A Igreja Universal é um fenômeno de crescimento. Mesmo tendo apenas 34 anos, ela está entre as maiores denominações evangélicas do Brasil. Sua rápida ascensão chama a atenção de estudiosos de variadas áreas acadêmicas, que tentam achar razões para tamanha façanha. A nossa proposta é ver o papel da comunicação integrada no sucesso da Igreja Universal e como a linguagem uniforme faz toda a diferença em persuadir o seu público-alvo, fazendo da igreja uma organização do nível das multinacionais mais bem-sucedidas (...) do mundo. (shrink)

A logoterapia é a terapia do sentido da vida e a sua aproximação com a teologia e a filosofia é muito clara. Suas bases são constituídas por elementos espirituais, em sua maioria, e tal fato faz de Viktor Frankl, seu criador, alguém que tentou separar a barreira entre religião e ciência. Partindo do princípio de que o homem é um ser espiritual, a logoterapia contempla o indivíduo como alguém autônomo diante de sua existência, capaz de decidir por onde caminhar e (...) até como lidar com suas neuroses e / ou psicoses. Assim, a nossa proposta é examinar a relação entre psicologia e espiritualidade em Viktor Frankl, entendendo os pontos principais da logoterapia e como ela pode ajudar o homem a encontrar sentido para a sua vida. (shrink)

Da ficção científica para a ficção religiosa: ideias para pensar o cinema de ficção científica como o culto da religião vivida (From Science Fiction to Religious Fiction: ideas to think on Science Fiction cinema as the cult of lived religion). DOI - 10.5752/P.2175-5841.2012v10n26p552 Este artigo tem como objetivo refletir sobre a chamada religião vivida como uma forma de repensar o papel da teologia e das ciências da religião na contemporaneidade. O estudo da religião vivida será investigado na relação entre o (...) cinema de ficção científica e a religião, propondo que, nesta relação, há uma forma de religião vivida intensa e viva. Sugere-se, assim, que o cinema seja hoje uma forma de culto e ritual, cumprindo parte do papel que os mitos e ritos sagrados desempenham na vida das pessoas, ao longo dos tempos. O artigo contém quatro partes: introdução sobre a religião vivida; religião vivida no caso específico do cinema; o cinema de ficção científica como uma forma de religião; aplicação da teoria no filme “Contato” (Robert Zemeckis, USA 1997); conclusões sobre a vivência religiosa em forma de mito e rito nos filmes de ficção científica e as consequências disso para a teologia e as ciências da religião. Palavras-chave : Cinema de ficção científica. Religião. Culto e rito. Religião vivida.: This article aims at reflecting about the so-called lived religion as a way of rethinking the role of theology and religion in contemporary society. The study of the lived religion will investigate the relationship between the cinema of science fiction and religion, suggesting that, in this relation, there is particular and intensive form of lived religion. The present article suggests that cinema today is a form of cult and ritual which performs part of the role that sacred rites play in the lives of people along the time. The article contains four parts: introduction about the lived religion; lived religion in the specific case of cinema; the cinema of science fiction as a form of religion; the application of theory in the movie “Contact” (Robert Zemeckis, USA 1997); conclusions on the religious experience in the form of myth and rite in science fiction movies as well as the consequences for theology and religious studies. Keywords : Science fiction cinema. Religion. Cult and rite. Lived religion. (shrink)

This article reflects on the anthropological aspect of the pilgrimage, the human journey, as a metaphor for life, as a way of relating and understanding religion, spirituality, life itself and tourism as forms of pilgrimage. The pilgrimages of the Christian tradition will be analyzed, seeking to understand them of the anthropology of Victor Turner, analyzing the pilgrimage as a state of liminality and liminoid. Concretely we will look at the case of the Romarias da Terra in Brazil, as an example (...) of liminality/ liminoid and communitas. In addition, this article reflects on the "new centers" of pilgrimage, outside the religious scope, as spaces of pop culture or the visit to tourist sites and monuments of social and cultural memory. The goal is to understand where people have pilgrims and what the meaning of these pilgrimages. In this displacement out of the religious scope, one wonders if tourism would also be a form of pilgrimage. Or would tourism lack precisely the preliminary aspect, something that could be related to Bauman's analysis of the tourist and the vagabond? It is suspected that in a globalized world, places lose their content and identity. People pass through places, but places no longer pass through them. With this, walking also loses its liminal function. (shrink)

Recognizing that the presence of the Religious School Teaching discipline in public elementary schools in Brazil is a complex and controversial subject, it is of fundamental importance that alternatives be sought so that its offer takes place in such a way as to enable the emergence of conscious and participatory people in the process of transforming society. It was in pursuit of this objective that the authors of this article found in the category of conscientização, proposed by Paulo Freire, a (...) possible way for teachers of the Religious Education discipline of Brazilian public schools to contribute to the formation of autonomous citizens, with a critical conscience, capable of making their own choices, with full freedom. Methodologically, the article was organized using the See, Judge and Act method. This method of analysis allows us to look at the socioeconomic, political and cultural reality in which people are inserted, to confront a specific theoretical instrument, with the aim of proposing possible ways and alternatives for the promotion of a liberating education. Thus, in the first section analyzes two theoretical categories related to education, namely: banking education and liberating education. In the second section, an attempt was made to weave an approach around the category of conscientização, proposed by Paulo Freire. In the third section, the authors present possible paths of action for a liberating education based on the teaching of Religious Education. (shrink)

Por meio de uma revisão integrativa, busca-se identificar, dentro da produção científica brasileira, artigos que fazem intersecção entre os temas do luto e da velhice, sob o olhar da psicanálise. Desta forma, se visa estabelecer qual o enfoque dado ao idoso e qual a visão apresentada pela psicanálise para um trabalho com esta população que se encontra mais propensa a rupturas e perdas. Assim, se reconhece que há uma identificação de morte e finitude vinculada à figura do sujeito que envelhece, (...) mentalidade adotada pela lógica de consumo. Identificou-se de que forma as inúmeras perdas aliadas ao envelhecimento suscitam no idoso um processo de luto que, segundo a psicanálise, pode ser definido como o afeto resultante da perda de um objeto libidinal. Verifica-se, assim, a importância de um acompanhamento aos idosos que vise desobstruir a via do desejo e criar novas perspectivas de vida, sobretudo nesta fase do desenvolvimento, que como todas as outras, possui características e desafios particulares. (shrink)

This work highlights the faith of Jesus as a response to the affiliate relationship between the Father and the Son. This intimate union, characterized by the word Abba, reveals that the very existence of Jesus took place in the bosom of the Father and it was developed in the intimacy with Him. It is in thi.s loving bosom of the Father that, from the beginning, Jesus constitutes the consciousness of a God who is close, loving and able to hear the (...) cries of his people. The Lordship of God is crystallized in the actions of Jesus through the proclamation of the Kingdom. The force that makes Jesus embrace the plan of God is the Spirit, making Jesus desirous and able to carry out the will of the Father. (shrink)

Although from a philosophical perspective, many reflections can be brought up about the theorizing process, in this essay, we aim to reflect on the importance of the alignment between ontology and epistemology. This is particularly relevant because deeper discussions about the philosophical roots that underlay the theorizing processes remain as a lack in organizational and management studies. To support our work, we adopted the epistemic-ontological alignment model as a conceptual tool and the Resource-Based View (RBV) and some of its questionings (...) as an example to carry out a reflection exercise about its epistemic-ontological alignment. RBV is a theory that plays a prominent role in management studies, especially in the strategy field. Nevertheless, discussions regarding RBV philosophical foundations are not common in the mainstream of strategic management. After our analysis, we advise that scholars care about the philosophical roots of their theoretical proposals to promote constructive dialogue in their research communities. This can avoid empty discussions and criticisms based on incongruous worldviews. Our reflections also suggest that future research should embrace the plurality of paradigms as a source of renewal and transcendence in the production of knowledge. A multi-paradigmatic movement towards more eclecticism in Administrative Science can help produce new and underexploited combinations of knowledge in the theorizing process. (shrink)

Physiological responses in futsal have not been studied together with temporal information about the players’ stay on the court. The aim of this study was to compare heart rate and blood lactate concentration responses between 1-H and 2-H considering the time of permanency of the players on the court at each substitution in a futsal match. HR was recorded during entire match and [La−] was analyzed after each substitution of seven players. %HRmean and [La−] mean did not differ between 1-H (...) and 2-H. Time in intensity zones of 50–100 %HRmax differed only in 60–70 %HRmax. HR coefficient of variation throughout the match was low and among the four outfield players on the court. Substitutions, time of permanence on the court, ratio between time in- and out-ratio on the court also were similar between 1-H and 2-H. Balancing the number of substitutions, and the In:Outcourt ratio of players in both halves of the match, playing lower time at 1-H, ~8 min for each participation in the match, made it possible to maintain intensity of the match in 2-H similar to the 1H. These results are a good guidance to coaches and for application in future studies. (shrink)

We propose a special look at new epistemological possibilities in constructing knowledge to fill the gap between theory development and its practical and societal applications. We turn our attention to the strategy field of studies, which is traditionally positivist, but that also accommodates some timid attempts to produce content from other onto-epistemological bases, such as strategy as practice. Then, we explore the possible interchange between strategy as practice and the Epistemologies of the South. Once strategy as practice is based on (...) practice rationality, which conceives social life as continuous production, it allows considering a wider diversity of social experiences surrounding strategic management. Likewise, the Epistemologies of the South represent a processual approach, which considers the social realities of developing countries and allows the inclusion of marginalized voices in social sciences' theorizing movements. We develop a conceptual-methodological guide for researchers to reflect on the possible ways to systematically rescue pieces of many social experiences forgotten by normal science, promoting cognitive and social justice in research, especially in the strategy field. Our proposal is a reflection about exploring what is not done, what is not practiced and make possible to expand the universe of social experiences considered for analysis in organizational and management studies. In doing so, we call the attention of scholars to start a paradigm shift from marginalization to the inclusion of multiple social realities toward cognitive and social democracy in research. (shrink)

The speculative direction that Fink in the ’30s had imprinted on phenomenology finds its development – distant in many ways from its theoretical premises in Husserl’s thought – in the first university lectures of the post-war period, among which Vom Wesen der menschlichen Freiheit (1947) is of peculiar relevance. Some common threads connect Fink’s early phenomenological reflections with his following attempt to develop a philosophical cosmology and anthropology. In the course of lectures here examined we can see the revival of (...) the theme that considers philosophy – understood as a radical inquiring, open to the world and at the same time to the self of the human being – the primary place of freedom. In connection with this theme Fink theorizes a concept of freedom that does not confine freedom to a subjective polar opposite to nature, but focuses on the exposure of the human being to the world. Fink, indeed, starts a discussion on the question of freedom through a comparison between two opposite patterns of thought, namely the philosophies of Kant and Nietzsche, read with a perspective that puts both these philosophies in contrast to the absolutization of subjectivity in the systems of German idealism. (shrink)

The logic TK was introduced as a propositional logic extending the classical propositional calculus with a new unary operator which interprets some conceptions of Tarski’s consequence operator. TK-algebras were introduced as models to TK . Thus, by using algebraic tools, the adequacy (soundness and completeness) of TK relatively to the TK-algebras was proved. This work presents a neighbourhood semantics for TK , which turns out to be deductively equivalent to the non-normal modal logic EMT4 . DOI:10.5007/1808-1711.2011v15n2p287.

É a metafísica uma ciência a priori ou a posteriori’? Suárez e a fundamentação da metafísica Resumo: Contra a interpretação de François Courtine, Rolf Darge afirma que para Francisco Suárez a metafísica é uma ciência que trata do ente entendido não como aquilo que pode ser objeto para a mente humana, mas como aquilo que é apto a existir de fato. A metafísica seria uma ciência real, entre outras razões, porque ela é uma ciência a posteriori. Este artigo pretende verificar (...) melhor a afirmação de que a metafísica de Suárez é uma ciência a posteriori. Pois, se de fato for assim, a interpretação realista que Rolf Darge oferece da metafísica de Suárez adquire maior plausibilidade. Palavras-chave: objeto da metafísica; empirismo; realismo. Is metaphysics an a priori or an a posteriori Science? Suárez and the foundation of metaphysics. Abstract: Against the interpretation of François Courtine, Rolf Darge affirms that for Francisco Suárez metaphysics is a science that deals not with being as that which can be an object for the human mind, but with being as that which is apt to actually exist. Metaphysics would be a real science, among other reasons, because it is a posteriori science. This article aims to verify the claim that Suárez's metaphysics is a posteriori science. If this is so, the realistic interpretation that Rolf Darge offers of Suárez's metaphysics acquires greater plausibility. Key-words: object of metaphysics; empiricism; realism. La métaphysique est-elle une science a priori ou a posteriori? Suárez et le fondement de la métaphysique. Résumé: Contre l'interprétation de François Courtine, Rolf Darge affirme que pour Francisco Suárez la métaphysique est une science qui traite de l'étant compris non comme ce qui peut être un objet pour l'esprit humain, mais comme ce qui est susceptible d'exister réellement. La métaphysique serait une vraie science, entre autres raisons, car c'est une science a posteriori. Cet article vise à mieux vérifier l'affirmation selon laquelle la métaphysique de Suárez est une science a posteriori. S'il en est ainsi, l'interprétation réaliste que propose Rolf Darge de la métaphysique de Suárez acquiert une plus grande plausibilité. Mots-clés: objet de la métaphysique; empirisme; réalisme. Data de registro: 16/09/2021 Data de aceite: 20/10/2021. (shrink)

The concept of community of persons, which focuses on both persons and the whole, helps understand solidarity. The latter is based on the social nature of persons. Community of persons and solidarity seems to be able to move away from the individualist perspective or the individualism-collectivism dichotomy. Using autopraxeography in a pragmatic constructivism epistemological paradigm, this article aims to explore how organizations can develop solidarity in a workplace. The experience presented takes place in a bank. It shows that communities of (...) persons with employees and customers are both ethical and financially efficient. These communities build a dialogue between persons and organizations. Nevertheless, it is impossible to force solidarity because it could generate derision that is contrary to the wished goal. Finally, while this model is based on solidarity, it focuses solely on internal solidarity. (shrink)

Plusieurs commentateurs n’ont retenu que le premier moment de la dialectique du sacré de Mircea Eliade, celui essentialiste où l’archétype surplombe l’histoire, négligeant de considérer le second où l’archétype n’existe qu’à travers sa réalisation dans l’histoire. Ils donnent ainsi l’impression qu’Eliade est un penseur anhistorique qui conçoit le temps surtout à partir de l’éternité et non pour lui-même. Une analyse plus serrée révèle cependant qu’Eliade est un penseur beaucoup plus historique qu’il n’y paraît à première vue. En effet, Eliade considère (...) le miracle de l’Incarnation comme étant la hiérophanie suprême et les autres hiérophanies comme ses préfigurations. (shrink)

O artigo acompanha a reflexão de alguns autores do século XX no que se refere à questão do conhecimento, sobretudo nas discussões em torno da dicotomia mente e mundo. Esses autores são McDowell, Putnam e Rorty. A ênfase é colocada na importância e na necessidade de que aquele que contemporaneamente investiga algum aspecto da realidade, se ocupe também em refletir sobre os pressupostos e fundamentos que operam na sua teoria e na sua prática. Os autores em questão indicam algumas dificuldades (...) e movimentos que acontecem no âmbito das teorias do conhecimento, de modo a ajudar o pesquisador atual a compreender as aporias que percorrem os substratos fundamentadores do seu pensar e fazer investigativo. (shrink)

A complexidade da realidade humana não permite que a razão instrumental esgote explicativamente os elementos que compõe a realidade educacional. Surge a necessidade de uma atitude aberta e atenta para compreender aquilo que se recusa e esconde na cotidianidade. A fenomenologia hermenêutica é consciência dos limites da racionalidade, postura vigilante, um desafio para a responsabilidade e criatividade na atividade pedagógica.

Durante longo tempo tentou-se, no âmbito da Economia Política e de outras áreas, compreender como se deu o surgimento do sistema de produção capitalista, como se deu a transição do regime feudal, pautado nas relações entre vassalos e suseranos, para um regime baseado na relação entre trabalhadores “livres” e patrões, no qual os primeiros venderiam sua força de trabalho para os segundos e estes, por sua vez, explorariam os primeiros para a obtenção de lucro, sem que houvesse uma coerção formal (...) dos trabalhadores permanecerem na fábrica do patrão tal como ocorria com os servos medievais, os quais eram obrigados a permanecer nas terras do senhor feudal. A compreensão desse processo foi e tem sido fundamental para os diversos ativismos políticos existentes. Nesse sentido, este artigo visa analisar três perspectivas acerca deste período de transição e de surgimento do capitalismo, três obras relevantes para a história do capitalismo, a saber: O Capital, de Karl Marx (em particular, o seu Capítulo 24 – “A assim chamada acumulação primitiva”), A Ética Protestante e o “Espírito” do Capitalismo, de Max Weber, e Calibã e a Bruxa, de Silvia Federici. O artigo irá se dividir em cinco partes: uma breve introdução, sobre a relação entre o ativismo político e a compreensão histórica do capitalismo, três partes dedicadas à exposição pormenorizada das teses que estruturam os textos de cada um dos autores supracitados, discorrendo acerca das suas visões concernentes à questão do surgimento e do desenvolvimento do capitalismo e, por fim, uma parte conclusiva, relacionando e contrapondo mais diretamente estes posicionamentos e reflexões, que não são totalmente coerentes entre si. (shrink)

Resumo: Nas Disputationes metaphysicae Francisco Suarez tenta mostrar que a causa final não é uma projeção do intelecto humano, mas algo real nas próprias coisas e que sem ela não é possível dar uma explicação satisfatória dos fatos observados na experiência. Ele mostra como a causa final age no ser humano, em Deus, nos chamados ‘agentes naturais’ e no universo como um todo. De fato, a causa final supõe a existência de algo capaz de conhecer um fim e de direcionar (...) suas ações para ele. Mas isto não significa que o fim está totalmente ausente das operações dos ‘agentes naturais’, nem que a explicação teleológica nunca faça sentido para eles. Sob certo aspecto há intencionalidade mesmo nas operações dos entes não-racionais, pois toda a natureza está submetida à ação e à racionalidade divina.: In the Disputationes metaphysicae Francisco Suarez tries to show that final cause is not a projection of human intellect, but something real in things themselves, and that it is not possible to satisfactorily explain empirical data without it. He shows how final cause operates in human beings, in God, in so-called ‘natural agents’, and in the universe as a whole. In fact, final cause presupposes the existence of something which is able to know an end and to direct its actions towards that end. This does not imply, however, that the end is totally absent from the operations of ‘natural agents’, nor that teleological explanation never makes sense for them. From a certain point of view, there is intentionality even in the operations of non-rational beings, because all nature is subject to divine action and rationality. (shrink)

Ante o fato de que as coisas são singulares e o conhecimento cientifico é universal, Duns Escoto, preocupado em fundamentar a possibilidade da ciência, coloca-se a questão: a natureza, em si mesma, é individual ou universal? Sua resposta, acompanhando a de Avicena, é a de que a natureza, em si mesma, não é nem universal, nem singular, mas indiferente a ambas.

Suarez precursor de Descartes? A doutrina suazeriana sobre a causa final revista Resumo: Stephan Schmid busca mostrar que Francisco Suárez é um precursor da crítica que Descartes fez à causalidade final na explicação da natureza. Suárez teria reduzido a noção de causa à causa eficiente, teria eliminado a presença da causa final nas ações dos agentes naturais, isto é, daqueles entes que não possuem intelecto, e teria eliminado a presença da causa final nas ações divinas. Deste modo, ele seria um (...) precursor do pensamento mecanicista de Descartes e, sob certo aspecto, também de Espinosa. Contra esta interpretação, procuro mostrar que Suárez não reduz a noção de causa à causa eficiente, não elimina a presença da causa final nem nos agentes naturais, nem na ação divina e que, portanto, ele não pode ser considerado, neste assunto, um precursor de Descartes nem de Espinosa. Palavras-Chave: Metafísica. Causa eficiente. Causa final.: Stephan Schmid try to show that Francisco Suárez is a forerunner of the criticism made by Descartes of end causes in the explanation of nature. The hypothesis is that Suárez had reduced the notion of cause to efficient cause, had eliminated the presence of end causes in the actions of the natural agents, i. e., of the beings that have not an intellect, and had eliminated the presence of end causes in the actions of God. In this way he would be a forerunner of the mechanistic thought of Descartes and, from a certain aspect, of Spinoza. Against this interpretation I try to show that Suárez do not reduce the notion of cause to efficient cause and that he eliminates the presence of end cause neither in the natural agents nor in the actions of God. Therefore, he should be considered in this issue a forerunner neither of Descartes nor of Spinoza. Keywords: Metaphysics. Efficient cause. End cause. Résumé: Stephan Schmid essaie de montrer que Francisco Suárez est um précurseur de la critique faite par Descartes à la cause finale dans l’explication de la nature. Suárez aurait réduit la notion de cause à la cause efficiente, elimine la présence de la cause finale dans les actions des agentes naturels, c'est-à-dire, de ceux qui ne possèdent pas d'intellect, et aurait elimine la présence de la cause finale dans les actions divines. Il serait ainsi um précurseur de la pensée mécaniste de Descartes et, dans une certaine mesure, de Spinoza. Contre cette interprétation, j'essaie de montrer que Suárez ne réduit pas la notion de cause à la cause efficiente, n'élimine pas la présence de la cause finale ni dans les agentes naturels ni dans l'action divine et qu'il ne peut donc être considéré comme um précurseur de Descartes ni d'Espinosa. Mots clés: Metaphysique. Cause finale. Cause eficiente. Data de registro: 13/05/2019 Data de aceite: /10/2019. (shrink)

Honnefelder, Ludger. Im Spannungsfeld von Ethik und Religion. Berlin. 2014. Kap.11.

The logic TK was introduced as a propositional logic extending the classical propositional calculus with a new unary operator which interprets some conceptions of Tarski’s consequence operator. TK-algebras were introduced as models to TK. Thus, by using algebraic tools, the adequacy of TK relatively to the TK-algebras was proved. This work presents a neighbourhood semantics for TK, which turns out to be deductively equivalent to the non-normal modal logic EMT4.

Este texto é uma interpretação do primeiro capítulo d’O Anti-Édipo, de Deleuze e Guattari, mais como uma escrita do que como uma leitura. Ou seja, não há aqui intenção de descobrir uma verdade escondida para um texto que, de início, se propõe um “processo esquizofrênico”. De todo modo, divido esta minha escrita em quatro momentos: primeiramente, com uma análise do filme Incêndios (2010), tentando mostrar como um enredo aparentemente edipiano (no sentido psicanalítico) é muito mais rico que o Édipo; em (...) segundo lugar, com uma exposição das três sínteses maquínico-desejantes, ou do inconsciente, desenvolvidas por Deleuze e Guattari; em terceiro lugar, com uma apresentação da ofensiva promovida pela “psiquiatria materialista” deleuzeguattariana em relação a certos autores psicanalistas como Reich, Lacan e Melanie Klein; por fim, com um aprofundamento das questões éticas e teóricas implicadas neste primeiro capítulo do livro, sobretudo aquelas ligadas ao projeto geral da obra: uma crítica econômico-libidinal do capitalismo, tendo em conta seus aspectos “esquizofrênicos” e mostrando a contribuição inestimável da psicanálise para este mesmo sistema econômico-libidinal. (shrink)

This paper will attempt an investigation of hypothetical intelligent extraterrestrial life from the perspective of the philosophy and theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. Section I will feature an overview of St. Thomas's relevant philosophy of human nature and the differences between human and extraterrestrial natures. Section II will, with special attention to St. Thomas's De malo, treat some possibilities regarding the need for salvation in our hypothetical species. Section III will outline relevant aspects of Thomistic soteriology, especially the reasons behind (...) the Incarnation and the role of human nature in Redemption. Section IV will feature a critique of representatives from the two major schools of scholarly thought on this issue, showing that they either disregard the necessity of a human nature for incorporation into the Mystical Body of Christ or deny the magnitude and singular importance of the Incarnation. Section V will sketch some possibilities for the soteriology of extraterrestrial life using the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas as a framework. (shrink)

Although logical consistency is desirable in scientific research, standard statistical hypothesis tests are typically logically inconsistent. To address this issue, previous work introduced agnostic hypothesis tests and proved that they can be logically consistent while retaining statistical optimality properties. This article characterizes the credal modalities in agnostic hypothesis tests and uses the hexagon of oppositions to explain the logical relations between these modalities. Geometric solids that are composed of hexagons of oppositions illustrate the conditions for these modalities to be logically (...) consistent. Prisms composed of hexagons of oppositions show how the credal modalities obtained from two agnostic tests vary according to their threshold values. Nested hexagons of oppositions summarize logical relations between the credal modalities in these tests and prove new relations. (shrink)

This article explores the metaphor of Science as provider of sharp images of our environment, using the epistemological framework of Objective Cognitive Constructivism. These sharp images are conveyed by precise scientific hypotheses that, in turn, are encoded by mathematical equations. Furthermore, this article describes how such knowledge is pro-duced by a cyclic and recursive development, perfection and reinforcement process, leading to the emergence of eigen-solutions characterized by the four essential properties of precision, stability, separability and composability. Finally, this article discusses (...) the role played by ontology and metaphysics in the scientific production process, and in which sense the resulting knowledge can be considered objective. (shrink)

In this article, we discuss some issues concerning magical thinking—forms of thought and association mechanisms characteristic of early stages of mental development. We also examine good reasons for having an ambivalent attitude concerning the later permanence in life of these archaic forms of association, and the coexistence of such intuitive but informal thinking with logical and rigorous reasoning. At the one hand, magical thinking seems to serve the creative mind, working as a natural vehicle for new ideas and innovative insights, (...) and giving form to heuristic arguments. At the other hand, it is inherently difficult to control, lacking effective mechanisms needed for rigorous manipulation. Our discussion is illustrated with many examples from the Hebrew Bible, and some final examples from modern science. (shrink)

Luc Brisson e Jean-François Pradeau. Plotin Traités 45-50. Paris: Éditions Flammarion, 2009, pp. 515.