A portion of the dietary nutrients is excreted due to the presence of antinutritional factors in some ingredients. This study aimed to determine the total and ileal digestibility coefficients of crude protein, as well as the passage rate of diets with different chemical compositions, supplemented or not with an enzymatic complex, in broiler chickens. No effect of the enzymatic complex was observed on the crude protein digestibility coefficient (P>0.05). However, the ileal digestibility coefficients of crude protein showed significant differences (P<0.05) (...) within each group (with or without enzyme supplementation). The control treatment with the enzymatic complex presented a lower ileal digestibility coefficient of crude protein (P<0.05) compared to the control treatment without supplementation. The passage rate did not differ between treatments (P>0.05). It was concluded that the inclusion of the enzymatic complex, composed of calcium carbonate, Yucca extract, protease, phytase, and cellulase, in vegetable-based diets for broiler chickens did not affect digestibility coefficients or passage rate. Keywords: poultry farming, enzyme additives, nutrition, crude protein. (shrink)

This paper aims to recover the history of health concept evolution from its birth in Ancient Greece to the contemporary days, drawing an overview of the firsts philosophical thoughts about health in distinctive historical periods, analyzing how this concept has been impacted by knowledge improvement and both research and technological discoveries over time. In order to understand the persistence of Neglected Tropical Diseases which causes physical disabilities and social discrimination, this paper will focus on Leprosy and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and its (...) relation to social inequality mainly in developing countries. These approaches on the understanding of the health-disease binomial are necessary to reflect on health in the course of human history and, from there, to promote joint actions both in the area of scientific research and health education. (shrink)

We’ll approach the notion of object in Wittgenstein’s Tractatus LogicoPhilosophicus (1921), initially from the so-called “substance argument”. The discourse about necessary conditions for the propositional sense cannot be treated in terms of truth or falsity in the Tractatus without resulting in a infinite regress. Such a situation is avoided by postulating a substance made up of simple objects, thus ensuring the assumed total determination of sense. Passages from the Notebooks (1914-1916) suggest that the idea of simples is given in the (...) ideia of logical analysis and is reached without the necessity of examples for objects. Another early Wittgenstein’s remarks provide examples for objects based on itens of phenomenical nature, such as a point in the visual field. An important analogy for the phenomenical approach for the object, which is found in the aphorisms 2.013-2.0131 of Tractatus, presents a problem for the absolute simplicity. This problem concerns the notion of form, a concept that attributes an ontological dependence to the object given by its essencial capacity of occurrence in atomic facts. The form of the objects results from an appropriation of the Context Principle used by Frege in his Grundlagen der Arithmetik (1884) and differs from the notions of pictorial form and logical form. The dependence assigned to the object through its form contradicts the independent subsistence established by its simplicity. The Tractarian object results from necessary demands for determination of propositional sense, reached by means of an clarificatory analysis which prioritizes the transformative and regressive modes of analysis. Simplicity and Context Principle are, under this perspective, rules of a syntax for a logical or significative use of language, which are reflected in the Tractarian ontology through the ideia that the logico-philosophical investigation of language reveals essencial aspects of the intimate structure of the world. (shrink)

Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine empirically the determinants of job satisfaction levels among community development officer in Oyo State, Nigeria. Due to this, two research questions were formulated and answered. All community development officers across thirty-three local government areas of Oyo state formed the target population. However, fifteen local governments were chosen for the study from the existing number, also, simple random sampling technique which was stratified in nature and operation was used to select seven-hundred and (...) seventy one (771) respondents which cut across three strata (that is three senatorial districts). Structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents, while descriptive component of statistics was employed to analyse the data generated from the instrument. The empirical findings from demographic attributes of the respondents revealed that the majority of the community development officers participated in the study were female by gender, first degree or Higher National Diploma by qualifications, spent between 4-6 years in service as community development agent, Christian by religious affiliation, and inspector in terms of cadre. Based on the determinants levels of job satisfaction, it was discovered from majority point of view that the current placement in the job, future prospect of the career, availability and accessibility of on-the-job training, favourable working conditions, regular promotion, routine of the job, level of motivation, monthly remuneration among others were some of the determinants of job satisfaction levels among community development officers. The study recommended constant and regular initiation of programmes like on-the-job training, regular payment of wages and salaries, attractive social welfare packages to mention a few for the community development officers regardless of their gender and religious affiliation. (shrink)

ALTERNATIVE FOODS IN THE FORMULATION OF DIETS FOR GOATS AND SHEEP ABSTRACT Alternative nutrition refers to the use of unconventional ingredients or agro-industrial byproducts in formulating diets that would otherwise be discarded (Moraes, et al., 2011). Providing nutritional support to animals is essential in optimizing digestibility, associated with good management and water availability, which increases the producer's profitability. The search for alternative foods to meet market demand can arise for several reasons, whether to obtain a greater supply of feed during (...) the seasons, always maintaining a favorable trade balance with regard to the cost of the diet, bringing this These foods that are used to feed sheep and goats have been carried out more effectively, however, these foods must provide the supply of all nutrients. Furthermore, these foods have economic viability and nutritional values capable of supplementing the nutritional needs of small ruminants, such as: Whey, mandacaru, beans and castor seeds. Keyword: small ruminants, food, nutritional management. (shrink)

Arab countries have adopted market economy principles and pursued policies designed to strengthen their economies. The cornerstone of Arab countries' long-term economic objectives has been to increase trade and support economic growth via regional and global integration. To this end, Arab countries are attempting to broaden their engagement in the multilateral trading system by joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, some Arab countries entered into trade arrangements with the United States (U.S.) to foster economic development, attract investment, and (...) develop peaceful relationship. These trade agreements carry several implications for local economies. (shrink)

Business ethicists should examine not only business practices but whether a particular type of business is even prima facie ethical. To illustrate how this might be done I here examine the contemporary U.S. defense industry. In the past the U.S. military has engaged in missions that arguably satisfied the just war self-defense rationale, thereby implying that its suppliers of equipment and services were ethical as well. Some recent U.S. military missions, however, arguably fail the self-defense rationale. At issue, then, is (...) whether a business supporting these latter missions may not be circumstantially unethical. No it is not, say defense industry advocates, for two principal reasons. For one, this business benefits society at large in numerous ways. And, for another, the organizer of these military missions is a superpower which by its very nature is not subject to the ethical constraints of the self-defense rationale. I dispute both reasons, argue against the second, and conclude that the U.S. military-industrial complex (MIC) is circumstantially unethical. (shrink)

My aim in this paper is to engage with C. Thi Nguyen’s characterization of the echo chamber and to propose two things. First, I argue that a proper reading of his concept of echo chamber should make use of the notion of ignorance in the form of a structural epistemic insensitivity. My main contention is that ignorance as a substantive structural practice accounts for the epistemically deleterious effects of echo chambers. Second, I propose that from the talk of ignorance we (...) should be able to see echo chambers in terms of their more harmful impacts in our daily lives. To do that, I argue that we should think of echo chambers as tools to promote hermeneutical domination. If my representation of Nguyen’s concept is accurate, I believe we can see some important theoretical consequences stemming from the way Nguyen understands it. (shrink)

-/- The U.S. 401(k) System: A Risky Yet Popular Approach to Retirement Savings -/- The 401(k) system is a retirement savings plan that has become a cornerstone of the American private pension system. Created in the 1980s as part of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, the 401(k) was initially designed to provide individuals with a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. It has since become one of the most widely used retirement savings options in the United States. However, (...) despite its widespread adoption, the 401(k) system is often criticized for being a risky and complex method for retirement planning. This essay will explore the reasons behind the creation of the 401(k), its risks, and the implications it has for workers’ financial security in retirement. -/- The Creation of the 401(k) -/- The 401(k) system emerged during a period when traditional pension plans, known as defined benefit plans, were on the decline. In a defined benefit plan, an employer guarantees employees a certain monthly benefit upon retirement, based on their salary and years of service. These plans were a significant financial burden for companies because they required them to make large, long-term financial commitments. As a result, many companies sought alternatives that would shift the responsibility for retirement savings to the employee. -/- The 401(k) plan Is a type of defined contribution plan, where the employee contributes a portion of their pre-tax income to a retirement account, and often, employers match a portion of the contributions. The savings grow tax-deferred until retirement when they are taxed upon withdrawal. This system reduced employers’ financial liabilities and gave them more flexibility in managing their financial resources. -/- From a policy perspective, the creation of the 401(k) system was also aligned with the growing belief in individual responsibility. At the time, there was a push to reduce government involvement in social safety nets and encourage private savings. The 401(k) system allowed workers to take control of their retirement savings, and by providing tax incentives, it aimed to encourage more people to save for their future. -/- Risks and Drawbacks of the 401(k) System -/- While the 401(k) system has been hailed for its ability to encourage private savings and provide tax advantages, it comes with significant risks, particularly when compared to traditional pension plans. One of the main criticisms of the 401(k) system is its reliance on the performance of the financial markets. Since the value of a 401(k) account is directly tied to the performance of the investments chosen by the employee, there is inherent risk in market volatility. During times of economic downturn or market crashes, workers’ retirement savings can significantly decrease in value, leaving them with less money in retirement than they had anticipated. -/- Another major risk associated with the 401(k) is that it places the responsibility for retirement savings squarely on the shoulders of individuals, many of whom may not have the financial literacy or expertise to manage their investments effectively. Without proper guidance, workers may make poor investment choices, leading to suboptimal growth of their retirement savings. Additionally, the 401(k) system assumes that workers will be able to contribute consistently over the course of their careers, which may not be the case for many individuals who face periods of unemployment, financial hardship, or other barriers to saving. -/- Moreover, not all workers have access to a 401(k) plan through their employer. In fact, millions of employees, particularly those working in small businesses or part-time jobs, do not have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. This creates an uneven playing field where some workers are able to take advantage of the benefits of a 401(k) while others are left to navigate the complex world of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or face the challenge of saving without a formalized system. -/- The Broader Implications -/- The 401(k) system has played a significant role in reshaping the American retirement landscape. It has contributed to the growth of the stock market by increasing the number of individual investors, which has had both positive and negative effects on the broader economy. On one hand, the system encourages savings and investment, which can drive economic growth. On the other hand, it can expose workers to the risks of market volatility, which can lead to widespread financial insecurity during times of economic instability. -/- One of the most significant implications of the 401(k) system is its contribution to the growing inequality in retirement savings. High-income workers, who are more likely to have access to employer-sponsored 401(k) plans and the means to make substantial contributions, are better positioned to accumulate wealth for retirement. In contrast, low-income workers may struggle to save adequately due to insufficient wages, lack of access to retirement plans, or the inability to consistently contribute to a 401(k). -/- Furthermore, the 401(k) system places the onus of responsibility on individuals to ensure their financial security in retirement. This is particularly problematic in a society where many workers face financial challenges throughout their careers, making it difficult for them to save adequately. For these individuals, relying on the 401(k) as their primary retirement savings tool may not provide the level of security that they need in retirement. -/- Conclusion -/- The 401(k) system was created as a way to reduce the financial burden on employers and encourage individual responsibility for retirement savings. While it has been successful in promoting private savings and providing tax benefits, it also presents significant risks. Market volatility, the complexity of investment decisions, and unequal access to retirement plans are among the key drawbacks of the 401(k) system. As such, while the 401(k) has become an integral part of the American retirement landscape, it is not a foolproof solution. Policymakers must consider ways to improve the system and ensure that all workers have access to secure and sustainable retirement savings options that provide more stability in the face of economic uncertainty. -/- . (shrink)

Há de entre as ciências, uma que ainda carrega vestígios muito visíveis que denunciam seus vínculos familiares com a mãe. Essa ciência cujos precursores ainda revelam-se sagazes pensadores, capazes de construir conhecimento, e não perpetuadores de uma escola especializada em ordenar e classificar a realidade. Essa ciência, é a ciência Psicológica. PSICOLOGIAS é uma introdução ao estudo da Psicologia, apresentada em seus vários aspetos: história, temas básicos, áreas de conhecimento, principais características da profissão, análises de temas cotidianos (vistos sob a (...) ótica da Psicologia), e outros. Estudo esse que dessacraliza o universo da alma – historifica-o, humaniza-o. Ridiculariza qualquer processo de deificação do homem. Sugere, fidelidade a Terra. (shrink)

Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Professor Emeritus of English & Comparative Literature at the University of the Philippines (UP) and one of the foremost contemporary Filipina scholars on travel studies, once wrote: -/- All travel writing is, in a sense translation. Travelers come to an unknown place and try to “translate” it, i.e. to make it comprehensible, for themselves first, and then for their readers (Hidalgo 2020). -/- Travel writing as an act of translation is not only personal (i.e., making the unknown (...) known through personal experiences) but also cultural. When we travel and write about these travels, we are not looking at the foreign places and peoples simply as they are (or in Kantian terminology, “noumenon” or “thing-in-itself”). We always. (shrink)

This essay draws on the work of Jacques Derrida and Angela Y. Davis towards a philosophical resistance to the death penalty in the U.S. I find promise in Derrida’s claim that resistance to the death penalty ought to contest a political structure that founds itself on having the power to decide life and death, but I move beyond Derrida’s desire to consider the abolition of the death penalty without engaging with the particular histories and geographies of European colonialism. I offer (...) a critique of Derrida’s recently published work on the death penalty by engaging with the work of Davis and argue that discussions of state violence in nations that inherit European forms of sovereignty must take seriously the racist violence on which those sovereign powers rely. (shrink)

Paunang Salita Ang kasalukuyang aklat ay produkto ng masigasig na pagsusumikap ng mga mag-aaral ng BA Kasaysayan sa Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Sta. Mesa sa ilalim ng klase na Historiograpiya ni Dr. Zeus A. Salazar. Tinatangka nitong maitala para sa salinlahi ang mga kaganapan sa kanilang suplemental na klase tuwing Martes sa Bahay Escaler, ang tahanan ng kanilang Guro. -/- Magkagayumpaman, hindi ito talaga maitatangi sa mahabang kasaysayan ng pagtuturo ni Salazar. Ang pagkakatitikan/pagpapakatitikan higit sa lahat ay isa nang signature (...) style sa pagtuturo ni Salazar mula pa noong dekada 1970. Mababanggit din ang kinagawian niyang pagdaragdag ng oras labas sa opisyal na oras ng klase upang magpalalim ng mga paksang inaral sa loob nito, kung hindi man sa mga kapihang matatagpuan sa kaligiran ng U.P. Campus kung saan siya nagturo nang may 40 taon, at sa Bahay Gomburza mismo, ang dating tahanan ni Salazar. (shrink)

The study determined the influence of innate mathematical characteristics on the number sense competencies of junior high school students in a Philippine public school. The descriptive-correlational research design was used to accomplish the study involving a nonrandom sample of sixty 7th-grade students attending synchronous math sessions. Data obtained from the math-specific Learning Style and Self-Efficacy questionnaires and the modified Number Sense Test (NST) were analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s Chi-Square, and Simple Linear Regression analysis. The research instruments and (...) statistics were all validated and tested for reliability. The analysis revealed that the students are visual learners, had no or slight self-efficacy, and their number sense competency level is poor. They encountered difficulty in all the components and domains of the NST. Moreover, the students’ mathematical self-efficacy is significantly related and may influence their number sense competency level. Building upon the learners’ self-efficacy to further their understanding and skills in number sense is necessary. (shrink)

In this paper, I argue against the thesis suggested by Cappelen and Lepore, according to which if contextualism were true, communication would require many items, and therefore would be fragile; communication is not fragile, and therefore, communication does not demand a large number of conditions, and contextualism is false. While we should grant the robustness of communication, it is not guaranteed by some unchanging conditions, but by different flexible mechanisms that enhance the chances of mutual understanding at a relatively low (...) cost –– this is true, in particular, of different feedback mechanisms and of alternative ways to make the same information mutually available. Communication is not a series of successive, individual and independent actions; dialogues are a kind of joint activity in which misunderstandings are jointly repaired by participants as part of the very activity they are engaged in. Moreover, as we consider the roles of hearers in a conversation, we see that no construal makes Cappelen and Lepore’’s argument both plausible and relevant. The hearer can either be overhearer or a certified participant. If the hearer is an overhearer, it may be the case that he easily misunderstands what is said, but it has no consequence to the understanding of what takes place in a dialogue, since, ex hypothesi, he is not a party to it. If the hearer is a participant, many of the conditions of mutual understanding will be assured in the dialogical activity itself, and both he and the speaker will make efforts to assure that mutual understanding do take place, as part of their responsibilities as parties to a dialogue –– and their argument is not plausible. (shrink)

Last April 20, 2023, the book Banwa at Layag: Antolohiya ng mga Kuwentong Paglalakbay ng mga Pilipino sa Ibayong Dagat was officially launched. Edited by Axle Christien Tugano, it contains 56 chapters written by 52 contributors about their own experience of traveling outside (and inside [in the case of one particular chapter]) the country. It is for this occasion of book-launching that this review was written. In particular, it focuses on the introduction of Tugano as the editor entitled “Kapookan ng (...) Paglalakbay ng mga Pilipino sa Ibayong Dagat sa Konteksto ng Banwa at Layag sa Wikang Filipino,” especially on his formulation of Araling Pangmanlalakbay as a proposed new subfield of Araling Kabanwahan. The review is divided into three parts. The first part will take note of some “Pantayo elements” that can be found in the introduction of Tugano, such as the linguistic exploration of travel, formulation of new field as a critic to its Western form, periodization of travel’s history, diagramatic tendency, and emphasis on Filipino language. The second part focuses on mentioning some comments and criticisms about his on-going project of Araling Pangmanlalakbay (including the seemingly arbitrary use of the term lakbay [travel] and layag [voyage], auto-orientalist tendency in the face of Travel Studies, and insufficient connection between the internal and external aspect of Araling Pangmanlalakbay). Lastly, the review will offer some proposed projects that can be embarked on in the future for the development of Araling Pangmanlalakbay, like focusing on domestic travel, translation projects, exposition on the thought of Filipino experts on travel, life-story of and conversing with OFW travelers, among others. (shrink)

This article examines the crucial, yet frequently neglected, contribution of Haiti to the United States' quest for independence and territorial expansion. It explores Haiti's influence on U.S. foreign policy and economic strategies from a cross-national perspective, focusing on key historical events such as the American Revolution and the Louisiana Purchase. Despite Haiti's significant role, mainstream media and historical narratives have largely downplayed these connections, diminishing its impact on the U.S. trajectory. The article also contextualizes current issues, noting the racism faced (...) by the Haitian Community in Springfield, Ohio. The discrimination observed today mirrors wider trends of marginalization and racial bias shaped by a lengthy history of suppressing Haiti's contributions to the American narrative. This analysis reveals historical truths and links them to contemporary racial dynamics, highlighting how systemic prejudice continues to obscure Haiti's legacy in the U.S. (shrink)

[Collection title in Polish: Prace Naukoznawcze i Prognostvczne].

Drawing on the work of John Rawls and Thomas Pogge, I argue that the U.S. is in part responsible for the immigration of Mexicans and Central Americans into the U.S. By seeking to further its national interests through its foreign policies, the U.S. has created economic and politically oppressive conditions that Mexican and Central American people seek to escape. The significance of this project is to highlight the role of the U.S. in illegal immigration so that we may first acknowledge (...) our responsibility in order to seek lasting humane solutions. (shrink)

According to buck-passers about art, such as Dominic Lopes, every work of art belongs to some art. I distinguish two versions of the buck-passing theory of art—what I call the double-buck-passers’ (DBP) view and the single-buck-passers’ (SBP) view—and point out that Lopes’s view is an instance of the latter. Then I argue the SBP view faces a dilemma, each horn of which leads to trouble. In doing so, I explore uncharted territory: the implications of vagueness for theories of art. I (...) conclude that buck-passers should not be single-buck-passers. (shrink)

Founded upon ethnological studies on the concepts of ginhawa (well-being), hanapbuhay (livelihood), and himagsikan (revolution), the paper aims to provide an exploration on the possibility of a Filipino conceptualization of katarungang panlipunan (social justice) that is outside the bounds of Marxist theoretization. This essay insists that although Marxist theoretization of katarungang panlipunan is highly advanced, it is only one among many other possible versions of theorizing katarungang panlipunan. Since there is no concept that is possible to exist in the consciousness (...) without the embodiment of language and culture, the contextualization or critical appropriation of any concept or conceptualization is essential. In the spirit of Filipinization, the study tries to reinforce the position that each culture has its own logic in solving its own problems. It suggests katuwirang bayan as a dynamic translation of social justice, which is often translated as katarungang panlipunan. Katuwirang bayan, which is based upon talastasang bayan (national discourse), is focused on the allocation of ginhawa to the people: hanapbuhay as contemporary pangangayaw for the maintenance of ginhawa, and himagsikan as the manifestation of the people’s bagsik (anger) whenever there is a threat to kaginhawaang bayan (people’s well-being). (shrink)

[From SEP]: Contemporary virtue epistemology (hereafter ‘VE’) is a diverse collection of approaches to epistemology. At least two central tendencies are discernible among the approaches. First, they view epistemology as a normative discipline. Second, they view intellectual agents and communities as the primary focus of epistemic evaluation, with a focus on the intellectual virtues and vices embodied in and expressed by these agents and communities. This entry introduces many of the most important results of the contemporary VE research program. These (...) include novel attempts to resolve longstanding disputes, solve perennial problems, grapple with novel challenges, and expand epistemology’s horizons. In the process, it reveals the diversity within VE. Beyond sharing the two unifying commitments mentioned above, its practitioners diverge over the nature of intellectual virtues, which questions to ask, and which methods to use. It will be helpful to note some terminology before proceeding. First, we use ‘cognitive’, ‘epistemic’ and ‘intellectual’ synonymously. Second, we often use ‘normative’ broadly to include not only norms and rules, but also duties and values. Finally, ‘practitioners’ names contemporary virtue epistemologists. (shrink)

Comments to: SOSA, Ernest. Representations, judgments, and the swamping problem for reliabilism: why the problem applies to process reliabilism, but not to virtue reliabilism. Trans/Form/Ação: Unesp journal of philosophy, vol. 44, Special issue in honor of Ernest Sosa, p. 19-24, 2021.

The semantic paradoxes are a family of arguments – including the liar paradox, Curry’s paradox, Grelling’s paradox of heterologicality, Richard’s and Berry’s paradoxes of definability, and others – which have two things in common: first, they make an essential use of such semantic concepts as those of truth, satisfaction, reference, definition, etc.; second, they seem to be very good arguments until we see that their conclusions are contradictory or absurd. These arguments raise serious doubts concerning the coherence of the concepts (...) involved. This article will offer an introduction to some of the main theories that have been proposed to solve the paradoxes and avert those doubts. Included is also a brief history of the semantic paradoxes from Eubulides to Tarski and Curry. (shrink)

This study is intended to determine the effects of using Teacher-Tech Instructor, a technology-aided intervention designed for independent learning sessions, on improving the scientific mastery of grade 4 learners of Mataas na Parang Elementary School. The intervention utilizes interactive presentations with basic programming features to facilitate and enhance the learning process. This study utilized the pretest-posttest single group design to determine the changes in the learning performance before and after the utilization of the intervention. Pretest and posttest assessments, along with (...) a survey, measured the intervention's effect. The data were analyzed using the mean, median, MPS, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test at a significance threshold of 0.05. The findings revealed that the learners have low mastery or low achievement in the pretest while closely approximating mastery in the posttest, marking a significant improvement after using the intervention. It can also be observed that the MPS improved from 20.79% to 90.73% upon the use of the intervention, while the Wilcoxon test statistic of 0.00 which is less than 0.05, also suggests that the null should be rejected. Lastly, the learners strongly agree that the intervention helped with their independent learning study. These findings conclude that Teacher-Tech Instructor intervention improved the learning performance of grade 4 pupils in science effectively. Further, learners strongly agreed that the teacher tech-instructor, a tech-based instructional material, aided their independent learning effectively. The findings also highlight the importance of developing tech-based educational tools for independent learning in improving science proficiency among grade 4 learners. The study recommends extending these materials to other subjects and conducting SLAC sessions on interactive materials to maximize learning outcomes. (shrink)

In this paper, I present two ways of conceiving a genealogical explanation of the concept of knowledge. The first one is through the epistemic state of nature hypothesis developed by Edward Craig, according to which knowledge is understood as a concept evolved from the concept of a good informant. After considering Craig’s project, I draw a parallel between this approach and Miranda Fricker’s value-laden account of the same concept. Then, I present and discuss Fricker’s social take on Craig’s genealogy, in (...) which she suggests that the notions of a good informant and of knowledge are necessarily dependent on the establishment of a credibility norm, and that this norm should be viewed as inherently political. Lastly, I defend an illustration, through Kristie Dotson’s work, of how both genealogical approaches could explain and offer solutions to failings in the normativity of our epistemic systems. (shrink)

One of the early propositions on the nature of Southeast Asia comes from George Coedes’ 1968 The Indianized states of Southeast Asia, which assumes that Southeast Asia and its identity construction resulted from the region’s passive acceptance of culture from India and China. Such is the case that that the cultural landscape of the region becomes a mere accumulation of external influences. Robert Redfield’s notion of “great and little traditions” that Southeast Asian historians used in examining and understanding Southeast Asian (...) identity and history influenced these ideas. Zeus Salazar’s 1988 The Malayan connection, challenges this framing of Southeast Asian history. -/- This study aims to evaluate Salazar’s historiographical contributions to Southeast Asian studies, especially in terms of his efforts to problematize and establish the pan-Malayan identity of insular Southeast Asia. This will be undertaken through a critical review of his works such as Kabihasnang Asyano: Isang pangkasaysayang introduksyon [Asian civilization: A historical introduction] (1990); The Malayan connection (1998); Ang Pilipinong banua/banwa sa mundong Melano-Polynesiano [The Philippines in the Melano-Polynesian world] (2006); and, Asya: Kasaysayan at kabihasnan [Asia: History and civilization] (2010), as well as the works of some scholars in Southeast Asian Studies who have been influenced by Salazar and his works. The research will also show that the nationalist historiography that Salazar advocates emphasizes and highlights the Southeast Asian region’s Austronesian roots as the basis of the region’s cultural identity. (shrink)

The distinction between semantics and pragmatics is often seen as a discussion about where to place pragmatic inferences: while minimalists think that they only come into play after the proposition is grasped, for contextualists, there are already pragmatic processes in the very determination of what is said, leading to ad hoc conceptual adjustments. There is, however, another way to look at this matter: we may keep a sensitive truth-distribution across contexts without ad hoc conceptual manoeuvres. An intuitive distribution of truth-values (...) may be explained as a variation in (kaplanian) circumstances, without any tampering with sentence constituents. This way of understanding the debate connects, maybe surprisingly, a first reaction to the semantics-pragmatics divide, in Cavell, and Predelli’s original stance on this debate. (shrink)

Epistemological disjunctivism is a philosophical theory that has received special attention in the recent years. Particularly because it has been seen by many as a way of renewing discussions that range from the nature of justification of our daily beliefs to the possibility of unveiling the structure of the problem of radical skepticism and of responding to it. Duncan Pritchard is one of the authors who have offered a particular view of disjunctivism and ways of conceiving of disjunctivist treatments to (...) such questions. His work has as its main source of inspiration the seminal work of John McDowell. In this paper, I present a way of understanding the problem ofradicalskepticism and the mannerin which epistemological disjunctivism aimsto offer solutionsto it. In orderto do that, I present McDowell’s general proposal and discuss in which way his account differs from Pritchard’s own disjunctivism. At the end, I try to show how Pritchard’s approach tries to respond to radical skepticism not only by appealing to a disjunctivist reading of our epistemic position, but also by offering a revision of our structure of reasons. (shrink)

Entendemos a Educação Infantil em amplo sentido, isto é, há um leque de conceitos em que pode-se gozar dentro da Pedagogia e as Ciências da Educação, é nessa modalidade de ensino que podem-se englobar todas as esferas educativas vivenciadas pelas crianças de, conforme Lei, 0 à 5 anos de idade, pela família e, também, pelo próprio corpo social, antes mesmo de atingir a idade educativa obrigatória que é, vide Lei, aproximadamente a partir dos 7 anos de idade. A EI também (...) pode ser considerada como uma das mais complexas fazes do desenvolvimento humano, em diversas esferas, seja ela a intelectual, emocional, social, motora, psicomotora, etc. uma vez que tratam-se de crianças que, muitas vezes, têm o primeiro contato com um novo ambiente, que é o ambiente escolar. Diante disso, torna-se primordial a inserção das crianças em berçários, creches e Educação Maternal, também denominado de pré-escola, para que as mesmas interajam entre seus semelhantes e comecem a aproximar-se da vida social e educacional, estando preparadas para uma nova etapa educacional. Mediante essa perspectiva da vida psicopedagógica das crianças, Kuhlmann Júnior ressalta que: Pode-se falar de “Educação Infantil” em um sentido bastante amplo, envolvendo toda e qualquer forma de educação da criança na família, na comunidade, na sociedade e na cultura em que viva (2003. p. 469). -/- Mediante a análise de Kuhlmann, logo, a EI designa a periodicidade regular a uma entidade educativa exterior ao domicílio, isto é, trata-se do lapso da vida escolar em que se volta-se, pedagogicamente, ao público entre 0 e 5 anos de idade no Brasil; vale salientar que nessa idade entre 0 e 5 anos, as crianças não estão submetidas a obrigatoriedade do ingresso na vida escolar. A Constituição brasileira de 1988 define no Título VIII (Da Ordem Social), Capítulo III (Da Educação, da Cultura e do Desporto), Seção I (Da Educação), Artigo 208 que: O dever do Estado com a educação será efetivado mediante a garantia de: Inciso IV – educação infantil, em creche e pré-escola, às crianças até 5 (cinco) anos de idade. (Constituição Federal, 2016. p. 63). -/- A Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional, especificamente a Lei 9394/96, denomina a Creche como sendo a entidade responsável por promover o primeiro contato das crianças com o ambiente escolar, a idade é determinada como sendo de 0 a 3 anos de idade (Artigo 30. Inciso I). Também denomina de pré-escola a instituição responsável pelo ensino de crianças entre 4 e 6 anos de idade (Artigo 30. Inciso II). Não obstante, mediante Lei 11274/06 que reedita o Artigo 32 da Lei 9394/96, o ensino fundamental passou a ser de 9 (nove) anos de idade e não mais de 8 (oito), logo, as crianças que com 6 (seis) anos de idade não eram submetidas a obrigatoriedade do estudo, passaram a fazer parte da conformação obrigatória, isto é, elas já não fazem mais parte do ensino eletivo ou optativo da pré-escola e sim do ensino fundamental obrigatório. -/- Dito isto, a LDB diz na Seção II (Da Educação Infantil) e no Artigo 29 que a Educação Infantil é tida como a primeira etapa da Educação Básica, e tem por objetivo, a promoção e o favorecimento do desenvolvimento integral da criança de 0 à 5 anos de idade, nos mais variados aspectos possíveis, sendo eles o físico, psicológico, intelectual e social, sendo mais que uma complementação da instrução familiar e da sociedade (BRASIL, 2005. p. 17). Seguindo a linha teórica acerca das crianças, o Artigo 30, da mesma, ressalta que a EI será promovida por meio de creches para crianças de 0 a 3 anos e em pré-escolas para o público entre 4 e 5 anos de idade, como enaltecido supracitadamente. No que se refere a avaliação, no Artigo 31 esse processo será feito porventura do acompanhamento e registro do desenvolvimento das crianças, sem que haja quaisquer tipos de promoção, mesmo que vise o acesso ao Ensino Fundamental. -/- Vale enfatizar que essa modalidade de ensino tem uma finalidade pedagógica, um trabalho que se apropria da realidade e dos conhecimentos infantis como estopim e os amplia mediante atividades que tem uma certa significação concreta para a vida dos infantes e, isocronicamente asseguram a aquisição de novos conhecimentos. Doravante e por meio dessa perspectiva, é imprescindível que o educador da EI preocupe-se com o arranjo e aplicação dos trabalhos fazendo, assim, uma contribuição para a ascensão do infante de 0 a 5 anos. -/- O Referencial Curricular Nacional para a Educação Infantil de 1998 ressalta que deve-se levam em conta que os infantes são distintos entre si, isto é, que cada um possui um ritmo peculiar de aprendizagem. Dito isto, o educador deverá preparar-se para promover aos educandos uma educação alicerçada na condição de aprendizagem peculiar de cada um deles, considerando-se bastante singulares e com particularidades. Para isso, o governo deverá fornecer um alicerce na formação dos educadores, preparando-os para enfrentar esse mundo repleto de dificuldades mas, no fim, de uma extensa realização pessoal e profissional. Ante as características peculiares dos ritmos das crianças, o grande desafio que ora implica na EI é com que os profissionais consigam compreender, conhecer e reconhecer o jeito peculiar dos infantes serem e estarem inseridos no mundo. O RCN da modalidade EI ainda explicita que a entidade promovente da EI deve tornar acessível a todos os infantes que ora frequentam-no, indiscriminadamente, elementos culturais que enriquecem a ascensão e a inserção social dos mesmos. -/- A EI é caracterizada, historicamente, pelo assistencialismo reduzido e a um recinto que vise, primordialmente, os cuidados com os infantes. Ao passo dos anos, e diversas metamorfoses ocorridas nas tendências educacionais, passou a ser teorizada como um simples processo educativo. -/- Paulo Freire (1921-1997) já alertava que: Quando se tira da criança a possibilidade este ou aquele espaço da realidade, na verdade se está alienando-a da sua capacidade de construir seus conhecimentos. Porque o ato de conhecer é tão vital quanto comer ou dormir; e eu não posso comer por alguém (FREIRE, 1983. p. 36). Logo, nesse contexto é sumamente impossível desassociar os termos cuidar e o educar, eixos cêntricos que dão características peculiares na constituição do espaço e do ambiente escolar nesse lapso da educação. Doravante, contradizendo ao que muitos ainda pensam o cuidar e o educar não remetem à perspectiva assistencialista e ao processo de ensino e aprendizagem dos mesmos, uma vez que ambos complementam-se, além de integrarem-se para uma melhor promoção do desenvolvimento do infante, no que se refere à edificação de sua autonomia e totalidade. -/- O infante carece de cuidados básicos no que se refere à saúde, os quais pode ser obtido mediante uma alimentação saudável e balanceada, assepsia, educação física, momentos de ópio, entre outras inúmeras situações peculiares à crianças e que exigem do educador uma atenção especial em relação aos cuidados com a criança. Todavia, é primordial que o profissional da EI desenvolva um trabalho educacional voltado ao favorecimento e a condução para a descoberta e edificação de sua identidade, apropriando-se de saberes necessários à constituição da autonomia tanto do infante, que ora se torna imprescindível quanto do próprio educador. -/- No que tange a afetividade na EI, falamos de uma constituição do cenário contemporâneo dos ambientes escolares e que, no futuro, tornara-se sumamente imprescindível algum marco ou lapsos que persistem e poderão persistir na educação futura do fundamental e até mesmo do médio ou ensino universitário, principalmente questões de vivência com os outros. Compreensão do outro, desenvolvimento de projetos, percepção da interdependência, de não à quaisquer tipos de violência, administração de possíveis conflitos, descoberta do outro, participação em projetos comuns, prazer no esforço alheio, cooperativada são essenciais nesses primeiros anos escolares e, para que isso torne-se realidade, é necessário que se abra um leque de possibilidades para o futuro mediante a formação atual dos educadores, logo com um alicerce maior em suas formações, o educador(a) estará preparado para atuar frente ao infante, unindo esse lapso fundamental de sua vida dos primeiros anos escolares. -/- REFERÊNCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS -/- BRASIL. [Constituição (1988)]. Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988. Brasília, DF: Presidência da República, 2016. -/- _______. Leis de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional. Lei 9394/1996. Brasília, 2005. -/- _______. Ministério da Educação e do Desporto. Secretaria de Educação Fundamental. Referencial Curricular Nacional para a Educação Infantil. Brasília: MEC/SEF, 1998. -/- FREIRE, P. Pedagogia do oprimido. 17ª ed. São Paulo: Paz e Terra, 1983. -/- KUHLMANN JR., M.. Educando a infância brasileira. In: LOPES, E. M. T.; FILHO, L. M. F.; VEIGA, C. G. (Org.). 500 anos de educação no Brasil. 4ªed. Belo Horizonte: Autêntica, 2008. -/- LEÃO, J. L. de S. Educação Infantil no Brasil: Algumas Considerações. In: LEÃO, J. L. de S. O processo de inclusão escolar na educação infantil sob a ótica de assessoras pedagógicas da Secretaria Municipal de Educação do Natal/RN. 2008. Trabalho de conclusão de curso (Licenciatura em Pedagogia) – Centro de Educação, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 2018. p. 18. (shrink)

In this paper, I argue that the cleavage between the theory of reference and the theory of meaning, which under the influence of Quine has dominated a large part of the philosophy of language of the last fifty years, is based on a misrepresentation of Tarski's achievement and on an overestimation of the scope and value of disquotation. In particular, I show that, if we accept Davidson's critique of disquotation, the same kind of reasons that Quine offered in opposition to (...) the Carnapian theory of meaning also apply, mutatis mutandis, to the Tarskian theory of reference. (shrink)

-/- Redesigning the U.S. 401(k) Pension System Based on the Universal Formula of Natural Laws -/- By Angelito Malicse -/- Introduction -/- The 401(k) pension system in the United States was designed to empower individuals to save for retirement. However, through the lens of my Universal Formula—composed of three universal laws of nature—it becomes clear that this system is fundamentally flawed and in need of reform. These flaws not only endanger the individual’s future but also destabilize society at large. To (...) build a sustainable future, any pension system must align with: -/- 1. The Law of Karma (Cause and Effect + System Integrity) -/- 2. The Universal Law of Balance in Nature -/- 3. The Feedback Mechanism of Conscious Minds -/- I. System Flaws According to the Universal Formula -/- 1. Dependence on Individual Financial Literacy -/- The 401(k) system puts the responsibility of investment decisions on individuals, assuming they understand market risks, diversification, and long-term planning. -/- Violation of System Integrity: A stable system must function correctly for all its components—this includes those with limited financial education. -/- Cause and Effect: Ignorance causes poor decisions, leading to insufficient savings and long-term suffering. -/- Imbalance in Nature: Expecting uniform results from unequal starting conditions creates systemic failure. -/- 2. Exposure to Market Volatility -/- A 401(k) account’s value depends on stock market performance. -/- Violation of Balance: The natural aging process demands stability and security—not exposure to external market shocks. -/- Systemic Defect: A pension should not function like a gamble; it must protect future well-being. -/- Negative Feedback: People panic and withdraw early, worsening both personal and national economic health. -/- 3. Inequality in Access and Employer Discretion -/- Many low-income or part-time workers do not receive 401(k) benefits. -/- Violation of Natural Balance: A fair system must ensure equal access for all working individuals, not just the privileged. -/- Karmic Consequence: Social unrest, poverty, and generational inequality arise from systemic neglect. -/- Broken Feedback: Governments and corporations fail to respond adequately to the needs of marginalized workers. -/- 4. Tax Benefits Favor the Wealthy -/- High earners gain more from tax deferrals, while low earners receive minimal benefits. -/- Unbalanced Cause and Effect: When benefit flows primarily to the rich, the system breeds resentment and social imbalance. -/- Systemic Design Flaw: A pension system should redistribute wealth to promote harmony, not concentrate it. -/- 5. Retirement Insecurity and Extended Work Life -/- Millions of Americans cannot afford to retire at a healthy age. -/- Violation of Homeostasis: Humans need rest and reflection in old age, not prolonged labor. -/- Karmic Debt of Society: A system that drains the elderly fails to function as a nurturing whole. -/- II. Redesigning the System: A Holistic Model Based on Natural Laws -/- 1. Universal Access and Basic Pension Guarantee -/- All working individuals should automatically be enrolled in a basic pension program. -/- Funded through a national trust integrating contributions from employers, employees, and government. -/-  Balance Restored: Security becomes a right, not a gamble. System Integrity Ensured: No one is left behind. -/- 2. Stable Public Fund with Optional Private Layer -/- Create a national, low-risk fund that guarantees basic returns. -/- Allow optional private investments only after basic needs are secured. -/-  Protects the System from Instability Honors Natural Law of Aging and Stability -/- 4. Educational Integration and Transparent Feedback -/- Mandatory financial literacy education in schools and workplaces. -/- Regular feedback loops: workers receive understandable, transparent updates. -/-  Conscious Feedback Strengthened Corrects Ignorance = Prevents Future Harm -/- 5. Balanced Redistribution Through Tax Incentives -/- Redirect tax advantages to favor low- and middle-income workers. -/- Cap benefits for high earners to ensure equity. -/-  Cause-Effect Harmonized with Justice Corrective Balance Mechanism Built In -/- III. The Ethical and Spiritual Dimension -/- This redesign is not merely technical—it reflects the moral responsibility of a society to care for all its members. A pension system that honors the Universal Law of Balance nurtures both the body and the mind, and prevents suffering caused by man-made system errors. -/-  A pension system aligned with natural laws becomes not only functional—but ethical, holistic, and humane. -/- Conclusion -/- The U.S. 401(k) system, when analyzed through the universal formula, shows signs of systemic imbalance, unjust cause-effect relationships, and broken feedback loops. If we are to prevent future suffering and build a society that truly serves all, we must redesign our systems according to the laws that govern all life—not just economic theories. -/- . (shrink)

Abstract: This paper would talk about Emerita Quito’s thoughts and ideas about the state of the Philosophy in the Philippines. It would enumerate the problems that prevents it from totally flourishing here in our country and would try to provide viable solutions that can help develop it further. Moreover, it will also highlight why our language is an essential key factor in understanding philosophy. She would discuss here how we can never Filipino Philosophy can never flourish until we settle the (...) dilemma in our own language. This paper will also talk about the importance of philosophy and thinking not just to an individual but also to the country. It will also pose the dangers of critical thinking and how to handle it. (shrink)

I distinguish between a metaphysical and a logical reading of Generality Relativism. While the former denies the existence of an absolutely general domain, the latter denies the availability of such a domain. In this paper I argue for the logical thesis but remain neutral in what concerns metaphysics. To motivate Generality Relativism I defend a principle according to which a collection can always be understood as a set-like collection. I then consider a modal version of Generality Relativism and sketch how (...) this version avoids certain revenge problems. (shrink)

RIGHT TO SILENCE-UK, U.S, FRANCE, and GERMANY SALLY RAMAGE (TRADE MARK REGISTERED) WIPO Orchid ID 0000-0002-8854-4293 Pages 2-30 Current Criminal Law, Volume 1, Issue 2, -/- Sally Ramage, BA (Hons), MBA, LLM, MPhil, MCIJ, MCMI, DA., ASLS, BAWP. Orchid ID 0000-0002-8854-4293 Publisher & Managing Editor Criminal Lawyer series [1980-2022](ISSN 2049-8047) Current Criminal Law series [2008-2022] (ISSN 1758-8405) and Criminal Law News series [2008-2022] (ISSN 1758-8421). Sweet & Maxwell (Thomson Reuters) (Licensed Annotator of UK Statutes) in annual law books Current Law (...) Statutes Annotated, (2006, 2009, 2010 editions) (sole and separate S&M contracts) for 7 UK Criminal Justice Statutes: UK Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons Act 2006; UK International Development Act 2006; UK Fraud Act 2006; UK Policing and Crime Act 2009, UK Local Democracy Act 2009; UK Bribery Act 2010; and UK Crime and Security Act 2010. TradeMark SALLY RAMAGE ® (2005-2025) in the UK, 2401827; WIPO TradeMark SALLY RAMAGE® 900614; USA TradeMark 3,440,910) (2008-2028). WARNING: The doing of an unauthorized act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution. -/- ABSTRACT The privilege of the right to silence can be traced back to the 12th century, becoming more developed in later centuries. -/- Table of cases European Court of Human Rights Deweer v Belgium [1980], Eckle v Germany [1982], DN v The Netherlands [1975], Funke v France [1993] 16 EHRR 297, JP v Austria [1989], Kansal v UK [2003] Application No 21413/02 Khan v UK [2000] 31 EHRR 45, Saunders v UK [1997] 23 EHRR 313, Schenk v Switzerland [1991] 13 EHRR 242, and Tora Tolmos v Spain [1995] Table of Cases United Kingdom Brown v Procurator Fiscal, Dunfermline, [2000] , The Times, Feb 14, High Ct Scot.; HM Advocate v Friel [1978] SLT; Lambe v Munster [1882] 10 QBD 110.; Pearse v Pearse [1846] Eng Rep 950 (on truth); Re Pantmaenog Timber Co Ltd [2003] HL; R v Bryce [1992] 95 Cr App Rep 320; R v Canale [1990] 2 All ER 187; R v Fitzpatrick [1995] 4 SCR 154; R v Herbert [1990] 2 SCR 151; R V Hertfordshire County Council, ex parte Green Environmental Industries and another [2000] 1 All ER 773; R v Keenan [1989] Crim LR 720; R v Maguire [1990] Cr App Rep 115; R v Pound, Green and ors [2004]; R v Sang [1979] Crim LR 655; R v Saunders [1986] unreported; R v Seelig, R v Spens [1991] CA; R v Smith [1992] 95 Cr App. R. 191; R v Steen and ors [2003] unreported; R v Walsh [1981] CrimLR 822; R V Ward 96 Cr App R [1993]; R v Weekes [1993] Crim LR 211; R v White [1999] 2 SCR 417; R v Young [2003] unreported; Thompson Newspaper v Canada [1990] 1 SCR 425; Walsh Automation (Europe) Ltd v Bridgeman and ors [2002] EWHC 1344 QB France-Law France 1789 Declaration des driots de l‟homme et du citoyen 1808 Code d ‟instruction criminelle 1946 Constitution 1958 Code de procedure penale 2000 Penal Code Germany-Law Germany 1871 Criminal Code 1877 Criminal Procedure Code (St PO) 1877 Judicial Organisation Law 1949 Constitution 1975 Criminal Code 1998 Criminal Code Table of Cases Germany Germany BGH Admissibility of secret tape recordings judgement 14 June 1960, in BGHSt 14, 358 BGH Lie detector judgement 16 Feb 1954, in BGHSt 5, 332. BberfG Decision concerning the applicability of ne bis in idem 31 March 1987, in BberfGE 75,1; BGH Sweeping deception of suspect judgement 24 August 1988, in BGHSt 36, 328. BGH Judgement 24 August 1993, in BGHSt 39, 305 Table of Cases United States United States of America California v Byres [1971] 402 U.S. 424; Fisher v United States 475 U.S. 391 [1986]; Griffin v California [1965] 380 US 609 [; Hoffman v United States [1950] 341 U.S. 479; Supreme Court Baldwin v NY, 399 US 143 [1970]; Supreme Court Chavez v Martinez , U.S. 123 [2003]; Supreme Court Doyle v Ohio, 426 U.S. 610 [1976]; Supreme Court Escobedo v Illinois, 378 U.S. 478 [1964]; Supreme Court Giglio v US, 405 U.S. 150 [1972] Supreme Court Harris v NY, 401 U.S. 222 [1971]; Supreme Court Kirby v Illinois, 406 U.S. 682 [1972]; Supreme Court Miranda v Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 [1966]; Supreme Court Moore v Illinois, 408 U.S. 768 [1972]; Supreme Court Moran v Burbine, 475 U.S. [1986]; Supreme Court Orzoco v Texas, 324 U.S.24 [1969]; Supreme Court US v Hale [1975] 422 US 17; Supreme Court US v Leon, 468 U.S. 897 [1984]; Supreme Court US v Salerno, 481 U.S. 739 [1987]; Twining v New Jersey 211 US 78 113 -/- . (shrink)

In this paper, I discuss some of the recent developments in the political turn of Social Epistemology, focusing on the notions of epistemic injustice and epistemic oppression. In the first part of the work, I introduce Kristie Dotson’s characterization of the epistemic injustices presented by Miranda Fricker, through the understanding of systematic ways of violating epistemic agency in terms of oppressions. In the second part, I discuss Dotson’s critique of Fricker on the grounds that there is an important kind of (...) epistemic injustice that is not dealt with in Fricker’s proposal, and which could help us to perceive a particular, pervasive kind of violation of the epistemic agency. (shrink)

-/- Title: The Major Problems of U.S. Society and Their Possible Solutions -/- The United States, known for its wealth, innovation, and global influence, continues to face significant societal challenges that hinder its ability to create a fair, peaceful, and sustainable future. While the country has achieved remarkable progress in many areas, several persistent and interrelated problems remain. Among the most pressing are political polarization, income inequality, inadequate healthcare, gun violence, systemic racism, mental health issues, climate change, homelessness, immigration challenges, (...) and disparities in education. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach grounded in evidence, compassion, and long-term thinking. -/- 1. Political Polarization -/- Political division has reached historic levels, making compromise and collaboration difficult. Misinformation, social media echo chambers, and partisan media outlets deepen the divide. -/- Solution: Encourage civic education and critical thinking in schools. Promote media literacy to help citizens identify reliable information. Electoral reforms such as ranked-choice voting may also reduce extreme partisanship by encouraging moderate candidates. -/- 2. Income Inequality -/- The wealth gap continues to grow, with millions struggling to meet basic needs while the wealthiest accumulate immense fortunes. This disparity undermines economic mobility and social stability. -/- Solution: Introduce fairer tax policies and invest in job training and education to support upward mobility. Raising the federal minimum wage and improving labor rights would also help reduce inequality. -/- 3. Healthcare Access and Costs -/- The U.S. healthcare system is among the most expensive in the world, yet millions lack sufficient access to care. -/- Solution: Expand access to affordable healthcare through public options or universal health coverage. Regulate pharmaceutical pricing and reduce administrative overhead through streamlined systems. -/- 4. Gun Violence -/- Frequent mass shootings and high rates of gun-related deaths remain a critical concern. -/- Solution: Enact comprehensive gun reform, including universal background checks, safe storage laws, and restrictions on high-capacity weapons. At the same time, invest in community-based violence prevention programs. -/- 5. Systemic Racism -/- Racial disparities in education, income, policing, and healthcare reflect deep-seated systemic issues. -/- Solution: Implement equitable policies that dismantle systemic barriers—such as reforming police practices, improving access to quality education in underserved communities, and promoting diversity in leadership roles. -/- 6. Mental Health Crisis -/- Mental health disorders, especially among youth, have increased sharply in recent years, yet mental health services remain underfunded and stigmatized. -/- Solution: Increase public funding for mental health care and make services accessible in schools and workplaces. Launch national campaigns to reduce stigma and raise awareness. -/- 7. Climate Change -/- The effects of climate change—wildfires, floods, and extreme weather—are intensifying, posing a major threat to both the environment and the economy. -/- Solution: Invest in renewable energy, enforce stricter emissions standards, and rejoin international climate agreements. Local communities should be supported in adapting to climate-related threats. -/- 8. Homelessness and Housing Crisis -/- Rising housing costs and insufficient affordable housing contribute to widespread homelessness in major cities. -/- Solution: Build more affordable housing, support rental assistance programs, and provide wraparound services for the homeless, including mental health care and addiction treatment. -/- 9. Immigration Challenges -/- Immigration remains a polarizing topic, especially in regard to undocumented migrants and border control. -/- Solution: Create a fair and humane immigration system that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and modernizes border management to balance security and compassion. -/- 10. Education Disparities -/- Educational quality varies drastically depending on geography and income level, reinforcing cycles of poverty. -/- Solution: Increase federal funding for public schools in underserved areas. Support universal pre-K and reduce student loan burdens through debt forgiveness and affordable college initiatives. -/- Conclusion -/- The problems facing U.S. society are complex but not insurmountable. By acknowledging these issues and working collaboratively across political, economic, and social lines, real progress is possible. A more just and unified society can emerge by embracing inclusive policies, empowering education, and nurturing empathy. The future of the United States depends not just on innovation and prosperity, but on the moral courage to confront and correct the systemic issues that hold its people back. -/- . (shrink)

In the aftermath of World War II, U.S. policy toward the Asian colonies of the European powers followed a simple rule: where the nationalists in a territory were leftist (as in Vietnam), Washington would support the reimposition of European colonial rule, while in those places where the nationalist movement was safely nonleftist (India, for example), Washington would support their independence as a way to remove them from the exclusive jurisdiction of a rival power. At first, Indonesian nationalists were not deemed (...) sufficiently pliable, so U.S.-armed British troops (assisted by Japanese soldiers) went into action against the Indonesians to pave the way for the return of Dutch troops, also armed by the United States. In 1948, however, moderate Indonesian nationalists under Sukarno crushed a left-wing coup attempt, and Washington then decided that the Dutch should be encouraged to settle with Sukarno, accepting Indonesian independence. (shrink)

In this essay, I explore the question concerning truthmakers for attributions of memory of events, which I express with the schema “S remembers E”. To answer this question, I distinguish remembering in the descriptive sense, which is based on subjective experience, from remembering in the normative sense, which requires some correspondence with actual past events. As a method of approaching attributions of memory, I will use the method of cases. Based on this method, I address the metaphysical problem of the (...) past as the ontological foundation of present truths about memories. This approach, in turn, leads us to a critical analysis of Aristotle's solution, which focuses on the mode of consideration of a mental image. I conclude that while the Aristotelian approach offers valuable insights, a contemporary theory of truthmakers for memory attributions must incorporate elements of the philosophy of memory in order to adequately address the complexities of memory attributions. (shrink)

The truth-making principle is one of the main subjects in contemporary meta- physics, and this paper is an elementar exposition of the main issues of the on-going debate. I will proceed as follows. First, I will expose the basics, including the principle’s range, the main kinds of truth-making, the main interpretations of the principle, and some applications. Second, I will expose some technical issues about ontological commitment, reification, necessity, reality, and truth.

Hassan Al Kontar appeared in major headlines in 2018. He had left his country of origin, Syria, and refused to return when the Syrian Civil War broke out. He had emigrated a few years earlier to the United Arab Emirates, where he worked as an insurance marketing agent. His work permit expired after the start of the conflict in Syria. So did his passport. Hassan remained in the Emirates illegally, out of fear of being drafted by the army upon his (...) return to Syria. He was then arrested and sent to Malaysia where he was given a three-month tourist visa, but impeded from leaving the airport. Hassan ended up in a legal limbo. In a world like ours, where states jurisdictions exhaust the surface of the earth and determine the relationship between the state and its legal subjects, yet that pledges to protect the human rights of everyone, including non-nationals, how can these legal limbos in the international human rights regime be allowed? Some think there is a paradox at play here in that international human rights law gives a person a right to leave the state where he is physically present, regardless of nationality, but no matching right to enter elsewhere. Others deny this to be the case. This article is not an attempt to add yet another voice pro et contra the wrongfulness of the alleged state of affairs in international law. Rather it seeks to clarify the disagreement by offering a systematic problem-setting. We show what the matter under dispute consists in and which theoretical commitments are necessary to commit to in either side of this debate. We do this in three steps. First, we offer an ecumenical description of the matter under normative dispute. Second, we show that the matter under dispute is unclear concerning the ratio materiae of the action-class regulated by the norms in question. Third, we draw the consequences of this circumstance for the conditions of truth of the opposing positions. It seems that the disagreement is rooted in the very description of the action-class that the norm purports to regulate: in a nutshell, it seems that while one side thinks that the action is a movement of one and the same body in space across the territorial jurisdictional lines of two state actors, the other side to the debate thinks that we are dealing with two actions, separate and separable institutional facts that refer to the individual’s position vis-à-vis a state. (shrink)

This work aims to present and discuss recent developments in epistemology that seek for satisfactory formulations and responses to the problem of radical skepticism. Its main goal is to understand how the skeptical problem can be properly characterized, how it can be viewed as inserted in the traditional dispute in epistemology between externalism and internalism, and to which extent antiskeptical theories are situated within this dispute. After identifying their place in the dispute, another antiskeptical proposal is discussed, one that suggests (...) a conciliatory take on the internalist/externalist debate. The way Duncan Pritchard presents this conciliatory view, known as epistemological disjunctivism, intends to show that we can know the things that radical skepticism wants to preclude us to know. In order to do that, we just have to consider our structure of reasons as one that allows us to have factive reasons, reasons of externalist and internalist nature, that could put us in a privileged position to know the things we ordinarily believe. After the presentation and discussion of Pritchard's epistemological disjunctivism, and his general rejection of skepticism, it is suggested that its antiskeptical tools are also available to more traditional epistemic theories - but to access them, some epistemological assumptions need to be adjusted. In order to do that, an alternative take on the internalism/externalism dispute is offered, so it can allow for a different way of conceiving the conciliatory antiskeptical strategy, one that has epistemic reliabilism as its framework. The final propposal consists in an attempt to democratize the disjunctivist tool against radical skepticism. (shrink)

This work has as its main purpose to discuss the use of the concept of virtue in contemporary theories of justification. From a general approximation that recent epistemology has established with traditional moral theories, we intend to evaluate the normative potential that the notion of intellectual virtue can offer to handle key epistemic demands, as the demand for an adequate characterization of the justificational element within the traditional definition of knowledge. Hence, we need to explore some of the theories that, (...) in contemporary philosophy, intended to characterize more properly the element that converts true beliefs into knowledge, based on the idea that it can be derived from the cognitive nature of the subject that forms beliefs. One of the main approaches in this regard was Ernest Sosa's virtue perspectivism. Sosa was responsible for inserting the concept of intellectual virtues in the most recent epistemological debate. His theory is also responsible for the popularization of an epistemic evaluation focused on the character of the doxastic agent. Two other prominent theories in this framework, and which were directly influenced by Sosa's seminal work, are Linda Zagzebski's pure virtue theory and John Greco's agent reliabilism. Both authors followed intuitions present in Sosa's proposal to construct, each in its own way, theories of epistemic justification that takes as evaluative measure the contribution of the subject to convert their beliefs into instances of knowledge. We'll discuss here each of these theories and assess to what degree they can characterize the justification so as to meet some epistemic needs, that we frequently judge important. (shrink)

Purdue Pharma was being investigated by United States Civil and Criminal compliance agencies for many years and a conclusion has now been reached. Although successful , this author feels that such extremely serious corporate frauds must also punish senior individual executives with long jail sentences -in this case-corporate manslaughter.

Quasi-Nelson logic (QNL) was recently introduced as a common generalisation of intuitionistic logic and Nelson's constructive logic with strong negation. Viewed as a substructural logic, QNL is the axiomatic extension of the Full Lambek Calculus with Exchange and Weakening by the Nelson axiom, and its algebraic counterpart is a variety of residuated lattices called quasi-Nelson algebras. Nelson's logic, in turn, may be obtained as the axiomatic extension of QNL by the double negation (or involutivity) axiom, and intuitionistic logic as the (...) extension of QNL by the contraction axiom. A recent series of papers by the author and collaborators initiated the study of fragments of QNL, which correspond to subreducts of quasi-Nelson algebras. In the present paper we focus on fragments that contain the connectives forming a residuated pair (the monoid conjunction and the so-called strong Nelson implication), these being the most interesting ones from a substructural logic perspective. We provide quasi-equational (whenever possible, equational) axiomatisations for the corresponding classes of algebras, obtain twist representations for them, study their congruence properties and take a look at a few notable subvarieties. Our results specialise to the involutive case, yielding characterisations of the corresponding fragments of Nelson's logic and their algebraic counterparts. (shrink)

The goal of this research was to analyze the philosophical meaning of the sentence of the fifth century sophist a.C. Protagoras de Abdera: “Man is the measure of all things: of the things that are, that they are, of the things that are not, that they are not”. That phrasing wording was criticized by philosophers of the time, especially Plato. Drawing from various sources, I intend to retrace Protagoras' ideas and its philosophical force. I intend to investigate how, in a (...) way, Protagoras contributes to Plato's philosophical reflection and to investigate, on the other hand, whether there are relevant arguments to show that the interpretation of Protagoras's sentence is different from that of Plato. (shrink)

hindi malabong maisip ng ilan na kawalang-saysay, kung hindi man pagaaksaya ng panahon, ang paglilimbag ng isang akda na nagsusulong sa kahalagahan ng pagbabasa ng mga aklat at pagkatuto pang ibang paksa na di-hamak na mas napapanahon at mas dapat pagtuunan ng pansin sa gitna ng isang pandaigdigang krisis? Kahawig din nito ang isyung kinaharap ni C.S. Lewis noong panahon ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig. Makabuluhan pa ba ang pagaaral at pagkatuto sa gitna ng isang digmaang kahit kailan ay maaaring kumitil (...) sa buhay nila at ng kanilang mga minamahal? Sa isang panayam sa Oxford noong 1939 ay ganito ang naging tugon ni Lewis sa katanungang ito:. (shrink)