Politische Gerechtigkeit bei Cicero und Augustinus

The paper first analyses the Ciceronian sources of Augustine’s idea of justice, then argues that Augustine maintains a kind of “supernatural” view of politics (that is, an interpretation of politics on the background of divine forces), which leaves no room for a normative evaluation of the socio-political sphere. The specific feature of Augustine’s political “supernaturalism”, in fact, is the idea that original sin, depriving man of divine grace, prevents the earthly world from being an improvable copy of an ideal model

Introduction - Reception and Development of Aristotle’s Political Thought in Iberian and Latin American Scholasticism, 16th-18th Centuries

This volume of Patristica et Mediaevalia (2017) presents a series of studies focused on the reception of Aristotle’s political and ethical thought in Iberian and Latin American scholasticism. The background of these studies is the research project “Reception and Development of Aristotle’s Political Thought in Latin America, 16th-18th Centuries”, supported by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation (Germany). We now proceed to a summary of the four articles contained in this issue.Este volumen de Patristica et Mediaevalia (2017) presenta una serie de estudios dedicados a la recepción del pensamiento ético y político de Aristóteles en la escolástica ibérica y latinoamericana. El trasfondo de estos estudios es el proyecto de investigación “Recepción y desarrollo del pensamiento político de Aristóteles en América Latina, siglos XVI - XVIII”, financiado por la Fundación Alexander von Humboldt (Alemania). Presentamos a continuación un sumario de los cuatro artículos contenidos en esta publicación

Adapting Cognitive Task Analysis to Elicit the Skill Chain of a Game

Playing a game is a complex skill that comprises a set of more basic skills which map onto the component mechanics of the game. Basic skills and mechanics typically build and depend on each other in a nested learning hierarchy, which game designers have modelled as skill chains of skill atoms. For players to optimally learn and enjoy a game, it should introduce skill atoms in the ideal sequence of this hierarchy or chain. However, game designers typically construct and use hypothetical skill chains based solely on design intent, theory, or personal observation, rather than empirical observation of players. To address this need, this paper presents an adapted cognitive task analysis method for eliciting the empirical skill chain of a game. A case study illustrates and critically reflects the method. While effective in foregrounding overlooked low-level skills required by a game, its efficiency and generalizability remain to be proven

Impact of Small-Scaled Differences in Micro-Aggregation on Physico-Chemical Parameters of Macroscopic Biopore Walls

Macroscopic biopores, like earthworm burrows or channels which remain after a root decayed, act as preferential flow paths for water, gas, and heat transport processes, and viewing at agricultural production, as preferential elongation paths for plant roots. These processes result in intense alterations of the soil volume and its composition that surrounds the pores. The effects of these processes were analyzed at small-scale and physico-chemical soil parameters, i.e., relative oxygen diffusion coefficient (Ds/DO), oxygen partial pressure pO2, Eh and pH of biopore walls, were measured. The analyses were carried out on undisturbed soil samples with different colonization history, excavated from a haplic Luvisol derived from loess. Soil resistance to penetration was determined simultaneously with Ds/DO and pO2 using a coupled, self-developed approach, and four matric potentials (namely, Ψm = −1 kPa; −3 kPa; −6 kPa or −30 kPa) were considered. We hypothesized that physico-chemical soil parameters in biopore walls were altered due to differing influences on the soil aggregation. Aggregation was visualized with scanning electron microscopy, classified and used to explain differences in–soil properties. Plant roots and earthworms altered aggregation next to biopore surfaces in a contrasted way, either by enhancing aggregates diversity or homogenizing it. Roots led to the formation of subpolyeders while earthworms formed subplates. Pore functions of microaggregates were comparable to those of larger scale, and subpolyeders showed much more favorable soil properties in terms of soil aeration (Ds/Do, pO2). Replicates of all parameters scattered intensely and showed deviations up to several orders of magnitude in case of Ds/DO underlining the large variability of soil properties in biopore walls

Sequential Desynchronization in Networks of Spiking Neurons with Partial Reset

The response of a neuron to synaptic input strongly depends on whether or not it has just emitted a spike. We propose a neuron model that after spike emission exhibits a partial response to residual input charges and study its collective network dynamics analytically. We uncover a novel desynchronization mechanism that causes a sequential desynchronization transition: In globally coupled neurons an increase in the strength of the partial response induces a sequence of bifurcations from states with large clusters of synchronously firing neurons, through states with smaller clusters to completely asynchronous spiking. We briefly discuss key consequences of this mechanism for more general networks of biophysical neurons

Liberalismus oder Republikanismus bei Kant?

Should we assign Kant’s political philosophy rather to the tradition of liberalism or to that of republicanism? Prima facie one might think that liberalism must be the right classification since Kant emphasizes, in his Doctrine of Right, the original, innate right to freedom. Many interpreters believe that he, thereby, wants to express the primacy of human rights. In this article, however, I argue that Kant’s political philosophy should be seen as a combination of elements taken from liberalism as well as from republicanism. It holds even true that the more fundamental aspects are derived from the tradition of republicanism. If we look at ancient and early modern forms of republicanism, we see that the peculiar way in which Kant formulates his normative individualism mirrors his preference for the republican tradition

Kantowska filozofia dziejów i leżące u jej podstaw trudności

The article analyses four main difficulties in the attempts of reconciling the Kant’s philosophy of history with his philosophical standpoint as a whole. They are: (I) the problem of dogmatism, (II) the problem of heteronomy, (III) the problem of cynicism, and (IV) the problem of fatalism. Kant himself refutes these objections in a quite satisfactory way.Artykuł przedstawia cztery główne trudności związane z próbą pogodzenia Kantowskiej filozofii dziejów z Kantowską postawą filozoficzną w ogóle. Tymi trudnościami są: (I) problem dogmatyzmu, (II) problem heteronomii, (III) zagadnienie cynizmu i (IV) pojęcie fatalizmu. Kant w sposób zadowalający rozwiązuje powyższe problemy

Teoría y práctica del comisariado de acción. Experimento expositivo sobre la horizontalidad en el barrio de Ruzafa

A favor a una gestión cultural, basada en la democracia horizontal, se ponen a dialogar una teoría museológica y una práctica museográfica. Ambas giran alrededor de una intervención en el espacio público de Ruzafa.Horn, MC. (2013). Teoría y práctica del comisariado de acción. Experimento expositivo sobre la horizontalidad en el barrio de Ruzafa. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/35528.Archivo delegad