La sovranità dell’Idea del Bene: Iris Murdoch con Platone

The philosophical work of Iris Murdoch, although not so extensive, cannot be easily grasped through usual classifications. Here we suggest approaching it from the perspective of Moore’s thesis on the indefinable nature of good that she endorsed after having re-examined it. This comparison with Moore, however, is part of a more general and deeper investigation on the platonic Idea of the Good itself. Thus, after having analyzed how Murdoch understood and assessed the transition from Moore’s conception to the contemporary framework shared by emotivism and R. Hare’s prescriptivism, we clarify the idea of the sovereignty of good by emphasizing the following three aspects: the link between the realm of good and the authority of truth; the unifying power of the idea of good, in regard to reality as we experience it in our lives; lastly, the way in which this idea enables us to transcend the limits of our inherited theoretical horizons, thus revealing the true nature of human freedom

Le parole giuste per l’etica: esercizio dell’immaginazione e immaginario sociale in Iris Murdoch

My paper aims at reconstructing the way – still fertile and up-to-date – in which Murdoch, at the beginning of her career, conceived and practiced moral philosophy. First of all, the research in moral philosophy is devoted to a clarification of the nature of moral life: at this level, Murdoch takes position against the fact-value dichotomy, affirms our original involvement with the good and illustrates the role of imagination. Secondly, the moral philosopher explores the forms assumed by practical life in the present time: to put in order this exploration, a fundamental concept is that of social imagery. Finally, moral philosophy takes part in the symbolic conflict oriented to an understanding of the good, and enriches it by courageously forging new representations and new ethical concept

Sulla filosofia pratica e l’esperienza: repliche ai miei critici

In this paper I reply to the objections raised against my book in this symposium. I also get back on some issue outlined in that book. For instance, Philosophical method, Structure of experience, symbolic uneasiness, Good and Right, politics and pratical philosophy, question of existential meaning. I give some explanation about these topics and I develop their implications

Il circolo della fiducia e la struttura dell’affidarsi

This essay is a contribution to the analysis of the concept of trust and of the practical relation based on it. First, we consider the centrality of trust in social life, as well as its special status: if trusting deserves to be fostered institutionally, it cannot be imposed by law nor encouraged from the viewpoint of personal utility, since it rests on individuals' freedom. Second, we analyse the structure of trusting as a special case of relying on someone: great attention is given to explaining what the trusting individual must attribute to the person in whom he puts his trust, concerning both his practical disposition and motivations. Lastly, we examine the way in which trust engenders trust, thus creating a virtuous circle. If the circle of trust seems to be without foundations, the relation with the mother, however, opens up, for us, its very possibility, while society structures the space of its circulation; yet even the transcendence of society may need another foundation

Aeneas and Dido as the Flamen and Flaminica in the Servian Commentary on Vergil's Aeneid

The Servian commentary on Vergil's Aeneid has two primary authors: one, Servius himself; two, evidence of an earlier commentator sometimes considered to be Aelius Donatus. In a number of notes from this second author, the commentator finds in the Aeneid what he considers to be allusions that associate Aeneas with the flamen Dialis, an ancient, high-ranking Roman priest. In book 4 the association expands to include Dido as the priest's wife, the flaminica. This thesis examines these notes in detail to determine the origins and context of such an association, what impact this portrayal has on the reading of Dido and Aeneas' relationship and their respective characters, and the potential motivations of the two commentators in including or excising these notes. Though the idea that Vergil intended for his readers to understand these allusions to Aeneas as the flamen Dialis is rejected by modern scholars, it still offers insight into the minds of Vergil's earliest scholars, and may even add another layer to our own reading of the Aeneid's most (in)famous couple

Activation of the striated urethral sphincter to maintain continence during dynamic tasks in healthy men

Aims Function of the striated urethral sphincter (SUS) in men is debated. Current evidence is limited to electromyographic (EMG) recordings made with concentric needle electrodes in supine. Understanding of SUS function requires investigation of SUS EMG activity using new recording techniques in dynamic tasks. The aim of this study was to evaluate timing and amplitude of SUS EMG at rest and during dynamic tasks that challenge continence by increasing intra‐abdominal pressure (IAP). Methods Investigative study of five healthy men aged 25–39 years. Measurements included SUS, anal sphincter (AS), and transversus abdominus (TrA) EMG, and IAP (recorded with a nasogastric pressure catheter). Participants performed four tasks that challenged postural control in standing (single and repetitive arm movement, stepping and load catching). Results IAP amplitude and SUS activity were linearly correlated during repetitive arm movement (R 2 : 0.67–0.88). During stepping SUS EMG onset preceded the IAP increase, but followed it with rapid arm movements. When the trunk was loaded unpredictably onset of SUS generally followed the increase in IAP. The modest sample size meant only younger men were tested. Future studies might investigate healthy older men or those with certain pathologies. Conclusions Data show that SUS activity increases proportionally with IAP. This provided evidence that SUS contributes to continence when IAP is increased, and that postural control of the trunk involves activation of this muscle. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:36–43, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90400/1/21178_ftp.pd

“Il carattere infinitamente elusivo della realtà”. Iris Murdoch sul realismo come conquista

This article is part of a study dedicated to the many senses in which Iris Murdoch appeals to reality and realism within her philosophical reflection. In particular, the epistemological significance of her thesis that a good ethical theory must seek to be realist, in the sense of being faithful to the complexities of the reality of moral life, is explored here