The aim of this article is to emphasize how the intellectual skills of anchínoia, synesis, euphyía are connected with each other. These skills are intuitive knowledge, and they are closely related to noüs as an intellectual virtue. Anchínoia, synesis and euphyía are intended to explain the connection between universals and articulars. As a conclusión,the author contends that Aristotle does not give a satisfactory explanation of the link.

¿En qué consiste la aplicación más justa de la ley, en aplicarla al pie de la letra en todos los casos o permitir al juez cierto margen para interpretarla? A lo largo de este texto presentaremos cómo no han sido pocos los partidarios de un “literalismo” a la hora de aplicar la ley, y para ello explicaremos lo sucedido durante la Revolución Francesa. Basados en la opinión de Rousseau, los ilustrados franceses creían que el legislador, en tanto que creador de (...) la ley, era el que mejor conocía el espíritu de la misma, luego la interpretación de la ley por parte del jurista era arbitraria. Dicho de otra manera: la labor del juez se entendía nada más como la inferencia de una conclusión a partir de ciertas premisas (la ley y el caso). Aristóteles, sin embargo, ya había previsto este problema. Entonces, el propósito de este escrito es (1) explicar qué ha llevado a querer aplicar la ley al pie de la letra, (2) cuáles son sus riesgos y (3) la solución que Aristóteles propone a este asunto, en donde hablaremos sobre la prudencia y el juez como «ley dotada de vida». (shrink)

RESUMEN En Acerca de la adivinación, Aristóteles afirma que "la naturaleza es demoniaca". El adjetivo es difícil de traducir y tiene connotación sobrenatural tanto en griego como en español. Pero si Aristóteles no explica lo natural apelando a lo sobrenatural, ¿por qué utiliza este adjetivo? Para resolver la dificultad se propone una lectura mitigada del adjetivo demoniaco. "Maravilloso" es una buena traducción, porque sugiere que la naturaleza es sorprendente y no por ello carente de explicación natural. ABSTRACT In On Divination, (...) Aristotle states that "nature is demonic". The adjective is difficult to translate and it has a supernatural connotation in both Greek and Spanish. But if Arsitotle does not explain the natural by appealing to the supernatural, why does he use this adjective? In order to resolve this difficulty, the article proposes a moderate reading of the adjective demonic. "Marvelous" is a good translation, because it suggests that nature is surprising but that this does not mean it lacks a natural explanation. (shrink)

La eleuthería tiene una connotación política y cultural para los antiguos griegos. Refiere la condición libre de los ciudadanos griegos frente a los pueblos bárbaros que prefieren el gobierno tiránico. Platón y Aristóteles, además, hablan de la eleuthería en un sentido moral; esto es, como la condición libre del hombre virtuoso. Pero Aristóteles se refiere a una virtud en concreto: la liberalidad. La liberalidad supone el uso prudente de las riquezas, es decir, el justo medio entre la avaricia y la (...) prodigalidad. Pero el ejercicio de esta virtud repercute en el ámbito político. Primero, porque la ciudadanía presupone en sí misma la virtud moral. Segundo, porque en el núcleo de la liberalidad radica la estabilidad de la pólis; la avaricia o la ambición desmedidas son las que ponen en peligro la estabilidad de la pólis. Por lo tanto, eleuthería tiene un sentido unitario, que va del ámbito privado al político. (shrink)

Aristóteles ha pasado a la historia como el padre de la lógica. Este artículo resalta dos puntos. Primero, analiza los motivos por los cuales Aristóteles rechaza habitualmente la definición metafórica, especialmente en el ámbito de la llamada metafisica; segundo, pone al descubierto algunas inconsistencias metodológicas en el corpus al respecto.

The aim of chis paper s to attend che Aristotelian theory of definition in Topics book VI. The author analyses che property "asápheia" as a defect of a good definition.

This article analyzes the analogy made between Intellectus Agens and light, used by Aristotle in De Anima III, 5, commented by Aquinas. The investigation focuses on St. Thomas commentary, mainly on the limits of such analogy. It is shown how Thomas Aquinas is forced, in order to avoid the divinization of the Intellectus Agens, to bring a neoplatonic element to the discussion, incompatible with the Aristotelian spirit. References to the optic theories of Aristotle and Aquinas are made. It is discussed (...) what it means to say that the Intellectus Agens is an act. Finally, it is shown why does the nature of the Intellectus Agens demand an intervention of the Separate Substances. The discussion focuses on the Sententia super De anima, and recurs to other works, mainly: Quaestiones disputatae De Anima, Summa Contra Gentiles, Summa Theologiae, De unitate intellectus contra Averroistas and De substantiis separatis ad fratrem Reginaldum. /// O presente artigo analisa a analogia entre o Intellectus Agens e a luz, analogia essa utilizada por Aristóteles em De anima iii, 5 e comentada por S. Tomás de Aquino. O estudo centra-se no comentário de S. Tomás, insistindo de modo particular nos limites dessa analogia. Em particular, mostra-se de que modo o Aquinate se vê obrigado, para evitar a divinização do Intellectus Agens, a introduzir um elemento neoplatónico, incompatível com o espírito aristotélico. O artigo refere as teorias ópticas de Aristóteles e de S. Tomás. Depois analisa o que significa o Intellectus Agens como acto. Finalmente, mostra por que razão a natureza do Intellectus Agens exige a intervenção das Substâncias Separadas. A discussão está centrada no Sententiae super De anima, mas recorre também a obras como as Quaestiones disputatae De Anima, a Summa Contra Gentiles, a Summa Theologiae, De unitate intellectus contra Averroistas e De substantiis separatis ad fratrem Reginaldum. (shrink)

The radical mean suggested by Socrates in order to carry out the program of the Republic - the relegation to the fields of all inhabitants over the age of 10 - has perplexed modern commentators who have seen in it an ironical remark, a reductio ad absurdum presented in order to establish the very impossibility of Kallipolis or, on the contrary, a sign of the totalitarian and criminal character of the Platonic city. But it is far from evident, in view (...) of political or military events prior and contemporary with the redaction of the Republic, that this solution could offend the moral conscience of fourth-century Greeks. This practice even seems to be the logical consequence of a certain oligarchic or aristocratic ideology, common by the end of the 5th c. and at the beginning of the 4th c., which associated, on the one hand, rural organization with the ‘best regime’ and, on the other, urban centralisation with democracy. The actual practices of the Lacedaemonian city, which maintained its primitive organization in komai, and even tried to impose it to other cities, could also serve as a model for the opponents of Athenian democracy. All of Plato's political models, from the Republic to the Laws, present cities whose essential, if not exclusive, productive activity is agriculture. The displacement of the population to the countryside seems, from this perspective, a rather serious proposal of the philosopher. * * Agradezco a Héctor Zagal y a María-Elena García-Peláez por sus observaciones y sugerencias al texto en español. (shrink)

In Thomas Aquinas, the place regarding memory doesn't seem to be a central issue and, anyhow, for many, it may be seen old-fashioned. However, only the study on his work will allow us to reach more certain statements and eventually, a task that we won't develop here, see its plausibility today. Hence, I set out to present an approach to his treatment in regard to memory, limiting the discussion, not in exclusive, to two texts of the Treatise on Human Nature, (...) included in the first part of the Summa theologiae. I'm referring to the distinction of the inner senses in quaestio 78, articulus 4 and the elucidation of the relation between memory and intellect in quaestio 79, articuli 6 and 7. We will move therefore through sensibility, intellect and memory, asking the question if sensibility and intellect are soul's capacities, which is the nature of memory in reference to them? (shrink)

A Computable Universe is a collection of papers discussing computation in nature and the nature of computation, a compilation of the views of the pioneers in the contemporary area of intellectual inquiry focused on computational and informational theories of the world. This volume is the definitive source of informational/computational views of the world, and of cutting-edge models of the universe, both digital and quantum, discussed from a philosophical perspective as well as in the greatest technical detail. The book discusses the (...) foundations of computation in relation to nature. It focuses on two main questions: What is computation? How does nature compute? The contributors are world-renowned experts who have helped shape a cutting-edge computational understanding of the universe. They discuss computation in the world from a variety of perspectives, ranging from foundational concepts to pragmatic models to ontological conceptions and their philosophical implications. The volume provides a state-of-the-art collection of technical papers and non-technical essays representing a field that takes information and computation to be key to understanding and explaining the basic structure underpinning physical reality. It also includes a new edition of Konrad Zuse's "Calculating Space", and a panel discussion transcription on the topic, featuring worldwide experts (including a Nobel prize) in quantum mechanics, physics, cognition, computation and algorithmic complexity.A Computable Universe is a collection of papers discussing computation in nature and the nature of computation, a compilation of the views of the pioneers in the contemporary area of intellectual inquiry focused on computational and informational theories of the world. This volume is the definitive source of informational/computational views of the world, and of cutting-edge models of the universe, both digital and quantum, discussed from a philosophical perspective as well as in the greatest technical detail. The book discusses the foundations of computation in relation to nature. It focuses on two main questions: What is computation? How does nature compute? The contributors are world-renowned experts who have helped shape a cutting-edge computational understanding of the universe. They discuss computation in the world from a variety of perspectives, ranging from foundational concepts to pragmatic models to ontological conceptions and their philosophical implications. The volume provides a state-of-the-art collection of technical papers and non-technical essays representing a field that takes information and computation to be key to understanding and explaining the basic structure underpinning physical reality. It also includes a new edition of Konrad Zuse's "Calculating Space", and a panel discussion transcription on the topic, featuring worldwide experts (including a Nobel prize) in quantum mechanics, physics, cognition, computation and algorithmic complexity. (shrink)

This primer on biblical criticism and key problems in religion and philosophy is intended as an introduction to these complex subjects for Spanish-speaking laypersons with little or no prior scientific training in the area. Professor Avalos critically reviews the classic arguments for the existence of God, alleged miracles and faith-healing, the belief that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, problems of good and evil in the Bible, creation stories, biblical prophecy, the resurrection of Jesus, and many other topics. (...) In the last part of the book, Avalos discusses the scientific worldview, especially as it impinges upon the question of the existence of God. A notes section allows readers to explore more deeply the areas touched on in the text; appendices provide information on the sources of many biblical stories and beliefs in Mesopotamian and other ancient Near Eastern cultures; and a final personal note briefly recounts the author’s experiences from his upbringing in fundamentalist Christianity to his current skeptical view. This informative volume is an excellent starting point for those who wish to explore with a minimum of resources basic questions in religion, philosophy, and biblical studies. (shrink)

El asombro ante lo sublime no siempre produce una reacción teísta; de hecho, el reconocimiento de lo absoluto puede conducir a la desacreditación de las representaciones sobre la divinidad e, incluso, a la suspensión del juicio en torno a su existencia. Cuando absoluto no se asocia con algún tipo de personificación, produce incertidumbre. Si nuestros conocimientos están construidos a partir de elaboraciones ficticias, lo único que resta es reconocer la ignorancia. Aceptarlo así no conduce a la negación de los saberes, (...) sino a mostrar escepticismo ante lo sabido. En otras palabras: no saber implica mantener la incertidumbre. Contamos con saberes que delimitan nuestro posicionamiento ante lo que creemos que es real, pero no somos poseedores, en el punto de vista del escéptico, de ningún saber que se sustente en una verdad de la que no se pueda dudar. Visto así, el escéptico muestra respeto a lo absoluto al desistir de afirmar cualquier cosa sobre tal. (shrink)

In recent years, much has been learned about the strategic and organizational contexts of suicide attacks. However, motivations of the agents who commit them remain difficult to explain. In part this is because standard models of social learning as well as Durkheimian notions of sacrificial behavior are inadequate in the face of the actions of human bombers. In addition, the importance of organizational structures and practices in reinforcing commitment on the part of suicide recruits is an under-explored factor in many (...) analyses. This essay examines the potential applicability of evolutionary models of altruism to the understanding of commitment to suicide on the part of terrorist organizational recruits. Three evolutionary models of sacrificial behavior in nonhuman species and many categories of human behavior are explored cross-organizationally: reciprocity, inclusive fitness theory, and induced altruism. Reciprocal altruism is unlikely to be a major motivator in suicide attacks because the costs exhibited by attackers are too high to be adequately compensated. However, the role of evolved self-deception in perceptions of personal death, and thus of rewards in the afterlife, is potentially illuminating. Inclusive fitness theory can help explain the motivations of attackers because rewards to kin often are offered by organizations to suicide recruits. However, suicide bombers also often act out of revenge for the loss of or injury to relatives, and inclusive fitness theory generally, as well as more specific theoretical models of retaliatory aggression, may not adequately account for the bombers' actions. Predictions from induced altruism theory appear to be well supported because suicide terror organizations tend to be tightly structured around practices intended to maintain and reinforce commitment though the manipulation of kinship-recognition cues. (shrink)

I am pleased to have been able to vindicate Plato from the oft-rehearsed charge of not having distinguished relations from qualities. Not only does Phaedo 102B7-C4 show quite clearly that he did make the proper distinction, but the theory of relations he adumbrated there is logically sound and ontologically viable. Furthermore, it is refreshing to think of relations not as Forms or universals, but as chains of ontologically tied universals.Naturally, now that we have a clear understanding of Plato's Phaedo theory (...) of relations and relational facts there is plenty of work to do. We must examine the other dialogues for alterations or even preservation of that theory. Moreover, there are those arguments of Aristotle that purport to reduce Plato's Theory of Forms to absurdity on account of relations. But of this I shall say more at some other time. (shrink)

This book describes in detail the relationship between symbolic representations of knowledge and abstract states of knowledge, exploring along the way the foundations of knowledge, knowledge bases, knowledge-based systems, and knowledge representation and reasoning. The idea of knowledge bases lies at the heart of symbolic, or "traditional," artificial intelligence. A knowledge-based system decides how to act by running formal reasoning procedures over a body of explicitly represented knowledge—a knowledge base. The system is not programmed for specific tasks; rather, it is (...) told what it needs to know and expected to infer the rest. This book is about the logic of such knowledge bases. It describes in detail the relationship between symbolic representations of knowledge and abstract states of knowledge, exploring along the way the foundations of knowledge, knowledge bases, knowledge-based systems, and knowledge representation and reasoning. Assuming some familiarity with first-order predicate logic, the book offers a new mathematical model of knowledge that is general and expressive yet more workable in practice than previous models. The book presents a style of semantic argument and formal analysis that would be cumbersome or completely impractical with other approaches. It also shows how to treat a knowledge base as an abstract data type, completely specified in an abstract way by the knowledge-level operations defined over it. (shrink)