Aunque el denominado problema de marco generó múltiples debates a finales del siglo pasado, aún es un problema fundamental para el avance en las Ciencias Cognitivas, en general, y para la Inteligencia Artificial, en particular. En este trabajo, y restringiéndonos al aspecto lógico del problema, postulamos que la discusión actual y subyacente a este aspecto gira en torno a cómo determinar lo que no cambia en términos de acciones y propiedades dentro de un sistema lógico formal. Es sobre este aspecto, (...) y en función de sus dificultades (i) definicional y (ii) resolutiva, que en este trabajo argumentaremos que el denominado “criterio temporal” no solamente puede estimarse como uno los principales requerimientos teóricos para (i) resolverlo sino también para (ii) explicitar más claramente su dificultad principal, a saber, “lo que es relevante” frente al cambio en el tiempo. De esta manera, sostenemos que el razonamiento lógico-temporal resulta necesario para construir cualquier solución íntegramente satisfactoria del aspecto lógico del problema de marco entendido como el modo en que, inmediatamente, determinamos relevancia frente al cambio. (shrink)

Background:The high level of satisfaction of users of a health service is largely due to the fact that they receive excellent care from healthcare professionals. Compassionate care is an essential...

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Anthropological Perspectives in Psychiatric NosologyJuan J. López-Ibor Jr. (bio) and María-Inés López-Ibor (bio)KeywordsDSM, etiology, Aristotelian causes, social dramasPsychiatry and clinical psychology, as we learn in this paper, are disciplines in need of an ontological perspective. Very few branches of contemporary learning share this characteristic. Probably only theoretical physic and theology—as the rest have long ago given up trying to define and understand the essence of their object, for example, (...) life in the case of biology or mind in psychology. Consequently, the paper by Pérez-Álvarez, Sass and García-Montes, “The Ontology of Mental Disorders in Constructivist Perspective,” (2008) should be welcomed and indeed included in the reading lists for trainees in psychiatry and clinical psychology.The authors propose an approach to the understanding of mental disorders that is extremely attractive and well articulated, and which also has practical implications for clinicians. It is not just another “philosophical divertimento” devoid of scientific and practical importance. Let us analyze the article in an orderly way.Less DsmThe authors of the target paper disapprove of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-III/IV approach to defining illnesses by starting from the symptoms that are present—on the grounds that this may lead clinicians to assume that their sole role is to identify, fight, and suppress the symptoms by whichever procedure. They propose an alternative that is dear to myself because it follows the path of the so-called “anthropological” psychiatry of Binswanger, von Gebsattel, Erwin Strauss, Zutt, López-Ibor, Sr., and others. In essence, this is a phenomenological approach to the meaning of mental diseases, one that emphasizes how the illness is revealed to the patient him- or herself.The target article’s criticism of DSM should be considered in the context of the abuses committed on its behalf. The DSM is not a textbook of psychiatric disorders, nor does it contain a definition of the diseases. The DSM does not tell what a disease is (Klerman et al. 1984)—something that is impossible with a classification system based on the manifestations of the diseases, the signs and symptoms. The DSM, as its title states, is just a diagnostic and statistical manual, which does not contain anything about the origin of [End Page 259] any disease nor an explanation of why it exists or what it means. The DSM is, in fact, just a tool to determine whether a disease is present, and therefore to facilitate communication between professionals and with other individuals, without saying anything about the disease’s aitia—a key term (associated with notions of essence as well as cause) to be discussed below. In theory, most clinicians should understand these limitations; it may be, however, that this is not really the case for many who read or use the DSM. In the world there are around 200,000 psychiatrists; since 1980 the number of DSM copies sold is in the order of several hundred thousand.The misuse of a classification system is even more noticeable in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 Research Version. The instructions for the use of this version recommend that the first step is to make an inventory of all the symptoms present, and then to construct a diagnosis based on them. This how all computer-assisted systems work. This procedure can, however, only be valid if the clinician has already reached a diagnostic conclusion by other means—a diagnosis then to be confirmed for research purposes. It may be that this is one of the reasons why the ICD-10 Research Version has almost never actually been used for research.Furthermore, the concept of symptoms in psychiatry applies only to organic mental disorders (Schneider 1959), conditions in which the patient’s attitude and way of experiencing the symptoms do not play the kind of role that they play in schizophrenia and other mental disorders. The quotation from the important paper by Sass and Parnas in this context is most appropriate. It is indeed that case that “subjective experience can play an important causal role in the progressive experiential transformations of a developing schizophrenic illness... (shrink)

La didáctica geográfica en la enseñanza superior incorpora el trabajo de campo como instrumento de primer orden. Las salidas de campo constituyen la base de la investigación geográfica puesto que proporcionan conocimiento sobre los elementos configuradores y procesos del espacio geográfico. Las geotecnologías cuentan con capacidad para recrear virtualmente escenarios análogos a las salidas tradicionales. Se compararon las cualificaciones de dos grupos de alumnos sin encontrarse diferencias significativas entre los que realizaron salidas virtuales y tradicionales. La virtualización de las salidas (...) de campo es un elemento útil y de inclusividad más allá del contexto de pandemia. (shrink)

El siguiente informe pericial se basa en la experiencia de investigación de los firmantes en relación a las exhumaciones de fosas comunes de la Guerra Civil y la postguerra, y al conocido como “movimiento para la recuperación de la memoria histórica” que están teniendo lugar en España desde el año 2000, que ha enfatizado sus demandas sobre la suerte de los desaparecidos y ha puesto en marcha un ciclo de exhumaciones de fosas comunes derivadas de la Guerra Civil y la (...) dictadura. En este peritaje se usan las exhumaciones del siglo XXI como indicadores de la persistencia en el tiempo de las políticas y culturas del miedo instaladas en la sociedad española durante la Guerra Civil y la dictadura, más allá de las profundas transformaciones políticas e institucionales acaecidas en el país tras la muerte de Francisco Franco. Fue presentado como parte de la documentación de la demanda de Fausto Canales contra España el 15 de septiembre de 2012 en el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos. (shrink)

La característica más representativa de la música es su capacidad de generar emoción. Pero ¿por qué la música emociona? En este artículo mostramos los conocimientos actuales de la teoría musical y la neurociencia que intentan explicar las relaciones que existen entre la música y las emociones. En primer lugar, se repasan los conocimientos actuales sobre el procesamiento de los sonidos musicales a nivel cerebral y las posibles explicaciones del origen de la emoción musical, así como la contribución de los distintos (...) parámetros musicales a la generación de emociones, considerando estructuras musicales de nuestro mundo occidental. En segundo lugar, se presenta el canal táctil como un posible canal de transmisión de la emoción musical análogo al canal auditivo, pero con más limitaciones en la discriminación de frecuencias. Este acercamiento se produce desde la profunda fascinación que ejerce la música, con la esperanza de encontrar vías para explicar la transmisión de la emoción musical desde un canal alternativo. (shrink)

El Tercer Sector de Acción Social español es un agente clave para el impulso de la inclusión en el modelo social europeo. Su fortaleza radica en las alianzas internas entre entidades, así como al establecimiento de vínculos con el estado y el mercado. Se mostrará, mediante análisis documental de fuentes secundarias, la tesitura en la que están ambos tipos de gobernanza con respecto a las políticas para la inclusión en la UE. Los resultados muestran una progresión en cuanto a estructuras, (...) canales, ideario y metas comunes, pero también déficits que señalan el camino a recorrer hacia la colaboración y participación. (shrink)

En este artículo se compara, la posición que tiene el historiador de la filosofía colombiana Carlos Arturo López Jiménez sobre la idea que tenía Cayetano Betancur acerca de la posibilidad de que existiera una Filosofía en Colombia, con lo que el autor mismo decía sobre este aspecto. De este modo, primero, se mostrará la perspectiva de López Jiménez y el uso que hace de las ideas de Cayetano Betancur. Enseguida se describe el recorrido intelectual de Cayetano Betancur con respecto al (...) problema de si existiría o no una Filosofía en Colombia. Así se expondrá cómo, en un momento determinado, Betancur hace un viraje en su pensamiento y pasa de negar una Filosofía en Colombia a asumir su existencia y su posibilidad, asi como también reconoce la necesidad de identificar y leer las fuentes filosóficas locales. (shrink)

Clemente Romano es el hombre de la reconciliación, que busca sembrar en aquellos que lo escuchan una semilla de fraternidad. Él sabe que en el corazón del hombre anidan las malas pasiones, los sentimientos de envidia y de división pero también sabe que quien vive en el amor, quien pone su mirada en el Dios que es Amor se transforma, se convierte. El único camino es Jesucristo y por eso continuamente invita, a través de sus palabras, a fijar la mirada (...) en Él. Misericordia, humildad, sencillez, corrección fraterna, hospitalidad son palabras que a lo largo de la carta a los Corintios se entrelazan tejiendo la trama del amor al hermano y del amor a Dios. ¿Qué nos enseña esta carta escrita muchos siglos atrás y que parece tan actual? Es un desafío para el hombre peregrino de hoy que siente por un lado, la sed de espiritualidad, y por otro, el ansia del poder, del tener, del placer, a contemplar a un Dios que lo ama y a buscar sólo el bien del hermano, caminando junto a él con sencillez y humildad.Clement of Rome is the man of reconciliation, which seeks to sow those who hear a seed of fraternity. He knows the heart of man nest evil passions, feelings of envy and division but also knows that whoever lives in love, who sets her sights on the God who is Love becomes becomes. The only way is Jesus Christ and so continuously invited, through his words, to stare at him. Mercy, humility, simplicity, fraternal correction, hospitality are words along the Corinthians intertwine weaving Brother love story and love of God. What can we learn this letter written many centuries ago and it seems so today? It is a challenge for pilgrims today man who feels the one hand, the thirst for spirituality, and secondly, the lust of power, possessions, pleasure, to contemplate a God who loves him and seek only good brother walking beside him with simplicity and humility. (shrink)

Juan Casiano es un gran buscador de Dios que recorre junto con su amigo Germán las tierras que ven surgir el monacato y, enriquecido por la experiencia de aquellos hombres y discípulo de los alejandrinos, especialmente de Evagrio Póntico y de Orígenes, introduce en Occidente la doctrina espiritual que bebe de esas fuentes. ¿Qué ve? ¿Qué escucha? ¿Qué recibe de estos monjes? ¿Cuál es la influencia de los grandes maestros alejandrinos en este discípulo? ¿Qué experiencia realiza después de tantos años (...) en el desierto? ¿Qué novedad aporta a Occidente? ¿Cómo reacciona ante las cuestiones teológicas y eclesiológicas de su tiempo, él que no es teólogo ni investigador? Estas y otras preguntas son una invitación a descubrir las raíces de la experiencia de Casiano, a profundizar los escritos para conocer con mayor precisión su identidad. John Cassian is a great seeker of God walking with his friend Germán land they see emerge monasticism and enriched by the experience of those men and disciple of the Alexandrians, especially of Evagrius of Pontus and Origen, introduced into the West's spiritual doctrine drinking from those sources. What do you see? What do you hear? What you get from these monks? What is the influence of the great Alexandrian scholars in this disciple? What experience takes after so many years in the wilderness? Which brings novely to the West? How do you react to the theological and ecclesiological issues of his time, he is not a theologian or a researcher? These and other questions are an invitation to discover the roots of the experience of Cassian's mitings deepen to know more precisely their identity. (shrink)

We explored the home learning environments of 173 Mexican preschool children in relation to their numeracy performance. Parents indicated the frequency of their formal home numeracy and literacy activities, and their academic expectations for children’s numeracy and literacy performance. Children completed measures of early numeracy skills. Mexican parent–child dyads from families with either high- or low-socioeconomic status participated. Low-SES parents reported higher numeracy expectations than high-SES parents, but similar frequency of home numeracy activities. In contrast, high-SES parents reported higher frequency (...) of literacy activities. Path analyses showed that operational numeracy activities were positively related to children’s numeracy skills in the high- but not in the low-SES group. These findings improve the understanding of the role of the home environment in different contexts and provide some insights into the sources of the variable patterns of relations between home learning activities and children’s numeracy outcomes. They also suggest that SES is a critical factor to consider in research on children’s home numeracy experiences. (shrink)

El problema de marco cuestiona cómo los procesos cognitivos determinan qué información, de entre toda la disponible, es relevante dada una tarea determinada. Aunque postulamos una definición posible, especificar de qué trata este problema es una tarea complicada. Una manera de obtener claridad sobre esta cuestión es explorar distintas interpretaciones del problema de marco, interpretación lógica y filosófica, para dilucidar luego la dificultad en común. Como resultado de nuestro análisis concluimos que, sea la interpretación del problema de marco que se (...) tenga en mente, la dificultad subyacente es la misma: examinar vasta cantidad de información. La dificultad de la vastedad de información, a modo de puente entre ambas interpretaciones, permitiría no solo comprender más claramente de qué trata el problema de marco sino también resolverlo. The frame problem questions how cognitive processes determine what information is relevant, among all available, given a particular task. Although we proposed a possible definition, it is a difficult task to specify what this problem is about. One way to get insight into this matter is to explore different interpretations of the frame problem, a logical interpretation and a philosophical interpretation, to then elucidate the difficulty in common. The conclusion drawn from our analysis is that, irrespective of the interpretation of the frame problem you may have in mind, the underlying difficulty is the same: to examine a vastness of information. The difficulty posed by the vastness of information, taken as a bridge between both interpretations, would not only allow a clearer insight into the frame problem but also to solve it. (shrink)

This qualitative study was carried out in two public schools located in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil, and involved two primary school science teachers. Its objective was to discuss the relevance of continuing education of Science teachers with the emphasis on the use of ICT in their teaching practice, the challenges faced by the insertion of these technological resources in the school environment, and improvements in school facilities. These aspects guide the need for training that prepares the teacher (...) to deal with this type of situation. Data collection was done through the application of two interviews, at different moments of the research. These results were presented at an international event, Enseñanza de las Ciencias 2017, and we were able to observe the difference of realities between the science education in developed countries and noted the relevance of discussing this topic in the context of science teaching in Brazil. Keywords: Teaching practice; Challenges in Science Education; Information and Communication Technologies. (shrink)

While there is some consensus that the frame problem is one of the most controversial and difficult problems to solve within the field of the philosophy of the mind, even today it has not been possible to reach a consensus about its definition or solution. It is for this reason that our main objective is to clarify the interpretation of the original frame problem and some problems that derive from it. We will argue that, even this interpretation among several, has (...) various aspects and that it cannot be interpreted as "an" only problem but rather as a set of problems closely related to the same issue. (shrink)

Se ha propuesto el uso de heurísticas como una herramienta para solucionar el problema de marco. Los objetivos de este trabajo son proveer una clarificación de la literatura filosófica sobre el tema e intentar resolver los debates pendientes considerando la evidencia empírica disponible. Luego de distinguir varios aspectos del problema de marco, analizaremos las disputas filosóficas sobre el tema. A continuación comentaremos la literatura sobre la evidencia empírica relevante proveniente de la psicología cognitiva. Argumentaremos que las heurísticas pueden ser útiles (...) para solucionar sólo un aspecto del problema de marco, aun con varias restricciones. (shrink)

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to examine ethical climate as a mediator iin the relationship between ethical leadership and workplace bullying. An online questionnaire was answered by 223 Portuguese employees, who had worked for at least 6 consecutive months at the same organization. Results support the mediating role of ethical climate on the relationship between ethical leadership and bullying at work, suggesting that ethical leaders can contribute to the minimization of bullying through their impact on ethical climate and (...) employees’ behavior. Drawing on the social learning theory and the social information processing theory, this study clarifies the mediating role of ethical climate. (shrink)

The book discusses citizenship in the contemporary world; as a concept, as an ideal, as a policy and as a goal to be achieved from the perspective of different academic disciplines.

A standing presumption in the literature is that devil’s advocacy is an inherently beneficial argumentative move; and that those who take on this role in conversation are paradigms of argumentative virtue. Outside academic circles, however, devil’s advocacy has acquired something of a notorious reputation: real-world conversations are rife with self-proclaimed devil’s advocates who are anything but virtuous. Motivated by this observation, in this paper we offer the first in-depth exploration of non-ideal devil’s advocacy. We draw on recent analyses of two (...) better known discursive practices—mansplaining and trolling—to illuminate some of the signature traits of vicious devil’s advocacy. Building on this comparative examination, we show that all three practices trade on a manipulation of illocutionary force; and we evaluate their respective options for securing plausible deniability. (shrink)

Este trabajo se propone estudiar las características de los paralogismos de composición y división (Retórica II 24.II, 1401a), de la consecuencia (Retórica II 24.VI, 1401b20-30) y de la causa aparente (Retórica II 24.VII, 1401b30-34), de modo de analizar si Eurípides los utiliza en el agón de Andrómaca de los versos 577 a 746 This paper intends to study the characteristics of paralogisms due to composition and division (Rhetoric II 24.II, 1401a), due to consequent (Rhetoric II 24.VI, 1401b20-30), and due to (...) false cause (Rhetoric II 24.VII, 1401b30-34), in order to analyze if Euripides uses them in the agon in Andromache (577-746). (shrink)

This document exposes the conflict from the Post-Rational cognitive perspective, understanding the conflict as a relational phenomenon, which emerges when the need of recognition is exposed to its contrary: the non-recognition. “To know oneself” means in fact, to recognize oneself through the mediation of the other. An individual develops himself by recognizing the “otherness” that constitutes him. The self that goes out toward the other and then returns as ipse/selfhood, having acquired self-awareness through the other. For this reason, recognition is (...) a fundamental element in the building of human subjectivity. Identity is a continuous process that lasts a lifetime. It contains a central nucleus that ensures continuity by which a person is able to recognize him/ herself. In this way individuals learn to define who they are through interactions with others, especially those whom are more significant. Being recognized by others and by the environment offer the individual a sense of unity and coherence about himself. Conflict arises when the other or the environment becomes a threat to the survival of the subjectivity; when the absence or lack of recognition leads to harm in a person. Relational experiences are able to engender and ensure recognition, while holding onto an indispensable acceptance of individual differences. They thus allow each one to bring forth their own unique identity. (shrink)

This paper deals with two different meanings of the concepts of representation related to historiography. Both of them have different consequences when they attempt to give account of recent pasts in conflict. The first of them is representation as it is understood in cultural or social history –a sort of belief that people have about the world, especially with recent pasts that affect them. The other one is historical language or historiography understood -after the linguistic turn- as a representation of (...) the past. The main objective of this paper is to show how these two meanings of representation collapse in a “history of the present” or in a“history of the recent past”. (shrink)

The aim of this work is to argue that creativity is given in all forms of consciousness and that could open new perspectives in the research of the processes of formation of subjects. The most important result is that all the forms of consciousness have an enormous diversity of referents of the different modes of appropriation of the real, they are provided of imagination and critical capacity and only in the artistic consciousness creativity is condition for its existence. El objetivo (...) de este trabajo es argumentar que la creatividad se da en todas las formas de conciencia y que esto puede abrir nuevas perspectivas en la investigación de los procesos de formación de sujetos. El resultado más importante es que todas las formas de conciencia disponen de una enorme cantidad de referentes de diferentes modos de apropiación de lo real, están dotadas de imaginación y capacidad crítica y sólo en la conciencia artística la creatividad es condición para su existencia. (shrink)

This article, in line with the enunciative trend of discursive studies, makes use of the trichotomic notion of enunciation scenes, emphasizing scenography (MAINGUENEAU, 1998; 2006; 2008; 2013) in order to read a set of three "iconotexts," circulating on billboards in 2009 in the city of Cuiabá. Exhibited on the main avenues of Cuiabá, the "iconotexts" alluded to Dante de Oliveira's political legacy. Performing a scenographic analysis, based on the examination of the verbal and iconic materiality of the texts, this study (...) identifies an overlapping of enunciators - the Dante de Oliveira Institute, the politician Dante de Oliveira, and the PSDB, the latter being chromatically symbolized. Besides the enunciators, the scenographic analysis of the three iconotexts also indicates the topography and the chronography activated in the narrative of the discursive event Dante de Oliveira. The study shows the epistemological relevance of placing scenography at the center of the analysis of political communication. (shrink)

Aggression, violence, and cruelty are symptoms of psychiatric illness. They reflect abnormalities in the regulation of the stress and emotion circuitries. The functioning of these circuitries depends upon the interaction between genetics and environment. Abuse and neglect during infancy, as well as maternal stress and poor quality of maternal care, are some of the causes that produce these types of abnormal behavior. Research on the neurobiological bases of emotion regulation will allow the detection of the population at risk.

Resumen: Chela Reyes, es una escritora chilena nacida en Santiago el mismo año que Pablo Neruda. Ella tiene una relevante producción poética, casi desconocida, que puede y debería considerarse como parte de la tradición de la vanguardia histórica chilena. Este trabajo pretende evidenciar cómo en Ola nocturna, su tercer poemario publicado en 1945, la autora utiliza personajes y referencias de la mitología griega para dar forma a su imaginario. Su universo figurativo está constituido por poderosas evocaciones de un espacio marítimo (...) en el que se confunde Eros y Tanatos. Personajes como Eolo, Hipocampos, Sirenas, Neptuno, Eco, Venus, forman parte de su galería mitológica-poética. Mediante estas figuras la poeta construye un mundo sorprendente y fascinante en donde el erotismo es tanto creación como destrucción.: Chela Reyes is a chilean writer born in Santiago, the same year as Pablo Neruda. She has a relevant poetic production, almost unknown, that can and should be considered as part of the tradition of the Chilean historical avant-garde. This work aims to show how, in Ola nocturna, her third book of poems published in 1945, the author uses characters and references from Greek mythology to shape her imaginary. Its figurative universe is constituted by powerful evocations of a maritime space in which Eros and Thanatos are confused. Characters such as Eolo, Hippocampus, Sirens, Neptune, Echo, Venus, are part of its mythological-poetic gallery. Through these figures the poet builds a surprising and fascinating world in which eroticism is both creation and destruction. (shrink)

Chela Reyes, es una escritora chilena nacida en Santiago el mismo año que Pablo Neruda. Ella tiene una relevante producción poética, casi desconocida, que puede y debería considerarse como parte de la tradición de la vanguardia histórica chilena. Este trabajo pretende evidenciar cómo en Ola nocturna, su tercer poemario publicado en 1945, la autora utiliza personajes y referencias de la mitología griega para dar forma a su imaginario. Su universo figurativo está constituido por poderosas evocaciones de un espacio marítimo en (...) el cual se confunde Eros y Tanatos. Personajes como Eolo, Hipocampos, Sirenas, Neptuno, Eco, Venus, forman parte de su galería mitológica-poética. A través de estas figuras la poeta construye un mundo sorprendente y fascinante en el cual el erotismo es tanto creación como destrucción. (shrink)

La sobrecarga de información resulta un problema epistemológico que preocupa a distintas áreas del conocimiento tales como al campo de las ciencias cognitivas, en su intento por modelar sistemas capaces de detectar relevancia como a la ya olvidada enciclopedística, practicada durante los siglos XVI- XVIII y abocada a la organización, disposición y difusión de la información científica de la época. El presente artículo intenta dar cuenta del fracaso de estos dos campos de investigación a la hora de hallar soluciones ante (...) la problemática de la sobrecarga informacional. Para abordar nuestra cuestión clave, examinaremos particularmente las miradas relativamente pesimistas de H. Dreyfus y de Novalis. Los tratamientos de estos autores demuestran que la sobrecarga de información no puede, ni podrá ser resuelta, si no se recurre a otra vía de investigación por fuera de aquellas que se muestran como insuficientes, a saber: el modelo computacional de la mente (Dreyfus) y la operación enciclopedística clasificatoria (Novalis). (shrink)

En el marco del Paradigma Emergente de la Complejidad, la educación cobra un nuevo significado. Emerge la necesidad de postular nuevas visiones acerca del fenómeno educativo que trasciendan la concepción disciplinar. Ir a la búsqueda de una práctica educativa más sensible, exhaustiva, cuyo eje sea enseñar a investigar, integradora de las ciencias sociales con las humanísticas, fomentadora de un conocimiento autónomo, formadora de ciudadanos provistos de los instrumentos que les permitan interaccionar con el entorno de una manera creativa como constructores (...) de saberes. Reflexionar sobre la educación como camino y como arte, repensar la educación desde y para la Complejidad, se transforman en tareas urgentes para los educadores del Siglo XXI. (shrink)

Se analiza la obra Emlia Oardo Bazán desde la teoría del análisis lingüístico y cómo es que su obra fue de influencia para la literatura feminista del siglo XX, sin dejar de lado el enfoque naturalista de la literatura y los ideales feminismos de la época.

The Minimalist Program in generative linguistics is predicated on the idea that simplicity is a defining property of the human language faculty, on the one hand; on the other, a central aim of linguistic theorising. Worryingly, however, justifications for either claim are hard to come by in the literature. We sketch a proposal that would allow for both shortcomings to be addressed, and that furthermore honours the program’s declared commitment to naturalism. We begin by teasing apart and clarifying the different (...) conceptions of simplicity underlying generative inquiry, in both ontological and theoretical capacities. We then trace a path towards a more robust justification for each type of simplicity principle, drawing on recent work in cognitive science and in philosophy of science, respectively. The resulting proposal hinges on the idea that simplicity is an evolved, virtuous cognitive bias—one that is a condition of our scientific understanding and, ultimately, of successful scientific practice. Finally, we make a case for why minimalists should take this proposal seriously, on the one hand; and for why generative linguistics would make for an interesting case study for philosophy of science, on the other. (shrink)

In the last decades the concept of objectivity has been criticized by the "new epistemologies". These criticisms favour the consolidation of relativist and subjective positions, which condition the objectivity of scientific knowledge to such an extent that it seems to be a goal impossible to achieve.