Este artículo ofrece una visión paralela sobre el problema de la técnica de Oswald Spengler y de Henri Bergson, autores de El hombre y la técnica. Una contribución a la filosofía de la vida y Las dos fuentes de la moral y de la religión, respectivamente. En general, el trabajo se centra en estos dos ensayos para dar cuenta de los puntos en común y de la distancia entre estos dos pensadores. El texto está dividido en tres apartados. Uno muestra (...) sus respectivas visiones antropológicas en relación con el problema de la técnica, a continuación, comenta afinidades y desencuentros en relación a su interpretación histórica de la cuestión del maquinismo, y, en tercer lugar, se habla de la cuestión más relativa al contexto histórico de estas dos contribuciones al tema que aquí nos ocupa. ¿En qué medida es para ambos la técnica un signo de decadencia o no? En este último punto, la perspectiva fatalista de Spengler se separa de la bergsoniana. (shrink)

Este artículo versa sobre el problema de la técnica en Henri Bergson, particularmente en su libro Las dos fuentes de la moral y de la religión, de 1932. En una primera sección del artículo ofrezco una perspectiva histórica del problema de la técnica en la obra del Bergson maduro, desde su génesis hasta su desarrollo, y de ahí a su posterior culminación, en 1932. En la segunda sección propongo una interpretación del problema como tal. Esta primera sección histórica contiene tres (...) pasos evolutivos. Parte del las consideraciones del autor sobre la inteligencia y sus relaciones con la técnica o capacidad de invención en La evolución creadora, de 1907. Aquí se da cuenta de una noción optimista de la técnica. En un segundo episodio, muestro la subsiguiente visión de Bergson de la técnica como amenaza para la humanidad que se puede encontrar en sus discursos anti-alemanes durante la Primera Guerra Mundial. A continuación, esta investigación pondera el contexto de 1932, año de publicación del ensayó en cuestión. En ese libro, la técnica no sólo va ligada a la amenaza de una guerra técnica sino también a la amenaza de una decadencia espiritual. La segunda sección tiene un propósito doctrinal, exclusivamente en relación a Las dos fuentes. La tesis es que si, como dice el mismo título, la moral y la religión tienen dos fuentes en Bergson, una biológica y otra espiritual, también la técnica tiene dos fuentes. La técnica es una suerte de tercera vía en un ensayo en el que se contrapone biología y espíritu. Las dos fuentes de la técnica dejan de lado la biología. Son, según mi interpretación, la inteligencia y el espíritu. En primer lugar, sostengo que aunque en el ensayo hay una visión negativa de la inteligencia, se puede encontrar otra positiva, según la cual la inteligencia es una de las dos fuentes del espíritu de invención y de la técnica. Además, en segundo lugar, muestro que la segunda fuente de la técnica es el espíritu o alma abierta. La técnica es potencialmente un agente de progreso, como el cristianismo o la democracia. Por último, en este artículo considero la peculiar filosofía del progreso en Bergson y su relación con nuestro problema. (shrink)

Observando la considerable presencia de la filosofía de Henri Bergson en algunos destacados intérpretes de la filosofía de Tomás de Aquino a lo largo del s. XX, cabe conjeturar una influencia indirecta del autor francés en la renovación de las investigaciones sobre el predicho autor medieval, particularmente en lo que se refiere a la cuestión de la libertad. A fin de determinar esta cuestión, se pasa revista a la relación establecida en el seno del neotomismo entre Bergson y el Aquinate. (...) Por último, se ensaya una relectura en la obra de Tomás de Aquino de la relación entre inteligencia y voluntad como configuradora del ser libre, teniendo en cuenta algunas inquietudes metafísicas planteadas al respecto por el moderno pensador francés. Checking the clear presence of Bergson in some important interpreten of Thomas Aquinas along the 20th century, certain influence from the French nmter can be suspected in the renewal of Thomism; particularly, regarding the question of freedom. In order to determine the issue, the present study examines the relationship between Bergson and Aquinas according established within the Neo-Thomism. Lasty, taking into account some metaphysical concerns raised by Bergson, it takes place a re-reading of the relationship between intelñgence and will in Aquinas’ works. For in this relationship appears the shape of freedom. (shrink)

Shiny es una aplicación para el software R que permite la creación de interfaces para usuarios sin conocimiento de programación. En este trabajo utilizamos em método de mapeo sistemático para la recopilación, análisis y extracción de información en publicaciones que indican el uso de Shiny para explicar conceptos estadísticos. Dentro de las conclusiones se tiene que Shiny es utilizado como herramienta para la realización de experiencias académicas, además como medio para la solución de problemas en las áreas de educación y (...) ciencias naturales y de la vida abordando tópicos de estadística relacionados con estadística pre-inferencial e inferencial, entre otros. (shrink)

A filosofia é filha do tempo e reflete a compreensão possível de deter- minado momento histórico. Embora isso pareça banal, não o é. Se a afirmação é justa, deve-se admitir que a filosofia segue o espírito do tempo (Zeitgeist ou a forma mentis) em que foi produzida. Isso torna-a mais próxima da compreensão resultante da pedagogia que a originou e da mentalidade reinante em certo tempo. Partindo da forma mentis que instituiu o ensino no Colégio Serenense no Mato Grosso e (...) na Universidade de Königsberg na Prússia, investigamos dois grupos conceituais: o primeiro, referente à filosofia, ao pensamento e à verdade, e o segundo, à lógica, às ciências e ao método. Nesse sentido, fizemos um estudo comparado entre o Cursus Philosophicus (1756), de Frei Manuel dos Anjos, e o Manual dos cursos de Lógica Geral (1799-1800), de Immanuel Kant. Nesse estudo, a questão central é entender se as similaridades e diferenças entre os escritos dos dois filósofos permitem compreendê-los como escritos verdadeira- mente filosóficos ou se o Serenense seria representante apenas de uma filosofia precária, sem densidade, rala e de segunda mão. Palavras-chave: Lógica geral. Cursus Philosophicus. Frei Manuel dos Anjos. Immanuel Kant. (shrink)

Se é difícil pensar em um significado para a expressão “filosofia brasileira”, pensar o que possa signficar uma “filosofia colonial brasileira” torna-se ainda mais desafiador. Para isso, necessário será justificar tanto o significado quanto o alcance da questão no período. Neste artigo o faremos em três passos: o primeiro situa a relação entre filosofia e colonialidade na constituição da América Portuguesa, considerando as escolas e o alcance do ensino na colônia, e traz um breve estado da arte da pesquisa; o (...) segundo elenca os corpora philosophica provenientes dos colégios do Maranhão, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais e Mato Grosso; o terceiro caracteriza as formas dos escritos, os níveis de ensino dos colégios e professores-autores e, por fim, as principais matrizes filosóficas reconhecíveis nos escritos coloniais. Enfim, não obstante a dificuldade geral da questão, propomo-nos a afrontar diretamente a hipótese: o que significa uma filosofia colonial brasileira? (shrink)

Nos proponemos analizar el pensamiento de Álvaro García Linera, uno de los intelectuales más interesantes en lengua española, y que mayor difusión está teniendo en los últimos tiempos. Para ello, tomaremos como punto de referencia cuatro de las ideas centrales dentro de la filosofía del boliviano: proyecto político, estado, hegemonía y dominación (analizando las dos últimas de manera conjunta). Comenzaremos exponiendo las influencias de García Linera, así como las peculiaridades de sus planteamientos, para centrarnos posteriormente en la etapa de su (...) producción intelectual más reciente, y acabar con una conclusión que mencionará también algunas de las críticas más importantes que se han vertido hacia el antiguo vicepresidente. (shrink)

Our challenge for the twenty-first century consists in showing how to construct a global ethics and in trying to discover a rational foundation for it, which may be used as guidance for action and as a norm for the criticism of specific situations. I argue that four tasks must be accomplished to construct a global ethics: Construct that global governance or that world government that makes cosmopolitan citizenship possible. Foster the joint work of bioethics, economic and business ethics, and development (...) ethics – areas of applied ethics, each one of which on its own has reached the global level. Discover a rational basis for a global ethics, which has a universal normative force, but assumes cultural differences. Develop and promote a dilaogical ethics of cordial reason, which renders one capable of compassion and care. (shrink)

Since Darwin, Biology has been framed on the idea of evolution by natural selection, which has profoundly influenced the scientific and philosophical comprehension of biological phenomena and of our place in Nature. This book argues that contemporary biology should progress towards and revolve around an even more fundamental idea, that of autonomy. Biological autonomy describes living organisms as organised systems, which are able to self-produce and self-maintain as integrated entities, to establish their own goals and norms, and to promote the (...) conditions of their existence through their interactions with the environment. Topics covered in this book include organisation and biological emergence, organisms, agency, levels of autonomy, cognition, and a look at the historical dimension of autonomy. The current development of scientific investigations on autonomous organisation calls for a theoretical and philosophical analysis. This can contribute to the elaboration of an original understanding of life - including human life - on Earth, opening new perspectives and enabling fecund interactions with other existing theories and approaches. This book takes up the challenge. (shrink)

In this paper I respond to Marcus William Hunt’s argument that vegan parents have pro tanto reasons for not raising their children on a vegan diet because such a diet is potentially harmful to children’s physical and social well-being. In my rebuttal, first I show that in practice all vegan diets, with the exception of wacky diets, are beneficial to children’s well-being ; and that all animal-based diets are potentially unhealthful. Second, I show that vegan children are no more socially (...) outcast than any other group. In other words, veganism does not harm the lives of children. Having considered several studies, I show that the moral reasons that vegan parents may have for raising their children on a vegan diet significantly outweigh the reasons for raising their children on an animal-based diet. Thus, I conclude that parents have a moral obligation to raise their children on a vegan diet. (shrink)

ABSTRACT The major approaches to belief revision and non monotonic reasoning proposed in the literature differ along a number of dimensions, including whether they are ?syntax- based? or ?semantic-based?, ?foundational? or ?coherentist?, ?consistence-restoring? or ?inconsistency-tolerant?. Our contribution towards clarifying the connections between these various approaches is threefold: ?We show that the two main approaches to belief revision, the foundations and coherence theories, are mathematically equivalent, thus answering a question left open in [Gar90, Doy92], The distinction between syntax-based approaches to revision (...) and approaches based on (semantic) preferential structures falls along similar lines, and their expressive equivalence is a consequence of this result. ?We formally clarify the connection between belief revision and non monotonic reasoning, in a particularly simple way which also throws light on the connection between consistence- restoring and reasoning-from-inconsistency approaches [BDP95]. ?As a direct application of the above, we show that Poole's (syntax-based) system of default reasoning and Shoham's preferential semantic for non monotonic reasoning are also expressively equivalent, in that they can represent the same set of non monotonic consequence relations. (shrink)

En este artículo se pretende realizar un análisis del origen filosófico de uno de los puntos clave que cambiaron los cimientos de la metafísica moderna a partir de la aportación de la noción de filosofía de naturaleza de Schelling, que conlleva a abrir desde el idealismo alemán una concepción alternativa de las relaciones entre la finitud y el Absoluto a las llevadas a cabo por Fichte y Hegel. Su filosofía de la naturaleza inaugurará toda una corriente de pensamiento que incluirá (...) tanto gran parte de la filosofía de Spinoza como el discurrir estético del Sturm und Drang alemán. Posteriormente, y previa enorme reflexión del tótem ineludible de la filosofía crítica kantiana y ruptura con la fichteana, la importancia de su legado filosófico no hará más que crecer, ya que de la influencia sus escritos participarán, de manera más o menos explícita, pensadores como Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Freud o Heidegger, e incluso llegará hasta el siglo XXI de la mano de gran parte de los autores de la denominada época posmoderna, como Deleuze o Zizek entre otros. (shrink)

We present an approach to database update as a form of non monotonic temporal reasoning, the main idea of which is the (circumscriptive) minimization of changes with respect to a set of facts declared persistent by default. The focus of the paper is on the relation between this approach and the update semantics recently proposed by Katsuno and Mendelzon. Our contribution in this regard is twofold: • We prove a representation theorem for KM semantics in terms of a restricted subfamily (...) of the operators defined by our construction. • We show how the KM semantics can be generalized by relaxing our construction in a number of ways, each justified in certain intuitive circumstances and each corresponding to one specific postulate. It follows that there are reasonable update operators outside the KM family. • Our approach is not dependent for its plausibility on this connection with KM semantics. Rather, it provides a relatively rich and flexible framework in which the frame and ramification problems can be solved in a systematic way by reasoning about default persistence of facts. (shrink)

We present an approach to database update as a form of non monotonic temporal reasoning, the main idea of which is the (circumscriptive) minimization of changes with respect to a set of facts declared “persistent by default”. The focus of the paper is on the relation between this approach and the update semantics recently proposed by Katsuno and Mendelzon. Our contribution in this regard is twofold:We prove a representation theorem for KM semantics in terms of a restricted subfamily of the (...) operators defined by our construction.We show how the KM semantics can be generalized by relaxing our construction in a number of ways, each justified in certain intuitive circumstances and each corresponding to one specific postulate. It follows that there are reasonable update operators outside the KM family.Our approach is not dependent for its plausibility on this connection with KM semantics. Rather, it provides a relatively rich and flexible framework in which the frame and ramification problems can be solved in a systematic way by reasoning about default persistence of facts. (shrink)

Recent research in philosophy of science has shown that scientists rely on a plurality of strategies to develop successful explanations of different types of phenomena. In the case of biology, most of these strategies go far beyond the traditional and reductionistic models of scientific explanation that have proven so successful in the fundamental sciences. Concretely, in the last two decades, philosophers of science have discovered the existence of at least two different types of scientific explanation at work in the biological (...) sciences, namely: mechanistic and structural explanations. Despite the growing evidence about the radically different nature of these two types of explanation, no inquiry has been conducted to date to determine the ontological reasons that might underlie these differences, nor the way in which these types of explanations can be systematically related with each other. Here, we aim to cover this gap by connecting this plurality of research strategies with the existence of emergent levels of reality. We argue that the existence of these different—and apparently incompatible—explanatory strategies to account for biological phenomena derives from the existence of “ontological jumps” in nature, which generate different regimes of causation that in turn demand the development of different explanatory frameworks. We identify two of these strategies—mechanistic modelling and network modelling—and connect them to the existence of two ontological regimes of causation. Finally, we relate them with each other in a systematic way. In this vein, our paper provides an ontological justification for the plurality of explanatory strategies that we see in the life sciences. (shrink)

The project of growing meat artificially represents for some the next best thing to humanity. If successful, it could be the solution to several problems, such as feed- ing a growing global population while reducing the environmental impact of raising animals for food and, of course, reducing the amount and degree of animal cruelty and suffering that is involved in animal farming. In this paper, I argue that the issue of the morality of such a project has been framed only (...) in terms of the best conse- quences for the environment, animals, and humans, or in terms of deontic princi- ples. I argue that to appreciate how deep and difficult this issue is, it is necessary to consider it in terms of a virtue-oriented approach. Such an approach will reveal aspects that are not apparent, not contemplated by typical approaches, but are essen- tial to our understanding of the morality of lab-grown meat. As I argue, evaluating the issue from a virtue-oriented perspective suggests that the project of in vitro meat should not be supported because it stems from unvirtuous motivations. (shrink)

One of the essential tasks of bioethics in morally pluralistic societies consists of fostering a public use of reason in its field of competence. This is the fundamental thesis of the present work. To deal with it I will try to answer two crucial questions: What is moral pluralism and why does it demand fostering the use of public reason in moral issues in the sphere of bioethics and What are the laboratories of bioethics in a pluralistic society?

If the question about the causes of the crises has generated a good deal of literature in Spain, the key issue in recent times has been how to create that tangible and intangible wealth that only companies can give. One of the proposals that specialists agree upon is to revitalise the business entrepreneurial spirit, presenting the entrepreneurs’ way of life as an attractive option, due to the good they produce and the social recognition they enjoy. Accepting the suggestions of the (...) so-called “narrative turn”, the article analyses the virtualities of business narratives in order to enhance the role of entrepreneurs. To this end, the article aims to cover three stages: narratives are necessary because they are brain-based, it is advisable to find out why entrepreneurs are not usually considered in Spain as the main characters of good narratives, good narratives, the ones that convince, are the ones that have the capacity to show the meaning of the entrepreneurial activity and the truth of what we have been doing. (shrink)

Ethical veganism is the view that raising animals for food is an immoral practice that must be stopped because of the harm it causes to the animals, the environment, and our health. Carlo Alvaro argues the only way to stop that harm is to acquire the virtues that enable us to act justly and benevolently toward animals.

This paper aims to enhance security in IoT device networks through a visual tool that utilizes three projection techniques, including Beta Hebbian Learning (BHL), t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) and ISOMAP, in order to facilitate the identification of network attacks by human experts. This work research begins with the creation of a testing environment with IoT devices and web clients, simulating attacks over Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) for recording all relevant traffic information. The unsupervised algorithms chosen provide a set (...) of projections that enable human experts to visually identify most attacks in real-time, making it a powerful tool that can be implemented in IoT environments easily. (shrink)

The transition from chemistry to biology is an extremely complex issue because of the huge phenomenological differences between the two domains and because this transition has many different aspects and dimensions. In this paper, I will try to analyze how chemical systems have developed a cohesive, self-maintaining and functionally differentiated system that recruits its organization to stay far from equilibrium. This organization cannot exist but in an individualized form, and yet, it unfolds both a diachronic-historical and a synchronic collective dimension. (...) I will argue that, far from being a problem, these different dimensions of the phenomenon of life, appear as a consequence of the nature of this individualized organization. (shrink)

Many issues in ethics arise in relation to the contexts in which psychologists work. However, most ethical decision-making models reproduce the way in which psychologists tend to approach ethics by focusing on ethical dilemmas and proposing a step-by-step response to deal with them. Although these models might be useful, their emphasis on reactive approaches and their lack of contextualization constitute significant limitations on their applicability. In this article, an approach to ethical decision making that highlights the importance of the context (...) in developing proactive strategies to solve ethical issues is proposed. This approach is further explained through its application to medical and rural settings. The implications of these suggestions to the training in ethics are finally discussed. (shrink)

The aim of this commentary article is to discuss several problems in the distribution map for conscious organisms and suggest a different strategy to address their evolutionary development. I propose to complement the model of Unlimited Associative Learning (UAL) that Jablonka and Ginsburg present in their Target Article with the additional consideration of how body plans constrain the possibilities of evolution of the brain— in some cases blocking, in some others enabling its complexification and corporal integration. In my view, the (...) specific body plan of vertebrates has played a key role in the complexification and diversification of consciousness because it has favored an increasing integration between brain and body. (shrink)

Our aim in the present paper is to approach the nature of life from the perspective of autonomy, showing that this perspective can be helpful for overcoming the traditional Cartesian gap between the physical and cognitive domains. We first argue that, although the phenomenon of life manifests itself as highly complex and multidimensional, requiring various levels of description, individual organisms constitute the core of this multifarious phenomenology. Thereafter, our discussion focuses on the nature of the organization of individual living entities, (...) proposing autonomy as the main concept to grasp it. In the second part of the article we show how autonomy is also fundamental to explaining major evolutionary transitions, in an attempt to rethink evolution from the point of view of the organizational structure of the entities/organisms involved. This gives further support to the idea of autonomy not only as a key to understanding life in general but also the complex expressions of it that we observe on our planet. Finally, we suggest a possible general principle that underlies those evolutionary transitions, which allow for the open-ended redefinition of autonomous systems: namely, the relative dynamic decoupling that must be articulated among distinct parts, modules or modes of operation in these systems. (shrink)

For this issue of JBE, Zyphur and Pierides :1–16, 2017) have written a paper on a concept that they have labeled relational validity. The purpose of the paper and of their advocacy for the concept of relational validity is to improve the way that quantitative research is done by expanding our understanding of its ethics-laden aspects. I agree entirely with the authors that every decision regarding QR is an ethics-laden one and that our research as a whole would be improved (...) by recognition of this fact. I disagree with the authors regarding some of the ways that this improvement might be brought about. (shrink)

The project of growing meat artificially represents for some the next best thing to humanity. If successful, it could be the solution to several problems, such as feeding a growing global population while reducing the environmental impact of raising animals for food and, of course, reducing the amount and degree of animal cruelty and suffering that is involved in animal farming. In this paper, I argue that the issue of the morality of such a project has been framed only in (...) terms of the best consequences for the environment, animals, and humans, or in terms of deontic principles. I argue that to appreciate how deep and difficult this issue is, it is necessary to consider it in terms of a virtue-oriented approach. Such an approach will reveal aspects that are not apparent, not contemplated by typical approaches, but are essential to our understanding of the morality of lab-grown meat. As I argue, evaluating the issue from a virtue-oriented perspective suggests that the project of in vitro meat should not be supported because it stems from unvirtuous motivations. (shrink)

“Mathematics, synthetic unity and constitutive a priori”. Starting from the emphasis about the Kantian idea of the originary synthetic unity of apperception like the basic function on which rest the production of all synthetic judgment, in this paper I defend the idea of constitutive a priori of experience under the form of a similar synthetic principle but essentially formal, namely, the concept of transformation and group of transformations. To the same time, I try to show that Kant himself inspired, for (...) articulate his own position, on mathematics, especially on synthetic geometry. (shrink)