróleo por cada barril invertido en perforación y bombeo. Hoy, la cifra es de aproximadamente cinco barriles por cada uno gastado en obtenerlos. Hacia el (...) año 2005, es.. (shrink)

I offer a skeptical reading of Saul Kripke’s “A Puzzle about Belief.” I maintain that Kripke formulates a skeptical paradox about belief that is analogous to the skeptical paradox about meaning and rule-following that, according to Kripke, Wittgenstein formulates in his Philosophical Investigations.