Gottlob Frege rozlišuje mezi smyslem a významem výrazů, přičemž smyslem rozumí to, co je výrazem vyjadřováno, významem pak to, co je jím označováno. Toto rozlišení se týká jak singulárních, tak obecných výrazů, ovšem Fregovy rozbory týkající se významu obecných výrazů jsou všeobecně méně známy. Chci zdůraznit skutečnost, že Frege považuje za význam obecných výrazů pojem, který chápe jako tzv. nenasycenou funkci, nikoli jako množinu nebo zobrazení. To mu umožňuje zachovat některé podstatné intuice týkající se obecnin – můžeme např. mít obecný (...) pojem (znát nějakou vlastnost či relaci), aniž bychom věděli, jaké předměty pod něj spadají. Zároveň se snažím ukázat, že není jasné, nakolik Frege skutečně zastával tezi, která mu bývá obvykle přičítána, totiž že identita pojmů je dána jejich koextenzivitou. Gottlob Frege distinguished between sense and reference of expressions. 'Sense' according to him is that what the expression means, 'reference' is that what is designated by it. This distinction concerns both singular and general terms but Frege’s analyses focused on general terms are much less known. It is crucial, I argue, to appreciate the importance of the fact that the reference of a general term is, according to Frege, a concept – identified with an unsaturated function in the Fregean sense, i.e. not a set, and not a mapping. In this way Frege can keep some important intuitions about universals – for instance that we can have a general concept (know a property or a relation) even if we don’t know which objects fall under it. I also try to show that it is not clear whether Frege really defended the thesis usually attributed to him that the identity of concepts is guaranteed solely by their coextensivity. (shrink)

Traktaty Niccolò Machiavellego to lektura obowiązkowa dla wszystkich pragnących merytorycznie debatować o państwie i prawie oraz mechanizmach funkcjonowania polityki, jak również dla tych, którzy chcą podjąć się działalności politycznej i odnieść sukces. To właśnie Florentyńczyk znany jest przede wszystkim z rad, jak zdobyć i utrzymać władzę. Wprawdzie zostały one sformułowane przed wiekami, jednak wiele z nich okazuje się zaskakująco aktualnych. Nie cofał się on też przed formułowaniem kontrowersyjnych wniosków, co do dziś dnia wywołuje w czytelnikach wiele emocji. Pomimo bogatej literatury (...) naukowej dotyczącej tego myśliciela, do tej pory brak było monografii, która przybliżałaby kluczowe dla jego rozważań pojęcie władzy, biorąc pod uwagę jej cele i środki. To Machiavelli spopularyzował zasadę „cel uświęca środki” i zalecał jej stosowanie w świecie politycznym. Postulując postrzeganie rzeczywistości taką, jaka ona jest, także władzę należy rozpatrywać pod kątem jej realnych celów oraz środków, które zapewniają jej istnienie. Niniejsza książka uzupełnia tę lukę w dyskursie naukowym. Jej celem nie jest tylko przedstawienie projektów ustrojowych Florentyńczyka, ale przede wszystkim uchwycenie samej istoty i przejawów władzy. „Cel uświęca środki, czyli Niccolò Machiavellego rozważania o władzy” pokazuje w nowym świetle rozważania autora Księcia i mam nadzieję sprowokuje ona każdego czytelnika do własnych przemyśleń na temat państwa, prawa oraz zasad rządzących światem politycznym. (shrink)

Książka, pierwsza z nowej serii „Estetyka. Pomiędzy tradycją a współczesnością”, powstała we współpracy dwu środowisk estetycznych: z Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu i z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. Estetycy toruńscy i warszawscy konfrontują swoje spojrzenia we wspólnym celu, jakim jest wskazanie na aktualność myśli Kanta zarówno w kontekście historycznym, jak i problemowym. Tytułową „aktualność” należy rozumieć przede wszystkim jako to, co jest czynne, co realizuje się w konkretnej postaci. Zebrane w książce rozprawy dzielą się na trzy podstawowe grupy: studia poświęcone aktualności estetyki (...) Kanta w myśli nowożytnej, analizy współczesnych aktualizacji wybranych pojęć z "Krytyki władzy sądzenia" oraz propozycje uaktualnień niektórych z Kantowskich odkryć w kontekście filozoficznej oraz artystycznej ponowoczesności. (shrink)

Celem artykułu jest analiza kategorii mundus imaginalis sformułowanej przez Henry’ego Corbina na podstawie filozofii muzułmańskiej (alam al-misal). Corbina inspirowali muzułmańscy mistycy uznający istnienie granicznej sfery wyobrażeniowej, pośredniczącej między światem zmysłowym i światem inteligibilnym. Dla Corbina, u którego można także dostrzec wpływy CG. Junga i A. Koyré, mundus imaginalis staje się narzędziem przydatnym do analizy wyobraźni (rozumianej jako aktywna władza poznawcza), ale także kondycji współczesnego człowieka. Kontrapunktem poszerzającym refleksję nad mundus imaginalis są badania Jeana-Jacquesa Wunenburgera, który – sięgając między innymi do (...) analiz Corbina – kładzie nacisk na wielopoziomowość i strukturalny charakter zarówno władzy wyobraźni, jak i jej wytworów. W obydwu interpretacjach tej kategorii kluczowe zdają się być następujące pytania: co mundus imaginalis wnosi do rozumienia istoty wyobraźni oraz ludzkiego świata wyobrażeń? Z jakim ujęciem wyobraźni wiąże się uznanie tej kategorii? Na te pytania próbuję odpowiedzieć w artykule. (shrink)

Recenzowana monografia naukowa dotyczy wybranych, niezwykle ważnych kwestii społecznych i etycznych, związanych z poszczególnymi etapami życia ludzkiego: jego początkiem, trwaniem i śmiercią. Składa się z dziewięciu artykułów, które łącznie tworzą szeroką panoramę współczesnych problemów bioetycznych. […] Jest przykładem ich dobrego diagnozowania, aktualizowania refleksji nad nimi i proponowania konkretnych rozwiązań, które odwołują się – co bardzo cenne – do rodzimych przykładów. […] Adresatami publikacji mogą być zarówno osoby profesjonalnie związane z szeroko rozumianą służbą zdrowia, studenci kierunków medycznych, jak i pacjenci oraz (...) ich rodziny, a także osoby zawodowo organizujące wsparcie w trudnych sytuacjach. Publikacja zainteresuje także osoby, które poszukują refleksji nad społecznie ważnymi kwestiami bioetycznymi, ukazanymi w perspektywie personalistycznej. Z recenzji ks. dr. hab. Zbigniewa Wanata, prof. UMK Monografia zawiera szereg interesujących tekstów analizujących dylematy moralne związane z początkiem i końcem ludzkiego życia. Poruszane zagadnienia są ważne i aktualne. W części pierwszej znajdują się opracowania dotyczące kwestii prenatalnych i okołoporodowych, w części drugiej – kwestii terminalnych, a na końcu tekst zwieńczający, dotyczący pojęcia sumienia […] Szczególnie cenne wydają się teksty prezentujące obszerne wyniki badań własnych (np. opieki nad dziećmi z zespołem Downa) i funkcjonowanie niedawno powstałych instytucji (jak hospicja perinatalne) albo opisujące proponowane procedury postępowania w praktyce (np. w stosunku do osób umierających). Inne teksty, nawet jeśli dotyczą zagadnień znanych (np. diagnostyki prenatalnej lub opieki nad ciężarnymi niepełnosprawnymi), omawiają je w sposób porządkujący dotychczasową wiedzę. Powyższe sprawia, że monografię można uznać za dzieło oryginalne. […] Wśród Autorów poszczególnych rozdziałów znajdują się osoby rozpoznawalne w środowisku medycznym i bioetycznym, co sprawia, że publikacja powinna cieszyć się zainteresowaniem w tych kręgach, a sformułowane w niej postulaty mogą mieć wartość aplikacyjną. Z recenzji dr. hab. med. Jakuba Pawlikowskiego, prof. UKSW. (shrink)

Bioethics laws in France have just undergone a revision process. The bioethics debate is often cast in terms of ethical principles and norms resisting emerging social and technological practices. This leads to the expression of confrontational attitudes based on widely differing interpretations of the same principles and values, and ultimately results in a deadlock. In this paper I would like to argue that focusing on values, as opposed to norms and principles, provides an interesting perspective on the evolution of norms. (...) As Joseph Raz has convincingly argued, “life-building” values and practices are closely intertwined. Precisely because values have a more indeterminate meaning than norms, they can be cited as reasons for action by concerned stakeholders, and thus can help us understand how controversial practices, e.g. surrogate motherhood, can be justified. Finally, norms evolve when the interpretations of the relevant values shift and cause a change in the presumptions implicit in the norms. Thus, norms are not a prerequisite of the ethical solution of practical dilemmas, but rather the outcome of the decision-making process itself. Struggling to reach the right decision in controversial clinical ethics situations indirectly causes social and moral values to change and principles to be understood differently. (shrink)

This article presents two ways of contributing to the debate on cognitive phenomenology. First, it is argued that cognitive attitudes have a specific phenomenal character or attitudinal cognitive phenomenology and, second, an element in cognitive experiences is described, i.e., the horizon of possibilities, which arguably gives us more evidence for cognitive phenomenology views.

Since their introduction in the early 2000s, the use of social networking websites has exploded. Many businesses are seeing increased revenue due to their social commerce strategy. Despite the popularity of social commerce websites, some consumers are still hesitate to use them. This study aims to evaluate the factors that influence the adoption of social commerce. A sample of 721 Chinese We Chat users took part in the research. The findings reveal that social capital mediates the positive effect of social (...) commerce adoption and perceived ease of use on techno-stress and online impulse purchasing. Likewise, information overloading mediates the positive effect of social commerce adoption and PERU on techno-stress and online impulse purchasing. The findings have implications for both practice and research in understanding social commerce adoption in emerging economies. (shrink)

Recenzja książki: Richard Holmes, Wiek cudów. Jak odkrywano piękno i grozę nauki, tłum. Ewa Morycińska-Dzius, Seria: Wiedza i Życie – Orbity Nauki, Prószyński i S-ka, Warszawa 2010, ss. 656.

In the last decade, Systems Biology has emerged as a conceptual and explanatory alternative to reductionist-based approaches in molecular biology. However, the foundations of this new discipline need to be fleshed out more carefully. In this paper, we claim that a relational ontology is a necessary tool to ground both the conceptual and explanatory aspects of Systems Biology. A relational ontology holds that relations are prior—both conceptually and explanatory—to entities, and that in the biological realm entities are defined primarily by (...) the context they are embedded within—and hence by the web of relations they are part of. (shrink)

The contemporary confluence of globalization and ethical pluralism is at the origin of many ethical challenges that confront business nowadays, both in practice and in theory. One of the challenges arising from the development of globalization has to do with respect for cultural diversity. It is often said that the success of economic globalization tends towards social and cultural homogeneity. To the extent that cultural diversity is usually seen as a valuable reality, that global trend seems to contradict our efforts (...) to respect ethical pluralism, both personal and cultural, within society. In this paper I argue that (a) ethical minimalism, despite its emphasis on tolerance and justice, does not take pluralism seriously into account in present-day society, and (b) ethical minimalism is not suited to balancing the homogenizing trend of globalization. Certainly ethical norms are necessary, but by no means are they sufficient in themselves to encourage either justice or tolerance; nor are they sufficient to inspire and encourage good practices and sound regulations. Instead, virtue-based ethics has the capacity of inspiring and encouraging good practices. Particularly, virtue-based ethics is able to inspire a serious dialogue about ethical and legal issues both in the public arena and within organizations. (shrink)

This book attempts a conceptual clarification of Kant’s approach to culture, given the lack of systematic study of this aspect of his thought. At its origin there was only a thematic interest in the manifold meanings of the term “culture”, as well as the underlying persuasion that Kant’s moral philosophy could provide us with a systematic framework to understand the increasing relevance of “culture” in modern thought. Specifically, the hypothesis was that the emergence of culture as a relatively autonomous realm (...) was implied in Kant’s refusal to let nature play a role in the constitution of the moral norm, and his requirement that the moral norm be defined through pure reason alone. As a result, culture would appear as a middle terrain: being neither empirical nature nor pure morality. Accordingly, culture can be approached either from the perspective of nature, or from the perspective of morality. Both approaches represent what can be termed “Kant’s explicit account of culture”. Behind this explicit, two-fold account of culture, however, an implicit account of culture in terms of “projection of man’s subjectivity” can be discovered. This latter account, itself a consequence of the critical enterprise, constitutes Kant’s most original contribution to the philosophy of culture. (shrink)

The combined effect of technological innovations in the workplace and the lockdowns imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly increased the prominence of remote working, with an undeniable impact on both business and society. In light of this organizational and sociological change, this article analyzes how this renewed work environment can be the place where workers can develop several relevant virtues, specifically moderation, integrity, and mercy. This new environment may also present the opportunity to develop a number of opposing vices, (...) which are also explained and analyzed. The article concludes by suggesting some implications for managers who wish to promote virtuous behaviors in the new context of remote work. (shrink)

A traditional argument based on Leibniz’s Law concludes that, for example, a statue and the piece of marble of which it is made are two different objects. This is because they have different properties: the statue can survive the loss of some of its parts but the piece of marble cannot. Lynne Rudder Baker adds that the piece of marble constitutes the statue. In this paper I focus on what I think is the most powerful objection to Baker’s account of (...) the constitution relation, which has to do with her notion of circumstances. I present the objection following Derk Pereboom’s formulation and, afterwards, I analyse Baker’s answers to the criticism. I conclude that they make her overall project less attractive. Finally, I propose a new answer to the criticism. This will suppose a new formulation of the constitution relation, albeit done in the spirit of Baker’s account. (shrink)

Social theories are heavily context-embedded, and their creation is naturally interwoven with particular contexts. Once they are disseminated within a new societal landscape, adjustments and adaptation should be made. This paper investigates the entangled contexts of the social quality theory and its applicability to Asian societies. rough a comparative analysis of the key questions that this theory purports to answer, as well as its proposed answers and solutions, the study evaluates the purpose, features and functions of the theory. Moreover, in (...) relation to four sorts of 'conditional factors', this article also proposes extending social quality studies into four approaches that should lead the studies beyond the level of description into new forms of theory. The article also explores the theory's power to explain the Asian social quality systems and their implications for global social development. (shrink)

Mindfulness is intentional focus of one’s attention on emotions, thoughts, or sensations occurring in the present moment with a nonjudgmental attitude. Recently there has been increased interest in the effects of mindfulness practice on psychological processes such as concentration, focus, and attention. In the present study, a prepulse inhibition/facilitation paradigm was employed to investigate the effect of brief mindfulness practice on automatic attention regulation processes. PPI occurs when a relatively weak prepulse is presented 30–500 ms before a startle-inducing stimulus, and (...) reduces the magnitude of the startle response. Prepulse facilitation is the increase in startle magnitude when the prepulse is presented 500 ms or more before the startle-eliciting stimulus. In the present study, the effect of engaging in a 23-min mindfulness exercise on PPI and PPF was investigated. Participants listened to either a mindfulness instruction or relaxing music. In a PPI/PPF pretest and posttest, a startle-eliciting noise was presented at lead intervals of 60, 120, and 2,000 ms. Results showed that engaging in brief mindfulness practice increased prepulse facilitation at the 2,000 ms lead interval in the posttest compared to the pretest. The amount of PPI did not differ between tests. (shrink)

As an emerging human resource issue in business ethics, work-life balance has been gaining increasing attention from both practitioners and scholars in recent years. In response to the call of Kelliher et al. :97–112, 2019), we addressed the research gap by examining the WLB of Chinese knowledge workers under flextime arrangement and the impact of work-life supportive culture on work-life spillover of the workers. Specifically, we examined the relationships between three components of work-life supportive culture, namely managerial support, career consequences, (...) and organizational time demands, and two aspects of work-life spillover, positive and negative spillover, perceived by the workers. A quantitative survey with 35 employees in a software development company in Hong Kong was conducted. The results of structure equation modelling showed that managerial support was positively related to positive work-life spillover while organizational time demands was positively related to employees’ negative spillover. WLB needs of knowledge workers and the role of organizational culture in effective implementation of WLB policies were discussed, and several feasible WLB policies were suggested for managers. (shrink)

In this paper, I discuss the current thesis on the modern origin of the ad hominem-argument, by analysing the Aristotelian conception of it. In view of the recent accounts which consider it a relative argument, i.e., acceptable only by the particular respondent, I maintain that there are two Aristotelian versions of the ad hominem, that have identifiable characteristics, and both correspond to the standard variants distinguished in the contemporary treatments of the famous informal fallacy: the abusive and the circumstancial or (...) tu quoque types. I propose to reconstruct the two Aristotelian versions (see sections 1 and 2), which have been recognized again in the ninteenth century (sec. 3). Finally, I examine whether or not it was considered as a fallacious dialogue device by Aristotle and by A. Schopenhauer (sec. 4). (shrink)

En este artículo defiendo la tesis de que la estética de la naturaleza puede ofrecer a la ética de la naturaleza uno de los mejores argumentos ecologistas. Creo que el valor estético de la naturaleza, tradicionalmente olvidado por la filosofía, puede revitalizar las discusiones que tienen lugar en la ética de la naturaleza, y permite enfocar de un modo nuevo la cuestión de si la naturaleza posee un valor intrínseco o un valor instrumental.

In this paper I discuss whether there is a specific experience of thinking or not. I address this question by analysing if it is possible to reduce the phenomenal character of thinking to the phenomenal character of sensory experiences. My purpose is to defend that there is a specific phenomenality for at least somethinking mental states. I present Husserl's theory of intentionality in the Logical Investigations as a way to defend this claim and I consider its assumptions. Then I present (...) the case of understanding as a paradigmatic case for the phenomenal contrast argument and I defend it against two objections. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Semiotica Jahrgang: 2018 Heft: 220 Seiten: 155-172.

The ArgumentThe purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly, I propose to analyze controversies using a “dialectical” model, in the sense described in Aristotle'sTopics. This approach presupposes that we temporarily disregard, for the sake of clarity, the concreteness of real life controversies in order to focus on their argumentative structure. From this point of view, the main advantage of controversies is that they allow the interlocutorsto testeach other's claims and therefore to arrive at relatively corroborated conclusions. This testing function in (...) a dialectical context is implemented through theassentto commonly accepted premises, and thenecessitywhich characterizes each step of the reasoning.Secondly, I shall apply this dialectical framework to the study of the controversy concerning the motion of the Earth, or rather a small episode of it. I shall examine an exchange of letters, written in 1616 and in 1624 respectively, between Galileo Galilei and Francesco Ingoli, one of his Aristotelian opponents. I shall then compare this exchange with the first day of Galileo'sDialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World, a fictional debate, where Galileo discusses some of the same arguments. While the first exemplifies what I call “negative” testing, and yields a refutation of the opponent's theses, the second exemplifies “positive” testing and yields a dialectical demonstration of the motion of the Earth. (shrink)

The main topic of the article is the issue of pre-reflective consciousness, which was Sartre’s subject matter is an early phase of his work, when he was inspired by Husserl’s fenomenology. Sartre distinguished three types of pre-reflective consciousness: perception, imagination and emotion. In my article I try to explain essence of abovementioned types of consciousness, point their features and define relations between them.

A commentary on “The Ethics of Anonymous Gamete Donation: Is There a Right to Know One's Genetic Origins?” by Inmaculada de Melo‐Martín, in the March‐April 2014 issue.

This article tests the hypothesis that all pandemics are inherently translational. We argue that translation and translation theory can be fruitfully used to understand and manage epidemics, as they help us explore concepts of infectivity and immunity in terms of cultural and biological resistance. After examining the linkage between translation and coronavirus disease from three different yet interlinked perspectives—cultural, medical, and biocultural—we make a case for a translational medical humanities framework for tackling the multifactorial crisis brought about by the SARS-CoV-2 (...) infection. This innovative entanglement of perspectives has the merit of carving out a new space for translation research at the intersection of the sciences and the humanities, providing sustainable ways to conceptualize the production of science at times of crisis, and challenging conventional views of translation as a primarily linguistic and cultural phenomenon that traditionally does not engage with science. (shrink)

Suele argumentarse que la contribución original de la Reforma a la teoría de la resistencia se basa en una exégesis del pasaje paulino de Romanos, según la cual sólo se debe obediencia a las autoridades que obran en favor del interés general. De ahí se derivaría una teoría constitucionalista de la resistencia protestante, que tendría en Calvino a uno de sus principales inspiradores. Sin embargo, en el derecho de resistencia calviniano la ciudadanía no es concebida como sujeto político en sentido (...) estricto: el pueblo no es ni el fundamento de la autoridad ni puede reemplazarla o resistir si incumple sus deberes religiosos, sociales o políticos. La resistencia activa no está justificada más que como excepción y su motor es únicamente otra autoridad legitimada divinamente, esto es, que ocupe un oficio público, es decir, un tutor. La existencia de una tutoría semejante implica reconocer la incapacidad jurídica del menor tutelado, esto es, el pueblo. Difícilmente puede hablarse aquí de constitucionalismo o democracia. El análisis de las ideas del reformador en el contexto en el que fueron puestas en práctica apoyará esta tesis. (shrink)

Ce volume envisage l'amour en tant qu'objet polymorphe : Eros, Philia, Agapé, mais aussi Storgé. Les mots grecs rendent compte, du large spectre amoureux : amour romantique, amour sexuel, amour de soi, de l'autre, pour l'autre... des catégories qui placent les manifestations du sentiment amoureux dans un espace de contraintes et de possibilités qui relève du social et du discursif. Les travaux qui sont ici réunis s'attachent ainsi à interroger des genres artistiques et discursifs dans lesquels s'ancre l'amour, ils abordent (...) la littérature et le cinéma, mais aussi l'histoire, l'histoire des idées, la sociologie l'ethnologie ou la psychologie. Ces recherches mettent en avant que l'amour constitue une manière d'appréhender et d'expliquer le monde puisqu'on peut lire à travers lui les rapports qui définissent nos sociétés et qui le définissent à leur tour. (shrink)

In the first half of this paper, we present a fragment of relational syllogisms named RELSYLL consisting of quantified statements with a special set of numerical quantifiers, and introduce a number of concepts that are useful for the later sections, including indirect reduction, quantifier transformations and equivalence of syllogisms. After determining the valid and invalid syllogisms in RELSYLL, we then introduce two Derivation Methods which can be used to derive valid relational syllogisms based on known valid simple syllogisms. We also (...) show that the two Methods are sound and complete for RELSYLL. In the second half of this paper, we discuss ways to extend the Derivation Methods, including the use of more valid syllogisms and the use of existential assumptions. In this way, we are able to derive more relational syllogisms that contain other types of non-classical quantifiers, including “only” and proportional quantifiers. Finally, we state and prove a proposition concerning the relationship between the two Methods. (shrink)

Information asymmetries are regarded as the main obstacle for consumers to buy responsibly. CSR labels are considered the best tool to give consumers information about the brand's social and environmental performance. Yet, the information and credibility gap associated to the labels may render labels useless. This study aims to unveil the relationship of Spanish consumers with CSR labels, in order to assess the posited consequences of the information and credibility gap. To do so, 385 consumers were interviewed at the main (...) shopping centers in Madrid. The findings support the hypothesized gaps, which leads to recommend public policies in order to improve the effectiveness of CSR labels as an information tool. (shrink)

La repugnancia es una emoción que pone de manifiesto la especificidad de los seres humanos como seres naturales y seres culturales. Es por ello que la repugnancia constituye un objeto de estudio privilegiado para la Neuroética. En el siguiente artículo trataremos de mostrar que la repugnancia no es una mera reacción fisiológica, sino que la evolución biológica y cultural ha hecho de ella una emoción enormemente compleja dotada de un gran contenido cognitivo. Veremos qué papel ha jugado el recurso retórico (...) a la repugnancia en distintos procesos de deshumanización y crueldad a lo largo de la historia. Por último, examinaremos cómo funciona la empatía en la agencia moral y analizaremos qué relación tiene este mecanismo psicológico con la repugnancia. (shrink)

Anxiety patients over-generalize fear, possibly because of an incapacity to discriminate threat and safety signals. Discrimination trainings are promising approaches for reducing such fear over-generalization. Here we investigated the efficacy of a fear-relevant vs. a fear-irrelevant discrimination training on fear generalization and whether the effects are increased with feedback during training. Eighty participants underwent two fear acquisition blocks, during which one face, but not another face, was associated with a female scream. During two generalization blocks, both CSs plus four morphs (...) were presented. Between these generalization blocks, half of the participants underwent a fear-relevant discrimination training with or without feedback and the other half a fear-irrelevant discrimination training with or without feedback. US expectancy, arousal, valence ratings, and skin conductance responses indicated successful fear acquisition. Importantly, fear-relevant vs. fear-irrelevant discrimination trainings and feedback vs. no feedback reduced generalization as reflected in US expectancy ratings independently from one another. No effects of training condition were found for arousal and valence ratings or SCR. In summary, this is a first indication that fear-relevant discrimination training and feedback can improve the discrimination between threat and safety signals in healthy individuals, at least for learning-related evaluations, but not evaluations of valence or arousal. (shrink)

The contribution addresses a possible implication of Arendt’s ideas in the constitution of an education committed to offering a place where the uniqueness and free expression of subjects can multiply (Arendt, 1961). According to Arendt’s perspective, uniqueness is present in all human activities, but only action fully realizes it. Since action is always unpredictable, it is not possible to presume in advance what form and in what way uniqueness will manifest itself. Following this argument, we will argue that the unpredictability (...) of action, as defined by Arendt, submits a critical analysis of the educational models that guide the aims of educational action: to be brought out and germinated for what we do not yet know and for the uniqueness that each generation brings itself. This perspective invites us to rethink the questions through which we problematize educational action. (shrink)