In GS, Nietzsche utters for the first time the paradoxical formula that sums up a good deal of his ethical thought: "What does your conscience say?—'You should become who you are'".1 The paradox, of course, lies in the odd juxtaposition of becoming and being: how can one become what one already is? Nietzsche repeats the formula toward the end of the original edition of GS, connecting it explicitly to the idea of self-creation: "We, however, want to become who we are—human (...) beings who are new, unique, incomparable, who give themselves laws, who create themselves!". What exactly such self-creation involves for Nietzsche, how it relates to "who we are," and whether it ultimately coheres as a... (shrink)

The formation of the moral point of view in Bernard Williams’ work might be understood as taking place between two central concepts: the individual and the community. It is through the tension between these two poles that some form of knowledge is acquired. In Williams’ work, the individual virtue takes the name of authenticity, and the communitarian knowledge is, importantly, ethical confidence. A philosophical peer of Williams, Alasdair MacIntyre, has dealt with the same question, although in very different ways. They (...) are usually taken to be philosophical rivals in many respects, especially regarding their political views, their views on religion and their thoughts on Aristotle. But if we look deeper into their claims, we should discover that not only do they have similar ethical concerns, as their responses to those concerns are not, in essence, as different as they seem. My purpose with this paper, however, is not to deny the important differences between the two philosophers, but rather to make conspicuous Williams’ demanding ideas on the formation of the moral point of view by (1) connecting significant portions of his work and (2) contrasting his ideas with that of a philosophical “rival,” namely by interpreting MacIntyre’s own declarations on Williams’ work. It will stand out that both philosophers’ motivation to do ethics is to grant an equilibrium between the individual conscience and the moral knowledge that is acquired within a community. (shrink)

The integration of artificial intelligence into bioethics education represents a new pedagogical approach that addresses complex moral issues in healthcare. The use of AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT in bioethics education can enhance critical thinking and decision-making skills among students by providing a diverse range of perspectives and solutions. To assess the ability of ChatGPT-4 to understand and resolve ethical dilemmas using validated clinical case vignettes, thereby determining its suitability as a teaching aid in bioethics. Ten clinical scenarios, each with inherent (...) ethical issues, were presented to ChatGPT-4. These scenarios were expert-validated to ensure relevance and complexity. ChatGPT's responses were evaluated by two blinded external raters to eliminate bias. The assessment criteria included identification of bioethical principles, recognition of stakeholders and their outcomes, and comprehension of ethical and legal frameworks. Additionally, the quality of responses was scored on a scale of 1–10. ChatGPT showed proficiency in identifying the pertinent bioethical principles and stakeholders involved in the ethical dilemmas presented. It achieved an overall score of 84.5%, with high marks for its analytical capabilities in complex scenarios. However, the study identified areas for improvement, particularly in proposing comprehensive solutions and alternative actions. ChatGPT demonstrates potential as an effective tool for bioethics education, capable of guiding learners through the resolution of ethical issues in clinical practice. However, to fully integrate ChatGPT into bioethics education, it requires enhancements in delivering detailed, actionable guidance in ethical decision-making. Future development should focus on refining ChatGPT’s ability to offer nuanced solutions aligned with patient values and clinician needs. (shrink)

In this paper we give a rather detailed algebraic investigation of interpolation and Beth’s property in propositional many-valued logics extending Hájek’s Basic Logic [P. Hájek, Metamathematics of Fuzzy Logic, Kluwer, 1998], and we connect such properties with amalgamation and strong amalgamation in the corresponding varieties of algebras. It turns out that, while the most interesting extensions of in the language of have deductive interpolation, very few of them have Beth’s property or Craig interpolation. Thus in the last part of the (...) paper we look for conservative extensions of having such properties. (shrink)

The attribution of De vocatione omnium gentium to Prosper of Aquitaine, from the 17th century, has been the object of multiple debates, the results of whichare consolidated in the introduction to the critical edition of the tractate found in CSEL 97 (OAW 2009) in which the manuscript tradition was represented by a forked crest. The editors have considered the variae lectiones as errors, which differentiate two lines of transmission, not incorporated into the text of the edition. The variae lectiones, however, (...) according to the claims of Franco Gori, would be due, rather, to the intentional and intelligent interventions of a proofreader or an editor, perhaps by the author himself. (shrink)

Receptor oligomerization plays a key role in maintaining genome stability and restricting protein mutagenesis. When properly folded, protein monomers assemble as oligomeric receptors and interact with environmental ligands. In a gene-centered view, the ligand specificity expressed by these receptors is assumed to be causally predetermined by the cell genome. However, this mechanism does not fully explain how differentiated cells have come to express specific receptor repertoires and which combinatorial codes have been explored to activate their associated signaling pathways. It is (...) our contention that the plasma membrane acts as the locus where several contextual cues may be integrated. As such it allows the semiotic selection of those receptor configurations that provide cells with the minimum essential requirements for agency. The occurrence of protein misfolding makes it impossible for receptor monomers to assemble along the membrane and to sustain meaningful relationships with environmental ligands. How could a cell lineage deal with these loss-of-function mutations during evolution and restrain gene redundancy accordingly? In this paper, we will be arguing that the easiest way for bacteria clones to accomplish this goal is by getting rid of cells expressing mutated receptor proteins. The mechanism sustaining this cell selection is also occurring in many somatic tissues and its function is currently believed to counteract in vivo protein mutagenesis. Our discussion will be mainly focused on the significance and semiotic nature of the interplay between membrane receptors and the epigenetic control of gene expression, as mediated by the control of mismatched repairing and protein folding mechanisms. (shrink)

Zusammenfassung Die Gebundenheit einer Gottheit an einen Ort oder an eine Stadt stellt eines der wichtigsten und am wenigsten erforschten Elemente der klassischen Religion dar. Im Rahmen des Nachdenkens über das Wesen Gottes im philosophischen und literarischen Diskurs der Spätantike werden die traditionellen Gottheiten häufig gemäß dem plotinianischen Modell als Emanationen und Manifestationen eines höchsten göttlichen Wesens betrachtet. Auch Symmachos teilte diese Ansicht und fasste die Gebundenheit der göttlichen Wesen an einen Ort als von der divina mens gewollt auf. Diese (...) Vorstellung wird im Rahmen seiner bekannten dritten relatio geäußert, als der Rhetor die Dea Roma in Gestalt einer alten und schutzflehenden Frau vor dem Kaiser auftreten lässt, die ihn bittet die Ausübung der traditionellen Riten zu erlauben, welche Rom die Gunst der Götter sicherte. Diese unkonventionelle Darstellung der Dea Roma, die einen Bruch mit der herkömmlichen Ikonographie der Göttin darstellt, ist nicht zufällig: Hiermit konnte der Rhetor metaphorisch den Status der Stadt, die vom Kaiser verlassen und vernachlässigt wurde, zur Sprache bringen. (shrink)

A partire dal riepilogo per fasi temporali distinte delle vicende dell’architettura italiana del Novecento si propone in queste note un’interpretazione del suo ultimo trentennio. Si tratta di un periodo particolarmente importante, situato tra la fine del “secolo breve” e l’inizio del nuovo, nel quale l’eredità moderna si confronta in Italia, come in altri paesi, con tematiche contemporanee. Tale eredità dà vita a una molteplicità talmente accentuata di orientamenti da risultare a volte difficilmente decifrabile nelle intenzioni che esprime e nei risultati (...) conseguiti. Qualche paragrafo del testo è stato dedicato a illustrare la singolarità teorica e operativa dell’architettura italiana, soprattutto per ciò che concerne il suo rapporto con la modernità. Un rapporto contrattato più volte, sulla base di alcune condizioni ritenute essenziali, che appare ancora oggi incompleto e controverso. Tornando al trentennio in esame lo si è diviso in tre stagioni, identificate sia da logiche interne all’architettura italiana sia da fenomeni e da avvenimenti esterni. Esso vede il dibattito disciplinare confrontarsi con alcune nuove situazioni che lo stanno modificando in profondità. La rivoluzione digitale, la globalizzazione, il primato della tecnica, la presenza degli specialismi, la pressione mediatica, la prevalenza del presente, la sostenibilità definiscono nel loro insieme un campo problematico quanto mai complesso e contradditorio. La cultura architettonica italiana reagisce a questa condizione dividendosi tra il rifletterla e il contrastarla. Nell’analisi di questo periodo si è cercato non tanto di esporre opinioni e giudizi su ciò che è stato sintetizzato, quanto di costruire un elenco di temi e di motivi il più possibile completo che mettesse il lettore in grado di formulare liberamente alcune possibili ipotesi interpretative riguardanti un arco temporale denso di elementi di notevole interesse storico e critico. (shrink)

The egg behaves as a prospective cell sustaining the developmental processes of the future embryo. In biosemiotic terms, this apparent teleonomic behaviour can be accounted for without referring to the exclusive causal role played by its genetic makeup. We envision two different processes that are uniquely found in the oocyte: (1) the first involves the mechanisms by which large amounts of mRNA accumulate in the ooplasm to establish the embryo axes prior to fertilization; (2) the second involves transfer of an (...) excess of maternally supplied ribosomes to the oocyte to provide the future embryo with newly synthesized proteins. In this paper, we argue that the information required to sustain embryonic development is not due to any physical properties of the zygotic DNA and the maternal mRNAs, but to their spatially and temporally ordered relationship in the zygote’s internal space. (shrink)

Alessandro Capone Franco Lo Piparo Marco Carapezza Editors Perspectives on Pragmatics and Philosophy Perspectives in Pragmatics, Philosophy & Psychology Volume 1 Editor-in-Cheif Alessandro. Perspectives in Pragmatics, Philosophy ...

In this paper we continue the study of the theories IΔ n+1 (T), initiated in [7]. We focus on the quantifier complexity of these fragments and theirs (non)finite axiomatization. A characterization is obtained for the class of theories such that IΔ n+1 (T) is Π n+2 –axiomatizable. In particular, IΔ n+1 (IΔ n+1 ) gives an axiomatization of Th Π n+2 (IΔ n+1 ) and is not finitely axiomatizable. This fact relates the fragment IΔ n+1 (IΔ n+1 ) to induction (...) rule for Δ n+1 –formulas. Our arguments, involving a construction due to R. Kaye (see [9]), provide proofs of Parsons’ conservativeness theorem (see [16]) and (a weak version) of a result of L.D. Beklemishev on unnested applications of induction rules for Π n+2 and Δ n+1 formulas (see [2]). (shrink)

La Teoría estética de Adorno es uno de los más logrados intentos por llevar el arte moderno a su concepto. Su punto de partida es el reconocimiento del carácter social del hecho estético así como la resistencia del arte moderno respecto de cualquier finalidad social. Este doble carácter (de hecho social y autonomía) constituye al arte como un elemento crítico al interior de lo social, con lo que el intento de conceptualización toma la deriva de la crítica social. La naturaleza (...) de la crítica estética hace que el arte medie entre lo social y la utopía. (shrink)

Book review of Marie Boas Hall, Henry Oldenburg: Shaping the Royal Society (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), pp. xii + 369.

Revision de tesis ¿La escritura de Dios o el autor disuelto? Hacia una crítica de la antropología posmoderna para pensar el pasado reciente por P. D. Franco Häntzsch.

Estudio bibliográfico de: / A Bibliographical Study of: D.P. Verene, Vico e il mondo anglosassone (1995); Gustavo Costa, Vico e I'Europa. Contro la boria delle nazioni (1996); Aniello Montano, Storia e convenzione. Vico contro Hobbes. (1996); E. Grassi, Arte e mito (1996); AA.VV., Studi in memoria di Ernesto Grassi, Emilio Hidalgo-Serna & Massimo Marassi eds. (1996).

We prove that the sets of standard tautologies of predicate Product Logic and of predicate Basic Logic, as well as the set of standard-satisfiable formulas of predicate Basic Logic are not arithmetical, thus finding a rather satisfactory solution to three problems proposed by Hájek in [H01].