Octavio Paz has been known worldwide as a talented poet and essayist, but not as a sociologist. And yet his seminal work, The Labyrinth of Solitude, published in 1950 and containing Paz’s interpretation of Mexican history and identity, arrived at via his analysis of Mexican ‘myths’ or cultural forms, is rich in sociological content – particularly sociology of culture and sociology of knowledge. The author of this article, after noting that very few of the experts on Paz’s work have tried (...) to analyze in a serious and sustained manner its sociological content, has determined not only to decipher Paz’s method but to reveal its strong links to the sociology of form and content produced by the German sociologist and philosopher Georg Simmel. Thus, the main goal of this article is to apply Simmel’s methods to The Labyrinth of Solitude and to thereby (1) shed some light on the sociological aspects of Paz’s seminal work, thus bringing him the credit he deserves as an early Mexican sociologist, and (2) reveal the extent of Simmel’s influence – hitherto ignored or at least very much minimized – upon The Labyrinth. (shrink)

How relevant is Foucault's social thought to the world we inhabit today? This collection comprises several essays considering the contemporary relevance of the work of Michel Foucault. While Foucault is best remembered for his historical inquiries into the origins of disciplinary society in a period extending from the 16th to the 19th centuries, it seems that today, under the conditions of global modernity, the relevance of his ideas are called into question. With the increasing ubiquity of markets, the break up (...) of centralized states and the dissolution of national boundaries, together with new scientific and political discourses on biological life, the world of today seems far removed from the bounded, disciplinary societies Foucault described in his most famous books. Yet in recent years, it has become apparent that Foucault's thoughts on modern society have not been exhausted, and, indeed, that much remains to be explored. Within this volume, novel interpretations and thematic developments of key Foucauldian concepts are presented in the works of 24 authors. Prominent among them are new forms of neoliberal economic conduct framed by distinct governmentalities; new critical concepts of biological life reflected in Foucault's analysis of biopower, and new theoretical treatments of the effects of subjectivation. Moreover, included among these theoretical departures are empirical studies of contemporary formations of religion and spiritual practice, consumerism, race and racism, the discourse of genetics and the life sciences, surveillance and incarceration, and new social movements. Drawn from a conference held at the University of Massachusetts, Boston bearing the same title, A Foucault for the 21st Century: Governnentality, Biopolitics and Discipline in the New Millennium both expands our understanding of Foucault's central theoretical legacy, and applies his ideas to a range of contemporary empirical phenomena. (shrink)

v. 1. Antiguo y moderno - - v. 2. Sociedad y ciencia -- v. 3. Tópicos del saber filosófico.

La hermenéutica de Dilthey ha legado a la historia de la filosofía una profunda tematización del problema de la vivencia humana. En ella, se lleva a cabo un análisis de la experiencia desde el juego dado entre la totalidad de la vida histórica y la vivencia concreta y particular. Tomando estas ideas como base, la filosofía de la vivencia elaborada por dicha tradición se orienta hacia la dilucidación de una ontología de la vida, cuya pretensión es la de indagar en (...) la naturaleza fáctica de la propia experiencia. Esta herencia es apreciable en la hermenéutica de la facticidad explicitada por Heidegger y en la ontología hermenéutica planteada por Gadamer. El objetivo del presente ensayo será el de recuperar la reflexión diltheyana que da cuenta de un modo de comprensión específico de la experiencia. Ello nos permitirá desvelar las dinámicas propias de la comprensión y la vivencia, distinguiendo este análisis frente al modelo fenomenológico. (shrink)

En estas páginas, Jorge Tamames relee a Karl Polanyi, Ernesto Laclau y Chantal Mouffe para analizar la historia política reciente de España y Estados Unidos.Así rastrea la evolución de los partidos y movimientos de izquierda desde los primeros días del neoliberalismo en la década de 1970, pasando por la crisis financiera de 2008 y el ciclo de protestas posterior a 2011, hasta la actualidad.La brecha y los cauces ofrece una mezcla necesaria de ideas teóricas, históricas y prácticas para los (...) interesados en el potencial radical del populismo de izquierdas. (shrink)

El artículo presenta un análisis de cuatro temas centrales de Sen: su visión sobre el ser humano, la libertad individual, la evaluación moral y los derechos, y la igualdad. Con esto quiero mostrar que estas ideas no sólo son consistentes, sino que explican muchas de las reflexiones sobre temas sociales y económicos que lo han convertido en un referente en estas áreas. En las conclusiones presentaré una síntesis e interpretación de estas ideas fundamentales, mostrando cómo constituyen un núcleo filosófico y (...) qué relaciones mantienen entre ellas. Mi objetivo no es encasillarlo en algunas de las corrientes de filosofía actuales, sino destacar la solidez y pertinencia de su aporte filosófico, algo sumamente útil en un tiempo como el nuestro, deseoso de ideas frescas para los acuciantes problemas de siempre. (shrink)

Leibniz was probably the last universal scholar in modern times who made original and innovative achievements in all the essential fields of knowledge of his time: as a reform-oriented lawyer, a multilateral thinking diplomat, as a mathematician of infinitesimal calculus, as the inventor of a calculating machine and in the mining of horizontal wind power, as an organizer of science and as one of the first historians who strived for source-critical methodical objectivity. However, this baroque diversity can only be understood (...) from the center of a monadological philosophy, which wants to establish the unity of scientific worldview and metaphysical concept of the world. It is distorted in the classical reception because only Leibniz the Theodicy was known. The topicality of Leibniz today consists in re-exposing the original basic idea of unity in diversity and asking how it can be made fruitful for philosophical and political thought in the 21st century. This book is a translation of the original German 1st edition Leibniz und die Folgen by Jörg Zimmer, published by J.B. Metzler, imprint of Springer-Verlag GmbH, part of Springer Nature in 2018. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors. (shrink)

Background Paternalism/overprotection limits communication between healthcare professionals and patients and does not promote shared therapeutic decision-making. In the global north, communication patterns have been regulated to promote autonomy, whereas in the global south, they reflect the physician’s personal choices. The goal of this study was to contribute to knowledge on the communication patterns used in clinical practice in Mexico and to identify the determinants that favour a doctor–patient relationship characterized by low paternalism/autonomy. Methods A self-report study on communication patterns in (...) a sample of 761 mental healthcare professionals in Central and Western Mexico was conducted. Multiple ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyse paternalism and associated factors. Results A high prevalence of paternalism was observed among mental health professionals in Mexico. The main determinants of low paternalism/autonomy were medical specialty and gender, with female physicians being more likely to explicitly share diagnoses and therapeutic strategies with patients and their families. A pattern of highly explicit communication was strongly associated with low paternalism/autonomy. Finally, a modifying effect of age strata on the association between communication pattern or specialty and low paternalism/autonomy was observed. Conclusions Among mental health professionals in Mexico, high paternalism prevailed. Gender, specialty, and a pattern of open communication were closely associated with low paternalism/autonomy. Strengthening health professionals’ competencies and promoting explicit communication could contribute to the transition towards more autonomist communication in clinical practice in Mexico. The ethical implications will need to be resolved in the near future. (shrink)

Resumen En este trabajo intentaré comparar dos momentos en la producción teórica de Nancy Fraser: sus análisis contemporáneos del capitalismo como orden institucional y su marco categorial previo, basado en dualismo de redistribución y reconocimiento. Destacaré tres grandes rupturas en su evolución intelectual: en el diagnóstico del presente, en la comprensión del capitalismo como tal y en la propuesta política.In this paper I will try to compare two periods in Nancy Fraser's theoretical evolution: her analysis of contemporary capitalism as an (...) institutional social order and her previous categorial framework, based on the dualims of redistribution and recognition. I will highlight three major ruptures in her intellectual development: in the diagnosis of present times, in the understanding of capitalism as such and in political proposal. (shrink)

Este artículo analiza una variedad de aspectos que aportan luz sobre la peculiaridad de John L. Austin y su filosofía, así como sobre el rechazo que se generó hacia ella. De entre todas estas facetas, este trabajo destaca las estilísticas y discursivas, especialmente el papel de la retórica, con el fin de mostrar cómo este autor crea una prosa performativa en perfecta consonancia con su contenido intelectual. De este modo, Austin dota a su obra de una excepcional coherencia entre contenido (...) y forma. (shrink)

La mentalización es una capacidad que puede definirse como la habilidad de atribuir estados mentales que intervienen entre el comportamiento observable y la acción futura de otros. Esta capacidad ha sido estudiada durante décadas, pero las investigaciones al respecto no han logrado consolidar si es exclusivamente humana. Una vez dicho esto, surge la pregunta: ¿los chimpancés son capaces de atribuir estados mentales que intervienen entre el comportamiento observable y la acción futura o solo son capaces de leer el comportamiento? La (...) respuesta a esta pregunta no ha logrado ser determinada debido a que la hipótesis de la mentalización y la hipótesis de lectura de comportamiento poseen las mismas variables experimentales para justificarse, lo cual da forma al problema lógico del debate entre ambas hipótesis. Este artículo introduce la discusión entre las hipótesis de la mentalización y la hipótesis de la lectura comportamental para explicar el comportamiento de los chimpancés. Para lograrlo, se analizará primero lo que se ha dicho sobre la mentalización y la lectura de comportamiento en filosofía, luego se delimitarán ambas hipótesis y, finalmente, se explicarán los enfoques experimentales que han investigado la resolución del problema lógico. (shrink)

This paper examines the association between board characteristics and the ethical reputation of financial institutions. Given the pivotal governance role of the board of directors and the value-relevance of ethical corporate behavior, we postulate a positive relationship between ethical reputation and board features that foster more effective monitoring and oversight. Using a sample of large financial institutions from 13 different countries, we run several alternative panel regressions of ethical reputation on board characteristics and firm-specific controls. Our results demonstrate that the (...) ethical reputation of financial institutions is positively associated with board size, gender diversity, and CEO duality, while being negatively related to the busyness of the board members and a composite index reflecting poor monitoring. Nevertheless, inconsistent with our hypothesis, we also document that financial institutions with less frequent board meetings have better ethical reputation. Overall, our empirical findings suggest that stronger board oversight may promote ethical behavior in the financial industry. (shrink)

Business and Society Review, Volume 126, Issue 1, Page 69-99, Spring 2021.

Post‐translational modifications regulate each step of DNA replication to ensure the faithful transmission of genetic information. In this context, we recently showed that deubiquitination of SUMO2/3 and SUMOylated proteins by USP7 helps to create a SUMO‐rich and ubiquitin‐low environment around replisomes that is necessary to maintain the activity of replication forks and for new origin firing. We propose that a two‐flag system mediates the collective concentration of factors at sites of DNA replication, whereby SUMO and Ubiquitinated‐SUMO would constitute “stay” or (...) “go” signals respectively for replisome and accessory factors. We here discuss the findings that led to this model, which have implications for the potential use of USP7 inhibitors as anticancer agents. (shrink)

The enthymeme is essential because it reflects what humans do when they think. It provides an effective pedagogical approach to the analysis and synthesis of ideas in the classroom. In this volume, such an approach is applied to various areas of content for the purpose of helping students prepare themselves for the challenges of modern life.

Business and Society Review, Volume 127, Issue S1, Page 171-192, Spring 2022.

«Desde el punto de vista del discurso moderno e ilustrado sobre el sujeto, para este todo es posible; sin embargo, el discurso contemporáneo sobre el sujeto devuelve la tesis de que todo lo posible es ya pasado. [...] De un modo intuitivo pensamos que ser niño es, en cierta medida, tener un campo de posibilidad abierto e indefinido ---todo es posible--- pero que ese campo de posibilidades no ha sido decidido ni elegido, ni siquiera creado por uno ---todo lo posible (...) es ya pasado---. Si queremos saber cómo salir de la perplejidad, tenemos que entrar en la infancia y quizá buscar en ella alguna salida». «La filosofía, que es el oficio vital de Úbeda, ha meditado sobre la muerte, o sea, sobre la madurez y sobre la decrepitud de la vida; pero apenas ha prestado atención frontal a la infancia, e incluso no ha sabido relacionar con ella, como sin duda tendría que haber hecho, su modo de entender la muerte. Este libro reflexiona largamente acerca de la desconfianza y la deslealtad con la que, sobre todo el pensamiento moderno, se ha comportado respecto de la infancia. Jorge Úbeda habla desde la experiencia que busca retomar los términos esenciales de lo real y desde el conocimiento de una cultura cuya profundidad no siempre ha estado a la altura de lo Simple. Es la suya una voz que no debemos ya desatender nunca». (Miguel García-Baró). (shrink)

Review of Lambert Wiesing's book 'Das Mich der Wahrnehmung'.

Martin Buber believed that life's deepest truth lies in human relationships. In this classic work he puts this belief into practice, applying it to the concrete problems of contemporary society.

The nanotechnologies and nanomaterials sector is a huge and growing industry. The amount of legislation already in place and still to be produced in order to regulate it will be very substantial. What process is used to produce such regulation? The answer is that very diverse regulatory approaches are and will be used. The approach taken by the European Commission diverges from the one taken by the European Parliament. Moreover, at national level, Member States add their own contribution to the (...) process. This article attempts to describe the landscape and various regulatory actions that have been undertaken by all these actors in the European Union. It first describes the role played by the European Commission and Parliament. It then looks at specific regulatory initiatives from a more sectoral perspective: Cosmetics, Food information, Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Biocides. The third part of the paper describes some major national initiatives, in particular those concerning the establishment of reporting systems for nanomaterials, mixtures, articles and consumer products containing them, as an example of how to improve the current governance in the EU and to prevent the risks to human health and the environment. The fourth part gives the perspective of the European Trade Union Confederation. Finally it presents some conclusions and policy recommendations, taking into consideration the diversity of regulatory approaches. (shrink)

Implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in supply chains is not a trivial task. In fact, many firms in recent years have publicly proclaimed that in order to keep their CSR commitments, they had to reduce reliance on external suppliers by vertically integrating their operations. Our aim in this article is to examine whether there is truly a relationship between a firm’s CSR performance and its level of vertical integration. Drawing on a multi-industry sample of 2,715 firm-year observations, and after addressing (...) endogeneity concerns, we demonstrate that firms with higher CSR performance tend to vertically integrate more (or, outsource less). We also demonstrate that this tendency is weaker for firms that have higher degrees of asset specificity or international diversification. Our core conclusion is that CSR performance and outsourcing are at odds, but firms can reconcile this tension by deepening their collaborations with suppliers. (shrink)