A parallel can be drawn between organic processes of death and decay of a living body and an artificial counterpart engendered by dominant philosophies that preach self-sufficiency. While the former involves the natural fading and cessation of living organisms, the latter entails the subsumption and subsequent mortification of bodies in a quest for self-fulfillment. In both scenarios, life is constrained and ultimately extinguished, but in the later, unnecessarily and prematurely. This paper aims to explore a philosophical response to decay that (...) endangers life. Originating from the fear of natural demise, isolation fostering discourses compromise the capacity for organic relationality and accountability. Nonetheless, resistance persists within body-centered perspectives, as the acknowledgement of differences and vulnerability require a more responsible way of living. (shrink)

This paper discusses opposite philosophical approaches to the body and its position in the ethical discussion; in particular, the perception of the body's capability of achieving ethical excellence. One of the viewpoints in question advocates for the body-spirit duality and the spiritual superiority over mere physical existence. According to this view, the spirit can either achieve its fulfillment apart from the physical word or guide the latter to its maximum accomplishment. Conversely, the alternative perspective posits that the notion of excellence (...) and its practice can only be conceived and put in motion by living beings in a dynamic relationship among themselves. Implicated in the former is the diminishment of the body in relation to its counterpart and its subsequent mortification and (not rarely) annihilation. Implicated in the latter is the elevation of living beings and the understanding of them being the sole performers of virtuous conduct. (shrink)

The aim of this paper is to show the relevance of paragraph 308 of "On Certainty" to consider a wittgensteinian contribution to the epistemological thought. Given that Wittgenstein's concerns turn, in "On Certainty", to major epistemological problems - namely, the problem of doubt, certainty, knowledge and justification - I set forth some relevant results of his "visit" to Epistemology through the exegesis of paragraph 308, which sistematize the problems faced throughout the book. By doing so, three main themes of Wittgenstein's (...) Epistemology are explored: the categorical distinction between "knowledge" and "certainty", the logical role of "doubt" and the grammatical role of some empirical propositions. (shrink)