The self and its causal powers between metaphysics and science

AbstractAccording to the thesis of powerism, our world is pervaded by causal powers which are metaphysically basic. The aim of this paper is to defend the existence of the self, defined as asubstantial entity,and itsmental powers. This claim, which may seem a bold one, should not be deemed as inconsistent with scientific evidence. In fact, this approach does not ignore empirical knowledge, but is not bound only to it in order to understand entities, properties, and the relationship between them. Aristotelian powerism may show that theself,as the subject of one's mental acts, is asubstancethat has an essential nature. Firstly, we shall analyze the immediate evidence we have in support of the existence of the self as a substantial entity. We will show that the self is a substance because it possesses an essential character, i.e. an individual essence. We will take into account the Aristotelian perspective ofsubstance, trying to show how the presence of a necessary property that makes every subject identical to itself and the phenomenal features of one's private experience point to the existence of a substantial entity that corresponds to the self. Secondly, we will try to justify the adoption of a metaphysical theory of causation based on powers, analyzing it in comparison with the main competing theories, namely hypotheticalism and nomism. Then, we shall proceed to show the causal properties of the substance in question, namely the mental powers. In fact, thirdly, we will embrace the thesis of powerism by defending the existence of a set ofmental powersthat should be attributed to the self. We will describe the main features of mental powers and we will show that they are conceivable as thepure intentional actswe perform by directing an intentional state towards an intentional object. In this way we show how a classic problem of philosophy of mind, relevant to science as well, can be addressed in an original way by a metaphysical approach involving powers

k-dimensional Size Functions for shape description and comparison

This paper advises the use of k-dimensional size functions for comparison and retrieval in the context of multidimensional shapes, where by shape we mean something in two or higher dimensions having a visual appearance. The attractive feature of k-dimensional size functions is that they allow to readily establish a similarity measure between shapes of arbitrary dimension, taking into account different properties expressed by a multivalued real function defined on the shape. This task is achieved through a particular projection of k-dimensional size functions into the 1-dimensional case. Therefore, previous results on the stability for matching purposes become applicable to a wider range of data. We outline the potential of our approach in a series of experiments

“Thinking about tools between archival science and history”. For a stratigraphical study of the structure of some relevant archives in Veneto, Trentino and Südtirol (14th-18th centuries)

Nowadays, new technologies make it possible to restart the debate about the interpretation of the archival heritage on a deeper level than that outlined in the Guida generale degli archivi di Stato italiani. The debate should be taken up not only with regard to some aspects related to the preservation of archives, but rather for historical and archival-historical purposes. In fact, new technologies make it possible to conceive an effective rendering – on a ‘graphic’ and structural level, but also on a deeper conceptual level – of archival history research aimed at reconstructing the contexts in which the archives still available today have developed, making it possible to re-propose both the ‘production’ and ‘preservation’ phases and the subsequent ‘tradition’ phase, with particular reference to those passages that from the end of the Ancient Regime have brought them down to us and have handed them down to us. The recent study of the vicissitudes of some important archives in Veneto, Trentino and Südtirol areas makes it possible to read their structure stratigraphically and to reconstruct ‘virtually’ their order in different periods

Se peindre pour ne pas se perdre. Some thoughts on the archive as a self-representation.

The purpose of this article is to reflect on production, organization and preservation of personal archives, regarded as a kind of self-representation. In particular, these archives are considered such as an autobiography – sometimes as a support of literary memoirs – or as a monument for posterity

Se peindre pour ne pas se perdre. Some thoughts on the archive as a self-representation.

The purpose of this article is to reflect on production, organization and preservation of personal archives, regarded as a kind of self-representation. In particular, these archives are considered such as an autobiography – sometimes as a support of literary memoirs – or as a monument for posterity

Se peindre pour ne pas se perdre. Some thoughts on the archive as a self-representation.

The purpose of this article is to reflect on production, organization and preservation of personal archives, regarded as a kind of self-representation. In particular, these archives are considered such as an autobiography – sometimes as a support of literary memoirs – or as a monument for posterity