The definition of a pseudofinite structure can be translated verbatim into continuous logic, but it also gives rise to a stronger notion and to two parallel concepts of pseudocompactness. Our purpose is to investigate the relationship between these four concepts and establish or refute each of them for several basic theories in continuous logic. Pseudofiniteness and pseudocompactness turn out to be equivalent for relational languages with constant symbols, and the four notions coincide with the standard pseudofiniteness in the case of (...) classical structures, but the details appear to be slightly more important here than in the usual translation of definitions from classical logic. We also prove that injective “formula-definable” endofunctions are surjective, and conversely, in strongly pseudofinite omega-saturated structures. (shrink)

Formative intervention methodologies, such as the Change Laboratory, are increasingly being used in work environments. However, the learning process entailed in the application of these methodologies has received insufficient attention and may be facilitated through the use of learning platforms. We examined the development of learning and training strategies for implementing formative interventions, drawing on the experiences of a research group focusing on workers’ health. Information obtained from individuals involved in CL formative activities was analyzed and interpreted using Cultural-Historical Activity (...) Theory and the theory of expansive learning. The process of learning to implement formative interventions unfolded gradually, beginning with the interventionists’ initial exposure to abstract concepts that they subsequently internalized via various mediations and applied in concrete situations. Four key interventionist training strategies used to foster collective learning were identified: promoting dialogues and exchange of experiences, creating environments for continuous learning and permanent discussion, creating spaces for experimentation and the practical application of concepts, and the use of the double stimulation method during training programs. (shrink)

Vector spaces over fields are pseudofinite, and this remains true for vector spaces over division rings that are finite-dimensional over their center. We also construct a division ring such that the nontrivial vector spaces over it are not pseudofinite, using Richard Thompson's group F. The idea behind the construction comes from a first-order axiomatization of the class of division rings all whose nontrivial vector spaces are pseudofinite.

We find the complete Euler characteristics for the categories of definable sets and functions in strongly minimal groups. Their images, which represent the Grothendieck semirings of those categories, are all isomorphic to the semiring of polynomials over the integers with nonnegative leading coefficient. As a consequence, injective definable endofunctions in those groups are surjective. For infinite vector spaces over arbitrary division rings, the same results hold, and more: We also establish the Fubini property for all Euler characteristics, and extend the (...) complete one to the eq-expansion of those spaces while preserving the Fubini property but not completeness. Then, surjective interpretable endofunctions in those spaces are injective, and conversely. Our presentation is made in the general setting of multi-sorted structures. (shrink)

Vector spaces over fields are pseudofinite, and this remains true for vector spaces over division rings that are finite-dimensional over their center. We also construct a division ring such that the nontrivial vector spaces over it are not pseudofinite, using Richard Thompson's group F. The idea behind the construction comes from a first-order axiomatization of the class of division rings all whose nontrivial vector spaces are pseudofinite.

For any group satisfying a suitable chain condition, we construct a finitely additive measure on it that is invariant under certain actions.

Schools have been the main context for physical activity and sedentary behavior interventions among adolescents, but there is inconsistent evidence on whether they also improve dimensions of the health−related quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a school-based active lifestyle intervention on dimensions of HRQoL. A secondary aim was to verify whether sex, age, and HRQoL at baseline were moderators of the intervention effect. A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted at three control and (...) three intervention schools in Florianopolis, Brazil. All students from 7th to 9th grade were invited to participate. A school year intervention, designed primarily to increase PA and reduce SB, included strategies focused on teacher training on PA, SB, and nutrition, and availability of teaching materials related to these contents; environmental improvements ; and education strategies, with the availability of folders and posters regarding PA, SB, and nutrition. Participants and the research staffs were not blinded to group assignment, but a standardized evaluation protocol was applied at baseline and after the intervention using the KIDSCREEN−27 to assess HRQoL across five dimensions. Mixed linear models were performed to evaluate the effect of the Movimente intervention on the five HRQoL dimensions. Of the 921 students who answered the questionnaire at baseline, 300 and 434 completed the study in control and intervention groups, respectively. The results revealed no significant effects of the intervention on any HRQoL dimensions. A reduction of the school environment dimension was observed in both the control and intervention groups. Sensitivity analyses showed that students in the highest baseline tertiles of HRQoL in any dimension had a reduction in their respective scores from pre- to post-intervention in both school groups. In conclusion, our results demonstrated no intervention effect on HRQoL dimensions and those students with the highest levels of HRQoL at baseline on all dimensions reduced from pre to post-intervention.Clinical Trial RegistrationThe trial is registered at the Clinical Trial Registry. (shrink)

Kant clearly endorses some version of the ‘old formula of the schools’, according to which all volition is sub ratione boni. There has been a debate whether he holds this only for morally good actions. I argue that a closer look at the distinction between the good and the agreeable does not support this conclusion. Considering Kant’s account of the detrimental and the correct use of this thesis, I argue that rational beings always will sub ratione boni, even when they (...) act immorally, because they act on principles. I argue that Kant’s accounts of self-love and self-conceit support this view. (shrink)

To date, the primary focus of research in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been on the strategic implications of CSR for corporations and less on an evaluation of CSR from a wider political, economic and social perspective. In this paper, we aim to address this gap by critically engaging with marketing campaigns of so-called ‘ethical’ bottled water. We especially focus on a major CSR strategy of a range of different companies that promise to provide drinking water for (...) (what they name as) ‘poor African people’ by way of Western consumers purchasing bottled water. Following Fairclough's approach, we unfold a three-step critical discourse analysis of the marketing campaigns of 10 such ‘ethical’ brands. Our results show that bottled water companies try to influence consumers' tastes through the management of the cultural meaning of bottled water, producing a more ‘ethical’ and ‘socially responsible’ perception of their products/brands. Theoretically, we base our analysis on McCracken's model of the cultural meaning of consumer goods, which, we argue, offers a critical perspective of the recent emergence of CSR and business ethics initiatives. We discuss how these marketing campaigns can be framed as historical struggles associated with neo-liberal ideology and hegemony. Our analysis demonstrates how such CSR strategies are part of a general process of the reproduction of capitalist modes of accumulation and legitimation through the usage of cultural categories. (shrink)

A utilização da água sempre foi vital para a sobrevivência humana, mas com suas ações surgiram os impactos aos ecossistemas comprometendo a qualidade. O ecossistema aquático tem sido prejudicado por isso, principalmente, pelo descarte inadequado de efluentes não tratados. Este trabalho visou avaliar a eficiência de ilhas flutuantes com plantas, a fim de observar a melhoria da qualidade hídrica de ecossistemas aquáticos. Para isso foi analisado o comportamento das macrófitas nas ilhas flutuantes, por meio de experimento controlado. A ilha se (...) mostrou eficiente e resistente e pode ser utilizada para a remoção de macronutrientes. A eficiência na remoção foi cerca de 25% de fosfato e fósforo total, em um período de análise de 60 dias. Isso indica que com um período maior de análises, o resultado de remoção poderá ser maior, bem como a densidade de biomassa para o povoamento da ilha e a sua aplicação em corpos hídricos comprometidos. (shrink)

To date, the primary focus of research in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been on the strategic implications of CSR for corporations and less on an evaluation of CSR from a wider political, economic and social perspective. In this paper, we aim to address this gap by critically engaging with marketing campaigns of so‐called ‘ethical’ bottled water. We especially focus on a major CSR strategy of a range of different companies that promise to provide drinking water for (...) (what they name as) ‘poor African people’ by way of Western consumers purchasing bottled water. Following Fairclough's approach, we unfold a three‐step critical discourse analysis of the marketing campaigns of 10 such ‘ethical’ brands. Our results show that bottled water companies try to influence consumers' tastes through the management of the cultural meaning of bottled water, producing a more ‘ethical’ and ‘socially responsible’ perception of their products/brands. Theoretically, we base our analysis on McCracken's model of the cultural meaning of consumer goods, which, we argue, offers a critical perspective of the recent emergence of CSR and business ethics initiatives. We discuss how these marketing campaigns can be framed as historical struggles associated with neo‐liberal ideology and hegemony. Our analysis demonstrates how such CSR strategies are part of a general process of the reproduction of capitalist modes of accumulation and legitimation through the usage of cultural categories. (shrink)

In recent years, online “involuntary celibate” or “incel” communities have been linked to various deadly attacks targeting women. Why do these men react to romantic rejection with not just disappointment, but murderous rage? Feminists have claimed this is because incels desire women as objects or, alternatively, because they feel entitled to women’s attention. I argue that both of these explanatory models are insufficient. They fail to account for incels’ distinctive ambivalence toward women—for their oscillation between obsessive desire and violent hatred. (...) I propose instead that what incels want is a Beauvoirian “Other.” For Beauvoir, when men conceive of women as Others, they represent them as simultaneously human subjects and embodiments of the natural world. Women function then as sui generis entities through which men can experience themselves as praiseworthy heroes, regardless of the quality of their actions. I go on to give an illustrative analysis of Elliot Rodger’s autobiographical manifesto, “My Twisted World.” I show how this Beauvoirian model sheds light on Rodger’s racist and classist attitudes and gives us a better understanding of his ambivalence toward women. It therefore constitutes a powerful and overlooked theoretical alternative to accounts centered on objectification and entitlement. (shrink)

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar o conceito de propriedade na teoria de Arthur Schopenhauer, contida principalmente na obra Parerga und Paralipomena e a teoria de John Locke, expressa no Segundo tratado sobre o governo civil e estabelecer relações entre os conceitos, de modo a demonstrar as semelhanças enquanto direito natural e suas diferenças enquanto direito positivado na teoria dos dois filósofos.

One of the key insights of Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex is the idea that gender-based subordination is not just something done to women, but also something women do to themselves. This raises a question about ethical responsibility: if women are complicit, or actively implicated in their own oppression, are they at fault? Recent Beauvoir scholarship remains divided on this point. Here, I argue that Beauvoir did, in fact, ethically criticize many women for their complicity, as a sign of (...) what she called “bad faith”. I challenge recent accounts by Nancy Bauer and Manon Garcia, who both read Beauvoir as exonerating complicit women. According to this reading, women emerge as human “freedoms” within a social world where a “destiny” of inferiority is already prepared for them. Their self-subordination is then an inevitable product of acting in a patriarchal world. I argue, however, that this interpretation generates a crucial tension, leading Bauer and Garcia to call on women to stop being complicit, while also claiming they cannot avoid complicity. I propose instead a different interpretation, on which feminine complicity is often fueled by criticizable ethical attitudes that are far from inevitable. By revisiting Beauvoir’s notion of “bad faith”, I show that this account is compatible with recognizing the limitations imposed on women’s agency and I show that this feminist ethical criticism is itself an important part of a collective project of social transformation. (shrink)

Resumo: neste artigo, apresenta-se um prelúdio de ideias e vivências acerca da importância do ensino de Filosofia, apontando também para um caminho, onde, a partir de experiências e estudos, acredita-se que esse ensino possa ser melhor conduzido. Assim, como escopo, busca-se desenvolver breves considerações em torno da premissa de que o ensino de filosofia, este sendo aplicado em um novo paradigma educacional, pode ser uma via profícua para o processo de emancipação, esclarecimento (aufklarung) e autonomia do indivíduo. Nessa medida, o (...) artigo terá como referência o ensaio “O que é esclarecimento” de Immanuel Kant, a obra “Educação e emancipação” de Theodor Adorno, e do artigo “O ensino de filosofia e a questão da emancipação” do comentador Walter Omar Kohan, entre outros textos de apoio. Por fim, buscaremos fazer uma correlação entre o ensino de Filosofia, seu potencial crítico-emancipador e o modelo de educação a distância, procurando destacar as possibilidades a serem abordadas dentro desse novo paradigma pedagógico, que, como mostraremos, apresenta inúmeras potencialidades a serem utilizadas no demandado processo de transformação da educação explorado no texto. Palavras-chave: Educação; Ensino de Filosofia; Autonomia; Princípios da Educação Online; Emancipação. Teaching philosophy: a path to emancipation, criticity and autonomy of the student Abstract: in this article, a prelude to ideas and experiences about the importance of Philosophy Teaching is presented, also pointing to a path where, based on experiences and studies, it is believed that this teaching can be better conducted. Thus, as a scope, we seek to develop brief considerations around the premise that the teaching of philosophy, being applied in a new educational paradigm, can be a fruitful way for the process of emancipation, enlightenment (aufklarung) and autonomy of the individual. To that extent, the article will have as reference the use of Kant’s essay “which is enlightenment”, of Adorno’s work “Education and emancipation”, by the commentator Walter Omar Kohan, in his article “The teaching of philosophy and the question of emancipation”, among other supporting texts. Finally, we will try to make a correlation between Philosophy teaching, its critical-emancipating potential and the distance education model, trying to highlight the possibilities to be addressed within this new pedagogical paradigm, which, as we will show, presents countless potentialities to be used in the demanded process of transformation of education explored in the text. Keywords: Education; Teaching Philosophy; Autonomy; Principles of Online Education; Emancipation. La enseñanza de la filosofía: un camino hacia la emancipación, crítica y la autonomía del estudiante Resumen: en este artículo se presenta un preludio de ideas y experiencias sobre la importancia de la Enseñanza de la Filosofía, señalando también un camino donde, a partir de experiencias y estudios, se cree que esta enseñanza puede ser mejor conducida. Así, como alcance, buscamos desarrollar breves consideraciones en torno a la premisa de que la enseñanza de la filosofía, siendo aplicada en un nuevo paradigma educativo, puede ser un camino fecundo para el proceso de emancipación, esclarecimiento (Aufklarung) y autonomía del individuo. En esa medida, el artículo tendrá como referencia el uso del ensayo de Kant “que es la ilustración”, de la obra de Adorno “Educación y emancipación”, del comentarista Walter Omar Kohan, en su artículo “La enseñanza de la filosofía y la cuestión de la emancipación”. ”, entre otros textos de apoyo. Finalmente, buscaremos hacer una correlación entre la enseñanza de la filosofía, su potencial crítico-emancipador y el modelo de educación a distancia, buscando destacar las posibilidades a ser abordadas dentro de este nuevo paradigma pedagógico, que, como mostraremos, presenta innumerables potencialidades a ser utilizadas en el demandado proceso de transformación de la educación explorado en el texto. Palabras clave: Educación; Enseñanza de la Filosofía; Autonomía; Principios de Educación en Línea; Emancipación. Data de registro: 23/08/2022 Data de aceite: 13/12/2022. (shrink)

Uma característica distintiva das sociedades da modernidade tardia é a extensão significativa a qual estas são dependentes do conhecimento para seu funcionamento. Contrário a como o conhecimento era visto nas sociedades pré-modernas, o conhecimento agora tende a ser entendido como informação, isto é, consistindo em representações objetificadas, mercantilizadas, abstratas e descontextualizadas. A superabundância de informação na modernidade tardia torna a sociedade da informação cheia de tentações. Isso nos leva a pensar que o conhecimento como informação é objetivo e existe independentemente (...) dos seres humanos; que tudo pode ser reduzido à informação; e que a geração de quantidades cada vez maiores de informações aumentará a transparência da sociedade e, portanto, levará ao gerenciamento racional de problemas sociais. No entanto, como discutido neste artigo, a sociedade da informação está repleta de paradoxos que a impedem de satisfazer as tentações que cria. Mais informações podem levar a menos compreensão; mais informações podem enfraquecer a confiança; e mais informações podem tornar a sociedade menos racionalmente governável. Essas reivindicações são ilustradas com exemplos do Reino Unido e dos Estados Unidos. (shrink)

At the end of 2017, Kristen Roupenian’s short story, Cat Person, went viral. Published at the height of the #MeToo movement, it depicted a ‘toxic date’ and a disturbing sexual encounter between Margot, a college student, and Robert, an older man she meets at work. The story was widely viewed as a relatable denunciation of women’s powerlessness and routine victimization. In this paper, I push against this common reading. I propose an alternative feminist interpretation through the lens of Simone de (...) Beauvoir’s notion of narcissism: a form of alienation that consists in making oneself both the subject and the ultimate project of one’s life. Framing Margot as a narcissist casts her as engaging, not in subtly coerced, undesired sex, but rather in sex that is desired in a tragically alienated way. I argue that Beauvoir’s notion of narcissism is an important tool for feminists today – well beyond the interpretation of Cat Person. It presses us to see systematic subordination not just as something done to women, but also as something women do to themselves. This in turn highlights the neglected role of self-transformation as a key aspect of feminist political resistance. (shrink)

The paper states a hypothesis concerning Thomas Reid's moderation in his reply to skepticism. It is initially argued that commonsense beliefs, though due to reliable faculties, are doubtful, fallible, and correctable. They are not completely immune to skeptical attack. It is further argued that Reid intends to reply only to one form of skepticism, the partial one – the skepticism of authors who accept at least one mental faculty as a reliable source of knowledge. Reid does not intend to argue (...) with the skeptic who equally denies his assent to the reliability of all faculties – that is, the radical skeptic. This radical form of skepticism is harmless to practical life and philosophy and, for that reason, is not a threat. Finally, the hypothesis advanced is discussed considering other interpretations of Reid’s reply to skepticism. (shrink)

The advance in Internet of Things technology has increased the opportunities for a healthcare system design, which is an urgent need owing to the growth in population among the older adults in many countries. This requires giving thought to the kind of innovative technological design methods that can find suitable solutions for home care. The application of Health Smart Homes by means of the technologies of the Internet of Things, can be used to support rehabilitation treatment and help the senior (...) citizens to understand the importance of taking measures to maintain a healthy standard of living that can meet their needs. The aim of this article is to develop and assess a design method for the following purposes: to determine and map out the physical and emotional state of the home care users, such as senior citizens; to implement a participatory design that includes the user within its social, psychological and therapeutic context; to explore the flexible method when applied to older users; to provide a way for the users to be “personalized” through a wide range of solutions that involve analyzing the behavioral patterns of different individuals in a standardized manner and to define a set of smart technologies for each problem and senior citizen. This article sets out a collaborative method called FlexPersonas, which is employed for the flexible mapping of users and to improve decision-making with the support of Internet of Things technologies. In this context, computing systems can identify the behavior of the user and issue warnings to the Carers about any abnormal event. Studies with an interdisciplinary team point out the potential and drawbacks of the method. (shrink)

A partir da leitura da cena final do filme Teorema,de Pier Paolo Pasolini, o presente ensaio propõe uma análise a respeito da linguagem humana, bem como das implicações políticas advindas de tais análises. Aborda a maneira como o limite da linguagem é encarado nas reflexões que sobre isso fazem tanto Pasolini quanto Maurice Blanchot. RetomandoValéry – o poema como “l’hesitationprolongee entre lesens et leson” –, demonstra como o par significante/significado pode ser lido como a questão mística da linguagem, isto é, (...) como algo que lida com o misterio. Para tanto, recorre às compreensões dantescas sobre a origem da linguagem significante, às proposições benjaminianas sobre a linguagem e às leituras contemporâneas de Giorgio Agamben e Jean-Luc Nancy. As análises expõem o modo como tal problema místico da linguagem pode e deve ser conectado ao problema político. Isto é, à compreensão da política está implicada a necessidade de redimensionamento da máxima aristotélica do zōonlogonekhon. O ensaio expõe o modo como o homem resolve sua vida na linguagem, de modo que às pressupostas certezas políticas são precisas novas questões sobre a própria dimensão do humano. A leitura de Teorema, portanto, serve como mote para pensar uma dimensão em que a ontologia se resolva em ética e que, assim, aporte não numa busca pelo Sentido político, mas num pensamento político atravessado por uma reinvenção desentidos. (shrink)

O livro III da _Ética _de Espinosa se dedica a definição dos afetos. Dentro dessa definição o outro desempenha um papel importantíssimo, mesmo se, inicialmente, ele parece estar ausente. Espinosa começará sua definição falando de afetos direcionados a coisas e não necessariamente a outros sujeitos afetivos. Todavia, isso não significa que o outro não seja importante para a teoria de Espinosa, pelo contrário, a partir da proposição 21 desse livro ele faz sua aparição, trazendo novos elementos à teoria dos afetos (...) e, principalmente, apontando para uma via de mão dupla, mostrando-nos que, se por um lado, as relações interpessoais podem ser de amor, por outro, o ódio estará presente, ou seja, essa relação pode se revelar tanto harmoniosa quanto conflitante. É justamente esse o caminho que gostaríamos de iluminar neste artigo, explicitando assim como a entrada do outro na teoria dos afetos de Espinosa lhe confere novas nuances, novos caminhos, novas possibilidades. (shrink)

O objetivo deste artigo é apontar alguns problemas na relação entre esfera pública e emancipação na teoria do jovem Habermas. Para tanto, o recurso a dois textos habermasianos da década de 1960 é imprescindível: Mudança estrutural da esfera pública e Trabalho e Interação. No primeiro, Habermas fundamenta sua teoria pela perspectiva de uma esfera pública normativa, possibilitada pela configuração do período pós-guerra; no seguinte, além de utilizar outra categoria esfera pública, diferente daquela normativa, sua intenção é demonstrar como os indivíduos (...) se formam no âmbito privado de suas existências. Todavia, em ambos os textos há uma linearidade acerca da fundamentação teórica: o trabalho e a interação simbólica são separados no que tange aos desenvolvimentos da humanidade. A emancipação estaria a cargo da interação, enquanto o trabalho somente proviria a subsistência genérica. Isto é decorrente de uma reformulação problemática na teoria marxiana no que tange ao trabalho social e à perspectiva da totalidade. É nesse imbróglio que este artigo se situa: verificar até que ponto o que Habermas compreende por trabalho poderia desbancar, de fato, a teoria de Marx; e, por outro lado, demonstrar que a crítica dialética marxiana acerca do trabalho social, caso levada em consideração por Habermas, faria a teoria deste perder a lógica de seus fundamentos, deslocando sua ideia de emancipação para uma aceitação da realidade efetiva vigente.: The purpose of this paper is to point out some problems in the relation between public sphere and emancipation on the young Habermas’s theory. Therefore, it is going to be essential to rely on two habermasians works of the 1960s: The structural transformation of the public sphere and Work and Interaction. On the first one, the book The structural transformation of the public sphere, which was first published in 1962, Habermas founds his theory by the prospect of a normative public sphere, made possible by the configuration of the post-war period; whereas on the essay Work and Interaction, from 1967, besides using another public sphere category, different from that normative, his intention is to demonstrate how individuals are formed in the private sphere of their existence. However, both in the book from 1962 and in the text from 1967, there is linearity on the theoretical foundation: concerning humanity development, work and symbolic interaction are separated. Emancipation would be in charge of interaction, while work would simply provide for the generic livelihood. This is due to a problematic reformulation of marxian theory regarding social labor and the totality perspective. It is in this imbroglio that stands the point of this paper: to verify to what extent Habermas’s understanding of work could, in fact, debunk Marx's theory; and on the other hand, to show that the marxian dialectical critique about social labor, when taken into account by Habermas, loses the logic of its foundations, shifting his idea of emancipation to an acceptance of the present actual reality. Keywords: Habermas; Public Sphere; Private Sphere; Emancipation; Marx. (shrink)

Aesthetic hedonism is the view that to be aesthetically good is to please. For most aesthetic hedonists, aesthetic normativity is hedonic normativity. This paper argues that Kant's third critique contains resources for a non-hedonic account of aesthetic normativity as sourced in autonomy as self-legislation. A case is made that the account is also Kant's because it ties his aesthetics into a key theme of his larger philosophy.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar dois distintos projetos formativos: a paideia grega e a Bildung do esclarecimento alemão representada por Kant e Hegel, bem como o desenvolvimento desta última em Halbbildung no século XX. Para compreender os sentidos e contornos históricos em que essas formulações estavam postas, tornou-se necessário inseri-las no contexto mais geral das formações sociais em que elas estavam inseridas, revelando suas contradições.

O presente artigo busca fazer uso de conceitos presentes na produção intelectual do filósofo francês Jacques Rancière para pensar a obra fonográfica do popular grupo de rap paulistano conhecido como Racionais MC’s. Especialmente no que diz respeito à distinção elaborada pelo pensador entre uma lógica pedagógica embrutecedora e uma outra lógica pedagógica que seria emancipatória, sendo essa diferenciação também válida para se analisar práticas e produções artísticas. Propõe-se aqui que ao longo de sua trajetória, os rappers citados se aproximaram tanto (...) de uma lógica quanto de outra, sendo oportuno identificar essas relações assim como apontar suas respectivas potencialidades e limitações. (shrink)

Como área interdisciplinar, as Ciências Cognitivas começam a se desenvolver em meados da década de 1950 a partir de uma concepção compartilhada sobre a mente, hoje chamada de cognitivista. Esses pesquisadores concebiam a mente com uma natureza representacional que opera por meio de computações simbólicas. Atualmente, há uma multiplicidade de abordagens e teorias sobre a mente. Nesse espectro de posições, há desde abordagens tradicionais, que concebem a mente como representacional, até abordagens bastante radicais, que negam qualquer natureza representacional para a (...) mente. Após introduzir este tema, apresentamos as críticas de William Ramsey à representação enquanto definidora das Ciências Cognitivas ou, em outros termos, à representação enquanto critério de demarcação do cognitivo. Desenvolveremos uma hipótese interpretativa para a crítica de Ramsey mobilizando o conceito de estratégia de pesquisa, de Hugh Lacey. Apresentaremos a distinção de Lacey entre adoção de uma estratégia e aceitação de uma teoria, discutindo a suposta independência avaliativa entre estratégia e teoria. Finalizaremos com a defesa de um pluralismo de estratégias nas Ciências Cognitivas. Diferente de concepções que buscam reduzir prematuramente as Ciências Cognitivas a uma única estratégia, o pluralismo que defendemos equilibra a eficiência na resolução de problemas com outros valores considerados importantes, como a abrangência empírica e a neutralidade no sentido de inclusividade e equitatividade de valores. No atual momento das ciências cognitivas, o pluralismo de estratégias constitui o caminho mais promissor. (shrink)

O presente ensaio procura determinar quais foram as idéias que influenciaram o abade Suger na reforma da igreja de Saint-Denis – origem do gótico. Erwin Panofsky dá os traços essenciais desta investigação e abre novas posibilidades de aprofundamento. Em seu fascinante estudo, Panofsky teve o mérito de ter sido o pioneiro em descobrir uma influencia das obras do Pseudo-Dionísio sobre a reforma de Saint-Denis. Desde então, a polêmica não cessou mais. Destacase o papel de Hugo de S. Vítor como transmissor (...) da influência mística sobre Suger. (shrink)

Diante da crise dos refugiados observada na Europa nos últimos anos, a ideia de diáspora entrou novamente em evidência. Produções acadêmicas e pesquisas sobre a temática ganharam visibilidade, em um processo que, apesar dos acontecimentos recentes, já vem em crescente há décadas. Torna-se, assim, uma necessidade a observação do estado da arte, uma discussão sobre os avanços e os limites que a abordagem das diásporas encontrou nesses últimos anos e, particularmente, as possibilidades que ela nos reserva. Epistemologicamente, portanto, é necessário (...) lançar uma visão crítica sobre as principais abordagens e sobre os resultados das pesquisas sobre as diásporas, levantando debates e perspectivas e avanços nesse campo. O impacto e as reflexões que a temática nos abre também se tornam objeto deste ensaio, que, não pretendendo esgotar a produção acerca das diásporas, apresenta e revisita o núcleo duro dessas pesquisas. (shrink)

This paper aims to discuss human experience in the Anthropocene geological era based on contemporary social theorists as Žižek and Badiou. I propose that, in face of the environmental crisis, techno-ecological corporative style sustainability is a perverse response; and this circuit can only be broken by a radical version of environmentalism that antagonizes the hegemonic discourse of our production-and-consumption system – emphasizing politics. The paper is divided into four parts where: a) the term Anthropocene, created by Paul Crutzen among others, (...) is described as the configuration of an era when biosphere disappears as an externality and becomes subordinated to the ensemble of knowledge and powers of liberal-capitalism; b) based on Alain Badiou, I describe the subject as resulting from an event’s truth progressing as fidelity; and the fact that not even the vision of environmental death have had the power to create new environmentalist subjects in place of consumer subjects; c) I analyze the perverse structure of denial that shows the reverse of the hole made positive - namely the appearing of techno-ecological products inviting us to enjoy a qualified consumption as the positived reverse of the environmental crisis; d) finally, after a brief comment about the currents which fight for hegemony in the discursive field of environmentalism, I discuss how the radical ecologism proposes to break the perverse circuit of techno-efficient sustainability by means of the political antagonism. (shrink)

The paper aims to present two distinct ways of defending John Locke’s theory of personal identity from Thomas Reid’s objection. First, it will be argued that this objection is not effective since it starts from a misunderstanding of Locke’s theory. The identity of a person is not preserved by the psychological continuity of consciousness, as Reid understood it, but by its ontological continuity: the existence of the same consciousness preserves the personal identity. Secondly, it will be argued that it is (...) possible to reply to that objection in the light of the observation that the personal identity is preserved by the identity of the man: person and man are connected by means of the notion of body. (shrink)

Neste trabalho buscamos investigar como o físico filósofo alemão Werner Heisenberg compreendeu a importância da filosofia cartesiana na construção do pensamento científico da modernidade. Para Heisenberg o elemento central da grande influência de Descartes nas ciências da natureza é a separação entre “Deus”, “homem” e “mundo”. O físico filósofo analisa tal separação e propõe que a partir da mecânica quântica, a cisão entre sujeito e objeto, homem e natureza, tornou-se insustentável.

Qual a Filosofia da Natureza que podemos inferir da Física Contemporânea? Para Werner Karl Heisenberg, prêmio Nobel de Física de 1932, a ontologia da Ciência Moderna, estruturada no materialismo, no mecanicismo e no determinismo já não pode servir de fundamento para a nova Física. Esta requer uma nova base ontológica, onde o anti-realismo, seguido de um formalismo puro, aparece como o princípio basilar de uma nova Filosofia Natural.

No presente artigo analisamos o debate entre duas concepções de ciência. De um lado, temos o que vamos chamar de imagem epistemicista, conforme a qual a ciência possui um valor intelectual e cultural intangível, e por isso é um fim em si mesmo. Tal concepção pode ser atacada como cândida, como se defendesse uma imagem de ciência como “Torre de Marfim”. Do outro temos uma imagem de ciência que reduz a pesquisa científica a um meio para alcançarmos fins práticos, como (...) desenvolvimento tecnológico e econômico e progresso social. Sendo assim, a chamamos de reducionismo utilitarista. Buscaremos compreender o debate, e propor como a filosofia da ciência contemporânea deve se posicionar ao participar dele. (shrink)

This text aims to examine the way in which a collective identity is constructed in Machiavelli’s The Prince, as well as the limits of this construction. First, we seek to demonstrate the primacy of social conflict over all other elements considered by Machiavelli, including the prince. Next, we seek to indicate the complexity of this determination, as the prince’s action also affects the aforementioned conflict by influencing it. Finally, since Machiavelli rejects the middle way (via del mezzo), the “prince” (principe) (...) must rely either on the “great” (grandi) or on the “people” (populo). We seek to demonstrate that the maintenance of the principality comes from the popular humour, while the “people” want “not to be commanded or oppressed”, in order to identify in this relationship not only the process of building a collective identity – which is effectively established in favor of freedom – but also its limits. (shrink)

Aesthetic values give agents reasons to perform not only acts of contemplation, but also acts like editing, collecting, and conserving. Moreover, aesthetic agents rarely operate solo: they conduct their business as integral members of networks of other aesthetic agents. The consensus theory of aesthetic value, namely that an item’s aesthetic value is its power to evoke a finally valuable experience in a suitable spectator, can explain neither the range of acts performed by aesthetic agents nor the social contexts in which (...) they operate. This paper proposes a new theory of aesthetic value specifically to explain facts about the sociality of aesthetic agents. (shrink)

The representation of color by pictures raises worthwhile questions for philosophers and psychologists. Moreover, philosophers and psychologists interested in answering these questions will benefit by paying attention to each other's work. Failure to recognize the potential for interdisciplinary cooperation can be attributed to tacit acceptance of the resemblance theory of pictorial color. I argue that this theory is inadequate, so philosophers of art have work to do devising an alternative. At the same time, if the resemblance theory is false, then (...) color depiction has interesting implications for color science. Empirical researchers must rethink the widespread assumption that color recognition requires color constancy. I suggest that a neuropsychological account of color recognition will be instrumental to completing the philosophical task, but by the same token scientists might do well not to proceed without casting an eye to the work of philosophers of art. (shrink)