: The article analyzes the features of the doctrine of the church of the outstandingProtestant theologian of the early XXI century Miroslav Volf. Volf's understanding of the church as a reality that preceded the emergence of the individual as a Christian means a radical break with liberal Protestant ideas of the church community as created by the voluntary decision of individuals. But Volf does not share the collectivist idea of ​​the church as an organism in which the individual is completely (...) subjugated to the whole. It is established that Volf creates a communitarian model of the church, in which the church community is understood as the unity of diversity. Unity itself has the character of interpersonal relations. Individuals with different charisms in the community interact with each other like the fellowship of the Three in God. Communitarianism in Volf's ecclesiology as a "middle way" between liberal individualism and total collectivism has all the hallmarks of postliberal theological theory. It is proved that Volf's communitarianism became a creative development of Christian personalism of the XX century with its emphasis on the existential freedom of the individual and the importance of interpersonal relations. Volf succeeded in building ecclesiological communitarianism not so much because of his many specific speculations about the organization of church communities, but because of his vision of personalism. Namely, as we noted above, Volf combines the idea of ​​personality as dependent on its relations with other personalities with the vision of personality as an apophatic secret that is higher than all its properties and charisma. Accordingly, a personality that exists in absolute openness to the influences of other personalities on the one hand, and is absolutely unique on the other, makes possible the existence of a communitarian church community. Volf emphasizes that the catholicity of the individual Christian personality is as necessary as the catholicity of the whole church community. The characterization of the individual as a conciliar presupposes not only the traditional ideal of the integrity of all faculties and the charisma of the individual in his intention to communicate with God, but also the vision of the legitimacy of the inner diversity of the individual. The possible complexity of the identity of the individual is almost infinite, and the willingness to accept it in the community - the main feature of Volf's communitarianism. Similarly, every ecclesial community must be ready to accept as Christian all other ecclesial communities, whatever the peculiarities of their identity. It is clear that such an understanding of catholicity is possible only in Protestantism. As Volf rightly points out, Catholicism presupposes that the ecclesial community must be the local embodiment of the common ecclesial identity of the whole structure, and Orthodoxy emphasizes that a separate community is necessarily identical in identity to the common identity of the church through the Eucharist. Volf's communitarianism allows us to describe church communities and their associations as network structures in which all individuals are active actors whose abilities and charisms are important for the constitution of communities. (shrink)

El interés del debate es poner al descubierto los límites inmanentes de la civilización liberal como fuente de ideas para la filosofía moral. El derrumbe del socialismo pareció darle la razón al liberalismo, no obstante la crítica continuó, desde su propio terreno, por parte de los comunitaristas. Éstos le critican sus efectos de desintegración social y de encubrimiento ideológico para la cruda realidad que le toca vivir al individuo en la sociedad de mercado. Tres son los puntos criticados: el individualismo, (...) el formalismo moral, y la indiferencia ante el arraigo comunitario de la vida humana. Sin embargo el liberalismo tiene un punto fuerte: hace más viable la búsqueda de formas de relación humana transnacionales e interculturales, donde el reconocimiento recíproco resulta más equitativo, pues salva al estado democrático de derecho sin sacrificar el pluralismo cultural. (shrink)

This paper is concerned with the problem of particularistic and objective approach to morals in the debate on global justice. The former one is usually defended by the communitarian philosophy and moderate liberal nationalism that claim for moral significance of national borders. Within this approach, patriotism is a fundamental virtue. The latter approach is presented by the cosmopolitans who apply the Rawlsian justice as fairness to the world at large. They reject moral significance of national borders and claim for equal (...) rights and obligations to all human beings regardless of their origin and nationality. This approach to global justice treats patriotism as a vice. The main aim of this essay is to analyse whether the concept of patriotism and the concept of global justice necessarily come into conflict with one other. (shrink)

The main objective of Micheal Sandel’s Liberalism and the Limits of Justice was to attack the concept of deontology, as formulated by John Rawls. In this article, I argue that Sandel interpreted the concept of deontology in a misleading way. There is a difference between how Rawls defined this concept and how it was interpreted by Sandel. Given this, the first part of this article will analyze the way Sandel interpreted the Rawlsian concept of deontology. The second part presents an (...) assessment of the clash between the two authors in light of the differences in the way both of them understood the meaning of deontology in political liberalism. (shrink)

Artículos Naturaleza, carácter y violencia: derivas a partir de Schopenhauer. Nature, character and violence: roads from Schopenhauer. Grave, Crescenciano Sobre la posibilidad de un fundamento analógico y simbólico. Ensayo de hermenéutica analógica. About the possibility of an analogical and symbolic fundament. Essay of analogical hermeneutic.Maldonado, Rebeca Consideraciones biojurídicas sobre la vida en el embrión humano. Biojuridical considerations on life of the human embryo. Parra Tapia, Ivonne La Europa unificada según Leibniz: irenismo y política. A unified Europe according to Leibniz: irenism (...) and politics. Rensoli Laliga, Lourdes Repensar el "dilema" comunitarista-liberal en Venezuela. To rethink the communitarism-liberalism "dilemma" in Venezuela. Seoane C., Javier B. Una introducción a la doctrina platónica del alma. An introduction to the platonic doctrine of the soul. Suzzarini, Andrés De vuelta al tribuno. Back to the tribune. Terán Pimentel, Milagros Discusiones en torno a la reparación del daño moral. Discussions about the redress of pain and suffering. Vielma Mendoza, Yoleida Interdisciplinares El giro en la obra de Milan Kundera: un reflejo de la contemporaneidad. The turning on Milan Kundera´s work: a reflex of contemporaneity. Pérez Lo Presti, Alirio Aproximación histórica sobre el consumo de drogas en Venezuela. Historical approach about drug consumption in Venezuela. Salazar, Teresa Informaciones Índice acumulado. (shrink)

The debate about the direction, coherence and possible imperialism of universal norms in global bioethics has been going on for years. Proponents of universal norms have fiercely stated their cases focusing on human rights, autonomy and/or further principles in bioethics. Equally forceful has been the opposition to such universal principles arguing mainly on grounds of cultural diversity. The alternative is commonly presented as one between moral relativism and moral imperialism; solutions that are equally unattractive. This paper suggests a way forward (...) for global bioethics by focusing on techniques of moral deliberation as well as on the specific social context from which moral dilemma arises. Such focus will show that the alternative between moral relativism and imperialism only arises when an unreflected notion of medical ethics is applied. The way forward for global bioethics is to acknowledge the way medical ethics is connected to a specific medical practice and to examine its cultural and conceptual foundation rather than insisting on context independent principles.If it is already doubtful whether bioethics exists, it is even more dubious for global bioethics. For almost two decades, discussion over such issue has been going on with hardly any progress. Some uphold the famous four principles as the universal standard; others would like to modify them while still hoping for universality; still others challenge the very notion of universality in the field of medical ethics. The discussion is trapped in a variety of antagonisms: between universalism and particularism, between liberalism and communitarism, between principalism and case-based-bioethics. This paper suggests a way forward beyond these antagonisms by asking about the very nature of medical ethics. First, however, we need to take a closer look on the issue at stake: the quest for a global bioethics and the debate over the identity of medical ethics. (shrink)

The communitarian critique of liberal agency is reminiscent of two earlier critiques: C. B. Macpherson's theory of possessive individualism and Marx's theory of alienation. As with the communitarian critique, Macpherson and Marx saw the liberal individual as being in some way 'disembodied'. Where they differed from communitarians was in the attention they paid to the actual social relations that gave rise to such an image. The comparison is thus fruitful because the emphasis Macpherson and Marx give to the concrete circumstances (...) of disempowerment highlights the overly abstract nature of the communitarian critique, demonstrating how it, and other similarly abstract normative theories, might maintain a focus on actual social relations. Key Words: alienation • communitarism • disembodiment • labor • liberalism • Macpherson • Marx • self. (shrink)

Axel Honneth se pregunta si el concepto del reconocimiento puede hacerse cargo de la función que Jürgen Habermas había atribuido al concepto de la comunicación. Con ello se coloca en posición crítica frente a la tradición de pensamiento en la que él mismo se inscribe, la teoría crítica. Cuestiona ante todo el carácter abstracto o formal de la teoría moral que se da en la Ética del Discurso, que remite finalmente a Habermas a Kant. Honneth, por su lado, se apoya (...) en el joven y casi materialista Hegel de Jena y en el behaviorista G. H. Mead, para proponer una teoría de la sociedad, no ajena a lo empírico, que contenga sustancia normativa , equidistante del formalismo de la ética comunicativa y de la materialidad del comunitarismo, superando así las dos tendencias, la universalista y la relativista, con el fin de mediarlas.Axel Honneth asks himself if the concept of recognition can assume the function that Jürgen Habermas had attributed to the concept of communication. Thus he places himself in a critical position regarding the thinking tradition he belonged to-the critic theory. He questions the abstract or formal character of the moral theory of the Ethics of Discourse, which ultimately leads to Habermas and Kant. Honneth, on his side, seeks support in the young and almost materialist Hegel of Jena and in the behaviorist G. H. Mead to propose a theory of society, not altogether unempirical, somehow normative , equidistant from the formalism of communicative ethics and from the materiality of "communitarism", and going beyond both universalism and relativism. (shrink)

Artículos Naturaleza, carácter y violencia: derivas a partir de Schopenhauer. Nature, character and violence: roads from Schopenhauer. Grave, Crescenciano Sobre la posibilidad de un fundamento analógico y simbólico. Ensayo de hermenéutica analógica. About the possibility of an analogical and symbolic fundament. Essay of analogical hermeneutic.Maldonado, Rebeca Consideraciones biojurídicas sobre la vida en el embrión humano. Biojuridical considerations on life of the human embryo. Parra Tapia, Ivonne La Europa unificada según Leibniz: irenismo y política. A unified Europe according to Leibniz: irenism (...) and politics. Rensoli Laliga, Lourdes Repensar el "dilema" comunitarista-liberal en Venezuela. To rethink the communitarism-liberalism "dilemma" in Venezuela. Seoane C., Javier B. Una introducción a la doctrina platónica del alma. An introduction to the platonic doctrine of the soul. Suzzarini, Andrés De vuelta al tribuno. Back to the tribune. Terán Pimentel, Milagros Discusiones en torno a la reparación del daño moral. Discussions about the redress of pain and suffering. Vielma Mendoza, Yoleida Interdisciplinares El giro en la obra de Milan Kundera: un reflejo de la contemporaneidad. The turning on Milan Kundera´s work: a reflex of contemporaneity. Pérez Lo Presti, Alirio Aproximación histórica sobre el consumo de drogas en Venezuela. Historical approach about drug consumption in Venezuela. Salazar, Teresa Informaciones Índice acumulado. (shrink)

Afin de saisir la portée du débat nord-américain sur les communautarismes pour l’éthique théologique chrétienne actuelle, il paraît nécessaire de faire le point sur la différence entre le communautarisme des traditions intellectuelles, morales et spirituelles partagées, ou communautarisme éthico-religieux et éthico-politique, et le communautarisme politique. Le second, pour autant qu’il postule l’existence de communautés séparées au sein du politique, en est selon nous réduit à échouer comme modèle politique, aussi bien en ce qui concerne la démocratie à l’intérieur des Etats-nations (...) qu’en ce qui touche les relations entre Etats-nations . D. Müller prête ici attention à la valeur herméneutique constructive des traditions intellectuelles, morales et ou spirituelles, et plaide pour la fécondité partielle d’une telle approche lorsqu’il est question de construire une éthique théologique à visée vraiment universelle.To understand the scope of the North American debate on the communitarianisms for Christian theological ethics today, it seems necessary to discuss the difference between the communitarism of shared intellectual, moral and spiritual traditions or ethical-religious and ethical-political communitarianism, and political communitarianism. The latter, insofar as it postulates the existence of separate communities within the political sphere is, in our view, bound to fail as a political model, both as regards democracy inside nation-states , and as regards relations between nation-states . D. Müller is calling attention here to the constructive hermeneutic value of intellectual, moral and spiritual traditions and arguing in favor of the partial fecundity of such an approach when it is a question of constructing a theological ethic with a truly universal outlook. (shrink)

En este artículo me propongo una evaluación crítica de la tesis de Alasdair MacIntyre, según la cual, el fracaso del proyecto ilustrado de fundamentación de la moral es una consecuencia del abandono de la tradición de las virtudes. Pretendo mostrar que aunque dicho fracaso se relacione con el desacuerdo moral tan característicos de la cultura pluralista del presente, acudir a una supuesta ‘tradición unificada’ de las virtudes para cuestionar la racionalidad del pensamiento moral moderno, no deja de ser una estrategia (...) filosóficamente inoperante que no permite resolver las insuficiencias del proyecto ilustrado ni mejorar sus sistemas teóricos de justificación. Me detendré a mostrar en primer lugar, por qué el concepto de tradición que utiliza MacIntyre es una consecuencia del pensamiento de la ilustración y no su negación; en segundo lugar, paso a mostrar que el liberalismo al ser considerado también como una tradición, no puede ser evaluado ni deslegitimado acudiendo como lo hace MacIntyre a la tradición de las virtudes. (shrink)

This article contributes to the debate on governance of emerging technologies, focusing in particular on the international level and taking into account the fact that these technologies are developed through a common effort of different stakeholders including governments, research communities, industry and civil society actors. These issues are explored from the perspective of communitarian ethical criticism of liberal social contract thinking, in order to enhance visibility of the influence collective non-state actors exercise on the development of these technologies. In particular, (...) the effect of different values in the discussion on emerging technologies on the perceived governance options is explored. A paradigm shift from defensive values such as security, risk and human rights to more optimistic values like peace, justice and integrity of creation is proposed and discussed. (shrink)

Artículos Naturaleza, carácter y violencia: derivas a partir de Schopenhauer. Nature, character and violence: roads from Schopenhauer. Grave, Crescenciano Sobre la posibilidad de un fundamento analógico y simbólico. Ensayo de hermenéutica analógica. About the possibility of an analogical and symbolic fundament. Essay of analogical hermeneutic.Maldonado, Rebeca Consideraciones biojurídicas sobre la vida en el embrión humano. Biojuridical considerations on life of the human embryo. Parra Tapia, Ivonne La Europa unificada según Leibniz: irenismo y política. A unified Europe according to Leibniz: irenism (...) and politics. Rensoli Laliga, Lourdes Repensar el "dilema" comunitarista-liberal en Venezuela. To rethink the communitarism-liberalism "dilemma" in Venezuela. Seoane C., Javier B. Una introducción a la doctrina platónica del alma. An introduction to the platonic doctrine of the soul. Suzzarini, Andrés De vuelta al tribuno. Back to the tribune. Terán Pimentel, Milagros Discusiones en torno a la reparación del daño moral. Discussions about the redress of pain and suffering. Vielma Mendoza, Yoleida Interdisciplinares El giro en la obra de Milan Kundera: un reflejo de la contemporaneidad. The turning on Milan Kundera´s work: a reflex of contemporaneity. Pérez Lo Presti, Alirio Aproximación histórica sobre el consumo de drogas en Venezuela. Historical approach about drug consumption in Venezuela. Salazar, Teresa Informaciones Índice acumulado. (shrink)

Artículos Naturaleza, carácter y violencia: derivas a partir de Schopenhauer. Nature, character and violence: roads from Schopenhauer. Grave, Crescenciano Sobre la posibilidad de un fundamento analógico y simbólico. Ensayo de hermenéutica analógica. About the possibility of an analogical and symbolic fundament. Essay of analogical hermeneutic.Maldonado, Rebeca Consideraciones biojurídicas sobre la vida en el embrión humano. Biojuridical considerations on life of the human embryo. Parra Tapia, Ivonne La Europa unificada según Leibniz: irenismo y política. A unified Europe according to Leibniz: irenism (...) and politics. Rensoli Laliga, Lourdes Repensar el "dilema" comunitarista-liberal en Venezuela. To rethink the communitarism-liberalism "dilemma" in Venezuela. Seoane C., Javier B. Una introducción a la doctrina platónica del alma. An introduction to the platonic doctrine of the soul. Suzzarini, Andrés De vuelta al tribuno. Back to the tribune. Terán Pimentel, Milagros Discusiones en torno a la reparación del daño moral. Discussions about the redress of pain and suffering. Vielma Mendoza, Yoleida Interdisciplinares El giro en la obra de Milan Kundera: un reflejo de la contemporaneidad. The turning on Milan Kundera´s work: a reflex of contemporaneity. Pérez Lo Presti, Alirio Aproximación histórica sobre el consumo de drogas en Venezuela. Historical approach about drug consumption in Venezuela. Salazar, Teresa Informaciones Índice acumulado. (shrink)

Artículos Naturaleza, carácter y violencia: derivas a partir de Schopenhauer. Nature, character and violence: roads from Schopenhauer. Grave, Crescenciano Sobre la posibilidad de un fundamento analógico y simbólico. Ensayo de hermenéutica analógica. About the possibility of an analogical and symbolic fundament. Essay of analogical hermeneutic.Maldonado, Rebeca Consideraciones biojurídicas sobre la vida en el embrión humano. Biojuridical considerations on life of the human embryo. Parra Tapia, Ivonne La Europa unificada según Leibniz: irenismo y política. A unified Europe according to Leibniz: irenism (...) and politics. Rensoli Laliga, Lourdes Repensar el "dilema" comunitarista-liberal en Venezuela. To rethink the communitarism-liberalism "dilemma" in Venezuela. Seoane C., Javier B. Una introducción a la doctrina platónica del alma. An introduction to the platonic doctrine of the soul. Suzzarini, Andrés De vuelta al tribuno. Back to the tribune. Terán Pimentel, Milagros Discusiones en torno a la reparación del daño moral. Discussions about the redress of pain and suffering. Vielma Mendoza, Yoleida Interdisciplinares El giro en la obra de Milan Kundera: un reflejo de la contemporaneidad. The turning on Milan Kundera´s work: a reflex of contemporaneity. Pérez Lo Presti, Alirio Aproximación histórica sobre el consumo de drogas en Venezuela. Historical approach about drug consumption in Venezuela. Salazar, Teresa Informaciones Índice acumulado. (shrink)

Afin de saisir la portée du débat nord-américain sur les communautarismes pour l’éthique théologique chrétienne actuelle, il paraît nécessaire de faire le point sur la différence entre le communautarisme des traditions intellectuelles, morales et spirituelles partagées, ou communautarisme éthico-religieux et éthico-politique, et le communautarisme politique. Le second, pour autant qu’il postule l’existence de communautés séparées au sein du politique, en est selon nous réduit à échouer comme modèle politique, aussi bien en ce qui concerne la démocratie à l’intérieur des Etats-nations (...) qu’en ce qui touche les relations entre Etats-nations . D. Müller prête ici attention à la valeur herméneutique constructive des traditions intellectuelles, morales et ou spirituelles, et plaide pour la fécondité partielle d’une telle approche lorsqu’il est question de construire une éthique théologique à visée vraiment universelle.To understand the scope of the North American debate on the communitarianisms for Christian theological ethics today, it seems necessary to discuss the difference between the communitarism of shared intellectual, moral and spiritual traditions or ethical-religious and ethical-political communitarianism, and political communitarianism. The latter, insofar as it postulates the existence of separate communities within the political sphere is, in our view, bound to fail as a political model, both as regards democracy inside nation-states , and as regards relations between nation-states . D. Müller is calling attention here to the constructive hermeneutic value of intellectual, moral and spiritual traditions and arguing in favor of the partial fecundity of such an approach when it is a question of constructing a theological ethic with a truly universal outlook. (shrink)

The article discusses the Kenyan post-2007 elections political crisis within the framework of 'libertarian communitarianism' that integrates individualistic self-interest with traditional collectivist solidarity in the era of globalization in Africa. The author argues that behind the Kenyan post-election anarchy can be analyzed as a type of 'prisoner's dilemma' framework in which self-interested rationality is placed in a collectivist social contract setting. In Kenya, this has allowed political manipulation of ethnicity as well as bad governance, both of which have prevented the (...) building of a strong, impartial state. In Kenya, socio-economic disparities and historical injustices due to corruption, nepotism, cronyism and other forms of favoritism have maintained ethnic and other internal tensions, which exploded into open conflict after the disputed December 2007 elections. The author shows how the 'libertarian communitarist' politico-economic context lacks shared values and precludes forward-looking solutions for social justice that promote public good and national unity. Instead, a nation remains divided with its people set up in competitive positions, because there is public trust neither in partisan and self-interested governments nor in inefficient state structures with often (ethnically and/or regionally) biased (re)distribution of resources and unequal service delivery. The greed of the political elites and grievances of the ordinary citizenry maintain distrust across the nation and focus on past injustices rather than finding a shared agenda for future unity. The author suggests that in order to build up public trust, to strengthen the state structures and to gain national unity, it is necessary to focus on shared values and a forward-looking concept of justice, acceptable to all. (shrink)

The article discusses the Kenyan post-2007 elections political crisis within the framework of ‘libertarian communitarianism’ that integrates individualistic self-interest with traditional collectivist solidarity in the era of globalization in Africa. The author argues that behind the Kenyan post-election anarchy can be analyzed as a type of ‘prisoner's dilemma’ framework in which self-interested rationality is placed in a collectivist social contract setting. In Kenya, this has allowed political manipulation of ethnicity as well as bad governance, both of which have prevented the (...) building of a strong, impartial state. In Kenya, socio-economic disparities and historical injustices due to corruption, nepotism, cronyism and other forms of favoritism have maintained ethnic and other internal tensions, which exploded into open conflict after the disputed December 2007 elections.The author shows how the ‘libertarian communitarist’ politico-economic context lacks shared values and precludes forward-looking solutions for social justice that promote public good and national unity. Instead, a nation remains divided with its people set up in competitive positions, because there is public trust neither in partisan and self-interested governments nor in inefficient state structures with often (ethnically and/or regionally) biased (re)distribution of resources and unequal service delivery. The greed of the political elites and grievances of the ordinary citizenry maintain distrust across the nation and focus on past injustices rather than finding a shared agenda for future unity.The author suggests that in order to build up public trust, to strengthen the state structures and to gain national unity, it is necessary to focus on shared values and a forward-looking concept of justice, acceptable to all. (shrink)

The point of departure for htis essay is the evaluation of democracy in Latin America, in particular, Colombian democracy following the new, 1991 Constitution. Special emphasis is placed upon the phenomena of violence, corruption and abstentionism, while a solution for these problems is sought in the strengthening of democracy in the specific form of participatory democracy, understood as a more authentic version capable of incorporating diverse cultures, classes and social movements. Recent discussions in contemporary moral and political philosophy help to (...) clarify the meaning of participatory democracy through a reconstruction of the debate between J. Habermas' discourse ethics and radical democracy, and J. Rawls' political liberalism, which has in turn been challenged by the liberal and communitarian critiques of R. Dworkin and M. Sandel, respectively. (shrink)

Bolivia -como muchas naciones en el Tercer Mundo- está cada vez más inmersa en el universo globalizado contemporáneo, cuyos productos, valores y hasta tonterías va adoptando de modo inexorable. En este contexto no resulta fácil distinguir un paradigma propio y genuino de desarrollo de un modelo exte..