The division between the natural and the artificial is itself artificial. But we continue to yearn for a 'homecoming' to our natural state – which means, to the identity with our environment which was the condition of the hunter-gatherer. Totemism is the thought-process whereby the prey can be simultaneously consecrated as a species, and pursued to the death as an individual. This thought-process has an evident ecological function. The morality of hunting resides in the maintenance of this dual attitude. An (...) anthropological explanation is offered of the perceived rituals of hunting, and of 'guiltless killing'. (shrink)

El modelo de desarrollo de “crecimiento con equidad” planteado por la Concertación, tras 18 años de gobierno muestra sus primeras señales de agotamiento. Los éxitos alcanzados en materia económica, de política fiscal y transición política tras la dictadura militar, no han conducido a la equidad. A través de un análisis crítico de los datos político-económicos y sociales disponibles, la autora plantea que los fantasmas del subdesarrollo: estructura productiva basada en productos primarios, mala calidad de la educación, injusta distribución de ingresos (...) y baja inversión en ciencia y tecnología merodean a Chile amenazando con quedarse. Chile cuenta con una extraordinaria situación patrimonial a raíz de las millonarias ganancias obtenidas de las ventas del cobre, pero choca con una clase política temerosa de tomar decisiones de cambio estructural al modelo político y renuente a emprender las necesarias reformas económicas para pasar a la segunda etapa del desarrollo con mayor valor agregado. (shrink)

The impulse to philosophy is often provided by leprechauns, mischievous little sprites who lurk at the end of fine chains of reasoning and make trouble. They delight in absurdity and paradox, and are especially happy to help ambitious thinkers dig their own graves. Philosophers spend much of their lives trying to put a stop to leprechauns or fencing them out with the aid of reason. But in truth the relationship is symbiotic. If a realm of thought can be made fully (...) coherent, there is no work for philosophers to do in it. Science is the obvious case but the remark applies, paradoxically, to philosophy itself. A philosopher who solved all the problems of philosophy would be about as popular as a huntsman who shot the fox or a theologian who proved the existence of God. Luckily there is no serious risk. At least on the view of philosophy to be taken here, there will always be leprechauns to keep us busy. (shrink)