Mozambique has seen remarkable growth in biomedical research over the last decade. To meet a growing need, the National Committee for Bioethics in Health of Mozambique encouraged the development of ethical review processes at institutions that regularly conduct medical and social science research. In 2012, the Faculty of Medicine of University Eduardo Mondlane and the Maputo Central Hospital established a joint Institutional Committee on Bioethics for Health. This study examines the experience of the first 4 years of the CIBS FM (...) & MCH. This study provides a descriptive, retrospective analysis of research protocols submitted to and approved by the CIBS FM & MCH between March 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016, together with an analysis of the Committee’s respective reviews and actions. A total of 356 protocols were submitted for review during the period under analysis, with 309 protocols approved. Sixty-four percent were submitted by students, faculty, and researchers from UEM, mainly related to Master’s degree research. Descriptive cross-sectional studies were the most frequently reviewed research. The majority were prospective and used quantitative methodologies. The Departments of Internal Medicine at MCH and Community Health at the FM submitted the most protocols from their respective institutions, with 38 and 53% respectively. The CIBS’s average time to final approval for all protocols was 56 days, rising to 161 for the 40 protocols that required subsequent national-level review by the CNBS. Our results show that over its first 4 years, the CIBS FM & MCH has been successful in managing a constant demand for protocol review and that several broad quality improvement initiatives, such as investigator mentoring and an electronic protocol submission platform have improved efficiency in the review process and the overall quality of the protocols submitted. Beyond Maputo, long-term investments in training and ethical capacity building for CIBS across the country continue to be needed, as Mozambique develops greater capacity for research and makes progress toward improving the health of all its citizens. (shrink)

This paper explores the ethical and conceptual implications of the findings from an empirical study (reported elsewhere) of decision-making capacity in anorexia nervosa. In the study, ten female patients aged thirteen to twenty-one years with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, and eight sets of parents, took part in semistructured interviews. The purpose of the interviews was to identify aspects of thinking that might be relevant to the issue of competence to refuse treatment. All the patient-participants were also tested using the (...) MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool—Treatment test of competence. This is a formalized, structured, interviewer-administered test of competence, which is a widely accepted clinical tool for determining capacity. The young women also completed five brief, self-administered questionnaires to assess their levels of psychopathology. The issues identified from the interviews are described under two headings: difficulties with thought processing and changes in values. The results suggest that competence to refuse treatment may be compromised in people with anorexia nervosa in ways that are not captured by traditional legal approaches. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Decision-Making as a Broader ConceptJacinta O. A. Tan (bio), Anne Stewart (bio), and Tony Hope (bio)KeywordsCompetence, decision-making, capacity, anorexia nervosa, autonomy, values, identityWe thank Demian Whiting for the thoughtful critique of aspects of our paper (Tan et al. 2006a). A primary aim of our research was to provide empirical grounds on which to stimulate discussion about the nature of decision-making capacity (DMC). Whiting criticizes in particular the concept of (...) 'pathological values' that we suggested might be relevant in the assessment of DMC and in the related issue of deciding when a patient's refusal of beneficial treatment should be overridden.Whiting's central concern is with DMC. Whiting argues that the absence of pathological values should not be a criterion for DMC. We are unclear whether he is also arguing that pathological values do not provide a reason of any kind for overriding treatment refusal. At the end of the paper he writes: "we cannot justify compulsory treatment of patients who have pathological values... on the grounds that these patients lack DMC" (2009, XX). This seems to leave open the possibility that we may be able to justify compulsory treatment of patients who have pathological values on grounds other than that they lack DMC. As we wrote in our response to the discussants of our original paper, "The primary issue for us is whether the reasons for refusal to which we draw attention provide grounds for overriding refusal, and if they do how they can be characterized in such a way as to avoid the ever-present danger of simply overriding autonomy in a patient's best interests" (Tan et al. 2006b, 300).In deciding on whether to use compulsory treatment, there are other relevant factors that may need to be considered, such as the seriousness of the decision, which determines the threshold for competence. However, in this response we consider three issues. First, we argue that the current concept of DMC is by no means so clear cut or generally agreed upon as Whiting implies, and that some of the lack of clarity relates to pathological values. Second, that the concept of DMC is itself dependent on accounts of autonomy, and that it is plausible that pathological values can affect autonomy. Third, we directly consider the question of whether a coherent account of pathological values might be given based on a concept of authenticity.The Current Criteria for DMCWhiting argues that the current criteria for DMC are correct and that an additional criterion along the lines of absence of pathological values should not be added. This argument assumes that there is a clear and agreed understanding of the current criteria. We believe this is not the case for three reasons.(i) Whiting begins his account of DMC by saying that it is normally taken to include: "(1) [End Page 345] understanding (and appreciation)" (2009, 341). Already there is an area of dispute, and the use of parentheses reflects this. The concept of 'appreciation' was developed by Grisso and Applebaum (Grisso, Appelbaum, and Hill-Fotouhi 1997). It is not included in either English common law development, for example (ReC), nor in the criteria specified in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. More important, Grisso and Appelbaum in their comment on our original paper (2006) argue that our work advances thinking about 'appreciation' rather than requiring that we add new elements. The implication is that they believe that what we have called pathological values are relevant to the assessment of capacity and are already included in an account of capacity that incorporates the criterion of 'appreciation.' In our response, we argued that pathological values are not entirely captured within the account of appreciation that Grisso and Appelbaum had previously given. We do not want to revisit that issue here, but the point of relevance is that on one view (that of Grisso and Appelbaum) pathological values are already included in the current criteria for DMC as part of the concept of appreciation, whereas on Whiting's view they are not.(ii) Even if there were agreement over the wording and concepts relevant to DMC there is a further important issue: how are those concepts... (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Studying Penguins to Understand BirdsJacinta O. A. Tan (bio), Anne Stewart (bio), Ray Fitzpatrick (bio), and Tony Hope (bio)Keywordsanorexia nervosa, treatment decision-making, competence, valuesWe are grateful to Grisso, Appelbaum, Charland, and Vollmann for their thoughtful commentaries on our paper. We would like to respond by picking up on some of the points they make, although we do not address all the issues raised.Our general aims in the paper are (...) less immediately pragmatic than are the central concerns of Grisso and Appelbaum. Our interest is primarily in a number of ethical, and related conceptual, issues that arise from empirical data. In the long run, of course, we believe that these ethical and conceptual issues are important to the care of people with mental disorders, but our focus is philosophical.Our central interest is what justifies overriding treatment refusal. We are unhappy with a "status" approach according to which, for example, the mere fact that a person suffers a mental disorder provides grounds for overriding her wishes. Such an approach, it seems to us, fails to identify reasons, and discriminates against those with mental disorder, a view shared by the Law Commission (The Law Commission 1995). We are, on the other hand, attracted by the approach that grounds any overriding of treatment refusal on lack of capacity (or competence) to make treatment decisions. The concept of capacity has been well developed through legal cases and conceptual analysis, not least by Grisso and Appelbaum themselves. We were struck, however, first through clinical experience, and subsequently from the pilot study reported in our paper, that many patients with anorexia nervosa who refuse treatment do not necessarily lack capacity, using the current criteria, and yet show features or give reasons that raise serious doubts as to whether it is right to respect their refusal of treatment.To avoid reliance on a "status" approach, the issue with which we are grappling is whether the concept of capacity (and therefore lack of capacity) can be developed to encompass some of our findings, and whether it is ethically right to do so. Charland makes the important point that the concept of competence, or capacity, has both a descriptive and a prescriptive component. It is for this reason that the question of whether, for example, we should extend the criteria for capacity is part of the question of when it is morally right to override treatment refusal.Grisso and Appelbaum suggest that our work advances "our thinking about appreciation, rather than requiring that we add new elements" (2006, 297). From our perspective, and at this stage, it is a secondary issue whether we are suggesting a development of appreciation, or a new element (e.g., "pathological values"). The primary issue for us is whether the reasons for refusal to which we draw attention provide grounds for overriding refusal, and if they do how they can be characterized in [End Page 299] such a way as to avoid the ever-present danger of simply overriding autonomy in a patient's best interests.We chose to study anorexia nervosa for various reasons, but we expect that the issues raised have a more general relevance (such as to substance abuse and impulse control disorders as Grisso and Appelbaum and Charland suggest). We do not expect the results to be relevant to all, or even most, mental disorders. Our main interest is not the specific management of people with anorexia, but how the data challenge, and help to develop, the concept of capacity, and the ethical analysis of overriding patient refusal of treatment. Our paper aims to address what we understand Charland to be referring to by the "pretheoretical desiderata" (2006, 283) of the concept of capacity. One reason why we chose anorexia as the focus of this work is because it is different from many mental disorders in the issues that it raises. In this it is, perhaps, rather like studying penguins to better understand the concept of bird just because penguins, although clearly birds, have unusual features.We agree, therefore, with Grisso and Appelbaum's caution that it would be unwise to jump in and change the MacCAT-T on the basis of the results... (shrink)

This second volume in the Come Along: We Are Truth-Bound series is a cross-examination of the concepts derived in Volume One, conducted by means of a dialogue with a representative thinker from each of the related bodies of knowledge. The study reveals reality to be an intricate, harmoniously-integrated whole.

Indigenous knowledge is often dismissed as ‘traditional and outdated’, and hence irrelevant to modern ecological assessment. This theoretical paper critically examines the arguments advanced to elevate modern western ecological knowledge over indigenous ecological knowledge, as well as the sources and uses of indigenous ecological knowledge. The central argument of the paper is that although the two systems are conceptually different, it would be fallacious to regard one as superior to the other merely because they are premised on different worldviews.

It feels like there’s two of you inside—like there’s another half of you, which is my anorexia, and then there’s the real K [own name], the real me, the logic part of me, and it’s a constant battle between the two. The anorexia almost does become part of you, and so in order to get it out of you I think you do have to kind of hurt you in the process. I think it’s almost inevitable. We came to the (...) concept of authenticity belatedly, one might say. We had been talking to people who had a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa about their experiences of living with their condition, and though we had not raised issues of authenticity or identity ourselves, they often did. They struggled with questions of .. (shrink)

Este artículo presenta una lectura crítica de un trabajo central de Axel Honneth desde la teoría de la sujeción de Judith Butler. Intenta mostrar que, por la ausencia en su escrito de una consideración sobre el poder, el pensador alemán no logra cumplir satisfactoriamente su objetivo propuesto de enfrentar las posturas que cuestionan el potencial crítico del reconocimiento. La hipótesis que aquí se maneja es que esa ausencia está ligada a su definición del reconocimiento como lo contrario de las prácticas (...) de dominio o sometimiento. Ahora bien, Honneth afirma que el escepticismo de esas posturas respecto del reconocimiento se basa en la idea de que toda praxis recognoscente reproduce de alguna manera el orden social dominante. El presente trabajo se propone entonces, cuestionar esta aseveración del autor advirtiendo que un análisis sobre el modo en que el poder actúa en las prácticas cotidianas de reconocimiento no necesariamente conlleva una renuncia de la función crítica del concepto para la teoría social. Más bien, como sugiere la noción butleriana (y foucaultiana) de crítica, sólo enmarcando al reconocimiento en el horizonte normativo que lo delimita puede convertirse en la base de la indagación social. (shrink)

In this text we explore and present some elements that allow us to consider the elaboration of a feminist theory of the State. In principle, it is about starting from a materialistic philosophical perspective that provides us with a broad and rigorous framework for inquiry, which includes a consideration of the complex social topic in which our practices are inscribed and a special attention to the dynamics of affects that guide us in them. Based on this perspective, we propose the (...) concept of State of care. The logic of care to which we refer here is not limited to the problem of social reproduction but crosses the set of instances and practices, and simultaneously involves a way of knowing, a way of being and a way of constituting oneself. (shrink)

This paper is a critical examination of Odera Oruka’s theory of punishment in his Punishment and Terrorism in Africa. It argues that although Oruka clearly highlights the weaknesses of the Retributionist and Utilitarian accounts of punishment and therefore calls for the Reformist view of ‘treating both the criminal and society’, he is mistaken in calling for the abolition of punishment simply because it cannot reform the criminal. The paper contends that the reform of the criminal is only one major function (...) of punishment and not the only one, and so we cannot call for its abolition on the basis of this single consideration. The paper further urges that Oruka’s theory of punishment is rather deterministic: according to him, the criminal commits the crime because of the criminal forces which he or she has very little control over, so that he or she cannot be held morally responsible for his or her actions. (shrink)

The main argument of this theoretical paper is that the pursuit of honest profits in a voluntary market exchange is not only moral but also ingrained in human nature, in that human beings pursue activities that benefit them and avoid those that cause them loss. Through an examination of the Kenyan business venture called Iko Toilet (which is a mix of the Kiswahili word ‘iko’ meaning ‘there is’ and the English word ‘toilet’ to literally mean ‘there is a Toilet’), the (...) paper contends that there is no inherent contradiction between doing well (engaging in honest voluntary business transactions) in order to do good (maximize legitimate profits). (shrink)

Deep Brain Stimulation is currently being investigated as an experimental treatment for patients suffering from treatment-refractory AN, with an increasing number of case reports and small-scale trials published. Although still at an exploratory and experimental stage, initial results have been promising. Despite the risks associated with an invasive neurosurgical procedure and the long-term implantation of a foreign body, DBS has a number of advantageous features for patients with SE-AN. Stimulation can be fine-tuned to the specific needs of the particular patient, (...) is relatively reversible, and the technique also allows for the crucial issue of investigating and comparing the effects of different neural targets. However, at a time when DBS is emerging as a promising investigational treatment modality for AN, lesioning procedures in psychiatry are having a renaissance. Of concern it has been argued that the two kinds of interventions should instead be understood as rivaling, yet “mutually enriching paradigms” despite the fact that lesioning the brain is irreversible and there is no evidence base for an effective target in AN. We argue that lesioning procedures in AN are unethical at this stage of knowledge and seriously problematic for this patient group, for whom self-control is particularly central to wellbeing. They pose a greater risk of major harms that cannot justify ethical equipoise, despite the apparent superiority in reduced short term surgical harms and lower cost. (shrink)

Capacity and competence in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry are complex issues, because of the many different influences that are involved in how children and adolescents make treatment decisions within the setting of mental health. This article will examine some of the influences which must be considered, namely: developmental aspects, the paradoxical relationship between the need for autonomy and participation and the capacity of children, family psychiatry, and the duty of care towards children and adolescents. The legal frameworks (...) relevant to consideration of consent and competence will be briefly considered, as well as some studies of children's consent, participation and competence. A case vignette will be used as a focus to consider the complexity of the issue of competence in child and adolescent psychiatry, in the particular mental disorder of anorexia nervosa. (shrink)

The aim of this study was to ascertain nurses' and doctors' perspectives on the practice of slow codes, which are cardiopulmonary resuscitative efforts that are intentionally performed too slowly for resuscitation to occur. A Heideggerian phenomenological study was conducted in 2005, during which data were gathered in the Republic of Ireland from three nurses and two doctors (via unstructured interviews) and analysed using Colaizzi's reductive procedure. Slow codes do occur in Ireland and are intended as beneficent acts. However, slow codes (...) were identified as pointless and undignified when intrusive measures were employed. There is a need for discussion on the topic of slow codes in Ireland, and for aids to cardiopulmonary resuscitation decision making to be developed, such as advance directives, communication training, clinical guidelines and an explanatory leaflet for patients and families. (shrink)

Financiamento de Pesquisa: CNPq Moral e Direito: uma relação peculiar Resumo: O objetivo deste artigo é defender a existência de uma relação peculiar pluridirecional entre a moral e o direito, bem como defender que a moralidade é melhor compreendida por sua autoridade normativa em segunda pessoa, especificamente nos casos que envolvem reivindicações de justiça. Para tal finalidade, inicio esclarecendo as características centrais da moralidade, ressaltando a sua natureza e autoridade normativa intersubjetiva. Posteriormente, investigo duas reivindicações de justiça, a saber, a (...) injustiça epistêmica e a desobediência civil. Na conclusão, sugiro uma distinção entre moralidade privada e pública, argumentando que isto pode nos ajudar a compreender melhor a relação pluridirecional que existe entre a moral e o direito. Palavras-chave: Normatividade; Ponto de vista de segunda pessoa; Injustiça epistêmica; Desobediência civil; Moralidade privada e pública. Morals and Law: a peculiar relationship Abstract: The main aim of this paper is to defend the existence of a peculiar pluridirectional relationship between morals and law, as well as to defend that morality is better understood by its normative authority in second person, specifically in cases involving claims of justice. To this end, I begin by clarifying the central characteristics of morality, highlighting its nature and its normative authority that is intersubjective. Subsequently, I investigate two claims of justice, namely, epistemic injustice and civil disobedience. In conclusion, I suggest a distinction between private and public morality, arguing that this can help us to better understand that there is a pluridirectional relationship between morals and law. Key-words: Normativity; Second-person standpoint; Epistemic injustice; Civil disobedience; Public and private morality. Moral y Derecho: una relación peculiar Resumen: El objetivo principal de este trabajo es defender la existencia de una peculiar relación pluridireccional entre moral y derecho, así como defender que la moral se entiende mejor por su autoridad normativa en segunda persona, específicamente en los casos de pretensiones de justicia. Para ello, comienzo por aclarar las características centrales de la moral, destacando su naturaleza y su autoridad normativa que es intersubjetiva. Posteriormente, investigo dos reclamos de justicia, a saber, la injusticia epistémica y la desobediencia civil. En conclusión, sugiero una distinción entre moralidad privada y pública, argumentando que esto puede ayudarnos a comprender mejor que existe una relación pluridireccional entre moral y derecho. Palabras clave: Normatividad; Perspectiva en segunda persona; Injusticia epistémica; Desobediencia civil; Moral pública y privada. Data de registro: 17/02/2021 Data de aceite: 05/07/2021. (shrink)

The concept of civilization is intrinsic to the English School’s understanding of international society. At the same time, engagement with discourses of civilization has been an important site of c...

North America and New Zealand were colonized by England under an international legal principle that is known today as the Doctrine of Discovery. When Europeans set out to explore and exploit new lands in the fifteenth through the twentieth centuries, they justified their sovereign and property claims over these territories and the Indigenous people with the Discovery Doctrine. This legal principle was justified by religious and ethnocentric ideas of European and Christian superiority over the other cultures, religions, and races of (...) the world. The Doctrine provided that newly-arrived Europeans automatically acquired property rights in the lands of Native people and gained political and commercial rights over the inhabitants. England was an avid supporter of the Doctrine and used it around the world. The English colonial governments and colonists in New Zealand and America, and later the American state and federal governments and New Zealand governments, all utilized Discovery and still use it today to exercise legal rights to Native lands and to control their Indigenous people. In this article, the authors, an American Indian and a New Zealand Maori, use a comparative law methodology to trace and compare the legal and historical application of Discovery in both countries. The evidence uncovered helps to explain the current state of United States Indian law and the New Zealand law relating to Maoris. While the countries did not apply the elements of Discovery in the exact same manner, and at the same time periods, the similarities of their use of Discovery are striking and not the least bit surprising since the Doctrine was English law. Viewing American and New Zealand history in light of the international law Doctrine of Discovery helps to expand one's knowledge of both countries and their Indigenous peoples. (shrink)

A crítica é uma espécie de pedra de toque para toda a filosofia latino-americana. Isso porque temos sido críticos na medida em que aprendemos os procedimentos epistemológicos da filosofia ocidental. Porém, a crítica não possui hegemonia na América Latina porque ela adquiriu funcionalidades divergentes com relação ao modelo original. Daí que somos críticos e não somos. O acerto de contas com essa ambiguidade nos mostra que temos sido involuntariamente hipócritas. A evidência disso é que não conseguimos abrir mão da crítica (...) para avaliar a situação efetiva dessa ambiguidade. Com isso, não somente incorremos em uma forma de círculo lógico como resvalamos para o conforto da filosofia europeia. Para abandonar essa hipocrisia involuntária só nos resta o caminho de descobrir que não somos europeus. (shrink)

O texto que se segue busca apresentar algumas facetas da discussão sobre a origem da linguagem em Rousseau, Fichte e Nietzsche com vistas a destacar elementos comuns aos três autores, sobretudo ao tomarem o ponto de vista histórico como estratégia de recusa de toda fundamentação metafísica da palavra. The following text presents some features of the discussion about the origin of language by Rousseau, Fichte and Nietzsche trying to enhance common elements between the three authors, especially by taking the historical (...) point of view as a strategy of refusal of any metaphysical origin of the word. (shrink)

Filosofia e Educação como “Modo de vida”: o cuidado de si, do outro e o agradecimento a Asclépio Resumo: Este artigo é parte dos resultados de pesquisas empreendidas no Grupo de Pesquisa GPEFE - Grupo de Pesquisa Estudos Foucaultianos e Educação da Universidade São Francisco. As análises partem de referenciais teóricos filosóficos da Antiguidade grega, em especial Platão e avança por entre os contemporâneos como Nietzsche, Foucault, dentre outros, com intuito de perscrutar o enigmático pedido de Sócrates a Críton, quando (...) Sócrates pediu que sacrificasse um galo a Asclépio. O que Sócrates queria dizer com este “enigma”? “– Devemos um galo a Asclépio”. Então perguntamos: Sócrates foi curado? Curado de que doença? Doenças? Qual ou quais livros de Platão poderiam esclarecer o enigma? Quem era o deus Asclépio? Em que momento Asclépio se tornou importante para os helenos? Qual a simbólica do galo para os atenienses? Existe algum legado através desse enigma que possa nos ajudar de alguma forma a nos educar e educarmos? Tais leituras podem ser importantes para a esfera da Educação? Palavras-chave: Filosofia e Educação, Parrhesía, Epimeléia heautou. Philosophy and Education as “Way of life”: care for the self, care for the others and gratitude to Asclepius: This article is part of the results of a research undertaken in the Research Group GPEFE - Grupo de Pesquisa Estudos Foucaultianos e Educação at the University São Francisco. The analyzes depart from philosophical theoretical references from the Greek Antiquity, especially Plato, and advance with contemporary authors such as Nietzsche, Foucault, among others, in order to examine Socrates' cryptic request to Crito, when Socrates asked that he sacrificed a cock to Asclepius. What did Socrates mean by this “enigma”? “-We owe a cock to Asclepius”. So we ask: was Socrates healed? Healed of what disease? Diseases? Which book or books of Plato could enlighten the riddle? Who was the god Asclepius? When did Asclepius become important to the Hellenes? What is the symbol of the cock for the Athenians? Is there a legacy through this puzzle that can somehow help us to educate and educate ourselves? Can such readings be important to the sphere of Education? Keywords: Philosophy and education, Parrhesía, Epimeléia heautou. Filosofía y Educación como “Modo de vida”: cuidarse a sí mismo, al otro y agradecer a Asclepio Resumen: Este artículo es parte de los resultados de investigaciones realizadas en el Grupo de Investigación GPEFE - Grupo de Pesquisa Estudos Foucaultianos e Educação de la Universidad São Francisco. Los análisis parten de referenciales teóricos filosóficos de la Antigüedad Griega, en particular Platón, y avanzan entre los contemporáneos como Nietzsche, Foucault, entre otros, con el fin de escrutar el enigmático pedido de Sócrates a Críton, cuando Sócrates le rogó que sacrificara un gallo a Asclepio. ¿Qué Sócrates quería decir con este “enigma”? “-Debemos un gallo a Asclepio”. Entonces nos preguntamos: ¿Sócrates fue sanado? ¿Curado de qué enfermedad? ¿Enfermedades? ¿Cuál o cuáles libros de Platón podría aclarar el enigma? ¿Quién era el dios Asclepio? ¿En qué momento Asclepio se hizo importante para los helenos? ¿Cuál es la simbología del gallo para los atenienses? ¿Hay algún legado a través de ese enigma que pueda ayudarnos de algún modo a educarnos y a educar? ¿Tales lecturas pueden ser importantes para la esfera de la Educación? Palabras clave: Filosofía y educación, Parrhesía, Epimeléia heautou. Data de registro: 25/10/2019 Data de aceite: 27/05/2020. (shrink)

Neste artigo pretendo mostrar a importância do conceito de razoável na teoria da justiça como equidade, de John Rawls e também, explicar o problema da razoabilidade nessa teoria. O ponto de partida será ressaltar a exigência de razoabilidade que é feita ao agente moral na justiça como equidade. Posteriormente, procurarei identificar algumas críticas a esse critério. Partirei da crítica formulada por Estlund a respeito do estreitamento do conceito de razoabilidade e a necessidade da verdade e das críticas estabelecidas por Timmons (...) e Gaus sobre a exigência demasiada e ineficaz da razoabilidade. O passo seguinte será tentar responder a essas críticas formuladas e, na parte final do texto, procurarei estipular um argumento a respeito de um tipo de responsabilidade moral razoável que pode estar contida na justiça como equidade. (shrink)

Possuímos sentimentos divergentes com relação a aspectos do presente: somos otimistas com relação à expansão da democracia e cautelosos com relação à aplicação intensa da técnica. Indago se é possível manter esses dois sentimentos divergentes a partir de uma análise da situação cultural que produziu as noções atuais de natureza e sujeito – os respectivos fundamentos da técnica e da democracia contemporâneas. Constato que o sistema técnico-democrático, do qual essas noções emergiram, impõe uma conexão específica entre a natureza e o (...) sujeito, de tal forma que o movimento produzido em uma delas afeta necessariamente a outra. Portanto, democracia e técnica se constituem como as duas faces de uma mesma moeda e não devem ser tratadas de maneira abstrata, como dois elementos distintos. As tentativas de identificação de problemas e de proposição de soluções sobre a técnica e a democracia tenderão a produzir resultados inócuos se partirem dessa perspectiva abstrata que os representa como dois elementos separados da vida contemporânea.: We have different feelings about aspects of the actual world: we are optimistic about the expansion of democracy and cautious about the technique’s intense application. I ask if it’s possible to keep these two conflicting feelings from an analysis of the cultural situation that produced the current notions of nature and subject – the respective foundations of contemporaries technique and democracy. I note the technical democratic system, which these notions have emerged, imposes a specific connection between nature and subject, such that the movement produced in one necessarily affects another. Therefore, democracy and technique constitute as two sides of the same coin and should not be treated abstractly as two distinct elements. Attempts to identify problems and propose solutions about the technique and democracy will tend to produce innocuous results if they start from this abstract point of view that represent them as two separate elements of contemporary life. Keywords: Technique; Democracy; Nature; Subjectivity; Technical Democratic System. (shrink)

A Semana de arte Moderna de 1922 foi um convite para fazer uma inflexão em direção ao Brasil. A filosofia pouco se moveu nessa direção, mesmo um século depois. Permanecemos realizando um trabalho filosófico orientado pelas pautas da velha Europa. Discuto aqui as alternativas que começamos a considerar como viáveis para a prática de uma filosofia brasileira. Embora exista mais de uma alternativa, não há como contornar a necessidade de que um trabalho filosófico pertinente passe pelo estabelecimento de um diálogo (...) com a cultura brasileira. (shrink)

Em 2016 comemoram-se os 200 anos de publicação da “Enciclopédia das Ciências Filosóficas” de Hegel. Esta parece ser uma ocasião especial para se poder avaliar a pertinência da “Enciclopédia” para o Brasil. Essa avaliação, aqui elaborada, conduz à percepção de que se a filosofia é pensar o presente, então a “Enciclopédia” não pode ser compreendida como contendo problemas e soluções para o Brasil, mas apenas para a velha Europa. Portanto, nessa ocasião se torna especialmente perceptível a necessidade de se abandonarem (...) as velhas categorias da Europa como instrumentos para se pensar o Brasil. (shrink)

Dissertação de Mestrado de: DOMINGOS, Harethon Silveira. A Religião e os Direitos Humanos: Doutrina Social da Igreja e direitos emergentes na visão do Papa Francisco. 2018. Dissertação – Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Religião, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.

Desde o Concílio Vaticano II, a Igreja Católica tem motivado o progresso social da humanidade em prol de uma educação que envolva o “bem comum” e o “direito universal”. O Papa Francisco propõe a celebração de um Pacto Educativo Global, unindo toda a sociedade para que se renove o amor por uma educação mais aberta e inclusiva em prol das futuras gerações. Através de políticas públicas coerentes com as múltiplas realidades, valorizando uma educação centrada na pessoa em consonância com o (...) coletivo, direcionando para uma educação humanizadora com a meta de formar seres humanos com valores éticos e morais. Uma educação em que o ato de ensinar e aprender seja ressignificado no que já se traz de bom e que realize, assim, transformações profundas nos espaços, nas culturas e nos diferentes ambientes institucionais, com os quais colabora-se na construção, melhoria e mudança em prol de um mundo mais solidário e fraterno, começando pela transformação de cada pessoa humana. (shrink)

Brazil stands out at the global level for having implemented several policies intending to promote agroecology as a productive paradigm for small-holder farmers. However, the impacts of this process of institutionalization of agroecology still lack research and debates that evaluate the effectiveness of these policies. In this paper, we assess and discuss the impacts of a policy specifically focused on education in agroecology, the support to the establishment of Centers for the Study of Agroecology and Organic Production (NEAs) in more (...) than 150 higher education institutions throughout Brazil. NEAs bring together teachers, researchers, and students who engage in teaching, research, and extension activities in partnerships with peasant farmers, their organizations, and rural extension workers. The hypothesis that guides our analysis is that this support to establish NEAs allowed redistribution of symbolic power in the universities where they were established, supporting agroecology to gain greater legitimacy inside and outside the university field. Based on an in-depth study of four NEAs, performed through participant observation and documentary analysis, the NEAs are evaluated from the perspective of social fields in dispute, first in a university sphere, but also from the perspective of training people in integrative and transdisciplinary thinking that will contest the industrial-corporate food regime. Our findings suggest that the State support to university groups dedicated to the promotion of agroecology has allowed the construction of what we have named agroecological spaces, which symbolically dispute the dominant paradigms in educational institutions, supporting the constitution of material and immaterial agroecological territories. (shrink)

Resumo: Palavras-chave Keywords : Children’s literature. Storytelling. Reading. : Literatura infantil. Contação de histórias. Leitura..: Storytelling is considered nowadays a proper strategy to encourage children to develop literary taste and reading and it is therefore being broadly practiced within educational spaces. Within this framework the present article deals with 140 reports on storytelling observation in schools for children’s education and first classes. These reports were carried out in different places in Porto Alegre and its surroundings. It was possible to observe (...) that despite the joyful characteristic of the storytelling moment – that involves costumes, scenarios, puppets – the way this activity has been conducted turned out to be very pedagogical in three dimensions. In the first place, the choice of many narratives and books reveals an explicit tendency to "civilize" the child or to form a certain kind of subject. In the second place, this pedagogical tendency becomes evident in the conversations carried out between storytellers and children after the storytelling. In this context certain "messages" of the narrative are frequently stressed. At last, in the interviews many storytellers explained their criteria to choose books and stories according to "the project that is being presently developed in the school" or according to "problems that are taking place in the classroom" and so on. In spite of this tendency, however, some reports allow to infer that many teachers are escaping the deliberate pedagogization the stories and are therefore siding with a (new) discourse wherein pedagogical aspects are minimized. A contação de histórias é considerada, atualmente, uma estratégia adequada para iniciar as crianças no gosto pela leitura, sendo uma atividade generalizada nos espaços educativos. Dentro desse quadro, o artigo discute 140 relatos de observação de contação de histórias na Educação Infantil e anos iniciais, realizadas em espaços da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre (RS). Assim, observou-se que, malgrado o caráter lúdico das horas do conto – com fantasias, cenários, fantoches –, há nelas uma evidente pedagogização, através de três dimensões: a primeira é a escolha de algumas histórias e/ ou livros que pretendem abertamente civilizar ou formar um determinado tipo de sujeito. Em segundo lugar, a pedagogização fica evidente nas conversas que a contadora de histórias realiza com crianças após a contação, uma vez que, frequentemente, se enfatizam as mensagens da história. Por fim, nas entrevistas realizadas com as contadoras, ao falarem dos critérios de escolha dos livros e das histórias, várias sinalizaram uma escolha de acordo com o "projeto que está sendo desenvolvido", com "problemas que estão ocorrendo na sala de aula", etc. Mesmo assim, algumas práticas observadas fugiram à pedagogização deliberada, mostrando que muitas professoras estão inseridas em outro (e novo) discurso, em que a pedagogização é minimizada. (shrink)

A contação de histórias é considerada, atualmente, uma estratégia adequada para iniciar as crianças no gosto pela leitura, sendo uma atividade generalizada nos espaços educativos. Dentro desse quadro, o artigo discute 140 relatos de observação de contação de histórias na Educação Infantil e anos iniciais, realizadas em espaços da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre (RS). Assim, observou-se que, malgrado o caráter lúdico das horas do conto � com fantasias, cenários, fantoches �, há nelas uma evidente pedagogização, através de três dimensões: (...) a primeira é a escolha de algumas histórias e/ ou livros que pretendem abertamente civilizar ou formar um determinado tipo de sujeito. Em segundo lugar, a pedagogização fica evidente nas conversas que a contadora de histórias realiza com crianças após a contação, uma vez que, frequentemente, se enfatizam as mensagens da história. Por fim, nas entrevistas realizadas com as contadoras, ao falarem dos critérios de escolha dos livros e das histórias, várias sinalizaram uma escolha de acordo com o �projeto que está sendo desenvolvido�, com �problemas que estão ocorrendo na sala de aula�, etc. Mesmo assim, algumas práticas observadas fugiram à pedagogização deliberada, mostrando que muitas professoras estão inseridas em outro (e novo) discurso, em que a pedagogização é minimizada. (shrink)

Resumo e abstract da Dissertação – Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Religião, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG.

Introduction: Empathy is a complex human experience that involves the subjective intersection of different individuals. In the context of nursing care in the geriatric setting, the benefits of empathetic relationships are directly related to the quality of the practice of nursing. Objective: Analyze scientific production on the benefits of empathy in the nurse–patient relationship in the geriatric care setting. Methods: An integrative review of the literature was performed using the PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases. The (...) articles retrieved were organized, evaluated, and classified based on the level of scientific evidence. Results: Relationships of empathy between nurses and older people were analyzed in quasi-experimental studies using different assessment tools, the majority of which had moderate levels of validity and reliability. Studies with a qualitative approach discussed the meaning of empathy in terms of the quality of care offered, compassion, and vulnerability. Discussion: Levels of empathy increase when activities are developed with the aim of teaching, sensitization, and training for relational care between nursing staff and older people. The analysis of empathetic relationships is important to the evaluation of the quality of care provided to older people. Conclusion: Empathy in the nurse–patient relationship in the geriatric care setting is an important ethical aspect that contributes to the quality of the practice of nursing. The present findings indicate the need for more robust assessment tools with adequate psychometric properties and the descriptive analysis of empathy. (shrink)

Resumo: Nas últimas décadas, a transformação da economia e do mercado de trabalho tem despertado questionamentos éticos relacionados ao advento e à prevalência das novas tecnologias. Neste cenário, destaca-se a emergência do "infoproletariado", uma classe trabalhadora cada vez mais subjugada à lógica do trabalho digital e da economia do conhecimento. Paralelamente, essa transformação se dá em um contexto de "sociedade do cansaço", onde o ritmo acelerado e incessante das atividades produtivas impõe um esgotamento físico e mental às pessoas. Este artigo (...) pretende explorar a interseção desses três conceitos: o infoproletariado, a sociedade do cansaço e a ética das novas tecnologias. Discutiremos as implicações da crescente digitalização do trabalho, a sobrecarga cognitiva e emocional dos trabalhadores, e as questões éticas decorrentes da automação e da exploração da força de trabalho neste contexto. Compreender essa complexa rede de relações é crucial para repensar práticas de trabalho mais justas e sustentáveis na era digital. Palavras-chave: Trabalho; Infoproletariado; Inteligência Artificial; Ética; Sociedade do Cansaço; Capitalismo; Economia. (shrink)

Este artigo visa compreender o estado da arte do naturalismo contemporâneo a partir da discussão com posições não naturalistas, em especial as de Moore e Rawls. Parte-se da análise do argumento central destas abordagens no contexto formal da metaética contemporânea, buscando aferir a validade da falácia naturalista no contexto atual, bem como de seus limites na aplicação contra o naturalismo moral. Apresenta-se a discussão entre o naturalismo e o não-naturalismo moral como, respectivamente, estandartes das perspectivas descritivas e prescritivas da moralidade. (...) O objetivo com esta comparação é apresentar algumas posições em metaética a fim de melhor entender a situação contemporânea do debate moral no que tange à naturalização da ética, contrastando teorias da ação e do valor quanto ao tema da motivação e da normatividade morais. (shrink)

Resenha de "O contrato racial" de Charles W. Mills.