Die Investiturstreit-Episode in der Alexias Anna Komnenes ist bemerkenswert detailliert. Neben der Kontroverse um die Simonie, wird auch die Frage der Rechtbzw. Unrechtmäßigkeit des Pontifikats Gregors VII. thematisiert, ebenso die Gegenkönigserhebung Rudolfs von Rheinfelden, die Schlacht an der Weißen Elster, der Tod des Gegenkönigs sowie das Bündnis zwischen Gregor VII. und Robert Guiscard. Der Normannenherzog ist der Anknüpfungspunkt der Autorin für die Ereignisse des Investiturstreits, der Grund dafür, dass dieser westliche Konflikt für sie von Bedeutung ist. Anna Komnenes Bericht erhält (...) jedoch auch Sondergut, Ereignisse, die sich nicht mit den westlichen Quellen in Einklang bringen lassen. Ein bedeutender Teil dieses Sonderguts ist insbesondere gegen Gregor VII. gerichtet, so etwa dessen Misshandlung der Gesandten Heinrichs IV., aber auch die suggerierte Teilnahme des Papstes an der Schlacht an der Weißen Elster. Diese antipäpstliche Tendenz dominiert die gesamte Episode. Sie wird nicht zuletzt an der Art und Weise deutlich, wie Anna Komnene das Aufeinandertreffen zwischen Gregor VII. und Robert Guiscard darstellt. Sie gestaltet die Begegnung als Herrschertreffen und übt somit massive Kritik an Papst Gregor VII., der sich demnach als weltlicher Herrscher geriert. Die Autorin gebraucht die stilistischen Mittel der Ironie und des Spotts, um Gregor in ein negatives Licht zu rücken. Sie präsentiert Gregor als Erfinder unmenschlicher Strafen, als überheblichen Barbaren, als Herrscher und Feldherrn, nie jedoch als einen sich seines Amtes würdig erweisenden Geistlichen. Der Umstand, dass Gregor VII. niemals beim Namen genannt, sondern anonym lediglich als 'Papst' bezeichnet wird, ist mehr als eine 'damnatio memoriae'. Durch Gregors Anonymisierung beschränkt sich die Kritik in der Alexias nicht auf das Individuum 'Gregor VII.', sondern sie wird im Gegenteil ausgeweitet auf die institutionelle Ebene des Papsttums. Die Schlechtigkeit und Boshaftigkeit Gregors VII., also des Papsttums überhaupt, in der Alexias verstärkt sich noch, wenn man diesem Verhalten dasjenige des konstantinopolitanischen Patriarchen gegenüberstellt. Ein Vergleich des in der Alexias geschilderten Verhaltensmusters des 'römischen Patriarchen' mit dem täglich erlebten Verhaltensmuster des 'konstantinopolitanischen' drängte sich dem Rezipienten der Alexias geradezu auf, so dass das päpstliche Verhalten als ὕβρις erscheinen musste. (shrink)

Autor u radu, pod vidom egzistencijalnog razvoja subjekta, tematizira značaj slobode u filozofiji Cornelia Fabra. Egzistencijalno djelovanje se radikalizira na način usmjeravanja ljudskog interesa prema stanovitom identitetu bitka i slobode, da bi se u konačnici došlo do dobra, vlastitog objekta volje. Putem integrativnog pristupa, propituje se mogućnost govora slobode kao ljudskog govora u kojemu dolazi do dijalektičkog prevladavanja unutarnjih tenzija i istovremenog pozitivnog odnosa između slobode, volje i razuma. Na koncu se pokazuje kako bitak pridonosi aktualizaciji ljudskog bića, dok sloboda (...) čovjeka stavlja pred izazov samoaktualizacije.Diese wissenschaftliche Arbeit diskutiert die Bedeutung der Freiheit unter dem Deckmantel der Existenzphilosophie in der Entwicklung des Subjekts von C. Fabro. Existentielle Wirkung wird in der Art und Weise des menschlichen Interesses durch gezielte eine bestimmte Identität vom Wesen und der Freiheit radikalisiert, um letzendlich das Gute zu finden und eigenen Willen durchzusetzen. Durch integrative Ansätze, stellt man die Möglichkeit der Redefreiheit, wie die menschliche Sprache, bei der es zur dialektischen Überwindung der internen Spannungen kommt und gleichzeitig positive Beziehung zwischen der Freiheit, dem Willen und der Vernunft in Frage. Schließlich wird gezeigt, wie das Wesen zur Verwirklichung des Menschen beiträgt und die Freiheit des Menschen stellt die Herausforderung für die Selbstverwirklichung. (shrink)

Čovjek je biće dijaloga, biće komunikacije, te se upravo na ovome području najuočljivije manifestiraju znakovi moguće krize. Cornelio Fabro, analizirajući komunikacijsku situaciju današnjeg čovjeka, uočava kako je tišina zamijenila govor. Razgovor sa samim sobom, bez kojega nema niti dijaloga sa drugima, supstituiran je čovjekovim pokušajem da putem umjetnosti, kulture ili filozofije uspostavi izvanjski dijalog sa svijetom koji ga okružuje. Kultura nastala u ovakvom okružju »duhovne pustinje«, kako kaže Fabro, također sama postaje kulturom egzistencijalno-duhovnog kolapsa.U radu se kritički propituje teza po (...) kojoj je čovjek osamljen, predan duhovno-kulturnoj pustinji isključivo zbog toga što se udaljio od svoga temelja, što prvenstveni interes njegova cjelokupnog istraživanja ne leži u području bitka i realnosti, nego u području mogućeg i virtualnog.Man is a being of dialogue, being of communication, and this is the area where signs of possible crisis most visibly manifest themselves. C. Fabro, analysing communicational situation of contemporary man, notices how silence have replaced speaking. Dialogue with him/herself, which is the condition for dialogue with others, is substituted by man’s endeavour in establishing external dialogue with the world around him/her, by means of art, culture and philosophy. Culture, made in circumstances of so called »spiritual desert«, itself becomes a culture of existential-spiritual collapse.This article critically examines thesis on man’s solitude, or his/hers devotion on spiritual-cultural desert, exclusively because he/she has distanced him/heself from his/her foundations, i. e. because primary interest of his/hers does not lay in the area of Being and reality, but in the area of possible and virtual. (shrink)

Prijateljstvo prati čovjeka od njegovih samih početaka, a očituje se u trajnoj dvostrukoj raspoloženosti: biti s drugim i biti netko drugome. U izlaganju se analizira Aristotelova filozofska refleksija o prijateljstvu. Osobita važnost posvećuje se trima različitim motivacijama koje ljude potiču na stupanje u različite oblike druženja ili prijateljevanja, a to su: zbog koristi, užitka ili, pak, zbog kreposti. Pokazuje se kako prijateljstvo vođeno kriterijem koristi nije istinsko prijateljstvo, jer se njime ne ostvaruje dobro osobe, nego neko korisno dobro koje osoba (...) ima, a koje drugoj osobi treba. Takvo je prijateljstvo, prijateljstvo reciprociteta u kojem se nešto dobiva, umjesto da se netko susretne radi njega samoga. Ovom tipu prijateljstva slično je prijateljstvo iz užitka, budući da ni jedan ni drugi tip prijateljstva ne počiva na bitnom principu zasnovanom na vrijednosti i dostojanstvu ljudske osobe, nego na principu ugode ili koristi kojim se ostvaruje isključivo simbiotsko-egoistični odnos.Posebno se apostrofira kako je pravo, istinsko prijateljstvo ono koje svoje utemeljenje pronalazi u sličnosti prema kreposti, te se stoga ostvaruje u blagotvornoj sličnosti prema dobroti. Naime, samo dobri mogu dobro željeti onom drugom prijatelju koji je također dobar. Prijateljstvo koje počiva na temeljima dobrote biva više prijateljstvo ukoliko se širi horizont dobrote, prave, istinske, nesebične dobrote, u kojoj se prijatelju želi dobro radi njega samoga, a ne zbog možebitne koristi koju očekujemo od njega. Kritički se propituje Aristotelovo mišljenje da nije potrebno doći samo do kreposti na osobnom planu, nego je potrebno postići i krepost na području zajednice, te je stoga za prijateljstvo od presudne važnosti, kao svojevrstan poligon kreposnog djelovanja, kakvi će odnosi vladati u društvu.Freundschaft begleitet den Menschen von Anfang an, und diese offenbart sich in einer dauerhaften zweifachen Verfügbarkeit: mit jemandem sein und für jemanden da sein. In dem Aufsatz wird Aristoteles’ philosophische Reflektierung der Freundschaft analysiert. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit gilt dabei dreierlei Motivationen, die die Menschen zu verschiedenen Freundschaftsbeziehungen anregen. Die Gründe dieser Beziehungen können Eigennutz, Vergnügen oder auch Tugend sein. Es wird gezeigt, dass die auf Eigennutz basierende Freundschaft keine wahre Freundschaft ist, weil dadurch nicht das Gute der Person verwirklicht, sondern das Gute, das eine Person hat, von einer anderen Person ausgenutzt wird. Eine solche Freundschaft nennt man Reziprozitätsfreundschaft, da man von dem anderen etwas erwartet, statt mit ihm seiner selbst wegen Umgang zu pflegen. Diesem Freundschaftstyp ähnelt die zum Vergnügen geschlossenen Freundschaft. Weder der erste noch der zweite Freundschaftstyp lehnen sich an das wesentliche, auf dem Wert und der Würde des Menschen basierende Prinzip an, sondern an das Prinzip des Eigennutzes bzw. des Vergnügens, womit ausschließlich eine symbiotisch-egoistische Beziehung verwirklicht wird.Besonders betont wird die einzig wahre Freundschaft, die sich auf der Tugend gründet und daher ihren Höhepunkt im Guten erreicht. Nur derjenige, der gut ist, kann gut zu dem anderen sein, der auch gut ist. Die auf dem Guten basierende Freundschaft ist ein erhabener Freundschaftstyp, da sich dabei der Horizont des wahrhaftigen Guten und der Selbstlosigkeit weitet und man dem Freund seiner selbst wegen das Gute gönnt und nicht, weil man von ihm etwaserwartet. Auf kritische Weise wird der Standpunkt Aristoteles’ ausgelegt, dem zufolge Tugend auf dem persönlichen Plan allein nicht ausreicht, sondern auch auf dem Plan des Gemeinwesens angestrebt werden muss. Deshalb hängt von der Freundschaft als einem Ausübungsplatz tugendhaften Handelns ab, wie sich die zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen in der Gesellschaft gestalten. (shrink)

In everyday life, assumptions about our peers' as well as our own personality shape social interactions. We investigated whether self-rated personality and inferences drawn from partners' faces influence economic decisions. Participants (N= 285) played the trust game in the role of the trustor as well as the ultimatum game in the role of the proposer and interacted with trustees and receivers represented by prototypical personality faces. Participants also evaluated both their own traits and the personality of the faces. In the (...) trust game, trustees represented by faces rated higher on agreeableness yielded higher transferred amounts. This effect was more pronounced for trustors low on dispositional trust, whereas trustors high on dispositional trust did not relate their decisions to the faces. Trustees represented by faces rated higher on conscientiousness yielded higher transferred amounts only for trustors high on dispositional anxiety. In the ultimatum game, receivers represented by faces rated higher on conscientiousness yielded lower offers only for proposers high on dispositional assertiveness. These results extend previous findings on the inferences drawn from facial features and the influence of personality on decision making. They highlight the importance of considering the personality of both interaction partner, as well as potential interactions of players' traits. (shrink)

Dieser Band behandelt umfassend und systematisch die Frage des Patientenwillens: die historischen und philosophischen Grundlagen des Willensbegriffs, die Beziehung von Autonomie und Wille und praktische Fragen der Bioethik und des Biorechts. Die Herausgeber: PD Dr. Marko Fuchs lehrt Philosophie an der Universität Bamberg. Dr. Martin Hähnel lehrt Philosophie an der Universität Bremen und ist Koordinator des BMBF-Verbundvorhabens "Verantwortungsvoller Umgang mit Künstlicher Intelligenz in der Medizin" (VUKIM) Dr. Danaë Simmermacher lehrt Philosophie an der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg.

We investigated the influence of social status on behavior in a modified dictator game. Since the DG contains an inherent dominance gradient, we examined the relationship between dictator decisions and recipient status, which was operationalized by three social identities and an artificial intelligence. Additionally, we examined the predictive value of social dominance orientation on the behavior of dictators toward the different social and non-social hierarchical recipients. A multilevel model analysis showed that recipients with the same status as the dictator benefited (...) the most and the artificial intelligence the least. Furthermore, SDO, regardless of social status, predicted behavior toward recipients in such a way that higher dominance was associated with lower dictator offers. In summary, participants treated other persons of higher and lower status equally, those of equal status better and, above all, an algorithm worst. The large proportion of female participants and the limited variance of SDO should be taken into account with regard to the results of individual differences in SDO. (shrink)

Virtual reality enables individuals to be exposed to naturalistic environments in laboratory settings, offering new possibilities for research in human neuroscience and treatment of mental disorders. We used VR to study psychological, autonomic and postural reactions to heights in individuals with varying intensity of fear of heights. Study participants were immersed in a VR of an unprotected open-air elevator platform in an urban area, while standing on an unstable ground. Virtual elevation of the platform elicited robust and reliable psychophysiological activation (...) including increased distress, heart rate, and electrodermal activity, which was higher in individuals suffering from fear of heights. In these individuals, compared with individuals with low fear of heights, the VR height exposure resulted in higher velocity of postural movements as well as decreased low-frequency body sway oscillations. This indicates that individuals with strong fear of heights react to heights with maladaptive rigidity of posture due to increased weight of visual input for balance control, while the visual information is less reliable at heights. Our findings show that exposure to height in a naturalistic VR environment elicits a complex reaction involving correlated changes of the emotional state, autonomic activity, and postural balance, which are exaggerated in individuals with fear of heights. (shrink)

Aristotle was the founder not only of logic but also of modal logic. In the Prior Analytics he developed a complex system of modal syllogistic which, while influential, has been disputed since antiquity--and is today widely regarded as incoherent. Combining analytic rigor with keen sensitivity to historical context, Marko Malink makes clear that the modal syllogistic forms a consistent, integrated system of logic, one that is closely related to other areas of Aristotle's philosophy. Aristotle's modal syllogistic differs significantly from (...) modern modal logic. Malink considers the key to understanding the Aristotelian version to be the notion of predication discussed in the Topics--specifically, its theory of predicables and the ten categories. The predicables introduce a distinction between essential and nonessential predication. In contrast, the categories distinguish between substantial and nonsubstantial predication. Malink builds on these insights in developing a semantics for Aristotle's modal propositions, one that verifies the ancient philosopher's claims of the validity and invalidity of modal inferences. While it acknowledges some limitations of this reconstruction, Aristotle's Modal Syllogistic brims with bold ideas, richly supported by close readings of the Greek texts. (shrink)

In this study, we examine the influence of senior leadership on firms’ corporate social responsibility. We integrate upper echelons research that has investigated either the influence of the CEO or the top management team on CSR. We contend that functional experience complementarity between CEOs and TMTs in formulating and implementing CSR strategy may underlie differentiated strategies in CSR. We find that when CEOs who have predominant experience in output functions are complemented by TMTs with a lower proportion of members who (...) have experience in output functions, there is a pronounced effect on the community, product, and diversity dimensions of CSR. In turn, when output-oriented CEOs are complemented by output-oriented TMTs, we observe an effect on the employee relations dimension of CSR. Interestingly, we find no influence of CEO-TMT complementarity on the environment dimension of CSR. In general, our empirical results support the relevance of the interaction between CEOs and their TMTs in defining their firms’ CSR profile. (shrink)

This article examines the possible roots of the sixth-century astrologer/astronomer, Varāhamihira. Ritual instructions from astrological texts on the yātrā are compared with the preliminary services of the Atharvaveda Śāntikalpa to demonstrate that much of the astrological ritual system can be seen as an adaptation of Atharvan śānti ritual. This analysis illuminates both the possible interchange between Vedic and Jyotiḥśāstric ritual systems and Varāhamihira’s considerable expertise as a ritualist.

Śaiva Rites of Expiation: A First Edition and Translation of Trilocanaśiva’s Twelfth-Century Prāyaścittasamuccaya. Edited and translated by R. Sathyanarayanan, with an introduction by Dominic Goddall. Collection Indologie, vol. 127. Pondicherry: Institut Française de Pondichéry; École Française d’Extrême Orient, 2015. Pp. 651.

Both G.F.W. Hegel and Carl Schmitt took seriously the problem of political sovereignty entailed by liberal political theories. In Dictatorship (1919) and Political Theology (1922), Schmitt rejects liberal political theories that argue for the immediate unity of democracy and legality i.e., popular sovereignty, because he thinks they cannot secure political sovereignty. In the Philosophy of Right, Hegel denounces popular sovereignty for similar reasons. Yet given Schmitt’s negative assessment of Hegel their positions are seldom related to one another. I argue in (...) this paper that Schmitt’s analysis of liberal political theories is similar to Hegel’s analysis of Rousseau’s liberal ideas. I contend, however, that Schmitt’s solution, which collapses the distinction between the executive and the legislative power in favor of the former, fails to secure political sovereignty. Contrary to Schmitt, Hegel conceives of the liberal predicament as a basic determination of any political state that rests on the division of the legislative and executive power. Hegel argues that the constitutional monarchy is a genuine instantiation of political sovereignty that can maintain not only the division of these powers, but also their unity. In this regard, I argue that Hegel’s conception of the division of powers provides a more convincing theory of the problem afflicting modern states than Schmitt’s and at least deserves to be taken more seriously by critics of Schmitt’s solution such as Hannah Arendt, Leo Strauss, Jurgen Habermas, Andreas Kalyvas and Chantal Mouffe. (shrink)

Martin Wrights original ground-breaking and influential analysis of the defects of the adversarial system of justice, plus the arguments in favour of a more ...

[I]f you could know a priori that you are in a given mental state, and your being in that state conceptually or logically implies the existence of external objects, then you could know a priori that the external world exists. Since you obviously _can.

The paper highlights shortcomings in the public consultation practices on the deliberate release and placing on the market of GMOs in the European Union and in one of its member countries, Finland. It is argued that current GMO consultation practices do not meet the aims and objectives on which their introduction is typically justified. Specifically, they do not serve democracy, increase consensus, enable better decisions to be made, or establish trust. We conclude that there is a clear need for the (...) active development of the GMO consultation practices and for a further critical discussion on the ethical and socio-political foundation of public engagement. (shrink)

In this new book, Marko Zlomislić argues that Slavoj Žižek's work does not contain any sort of radical emancipatory project, especially as it passes through the ideology of communism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. The evidence for the failure of communism is vast and includes the more than six hundred mass graves recently located in Žižek's homeland of Slovenia. Zlomislić demonstrates that the way out of the capitalist dilemma is not a repetition of communism but a return to the late medieval (...) notion of haecceity or "individual thisness" that was rejected by modernity. Haecceity, or the indescribable and indefinite here and now of the person, shows that the late medieval Franciscans were already "postmodernists." It is no wonder that the totalitarianism of the modernist Hegel is embraced by thinkers such as Žižek, Badiou, Hardt, Negri, and Laclau and was already rejected by Leibnitz, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Levinas, Deleuze, and Derrida. This important book shows that Žižek's work must be rejected because it does not uphold the dignity, worth, and uniqueness of the person. (shrink)

Attempts to explain behavior genetically face two major problems: the application of the concept of genetic coding and the theoretical possibility of decomposing behavior. This paper argues that using the notion of genetic coding is appropriate in explanations of protein synthesis but inadequate and even misleading in the context of explanations of behavior. Genes should be regarded as disparate components of mechanisms that account for behavior rather than as codes for behavioral phenotypes. Such mechanistic explanations, however, presuppose the possibility of (...) decomposing behavioral phenotypes, which is strongly disputed by researchers holding an interactionist view of behavior. It is argued that these researchers fail to distinguish etiological from constitutive decomposition, and that their objections apply to the former but not to the latter kind. Constitutive decomposition might identify genes as disparate components and open up the possibility of explaining behavior mechanistically by isolating causal paths from genes to behavior. Finally, research on the single gene disorder phenylketonuria is introduced to illustrate and test these views. With respect to this disorder it is demonstrated that applying the concept of genetic coding would be inappropriate and misguiding, while nonetheless the phenotype is decomposable and can be explained mechanistically by singling out a genetic causal path.t is demonstrated that applying the concept of genetic coding would be inappropriate and misguiding, while nonetheless the phenotype is decomposable and can be explained mechanistically by singling out a genetic causal path. (shrink)

Regress arguments have convinced many that reasoning cannot require beliefs about what follows from what. In this paper I argue that this is a mistake. Regress arguments rest on dubious (although deeply entrenched) assumptions about the nature of reasoning — most prominently, the assumption that believing p by reasoning is simply a matter of having a belief in p with the right causal ancestry. I propose an alternative account, according to which beliefs about what follows from what play a constitutive (...) role in reasoning. (shrink)

Three fundamental problems are connected with modern philosophy of subjectivity: first, the irreflexivity and immediacy of self-consciousness, second, the temporality and, third, the being of the finite self. The text will discuss the first problem in an introductory way by a reconstruction of the positions of Henrich and Frank. The second and third problem will be presented by an investigation of the phenomenological approaches of Husserl, Heidegger, and Sartre. It will be argued that none of these approaches are able to (...) solve the problems mentioned above in a satisfying way. Therefore, Henrich’s critical thesis will be discussed that an appropriate philosophical discussion of subjectivity cannot consist in phenomenological inquiry, but has to re-integrate the monist theories of the Classical German Philosophy. This thesis finally will be rejected in favour of a non-monist metaphysics of personal selfhood. (shrink)

We examine topological pairs (\Delta, \Sigma) which have computable type: if X is a computable topological space and f:\Delta \rightarrow X a topological embedding such that f(\Delta) and f(\Sigma) are semicomputable sets in X, then f(\Delta) is a computable set in X. It it known that (D, W) has computable type, where D is the Warsaw disc and W is the Warsaw circle. In this paper we identify a class of topological pairs which are similar to (D, W) and have (...) computable type: we prove that (\Delta, \Sigma) has computable type if \Delta can somehow be approximated by a 2-cell whose boundary circle approximates \Sigma. Moreover, we examine higher-dimensional analogues of such pairs. (shrink)

: One of the outcomes from low self-confidence of basketball is aggressive behavior. Helpless feeling caused by low self-confidence could turn an athlete using aggressive behavior as alternate behavior in the interaction with the opponent during a game. The level of the aggression can be seen in the injury rate in that particular sport. This research objective is to find out the relation between self-confidence and the appearance of the aggressive behavior in basketball player. It involves 64 athletes in West (...) Jakarta between 17 to 28 years old. Data that was measured by questionnaires has shown there is a negative association between self-confidence and aggressive behavior in basketball athlete.  . (shrink)

Immersive virtual environments can produce a state of behaviour referred to as ‘presence’, during which the individual responds to the virtual environment as if it were real. Presence can be arranged to scientifically evaluate and affect our consciousness within a controlled virtual environment. This phenomenon makes the use of virtual environments amenable to existing and in-development forms of therapy for various conditions. Delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) is one such condition for which virtual reality (VR) technology has not (...) been evaluated to date. We are currently assessing the feasibility and utility of a delirium prevention and treatment system, which implements VR to improve quality of sleep, reduce pain, lower usage of sedatives, and stimulate cognition. The proposed system will consist of 3-axis wearable accelerometers, 6-DOF position trackers, a VR system and apps designed to promote sleep quality and mindfulness. Our a priori hypothesis is that our VR therapy system would lower the occurrence of delirium in patients admitted to ICUs. (shrink)

Heidegger in America explores the surprising legacy of his life and thought in the United States of America. As a critic of modern life, Heidegger often lamented the growing global influence of all things American. However, it was precisely in America where his thought inspired the work of generations of thinkers – not only philosophers but also theologians, architects, novelists, and even pundits. As a result, the reception and dissemination of Heidegger's philosophical writings transformed the intellectual and cultural history of (...) the United States at a time when American influence was itself transforming the world. A case study in the complex and sometimes contradictory process of transnational exchange, Heidegger in America recasts the scope and methods of contemporary intellectual and cultural history in the age of globalization, challenging what we think we know about Heidegger and American ideas simultaneously. (shrink)

We prove, by a probabilistic argument, that a class of ω-categorical structures, on which algebraic closure defines a pregeometry, has the finite submodel property. This class includes any expansion of a pure set or of a vector space, projective space or affine space over a finite field such that the new relations are sufficiently independent of each other and over the original structure. In particular, the random graph belongs to this class, since it is a sufficiently independent expansion of an (...) infinite set, with no structure. The class also contains structures for which the pregeometry given by algebraic closure is non-trivial. (shrink)

Recently it has been argued that certain neuropsychological findings on the decision-making, instrumental learning, and moral understanding in psychopathic offenders offer reasons to consider them not criminally responsible, due to certain epistemic and volitional impairments. We reply to this family of arguments, that collectively we call the irresponsibility of the psychopath argument. This type of argument has a premise that describes or prescribes the deficiencies that grant or should grant partial or complete criminal exculpation. The other premise contends that neuropsychological (...) evidence shows that psychopaths have incapacitates that are sufficient to ascribe complete or partially exculpatory deficiencies. The focus of our criticism is this latter premise. We argue that it requires that psychopathy should correlate significantly with certain rational incapacities that manifest across contexts. We show that the available neuropsychological data do not support the claim that psychopaths have such general exculpatory incapacities. (shrink)

This paper deals with the problem of the subject in Bachelard?s concept of surrationalism. Focusing on the epistemological character of surrational creativity, the issue of the subject is approached through the analysis of the relationship between subjectivity and objectivity in the surrational act. Comparing the character of novelty in surrealism and surrationalism, the paper introduces Bachelard?s distinction between formal and material imagination, with the latter further discussed through the prepositions?against? [contre] and?in? [dans]. Bachelard?s theory of the internal dialectic - the (...) theory of subdivision of the subject - is analyzed through his concept of reverie. The last chapter deals with the dialectic between the apodictic and the assertoric subject, aiming to reconsider the idea of interiority and repose. (shrink)

The issue whether psychopathic offenders are practically rational has attracted philosophical attention. The problem is relevant in theoretical discussions on moral psychology and in those concerning the appropriate social response to the crimes of these individuals. We argue that classical and current experiments concerning the instrumental learning in psychopaths cannot directly support the conclusion that they have impaired instrumental rationality, construed as the ability for transferring the motivation by means-ends reasoning. In fact, we defend the different claim that these experiments (...) appear to show that psychopaths in certain circumstances are not aware of the relevant means for their ends. Moreover, we suggest how further empirical research could help to settle the issue. (shrink)

The concept of the ‘infodemic’ has become a popular explanation for the rejection of anti-COVID-19 crisis governance measures. In this paper, we argue that infodemic is an inherent property of society under free institutions misused to pursue an epistemically vicious political epistemology. Furthermore, we provide an alternative account of political epistemology of COVID-19 governance and popular resistance to it. Namely, we argue that 1) pandemics represent a complex problem, and some level of resistance to governance which restricts liberties while informed (...) by ongoing scientific and political learning processes is inevitable, and 2) the resistance is exacerbated by the history of technocratization of governance and the exclusionary socio-economic inequalities which condition political and epistemic deficiencies easily exploitable by the political entrepreneurs of right-wing populism, particularly under the conditions of social media which gamifies public discourse. Thus, we argue, the correct response to the cultures of rejection of anti-COVID-19 measures is to change the underlying political and economic conditions and not to limit speech or restrict franchise as the infodemic diagnosis suggests. (shrink)