Machine consciousness is not only a technological challenge, but a new way to approach scientific and theoretical issues which have not yet received a satisfactory solution from AI and robotics. We outline the foundations and the objectives of machine consciousness from the standpoint of building a conscious robot.

En la Psicología, las emociones que más se han estudiado son las emociones negativas, llamadas así porque generan una experiencia desagradable. Las más importantes son la ansiedad (ante situaciones de amenaza), la ira o enfado (ante un daño o perjuicio), y la tristeza (precursora de la depresión, se produce ante situaciones de pérdida).

The ‘bat and ball’ is one of the problems most frequently employed as a testbed for research on the dual-system hypothesis of reasoning. Frederick (J Econ Perspect 19:25–42, 2005) is the first to envisage the possibility that different numerical arrangements of the ‘bat and ball’ problem could lead to different dynamics of activation of the dual-system, and so to different performances of subjects in task accomplishment. This possibility has triggered a strand of research oriented to accomplish ‘sensitivity analyses’ of the (...) ‘bat and ball’ problem. The scope of this paper is to test experimentally the specific hypothesis that numerals are responsible for the selective activation of the two systems of reasoning in this task. In particular, we argue that their role goes beyond and cannot be reduced to that of numbers conceived as magnitudes. To test our hypothesis, we devise an experimental setting in which the role of numbers (as magnitudes) is rendered irrelevant. We find experimental results consistent with our hypothesis. We further provide a link between the literature on mathematical problem-solving and that on mathematical cognition research, in particular that branch labeled embodied mathematical cognition. (shrink)

Este volumen recoge las ponencias, comunicaciones y coloquios que se ofrecieron en la última reunión organizada por la Asociación Interdisciplinar “José de Acosta” (ASINJA). El tema vertebrador, como indica el título, es el sentido del hombre en el Universo. La toma de conciencia de sí mismo y del Universo en el que se encuentra inmerso, hacen platearse al hombre una serie de preguntas sobre el sentido de las cosas, o sobre el por qué y el para qué de la propia (...) exitencia humana. Estas misma preguntas centran los estudios contenidos en este libro. (shrink)

La biología sintética encierra un enorme potencial transformador de los organismos vivos, incluyendo en un futuro quizás no muy lejano la transformación del propio genoma humano. Son claras las conexiones que pueden establecerse entre este enorme potencial transformador y las pretensiones de los partidarios del biomejoramiento humano. La construcción de genomas completamente sintéticos puede cambiar de forma definitiva e irreversible aspectos fundamentales de la vida humana, quizás hasta el punto de dar lugar a un organismo que difiera de nuestra especie (...) como ahora nosotros podemos diferir de los grandes simios. En este artículo se discuten los principales pros y contras que ha suscitado este debate, señalando algunos de los presupuestos más problemáticos de las propuestas recientes sobre el biomejoramiento humano. (shrink)

The main purpose of this article is to identify the inner human activity Peirce calls musement with the mental processes that arise through the workings of the brain’s default mode network. This network is a specific, recently anatomically defined brain system, which is most active when individuals are not focused on the external environment. In doing so, musement, which was defined by Peirce over a hundred years ago, will finally be situated within what today we understand as its neurobiological origin.

O presente artigo busca apresentar a perspectiva educativa de Paulo Freire a partir da relação com o personalismo de Emmanuel Mounier. O ponto de destaque em tal relação é a visão da construção de uma educação pautada na autonomia e na abertura à comunidade, uma educação não meramente técnica, mas que seja capaz de preparar o ser humano para o fazer e para o ser. Esta educação, segundo Paulo Freire, não pode esquecer a importância do Protagonismo do educando no processo (...) educativo, deve ser fundamentada no diálogo e sempre aberta a refletir a vida concreta que se manifesta no ambiente onde o processo educativo está se desenvolvendo. (shrink)

This paper aims to introduce, in the context of Latin America, the theoretical epistemic discussion regarding the theme of the ‘common’ as a political principle which substantiates instituting and autonomous processes of government, control and community regulation. The work seeks to relate a democratic scenario of the ‘common’ with the discourses of pluralist and decolonial normativity, in a way that would guarantee not only horizontal communal self-management, but also a legitimate ordering of forms of life, founded on common interest, social (...) relations and interconnected structures. For this purpose the instrument of critical-socio-legal analysis is applied at the intersections with the ‘participative-communitary’ type of legal pluralism. Our proposal is to combine the contemporary meaning of the ‘common’, its relation to the Latin American principles of ‘buen vivir’ (living well) and ‘interculturalidade’ (interculturality), as well as the instituting practice of the ‘common’, that engenders a normativity built ‘from below’, which is in opposition to the traditional positivist and state legal system imposed through colonization in Latin America. Such achievements that, although formalized, are not being successful against institutional ruptures, have ‘cloistered’ the practices of the ‘common’ and made the existence of legal pluralism invisible. (shrink)

En primer lugar, el autor de este documento presenta superficialmente las nueve iglesias del Magreb y, a continuación, describe las características que definen la forma de concebir y vivir la misión eclesiástica. El documento termina con algunas sugerencias y una conclusión clara: el diálogo interreligioso no es opcional, sino inevitable.

The text discusses the theological concept of Christ the Savior, from an argumentative and systematic method. In this perspective, as part of the biblical text in order to clarify the principal said that evidence the saving act of Christ. Later, he develops a theological reading about these sayings, within the Christian theology and exegesis. Proceeds in an exercise to find the rational structure of the arguments discussed in an attempt to bring unity to the arguments and solidification. And he ends (...) with the route of the Church to announce and legitimize their interpretations of the truth of salvation in Christ. In short, this is an exercise in theological reflection that seeks to analyze and discuss the various meanings and understandings about the reality of Christ's saving and, moreover, point to some interpretations about its most fundamental mystery of salvation. (shrink)

Este artículo presenta una alternativa a la dicotomía entre razones motivacionales y razones normativas. En Practical Reality, Dancy mantiene que ambas razones se identifican con estados externos al agente--"tesis de la identidad" --. Hay dos argumentos en PR a favor de la TI: El primero se basa en una interpretación externista del significado de "tener una razón". El segundo presenta una vía indirecta, defendiendo que las adscripciones de razones según estados psicológicos internos no son casos centrales en las explicaciones normativas. (...) Estas dos críticas ignorarían una fuerte intuición normativa: el "acceso epistémico". Si ésta es persuasiva, los estados internos no pueden ser eliminables. /// This paper presents an alternative account to the dichotomy between normative and motivating reasons. In Practical Reality, Dancy argues that both types of reasons should be identified with external states of the agent--"identity thesis". There are two arguments in PR for the IT: one is based on an externalist interpretation of expressions like "A has a reason to x". The other is an indirect argument that claims that the ascription of reasons grounded on internal states cannot be central instances in normative explanations. Both arguments ignore a strong intuition: the "epistemic access". If this is a persuasive intuition, internal psychological states cannot be eliminated. (shrink)

Technological unemployment is a subset of historically recurring problems related to jobs in general and unemployment in particular, which are now of global importance. The typical difficulties of...

Ethical dilemmas raised by the use of nanotechnology in medical practice can be viewed from several perspectives: religious spiritualist perspective, the perspective of human dignity (nanotechnologies can be thought of as an affront to human dignity), the issue of controversial choice. The article aims to expose some bioethical dilemmas in using synthetic biology and nanotechnologies. Nowadays is often brought into discussion the fact it is possible to appear in the future new human species resulted not via natural selection and evolution, (...) but through the demiurgic effect of technology development in areas such as: synthetic biology, genetics, neurobiology and neurosciences, prosthesis technology and not least of artificial intelligence research. We will also refer into this paper at the possible raised challenges to ethicists who are oriented towards an ethics of species. Those challenges are raised right from the dawn of a consciousness of species, a social construction generated by changes of the meaning of belonging to humanity. During our article we argue that medical technology, especially genetics, medical assisted human reproduction and not least synthetic biology, require a rethinking ethical meanings of applying those technologies in everyday practices. (shrink)

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)