Randomised placebo-controlled trials (RPCTs) are the gold standard for evaluating novel treatments. However, this design is rarely used in the context of orthopaedic interventions where participants are assigned to a real or placebo surgery. The present study examines attitudes towards RPCTs for orthopaedic surgery among 687 orthopaedic surgeons across the USA. When presented with a vignette describing an RPCT for orthopaedic surgery, 52.3% of participants viewed it as ‘completely’ or ‘mostly’ unethical. Participants were also asked to rank-order the value of (...) five different types of evidence supporting the efficacy of a surgery, ranging from RPCT to an anecdotal report. Responses regarding RPCTs were polarised with 26.4% viewing it as the least valuable (even less valuable than an anecdote) and 35.7.% viewing it as the most valuable. Where equipoise exists, if we want to subject orthopaedic surgeries to the highest standard of evidence (RPCTs) before they are implemented in clinical practice, it will be necessary to educate physicians on the value and ethics of placebo surgery control conditions. Otherwise, invasive procedures may be performed without any benefits beyond possible placebo effects. (shrink)

Moral problems often prompt emotional responses that invoke intuitive judgments of right and wrong. While emotions inform judgment across many domains, they can also lead to ethical failures that could be avoided by using a more deliberative, analytical decision-making process. In this article, we describe joint evaluation as an effective tool to help decision makers manage their emotional assessments of morality.

The paper aims to assess the theory of mind of sexual offenders. We administered to 21 sexual offenders and to 21 nonoffenders two classical first- and second-order ToM tasks, a selection of six Strange Stories, and a semi-structured interview, the Theory of Mind Assessment Scale , which provides a multi-dimensional evaluation of ToM, investigating first- vs. third-person and egocentric vs. allocentric perspectives. Results show that sexual offenders performed worse than controls on second-order ToM tasks, on Strange Stories and on each (...) of the Th.o.m.a.s dimensions, whereas they did as well as the control group on first-order ToM tasks. A detailed analysis of participants’ performance on Th.o.m.a.s. showed that sex offenders performed worse on the third-person than on the first-person ToM scale, and worse on the allocentric than on the egocentric perspective; these findings did not apply to the controls. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed. (shrink)

Throughout the twentieth century, women's magazines in the United States have socialized their readers to the “proper” expression of love and anger in marriage. Our analysis of a random sample of marital advice articles from 1900 to 1979 examines this cultural convergence of gender, marriage, and emotion. A qualitative analysis identifies techniques for socializing readers to the emotional culture of marriage and shows a historical change toward equating love with self-fulfillment and advocating the expression of anger. A quantitative analysis then (...) specifies the timing of changes in emotion norms and showed an oscillation between modern and traditional norms that is related to waves of political liberation versus oppression. We discuss the relation between emotion norms and behavior and explore the effect of group conflict on the production of emotional culture. Emotion norms have become less rigid and more tolerant of diversity; but gender differences persist, and women are still responsible for maintaining intimate relationships. Historical trends in love and anger norms are nonlinear, not a continuous shift toward individualism, self-development, and free expression, as suggested by recent cultural theories. (shrink)

Cet ouvrage porte sur l'homme et sur sa quête de sens. Dans une perspective philosophique, nous y examinons les grands types de discours qui organisent notre rapport au monde et qui contribuent ainsi à la recherche humaine d'une vie plus sensée: la philosophie, la mythologie, la religion et la science. Ces discours offrent à la conscience des peuples et des civilisations leurs repères culturels fondamentaux. Ils déterminent les croyances partagées, les savoirs admis et les valeurs sacrées, d'où l'intérêt de les (...) examiner et de voir comment ils contribuent à nous guider. Cela nous permet bien sûr de circonscrire l'apport singulier de la philosophie à la question du sens de la vie. Nous nous arrêterons en particuliers à cet égard à la contribution que nous ont léguée trois grands philosophes de l'Antiquité grecque, Platon, Aristote et Epicure. (shrink)

Félix Aubé Beaudoin | : Le dilemme darwinien, formulé par Sharon Street, somme les réalistes moraux d’expliquer pourquoi de nombreux jugements qui sont des candidats au statut de vérités morales indépendantes sont aussi ceux qui ont une grande valeur sélective. Les réalistes peuvent soit nier, soit affirmer l’existence d’un lien entre pressions évolutionnistes et vérités morales. Selon Street, la première option mène au scepticisme tandis que la seconde est indéfendable sur le plan scientifique. Peter Singer et Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek (...) optent pour la première branche de ce dilemme. Dans cet article, la stratégie argumentative qu’ils adoptent — la réponse naturelle — sera soumise à un examen critique. Deux objections seront formulées. La première est d’ordre épistémologique : l’intuitionnisme philosophique défendu par les auteurs fait face à des difficultés majeures. La seconde, plus fondamentale, est que leur solution ne permet pas d’expliquer autrement que par un heureux hasard l’alignement entre les vérités morales et les jugements ayant une valeur sélective. | : According to Sharon Street’s Darwinian Dilemma, moral realists must explain why many judgments that are likely to be independent moral truths are those it would be evolutionarily adaptive to hold. Realists can either deny or assert the existence of a relation between evolutionary influences and moral truths. The first option leads to skepticism, while the second is unacceptable on scientific grounds, says Street. Peter Singer and Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek take the first horn of this dilemma. In this article, the argumentative strategy they adopt — the Natural Reply - is submitted to critical scrutiny. Two objections are raised. The first objection is epistemological : philosophical intuitionism, as defended by the authors, is an untenable position. The second objection is that their solution must appeal to unlikely coincidences to account for the overlap between independent moral truths and evolutionarily adaptive attitudes. (shrink)

Il XII secolo rappresenta per il mondo monastico un periodo di grande splendore dal punto di vista culturale e filosofico, in particolare grazie a figure come Bernardo di Chiaravalle e Guglielmo di Saint-Thierry, la cui riflessione rappresenta da una parte la maturità della tradizione monastica altomedievale, dall’altra il coronamento e la chiusura di un periodo, più che l’apertura di uno nuovo.Paradossalmente il XII secolo segna anche un periodo di crisi profonda, in cui i monaci, che per secoli sono stati al (...) centro dei dibattiti teologici e filosofici, sembrano lasciare il posto agli ordini mendicanti. Nel secolo successivo i francescani raccolgono in un certo senso l’eredità monastica, riprendendola in modo originale, come Guglielmo ha fatto con Agostino, riuscendo così a renderla capace di partecipare ai nuovi dibattiti filosofici e a trovare posto all’interno degli ambienti universitari. Un esempio chiaro è offerto da Bonaventura da Bagnoregio, uno dei più grandi rappresentanti nel XIII secolo della tradizione agostiniana rivista alla luce dell’ispirazione francescana. Bonaventura riprende dalla tradizione monastica alcuni temi: la superiorità dell’amore, della volontà e del bene sull’intelletto, la centralità della relazione e dell’analogia nel rapporto tra uomo e Dio. Il linguaggio del filosofo francescano è in un certo senso simile a quello usato da Guglielmo: non è semplicemente evocativo, letterario e platonico, in quanto condivide le forti esigenze logiche e la nuova terminologia caratteristica dell’aristotelismo diffuso nell’università parigina.Prendendo in esame la riflessione di Bonaventura, con particolare riferimento a Legenda maior e a Itinerarium mentis in Deum, e prestando attenzione ai temi riconducibili alla tradizione agostiniana e monastica, si può cercare di chiarire fino a che punto esista un legame con tale tradizione e quanto ci sia invece di originale e tipicamente francescano. The twelfth century is a period of great splendor for the monastic world from the cultural and philosophical point of view, thanks to philosophers like Bernard of Clairvaux and William of Saint-Thierry in particular. Their philosophical thought represents not only the maturity of the early medieval monastic tradition and its crowning achievement, but also the closing of a period, rather than the opening of a new one.Paradoxically, the twelfth century is also a period of profound crisis, in which the monks, who for centuries have been at the center of theological and philosophical debates, seem to leave their place to mendicant religious orders. In a sense, during the following century the Franciscans collect the monastic legacy, recovering it in an original way, as William of Saint-Thierry did with Augustine’s philosophy. The Franciscans also succeed in making this inheritance capable of participating in the new philosophical debates, also in university environments. A clear example is Bonaventure from Bagnoregio, one of the most important philosopher in the thirteenth century that recovered the Augustinian tradition reconsidering it thanks to his Franciscan inspiration. Bonaventure picks up from the monastic tradition some themes: the superiority of love, of will and of good over the intellect, the importance of relationship and of analogy in the link between man and God. In a sense we can say that the language of the Franciscan philosopher is similar to William’s language: it isn’t simply evocative, literary and platonic, because it shares the strong logical requirements and the new terminology of Aristotelianism spread in Parisian university.Considering Bonaventure’s philosophy, focusing on Legenda maior and Itinerarium mentis in Deum, and paying attention to the themes related to the Augustinian and monastic tradition, we can try to clarify the link with this tradition and what on the contrary is original and “typically Franciscan”. (shrink)

The use of assistance systems aimed at reducing road fatalities is spreading, especially for car drivers, but less effort has been devoted to developing and testing similar systems for powered two-wheelers. Considering that over speeding represents one of the main causal factors in road crashes and that riders are more vulnerable than drivers, in the present study we investigated the effectiveness of an assistance system which signaled speed limit violations during a simulated moped-driving task, in optimal and poor visibility conditions. (...) Participants performed four conditions of simulated riding: one baseline condition without Feedback, one Fog condition in which visual feedback was provided so as to indicate to the participants when a speed limit was exceeded, and two post-Feedback conditions with and without Fog, respectively, in which no feedback was delivered. Results showed that participants make fewer speeding violations when the feedback is not provided, after 1 month, and regardless of the visibility condition. Finally, the feedback has been proven effective in reducing speed violations in participants with an aggressive riding style, as measured in the baseline session. (shrink)

Proprioception is a crucial sensory modality involved in the control and regulation of coordinated movements and in motor learning. However, the extent to which proprioceptive acuity is influenced by local muscle fatigue is obscured by methodological differences in proprioceptive and fatiguing protocols. In this study, we used high resolution kinematic measurements provided by a robotic device, as well as both frequency and time domain analysis of signals captured via surface electromyography (sEMG) to examine the effects of local muscle fatigue on (...) wrist proprioceptive acuity in 16 physically and neurologically healthy young adults. To this end, participants performed a flexion/extension ipsilateral joint position matching test (JPM), after which a high-resistive robotic task was used to induce muscle fatigue of the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) muscle. The JPM test was then repeated in order to analyze potential changes in proprioceptive acuity. Results indicated that the fatigue protocol had a significant effect on movements performed in flexion direction, with participants exhibiting a tendency to undershoot the target before the fatigue protocol (-1.218°), but overshooting after the fatigue protocol (0.587°). In contrast, in the extension direction error bias values were similar before and after the fatigue protocol as expected (pre = -1.852°, post = -1.237°) and reflected a tendency to undershoot the target. Moreover, statistical analysis indicated that movement variability was not influenced by the fatigue protocol or movement direction. In sum, results of the present study demonstrate that an individual’s estimation of wrist joint displacement (i.e., error bias), but not precision (i.e., variability), is affected by muscular fatigue in a sample of neurologically and physically healthy adults. (shrink)

La tâche de cette contribution est de situer le traité de Philon d’Alexandrie Alexander vel De ratione quam habere etiam bruta animalia dans le panorama des options philosophiques antiques concernant le statut des animaux et d’interpréter les thèses spécifiques de l’auteur. Dans un premier temps, les positions de Philon et d’Alexandre, les protagonistes du traité, seront brièvement examinées. Ensuite, nous tenterons de retracer leur contexte philosophique : les thèses de Philon, qui exclut les animaux de la rationalité et de la (...) pertinence éthique, semblent faire écho aux positions stoïciennes et se démarquer de la tradition aristotélicienne et platonicienne, cette dernière étant assumée par Alexandre. Dans la dernière partie, l’analyse de cette hypothèse sera étendue à d’autres aspects du corpus philonien, liés surtout aux instances bibliques. Le but est de vérifier si, en dernière analyse, Philon peut être associé au stoïcisme impérial en ce qui concerne la domination homme-animal et au-delà. (shrink)

Caroline Brettell, professeure d’anthropologie, spécialiste des rapports sociaux de sexe en migration, a publié plusieurs articles et ouvrages sur les femmes portugaises en France et au Canada. Dans cet ouvrage, elle synthétise les principales publications en sciences humaines et sociales, principalement dans le contexte américain, tout en les comparant à d’autres études internationales. Le livre commence par un examen historique de l’intérêt grandissant pour les femmes dans la littérature sc...

L’article analyse les témoignages stoïciens qui définissent la divinité comme «intellect» et comme «âme du monde», et qui permettent de déterminer les contenus de la pensée divine comme logoi, c’est-à-dire certains «discours» ou «raisonnements». En premier lieu, on examine les mots νοερόν, et νοητόν pour établir à quelles réalités les Stoïciens confèrent les caractères d’intelligence et d’intelligibilité et comment ils décrivent la pensée scientifique à laquelle ils comparent la pensée divine. En second lieu, on examine la théorie des raisons séminales (...) et ses relations historiques avec le problème des objets de la pensée divine. Enfin, on tente de montrer que les Stoïciens, tout en suivant la théologie démiurgique du Timée, unifient ce que Platon a tenu bien séparé : le Démiurge lui-même, l’âme du monde, le «vivant intelligible». (shrink)

L’article analyse les témoignages stoïciens qui définissent la divinité comme «intellect» et comme «âme du monde», et qui permettent de déterminer les contenus de la pensée divine comme logoi, c’est-à-dire certains «discours» ou «raisonnements». En premier lieu, on examine les mots νοερόν, et νοητόν pour établir à quelles réalités les Stoïciens confèrent les caractères d’intelligence et d’intelligibilité et comment ils décrivent la pensée scientifique à laquelle ils comparent la pensée divine. En second lieu, on examine la théorie des raisons séminales (...) et ses relations historiques avec le problème des objets de la pensée divine. Enfin, on tente de montrer que les Stoïciens, tout en suivant la théologie démiurgique du Timée, unifient ce que Platon a tenu bien séparé : le Démiurge lui-même, l’âme du monde, le «vivant intelligible». (shrink)

Este ensaio pretende oferecer uma revisão abrangente de um dos textos mais fecundos de Emmanuel Levinas, Le Temps et l’Autre, mostrando sua estreita conexão com as obras inéditas publicadas em Paris em novembro de 2009, a saber, os Carnets de captivité, e em articulação, entre outras, com obras como Quelques réflexions sur la philosophie de l’hitlérisme, De l’évasion e De l’existence à l’existant. Desde o início o que surge de modo muito evidente é a aguda tomada de consciência do quanto (...) esse texto é crucial não apenas para compreender, através do que já contém em síntese, os temas da maturidade teórica do autor, mas também para lançar luz sobre nosso presente e para nos dar ferramentas para exercer uma leitura fenomenológica profunda: o desaparecimento progressivo do Outro e o esmagamento do sujeito egocêntrico em um presente contínuo são os resultados nefastos de um contexto em que a solidão, o medo, a indiferença se confirmam como a tonalidade afetiva mais difundida. O que fazer perante uma tal paralisia de si? O eu necessitado, mortal e finito somente pode se libertar desse encadeamento no “in-stante” de uma “posição” ou no momento em que, temporalizando-se, tem diante de si o Outro que se encontra para além de todas as suas possibilidades e por meio do qual faz sentido seu direito ao ser. Em seu próprio corporalizar-se, o ‘eu sou’ torna-se subitamente responsável e assignado através da feliz culpa, que se dá como transcrição temporal da “instância do instante” e na qual se realiza o desenclausuramento definitivo do Eu doravante situado no acusativo. Palavras-chave: Levinas, tempo, outro, solidão, responsabilidade. (shrink)

Les Stoïciens formulent une conception de la «substance», ou ousia, qui tient un rôle très important dans différentes parties de leur système, parmi lesquelles la cosmologie, la psychologie et l'éthique. Au concept de substance est liée ce qu.on appelle la table des quatre 'catégories'. Cette dernière est considéréepar certains interprètes récents comme l'issue d'un processus historique relativement long, qui trouve sa formulation achevée seulement avec Chrysippe. Les sources relatives à la théorie des quatre catégories forment, comme on le sait, une (...) tradition indirecte et dans une large mesure également hostile, parce qu'elle est transmise surtout par Plutarque, Plotin et les commentateurs aristotéliciens des Catégories. Pourtant, ces sources permettent de saisir certaines des questions qui sont au centre de la réflexion stoïcienne sur l'être. Parmi les plus significatives, il y a la question du rapport entre substance et matière, et la question de la signification de la substance individuelle. (shrink)

Les Stoïciens formulent une conception de la «substance», ou ousia, qui tient un rôle très important dans différentes parties de leur système, parmi lesquelles la cosmologie, la psychologie et l'éthique. Au concept de substance est liée ce qu.on appelle la table des quatre 'catégories'. Cette dernière est considéréepar certains interprètes récents comme l'issue d'un processus historique relativement long, qui trouve sa formulation achevée seulement avec Chrysippe. Les sources relatives à la théorie des quatre catégories forment, comme on le sait, une (...) tradition indirecte et dans une large mesure également hostile, parce qu'elle est transmise surtout par Plutarque, Plotin et les commentateurs aristotéliciens des Catégories. Pourtant, ces sources permettent de saisir certaines des questions qui sont au centre de la réflexion stoïcienne sur l'être. Parmi les plus significatives, il y a la question du rapport entre substance et matière, et la question de la signification de la substance individuelle. (shrink)

Spécialiste de la littérature britannique du long dix-huitième siècle, de l’histoire littéraire des femmes et de critique féministe, Jane Spencer nous livre ici un ouvrage qui met les animaux et l’animalité au cœur de la littérature de l’époque dite « des révolutions ». Au moins trois axes de recherche se croisent dans Writing About Animals in the Age of Revolution : un premier, visant à comprendre le rôle joué par les animaux dans la littérature britannique entre la deuxième moitié du (...) xviiie... (shrink)

_Abstract_: The overarching aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive account of melancholic depression from the perspective of hermeneutic phenomenology. More specifically, we propose that this condition should be interpreted as an alteration in the intentional arc that affects corporeality, temporality, and spatiality, rather than as a mood disorder. In fact, classifying melancholic depression as a mood disorder seems a particularly poor choice; the mood disorder is not a cause but a consequence of a primary disturbance in operative (...) intentionality. Our paper comprises four sections: (1) We provide a methodological and conceptual framework for our theoretical work, adopting a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective on melancholic depression, and underlining the main differences between melancholia and depression. (2) We offer a detailed reconstruction of the different interpretations of melancholic depression and their relationships to the issue of temporality. (3) We analyze the disruption of intentionality in melancholic depression and how it affects corporeality and directionality. (4) We focus on the disruption of moods and affects in melancholic depression, observing how they shape subjective experience. The goal of this theoretical contribution is to underscore the role of operative intentionality and its disruptions in melancholic depression. We argue that taking elements such as intentionality, embodiment, and spatiality into consideration could help to direct therapies along more promising paths. _Keywords_: Melancholic Depression; Operative Intentionality; Corporeality; Directionality; Temporality; Mood Disorders _La depressione melancolica. Un’interpretazione fenomenologico-ermeneutica_ _Riassunto_: L’intento generale di questo contributo è di fornire un’interpretazione della depressione melancolica attraverso la fenomenologia ermeneutica. Più specificatamente, la nostra ipotesi è che questa condizione potrebbe essere interpretata come un’alterazione dell’arco intenzionale la quale impatta la corporeità, la temporalità e la spazialità, e non come un disordine dell’umore. Infatti, classificare la depressione melancolica come un disordine dell’umore ci sembra una scelta particolarmente limitata; il disordine dell’umore non è la causa ma la conseguenza di un disturbo a livello primario dell’intenzionalità operativa. Il nostro contributo si articola in quattro sezioni: nella prima, forniamo una cornice metodologica e concettuale finalizzata a chiarificare le fondamenta teoretiche del nostro lavoro, ad illustrare l’utilizzo della fenomenologia ermeneutica in riferimento alla depressione melancolica, e a sottolineare le differenze principali tra melancolia e depressione. Nella seconda sezione, ricostruiamo in modo dettagliato le diverse interpretazioni della depressione melancolica e la loro relazione con la temporalità. Nella terza sezione, analizziamo l’alterazione dell’intenzionalità nella depressione melancolica e come essa impatti sia la corporeità che la direzionalità. Infine, nell’ultima sezione ci concentriamo sull’alterazione degli stati umorali e della componente affettiva, osservando come questi elementi vadano a caratterizzare l’esperienza soggettiva. Il fine di questo contributo teoretico è di evidenziare il ruolo dell’intenzionalità operativa e delle sue alterazioni nella depressione melancolica. La nostra tesi è che prendere in considerazione alcuni elementi, come l’intenzionalità, l’embodiment e la spazialità, possa contribuire a delineare interventi terapeutici in modo più promettente. _Parole chiave_: Depressione melancolica; Intenzionalità operativa; Corporeità; Direzionalità; Temporalità; Disturbi dell’umore. (shrink)

The essay aims to disclose British sociologist Ruth Levitas’s proposal regarding the thorny issue of the lack of consensus about the definition of the concept of utopia, a issue which, in the Levitas’s view, results in a widespread terminological confusion and in the omnipresent risk of arbitrary selection of the material. After an accurate analysis of the main theoretical and epistemological approaches on the topic, Levitas suggests an inclusive definition which would allow to cross the boundaries imposed by «restrictive» characterizations, (...) for the purpose of creating a higher degree of agreement with regards to what may be included within the concept of "utopia". Too «limitative» definitions would instead lead to misleading conclusions about the destiny and the function of the utopian genre, among which the widespread belief that utopia is in decline or, even worse, definitively disappeared. Finally, Levitas suggests a «sociology of utopia» through an analysis of the correlations between the two form of knowledge, correlations which, in her view, has been repressed for decades. (shrink)

The main aim of the present essay is to explore Arthur C. Danto’s passionate confrontation with German philosophy. As will emerge, it is neither an analysis planned according to a precise chronological order, nor a rigidly systematic investigation. In a succession of irreverent betrayals, syncretistic appropriations and courageous afterthoughts, Danto will proceed rather backwards, going from Nietzsche to Hegel and from Hegel to Kant. In doing so – during his long and tireless philosophical r...

We report the identification of a recurrent, 520-kb 16p12.1 microdeletion associated with childhood developmental delay. The microdeletion was detected in 20 of 11,873 cases compared with 2 of 8,540 controls and replicated in a second series of 22 of 9,254 cases compared with 6 of 6,299 controls. Most deletions were inherited, with carrier parents likely to manifest neuropsychiatric phenotypes compared to non-carrier parents. Probands were more likely to carry an additional large copy-number variant when compared to matched controls. The clinical (...) features of individuals with two mutations were distinct from and/or more severe than those of individuals carrying only the co-occurring mutation. Our data support a two-hit model in which the 16p12.1 microdeletion both predisposes to neuropsychiatric phenotypes as a single event and exacerbates neurodevelopmental phenotypes in association with other large deletions or duplications. Analysis of other microdeletions with variable expressivity indicates that this two-hit model might be more generally applicable to neuropsychiatric disease. © 2010 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved. (shrink)

Che cosa vuol dire tradurre? Con questa interessante domanda, Umberto Eco inizia la sua riflessione sulla traduzione. Quando si traduce, in gioco non c'è solamente il testo ma un intero mondo possibile; il compito del traduttore è fare un'ipotesi su questo mondo possibile e la traduzione funzionerà meglio tanto più l’ipotesi risulterà plausibile. Per quanto la traduzione sia ben riuscita, non si arriva mai a dire la stessa cosa, si può solo dire quasi la stessa cosa. Tradurre un capolavoro di (...) un’epoca lontana, tenendo presente la filosofia contemporanea, è un modo di rapportarsi alla tradizione, farla propria e rinnovarla. Si possono confrontare alcune traduzioni e discuterne la correttezza filologica e le implicazioni teoriche, prendendo come esempio un brevissimo passo delle Confessioni di Agostino, particolarmente importante e ricco di significati: interrogatio mea intentio mea et responsio eorum species eorum. È significativo non solo il confronto tra diverse traduzioni italiane, ma anche tra alcune traduzioni in lingue diverse dall’italiano. In alcuni casi le traduzioni un po’più libere e audaci, risultano più efficaci rispetto a quelle più semplici e letterali. What does to translate means? With this interesting question, Umberto Eco begins his consideration about the translation. When translating, at stake it is not only the text but an entire possible world; the translator's task is make a hypothesis about this possible world, and if the hypothesis is credible the translation will work well. Although the translation is successful, you never manage to say the same thing, you can only say almost the same thing. Translating a masterpiece of bygone age, keeping in mind the contemporary philosophy, is a way of relating to tradition, make it own and renew it. You can compare a few translations and discuss the correct philological and theoretical implications, taking as an example a very short passage from the Confessions of Augustine, which is particularly important and meaningful: interrogatio mea intentio mea et responsio eorum species eorum. It is significant not only comparing different Italian translations, but also comparing some translations in other languages. Sometimes the translations a bit more free and brave are more effective than the most simple and literal. (shrink)

This article discusses how, in addition to providing a definition for translation, the concept of equivalence may explain why we can say that sentence S in language L is a translation of sentence S1 in language L1. It analyzes two main kinds of equivalence that are used in analytical philosophy to define translation: semantic equivalence and functional equivalence. This analysis shows that drawing a distinction between semantic and functional equivalence is a way to understand the distinction between different levels or (...) aspects of meaning. Both semantic equivalence, introduced by Gottlob Frege, and functional equivalence, proposed by Wilfrid Sellars, were developed in Donald Davidson’s theory of meaning. After discussing the limits of Davidson’s definitions of equivalence, this article will argue that functional equivalence is a reason for comparing Davidson’s philosophy to positions such as those expressed by Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics. (shrink)

L’articolo si propone di offrire un contributo alla riflessione sul concetto dell’abitare nell’accezione heideggeriana. Tale principio trova il suo fondamento nello spirito poetante e viene qui sviluppato a partire dal richiamo al “poeticamente abita l’uomo” di Hölderlin. L’elemento poetico dell’abitare, quale tratto essenziale dell’esserci, secondo la tesi heideggeriana, è esperienza originaria da cui si ricava l’invito a una nuova forma di pensiero: un “pensiero poetante”. Il parlare poetico presenta una sua specifica rilevanza in questa direzione, risalendo a una messa in (...) opera della verità in cui risuona la provenienza della dif-ferenza tra essere ed ente nel ritmo originario di apertura e nascondimento. Solo l’uomo poetante, comunicatore per eccellenza, può giungere all’originario abitare e toccare il divino, il sacro, disponendosi all’autorivelazione dell’essere secondo l’immagine della quadratura (Geviert) in cui le quattro voci (cielo, terra, divini, mortali) sono un tutt’uno rilucente al cospetto del suo dire. Lungi dal ripiombare nel linguaggio della metafisica, piuttosto col proposito di rinnovarla, Heidegger assegna alla parola poetica, in quanto misura del nostro dimorare, il ruolo di fondamento ontologico da cui si effonde l’evento e l’apertura dell’essere. (shrink)

Il tema della violenza sembra essere la chiave per definire e interpretare la tormentata storia della Colombia. Ciò si riflette anche nell'ampia produzione scientifica sulle cause, la cronologia e i metodi con cui tale una simile violenza è stata perpetuata. Nel 2016, il governo colombiano e le Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) hanno firmato un accordo di pace dopo decenni di conflitto armato, ma la violenza e la questione della terra continuano a rappresentare una sfida per una reale implementazione (...) dell'accordo. Uno dei capitoli più drammatici della storia della violenza in Colombia è quello che riguarda lo sterminio della Unión Patriótica, il partito nato nel 1984 dopo l'accordo di pace firmato dall’allora governo di Belisario Betancur con le FARC. Dal suo debutto nell'arena politica colombiana fino agli anni duemila, ma soprattutto durante gli anni Ottanta, il partito è stato oggetto di una feroce campagna di stigmatizzazione e di un piano di sterminio che ha prodotto più di seimila vittime. Recentemente la Corte Interamericana ha emesso una sentenza in cui riconosce le responsabilità dello Stato colombiano nella trama di violenza, fisica e simbolica, contro il partito della Unión Patriótica. Il presente saggio intende ricostruire quella vicenda storica, partendo dalla ricostruzione del contesto dentro cui è maturato il piano di sterminio, un contesto di impunità e di terrore politico scatenato contro un «nemico interno» visto come qualcosa da estirpare. (shrink)