De Lubac did not fully condemn modernity as neotomism did, but he appreciated some positive aspects (such as the value of subject and of justice), even if he condemned atheism (in Comte and Marx).

Il testo cerca di attualizzare la filosofia medioevale, traducendo il suo linguaggio, spesso incomprensibile per la nostra mentalità antimetafisica, in termini il più possibili esistenziali e pertinenti con le domande di senso, che caratterizzano l'uomo in quanto tale. La seconda edizione, del 2023, è puramente digitale.

[ita]Completando un precedente articolo si analizza la concezione gnoseologica di Maurice Blondel, di cui viene respinta una interpretazione relativistica, pur riconoscendo in lui alcuni limiti, in particolare una eccessiva diffidenza verso il concetto. [eng] Completing a previous article, the gnoseological conception of Maurice Blondel is analyzed, and a relativistic interpretation of her is rejected, even if some of its limits are recognized, in particular an excessive diffidence towards the concept.

The article intends to analyse the problem of the coexistence of opposite and alternative “comprehensive doc- trines” in today's Western society, on the basis of a comparison between the thought of Schmitt, Böckenförde, Habermas, Rawls and Charles Taylor. In this regard the article proposes a possible solution to avoid, on the one hand, the intolerant goal of a total homogeneity, and on the other a naive and aproblematic acceptance of a relativistic multiculturalism.

[ita] Blondel offre una prospettiva gnoseologica complementare al tomismo: se quest'ultimo sottolinea troppo la forza del concetto, Blondel da parte sua la relativizza un po' troppo. Tra le due prospettive occorre quindi cercare una sintesi. -/- [eng] Blondel offers a gnoseological perspective complementary to tomism: if the latter excessively underlines the strength of the concept, Blondel instead underestimates it. Between the two perspectives it is therefore necessary to seek a synthesis.

This paper is about a discussion between two Italian philosophers: Gustavo Bontadini and Alessandro Emiliani. The first object of human knowledge is or not immediate (/intuitive)?

von Balthasar was one of the most important theologians of the 20th century, its theological production was creative and original, but it is also a linked to De Lubac and the Nouveux Théologies.

De Lubac, a French theologian, underlines the theme of freedom, referring to St. Augustine against an intellectualistic rationalism prevailed in post-Tridentine Catholic thought.

Un fattore per giungere a una certezza esistenzialmente stringente è l'intersoggettività, che non annulla il valore della personale competenza al vero, ma lo integra, dandogli una piena efficacia. Il dialogo dunque, un dialogo teso alla oggettività del vero, come ingrediente necessario della certezza.

Blondel was attacked as relativist by neotomists such as Garrigou-Lagrange: here we explain how his conception of truth is not relativistic. [in italian].

Is the material world opaque to its Meaning or it guest in itself a Sense that somehow is manifest in its own concrete appearance? Here, also following Teilhard de Chardin, Von Balthasar and Luigi Giussani, this second thesis is supported.

Thoughts for a fully realistic metaphysics, beyond the neoscolastical abstractness.

Medieval philosophy is a very rich thought and deserves to be studied with more attention and more time than they do in schools.

Unlike many neotomists, the evaluation of modernity in De Lubac is not totally negative. The value of the subject, as in Pico della Mirandola, is positive. The sense of justice, as in Proudhon, is positive. A new value of the material world is positive. The problem is not to absolutize these values, such as in Comte or in Marx or in Nietzsche.

In a society that becomes more and more multicultural, is it still possible to guarantee harmonious coexistence, based on shared values? Or do we have to resign ourselves to the idea of an inevitable clash, or at least an inevitable incommunicability, between "us" and "them"? This question refers to this other: is there objectively an essential commonality among all human beings? And is human reason capable of grasping truly universal truths and values, therefore universally shared? In this text, the affirmative (...) response goes hand in hand with the thesis that the objective truth must be sought collaboratively, as the title says: with a dia -logue in which each subject does not renounce the logos, that is, his inexhaustible competence to know the truth. (shrink)

[ita] Henri de Lubac, che ha dedicato alla Sacra Scrittura la poderosa “ Esegesi medioevale”, ho sottolineato l'importanza della costituzione conciliare “Dei Verbum” che recupera l'idea originaria della Rivelazione come rivelazione non di tanti “articoli di fede”, atomicamente concepiti, ma dell'unica Persona del Verbo incarnato. Per cui credere non è aderire a tante verità frammentate, ma aderire alla Presenza di Cristo, il Verbo fattosi carne. [en] Henri de Lubac, who dedicated the "Medieval exegesis" to sacred writing, underlined the importance of (...) the conciliatory constitution "Dei Verbum", which rediscovers the original idea of revelation as revelation not of several "articles of faith", atomically conceived, but of the living Person of the Incarnate Verb. Believing does not mean adhering to many fragmented truths, but in the presence of Christ. (shrink)

The Dominican Garrigou-Lagrange contested the definition of truth proposed by Maurice Blondel as relativistic and modernistic. That definition (adaequatio realis mentis et vitae) influenced a lot of theologians of Nouvelle Théologie, stressing an existential sense of truth.

Henri de Lubac is not a philosopher, but has some well -thought out philosophical beliefs, many of which derived from Blondel.

L'uomo non si può compiere, per il teologo francese Henri de Lubac, se non in Dio, sia Origine (creatore) e Fine ultimo. Qualunque meta finita quindi è destinata a rivelarsi come non appagante. Lo sostenevano già non solo Agostino e i Padri della Chiesa, ma anche Tommaso d'Aquino , col concetto di “desiderium naturale videndi Deum”, poi dimenticato dai tomisti moderni, e riscoperto appunto da de Lubac.

Although revolutionary, Teilhard de Chardin's true thought was not contradictory with the Christian dogma. This is what Henri de Lubac, authoritative interpreter of Teilhard, claims. In this article we report its essential theses.

[ita] L'articolo analizza la concezione della grazia nel pensiero del teologo milanese Carlo Colombo. Egli affronta tale tema con la consueta tendenza alla sintesi e alla moderazione, confrontando soprattutto le tesi di Tommaso d'Aquino e del Molina e adottando una soluzione che salvi al tempo stesso la giustizia di Dio e il suo essere Mistero ineffabile. -/- [eng] The article analyzes the conception of grace in the thought of the Milanese theologian Carlo Colombo. He deals with this theme with the (...) usual tendency to synthesis and moderation, above all comparing the theses of Tommaso d'Aquino and Molina and adopting a solution that at the same time saves the justice of God and his being ineffable mystery. (shrink)

Perché la filosofia moderna (post-medioevale) si è progressivamente allontanata dal realismo, dalla tradizionale idea di verità come conformità (_adaequatio_) alla realtà. Vi è sia una (sofferta) reazione agli eccessi dogmatici (e potenzialmente intolleranti) del tipo di realismo medioevale, sia una volontà di sottrarsi, sottraendosi all'oggettività del finito, alla dipendenza da Dio, Oggettività suprema.

Between faith and reason there is no opposition or contradiction, but possible harmony. On the one hand, God don't want that his intelligent creatures walk in the dark. On the other hand, however, he wants to be loved freely by his intelligent creatures, and therefore does not force us to believe in Him.

Accept or refuse psychoanalysis, from a theological point of view? If a materialistic and pansexualist anthropology is unacceptable, psychoanalysis still offers valid elements for a certain level of the human being.

[ita] L'articolo analizza la concezione di verità in Tommaso d'Aquino, di cui si sottolinea una sostanziale validità, a patto di integrarsi con la prospettiva più affettivo-esistenziale tipica della Patristica e di Blondel. [eng] The article analyzes the conception of truth in Tommaso d'Aquino, underlining a substantial validity of it, provided that it is completed with the most existential perspective typical of the Patristic and Blondel.

Molta filosofia moderna rifiuta l'idea di verità (filosofica) oggettiva, in quanto porterebbe alla violenza. Così ad esempio Derrida. Ma una corretta idea di verità oggettiva non ha questa implicazione di intolleranza.

Conoscere non riguarda solo l'intelligenza, ma anche l'affettività e un insieme di fattori extra-teoretici (=non meramente conoscitivi o intellettuali). In particolare una certezza esistenzialmente forte sui problemi filosofici decisivi non può essere raggiunta senza un coinvolgimento della libertà, in una “esperienza integrale”.

The book investigates how Avicenna's doctrine of efficient causality relates to his general ontology, as well as how the two are interpreted, defended, and challenged in the early phase of Avicenna's Islamic reception (the eleventh and twelfth centuries).

Objective correlates—behavioral, functional, and neural—provide essential tools for the scientific study of consciousness. But reliance on these correlates should not lead to the ‘fallacy of misplaced objectivity’: the assumption that only objective properties should and can be accounted for objectively through science. Instead, what needs to be explained scientifically is what experience is intrinsically— its subjective properties—not just what we can do with it extrinsically. And it must be explained; otherwise the way experience feels would turn out to be magical (...) rather than physical. We argue that it is possible to account for subjective properties objectively once we move beyond cognitive functions and realize what experience is and how it is structured. Drawing on integrated information theory, we show how an objective science of the subjective can account, in strictly physical terms, for both the essential properties of every experience and the specific properties that make particular experiences feel the way they do. (shrink)

In this paper, we take a meta-theoretical stance and aim to compare and assess two conceptual frameworks that endeavor to explain phenomenal experience. In particular, we compare Feinberg & Mallatt’s Neurobiological Naturalism (NN) and Tononi’s and colleagues' Integrated Information Theory (IIT), given that the former pointed out some similarities between the two theories (Feinberg & Mallatt 2016c-d). To probe their similarity, we first give a general introduction to both frameworks. Next, we expound a ground plan for carrying out our analysis. (...) We move on to articulate a philosophical profile of NN and IIT, addressing their ontological commitments and epistemological foundations. Finally, we compare the two point-by-point, also discussing how they stand on the issue of artificial consciousness. (shrink)

Bernard Williams is universally recognised as one of the most important voices in 20th century moral and political philosophy. Yet his thought has only rarely been the subject of comprehensive analysis and interpretation: more often, attention has focused on his celebrated critiques of specific theoretical paradigms, such as the Kantian and the utilitarian ones. This book attempts to fill this gap. Considering Williams' work in its entirety, it reconstructs the particular and fascinating picture of moral philosophy that emerges from it. (...) The ideal of ethical objectivity acts as a thread running through this reconstruction. More precisely, the basic question guiding the investigation is what remains of this ideal once Williams' critique of three fundamental ideas for moral philosophy has been sifted: that of normative theory, that of ethical knowledge and that of human nature (understood as a possible basis for objective ethical prescriptions). The answer, in a nutshell, is 'very little'. But this does not imply an abandonment to relativism. Rather, the answer implies the need to become aware of the historicity of our values and to re-examine them from a peculiar point of view, both historical and philosophical, in order to assess which ones deserve our trust. As suggested in this book, in the last years of his life Williams offered many useful insights for doing this. (shrink)

The experimental approach in economics is a driving force behind some of the most exciting developments in the field. The 'experimental revolution' was based on a series of bold philosophical premises which have remained until now mostly unexplored. This book provides the first comprehensive analysis and critical discussion of the methodology of experimental economics, written by a philosopher of science with expertise in the field. It outlines the fundamental principles of experimental inference in order to investigate their power, scope and (...) limitations. The author demonstrates that experimental economists have a lot to gain by discussing openly the philosophical principles that guide their work, and that philosophers of science have a lot to learn from their ingenious techniques devised by experimenters in order to tackle difficult scientific problems. (shrink)

La théorie de Darwin est considérée par de nombreux historiens comme une véritable révolution scientifique, raison pour laquelle l’objectif de cet article est précisément de rendre compte des caractères révolutionnaires de cette théorie, dans le cadre d’une conception des révolutions scientifiques empruntée à l’œuvre de Thomas Kuhn. Cela implique, notamment, la définition d’un « paradigme darwinien », à la fois comme matrice disciplinaire et comme solution exemplaire à un problème donné. Dans un tel but, nous définirons la structure et le (...) contenu de la théorie de Darwin, afin de mettre au jour la problématique qui pourrait être à la base d’un « paradigme darwinien », c’est-à-dire le problème de la complexité adaptative du vivant. Nous identifierons ensuite ce qui distinguerait ce paradigme des autres, si bien que le problème de la complexité ne saurait être posé et résolu que dans son cadre. Pour ce faire, nous nous concentrerons sur deux dichotomies : d’une part, celle entre fonctionnalisme et formalisme, d’autre part, celle entre naturalisme et idéalisme. En conclusion, nous mettrons au jour les limites de l’épistémologie kuhnienne pour l’analyse de la théorie de l’évolution, ce qui nous amènera à equisser les contours d’une approche alternative, que nous appellerons « ontologie historique ». (shrink)

Understanding Institutions proposes a new unified theory of social institutions that combines the best insights of philosophers and social scientists who have written on this topic. Francesco Guala presents a theory that combines the features of three influential views of institutions: as equilibria of strategic games, as regulative rules, and as constitutive rules. -/- Guala explains key institutions like money, private property, and marriage, and develops a much-needed unification of equilibrium- and rules-based approaches. Although he uses game theory concepts, the (...) theory is presented in a simple, clear style that is accessible to a wide audience of scholars working in different fields. Outlining and discussing various implications of the unified theory, Guala addresses venerable issues such as reflexivity, realism, Verstehen, and fallibilism in the social sciences. He also critically analyses the theory of “looping effects” and “interactive kinds” defended by Ian Hacking, and asks whether it is possible to draw a demarcation between social and natural science using the criteria of causal and ontological dependence. Focusing on current debates about the definition of marriage, Guala shows how these abstract philosophical issues have important practical and political consequences. -/- Moving beyond specific cases to general models and principles, Understanding Institutions offers new perspectives on what institutions are, how they work, and what they can do for us. (shrink)

In some of his last publications, R. G. Collingwood takes the position that problems in philosophy are not eternal. Such a denial, in the context of the controversies concerning the overall interpretation of Collingwood's work, is significant for at least two reasons: it seems to suggest an “atomistic” view of the history of philosophy on Collingwood's part, perhaps one that resembles that of the history of science as offered inThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Also, the denial seems to reverse Collingwood's (...) earlier views which insisted on aphilosophia perennis, and this would support those who maintain that at some point Collingwood's thought underwent a “radical conversion”. (shrink)

Manufacturing and industry practices are undergoing an unprecedented revolution as a consequence of the convergence of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, virtual and augmented reality, among others. This fourth industrial revolution is similarly changing the practices and capabilities of operators in their industrial environments. This paper introduces and explores the notion of the Operator 4.0 as well as how this novel way of conceptualizing the human operator necessarily implicates human values in the technologies that constitute it. (...) The design approach known as value sensitive design (VSD) is used to explore how these Operator 4.0 technologies can be designed for human values. Expert elicitation surveys were used to determine the values of industry stakeholders and examples of how the VSD methodology can be adopted by engineers in order to design for these values is illustrated. The results provide preliminary adoption strategies that industrial teams can take to Operator 4.0 technology for human values. (shrink)

Moving from a behavioral definition of intelligence, which describes it as the ability to adapt to the surrounding environment and deal effectively with new situations (Anastasi, 1986), this paper explains to what extent the performance obtained by ChatGPT in the linguistic domain can be considered as intelligent behavior and to what extent they cannot. It also explains in what sense the hypothesis of decoupling between cognitive and problem-solving abilities, proposed by Floridi (2017) and Floridi and Chiriatti (2020) should be interpreted. (...) The problem of symbolic grounding (Harnad, 1990) is then addressed to show the problematic relationship between ChatGPT and the natural environment, and thus the impossibility for it to understand the symbols it manipulates. To explain the reasons why ChatGPT does not succeed in this task, an investigation is carried out and a possible solution to the problem in the artificial domain is proposed by making a comparison with the natural ability of living beings to ground their own meanings from some basic cognitive-sensory aspects, which, it is explained, are directly related to the emergence of self-awareness in humans. Thus, the question is raised whether a possible and concrete solution to the Symbol Grounding Problem would involve in the artificial domain the development of cognitive abilities fully comparable to those of humans. Finally, I explain the difficulties that would have to be overcome before such a level could be reached, since human cognitive capacities are intimately linked to intersubjectivity and intercorporeality. (shrink)

The first full-scale commentary on the Cratylus, one of Plato's most difficult and intriguing dialogues.

O texto analisa a Constituição Federal de 1988 traduzida em norma e em fato no que concerne à solidariedade ambiental frente às mudanças climáticas que provocam a desigualdade. Desta forma, defende-se sua função dentro do âmbito jurídico e social da solidariedade em face da desigualdade social provocada por este fenômeno ambiental. Pressupõe-se que a solidariedade ambiental é um instrumento relevante a ser observado e aplicado na contenção das desigualdades provocadas pelas mudanças climáticas, que promovem a pobreza, a degradação ambiental e (...) a não realização dos direitos fundamentais/humanos. Utiliza-se o método dedutivo em pesquisa bibliográfica-documental. (shrink)

O texto analisa a Constituição Federal de 1988 traduzida em norma e em fato no que concerne à solidariedade ambiental frente às mudanças climáticas que provocam a desigualdade. Desta forma, defende-se sua função dentro do âmbito jurídico e social da solidariedade em face da desigualdade social provocada por este fenômeno ambiental. Pressupõe-se que a solidariedade ambiental é um instrumento relevante a ser observado e aplicado na contenção das desigualdades provocadas pelas mudanças climáticas, que promovem a pobreza, a degradação ambiental e (...) a não realização dos direitos fundamentais/humanos. Utiliza-se o método dedutivo em pesquisa bibliográfica-documental. (shrink)

This article investigates the effects of perceived supervisor support on ethical and unethical employee behavior using a multi-method approach. Specifically, we test the mediating mechanism and a boundary condition that moderate the relationship between support and ethical employee behaviors. We find that supervisor-based self-esteem fully mediates the relationship between supervisor support and ethical employee behavior and that employee task satisfaction intensifies the relationship between supervisor support and supervisor-based self-esteem.