Sara Fernandes

This paper argues that Virginia Woolf's novels, Mrs Dalloway and The Waves, present her essential intuitions on personal identity in a cosmopolitan sense, which have influenced philosophers such as Hannah Arendt, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Paul Ricoeur. The article discusses Woolf's belief in temporal, intersubjective, and historical identity, and her understanding of personal identity as a private and complex psychological phenomenon that is dependent on exteriority and only partially accessible through narrative or aesthetic means. It also examines the impact of Woolf's view of personal identity on individual psychological states, both affective and cognitive. The paper further argues that literature has an originality that precedes philosophical reflection, and crucially contributes to the philosophical debate, with philosophy playing a role in clarifying the concept and symbols of literary speech and linking its conceptions of the self.

The article aims to clarify the influence of Kant's practical philosophy on Paul Ricœur's thought. Ricoeur, inspired by Kant, defines the person as an agent capable of initiative, and responsibility, emphasizing the importance of otherness in its creation and self-perception. The article then reflects on the act of promising, which is so important to both authors, highlighting its kantian ethical aspect, and Ricœur's reflective deepening of this act, uniting the domains of discourse, action, ethics, and anthropology. The promise will be seen as a linguistic act that provides an ethical and temporal foundation for the person structurally in relation to the other. Finally, the article analyses the dialogue that Ricœur establishes with Kant in his "little ethics," seeking to reconcile the teleological and deontological perspectives and to dispel some false beliefs about Kantian practical philosophy.

This poster presents the innovative research project that will seek to study objectively, and in depth the correlated effect between the socio-economic level of families, and the intellectual & moral development of portuguese children (7-8 years old).

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the pagan roots of Western Culture. Sumerian and Babylonian myths about the creation of the world and mortality will be studied, as well as Celtic narratives about travel to other worlds and Norse tales about the death of God.

Nos finais do século xx, a Neuroética surgiu como um novo domínio de investigação interdisciplinar, com vista a reflectir sobre os desafios éticos que os avanços neurocientíficos e neurotecnológicos mais recentes vieram colocar. O presente artigo tem como objectivo apresentar as principais questões filosóficas decorrentes da neuroética e mostrar como podem ser subsumidas no amplo problema filosófico da identidade pessoal. Este artigo procura desenvolver esta perspectiva a partir de três ideias centrais: 1) o cérebro e a mente podem ser considerados a origem da identidade pessoal; como toda a intervenção cerebral pode afectar a natureza e o conteúdo da mente, segue-se que pode alterar a identidade pessoal; 2) por seu turno, a manipulação médica e directa do cérebro coloca, sob uma nova perspectiva, o problema filosófico da liberdade e responsabilidade humana; 3) finalmente, como a doença é factor de desestabilização da identidade pessoal, também levanta problemas relativos à ética da...

Manuscript Version - The final publication is available at: www.duncker-humblot.de (Soraya Nour Sckell (Hrsg.) - Damien Ehrhardt (Hrsg.)

This article identifies and argues about some of the roots of the neuroenhancement human desire in the Western cultural tradition. It also philosophically assesses the impact on personal identity of this type of brain intervention.

Nos finais do século xx, a Neuroética surgiu como um novo domínio de investigação interdisciplinar, com vista a reflectir sobre os desafios éticos que os avanços neurocientíficos e neurotecnológicos mais recentes vieram colocar. O presente artigo tem como objectivo apresentar as principais questões filosóficas decorrentes da neuroética e mostrar como podem ser subsumidas no amplo problema filosófico da identidade pessoal. Este artigo procura desenvolver esta perspectiva a partir de três ideias centrais: 1) o cérebro e a mente podem ser considerados a origem da identidade pessoal; como toda a intervenção cerebral pode afectar a natureza e o conteúdo da mente, segue-se que pode alterar a identidade pessoal; 2) por seu turno, a manipulação médica e directa do cérebro coloca, sob uma nova perspectiva, o problema filosófico da liberdade e responsabilidade humana; 3) finalmente, como a doença é factorde desestabilização da identidade pessoal, também levanta problemas relativos à ética da ...

New developments in neuroscience, especially since the Decade of the Brain, have made neuroenhancement an important domain of philosophical reflection. Neuroenhancement is usually understood as any intervention (natural, social or technological) on the brain that aims to improve its capabilities beyond clinical therapy and good health (better intelectual performance and abler minds) and even as a form of generating happier persons. In this paper, it will be sustained that the goal of neuroenhancement, like cosmetic surgery, fits in and is encouraged by the current conception and practise of medicine. After , the paper will identify and describe some cultural roots of neuroenhancement (greek myths, literature and films), which characterize human nature and western civilization. The last issue of the paper will discuss if it is fair to use biotechnological power to achieve human desires of unlimited cognitive enhancement. Based on John Rawls's Theory of Justice, firstly, the paper will argue that fairness requires equal rights for all persons. In this regard it sustains that one of the necessary conditions of a fair neuroenhancement is safety for all citizens, or at least a prudential weighing of its potential benefits and risks. This is the first step to provide citizens fair conditions for a well informed decision and a fair way to exercise other basic rights, as freedom of thought and freedom of will (personal autonomy). Secondly, in accordance to Rawls and its second principle of justice, enhancement is unfair unless there is equal opportunity for all to obtain it. Enhancement can lead to exacerbating inequalities, if it is not guaranteed equality in opportunity to all citizens in the same circumstances. Thirdly, the paper will sustain that the respect for the difference principle is the third necessary condition for fairness in neuroenhancement. If the cognitive achievements are safe and maximize the wealfare of all, it should be regarded as fair. Yet if cognitive enhancement promotes more inequalities between people it should be considered unfair.

New developments in neuroscience, especially since the Decade of the Brain, have made neuroenhancement an important domain of philosophical reflection. Neuroenhancement is usually understood as any intervention (natural, social or technological) on the brain that aims to improve its capabilities beyond clinical therapy and good health (better intelectual performance and abler minds) and even as a form of generating happier persons. In this paper, it will be sustained that the goal of neuroenhancement, like cosmetic surgery, fits in and is encouraged by the current conception and practise of medicine. After , the paper will identify and describe some cultural roots of neuroenhancement (greek myths, literature and films), which characterize human nature and western civilization. The last issue of the paper will discuss if it is fair to use biotechnological power to achieve human desires of unlimited cognitive enhancement. Based on John Rawls's Theory of Justice, firstly, the paper will argue that fairness requires equal rights for all persons. In this regard it sustains that one of the necessary conditions of a fair neuroenhancement is safety for all citizens, or at least a prudential weighing of its potential benefits and risks. This is the first step to provide citizens fair conditions for a well informed decision and a fair way to exercise other basic rights, as freedom of thought and freedom of will (personal autonomy). Secondly, in accordance to Rawls and its second principle of justice, enhancement is unfair unless there is equal opportunity for all to obtain it. Enhancement can lead to exacerbating inequalities, if it is not guaranteed equality in opportunity to all citizens in the same circumstances. Thirdly, the paper will sustain that the respect for the difference principle is the third necessary condition for fairness in neuroenhancement. If the cognitive achievements are safe and maximize the wealfare of all, it should be regarded as fair. Yet if cognitive enhancement promotes more inequalities between people it should be considered unfair.

Since the end of the xx century, Neuroethics emerged as a new field of interdisciplinary research, with the purpose to reflect on the ethical challenges brought by neuroscientific and neurotechnological latest advances. This article aims to present the main key philosophical questions arising from neuroethics and tries to show how they can be unified in the broad philosophical problem of personal identity. In order to sustain it, this article has three core ideas:1) both the brain and the mind are considered as the birth place of personal identity, as all brain medical manipulation may affect the mind's nature and content, therefore, it may also affect personal identity; 2) moreover, direct and medical brain manipulation puts into a new perspective the philosophical issue of human freedom and responsibility; 3) finally, since disease may disrupt personal identity, it also raises issues regarding the ethics of physician-patient relationships. Resumo Nos finais do século xx, a Neuroética surgiu como um novo domínio de investigação interdisciplinar, com vista a reflectir sobre os desafios éticos que os avanços neurocientíficos e neurotecnológicos mais recentes vieram colocar. O presente artigo tem como objectivo apresentar as principais questões filosóficas decorrentes da neuroética e mostrar como podem ser subsumidas no amplo problema filosófico da identidade pessoal. Este artigo procura desenvolver esta perspectiva a partir de três ideias centrais: 1) o cérebro e a mente podem ser considerados a origem da identidade pessoal; como toda a intervenção cerebral pode afectar a natureza e o conteúdo da mente, segue-se que pode alterar a identidade pessoal; 2) por seu turno, a manipulação médica e directa do cérebro coloca, sob uma nova perspectiva, o problema filosófico da liberdade e responsabilidade humana; 3) finalmente, como a doença é factor de desestabilização da identidade pessoal, também levanta problemas relativos à ética da relação médico-paciente.