El Mal no es un cuento. Aunque, por excesivo, haya roto las categorías tradicionales, recibe, entre otros nombres, el de Auschwitz. Es lo incomprensible y, no obstante, es un deber para la memoria. ¿Cómo hablar de él sin ultrajar a las víctimas? ¿Qué es lo que éstas "expiaron"? ¿Y Dios, por qué no intervino? ¿Y los hombres? ¿Qué hacer ahora? ¿Qué tipo de respuesta es el sionismo? ¿Deja la política un hueco a la moral? De la manos de pensadores como (...) Wiesel, Jonas, Arendt y Levinas, entre otros, nos hemos acercado a estos interrogantes. (shrink)

En la sección titulada Irreversibilidad y el Poder de Perdonar en La Condición Humana, Arendt afirma que “el descubridor del papel del perdón en la esfera de los asuntos humanos fue Jesús de Nazaret”. En lo que sigue, quisiéramos aproximarnos al uso antiguo del verbo griego sungignôskô que a nuestro entender cumple el mismo papel que Arendt advierte en esta supuesta novedad cristiana —la “mutua exoneración de lo que se ha hecho”—, no sólo para entender en qué consistiría el descubrimiento (...) que Arendt atribuye a Jesús, sino porque creemos que la idea de que los griegos desconocían la facultad de perdonar es, si no falsa, al menos imprecisa. In the section titled Irreversibility and the Power to Forgive in the Human Condition, Arendt claims that “the discoverer of the role of forgiveness in the sphere of human affairs was Jesus of Nazareth”. In what follows, we would like to approach the ancient use of the Greek verb sungignôskô which, in our opinion, fulfills the same role that Arendt finds in this alleged Christian novelty —the “mutual exoneration of what has been done”— not only to understand what would the actual discovery Arendt attributes to Jesus imply, but because we believe claiming the Greeks were unaware of the faculty of forgiveness is, if not false, at least inaccurate. (shrink)

Se presenta una sistematización de las diez respuestas que, desperdigadas, podemos encontrar en la obra de Ortega y Gasset a la pregunta ¿por qué filosofa el hombre?: por naturaleza, amor, asombro, curiosidad, placer, felicidad, para estar en lo cierto, para jugar, para evadirse y para orientarse. Si todas estas pueden integrarse y adquieren una nueva significación en función de la última respuesta, correspondiente a las reflexiones de su tercer periodo que concibe la filosofía como orientación, esta será, además, la (...) primera tesis de su sistema filosófico, la realidad radical. De este modo, su filosofía quedará justificada; obligación que todo filósofo tiene para con su obra, a juicio de Ortega. ENGLISH: The article provides a systematization of the ten answers that can be found in the work of Ortega y Gasset to the question of why human beings philosophize: by nature, out of love, astonishment, curiosity, pleasure, or happiness, to be right, to play, to evade oneself, and to obtain guidance. If all of these can be integrated and acquire a new meaning with respect to the last response, which corresponds to Ortega's reflections during his third period, in which philosophy is understood as guidance, this will also be the first thesis of his philosophical system, radical reality. In this way, his philosophy would be justified, an obligation that according to Ortega, applies to all philosophers. (shrink)

Traductor: Jesús María Ayuso Díez. Ediciones Sígueme, Salamanca, 2019.

Co-authorship of papers is very common in most areas of science, and it has increased as the complexity of research has strengthened the need for scientific collaboration. But the fact that papers have more than an author tends to complicate the attribution of merit to individual scientists. I argue that collaboration does not necessarily entail co-authorship, but that in many cases the latter is an option that individual authors might not choose, at least in principle: each author might publish in (...) a separate way her own contribution to the collaborative project in which she has taken part, or papers could explicitly state what the contribution of each individual author has been. I ask, hence, why it is that scientists prefer to ‘pool’ their contributions instead of keeping them separate, if what they pursue in their professional careers is individual recognition. My answer is based on the view of the scientific paper as a piece of argumentation, following an inferentialist approach to scientific knowledge. A few empirical predictions from the model presented here are suggested in the conclusions. (shrink)

The decision whether to have a realist or an anti-realist attitude towards scientific hypotheses is interpreted in this paper as a choice that scientists themselves have to face in their work as scientists, rather than as a ‘philosophical’ problem. Scientists’ choices between realism and instrumentalism (or other types of anti-realism) are interpreted in this paper with the help of two different conceptual tools: a deflationary semantics grounded in the inferentialist approach to linguistic practices developed by some authors (e.g., Sellars, Brandom), (...) and an epistemic utility function that tries to represent the cognitive preferences of scientists. The first tool is applied to two different questions traditionally related to the problem of scientific realism: the non-miracle argument, and the continuity of reference. The second one is applied to the problem of unconceived alternatives, and to the distinction between realist and instrumentalist attitudes towards scientific hypotheses. (shrink)

Contextualizar os processos oriundos de um período pandêmico é reconhecer que, para a nossa sociedade, o que vivemos com a pandemia da Covid-19 foi, de fato, inédito e histórico. Além de apresentar um cenário de acúmulo de emoções, mudança de rotina e sentimentos de medo e angústias, uma nova forma de interação social e trabalho precisou ser vivenciada. Assim, verificamos a importância de levantar reflexões acerca da maternidade vivenciada no contexto de isolamento social pelas mulheres que são mães discentes e (...) que precisaram conciliar suas atividades de cuidados diários com os estudos acadêmicos. É fundamental refletir sobre como funcionou o ambiente universitário no formato virtual e como tem sido o processo de retorno às aulas presenciais. Desse modo, neste artigo, o objetivo é apresentar reflexões acerca dos efeitos que o isolamento social no contexto da Covid-19 pode ter gerado à saúde mental de mulheres que são mães e universitárias. Tal texto compõe o levantamento bibliográfico do projeto de pesquisa “Atenção à saúde mental de mães universitárias no contexto da Covid-19”, realizado no curso de Psicologia da Universidade Federal do Pará. Acreditamos ser possível vivenciar no ambiente acadêmico aquilo que consideramos uma clínica da situação contemporânea e que colabora para a criação de espaços de acolhimento dentro da Universidade. No caso específico desta pesquisa, buscamos um acolhimento voltado para as mães universitárias que buscam permanecer nesses espaços, mesmo diante de tantos desafios. (shrink)

The scientist’s decision of accepting a given proposition is assumed to be dependent on two factors: the scientist’s ‘private’ information about the value of that statement and the proportion of colleagues who also accept it. This interdependence is modelled in an economic fashion, and it is shown that it may lead to multiple equilibria. The main conclusions are that the evolution of scientific knowledge can be path-dependent, that scientific revolutions can be due to very small changes in the empirical evidence, (...) and that not all possible equilibria are necessarily efficient, neither in the economic nor in the epistemic sense. These inefficiencies, however, can be eliminated if scientists can form coalitions. (shrink)

La idea del sentido del mundo antes de todo filosofar, de Husserl, implica dar un paso atrás de la reflexión del Ego filosofante, ir al ámbito pre- reflexivo (no- eidético); sin embargo, aunque Husserl sí da un paso atrás revisando profundamente los procesos de las síntesis pasivas en los que el Ego no está posicionado, a nivel del registro de la fantasía y de la percepción —por lo que podría haber realizado una descentralización del Ego trascendental—, regresa al Ego filosofante (...) buscando expresar, en el modo de la evidencia eidética de la conciencia, el sentido pre- reflexivo ganado en los procesos de correlación intencional operante de las síntesis pasivas. La tesis de este ensayo es que, de las dos vías epistemológicas presentes en la filosofía de Husserl, la vía epistémica del Ego trascendental (el “camino cartesiano”, como él le llama), se impone por sobre la vía del Husserl de las vivencias (el “camino del mundo-de-la-vida”, como lo definirá en Crisis), en lo que respecta a su idea del sentido del mundo antes de todo filosofar, a pesar de sus implicaciones pre- reflexivas. (shrink)

Construction of the trunk/caudal region of the vertebrate embryo involves a set of distinct molecules and processes whose relationships are just coming into focus. In addition to the subdivision of the embryo into head and trunk domains, this “caudalisation” process requires the establishment and maintenance of a stem zone. This sequentially generates caudal tissues over a long period which then undergo differentiation and patterning in the extending body axis. Here we review recent studies that show that changes in the signalling (...) properties of the paraxial mesoderm act as a switch that controls onset of differentiation and pattern in the spinal cord. These findings identify distinct roles for different caudalising factors; in particular, Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) inhibits differentiation in the caudal stem zone, while Retinoic acid (RA) provided rostrally by somitic mesoderm is required for neuronal differentiation and establishment of ventral neural pattern. Furthermore, the mutual opposition of FGF and RA pathways controls not only neural differentiation but also mesoderm segmentation and might also underlie the progressive assignment of rostrocaudal identity by regulating Hox gene availability and activation. BioEssays 26:857–869, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (shrink)

In the context of solving large distributed constraint optimization problems, belief-propagation and incomplete inference algorithms are candidates of choice. However, in general, when the problem structure is very cyclic, these solution methods suffer from bad performance, due to non-convergence and many exchanged messages. As to improve performances of the MaxSum inference algorithm when solving cyclic constraint optimization problems, we propose here to take inspiration from the belief-propagation-guided decimation used to solve sparse random graphs. We propose the novel DeciMaxSum method, which (...) is parameterized in terms of policies to decide when to trigger decimation, which variables to decimate and which values to assign to decimated variables. Based on an empirical evaluation on a classical constraint optimization benchmarks, some of these combinations of policies, using periodic decimation, cycle detection-based decimation, parallel and non parallel decimation, random or deterministic variable selection and deterministic or random sampling for value selection, outperform state-of-the-art competitors in many settings. (shrink)

Moulines’ arguments against several types of realism in his book Pluralidad y recursion are considered and a defence of scientific realism consistent with structuralism is offered as a plausible answer to Moulines’ criticisms.

Popper’s suggestion of taking methodological norms as conventions is examined from the point of view of game theory. The game of research is interpreted as a game of persuasion, in the sense that every scientists tries to advance claims, and that her winning the game consists in her colleagues accepting some of those claims as the conclusions of some arguments. Methodological norms are seen as elements in a contract established amongst researchers, that says what inferential moves are legitimate or compulsory (...) in that game. Norms are classified in three groups: rules of internal inference , entry norms , and exit norms . It is argued that the value of a set of norms depends on how efficient they are in leading a scientific community to accept claims ranking high in a consensuated scale of epistemic value, and in giving each member of the community a reasonable expectation of winning some games. (shrink)

Scientific research is based on the division of cognitive labour: every scientist has to trust that other colleagues have checked whether the items that are taken as knowledge, and she cannot check by herself, are reliable enough. I apply ideas from the field known as ‘information economics’ to analyse the scientists’ incentives to produce items of knowledge of an ‘adequate’ quality, under the assumption that a big part of what one observes in her empirical research is not available for the (...) readers of the paper. I also discuss some criticisms to this ‘marketization’ of science studies. (shrink)

The process of scientific investigation is reconstructed as a process of empirical approximation to the truth. This last concept is explicated as a combination of “degree of simmilarity between theory A and the strongest accepted empirical law at moment t” and the “degree of depth of this empirical law”. A number of methodological theorems are proved, and avision of science closer to sophisticated falsificationism is mathematically deduced from our definitions.

El objetivo de este artículo consiste en abordar algunos argumentos de la filosofía de J. Rancière relacionados con la necesidad de repensar el comunismo. La hipótesis de trabajo insiste en señalar que Rancière no defiende ningún proyecto comunista. Esto al menos por tres razones: no hay igualdad de las inteligencias, el comunista funge como profesor explicador en aras de concientizar a los embrutecidos, el comunismo pertenece a una temporalidad histórica teleológica, lo que a su vez supone un aplazamiento de la (...) emancipación. Finalmente, cerramos este diálogo con las posibilidades presentes de esta otra forma de concebir la igualdad y la emancipación. (shrink)

This article explores the importance of mental expression in understanding the phenomenon of inner speech. Most accounts of inner speech assume from the outset the common idea that the expressions of a subject (e.g., a smile) and their mental states (e.g., joy) are two different types of items somehow related to each other. This relational view of expression is challenged in this article. Firstly, it is argued that relational views of expression cannot explain some features of inner speech. Secondly, a (...) non-relational view of expression is developed, according to which mental states are patterns of expressive behavior. Thirdly, it is argued that only from the framework of non-relational expressivism is it possible to explain the main features of inner speech. Finally, it is concluded that non-relational expressivism emerges as a prominent contender among contemporary views of the mind, as it provides the only account of inner speech that can fully explain the phenomenon. (shrink)

El acceso a los sentimientos y su intencionalidad son dos problemas clásicos en la tradición fenomenológica. Un texto cumbre es el artículo de Moritz Geiger “La conciencia de los sentimientos” (1911), en el que cuestionaba tanto su intencionalidad como la posibilidad de observarlos en su manifestación original. Edmund Husserl, ese mismo año, se confrontaba con las tesis de Geiger en manuscritos de investigación recientemente publicados. En el presente artículo expongo las posiciones enfrentadas de ambos filósofos y ofrezco una conclusión crítica (...) sobre los presupuestos teóricos de Geiger. (shrink)

Broadly characterized, the philosophy of action encompasses a host of problems about the nature and scope of human action and agency, including, but not limited to, intention and intentional action, the ontology of action, reason-explanations of action, motivation and practical reason, free will and moral responsibility, mental agency, social action, controlling attitudes, akrasia and enkrasia, and many other issues. Philosophy of Action: 5 Questions is a collection of short interviews based on 5 questions presented to some of the most influential (...) and prominent scholars in this philosophical field. We hear their views on philosophy of action, its aim, scope, use, the future, and how their work fits in these respects. (shrink)

El constante interés de Freud por la historia ha sido, generalmente, menospreciado. Sin embargo, de la lectura de sus obras se desprende que llegó a elaborar y a manejar una teoría propia, con la que pretendía tener la llave para acceder a los ingredientes capaces de explicar los aspectos fundamentales de la evolución histórica de la humanidad. Sin conocer esta concepción de la historia no puede apreciarse en sus justas dimensiones el edificio teórico freudiano ni valorarse adecuadamente su posición respecto (...) a los limites de la terapia psicoanalítica. (shrink)

Este ensayo parte de la concepción del individuo que fundamenta la relación entre dos elementos de conciliación ~robledtica probada, a saber: liberalismo v cultura. Desde su epistemología moral, influyentes pensadores liberales reivindican la necesidad del antiperfeccionismo estatal com..

ArgumentThis paper addresses the complex process of inscribing the names of the American natural world – both the natural species and the territories – in the records of the Spanish Empire as undertaken by its official chronicler Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo (1478–1557). Fernandez de Oviedo's ambitious attempt to identify all natural phenomena in the Historia general y natural de las Indias provides a very clear instance of the parallel developments of science and imperial discourse in the Early Modern period. As (...) we shall see, however, Fernández de Oviedo's point of view in this regard was by no means the same as the point of view developed in Spain by the imperial administration; on the contrary, Fernandez de Oviedo's criteria for identifying and naming reveal an effort to displace any external assumption and prejudice and call for a distinctly local view of American reality. In Fernández de Oviedo's text, the traditional notions of identity and difference as well as the relative positions of center and periphery were put into question in order to propose new ways to frame and control reality in an expanding world. (shrink)