Quine’s thesis of underdetermination is significantly weaker than it has been taken to be in the recent literature, for the following reasons: (i) it does not hold for all theories, but only for some global theories, (ii) it does not require the existence of empirically equivalent yet logically incompatible theories, (iii) it does not rule out the possibility that all perceived rivalry between empirically equivalent theories might be merely apparent and eliminable through translation, (iv) it is not a fundamental thesis (...) within Quine’s philosophy, and (v) it does not carry with it the anti-realistic consequences often associated with the thesis in recent debates. The paper analyzes Quine’s views on the matter and the changes they underwent over the years. A conjecture is put forth about why Quine’s thesis has been so widely misrepresented: Quine’s writings up to 1975 tackled primarily the formulation and justification of the thesis, but afterwards were concerned mostly with the question whether empirically equivalent rivals to the theory we hold are to be considered true also. When this latter discussion is read without bearing in mind Quine’s earlier formulation and justification of the thesis, his thesis seems to have stronger epistemic consequences than it actually does. A careful reading of his later writings shows, however, that the formulation of the thesis remained unchanged after 1975, and that his mature and considered views supported only a very mitigated version of the thesis. (shrink)

Kant’s treatments of incongruent counterparts have been criticized in the recent literature. His 1768 essay has been charged with an ambiguous use of the notion of ‘inner ground’, and his 1770 claim that those differences cannot be apprehended conceptually is thought to be false. The author argues that those two charges rest on an uncharitable reading. ‘Inner ground’ is equivocal only if misread as mapping onto Leibniz notion of quality. Concepts suffice to distinguish counterparts, but are insufficient to specify their (...) spatial forms. Kant’s claims are reasonable and plausible, and have been reaffirmed repeatedly in contemporary discussions of demonstrative identification. (shrink)

One of the objections against the thesis of underdetermination of theories by observations is that it is unintelligible. Any two empirically equivalent theories — so the argument goes—are in principle intertranslatable, hence cannot count as rivals in any non-trivial sense. Against that objection, this paper shows that empirically equivalent theories may contain theoretical sentences that are not intertranslatable. Examples are drawn from a related discussion about incommensurability that shows that theoretical non-intertranslatability is possible.

Invertebrate animals are usually seen as a kind of “aliens” which do not deserve any moral consideration. However, there is a growing amount of evidenceindicating that many of them do have the capacity to experience pain. The samecriteria that are usually applied in order to infer that vertebrates are sentient beings (behavioral response, learning capacity, memory, a certain specific neurophysiological structure…) lead to the idea that many invertebrates aresentient as well. Therefore, under the skeptical premise that we have no directevidence (...) of the experience of pain in vertebrates, we are forced to hold that itexists in both vertebrates and invertebrates. (shrink)

Sight is undoubtedly the most crucial sense, and accidents resulting in its loss are a significant tragedy for individuals. The scientific community embarked on a journey of scientific innovation i...

Resumen La relación que siempre ha existido entre la filosofía y el lenguaje es una zona que nos interesa explorar. La imagen de la metáfora como figura que se contextualiza en este ensayo, tiene como presupuesto el origen occidental del acto especular y la concurrencia que lo metafórico ha tenido en este tan particular período del pensamiento. -/- Lo metafórico, entonces, se convierte en el nudo gordiano que se comienza a develar en tanto esta problematización hace aparición en el texto (...) poético como fuente genera triz de lo que posteriormente será el discurso filosófico occidental, que en su lectura fundacional atisba el caos pero cae con posterioridad en un irreversible proceso de secularización en el cual la metáfora también jugó y juega hasta hoy un muy importante desempeño. -/- Abstract The relationships that there has always been between philosophy and language is a zone we are interested in exploring from the image of the metaphor as a figure which it is contextualized in this essay having its basis on the western origin of the speculative act and the repetitiveness that the metaphoric has had in that particular period of thought. -/- The metaphoric then become the gorgian node which start to reveal as this puzzle appears in the poetic text as a generative source of the following philosophical western discourse which in its foundational reading views the chaos but it falls later in a irreversible process of secularization in which the metaphor also played and play until today an important execution. (shrink)

Quine’s writings on indeterminacy of translation are mostly abstract and theoretical; his reasons for the thesis are not based on historical cases of translation but on general considerations about how language works. So it is no surprise that a common objection to the thesis asserts that it is not backed up by any positive empirical evidence. Ian Hacking (1981 and 2002) claims that whatever credibility the thesis does enjoy comes rather from alleged (fictitious) cases of radical mistranslation. This paper responds (...) to objections of that kind by exhibiting actual cases of indeterminacy of translation. (shrink)

Kant uses incongruent counterparts in his work before and after 1781, but not in the first Critique. Given the relevance that incongruent counterparts had for his thought on space, and their persistence in his work during the 1780s, it is plausible to think that he had a reason for leaving them out of both editions of the Critique. Two implausible conjectures for their absence are here considered and rejected. A more plausible alternative is put forth, which explains that textual absence (...) as a result of the synthetic method of presentation intended for the Critique. (shrink)

This paper is a defence of a holistic version of the generalist view of moral reasoning based on prima facie principles. In Section 1 I summarise Dancy’s arguments for particularism. Then I argue that particularism goes against strong intuitions regarding reasoning in general (Section 2), fails to account for the asymmetry of reasons (Section 3) and to make sense of compunction and moral imbecility (Section 4). I conclude (Section 5) that a holistic generalism is the right view of moral reasoning. (...) Then I discuss Dancy’s objections to it. I argue that Dancy’s appeal to default reasons is philosophically equivalent to a holistic version of generalism, and hence incompatible with particularism (Section 6) and that his resistance to accept holistic generalism is the result of a foundationalist view of reasoning (Section 7). As an alternative to foundationalism I defend an Aristotelian dialectical view of moral reasoning. (shrink)

SummaryThis article is a defense of a semantic concept of incommensurability. Davidson's criticism of the dualism of scheme and content and Ramberg's davidsonian pragmatic concept of incommensurability are discussed. It is argued that Davidson's argument against conceptual relativism fails to undermine the notion of two languages being mutually partially not translatable. It is then claimed that a non‐trivial concept of semantic incommensurability based on the notion of intranslatability does makes sense, does not presuppose the scheme‐content dualism and is consistent with (...) an objectivist view of progress in science. It is then concluded that, although the widely held view that the incommensurability thesis entails some form of epistemological relativism must be rejected, it does follow from Davidson's criticism of the “third dogma” of empiricism that a sharp distinction of the kuhnian kind between “normal” disagreement and conceptual change can not be drawn. (shrink)

¿Puede ser racional creer algo porque se quiere creerlo? Prima facie no, puesto que una creencia racional se basa en razones, y la voluntad de creer puede ser una causa, pero no una razón de la creencia. Sin embargo, algunos intentos de autoinducirse creencias causalmente pueden verse como el ejercicio de una racionalidad de segundo orden. En este artículo, se esboza una visión de esta racionalidad de segundo orden basada en la tesis de Davidson de la división de la mente (...) y la distinción de Ortega entre ideas y creencias. La inquietante conclusión del análisis es que la capacidad de tener deseos de segundo orden sobre nuestras creencias es lo que hace posibles tanto la autocrítica y la autosuperación como el dogmatismo y la autocorrupción y que la condición de posibilidad de la racionalidad y la libertad es la misma que la de la irracionalidad y la alienación. Is it rational to believe something because one wants to believe it? Prima facie it is not, for a rational belief is based on reasons, and the will to believe can be a cause, but not a reason for the belief. Nevertheless, some attempts of causally self-inducing beliefs can be viewed as a sort of second-order rationality. This paper sketches a view of this second-order rationality based on Davidson's thesis of the divided mind and Ortega's distinction between ideas and beliefs. The uncomfortable conclusion of the discussion is that the ability to have second-order beliefs about our beliefs is what makes possible both self-criticism and self-improvement and dogmatism and self-corruption and that the possibility condition of rationality and freedom and of irrationality and alienation are the same. (shrink)

European Journal of Philosophy, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 601-607, June 2022.

A situação de pandemia gerada pela COVID-19 é, sem dúvida, um dos acontecimentos mais extremos que a sociedade está tendo que enfrentar neste século, tanto por sua extensão, como pela duração, previsível continuidade e consequências. Este artigo aborda os diferentes estilos educativos parentais, objetivando subsidiar reflexões sobre a parentalidade e a adaptação psicossocial das crianças diante da pandemia. A fundamentação teórico-conceitual está baseada nos estilos educativos parentais a partir da abordagem tipológica. De acordo com a literatura, pais com um estilo (...) educativo autorizativo e indulgente podem contribuir para que as crianças enfrentem adversidades de maneira mais adaptativa. (shrink)

RESUMEN:Este trabajo tiene por objeto analizar la articulación entre la afirmación del carácter racional de la fe, esto es, su dimensión latitudinaria, el escepticismo epistemológico, y su derivación práctica en un concepto de tolerancia restringido al interior del protestantismo. Se subrayará, en este sentido, el carácter estratégico de la articulación entre racionalidad de la fe y escepticismo, en cuanto permite apelar a la ignorancia con vistas a la tolerancia, sin por ello dejar de sostener la interpretación protestante del cristianismo, en (...) detrimento de la interpretación católica.PALABRAS CLAVE:LOCKE - LATITUDINARISMO - ESCEPTICISMO - TOLERANCIA - PROTESTANTISMOABSTRACT:This paper aims to analyze the articulation between faith rationality assertion, i.e. its latitudinarian aspect, its epistemological skepticism, and its practical implication in a restricted concept of tolerance within Protestantism. In this regard, we will emphasize the strategic feature of the link between faith rationality and skepticism, as it allows appealing to ignorance towards tolerance, without dropping the Protestant interpretation of Christianity, to the detriment of Catholic interpretation.KEYWORDS:LOCKE - LATITUDINARIANISM - SKEPTICISM - TOLERATION - PROTESTANTISM. (shrink)

In this paper we study the distribution of power in the Basque Parliament since the restoration of the Spanish democracy. The classic simple games do not fit with the particular voting rule that it is used to invest the president of the regional government. In order to model this voting mechanism we incorporate coalitional externalities to the game. We use the extensions of the most popular power indices to games with externalities that have been proposed in the most recent literature. (...) Moreover, we propose a method to estimate the probability of a given coalition based on the ideological positions of its members in a two-dimensional political spectrum. (shrink)

Some authors claim that ‘I’ and ‘now’ are essential indexicals, in the sense that they cannot be eliminated in favor of other indexicals or nonindexical expressions. This article argues that three indexicals of direction—one for each spatial dimension (e.g., ‘up’, ‘front’, and ‘left’)—must also be regarded essential, insofar as they are used as pure indexicals and not as demonstratives.

Kant uses incongruent counterparts in his work before and after 1781, but not in the first Critique. Given the relevance that incongruent counterparts had for his thought on space, and their persistence in his work during the 1780s, it is plausible to think that he had a reason for leaving them out of both editions of the Critique. Two implausible conjectures for their absence are here considered and rejected. A more plausible alternative is put forth, which explains that textual absence (...) as a result of the synthetic method of presentation intended for the Critique. (shrink)

Quine's writings on indeterminacy of translation are mostly abstract and theoretical; his reasons for the thesis are not based on historical cases of translation but on general considerations about how language works. So it is no surprise that a common objection to the thesis asserts that it is not backed up by any positive empirical evidence. Ian Hacking (1981 and 2002) claims that whatever credibility the thesis does enjoy comes rather from alleged (fictitious) cases of radical mistranslation. This paper responds (...) to objections of that kind by exhibiting actual cases of indeterminacy of translation. (shrink)

Quine is frequently acknowledged as one of the main proponents of both confi rmation holism and underdetermination. In the recent literature, however, his views have been often criticized and misrepresented: the distinction between the two theses has been often blurred, the obviousness of holism has been rejected, and the plausibility of underdetermination has come under attack. This paper attempts to formulate both theses as clearly as possible and to defend Quine’s views against some recurrent criticisms. In particular, it is argued (...) that Quine’s theses are signifi cantly weaker than they have been taken to be and that only confi rmation holism, but not underdetermination, plays a fundamental role in his philosophy. (shrink)

O presente trabalho pretende apresentar mais uma das faces destrutivas (pulsão de morte) que vivemos na pandemia. Além do negacionismo, que estabelece uma relação específica com o conhecimento (ou vínculo ou elo do conhecimento, K) pautado na arrogância, leituras grupais ampliam essa visão. Elas nos permitem perceber outros vínculos importantes e o modo como determinadas lideranças chegam ao poder devido à conexão que estabelecem com os indivíduos – ou seus eleitores. Bion (1961/1975) nos instrumentaliza a essa leitura com suas experiências (...) grupais. Logo, a presente apresentação utiliza o conceito de suposições básicas propostas pelo psicanalista, em específico a de dependência, para evidenciar como essas conexões se estabelecem e o modo como lideranças surgem a partir dessa suposição básica. O modo como intencionalmente indivíduos (ou agentes políticos) desestruturam as relações entre os membros de um grupo (ou comunidade) e a carência (material e emocional) que esses membros vivem, devido ao caos causado pela desestruturação grupal, são as bases da ascensão desses líderes. A conclusão a que se chega é que quanto maior o grau de dependência desses membros, maior a loucura ou a insanidade de seu líder, devido à resistência às desilusões, perdas e lutos inerentes a percepção realística desses elementos. (shrink)

Tradução do artigo de Kant publicado orginalmente em 1768.

Two Treatises of Government de John Locke propone dos pactos, uno que funda el Estado y otro que funda el gobierno. La presencia de estos dos pactos supone profundas diferencias con el contractualismo hobbesiano y abre la puerta a la teoría de la resistencia lockeana. En este artículo se analizan con cierto detalle las características de ambos pactos a la luz no solo de TT sino también de otros textos de Locke a fin de precisar la especificidad y originalidad de (...) su propuesta política. Ello supondrá discutir con la lectura de intérpretes clásicos como John Dunn y John Simmons, así como otros más contemporáneos como Lee Ward y Robert Faulkner. (shrink)

Today, there is an emerging interest for the potential role of hermeneutics in reflecting on the practices related to digital technologies and their consequences. Nonetheless, such an interest has neither given rise to a unitary approach nor to a shared debate. The primary goal of this paper is to map and synthetize the different existing perspectives to pave the way for an open discussion on the topic. The article is developed in two steps. In the first section, the authors analyze (...) digital hermeneutics “in theory” by confronting and systematizing the existing literature. In particular, they stress three main distinctions among the approaches: between “methodological” and “ontological” digital hermeneutics; between data- and text-oriented digital hermeneutics; and between “quantitative” and “qualitative” credos in digital hermeneutics. In the second section, they consider digital hermeneutics “in action”, by critically analyzing the uses of digital data for studying a classical object such as the political opinion. In the conclusion, we will pave the way to an ontological turn in digital hermeneutics. Most of this article is devoted to the methodological issue of interpreting with digital machines. The main task of an ontological digital hermeneutics would consist instead in wondering if it is legitimate, and eventually to which extent, to speak of digital technologies, or at least of some of them, as interpretational machines. (shrink)

Objectives To describe the distress experienced by Spanish podiatrists related to ethical dilemmas, organisational matters, and lack of resources. Design A 2008 email survey of a representative sample of 485 Spanish podiatrists presenting statements about different ethical dilemmas, values and goals at the workplace. Results The response rate was 44.8%. Of all the respondents, 57% described sometimes having to act against their own conscience as distressing. Time constraints is the main cause of moral distress (67%) and 58% of respondents said (...) that they found it distressing that patients have long waits for treatment. Distress related to inadequate treatment due to economical constraints or ineffectiveness was described by 60% of the podiatrists. Another 51% reported that time spent on administration and documentation is distressing. Female doctors experienced more distress than their male colleagues. Last, 36% of respondents reported that their workplace lacked strategies for dealing with ethical dilemmas. Conclusion These study results identify moral distress among Spanish podiatrists mainly related to time constraints, patient demands and lack of resources. Moral distress varies with sex and age. Organisational strategies such as moral deliberation and responsive evaluation offer the potential to address moral distress. (shrink)

C.S. Peirce defended a pragmatist view of assertion in terms of its normative effect. This paper has two goals. First, to reconstruct and assess Peirce’s argument for the thesis that to assert a proposition is to make oneself responsible for its truth. Second, to argue that Peirce interpreted “responsibility for truth” as the acquisition of a dialogical commitment, namely, the duty to defend the proposition asserted by giving reasons upon challenge.

La intención de este artículo será proponer una lectura tentativa del papel del mesianismo que sea acorde con la centralidad del concepto de experiencia y redención en Walter Benjamin y, al mismo tiempo, que sea capaz de dar con las tensiones teóricas propias de la maceración materialista de su pensamiento, así como la influencia inequívoca de problemas de cuño kantiano en la conformación de la atomización de la experiencia de la modernidad diagnosticada por Benjamin. Para ello, nos fijaremos en una (...) de las últimas y más acabadas modulaciones del concepto de crítica inmanente en la figura del historiador dialéctico tal y como es abordada en El libro de los Pasajes. (shrink)

In order to consider the influence of tangible property on the exercise of political rights in the work of John Locke, we’ll analyze, first, the distribution and acreage measurement of the requirements for political participation and the exercise of public functions in The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina ; secondly, the considerations on land ownership, as a means of production, and the wage labor in Chapter V of Two Treatises of Government , II; finally, we’ll analyze the patrimonial restrictions for the (...) access to political rights, as well as the suggested participation for workers in Some Considerations of the Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value of Money. (shrink)

Resumen: La teoría de probabilidad rara vez diferencia su concepto de su determinabilidad cuantitativa. Para definir su objeto, ésta comienza por la exposición abstracta de la probabilidad y sus determinaciones o bien referidas a la esfera del ser, o bien a la esfera del pensar. Este estudio pretende, siguiendo el automovimiento de estas determinaciones en la Lógica, criticar la limitación de ambas proposiciones y presentar una concepción especulativa del fenómeno probabilístico.

La filosofía del siglo XX apenas puede entenderse sin lo que tiene de constatación de una grave crisis. Transformaciones históricas de largo alcance como la redefinición del Estado burocrático, la irrupción de la cultura de masas o el despliegue de la técnica industrial modificaron sustantivamente la experiencia que los hombres tenían de sí mismos y del mundo.La ambivalencia de esos cambios en lo que tienen, por un lado, de hitos de progreso racional, y, por otro, de verdaderas amenazas para el (...) bienestar de los hombres, obliga a que el pensamiento filosófico reconsidere lo que pueda quedar del hombre como sujeto de la razón moderna. La centralidad de la humanidad como sujeto de una historia pretendidamente racional, ¿ha quedado definitivamente atrás y apenas resta más que recordarla como una vana ilusión? ¿Es de todo punto inevitable que antes o después los logros de la humanidad se conviertan en procesos ciegos que podrían llegar a destruirla? Este libro trata de responder a estas preguntas, y a las que surgen de su hilo con- ductor, de la mano de la losofía del siglo XX. Autores de la talla de José Luis Pardo, Santiago Alba Rico, César Rendueles, Pablo López o Eduardo Maura, entre otros, agitan los términos de un debate que nos concierne a todos. (shrink)

This paper considers the evolution of the problem of scientific rationality from Kant through Carnap to Kuhn. I argue for a relativized and historicized version of the original Kantian conception of scientific a priori principles and examine the way in which these principles change and develop across revolutionary paradigm shifts. The distinctively philosophical enterprise of reflecting upon and contextualizing such principles is then seen to play a key role in making possible rational intersubjective communication between otherwise incommensurable paradigms.

Este artigo considera a evolução do problema da racionalidade científica desde Kant, passando por Carnap, até Kuhn. Argumento em favor de uma versão relativizada e historicizada da concepção original kantiana dos princípios científicos a priori, e examino o modo pelo qual esses princípios mudam e se desenvolvem através de mudanças revolucionárias de paradigmas. O empreendimento distintivamente filosófico de refletir sobre e contextualizar tais princípios é então visto como desempenhando um papel chave ao tornar possível a comunicação intersubjetiva racional entre paradigmas (...) que de outro modo seriam incomensuráveis. (shrink)