This paper presents key elements of Paolo Prodi´s historiagraphic theory that allow us to include him in the contemporary debate on the rol of religion and morality within democratic societies. The text is developed in three moments. First, we will briefly describe the aforementioned debate. Second, we will present the theorical elements found in Prodi’s works which are more relevant for the topic discussed. Finally, we will offer some critical comments in order to present what, for us, is still an (...) open discussion. (shrink)

This paper analyzes in the use of virtual reality when used to induce full-body ownership in violent offenders in order to elicit empathetic feelings by allowing them to embody the virtual body of a victim of domestic abuse. The authors explore potentially harmful effects to individuals participating in this kind of therapy and question whether consent is fully informed. The paper concludes with guidelines for ethical research and rehabilitation using this innovative technology.

In infancy, all primates require a caregiver who meets their physical needs, such as food and protection (among many others), and their affective, cognitive, and social needs (in some species, this requirement extends until the primate is a juvenile). The caregiver is essential for primate infant survival and social and cognitive development. For that reason, infants are greatly affected if they lose their caregivers; the effects of becoming an orphan range from being unable to survive to behavioral and physiological consequences (...) that last through adulthood. This entry provides an overview of relevant aspects of the study of primate orphans such as survival rates, adoption, variables in the adoption process, the effects of losing a mother, and orphans in sanctuaries. (shrink)

En este ensayo se sostienen tres puntos. El primero es que el tema de las drogas merece una reflexión más allá de lo que nos dicen la sociedad telemática y los empresarios morales. En este sentido, se recuerda que en todas las culturas han existido drogas, que en ciertas culturas algunas drogas son prohibidas y que sobre dichas drogas y sus consumidores recae una doble estigmatización: adicción y (auto)destrucción. El segundo punto es nuestra propuesta concreta para reducir la violencia criminal (...) en Latinoamérica, que consiste en (i) despenalizar el consumo y el tráfico (por lo menos el menor) de drogas; (ii) eliminar la prohibición legal del consumo y el tráfico (por lo menos el menor) de drogas, salvo casos donde el consumo o el tráfico puedan afectar derechos legítimos de terceros; y (iii) suprimir la doble estigmatización que recae sobre el consumo en general y sobre los adictos en especial, lo que supone una sociedad civil más reflexiva sobre las drogas, principalmente sobre lo que hay detrás de la famosa lucha contra las drogas, etcétera. El tercer punto gira en torno a cómo las propuestas de eliminar la prohibición deben enfrentarse al discurso hegemónico de los empresarios morales, para lo cual se pone como ejemplo lo que sucedió en Colombia con la Sentencia C-221 de 1994, mediante la cual la Corte Constitucional dio un paso importante en el camino hacia la despenalización del consumo de drogas; esta Sentencia originó reacciones aireadas de los empresarios morales al punto de reformar la Constitución para mantener vivo el régimen de la prohibición. (shrink)

El propósito de este artículo es mostrar cómo ciertos procesos de victimización condenan a quienes los padecen a una suerte de destierro del mundo y de la realidad. El caso de la larga presencia paramilitar en El Placer (Putumayo, Colombia) es un ejemplo de lo anterior. Con el uso que hacen los sobrevivientes en El Placer de los términos “el mal aire” y “los aires de la muerte” se expresan nítidamente dichas formas de destierro. El propósito general del texto se (...) cumple, en primer lugar, recurriendo al término ‘mundo’ tal como este es usado por Hannah Arendt y por Edmund Husserl y, en segundo lugar, al término ‘realidad’ propuesto por Arendt y por Somogy Varga. Para concluir, intento establecer una relación entre la pérdida de mundo, la pérdida del sentido de la realidad y lo que se conoce en fenomenología como‘despersonalización’. AbstractThe purpose of this article is to show how certain forms of victimization condemn those who suffer them to a sort of exile from the world and from reality. The case of the long paramilitary presence in the town El Placer (Putumayo, Colombia) is a good example of this. The use its survivors make of the words “bad air” and “the airs of death” neatly expresses the mentioned forms of exile. To accomplish this purpose, firstly, I appeal, to the term ‘world’ as used by Hannah Arendt and Edmund Husserl, and secondly, to the term ‘reality’ as usedby Arendt and Somogy Varga. I conclude weaving a relationship between the terms “no-world”, “loss of the sense of reality”and what in phenomenology is known as ‘depersonalization’. (shrink)

El autor intenta definir el problema que enfrentaría actualmente la Fenomenología husserliana si se la enfrentara con las llamadas ciencias cognitivas, las cuales han surgido recientemente. La confrontación puede verse desde dos ópticas: a) como la irrupción de un enfoque antagónico de algunos temas abordados por la fenomenología de Husserl, o b) como la aceptación de que las nuevas realidades científicas, reveladas por las ciencias cognoscitivas, abren la posibilidad de una naturalización de algunas descripciones fenomenológicas. El autor se inclina por (...) la segunda vía por ser más prometedora. (shrink)

El propósito de este texto es mostrar que dos de los más conocidos paradigmasdel mal en la historia de la filosofía moral no son excluyentes. A partir deljuicio que Bartolomé de Las Casas emite sobre la institución delrequerimiento, en la primera parte del trabajo se intenta explicar el origendel mal a partir del paradigma platónico de la ignorancia. En la segundaparte, y teniendo en cuenta la descripción que hace Las Casas de la formacomo es aplicado el requerimiento, se aclara aquella (...) otra fuente del mal que,según Aristóteles, tiene lugar en la disposición incontinente de un agente. (shrink)

RESUMEN El artículo responde algunas críticas planteadas por Ignacio Ávila a mi interpretación de la epistemología davidsoniana. Presento argumentos en contra de: a) que sea necesario distinguir entre representaciones epistemológicamente “peligrosas”e “inofensivas”; b) que el empirismo mínimo sea un tipo de realismo directo; c) que mi uso de la expresión “evidencia distal” y el interés por la teoría de la correspondencia sean asuntos ajenos a Davidson. Finalmente, sostengo que la triangulación es un elemento fundamental de la epistemología davidsoniana, pues permite (...) sortear la ansiedad realista manteniéndose en una postura no representacionalista. ABSTRACT In this article, I respond to some of Ignacio Ávila's criticisms of my interpretation of Davidson’s epistemology. I argue against: a) the need to distinguish between epistemologically “dangerous” and “harmless” representations; b) the idea that minimal empiricism is a kind of direct realism; and c) the claim that my usage of the expression “distal evidence” and interest in the theory of correspondence are issues that do not pertain to Davidson. Finally, I claim that triangulation is a key element in Davidsonian epistemology since it allows us to deal with the realist anxiety while maintaining a non-representationalist viewpoint. (shrink)

Since the 1970s, researchers have focused on visual joint attention as a way to observe and operationalize joint attention. I will argue that this methodological choice has neglected other modalities and as a consequence might be missing important elements in the account of the development of JA and the evolutionary history of JA. I argue that by including other modes of interaction, such as touch, we open the possibility of finding that non-human primates and younger human infants engage in basic (...) forms of JA. Moreover, I argue that touch, as a proximal mode of perception, is the ontogenetic precursor of social communication. (shrink)

RESUMEN Se analiza si la versión de la justicia como equidad, presentada en El liberalismo político, es genuinamente una concepción política. Se examina el problema de la razonabilidad de las doctrinas comprehensivas, y se indaga luego si el argumento en dos etapas afecta la integridad estructural del liberalismo político. Se concluye que J. Rawls fracasa en su intento de justificar un liberalismo independiente de una doctrina comprehensiva de carácter liberal. ABSTRACT The article analyzes whether the conception of justice as fairness, (...) set forth by Rawls in Political Liberalism, is a genuine political conception. It first examines the issue of reasonableness of comprehensive doctrines and then goes on to inquire whether the two-step argument affects the structural integrity of political liberalism. The paper concludes that J. Rawls fails in his attempt to justify liberalism independently of a comprehensive liberal doctrine. (shrink)

El propósito de este artículo es fortalecer los vínculos entre las razones de justicia y las razones históricas para justificar el reconocimiento de ciertos derechos en favor de grupos culturalmente diferenciados. Intento con ello mostrar que a la lucha por la defensa de la preservación de ciertas culturas no es marginal, sino más bien esencial, el hecho de que dicha defensa provenga de una historia de exclusión. Acudiendo a ejemplos, en la primera parte del trabajo intentaré integrar algunos rasgos de (...) lo que Charles Taylor entiende por proceso de formación de la identidad al conjunto de etapas que, según Luis Villoro, dan lugar a la proyección de un modelo de justicia. En la segunda parte contaré algunos episodios del reciente proceso de recuperación territorial de la comunidad indígena U'wa en Colombia. El propósito de esta parte del trabajo es fortalecer el vínculo que establece Villoro entre las historias de exclusión y los procesos de consolidación de la justicia. A modo de conclusión y teniendo en cuenta la diferencia planteada por Ernst Tugendhat entre derechos generales y derechos especiales, mostraré en qué medida las historias tristes no dejan de constituirse en contenidos para la justicia una vez que la ley positiva ha consagrado una serie de derechos. (shrink)

In this article I make references to a set of statements made by Albert Speer –Hitler’s architect–, about his situation in the Third Reich after the end of the Second World War. The heart of these statements is the term “self-deception”. Taking into account of Speer’s words, I emphasize on a feature which, as I see it, goes along with the process of self-deception: imposture. With the inclusion of imposture in the discussion on self-deception, I emphasize on the fact that (...) it frequently takes place in a context made not only by the self-deceiver alone, but by others as well. In this sense, the presence of the others or what I want to call “the audience” is a significant part of what makes self-deception more or less notorious, more or less easy to occur. (shrink)

Los textos de Ernst Tugendhat sobre mística están acompañados de una serie de referencias a la experiencia estética. Dadas estas referencias y la importancia que puede atribuirse a ellas en el propósito de Tugendhat de aclarar el sentido de lo místico, en este trabajo exploro la posibilidad de responder positivamente a esta pregunta: ¿Puede la experiencia estética comportar algunos de los rasgos de la experiencia mística? El punto de partida en mi propósito será atender a la reflexión de Tugendhat en (...) torno al término "asombro" en el contexto de la experiencia estética. A continuación doy las razones por las cuales, según el autor, la expresión "¡qué asombroso que exista el mundo!" tiene, en efecto, el sentido que Wittgenstein negó para ella. Concluyo mostrando que quien, con este tipo de expresiones, afirma la belleza del mundo no solo expresa la emoción que comporta el asombro; expresa también una disposición para asumir una actitud mística. Ernst Tugendhat's works on mysticism are provided of a series of references to the aesthetic experience. Based on these references, and the significance they may be attributed in Tugendhat's purpose to clarify the sense of mysticism, in this paper I explore the possibility to answer affirmatively the question: Can the aesthetic experience imply some of the traits attributed to the mystical experience? My starting point to get the answer is to focus on Tugendhat's reflections on the term "astonishment" in the context of the mystical experience. i then give the reasons that, according to Tugendhat and opposed to Wittgenstein, may make us think that the expression 'How astonishing that the world exists!' has indeed a sense. Finally, i conclude showing that anyone using expressions like this to affirm the beauty of the world, not only expresses the emotion implied by his astonishment: he also expresses a disposition to assume a mystical attitude. (shrink)

One requirement for the formation of an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee is that they include a community member who embodies the values of the general population. This study’s aim is to investigate whether community members use moral arguments when deliberating a case of nonhuman animals used in experimentation. To this end, we tested the responses of community members in a situation similar to those confronting members of IACUC. The participants’ evaluation of the protocol was consistent with the mandates (...) of IACUC. We also found that overall no moral argument played a significant role in their evaluation of a protocol. Only arguments based on loyalty to the human species played a moderate role in the evaluation of using animals in experimental research, in a way similar to using some moral arguments regarding the importance of human welfare to justify the use of animals in experimental research. (shrink)

This article will present how Systemics and Cybernetics might prove useful for law in advancing a Systemic-Cybernetic Theory of Law (TSCD). With TSCD it will be possible for legal scholars to solve several jurisprudential problems and also elaborate a new and more comprehensive approach to law than the ones currently available. In order to achieve this goal, it will be argued how systemic-cybernetic methodology and epistemology have come into play in the law, and which kind of features are included in (...) the theory, and also it will be added where new answers are offered.The authors hope TSCD to be considered as a paradigm helpful for facing the challenges and crisis that in their practical operation and philosophical and scientific research are being put forward by different systems of law (national, international, transnational, etcetera).Resumen:En el presente texto se presentará al lector cómo la sistémica y la cibernética sirven al derecho para estructurar así una Teoría Sistémico-Cibernética del Derecho (TSCD). Mediante ésta se podrá dar respuesta a diversos interrogantes iusfilosóficos, obteniendo una visión del derecho más completa de las que hasta ahora se nos ha ofrecido. Para lograr tal cometido, se expondrá la manera cómo la metodología y la epistemología sistémica y cibernética irrumpen en el mundo jurídico, para luego enumerar algunas características de una posible TSCD y los problemas a los que esta visión del derecho ofrece algo nuevo.La TSCD constituirá —así lo esperamos— el paradigma que la complejidad de los temas y sistemas del derecho (nacionales, internacionales, trasnacionales, etcétera) requiere para hacer frente a la crisis de su funcionamiento práctico y de su investigación científica y filosófica. (shrink)

This paper provides a theoretical exploration of how comparative research on the expression of emotions has traditionally focused on the visual mode and argues that, given the neurophysiological, developmental, and behavioral evidence that links touch with social interactions, focusing on touch can become an ideal mode to understand the communication of emotions in human and nonhuman primates. This evidence shows that touch is intrinsically linked with social cognition because it motivates human and nonhuman animals from birth to form social bonds. (...) It will be shown that touch is one of the modes of interaction used by the mother-infant or caregiver- infant dyad that facilitates the expression of emotions by the infant (and later the expression of emotions by the adult that the infant has become) in ways that are understood by other members of the group. (shrink)

There is something important about the way human primates use touch in social encounters; for example, consider greetings in airports (hugs vs. handshakes) and the way children push each other in a playground (a quick push to warn, a really hard one when it is serious!). Human primates use touch as a way of conveying a wide range of social information. In this chapter I will argue that one of the best ways of understanding social cognition in non-human primates is (...) through touch. Moreover, I will argue that if we would like to describe the evolutionary history of social cognition, touch is one of the ideal modes to operationalize social interaction across different kinds of primates. (shrink)

Desde una hermenéutica ontológica política se hacen visibles y audibles prácticas singulares a partir del punto de vista de los estudios latinoamericanos, los cuales apelan por una perspectiva de afirmación como propone Arturo Escobar respecto a una mirada sobre la diversidad y singularidad de accio..

Several studies have shown that people are more likely to attribute intentionality and blame to agents who perform actions that have harmful consequences. This kind of bias has problematic implications for jury decisions because it predicts that judgment in juries will malfunction if an action has a blameworthy effect. Most of these studies include in their design a vignette in which it is clear that agents have foreknowledge of the effects of their actions. This kind of design fails to replicate (...) trial situations where, in most cases, it is impossible to know with certainty whether agents have foreknowledge of the effects of their actions. In the present study, we adopt an alternative design that includes vignettes in which there is no direct evidence of foreknowledge to investigate the relationship between intentionality and blame in actions that have harmful and helpful effects. We find that people are still more likely to attribute intentionality to actions that produce harmful effects than actions that produce good effects. However, we find that people tend to attribute more blame when they have direct evidence of foreknowledge than when presented with an alternative design that does not include foreknowledge. Results indicate the relevant role that evidence of foreknowledge plays in experimental designs that study blame attribution. (shrink)

This highly influential anti-Machiavellian text is an important primary source for the understanding of early modern political thought.

Traditional theories of autonomy argue for rational agents who are free to make decisions about the moral law and justice. Adopting these theories entails that children lack of autonomy; they are not fully developed rational agents, and, because of that, they are unable to engage in the complex cognitive capacities required by autonomy, such as critical self-reflection or substantive independence. Amy Mullin who, as part of a new area of philosophy called Philosophy of Childhood, argues for granting children minimal or (...) local autonomy. She argues that children's attachments to those they love can be a source of autonomy in a minimal sense. She claims that it is in the relationship with those the child loves that the child is able to find meaningful activities and is able to care for someone or something. I argue that Jeff Lemire’s Essex County Vol. 1 Tales from the Farm, is a depiction of childhood that illustrates Mullin’s ideas. However, I will argue that through the use of images as a form of language, Lemire offers an insight that is unique to the medium of the graphic novel. Lemire as an artist negotiates the optical physical surfaces and uses these surfaces as a language to bridge the gap between the child and the adult and help us understand the mind of children as autonomous agents. This is an important contribution since it will allow us to understand how children can demonstrate autonomy in some of the ways in which they conduct their lives and how this may be reason enough to grant them a voice when decisions that would affect their lives are made on their behalf, such as custody cases or end of life decisions. (shrink)