How precisely to understand and evaluate counterfactuals can be an intricate issue. The aim of this article is to examine a new set of difficulties for evaluating counterfactuals that arise in the context of the dynamical spacetimes described by the theory of general relativity (GR). The initial value formulation provides us with a methodology to pin down the specific combination of features of the theory at the origin of the difficulties, namely, non-linearity and certain non-local aspects (typically captured by ellipticity (...) at the analytical level), in particular when combined with the global and/or quasi-local character of physical quantities in GR. Finally, we connect the philosophical question about counterfactuals with concrete applied physical issues in GR about extracting meaningful predictions by constructing appropriate initial data sets, leading us to question the very suitability of the Cauchy approach to fully account for the explanatory power of the theory. (shrink)

Evolutionary game theory and public goods games offer an important framework to understand cooperation during pandemics. From this perspective, the COVID-19 situation can be conceptualized as a dilemma where people who neglect safety precautions act as free riders, because they get to enjoy the benefits of decreased health risk from others’ compliance with policies despite not contributing to or even undermining public safety themselves. At the same time, humans appear to carry a suite of evolved psychological mechanisms aimed at curbing (...) free riding in order to ensure the continued provision of public goods, which can be leveraged to develop more effective measures to promote compliance with regulations. We also highlight factors beyond free riding that reduce compliance rates, such as the emergence of conspiratorial thinking, which seriously undermine the effectiveness of measures to suppress free riding. Together, the current paper outlines the social dynamics that occur in public goods dilemmas involving the spread of infectious disease, highlights the utility and limits of evolutionary game-theoretic approaches for COVID-19 management, and suggests novel directions based on emerging challenges to cooperation. (shrink)

I discuss the account of logical consequence advanced in Wittgenstein's Tractatus. I argue that the role that elementary propositions are meant to play in this account can be used to explain two remarkable features that Wittgenstein ascribes to them: that they are logically independent from one another and that their components refer to simple objects. I end with a proposal as to how to understand Wittgenstein's claim that all propositions can be analysed as truth functions of elementary propositions.

In (Re)Defining Racism, Alberto Urquidez argues that conflicting philosophical accounts over the definition of racism are at bottom linguistic confusions that would benefit from a Wittgensteinian-inspired approach. In this essay, I argue that such an approach would be helpful in disputes over the definition of metaphysically contested concepts, such as “race,” or semantically contested concepts, such as “racialization.” I disagree, however, that such insights would prove helpful or do very little for disputes concerning normatively contested concepts, such as “racism.”.

Harry Frankfurt characterised bullshit as assertions that are made without a concern for truth. Assertions, however, are not the only type of speech act that can be bullshit. Here, I propose the concept of argumentative bullshit and show how a speech acts account of bullshit assertions can be generalised to bullshit arguments. Argumentative bullshit, on this account, would be the production of an argument without a concern for the supporting relation between reasons and claim.

This paper aims to deepen our understanding of so-called covert dogwhistles. I discuss whether a covert dogwhistle is a specific sort of mechanism of manipulation or whether, on the contrary, it draws on other already familiar linguistic mechanisms such as implicatures or presuppositions. I put forward a series of arguments aimed at illustrating that implicatures and presuppositions, on the one hand, and covert dogwhistles, on the other, differ in their linguistic behaviour concerning plausible deniability, cancellability, calculability and mutual acceptance. I (...) concluded this paper by outlining a simple theory for covert dogwhistles according to which they are attitude-foregrounders. (shrink)

Background: The Marathon runners must have the proper technical preparation to reach excellence and to achieve adequate psychological preparation for the race. Against this background, the current study aims to describe the implementation results of a cognitive-behavioral intervention based on psychological skills training for marathon runners.Methods: Fourteen amateur male marathoners with an average age of 30 were trained with various emotional and cognitive control techniques to enhance their performance in competition. Various psychological variables, related to the subjects level of perceived (...) stress, and to qualitative characteristics of their thoughts were measured before and after the target marathon race. Results were analyzed through non-parametric tests for two related samples. The Cohen's d effect size for single-group pretest-posttest repeated measures were also performed.Results: Statistical analysis reveals that, controlling for age and running experience, the intervention decreased significantly the level of perceived stress and the occurrence of negative thoughts before the race, during, and after the race.Conclusion: Training in cognitive control and relaxation techniques, as part of the psychological skills training could determine the quality of performance of marathon runners. (shrink)

In this article, we review the conceptions of Collective Effervescence (CE) –a state of intense shared emotional activation and sense of unison that emerges during instances of collective behavior, like demonstrations, rituals, ceremonies, celebrations, and others– and empirical approaches oriented at measuring it. The first section starts examining Émile Durkheim's classical conception on CE, and then, the integrative one proposed by the sociologist Randall Collins, leading to a multi-faceted experience of synchronization. Then, we analyze the construct as a process emerging (...) in collective encounters when individuals contact with social ideal and values, referring to the classical work of Serge Moscovici as well as those more recent empirical approaches. Third, we consider CE as a set of intense positive emotions linked to processes of group identification, as proposed by authors of the Social Identity Theory tradition. Finally, we describe CE from the perspective of self-transcendence (e.g., emotions, experiences), and propose a unified description of this construct. The second section shows the results of a meta-analytical integration (k= 50,N= 182,738) aimed at analyzing CE's proximal effects or construct validity (i.e., Individual Emotions and Communal Sharing) as well as its association with more distal variables, such as Collective Emotions, Social Integration, Social Values and Beliefs and Empowerment. Results indicate that CE strongly associates with Individual Emotions –in particular, Self-Transcendent Emotions– and Communal Sharing constructs (e.g., Group Identity, Fusion of Identity), providing construct validity. Among the distal effects of CE, it is associated with Collective Positive Emotions, long-term Social Integration (e.g., Ingroup Commitment), Social Values and Beliefs and Empowerment-related variables (e.g., Wellbeing, Collective Efficacy, Collective Self-Esteem). Among the moderation analyses carried out (e.g., study design, CE scale, type of collective gathering), the effects of CE in demonstrations are noticeable, where this variable is a factor that favors other variables that make collective action possible, such as Group Identity (rpooled= 0.52), Collective Efficacy (rpooled= 0.37), Negative and Self-Transcendent Emotions (rpooled= 0.14 and 0.58), and Morality-related beliefs (rpooled= 0.43). (shrink)

Suppose that we are interested in the average causal effect of a binary treatment on an outcome when this relationship is confounded by a binary confounder. Suppose that the confounder is unobserved but a nondifferential proxy of it is observed. We show that, under certain monotonicity assumption that is empirically verifiable, adjusting for the proxy produces a measure of the effect that is between the unadjusted and the true measures.

Information theoretic semantics proposes to construe predicate reference in terms of nomological relations between distal properties and properties of representational mental events. Research on the model has largely concentrated on the problem of choosing the nomological relation in terms of which distal properties are to be singled out. I argue that, in addition to this, an information theoretic account has to provide a specification of which properties of representational mental events will play a role in determining reference, qua bearers of (...) nomological relations. I contend that this task poses a serious additional challenge to the viability of the model. (shrink)

Strictly proper scoring rules have been studied widely in statistical decision theory and recently in experimental economics because of their ability to encourage assessors to honestly provide their true subjective probabilities. In this article, we study the spherical scoring rule by analytically examining some of its properties and providing some new geometric interpretations for this rule. Moreover, we state a theorem which provides an axiomatic characterization for the spherical scoring rule. The objective of this analysis is to provide a better (...) understanding of one of the most commonly available scoring rules, which could aid decision makers in the selection of an appropriate tool for evaluating and assessing probabilistic forecasts. (shrink)

ABSTRACT I argue that some of the central doctrines of Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus can be seen as addressing the twin problems of semantic unity and...

: Liberal philosopher James Mill has been understood as being unambiguously antifeminist. However, Terence Ball, supposedly informed by a feminist perspective, has argued for a new interpretation. Ball has reconceptualized Mill as a feminist and the sole source of the feminism of his son (J. S. Mill), suggesting a revision of the received wisdom about their relationship to the development of nineteenth century feminist thought. This paper takes issue with Ball's "new interpretation" and its presumed feminist basis.

Robert Kilwardby on the Human Soul examines Kilwardby’s role in conciliating Aristotelian and Augustinian views on the soul, soul-body relation, and cognition.

Introduction -- Historical perspectives of medical ethics -- The medical ethics Renaissance: a brief assessment -- Risk disclosure/'informed consent' -- Consent, control and minors: Gillick and beyond -- Sterilisation/best interests: legislation intervenes -- The end of life: total abrogation -- Medical ethics in government-commissioned reports -- Conclusion.

"The days of the pure whites, the victors of today, are as numbered as were the days of their predecessors. Having fulfilled their destiny of mechanizing the world, they themselves have set, without knowing it, the basis for the new period: The period of the fusion and the mixing of all peoples." -- from The Cosmic Race In this influential 1925 essay, presented here in Spanish and English, José Vasconcelos predicted the coming of a new age, the Aesthetic Era, in (...) which joy, love, fantasy, and creativity would prevail over the rationalism he saw as dominating the present age. In this new age, marriages would no longer be dictated by necessity or convenience, but by love and beauty ethnic obstacles, already in the process of being broken down, especially in Latin America, would disappear altogether, giving birth to a fully mixed race, a "cosmic race," in which all the better qualities of each race would persist by the natural selection of love. "This bilingual edition of The Cosmic Race by José Vasconcelos gives the reader a clear and concise introduction to contents that have caused much critical controversy. Didier T. Jaén places this essay in perspective, discussing theories relevant to Vasconcelos's thought... [and] also provides an historical context for Vasconcelos's evolving ideas." -- Hispania. (shrink)

I offer an interpretation of Wittgenstein's claim that Russell's theory of judgment fails to show that it's not possible to judge nonsense.

O ensaio expõe as tensões entre a filosofia política e a concepção de natureza humana em Rousseau. O autor defende a tese de que a) o filósofo não integrou os dois veios em sua obra e b) que o problema continua à espera de uma solução satisfatória.

A incorporação econômica gradual da livre circulação de bens, pessoas, serviço ou capitais e a paulatina reengenharia da homogeneização tecnológica e social dos povos da terra não dispensam uma concepção política prévia do sumo bem político que consiste na paz perpétua. O artigo tem por objeto o contratualismo kantiano e trata das formas organizacionais planetárias de Kant. O texto busca esclarecer como Kant vê, elabora e soluciona o problema de um dever moral condenado a acercar-se progressivamente de um ideal racional (...) que permanece historicamente desconhecido. Para o autor, Kant traça o tempo da história segundo o esquema da razão do direito. (shrink)

Há muito tempo o progresso científico provoca nossas convicções e ameaça deixar o discurso moral para trás. Mais recentemente, a polêmica em torno da permissão ou proibição da eugenia negativa e positiva questiona nossa autocompreensão de natureza, moralidade e liberdade. O presente texto tem por objeto uma série de artigos de J. Habermas, convertidos posteriormente em livro, onde são expostos argumentos fortemente plausíveis em favor da tese da indisponibilidade da natureza humana no âmbito da eugenia positiva. Após contextuar o problema (...) e mapeá-lo no horizonte filosófico, o trabalho apresenta a posição metafísica habermasiana, com destaque para a distinção entre eugenia negativa e positiva, e a confronta com os argumentos liberais dworkinianos acerca do tema. O artigo pleiteia a favor da tese de que a naturalidade humana consiste, desde os primórdios da espécie, em autocriação natural, de modo que cabe à moralidade e ao direito preencherem o vácuo do destino criado pela biotecnologia. PALAVRAS-CHAVE – Natureza humana. Habermas. Eugenia negativa e positive. Ética. Filosofia do direito. ABSTRACT For a long time scientific progress has been challeging our moral convictions, bringing the threat of making moral discourse totally surpassed. More recently the controversy around the permission or prohibition of negative and positive eugeny questions our selfunderstanding of nature, morality and freedom. The text has as its object several articles of J. Habermas, which turned afterwards into a volume, where the author exposes strongly plausible arguments for the thesis of the unavailability of human nature in the field of positive eugeny. After contextualising the problem and mapping it in the scientific horizon, the study presents Habermas’s metaphysical account, putting emphasis on the distinction between negative and positive eugeny, and confronts that same account of Habermas with Dworkin’s liberal arguments about the topic. The article pleads for the thesis that human naturality consists since the beginning of humanity in natural self-creation, so that it is a task of morality and science of law to fulfill the empty space of the destiny built up by biotechnology. KEY WORDS – Human nature. Negative and positive eugeny. Philosophy of law. (shrink)

O artigo retoma a interpretação de Macpherson do estado natural e a confronta com a concepção hobbesiana da verdadeira liberdade dos súditos. O trabalho expõe os desafios teóricos do fisicalismo vital na obra de Hobbes e assume e posição de que o teórico político inglês não prova que os homens evitam pela luta e ou pela fuga a morte violenta movidos unicamente por uma necessidade natural.

O artigo inicia com o enfoque do absolutismo hobbesiano à luz da doutrina tradicional do direito natural. A seguir expõe a complexa relaçáo de Hobbes com a democracia e a noçáo hobbesiana de representaçáo política. Depois de reconstruir algumas das objeções básicas de Hobbes ao pensamento político clássico, o texto procura mostrar que o filósofo inglês opera, em relaçáo a Aristóteles, com um conceito relativamente inalterado de natureza. Objetivo maior do trabalho é configurar o Estado como produto genuíno do desempenho (...) intelectual do teórico político inglês. (shrink)

Tendo como pano de fundo o materialismo histórico e o empirismo lógico, o trabalho expõe brevemente o ressurgimento da filosofia política, com a obra Uma teoria da Justiça, de John Rawls, e a revisão radical da mesma, numa concepção adequada ao pluralismo, em Liberalismo Político. Após confrontar a razão pública do liberalismo política com o conceito do político de Carl Schmitt, procura-se formular uma avaliação do pluralismo de Rawls e confrontá-lo com o pluralismo multicultural e com a legalidade apático-consencual das (...) democracias paternalistas pós-modernas. Na conclusão, pronuncia-se contra a mera fidelidade constitucional e posiciona-se a favor de um direito positivo amparado explicitamente no liberalismo político-filosófico da modernidade. (shrink)

Se pretende ofrecer una aproximación a la obra de Vicente Muñoz Delgado. Se muestran las distintas etapas en la génesis de su obra y pensamiento, así como también, los núcleos y las claves sobre las cuales se estructura.

This paper looks at the interpretation of legal texts, with a special emphasis on the legislative ones, from the semiotic and pragmatic points of view. The interpretation of a legislative text must start by considering it as a product of a communication act, performed through linguistic signs, and therefore it has to be studied within basic semiotic categories. Secondly, legislations are texts, and they must therefore be analyzed with the aid of textual linguistics. Thirdly, legislative texts and their legal utterances (...) are all speech acts, and consequently they must be interpreted from the perspective of the pragmatic theory of speech acts. (shrink)

Analysis of the pastoral visits effected in the Diocese of Cartagena during Modern Age. With the purpose of verifying that it was what actually arrived to the parishes of the Diocese of al1 the program to conciliate proposed in Trento in 1573, the pastoral visits are analized, which were considered an important mechanism of social control. In addition, it is studied the application of the "tridentinos" decrees in the bishopric, the instructions given for the accomplishment of the pastoral visits, and (...) the conferences done to the parishes of Murcia. It concludes that, within the trentinas arrangements, the pastoral sight was a clear manifestation of the power and control in the ecclesiastic hierarchy of the parochial life in al1 its aspects, including the protagonists: the clergy and the staunch. (shrink)

Running marathons is an increasingly popular activity with an ever-increasing number of events and participants. Many participants declare that they pursue a variety of goals by running, namely, the maintenance of good health, the development of strength and improvement of fitness, the management of emotions, and the achievement of resilience and psychological wellbeing. The research has examined marathon running, like many other sports, and has studied various factors that reduce athletic performance, such as the experience of anxiety, and that enhance (...) such performance, such as an increase in general wellbeing. This article reports the results of a study on the experience of competitive anxiety among 238 male marathon runners who participated in Seville’s 26th Marathon race on February 23, 2020, and investigates the relationship between anxiety and key dimensions of wellbeing as measured by the Spanish-adapted 20-item PWB Scale. We hypothesized that participating athletes who rated high on the dimensions of PWB would experience lower levels of competitive anxiety with respect to this race. We also proposed that PWB would function as a mediating factor with respect to the experience of anxiety. The results show, as hypothesized, that marathon running enhances wellbeing and reduces anxiety. The data showed significant negative correlations between four of five wellbeing dimensions and the three types of anxiety measured, namely, somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration-impairing anxiety. Other findings supported our hypothesis that wellbeing, as measured, functions as a mediating factor for the moderation of competitive anxiety. Generalization of these findings is limited by the fact that the low number of female participants recruited did not permit valid statistical analyses in this respect. It is known that both anxiety and wellbeing are subjects to variation by gender. The future inclusion of male and female subjects in equivalent studies will undoubtedly add valuable information concerning the dynamics of anxiety and wellbeing. The implications of these findings and the limitations of the study will be discussed. (shrink)

Anna Doyle Wheeler was a nineteenth‐century, Irish‐born socialist and feminist. She and another Irish‐born socialist and feminist, William Thompson, produced a book‐length critique in 1825, Appeal of One Half the Human Race, Women: Against the Pretensions of the Other Half, Men, to Retain Them in Political, and Thence in Civil and Domestic, Slavery: In Reply to a Paragraph of Mr. Mill's Celebrated “Article on Government,” to refute the claims of liberal philosopher James Mill in 1820 that women did not need (...) to be enfranchised. In so doing the Appeal undermined the philosophical credibility of Mill's liberal utilitarianism. The Appeal exposed the hypocrisy of the language of contract (whether social, sexual, or marriage) by showing that men's freedom and claims to rights presupposed the unfreedom and sexual subjugation of women. The article argues that the Appeal was an original formulation of feminist political theory that still retains its relevance in the twenty‐first century. (shrink)

Este artigo tem como pretensão reconstituir o argumento da interpretação crítica de Habermas sobre a filosofia nietzschiana, focando, sobretudo, o posfácio, escrito em 1968, a uma coletânea de textos de Nietzsche sobre teoria do conhecimento. A minha intenção é apresentar a gênese da interpretação, dezessete anos mais tarde, em o Discurso Filosófico da Modernidade, (1985), onde Nietzsche é apontado, por Habermas, como sendo o ponto de inflexão (Drehscheibe) da modernidade, que gerou, dessa forma, “um discurso irracional, metafisicamente desfigurado”, base da (...) pós-modernidade. Porém, como o posfácio é contemporâneo da obra Conhecimento e Interesse, (1968), na qual há um capítulo dedicado a Nietzsche que, em muito o complementa, resolvi utilizar este material com o objetivo de me auxiliar nesta interpretação. (shrink)

This paper examines the various theories of intergenerational justice and its implications in the practical context of pension systems. In this context the sustainability of the system appears to be compromised by demographic projections. This fact has an unquestionable relevance for the future of this very important public service and the intergenerational commitment that this implies. In this sense if a pension system wants to be fair it has to look in three directions: pensioners, workers and future generations. So, a (...) liberal-egalitarian theory becomes necessary to share the risks of demographic and financial shocks between different generations and to reduce inequality as much as possible. (shrink)