This study examined individual, task, and environmental constraints that influence the career progression of youth Brazilian elite basketball players and the probability of reaching Novo Basquete Brasil and to determine if the association of the relative age effect is a key factor in the career progression. The sample consisted of 4,692 male players who were registered to participate in at least one U15, U17, or U22 youth Brazilian basketball championship between 2004 and 2018. Athletes who reached a high-performance level were (...) coded like NBB players. The birthdates, height, body mass, playing position, geographic region, club, competition category, and team performance were retrieved from the official data archive of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation and the National Basketball League. The maturity status was estimated using the predicted age at peak height velocity. A binary logistic regression examined the influence of each characteristic on the probability of a youth Brazilian basketball player to reach the NBB. The receiver operating characteristic curves and the associated area under the curve were used to assess the discriminant ability of the model. The taller and younger players not selected early into national teams, without specialization by playing position, who participated in U22 national championship, migrated to the southeast region, and remained in the formation process over time have a greater chance to reach the NBB. The ROC curve demonstrated an AUC of 93%. A combination of individual, task, and environmental characteristics influences the sport career of a young Brazilian basketball player in reaching the NBB. Further, early-maturing athletes have a greater chance to reach higher performances. RAE influences lower-level categories, but not a “NBB player's” career progression. The coaches, stakeholders, and practitioners should perform a holistic evaluation of sport talent in terms of a constraint-based theoretical model with the aim of avoiding bias produced by the maturational status and RAE in the youth Brazilian elite basketball. (shrink)

Compreender a violência na sociedade contemporânea requer o mapeamento dos fatores geradores de atos violentos bem como sua prevenção por meio de políticas públicas e de processos educacionais. Este artigo traz algumas reflexões sobre a racionalidade comunicativa e a violência escolar no contexto da crescente exclusão social e a crise de horizontes utópicos para a construção da educação e da formação de sujeitos de direitos. A abordagem metodológica está ancorada na perspectiva da análise de conteúdo de Laurence Bardin (2016), do (...) documento ‘Violência escolar e bullying: relatório sobre a situação mundial’, publicado pela Organização das Nações Unidas para a Educação, a Ciência e a Cultura (UNESCO). São analisadas as pretensões de validade das informações e dos dados considerados relevantes por meio da elaboração de dois eixos principais para analisar a violência escolar apresentada no relatório: a) definições e amparos legais; b) impactos e principais desafios sobre a violência escolar e o bullying. Nessa perspectiva, recorreremos à Racionalidade Comunicativa, ponto central da Teoria do Agir Comunicativo, de Jürgen Habermas, para refletir sobre os achados e saber quais as bases consideradas relevantes para se construir uma educação para a paz alicerçada no diálogo e no entendimento. (shrink)

Resumo : O artigo visa a refletir sobre a intriga entre ética e alteridade a partir do Enigma do Rosto do outro. Parte-se do fato de que a visitação do rosto inaugura uma sabedoria mais antiga e mais original do que a do saber e do pensamento provenientes da razão. A partir da relação com o outro e da sabedoria que nasce desse encontro, assiste-se à transformação da semântica da palavra ética. Essa transformação, por sua vez, repercute sobre o significado (...) da educação e da prática que a acompanha. Do mesmo modo, o conteúdo da ética da alteridade associado à Lição do Rosto veicula uma nova concepção de paz. Na tentativa de articular ética e educação à filosofia da alteridade, a paz se propugna como cuidado e responsabilidade pelooutro, bem como justiça e equidade em relação ao terceiro. No contexto da cultura contemporânea, marcada pelo advento da sociedade de indivíduos, a paz se constrói como solidariedade contra a exacerbação do individualismo. Palavras-chaves : Ética. Educação. Alteridade. Linguagem. Sabedoria.: Taking as starting point the face of the other as enigma, this article considers the "intrigue" (entwinement) of ethics and alterity. In this sense, the visitation of the face inaugurates a wisdom that is older and more original than the wisdom obtained by means of reason, i.e., by knowing or thinking. Based on the relation with the other and on the wisdom originated by this encounter, we observe the transformation of the semantics of the word "ethics". On its turn, this transformation has an impact on the meaning of education and also on the meaning of the practice that accompanies education. In the same way, when associated with the Lesson provided by the Face, the content of lterity ethics conveys a new conception of peace. In the attempt of articulating ethics and education with the philosophy of alterity, peace asserts itself as care and responsibility towards the other, and also as justice and equity towards the third one. In the context of contemporary culture, marked by the rising of a society of individuals, peace is built up as solidarity against the exacerbation of individualism. Keywords : Ethics. Education. Alterity.Language. Wisdom. (shrink)

Iniciamos esta resenha na voz da Banda Cecília, O Autismo, lançada oficialmente em 2011. Constrói-se na letra o descrédito, o olhar cismado de muitos, que de certo modo é preciso ser enxergado como apontado no último verso da primeira estrofe do compositor Tiago Barros. Finalmente no ritmo da Banda Cecília, a composição de Tiago Barros serve de retrato para uma compreensão encovada do Transtorno do Espectro Autista.

O artigo visa a refletir sobre a intriga entre ética e alteridade a partir do Enigma do Rosto do outro. Parte-se do fato de que a visitação do rosto inaugura uma sabedoria mais antiga e mais original do que a do saber e do pensamento provenientes da razão. A partir da relação com o outro e da sabedoria que nasce desse encontro, assiste-se à transformação da semântica da palavra ética. Essa transformação, por sua vez, repercute sobre o significado da educação (...) e da prática que a acompanha. Do mesmo modo, o conteúdo da ética da alteridade associado à Lição do Rosto veicula uma nova concepção de paz. Na tentativa de articular ética e educação à filosofia da alteridade, a paz se propugna como cuidado e responsabilidade pelo outro, bem como justiça e equidade em relação ao terceiro. No contexto da cultura contemporânea, marcada pelo advento da sociedade de indivíduos, a paz se constrói como solidariedade contra a exacerbação do individualismo. (shrink)

: A investigação tem como escopo debruçar-se sobre a questão do sentido do Político na obra do filósofo franco-lituano Emmanuel Levinas. A tarefa se apresenta como desafiadora pois não há uma abordagem explícita sobre a temática do político em sua obra. Entretanto, o filósofo admite que a passagem da ética para a vida eminentemente social, graças à chegada do terceiro, introduz no âmago da relação dual, a questão da Justiça, da Política e do Direito etc. Com a pretensão de mostrar (...) a existência de uma fecunda interface entre ética e política no pensamento do autor, trata-se, primeiramente, de abordar a ética da alteridade na ótica da linguagem como palavra viva e inter(pel)ação de outrem para, em seguida, tratar de explicitar as balizas de seu pensamento do Político outramente dito em função do ineditismo da intriga semiótico-linguística que o filósofo estabelece entre Dizer/Dito subjacente à sua escritura. (shrink)

O artigo constitui-se de uma apresentação sucinta dos elementos principais do sistema ético de Max Scheler. Utilizando-se do método fenomenológico, Scheler afirma que a ética deve basear-se na experiência, pois o valor não é algo que se atribui, mas que é experimentado. O fenomenólogo alemão defende que o homem está rodeado por um cosmos de valores que não necessita ser produzido, apenas reconhecido através do perceber sentimental, possibilitando, inclusive, uma organização hierárquica dos valores. No entanto, este perceber se encontra afetado (...) pelo ressentimento, o que implica em uma negação dos valores através da inversão valorativa. (shrink)

Este artículo es un estudio sobre la relación entre teoría y praxis en el marxismo occidental y en el joven Horkheimer.

Studies of religion in Renaissance and Enlightenment modernity were always under the conditions of the emancipatory promises of secular knowledge, technology experimental and critical traditions, aiming at social emancipation from the old ways of thinking and society. However, the disasters of the great wars and the problems arising from political and economic forms of technical and bureaucratic characteristics favored painful ailments and even bloody in the twentieth century. Religion has always been treated in the size of traditional societies, of which (...) modernity struggled to get free. This article deals with a study written by Adorno and Horkheimer, which is critical to the ideological and germinal aspects of modernity. Between reading and analysis of the Frankfurt School thinkers, this article focuses on further implications to religious studies in which the Frankfurt School thinkers weave an archetypal genealogy and sociopsicanalítica of modernity, aiming, above all, at the possibilities of social emancipation. (shrink)

Essa reflexão visa debruçar-se sobre a questão da esperança movida pela interpelação advinda do fato de estarmos a iniciar um ano novo, em meio aos tempos sombrios marcados não apenas pela trágica questão sanitária global da pandemia da Covid-19 que tem ceifado milhões de vidas e trazido o sofrimento a outros tantos milhões de pessoas, mas, sobretudo, por estarmos a assistir a uma exacerbação da Necropolítica enraizada em todas as dimensões da vida social, política, econômica, cultural, religiosa etc., a nível (...) local e planetário. Essa situação não deixa de expressar certo desespero de Ser o que somos na contemporaneidade, sobretudo se o referimos aos negacionismos e aos discursos de ódio movidos pelo thanatos ou pela pulsão de morte que se fazem cada vez mais presentes em nosso meio. Essa decepção, porém, não nos exime de tomá-la no avesso do avesso do desespero graças à inesperada e contínua emergência da alteridade, no próprio bojo do drama de nossa existência, bem como na visitação do outro humano. Levando-se, pois, em conta a irrupção da alteridade em meio non-sens, trata-se de propugnar uma sabedoria por-vir que se instaure no âmago da existência, contrária à concepção de temporalidade fundamentada na ideia de escatologia da História, de futuro, de destino/fim calcados na Razão e associados ao tempo fugidio dos relógios. Em contraste com essa visão essa reflexão pretende apresentar outra maneira de pensar a eternidade do tempo a partir da espera da alteridade na contemporaneidade, tendo-se em mente a fecunda contribuição da escritura literária como lugar da produção de sentido em consonância com a novidade da ética/linguagem advinda de uma Filosofia outramente do Rosto. Palavras-chave: Esperança, Alteridade, Linguagem, Ética, Temporalidade. (shrink)

A investigação que se segue tem como escopo evidenciar os motivos que permitem (re)posicionar a filosofia da alteridade de Emmanuel Levinas para além de sua então reconhecida vinculação à fenomenologia. Trata-se de situá-la, paradoxalmente, no rol de um pensamento de corte trágico graças à oposição ao romantismo do Idealismo da filosofia moderna. Entretanto, como o foco da reflexão do autor se volta explicitamente para a ética sui generis que brota da visceral relação/interpelação advinda do contato/Dizer de um Rosto humano que (...) não pode ser reduzido ao Logos, urge enfatizar, por um lado, certa aproximação de seu pensamento tanto da genealogia da moral em Nietzsche como da ética originária ontológica em Heidegger. Por outro lado, pretende-se apontar para certo distanciamento desse outro niilismo que se consolida em torno da ética da alteridade em relação ao pensamento dos referidos filósofos trágicos. Afinal, a ética do Rosto visa pensar outramente a transmutação de valores que já não tem como objeto a vontade de potência e/ou o cuidado da Existência pelo ser humano. Graças à radical (alter)ação da condição humana provocada pelo dizer da proximidade do Outro-próximo, desponta nesse cenário uma subjetividade que se caracteriza por uma autêntica maternagem e por uma substituição de outrem. Tendo-se, pois, em mente essas constatações, procurar-se-á descrever os traços indeléveis de certo niilismo disruptivo presente na gênese da filosofia trágica do Rosto do outro. Palavras-chave: Alteridade. Niilismo. Ética. Filosofia. Linguagem. (shrink)

O artigo constitui-se de uma apresentação sucinta dos elementos principais do sistema ético de Max Scheler. Utilizando-se do método fenomenológico, Scheler afirma que a ética deve basear-se na experiência, pois o valor não é algo que se atribui, mas que é experimentado. O fenomenólogo alemão defende que o homem está rodeado por um cosmos de valores que não necessita ser produzido, apenas reconhecido através do perceber sentimental, possibilitando, inclusive, uma organização hierárquica dos valores. No entanto, este perceber se encontra afetado (...) pelo ressentimento, o que implica em uma negação dos valores através da inversão valorativa. (shrink)

Resumo: O presente artigo reflete sobre o tema da “responsabilidade” no pensamento filosófico de Hannah Arendt (1906 - 1975) e Emmanuel Lévinas (1906 - 1995) com a intenção de demonstrar as nuances e particularidades de cada autor e ao mesmo tempo realizando uma atualização da reflexão filosófica destes dois grandes pensadores do século XX. Para Arendt, o conceito de responsabilidade perpassa tanto o aspecto pessoal quanto coletivo acentuando a dimensão da política e aparece de forma sistemática em escritos a partir (...) do seu livro Eichmann em Jerusalém (1963). Já para Lévinas, o conceito de responsabilidade está intrinsecamente ligado à sua concepção de ética como filosofia primeira. Encontramos uma maior exposição deste conceito nas obras Totalidade e Infinito (1961), Ética e Infinito (1982), Deus, a Morte e o Tempo (1993), dentre outras. Ele tem por objetivo tirar a primazia da ontologia e assim propor um novo paradigma para o agir humano. Segundo Lévinas, a exterioridade do rosto manifesta-se quando o outro olha para mim, torno-me responsável por ele, de tal maneira que, mesmo tendo que assumir responsabilidade a seu respeito, a sua responsabilidade incumbe-me, ou seja, o rosto do outro me interpela, me prende em sua ética da responsabilidade. Podemos afirmar que há uma aproximação entre o pensamento de Hannah Arendt e Emmanuel Lévinas, na concordância de ambos, no fato de que não deve haver uma supervalorização do ‘eu’, mas a centralidade deve estar acentuada na alteridade, quer no cuidado com o mundo (Arendt), quer no cuidado com o Outro (Lévinas). (shrink)

Ética y bioética en el mundo científico: una revisión integradora de la literaturaEthics and Bioethics in the Scientific World: An Integrative ReviewThis paper studies the reality of ethical and bioethical issues in the scientific world through an integrative literature review of articles included in three databases. Seven terms from the thesaurus Health Sciences Descriptors were used, from which three combinations were elaborated and used in the three databases. After applying inclusion requirements, a total of 18 articles were selected. Certain misconducts, (...) particularly plagiarism, falsification and data fabrication, have been showing an increasing behavior, which requires more stringent measures in order to control such phenomenon and maintain scientific credibility before society and authorities.Para citar este artículo / To reference this article / Para citar este artigoSouza-Júnior EV, Rosa RS, Guedes TP, Silva CS, Ribeiro DB, Balbinote FS, Souza DF, Teixeira RB, Silva-Filho BF, Sawanda NO. Ética e bioética no mundo científico: uma revisão integrativa. Pers bioet. 2020;24:151-165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5294/pebi.2020.24.2.3Recibido: 30/06/2020Aceptado: 28/07/2020Publicado: 27/11/2020. (shrink)

O artigo visa identificar traços da fenomenologia de Max Scheler na obra de Henrique Cláudio de Lima Vaz. Pretende-se aprofundar a compreensão do pensamento deste filósofo brasileiro ainda pouco estudado através da aproximação de outras fontes filosóficas implícitas em sua sua escritura ética. No primeiro passo, trata-se de investigar a influência do personalismo moral de Scheler sobre a questão ética em Lima Vaz. No segundo passo, intenciona-se propugnar o ineditismo da Ética filosófica em relação ao pensamento scheleriano graças ao sistema (...) ético-filosófico do autor que faz com que seu pensamento possa ser situado numa esfera mais elaborada do saber filosófico. (shrink)

The growth of urban violence in Brazil, as in other countries, has led citizens to demand more severe and punitive measures to solve the problem of juvenile crime. One motion submitted to the Brazilian parliament, for instance, proposes to reduce the age of penal majority from 18 to 16 years. Our hypothesis is that popular opinions about this proposal are largely constrained by construal levels and psychological distance. Accordingly, we expect that the knowledge and proximity to the circumstances associated with (...) juvenile transgression will influence opinions about the proposal. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated how opinion against or for the proposal can be explained by psychological distance and moral development theory. We studied two samples, composed of people who do not have a deep experience with the subject and workers from a juvenile justice court. After collecting socio-demographic information from the subjects and their answer to moral dilemmas, the data was subjected to a multivariate analysis by multimodal logistic regression for socio-demographic characteristics, Kohlberg moral stages, and opinion on the reduction of APM as dependent variables. Our findings suggest that 1) opinion about the APM depends on psychological distance and 2) socioeconomic variables may influence the average construal level of adolescent transgressors in the public’s perspective. (shrink)

Este trabalho é parte da pesquisa que vem sendo realizada a partir de um olhar sobre o cotidiano da Escola Estadual Indígena de Educação Infantil, Fundamental e Médio Pẽptykre Parkatêjê, tem como objetivo trazer a experiência curricular dessa escola, articulada com dinâmica do povo Parkatêjê que habita a Terra Indígena Mãe Maria, no município de Bom Jesus do Tocantins, numa área que denominamos como o etnoterritório Gavião. Neste sentido, o trabalho traz reflexões e análise da metodologia desenvolvida no currículo em (...) movimento, como também nas ações que são desencadeadas ao longo do ano por meio do calendário cerimonial da aldeia. (shrink)

This work highlights the faith of Jesus as a response to the affiliate relationship between the Father and the Son. This intimate union, characterized by the word Abba, reveals that the very existence of Jesus took place in the bosom of the Father and it was developed in the intimacy with Him. It is in thi.s loving bosom of the Father that, from the beginning, Jesus constitutes the consciousness of a God who is close, loving and able to hear the (...) cries of his people. The Lordship of God is crystallized in the actions of Jesus through the proclamation of the Kingdom. The force that makes Jesus embrace the plan of God is the Spirit, making Jesus desirous and able to carry out the will of the Father. (shrink)

Yoga is believed to have beneficial effects on cognition, attenuation of emotional intensity and stress reduction. Previous studies were mainly performed on eastern experienced practitioners or unhealthy subjects undergoing concomitant conventional therapies. Further investigation is needed on the effects of yoga per se, as well as its possible preventive benefits on healthy subjects. We investigated the effects of yoga on memory and psychophysiological parameters related to stress, comparing yoga practice and conventional physical exercises in healthy men . Memory tests, salivary (...) cortisol levels and stress, anxiety, and depression inventories were assessed before and after 6 months of practice. Yoga practitioners showed improvement of the memory performance, as well as improvements in psychophysiological parameters. The present results suggest that regular yoga practice can improve aspects of cognition and quality of life for healthy individuals. An indirect influence of emotional state on cognitive improvement promoted by yoga practice can be proposed. (shrink)

We comment on the last chapter of Henrich where the author offers a ‘key’ to Hegel’s Logic focusing on the problem of the passage from self-reference to determination in the beginning of the Logic. We argue that what he offers as a ‘key’ is actually a reduction of Hegel to the logic of understanding from the point of view of an autonomous Ego; consequently, he excludes dialectics. Contrarily, we present Hegel’s own solution, eliciting the remark where he shows that the (...) proposition “Being and Nothing are the same” negates itself insofar as it is uttered and reflected on the Other’s understanding. We conjecture that this remark offers a privileged point from which to consider the connection Hegel-Lacan, provided we recognize the Absolute in Hegel as the big Other in Lacan. We suggest that the dialectical identity of identity and difference is actually an operation in the Agora and that the Hegel-Marx-Lacan theory can be properly denominated dialectical materialism. We also offer an answer to Žižek’s question of how a “neutral medium of designation” can emerge within a “life-world practice” or out of a “universe of matter. (shrink)

ABSTRACT This article aims to analyze, from a Bakhtinian perspective, the grotesque construction of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s body through a religious worldview. Therefore, we analyze two of her self-portraits, taking into account the dialogic relations constructed between the grotesque representations and Catholic symbology. The analyzed utterances, in which the specificities of the creative competence of the author-creator in her aesthetic activity are inferred, showed that a dialogue is established between the painting El venado herido and Catholic Saint Sebastian and (...) between the painting Las dos fridas and the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (shrink)

This article examined the personal profiles of the Heads of Government of countries in South/North America and how they communicated with their audiences on institutional measures to contain COVID-19. Analyses were carried out on data collected from Twitter from November-2019 to November-2020. This study includes: i)quantitative analysis, measuring categories and emphases in the communication of tweets, retweets, likes, and comments on matters relevant to the pandemic; ii)qualitative analysis that allowed evaluating speeches to identify political interference and the effectiveness of communication (...) at critical moments of the pandemic. It was possible to infer that each president has his singularities and understanding about Social Media’s use as a more direct communication tool with his audience. It was also found that successful communication is not directly proportional to the volume of messages on Twitter, but to socio-political aspects and institutional leadership that can make a difference in Social Media in combating COVID-19. (shrink)

Emotional intelligence is a psychological skill that aids athletes in the control of emotions and optimization of sports performance. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of the Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test in 508 Brazilian youth and adult athletes. Data analysis was conducted through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability and Pearson’s Correlation. EFA revealed the one-factor model with 26 items with the best adjustment. CFA confirmed the one-factor model with 26 items with best greater fit. No (...) evidence of invariance was found, suggesting that the SSEIT must be used with caution when comparing gender and age groups. The external validity was found in the correlation of EI and cognitive anxiety and self-confidence. It is concluded that the Brazilian version of SSEIT for the sports context presented acceptable psychometric properties, however, showed limitations that should be explored in the future. (shrink)

Several countries maintain universal health coverage, which implies responsibility to organize delivery formats of healthcare services and products for citizens. In Brazil, the health system has a principle of universal access for more than 30 years, but many deficiencies remain and the country observes a day practice for those seeking judicial decisions to determine provision of healthcare.

Placebo-controlled trials are controversial when individuals might be denied existing beneficial medical interventions. In the case of malaria, most patients die in rural villages without healthcare facilities. An artesunate suppository that can be given by minimally skilled persons might be of value when patients suddenly become too ill for oral treatment but are several hours from a facility that can give injectable treatment for severe disease. In such situations, by default, no treatment is (or can be) given until the patient (...) reaches a facility, making the placebo control design clinically relevant; alternative bioequivalence designs at the facility would misrepresent reality and risk incorrect conclusions. We describe the ethical issues underpinning a placebo-controlled trial in severe malaria. To protect patients and minimise risk, all patients were referred immediately to hospital so that each had a higher chance of prompt treatment through participation. There was no difference between artesunate and placebo in patients who reached clinic rapidly; among those who could not, a single artesunate suppository significantly reduced death or permanent disability, a finding of direct and indirect benefit to patients in participating villages and elsewhere. (shrink)

Our goal was to explore self‐care practices among men who have sex with men in the context of Mpox in Brazil. This study used qualitative research methods, including interviews and thematic analysis, to collect and analyze data from male participants across the Brazilian territory. The narratives unveil men's perspectives on self‐care, risk reduction, and health beliefs during the Mpox pandemic. Our findings highlight a multifaceted approach to self‐care among men, encompassing hygiene, physical contact management, mask usage, skin lesion vigilance, and (...) adherence to official guidelines. Men's attitudes toward sexual behaviors emphasize the importance of reducing sexual partners, practicing safe sex, and combating misinformation through accurate information dissemination. The development of these behaviors and self‐care practices can be facilitated by nurses guided by Dorothea Orem's Self‐Care Theory, supported by patient‐centered care, with strategies to address and confront the stigma associated with the disease and provide emotional support. Thus, the study underscores the pivotal role of self‐care in mitigating infection risks, especially in the context of emerging infectious diseases. It acknowledges the impact of socio‐cultural factors and healthcare policies on men's preventive measures. However, it also recognizes limitations, such as potential bias due to stigma concerns and a nonrepresentative sample. Ultimately, the research advocates for tailored education, promotion of gender equity, and healthcare empowerment to effectively manage health risks in such contexts. (shrink)

Der vorliegende Band leistet eine philosophische Untersuchung des Begriffs Ethos bei Homer. Traditionell schenken die Homer-Interpreten der konkreten Bedeutung des Begriffs allein in Bezug auf die Tiere Aufmerksamkeit und sprechen nicht uber den Zusammenhang des Wortes mit den menschlichen Figuren im Text. Auch wird deren psychologische Dimension in der Regel nicht beachtet. Die Analyse ist ein Beitrag zu einer anderen Art von Interpretation des Begriffs Ethos, in der wichtige Perspektivierungen, wie sie z. B. in der Philosophie, der Handlungspsychologie oder der (...) Gleichnistheorie unternommen werden, Berucksichtigung finden. Eine vollstandige Erfassung des Begriffs wird nicht angestrebt, vielmehr wird versucht, eine neue Lesart des Begriffs ethos im Zusammenhang mit den menschlichen Figuren bei Homer zu eroffnen. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Montaigne on Witches and the Authority of Religion in the Public SphereBrian RibeiroThe pleasure in reading Michel de Montaigne, the French Counter-Reformer and fideistic skeptic, is due in no small part to the ways in which he so frequently defeats our expectations. The surprises occur at several levels, beginning with the very titles of his essays, which frequently have little to do with the topics he actually discusses. Who, (...) for example, would expect an essay titled "Of Three Good Women" (II.35) to praise the three women for their variously successful attempts at committing suicide—and little else? Or who would expect an essay with the innocent title "On Some Verses of Virgil" (II.5) to be richly confessional, as well as very explicitly sexual? Or, as one final example, who would expect an essay "Of Cripples" (II.11) to either (a) discuss the witch trials or (b) discuss cripples principally in terms of whether the lame make better sexual partners?The surprises are not confined to the formal features of Montaigne's text, but also appear in the views he articulates. We would not expect an early modern Frenchman to write so sympathetically and even admiringly about the cannibals of the New World (I.31). Nor would we expect an early modern French Catholic to write in opposition to the witch trials. Montaigne does both—with incredible finesse. But despite the attractively progressive attitude seemingly manifested in these two stances, Montaigne's overall view is in fact far more conservative and quietistic than we might expect, were we judging based only on these few cases. And so he surprises us yet again: We are surprised to find him opposing the witch trials, and we are surprised a second time to find that his opposition does not signal any deeper tendency toward progressive or politically liberal views. In short, there is good reason [End Page 235] to see Montaigne's general stance as firmly traditional. While he sometimes expresses apparently progressive views, he does so in a way that has no stable basis in his overall conceptual scheme, as I will argue. Of course, merely observing this tension in Montaigne's work is nothing new. Hugo Friedrich, writing in 1949, and discussing II.11, claimed that "Montaigne bravely takes a position against the delusion of the masses and against clerical fanaticism."1 But in the same passage (and elsewhere) Friedrich shows himself to be well-aware that this apparent radicalism is balanced by Montaigne's conservatism.2 That tension—in a nutshell—encapsulates the debate.3 However, "Of Cripples" presents this tension in its most perplexing form, making a detailed analysis of II.11 our best hope of making progress on the debate.4To support these claims I propose to offer a careful textual analysis of Montaigne's discussion of the witch trials in "Of Cripples."5 After considering several philosophical interpretations of his key Augustinian principle, I will argue that Montaigne's critique of the witch trials is primarily driven by problems internal to the religious perspective, and so does not represent an attempt to circumscribe the authority of religion in the public sphere more generally.6 Such a position, then, is both traditional and quietistic—another of Montaigne's surprises for his readers. If this is correct, then one of the principal texts used for promoting a "liberal" Montaigne—namely, II.11—can be be reappropriated by the defenders of a "quietistic" Montaigne. Nonetheless, even on my reading, there remain some incompletely resolved tensions. That, perhaps, is no less than we should expect from history's only self-proclaimed "accidental philosopher."7IMontaigne opens "Of Cripples" by discussing the Gregorian reform of the calendar, which had been adopted in France in 1582. Yet as odd as this opening is, it serves to quickly introduce a familiar theme in the Essays: Even so basic a matter as the calendar is subject to "[s] o much uncertainty"—just like everything else—that "we are every day in doubt" about how to "keep a record of past events" (F, pp. 784–85). These thoughts are then quickly transformed into a skeptical reflection on human reason itself... (shrink)

Although Hume seems to suppose that natural processes occur in a deterministic way, his conception of causality prohibits us from knowing them as deterministic. The reason is that for him the idea of a necessary connection between events is purely psychological. In our analysis of this question, we argue that: a) in his main references about causality, Hume does not assume a strong ontological commitment with determinism; b) certain parts of his texts suggest that indeterminism is non eliminable, in the (...) knowledge of nature; and c) his causal conception of freedom supposes indeterminism in natural processes, and not in our knowledge of them only.Embora Hume eventualmente pareça supor que os processos naturais ocorrem de modo determinístico, sua concepção da causalidade proíbe que os conheçamos enquanto tais, pois, para ele, toda idéia de conexão necessária entre eventos é de natureza psicológica. Em nossa análise dessa questão, argumentamos que: a) nas suas principais passagens sobre a causalidade, Hume não assume um compromisso forte com o determinismo; b) certas partes de seus textos sugerem que o indeterminismo é ineliminável, no conhecimento da natureza; e c) sua concepção causal da liberdade supõe o indeterminismo dos processos naturais, e não apenas o indeterminismo em nível de seu conhecimento. (shrink)