Os discursos repletos do signo da diversidade tornaram-se padrão dominante na publicidade contemporânea. Neste artigo, buscamos analisar como e porque a diversidade passou a ser um ativo simbólico na instância da comunicação de marcas e refletir sobre os possíveis impactos desta mudança. Realizamos um estudo documental, a partir da análise retórica de textos que orientam os profissionais de marketing e publicitários para o enfoque em campanhas inclusivas. Nestes discursos, buscamos encontrar as principais justificações – explícitas ou implícitas - para a (...) adesão à causa da diversidade. Para uma compreensão mais aprofundada do fenômeno, a análise empírica foi precedida de revisão teórica que desvelasse transformações mais amplas em diversos aspectos da sociedade contemporânea que afetam e reconfiguram o ecossistema de comunicação de marketing. Palavras-chave: marketing inclusivo; diversidade; publicidade de causa. (shrink)

The article explores a change taking place today in the fields of biology and social anthropology, signaling a shared desire to transcend the heuristic effects of the opposition between nature and culture. Acceptance of the idea that random mutations are the sole driving force behind the process of natural selection overlooks the agentive capacity of non-human living beings, revealing an anthropocentric inspiration. To critique the rhetoric surrounding the principle of natural selection, I turn to the anthropology of Tim Ingold and (...) his analysis of the metaphors that illustrate the principle. I disagree with the author, however, when he argues that these metaphors do not adequately illustrate neo-Darwinian premises. Instead, I believe that they are faithful since their apparent contradiction expresses the unease of neo-Darwinian theory itself when it combines randomness and teleology. New currents in biology, such as biosemiotics, attribute evolutionary importance to epigenetic changes. From the evolutionary perspective, they also highlight the importance of recognizing that the entire lived world possesses the capacity for agency, not just human beings. Within social anthropology, the so-called ontological turn and multispecies ethnography have been working with a new conception of the person, extendible to non-human beings, including the latter to compose a single collective with humans. Thus we can observe an attempt on the part of biologists and anthropologists alike to move beyond anthropocentrism, producer and product of the opposition between nature and culture. (shrink)

Nesta comunicação se pretende mostrar que há um entrelaçamento entre os escritos políticos de Nicolau Maquiavel e suas composições literárias, particularmente com sua comédia A Mandrágora.

Este artigo pretende analisar e entender os mecanismos envolvidos na servidão voluntária uma vez que essa disposição dos seres humanos em servir de modo gratuito faz com que não só se afastem do estado de natureza, de sua liberdade, mas também tolerem pacientemente os maus zelos tirânicos sendo assim, a partir de que surge tal voluntarismo servil e por que ele acontece de forma fácil? Serão os costumes que encaminham os homens a servir? Ou ainda, a servidão voluntária é resultado (...) de um acaso, o “mau encontro”? Ao mesmo tempo temos os admiradores do tirano, que visando exercerem a opressão ou ainda, visando tomarem o poder do seu senhor, fomentam no cotidiano humano a servidão gratuita. Iremos apresentar cada um destes momentos para que possamos chegar a um entendimento sobre a servidão voluntária nos baseando na obra de Étienne de La Boétie “O Discurso da Servidão Voluntária”. (shrink)

It is shown that a notion of natural place is possible within modern physics. For Aristotle, the elements—the primary components of the world—follow to their natural places in the absence of forces. On the other hand, in general relativity, the so-called Carter–Penrose diagrams offer a notion of end for objects along the geodesics. Then, the notion of natural place in Aristotelian physics has an analog in the notion of conformal infinities in general relativity.

This paper stems from the current global worsening of the scarcity of resources for healthcare, which will deepen even more in future public emergencies. This justifies strengthening the reflection on the allocation of resources which, in addition to considering technical issues, should also involve ethical concerns. The two plans in which the allocation of resources develops—macro and micro—are then systematized, both requiring the identification of ethical criteria for the respective complex decision-making. Then, we describe how the complexity at the macro (...) level focuses on the joint consideration of the rectitude of the principles, the goodness of the ends, and the integrity—respectively the deontological, teleological, and procedural perspectives; and at the micro level, it focuses in prioritizing people, which can result in the exclusion of some, as happened with the elderly during peaks of COVID-19. The main objective of this article is to show that, in public health emergency situations, in which the daily criteria for prioritizing access to health care are not efficient, it is possible not only to ration the available means but also to rationalize them. We argue that rationing and rationalization are different concepts, entail different consequences, have different ethical foundations, and draw different guidelines for patient care. We apply them to the distribution of intensive care and vaccines to the elderly thus demonstrating the ethically legitimate domain of implementation of each of these two prioritization criteria. We conclude that rationalization respects more strictly the core ethical principles of our common morality. (shrink)

The notion of “integrity” is currently quite common and broadly recognized as complex, mostly due to its recurring and diverse application in various distinct domains such as the physical, psychic or moral, the personal or professional, that of the human being or of the totality of beings. Nevertheless, its adjectivation imprints a specific meaning, as happens in the case of “scientific integrity”. This concept has been defined mostly by via negativa, by pointing out what goes against integrity, that is, through (...) the identification of its infringements, which has also not facilitated the elaboration of an overarching and consensual code of scientific integrity. In this context, it is deemed necessary to clarify the notion of “integrity”, first etymologically, recovering the original meaning of the term, and then in a specifically conceptual way, through the identification of the various meanings with which the term can be legitimately used, particularly in the domain of scientific research and innovation. These two steps are fundamental and indispensable for a forthcoming attempt at systematizing the requirements of “scientific integrity”. (shrink)

L’un des philosophes les plus importants de l’histoire, Friedrich Nietzsche, est presque ignoré par les physiciens. L’auteur qui a déclaré la mort de Dieu au xixe siècle était enthousiasmé par la science, principalement durant la deuxième partie de son œuvre. À l’aide de la notion physique de force, Nietzsche a créé son concept de volonté de puissance. En pensant à la conservation de l’énergie, le philosophe allemand a eu une certaine inspiration pour créer son concept de l’éternel retour. Dans cet (...) article, on souligne certaines influences de la physique sur Nietzsche et on discute de l’actualité de sa position épistémologique—le perspectivisme. À partir du concept de volonté de puissance, je propose que le perspectivisme conduise à l’interprétation où la physique et la science en général sont considérées comme un jeu. (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)

System analyses deal with interrelationships between different variables that keep the system in balance. In many analysis of complex thinking, a system is viewed as a complex unit in which the ‘whole’ is not reduced to the ‘sum’ of its parts; the system becomes an ambiguous item because it consists of several entities that interact with unforeseen results or, in other words, it is situated at a transdisciplinary level, it is impossible for an area to have a complete reading of (...) its complexity. It was also mentioned that the concept of the open system best describes complexity by stating that ‘the laws of the organization are not equilibrium, but an imbalance that is restored or compensated for by stabilized dynamics’. This idea originated from the field of thermodynamics and the second law, in which the imbalance that it maintains allows the system for an apparent balance. This fragile steady state has something of a paradox, since the structures remain the same, but their constituents are changeable. The concept of open system undoes the door to a theory of evolution that can only derive from the interactions between a system and its ecosystem. Within this systemic approach, the focus of the analysis takes into account the ambiguity, multidisciplinary and complexity associated with system adjustment, i.e. it is intended to qualify an employee job based on their experience and knowledge as a measure of their impact on the organization performance. (shrink)

Biochemical networks, including those containing signaling pathways, display a wide range of regulatory properties. These include the ability to propagate information across different time scales and to function as switches and oscillators. The mechanisms underlying these complex behaviors involve many interacting components and cannot be understood by experiments alone. The development of computational models and the integration of these models with experiments provide valuable insight into these complex systems‐level behaviors. Here we review current approaches to the development of computational models (...) of biochemical networks and describe the insights gained from models that integrate experimental data, using three examples that deal with ultrasensitivity, flexible bistability and oscillatory behavior. These types of complex behavior from relatively simple networks highlight the necessity of using theoretical approaches in understanding higher order biological functions. BioEssays 24:1110–1117, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

The interest in ethical leadership has grown in the past few years, with an emphasis on the mechanisms through which it affects organizational life. However, research on the boundary conditions that limit and/or enhance its effectiveness is still scarce, especially concerning one of the main misconceptions about ethical leadership, its incompatibility with effectiveness . Thus, the present study examines the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational deviance via affective commitment to the organization, as a reflection of the quality of the (...) employee–organization relationship and proposes this relationship is conditional on the supervisor’s personal reputation for performance . Using a sample of 224 employees and their respective supervisors from 18 organizations, we confirmed our hypotheses . Our findings suggest that ethical leadership is positively related to employees’ affective commitment to the organization, particularly when supervisor’s reputation for performance is high, which in turn is associated with decreased organizational deviance. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings conclude the paper. (shrink)

In spite of successful tests, the standard cosmological model, the $$\varLambda$$ CDM model, possesses the most problematic concept: the initial singularity, also known as the big bang. In this paper—by adopting the Kantian difference between to think of an object and to cognize an object—it is proposed a degree of scientificity using fuzzy sets. Thus, the notion of initial singularity will not be conceived of as a scientific issue because it does not belong to the fuzzy set of what is (...) known. Indeed, the problematic concept of singularity is some sort of what Kant called the noumenon, but science, on the other hand, is constructed in the phenomenon. By applying the fuzzy degree of scientificity in cosmological models, one concludes that cosmologies with a contraction phase before the current expansion phase are potentially more scientific than the standard model. At the end of this article, it is shown that Kant’s first antinomy of pure reason indicates a limit to our cosmological models. (shrink)

This article explores Hannah Arendt's insights into the forms of social control operating especially in democracies, together with the possibility of resistance to such control. Since the way in which one defines freedom informs one's understanding of the techniques that suppress, regulate, and modify behaviour, the article begins by sketching Arendt's notion of freedom, and compares this to its liberal counterpart. That discussion leads to Arendt's conception of power, whose corollary is freedom, and whose suppression amounts to control. The institutional (...) and ideological infrastructure that accompanies the encroachment of ?the social? ? which Arendt links to the hegemony of liberalism ? is conceived as rendering the individual both powerless and apathetic. The article concludes with suggestions regarding resistance to modern forms of control, viewing Arendt's ontology as a source of tenable strategies for the deepening of democracy. (shrink)

Nietzsche colocou-se como um antípoda a Platão. Mas em questões cosmológicas, o eterno retorno nietzschiano tem também alguns pontos em comum à cosmologia platônica descrita no Timeu. A finitude espacial, a ciclicidade cósmica e a ética cosmológica dizem respeito às semelhanças, já a infinitude temporal, a teleologia e a necessidade afastam os filósofos. Então, neste trabalho, aponto proximidades e afastamentos entre os dois filósofos em questões cosmológicas, além de sugerir alguma atualidade de suas concepções em relação à nossa ciência. Como (...) veremos, a relação entre ética e cosmologia ainda se mostra atual. (shrink)

The article deals with `The Symbolic Force of Human Rights'. First, it restricts the meaning of the term `symbolic' and of the expression `symbolic force'. Second, it discusses the concept of human rights. Having established the conceptual framework, the author goes to the core of his argument, characterizing the symbolic force of human rights as ambivalent: on one hand, it serves for their generalized affirmation and accomplishment; on the other hand, it acts as a manner of political manipulation. In this (...) regard, the article focuses, first, on the symbolic force of human rights at the level of national states, and then within the international and worldwide context, on criticizing finally the rhetorical use of human rights by nowadays' only superpower, the USA. Key Words: human rights • interventionism • supranational and national • legal orders • symbolic force. (shrink)

The text analyses rituals as endeavours to preserve the identity of a people or a portion of a people. Rituals present or re-present the supposed common history of all the migrants. Social memory and history then tend to merge and to forget... forgetfulness is the driving force behind the writing of history. Particularly critical is the moment when the migration starts, because the need to adapt to new conditions as well as to maintain what is represented as their social identity (...) makes dual – and at times contradictory – demands on the migrants’ imagination. Examples taken from Portuguese migrations are offered as expressions of the conceptual issues raised. (shrink)

The paper highlights the need to discuss the norm of reciprocity in the context of basic income experiments. Considering how the norm of reciprocity is an important objection to basic income, both at a normative level, but also in empirical discussions, a case is made for considering it in basic income experiments. The paper proposes several hypotheses on basic income and reciprocity and concludes with two distinct points: the first is focused on what in fact experiments could be telling us (...) about behaviours that seem relevant to reciprocity, and how this could enhance our understanding of both basic income and the norm of reciprocity. The second point is a reflection on how our theoretical debate is shaped on ideal settings, whereas experiments take place in real-world conditions, hence non-ideal ones. This reflection might contribute to the need to reframe our theoretical account of the norm of reciprocity. (shrink)

V. 1. Desde as origens partisticas até ao periodo do apogeu da escolástica.--v. 2. Desde o perfodo do apodeu da escolástica até ao fim da Idade Média, com um estudo sobre o pensamento filosófico português nos séculos XIII-XV.

A discussão em torno da fundamentação da democracia apresenta divergências tanto na questão substancial quanto na forma. Malgrado as diferenças conceituais, na atualidade parece ser uma tese comum a de que, para governar, é indispensável a aquiescência do povo. Desde cedo, percebe-se que as fissuras sociopolíticas não poderiam ser contidas exclusivamente com a força. De mais a mais, tudo sugere que esta esteja do lado dos governados, restando ser imprescindível aos governantes conquistar o coração e o pensamento do povo, a (...) fim de incutir certas crenças que lhes permitissem conservar o domínio do poder exclusivo para si. Desse modo, quando se coloca em evidência a política, percebe-se que ela é protagonizada, de um lado, pelos políticos e, de outro, pelos espectadores, o que a torna parecida com o teatro e permite ao político recorrer à ilusão e à fraude para perseguir seus objetivos particulares, enquanto finge servir ao bem-estar coletivo. Como o teatro, a política esconde as reais motivações que ocorrem nos bastidores do poder. A peça A Mandrágora, de Maquiavel, mostra como a fraude é utilizada para conquistar um fim e, ao mesmo tempo, não ferir os valores dominantes. A pretexto de causar o cômico, o florentino mostra o trágico da política, o que, em si, talvez seja uma lição ao povo para entender como os governantes perseguem seus propósitos. Nesse sentido, este escrito pretende mostrar que A Mandrágora é uma obra que, ao seu modo, introduz o pensamento político de Maquiavel, evidenciando, no caso, que a política usa a fraude como ferramenta. (shrink)

A publicação de Signos (1897), de Nestor Victor, é um marco na expansão conceitual do Simbolismo no Brasil e nas reflexões acerca dos problemas da civilização no fim de século. Verifica-se nos seus contos a presença do heterodiscurso, sendo fundamental a voz de Arthur Schopenhauer, tendo como referência a sua obra Metafísica do Amor. Por outro lado, o narrador desenvolverá uma voz que se oporá ao maquinismo do amor, a essa determinação dos sentimentos pelo dever biológico. No universo de Signos, (...) levando-se em conta a grande verdade sobre a natureza, revelada pelo filósofo, os casais não mais se encontrarão, uma vez que a paixão se esgota no tédio por causa da violência do instinto. (shrink)

Humans accumulate porphyrins in the body mostly during the course of porphyrias, diseases caused by defects in the enzymes of the heme biosynthesis pathway and that produce acute attacks, skin lesions and liver cancer. In contrast, some wild mammals and birds are adapted to accumulate porphyrins without injurious consequences. Here we propose viewing such physiological adaptations as potential solutions to human porphyrias, and suggest certain wild animals as models. Given the enzymatic activity and/or the patterns of porphyrin excretion and accumulation, (...) the fox squirrel, the great bustard and the Eurasian eagle owl may constitute overlooked models for different porphyrias. The Harderian gland of rodents, where large amounts of porphyrins are synthesized, presents an underexplored potential for understanding the carcinogenic/toxic effect of porphyrin accumulation. Investigating how these animals avoid porphyrin pathogenicity may complement the use of laboratory models for porphyrias and provide new insights into the treatment of these disorders. (shrink)

This article is part of an initial exploration of concepts as part of my plan for post-doctoral research. Aims to contribute to a better understanding of phenomena of the technologies of communication and perception, focusing particularly on the screens in situations of social-networking. More precisely, to know these new processes that have the support the new media in their additive effects related to perception. A work that relies on the collaboration of an informal network of researchers around the concept of (...) screen-image, which includes members of the Center for Research of Communication and Society from University of Minho and the University of Lusophone (Lisbon). (shrink)

No registro do contexto tecnocientífico contemporâneo o outrora insuspeito antropocentrismo ontológico que embasou a concepção humanista de homem parece vacilar. O objetivo deste artigo é expor alguns elementos e direcionamentos importantes para a compreensão do modo como o pensamento pós-humanista, que reúne intérpretes deste contexto, rearticula os termos da pergunta antropológico-filosófica acerca do entendimento das noções de humanidade e de ser humano.

Preference queries from databases aim to retrieve the best answers w.r.t. user's requirements. The integration of preferences in database queries has known many advances in the last decade. Most of works however are based on comparative preference statements obeying more or less strong semantics. Representing and reasoning about comparative preference statements has also been widely investigated in Artificial Intelligence. In this paper, we bridge the two frameworks and develop a simple and unified framework to reason about preferences in database queries. (...) Our framework is based on insights from non-monotonic reasoning. (shrink)