O terceiro-instruído: Ontofenomenologia e educação em Michel Serres Resumo: O terceiro-instruído: Ontofenomenologia e educação em Michel Serres é um estudo que visa compreender a relevância do pensamento ontofenomênico, epistemológico e educacional de Michel Serres para a implementação dessas categorias filosóficas: contrato natural e terceira-instrução. Nesse sentido, a importância da educação, comparada com a ontofenomenologia e a epistemologia, tornar-se-á maior e mais importante.Palavras-chave: Ontofenomenologia; Epistemologia; Educação; Michel Serres. The third-instructed: Ontophenomenology and education in Michel Serres: The third-instructed: Ontophenomenology and education in (...) Michel Serres is a study which focus on understanding the relevance of ontophenomenal, epistemological and educational Serres’s thought for the implementation of these philosophical categories: natural contract and third-instruction. Therefore, the materiality of education comparing to ontophenomenology and epistemology will become greater and principal.Keywords: Ontophenomenology; Epistemology; Education; Michel Serres. Le tiers-instruit: Ontophénoménologie et éducation à Michel Serres Resumé: Le tiers-instruit: Ontophénoménologie et éducation à Michel Serres est une étude qui vise à comprendre la pertinence de la pensée ontophénoménal, épistémologique et éducatif de l’auteur pour accomplir ces catégories philosophiques: contrat naturel et tierce-instruction. Donc, par rapport à ontophénoménologie et à épistémologie, l’importance de l´éducation deviendra plus grand et plus importante.Mots-clés: Ontophénoménologie; Épistémologie; Éducation; Michel Serres.Data de registro: 06/10/2020Data de aceite: 25/11/2020. (shrink)

A fenomenologia nasceu como teoria do conhecimento. Kant, antes mesmo de Husserl, foi o primeiro a encampar o uso do termo “fenômeno” em suas investigações acerca dos limites e possibilidades do conhecimento. Das reflexões kantianas acerca do dualismo entre fenômeno e noumenon, nasceu sua teoria do conhecimento, posteriormente classificada de criticismo. Assim, é no campo da gnosiologia que o termo fenômeno debuta na cena filosófica. A apropriação do termo fenômeno por Husserl se deu em seu profícuo projeto filosófico de resolução (...) da querela entre racionalistas e empiristas, bem como do enfrentamento da problemática das diferenças, limites e possibilidades do conhecimento científico e do conhecimento psicológico de um objeto, este tema de muito maior complexidade e fôlego filosófico. Em outras palavras, o enfrentamento do intrincado dualismo entre coisa real e coisa psicológica, o conhecimento do objeto real e o conhecimento psicológico do objeto. Dessas questões nasceu a proposta de Husserl de um método fenomenológico que asseguraria meios de superar essa traiçoeira armadilha que levaram muitas teorias do conhecimento a misturar o objeto real e o objeto psicológico. A fenomenologia deixou um legado de grande monta para as pesquisas na área da educação. A literatura é vasta, profícua e sedimentada no uso do método fenomenológico na interpretação de dados colhidos em pesquisas qualitativas. Aqui, o uso dos conceitos fenomenológicos na metodologia de pesquisa permite ao pesquisador apropriar-se do objeto investigado naquilo que ele tem de específico, bem como aferir as particularidades e movimentos típicos de um objeto de pesquisa que é vivo e pulsante como a educação. Além disso, também é sedimentada a contribuição da fenomenologia para a Psicologia. Ora, as reflexões inaugurares de Husserl se debruçaram sobre o tema da consciência, em específico, da consciência posicional – aquela que se lança sobre o mundo e se debruça sobre algo visado. Assim, há que se considerar Husserl um psicólogo e, por decorrência, que a Psicologia, há de se considerar também, possuir pés fincados na fenomenologia. Não obstante isso, fenomenologia ainda é um campo aberto para outros temas afetos à educação. Refiro-me, em particular, as contribuições da fenomenologia para as reflexões em torno de uma antropologia existencial e de uma ética existencial. Refletir sobre o que o homem é, enquanto ser vivido em meio ao mundo, e que este homem é único, com um êthos singular, são campos de investigações fundamentais para a educação. De fato, aferir que a criança tem uma historicidade própria e irrepetível, que ela é uma singularidade em meio ao mundo e, por fim, que o mundo da vida é o universo em que ela se apresenta enquanto pessoa, permitem entender os processos educativos desde um lugar não homogêneo, mas singular e diverso. Ao contrário disso, partir do entendimento de que a criança possui características iguais ou similares entre si e que a aprendizagem segue um padrão de desenvolvimento, são armadilhas típicas que as pesquisas na área da educação se tornam reféns, para não dizer multiplicadoras. Os tão decantados bordões típicos da área da Educação, tais como: “cada criança aprende de um jeito”, “cada criança se desenvolve de forma particular”, “cada criança vem para a escola com um universo cultural próprio”, encontram na fenomenologia aspectos conceituais que permitem uma leitura e interpretação profícuas acerca dessas máximas. Se “[...] a educação tem haver com o nascimento, com o fato de que constantemente nascem seres humanos no mundo”[1], então é sobre a antropologia e a ética da existência que a educação encontra um campo dialógico importante, mas ainda incipiente e em aberto. De fato, são poucas as investigações no campo da educação fundamentadas numa antropologia existencial - aquela que concebe o humano enquanto singularidade -, e numa ética da existência – aquela que concebe modos de vida singulares. Se cada ser que nasce é único e é esse ser que torna possível a educação, então uma antropologia existencial e uma ética da existência emergem como teorias afetas à educação. É, enfim, nesse campo, profícuo e em aberto, que este dossiê propõe apresentar contribuições para as pesquisas na área da educação e da fenomenologia. [...] [1] ARENDT, Hannah. A crise na educação. In: Entre o passado e o futuro. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 1972, p. 223. (shrink)

A reflexão ética em Nietzsche possui diversos objetivos: a dissecação psicológica das contradições da moralidade de rebanho ; a fidelidade ao que cada um tem de singular ; o antagonismo entre “senhores” e “escravos” ; a afirmação incondicional do eterno retorno ; o imperativo de autossuperação trágica. A problematização foucaultiana da conduta individual, por sua vez, abrange a cultura greco-romana no intuito de formular as bases do que seria uma “vida bela”. Essa postura tem por objetivo circunscrever todo um (...) conjunto de “tecnologias de si” que permitam a invenção de modalidades inovadoras de governo de si e dos outros na modernidade. Apesar da especificidade do projeto filosófico de cada um, os dois autores possuem, como denominador comum, o imperativo de promover uma existência artística. (shrink)

The received view in philosophical studies of quantum field theory is that Feynman diagrams are simply calculational devices. Alongside this view we have the one that takes virtual quanta to be also simply formal tools. This received view was developed and consolidated in philosophy of physics by Mario Bunge, Paul Teller, Michael Redhead, Robert Weingard, Brigitte Falkenburg, and others. In this article I present an alternative to the received view.

Universal basic income proposes providing instalments of constant magnitude to all. One problem with a stable basic income across life is that it seems unfair to shorter-lived persons, who are worst-off due to premature death and receive less over their whole lives. Basic capital solves this problem by providing a one-off grant to the young, but I argue that it mistreats long-lived persons, as it does not guarantee their real freedom across life. There is a dilemma between these proposals regarding (...) their respective unfairness to the short- and long-lived. The solution I propose is a net basic income of decreasing magnitude until a specific age, after which the income is constant. This solution is compatible with constant income benefits across life, and it offers a fair answer to the problem of unequal longevity, a widely neglected but essential challenge in debates about basic income. (shrink)

In this paper I intend to consider the various inflexions through which passes the Nietzschean concept of genealogy in Michel Foucault’s work throughout the 1970s and 1980s. I wish to point out that the genealogical procedure is modified according to the addressed subject, i.e. it does not share the same theoretical and methodological assumptions when it is focusing the rejection of the metaphysical notion of an essential origin; the relationship of reciprocity between Knowledge and Power; the project of transforming human (...) life into a sort of work of art and, finally, the developing of an idea of truth divorced from logical, epistemological or ontological parameters. (shrink)

In this paper, it is presented a historical account of the formulation of the quantum relativistic wave equation of an electron – the Dirac equation, issues regarding its interpretation that arose from the very beginning, and the later formulation of this equation in relation to a quantized electron-positron field, which implies a new interpretation. The way in which solutions obtained under each interpretation of the equation relate to one another is also considered for the simple case of hydrogen-like problems.

With special relativity, we seem to be facing a conundrum. It is a very well-tested theory; in this way, the Minkowski spacetime must be “capturing” essential features of space and time. However, its geometry seems to be incompatible with any sort of global notion of time. We might only have local notions of now (present moment) and time flow, at best. In this note, we will explore the possibility that a pretty much global notion of now (and time flow) might (...) be hiding in plain sight in the geometry of the Minkowski spacetime. (shrink)

Of all the risks we face in life, ranging from unemployment to old age, early death is among the most tragic and yet most neglected by modern states. Liberal egalitarians might find it easy to dismiss social insurance against early death, but I argue they should not. Early in this paper, I explain why social insurance should include the risk of premature death by replying to four common criticisms. What follows is a case for a novel form of insurance that (...) is more liberal and egalitarian across ages than the status quo. More specifically, I show that granting storable pensions in all life stages - youth, middle and old age - promotes liberty and reduces lifetime inequality. Writers on age group and longevity justice often overlook the extent to which liberal lifetime equality can supply insightful arguments against inequality across ages. These call for a policy that gives each age group the freedom to draw a storable pension. I call that policy "freetirement". (shrink)

We present an approach in which ancient Greek mathematical proofs by Hippocrates of Chios and Euclid are addressed as a form of (guided) intentional reasoning. Schematically, in a proof, we start with a sentence that works as a premise; this sentence is followed by another, the conclusion of what we might take to be an inferential step. That goes on until the last conclusion is reached. Guided by the text, we go through small inferential steps; in each one, we go (...) through an autonomous reasoning process linking the premise to the conclusion. The reasoning process is accompanied by a metareasoning process. Metareasoning gives rise to a feeling-knowing of correctness. In each step/cycle of the proof, we have a feeling-knowing of correctness. Overall, we reach a feeling of correctness for the whole proof. We suggest that this approach allows us to address the issues of how a proof functions, for us, as an enabler to ascertain the correctness of its argument and how we ascertain this correctness. (shrink)

When modeling informal proofs like that of Euclid’s Elements using a sound logical system, we go from proofs seen as somewhat unrigorous – even having gaps to be filled – to rigorous proofs. However, metalogic grounds the soundness of our logical system, and proofs in metalogic are not like formal proofs and look suspiciously like the informal proofs. This brings about what I am calling here the groundedness problem: how can we decide with certainty that our metalogical proofs are rigorous (...) and sustain our logical system? In this paper, I will expose this problem. I will not try to solve it here. (shrink)

Quantum electrodynamics presents intrinsic limitations in the description of physical processes that make it impossible to recover from it the type of description we have in classical electrodynamics. Hence one cannot consider classical electrodynamics as reducing to quantum electrodynamics and being recovered from it by some sort of limiting procedure. Quantum electrodynamics has to be seen not as a more fundamental theory, but as an upgrade of classical electrodynamics, which permits an extension of classical theory to the description of phenomena (...) that, while being related to the conceptual framework of the classical theory, cannot be addressed from the classical theory. (shrink)

This article investigates the nature of entangled correlations in algebraic quantum field theory (AQFT). We define a notion of local disentanglement, expressing the possibility of destroying entanglement by means of local operations. Contrary to the case of ordinary quantum mechanics, local disentanglement cannot be achieved in general in relativistic quantum field theory. However, we show that if the split property holds, there exists a local operation that can destroy entanglement between spacelike-separated quantum field systems.

This paper develops a philosophical investigation of the merits and faults of a theorem by Lanford , Lanford , Lanford for the problem of the approach towards equilibrium in statistical mechanics. Lanford’s result shows that, under precise initial conditions, the Boltzmann equation can be rigorously derived from the Hamiltonian equations of motion for a hard spheres gas in the Boltzmann-Grad limit, thereby proving the existence of a unique solution of the Boltzmann equation, at least for a very short amount of (...) time. We argue that, by establishing a statistical H-theorem, it offers a prospect to complete Boltzmann’s combinatorial argument, without running against the objections which plug other typicality-based approaches. However, we submit that, while recovering the irreversible approach towards equilibrium for positive times, it fails to predict a monotonic increase of entropy for negative times, and hence it yields the wrong retrodictions about the past evolution of a gas. (shrink)

O conceito de Ontologia apresenta vários contornos no universo filosófico, seja na tradição analítica ou continental, mas quando entramos nas Ciências Sociais ele é reduzido basicamente a uma abordagem fenomenológica. Esse artigo tem por objetivo compreender esse traço fenomenológico nas Ciências Sociais, além de apontar para outros caminhos no horizonte, principalmente usando a Ontologia Orientada ao Objeto de Graham Harman, assim como outros autores dessa tradição contemporânea. Embora famosa no campo filosófico, ela ainda é muito desconhecida na Teoria Social, o (...) que abre um espaço novo de debates, questionamentos e muitas novas articulações. (shrink)

O estudo avaliou a influência da raiva e da expressão de empatia no casamento sobre a satisfação conjugal. Participaram da pesquisa 120 pessoas casadas, com idades de 25 a 76 anos. Para avaliação foram utilizados três instrumentos de autoinforme: Questionário de Empatia Conjugal; Escala de Satisfaçã.

As referências a Nietzsche proliferam de tal forma ao longo dos quase trinta anos de produçáo teórica de Foucault que fica evidente o forte elo que há entre ambos. Além disso, um exame atento das análises foucaultianas sobre a emergência de um saber sobre o indivíduo na modernidade revela que existem, do ponto de vista programático, afinidades consistentes. No entanto, deixar de levar em conta eventuais dissonâncias ou mesmo antagonismos resulta, ao mesmo tempo, numa abordagem superficial e incompleta. É justamente (...) o que se buscará evitar neste ensaio. Palavras-chave : Afinidades, Arqueologia, Dissonâncias, Genealogia. (shrink)

A Psicologia Comunitária pode ser defi nida como uma área da Psicologia Social da Libertação (Góis, 2005), voltada para a compreensão da atividade comunitária como atividade social significativa e consciente e para a compreensão dos seus reflexos nas dimensões objetivas e subjetivas. O presente arti..

A re-evaluation of the notion of vacuum in quantum electrodynamics is presented, focusing on the vacuum of the quantized electromagnetic field. In contrast to the ‘nothingness’ associated to the idea of classical vacuum, subtle aspects are found in relation to the vacuum of the quantized electromagnetic field both at theoretical and experimental levels. These are not the usually called vacuum effects. The view defended here is that the so-called vacuum effects are not due to the ground state of the quantized (...) electromagnetic field. Nevertheless it is possible to maintain an empirically demonstrable notion of vacuum state that is consistent with the interpretation of the formalism of the theory. (shrink)

This paper discusses a claim by Clifton and Halvorson (2001) that, contrary to non-relativistic quantum mechanics, local operations can never destroy entanglement in relativistic quantum field theory. The impossibility of achieving local disentanglement would raise a threat for the mutual independence between microscopic subsystems. Here, we observe that Clifton and Halvorson no-go result rests on an unnecessarily strong notion of local operations, which we label absolutely local operations, and we argue that a weaker notion, namely that of relatively local operations, (...) is sufficient to guarantee that acting on one subsystem does not have non-local effects on another spacelike separated subsystem. We then show that one can achieve local disentanglement in relativistic quantum field theory by means of relatively local operations. In fact, we prove that, under the split property, there exists a class of disentangling relatively local operations. (shrink)

The article investigates how the problem of (linguistic) reference is treated in Gilbert of Poitiers' Commentaries on Boethius' Opuscula sacra. In this text the terms supponere, suppositus,-a,-um , and suppositio mainly concern the act of a speaker (or of the author of a written text) that consists of referring—by choosing a name as subject term in a proposition—to one or more subsistent things as what the speech act (or the written text) is about. Supposition is for Gilbert an action performed (...) by a speaker, not a property of terms, and his `contextual approach' has a pragmatic touch: “we do not predicate in order to supposit as much as we supposit in order to predicate“. Language is considered by Gilbert as a system for communication between human beings, key notions are the `sense in the author's mind' ( sensus mentis eius qui loquitur ) and the `interpreter's understanding' ( intelligentia lectoris ). The phenomenon of `disciplinal' discourse (“man is a species of individuals“) is treated by means of these hermeneutic notions and not by means of a special kind of supposition. (shrink)

Many people think that the capacity for criticism and reflection, as well as the attitude of welcoming contingency, the other, and debate, is some internal and well-intentioned energy of open-minded people, as advocated by liberals, whether from the right or the left. What they don’t realize is how much the capacity for reflection and dialogue is an external phenomenon, present in the world itself, produced only thanks to a space of resistances, encounters, and even frustrations, as in the academic and (...) scientific sphere. It prevents my cogito and my precious epistemic schemes from getting out of control, in a dangerous transcendentalist delirium, and taking over the world and the circumstances themselves. The aim of this essay is precisely to understand this aesthetic dimension of science, this ontological feature that crosses its contours, taking as a starting point the concepts of “importance” in Whitehead and “matters of concern” in Bruno Latour. (shrink)

The cognitive basis of geometry is still poorly understood, even the ‘simpler’ issue of what kind of representation of geometric objects we have. In this work, we set forward a tentative model of the neural representation of geometric objects for the case of the pure geometry of Euclid. To arrive at a coherent model, we found it necessary to consider earlier forms of geometry. We start by developing models of the neural representation of the geometric figures of ancient Greek practical (...) geometry. Then, we propose a related model for the earliest form of pure geometry – that of Hippocrates of Chios. Finally, we develop the model of the neural representation of the geometric objects of Euclidean geometry. The models are based on the hub-and-spoke theory. In our view, the existence of specific models opens the possibility of addressing the relationship between geometric figures and geometric objects, in a novel way, in terms of their neural representation. (shrink)

The motive for late eighteenth-century proto-technics of photography and cinema was never quite mimetic representation: it was generating autonomous impressions of natural phenomena within the tradition ofNaturphilosophie. The article analyses a series of connections between ‘natural hieroglyphs’ (von Lichtenberg), Jacques-Alexandre-César Charles’s ‘megascope’, Wedgwood’s pre-photography, Lavater’s silhouettes and antecedents of Marey’s ‘graphic method’. The goal is to document precursor ideas, devices, setups and frameworks of photoimaging medias to show that the genealogy of photography and cinema intersected through many polymath transverses within (...) the ambit of natural philosophy (and the context of slavery). (shrink)

in this paper we return to Marshall Clagett’s view about the existence of an ancient Greek geometry of motion. It can be read in two ways. As a basic presentation of ancient Greek geometry of motion, followed by some aspects of its further development in landmark works by Galileo and Newton. Conversely, it can be read as a basic presentation of aspects of Galileo’s and Newton’s mathematics that can be considered as developments of a geometry of motion that was first (...) conceived by ancient Greek mathematicians. (shrink)

The purpose of this work is to address the relation existing between ancient Greek practical geometry and ancient Greek pure geometry. In the first part of the work, we will consider practical and pure geometry and how pure geometry can be seen, in some respects, as arising from an idealization of practical geometry. From an analysis of relevant extant texts, we will make explicit the idealizations at play in pure geometry in relation to practical geometry, some of which are basically (...) explicit in definitions, like that of segments in Euclid’s Elements. Then, we will address how in pure geometry we, so to speak, “refer back” to practical geometry. This occurs in two ways. One, in the propositions of pure geometry. The other, when applying pure geometry. In this case, geometrical objects can represent practical figures like, e.g., a practical segment. (shrink)

In an article published in 2003, Klaus Jacobi—using texts partially edited in De Rijk's _Logica Modernorum_—demonstrated that twelfth-century logic contains a tradition of reflecting about some of the transcendental names. In addition to reinforcing Jacobi's thesis with other texts, this contribution aims to demonstrate two points: 1) That twelfth-century logical reflection about transcendental terms has its origin in the _logica vetus_, and especially in a passage from Porphyry _Isagoge_ and in Boethius's commentary on it. In spite of the loss of (...) the major part of the Aristotelian corpus, the twelfth-century masters in logic still received some Aristotelian theses concerning the notions of one and being via Porphyry and Boethius; on the basis of such theses, they were able to elaborate a sort of proto-theory of the transcendentals as trans-categorical terms. 2) That this theory is centred on the idea that there exists a particular group of names which have the property that they can be said of everything; this group includes "being", "one", "thing" and "something". Twelfth-century masters in logic try to question the thesis that these terms are equivocal, although they do not deny it completely. (shrink)

This paper discusses an argument by Norton to the effect that reversible processes in thermodynamics have paradoxical character, due to the infinite-time limit. For Norton, one can “dispel the fog of paradox” by adopting a distinction between idealizations and approximations, which he himself puts forward. Accordingly, reversible processes ought to be regarded as approximations, rather than idealizations. Here, we critically assess his proposal. In doing so, we offer a resolution of his alleged paradox based on the original work by Tatiana (...) Ehrenfest-Afanassjeva on the foundations of thermodynamics. (shrink)

Keď sa ľudia nachádzajú medzi inými, správajú sa viac prosociálne, morálne a štedro. Čo však môže ovplyvniť ich správanie v momente, keď sú sami? Aby sa správali ako medzi inými? Jedna z možností môže byť vyvolať pocit, že sa niekto pozerá. Tento účel môže splniť aj obyčajné zrkadlo. Naše výskumy podporujú vplyv zrkadla na dodržiavanie pravidla na súboroch dospelých a detí. V obidvoch experimentoch prítomnosť zrkadla zvyšovala šancu na dodržiavanie stanoveného pravidla. Ako však niečo tak jednoduché ako zrkadlo môže ovplyvniť (...) správanie? Jeden z prístupov tvrdí, že vizuálny stimul spustí automatickú percepciu „niekto sa pozerá“, aj napriek tomu, že je to iba odraz v zrkadle. Ďalší možný prístup vychádza z predpokladu, že na seba upriamená pozornosť vyvoláva sebauvedomovanie, pričom sa zviditeľňuje prípadný rozpor medzi konaním a štandardom. Porušenie pravidla v takom momente by mohlo ohroziť sebaúctu. V treťom prístupe autori vychádzajú z princípu negatívnej spätnej väzby. Nakoniec by sme radi spomenuli naše experimenty a navrhli ďalšie možnosti skúmania v tejto oblasti. (shrink)

Keď sa ľudia nachádzajú medzi inými, správajú sa viac prosociálne, morálne a štedro. Čo však môže ovplyvniť ich správanie v momente, keď sú sami? Aby sa správali ako medzi inými? Jedna z možností môže byť vyvolať pocit, že sa niekto pozerá. Tento účel môže splniť aj obyčajné zrkadlo. Naše výskumy podporujú vplyv zrkadla na dodržiavanie pravidla na súboroch dospelých a detí. V obidvoch experimentoch prítomnosť zrkadla zvyšovala šancu na dodržiavanie stanoveného pravidla. Ako však niečo tak jednoduché ako zrkadlo môže ovplyvniť (...) správanie? Jeden z prístupov tvrdí, že vizuálny stimul spustí automatickú percepciu „niekto sa pozerá“, aj napriek tomu, že je to iba odraz v zrkadle. Ďalší možný prístup vychádza z predpokladu, že na seba upriamená pozornosť vyvoláva sebauvedomovanie, pričom sa zviditeľňuje prípadný rozpor medzi konaním a štandardom. Porušenie pravidla v takom momente by mohlo ohroziť sebaúctu. V treťom prístupe autori vychádzajú z princípu negatívnej spätnej väzby. Nakoniec by sme radi spomenuli naše experimenty a navrhli ďalšie možnosti skúmania v tejto oblasti. (shrink)

This essay aims to explore the impact of Object-Oriented Ontology (O.O.O) within the realm of pedagogy, critically examining its departure from humanistic and traditional paradigms. Simultaneously, it presents an alternative perspective on education that decenters the human as an inevitable ground. In a contrasting move, attention is directed towards Bruno Latour and Graham Harman, elucidating key facets of their ideas. This shift also signifies a departure from the conventional realm of “critical pedagogy”, as championed by Brazilian pedagogue Paulo Freire. However, (...) it is crucial to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions and significance of Freire’s work. This essay adopts a left-wing stance, with no intention of launching moral attacks on Paulo Freire, as is sometimes witnessed when reactionaries and conservatives enter the academic arena. Criticisms within these pages focus on the content of Freire’s writings, tracing the trajectory from his seminal work, “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, published in 1968, to his final piece, “Pedagogy of Autonomy” written in 1996. The aim is not to exhaust all arguments put forth by Freire but to engage with select ideas, since his oeuvre is extremely complex and full of different layers. It is essential to clarify that the critique presented here does not target the character of Paulo Freire but rather delves into some of the theoretical references behind the scenes, particularly the anthropocentrism associated with his ideas. Consequently, this essay emerges as an interdisciplinary endeavor, a conjunction between philosophy and social theory. What doors will this discussion open? What new field of possibilities awaits us? I invite you to dive into this debate, exploring the potential for an Object-Oriented Pedagogy (O.O.P) on the horizon. (shrink)

While Einstein considered that sub specie astern the correct philosophical position regarding geometry was that of the conventionality of geometry, he felt that provisionally it was necessary to adopt a non-conventional stance that he called practical geometry. here we will make the case that even when adopting Einstein’s views we must conclude that practical geometry is conventional after all. Einstein missed the fact that the conventionality of simultaneity leads to a conventional element in the chrono-geometry, since it corresponds to the (...) possibility of different space-time metrics. (shrink)

We advance a theory of the representational role of Euclidean diagrams according to which they are samples of co-exact features. We contrast our theory with two other conceptions, the instantial conception and Macbeth’s iconic view, with respect to how well they accommodate three fundamental constraints on theories of the Euclidean diagrammatic practice— that Euclidean diagrams are used in proofs whose results are wholly general, that Euclidean diagrams indicate the co-exact features that the geometer is allowed to infer from them and (...) that Euclidean diagrams play the same role in both direct proofs and indirect proofs by reductio—and argue that our view is the one best suited to account for them. We conclude by illustrating the virtues of our conception of Euclidean diagrams as samples by means of an analysis of Saccheri’s quadrilateral. (shrink)

It has been argued in relation to Old Babylonian mathematical procedure texts that their validity or correctness is self-evident. One “sees” that the procedure is correct without it having, or being accompanied by, any explicit arguments for the correctness of the procedure. Even when agreeing with this view, one might still ask about how is the correctness of a procedure articulated? In this work, we present an articulation of the correctness of ancient Egyptian and Old Babylonian mathematical procedure texts – (...) mathematical texts presenting the solution of problems. We endeavor to make explicit and explain how and why the procedures are reliable over and above the fact that their correctness is intuitive. (shrink)

A perverted space-time geodesy results from the idea of variable rods and clocks, whose length and rates are taken to be affected by the gravitational field. By contrast, what we might call a concrete geodesy relies on the idea of invariable unit-measuring rods and clocks. Indeed, this is a basic assumption of general relativity. Variable rods and clocks lead to a perverted geodesy, in the sense that a curved space-time may be seen as a result of a departure from the (...) Minkowskian space-time as an effect of the gravitational field on the rate of clocks and the length of rods. In the case of a concrete geodesy, we have a curved space-time “directly”, the curvature of which can be determined using (invariable) unit-measuring rods and clocks. In this paper, we will make the case for the plausibility of the claim that Einstein’s views on geometry in relation to general relativity are permeated by a perverted geodesy. (shrink)