COGNITIO-ESTUDIES

Philosophy Eletronic Journal
ISSN 1809-8428

São Paulo: Center for Pragmatism Studies
Philosophy Graduate Program
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
Available in <http://www.pucsp.br/pragmatismo>

Vol. 10, nº.2, July-December 2013

EDITORIAL

Dear Reader,

We are pleased to present the second 2013 issue of COGNITIO-STUDIES: Electronic Journal of Philosophy. In our commitment to present to the academic milieu studies that expand and enrich philosophical thinking, this issue brings excellent contributions that touch upon diverse areas of philosophy, namely: the statute of science, by examining its rationality, cognitive development, perception and theory of knowledge; religious epistemology, with its more relevant questions on the reasonableness of belief; metaphysics, by establishing the connections it proposes with the world; and subjectivity, with its new approaches; aesthetics and pragmatism, by discerning its new and effective perspectives of knowledge. In this horizon, the articles offer instigating approaches, leading readers to enter the realm of the most current philosophical problems.

Seeking to discuss science and its rationality, the text "Critérios de decisão entre hipóteses científicas rivais: Kuhn, Lakatos e Laudan," by Tamires Dal Magro, shows a critical appreciation of Kuhn's thought. It refers to a discussion on scientific rationality and the current progress of science in the philosophy of science. The text presents the fundamental conceptions of the historicist theory of Kuhn's rationality; it discusses Lakatos's criticism of Kuhn and the latter's retort, as well as Laudan's criticism directed at Kuhn. Fundamentally, the text explains the current state of the discussions opened by Kuhn on rationality and scientific objectivity, and the critical context concerning these issues.

Everaldo Cescon, in his "Considerações acerca do conceito de consciência nas ciências cognitivas," makes a pertinent analysis of the concept of consciousness employed by cognitive scientists. To this end, he explains the countless conceptions of the theme. The author begins with the roots of cognitive science, with an approach on Llinás understanding of consciousness as the property of self-moving organisms; this is followed by an analysis with a reflection on Penrose's revisionism and the idea of consciousness, particularly for Antonio Damasio, and explains Dennett's understanding of the theme.

The text "A verdade das metáforas: duas leituras de Nietzsche," by Vinicius Oliveira Sanfelice, analyses the many differences of opinion caused by Nietzsche's work among his French interpreters. From this perspective, the author seeks to interpret the perspectives of Jacques Derrida and Paul Ricoeur on the text Truth and Lie in an Extra Moral Sense, and analyze the possible consequences of these interpretations for philosophical thought.

In a meaningful analysis, Débora Fontoura de Oliveira, in her article "O anti-individualismo de Tyler Burger: um tipo de embodiment," discusses Tyler Burge's perceptual anti-individualist perspective for the purpose of understanding this philosopher's representationalist opposition. The text starts with an analysis of sensory perception as objective perception, and then tries to clarify Burge's representationism, particularly a critique of individual representationism and perceptual anti-individualism, and finally analyses an understanding of embodiment. Fundamentally, the text clarifies Burge's conception of perception.

In endeavoring to point out the elements that affect inward religiousness and its impact on the social framework, the text "O contexto científico na formação da psicanálise e a figura de Sigmund Freud perante a religião," by Marcel Henrique Rodrigues, explains the historical and socio-cultural environment that influenced the young Freud's religious conception, which was later detailed in his main works. The text presents religion in Freud's life, the scientific-pragmatic context of the birth of psychoanalysis and religion as the aggrandizement of the paternal figure, and as an obsessive neurosis. In this connection, the article endeavors to explain Freud's relationship with religion, analyzing it and seeking to demonstrate Freud's belief in science to the detriment of religion.

In order to reflect on the act of believing and its fundamental justification that emerges from religious evidentialism, the article "Podemos crer sem evidência suficiente? A querela Clifford x James e a resposta contemporânea de Alvin Plantiga," by Fabio Lambert, presents a pertinent analysis on "evidentialism" in the quarrel between William Clifford and William James. The author begins his analysis by introducing the understanding of evidentialism advocated by William Clifford; he cites William James's reply, and concludes explaining Alvin Plantiga's contribution on religious epistemology. This article discusses in depth the issues that give rise to an analysis on the reasonableness of belief.

Néder Rocha Abdo, in his text "Algumas considerações sobre a subjetividade no pensamento de Sartre," makes as extensive and deep analysis of Sartre's subjectivity, in his various philosophical phases. The text addresses the most pertinent questions of the author on the theme, by reflecting on concepts such as "original temporality," "body" and "history." The author begins his analysis by pondering on subjectivity as transcendental consciousness; this is followed by a reflection on subjectivity as being; and, lastly, he discusses subjectivity as historical man. In short, the author evolves a rich analysis on subjectivity in its unity, in Sartre.

The text "Filosofia da conversação ou uma nova metafísica," by Edna Maria Magalhães do Nascimento, argues for a possible philosophy of conversation interpreted as a "new" metaphysics." To this end, she develops the main characteristics of the metaphysics of culture implicit in Rortyan philosophy. The text begins with a characterization of the metaphysics of culture by showing how it can be implied in Rorty's work. She follows by presenting the fundamental role played by language, the ethnocentric consensus in relation to the pre-conditions of democratic conversation and the dualism between public and private dimensions, always based on Rorty's conception. Given the characteristics of Rortyan metaphysics of culture, the author makes an assessment of this philosophical legacy. From it, she develops an analysis on the philosophy of conversation and philosophy of action, by explaining a possible problem that affects both Rorty's metaphysics of culture and Habermas's universal pragmatics.

In endeavoring to show the vicissitudes of philosophical thought in her historical legacy, Viviane Magalhães Pereiro, in her text "Heidegger e a Estética: uma crítica à tradição?" discusses the development of the word "aesthetics," marked by many aporias and incomprehension that caused the imprecision and instability of its concept. She follows the path taken by Heidegger when thinking aesthetics, particularly his critique of modern philosophy, which resulted in the deconstruction of the true comprehension of aesthetics. The text shows the specificity of aesthetics from Heidegger's viewpoint; the essentiality of aesthetics and the Heideggerian critique of aesthetics. Thus, the text endeavors to follow Heidegger's critique through to the understanding of aesthetics and, from it, to explain his way of thinking and his philosophical intentions in relation to art.

Equally under a historical-analytical perspective, the text "O pragmatismo na Itália: aspectos da circulação de idéias norte-americanas entre os intelectuais italianos," by Rodrigo Augusto de Souza, makes a concise analysis of the dissemination and acceptance of pragmatism in Italy. It refers to the main thinkers who assimilate pragmatist ideas in their thought, such as Papini, De Ruggiero and Eco. In this connection, from a historiographic and hermeneutical analysis, presents the new perspective of Italian philosophy in the 20th century.

Finally, the reader can check on this issue the translation of a dense and seminal text of Hilary Putnam, "The meaning of 'meaning'", done very competently by Alexander Müller Fonseca.

We appreciate the contribution from the authors to this edition of COGNITIO-STUDIES, hoping that readers will fully enjoy this issue, which, without a doubt, brings an excellent contribution to Academia in what relates to philosophical reflection.

On behalf of the Center for Pragmatism Studies, we wish to all our readers a prosperous and fruitful 2014.

Antonio Wardison C. Silva
Assistant Editor / COGNITIO-STUDIES
Center for Pragmatism Studies, PUC-SP, Brazil