Didier Zúñiga | : Le présent article examine la façon dont Charles Taylor a entrepris de poser le problème politique de la sécularisation. Plus spécifiquement, nous voudrions montrer que, si son effort pour articuler une théorie de l’aménagement de la diversité morale et religieuse a certes contribué à critiquer les régimes rigides de la laïcité, Taylor accorde une prééminence incontestable à la liberté de conscience. Or, notre analyse entend démontrer que, selon cette vue, il n’y a pas de place (...) pour l’autonomie religieuse. Notre hypothèse est qu’en présentant les conflits moraux et religieux comme des enjeux de justice, Taylor néglige l’important clivage existant entre, d’une part, les questions de reconnaissance reliées à la différence culturelle et, d’autre part, les revendications d’autorité exprimées par des groupes — et pas simplement des membres individuels — au sein de la sphère publique. | : This paper aims to challenge the assumption that Charles Taylor’s conception of political secularism is pluralist. The article argues that, although Taylor’s work provides the basis for an important critique of the most rigid forms of secularism, his theory places a strong focus on individual conscience. Yet Taylor’s almost exclusive concern for individual conscience excludes the pluralist claim to religious institutional autonomy. In addition, this article argues that Taylor presents moral and religious conflicts as questions of justice, which can be resolved with a correct interpretation of freedom of conscience. Against Taylor’s conception of “laïcité,” the article attempts to show that these problems are best grasped as conflicts between the authority of different groups—not just individuals—and that of the state. (shrink)

Il y a quelques années, la mère de Didier Eribon est entrée en maison de retraite. Après plusieurs mois au cours desquels elle a peu à peu perdu son autonomie physique et cognitive, Didier Eribon et ses frères ont dû se résoudre à l'installer, malgré ses réticences, dans un établissement médicalisé. Mais le choc de l'entrée en maison de retraite fut trop brutal et, quelques semaines seulement après son arrivée, elle y est décédée. Après la mort de sa (...) mère, Didier Eribon reprend le travail d'exploration personnelle et théorique qu'il avait entrepris dans Retour à Reims après la mort de son père. Il analyse le déclin de sa mère, ce qui l'amène à réfléchir sur la vieillesse et la maladie, sur nos rapports aux personnes âgées et à la mort, mais aussi sur l'expérience du vieillissement. Il s'interroge également sur les conditions de l'accueil des personnes dépendantes. Il montre que si l'expérience du vieillissement nous est très difficile à penser, c'est parce qu'il s'agit d'une expérience-limite dans la philosophie occidentale, dont l'ensemble des concepts semblent se fonder sur une exclusion de la vieillesse. Eribon reparcourt également la vie de sa mère, et notamment les périodes où elle était femme de ménage, ouvrière puis retraitée, la saisissant dans toute sa complexité, de sa participation aux grèves à son racisme obsessionnel. Il conclut sa démarche en faisant de la vieillesse le point d'appui d'une réflexion sur la politique : comment pourraient se mobiliser des personnes qui n'ont plus de mobilité ni de capacité à prendre la parole et donc à dire "nous"? Les personnes âgées peuvent-elles parler si personne ne parle pour elles, pour faire entendre leur voix?"--Page 4 of cover. (shrink)

The commentary raises political questions about the ways in which data has been constituted as an object vested with certain powers, influence, and rationalities. We place the emergence and transformation of professional practices such as ‘data science’, ‘data journalism’, ‘data brokerage’, ‘data mining’, ‘data storage’, and ‘data analysis’ as part of the reconfiguration of a series of fields of power and knowledge in the public and private accumulation of data. Data politics asks questions about the ways in which data has (...) become such an object of power and explores how to critically intervene in its deployment as an object of knowledge. It is concerned with the conditions of possibility of data that involve things, language, and people that together create new worlds. We define ‘data politics’ as both the articulation of political questions about these worlds and the ways in which they provoke subjects to govern themselves and others by making rights claims. We contend that without understanding these conditions of possibility – of worlds, subjects and rights – it would be difficult to intervene in or shape data politics if by that it is meant the transformation of data subjects into data citizens. (shrink)

The processing of emotional nonlinguistic information in speech is defined as emotional prosody. This auditory nonlinguistic information is essential in the decoding of social interactions and in our capacity to adapt and react adequately by taking into account contextual information. An integrated model is proposed at the functional and brain levels, encompassing 5 main systems that involve cortical and subcortical neural networks relevant for the processing of emotional prosody in its major dimensions, including perception and sound organization; related action tendencies; (...) and associated values that integrate complex social contexts and ambiguous situations. (shrink)

In political philosophy one often encounters claims on behalf of pluralism, yet there is anything but a consensus over the meaning of this fundamental concept. It is true that there is no single pluralist tradition; rather, there are different pluralist traditions within different domains of practical reason. No one would object, however, to the notion that Isaiah Berlin’s “value pluralism” is a genuine form of meta-ethical pluralism. Charles Taylor is another philosopher who is often called a pluralist, but I shall (...) argue that this is a mistake. One of the central goals of his philosophy is that of reconciling competing aims and ends and this is incompatible with pluralism. (shrink)

Contemporary political theory (CPT) has approached questions of plurality and diversity by drawing rather implicitly on anthropological accounts of difference. This was the case with the ‘cultural turn’, which significantly shaped theories of multiculturalism. Similarly, the current ‘ontological turn’ is gaining influence and leaving a marked impact on CPT. I examine the recent turn and assess both the possibilities it offers and the challenges it poses for decentering CPT and opening radical, decolonial avenues for thinking difference otherwise. I take Paul (...) Nadasdy's critique of the ontological turn as an invitation to reflect on the methodological precepts that inform how the field frames the scope and limits of comparison. In pursuit of this, I examine the Zapatistas’ notion of a ‘world of many worlds’, which provides a way of approaching difference that captures the generative aspects of the ontological turn while avoiding the pitfalls of relativism and political inertia. I argue that the Zapatistas’ insights offer ethical guidance towards social and ecological thriving. Ultimately, my goal is to move CPT towards a more capacious form of making sense of what is out there in the world, and thus make room for better ways of inhabiting the Earth. (shrink)

We have entered a new era of nature. What remains of the frontiers of modern thought that divided the living from the inert, subjectivity from objectivity, the apparent from the real, value from fact, and the human from the nonhuman? Can the great oppositions that presided over the modern invention of nature still claim any cogency? In _Nature as Event_, Didier Debaise shows how new narratives and cosmologies are necessary to rearticulate that which until now had been separated. Following (...) William James and Alfred North Whitehead, Debaise presents a pluralistic approach to nature. What would happen if we attributed subjectivity and potential to all beings, human and nonhuman? Why should we not consider aesthetics and affect as the fabric that binds all existence? And what if the senses of importance and value were no longer understood to be exclusively limited to the human? (shrink)

A series of recent studies on extant coelacanths has emphasised the slow rate of molecular and morphological evolution in these species. These studies were based on the assumption that a coelacanth is a ‘living fossil’ that has shown little morphological change since the Devonian, and they proposed a causal link between low molecular evolutionary rate and morphological stasis. Here, we have examined the available molecular and morphological data and show that: (i) low intra-specific molecular diversity does not imply low mutation (...) rate, (ii) studies not showing low substitution rates in coelacanth are often neglected, (iii) the morphological stability of coelacanths is not supported by paleontological evidence. We recall that intra-species levels of molecular diversity, inter-species genome divergence rates and morphological divergence rates are under different constraints and they are not necessarily correlated. Finally, we emphasise that concepts such as ‘living fossil’, ‘basal lineage’, or ‘primitive extant species’ do not make sense from a tree-thinking perspective.Editor's suggested further reading in BioEssays Tree thinking for all biology: the problem with reading phylogenies as ladders of progress Abstract. (shrink)

Although it is usually assumed that in Michel Foucault’s work biopolitics is a politics which has life for its object, a closer analysis of the courses he gave at the Collège de France on this topic, as well as of the other seminars and papers of this period, shows that he took a quite different direction, restricting it to the regulation of population. The aim of this article is to return to the origins of the concept and to confront the (...) issue of life as such. This implies four shifts with respect to Foucault’s theory: Politics is not only about the rules of the game of governing, but also about its stakes. More than the power over life, contemporary societies are characterized by the legitimacy they attach to life. Rather than a normalizing process, the intervention in lives is a production of inequalities. The politics of life, then, is not only a question of governmentality and technologies, but also of meaning and values. The discussion is grounded on a series of empirical investigations conducted in France and South Africa on how life and lives are treated in our world. (shrink)

Meteorology is not one of the most discussed topics in Paracelsus studies, although it is closely linked to both Paracelsus’ medicine and cosmology. Furthermore, it appears to be at the very core of Paracelsus’ famous matter theory of three chymical principles, mercury, sulphur and salt, known as the tria prima. By discussing prominent examples of Paracelsus’ explanations on how the tria prima operate within the stars, this article shows how the Swiss physician conceived meteorology within his own body of knowledge, (...) obviously constructed in opposition to the Aristotelian-scholastic tradition, how he based it on a peculiar interpretation of the Biblical creation story, and made it the proper laboratory of his chymical matter theory, applying it first systematically to the field of natural philosophy, especially to celestial phenomena, even before using it for his medical theory in his later writings. (shrink)

Entre Nietzsche et le Saint-Suaire, qu'y a t-il de commun? Une ville : Turin. C'est là que le philosophe a passé les mois qui ont précédé son effondrement dans la démence, en mai 1888, tout près de la chapelle qui conserve le Suaire. Faut-il n'y voir qu'une coïncidence? Né de l'étonnement devant l'ignorance qui entoure ce dernier moment de la vie lucide de Nietzsche, ce livre nous fait découvrir le combat spirituel que le philosophe mène avec le Christ. Il commence (...) par une enquête historique à nouveaux frais et révèle des épisodes méconnus - voire encore inconnus - de la vie de Nietzsche à Turin. La figure de l'homme y apparaît sous un jour bien différent de la légende attachée à son nom. Puis Didier Rance présente le face à face entre celui qui s'était autoproclamé Antichrist et Jésus Christ. Les attaques de Nietzsche à l'endroit du christianisme et de son fondateur sont connues ; on les dit décisives. A travers la voix des papes contemporains qui ont tous médité devant le Suaire, il est possible de pressentir la réponse que le Crucifié apporte à la critique nietzschéenne. Une réponse fondée sur la miséricorde qui éclaire en profondeur le sens du nihilisme dont Nietzsche a voulu être le prophète, et dans lequel se trouve plongé notre monde. (shrink)

Etudie l'homosexualité masculine, désignée par l'expression d'amour philosophique au XVIIIe siècle, en montrant que celle-ci est alors une question philosophique avant tout. Il montre notamment que les Lumières constituent une période charnière où l'on passe du péché de sodomie à la notion d'homosexualité et aux prémices d'une identité gay et étudie les positions ambiguës de philosophes.

We present a general classification of the conditions under which cognitive science, concerned, e.g. with decision making, requires the use of quantum theoretical notions. The analysis is done in the frame of the mathematical approach based on the theory of quantum measurements. We stress that quantum effects in cognition can arise only when decisions are made under uncertainty. Conditions for the appearance of quantum interference in cognitive sciences and the conditions when interference cannot arise are formulated.

Facing the flood of contradictory interpretations of Nietzsche’s writings, is it still possible to assert anything positive about the political and intellectual stance of the author of « Zarathoustra »? In his massive study, Domenico Losurdo, Professor of Philosophy at the university of Urbino, argues that Nietzsche’s thoughts, even the most provocative, such as his defence of slavery or eugenics, should not be read as simple metaphors or innocent speculations aiming at the moral improvement of man, but constitute a specific, (...) agressively aristocratic, response to what, according to Nietzsche, is the main threat of his time : the rise of revolutionary ideals, and global democratisation of society. (shrink)

Facing the flood of contradictory interpretations of Nietzsche’s writings, is it still possible to assert anything positive about the political and intellectual stance of the author of « Zarathoustra »? In his massive study, Domenico Losurdo, Professor of Philosophy at the university of Urbino, argues that Nietzsche’s thoughts, even the most provocative, such as his defence of slavery or eugenics, should not be read as simple metaphors or innocent speculations aiming at the moral improvement of man, but constitute a specific, (...) agressively aristocratic, response to what, according to Nietzsche, is the main threat of his time : the rise of revolutionary ideals, and global democratisation of society. (shrink)

Manifesto for the recognition of the principle of linguistic and cultural diversity in language research Preamble Over the years, and for several decades now, higher education institutions have been gradually and increasingly urging teacher-researchers to increase their international visibility. It is normal for these teacher-researchers to participate in international debates in their disciplines. This is done during conferences and in the course of article writing, not for advertising purpo...

« La forme est sans doute quelque chose de la réalité, mais quelque chose qui se transmet à la faveur d’une relation causale qui met en rapport l’intelligible et le sensible : le premier est la cause du second, qu’il déter­mine comme tel, au moyen de la forme. ». Jean-François Pradeau : « Platon : les formes intelligibles ». Presses Universitaires de France, 2001. P. 53. Transmission, relation causale et mise en rapport qu'il faudrait compléter par dialogue et participation pour (...) planter le dé... (shrink)

Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim (1493–1541), colloquially known as Paracelsus, emerges as a pivotal figure in the transition from medieval to early modern scientific paradigms. Within the realm...

In this paper we study natural deduction for the intuitionistic and classical (normal) modal logics obtained from the combinations of the axioms T, B, 4 and 5. In this context we introduce a new multi-contextual structure, called T-sequent, that allows to design simple labelfree natural deduction systems for these logics. After proving that they are sound and complete we show that they satisfy the normalization property and consequently the subformula property in the intuitionistic case.

À travers l'étude du processus de conception des messages publicitaires, l'article met en lumière la pertinence de la psychologie sociale pour étudier la production de la communication médiatique. Une enquête qualitative montre que, pour créer un message, les concepteurs font dialoguer en mémoire de travail des «voix intra-psychiques» incarnant six acteurs de la production publicitaire. En analysant les représentations mobilisées, nous montrons que le processus de création, itératif, articule des procédures de raisonnement inductives, déductives, analogiques ainsi que des traitements heuristiques (...) et automatiques. La création fait également appel à l'imagerie mentale activée en même temps que se réalisent des actes sensori-moteurs de production graphique manuelle. Le processus se termine par une phase òu le publicitaire rationalise a posteriori ses choix esthético-sémiotiques, notamment au regard des critères d'acceptation de l'annonceur.Drawing on the study of the process involved in the creation of advertising messages, the article focuses on the relevance of social psychology in analyzing the production of media communication. A qualitative investigation shows that in order to create a message, the copywriters engage in a dialogue in their working memory using "intra-psychic voices", representing in this case, six key participants with an influence on the process of advertising production. Through the analysis of involved representations we establish that the process of creation, which is iterative, structures reasoning procedures which are inductive, deductive and analogical as well as automatic and heuristic. The creative process also calls on mental imagery which is activated at the same time as sensory motor acts of manual graphic production. The process finishes with a phase in which the copywriter rationalizes, with hindsight, his aesthetic and semiotic choices, bearing in mind the advertiser's requirements. (shrink)

What is a horizon? A line where land meets sky? The end of the world or the beginning of perception? In this brilliant, engaging, and stimulating history, Didier Maleuvre journeys to the outer reaches of human experience and explores philosophy, religion, and art to understand our struggle and fascination with limits—of life, knowledge, existence, and death. Maleuvre sweeps us through a vast cultural landscape, enabling us to experience each stopping place as the cusp of a limitless journey, whether he (...) is discussing the works of Picasso, Gothic architecture, Beethoven, or General Relativity. If, as Aristotle said, philosophy begins in wonder, then this remarkable book shows us how wonder—the urge to know beyond the conceivable—is itself the engine of culture. (shrink)

Ce livre offre un parcours en compagnie d'ecrivains, philosophes et poetes, parmi les plus marquants de la deuxieme moitie du XXe siecle. Son point de depart est une question qui porte sur l'essence meme de la litterature: que signifie aimer avec passion une oeuvre et l'homme qui est derriere?... Comment vit-on avec? Et qu'y trouve-t-on pour vivre avec soi meme, apprendre a vivre ainsi? Il s'agit donc d'un livre ecrit a la premiere personne par un auteur qui aura eu la (...) chance de croiser le chemin de quelques grandes figures de la pensee francaise contemporaine: Edmond Jabes, Jacques Derrida et Andre du Bouchet, Maurice Blanchot de facon plus lointaine. On y trouvera pourtant une volonte clairement pedagogique. Didier Cahen reprend et etudie les enonces multiples de ces createurs de la postmodernite sur l'articulation de la pensee et de la litterature ou sur l'espace commun de la philosophie et de la poesie. Dans la foulee, il aborde des questions plus ouvertes, qui touchent a l'intuition de l'autre, au non-savoir qu'explore la face cachee de la litterature. Comme le demontrent les oeuvres singulieres de Roger Laporte et de Marcel Cohen, ecrire c'est mettre sa vie en jeu, se fier a ce qui vient, suivre l'ordre de l'Autre... en se jouant de l'etre. Indiscipline au coeur des disciplines, cet exercice de la litterature traverse ainsi les genres, engage son ecriture au-dela des lignes du livre, delivre le message qui se lit a livre ouvert. (shrink)

Political theory and philosophy need to widen their view of the space in which what matters politically takes place, and I suggest that integrating the conditions of sustainability of all affected—that is, all participants in nature's relations—is a necessary first step in this direction. New materialists and posthumanists have challenged how nature and politics have traditionally been construed. While acknowledging the significance of their contributions, I critically examine the ethical and political implications of their ontological project. I focus particularly on (...) how the decentering of human agency that they advocate for raises a set of concerns that need to be addressed in developing an appropriate ecological ethics. I argue that the latter must be attuned to the vulnerability of living beings who participate in relationships that sustain life on earth. This brings me to conclude that qualitative distinctions between the worlds ofbiosandtechneare necessary. This is because we need to think critically about ways of evaluating types of relationships so that we can assess them and establish which are worth nurturing and protecting and which are not. (shrink)

When he died in 1984, Michel Foucault was widely regarded as one of the most powerful minds of this century. Hailed by historians and lionized in America, he continues to provoke lively debate. This meticulously documented narrative debunks the many myths and rumors surrounding the brilliant philosopher to consider that all Foucault's books are "fragments of an autobiography".

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction West African Conceptions of Person East and Southern African Conceptions of Person Concluding Remarks.

Didier Méhu | : Le sermon 163 d’Augustin d’Hippone aurait été prononcé à l’occasion de la dédicace de la basilica Honoriana de Carthage, le 23 septembre 417. Ancré dans le commentaire du verset 5,16 de l’épître aux Galates, Spiritu ambulate et concupiscentias carnis ne perfeceritis, il propose une comparaison entre le processus du salut humain et l’édification de l’église. Les deux aboutissent à la « dédicace », celle du temple de pierres que l’on célèbre alors et celle des élus (...) réunis auprès de Dieu. Nous cherchons à discerner les implications historiques de la dialectique aedificatio-dedicatio qui traverse le sermon, en regard de l’évolution du discours sur le lieu de culte chrétien et de la mise en place d’une structure sociale polarisée par les églises au tournant des ive et ve siècles. | : Augustine of Hippo’s Homily 163 is supposed to have been delivered on the occasion of the dedication of the basilica Honoriana in Carthage, September 23, 417. Rooted in the commentary of Galatians 5:16, Spiritu ambulate et concupiscentias carnis ne perfeceritis, it proposes a comparison between the process of human salvation and the building of a church. Both achieve in the “dedication”, that of the temple of stones, that is then celebrated, and that of the elected gathered with God. We seek to discern the historical implications of the dialectic aedificatio-dedicatio that appears throughout the sermon, in relation to the evolution of the discourse on the Christian place of worship and the establishment of a social structure polarized by the churches, at the turn of the 4th and the 5th centuries. (shrink)