Più studiosi hanno ritenuto che Il principe sia un’opera priva di unità composta da più tronconi redatti in momenti diversi. Altri a tutt’oggi sostengono che il suo significato resta segreto, sfuggente ed enigmatico. Questo commento al testo di Machiavelli mostra invece come Il principe sia animato da una logica che dà vita a un discorso coerente e lo compone in unità. Ne svela altresì il segreto mostrando che quel discorso approda a delineare un nuovo tipo umano non identificabile con alcuna (...) figura definita, tantomeno, come comunemente inteso, con quella di Cesare Borgia. Infine, questo commento mostra che Machiavelli subordina la realizzazione di tale tipo a un rinnovamento del modo di pensare degli esseri umani fondato sulla distinzione tra “vedere” e “sentire”, la quale allude a una teoria della conoscenza discosta dal razionalismo, dall’empirismo e dal visionarismo. Rinnovamento che costituisce la condizione di una politica volta al fine, oggi più che mai attuale, di scongiurare la scomparsa del mondo umano. (shrink)

The political legacy of classical German philosophy can contribute in a crucial way to the most recent developments of contemporary political thought, thereby also making sense of the contradictions underlying the social practices and institutional values of our societies. What justifies this perspective is, in the first place, the complexity of contemporaneity, which holds within itself a doubleness that can be understood in the light of the conceptual tools of classical German philosophy. On the one hand, contemporary societies seem to (...) be facing relentless crises in the modern idea of democracy, the political subject of the nation-state, and capitalist economic structures. On the other hand, there is an ever-increasing demand for rights and new forms of recognition, not to mention the emergence of grassroots movements that strive for greater political participation and generate new collective subjectivities. By radically questioning traditional philosophical categories, Kant, Fichte and Hegel provide a new and insightful understanding of the crucial challenges of modernity. They outline a conception of practical rationality and its multiple manifestations that is irreplaceable for philosophically understanding our contemporary world. (shrink)

_Riassunto_: La riflessione su Machiavelli di Luigi Antonello Armando presenta tratti di novità e originalità. Dell’opera più nota, _Il principe_, Armando sostiene che se ne è fatta una lettura che ignora la rilevanza dell’espressione “al tutto nuovo” riferito a un principe “senza padre” e che dalla fortuna (occasione) ha avuto soltanto la possibilità non ostacolata di imprimere la forma agli eventi, divenendo così artefice per virtù propria dell’inizio “di una storia possibile”. Della “mente” di un tal (...) principe, che potrà essere “savio” e proporsi come modello e non farsi imitatore di modelli fuorvianti, l’Autore s’interessa appassionatamente, facendone il fulcro del proprio impegno di interprete. Si cerca, in queste pagine, di confrontare la proposta interpretativa dell’Autore con la concezione drammatica dell’uomo e della storia di Machiavelli. _Parole chiave_: Niccolò Machiavelli; Politica; Potere _Machiavelli’s The Prince. A reading suggestion_ _ __Abstract_: Luigi Antonello Armando’s reflections on Machiavelli present elements of novelty and originality. Regarding Machiavelli’s most famous work, _The Prince_, Armando argues that it has been read in a way that overlooks the significance of the expression “_al tutto nuovo_” (“_completely new_”), referring to a prince “without a father,” who, through fortune (opportunity), was given only the unimpeded possibility to shape events, thus becoming the creator, through his own virtue, of the beginning “of a possible history”. The Author passionately focuses on the “mind” of such a prince, who can be “wise” and present himself as a model rather than imitating misleading models. In these pages, an attempt is made to compare the Author’s interpretative proposal with Machiavelli’s dramatic conception of man and history. _Keywords_: Niccolò Machiavelli; Politics; Power. (shrink)

Simple assumptions represent a decisive reason to prefer one theory to another in everyday scientific praxis. But this praxis has little philosophical justification, since there exist many notions of simplicity, and those that can be defined precisely strongly depend on the language in which the theory is formulated. The language dependence is a natural feature—to some extent—but it is also believed to be a fatal problem, because, according to a common general argument, the simplicity of a theory is always trivial (...) in a suitably chosen language. But, this trivialization argument is typically either applied to toy-models of scientific theories or applied with little regard for the empirical content of the theory. This paper shows that the trivialization argument fails, when one considers realistic theories and requires their empirical content to be preserved . In fact, the concepts that enable a very simple formulation, are not necessarily measurable, in general. Moreover, the inspection of a theory describing a chaotic billiard shows that precisely those concepts that naturally make the theory extremely simple are provably not measurable. This suggests that—whenever a theory possesses sufficiently complex consequences—the constraint of measurability prevents too simple formulations in any language. This explains why the scientists often regard their assessments of simplicity as largely unambiguous. In order to reveal a cultural bias in the scientists’ assessment, one should explicitly identify different characterizations of simplicity of the assumptions that lead to different theory selections. General arguments are not sufficient. (shrink)

Luigi Gioia provides a fresh description and analysis of Augustine's monumental treatise, De Trinitate, working on a supposition of its unity and its coherence from structural, rhetorical, and theological points of view. The main arguments of the treatise are reviewed first: Scripture and the mystery of the Trinity; discussion of 'Arian' logical and ontological categories; a comparison between the process of knowledge and formal aspects of the confession of the mystery of the Trinity; an account of the so called (...) 'psychological analogies'. These topics hold a predominantly instructive or polemical function. The unity and the coherence of the treatise become apparent especially when its description focuses on a truly theological understanding of knowledge of God: Augustine aims at leading the reader to the vision and enjoyment of God the Trinity, in whose image we are created. This mystagogical aspect of the rhetoric of De Trinitate is unfolded through Christology, soteriology, doctrine of the Holy Spirit and doctrine of revelation. At the same time, from the vantage point of love, Augustine detects and powerfully depicts the epistemological consequences of human sinfulness, thus unmasking the fundamental deficiency of received theories of knowledge. Only love restores knowledge and enables philosophers to yield to the injunction which resumes philosophical enterprise as a whole, namely 'know thyself'. (shrink)

What does it mean to be a person? And in what way is this connected to our finitude, i.e. to the properly human aspect of our existence? By analyzing some of the core features of our form of life (personal identity, self-consciousness, freedom, autonomy, responsibility), Michael Quante answers these questions arguing that it is possible to be a person and lead an authentically human life only within social relationships of recognition: only in these relationships, it is possible to know oneself (...) and act autonomously and responsibly. Through a close examination of the philosophies of Fichte and Hegel, on the one hand, and of the most recent debates on analytical ethics, on the other, Quante thus lays the foundations for a pragmatistic anthropology, that is, for a conception focused on the active nature of human existence. The volume is a revised version of the Lectures given by Michael Quante in 2017 at the PhD Course in Philosophy at the University of Padova. (shrink)

We discuss how transgenerational communitarianism deals with public decisions involving tradeoffs between different generations’ wellbeing and having global consequences. Policies for tackling climate change are an example. Although there is a natural, evolutionary, basis for intergenerational altruism, most people lack the competencies for constituting a transgenerational community. Moreover, greater attention to future generations’ wellbeing need not substitute for collective action: a lower discount rate reflecting a stronger concern for future generations may even worsen their wellbeing. Finally, in a world of (...) irreducible value pluralism, there is no community of persons sharing moral values that can legitimize common policies for addressing global problems: only the common interest of avoiding destructive consequences may motivate collective action to face problems like climate change. (shrink)

In some sections of On Certainty, Wittgenstein uses the term “persuasion,” pitting it, on the one hand, against “giving reasons”, and comparing it, on the other, to conversion, while, finally, defining it as “giving someone one's own picture of the world.” In this essay, I analyse these sections, in an effort to fit them into the broader context of On Certainty, and to clarify the meaning and the limits of the comparison between persuasion and conversion. My aim is to show (...) that persuasion as Wittgenstein understands it here is quite similar to what we could call “re-education.”. (shrink)

Foi o filósofo Friedrich Schleiermacher quem primeiro intentou transformar a hermenêutica, técnica interpretativa do XVII dirigida exclusivamente à exegese de textos bíblicos e jurídicos, numa ciência da compreensão dos discursos em geral. Elevada a princípio interpretativo universal, a hermenêutica schleiermacheriana aspirava para os discursos escritos àquilo que a retórica aristotélica e a de Quintiliano (II, XVII, 37-38), entre outras que lhes são posteriores, propuseram para todo hábito discursivo, não somente para os escritos, muitos séculos antes. Mais restrita, contudo, porquanto re" (...) etida no modelo da cienti! cidade, o núcleo dessa nova metodologia, a compreensão, diferentemente da invenção,disposição,ação,memória,elocução retóricas, fechava-se sobre si mesma como movimento impelido pela autoconsciência!metodológica inerente às epistemologias modernas. (shrink)

Resumen: Pierre Bourdieu es uno de esos autores que siempre es posible “redescubrir” dependiendo de los intereses científicos que el lector tenga, y eso por la maestría con la que practicó la ciencia de forma crítica. Para él la epistemología, más que una metaciencia discursiva, es una práctica para todo sociólogo que ejerce el oficio de la investigación científica, y su mismo legado científico lo evidencia. De ahí que su “sociología reflexiva” no sea sino una epistemología práctica que permite a (...) la vez la más variada construcción de objetos científicos con el apoyo de un capital teórico amasado a través de toda su trayectoria intelectual en la fórmula [ ] + campo = práctica cuyos conceptos abordados de forma abierta lo permiten. Así como se pueden aprender lecciones teóricas y metodológicas, este artículo presenta dos lecciones directas de la obra del sociólogo francés, una epistemológica y otra sobre la construcción del objeto de estudio, y una indirecta en las conclusiones sobre las ventajas de estar ante una propuesta abierta e inacabada como la de Pierre Bourdieu para la investigación científica.: Pierre Bourdieu is one of those authors that it is always possible to “rediscover” depending on the scientific interests that the reader has, and that because of the mastery with which he practiced science critically. For him, epistemology, more than a discursive meta-science, is a practice for every sociologist who exerts the office of scientific research, and his very scientific legacy evidences it. Hence, his “reflexive sociology” is nothing more than a practical epistemology that allows at the same time the most varied construction of scientific objects with the support of a theoretical capital amassed throughout his intellectual career in the formula [ ] + field = practice whose openly addressed concepts allow it. Just as it can be learned theoretical and methodological lessons, this article presents two direct lessons from the work of the French sociologist, one epistemological and another about the construction of the object of study, and an indirect one in the conclusions about the advantages of being faced with an open and unfinished proposal like Pierre Bourdieu's for scientific research. (shrink)

Proper fork algebras are algebras of binary relations over a structured set. The underlying set has changed from a set of pairs to a set closed under an injective function. In this paper we present a representation theorem for their abstract counterpart, that entails that proper fork algebras — whose underlying set is closed under an injective function — constitute a finitely based variety.1.

En este artículo se propone un acercamiento al universo dramático de William Shakespeare en un sentido filosófico más allá de las interpretaciones históricas, sociales y estéticas habituales en las teorías críticas más recientes. No se trata de resaltar sólo las intuiciones filosóficas contenidas en la obra shakesperiana, sino de intentar mostrar la irreductible condición filosófica de su imaginación literaria. Aun evitando los excesos bardólatras, se hace preciso revisar las relaciones paradójicas que mantiene el modelo trágico de Shakespeare con las categorías (...) —y no las reglas— de la Poética aristotélica. Podrá observarse cómo, al ponerlas en jaque, la energía teatral de Shakespeare ha desvelado ambiguos territorios que la filosofía contemporánea explora a tientas como lugares de la invención moderna de lo «humano». Hamlet ejemplificará esta capacidad de suscitar un debate moral y estético en las interpretaciones de autores como C. Schmitt, S. Cavell, F. Ricordi o R. Girard. (shrink)

Este artículo analiza Aventuras sigilosas (1945), poemario de José Lezama Lima, a través del concepto de deseo como principio estructural y dinámico en el proceso de transformación al que es sometido el sujeto protagónico; en dicho tránsito, la compleja red de imágenes en sucesión, con distintos valores simbólicos en los poemas, tiene una función central. Para estudiar este fenómeno, se retoman tres composiciones: “Llamado del deseoso”, “El fuego por la aldea” y “El guardián inicia el combate circular”, pues constituyen puntos (...) nodales en el itinerario de transformaciones que articula este poemario. Tras el análisis textual, se señala la naturaleza heterogénea e integral del deseo no sólo como principio propio de la esfera sexual, sino como una voluntad dinámica de cambio, vinculada con imágenes naturales y míticas como el fuego. Palabras clave: deseo, imagen, transformación, fuego, poesía. (shrink)

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41296-021-00498-6.

This book is a companion volume to the Royal Economic Society edition of The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, edited by Piero Sraffa with the collaboration of Maurice Dobb. It completes the record on Ricardian value theory by showing Ricardo's reaction to Malthus's pamphlet The Measure of Value Stated and Illustrated of 1823. Ricardo's Notes are, in Sraffa's words, 'the only considerable item' not appearing in the Royal Economic Society edition of his works. In addition, the recent publication by (...) Cambridge of the variorum edition of Malthus's Principles of Political Economy, edited by J. M. Pullen, makes it possible to understand Malthus's pamphlet as an intermediate step between the 1820 and 1836 editions of the Principles. In his introduction Pier Luigi Porta highlights the place of these Notes in the development of Ricardo's thinking. When taken with Ricardo's paper on 'Absolute Value and Exchangeable Value', these Notes provide the essentials of Ricardian value theory. (shrink)

Objective: To assess the impact of Khan Academy on the Mathematics educational process for UNDAC students and determine the relevance and efficacy of its content and strategies within the Mathematics-Physics program. Methodology: This research is framed within the positivist paradigm and takes on a quantitative approach. An experimental pre-experimental design was used with pretest and posttest in a single group. The study is applied in nature and is grounded in the contributions of expert researchers and methodologists on the subject. Analytical (...) tools were developed with a reliability coefficient of 0.90, and the investigated population consisted of students from the Mathematics-Physics program at UNDAC. Results: Students who incorporated Khan Academy exhibited significant improvements in their mathematical performance. Persistence in using the platform led to significant enhancements in academic achievement. 70 % of the students reached high levels of mathematical skill development. The majority expressed high satisfaction with the platform. Conclusions: Khan Academy has a meaningful and positive impact on mathematics learning among university students at UNDAC. The platform not only promotes content mastery but also fosters learning autonomy. These findings advocate for the adoption of innovative educational technologies in teaching, especially within STEM disciplines. (shrink)

The Novohispanic nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz has not been traditionally considered as a philosopher within the Anglophone philosophical sphere because her writings are primarily poems and plays. In the last three decades, only a few philosophers have engaged with Sor Juana's works. However, their scholarship has focused only on a narrow range of issues, such as Sor Juana's defense of the right of women to be educated, and has neglected other dimensions of her thought, such as her (...) position on self-control. In this study, I argue that, in contraposition to traditional interpretations of Sor Juana's views on self-control offered by Octavio Paz and Anna More, it is better to read her as adopting a stance on self‐control that prefigures a position recently adopted by Al Mele (who distinguishes having self‐control from being self‐controlled). In particular, I show that the interpretation that I propose is better than the others I discuss because it fits better Sor Juana's apologetic goals. (shrink)

En estas líneas se pretende ofrecer pistas sobre cómo podría medirse, no ya la innovación como efecto, sino la innovación como acción; es decir, las condiciones de posibilidad de la innovación. Se argumentará que esta medida debe basarse en ciertas variables culturales, que ponderen la diversidad de los individuos y grupos de una sociedad, como indicador de su capacidad combinatoria. Se concluirá que una medida estable y precisa de la innovación es irrealizable.

In this paper, I argue that Sellars’s conceptualist reading of Kant, though less radical than more contemporary approaches (e. g., Brandom, McDowell), relies on a controversial account of the relations between the givenness of intuitions, the productive imagination and the power of judgment. I will discuss: 1) how Sellars reconsidered Kant’s account of intuition; and 2) the kind of conceptualism he argues for. I will raise two main claims. First, Sellars’s conceptualist reading of intuition overlooks the role of space and (...) time as givenness conditions. Second, Sellars’s account of the productive imagination disregards the complementary significance of the power of judgment in a priori synthesis, the role of which is to grant synthetic unity. My aim is to reconstruct a consistent dialogue between Sellars and Kant by discussing Sellars’s reading of a priori synthesis and comparing his views to Kant’s original aims. (shrink)

The recension G of the Vita Aesopi has received a fair amount of attention after the editio princeps by Perry. In recent years, Papathomopoulos and Ferrari have emended scores of corrupt passages in their fine editions. I will offer only one note, dealing with a section that has been left unclear.