This paper focuses on the significance of the concept of noise for cognition and computation. The concept of noise was massively transformed in the twentieth century with the advent of information theory, cybernetics, and computer science, all of which provide formal accounts of information and noise centrally concerned with contingency. We show how the concept has changed from these classical formulations, through developments in mathematics (topology and topos theory), computing (interactive computing and univalent foundations), and cognitive science (predictive processing and (...) cognitive morphodynamics). Ultimately it argues for the central importance of noise not only within a topological conception of cognition and computation, but also in the transcendental-empirical torsion of image schemata and the social interactive elaboration of freedom. (shrink)

A widely accepted tenet of evolutionary biology is that spontaneous mutations occur randomly with regard to their fitness effect. However, since the mutation rate varies along a genome and this variation can be subject to selection, organisms might evolve lower mutation rates at loci where mutations are most deleterious or increased rates where mutations are most needed. In fact, mechanisms of targeted hypermutation are known in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Here we review the main forces driving the evolution (...) of local mutation rates and identify the main limiting factors. Both targeted hyper‐ and hypomutation can evolve, although the former is restricted to loci under very frequent positive selection and the latter is severely limited by genetic drift. Nevertheless, we show how an association of repair with transcription or chromatin‐associated proteins could overcome the drift limit and lead to non‐random hypomutation along the genome in most organisms.Editor's suggested further reading in BioEssays Stress‐induced mutation via DNA breaks in Escherichia coli: A molecular mechanism with implications for evolution and medicine Abstract. (shrink)

The application of genetic editing techniques for the prevention or cure of disease is a highly promising tool for the future of humanity. However, its implementation contains a number of ethical and legal challenges that should not be underestimated. On this basis, some sectors have already asked for a veto on any intervention that modifies the human germ line, while supporting somatic line editing. In this paper, I will support that this suggestion makes no sense at all, because the somatic/germ (...) line disjunctive has no moral relevance and, therefore, it should not play any role in legal terms. I will provide a number of reasons to hold this assumption, such as the non‐sacred nature of the germ line, the difference between germ line and human genome modification, or the moral importance of the presence of a will to create modified descendants. While doing so, I will provide some examples of the different approaches to germ line editing adopted by different regulations so as to demonstrate that, contrary to what is sometimes stated, a general ban on this practice is not the rule, but the exception. Additionally, I will show how alternative options which currently exist, such as a selective ban based on criteria different to the germ line/somatic line distinction, match better with the need to conciliate research needs and legitimate ethical concerns. Finally, I will introduce some further suggestions to this same purpose. (shrink)

In this paper I argue against Simion’s (Citation2018) Epistemic Limiting Procedure for conceptual engineering and put forward a more permissive alternative, according to which epistemic losses do not systematically block amelioration, but merely provide reasons against it. On this less restrictive view, epistemic losses will be permissible, provided that they are compensated by the non-epistemic gains of the amelioration. After fleshing out the details of my proposal, I discuss two case studies in relation to which Simion’s restrictive procedure seems to (...) yield the wrong predictions. I argue that my alternative accommodates these cases significantly better. (shrink)

The aim of the present paper is to reinforce some of the affirmations made by Vera Lucia Raposo in a recent paper published by the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. According to her, germline gene editing does not violate human dignity at all. This article offers some complementary ideas supporting her statement. In particular, four main arguments are stressed. Firstly, not only is the idea of human dignity unclear, but the idea of the human genome suffers from a general lack of (...) concreteness, which has dramatic consequences for the debate. Secondly, it is highlighted that if we believe that the immutability of the human genome underpins human dignity, then it should be our duty to use the tools of genetic modification to reverse any accidental changes that occur in nature. Thirdly, it is showed that if the alteration of germline constitutes an attack on human dignity, then we should also refrain from performing medical practices such as chemotherapy, which cause precisely this effect. Finally, we argue that modification of germline is not contrary to human dignity but an excellent expression of our autonomy. (shrink)

The paper discusses the structure, applications, and plausibility of the much-used parallel-case argument for workplace democracy. The argument rests on an analogy between firms and states according to which the justification of democracy in the state implies its justification in the workplace. The contribution of the paper is threefold. First, the argument is illustrated by applying it to two usual objections to workplace democracy, namely, that employees lack the expertise required to run a firm and that only capital suppliers should (...) have a say over the governance of the firm. Second, the structure of the argument is unfolded. Third, two salient similarities between firms and states regarding their internal and external effects and the standing of their members are addressed in order to asses the potential and limits of the argument, as well as three relevant differences regarding the voluntariness of their membership, the narrowness of their goals, and the stiffness of the competition they face. After considering these similarities and differences, the paper contends that the the parallel-case argument provides a sound reason in favor of democracy in the workplace—a reason, however, that needs to be importantly qualified and that is only pro tanto. (shrink)

The circular economy (CE) framework has captured the attention of industry and academia and received strong policy support. It is currently deemed as a powerful solution for sustainability, despite ongoing criticism on its oversimplification and lack of consideration of socio-ethical issues. In parallel, the concept of RRI has emerged strongly with a strong focus on the integration of social desirability in innovation under transparency, democracy and mutual responsiveness principles. In this paper, we critically examine the literature on the CE and (...) RRI in order to find out how the different focus of RRI may provide an innovation governance framework to strengthen the CE framework. There are two main ways in which RRI could further the CE: first, anticipating unexpected consequences, helping to break disciplinary barriers and acknowledging systemic limits that are not currently taken into consideration; and second, the integration of socio-ethical issues in the CE, and addressing the social implications of the CE through stakeholder participation. However, future research should look at remaining blind spots of CE and RRI, such as non-technological innovation, the demand-side of innovation and the development of business models. With that objective, we suggest a research agenda for common development of the frameworks. (shrink)

Projectibility has traditionally been given a prominent role in natural kind theories. However, where most of these theories take projectibility to be a necessary but insufficient feature of natural kinds, this paper defends an account of natural kinds according to which the naturalness of kinds is to be identified with their degree of projectibility only. This view follows thus the path opened by Häggqvist (2005), although it goes significantly further on two main respects. First, I develop and discuss two important (...) dimensions of projectibility that are overlooked in Häggqvist’s work. Second, I address two recent important objections (Magnus 2012 and Spencer 2015) against projectibility-based accounts. (shrink)

En el presente trabajo se pretende exponer el diseño, los resultados y las conclusiones del Campus Escolar “Historia y Videojuegos”, organizado por la Universidad Pública de Navarra entre el 28 de agosto y el 1 de septiembre de 2017. Este Campus suponía la culminación de una serie de talleres didácticos realizados en Centros de Educación Primaria y Secundaria con videojuegos comerciales de estrategia histórica. Se pretendía realizar una experiencia didáctica en un contexto extraescolar en el que los investigadores tuvieran libertad (...) y control durante todo el proceso. Con las estrategias didácticas emprendidas y los cuestionarios respondidos por los alumnos, se pretendía averiguar, por un lado, el grado de fiabilidad que los alumnos otorgaban a los contenidos históricos de los videojuegos, y por otro, si los videojuegos permitirían a los alumnos desarrollar competencias de pensamiento histórico. (shrink)

The terrorist threat remains a disturbing issue for the early 1990s. This book explores whether terrorism can ever be morally justifiable and if so under what circumstances. Professor Burleigh Taylor Wilkins suggests that the popular characterisation of terrorists as criminals fails to acknowledge the reasons why terrorists resort to violence. It is argued that terrorism cannot be adequately understood unless the collective responsibility of organised groups, such as political states, for wrongs allegedly done against the groups which the terrorists (...) represent is taken into account. Terrorism and Collective Responsibility provides an analysis of various models of collective responsibility, and it takes into account recent discussions of military responsibility and business ethics. The book also explores the problems that terrorism poses for the just war tradition. The arguments of prominent philosophers against terrorism are critically examined and the claim that terrorism necessarily violates the rights of innocent persons is considered. Wilkins sets forth an original definition of terrorism that is sure to provoke controversy. (shrink)

In this paper I explore the pedagogical and political shift marked by the meaning and practice of diversity offered through New Labour education policy texts, specifically, the policy and practice of personalized learning (or personalization). The aim of this paper is to map the ways in which diversity relays and mobilizes a set of neoliberal positions and relationships in the field of education and seeks to govern education institutions and education users through politically circulating norms and values. These norms and (...) values, I want to argue, echo and redeem the kinds of frameworks, applications and rationalities typically aligned with modes of neoliberal or advanced liberal governance, e.g. marketization, monetarization, atomization and deregulation. I conclude the paper by considering how diversity in education renders problematic conventional antinomies of the citizen and consumer, public and private, state and civil society, etc., and forces us to confront the rhizomatic character of contemporary governance and education in the era of neoliberalism. (shrink)

The ninth edition of Media Ethics: Issues and Cases has been updated to reflect the most pressing ethical issues in media. Featuring 25 new cases on hot topic issues from fake news to drones and a new chapter on social justice, this authoritative case book gives students the tools to make ethical decisions in an increasingly complex environment.

Human germline gene editing constitutes an extremely promising technology; at the same time, however, it raises remarkable ethical, legal, and social issues. Although many of these issues have been largely explored by the academic literature, there are gender issues embedded in the process that have not received the attention they deserve. This paper examines ways in which this new tool necessarily affects males and females differently—both in rewards and perils. The authors conclude that there is an urgent need to include (...) these gender issues in the current debate, before giving a green light to this new technology. (shrink)

Aristotle famously held that objects are comprised of matter and form. That is the central doctrine of hylomorphism (sometimes rendered “hylemorphism”—hyle, matter; morphe, form), and the view has become a live topic of inquiry today. Contemporary proponents of the doctrine include Jeffrey Brower, Kit Fine, David Hershenov, Mark Johnston, Kathrin Koslicki, Anna Marmodoro, Michael Rea, and Patrick Toner, among others. In the wake of these contemporary hylomorphic theories the doctrine has seen application to various topics within mainstream analytic metaphysics. Here, (...) appeals to form and matter are used to shed light on problems about ontology, personal identity, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of religion. The current entry documents this resurgence of interest in hylomorphism, the ways it has been applied, and its reception. (shrink)

The terrorist threat remains a disturbing issue for the early 1990s. This book explores whether terrorism can ever be morally justifiable and if so under what circumstances. Professor Burleigh Taylor Wilkins suggests that the popular characterisation of terrorists as criminals fails to acknowledge the reasons why terrorists resort to violence. It is argued that terrorism cannot be adequately understood unless the collective responsibility of organised groups, such as political states, for wrongs allegedly done against the groups which the terrorists (...) represent is taken into account. _Terrorism and Collective Responsibility_ provides an analysis of various models of collective responsibility, and it takes into account recent discussions of military responsibility and business ethics. The book also explores the problems that terrorism poses for the just war tradition. The arguments of prominent philosophers against terrorism are critically examined and the claim that terrorism necessarily violates the rights of innocent persons is considered. Wilkins sets forth an original definition of terrorism that is sure to provoke controversy. (shrink)

La aparición de las modernas técnicas de modificación genética (CRISPRCas9) ha abierto maravillosas expectativas en el campo de la biomedicina. Sin embargo, su aplicación sobre la línea germinal humana despierta todavía una fuerte oposición por parte de amplios colectivos. A menudo se aduce que factores como el riesgo que implica esta técnica, su propia futilidad, la amenaza implícita a la integridad del genoma humano, o la posibilidad de que acaben dando naturaleza a una nueva eugenesia justifican la necesidad de trazar (...) una prohibición o, al menos, una moratoria sobre ellas. En este texto debatiremos la solvencia de cada uno de estos argumentos, concluyendo que, en realidad, no hay buenos motivos para oponerse a la técnica que nos ocupa. (shrink)

Journal of Mass Media Ethics, Volume 26, Issue 2, Page 95, April-June.

In this article the question is posed whether the modern concept of tolerance is an appropriate category with which to evaluate the thought of Nicholas of Cusa. The classic question of unity and pluriformity is linked by Cusanus to the problem of the plurality of contradictory forms of truth. Thus for Cusanus the problem of truth can never be thought without the possibility of tolerance. Vice versa this implies that the subject of tolerance can never be broached without broaching the (...) subject of the problematics of truth. This is why Cusanus understands man as a 'second god', who is the border of his own world, and who is confronted with the problem that there are 'several gods'. If we develop the thought of tolerance in this way along with Cusanus, it has much in common with the enquiry into the possibilities and limits of the concepts of god in and for human existence. (shrink)

Schnädelbach has maintained that the belief that to philosophize lies in the reading of other philosopher’s works is the illness of the contemporary philosophy. Taking Heidegger as the main source of this hermeneutical philosophy, this paper examines what is behind Heidegger’s confrontation with the history of philosophy. In particular, I analyse how Heidegger, during the second half of the 1930s, articulates his view that in order to understand the dynamics that govern our time we need to rethink the history of (...) philosophy thoroughly. (shrink)

El edificio Rana Plaza, en Bangladesh, se vino abajo en Abril 2013. Como consecuencia, más de mil personas perdieron la vida. Este suceso despertó inmediatamente una fuerte crítica a la actuación de las grandes corporaciones trasnacionales. Se les acusó de no haber hecho todo lo que podían para mejorar las condiciones laborales en ese país, a pesar de que su poder de compra les permitía dictar las reglas. Este artículo pretende explorar la legitimidad de esa acusación. Con tal fin, se (...) explorará la responsabilidad moral de la situación existente en muchos países en vías de desarrollo. Ese análisis desvelará que, más allá de las citadas corporaciones, es posible hablar de responsabilidades en el caso de muchos de nosotros. Nuestra doble vertiente de ciudadanos y consumidores/inversores nos dota de un poder que implica también una responsabilidad. (shrink)

The discussion about the animal rights is becoming nowadays one of the most important ones in the fields of philosophy or laws. Authors such us Singer, Regan, or, in the Latin countries, Riechmann, de Lora, Horta or Mostrerin talk about our moral duty to recognize to some animals the same rights we recognize to the human beings. The Great Ape Project has been even discussed in some of our Parliaments. However, “traditional” philosophers and lawyers do not seem to have in (...) mind any answers to these challenges. The purpose of this paper is to face this fact, arguing why we are not obligated to consider animal rights. (shrink)

El objetivo de este texto consiste en analizar las consecuencias que la creación de quimeras e híbridos puede llegar a tener sobre los paradigmas éticos con los que contamos ahora mismo, especialmente el antropocentrismo. Intentaremos demostrar que este paradigma no es capaz de afrontar adecuadamente la existencia de esta clase de seres, que desafían las premisas sobre las que se construye. Esto debería llevarnos a reemplazarlo por otros modelos éticos.

En un mundo globalizado, el consumidor posee un poder superior al que nunca ha tenido. La amplitud de los mercados hace que le sea muy sencillo sustituir unos bienes por otros a la hora de satisfacer una necesidad. Sus decisiones de compra son, a su vez, las que deciden qué empresas triunfarán y cuáles no. De ahí que sea cada vez más cabal hablar de soberanía del consumidor. La conciencia de este poder es esencial, ya que permite pensar en formas (...) de poner límites al libre mercado basadas en la idea de justicia. Ahora bien, esto sólo será posible a través de acciones concertadas, que utilicen herramientas eficaces, como el boicot de compra. Este texto analiza las posibilidades con las que cuenta el consumidor para ejercer su poder adecuadamente. (shrink)

From the analysis of Perelman by the philosopher Cristobal Holzapfel about the new rhetoric and on rhetoric itself, we can help but ask where lives the usefulness of rhetoric today. One sensible answer connects us with the sophists and the humanists’ period, for whom language was a powerful tool to change the world. Nevertheless, Holzapfel calls about the importance of rhetoric today in the construction of the world, in more or less the same way we saw in the sophists and (...) the humanists’ period. The main argument of this essay is that it makes sense to talk about rhetoric today, as Holzapfel does, because it is a medium to make a projection of the world and because it may be a good moment to propose a projection of a different world; a projection where need to have a full audience to change and take down what exists today and what we don’t like as such. Al leer el análisis del filósofo Cristóbal Holzapfel sobre la nueva retórica de Perelman y sobre la retórica en sí misma, no podemos evitar preguntarnos dónde reside la utilidad de la retórica hoy. Una respuesta sensata nos conecta con el periodo de los sofistas y el de los humanistas, en los que el lenguaje era una poderosa herramienta para cambiar el mundo. Sin embargo, Holzapfel llama la atención sobre la importancia que tiene hoy en día la retórica en la construcción de nuestro mundo, más o menos del mismo modo que vemos en los periodos de los sofistas y los humanistas. La tesis de este ensayo es que sí tiene sentido hablar hoy de retórica, como hace Holzapfel, porque es el medio para realizar una proyección de mundo y porque tal vez este sea un buen momento para proponer una proyección de un mundo diferente; una proyección para la que necesitamos contar con un auditorio nutrido para cambiar y en definitiva abatir lo que hay y lo que no nos gusta. (shrink)

The contents of our conscious mind can seem unpredictable, whimsical, and free from external control. When instructed to attend to a stimulus in a work setting, for example, one might find oneself thinking about household chores. Conscious content thus appears different in nature from reflex action. Under the appropriate conditions, reflexes occur predictably, reliably, and via external control. Despite these intuitions, theorists have proposed that, under certain conditions, conscious content resembles reflexes and arises reliably via external control. We introduce the (...) Reflexive Imagery Task, a paradigm in which, as a function of external control, conscious content is triggered reliably and unintentionally: When instructed to not subvocalize the name of a stimulus object, participants reliably failed to suppress the set-related imagery. This stimulus-elicited content is considered ‘high-level’ content and, in terms of stages of processing, occurs late in the processing stream. We discuss the implications of this paradigm for consciousness research. (shrink)

The paper examines two backward-looking principles about how the costs of mitigating and adapting to climate change should be distributed. According to the polluter pays principle, such costs should be borne by those who caused climate change. According to the beneficiary pays principle, they should be borne by those who have benefited from the activities causing climate change, regardless of whether they took part in such activities or not. The paper unpacks both principles, considers their main problems and contends that, (...) when properly combined, they can address such problems. (shrink)

This paper supplies a critique of the view that a practice which ought not to be followed is ipso facto not sustainable, a view recently defended by Nigel Dower. It is argued that there are ethical criteria independent of the criterion of sustainability. The concept of sustainability is thus retrieved for the distinctive role and the important service in which environmental and social theorists (paradoxically including Dower) have hitherto employed it, not least when debating the nature, merits and demerits of (...) sustainable development. (shrink)

This volume of new essays is based on a conference with the same title held at the University of Exeter in 2005. All those speaking on that occasion have written chapters in this volume, along with Riccardo Chiaradonna whose chapter has been specially prepared for the volume. The aim of this volume, like the conference on which it is based, is to contribute to the upsurge of new research on Galen by focusing on a topic that bridges the interests of (...) specialists in ancient medical history and Classicists and philosophers more generally. The conference also represents the convergence of two current focuses of research in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at Exeter, on ancient medicine especially Galen and on Hellenistic and Imperial Greek culture more generally"--Provided by publisher. (shrink)

En 2002, Daniel Pearl, periodista del Wall Street Journal, era secuestrado y degollado ante una cámara. La grabación del degüello, con abierta intencionalidad pública, fue finalmente censurada por la inmensa mayoría de medios de comunicación occidentales y no trascendió el ámbito privado en el que se realizó. Las vejaciones y torturas fotografiadas en Abu Ghraib, en cambio, trascendieron en 2004 su inicial privacidad al ser publicadas por The New Yorker y la CBS, invadiendo así el espacio de lo público. ¿Qué (...) distingue ambas imágenes, determinando su «publicabilidad»? El presente artículo pretende analizar la censura de imágenes especialmente cruentas en los espacios informativos ¿i.e., al margen de los publicitarios o los de entretenimiento. Para ello, trataré de responder, en relación a este tipo de imágenes, a las siguientes preguntas: ¿Qué pueden mostrar? ¿Se deben mostrar? Y ¿cómo se deben mostrar? La primera pregunta se dirige a una cuestión estrictamente epistemológica. Dada su excesiva amplitud, me limitaré a establecer, por una parte, que es necesario defender una cierta idea de la verdad como correspondencia para poder distinguir entre imágenes verdaderas e imágenes falsas. Y, por otra parte, precisaré en qué podría consistir la falsedad de una imagen. Las dos segundas, en cambio, son de tipo ético y apuntan a la problemática formulación de una libertad de expresión relativa a las imágenes violentas. Trataré de poner de relieve la función decisiva de este tipo de imágenes como revulsivo y desarrollaré críticamente algunos de los argumentos habitualmente esgrimidos para impedir su difusión. Pretendo defender que, incluso si aceptamos que prima facie se debe poder ver todo, el centro del debate se halla en las condiciones de publicación y, principalmente, en la posible espectacularización mediática de las imágenes. (shrink)

El propósito de este artículo es mostrar la historicidad del modelo de Estado nacional, las implicaciones que de su desnaturalización extrae el laissez-faire liberal y su repercusión a escala local. Para ello se recorrerá el proceso de identificación de lo estatal y lo nacional y su función política y culturalmente ideológica, tomando como paradigma el modelo que Carl Schmitt elaboró a partir de la crisis del parlamentarismo en el II Reich. Posteriormente, se detallará la actual crisis de dicha identificación y (...) la progresiva acumulación de competencias por parte de instituciones de carácter transnacional. La relocalización internacional de la producción y la movilidad del conocimiento en la sociedad de la información ilustran hasta qué punto han quedado desfasadas las barreras nacionales. Se produce entonces un incremento espectacular de la presión sobre las políticas locales, obligadas a mejorar la oferta y la promoción urbanas para resultar competitivas en el mercado liberal. Y ello promoviendo la riqueza de proyectos con los que atraer el capital privado. Desde esta perspectiva podrá calibrarse hasta qué punto descansa el Fórum sobre una contradicción performativa entre su planteamiento público y el proyecto urbanístico, turístico y cognitivo que representa. (shrink)