A foundational idea of evo‐devo is that morphological variation is not isotropic, that is, it does not occur in all directions. Instead, some directions of morphological variation are more likely than others from DNA‐level variation and these largely depend on development. We argue that this evo‐devo perspective should apply not only to morphology but to evolution at all phenotypic levels. At other phenotypic levels there is no development, but there are processes that can be seen, in analogy to development, as (...) constructing the phenotype (e.g., protein folding, learning for behavior, etc.). We argue that to explain the direction of evolution two types of arguments need to be combined: generative arguments about which phenotypic variation arises in each generation and selective arguments about which of it passes to the next generation. We explain how a full consideration of the two types of arguments improves the explanatory power of evolutionary theory. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/Egbvma_uaKc. (shrink)

A replicator is simply something that makes copies of itself. There are hypothetical replicators (e.g., self-catalyzing chemical cycles) that are suspected to be unable to exhibit heritable variation. Variation in any of their constituent molecules would not lead them to produce offspring with those new variant molecules. Copying, such as in DNA replication or in xerox machines, allows any sequence to be remade and then sequence variations to be inherited. This distinction has been used against non-RNA-world hypotheses: without RNA replication (...) systems have no capacity to exhibit heritable variation. However, is copying the only way to have heritable variation? This article suggests that evolution can happen without anything being copied and that, in fact, RNA copying is too complex to arise spontaneously as the first pre-biotic system. There would then be a historical gradation of systems from non-alive to alive in which the capacity to have heritable changes would progressively increase and in which copying, as in template-based RNA-replication, would be a crucial but relatively late event. In addition, this article proposes a way by which RNA replication could have arisen, after systems able to evolve arose, as a crucial innovation and how that innovation spread over existing evolutionary systems and became a major driver of subsequent evolution. (shrink)

Se trata de una reseña del libro de Silva, Carmen (2021). _De la filosofía natural a la psicología de la moral en el Ensayo sobre el entendimiento humano de John Locke_. México: Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, 238 páginas.

I propose a `stage theory’ of groups: a group is a fusion of group-stages, where a group-stage is a plurality of individuals at a world and a time. The stage theory consists of existence conditions, identity conditions, and parthood conditions for groups.

Presents Newton's unifying idea of gravitation and explains how he converted physics from a science of explanation into a general mathematical system.

I show that centered propositions—also called de se propositions, and usually modeled as sets of centered worlds—pose a serious problem for various versions of Lewis's Principal Principle. The problem, put roughly, is that in scenarios like Elga's `Sleeping Beauty' case, those principles imply that rational agents ought to have obviously irrational credences. To solve the problem, I propose a centered version of the Principal Principle. My version allows centered propositions to be objectively chancy.

In this paper, I give an argument for the view that non-fact entities – such as physical objects, abstract objects, events and so on – can ground other entities. Roughly put, the argument is as follows: those who accept this view can provide a more plausible account of the grounds of identity facts than those who deny this view.

The essays in _The Philosophy of Spirituality_ address spirituality as a subject of philosophical interest independent of religion and respecting diverse spiritual traditions: African, atheist, Indigenous, Indian, Stoic, and Sufic perspectives, as well as Western analytic and continental views.

Positing group level obligations has come under attack from concerns relating to agency as a necessary requirement for obligation bearing. Roughly stated, the worry is that since only agents can have moral obligations, and groups are not agents, groups cannot have moral obligations. The intuition behind this constraint is itself based on the ability requirement of 'ought implies can': in order for a group to have an obligation it must have the ability to perform an action, but only agents can (...) have abilities. This paper argues that from accounts of shared agency we can develop a concept of joint ability, undermining the problem of agency for group obligations. (shrink)

El registro de la personalidad de Pablo, su formación intelectual y su misión hacen de él un hombre de controversias y de originalidades en su discurso. Este artículo pretende describir: (a) la estructura argumentativa de la llamada 'carta a Filemón' (Fm), texto considerado de autoría paulina, y (b) las maniobras estratégicas que desarrolla el autor del documento para resolver la discusión crítica, específicamente a partir del uso de estrategias de cortesía verbal. En términos generales, desde un análisis dialéctico, la carta (...) nos presenta el pedido del prisionero para que Filemón reciba a Onésimo de regreso en su casa, así como los argumentos que favorecen esta postura. Al insertar las maniobras estratégicas, es decir, el elemento pragmático y retórico, se puede observar un cambio en el punto de vista y en el argumento. Las estrategias de cortesía verbal ayudan, por un lado, a que la comunidad acoja a Onésimo y, por otro lado, aprenda que los cristianos han sido generados por la fe en Cristo. Por tanto, no sólo se declara la petición, sino una nueva verdad de fe y una práctica de vida eclesial y social. Pablo salvaguarda la imagen negativa, apelando a un nuevo estilo de autoridad y a una renovada forma de vida comunitaria que va más allá del contexto específico en el que fue escrita la carta. Todo hombre y mujer de fe son miembros dignos de la comunidad porque son “mis entrañas” (Fm 12b). (shrink)

This book constitutes a major contribution to our understanding of the mechanisms of knowledge construction and a rare attempt to bridge the gap between biological and connectionist models, on the one hand, and cognitive models on the other. The volume documents a revolution now occurring in the cognitive sciences and in the field of epistemic complexity, a revolution that permits the approach to the problem of knowledge construction from the standpoint of both theoretical models and simulation.The first chapter of the (...) book presents an up-to-date account of a number of recent trends in the field of self-organization theory. In particular, entropy, algorithmic complexity, self-referentiality and cellular automata are widely discussed. The second chapter focuses on some advances obtained, from a modelistic point of view, in biological computing. The alternative splicing and the interface between ruler and coder constitute the essential backbone of the chapter. This chapter also introduc .. (shrink)

Resumen El artículo tiene como objetivo revisar y analizar los pasajes referentes al territorio chileno en los poemas épicos que cantaron la Guerra de Arauco en el siglo XVI. Aun cuando su argumento central consistió en los acontecimientos bélicos, algunos pasajes dieron cabida a la descripción del espacio como un paisaje épico. Así como se demostrará, su representación no solo se configuró atendiendo a las condiciones fisonómicas del territorio, sino también a los recursos literarios propios de la epopeya que caracterizaron (...) al sur de Chile como un escenario desafiante y peligroso, espacio histórico y a la vez literario, representativo de la condición heroica e indomable del Reino de Chile.The aim of this article is to review and to analyze the passages relating to the Chilean territory in the epic poems that reported Arauco's War in the 16th century. Even if their central argument consisted of the warlike events, some passages gave content to the description of the space as an epic landscape. As it will be demonstrated, the representation of the territory not only was formed attending to the physical conditions of the land, but also to the literary resources of the epic that characterized to the south of Chile as a challenging and dangerous scene, historical and simultaneously literary space, representative of the heroic and indomitable condition of the Kingdom of Chile. (shrink)

Based on onto–epistemological pluralism and social practices this work maintains that the proclamation of cultural neutrality originating in the idea of equality without any distinction of color, sex, language, religion or political opinion, really favors white racism and cultural imperialism of the liberal way of life. This article argues that the process of reasoning which justifies human rights is distorted by particular interests, such as the colonization of American territory in the case of the Declaration of the Good People of (...) Virginia in 1776. As no–one questioned the reasons upon which the false belief that some human beings were classified as inferior or superior according to their physical features, it was reiterated as if it were a truth and, consequently acted upon, thereby fixing this belief in stereotypes. In this article I argue that the present Declaration of Human Rights is the result of continuing inherited presuppositions from the 18th Century. These have not been questioned and have constituted the world in which we live as a racist world in which the liberal tradition has consolidated its political power. (shrink)

This book draws on fields as diverse as biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, psychology, psychiatry, and ethology, to form a fascinating synthesis of information on the nature of fear and of panic and anxiety disorders. Dr. Marks offers both a detailed discussion of the clinical aspects of fear-related syndromes and a broad exploration of the sources and mechanisms of fear and defensive behavior. Dealing first with normal fear, he establishes a firm, scientific basis for understanding it. He then presents a thorough analysis (...) of the development, symptoms and treatment of fear-related syndromes. Phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders are examined in detail. The book is illustrated with examples of fear and defensive behavior in other living organisms. By drawing provocative analogies between animal and human behavior, it sheds new light on the origins of fears, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive problems, as well as on their treatment by drugs and psychological means. Clinical psychologists, ethologists, and anyone interested in the mechanisms of behavior will be fascinated by this authoritative study. The text is intriguing and informative, and the bibliography of over 2,100 entries makes it an invaluable reference. (shrink)

Este ensayo aporta una visión distinta a la interpretación de los resultados comparados de PISA 2000 contra 2015. Donde no se sobredimensiona a los países con mejores condiciones iniciales, ni se estigmatiza a aquellos cuyas condiciones de partida son más difíciles. Por tanto, México no puede ser considerado como el país de la OCDE con el sistema educativo más ineficaz. No existe evidencia que demuestre que estas evaluaciones hayan tenido como consecuencia mejoras en la calidad de la educación. Palabras clave: (...) Calidad de la educación, Evaluación educativa. PISA 2015. (shrink)

Durante la crisis sanitaria mundial, gobiernos dictan medidas de emergencia; universidades peruanas interrumpieron la labor académica e inician enseñanza remota. Se analizan los cambios en el proceso de enseñanza no presencial y la adaptación de docentes a la enseñanza virtual. Es una investigación mixta, realizando regresiones y caracterizando cada componente. Se identifican brechas de conectividad, conocimiento en herramientas digitales, enfoque pedagógico y, tecnológico; que afectan eficiencia y productividad docente del proceso de enseñanza no presencial. La comunidad universitaria requiere desarrollar y (...) reforzar nuevas capacidades tecnopedagógicas hacia la educación híbrida en un escenario de nueva normalidad. (shrink)

Isaac Levi's new book develops further his pioneering work in formal epistemology, focusing on the problem of belief contraction, or how rationally to relinquish old beliefs. Levi offers the most penetrating analysis to date of this key question in epistemology, offering a completely new solution and explaining its relation to his earlier proposals. He mounts an argument in favor of the thesis that contracting a state of belief by giving up specific beliefs is to be evaluated in terms of (...) the value of the information lost by doing so. The rationale aims to be thoroughly decision theoretic. Levi spells out his goals and shows that certain types of recommendations are obtained if one seeks to promote these goals. He compares his approach to his earlier account of inductive expansion. The recommendations are for "mild contractions." These are formally the same as the "severe withdrawals" considered by Pagnucco and Rott. The rationale, however, is different. A critical part of the book concerns the elaboration of these differences. The results are relevant to accounts of the conditions under which it is legitimate to cease believing and to accounts of conditionals. Mild Contraction will be of great interest to all specialists in belief revision theory and to many students of formal epistemology, philosophy of science, and pragmatism. (shrink)

Hablar de las relaciones del Estado colombiano con la sede Apostólica de Roma, constituye una seria tarea, que requiere se convierta en una reflexión equilibrada un tanto lejos de dogmatismo y apreciaciones ligeras que en muchos casos acompañan la investigación histórica. Para acercarnos a esta tarea, es necesario remitirnos a los senderos de historia Republicana, la cual se puede decir no es tan larga que digamos. Hay que tener en cuenta que al producirse la Independencia, no sólo heredamos la fe (...) católica, apostólica, romana, sino también los poderes Eclesiásticos que se hallaban en plena flor merced al patronato real, y que los patriotas una vez en el poder, lo reclamaron como cierto privilegio legado por la madre España. (shrink)

Este trabajo tiene como fin revisar los informes sobre derechos humanos en Colombia de la Oficina del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, en busca de evidencia que demuestre la interrelación anulativa de los actores sociales del conflicto armado en contra de la dignidad de las victimas. La violencia y todo acto de terrorismo emergente del conflicto armado aumentan la vulnerabilidad, el silenciamiento de la memoria, la impunidad y, en gran medida, promueve una lógica evasiva de (...) responsabilidades y reparaciones que son necesarias para esclarecer los hechos victimizantes y otorgar voz a los afectados. El conflicto armado sume a las víctimas en una dinámica del terror que impacta todas sus áreas de desarrollo y limita su sentido de seguridad, confianza y credibilidad en el otro y en las instituciones sociales. (shrink)

Esta es una investigación cualitativa de tipo exploratorio, que tiene como objetivo examinar las Representaciones sociales acerca de la adopción en parejas sin hijos y con posibilidades de adoptar, para lo cual se aplicará una entrevista semiestructurada a 50 parejas, además de una ficha de caracterización sociodemográfica elaborada para esta investigación. Se concluye que las parejas tienen una representación sesgada de la adopción, y prejuicios respecto a la edad, la salud, la historia de los niños y niñas, que determinan las (...) resistencias y representaciones respecto a la adopción. Asimismo, las parejas anteponen el proyecto de vida personal, la estabilidad económica, dificultades en los procesos adoptivos, y supuestas preferencias por familias extranjeras, como criterios que dan forma a la resistencia a adoptar, aun cuando identifican que la adopción es un proceso necesario en la sociedad que debe ser fortalecido y asumido por más personas. (shrink)

Teniendo en cuenta la intensa migración actual de diversos grupos culturales a otros Estados, en este artículo defiendo la tesis de que miembros de diferentes culturas con normas y valores antagónicos pueden llegar a acuerdos de convivencia intercultural. Comienzo explicando la concepción política de la justicia de Rawls para indicar que esta postura democrática liberal no puede responder de forma adecuada a los contextos actuales de multiculturalidad. Posteriormente, expongo las propuestas principales de la ética universalista de J. Habermas con el (...) fin de contraponerla a lo que llamo la "ética pluralista" de J. Dewey y H. Putnam, y justifico por qué las normas, los hechos y los valores son contextuales. con base en ello, concluyo que es posible establecer acuerdos éticos plurales que pueden variar de una cultura a otra y, no obstante, ser legítimos como normas mínimas de convivencia. Given the intense current migration of diverse cultural groups to other States, in this article i defend the thesis that members of different cultures with norms and values in conflict are able to reach intercultural agreements of coexistence. I start explaining Rawls' political conception of justice to point out that this liberal democratic stance cannot respond adequately to the current context of multiculturality. i show then the main points of J. Habermas' universalist ethics in order to contrast it with what i call the "pluralist ethics" of J. Dewey and H. Putnam, and justify why norms, facts and values are contextual. Based on this, I conclude that it is possible to achieve plural ethical agreements that might differ from one culture to another and yet still be legitimate as minimum norms of coexistence. (shrink)

Rorty holds that it is possible to defend a liberal democratic policy without having to substantiate it according to universal criteria linked to corresponding notions of truth, instead, he affirms that this democratic policy can be founded on a notion of truth narrowly linked to justification. Following this idea one would expect Rorty to take a position committed to pluralism understood in a strong sense, where different positions are justified and validated in relation to specific existential conditions, however, this does (...) not happen. As we will demonstrate, Rorty´s proposal, although it is partly inspired by Nietzsche´s perspectivism, as well as the ethical-political reading of plurality based on Wittgenstein´s proposal of language games, it goes no further than a contextualized pretence which is not based on a real posture of pluralism. In this article we maintain that the Rortian position, far from being pluralist, tends toward ethno-centrism and even domination through persuasion. (shrink)

Este artículo explora cómo un grupo de enfermeros/as clínicos construye discursivamente sus posturas de expertos utilizando jerga médica mientras discuten sus prácticas profesionales y los casos de los pacientes en una clínica. Guiado por la tradición analítica discursiva de la sociolingüística interaccional, el análisis se basa en conversaciones naturales que han sido grabadas en audio y video durante cuatro reuniones clínicas en una institución de la salud en Nueva Zelanda. Este artículo muestra que el uso de la jerga médica juega (...) un papel vital en la construcción de posturas de expertos que observan las necesidades interactivas, y especialmente relacionales, de los participantes en estas reuniones clínicas. En particular, el artículo analiza el papel de la jerga médica en la construcción de las posturas expertas de los enfermeros/as clínicos cuando construyen alineaciones dentro del grupo, manejan la crítica profesional y manejan los desacuerdos en las interacciones entre pares. Las observaciones finales ofrecen reflexiones sobre el papel de la jerga médica en la construcción de la postura relacional de los enfermeros/as clínicos y la necesidad de investigar más a fondo el uso de la jerga especializada en otros contextos de comunicación entre pares. (shrink)

For the past fifty years anxiety over naturalism has driven debates in social theory. One side sees social science as another kind of natural science, while the other rejects the possibility of objective and explanatory knowledge. _Interpretation and Social Knowledge_ suggests a different route, offering a way forward for an antinaturalist sociology that overcomes the opposition between interpretation and explanation and uses theory to build concrete, historically specific causal explanations of social phenomena.

Evidential Decision Theory is flawed, but its flaws are not fully understood. David Lewis (1981) famously charged that EDT recommends an irrational policy of managing the news and “commends the ostrich as rational”. Lewis was right, but the case he appealed to—Newcomb’s Problem—does not demonstrate his conclusion. Indeed, decision theories other than EDT, such as Committal Decision Theory and Functional Decision Theory, agree with EDT's verdicts in Newcomb’s Problem, but their flaws, whatever they may be, do not stem from any (...) ostrich-like recommendations. We offer a new case which shows that EDT mismanages the news, thus vindicating Lewis’s original charge. We argue that this case reveals a flaw in the “Why ain’cha rich?” defense of EDT. We argue further that this case is an advance on extant putative counterexamples to EDT. (shrink)

The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.

This paper discusses the logical space of alternative conceptual engineering projects, with a specific focus on (1) the processes, (2) the targets and goals, and (3) the methods of such projects. We present an overview of how these three aspects interact in the contemporary literature and discuss those alternative projects that have yet to be explored based on our suggested typology. We show how choices about each element in a conceptual engineering project constrain the possibilities for the others, thereby giving (...) rise to distinct groupings of possible projects under the banner of conceptual engineering. We conclude with a critical reflection on the potential ethical issues that arise as a result of effectively putting conceptual engineering into practice. (shrink)

We present a novel model of individual people, online posts, and media platforms to explain the online spread of epistemically toxic content such as fake news and suggest possible responses. We argue that a combination of technical features, such as the algorithmically curated feed structure, and social features, such as the absence of stable social-epistemic norms of posting and sharing in social media, is largely responsible for the unchecked spread of epistemically toxic content online. Sharing constitutes a distinctive communicative act, (...) governed by a dedicated norm and motivated to a large extent by social identity maintenance. But confusion about this norm and its lack of inherent epistemic checks lead readers to misunderstand posts, attribute excess or insufficient credibility to posts, and allow posters to evade epistemic accountability—all contributing to the spread of epistemically toxic content online. This spread can be effectively addressed if people and platforms add significantly more context to shared posts and platforms nudge people to develop and follow recognized epistemic norms of posting and sharing. (shrink)

There has recently been increasing interest in the possibility and ethics of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), which would combine sophisticated AI with machinery capable of deadly force. One objection to LAWS is that their use will create a troubling responsibility gap, where no human agent can properly be held accountable for the outcomes that they create. While some authors have attempted to show that individual agents can, in fact, be responsible for the behaviour of LAWS in various circumstances, this (...) will not be possible in all cases. This article argues, however, that by assigning responsibilities to group agents operating within the military‐industrial complex, as well as the military‐industrial complex as a whole, we may be able to close the responsibility gap, or at least reduce its costs. Insofar as the potential for responsibility gaps poses an ethical barrier to the development and deployment of LAWS, this argument, if sound, may show their use to be morally permissible in a greater range of cases. (shrink)

Una de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil que ha adquirido gran relevancia en el combate a la pobreza alimentaria en el estado de Sonora es el Banco de Alimentos de Hermosillo (BAH). Su objetivo es combatir el hambre y la desnutrición mediante la distribución de alimentos a zonas marginadas. Pesqueira, es una de las localidades en situación crítica de pobreza alimentaria y que ha sido beneficiada por los apoyos que otorga el BAH. Sin embargo, a pesar de que esos (...) apoyos son reconocidos como una ayuda importante en términos de asistencia alimentaria, se desconoce objetivamente su impacto nutricional y económico. La metodología consistió en la tipificación de las canastas alimentarias (CA) durante un periodo de cuatro meses para contrastar su aporte nutricional y su valor en el mercado. Los resultados son los siguientes: de acuerdo a la composición nutrimental de la CA, es posible observar que sólo cubre el 20% de la ingestión diaria recomendada. En términos económicos, las CA han contribuido a que la población beneficiaria reduzca sus niveles de pobreza alimentaria en un 40%, aunque persiste la pobreza en términos absolutos. (shrink)

El extrañamiento de la universidad como centro de conocimiento ahora se encuentra vacío por culpa del confinamiento, lo que me ha llevado ha llevado a asumir algunos retos de vida. Pero ante todo lo digo con franqueza: “este encierro me ha enseñado a descubrirme en el tipo de personas que soy”. Prometo que seré mejor ser humano en cada faceta de lo que queda de mi precaria vida, si una vez superada esta pandemia no quede en el inventario de los (...) que se fueron. (shrink)

Power in meetings may be enacted in many ways, ranging from democratic and collaborative through to authoritative and didactic, with the exact positioning on this continuum typically under the control of the chair. By contrast with the focus of most previous research on the behaviour of institutionally ratified chairs of intact teams, this paper examines how volunteer chairs of small focus groups in public meetings use the power associated with that role to manage the discussion and to encourage or discourage (...) explicit expression of disagreement. Our analysis identifies ways in which these arbitrarily assigned chairs influence and facilitate the small group discussions through a range of discourse practices. By separating the chair role from its typical co-occurrence with institutional hierarchy we are able to demonstrate the inherent influence and power of the position in the decision making process. (shrink)

Reproduces the text of Newton's dissertation on the nature and properties of light.