ABSTRACTEurope as an idea as well as a political and cultural project has been a vast subject in the British public debate, The relationship between Britain and Europe was mostly regarded as extremely cautious and parochially nationalist; however, whereas in the 1960s and 1970s opposition to the European Economic Community was predominantly led by intelligentsias and maverick politicians, the present-day debate seems less intellectually-driven and academic in his language. This article draws attention to the role of traditional and online media (...) in re-narrating the European question. Within this process, the re-semioticization of the role of Great Britain in the international scenario vis-à-vis the historical and cultural discourses of borders between the UK and the Continent play a pivotal function. Starting from here, the article considers, on the one hand, how the current re-narration of the European question is reproducing and reinterpreting historical arguments vis-à-vis old clichés. On the other, it deals primarily with the response to the profound transition taking place in the political landscape. (shrink)

This article examines Samantha Vice's essay ‘How Do I Live in This Strange Place?’, which sparked a storm of controversy in South Africa, as a starting point for interrogating understandings of whiteness and racism that are dominant in critical philosophy of race. I argue that a significant body of philosophical scholarship on whiteness in general and by white scholars in particular obfuscates the structural dimension of racism. The moralisation of racism that often permeates philosophical scholarship reproduces colourblind logics, which provide (...) individualistic explanations for structural problems, thereby sustaining white dominance. In the process, I show that notions of white guilt, white habits, white ignorance, white invisibility, white privilege, and white shame as they are theorised in much critical philosophy of race share a crucial limitation: they minimise white people's active interest in reproducing the racist status quo. Studies, such as Vice's, that frame racism as a moral dilemma while silencing its institutionalisation and the central cause for its existence and longevity – that is, white people's investment in maintaining economic, political, and symbolic power – further naturalise white supremacy. (shrink)

Recent models of scientific collaboration show that minorities can end up at a disadvantage in bargaining scenarios. However, these models presuppose the existence of social categories. Here, we present a model of scientific collaboration in which inequality arises in the absence of social categories. We assume that all agents are identical except for the position that they occupy in the collaboration network. We show that inequality arises in the absence of social categories. We also show that this is due to (...) the structure of the collaboration network and that similar patterns arise in two real-world collaboration networks. (shrink)

Research on medical interactions shows how the discursive construction of the clinical case impacts diagnostic reasoning and treatment recommendations. Drawing on an ethnographic study in an intensive care unit, we illustrate how this process is at play in a ward that adopts an extreme, guideline-divergent policy as to the use of antibiotics. The article focuses on how physicians assemble the case as ‘treatable’ or ‘not yet treatable’, and how in doing so they ‘talk into being’ two contrastive policies on antibiotics (...) and position themselves toward the one adopted in the ward. The analysis identifies the discursive resources displayed by physicians to both project an infectious disease diagnosis and resist this treatment-implicative trajectory. We argue that the physicians’ contentious discursive construction of the case has crucial consequences in the way the ward’s extreme policy is jointly accomplished as a highly reflexive process sensitive to the contingencies of any particular case. (shrink)

Philosophers, lawyers, and political scientists have for a long time attempted to solve issues related to human rights, crises, and catastrophes. This article aims at bringing these debates together, to show that human rights and crises are mutually interdependent. More precisely, I will illustrate that the instincts and emotions triggered by the materialization of certain crises and catastrophes might devalue the implementation of human rights law as it influences our conception of the grounding of human rights qua moral rights. For (...) this reason, a call for a “theory of want” as a justification for the grounding and the implementation of human rights in times of crisis is needed. (shrink)

A central and influential idea among researchers of language is that the sentence, by virtue of its direct relationship with syntactic parsing, represents the heart of language itself. Even in the field of pragmatics, models rooted in classical theories tend to put sentence prominence forward again. Here, we present results from recordings of event-related brain potentials that brings into question even the distinction between sentence and discourse. During natural communicative exchanges, the human brain continuously and immediately relates incoming words to (...) the previous discourse, whether it is constituted of a word, a sentence or complex speech. Moreover, focusing on discourse instead of sentence represents a viable strategy to better understand the relationship between language and other cognitive systems. (shrink)

In philosophy of mind, the arguments about phenomenal experience are related to ontological points of view in which the alternatives are physicalist monism and dualism. Both involve problems and the choice is difficult in order to describe the experience into scientific knowledge. I accost Carnap and Vasubandhu philosophies to show an epistemic position, that involves an ontological deconstruction, from the phenomenal experience starting point. In this view, the way to address the psico-physical problem changes: it is not concerned any problem (...) about a dualism of substances. Experience and evidence are two points of convergence, and lead to the question of subjectivity: the consciousness it is not an object however it keeps its relevance. (shrink)

Un confronto fra le due edizioni dello studio dedicato a Hume e la trasformazione della posizione teorica di Dal Pra.

For over a decade neuroscience has uncovered that appropriate decision-making in daily life decisions results from a strong interplay between cognition and covert biases produced by emotional processes. This interplay is particularly important in social contexts: lesions in the pathways supporting these processes provoke serious impairments on social behavior. One important mechanism in social contexts is empathy, fundamental for appropriate social behavior. This paper presents arguments supporting this connection between cognition and emotion, in individual as well as in social contexts. (...) The central claim of this paper is that biologically inspired cognitive architectures ought to include these mechanisms. A taxonomy of computational models addressing emotions is presented, together with a brief survey of the research published in this area. The Prisoner Dilemma game is used as a case study exposing the trade-off between individual rationality and cooperative behavior. Experiments using a simple implementation of empathy and emotion expression, employing an Iterated Prisoner Dilemma setup, illustrate the emergence of a cooperative behavior mutually beneficial for both players. (shrink)

Through an exploration of the representation of ethnic minorities in the museums of Kunming, Yunnan Province of China, this article discusses the active role that museums play in the processes of memory and identity engineering, whereby museum images and narratives are used to support collective imagination about ethnic minorities' identities and past. Drawing from a comparative analysis of museum displays in Kunming, I discuss how the image of ethnic minorities is conveyed through a selective process of i) remembering and emphasizing (...) specific cultural elements, ii) forgetting other elements, and lastly, iii) modifying the perception of ethnic minorities relation to the Han majority. By revealing the extent and modalities through which museum representations manipulate ethnic minorities' identities in China, the analysis aims to contribute to our understanding of the multiple ways in which museums act as sites for the enactment of collective memory and imagination. (shrink)

Many realists on kinds deem it highly controversial to consider artefact kinds real kinds on a par with natural ones. There is a built-in tendency in realism to conceive of artefact kinds as merely a conventional classification used for practical purposes. One can individuate three main different approaches characterizing real kinds and accordingly three different types of arguments against viewing artefact kinds as real kinds: the metaphysical, the epistemological and the semantic arguments. The aim of this contribution is to undermine (...) the thesis that it is possible to trace a clear distinction between artefacts and natural kinds in each of these approaches. As a consequence there are no metaphysical, epistemological and semantic bases for claiming that artefact kinds as opposed to natural ones are not real kinds. (shrink)

In this paper, I survey and defend the use of quantitative methods in philosophy of language. Quantitative methods in philosophy of language include a wide variety of methods, ranging from model‐based techniques (computer simulations and mathematical models) to data‐driven approaches (experimental philosophy and corpus‐based studies). After offering a few case studies of these methodologies in action, I single out some debates in philosophy of language that are especially well served by their use. These are cases in which quantitative methods increase (...) precision, improve the accuracy and reliability of results, and allow philosophers of language to borrow from other fields the best epistemic practices available. I conclude with some far‐reaching considerations about the role of qualitative and quantitative methods in debates about philosophical methodology. (shrink)

People with mental illness are subjected to stigma and discrimination and constantly face restrictions in the exercise of their political, civil and social rights. Considering this scenario, mental health, ethics and human rights are key approaches to advance the well-being of persons with mental illnesses. The study was conducted to review the scope of the empirical literature available to answer the research question: What evidence is available regarding human rights and ethical issues regarding nursing care to persons with mental illnesses? (...) A scoping review methodology guided by Arksey and O’Malley was used. Studies were identified by conducting electronic searches on CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS and Hein databases. Of 312 citations, 26 articles matched the inclusion criteria. The central theme which emerged from the literature was “Ethics and Human Rights Boundaries to Mental Health Nursing practice”. Mental health nurses play a key and valuable role in ensuring that their interventions are based on ethical and human rights principles. Mental health nurses seem to have difficulty engaging with the ethical issues in mental health, and generally are dealing with acts of paternalism and with the common justification for those acts. It is important to open a debate regarding possible solutions for this ethical dilemma, with the purpose to enable nurses to function in a way that is morally acceptable to the profession, patients and members of the public. This review may serve as an instrument for healthcare professionals, especially nurses, to reflect about how to fulfil their ethical responsibilities towards persons with mental illnesses, protecting them from discrimination and safeguarding their human rights, respecting their autonomy, and as a value, keeping the individual at the centre of ethical discourse. (shrink)

1. Introduzione Immaginate di guardare in una certa direzione nel cielo. Vedete un oggetto avvicinarsi. A un certo punto, dopo un alcuni istanti di incertezza, pensate di aver capito di cosa si tratta e dite al vostro amico: «È un uccello!». L’oggetto continua ad avvicinarsi e le ali che prima vi sembravano in movimento ora vi appaiono decisamente ferme. Inoltre la velocità non può essere quella di un uccello. Vi correggete ed esclamate: «È un aereo!». Cominciate a essere preoccupati perché (...) l... (shrink)

La atención es uno de los fenómenos psicológicos más presentes en la obra orteguiana y, a la vez, uno de los más desatendidos por la crítica. Habitualmente el fenómeno ha quedado eclipsado por ideas tradicionalmente más nodales como la de “perspectiva”, sin embargo, no podemos ignorar que ideas como esta hallan su fundamento precisamente sobre el fenómeno de la atención, lo que le otorga una importancia a considerar. En el presente libro, mediante una revisión crítica de los textos orteguianos, se (...) despliega y reúne un conjunto de argumentos con los que defender la centralidad de la atención en el pensamiento orteguiano ofreciendo, con ella, uno de los elementos cardinales en la estructuración sistemática de su obra, pues, como veremos, es en la atención donde el autor halla el fundamento para edi car su método perspectivista y, a su vez, donde descansa cierta posibilidad de cristalizar su doctrina raciovitalista. (shrink)

At the time of writing, an infectious disease, named COVID-19, has spread globally, resulting in the on-going pandemic. For this reason, more than ever it is fundamentally important to address the issue on how to allow government sufficient discretion, flexibility, and powers to deal with emergencies, such as COVID-19, while respecting the rule of law. Notably, there are some exceptional situations where States can restrict or derogate from certain human rights. Yet, what are the moral principles that should guide democracies (...) when dealing with the limitation or suspension of rights in times of public emergencies? Through the lenses of utilitarianism and liberalism, this paper aimed at providing both a legal and a philosophical overview of the limitation, or suspension, of human rights in emergency situations – such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The legal-philosophical approach of this paper is, therefore, fundamental in order to understand the current situation. In other words, the legal-philosophical approach of this paper will help to understand the current challenges for human rights during times of crisis. To understand why we are where we are. (shrink)

Focusing on one of the most studied dimensions of Social Psychology, i.e., intergroup relations, this study analyzes its discursive accomplishment in a specific group-based intervention, i.e., the talk and work of an Italian group home, i.e., a small alternative care facility hosting a group of out-of-home children. Particularly, we focused on the fictionally called “Nuns’ Home,” a group home previously investigated for its ethnocentric bias, and its intergroup relations with “inside” and “outside” groups, such as schools, biological families, and social (...) services. By combining a qualitative and quantitative approach in analyzing one audio-recorded ethnographic interview with the whole team of professionals, we aimed at accounting for the multitude of internal and external stakeholders that participants refer to, analyzing the discursive accomplishment of ingroup and outgroup in talk-in-interaction and investigating ingroup bias and group qualification. To do so, we detected social categorization markers and qualifying devices that participants rely on when referring to groups. Results show that, among the numerous groups recognized, participants co-construct intergroup relations and ingroup bias implying negative assessment over external groups. Being different from traditional laboratory studies illustrating substantial contraposition between ingroup and outgroup, our qualitative analysis reveals the multitude of groups by which the ingroup is formed and their internal fragmentation. To conclude, we discussed the implications of qualitatively studying intergroup relations in group homes and indicated future lines of research. (shrink)

Neste artigo, reflete-se sobre cultura jornalística a partir das fontes selecionadas para compor o produto noticioso. Em chave de contraposição ao predomínio narrativo das instâncias oficiais e especializadas, tradicionalmente consultadas em coberturas informativas, inscreve-se o protagonismo do homem ordinário, a partir de entrecruzamentos bibliográficos entre a comunicação e a história oral, como horizonte possível a dinâmicas jornalísticas de configuração polifônica, nas vias de uma mediação social mais autoral e intersubjetiva.

O presente artigo discute o conceito de memória ética em Walter Benjamin a partir das teses Sobre o conceito da história. Argumenta-se que a partir deste autor se pode atribuir um papel ético e reparador às investigações acerca dos fenômenos humanos, retirando-os do lugar comum de “fatos sociais” e reivindicando-se uma memória ética na sua intepretação, que desde o início está comprometida em “escovar a história a contrapelo”. Isso significa escavar as ruínas dos monumentos e documentos de cultura e extrair (...) deles o seu teor de documentos de barbárie. A partir da alegoria do Angelus Novus, apresentada pelo autor na IX Tese, sugere-se que a função do método de investigação histórica é de despertar as vozes que foram silenciadas pela versão oficial da história, iluminando o presente com rememorações prenhes de compromisso ético com uma noção de história que não tem fim em si mesma, mas que foi forjada sobre o jugo das opressões dos vencedores. Sugere-se que a alegoria do Anjo se reporta à própria função social do investigador materialista, cujo compromisso é preencher o “tempo vazio e homogêneo” com o “tempo de agora” [Kairós], rico em histórias e memórias dos esquecidos. (shrink)

This paper develops a response to the ethical conception of the human Other formulated by Gilles Deleuze in his review of Michel Tournier’s 1967 novel Friday. The central contention here is that although Deleuze develops a compelling notion of intensive ethics in response to Tournier’s novel, that ethics also remains deeply problematic in refusing to ascribe a positive role to the human Other. My wager is that some of these problems can be brought to light by placing Deleuze’s philosophy in (...) dialogue with that of Emmanuel Levinas. As I seek to show, Levinas’s philosophy of alterity not only reveals that Deleuze is mistaken in failing to ascribe a positive ethical role to the human Other, but also begins to point the way toward a more positive conception of ethics that does not oppose the Other to the intensive realm that Deleuze so much values. (shrink)

Attention is a cognitive phenomenon that, for its multiple functions and its permeability to emotional and cultural aspects, it’s a phenomenon with difficult definition. At the same time, the reasons that difficult its definition makes it a fundamental piece to understand the human behaviour, particularly the way that it interacts with its environment. In this article, we want to review the role of attention in the awareness process that allow the subject an adequate adaptation to the environment, and, through it, (...) set his perspective of reality, his own «world». / La atención es un fenómeno cognitivo que, debido a sus múltiples funciones y a su permeabilidad a aspectos emocionales y culturales, resulta un fenómeno de difícil definición. Al tiempo, eso que por una parte dificulta su aprehensión, por otra la convierte en una pieza fundamental para comprender el comportamiento humano, particularmente el modo en que interactúa con su medio. En el presente artículo queremos revisar el papel de la atención en los procesos de toma de conciencia que permiten al sujeto una adecuada adaptación al medio y cómo, a través de ella, configurar su perspectiva de la realidad, su «mundo». (shrink)

La nostalgia se ha convertido en uno de los temples anímicos protagonistas a la hora de condicionar nuestro comportamiento dentro de las llamadas sociedades occidentales, se aprecia en fenómenos que cubren desde el consumo de ocio hasta el resurgir de movimientos de inspiración idealista que movilizan parte de las resistencias de hoy. En el presente artículo analizaremos dicha presencia contrastando la hipótesis que la nostalgia emerge como respuesta a la angustia que tales sociedades provocan en sus ciudadanos, sujetos que juzgan (...) su circunstancia, debido a la incertidumbre y desesperanza que les genera, de inhóspita y resistente al desarrollo de sus proyectos. (shrink)

As the content of propositional attitudes, propositions are usually taken to help explain the behavior of rational agents. However, a closer look at signaling games suggests otherwise: rational agents often acquire partial beliefs, and many of their signals are ambiguous. Signaling games also suggest that it is rational for agents to mix their behavior in response to partial beliefs and ambiguous signals. But as I show in this paper, propositions cannot help explain the mixing behavior of rational agents: to explain (...) mixing behavior, we need a probabilistic notion of content. I also show that a probabilistic notion of content renders propositions explanatorily idle in the case of unambiguous signals and full beliefs as well. My suggestion is thus that we should abandon propositions in explanations of rational behavior and adopt instead a probabilistic notion of content. The notion of probabilistic content ultimately provides a simpler framework for explanations of rational behavior than the notion of propositional content. (shrink)

Health is a basic human right, and drug use represents a severe influence on people’s health. This qualitative study aimed to understand how health professionals in a public health-care team working with drug users in a city of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, perceive the human rights of these users and how these rights are being respected in health care. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 health professionals at the service under analysis. A thematic analysis of the (...) interviews reveals the professionals’ difficulty to define the concept of human right and contextualize these rights in their work environment. A deeper understanding of the right to health, however, represents an important premise for a more humanized care practice in health services to drug users. (shrink)