In a text written during his stay in Paris, Leibniz, to deny ontological reality to relations, employs an argument well known to the medieval thinkers and which later would be revived by Francis H. Bradley. If one assumes that relations are real and that a relation links any property to a subject – so runs the argument – then one falls prey to an infinite regress. Leibniz seems to be well aware of the consequences that this argument has for his (...) own metaphysical views, where the relation of inherence (‘inesse’) plays such a central role. Thus, he attempts first to interpret the relation of inherence as something ‘metaphoric’, originating from our ‘spatial way’ of looking at the surrounding world; and then he tries to reduce it to the part-whole relation which clearly he considers weaker, from the ontological point of view, than that of ‘being in’. (shrink)

In a text written during his stay in Paris, Leibniz, to deny ontological reality to relations, employs an argument well known to the medieval thinkers and which later would be revived by Francis H. Bradley. If one assumes that relations are real and that a relation links any property to a subject – so runs the argument – then one falls prey to an infinite regress. Leibniz seems to be well aware of the consequences that this argument has for his (...) own metaphysical views, where the relation of inherence plays such a central role. Thus, he attempts first to interpret the relation of inherence as something ‘metaphoric’, originating from our ‘spatial way’ of looking at the surrounding world; and then he tries to reduce it to the part-whole relation which clearly he considers weaker, from the ontological point of view, than that of ‘being in’. (shrink)

Philologus, founded in 1846, is one of the oldest and most respected periodicals in the field of Classics. It publishes articles on Greek and Latin literature, historiography, philosophy, history of religion, linguistics, reception, and the history of scholarship. The journal aims to contribute to our understanding of Greco-Roman culture and its lasting influence on European civilization. The journal Philologus, conceived as a forum for discussion among different methodological approaches to the study of ancient texts and their reception, publishes original scholarly (...) contributions with a strong international focus. Publications languages are: German, English, Italian, French. As of 2014 the publication of supplementary volumes will be resumed. The series Philologus. Supplemente / Philologus. Supplementary Volumes will publish monographs and edited volumes pertaining to all aspects of the study of ancient literature and its reception, with a special focus on topics concerning literary theory, philosophy and the history of scholarship from an interdisciplinary perspective. (shrink)

Objective Apeiron was founded in 1966 and has developed into one of the oldest and most distinguished journals dedicated to the study of ancient philosophy, ancient science, and, in particular, of problems that concern both fields. Apeiron is committed to publishing high-quality research papers in these areas of ancient Greco-Roman intellectual history; it also welcomes submission of articles dealing with the reception of ancient philosophical and scientific ideas in the later western tradition. The journal appears quarterly. Articles are peer-reviewed on (...) a double-blind basis. Topics ancient philosophy ancient science reception of ancient philosophical and scientific ideas in the later western tradition Article formats Original Articles. (shrink)

In this article, I consider the standard interpretation of the superiority theory of humor attributed to Plato, Aristotle, and Hobbes, according to which the theory allegedly places feelings of superiority at the center of humor and comic amusement. The view that feelings of superiority are at the heart of all comic amusement is wildly implausible. Therefore textual evidence for the interpretation of Plato, Aristotle, or Hobbes as offering the superiority theory as an essentialist theory of humor is worth careful consideration. (...) Through textual analysis I argue that not one of these three philosophers defends an essentialist theory of comic amusement. I also discuss the way various theories of humor relate to one another and the proper place of a superiority theory in humor theory in light of my analysis. (shrink)

Suppose that A and B are two kinds of goods such that more of each is better than less. A is strongly superior to B if any amount of A is better than any amount of B. It is weakly superior to B if some amount of A is better than any amount of B. There are many examples of these relations in the literature, sometimes under the labels “higher goods” and “discontinuity.” The chapter gives a precise and (...) generalized statement of Strong and Weak Superiority and discusses different ways in which these relations can be relevant to the aggregation of welfare. It also proves a number of general results. One of the results gives rise to a dilemma: It can be used as an argument against the existence of value superiority or, alternatively, as an argument against the view that superiority entails a radical difference in value. (shrink)

The meshed control theory assumes that cognitive control and automatic processes work together in the natural attention of experts for superior performance. However, the methods adopted by previous studies limit their capacity to provide in-depth information on the neuromotor processes. This experiment tested the theory with an alternative approach. Twelve skilled golfers were recruited to perform a putting task under three conditions: (1) normal condition, with no focus instruction (NC), (2) external focus of attention condition (EC), and (3) internal (...) focus of attention condition (IC). Four blocks of 10 putts each were performed under each condition. The putting success rate and accuracy were measured and electroencephalographies (EEGs) were recorded. The behavioral results showed that the NC produced a higher putting success rate and accuracy than the EC and IC. The EEG data showed that the skilled golfers’ attentional processes in the NC initially resembled those in the EC and then moved toward those in the IC just before putting. This indicates a switch from more automatic processes to cognitive control processes while preparing to putt. The findings offer support for the meshed control theory and indicate the dynamic nature of neuromotor processes for the superior performance of athletes in challenging situations. (shrink)

Suppose one sets up a sequence of less and less valuable objects such that each object in the sequence is only marginally worse than its immediate predecessor. Could one in this way arrive at something that is dramatically inferior to the point of departure? It has been claimed that if there is a radical value difference between the objects at each end of the sequence, then at some point there must be a corresponding radical difference between the adjacent elements. The (...) underlying picture seems to be that a radical gap cannot be scaled by a series of steps, if none of the steps itself is radical. We show that this picture is incorrect on a stronger interpretation of value superiority, but correct on a weaker one. Thus, the conclusion we reach is that, in some sense at least, abrupt breaks in such decreasing sequences cannot be avoided, but that such unavoidable breaks are less drastic than has been suggested. In an appendix written by John Broome and Wlodek Rabinowicz, the distinction between two kinds of value superiority is extended from objects to their attributes. (shrink)

Suppose one sets up a sequence of less and less valuable objects such that each object in the sequence is only marginally worse than its immediate predecessor. Could one in this way arrive at something that is dramatically inferior to the point of departure? It has been claimed that if there is a radical value difference between the objects at each end of the sequence, then at some point there must be a corresponding radical difference between the adjacent elements. The (...) underlying picture seems to be that a radical gap cannot be scaled by a series of steps, if none of the steps itself is radical. We show that this picture is incorrect on a stronger interpretation of value superiority, but correct on a weaker one. Thus, the conclusion we reach is that, in some sense at least, abrupt breaks in such decreasing sequences cannot be avoided, but that such unavoidable breaks are less drastic than has been suggested. In an appendix written by John Broome and Wlodek Rabinowicz, the distinction between two kinds of value superiority is extended from objects to their attributes. (shrink)

James Griffin has considered a form of superiority in value that is weaker than lexical priority as a possible remedy to the Repugnant Conclusion. In this article, I demonstrate that, in a context where value is additive, this weaker form collapses into the stronger form of superiority. And in a context where value is non-additive, weak superiority does not amount to a radical value difference at all. These results are applied on one of Larry Temkin's cases against transitivity. I demonstrate (...) that Temkin appeals to two conflicting notions of aggregation. I then spell out the consequences of these results for different interpretations of Griffin's suggestion regarding population ethics. None of them comes out very successful, but perhaps they nevertheless retain some interest. (shrink)

Early feminist or pro-woman works often combine the claim that the rational souls of men and women are the same with an argument for the superiority of women. This article considers two such works, Lucrezia Marinella's The Nobility and Excellence of Women and the Defects and Vices of Men (Venice, 1601 [1999]) and Marguerite Buffet's In Praise of Illustrious Learned Women, both Ancient and Modern (Paris, 1668), in order to show the continuities and distinctive features of feminist arguments for superiority, (...) to emphasize the differences in the conceptions of reason and physiology that distinguish them, and to demonstrate that claims of superiority persisted even as those defending women's worth began to adopt egalitarian positions. (shrink)

In _Jesuit Superior General Luis Martín García and His Memorias_, David Schultenover presents an account and interpretation of Martín’s memoir covering most of his sixty years, including candid reflections on church-state events and his personal life.

Many population axiologies avoid the Repugnant Conclusion by endorsing Superiority: some number of great lives is better than any number of mediocre lives. But as Nebel shows, RC follows from the Intrapersonal Repugnant Conclusion: a guaranteed mediocre life is better than a sufficiently small probability of a great life. This result is concerning because IRC is plausible. Recently, Kosonen has argued that IRC can be true while RC is false if small probabilities are discounted to zero. This article details the (...) unique problems created by combining Superiority with discounting. The resultant view, Superiority Discounting, avoids the Repugnant Conclusion only at the cost of the Preposterous Conclusion: near-certain hell for arbitrarily many people is better than near-certain heaven for arbitrarily many people. (shrink)

O presente artigo contempla a contextualização da educação superior na contemporaneidade, seus desafios e exigências demandados pelos novos tempos e espaços de formação em relação aos estudos da Educação a Distância (EaD) e aos avanços frente aos processos de ensino e aprendizagem em EaD. Este estudo é parte da investigação qualitativa realizada junto aos cursos de Pedagogia EaD da Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS) e da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). O lastro teórico que embasou (...) esta investigação foram os estudos apresentados por Belloni (2003), Litwin (2001), Leite (2002), Sancho (2006) e outros. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam que a EaD, mediada pelas tecnologias, apresenta características que propõem avanços aos processos de ensino e aprendizagem dessa modalidade, produzindo mudanças na cultura dos sujeitos, tornando os autônomos, participativos e integrantes da cultura digital. (shrink)

In this thoroughly researched but accessibly written book, the respected scholar-monk Bhikkhu Anālayo explores-and sharply criticizes-four examples of what he terms "superiority conceit" in Buddhism: the androcentric idea that women are not suitable for monastic roles and less capable of becoming advanced bodhisattvas the Mahayana notion that those who don't aspire to become bodhisattvas are inferior practitioners the Theravada belief that theirs is the truest, most original expression of the Buddha's teaching the Secular Buddhist opinion that Buddhism is best practiced (...) divorced of ritual and dogma Armed with his rigorous examination of the canonical records, Ven. Anālayo challenges the scriptural basis for these conceits and points out that adhering to such notions of superiority is not, after all, conducive to practice. "It is by diminishing ego, letting go of arrogance, and abandoning conceit that one becomes a better Buddhist," he reminds us, "no matter what tradition one may follow.". (shrink)

In my feature article, ‘Pregnancy and superior moral status: a proposal for two thresholds of personhood’,1 I argue that there are reasons to recognise that pregnant women have a superior moral status. This is a new argument on personhood in philosophy, and I am not surprised that it has generated some discussion. While I am grateful that many authors have engaged with my ideas, I have not identified from the six commentaries any aspect in my approach that would (...) need to be revised. I will do my best here, in the space available, to address the main points raised. Gibson starts off by correctly noting that my proposal rests on a starting assumption (which I do not defend) that we follow a first threshold of personhood, but then seems to leave this aside in the rest of his critique.2 He says I have not justified why humanity’s survival is important, and that I have assumed that the existence of human persons matters. My response is that yes, I have, and that the first threshold already recognises the high moral value of human persons. If alternatively babies are harms themselves, or are harmed from being born, then perhaps we will see pregnant women as pest-making or victim-making entities. I …. (shrink)

Derek Parfit defends the Imprecise Lexical View as a way to avoid the Repugnant Conclusion. Allowing for ‘imprecise equality’, Parfit argues, makes it possible to avoid some well-known problems for the Lexical View. It is demonstrated that the Lexical View has stronger implications than envisaged by Parfit; moreover, his assumption of Non-diminishing Marginal Value makes the Lexical View collapse into a much stronger view, which lets the two appear incompatible. Introducing imprecise equality does not address the latter problem. But it (...) does makes it possible for the Imprecise Lexical View to soften the discontinuities it would otherwise face, at the cost of blurring the difference between options.However, if Non-diminishing Marginal Value is rejected, the remaining complications for the resulting most plausible version of the Imprecise Lexical View, including a confrontation with Arrhenius’ Non-Elitism Condition, may be within a range where the view largely remains defensible. (shrink)

A década de 90 e o início do século XXI estão marcados por reformas que atingem as estruturas do Estado brasileiro e com ela também a Educação Superior. Reformas que recambiam a noção de direito público à educação, ao conhecimento, à função do Estado, aos financiamentos, regidas pela agência Banco Mundial (BM). Nesse movimento, a terminologia sociedade do conhecimento emerge como fundamento epistemológico condicionando à universidade o papel de produtora de conhecimentos de valor econômico e de consenso. Mobiliza-se, assim, (...) um conjunto de orientações e discursos de agentes nacionais e internacionais para dar legitimidade às reformas tornando a Educação Superior objeto crescente de disputa de mercados e de espaços de resolução de problemas da pobreza e do desenvolvimento. Analisamos documentos nacionais e internacionais e literaturas especializadas para compor nosso debate. Partimos de dados documentais buscando compreender o conjunto das orientações às políticas para o Ensino Superior e as implicações em termos de reformas no País. Defendemos a hipótese de que os conhecimentos são orientados para produzir consenso social por meio de discursos de equidade e desenvolvimento, discursos que encobrem a verdadeira natureza das reformas que se caracterizam pelo monopólio do conhecimento e perpetuação da exclusão social. (shrink)

Training can influence behavioral performance and lead to brain reorganization. In particular, training in one modality, for example, auditory, can improve performance in another modality, for example, visual. Previous research suggests that one of the mechanisms behind this phenomenon could be the cross-modal recruitment of the sensory areas, for example, the auditory cortex. Studying expert musicians offers a chance to explore this process. Rhythm is an aspect of music that can be presented in various modalities. We designed an fMRI experiment (...) in which professional pianists and non-musicians discriminated between two sequences of rhythms presented auditorily or visually. Behavioral results showed that musicians performed in both visual and auditory rhythmic tasks better than non-musicians. We found no significant between-group differences in fMRI activations within the auditory cortex. However, we observed that musicians had increased activation in the right Inferior Parietal Lobe when compared to non-musicians. We conclude that the musicians’ superior visual rhythm discrimination is not related to cross-modal recruitment of the auditory cortex; instead, it could be related to activation in higher-level, multimodal areas in the cortex. (shrink)

Este artigo científico procurou investigar o processo de adaptação da Universidade Brasileira aos novos paradigmas impostos pelas políticas neoliberais. A análise se faz a partir de breve histórico do liberalismo e de suas imbricações no ensino. Apontando também a relativização da suposta democratização e modernização do ensino pelas novas perspectivas impostas pelo mercado. São levantadas também questões como autonomia universitária e legitimação da instituição de ensino superior.

Resumo: A educação, a superior em particular, tem sido uma questão central nas políticas do Estado em Angola. E como compromisso, o Estado angolano tem-na definida como bem-público, o que implica uma série de medidas relacionadas ao seu acesso, seus processos de gestão e também os mecanismos de financiamento. Como resultado das disputas ideológicas na esfera do Estado, e também a emergência da economia de mercado em Angola, a condição de bem-público da educação é capturada pelos agentes do mercado (...) que adentram a esfera da educação. A emergência dos empresários da educação, bem como as demandas do mercado de trabalho e as políticas de carreiras transformaram a educação numa questão que supera as agendas públicas dos governos. Neste texto, vamos relatar a realidade proporcionada pelas políticas da educação superior na esfera do Estado. Compreendemos que o Estado é colocado diante do desafio de salvaguardar a condição de bem público através da regulação do sector e seus processos, por outro lado, é impelido pelas dinâmicas dos grupos hegemónicos nas esferas políticas e económicas, a condescender com a privatização da educação. Palavras-chave: Educação Superior; Bem-Público; Ideologia; Mercado. Higher Education in Angola: education as public good and the market challenges Abstract: Education, higher education in particular, has been at the core of the Angolan State policies. As a state commitment, education is defined as public good, which implies a set of measures related to its access, management processes, and financing mechanisms. Due to the ideological disputes within the state, as well as the emergence of the market, the ideal of education as public good is captured by the market agents who entered the education sphere. The emerge of the education entrepreneurship, also the labor market demands, and job career policies turned education into an issue beyond the government agenda. In this text, we relate the reality set up by the government education policies. It is our understanding that the state faces the challenge of safeguarding the public-good by regulating the sector, on the other hand, is impelled by the hegemonic groups to consent the privatization of education. Key-Words: Higher Education; Commoonweal; Public Good; Ideology; Market. L´ Enseignement supérieur angolais : l'éducation en tant que bien public face aux défis du marché Résumé : L'éducation, l'enseignement supérieur en particulier, a longtemps été au cœur des politiques de l'État angolais. En tant qu'engagement, l'État angolais définit l´éducation comme un bien public, ce qui implique la mise en place d´un ensemble de mesures liées à son accès, à ses processus de gestion ainsi qu´à ses mécanismes de financement. En raison des conflits idéologiques au sein de l'État ainsi que de l'émergence de l´économie de marché en Angola, l'idéal de l'éducation en tant que bien public est pris en compte par les agents du marché qui investissent dans le domaine. L'émergence de l'entrepreneuriat dans l'éducation, ainsi que les exigences du marché du travail et les politiques de carrière professionnelle ont fait de l'éducation une question qui va au-delà de l'agenda du gouvernement. Dans ce texte, nous présenterons la réalité proporcionnée par les politiques éducatives gouvernementales puisque, nous comprenons que l'État est confronté au défi de sauvegarder le bien public en réglementant le secteur d´une part et de l'autre, il est poussé par les groupes hégémoniques appartenant à la sphère politique et économique à consentir à la privatisation de l'éducation. Mots-clés: Enseignement Supérieur; Bien Public; Idéologie; Marché. Data de registro: 29/05/2023 Data de aceite: 26/10/2023. (shrink)

O presente trabalho leva adiante uma reflexão sobre educação superior e formação humana, mos­trando que elas se encontram profundamente imbricadas no pensamento de Pedro Goergen. Pretende-se mostrar como o conceito de formação humana constitui a base normativa de suas reflexões sobre a educa­ção e, especificamente, sobre o ensino superior. Por essa razão, part­e-se do diagnóstico de Goergen sobre o ensino superior e recorre-se ao seu conceito de formação hu­mana para reconstruir o modo como ele o ancora na (...) tradição filosófica e pedagógica ocidental e, sobretudo, na teoria social crítica contemporânea. (shrink)

La pandemia producida por el COVID-19 llevó a las instituciones educativas a suspender todo tipo de actividad presencial. La educación superior pasó a desarrollarse en contextos digitales, lo que supuso un rediseño en cuanto a los recursos, instrumentos, modos, estrategias de actuación y medidas a implementar en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. En este estudio se analiza, desde una mirada cualitativa, las visiones del estudiantado sobre la docencia universitaria en contextos de pandemia. Los resultados evidencian la perspectiva diferencial del (...) alumnado,-entusiasta, crítica, condescendiente y nostálgica- sobre la educacion superior, en atención a su experiencia universitaria, vivida en contextos de profunda excepcionalidad. (shrink)

En países como Colombia la falta de cobertura, la dispersión geográfica y el conflicto armado se han posicionado como obstáculos que impiden que una parte de la población pueda acceder a la universidad, perpetuando las desigualdades y la vulnerabilidad. Los resultados de este estudio apuntan a que la educación superior virtual puede convertirse en una alternativa útil para ofrecer oportunidades de formación a estas poblaciones si se ofrecen las condiciones adecuadas en cuanto a un contenido útil y actual, atención (...) personalizada e infraestructura accesible. Las conclusiones alcanzadas pueden orientar a las Instituciones de Educación Superior (IES) en el diseño de estrategias virtuales de calidad. (shrink)

Robinson offers the ‘superior personhood’ approach (SPA) to capture the value of gestation and ground justice for women/gestators.1 SPA holds that women/gestators are more than mere persons given the reality of pregnancy and the vital role women/gestators play in reproduction.1 In this commentary, I speak to some background context perhaps relevant to SPA, lay out areas of agreement with Robinson and then raise four worries about the approach. In my view, the devaluing of gestation and injustice for women/gestators need (...) rectifying, but SPA is not the way. It is difficult not to read Robinson’s piece through the lens of 2022’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision and the politics of abortion, with its focus on fetal status. This background offers a certain kind of sympathetic strategic/rhetorical reading of the motivation for SPA—one to which I found students and others with whom I discussed the piece quite open. Perhaps the goal here is to offer an ingenious defence of abortion rights: if women/gestators are more than one person, then the immorality of abortion cannot be easily grounded in claims about fetal personhood.2 However, Robinson downplays abortion, affirming only ‘my approach could support a wide range of positions on abortion’. This is curious. Is SPA compatible with significant restrictions on abortion? Assuming a realistic political context, this would involve mere persons (men/non-gestators) legislating how superior persons can …. (shrink)

ArgumentThe article takes as its starting point the relationship of academic economists and the wider society. First, various bodies of literature that deal empirically with this matter are discussed: epistemologically, they range from a bold structuralism via a form of symbolic interactionism to a form of radical constructivism. A Bourdieusian approach is recommended to complement these perspectives with a comprehensive perspective that is sensible to the cultural differences between social groups. Starting from the established notions of field, capital and habitus, (...) the article then attempts to go the initial steps towards formulating a theory of the specificity of academic economics, taking Germany as its example. For that it uses and compares in-depth interviews of recognized and non-recognized German economics students. It shows the thorough interweaving of specific normative and positive dispositions into a conviction of objectivity and disinterestedness. This exploratory empirical induction furthers follow-up questions, the empirical answering of which may help to gain a more complete understanding of the actions and thoughts of economists in their specific contexts. (shrink)

Theories of superior collicular and hippocampal function have remarkable similarities. Both structures have been repeatedly implicated in spatial and attentional behaviour and in inhibitory control of locomotion. Moreover, they share certain electrophysiological properties in their single unit responses and in the synchronous appearance and disappearance of slow wave activity. Both are phylogenetically old and the colliculus projects strongly to brainstem nuclei instrumental in the generation of theta rhythm in the hippocampal EECOn the other hand, close inspection of behavioural and (...) electrophysiological data reveals disparities. In particular, hippocampal processing mainly concerns stimulus ambiguity, contextual significance, and spatial relations or other subtle, higher order characteristics. This requires the use of largely preprocessed sensory information and mediation of poststimulus investigation. Although collicular activity must also be integrated with that of “higher” centres, its primary role in attention is more “peripheral” and specific in controlling orienting/localisation via eye and body movements toward egocentrically labelled spatial positions. In addition, the colliculus may exert a nonspecific influence in alerting higher centres to the imminence of information potentially worthy of focal attention. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that collicular and hippocampal lesions produce deficits on similar tasks, although the type of deficit is usually different in each case. Functional overlap between hippocampus and colliculus is virtually certain vis-à-vis stimulus sampling, for example in the acquisition of information via vibrissal movements and visual scanning. In addition, insofar as stimulus significance is a factor in collicular orienting mechanisms, the hippocampus — cingulate – cortex — colliculus pathway may play a significant role, modulating collicular responsiveness and thus ensuring an attentional strategy appropriate to current requirements. A tentative “reciprocal loop” model is proposed which bridges physiological and behavioural levels of analysis and which would account for the observed degree and nature of functional overlap between the superior colliculus and hippocampus. (shrink)

In an article published in Prolegomena 2006, Christoph Schmidt-Petri has defended his interpretation and attacked mine of Mill’s idea that higher kinds of pleasure are superior in quality to lower kinds, regardless of quantity. Millian qualitative superiorities as I understand them are infinite superiorities. In this paper, I clarify my interpretation and show how Schmidt-Petri has misrepresented it and ignored the obvious textual support for it. As a result, he fails to understand how genuine Millian qualitative superiorities determine the (...) novel structure of Mill’s pluralistic utilitarianism, in which a social code of justice that distributes equal rights and duties takes absolute priority over competing considerations. Schmidt-Petri’s own interpretation is a non-starter, because it does noteven recognize that Mill is talking about different kinds of pleasant feelings, such that the higher kinds are intrinsically more valuable than the lower. I conclude by outlining why my interpretation is free of any metaphysical commitment to the “essence” of pleasure. (shrink)

Non-invasive neuroimaging in humans permits direct investigation of the potential role for mesodiencephalic structures in consciousness. Activity in the superior colliculus can be correlated with the contents of consciousness, but it can be also identified for stimuli of which the subject is unaware; and consciousness of some types of visual stimuli may not require the superior colliculus. (Published Online May 1 2007).

La Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral (UNPA) es una de las tres universidades nacionales de más reciente creación en Patagonia (luego vinieron Río Negro y Tierra del Fuego). No es objeto de discusión la ampliación de oportunidades en el acceso a la educación superior que ello supuso. Sin embargo, más recientemente, la transformación de la modalidad de enseñanza de presencial a virtual valiéndose de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC’s), visualizadas como “democratización de la (...) educación superior”, ha permitido multiplicar el número de inscriptos pero no (en términos porcentuales y a la fecha de cierre del análisis) el de egresados. En el artículo, a partir de cuantificar los diversos comportamientos, se procura dimensionar el impacto que sobre el comportamiento de la matrícula ha tenido la implementación de un modelo de Educación a Distancia sustentado en el empleo de las TIC’s (trasladando todo el proceso educativo a la mediación tecnológica en la plataforma virtual), que ha venido a suplantar la modalidad presencial (que podríamos denominar como “tradicional”, en el sentido de que conserva los rasgos centrales de una escolaridad de cursado cotidiano en el ámbito físico de la universidad).La metodología de indagación aquí utilizada es cuantitativa y se observan las carreras de educación de una de las unidades académicas de la UNPA. Las tablas permiten avanzar en el objetivo de caracterizar la dinámica de la matrícula mientras el cursado fue presencial y luego, cuando se pasó a la modalidad virtual, procurando comprender las trayectorias académicas desarrolladas por los estudiantes y el impacto que el cambio de modalidad pudo haber tenido. Como corolario, exponemos reflexiones que pueden ser útiles para seguir pensando el impacto de las TIC’s en la educación superior. (shrink)

This paper examines the claim of G.W.F. Hegel that chemical thinking-the method of thinking employed in chemistry-marks a significant advance upon meCHANistic thinking-the method of thinking characteristic of physics. This is done in the context of Mancur Olson's theory of collective action and public goods. The analogy between the efficiency of a catalyst in bringing about chemical transformation and the function of leaders in free human society in developing latent groups to provide public goods is explored.