O objetivo deste artigo é destacar e discutir dois momentos nos quais Deleuze se apropria da noção nietzschiana de dionisíaco, para compor o programa de um pensamento sem imagem em oposição ao pensamento da representação. A primeira apropriação diz respeito à questão de um novo discurso filosófico em prol de individuações e singularidades anteriores à “forma sujeito”. A segunda apropriação corresponde à defesa de um pensamento imanente, que ocorre na superfície e não recorre a modelos bem centrados. Trata-se de verificar (...) em quais pontos a influência de Nietzsche foi decisiva para Deleuze compor um novo pensamento em Diferença e repetição, conferindo destaque a noções de individuação, singularidade, diferença e arte. (shrink)

From the book Difference and Repetition, I intend to discuss the extent to which Deleuze's proposal to restore difference in sensibility, preventing difference from being confused with the diverse, as proposed by Kant, in order to remove difference from submission to representation in the ambit of sensibility. This sets up a new perspective to think about the issue of difference in sensitivity, reformulating notions of transcendental thinking and ontology, through an unusual alliance between science and philosophy. Therefore, the proposed objectives (...) are: I) expose Deleuze's critique of Kant's transcendental philosophy, regarding difference as the diverse in sensibility and question the very concept of transcendental as a condition for experience; II) to argue Deleuze's way out of the problem of the representation of difference in sensitivity from the notion of being of the sensible; III) explore Deleuze's appropriation of Gilbert Simondon's concept of individuation: IV) to express why the notions of will to power and eternal return, from Nietzsche's philosophy, contribute, together with individuation, to compose the concept of difference in response to the limits of transcendentalism. (shrink)

Background Doctors are increasingly faced with end-of-life decisions. Little is known about how medical students approach euthanasia. The objective of this study was to evaluate, among medical students and residents, the view on euthanasia and its variants; correlate such a view with empathy and religiosity/spiritualism; and with the stages of medical training in Brazil. Methods This is an exploratory cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire to be filled out on a voluntary basis among medical students and residents, consisting of: socio-demographic (...) data, an empathy questionnaire and questions with elaborate clinical cases that typify situations of the variants of euthanasia. Results From 1550 invitations, 273 volunteer participants responded (17.6%). The percentages of strong agreement/agreement on the concepts were: passive euthanasia (72.9%); active euthanasia (22.3%), orthothanasia (90.1%), dysthanasia (18.7%), assisted suicide (33%) and sedation (82.8%). Passive euthanasia, active euthanasia, dysthanasia and assisted suicide showed greater refusal with increasing length of medical training. Religious belief and degree of empathy did not significantly influence the opinion about the concepts. Strong agreement/agreement were: passive euthanasia (72.9%); active euthanasia (22.3%), orthothanasia (90.1%), dysthanasia (18.7%), assisted suicide (33%) and sedation (82.8%). Conclusions Passive euthanasia, active euthanasia, dysthanasia and assisted suicide showed greater refusal with increasing length of medical training. The external validation of our findings relies on the distinct legal, cultural, and religious frameworks found across various countries. (shrink)

Taxa and homologues can in our view be construed both as kinds and as individuals. However, the conceptualization of taxa as natural kinds in the sense of homeostatic property cluster kinds has been criticized by some systematists, as it seems that even such kinds cannot evolve due to their being homeostatic. We reply by arguing that the treatment of transformational and taxic homologies, respectively, as dynamic and static aspects of the same homeostatic property cluster kind represents a good perspective for (...) supporting the conceptualization of taxa as kinds. The focus on a phenomenon of homology based on causal processes (e.g., connectivity, activity-function, genetics, inheritance, and modularity) and implying relationship with modification yields a notion of natural kinds conforming to the phylogenetic-evolutionary framework. Nevertheless, homeostatic property cluster kinds in taxonomic and evolutionary practice must be rooted in the primacy of epistemological classification (homology as observational properties) over metaphysical generalization (series of transformation and common ancestry as unobservational processes). The perspective of individuating characters exclusively by historical-transformational independence instead of their developmental, structural, and functional independence fails to yield a sufficient practical interplay between theory and observation. Purely ontological and ostensional perspectives in evolution and phylogeny (e.g., an ideographic character concept and PhyloCode’s ‘individualism’ of clades) may be pragmatically contested in the case of urgent issues in biodiversity research, conservation, and systematics. (shrink)

Agronomic science or technoscience has an important role in contemporary times and is the focus of necessary philosophical investigations. The present study aimed to relate Gadamerian philosophical hermeneutics with the Laudanian concept of philosophy of science, also applied to the philosophy of technology within the agronomic context. The central question to be answered is: can Gadamerian philosophical hermeneutics apply to the understanding of agronomy? Given this, central references and commentators were selected, dividing the dialogue between the authors and the argumentation (...) into the following points: sciences, technologies, and Gadamerian philosophical hermeneutics; agronomic traditions and their Laudanian progress; reaching the final possibility of intersections between Gadamer and Laudan, when reflecting on agronomy, especially on the theme of traditions. (shrink)

Global Mental Health is a field of research and practice that addresses the expansion of universal and equitable mental health care worldwide. This article explores the ways the concept of culture is employed in Global Mental Health literature. Global Mental Health advocates and critics assume an ontological separation between ‘nature’ and ‘culture’ to typify mental illness, linking it predominantly to one or the other of these two categories. Advocates of Global Mental Health view mental disorders as a nature–culture hybrid, while (...) critics see them as typically cultural phenomena. The cultural critique of Global Mental Health can be strengthened by a sociological approach to both the role of critique and the uses of the concept of culture within social sciences. As an alternative to the ontologization of culture, we propose a different theoretical approach to the social issues involved in the expansion of international public health care in mental health: Arthur Kleinman's and Didier Fassin’s moral anthropological approaches. (shrink)

We prove that Martin’s Axiom implies the existence of a Cohen-indestructible mad family such that the Mathias forcing associated to its filter adds dominating reals, while \ is consistent with the negation of this statement as witnessed by the Laver model for the consistency of Borel’s conjecture.

Neste artigo, demonstrei a relação entre a Memória, a História Oral e o Patrimônio Imaterial Afro-brasileiro. Apontei para os aspectos teóricos e para a práxis de uma História Oral capaz de oferecer algumas bases para a salvaguarda do Patrimônio Imaterial. Para tanto, propus um diálogo dinâmico com diferentes conceitos de Memória, sobretudo conforme compreendida por Joël Candau e Maurice Halbwachs. Apresentei diferentes conceitos em diálogo com autores especialistas em Patrimônio Imaterial, como: Maria Amélia Jundurian Corá, Chiara Bortolotto e Ulpiano Toledo (...) Bezerra de Menses. Além disso, identifiquei procedimentos construídos por José Carlos Sebe Bom Meihy, Suzana Lopes Salgado Ribeiro e Fabíola Holanda no âmbito do Núcleo de Estudos em História Oral – NEHO/USP. Palavras-chave: Memória, História Oral, Patrimônio Imaterial, Teoria. (shrink)

O segundo cronista e guarda-mor da Torre do Tombo, Gomes Eanes de Zurara, notabilizou-se pela produção de crônicas acerca da conquista e manutenção da praça de Ceuta no século XV. Com a finalidade de explorar as impressões desse cronista, o presente trabalho abordará como Zurara fez um uso edificante de duas de suas fontes: o discurso do conde D. Pedro de Meneses e um reportatio do sermão do fr. João Xira. Mais precisamente, o alvo deste estudo é examinar em que (...) medida Zurara reproduziu as palavras dessas célebres figuras na expectativa de legitimar a incursão militar da Coroa no norte da África. Com ênfase na descrição do referido oficial da Torre do Tombo, o alvo consistirá em analisar a função da prédica de um religioso e de um cavaleiro para a exortação dos portugueses enviados a essa região em um período de fortalecimento das bases políticas e religiosas de Portugal. (shrink)

En el presente trabajo analizaremos la teoría de la sistematicidad propuesta por Paul Hoyningen-Huene desde una perspectiva crítica, anclada en el coherentismo, especialmente en la versión de Mario Bunge. La idea central es presentar algunos límites que posee la propuesta de Hoyningen-Huene para dar cuenta de la dinámica del progreso científico y también observar algunas dificultades en su instrumental analítico para demostrar la pseudocientificidad de algunas disciplinas de conocimiento. Se pretende también señalar algunas ideas complementarias que podrían utilizarse a fin (...) de superar tales límites. (shrink)

Examina a relação entre a leitura e os programas computacionais de mineração de textos, no contexto das Humanidades Digitais (HD). Através da pesquisa bibliográfica e da reunião de fontes textuais relevantes para o argumento, esta relação é descrita sob a forma de uma simbiose entre o ser humano e o computador, nos termos propostos inicialmente por Asimov (2005). Uma concepção da leitura como operação da inteligência é posta em diálogo com o conceito e as aplicações da mineração de textos. Da (...) reflexão sobre a simbiose entre leitura e mineração de textos é obtido, como resultado, um ponto de vista em relação às HD, entendida como um conjunto de estratégias para o crescimento e a adaptação da cultura humana no ambiente digital. (shrink)

The present article investigates some consequences from the rapport ofthe creative and the sedimented language in Maurice Merleau-Ponty's works. It aims at analyzing the different positions adopted by the philosopher on that rapport by considering the image of a boiling liquid as the guide for such analysis. The heuristic power of this image will help, on one side, to comprehend the different standpoints used to interpret the phenomenon of language; on the other side, it will serve as an index to (...) follow the rectification and the radicalization of his philosophy. (shrink)

The main object of criticism of present-day medical ethics is the standard view of the relationship between theory and practice. Medical ethics is more than the application of moral theories and principles, and health care is more than the domain of application of moral theories. Moral theories and principles are necessarily abstract, and therefore fail to take account of the sometimes idiosyncratic reality of clinical work and the actual experiences of practitioners. Suggestions to remedy the illnesses of contemporary medical ethics (...) focus on re-establishing the connection between the internal and external morality of medicine. This article discusses the question how to develop a theoretical perspective on medical ethical issues that connects philosophical reflection with the everyday realities of medical practice. Four steps in a comprehensive approach of medical ethics research are distinguished: (1) examine health care contexts in order to obtain a better understanding of the internal morality of these practices; this requires empirical research; (2) analyze and interpret the external morality governing health care practices; sociological study of prevalent values, norms, and attitudes concerning medical-ethical issues is required; (3) creation of new theoretical perspectives on health care practices; Jensen's theory of healthcare practices will be useful here; (4) develop a new conception of bioethics that illuminates and clarifies the complex interaction between the internal and external morality of health care practices. Hermeneutical ethics can be helpful for integrating the experiences disclosed in the empirical ethical studies, as well as utilizing the insights gained from describing the value-contexts of health care practices. For a critical and normative perspective, hermeneutical ethics has to examine and explain the moral experiences uncovered, in order to understand what they tell us. (shrink)

RESUMOO presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar os meandros da composição e suas intertextualidades na polêmica do samba entre Noel Rosa e Wilson Batista, observando o dialogismo na interação verbal e musical entre os autores e os diversos textos da década de 1930. Ao apurar os ouvidos sobre a "polêmica do samba" observa-se que as composições revelam tensões inexoráveis entre um mundo festivo do "malandro" e os limites da realidade da época. Desse modo, com suporte em estudos que tratam deste (...) tema, busca-se trazer à tona um insight sobre este "duelo" musical que está, certamente, muito mais disseminado na sociedade que restrito a questões puramente estéticas.ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the meanders of composition and their intertextuality in the samba controversy between Noel Rosa and Wilson Batista. We observe dialogism in the verbal and musical interaction between the samba writers and several texts of the 1930s. When ears are in tune with the "samba controversy," one observes that the compositions reveal inexorable tensions between the festive world of the "malandro" and the limits of the reality of the time. Accordingly, based on studies that address this theme, we aim to present an insight into this musical "duel," which is not restricted to purely aesthetics issues, but certainly disseminated in society. (shrink)

A relação entre filosofia e cinema está cada vez mais presente nas reflexões dos filósofos contemporâneos. Muitos deles escreveram livros que unem pensamentos filosóficos e análises fílmicas. Em geral, esta interdiscursividade lhes permitiu pôr na berlinda a concepção de imagem pressuposta tanto na filosofia como no cinema. Trata-se de examinar as teorias e a análise que Gilles Deleuze e Jacques Rancière fizeram de Vertigo, de Alfred Hitchcock, para entender a relação que ambos estabeleceram entre filosofia e prática fílmica analítica. O (...) objetivo final é problematizar as conexões entre imagem e narrativa, que se revelam nessa junção e que fazem parte da tradição filosófica e cinematográfica. Ao mesmo tempo, propomos uma análise que considere o texto e a linguagem cinematográfica a partir da imagem, subvertendo desta forma a abordagem tradicional. (shrink)

Para economistas como Arrow, Hahn y Tobin, por ejemplo, la expresión “mano invisible” es la contribución más importante hecha al pensamiento económico y es explicativa de los procesos económicos. En este artículo se proponen una serie de argumentos a fin de sostener que la expresión “mano invisible” de Adam Smith no es relevante en términos explicativos. En primer lugar, Smith es renuente a aceptar como explicativas expresiones que apelen a agentes invisibles e inteligentes para intentar explicar fenómenos naturales. Para analizar (...) esto, se sugiere una lectura humeana de Smith, así como también una interpretación de la crítica por parte de Smith de Kepler y Descartes. (shrink)

El estudio se propone el análisis de la última de las parábolas del evangelio de Mateo, examinando su lenguaje y elementos teológicos fundamentales; así como también su forma y composición en la obra. El trabajo se motiva por la designación que el Papa Francisco dio al texto, comprendiéndolo como recapitulación esencial del camino cristiano fundamental que debe emprender el discípulo que desea vivir las huellas del Maestro.

A recent stream of epistemology gives special relevance to ignorance within the framework of an epistemological theory. Indeed, some want to give a significant role to ignorance in epistemological theorizing. In this paper, we argue that a particular sort of ignorance, which involves recognition of the fact that one is ignorant, is central to the acquisition of knowledge given the epistemic structure of society. It is clear, we hold, that Socrates realized the relevance of what we call ‘Socratic ignorance’ in (...) the acquisition of knowledge and was aware of the division of epistemic and cognitive labor that we find in our society. We shall explain the way we understand this Socratic ignorance, as opposed to what we will call ‘stubborn ignorance’ and the role this ignorance of Socratic overtones and related character traits can play in the acquisition of knowledge from others and with others. (shrink)

Segundo o conceito de tímese parabólica formulado pelo filósofo brasileiro Mário Ferreira dos Santos, quando um ser humano responde com uma intensidade maior que a dos estímulos recebidos, ele compara sua situação atual com aquela que é capaz de alcançar. A comparação com uma perfeição virtual mostra ao homem algo melhor a ser feito e o estimula a buscar a melhoria de algo ou situação, ou mesmo de si mesmo e de outra pessoa. Quanto ao próprio ser humano, a filosofia (...) indica uma perfeição correspondente à natureza humana, que não se restringe ao exercício de papéis sociais ou tarefas específicas, mas ao cumprimento das potencialidades inerentes à dignidade humana. Ao contrário dos bens externos, cuja disponibilidade é limitada e cuja posse é rival, os bens internos são moldados por cada indivíduo de uma forma que beneficia toda a comunidade. As virtudes pessoais cultivadas pelo indivíduo têm uma repercussão social positiva. Temos o tempo parabólico intersubjetivo quando um percebe o potencial de outrem e estimula o outro a se desenvolver. Isto ocorre principalmente em relação a alguém que se ama ou cujo bem se deseja. Neste artigo, quero defender a afirmação de que a tendência à perfeição teleológica é uma qualidade inerente ao ser humano, que é melhor compreendida através da conjugação da corporeidade e da intersubjetividade: a disposição corpórea é naturalmente adequada ao processo de idealização e busca da perfeição humana específica, que necessariamente ocorre através do intercâmbio sincrônico com o aperfeiçoamento do outro. (shrink)

RESUMEN El uso de las intuiciones como evidencia es ubicuo en la epistemología, pero no poco controvertido. Por más de una década y media, algunos epistemólogos experimentales han cuestionado esta apelación a las intuiciones epistémicas. Estos filósofos explotan los métodos de la psicología experimental, en particular métodos de encuestas, para poner a prueba cuán ampliamente compartidas son algunas intuiciones. Dado su compromiso con la relevancia de la investigación empírica a la construcción de teorías filosóficas, estos filósofos califican como naturalistas metodológicos. (...) Pero algunos naturalistas metodológicos que también recomiendan renunciar a esa apelación de la intuición como evidencia no basan su caso en encuestas. En este artículo considero dos desafíos fundamentales a la práctica estándar de apelar a las intuiciones que estos filósofos naturalistas plantean y argumento que un proyecto epistemológico inspirado en el trabajo de Edward Craig le permite, en principio, al epistemólogo que comparte ese naturalismo metodológico lidiar con ellos. De todas formas concluyo que, independientemente del éxito del enfoque Craiguiano, las intuiciones tienen un rol que jugar en el teorizar epistemológico en relación a la adjudicación entre enfoques.ABSTRACT The use of intuitions as evidence is widespread in epistemology, but not uncontroversial. For over a decade and a half, some experimental epistemologists have called into question this appeal to epistemic intuitions. These philosophers bring the methods of experimental psychology, in particular survey methods, to bear on epistemological theorizing. Given their commitment to the relevance of empirical work to philosophical theory construction, they qualify as methodological naturalists. But some methodological naturalists who also recommend giving up appeals to intuition as evidence do not base their case on experimental surveys. In this article I consider two main challenges to the standard practice of appealing to intuitions posed by these naturalist philosophers and argue that a Craig-style epistemological project can allow the methodological naturalist to address them. Anyway I conclude that, regardless of the truth of the Craigian approach, intuitions still have a role to play in epistemological theorizing in the adjudication between approaches. (shrink)

ABSTRACT In contemporary epistemology, there are a number of particular internalism/externalism debates. My concern here is with the internalism/externalism controversy about some specific positive epistemic status required for knowledge which is normally understood in terms of epistemic responsibility. I argue that, given our pervasive epistemic interdependence, such particular debate needs to be reformulated in anti-individualistic terms if it is to be an interesting one.

Knowledge seems to need the admixture of de facto reliability and epistemic responsibility. But philosophers have had a hard time in attempting to combine them in order to achieve a satisfactory account of knowledge. In this paper I attempt to find a solution by capitalizing on the real and ubiquitous human phenomenon that is the social dispersal of epistemic labour through time. More precisely, the central objective of the paper is to deliver a novel and plausible social account of knowledge-relevant (...) responsibility and to consider the merits of the proposed combination of reliability and responsibility with respect to certain cases of unreflective epistemic subjects. O conhecimento parece precisar de uma combinação de confiabilidade de facto e responsabilidade epistêmica. Mas os filósofos têm tido grande dificuldade tentar combiná-las para alcançar uma teoria satisfatória do conhecimento. Este trabalho tenta encontrar uma solução baseada no fenômeno humano real e onipresente que é a dispersão social do trabalho epistêmico através do tempo. Mais precisamente, o objetivo central deste artigo é entregar uma teoria social de responsabilidade epistêmica nova e plausível e considerar os méritos de a combinação de confiabilidade e responsabilidade proposta relativas a certos casos de indivíduos epistemológicos não reflexivos. (shrink)

Algunos autores han sostenido que es posible que en el pasaje de la mano invisible, en La teoría de los sentimientos morales, Smith esté contestando a Rousseau. Esta hipótesis se basa en una fraseología similar que usan tanto Smith como Rousseau en el Discurso sobre el origen de la desigualdad. En esta nota se mostrará que es posible realizar una distinción importante con relación al período histórico que Smith está analizando en el pasaje de la mano invisible de TSM IV: (...) 10 y el que Rousseau está analizando en el Discurso sobre el origen de la desigualdad, a pesar de la fraseología similar con relación a las rudas selvas de la naturaleza. Some authors have contended that it is possible that Smith is answering Rousseau in The Theory of Moral Sentiments. This hypothesis is based on a similar phraseology used both by Smith and by Rousseau in the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality. In this note, a clear distinction will be made. In the aforementioned works, Rousseau and Smith refer to different periods of time, in spite of the similar phraseology used in relation to "the rude forests of nature". (shrink)

The environment is a continuous source of matter and energy, which dynamizes the adaptive processes of biological systems, so that these systems emerge, persist or are extinguished as a consequence of their reactions to the environment. This perspective, forged from classical physics, gives way to multiple ecological theories, with evolution being the most prominent one. In all these cases, information would be both dependent and subsequent to matter and energy. Thus, the emergence and dynamics of genetic material or ecological attributes (...) such as abundance, richness or diversity depend mainly on the interaction of these two fundamental states. However, recent approaches from quantum physics and complexity views put forward the notion that information can be independent and prior to matter and energy, which allows us to see ecological processes from another perspective, i.e., as including complex biological systems as capable of showing emergent properties such as cognition. We proposed here a set of postulates and ideas that suggests how the ability to manipulate (internalize, integrate, store and generate) information can be developed by those systems, which would directly and non-randomly influence ecological attributes and their dynamics; i.e., how this property can possibly help replacing the notion of the environment as the ultimate cause of changes. Besides fully detailing the sources of knowledge and our rationale in this sense, we have also discussed how these thoughts and possibilities can be employed in devising better and more comprehensive approaches for biological conservation strategies. (shrink)

IntroductionTranscranial magnetic stimulation is a consolidated procedure for the treatment of depression, with several meta-analyses demonstrating its efficacy. Theta-burst stimulation is a modification of TMS with similar efficacy and shorter session duration. The geriatric population has many comorbidities and a high prevalence of depression, but few clinical trials are conducted specifically for this age group. TBS could be an option in this population, offering the advantages of few side effects and no pharmacological interactions. Therefore, our aim is to investigate the (...) efficacy of TBS in geriatric depression.Clinical trial registration[https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/], identifier [NCT04842929]. (shrink)

Este texto mostra como, no primeiro volume do que atualmente chamaríamos de “trilogia”: Justine ou les Infortunes de la vertu (1787), Justine ou les Malheurs de la vertu (1791) e La Nouvelle Justine ou les Malheurs de la vertu, suivie de l'Histoire de Juliette, sa soeur (1797), Sade foi o último protagonista do grande debate filosófico e moral que percorre a Ilustração, dos primórdios ao seu final.

Considering the challenges posed by populism and religiously motivated political engagement to liberal democracies, the present study sets out to examine, specifically, the role played by Pentecostal actors in the conflictive rearrangement of the democratic game in Brazil and worldwide. The engagement of Pentecostals in Brazil’s 2018 general election represented a milestone in that regard and constitutes, thus, the main focus of the present investigation. Given the novelty and nature of both phenomena in question, viz. Pentecostal political engagement and the (...) crisis of democracy, the analysis is carried out, methodologically, from a descriptive, theoretical vantage point, rather than a normative one. To that purpose, the study builds on Manow’s recent work on the current crisis of democracy so as to shed new light on this issue and engages with scholarly studies of Pentecostal political engagement in Brazil and Nigeria alike, where similar developments may be observed, thereby placing this predicament in a global perspective. The role played by Pentecostals can best be described as ambivalent, as, on the one hand, they contributed largely to democratizing contemporary democracies and, on the other, they played a significant part in undermining the very foundations of liberal democracies. (shrink)

Considering the challenges posed by populism and religiously motivated political engagement to liberal democracies, the present study sets out to examine, specifically, the role played by Pentecostal actors in the conflictive rearrangement of the democratic game in Brazil and worldwide. The engagement of Pentecostals in Brazil’s 2018 general election represented a milestone in that regard and constitutes, thus, the main focus of the present investigation. Given the novelty and nature of both phenomena in question, viz. Pentecostal political engagement and the (...) crisis of democracy, the analysis is carried out, methodologically, from a descriptive, theoretical vantage point, rather than a normative one. To that purpose, the study builds on Manow’s recent work on the current crisis of democracy so as to shed new light on this issue and engages with scholarly studies of Pentecostal political engagement in Brazil and Nigeria alike, where similar developments may be observed, thereby placing this predicament in a global perspective. The role played by Pentecostals can best be described as ambivalent, as, on the one hand, they contributed largely to democratizing contemporary democracies and, on the other, they played a significant part in undermining the very foundations of liberal democracies. (shrink)

Book reviews: HARRIS, Elizabeth J.; HEDGES, Paul; HETTIARACHCHI, Shanthikumar. Twenty-First Century Theologies of Religions : Retrospection and Future Prospects. Leiden: Brill; Boston: Rodopi, 2016. 396 p.. ISBN 978-90-04-3224-62.

This paper presents the foundation upon which the contemporary knowledge of body integrity dysphoria (BID) is built. According to the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition (ICD-11), the main feature of BID is an intense and persistent desire to become physically disabled in a significant way. Three putative aetiologies that are considered to explain the insurgence of the condition are discussed: neurological, psychological and postmodern theories. The concept of bodily representation within the medical context is highlighted, with (...) the concept of dysphoria, which was brought to the fore with the introduction of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), and the ICD-11. Contemporary issues of “justice” are addressed to identify ethically relevant distinctions between BID and sex reassignment surgery. It is argued that there is no ethically relevant difference between the BID actor’s desire for invasive surgical intervention and the wish of gender dysphoric individuals to undergo sex reassignment surgery procedures. Some BID actors self-mutilate, and this presents medical professionals with difficult choices regarding whether or not to intervene in order to satisfy the BID patient’s desire. Both abstention and intervention may lead to severe ethical complications for doctors and patients despite the positive outcomes in terms of quality of life for BID individuals who manage to undergo such procedures. (shrink)

The futility debate may be considered as an effort to provide a clear and justified borderline between physician and patient decision–making authority. In this paper we argue that the search for a definition of futility that provides physicians with a final argument in discussions about life–prolonging treatment, is misplaced. An acceptable and meaningful criterion of futility that satisfies this effort seems impossible. As a consequence, we reject a dichotomous domain of decision–making power as the starting point for definitions of futility. (...) A good decision about withholding life–sustaining treatment should be justified from the perspectives of both physician and patient. In this light, a range of definitions of futility is still useful as it can clarify intuitions that a treatment is inappropriate. (shrink)

The philosopher Byung-Chul Han affirms that the present age reduces the human being to a performance-machine, and that, because of this reduction, the type of disease that characterizes it this age is neuronal. In the present article, I argue that Han’s analysis is correct but incomplete. Behind this reductionism, which leads to neuropathologies of different types, lies another type of pathology that the philosopher Eric Voegelin calls ‘pneumopathology’—disease of the spirit. The transhumanist view of human enhancement deepens this reduction and (...) shows that the pneumopathology that blights today’s society is in a process of unprecedented chronification. To justify this thesis, I first explain the connection between human enhancement and the achievement imperative denounced by Han; I then analyze the Voegelian category of pneumopathology to show its value for an ontological-historical understanding of human enhancement. (shrink)

The new mechanistic philosophy seeks to identify and explain the mechanisms of various phenomena, including their overall organization and the interactions between the individualized components. This paper argues that among the phenomena that can be approached within the new mechanistic framework are near-death experiences, which can be included within the vast range of experiences that are grouped under the category of religious experience. Such experiences involve a complex set of cognitive, affective, and behavioural processes. Since studying such experiences is far (...) from methodologically simple, we try to show the feasibility of applying the mechanistic explanation to near-death experiences. While some scholars (such as Egil Asprem and Ann Taves) argue that mechanistic explanation can shed new light on the explanation of religion, we instead emphasize neglected limits of such an explanation, as well as its epistemic-methodological advantages in comparison with alternative explanatory models, especially the models proposed by Michael Marsh, Frederick S. Barrett and Roland R. Griffiths. (shrink)

Análise do conceito de quadro na estética teatral de Diderot. A finalidade do ensaio é mostrar que, ao pensar o teatro sob o modelo da pintura, Diderot procura examinar a especificidade do gênero dramático sobretudo em relação ao épico.