"El estudio critico no presenta resumen".

In de Ronde and Massri it was argued against the orthodox definition of quantum entanglement in terms of pure and separable states. In this paper we attempt to discuss how the logos categorical approach to quantum mechanics is able to provide an objective formal account of the notion of entanglement—completely independent of both purity and separability—in terms of the potential coding of intensive relations and effective relations. We will show how our novel redefinition allows us to provide an anschaulich content (...) to the notion of entanglement, erasing in this way the “spookiness” still present within its orthodox understanding in terms of space-time separated collapse particles. (shrink)

In the literature on enculturation—the thesis according to which higher cognitive capacities result from transformations in the brain driven by culture—numerical cognition is often cited as an example. A consequence of the enculturation account for numerical cognition is that individuals cannot acquire numerical competence if a symbolic system for numbers is not available in their cultural environment. This poses a problem for the explanation of the historical origins of numerical concepts and symbols. When a numeral system had not been created (...) yet, people did not have the opportunity to acquire number concepts. But, if people did not have number concepts, how could they ever create a symbolic system for numbers? Here I propose an account of the invention of symbolic systems for numbers by anumeric people in the remote past that is compatible with the enculturation thesis. I suggest that symbols for numbers and number concepts may have emerged at the same time through the re-semantification of words whose meanings were originally non-numerical. (shrink)

Recent breakthroughs in stem cell differentiation and reprogramming suggest that functional human gametes could soon be created in vitro. While the ethical debate on the uses of in vitro generated gametes (IVG) was originally constrained by the fact that they could be derived only from embryonic stem cell lines, the advent of somatic cell reprogramming, with the possibility to easily derive human induced pluripotent stem cells from any individual, affords now a major leap in the feasibility of IVG derivation and (...) in the scope of their potential applications. In this paper we develop an ethical framework, rooted in recent scientific evidence, to support a robust experimental pipeline that could enable the first-in-human use of IVG. We then apply this framework to the following objectives: (1) a clarification of the genetic parenting options afforded by IVG, along with their ethical underpinnings; (2) a defence of the use of IVG to remedy infertility, broadening their scope to same-sex couples; (3) an assessment of the most far-reaching implications of IVG for multiplex parenting. These include, first, the liberation of parenting roles from the constraints of biological generations in vivo, allowing multiple individuals to engage in genetic parenting together, thus blurring the distinction between biological and social generations. Second, we discuss the conflation of IVG with sequencing technology and its implications for the possibility that prospective parents may choose among a hitherto unprecedented number of potential children. In view of these perspectives, we argue that, contrary to the exhausted paradigm according to which society lags behind science, IVG may represent instead a salient and most visible instance where biotechnological ingenuity could be used in pursuit of social experimentation. (shrink)

Anti-exceptionalists about logic claim that logical methodology is not different from scientific methodology when it comes to theory choice. Two anti-exceptionalist accounts of theory choice in logic are abductivism and predictivism. These accounts have in common reliance on pre-theoretical logical intuitions for the assessment of candidate logical theories. In this paper, I investigate whether intuitions can provide what abductivism and predictivism want from them and conclude that they do not. As an alternative to these approaches, I propose a Carnapian view (...) on logical theorizing according to which logical theories do not simply account for pre-theoretical intuitions, but rather improve on them. In this account, logical theories are ameliorative, rather than representational. (shrink)

O objetivo deste artigo é o de explorar as relações entre psicologia, metafísica e literatura, a partir do exame do Ensaio sobre os dados imediatos da consciência; mais exatamente, a partir da compreensão dos "sentimentos profundos", que representa, no Ensaio, o momento privilegiado para apreender a estrutura temporal da consciência. Porém, o presente estudo não abordará unicamente o texto de Bergson, suas descrições dos sentimentos profundos (como as emoções estéticas e morais), o que muito provavelmente seria repetitivo. O uso de (...) um exemplo extraído da própria literatura (no caso, o romance Grande sertão: veredas, de Guimarães Rosa) será imprescindível aqui para compreender a possibilidade de uma descrição qualitativa do "fluxo da consciência", revelando sua estrutura temporal. A partir disso, espera-se determinar com um pouco mais de clareza as interações entre psicologia, metafísica e literatura, na filosofia de Bergson. This paper aims to explore the relation between psychology, metaphysics and literature, through an examination of Bergon's Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness, or, more precisely, through the description of "deep feelings", which represent in the Essay a privileged moment for understanding the temporal structure of consciousness. However, this study will not be restricted only to Bergson's text and its descriptions of deep feelings (such as aesthetic and moral emotions), which would probably be repetitive. Instead, we shall use a work of literature (Guimarães Rosa's novel, Grande sertão: veredas) to exemplify the possibility of a qualitative description of "stream of consciousness", revealing its temporal structure. We hope in this way to clarify the interaction between psychology, metaphysics and literature in the philosophy of Bergson. (shrink)

Pretende-se situar os momentos determinantes que dão sustentação à proposta de Levinas, elaborada ao longo de sua leitura de Heidegger, no sentido de romper com o pensamento do ser e propor um pensamento do Outro. A leitura de Levinas, como se pretende demonstrar, é atravessada, desde o seu início, pelo fio condutor de uma problematização da pretendida abertura para fora de si mesmo, na qual o Dasein heideggeriano quer se afirmar para além de toda autoconfirmação inerente às filosofias da consciência. (...) PALAVRAS-CHAVE – Alteridade. Dasein. Heidegger. Levinas. ABSTRACT This article seeks to situate the decisive moments that support Levinas’s proposal, elaborated throughout his reading of Heidegger, insofar as it breaks away from the thought of Being and proposes a thought of the Other. Levinas’s reading, it is argued, is marked from the beginning by the leading motif of a problematization of the supposed openness out of itself, in which the Heideggerian Dasein claims to affirm itself beyond all self-confirmation inherent in philosophies of consciousness. KEY WORDS – Alterity. Dasein. Heidegger. Levinas. (shrink)

O propósito do presente artigo é analisar o conceito de paz em Rousseau. Para atingir tal objetivo, é preciso ter presente três aspectos imprescindíveis de desenvolvimento: primeiro, o contexto do século XVI e século XVII a partir de dois questionamentos centrais desta época: o crescimento da desigualdade entre os seres humanos e a legitimidade do absolutismo político; segundo, a proposta de paz à Europa elaborada por Abbé de Saint-Pierre; terceiro, o projeto de paz articulado por Rousseau para a Europa.

Normal 0 21 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 O que se pretende examinar com este estudo é a relaçáo visivelmente polêmica que Bergson estabelece, desde seus primeiros trabalhos, com a psicologia de seu tempo. Trata-se, mais exatamente, de investigar a denúncia bergsoniana dos problemas metodológicos presentes na pesquisa científica em psicologia, em particular na psicofísica do século XIX. Ao acompanhar a argumentaçáo crítica do autor, espera-se determinar as intenções filosóficas que animaram semelhante polêmica, bem como compreender o valor teórico das formulações (...) de Bergson. (shrink)

In this paper, we argue that a rich phenomenological description of ?sweet tension? is an important step to understanding how and why sport is a meaningful human endeavour. We introduce the phenomenological concepts of intersubjectivity and horizon and elaborate how they inform the study and understanding of human experience. In the process, we establish that intersubjectivity is always embodied, developing and ethically committed. Likewise, we establish that our horizons are experienced from an embodied, developing and ethically committed perspective that serves (...) as the possibility for new intersubjective engagement. What follows is a discussion of the explanatory role of intersubjectivity and horizon in elucidating experiences of sweet tension in and through sport. The phenomenological account of sweet tension provides insights into the significance of our sporting experiences. Indeed, taking phenomenology seriously represents a commitment to descriptively elucidate what makes such experiences of sport significant and why we long for them. Recognising that sweet tension is a form of intersubjective horizon opens up new avenues for addressing ethical issues in sport as well as in crafting well-balanced games. (shrink)

In this paper I argue that some human reproductive genome editing interventions can be therapeutic in nature, and thus that it is false that all such interventions just create healthy individuals. I do this by showing that the conditions established by a therapy definition are met by certain reproductive genome editing interventions. I then defend this position against two objections: (a) reproductive genome editing interventions do not attain one of the two conditions for something to be a therapy, and (b) (...) some reproductive genome editing interventions are therapeutic but in a nonstandard way. In the Conclusion I call for a more nuanced discussion of the nature of reproductive genome editing interventions. (shrink)

In this paper, we argue that lesbian couples who wish to have children who are genetically related to both of them should be allowed access to mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs). First, we provide a brief explanation of mitochondrial diseases and MRTs. We then present the reasons why MRTs are not, by nature, therapeutic. The upshot of the view that MRTs are non-therapeutic techniques is that their therapeutic potential cannot be invoked for restricting their use only to those cases where a (...) mitochondrial DNA disease could be ‘cured’. We then argue that a positive case for MRTs is justified by an appeal to reproductive freedom, and that the criteria to access these techniques should hence be extended to include lesbian couples who wish to share genetic parenthood. Finally, we consider a potential objection to our argument: that the desire to have genetically related kin is not a morally sufficient reason to allow lesbian couples to access MRTs. (shrink)

The text addresses Foucault’s critical understanding of neoliberalism as a new contemporary governmentality strategy for the conduction of people’s lives. A major aspect of Foucault’s analysis of neoliberalism relies on his understanding of the neoliberal homo oeconomicus as dependent on subjectivation processes related to self-assumed values and standards oriented by the competitive economic market. Our hypothesis is that governmentality, critique and subjectivation are the core notions that shaped Foucault’s understanding of neoliberalism and form the legacy of his seminal analysis. Contrary (...) to critics who affirm that Foucault flirted or even became fascinated with neoliberalism, we argue that he offered critical tools for its understanding in a critique that is not to be confused with denunciation, however. Accordingly, we discuss Foucault’s conception of critique and relate his analysis of neoliberalism to his notions of governmentality and subjectivation. Finally, we briefly point out how some contemporary critics of the neoliberal order have appropriated and developed Foucault’s conceptual tools in their own understanding of it. We conclude that although Foucault did not propose a comprehensive theory of neoliberalism, he offered important critical insights for the understanding of it in our times. (shrink)

Cultural diversity is an inescapable reality and a concern in many businesses where it can often raise ethical questions and dilemmas. This paper aims to offer suggestions to certain problems facing managers in dealing with cultural diversity through the inspiration of Thomas Aquinas. Although he may be perceived as a voice from the distant past, we can still find in his writings helpful and original ideas and criteria. He welcomes cultural differences as a part of the perfection of the universe. (...) His systemic approach leads one to place the problem in its proper context, and to reflect on it from the perspective of virtue ethics, with a central role for practical wisdom and giving primacy to neighborly love and natural moral law. Rather than a set of rigid standards with no consideration of diversity Aquinas focuses on the common human ground, which allows for the indispensable dialogue between different positions. When dealing with practical questions, the problem is one of finding the right balance between general principle and cultural specifics, tolerance, and dialogue, always guided by practical wisdom. In this way, Aquinas’ approach is neither rigid ethical universalism with no consideration for diversity nor moral relativism with no place for any transcultural and absolute morals. (shrink)

This paper examines whether there are moral differences between the mitochondrial replacement techniques that have been recently developed in order to help women afflicted by mitochondrial DNA diseases to have genetically related children absent such conditions: maternal spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer. Firstly, it examines whether there is a moral difference between MST and PNT in terms of the divide between somatic interventions and germline interventions. Secondly, it considers whether PNT and MST are morally distinct under a therapy/creation optic. Finally, (...) it investigates whether there is a moral difference between MST and PNT from a human embryo destruction point of view. I conclude, contra recent arguments, that regarding the first two points there is no moral differences between PNT and MST; and that regarding the third one MST is morally preferable to PNT, but only if we hold a gradualist account of the moral value of human embryos where zygotes have slight moral value. (shrink)

In this paper we attempt to discuss what has Kochen-Specker theorem to say about physical invariance and quantum individuality. In particular, we will discuss the impossibility of making reference to objective physical properties within the orthodox formalism of quantum mechanics. Through an analysis of the meaning of physical invariance and quantum contextuality we will derive a Corollary to KS theorem that proves that a vector in Hilbert space cannot be interpreted coherently as an object possessing physical properties. As a consequence, (...) the notion of quantum object can be only defined in terms of nomological properties. We conclude the paper by analyzing the consequences of this Corollary to KS theorem for the ongoing debate about quantum individuality. (shrink)

Conhecido pela sua defesa da sociedade aberta, Karl Popper inseriu no seu pensamento uma atitude de combate ao historicismo, identificado como a raiz dos totalitarismos ao longo da história do Ocidente. Propôs também uma forma de intervenção na sociedade que estaria atrelada a essa conduta, a engenharia social parcelar. Essas noções podem ser contextualizadas a partir de um dos debates da filosofia contemporânea, a dicotomia moralismo político x realismo político. Considerando as premissas que dão origem ao debate, percebe-se que os (...) conceitos popperianos dialogam com a corrente realista. (shrink)

This study delved into the Senior High School Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) track in Bohol Province for the 2022-2023 school year, aiming to evaluate policy implementation, recognize barriers, and propose interventions. Employing a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative-descriptive surveys and qualitative-descriptive research methods as recommended by Creswell and Plano Clark (2017), the findings unveiled a predominantly positive perception of policy implementation across various dimensions of the TVL track. These encompass curriculum development, teacher training, resource allocation, industry partnerships, assessment and evaluation, student support services, (...) monitoring and quality assurance, policy adaptation and improvement, stakeholder engagement, legal framework and compliance, data collection and analysis, and inclusivity and equity. Despite variations among teachers and administrators, a general commitment to policy implementation emerged. The study identified barriers in curriculum and instruction, readiness and preparedness, resource limitations, and teaching and learning, emphasizing evidence-based strategies and interdisciplinary approaches to surmount challenges. It underscores the crucial role of research and policy development in elevating the quality and efficacy of TVL education. (shrink)

Pretendemos neste artigo apresentar uma aproximação crítica com relação à filosofia desenvolvida pelos chamados megáricos, em face sobretudo da figura de Euclides de Mégara como representante e líder dessa linhagem de pensamento. O enfoque será feito tendo em vista o tipo de filosofia exposta e praticada por Euclides, a partir das acusações que contra ela se fizeram denunciando-a como pura erística, ou seja, a disputa e o debate entre discursos com o único objetivo de obter vitória na argumentação. O que (...) se constata em Euclides é a defesa da prática do debate com a finalidade de mostrar que o discurso é incapaz de dar conta da realidade, de um modo geral, e assim impossível de determinar, de um modo específico, o Ser e a Unidade que são a essência daquilo que organiza e move todas as coisas. Essa essência de ordem é desejável por ser boa, e o Bem se apresenta, assim, como fundamento da realidade. Os estudos sobre a tradição megárica dividem-se entre a influência dos eleatas e a influência de Sócrates. Faremos, desse modo, a defesa de que a filosofia de Euclides está afinada com o socratismo, conjugando de um modo exemplar aquilo que os eleatas haviam definido em relação ao Ser. (shrink)

Book reviews: NOGUEIRA, Paulo Augusto de Souza. Religião e linguagem: abordagens teóricas interdisciplinares. São Paulo: Paulus, 2015. 446 p.. ISBN 978-85-349-4187-7.

We argue that the notion of pure sate within Standard Quantum Mechanics is presently applied within the specialized literature in relation to two mutually inconsistent definitions. While the first provides a basis-dependent definition which makes reference to the certain prediction of measurement outcomes, the latter provides a purely abstract invariant definition which lacks operational content. In this work we derive a theorem which exposes the serious inconsistencies existent within these two incompatible definitions of purity.

In response to the COVID‐19 pandemic philosophers and governments have proposed scarce resource allocation guidelines. Their purpose is to advise healthcare professionals on how to ethically allocate scarce medical resources. One challenging feature of the pandemic has been the large numbers of patients needing mechanical ventilatory support. Guidelines have paradigmatically focused on the question of what doctors should do if they have fewer ventilators than patients who need respiratory support: which patient should get the ventilator? There is, however, an important (...) higher level allocation problem. Namely, how are we to ethically distribute newly obtained ventilators across hospitals: which hospital should get the ventilator(s)? In this paper, we identify a set of principles for allocating newly obtained ventilators across hospitals. We focus particularly on low and middle income countries, who frequently have limited pre‐existing intensive care capacity, and have needed to source additional ventilators. We first provide some background. Second, we argue that the main population healthcare aim during the COVID‐19 pandemic should be to save the most lives. Next, we assess a series of potential heuristics or principles that could be used to guide allocation: allocation to the most densely populated cities, random allocation, allocation based on the ratio of patients to ICU personnel, prioritisation in terms of intrahospital mortality, prioritisation of younger populations, and prioritisation in terms of population mortality. We conclude by providing a plausible ranking of the principles, while noting a number of epistemological challenges, in terms of how they best further the aim of increasing the probability of saving the most lives. (shrink)

News about the first baby born after a mitochondrial replacement technique (MRT; specifically maternal spindle transfer) broke on September 27, 2016 and, in a matter of hours, went global. Of special interest was the fact that the mitochondrial replacement procedure happened in Mexico. One of the scientists behind this world first was quoted as having said that he and his team went to Mexico to carry out the procedure because, in Mexico, there are no rules. In this paper, we explore (...) Mexico's rule of law in relation to mitochondrial replacement techniques and show that, in fact, certain instances of MRTs are prohibited at the federal level and others are prohibited at the state level. According to our interpretation of the law, the scientists behind this first successful MRT procedure broke federal regulations regarding assisted fertilization research. (shrink)

Meu objetivo aqui é o de abordar os escritos iniciais de Wittgenstein com base na tradição do misticismo filosófico. O benefício de minha leitura se deve ao fato de permitir uma certa clarificação no que tange a determinadas passagens obscuras, além de trazer à tona perspectivas inexploradas concernentes ao período inicial do autor; fase esta que, em minha opinião, ainda requer um nível de escrutínio adicional.Entendo que especialmente no caso do Tractatus, Wittgenstein não incida no místico por conta de uma (...) limitação da perquirição lógico-linguística relacionada a determinadas regiões do conhecimento, pelo contrário. Irei sugerir que a aplicação da lógica ocorre com o propósito de estabelecer o escopo do místico. Portanto, o que proporei em seguida é a tentativa de desenvolvimento de uma “interpretação mística” emrelação aos escritos iniciais do autor.AbstractMy goal here is to approach Wittgenstein’s initial writings based on the tradition of philosophical mysticism. The benefit of my reading is that it will allow some clarification in regard to obscure passages and still unexplored perspectives concerning this initial period which, in my opinion, still require additional scrutiny. As I see it, especially when it comes to the Tractatus, Wittgenstein does not “arrive” at the mystical due to the failure of a logical-linguistic inquiry/analysis related to certain realms of knowledge, on the contrary. I will make a case for supposing that the application of logic occurs with the purpose of establishing the scope of the mystical. Therefore, what I propose here is an attempt to develop a “mystical interpretation” of the initial writings of the author. (shrink)

Several objections against the morality of researching or employing mitochondrial replacement techniques have been advanced recently. In this paper, I examine three of these objections and show that they are found wanting. First I examine whether mitochondrial replacement techniques, research and clinical practice, should not be carried out because of possible harms to egg donors. Next I assess whether mitochondrial replacement techniques should be banned because they could affect the study of genealogical ancestry. Finally, I examine the claim that mitochondrial (...) replacement techniques are not transferring mitochondrial DNA but nuclear DNA, and that this should be prohibited on ethical grounds. (shrink)

Although from a philosophical perspective, many reflections can be brought up about the theorizing process, in this essay, we aim to reflect on the importance of the alignment between ontology and epistemology. This is particularly relevant because deeper discussions about the philosophical roots that underlay the theorizing processes remain as a lack in organizational and management studies. To support our work, we adopted the epistemic-ontological alignment model as a conceptual tool and the Resource-Based View (RBV) and some of its questionings (...) as an example to carry out a reflection exercise about its epistemic-ontological alignment. RBV is a theory that plays a prominent role in management studies, especially in the strategy field. Nevertheless, discussions regarding RBV philosophical foundations are not common in the mainstream of strategic management. After our analysis, we advise that scholars care about the philosophical roots of their theoretical proposals to promote constructive dialogue in their research communities. This can avoid empty discussions and criticisms based on incongruous worldviews. Our reflections also suggest that future research should embrace the plurality of paradigms as a source of renewal and transcendence in the production of knowledge. A multi-paradigmatic movement towards more eclecticism in Administrative Science can help produce new and underexploited combinations of knowledge in the theorizing process. (shrink)

El artículo estudia la emergencia de testimonios de torturados durante la dictadura militar y posteriormente de testimonios de víctimas de abusos sexuales y de conciencia por parte de sacerdotes chilenos, postulando que estamos frente un nuevo tipo de testimonio que emerge de situaciones de violencia. La pesquisa realiza un análisis semiótico de estos relatos estudiando axiomas que caracterizan este tipo de texto sosteniendo que estos textos poseen una relevancia epistémica y teológica esencial para la superación de la crisis eclesial.

In this essay, I explore the question concerning truthmakers for attributions of memory of events, which I express with the schema “S remembers E”. To answer this question, I distinguish remembering in the descriptive sense, which is based on subjective experience, from remembering in the normative sense, which requires some correspondence with actual past events. As a method of approaching attributions of memory, I will use the method of cases. Based on this method, I address the metaphysical problem of the (...) past as the ontological foundation of present truths about memories. This approach, in turn, leads us to a critical analysis of Aristotle's solution, which focuses on the mode of consideration of a mental image. I conclude that while the Aristotelian approach offers valuable insights, a contemporary theory of truthmakers for memory attributions must incorporate elements of the philosophy of memory in order to adequately address the complexities of memory attributions. (shrink)

O problema da corporalidade em Leibniz se vincula necessariamente à discussão sobre o estatuto da matéria em uma Metafísica cuja base são as mônadas imateriais. Veremos que, neste contexto, o material deverá ser fenomênico, mas nem por isso ilusório. O objetivo deste trabalho é mostrar como o campo fenomênico, cujo caso exemplar é o corpo, pode ganhar um suporte metafísico e racionalmente justificado, constituindo o que Leibniz chama de fenômenos bem fundados. Para tal, deverá ser feito um exame cuidadoso da (...) natureza das Forças no pensamento leibniziano e de como elas apresentam o vínculo procurado entre Física e Metafísica. Leibniz on Phenomenon and CorporalityThe problem of corporality in Leibniz is necessarily attached to the discussion on the nature of matter in a Metaphysics whose basis are the immaterial monads. We will see that, in this context, although the material must be phenomenic, it is not necessarily ilusory. The aim of this paper is to show how the phenomenic domain, whose exemplar case is the body, may be metaphysically founded and rationally justifyed, constituting what Leibniz calls well founded phenomena. In order to do it, it is necessary to examine Leibniz's conception of the nature of the Forces and how they could present the link between Physics and Metaphysics. (shrink)

El presente artículo se propone analizar el par conceptual “privatismo civil / politización de la sociedad”. El objetivo es cuestionar si una de las formas concretas que adoptan hoy los procesos de repolitización de la sociedad civil, a saber, el llamado politainment y la sentimentalización del relato político, constituye o no una superación del privatismo civil. Para ello reconstruiremos primero la aparición del privatismo civil en el capitalismo tardío. En segundo lugar, analizaremos el surgimiento de esa conciencia ciudadana participativa que (...) tiene su germen en los movimientos sociales de protesta postmaterialistas de finales de los sesenta. En tercer lugar, estudiaremos los procesos de sentimentalización y espectacularización del relato político. Sobre la base de este recorrido, en último lugar argumentaremos en contra de la tesis de una superación del privatismo civil. (shrink)

Reseña de Cortina Orts, Adela 2013, ¿Para qué sirve realmente la ética?, Barcelona: Paidós. ISBN 978-84-493-2877-0, 184 páginas.

El objetivo de este artículo es defender que la pragmática transcendental ofrece la fundamentación normativa de la teoría crítica como teoría de la acción comunicativa. Para ello se expondrá en primer lugar el problema de la normatividad en la Teoría Crítica de la sociedad. Tras describir la forma que adquiere esta teoría tras el giro lingüístico operado por Jürgen Habermas, se reconstruirán en tercer lugar los elementos fundamentales de la pragmática transcendental apeliana y habermasiana. En cuarto y último lugar se (...) mostrará que este modelo constituye la fundamentación normativa de la nueva teoría crítica. The aim of this paper is to argue that transcendental pragmatics constitutes the normative foundation of critical theory, understood as theory of communicative action. To that end, the issue of normativity within Critical Theory discussions is first exposed. After describing the form this theory takes from the linguistic turn carried out by Jürgen Habermas, key elements of Karl Otto Apel´s and Jürgen Habermas´ transcendental pragmatics are thirdly reconstructed. Fourth paragraph shows that this model operates as the normative foundation of the new critical theory. (shrink)

Some Comments on de Melo-Martin and Harris.

This paper is about the role of self-knowledge in the cognitive life of a virtuous knower. The main idea is that it is hard to know ourselves because introspection is an unreliable epistemic source, and reason can be a source of insidious forms of self-deception. Nevertheless, our epistemic situation is such that an epistemically responsible agent must be constantly looking for a better understanding of her own character traits and beliefs, under the risk of jeopardizing her own status as a (...) knower, ruining her own intellectual life. (shrink)

In a recent publication Tom Douglas and Katrien Devolder have proposed a new account of genetic parenthood, building on the work of Heidi Mertes. Douglas and Devolder’s account aims to solve, among other things, the question of who are the genetic parents of an individual created through somatic cell nuclear transfer (i.e. cloning): (a) the nuclear DNA provider or (b) the progenitors of the nuclear DNA provider. Such a question cannot be answered by simply appealing to the folk account of (...) genetic parenthood, according to which the genetic parents of an individual are those individuals who produced the egg and sperm, respectively, which fused to create the embryo. It cannot be so as in cloning there is no fertilization as such. In this article I critically examine Douglas and Devolder’s new account of genetic parenthood and demonstrate that it is vulnerable to counterexamples that exploit the lack of a condition specifying that genetic parents should cause a child’s coming into existence. (shrink)

Los últimos avances de la ciencia invitan a pensar en la posibilidad práctica del transhumanismo. Pero quizá es pertinente estudiar una pregunta a la que todavía ni la ciencia ni la filosofía han sabido dar respuesta. En concreto, la naturaleza de la consciencia fenoménica de Ned Block o del concepto de vigilancia de Stanislas Dehaene. Pese a los últimos avances en neurociencia y en inteligencia artificial, seguimos sin pistas para responder a la pregunta del problema fuerte de la consciencia de (...) David Chalmers, del como y por qué estamos aquí. Somos capaces de discriminar de que información somos conscientes, pero no hemos conseguido averiguar por qué somos conscientes o como se genera esa consciencia. El problema es mas grave de lo que parece, ya que no somos capaces de medir, definir ni replicar la consciencia fenoménica. Sin medición, si el objeto de estudio es subjetivo y cualitativo, no se puede aplicar el método científico. Luego, pese a que podríamos replicar la información de nuestro cerebro en un artefacto mecánico, nada garantiza que nuestra consciencia fenoménica se replique ahí, ya que no podemos medir la consciencia fenoménica. Este artefacto hecho a imitación nuestra podría no ser mas que un zombie filosófico, en palabras de David Chalmers, un ser sin consciencia fenoménica, un ser sin alma. Ante esta realidad, cabe preguntarnos: ¿es seguro explorar la alternativa de trascender en un sistema independiente de nuestro cerebro biológico, como un ordenador, sino tenemos ninguna herramienta para medir si ese sistema puede ser consciente de si mismo o producir consciencia fenoménica como un epifenómeno? Si la respuesta, como se defiende en este trabajo, es negativa, una alternativa mas segura para el transhumanismo es explorar la ingeniería genética, los implantes artificiales o embeber el cerebro en sistemas artificiales. (shrink)

The Olympic Games and the soccer World Cup are large international mega-events that demonstrate how highly valued sport is around the world. However, alongside the celebrations of sporting excellences is the opportunity to reflect upon and criticize the International Olympic Committee, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, and the host cities for ethical concerns that often accompany these events. One recent example is FIFA’s decision to ban women’s soccer players from wearing hijabs. Yet the IOC has encoded in its own (...) charter ethical and axiological mandates that it terms Olympism. This Olympic philosophy can be fruitfully understood as an intersubjective moral approach to sport and sport governance. So conceived, it can be used to gain clarity on FIFA’s decision, both in terms of its ethical decision-making process and its conclusions. While FIFA recently lifted the ban, concerns about the process are still evident. (shrink)

In this paper we introduce the great innovation that takes place in the XIIth century in relation to individual responsibility; this novelty is analyzed in contraposition to what happened in previous centuries of the Early Middle Ages. The main source used are the Penitential Books, specially the one by Alan of Lille.

What kind of discourse is likely to build up constitutional norms? How do legal-philosophical insights get along with competing political claims? This book presents the main conclusions from the CITC (Congreso Internacional de Teoria Constitucional) in Cordoba, Argentina. While addressing the very foundations of Constitutional Law, leading scholars from Europe and America got together to debate legal and political issues which impinge upon institutional design and polity assessment, political representation and rights protection. Not to mention other vexing challenges such as (...) the proper latitude of judicial review, the threatening phenomena of untamed emergency powers and the current international dimension of supra-national state-building. Beyond governance and human rights discourse, the core content of this book is concentrated on shedding some light on which theoretical and/or political conditions could better stand and give shelter to civil obedience and constitutional patriotism. (shrink)

In this work I present a detailed critique of the dignity-related arguments that have been advanced against the creation of human–nonhuman chimeras that could possess human-like mental capacities. My main claim is that the arguments so far advanced are incapable of grounding a principled objection against the creation of such creatures. I conclude that these arguments have one, or more, of the following problems: they confuse the ethical assessment of the creation of chimeras with the ethical assessment of how such (...) creatures would be treated in specific contexts, they misrepresent how a being could be treated solely as means towards others’ ends, they fall short of demonstrating how humanity’s dignity would be violated by the creation of such entities, and they fail to properly characterise the moral responsibilities that moral agents have towards other moral agents and sentient beings. (shrink)

Mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs) are a new group of biotechnologies that aim to aid women whose eggs have disease-causing deleteriously mutated mitochondria to have genetically related healthy children. These techniques have also been used to aid women with poor oocyte quality and poor embryonic development, to have genetically related children. Remarkably, MRTs create humans with DNA from three sources: nuclear DNA from the intending mother and father, and mitochondrial DNA from the egg donor. In a recent publication Françoise Baylis argued (...) that MRTs are detrimental for genealogical research via mitochondrial DNA because they would obscure the lines of individual descent. In this paper, I argue that MRTs do not obscure genealogical research, but rather that MRT-conceived children can have two mitochondrial lineages. I argue for this position by showing that MRTs are reproductive in nature and, thus, they create genealogy. (shrink)

Children created through mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs) are commonly presented as possessing 50% of their mother’s nuclear DNA, 50% of their father’s nuclear DNA and the mitochondrial DNA of an egg donor. This lab-engineered genetic composition has prompted two questions: Do children who are the product of an MRT procedure have threegeneticparents? And, do MRT egg donors have parental responsibilities for the children created? In this paper, I address the second question and in doing so I also address the first (...) one. First, I present a brief account of mitochondrial diseases and MRTs. Second, I examine how MRTs affect the numerical identity of eggs and zygotes. Third, I investigate two genetic accounts of parenthood and MRT egg donation. Fourth, I explore three causal accounts of parenthood and MRT egg donation. My conclusion is that, under the appropriate circumstances, MRT egg donors are parentally responsible for the children created under genetic accounts of parenthood and under causal accounts of parenthood. (shrink)

Neste artigo apresentamos, de forma concisa e em português, alguns elementos-chave dos principais debates contemporâneos na filosofia da memória. Nosso principal objetivo é tornar essas discussões mais acessíveis aos leitores de língua portuguesa, fornecendo uma atualização importante para esforços anteriores (Sant’Anna & Michaelian, 2019a). Começamos introduzindo a noção de viagem no tempo mental, a qual estabelece a base empírica para a metodologia empregada em trabalhos recentes, antes de apresentar dois debates centrais. Primeiro, o debate entre causalistas e simulacionistas sobre a (...) teoria da lembrança filosoficamente correta (§2). Segundo, o debate entre continuístas e descontinuístas sobre a relação entre lembrança episódica e certas formas de imaginação (em particular, o pensamento episódico acerca do futuro) (§3). Na segunda parte do artigo, apresentamos e exploramos dois tópicos de discussão crescente: a natureza do sentimento de passado característico da memória episódica (§4) e questões de meta-nível relativas ao próprio caráter das controvérsias exploradas na primeira parte do artigo (§5). (shrink)