This paper (written in Italian) wants to show how Descartes and Damasio, using two different star... more This paper (written in Italian) wants to show how Descartes and Damasio, using two different starting points, reach two opposite results. This is the reason why Damasio can talk about a "Descartes' error".
By suggesting two complementary lines of reasoning, this paper (written in Italian) argues agains... more By suggesting two complementary lines of reasoning, this paper (written in Italian) argues against torture and its legalization. The first argument is focused on incompatibility of torture with penal guarantees and with the publicity of procedures and trials. The second is focused on the utilitarian dilemma of the Ticking Bomb and it shows that consequentialism, when it feeds moral legitimization from political consequences, can be rebutted because of a factual and a hypothetical error.
E. Balsemão Pires, J. Braga (eds), Bernard de Mandeville’s Tropology of Paradoxes: Morals, Politics, Economics, and Therapy, 2015
In this essay, I would show how Mandeville’s literary experimentalism seems to be the consequence... more In this essay, I would show how Mandeville’s literary experimentalism seems to be the consequence of an epistemological aim: the objectification of the case study. Taking seriously Mandeville’s statements about the “Reader’s Diversion” in a “Good Humor’d manner”, it is possible to see an explicit aim with an explicit method, which brings to the estrangement from the object analysed. Here came out a particular outline of empiricism that, besides essays and treatises, uses also fables and dialogues to explain Human Nature and its expressions in society. Specifically fables and burlesque poems are genres used for the estrangement and the objectification of their literary subjects. At the same time, Mandeville achieves similar effects in dialogues through the play of point of view. Why ‘Humorism a posteriori’? First of all, because good humour, diversion and amusement are the result of Mandeville’s stylistic choices; secondly, because Humorism is the effect of figures of speech and literary genres. In this perspective, Humorism can be considered an experimental method adopted for the empirical description of Human Nature.
This essay (written in Italian) wants to enquiry the relation between mind (or soul) and body in ... more This essay (written in Italian) wants to enquiry the relation between mind (or soul) and body in Descartes’ physiological description of man. If neurosciences open new descriptions and possibilities, and together with these opportunities, disclose new horizons in knowledge and practice, they put forward questions and problem to be solved. The first one is the connection/relation between mind and body. Here I would like to show how this connection/relation of soul (not only mind) and body, during the Modern era, finds in Descartes’ thought a model and a limit. But the logical framework of his philosophy (that implies the relation of gnoseology, epistemology and ontology) explains this distinction; and method provides to Descartes lens to grasp his physiological description of man.
This paper (written in Italian) tries to show, on the one side, how perception in Hume’s thought ... more This paper (written in Italian) tries to show, on the one side, how perception in Hume’s thought finds in the concept of “force” a foundation but at the same time an epistemic limit. “Force” recalls in its definition the ideas of “movement” and “matter”, which are related to an “object” to be known, but the distinction between “subject” and “object” could be problematic. On the other side, it is also possible to connect senses to the concept of “force”, and so to Morals, and once again “subject” and “object” are necessary to explain moral sentiments. Here, Hume’s reflections on “Personal Identity” can be the background for these two aspects of “force” and its relations to the “subject” and the “object”.
This paper wants to trace the intellectual development of Bernard Mandeville. Starting form his e... more This paper wants to trace the intellectual development of Bernard Mandeville. Starting form his early writings it is possible to follow epistemological changes, which, beginning from Mechanism and passing trough Materialism, converge in phisiological Naturalism.
This paper (written in Italian) wants to analyse the concept of "corruption" in Mandeville's "Fab... more This paper (written in Italian) wants to analyse the concept of "corruption" in Mandeville's "Fable of the Bees". Here it is possible to distinguish two dimension of "corruption", on the one side a social corruption where wealth plays a central role, on the other side a metaphisical "corruption", which allows and develops the social one.
This paper (written in Italian) wants to show how Descartes and Damasio, using two different star... more This paper (written in Italian) wants to show how Descartes and Damasio, using two different starting points, reach two opposite results. This is the reason why Damasio can talk about a "Descartes' error".
By suggesting two complementary lines of reasoning, this paper (written in Italian) argues agains... more By suggesting two complementary lines of reasoning, this paper (written in Italian) argues against torture and its legalization. The first argument is focused on incompatibility of torture with penal guarantees and with the publicity of procedures and trials. The second is focused on the utilitarian dilemma of the Ticking Bomb and it shows that consequentialism, when it feeds moral legitimization from political consequences, can be rebutted because of a factual and a hypothetical error.
E. Balsemão Pires, J. Braga (eds), Bernard de Mandeville’s Tropology of Paradoxes: Morals, Politics, Economics, and Therapy, 2015
In this essay, I would show how Mandeville’s literary experimentalism seems to be the consequence... more In this essay, I would show how Mandeville’s literary experimentalism seems to be the consequence of an epistemological aim: the objectification of the case study. Taking seriously Mandeville’s statements about the “Reader’s Diversion” in a “Good Humor’d manner”, it is possible to see an explicit aim with an explicit method, which brings to the estrangement from the object analysed. Here came out a particular outline of empiricism that, besides essays and treatises, uses also fables and dialogues to explain Human Nature and its expressions in society. Specifically fables and burlesque poems are genres used for the estrangement and the objectification of their literary subjects. At the same time, Mandeville achieves similar effects in dialogues through the play of point of view. Why ‘Humorism a posteriori’? First of all, because good humour, diversion and amusement are the result of Mandeville’s stylistic choices; secondly, because Humorism is the effect of figures of speech and literary genres. In this perspective, Humorism can be considered an experimental method adopted for the empirical description of Human Nature.
This essay (written in Italian) wants to enquiry the relation between mind (or soul) and body in ... more This essay (written in Italian) wants to enquiry the relation between mind (or soul) and body in Descartes’ physiological description of man. If neurosciences open new descriptions and possibilities, and together with these opportunities, disclose new horizons in knowledge and practice, they put forward questions and problem to be solved. The first one is the connection/relation between mind and body. Here I would like to show how this connection/relation of soul (not only mind) and body, during the Modern era, finds in Descartes’ thought a model and a limit. But the logical framework of his philosophy (that implies the relation of gnoseology, epistemology and ontology) explains this distinction; and method provides to Descartes lens to grasp his physiological description of man.
This paper (written in Italian) tries to show, on the one side, how perception in Hume’s thought ... more This paper (written in Italian) tries to show, on the one side, how perception in Hume’s thought finds in the concept of “force” a foundation but at the same time an epistemic limit. “Force” recalls in its definition the ideas of “movement” and “matter”, which are related to an “object” to be known, but the distinction between “subject” and “object” could be problematic. On the other side, it is also possible to connect senses to the concept of “force”, and so to Morals, and once again “subject” and “object” are necessary to explain moral sentiments. Here, Hume’s reflections on “Personal Identity” can be the background for these two aspects of “force” and its relations to the “subject” and the “object”.
This paper wants to trace the intellectual development of Bernard Mandeville. Starting form his e... more This paper wants to trace the intellectual development of Bernard Mandeville. Starting form his early writings it is possible to follow epistemological changes, which, beginning from Mechanism and passing trough Materialism, converge in phisiological Naturalism.
This paper (written in Italian) wants to analyse the concept of "corruption" in Mandeville's "Fab... more This paper (written in Italian) wants to analyse the concept of "corruption" in Mandeville's "Fable of the Bees". Here it is possible to distinguish two dimension of "corruption", on the one side a social corruption where wealth plays a central role, on the other side a metaphisical "corruption", which allows and develops the social one.
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