This article presents an account of temporal understanding in Mandarin Chinese. Aspectual, lexical, and adverbial information, and pragmatic principles all contribute to the interpretation of temporal location. Aspectual viewpoint and situation type give information in the absence of explicit temporal forms. The main, default pattern of interpretation is deictic. The pragmatic principles are the Bounded Event Constraint, the Simplicity Principle of Interpretation, and the Temporal Schema Principle. Lexical and adverbial information can lead to non-default interpretations. Two other temporal patterns, narrative (...) dynamism and anaphora, appear in text passages that realize the 'discourse modes' of narrative and description. (shrink)

This article proposes an explanation of the way information about time is conveyed in Navajo.1 We assume that all sentences have a temporal interpretation, direct or indirect. We have two main purposes in this article. The first is to discuss temporal interpretation in this Athabaskan language. The Navajo temporal system, which is varied, has not yet been described in detail. Further, the language allows sentences without explicit temporal information. In such sentences temporal interpretation is indirect - arrived at by inference. (...) We outline the principles underlying the default inferences. Our second purpose is to show that a few general principles of temporal interpretation, which hold for some other languages, apply very nicely to Navajo. The principles include semantic rules for 1 interpreting explicit expressions about time, and pragmatic principles for inferring temporal location indirectly. The applicability of these principles to Navajo is a satisfying though unsurprising result; but it is worth working out explicitly. The temporal system of Navajo offers a future verb inflection, temporal particles, and temporal adverbs. Although a well-formed sentence need not have any of these forms, speakers consistently agree on temporal interpretation. To account for these facts, we must consider sentences with and without direct temporal information. In this article we propose semantic and pragmatic principles that account for both types of cases. The temporal interpretation of all sentences is deictically based. For sentences without direct temporal forms, aspectual information allows the inference of temporal location. We propose three general pragmatic principles to account for this, which we call temporal interpretation: the Deictic Principle, the Bounded Event Constraint, and a Simplicity Principle. The key factor in temporal inference is boundedness, direct or inferred. To arrive at the inference of boundedness we use the Temporal Schema Principle, a special case of the simplicity principle.. (shrink)

The only obligatory temporal expression in English is tense, yet Hans Reichenbach (1947) has argued convincingly that the simplest sentence is understood in terms of three temporal notions. Additional possibilities for a simple sentence are limited: English sentences have one time adverbial each. It is not immediately clear how to resolve these matters, that is, how (if at all) Reichenbach's account can be reconciled with the facts of English. This paper attempts to show that they can be reconciled, and presents (...) an analysis of temporal specification that is based directly on Reichenbach's account.Part I is devoted to a study of the way the three times—speech time, reference time, event time—are realized and interpreted. The relevant syntactic structures and their interaction and interpretation are examined in detail. Part II discusses how a grammar should deal with time specification, and proposes a set of interpretive rules. The study offers an analysis of simple sentences, sentences with complements, and habitual sentences. It is shown that tense and adverbials function differently, depending on the structure in which they appear. The temporal system is relational: the orientation and values of temporal expressions are not fixed, but their relational values are consistent. This consistency allows the statement of principles of interpretation. (shrink)

Philosophers of perception have been readier to postulate the existence of a visual field than to acknowledge sensory fields in other modalities. In this paper, I argue that the set of phenomenal features that philosophers have relied on when positing a visual field aptly characterise, mutatis mutandis, bodily sensation. I argue, in particular, that in localised bodily sensations we experience the body as a sensory field. I first motivate this claim for the case of haptic touch, and then generalise it (...) to other kinds of bodily sensation. I demonstrate the theoretical fruitfulness of this notion of a bodily field for the debate on the phenomenology of bodily ownership. (shrink)

As a result of recent corporate scandals, several rules have focused on the role played by Boards of Directors on the planning and monitoring of corporate codes of ethics. In theory, outside directors are in a better position than insiders to protect and further the interests of all stakeholders because of their experience and their sense of moral and legal obligations. Female directors also tend to be more sensitive to ethics according to several past studies which explain this affirmation by (...) early gender socialization, the fact that women are thought to place a greater emphasis on harmonious relations and the fact that men and women use different ethical frameworks in their judgments. The goal of this paper is to determine the influence of these characteristics of the Board in terms of promoting and hindering the creation of a code of ethics. Our findings show that a greater number of female directors does not necessarily lead to more ethical companies. Moreover, within Europe as a continent, board ownership leads to an entrenchment of upper-level management, generating a divergence between the ethical interests of owners and managers. In light of this situation, the presence of independent directors is necessary to reduce such conflicts. (shrink)

Despite the fact that natural language has always been one of the most important resources for the study of ontology, many authors continue to regard it as a deceptive guide to the inquiry into what there is. The notion of natural language as a trap is carried over into contemporary metaontological studies, which typically reject natural language as ontologically committing. From a deflationary perspective, this paper aims to argue that ontological commitment occurs in natural languages, with implications for the linguistic (...) relativity hypothesis. To this end, a view based on naturalized epistemology and other aspects of Quine’s philosophy is presented. The perspective of Natural Language Ontology proposed by Moltmann is also introduced, with the goal of offering a new approach that allows a specific analysis of the ontological commitments of natural languages. While Moltmann herself indicates some motivations for this, its potential attractiveness for the study of linguistic relativity will be emphasized here. Finally, it will be suggested that there may be a linguistic bias around the proposed criteria of ontological commitment. (shrink)

Dysmenorrhea, or menstrual pain, is regularly suffered by 45 to 95% of menstruating women. Despite its prevalence, and despite the philosophical importance of pain as a general phenomenon, dysmenorrhea has been all but completely overlooked in contemporary analytic philosophy of mind. This paper aims at rectifying this situation. We single out three properties of what is often considered the paradigmatic case of painful experience, what we call injury-centered pains, and argue that dysmenorrhea does not have any of them, and hence (...) that it does not neatly conform to the injury-centered model of pain. This calls into question the centrality of the injury-centered model, and suggests novel research avenues within theoretical debates on affectivity. (shrink)

Experientialism about the sense of bodily ownership is the view that there is something it is like to feel a body as one’s own. In this paper I argue for a particular experientialist thesis. I first present a puzzle about the relation between bodily awareness and self-consciousness, and introduce a somewhat underappreciated view on the sense of bodily ownership, Implicit Reflexivity, that points us in the right direction as to how to address this puzzle. I argue that Implicit Reflexivity, however, (...) does not provide a full solution to the puzzle. I then introduce a novel view on the sense of bodily ownership that inherits a central tenet, Reflexivity, from the above view, without having its flaws. According to Reflexivity, the sense of bodily ownership consists in the reflexive character of bodily sensations, namely in the fact that bodily sensations have experience-dependent properties as part of their content. Cashed out this way, Reflexivity is an attractive way of explicating the notion that bodily sensations are experiences of the body as subject. Reflexivity also highlights a central, but so far neglected, connection between the sense of bodily ownership and the sense of experience ownership. (shrink)

In this paper, we intend to offer an interpretation about the explanation of the (relative) idea of pure substance in general on John Locke’s philosophy, from Thomas Reid’s notion of ‘natural suggestion’. To achieve this aim, after contextualizing Locke’s notion of pure substance in general and distinguishing it from the idea of particular substance (section 1), we explicit that Locke’s words about the source of the idea of the former in the mind (either empirical or rational) are ambiguous and inconclusive (...) (section 2). Then, we argue that the parallels between this idea and that of ‘relation’, as well as of ‘power’ do not assist in that answer, due to some problems we identify on them (section 3). Finally, we argue that the Reidian explanation for the source of the idea of ‘mind’, from the notion of ‘natural suggestion’ allows us to i) avoid those problems and ii) inasmuch as, according to this interpretation, the idea of pure substance in general would have an empirical source, Lockian empiricism would remain intact (section 4). (shrink)

Este artículo reseña: Damián J. ROSANOVICH, Hegel y el Iusnaturalismo Moderno, Guillermo Escolar, Madrid, 2021, 315 pp.

El presente artículo se inscribe en el ámbito de la teoría política contemporánea pretendiendo indicar a Louis Althusser como un autor clave para la interrogación sobre la política en la actualidad. Se propone una revisión de la lectura althusseriana de Maquiavelo que permita esbozar dos puntos a desarrollar de manera preliminar. En primer lugar, responder a la pregunta sobre el por qué de la recurrencia al fiorentino por parte del filósofo comunista. Se sostendrá que la lectura de Maquiavelo sobredetermina la (...) intervención teórica de Althusser incorporando ‘nuevos’ temas y reactualizando ‘viejos’ interrogantes del althusserianismo. De modo que una lectura como esta permitiría recuperar de una manera específica cierto legado del autor. En segundo lugar, por medio del tratamiento de la problemática del comienzo en política en sus condiciones de imposibilidad -entre la eterna repetición de lo mismo y la absoluta contingencia por venir-, se señalará que lo que el autor encuentra frente a Maquiavelo es la posibilidad de una expansión del potencial de sentido de la política frente a quienes pretenden reducirla en su concepto y sus efectos. Producto de este análisis se señalará hasta qué punto la interrogación de Althusser por la política puede ser inscripta en un horizonte teórico posfundacional. (shrink)

La carta Placuit Deo es un documento preciso e iluminador para presentar una comprensión cristiana de la salvación. Se destacan sólo algunos aspectos, pero se explican en un conjunto que ofrece el esquema fundamental para una soteriología. En el documento aparecen contenidos básicos y criterios orientativos para una reflexión sobre la salvación.

The syntactic domain of tense is the clause: tense appears in some form in every clause of a tensed language. Semantic interpretation of tense requires information from context, however. This has been clear at least since Partee's 1984 demonstration of the anaphoric properties of tense. In this talk I will show that the facts about context are quite complex, perhaps more so than has been appreciated. There are three patterns of tense interpretation, depending on the type of discourse context in (...) which a clause appears. I will introduce the notion of discourse mode to account for the different types of context.1 I offer an interpretation of tense in Discourse Representation Theory, a framework which is organized to deal with information from the context. I also show that a syntactically based theory can handle contextually-based tense interpretation. In §1 I set out the basic analysis of tense and show how it applies to sentences in isolation. §2 discusses types of discourse context and patterns of tense interpretation; §3 considers the formal analysis of tense; §4 concludes with a summary and a prediction about temporal interpretation in tenseless languages. (shrink)

Looking at verb structure across a spectrum of languages, one wonders anew how languages can be so different and yet so much the same. Ken Hale's work suggests some answers to this classic question in linguistics; the discussion that follows is intended as a contribution in the same direction.

Este artículo es teórico y se desarrolla desde la perspectiva de la epistemología y la Filosofía de la Educación, centrándose en la educación superior. Está estructurado en tres epígrafes: el primero muestra algunos criterios teóricos en torno a la ambigüedad; el segundo es un acercamiento al decurso de la categoría tecnología y a la imprecisión en su empleo teórico; y el tercero aborda la categoría tecnología educativa y la ambigüedad que existe en ella y en su utilización, así como algunas (...) de sus causas. El objetivo es analizar la ambigüedad en la categoría tecnología educativa. La metodología utilizada es la documental, consistente en el estudio crítico de textos. Los principales resultados son: conformación de ideas generales en torno a los estudios teóricos acerca de la ambigüedad; elaboración teórica, desde una perspectiva epistemológica, en torno a la ambigüedad en las categorías tecnología y tecnología educativa. Se puede decir que en torno a la ambigüedad se ha desplegado una mirada positiva, pero no ha borrado su carga negativa; la ambigüedad no es consustancial a la categoría tecnología, se debe a la ampliación extraordinaria de su definición; en la categoría tecnología educativa está presente la ambigüedad propia de la categoría tecnología además de la que le aporta el adjetivo educativo. (shrink)

How is temporal information conveyed in language? In languages with tense it is direct; without tense, inference allows the receiver to arrive at an indirect temporal interpretation. I will discuss tensed and tenseless languages, proposing a unified approach that applies to both. I show that a few very general pragmatic principles account for temporal interpretation, direct and indirect.1 I assume that understanding a sentence requires that the receiver locate an event or state, spatially and temporally: time is one of the (...) basic coordinates for truth conditional assessment. Sentences in all languages convey information that allows us to determine the temporal location of the situation expressed. One would like to understand how this happens. The pragmatic principles that I suggest constrain direct temporal interpretation and guide indirect. In languages with tense, tense gives direct temporal information; however certain apparent possibilities do not arise, due to the pragmatic constraints. In languages without tense, inference allows temporal interpretation. The key point in such languages.. (shrink)

This paper presents a view on bodily IEM by describing, first, the structure that grounds need to have in order to yield IEM judgments, and then arguing that somatosensation has this structure. I make my case by presenting an analysis of the sense of bodily ownership. According to this analysis, there is a substantive explanatory relationship between bodily self-consciousness and psychological self-consciousness. I argue that one central virtue of this approach to bodily self-consciousness is that, not only does it help (...) explain bodily IEM, but it also sheds some light on the fact that both psychological and bodily self-ascriptions are subject to analysis in IEM terms, despite their differences. (shrink)

English Title: "The ethical and educative potential of Kathinka Evers's proactive epigensis" Resumen: La profesora Kathinka Evers es una de las coordinadoras del área filosófica relativa a la conciencia del Human Brain Project (HBP). Basándose en trabajos de neurociencia, biología y filosofía, su propuesta de epigénesis proactiva mantiene que existe una simbiogénesis cultural inevitable, en la que el ser humano está influido en su carácter y comportamiento por los genes de la misma forma en que con sus acciones y su (...) comportamiento puede influir a la larga en las variaciones genéticas de generaciones posteriores. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar su propuesta para dar cuenta de la importancia de la ética y la educación en el seno de la cultura, frente a las visiones más reduccionistas y materialistas de la neuroética. Abstract: Professor Kathinka Evers is one of the coordinators of the philosophy area concerning consciousness of the Human Brain Project (HBP). Based on works in neuroscience, biology and philosophy, her proactive epigenesis proposal maintains that there is an inevitable cultural symbiogenesis in which genes have influence on human character and behavior in the same way as human actions and behavior can influence genetic variations in subsequent generations. The aim of this paper is to analyze this proposal in order to account for the importance of ethics and education in culture, and opposing more materialistic and reductionist views of neuroethics. Palabras clave: epigénesis proactiva, simbiogénesis cultural, neuroética, ética. Keywords: proactive epigenesis, cultural simbiogenesis, neuroethics, ethics. (shrink)

In this paper, I present an interpretation about the meaning of value judgements (moral and aesthetic) in the philosophy of David Hume. I state that although they are essentially descriptive of a fact (a sentiment that any spectator placed in the disinterested point of view can feel), these judgements also express a particular sentiment, at least in some cases. To achieve this aim, after introducing the questions and interpretative possibilities approached (section 1), I explain the interpretations called expressivist (mainly, its (...) projectivist subtype, commonly called ‘error theory’) and descriptivist (and its subtypes, called subjectivist and causalist), as well as the problems of accepting each one of them univocally (respectively, sections 2 and 3). Then, I argue in favor of an hybrid or conciliating interpretation according to which Hume’s philosophy is better understood as a form of descriptivism, while preserving an expressivist feature, based on the possibility of solving those problems (section 4). (shrink)

O presente texto propõe-se examinar, à luz da interpretação de Luiz Roberto Monzani, as relações entre o princípio de ligação de ideias apresentado no Ensaio sobre a origem dos conhecimentos humanos (1746) e o de prazer estabelecido no Tratado das sensações (1754) de modo a, por um lado, problematizar se este realmente substitui o primeiro na fundamentação do pensamento de Condillac ou se, como defendemos, ambos se complementam; por outro, considerar as consequências do anterior para a concepção de sujeito.

Partiendo de Homero, se emprende una lectura de ciertas tragedias de Sófocles y de Eurípides. Alcestis muere por la belleza; Medea se queda en el aire; la casa se ha corrompido y la pólis ha caído enferma. Para implantar el nuevo proyecto político y apostar con determinación por la igualdad ciudadana, la pólis debía contener el llanto y reprimir las lágrimas por los parientes muertos, lo cual exigía contener y reprimir a las mujeres. Este ensayo intenta comprender en qué sentido (...) la ruptura que define ese proyecto esboza caminos que la pólis misma no está dispuesta a seguir: la erosión de la confianza, la pérdida de la comunidad o la separación de lo ‘económico’; tal como le recuerdan justamente las mujeres. (shrink)

El retorno de Odiseo no solo implica que el misterio del bosque ya ha empezado a aclararse; que monstruos y gigantes han sido dominados y vencidos; que la bruja ya se ha desembrujado y se ha tomado la medida al elemento sin medida que es el mar; más fundamental incluso es el hecho de que la Odisea identifique su retorno con el proyecto de apertura interna de la casa, así como con la génesis de dos esferas secundarias o derivadas: la (...) esfera de la representación «artística» y la esfera del «pensamiento», la «mente» o la «interioridad». La visión de la Odisea da vueltas en torno a la cuestión de en qué sentido todos los hallazgos, toda la frescura y la capacidad inventiva del personaje terriblemente sabio no solo son a la vez, e inseparablemente, crímenes y transgresiones; también son pérdidas irreparables y definitivas. Quizá la Odisea no tenga ese «final feliz» que se supone a veces; quizá el viaje o camino de Odiseo es en el fondo un viaje o camino sin retorno. (shrink)