This paper examines the asymmetrical aspect of causal relation, confronting it to Humean and Neo-Humean's view. Following Hausman and Ehring, we favor a situational approach to causal asymmetry. We explore the Hausman's analysis of flagpole's example, clearing the connexions between causation and explanation. Our general diagnosis is that the Neo-humean tradition wrongly supposes that nomic relations, with the exception of minor details, exhaust the causal relations.

In this work, I analyze our concept of cause in the face of criticism of Bertrand Russell in his article “On the Notion of Cause”. For Russell, there is an estrangement between the notion of cause and mature science of physics. The word cause (and its correlates) would not be used in physics, thus eliminating the main justification of philosophy for his job—the foundation of science. Thus, the various causal notions and the principle of causality should be abandoned by philosophers (...) as something outdated. The aim of this study is to assess the extent to which our notion of cause, with its asymmetric nature, can be explained by physics and investigate the question of the existence of causes in our world. (shrink)

It is shown that axiomatic extensions of intuitionistic propositional calculus defining univocally new connectives, including those proposed by Gabbay, are strongly complete with respect to valuations in Heyting algebras with additional operations. In all cases, the double negation of such a connective is equivalent to a formula of intuitionistic calculus. Thus, under the excluded third law it collapses to a classical formula, showing that this condition in Gabbay's definition is redundant. Moreover, such connectives can not be interpreted in all Heyting (...) algebras, unless they are already equivalent to a formula of intuitionistic calculus. These facts relativize to connectives over intermediate logics. In particular, the intermediate logic with values in the chain of length n may be "completed" conservatively by adding a single unary connective, so that the expanded system does not allow further axiomatic extensions by new connectives. (shrink)

o presente artigo objetiva abordar acerca da crítica consistente ao autoritarismo violento, degradante, racista e desumano dos “anos de chumbo” da ditadura militar no Brasil, constante na literatura afro-brasileira dramática negro-brasileira a partir, sobretudo, de três teatros peculiares, a saber: o Teatro Experimental Negro, o Teatro Profissional do Negro e o Grupo Teatro Palmares Iñaron. Metodologicamente, esclarece-se que esta escrita emprega uma abordagem qualitativa de natureza básica e é de cunho teórico exploratório quanto ao objetivo principal, pois se debruça ao (...) debate, visando aprimorar teorias, conceitos e ideias a partir do bojo de fontes secundárias que tratam da temática principal. Neste sentido, empregou-se o método procedimental bibliográfico utilizando-se da hermenêutica com a técnica de leituras pertinentes à temática proposta. Cabe salientar que, apesar da tentativa histórica do cânone da literatura autoritária e eurocentrada, não foi e nem tem sido capaz de silenciar os ecos objetivos e/ou subjetivos expressos na literatura afro-brasileira, nem mesmo durante o período mais duro e racista da ditadura militar no Brasil. (shrink)

Why is space 3-dimensional? The fi rst answer to this question, entirely based on Physics, was given by Ehrenfest, in 1917, who showed that the stability requirement for n-dimensional two-body planetary system very strongly constrains space dimensionality, favouring 3-d. This kind of approach will be generically called "stability postulate" throughout this paper and was shown by Tangherlini, in 1963, to be still valid in the framework of general relativity as well as for quantum mechanical hydrogen atom, giving the same constraint (...) for space{dimensionality. In the present work, before criticizing this methodology, a brief discussion has been introduced, aimed at stressing and clarifying some general physical aspects of the problem of how to determine the number of space dimensions. Then, the epistemological consequences of Ehrenfest's methodology are critically reviewed. An alternative procedure to get at the proper number of dimensions, in which the stability postulate - and the implicit singularities in three-dimensional physics - are not an essential part of the argument, is proposed. In this way, the main epistemological problems contained in Ehrenfest's original idea are avoided. The alternative methodology proposed in this paper is realized by obtaining and discussing the n-dimensional quantum theory as expressed in Planck's law, de Broglie relation and the Heisenberg uncertainty relation. As a consequence, it is possible to propose an experiment, based on thermal neutron di raction by crystals, to directly measure space dimensionality. Finally the distinguished role of Maxwell's electromagnetic theory in the determination of space dimensionality is stressed. (shrink)

Metascientific criteria used for explaining or constraining physical space dimensionality and their historical relationship to prevailing causal systems are discussed. The important contributions by Aristotle, Kant and Ehrenfest to the dimensionality of space problem are considered and shown to be grounded on different causal explanations: causa materialis for Aristotle, causa efficiens for young Kant and an ingenious combination of causa efficiens and causa formalis for Ehrenfest. The prominent and growing rôle played by causa formalis in modern physical approaches to this (...) problem is emphasized. (shrink)

Name der Zeitschrift: Kant-Studien Jahrgang: 106 Heft: 4 Seiten: 547-560.

The article assumes that Lipman’s paradigm of ‘Philosophy for Children’ as a ‘Community of Inquiry’ is very useful in extending the range of philosophical practices and the benefits of philosophical community reflection to collective life as such. In particular, it examines the possible contribution of philosophy to the practical and ethical dynamics which, nowadays, seem to characterise many deliberative public contexts. Lipman’s idea of CI is an interesting interpretative key for such contexts. As a result, the article highlights the possibility (...) of understanding a CI essentially in terms of an ethics of responsibility. (shrink)

The notion of loop seems to be ubiquitous in the study of organisms, the human mind and symbolic systems. With the possible exception of quantum-mechanical approaches, the treatments of consciousness we are acquainted with crucially appeal to the concept of loop. The uses of loops in this context fall within two broad classes. In the first one, loops are used to express the control of the organism’s interaction with the environment; in the second one, they are used to express self-reference. (...) Both classes are tied with investigations which aim at accounting for symbolic capabilities, and ultimately for subjectivity. Neurophysiological research detects loops in the animal nervous system since its very inception (e.g., all the work on the reflex arc). Recently, Gray proposed a model purporting to explain the mechanism supporting the contents of consciousness in the human CNS, in ways that are practically indistinguishable from models formulated within the cybernetical point of view. Both types of models apply loops in strikingly similar ways. While there is no conclusive evidence that loops are necessary to support consciousness, they are nonetheless as good a candidate as today can be found for inclusion in the list of essential ingredients for subjectivity to arise. In the first two sections we discuss the above mentioned uses by means of significant examples. In the third section, we compare Gray’s recent model to MacKay’s early cybernetical model of a selfobserving system, in the setting of a broader discussion on loops for consciousness. (shrink)

This paper argues that some of the misunderstandings surrounding the meaning and function of the concept of human dignity in bioethics arise from a lack of distinction between two different roles that this notion plays: one as an overarching policy principle, and the other as a moral standard of patient care. While the former is a very general concept which fulfils a foundational and a guiding role of the normative framework governing biomedical issues, the latter reflects a much more concrete (...) and context-specific understanding of the patient as a “person”. The importance of dignity as a policy principle will be described by appealing to the distinction between principles and rules as developed by some legal philosophers. The value of dignity as a standard of patient care will be illustrated with the help of concrete examples and by drawing on the taxonomies of dignity proposed by Jonathan Mann and other scholars. The overall scope of the article is to highlight this double and complementary role of human dignity in bioethics. (shrink)

What are the relationships between an entity and the space at which it is located? And between a region of space and the events that take place there? What is the metaphysical structure of localization? What its modal status? This paper addresses some of these questions in an attempt to work out at least the main coordinates of the logical structure of localization. Our task is mostly taxonomic. But we also highlight some of the underlying structural features and we single (...) out the interactions between the notion of localization and nearby notions, such as the notions of part and whole, or of necessity and possibility. A theory of localization—we argue—is needed in order to account for the basic relations between objects and space, and runs afoul a pure part-whole theory. We also provide an axiomatization of the relation of localization and examine cases of localization involving entities different from material objects. (shrink)

Introduction -- Inquiry as the logic of practical reasoning -- From reasoning to judgment -- Expressive inquiry -- The public sphere -- Pragmatism, pluralism, and the fact of relativism -- A pragmatic theory of objectivity -- Why justification matters? -- Pragmatism as an epistemology of practice.

Decision theorists have attempted to accommodate several violations of decision theory’s axiomatic requirements by modifying how agents’ choice options are individuated and formally represented. In recent years, prominent authors have worried that these modifications threaten to trivialize decision theory, make the theory unfalsifiable, impose overdemanding requirements on decision theorists, and hamper decision theory’s internal coherence. In this paper, I draw on leading descriptive and normative works in contemporary decision theory to address these prominent concerns. In doing so, I articulate and (...) assess several different criteria for individuating and formally representing agents’ choice options. (shrink)

Journal of Social Philosophy, EarlyView.

An important problem in inductive probability theory is the design of exchangeable analogical methods, i.e., of exchangeable inductive methods that take into account certain considerations of analogy by similarity for predictive inferences. Here a precise reformulation of the problem of predictive analogy is given and a new family of exchangeable analogical methods is introduced.Firstly, it is proved that the exchangeable analogical method introduced by Skyrms (1993) does not satisfy the best known general principles of predictive analogy. Secondly, Skyrms's approach — (...) consisting of the usage of particular hyper-Carnapian methods, i.e., mixtures of Carnapian inductive methods — is adopted in the design of a new family of exchangeable analogical methods. Lastly, it is proved that such methods satisfy an interesting general principle of predictive analogy. (shrink)

En el curso de 1934/35 Heidegger se refiere a cuatro momentos esenciales del temple fundamental: desplazamiento hacia los límites del ente, inserción en la existencia histórica y arraigo en la tierra y el suelo natal, apertura del ente en conjunto como la unidad de un mundo, y fundación del ser. El artículo explora el vínculo de los cuatro momentos con las siguientes oposiciones: indigencia/disponibilidad, no-hogareño/hogareño, duelo/alegría, lejanía/cercanía y condición-de-oculto/condición-de-no-oculto. Se analiza esta quinta oposición en relación con las diversas modalidades en (...) que se manifiesta el ánimo. Las oposiciones pueden ser consideradas también rasgos distintivos del temple fundamental. Se interrelacionan, y, además, se despliegan siempre a partir de una intimidad fundamental que opera como un nexo en medio de los antagonismos. El énfasis está puesto en el curso de 1934/35 con referencias a ulteriores textos complementarios. (shrink)

This paper examines the logic of conditional obligation, which originates from the works of Hansson, Lewis, and others. Some weakened forms of transitivity of the betterness relation are studied. These are quasi-transitivity, Suzumura consistency, acyclicity and the interval order condition. The first three do not change the logic. The axiomatic system is the same whether or not they are introduced. This holds true under a rule of interpretation in terms of maximality and strong maximality. The interval order condition gives rise (...) to a new axiom. Depending on the rule of interpretation, this one changes. With the rule of maximality, one obtains the principle known as disjunctive rationality. With the rule of strong maximality, one obtains the Spohn axiom (also known as the principle of rational monotony, or Lewis’ axiom CV). A completeness theorem further substantiates these observations. For interval order, this yields the finite model property and decidability of the calculus. (shrink)

Comment se fait-il que l'intuition intellectuelle bannie par Kant ait ete si promptement reintegree par ses meilleurs disciples? Et pourquoi l'intuition ainsi rehabilitee a-t-elle fait aussitot tache d'huile, s'associant a toutes sortes d'evenements et d'etats psychiques, sans perdre pour autant son caractere intellectuel? A ces questions majeures l'historiographie n'a fourni qu'un debut de reponse. En vue d'ouvrir un debat, on a voulu enqueter sur place, dans le milieu philosophique et culturel de l'Idealisme et du premier Romantisme, avec la methode historico-critique (...) utilisee naguere dans Schelling. Une philosophie en devenir, dont ce livre est un regain tardif. (shrink)

The article deals with John Hermann Randall’s theory of history, namely, the philosophical account of what it takes for an object to be a historical object. The goal of the article is to highlight the deep connections existing between Randall’s philosophical views on history and the writing of history, heavily indebted to Dewey’s and Woodbridge naturalism (the so-called Columbia Naturalism), and his historiographical work. In the first section, I briefly sketch some major aspects of originality of Randall’s historiographical work, as (...) well as the intellectual context to which he belonged. In the second section I lay out the most important features of Columbia Naturalism. In the third section I discuss in detail Randall’s theory of history, focusing on its ontological, epistemic, and epistemological features. In the fourth section, I confront Lovejoy and Randall’s historiographical works in order to show how philosophical theories affect historiographical practices. (shrink)

In this special issue, our aim is to analyse the role of emotions with particular attention to shaping political actions in the face of present challenges to justice. The relationship between the widespread rise of collective emotions and the experience of injustice in our societies is a pressing issue, both in our everyday practice of ethical and political discourse and in philosophical reflection and discussion. Some negative emotions—such as fear, resentment, greed, distrust towards institutions, and disrespect for basic human rights—are (...) often manipulated and amplified. Other, more positive, emotions, such as respect, hope, solidarity, and affinity, often seem to be not enough to give rise to alternative policies. This worldwide problem reflects a deep economic, social, and existential crisis. In this framework, philosophical reflection on emotions can be put fruitfully in dialogue with the contemporary philosophical analysis of collective intentionality and collective agency, which aims at investigating the nature of different types of groups and their main features as well as phenomena such as sense of group membership and group agency. Indeed, it is often argued that collective emotions boost the sense of group belonging in individual members and act to reduce uncertainty in joint actions. In normative terms, feelings such as the rejection of cruelty have been proposed as the foundation of moral equality, and even rationalistic approaches tend to focus on respect first of all as a feeling, as Kant maintained. (shrink)

Proper n-valued ukasiewicz algebras are obtained by adding some binary operators, fulfilling some simple equations, to the fundamental operations of n-valued ukasiewicz algebras. They are the s-algebras corresponding to an axiomatization of ukasiewicz n-valued propositional calculus that is an extention of the intuitionistic calculus.

Considering topology as an extension of mereology, this paper analyses topological variants of mereological essentialism (the thesis that an object could not have different parts than the ones it has). In particular, we examine de dicto and de re versions of two theses: (i) that an object cannot change its external connections (e.g., adjacent objects cannot be separated), and (ii) that an object cannot change its topological genus (e.g., a doughnut cannot turn into a sphere). Stronger forms of structural essentialism, (...) such as morphological essentialism (an object cannot change shape) and locative essentialism (an object cannot change position) are also examined. (shrink)

_Os Conceitos Fundamentais da Filosofia Aristotélica_, escrito em 1924, é o único texto de Heidegger inteiramente dedicado à Retórica. Por esse motivo, ele se mostra como sendo um documento exemplar que exprime o entrelaçamento entre linguagem e comunidade no período da hermenêutica da facticidade. Aproximações e diferenciações em relação às concepções apresentadas na ontologia fundamental de _Ser e tempo_ tornam possível compreender a singularidade desses conceitos em 1924. O artigo explora sobretudo a implicação dos modos discursivos do falar e do (...) ouvir na formação de um elo comunitário. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to strengthen the point made by Horty about the relationship between reason holism and moral particularism. In the literature prima facie obligations have been considered as the only source of reason holism. I strengthen Horty’s point in two ways. First, I show that contrary-to-duties provide another independent support for reason holism. Next I outline a formal theory that is able to capture these two sources of holism. While in simple settings the proposed account coincides (...) with Horty’s one, this is not true in more complicated or “realistic” settings in which more than two norms collide. My chosen formalism is so-called input/output logic. A bottom-line example is introduced. It raises the issue of whether the conventional wisdom is right in assuming that normative reasons run parallel to epistemic ones. (shrink)

In this paper I put forward a reconstruction of the evolution of certain explanatory hypotheses on the neural basis of association and learning that are the premises of connectionism in the cybernetic age and of present-day connectionism. The main point of my reconstruction is based on two little-known case studies. The first is the project, published in 1913, of a hydraulic machine through which its author believed it was possible to simulate certain essential elements of the plasticity of nervous connections. (...) The author, S. Bent Russell, was an engineer deeply influenced by the neurological hypotheses on nervous conduction of Herbert Spencer, Max Meyer and Edward L. Thorndike. The second is the project, published in 1929, of an electromechanical machine in which the author, the psychologist J.M. Stephens, believed it was possible to embody Thorndike's law of effect. Thus both Bent Russell and Stephens referred to the principles of learning that Thorndike defined as connectionist . Their attempt was that of simulating by machines at least certain simple aspects of inhibition, association and habit formation that are typical of living organisms. I propose to situate their projects within the frame of thediscovery of a simulative (modelling) methodology which I believe might be considered an important topic of the Culture of the Artificial . Certain more recent steps toward such a methodology made by both connectionism of the 1950s and present-day connectionism are briefly pointed out in the paper. (shrink)

Die geschichte der schelling-deutung weist auf eine menge widerspruchlicher urteile hin, wie sonst bei kaum einem anderen, und der vorwurf des geheimnisvollen und theosophischen ist gang und gabe: jahrzehntelang hat die forschung in diese kerbe geschlagen, bis der gelaufige tadel auf einmal aufgehort hat. der letzte bedeutende vertreter der herkommlichen interpretation war karl jaspers, dessen schelling-buch 1955 erschien. schelling ist doch kein gnostiker im sinne des irrationalismus und der hingabe an das orakelhafte und an die magie des denkens. der verfasser (...) bemuht sich, das etwa schwierige verhaltnis zwischen gnosis und philosophie, theosophie und spekulation bei schelling zu klaren. eigentlich war er nie, oder nur kurze zeit, der hitzige, feurige kopf, den fichte wahnte--die jahrerzeiten seines alters sind die jahrerzeiten seines geistes. (shrink)

La lectura de Rousseau imprime un “giro político” en el pensamiento kantiano y las cuestiones políticas no solo atraviesan toda la “década del silencio”, sino que se hallan presentes en la primera y tercera de sus Críticas. De hecho, Kant dedicará la tercera de sus célebres preguntas a dilucidar esta problemática con su “historia filosófica” o filosofía de la historia. En este contexto se acuña lo que he llamado un imperativo elpidológico, porque la confianza en sí mismo resultará fundamental para (...) no sucumbir al desánimo que suscita el absurdo espectáculo de la historia humana. Los conflictos de nuestras inclinaciones egoístas, el antagonismo de la insociable sociabilidad, servirán para desplegar nuestras mejores disposicio-nes naturales, como si se guiaran por un plan establecido indistintamente por la Naturaleza, la Providencia o el Destino. En definitiva, la política es vista como una condición de posibilidad de nuestra vida moral y no como su corolario. (shrink)

Quais os limites da contribuição da hermenêutica de Hans-Georg Gadamer aos estudos arqueológicos? Tal questão, aparentemente marginal e de somenos, pois suscitada pela sua aplicabilidade em outra área de conhecimento, toca, segundo nos parece, as esferas fundamentais da realização da linguisticidade (textualidade, escrita, oralidade, corporeidade e arte) e conduz a uma reflexão sobre o estatuto do vestígio (ou rastro), tema que parece mostrar certos entraves em sua proposta filosófica. Uma análise sobre a abordagem gadameriana de vestígio mostra que tal conceito (...) é submetido à ordem da textualidade, o que implica que a produtividade de sentido advinda da materialidade possua um caráter secundário. Em vista disso, o presente artigo aventa a hipótese de que a tese gadamariana sobre a linguisticidade não é imediatamente ajustável à arqueologia oriunda da cultura material e conclui sugerindo que o vestígio possui um caráter pré-reflexivo que ultrapassa os limites da textualidade. (shrink)

Este texto se configura enquanto um ensaio sobre a análise das dinâmicas do olhar nas pornochanchadas através da problematização das noções de visibilidade e percepção. O primeiro momento, dividido em duas partes, liga as dinâmicas de visibilidade, com base nas discussões propostas por Didi-Huberman (1998) e Xavier (2003), às problemáticas de erotismo, nojo e individualidade propostas por A Dama do Lotação (Neville d´Almeida, 1978), enquanto o segundo faz a ponte entre os modos de percepção, distração e atenção, a partir (...) dos estudos de Merleau-Ponty (1984) e Crary (2013), e as especificidades de As Cangaceiras Eróticas (Roberto Mauro, 1974) enquanto pornochanchada que privilegia uma determinada abordagem do humor e do erotismo. (shrink)