I consider a problem for functional reductionism, based on the following tension. Say that b is functionally reduced to a. On the one hand, a and b turn out to be identical, and identity is a symmetric relation. On the other hand, functional reductionism implies that a and b are asymmetrically related: if b is functionally reduced to a, then a is not functionally reduced to b. Thus, we ask: how can a and b be asymmetrically related if they are (...) the same thing? I propose a solution to this tension, by distinguishing between ontological levels and levels of description. (shrink)

Spontaneous collapse theories of quantum mechanics turn the usual Schrödinger equation into a stochastic dynamical law. In particular, in this paper, I will focus on the GRW theory. Two philosophical issues that can be raised about GRW concern (i) the ontology of the theory, in particular the nature of the wave function and its role within the theory, and (ii) the interpretation of the objective probabilities involved in the dynamics of the theory. During the last years, it has been claimed (...) that we can take advantage of dispositional properties in order to develop an ontology for GRW theory, and also in order to ground the objective probabilities which are postulated by it. However, in this paper, I will argue that the dispositional interpretations which have been discussed in the literature so far are either flawed or – at best – incomplete. If we want to endorse a dispositional interpretation of GRW theory we thus need an extended account that specifies the precise nature of those properties and which makes also clear how they can correctly ground all the probabilities postulated by the theory. Thus, after having introduced several different kinds of probabilistic dispositions, I will try to fill the gap in the literature by proposing a novel and complete dispositional account of GRW, based on what I call spontaneous weighted multi-track propensities. I claim that such an account can satisfy both of our desiderata. (shrink)

Functionalism is the view that being x is to play the role of x. This paper defends a functionalist account of three-dimensional entities in the context of Wave Function Realism (WFR), that can explain in detail how we can recover three-dimensional entities out of the wavefunction. In particular, the essay advocates for a novel version of WFR in terms of a functional reductionist approach in the style of David Lewis. This account entails reduction of the upper entities to the bottom (...) ones, when the latter behave appropriately. As applied to WFR, it shows how the wavefunction can turn out to be identical to three-dimensional objects, provided certain conditions. The first major goal of the paper is thus to put forward an improved and more rigorous version of WFR, which dissolves several extant issues about the theory, and can serve as a starting point for future literature on the topic. Moreover, the second major goal of the article is to take WFR as a case study to demonstrate the pros of functional reductionism, especially in the form defended here, thereby helping to bring this view back in the philosophy of science debate. The positive upshots of this paper suggest a possible application of functional reductionism also to other contexts. (shrink)

Three accounts of effective realism (ER) have been advanced to solve three problems for scientific realism: Fraser and Vickers (forthcoming) develop a version of ER about non-relativistic quantum mechanics that they argue is compatible with all the main realist versions (‘interpretations’) of quantum mechanics avoiding the problem of underdetermination among them; Williams (2019) and Fraser (2020b) propose ER about quantum field theory as a response to the problems facing realist interpretations; Robertson and Wilson (forthcoming) propose ER to deal with the (...) dubious ontological status of the entities belonging to superseded theories. This paper argues for the unification of these proposals based on realism about modal structure and the idea of scale relativity of ontology developed by ontic structural realists. This solves problems some or all the accounts of ER face, especially that of making explicit in what way they are realist. Furthermore, we respond to a recent critique that has been raised against the ontic structural realist account of quantum mechanics that we employ. (shrink)

Lam and Esfeld have argued that, within Bohmian mechanics, the wave function can be interpreted as a physical structure instantiated by the fundamental particles posited by the theory. Further, to characterize the nature of this structure, they appeal to the framework of Ontic Structural Realism, thereby proposing a structuralist interpretation of Bohmian mechanics. However, I shall point out that OSR denotes a family of distinct views, each of which maintains a different account about the relation between structures and objects, and (...) entails a different kind of ontology. Thus, in this paper I will show how to articulate the structuralist approach to Bohmian Mechanics accordingly to the different standard versions of OSR, and I will evaluate these alternatives. Moreover, I will propose a novel and _sui generis_ kind of structuralist interpretation of Bohmian Mechanics, based on the framework of metaphysical coherentism. (shrink)

It has been argued that Humean Supervenience is threatened by the existence of quantum entanglement relations. The most conservative strategy for defending HS is to add the problematic entanglement relations to the supervenience basis, alongside spatiotemporal relations. In this paper, I’m going to argue against this strategy by showing how certain particular cases of tripartite entanglement states – i.e. GHZ states – posit some crucial problems for this amended version of HS. Moreover, I will show that the principle of free (...) recombination – which is strictly linked to HS – is severely undermined if we add entanglement relations to the supervenience basis. I conclude that the conservative move is very unappealing, and therefore the defender of HS should pursue other, more controversial, strategies. (shrink)

Functional reductionism characterises inter-theoretic reduction as the recovery of the upper-level behaviour described by the reduced theory in terms of the lower-level reducing theory. For instance, finding a statistical mechanical realiser that plays the functional role of thermodynamic entropy allows for establishing a reductive link between thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. This view constitutes a unique approach to reduction that enjoys a number of positive features, but has received limited attention in the philosophy of science. -/- This paper aims to clarify (...) the meaning of functional reductionism in science, with a focus on physics, to define both its place with respect to other approaches to reduction and its connection to ontology. To do so, we develop and explore two alternative frameworks for functional reduction, called Syntactic Functional Reductionism and Semantic Functional Reductionism. They represent two different possible stances on the view that expand and improve the basic functional reductionist approach along different lines, and make clear how the approach works in practice. The former elaborates on David Lewis’ account, is connected with the syntactic view of theories, is committed to a logical characterisation of functional roles, and is embedded within Nagelian reductionism. The latter adopts a semantic view of theories, spells out functional roles mainly in terms of mathematical roles within the models of theories, and is expressed in terms of the related structuralist approach to reduction. The development of these frameworks has the final goal of advancing functional reductionism, to make it a fully-fledged alternative account for reduction in science. (shrink)

This article was written based on Michel Foucault’s formulations in the course Abnormals (1975) about the dimension of human monstrosity. In its general lines, Foucault not only provides us with an overview of the slow formation of the “indefinite and confused family” of the abnormal, but also deals with the important participation of the figure of the human monster in its composition. Thus, taking the theme of the human monster as the guiding thread of this text, we intend to launch (...) ourselves into some questions about the technologies of knowledge and strategies of power that made its existence possible, namely: How the dimension of monstrosity came to be linked to the panorama of sexuality? How did the dispositif of sexuality get involved in the proliferation of the pale figures of human monsters? And, in a final step, we ask ourselves about the possibilities of political resistance from the perspective of dissident bodies, insofar as they face the violent universalism of determinations based on true sex. (shrink)

We discuss how transgenerational communitarianism deals with public decisions involving tradeoffs between different generations’ wellbeing and having global consequences. Policies for tackling climate change are an example. Although there is a natural, evolutionary, basis for intergenerational altruism, most people lack the competencies for constituting a transgenerational community. Moreover, greater attention to future generations’ wellbeing need not substitute for collective action: a lower discount rate reflecting a stronger concern for future generations may even worsen their wellbeing. Finally, in a world of (...) irreducible value pluralism, there is no community of persons sharing moral values that can legitimize common policies for addressing global problems: only the common interest of avoiding destructive consequences may motivate collective action to face problems like climate change. (shrink)

Este artigo objetiva a partir das considerações de Michel Foucault sobre a dimensão de uma estética da existência relacioná-la às vidas infames, em dois planos que parecem se vincular, a saber, primeiro, de dar destaque às vidas obscurecidas que apenas foram iluminadas quando colocadas como alvos de discursos empreendidos com a finalidade de classificação, controle e exclusão; segundo, da possibilidade de experiências transformadoras no que diz respeito às subjetividades marginalizadas. Examinaremos então em que medida a pesquisa foucaultiana portaria a virtualidade (...) de um deslocamento a um só tempo estético e ético, da modificação de um modo de vida, de um estilo de existência. Uma vez reconhecendo a dimensão estética em Foucault vinculada à arte de existir, pretendemos então tecer um texto que também se componha com as considerações do filósofo da estética Étienne Souriau, apresentadas no livro As Existências Mínimas, por David Lapoujade, no sentido de que os dois pensadores franceses parecem confluir na mesma direção no que liga a arte às transformações de si, isto é, ambos elaboram uma compreensão da estética interseccionada aos modos de existência, buscando tematizar de que modo as vidas que mesmo privadas do direito de existir, podem ainda encontrar espaços de criação e transformação. (shrink)

It has been argued that Humean Supervenience is threatened by the existence of quantum entanglement relations. The most conservative strategy for defending HS is to add the problematic entanglement relations to the supervenience basis, alongside spatiotemporal relations. In this paper, I’m going to argue against this strategy by showing how certain particular cases of tripartite entanglement states – i.e. GHZ states – posit some crucial problems for this amended version of HS. Moreover, I will show that the principle of free (...) recombination – which is strictly linked to HS – is severely undermined if we add entanglement relations to the supervenience basis. I conclude that the conservative move is very unappealing, and therefore the defender of HS should pursue other, more controversial, strategies. (shrink)

1. Il fenomeno morale -- 2. L'uomo in relazione -- 3. La società e l'uomo.

Este artigo procura a partir do contexto da pandemia provocada pelo coronavírus tecer articulações com o pensamento do filósofo francês Michel Foucault, em seu curso realizado no Collège de France, Segurança, Território e População, sobre as formas de exercício do poder e o tratamento dispensado às doenças epidêmicas. Como pano de fundo, tematizaremos também estratégias de governo pautadas tanto na manutenção das vidas, como na produção de mortos, identificando uma equação que visa atender prioritariamente a pressupostos econômicos em detrimento da (...) saúde da população. (shrink)

Foucault no curso Segurança, Território e População, proferido entre janeiro e abril de 1978, dedica boa parte de suas aulas a fazer um exame do que identifica como poder pastoral. Em qual contexto surge esta problematização? De que maneira o poder pastoral se implicaria a estratégias de governamentalidade direcionadas por proposições econômicas? E, ampliando o horizonte de questionamento, cabe-nos examinar quais os vestígios do poder pastoral que poderíamos encontrar nas relações entre credores e devedores, em relações vinculadas à constituição de (...) “sujeitos de necessidades”. A partir dessas questões, pretendemos examinar, dentre os múltiplos modos da biopolítica se infiltrar em nossas vidas, a preeminência de um poder pastoral comprometido com uma lógica de endividamento da existência. (shrink)

Revisión de la actividad IV Jornadas de trabajo sobre Exilios Políticos del Cono Sur en el siglo XX Agendas, problemas y perspectivas conceptuales, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, 7, 8 y 9 de noviembre de 2018.

O livro Amor pelo avesso: de Afrodite a Medusa. Estética da Existência entre antigos e contemporâneos, de autoria de Cassiana Lopes Stephan, fruto de sua tese em Filosofia apresentada na Universidade Federal do Paraná, é tecido por uma espécie de escrita realizada com o próprio sangue, como diria Nietzsche; em um texto filosófico visceral, de crise e agonia, a autora nos convida a participar de uma discussão sobre as perspectivas ético-políticas das relações amorosas. Tal incursão filosófica se dá desde os (...) antigos, com ênfase no estoicismo e no cinismo, levando-nos à aproximação tanto das reflexões contemporâneas de Michel Foucault, Pierre Hadot, Maurice Blanchot, Jean-Pierre Vernant, Sarah Kofman, Judith Butler, dentre outros, como também da inquietante literatura de Marguerite Duras e de produções cinematográficas baseadas em seus roteiros. (shrink)

O livro Amor pelo avesso: de Afrodite a Medusa. Estética da Existência entre antigos e contemporâneos, de autoria de Cassiana Lopes Stephan, fruto de sua tese em Filosofia apresentada na Universidade Federal do Paraná, é tecido por uma espécie de escrita realizada com o próprio sangue, como diria Nietzsche; em um texto filosófico visceral, de crise e agonia, a autora nos convida a participar de uma discussão sobre as perspectivas ético-políticas das relações amorosas. Tal incursão filosófica se dá desde os (...) antigos, com ênfase no estoicismo e no cinismo, levando-nos à aproximação tanto das reflexões contemporâneas de Michel Foucault, Pierre Hadot, Maurice Blanchot, Jean-Pierre Vernant, Sarah Kofman, Judith Butler, dentre outros, como também da inquietante literatura de Marguerite Duras e de produções cinematográficas baseadas em seus roteiros. (shrink)

Hermann Cohen afirma, em uma conferência, que a aversão à religião se deve à desconfiança da filosofia, uma vez que esta oferece à religião seu fundamento crítico e autoconsciência. Ele formula três postulados religiosos. O primeiro é a ideia da unicidade de Deus, como fundamento da moralidade do homem. O segundo postulado é o messianismo, como fundamento da ideia de humanidade universal. O terceiro postulado é a promoção do estudo da Wissenschaft des Judentums. Este texto enfoca três temas: a relação (...) entre a tradição monoteísta judaica e a tradição filosófica grega; a questão do humanismo; a diferença entre monoteísmo e religiões. (shrink)

This article analyses some frescoes painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti entitled the Allegory of Good and Bad Government under the hypothesis that they are the artistic and profane Princes Mirrors. The virtues of Good Government and the vices of tiranny are represented as they appear in the frescoes of..

De Marchi and Lorenzetti :253-261, 2016) have recently argued that in fields where the journal impact factor is not calculated, such as in the humanities, it is key to find other indicators that would allow the relevant community to assess the quality of scholarly journals and the research outputs that are published in them. The authors' suggestion is that information concerning the journal's rejection rate and the number of subscriptions sold is important and should be used for such assessment. (...) The question addressed by the authors is very important, yet their proposed solutions are problematic. Here I point to some of these problems and illustrate them by considering as a case in point the field of philosophy. Specifically, here I argue for four main claims. First, even assuming that IF provides a reliable indicator of the quality of journals for the assessment of research outputs, De Marchi and Lorenzetti have failed to validate their suggested indicators and proxies. Second, it has not been clarified why, in absence of IF, other journal-based metrics that are currently available should not be used. Third, the relationship between IF and rejection rate is more complex than the authors suggest. Fourth, accepting the number of sold subscriptions as a proxy would result in discrimination against open access journals. The upshot of my analysis is that the question of how to assess journals and research outputs in the humanities is still far from resolved. (shrink)

En aras de poner en relación en un marco reflexivo la forma de gobierno tiránica con el ejercicio de la violencia, es preciso adentrarse en los orígenes mismos de la consideración filosófica de la tiranía. La tiranía, en el sentido que la Grecia antigua le dio, no es sino el régimen de poder absoluto, de ordinario unipersonal, que con frecuencia instauraba el tirano, aquél o aquellos que habían derrocado el gobierno de una ciudad-estado, normalmente gracias al apoyo popular, pero también (...) mediante un golpe de estado militar o una intervención extranjera. De esta noción clásica de tiranía se derivan algunos elementos importantes de los que se hará eco este escrito. En un primer momento, después de haber considerado la perspectiva de estudio (1), se situará el origen de la tiranía en su relación con un momento de crisis: este vínculo hace de ella una especie de medicina que pretende remediar un mal, como si de la cura de una enfermedad se tratase (2); a continuación, se establecerá el pasaje desde una percepción positiva de tiranía hacia una determinación peyorativa del término (3); y, por último, se abordará la crisis de la tiranía y la oposición popular violenta que ella suscita (4). Las conclusiones serán presentadas a la luz del fresco de A. Lorenzetti, Alegoría del mal gobierno (5). (shrink)

Resumen En el presente artículo se analiza la presencia de polaridades pasionales en El arte de la guerra de Nicolás Maquiavelo. Primero, se analiza de modo sucinto los frescos de Ambrogio Lorenzetti que se encuentran en el Palacio Comunal de Siena, poniendo particular atención en las presencias de la guerra y la paz para realizar posteriormente una comparación con el abordaje de Maquiavelo. Segundo, se analiza cómo la literatura especializada aborda este tratado militar de Maquiavelo. Tercero, se examinan las (...) referencias del amor en el juego de polaridades pasionales a lo largo del texto en torno a dos ejes: por un lado, las referencias explícitas al amor bajo su forma de amor a la patria y amor a la paz; por otro lado, cómo aparece la pasión del amor en el circuito pasional entre el capitán y su tropa. Por último, se explicitan las conclusiones que se desglosan del trabajo realizado. (shrink)

If we compare it with the fellow notion of liberty, equality has an ambivalent place in modern political thinking. Whilst it counts as one of the fundamental norms, many think that equality is valuable only as a way to realise some features of liberty. I take a historical perspective on this issue, and try to identify some of the pre-modern roots of such an ambivalent attitude towards equality. I do this by using Jacques Rancière’s political model as an analytical framework (...) and by taking a visual route, focusing on classical iconographic representations in which equality was present in the images’ subtexts. Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s allegory of good government is one iconic exposition of equality as a positive condition of civil peace. Already there, however, the positive value of equality is counterposed to the figure of violent retributive justice. Similarly, in the Christian narrative, equality is endorsed as the original condition of creatures under God, but is also associated with violent death. This signals one pre-modern root behind the ambivalence towards equality, particularly when the latter is understood dynamically, as levelling. Such a reversal of value finds an apotheosis, I suggest, in the revolutionary icon of the guillotine, a dramatic representation of equalisation that had a strong influence on modern political thinking. In J. E. Millais’ first painting, of Jesus in the House of his Parents, I find a more positive legacy of Christian equality in modern political thinking. (shrink)