La mistica, come l’essere, si può dire in molti modi diversi e questi modi non possono essere presi in considerazione in maniera sistematica. Accostando autori non considerati mistici in senso proprio, si intende fornire qualche spunto di riflessione, mostrando come aspetti tradizionalmente considerati mistici, si possano trovare nei più diversi ambiti: scienza, filosofia, poesia, politica. Se questo livello del pensiero è indispensabile per non cedere alle pretese tiranniche della ragione analitica, è opportuno in ogni caso evitare di farne un mondo (...) a parte che si nutre della propria diversità e del proprio orgoglio. Mysticism, as well as being, can be said in many different ways and these ways cannot be taken into account in a systematic way. By comparing authors not considered mystical in the proper sense, we intend to provide some ideas for reflection, showing how aspects traditionally considered mystical can be found in the most diverse contexts: science, philosophy, poetry, politics. If this level of thought is indispensable in order not to submit to the tyrannical claims of analytical reason, it is necessary in any case to avoid making it a separate world that is nourished by its own diversity and pride. (shrink)

Comment écrire sur Bataille sans s’épargner et se mettre soi-même hors jeu sinon en entrant dans le jeu de ce qu’on appellera, en un sens majeur, la parodie ? Dans ce retour, dans cet éternel retour des pensées et des mots – dans cette déconstruction créatrice qu’est la réécriture – Bataille n’y entra-t-il pas lui même en écrivant sur Nietzsche ?

Résumé La parodie de Thomas Taylor sur la défense des droits des femmes et des humains par Mary Wollstonecraft soulève une question : sa satire propose-t-elle malgré lui une défense des droits des animaux présente dans les arguments de Wollstonecraft? Alors que les œuvres ultérieures de Wollstonecraft ne font pas mention des droits des animaux, ses premiers écrits éducatifs offrent des arguments sur l’éthique animale. Ces œuvres explorent la valeur des animaux d'un point de vue moral, théologique et conséquentialiste, en (...) mettant l'accent à la fois sur leur valeur instrumentale et inhérente. Cet article soutient que la psychologie morale et la théologie de Wollstonecraft mettent en lumière une attitude bienveillante envers les animaux, soulignant leur valeur au-delà de leur utilité. (shrink)

El artículo estudia la tercera y última confrontación con el Tratado de la libertad de Schelling que Heidegger sostuvo en 1941. El objetivo consiste en explicar el contexto del problema del acabamiento de la metafísica del idealismo alemán, para analizar la posición que tiene Heidegger de las nociones de diferencia y voluntad forjadas por la filosofía tardía de Schelling; de esta manera, a partir del abismo de la voluntad se muestra la intersección entre la filosofía de la libertad de Schelling (...) y la ontología del evento de Heidegger. (shrink)

It has long been a standard practice for the natural sciences to classify things. Thus, it is no wonder that, for two and a half millennia, philosophers have been reflecting on classifications, from Plato and Aristotle to contemporary philosophy of science. Some of the results of these reflections will be presented in this chapter. I will start by discussing a parody of a classification, namely: the purportedly ancient Chinese classification of animals described by Jorge Luis Borges. I will show (...) that many of the mistakes that account for the comic features of this parody appear in real-life scientific databases as well. As examples of the latter, I will discuss the terminology database of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the United States, the NCI Thesaurus. (shrink)

In this work we extend approximate aggregation methods in time discrete linear models to the case of time varying environments. Approximate aggregation consists in describing some features of the dynamics of a general system involving many coupled variables in terms of the dynamics of a reduced system with a few number of variables. We present a time discrete time varying model in which we distinguish two time scales. By using perturbation methods we transform the system to make the global variables (...) appear and build up the aggregated system. The asymptotic relationships between the general and aggregated systems are explored in the cases of a cyclically varying environment and a changing environment in process of stabilization. We show that under quite general conditions the knowledge of the behavior of the aggregated system characterizes that of the general system. The general method is also applied to aggregate a multiregional time dependent Leslie model showing that the aggregated model has demographic rates depending on the equilibrium proportions of individuals in the different patches. (shrink)

The article explores the moral conflict between individual animal rights and the value of species conservation, using the culling of kangaroos to save earless dragons in Australia as a case study. The author argues that species do not possess nonderivative final value and thus cannot justify the infringement of individual rights. While recognizing the instrumental and contributory value of species, the paper rejects philosophical arguments that claim species have nonderivative value, such as the replication argument and the last person argument. (...) The author concludes that while there are important conservation duties, they should not violate individual rights, as exemplified by the kangaroo culling practice, which must be abolished. (shrink)

Deux appréciations différentes peuvent être portées quant à l'in­fluence de la cosmologie moderne sur l'héliolâtrie tradition­nelle. Selon la première, la cosmologie moderne a valorisé le Soleil en lui accordant une position cosmologique conforme à son incontestable importance physique, astronomique et sym­bolique. Selon la seconde au contraire, en conduisant au dé­senchantement du monde, elle a mis fin à l'héliolâtrie an­tique. Ces appréciations, apparemment con­tra­dic­toires, contiennent chacune une part de vérité, dans la mesure où la cosmologie moderne se décompose en trois étapes (...) presque simul­tanées, mais aux conséquences bien différentes : 1°) le passage du géocentrisme à l'héliocentrisme, qui opère un renforcement de la symbolique solaire : 2°) la suppression de la bipartition entre monde sublunaire et monde céleste, qui au contraire vient infir­mer la perfec­tion et l'excellence traditionnellement reconnues à l'astre du jour ; et enfin 3°) le passage du monde clos à l'uni­vers infini, qui parachève la désacralisation du Soleil précédem­ment entamée. Cet article est con­sacré à la deuxième de ces trois étapes. Il met notam­ment en évi­dence, d'une part, que le Soleil, maintenant qu'il est connu comme couvert de taches, symbo­lise non plus la divinité, mais l'imperfection inévitable du monde et du genre humain et, d'autre part, que si sa désigna­tion traditionnelle comme étant «l'omnivoyant» reste de mise, c'est dorénavant au sein d'usages comiques et irrévérencieux. –– There are two possible points of view with regards to how modern cosmology has influenced the traditional heliocentric system. The first would say that modern cosmology has given a greater importance to the sun by giving her a place in the universe which is equal to her undeniable physical, astrono­mical and symbolic value. Another possible point of view would be that when the symbolic value of the earth was diminished, the sun suffered the same fate. Both of these two, apparently contradictory, points of view are true in their own way, insofar as modern cosmology can be divided into three stages which although simultaneous, have very different effects. 1) Passing from a geocentric to a heliocentric system strengthened the symbolic value of the sun. 2) However, this movement caused what had been a clear distinction between the sublunary world and the heavens to be lost. This distinction had upheld the excellence of the day star. 3) Finally the world which had been finite and well defined became infinite. The third stage was the final blow in the devaluation of the sun. This article deals with the second of these three stages: that, on the one hand, the sun is covered with marks and can no longer be seen as symbolising divinity but only inevitable imperfection, which reflects the world and mankind itself. On the other hand, if the sun was “all seeing”, this vision is now at best a comic parody, if not strictly irreverent. (shrink)

El presente articulo busca trazar ciertas coordenadas que nos permitan pensar el nuevo terreno extendido de la política contemporánea, proponiendo - a partir sobre todo del pensamiento de Bernard Stiegler - que este tiene lugar en el campo de las nuevas psicotecnologías al servicio del capital especulativo y financiero transnacional. Veremos que estas son piloteadas por una verdadera guerra económica que busca capturar y explotar el tiempo disponible de nuestro cerebro, condicionando de este modo el campo pulsional de los individuos (...) transformados así en consumidores. La explotación de nuestra atención y de nuestro campo pulsional implica una crisis y agotamiento del deseo y, al mismo tiempo, un proceso de gran regresión, lo que augura el advenimiento de una sociedad del capricho, de la desafección y adicción, destruyendo las bases mismas de la vida democrática. La tarea del pensamiento crítico consiste en la invención de nuevas armas conceptuales que reactiven la potencia pública a partir de las mismas potencialidades presentes en las tecnologías numéricas, de cara a abrir nuevos horizontes de deseos y esperanzas compartidos. (shrink)

We prove that a combinatorial consequence of the negation of the PCF conjecture for intervals, involving free subsets relative to set mappings, is not implied by even the strongest known large cardinal axiom.

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar o projeto arquitetônico de fundamentação da ética do discurso desenvolvido por Karl-Otto Apel, a partir da década de 70. Pretendemos mostrar que Apel, a partir da linguagem, buscará desenvolver uma ética da responsabilidade para a sociedade global. Neste sentido, a linguagem enquanto médium intransponível de toda reflexão teórica e prática fundamenta uma intersubjetividade, que torna possível uma ética do acordo mútuo. Esta ética buscará dar conta, não apenas do plano normativo, mas, levará em consideração, (...) também, o âmbito prático de fundamentação. (shrink)

Leonardo Polo no es un filósofo cualquiera. Según Google Scholar es uno de los filósofos más citados en el campo de la antropología filosófica, tanto en español como en inglés. Este estudio presenta el proyecto PODIUN y explora diversas alternativas para la creación de un corpus digital destinado a mejorar la calidad de la investigación científica así como la difusión de su filosofía. Lo que aquí se presenta supone el punto de partida hacia una investigación de lingüística computacional cada vez (...) más articulada, incluyendo técnicas de inteligencia artificial. (shrink)

Vous avez peut-être lu l'Enfer de Dante mais jamais son Paradis : il équivaut à vos yeux à un néant immaculé. Or le paradis dantesque est bien plus différencié et violent que son enfer. Béatrice y déclare au poète : " Si tu voyais mon rire, tu serais réduit en cendres ". C'est pourquoi, au fond, vous mettez le paradis à la porte : vous redoutez l'exigence de sa joie. Et vous vous fabriquez à la place un petit paradis artificiel, (...) rassurant... qui fait un enfer très convenable. Certes, il ne s'agit pas de fuir vers un autre monde imaginaire, ni de régresser vers ce paradis terrestre dont la Genèse nous dit qu'il est définitivement perdu. A la notion d'un au-delà, vous opposez à bon droit la requête de vivre hic et nunc. Mais vous n'arrivez jamais à être vraiment ici, maintenant. C'est là que le vrai paradis révèle son paradoxe et se défend contre ses parodies : il n'est pas évasion vers un ailleurs, mais la grâce déchirante d'être présent à tous et à chacun, dans une ouverture symphonique, une créativité chorale. Ce livre vous invite à un itinéraire à travers la philosophie, la théologie et les arts - de Nietzsche à Bonnefoy de Baudelaire au Bernin, de Sade à Mozart - afin d'approcher ce que le paradis a de plus terrible et de plus beau : la béance de sa béatitude. Oh! il ne s'agit pas de vous consoler, non, mais de vous convoquer à cette joie qui doit vous faire perdre toute contenance - comme un clown - et détruire en vous tout contentement - comme un fleuve, lequel n'est lui-même que de se recevoir et de s'offrir sans fin... (shrink)

Mechanistic frameworks of investigation and explanation dominate the cognitive, neural, and psychological sciences. In this dissertation, I argue that mechanistic frameworks cannot, in principle, explain some kinds of cognition. In its place, I argue that complexity science has methods and theories more appropriate for investigating and explaining some cognitive phenomena. -/- I begin with an examination of the term 'cognition.' I defend the idea that "cognition" has been a moving target of investigation in the relevant sciences. As such it is (...) not historically true that there has been a thoroughly entrenched and agreed upon conception of "cognition." Next, I take up mechanistic frameworks. Although 'mechanism' is an umbrella term for a set of loosely related characteristics, there are common features: linearity, localization, and component dominance. I then describe complexity science, with emphasis on its utilization of dynamical systems modeling. Next, I discuss two phenomena that typically fall under the purview of complexity science: nonlinearity and interaction dominance. -/- A complexity science framework guided by the theory of self-organized criticality and utilizing the methods of dynamical systems modeling can surmount a number of challenges that face mechanistic frameworks when investigating some kinds of cognition. The first challenge is epistemic and concerns the inadequacy of mechanistic frameworks to facilitate the comprehensibility of massive amounts of data across various scales and areas of inquiry. I argue that complexity science is more appropriate for making big data comprehensible when investigating cognition, particularly across disciplines. I demonstrate this via an approach called nested dynamical modeling (NDM). NDM can facilitate comprehensibility of large amounts of data obtained from various scales of investigation by eliminating irrelevant degrees of freedom of that system as relates to the target of investigation. -/- The second shortcoming concerns ontological blind spots within mechanistic frameworks. Cognitive phenomena like extended cognition often fail to meet most, if not all, of the criteria assumed by many mechanistic approaches, especially component dominance. I argue that research guided by the notion of interaction dominance allows for extended cognition to be a real, empirically supported phenomenon within complex systems frameworks. In this chapter I discuss some of my experimental work on extended cognitive systems. -/- The search for mechanisms can be a reasonable starting position when attempting to explain natural phenomena in the life sciences. However, too strict of an adherence to theoretical and methodological commitments such as linearity, localization, and component dominance can result in intractable epistemic challenges and ontological blind spots. Complexity science has theories and methods to overcome such challenges in the investigation of cognition. (shrink)

The presence of the past is of prime importance in today's Mexican society. According to José Fuentes Mares, among the “peoples of the world the Mexican is the one who lives history the most”. With regard to the unsatisfactory relations between Mexico and North America, the journalist Alan Riding asks himself: “How can a people who relish the past to the point of intoxication understand another that looks constantly to the future?” In the Republic of Mexico, according to him, “the (...) entire past of the country throws a dense shadow over the present”. Conforming to a universal custom, every country divides its present past into four groups (survival, residues, memories and history), but in few nations are the four groups as copious as in this one. Although Mexico is rapidly shedding many old customs and is selling residual objects to foreign collectors on the sly, its historical treasure is still enormous, perhaps the largest in the world. (shrink)

No prefácio da segunda edição da Crítica da razão pura, Kant propõe uma revolução metodológica em Filosofia similar à revolução copernicana: ao invés de tratar o observador como um centro fixo em torno do qual os objetos gravitam, pensá-lo antes como um móvel cujos movimentos cognitivos permitiriam explicar fenômenos anteriormente inexplicáveis. Alguns filósofos contemporâneos sugerem que essa revolução deva ser realizada de um ponto de vista geográfico, pois os problemas fundamentais da Filosofia parecem gravitar todos em torno do mesmo centro (...) fixo, o qual não é confrontado à fragilidade de sua posição geográfica contingente, o centro europeu. O objetivo deste artigo é reconstruir as linhas gerais dessa nova revolução copernicana como um procedimento de reavaliação de três vetores centrais do saber: o Eu, o Outro e o Todo. (shrink)

The problem with utopia is that it lends itself to a form of idolatry which creates a confusion between the order of values sought and the historical event. In trying at all costs to become reality in the here and now, the dream turns into a nightmare. The confusion is threefold: confusion between the utopian objective aimed at but not yet realized and the end situation resulting from an action; confusion between the imaginary representation of an order of values and (...) a particular social situation; and finally confusion between the rule of conduct and a mandate to bring about the ideal society no matter what the odds. So utopia, transformed into an ideology, leads to a frightening mode of thought: justification of absolute power in pursuit of the supreme good. (shrink)