El presente artículo busca hacer una revisión del concepto de verdad como fundamento del conocimiento científico: desde el pragmatismo de William James y Jürgen Habermas hasta las nociones pragmáticas de Charles -/- Sanders Peirce, con la intención de mostrar los rasgos pertinentes -/- e insuficiencias de cada postura. De manera complementaria, se -/- buscará dar cuenta de los niveles: pragmático (semiótico-filosófico) -/- y pragmatista (psicológico), en los que funciona dicho concepto -/- dentro de la filosofía peirciana. Finalmente, tal esbozo teórico (...) nos permitirá establecer una -/- definición operativa de verdad como condición trascendental, y -/- que resulte menos problemática para representar el conocimiento -/- científico. (shrink)

Abstract: In the present work we have made a critical review of the philosophical propo­ sal of Norwood R. Hanson with the aim of exposing the limits of its theoretical approach on the problem of interpretation in science. The first part of this work exposes the hansonian project, looking for evidence of his contributions to the philosophy of science and scientific thinking. In the following two sections we present a critique to his philosophical proposal. We present two exercises of philosophical (...) reflection that constitute two complementary moments of analysis. On one hand, at the level of methodological analysis, we present a discussion about how the “reversible perspective figures” that have been used for the author as arguments to explain his philosophical proposal, are insufficient to the descrip­ tion of the process of observation and interpretation. On the other hand, at the theoretical level, we question his notion of language and categories to show that his theoretical pro­ posed “vision-interpretation” has based on epistemological and analytic notions. From this perspective, it will be shown that the “hermeneutical-interpretative” approach of Hanson is incomplete, since it does not develop towards an ontology of language and observation. (shrink)

Abstract This essay seeks to realize the following question: what is the correspondence between the sign and the thing that names? In reality, what is significant is closely linked with the being, however in this case the sense will be a particular manifestation of an own subjectivity; therefore the determinant relation is limited to the capacity of representation, where the meaning is connected with the socio-cultural sense. In this regard, this work seek realize this problem from the analytical approach of (...) Ludwig Wittgenstein, who is based on the method of philosophical investigation through formal logic. In this first period of development, his speculative work, which in principle leads to the search for logical foundations for mathematics, practised it in direction to the study of the nature of the representation. Subsequently, and as necessary this test delimitation, will expose the confrontation —more not necessarily contradiction— of their approaches in the light of the own Wittgenstein who, in a second reflective period poured into his later work, is obliged to discuss the foundational in his speculative work logical-philosophical topics from a pragmatic point of view. (shrink)

Abstract This paper seeks to give an account of the semiotic and interpretive processes involved in the ambiguity of media representations and, in particular, of new and of different forms of construccion-difusion of information. For this reason, it is deemed the massive dissemination of information and journalistic exercis as a semiotic process in the construction of a fictitious reality. In this regard, it i sought to account for the media representation, as the contrast of the uniform character of the mass (...) expression (context of production) and the diversity of interpretations (context of reception). This review examines both component which are the concrete support that allows the individual to mean social conten non-, mid-, and intentional, thereby fostering a strong sense of social belonging. (shrink)

El propósito de este ensayo es mostrar un ámbito especulativo, necesario para el investigador social de la comunicación, para el entendimiento e investigación del fenómeno comunicativo en tanto hecho histórico-cultural. En razón de esto, se intenta describir una parte de Filosofía Alemana de la Historia, para exponer la utilidad de su lenguaje, categorías y relaciones, como instrumento teórico en la actividad analítica e interpretativa del comunicólogo, en aras de poder determinar, de manera general e integradora, el proceso histórico de la (...) comunicación, entendida esta última como manifestación semiótica de una cultura, pueblo, nación... (shrink)

This chapter aims to establish a philosophical discussion about the epistemological conditions of “observation”, from the cybersemiotic transdisciplinary view of knowing. For this purpose, the discussion will be divided into three parts, each one of them with the intention of outlining a conceptual critique that later allows a pertinent justification of the observation from a transcendental semiotics. This work is based on a problem: it seeks to show that a the cybersemiotic point of view, to consider on a foundationalist stance, (...) fails to overcome the epistemological contradictions involved in the contemporary critique of modern philosophy. Hence, the objective on this work is to propose as an alternative the teleological and nominalist attitude of transcendental semiotics, and also as an epistemological principle that allows overcoming problems of the foundationalist. Then, in a first moment, we will seek to establish a critique of the phenomenology of observation from the pragmatic point of view, developed by N. R. Hanson and Richard Rorty. In this direction, the contradictions involved in the definition of knowledge will be shown from the phenomenological (perception without representation) and phenomenological (states of inner consciousness) positions. In general terms, the epistemological problems found in the foundations of knowledge based on observation will be exposed: specifically, the problem of the empirical basis and perception and the question of the mind as an inner space. Then, in a second moment, a characterization of the "observation" and the "observable fact" will be made from the cybersemiotic point of view. In this sense, these concepts will be described from the peircean semiosis, starting from the theoretical link proposed by Soren Brier. Hence, when considering the observation within the sphere of significance, the approaches will show a non-phenomenological characterization of knowledge and, from there, the overcoming of pragmatic critiques towards phenomenology. The closing will allow circumscribing knowledge from a communicative, semiotic and autopoietic approach. Finally, and as a contribution to the state of the discussion, the present chapter will make a defense of the cybersemiotic phenomenology of observation but considering the pragmatic conditions of knowledge from a transcendental semiotics perspective. In this sense, the transcendental concepts of truth-consensus and fin-ideal will be used to develop a relevant theoretical field that allows a transcendental justification of the communicative-intersubjective nature of knowledge postulated by cybersemiotics. (shrink)

This paper seeks to establish the reflexive fundamentals about the importance of language in initiave-functional college education, with the general objective of finding and developing categories that allow synthesizing schemes of different approaches to language, in order to contribute to the teaching practice with discourse analysis -/- techniques, which favor processes that promote the pupils’operative intellectual habits. To present this, we will show some propositions that underlie didactic strategies we have used, to motivate, stimulate, and provoke participation from the students (...) in the teaching-learning process of the topics raised in the different subjects that integrate the Sciences of Communication course at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). -/- Therefore, the aim of this exposition of causes is to define: 1) our experiential context so to make explicit the limitations and challenges we experiment with and face in this academic exercise to provoke the pupils’ amazement or at least keep their interest; and 2) the theoretical assumptions that underlie our investigation about the relationship between observed language (system) and lived language (act). (shrink)

El presente trabajo se circunscribe al problema de la representación y la referencialidad de la imagen, mismo que, desde la filosofía de la ciencia ha cobrado nuevos matices en el contexto de la relación entre ciencia y arte. Así pues, en esta revisión se buscará establecer tres líneas de desarrollo: en primera instancia, se planteará el problema de la representación del objeto como un campo de interés común en los ámbitos de conocimiento, tanto en la ciencia como en el arte. (...) Luego, en un segundo momento, se abordará el problema filosófico implicado en la referencialidad de la imagen, a partir de las propuestas de Max Black y Rudolph Arnheim. Finalmente, para dar respuesta a la pregunta ¿bajo qué condiciones la imagen como representación establece un objeto de referencia?, se argumentará la función epistemológica de la imagen desde el punto de vista pragmático de la semiótica trascendental. En este sentido, en este trabajo se busca establecer un punto crítico a las posturas filosóficas, tanto de Black como de Arnheim, considerando que la pregunta acerca del objeto de referencia y la imagen están en relación con las condiciones de verdad que fundamentan un sistema de lenguaje. Por ello, a partir de la semiótica pragmática y la semiótica trascendental se postularán criterios diferentes al problema de la referencialidad de la imagen, y en esta dirección, se plantearán las condiciones pragmáticas de verdad que permiten justificar el conocimiento en la imagen derivado de las prácticas epistemológicas tanto en la ciencia como en el arte. (shrink)

Este artículo tiene el objetivo de explorar algunas funciones semióticas que constituyen el espacio urbano. Se revisarán algunas categorías y operaciones semióticas relevantes en la comprensión del espacio para que, desde ahí, se pueda explorar el sentido de la noción Centro Histórico como un concepto fundamental en la construcción del imaginario social en las ciudades de occidente.

The notion “language” seems to be stablished in a problematic and confused way: although certainly it shows an essential reality of man, on the other hand it designates various areas within the same cultural reality. This essay parts from a supposition: only through verbal -/- signs (words) we can reach Knowledge. To demonstrate the previous -/- statement, we will show the approaches of philosophers and specialist, in their own scenario, consider the word as the language, like a -/- distinctive characteristic (...) of the human, that expresses its own rational -/- condition. And by virtue of this, it is aimed at creating a space for -/- reflection about the essential quality in human language, understood -/- not -/- as a repository of knowledge, but as the knowledge itself, the expression of the spirit of a people, loyal to its own image. (shrink)

-/- Este artículo analiza la posible superación teórica de la escisión moderna entre sujeto y objeto, por un lado, y delimita teóricamente la relación entre estas nociones, por el otro. Para tales propósitos, los autores se -/- fundamentan teóricamente en las propuestas de la hermenéutica de Wilhelm Dilthey y del estructuralismo de -/- Michel Foucault, tanto en su semejanzas (en el ámbito -/- de lo vivencial y el análisis de lo vivido, así como en su -/- preocupación por establecer un (...) ámbito de estudio en las -/- ciencias del espíritu) como en sus diferencias (pues el -/- primero propone la síntesis en la vivencia, mientras el -/- otro el análisis de lo vivido). (shrink)

This paper presents a central thesis: that humanistic language is the idiomatic context in which the Wes­ tern cultural universe orworld has existence, and, by extension, where the academic world has existence and sense. In this frame, the authors analyze two main topics: a) the way in which meaning units, that name the referent University, articulate and orga­ nize humanistic contents that adjust along to the academic world which men have been postulating throughout history; and b) the evidence of inherited (...) vocabulary of Western thought in the traditional discourse of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. (shrink)

This chapter aims to establish a philosophical discussion about the epistemological conditions of “observation”, from the cybersemiotic transdisciplinary view of knowing. For this purpose, the discussion will be divided into three parts, each one of them with the intention of outlining a conceptual critique that later allows a pertinent justification of the observation from a transcendental semiotics. This work is based on a problem: it seeks to show that a the cybersemiotic point of view, to consider on a foundationalist stance, (...) fails to overcome the epistemological contradictions involved in the contemporary critique of modern philosophy. Hence, the objective on this work is to propose as an alternative the teleological and nominalist attitude of transcendental semiotics, and also as an epistemological principle that allows overcoming problems of the foundationalist. Then, in a first moment, we will seek to establish a critique of the phenomenology of observation from the pragmatic point of view, developed by N. R. Hanson and Richard Rorty. In this direction, the contradictions involved in the definition of knowledge will be shown from the phenomenological and phenomenological positions. In general terms, the epistemological problems found in the foundations of knowledge based on observation will be exposed: specifically, the problem of the empirical basis and perception and the question of the mind as an inner space. Then, in a second moment, a characterization of the “observation” and the “observable fact” will be made from the cybersemiotic point of view. In this sense, these concepts will be described from the peircean semiosis, starting from the theoretical link proposed by Søren Brier. Hence, when considering the observation within the sphere of significance, the approaches will show a non-phenomenological characterization of knowledge and, from there, the overcoming of pragmatic critiques towards phenomenology. The closing will allow circumscribing knowledge from a communicative, semiotic and autopoietic approach. Finally, and as a contribution to the state of the discussion, the present chapter will make a defense of the cybersemiotic phenomenology of observation but considering the pragmatic conditions of knowledge from a transcendental semiotics perspective. In this sense, the transcendental concepts of truth-consensus and fin-ideal will be used to develop a relevant theoretical field that allows a transcendental justification of the communicative-intersubjective nature of knowledge postulated by cybersemiotics. (shrink)

El presente trabajo parte de un supuesto: la historia como un espacio semiotico que se edifica sobre la base de un sistema de categorias. En este sentido, los signos con los cuales se construye la realidad "ideal" de la historia se articulan en razon de correspondencias especificas determinadas por un esquema particular de relacion. Asi pues, el proposito de la este estudio es mostrar un espacio especulativo que de cuenta de las categorias de la filosofia de la historia, con las (...) cuales se construye un esquema semiotico para el analisis de la historia y la cultura. En razon de esto, se intenta describir, por una parte, algunas corrientes de la filosofia de la historia; por otra, la vertiente constructivista que establece un esquema para la articulacion en sentido ideal del hecho historico. De la relacion entre ambas vertientes se busca exponer la utilidad del lenguaje, categorias y relaciones, como instrumento teorico en la actividad analitica e interpretativa en aras de poder determinar el proceso historico como manifestacion semiotica de una cultura, pueblo, nacion.. (shrink)

Los textos de este libro, escritos entre 2006 y 2010, están vinculados por un tema común: la conjunción Humanidades-Universidad. Los autores presentan aquí una parte del proceso de investigación –que se realiza en el Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de la UNAM– cuyo eje ha girado alrededor del problema de la definición contemporánea de Universidad como institución educativa formadora de cultura y su relación intrínseca con las Humanidades, en una dirección más específica, buscan mostrar la continuidad de las palabras que definen (...) lo humano, a través de un léxico que ha perdurado en la definición y quehacer de la institución universitaria, específicamente de la UNAM. Las correspondencias y cruces necesarios entre las evidencias teóricas y empíricas en este trabajo permiten un abanico de lecturas desde las cuales se posibilitan diversas interpretaciones problemáticas de la institución. Los temas y problemas abordados resultan de sumo interés para la comunidad universitaria, en especial para los académicos universitarios en cuyas manos se realiza cotidianamente el fin formativo de la Universidad. De la misma manera, este libro constituye un excelente material de apoyo para la formación de comunicólogos: en el sentido de contrastar las teorías desde la perspectiva de un estudio concreto, y con ello, arrojar luz sobre la investigación de diversos fenómenos comunicativos. (shrink)

La presente compilación de artículos es resultado del trabajo en colaboración realizado en el seminario institucional intitulado “Sociosemiótica y Cultura: Principios de Semiótica y Modelos de Análisis”, que durante 2016 se desarrolló en las instalaciones del Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IIS-UNAM). En dicho espacio de intercambio académico se dieron cita diferentes investigadores que —desde sus particulares enfoques— contribuyeron a adoptar una visión holística acerca de los temas y problemas semióticos implicados en la investigación (...) científica. En principio, el objetivo del seminario fue la divulgación; a saber: dar a conocer la vinculación tanto teórico-empírica como teórico-metodológica de las categorías semióticas en la construcción de explicaciones científicas sobre fenómenos sociales y procesos de conocimiento en la ciencia. Para ello, el programa de presentaciones abordó diferentes ámbitos de conocimiento, tanto de las ciencias naturales: física, biología, matemáticas, lógica, como de las ciencias sociales: sociología, antropología, comunicación, al igual que estudios concretos desde las humanidades: filosofía y arte. En este sentido, acercarse a los estudios de semiótica desde diferentes disciplinas científicas (en términos generales, no sólo en ciencias sociales), obligó a reconocer el valor epistemológico de la explicación semiótica. Dicho valor consiste en aceptar que el conocimiento científico se constituye a partir de procesos de significación, donde intervienen relaciones sígnicas en el nivel lingüístico (términos, conceptos, categorías); en el nivel icónico-visual (esquemas, imágenes, diagramas), icónico-lógico (fórmulas, operaciones), entre otros; y que —en conjunto— dichas relaciones de significación dan como resultado “ensamblajes sígnicos”; es decir (a la manera de Javier Echeverría, 1985: 71 y ss.), sistemas de signos que construyen modelos explicativos, cuya validez y sentido están determinados por la coherencia/consistencia interna de dichos sistemas. (shrink)

Conforme al antropocentrismo moral, está justificado tratar de forma desfavorable a los animales no humanos frente a los seres humanos. Esta idea se mantiene a menudo indicando que hay ciertas capacidades o relaciones, defendidas como moralmente relevantes, que solo tendrían estos últimos. El argumento de la superposición de especies apunta, sin embargo, que esta asunción se encuentra equivocada. Toda una serie de seres humanos incumplen también tal criterio. De este modo, si continuamos defendiendo su relevancia, estaremos aceptando que se dé (...) a estos seres humanos un trato coincidente con el que se proporciona hoy en día a los animales no humanos. Si, en cambio, se quiere dar una plena consideración y un consiguiente trato ecuánime a todos los seres humanos, ello implicará el rechazo de tal criterio, y la extensión de tal consideración y trato a los demás animales sintientes. Se ha intentado responder a este argumento asumiendo que sus premisas son equivocadas, o sosteniendo que hay otras razones por las cuales todos los seres humanos deben ser moralmente considerables. En este artículo se examinan estas respuestas y se concluye que ninguna de ellas tiene éxito. (shrink)

Se sostiene de manera habitual que los animales no pueden ser considerados personas, razón por la cual no es posible efectuar una demanda en su nombre. Este artículo examina tal idea. En él se analizan en primer lugar los distintos sentidos que el término "persona" tiene en el ámbito coloquial, metafísico, moral y jurídico, y se muestra que no hay una conexión necesaria entre estos. Asimismo, se desgranan y evalúan los distintos argumentos a favor del antropocentrismo moral, concluyéndose que ninguno (...) de ellos tiene éxito. Finalmente, se argumenta que si se continúa manteniendo la centralidad en el plano jurídico de la categoría de la personalidad, pero se excluye del alcance de esta a los animales de especies distintas a la nuestra, se incurrirá en una posición que carecerá de justificación moral. (shrink)

Conceptual congruency effects are biases induced by an irrelevant conceptual dimension of a task (e.g., location in vertical space) on the processing of another, relevant dimension (e.g., judging words’ emotional evaluation). Such effects are a central empirical pillar for recent views about how the mind/brain represents concepts. In the present paper, we show how attentional cueing (both exogenous and endogenous) to each conceptual dimension succeeds in modifying both the manifestation and the symmetry of the effect. The theoretical implications of this (...) finding are discussed. (shrink)

In spite of the considerable literature nowadays existing on the issue of the moral exclusion of nonhuman animals, there is still work to be done concerning the characterization of the conceptual framework with which this question can be appraised. This paper intends to tackle this task. It starts by defining speciesism as the unjustified disadvantageous consideration or treatment of those who are not classified as belonging to a certain species. It then clarifies some common misunderstandings concerning what this means. Next, (...) it rejects the idea that there are different kinds of speciesism. Such an idea may result from confusion because there are (1) different ways in which speciesism can be defended; and (2) different speciesist positions, that is, different positions that assume speciesism among their premises. Depending on whether or not these views assume other criteria for moral consideration apart from speciesism, they can be combined or simple speciesist positions. But speciesism remains in all cases the same idea. Finally, the paper examines the concept of anthropocentrism, the disadvantageous treatment or consideration of those who are not members of the human species. This notion must be conceptually distinguished from speciesism and from misothery (aversion to nonhuman animals). Anthropocentrism is shown to be refuted because it either commits a petitio principia fallacy or it falls prey to two arguments: the argument from species overlap (widely but misleadingly known as “argument from marginal cases”) and the argument from relevance. This rebuttal identifies anthropocentrism as a speciesist view. (shrink)

Many people think we should refrain from intervening in nature as much as possible. One of the main reasons for thinking this way is that the existence of nature is a net positive. However, population dynamics teaches us that most sentient animals who come into existence in nature die shortly thereafter, mostly in painful ways. Those who survive often suffer greatly due to natural causes. If sentient beings matter, this gives us reasons to intervene to prevent such harms. This counterintuitive (...) conclusion can be opposed by arguing that we should not care about nonhuman animals; that other values, such as the existence of certain ecosystemic relations or of untouched wild areas, count for more than the interests of sentient beings; or that intervention in nature cannot succeed. There are, however, strong reasons to reject these claims and to support significant intervention in nature for the sake of animals, despite our deep-rooted intuitions to the contrary. (shrink)

The argument from species overlap has been widely used in the literature on animal ethics and speciesism. However, there has been much confusion regarding what the argument proves and what it does not prove, and regarding the views it challenges. This article intends to clarify these confusions, and to show that the name most often used for this argument (‘the argument from marginal cases’) reflects and reinforces these misunderstandings. The article claims that the argument questions not only those defences of (...) anthropocentrism that appeal to capacities believed to be typically human, but also those that appeal to special relations between humans. This means the scope of the argument is far wider than has been thought thus far. Finally, the article claims that, even if the argument cannot prove by itself that we should not disregard the interests of nonhuman animals, it provides us with strong reasons to do so, since the argument does prove that no defence of anthropocentrism appealing to non-definitional and testable criteria succeeds. (shrink)

The term “speciesism” has played a key role in debates about the moral consideration of nonhuman animals, yet little work has been dedicated to clarifying its meaning. Consequently, the concept remains poorly understood and is often employed in ways that might display a speciesist bias themselves. To address this problem, this article develops a definition of speciesism in terms of discrimination and argues in favor of its advantages over alternative accounts. After discussing the key desiderata for a definition of discrimination (...) in general and speciesism in particular, a wide and evaluative account of speciesism is presented. According to it, speciesism is unjustified consideration or treatment of those who are not classified as belonging to a certain species. The article then discusses rival accounts, namely narrow and descriptive definitions of speciesism. The article argues that such accounts are problematic as they overly restrict the scope of phenomena that can be identified as speciesist and disrupt the continuity with other forms of discrimination such as racism and sexism. (shrink)

This paper explores the ethical dilemma of conflicting loyalties found in whistleblowing. Central to this dilemma is the internal/external disclosure dichotomy; disclosure of organisational wrongdoing to an external recipient is seen as disloyal, whilst disclosure to an internal recipient is seen as loyal. Understanding how the organisation and society have dealt with these problems over the last 30 years is undertaken through an analysis of Vandekerckhove’s project, which seeks to place the normative legitimisations of whistleblowing legislation and organisational whistleblowing policies (...) within a globalisation semantic able to contain this conflict between society and the organisation. This project fails, it is argued, because of Vandekerckhove’s particular understanding of the organisation as an autopoietic system, i.e. an operationally closed system. A case is made to understand organisations as complex systems, i.e. operationally open systems. Critical Complexity theory sees the identities of systems and components as coterminous. In the context of the organisation, this means that the identities of the corporation and its corporate members arise and die together. The whistleblower’s disclosure reconfigures the organisation by forcing the organisation to open up and make its boundaries flexible, making the designation ‘internal’ or ‘external’ to the organisation, and, therefore, who qualifies as a recipient of a disclosure of wrongdoing, flexible. The organisation is restrained from retailing against the whistleblower, because its identities are coterminous. Furthermore, as the disclosure cannot be categorically defined as either internal or external, the question of whether an external disclosure can qualify as an act of organisational loyalty becomes moot. (shrink)

Inauguration speech at chair number 18 of the Brasilian Academy of Philosophy.

Name der Zeitschrift: Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook Jahrgang: 20 Heft: 1 Seiten: 179-200.

Las fronteras entre la poesía y la filosofía fueron abiertas desde la misma antigüedad; sin embargo, el esfuerzo de los filósofos racionalistas por cerrarlas jamás fructificó; por el contrario, la imaginación moderna tejió las diferencias y afinó un debate que hoy parece llegar lento pero estremecido a su final. Este texto trata de esa querella, de cómo se planteó históricamente y de cómo la verdad y el conocimiento encuentran sentido en la fusión creativa antes que en la exclusión lógica.

The purpose of the article is to examine the nature of the quantitative investigation in the Peruvian sociology. In fact, quantitative studies show a divorce between theory and methodology, result of the insufficient development of the sociological instruments and the theoretical weakness that affe..

Este artículo destaca el papel del sujeto en la construcción del conocimiento científico, alejándose de las posturas positivistas en ciencias sociales. Destaca la teoría de la reflexividad y sus implicancias teóricas y metodológicas, en especial la investigación social de segundo orden. ..

Los datos se han convertido en un elemento significativo para comprender el comportamiento de diversos sistemas. En este contexto, Big Data es un concepto que hace referencia al trabajo con grandes volúmenes de datos y con una frontera difusa entre análisis y gestión de ellos. Con tal objeto, esta investigación se enmarca en el paradigma cualitativo. Mediante entrevistas a estudiantes y profesores, partícipes de un curso introductorio a Big Data, busca develar la utilidad en torno a esta temática. Los principales (...) hallazgos constatan una divergencia entre el concepto y lo que se entiende de él. (shrink)

In Zoopolis, Donaldson and Kymlicka argue that intervention in nature to aid animals is sometimes permissible, and in some cases obligatory, to save them from the harms they commonly face. But they claim these interventions must have some limits, since they could otherwise disrupt the structure of the communities wild animals form, which should be respected as sovereign ones. These claims are based on the widespread assumption that ecosystemic processes ensure that animals have good lives in nature. However, this assumption (...) is, unfortunately, totally unrealistic. Most animals are r-strategists who die in pain shortly after coming into existence, and those who make it to maturity commonly suffer terrible harms too. In addition, most animals do not form the political communities Zoopolis describes. The situation of animals in the wild can therefore be considered analogous to one of humanitarian catastrophe, or to that of irretrievably failed states. It matches closely what a Hobbesian state of nature would be like. This means that intervention in nature to aid nonhuman animals should not be limited as Donaldson and Kymlicka argue. (shrink)