One response to the demandingness objection is that it begs the question against consequentialism by assuming a moral distinction between what a theory requires and what it permits. According to the consequentialist, this distinction stands in need of defense. However, this response may also beg the question, this time at the methodological level, regarding the credibility of the intuitions underlying the objection. The success of the consequentialist's response thus turns on the role we assign to intuitions in our moral methodology. (...) After presenting the demandingness objection to consequentialism and revealing the underlying methodological stalemate, I break the stalemate by appealing to research in the cognitive neuroscience of intuitions. Given the evidence for the hypothesis that our moral intuitions are fundamentally emotional (rather than rational) responses, we should give our intuitions a modest (rather than robust) role in our moral methodology. This rescues the consequentialist's response to the demandingness objection. (shrink)

Critics have persistently charged that indirect consequentialism, despite the best efforts of its defenders, ultimately fails to appropriately account for friendship in the face of the alienation generated by the harsh demands of consequentialism. Robert F. Card has recently alleged that the dispositional emphasis of indirect consequentialism renders its defender incapable of rejecting problematic friendships that are seriously suboptimal. I argue that Card's criticism not only fails to undermine indirect consequentialism, but in fact provides considerations that both help us to (...) better understand the theory and ultimately weigh in favor of it over Card's own brand of sophisticated consequentialism. (shrink)

In his recent book Warranted Christian Belief (2000), Alvin Plantinga argues that the defender of naturalistic evolution is faced with adefeater for his position: as products of naturalistic evolution, we have no way of knowing if our cognitive faculties are in fact reliably aimed at the truth. This defeater is successfully avoided by the theist in that, given theism, we can be reasonably secure that out cognitive faculties are indeed reliable. I argue that Plantinga’s argument is ultimately based on a (...) faulty comparison, that he is comparing naturalistic evolution generally to one particular model of theism. In light of this analysis, the two models either stand or fall together with respect to the defeater that Plantinga offers. (shrink)

The Groningen Protocol, introduced in the Netherlands in 2005 and accompanied by revised guidelines published in a report commissioned by the Royal Dutch Medical Association in 2014, specifies conditions under which the lives of severely ill newborns may be deliberately ended. Its publication came four years after the Netherlands became the first nation to legalize the voluntary active euthanasia of adults, and the Netherlands remains the only country to offer a pathway to protecting physicians who might engage in deliberately ending (...) the life of a newborn. In this paper, I offer two lines of argument. The first is a positive argument for the Protocol, grounded in the good of the newborn as unanimously determined by those in a position to determine it. The second addresses the widely shared belief that the killing of newborns is morally prohibited, where I offer two arguments—one grounded in the fact that the kinds of cases the Protocol is meant to govern are very rare and highly unusual, and the other focused more broadly on the role of pre-theoretical beliefs in moral reasoning—meant to undermine the strong role that the critic of the Protocol affords this belief. I argue that, given this second line of argument, the beliefs underlying my positive argument for the Protocol are in fact more secure than the widely shared belief underlying the critic’s position. (shrink)

Sense of Agency (SoA) is the subject of growing attention. It corresponds to the capacity to claim authorship over an action, associate specific consequences with a specific action, and it has been claimed to be a key point in the development of consciousness. It can be measured using the Sense of Agency Scale (SoAS), originally proposed by Tapal et al. (2017), who distinguished it into two-factor: Sense of Positive Agency (SoPA) and Sense of Negative Agency (SoNA). This study reports on (...) the first adaptation of the SoAS into another language, French. For this French version of the Sense of Agency Scale (F-SoAS), we analyzed responses from a sample of 517 native French-speakers. Our results indicate that the scale has good psychometric properties. Factor analysis confirm the same two-factor model as Tapal et al. (2017). However, some items were removed due to insufficient loadings with factors, leading to a short version of the scale (7-item). Furthermore, we observed gender differences that are consistent with findings in the literature. Specifically, women report higher SoNA scores and lower SoPA scores than men. We conclude by discussing possible uses and future directions for the scale. (shrink)

The concept of homology is the most solid theoretical basis elaborated by the morphological thinking during its history. The enucleation of some general criteria for the interpretation of homology is today a fundamental tool for life sciences, and for restoring their own opening to the question of qualitative innovation that arose so powerfully in the original Darwinian project. The aim of this paper is to verify the possible uses of the concept of compositional homology in order to provide of an (...) adequate understanding of the dynamics of creative thinking. (shrink)

Is it achievable to read aesthetic experience as a modular adaptation, and what would be its implication on the image of man, on aesthetics and on evolutionary theory itself? An alternative path is offered by evolutionary morphology, starting from the elaboration of a biologic concept of organism and from the notion of homology of function as a system of interconnections organized in a hierarchy. We deduce the possibility of thinking the peculiar innovation of aesthetic experience in an evolutionary way.

Nature doesn’t seem reducible to rigid systems and classifications. Although resorting to metaphors may give rise to contradictions, it allows the elaboration of explanatory models which help us to organize thought and to find orientation in the natural world. Giving form through metaphors stands for seeking the way by which mankind looks for both solutions and new configurations to face nature’s enigmas. The creation of morphological and/or evolutionary metaphors framed in a schematic way what Hugo called “man’s groping in the (...) universe of nature”. Circles, arrows, spirals, scales, etc. stood for research directions: for example, scale became metaphor of an “animal universe” that – as it was thought to be in the Eighteenth Century – organized itself in a bottom-up scale. The circle referred to “metamorphosis” , which reminds us of Goethe’s thinking. Metaphors are never an aim in themselves: they always determine a way of thinking as well as choices and research directions. Such a use of the linguistic image deeply influences the very notion of metaphor as figures of speech . If, on the one hand, metaphor shows unknown structures of nature, on the other it rediscovers its own ‘naturalness’. Starting from the deep interconnection between functional and formal tasks in morphological discussion, metaphor turned from “figure” to “figuration”, Gestaltung , and in doing so it revealed a dynamic structure able to make us understand new links and directions in the sense of a metamorphic nature. Far from limiting itself to a historical retrospection, the methodological significance of having recourse to metaphor profoundly informs the most recent questions in the scientific field and notably in life sciences, in the very moment in which it leads and encourages a renewed dialogue between sciences and philosophy. (shrink)

I saggi raccolti in questo fascicolo mirano a comprendere la polarità omologia/analogia e ad analizzarne gli usi nei diversi ambiti concettuali in cui essa ricorre nel dibattito contemporaneo in filosofia, nelle scienze della vita, nei discorsi sulle arti. La storia di questa coppia concettuale mostra la capacità pervasiva di costruire relazioni tra i diversi oggetti della conoscenza e, cosa ancor più interessante, la possibilità di raggiungere una sintesi concettuale fra approcci metodologic...

Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 O estudo tem caráter qualitativo e busca em referenciais teóricos . C ontempla uma reflexão aberta a respeito do alvorecer da razão na modernidade, que lança o ser humano ao centro do universo . Ao fazê-lo, fragmenta a formação do ethos, vórtice que alcança a contemporaneidade. Na sequência traz suportes teóricos, com base, principalmente nas concepções de Agamben, Bauman,Vaz, entre outros, acerca da ainda possibilidade formativas de construção da comunidade humana. (...) Apesar dos numerosos e diversos conhecimentos produzidos, na atualidade, crescem as dificuldades de compreensão da condição humana e do significado dos fazeres humanos. A aposta na subjetividade como uma essência, marca da metafísica, também pos em questão a identidade pessoal . A contemporaneidade ampla e complexa clama por contextos educacionais capazes de dinamizar bases ontológicas com diferentes bases conceptuais e vivenciais. Dessa forma a problemática orientadora da reflexão é: como constituiu-se a formação do ethos contemporâneo e, quais são os desafios à educação? Como resultados destacamos que a racionalidade técnico-científica gerou despreocupação com a vivência de valores éticos voltados ao bem comum; a individualização fomentou a descrença em políticas democráticas e ceifou a esperança na formação de um ethos contemporâneo solidário. Concluimos que existe uma necessidade urgente de repensar a constituição ontológica do ser humano, como pressuposto imprescindível na reconstituição da relação entre o EU/TU ou EU/HUMANIDADE; a compreensão do Outro requer aceitar a pluralidade de perspectivas de novas vivências e formas relacionais; educar é vivenciar laços de sensibilidade social para construir comunidades nas quais a amizade seja o esteio político. Palavras-chaves: Educação. Ética. Comunidade. Amizade THE FORMATION OF CONTEMPORARY ETHOS: CHALLENGES TO EDUCATION: The study is qualitative and search for theoretical frameworks. Contemplates an open reflexion about the dawn of reason in modernity, which throws the human to the center of the universe . fragments forming the ethos vortex that reaches the contemporary. Following brings theoretical supports, based mainly on the concepts of Agamben, Bauman, Vaz, among others, about the possibility of building further training of the human community. Despite numerous and diverse knowledge produced, in actuality, there are growing difficulties in understanding the human condition and the meaning of human doings. The focus on subjectivity as an essence, brand of metaphysics, also calls into question the personal identity. The broad and complex contemporary calls for educational contexts capable of stimulating ontological bases with different conceptual and experiential bases. Thus the problem of guiding reflection is: how was the formation of the contemporary ethos and what are the challenges for education? The results highlight that the scientific-technical rationality generated unconcern with the experience of ethical values ​​directed to the common good; individualization fostered disbelief in democratic politics and claimed the hope of forming a contemporary ethos supportive. We conclude that there is an urgent need to rethink the ontological constitution of the human being as an indispensable prerequisite to rebuild the relationship between I / YOU or I / HUMANITY; understanding of the Other requires accepting the plurality of perspectives and experiences of new relational forms; educate social ties is experiencing sensitivity to build communities in which friendship is political mainstay . Keywords: Education. Ethics. Community. Friendship. (shrink)

Aim of this paper is to outline a new evolutionary interpretation of aesthetic emotions, in the light of the most recent developments in Evolutionary Biology, in particular the so-called “Extended Synthesis of Evolution” (Pigliucci-Müller 2010). Focussing on the biological concept of homology, the Author argues that, in order to effectively understand role and evolutionary value of aesthetic emotions, it should be asked not “what aesthetic emotions are for?”, rather “what kind of constraints and homologies influence the specific “shape” of human (...) aesthetic emotions?”. In a few words, we should move from a functionalist approach to human aesthetic emotions towards a morphological one. (shrink)

O presente texto parte de um diálogo com um artigo publicado recentemente na revista HOPOS (Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science), de autoria dos pesquisadores Fons Dewulf e Massimiliano Simons, intitulado “Positivism in Action: The case of Louis Rougier” (2020). No artigo, os pesquisadores abordam a trajetória pouco frequentada de Louis Rougier, filósofo francês cuja fortuna crítica associou-se à sua participação na rede de intelectuais liberais do pós-guerra e a sua função central na organização (...) do Colóquio Walter Lippmann, ainda em 1938. Os autores abordam a trajetória de Rougier de maneira disciplinarmente inusual: procuram interpretar suas teorias filosóficas à luz de seus comprometimentos políticos, defendendo uma imbricação entre ambas as facetas do pensamento de Rougier. Quero sugerir que uma abordagem disposta a compreender as relações dinâmicas entre uma trajetória intelectual e seu entorno social se beneficia de uma abordagem como essa, às quais pode ser acrescida uma dimensão propriamente institucional das trajetórias intelectuais. Para observá-la, proponho acionar o debate sobre virtudes epistêmicas tal como tem sido pensado por autores como Herman Paul, Lorraine Daston e J. Dongen, com o objetivo de investigar se o debate sobre as non-textual things da atividade intelectual podem ser um caminho para transitar de forma profícua entre texto e contexto. Palavras-chave: Virtudes epistêmicas. História da Filosofia. Louis Rougier. Liberalismo. (shrink)

A reflexão tem como objetivo identificar aspectos de um pensamento educacional no conjunto das obras, em Nietzsche, como uma perspectiva de autotransformação. Defende a tese de que a perspectiva educacional do filósofo é crítica e se apresenta como uma antieducação, na medida em que se contrapõe ao modelo educativo tradicional. Tendo como procedimento metodológico a pesquisa bibliográfica, recorreu-se à seleção de textos e obras que abordaram a temática da Educação nas três fases do pensamento de Nietzsche. Na primeira fase, consideram-se (...) os textos: “Sobre o futuro dos nossos estabelecimentos de ensino” e a “Terceira Consideração extemporânea: Schopenhauer como educador”. Neles, identificam-se aspectos de um projeto educativo em devir na filosofia de Nietzsche, voltado à renovação da cultura alemã daquela época. Já na segunda fase, trata-se da ruptura com a filosofia de Schopenhauer, e com a música de Richard Wagner como aspectos fundamentais de um projeto educacional que passou a inaugurar a “Escola da Suspeita” na obra Humano, demasiado humano, que leva Nietzsche a pensar na ciência como um contraponto à forma metafísica de entender o mundo. Ele dá preferência às coisas demasiadamente humanas, ou seja, pensa na Educação como libertação, na perspectiva do espírito livre. Em decorrência do pensamento educacional de Nietzsche, em sua terceira fase na obra Assim falou Zaratustra, identificam-se quatro aspectos da antieducação traduzidos como: o ensino da solidão; o ensino da elevação; o ensino da grande razão; e o ensino da afirmação. Conclui-se que tais aspectos constituem um quadro interpretativo, os quais articulam as lições filosófico-existenciais de uma Pedagogia Crítica na Educação, contrária à tradição ocidental que construiu, em seus processos educativos, uma cultura da gregariedade e da negação da vida. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Buddhist-Christian Studies 23 (2003) 187-189 [Access article in PDF] Blue Jean Buddha: Voices Of Young Buddhists. Edited by Sumi Loundon. Foreword by Jack Kornfield. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001. xxi + 234 pp. Blue Jean Buddha is not the name of one of this year's short-lived pop sit-coms nor is it a trendy apparel statement. You will not find low-rise, hip-hugging jeans and navel-studded co-eds in this collection of lively (...) and articulate essays by young American Buddhists in their late twenties and early thirties. (But then again you might have found them if today's teen Buddhists were represented!) Blue Jean Buddha is highly readable and mind-opening to those unfamiliar with the growth of Buddhist communities and practitioner networks in North America as well as for text and church-bound academicians of Buddhist-Christian discourse.Blue Jean Buddha:Voices of Young Buddhists is a medley of twenty-nine upbeat and down-home personal testimonies of mostly Westerners who were raised as Buddhists in the United States or who converted early on in life. The book is divided into four parts: Lessons, Life Stories, Livelihood, and Reflections. Refreshingly immediate introductory pages (really a series of questions!) and the concluding Reflections are offered by editor Sumi Loundon, an artist and graduate of Harvard Divinity School and former chair of the Harvard Buddhist Community. Sumi herself was born into a small Zen community in rural New Hampshire, practiced vipassana for years and is now committed to the Buddhist traditions of Korea, where I first met her at a temple in Seoul. She is planning to come out with a second volume of essays by more representatives of America's fertile Buddhist garden in 2004.The essays in Blue Jean Buddha are a cornucopia of commentary and questions about the reception of Buddhism in the West, the spiritual odysseys of exceptional young seekers, and thoughtful ruminations on the transformative effects of dharma practice for personal and social change. These are the voices of American Buddhism at its grassroots, in the lives of young Buddhists as they are actually living it. One contributor, Elijah, age twenty-eight, was recognized as a tulku by the Dalai Lama when he was eight; another voice is Hanuman, twenty-four, a musician and proud "Bu-Hin-Chris-Jew" whose senior performance was called "The Mind Is a Belligerent Puppy—Easy to Train, Difficult to Discipline." Yet another contributor is Liane, a Japanese American Jodo Shinshu follower, thirty-three, whose faith was tested after she became paralyzed from the neck down in an automobile accident when she was twenty.Blue Jean Buddha is one of those versatile books you can recommend to almost anyone you meet to introduce them to the living practice of Buddhism in contemporary America. The personal vignettes are short, compelling, and easy to read on a plane, on a bus, or at your bedside. College students at all levels will enjoy it because of the open spirit with which it is presented. It asks many leading questions about [End Page 187] Buddhism and the nature of spiritual life in general. Readers will be happily surprised, remarking, "Hey! I was there, too! That's what I was thinking!" You can read and reread it many times and still get some new personal insight out of it. I certainly did, assisting my wife, Jinsuk Lim, preparing a Korean translation of the book. A best-seller among Eastern spiritual titles distributed by Amazon.com and Shambhala, the Korean version sold very well in Buddhist and more intellectually progressive circles. Those conversant with Buddhist studies in general as well as meditation and transpersonal psychology will recognize a few familiar surnames; candid and compassionate offspring of illustrious parents have contributed to Blue Jean Buddha. I will leave it to SBCS members in the know to seek out and identify them!As for the interface of Buddhist and Christian beliefs and interfaith practice of concern to our seasoned readers, let us allow editor Sumi Loundon to offer her musings from her own youthful experience: The essays in this book... (shrink)

This paper aims to examine the use of the circle metaphor within the functionalist perspective by Jakob von Uexküll and the morphological perspective by Viktor von Weizsäcker. Whereas the functionalist theory dissolves the unity of the organism in the multiplicity of functional relationships, Weizsäcker’s morphology recognizes the fundamental unity of the biological act, leading to a new concept of the living organism.

Herder is usually considered to be one of the mayor sources of the aesthetics of empaty. The present contribution aims at offering a brief rewiew of some main places in Herder aesthetical theory and at reconstructing the genesis of the family of concepts including fühlen, Gefühl, Mitfühlen, Familiengefühl, in order to understand their relationship with regard to the theory of knowledge, the aesthetics, the politics.

Il concetto di omologia riveste un ruolo centrale nella biologia teoretica contemporanea perché attorno ad esso e per suo tramite trovano articolazione numerosi progetti di ricerca miranti a ripensare la centralità dell’organismo, i suoi percorsi evolutivi e il significato della sua interazione con la realtà ambientale. La rete di omologie che tesse l’organismo permette di strutturarne e canalizzarne le innovazioni morfologiche e funzionali. Appunto questa componente sistemica rende dunque l’omologia un concetto fondamentale per una considerazione dinamica della forma vivente, come (...) quella cui mira un’estetica che non intenda limitarsi a indagare sull’atteggiamento estetico e sulle produzioni artistiche, ma sappia tematizzare in senso più comprensivo la questione (eminentemente propria della tradizione morfologica) dell’unità dell’agire e del percepire come configurazione estetica del vivente.Il presente studio propone una ricognizione di alcuni dei principali momenti fondativi del concetto di omologia, a partire dalle ricerche botaniche di Goethe e dal significato che esse rivestono nel progetto morfologico goethiano, per proseguire con l’elaborazione del concetto di “elemento anatomico” da parte di Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire e la sua problematica rilettura da parte di Arthur Schopenhauer, conducendo sino alla fondazione del concetto moderno di omologia con Richard Owen, alla sua messa in relazione col concetto di analogia e all’elaborazione del concetto di “archetipo del vertebrato”. In tal modo, il presente studio mira a individuare alcuni motivi salienti di attualità del concetto e delle potenzialità teoriche che in esso trovano espressione, fra prospettiva morfologica e attenzione ai vincoli materiali della forma. (shrink)