This paper argues that the Extended Synthesis, ecological information, and biosemiotics are complementary approaches whose engagement will help us explain the organism-environment interaction at the cognitive level. The Extended Synthesis, through niche construction theory, can explain the organism-environment interaction at an evolutionary level because niche construction is a process guided by information. We believe that the best account that defines information at this level is the one offered by biosemiotics and, within all kinds of biosemiotic information available, we believe that (...) ecological information is the best candidate for making sense of the organism-environment relation at the cognitive level. This entanglement of biosemiotics, ecological information and the Extended Synthesis is promising for understanding the multidimensional character of the organism-environment reciprocity as well as the relation between evolution, cognition, and meaning. (shrink)

In this paper, it is argued that both the informer and the hearer in a testimonial situation deserve epistemic merit insofar as they contribute to the collaborative achievement of sharing knowledge. The paper introduces a distinction between the ideals of self-sufficiency and epistemic autonomy. The autonomous exercise of our epistemic agency is very often carried out under strong conditions of epistemic dependence. Testimony exhibits a kind of social dependence that does not threaten the autonomy of the subjects that need to (...) consider their own epistemic capacities. When involved in a testimonial situation, both speaker and hearer declare, at least implicitly, the standings they occupy in an epistemic space and are obliged to recognise certain epistemic requirements. (shrink)

At the confluence between Modern Olympism and Confucian teachings—nowadays embodied and expressed in East Asian Confucianisms—there are meaningful overlaps, significant challenges, and opportunities. This paper examines these. Despite radically different origins and apparently incommensurate tenets, we should not assume that the underlying ideals of Modern Olympism and East Asian Confucianisms cannot benefit mutually. It is precisely when considering their putative weak points, such as Modern Olympism's soft metaphysics or vague ethics or Confucianism's bias against physical activity or gender, that we (...) find educational opportunities that make contributions to a universal humanistic sport education. (shrink)

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la salvación laica formulada por el Dios ficticio del relato “El silencio de Dios” de Juan José Arreola. Primero, se establece un recorrido por las aproximaciones críticas hechas sobre el texto arreolino. Después, se muestra mediante ejemplos la tensión existencial-religiosa que Arreola efectivamente vivenció y se identifica la presencia de esta condición en su narrativa, especialmente en el relato aquí analizado. Por último, se analiza y se intenta describir la naturaleza de la salvación (...) laica implícita en la respuesta de Dios al protagonista del relato. (shrink)

The primary goal of the present research was to determine the order of swimmers on a mixed relay team that would ensure the best performance in the Fédération Internationale de Natation World Championships held in Kazan, Budapest, and Gwangju. The data were obtained from database websites for the 4 × 100 m freestyle and 4 × 100 m medley official results,1 including 660 records from 188 entries of finals and 472 preliminary events. The results showed that the fastest swimmers were (...) located primarily in the first or second positions of the freestyle relay. The most successful gender strategy for the 4 × 100 m freestyle and for the 4 × 100 m medley relays was the order male-male-female-female, although no statistical differences were found for the medley relays. In the 4 × 100 m freestyle, the second and third relay legs had a statistical effect on the total relay time, whereas in the 4 × 100 m medley, all four relay legs had a statistical effect on the final performance, the weight of the four strokes being different in heats with respect to the final round. Also, a later position of the first female swimmer or the consecutive position of two female swimmers in the team order significantly affected the relay performance in specific events. Mixed relay events appeared to present specific strategies in comparison to traditional male- or female-only relay lineups. (shrink)

In this paper we examine the issues of the 1764 published essay – specially of its third section – which help us to reconstruct Kant’s position in the mind-body problem. The philosopher explores here the roots of pathological diseases and refers to a theory, exposed by Johann August Unzer in the weekly Der Arzt, which relates the Kantian point of view with the contemporary Functionalism in Philosophy of Mind. In this way we are pursuing a train of thought previously not (...) taken into account in the Kantian research. (shrink)

There is a widely extended viewpoint about physical possibility, what we will call Standard Approach, which holds that the physically possible is delimited by the nomological structure of physical theories: to be physically possible is to be in accordance with the physical laws, to be physically impossible is to be prohibited by physical laws and to be physically necessary is to be demanded by the physical laws. However, it is possible to show that this approach is too relaxed and permissive (...) when it comes to collecting and systematizing many of the modal intuitions present in the physical community. In this work we will argue, on the one hand, that the notion of physical possibility is more complex and richer than suggested by the standard approach and, on the other hand, that it is necessary to add some extra elements to the characterization of physical possibility in order to that it is adequate in scientific contexts. (shrink)

The main goal of this work is to argue that reincarnation can no longer be an answer to existential anguish, as described by philosophers such as Heidegger and Sartre, because rebirth was the answer for people who were immerse in a religious or even a metaphysical outlook of life, while modern human condition emerges precisely when those forms of certainty begin to fade away. Nevertheless, we will show that the idea of reincarnation can still be a valuable tool for understanding (...) certain features of western philosophy, such as the thermodynamic model of thought. (shrink)

Este artículo es una aproximación a la estética moderna desde una lectura comentada del capítulo sexto titulado “Los problemas fundamentales de Estética” de la obra “Filosofía de la Ilustración” del filósofo alemán Ernst Cassirer. A partir de un recorrido continuo de los seis temas principales de la estética moderna se quiere realizar el rastreo de los temas básicos que en este capítulo son más reiterativos tales como belleza, arte, ilustración, intuición.

When the conquerors arrived in the Valley of Mexico, they were amazed at the creations of the culture inherited from the Toltec tradition. With the prurpose of acknowledging this culture, this paper points out that words such as truth, thinking, and doubt have a very different connotation in modern European philosophy, to the Anahuac culture, which flourished in the Valley of Mexico between the 9th and 16th centuries. This writing presents a comparison of the process to obtain true knowledge according (...) to the rationality of the Nahua world of the 16th century and three authors of European modernity: Descartes, Kant and Hegel. Modernity is found to present a dominant and egocentric subject with self-referential thinking. In the Nahua culture the ideal is the man with a "heart of stone" and a "wise face" who seeks what is true, what has roots, and expresses it through poetry, “the flower and the song”. (shrink)

Henricus Regius ou Henri LeRoy, outrora amigo e divulgador da filosofia de Descartes, agora escrevendo como adversário de seu antigo mestre, publica em Utrecht um panfleto anônimo sobre a natureza da mente humana. No intuito de evitar que as teses apresentadas por seu ex-discípulo fossem tomadas como suas, Descartes decide, então, refutar as opiniões defendidas no panfleto de Regius. É precisamente o texto produzido por Descartes nessa ocasião que é traduzido a seguir. Esse texto, aparentemente impresso sem o consentimento de (...) seu autor em dezembro de 1647, marca o ponto final da relação entre o filósofo francês e o professor de medicina. O texto latino aqui traduzido foi extraído da edição realizada por Charles Adam e Paul Tannery das Oeuvres complètes de Descartes, Paris, Vrin, tomo VIII, pp. 341-369. (shrink)

In this paper we are moving from the analysis of the historiographical and literary aspects of the figure of Hypatia of Alexandria in order to get to the reconstruction of her personal and intellectual trajectory. We enunciate the guidelines of her thought, which we base on her methodological approach to mathematics, geometry and astronomy; on the basic beliefs of the cosmological model to which she would have given her support; and finally, on the global vision which defines her manner of (...) philosophizing as search for theoretical unity as well as practical engagement. (shrink)

La dialéctica entre naturaleza y libertad se halla en el corazón del debate contemporáneo entre los paradigmas científicos propios de las ciencias naturales y de las ciencias humanas. La neurociencia constituye, de hecho, uno de los fulcros de dicho debate y el campo de batalla de posiciones encontradas. El abordaje neurocientífico de las patologías revela presupuestos de fondo que remiten a esa contraposición contemporánea. Para mostrarlo, presentaré las líneas básicas de algunos tratamientos actuales basados en estimulación eléctrica del sistema límbico. (...) Una vez expuesto su fundamento neurofisiológico y teórico, analizaré el alcance y los límites hermenéuticos de dicha estrategia. (shrink)

En este artículo realizamos una aproximación investigativa-teórico-reflexiva sobre los efectos del postmodernismo y la postmodernidad en la sociedad actual y en el ámbito educativo en particular (centrándonos en el papel del maestro/profesor). Bajo la apariencia del bien común: mayor igualdad, ecologismo, atención a la diversidad, respeto a las diferencias…, una de las visiones del postmodernismo lo convierte en el chivo expiatorio del capitalismo, propiciando que este siga fagocitándose, generando de manera implícita una visión unívoca y poco propiciadora de críticas por (...) parte del grueso de la sociedad, que la acepta como parte de ese bien común. Ante esto ¿qué podemos hacer desde nuestro papel educativo? (shrink)

¿Cómo pensar hoy la naturaleza y el valor de la reflexión filosófica? La influencia omnipresente del modelo del conocimiento experto parece exigir una autocomprensión de la filosofía como una disciplina entre las disciplinas. Este artículo propone que la filosofía debe resistirse a esta tentación. Defenderé, por tanto, una especie de "excepcionalismo" para la filosofía basado en la idea de que no puede pretender ser una disciplina. Sea o no cierto que hoy en día las actividades filosóficas estén legitimadas institucionalmente por (...) los principios de un Canon, voy a sugerir una estrategia de transgresión del Canon al rechazar cualquier asimilación de la filosofía a una disciplina, aunque fuera "anómala". La filosofía debe contribuir a la comprensión de nuestros diversos modos de conceptualizar y de transformar el mundo y dar sentido a la experiencia humana. La filosofía debe reclamar para sí una "estado de excepción" y abrir un espacio para cuestionar todo aquello que parece obvio e incuestionable. How to think today about the nature and value of the philosophical reflection? The pervasive influence of the model of expert knowledge seems to require a selfunderstanding of philosophy as a discipline among the disciplines. This paper argues that philosophy should resist this move. So I will defend a kind of "exceptionalism" for philosophy based on the idea that philosophy cannot pretend to be a discipline. Be true or not that philosophical activities are nowadays institutionally legitimized by the principles of a Canon, I will suggest a strategy of transgression of the Canon by rejecting any assimilation of philosophy to a discipline, even if an "anomalous" one. Philosophy must contribute to the understanding of our different ways of conceptualizing and transforming the world and to make sense of human experience. The thesis of this paper is that philosophy must claim a "state of emergency" for itself a open a space for freely questioning what it appears as obvious and unchallengeable. (shrink)

En Self-Constitution. Agency, Identity, and Integrity (2009), Christine Korsgaard defiende la conclusión de que el imperativo categórico rige la acción humana porque es el único principio que permite alcanzar la unidad psíquica plena, la cual, según Korsgaard, es un prerrequisito esencial para la acción efectiva. Para los agentes humanos, alcanzar esa unidad -que consiste en hacer coherentes distintos impulsos hacia la acción- es una actividad constante, denominada "autoconstitución". De acuerdo con Korsgaard, ésta es la fuente originaria de la normatividad y (...) de las identidades prácticas e incluso de la identidad personal. Después de exponer las ideas centrales del libro, presento dos objeciones: primero, critico la equiparación del imperativo categórico con la autoconstitución exitosa, pues no toda falla de auto-constitución es una falla moral. Segundo, argumento que la tesis de que la identidad personal es producto de la autoconstitución es problemática y que, al defenderla, Korsgaard confunde identidad práctica con identidad personal. In Self-Constitution. Agency, Identity, and Integrity (2009), Christine Korsgaard argues that the categorical imperative rules human action because it is the sole principle that allows us to reach the complete psychic unity that, Korsgaard thinks, is an essential prerequisite for effective action. Reaching this unity -which consists in making cohere diverging impulses for action- is for human agents a constant activity called "self-constitution." According to Korsgaard, this activity is the source of normativity, of human practical identities and even of personal identity. After explaining the main ideas of the book, I present two objections. First, I criticize the linkage of the categorical imperative to successful self-constitution, for not every failure of the latter counts as a moral failure. Second, I argue that the thesis that personal identity is a product of self-constitution is problematic and that it betrays a confusion between practical identity and personal identity. (shrink)

This paper analyzes the scientific achievements of the noted arabist Salvador Vila Hernández, chiefly his dedication to research and teaching in the universities and Schools of Arabic Studies of Madrid and Granada. His work is placed in the intellectual context of those years, during which he initiated energetically the specialized study of the history of law and of Islamic institutions, especially with reference to al-Andalus.

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo conocer las características sociodemográficas y laborales de las mujeres indígenas migrantes hidalguenses que se dedican al trabajo doméstico en el estado de Nuevo León, México. Para alcanzar este objetivo se explorarán la encuesta intercensal del 2015. En comparación con otros movimientos migratorios, la migración interna de mujeres en México ha sido poco estudiada, en particular la protagonizada por población indígena. Entre los principales resultados encontramos que las mujeres migrantes hidalguenses que se dedican al trabajo (...) doméstico remunerado en Nuevo León tienen condiciones de precariedad laboral como producto de la institucionalización social, cultural y jurídica de la desigualdad y la injusticia estructural. Es un trabajo desvalorizado socialmente, ya que se considera propio de la construcción social de los roles de género femenino, como consecuencia encontramos que se legitima la discriminación en términos jurídicos, ante la falta del reconocimiento económico y de sus derechos laborales. (shrink)

The complexity of the epistemological framework developed in the philosophy of Iamblichus does not allow to be captured from the polarity that underlies the categories of rational and irrational. After the projection of such categories, the core of this philosophy remains itself misunderstood. In this paper we intend to point to the need for a hermeneutic that respects the Neoplatonism that, from their own internal assumptions, display models that allow open understanding about the meaning and coherence of this thought. A (...) serious approach to the texts foregrounds the importance of the method. This must accompany the complexity of its meaning without projecting beyond categories that hide their cores basic sense, attempting an inside their outlines. The deployment of this path indicates the result of the demonstration of the precariousness of certain exegetical lines that tend to hide behind the projection of conceptual parameters strangers, basic access key to this thought. (shrink)

Cuando hace ahora 40 años terminaba mi carrera universitaria y comenzaba meses después a ser profesora de Ecología en la Universidad de Salamanca, poco se sabía que desde 1968 se había consolidado la Ecología como una nueva área del conocimiento científico, según la UNESCO. Una ciencia, nacida un siglo antes de esa fecha, que serviría ya desde mayo de ese año (mayo del 68), también para definir una ideología nueva del mundo contemporáneo, el ecologismo. Y así, en menos de medio (...) siglo, la ecología ha ido penetrando en la sociedad, tanto en el sistema educativo, desde la enseñanza universitaria a la enseñanza básica y obligatoria, como en la educación no formal (educación popular), además de en otras esferas políticas y sociales. (shrink)

Analysis of the pastoral visits effected in the Diocese of Cartagena during Modern Age. With the purpose of verifying that it was what actually arrived to the parishes of the Diocese of al1 the program to conciliate proposed in Trento in 1573, the pastoral visits are analized, which were considered an important mechanism of social control. In addition, it is studied the application of the "tridentinos" decrees in the bishopric, the instructions given for the accomplishment of the pastoral visits, and (...) the conferences done to the parishes of Murcia. It concludes that, within the trentinas arrangements, the pastoral sight was a clear manifestation of the power and control in the ecclesiastic hierarchy of the parochial life in al1 its aspects, including the protagonists: the clergy and the staunch. (shrink)

Economists of the Austrian School are supporters of the gold standard because it hinders and restricts arbitrary policies and rulers: it disciplines the behavior of all the agents involved in the democratic process and encourages people to act orderly and morally. It is, in fact, an obstacle to the lies and demagoguery because it spreads and facilitates transparency and truth in social relations. The creation of the euro in 1999 and its final implementation in 2002 assumed the disappearance of monetary (...) nationalism and flexible exchange rates in most of continental Europe. We will discuss the errors committed by the European Central Bank. It is now seen how the different states of the European Monetary Union have given and completely lost their monetary autonomy, that is to say the ability to manipulate their local currency to serve political needs. In this sense, the euro has therefore acted, at least for the countries of the euro area, very similar to that which was, in its time, the gold standard manner. This is why the euro should be considered a real equivalent, albeit imperfect, of the gold standard. (shrink)