Review of Akira Mizuta Lippit, Electric Animal: Toward a Rhetoric of Wildlife.

Akira Mizuta Lippit, Electric Animal: Toward a Rhetoric of Wildlife. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2000. vii + 287 pp. ISBN 0816634858 (hb), 0816634866 (pbk)

Aristotle on Becoming Human

The essay focuses on Aristotle's reflections on the human being—on humanity not as given, but in fact always to come, understood as a task. I highlight the constructive work involved in becoming human and show that, far from construction in its merely techno-mechanical character, at stake is a formative process vastly proceeding in the dark, lacking eidetically clear guidelines. Indeed, it is through such a process, through such a groping, that eidetic clarification, if at all possible, may be accomplished. In the examination of the extraordinary artifact that the human being is, I discuss matters pertaining to the indemonstrability of first principles; the architectonic character of ethics and its fundamental function vis-à-vis all other human endeavors, including the scientific disciplines(ethics as first philosophy); the relation between human constitution and nature; and issues of freedom, self-making, and self-overcoming. Keywords: Aristotle, ethics, freedom, self-making, selfovercoming

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p < 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p < 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p < 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p < 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p < 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice

Politics and the Perfection of Friendship: Aristotelian Reflections

La discusión de Aristóteles sobre la amistad proporciona unanálisis integrador que, junto con la comprensión cotidianacomún, trata de tener en cuenta enfoques tan diferentes comolos de los sofistas y la meditación de Platón sobre este tema.El presente ensayo examina la complejidad del fenómeno dela amistad, en especial la difícil intersección de la amistadcomo la intimidad amorosa entre individuos excelentes(teleia philia) y la amistad como un vínculo político genuino.Sobre todo, trata de arrojar luz sobre la relevancia política dela amistad perfecta. Así entendida, la amistad se revela comoel fin o el destino de la política e incluso puede presagiarla auto-superación de la política como mera legalidad. Estoabre el camino para la comprensión de la finalidad de lapolítica como no mera conveniencia (de hecho, nada menosque como comunidad próspera) y para pensar lo políticosobre la base del pathos y la singularidad.Aristotle's discussion of friendship provides an inclusiveanalysis that, along with common everyday understanding,tries to take into account approaches as different as thatof the sophists and Plato's meditation on this theme. Thepresent essay examines the complexity of the phenomenonof friendship –especially the difficult intersection offriendship as loving intimacy between excellent individuals (teleia philia) and friendship as a genuinely political bond.Above all, it attempts to cast light on the political relevanceof perfect friendship. Thus understood, friendship isdisclosed as the end or destination of politics and may evenpresage the self-overcoming of politics as mere legality. Thisopens the way for an understanding of political finality asno mere expediency (in fact, as nothing less than communalthriving) and for thinking the political on the basis of pathos and singularity

Aristotle on Becoming Human

Este ensayo se enfoca en las reflexiones de Aristóteles sobre el ser humano - sobre la humanidad no como algo dado, sino como un hecho en devenir, entendido como una tarea. Resalto el trabajo constructivo involucrado en el proceso de llegar a hacerse humano, y muestro que, lejos de una construcción en su carácter meramente técnico-mecánico, está en juego un proceso formativo que en buena medida se desenvuelve en la oscuridad y carece de guías eidéticas claras. En efecto, es a través de dicho proceso, de semejante tanteo en la oscuridad, como se puede llegar a obtener, si es que esto es posible, claridad eidética. En el análisis del extraordinario artefacto que es el ser humano, discuto cuestiones relativas a la indemostrabilidad de los primeros principios, el carácter arquitectónico de la ética y su función fundamental respecto a las demás empresas humanas incluyendo las disciplinas científicas (la ética como filosofía primera), la relación entre constitución humana y naturaleza, y problemas sobre la libertad, la autorrealización y la autosuperación.Palabras clave: Aristóteles, ética, libertad, autorrealización, autosuperación