A Stoic Ethics for Attention (Seneca Letter 56)

Rhizomata ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-246
Author(s):  
Charles Brittain

Abstract Seneca’s Letters sketch a theory of attentive action according to which distraction is caused by inconsistent beliefs about values, such that the degree of an agent’s attention to an endorsed action is proportionate to the consistency of her beliefs about value, i. e. her proximity to virtue. The agent’s activity of attentive action is co-ordinated with a state of alertness to her interests, which accordingly triggers switches in attention that sustain the endorsed action in single-minded agents or cause distraction if the new interest is irrelevant to it. Seneca’s theory reflects the older Stoic conception of the tensional mental strength of the virtuous agent, which Chrysippus identified as the causal factor over and above virtue that ensures her successful performance of right action.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-452
Author(s):  
Shane Ryan ◽  

There is a well-established literature on the ethics of belief. Our beliefs, however, are just one aspect of our intellectual lives with which epistemology should be concerned. I make the case that epistemologists should be concerned with an ethics of intellectual agency rather than the narrower category of ethics of belief. Various species of normativity, epistemic, moral, and so on, that may be relevant to the ethics of belief are laid out. An account adapted from virtue ethics for an ethics that goes beyond the ethics of belief is defended. The main claim advanced here is that we should act as the virtuous agent would characteristically act in the circumstances. This claim is supported with reference to a number of examples, as well as considerations informing virtue ethics. An acknowledged feature of this account is that it provides limited guidance regarding right action in intellectual agency. While the account draws on virtue responsibilism to offer guidance, the case is made that it’s a mistake to think that an account in this area can provide a successful decision procedure.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosane Viola Siquieroli

Aristóteles: educação moral e a formação do caráter Resumo: O presente artigo se propõe a apresentar uma visão a respeito das noções aristotélicas sobre a aquisição das virtudes morais e ainda estabelecer uma relação com a educação do caráter. Aristóteles atribui à habituação o papel de cultivar na alma humana a motivação para a ação correta. Num primeiro momento será discutido o papel das virtudes e em seguida será feita uma exposição sobre o método aristotélico de aquisição da virtude moral; tendo como resultado a criação e o desenvolvimento da virtude do caráter.  Palavras-chave: Virtude de caráter, Aristóteles, Educação moral Aristotle: moral education and character formation Abstract: This article proposes to present a vision about the Aristotelian notions about the acquisition of the moral virtues and also to establish a relation with the education of the character. Aristotle attributes to habituation the role of cultivating in the human soul the motivation for right action. In a first moment the role of the virtues will be discussed and then an exposition will be made on the Aristotelian method of acquisition of the moral virtue and as a consequence the creation and the development of the virtue of the character and the virtuous agent. Keywords: virtue of character, Aristotle, moral education Data de registro: 12/11/2018 Data de aceite: 13/02/2019


2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-126
Author(s):  
Peter Maddock

The theological and sociological implications associated with the existence (or non-existence) of ancient Great Goddess religions have been hotly debated for more than half a century, even prior the rise of recognizable feminist approaches to Archaeology and Religious Studies. This rare, if not unique, ethnographic account of such a theology as practised today is therefore a significant intervention, hopefully putting some clothes on otherwise naked speculation. The Sorathiya Rabari pastoralists of Saurastra, western India, hold Mammai Mataji as their Godhead. Mammai Dharma (religion) provides their path to salvation and a guide to right action in the world. It is a vital ingredient of Sorathiya Rabari identity and offers a structure for intra-caste political organization. Like most other Hindus, Rabari social values are unambiguously patriarchal, so how this coexists with belief in an omnipotent feminine Divine is explored throughout the article.


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Bertinetto

Die Hauptfrage, die ich in diesem Aufsatz diskutieren will, ist die folgende: Welche sind die ästhetisch-normativen Voraussetzungen für das richtige Verständnis und die richtige Evaluation von Jazz? Meine These lautet: Die Jazzästhetik ist eine Ästhetik der gelungenen Performanz. Sie ist nicht eine Ästhetik der Unvollkommenheit. Ich werde meine Argumentation in die folgenden Abschnitte gliedern. Nach der Einleitung (I.) wird in Abschnitt II. die ›These der Unvollkommenheit‹ dargestellt und in III. werden anschließend einige Argumente dagegen diskutiert. In den Abschnitten IV. und V. werden die für die Jazzästhetik wichtige Frage nach dem »Fehler« und das entscheidende Thema der Normativität untersucht. Dazu werde ich geltend machen, dass die ›These der Unvollkommenheit‹ insbesondere deswegen unbefriedigend ist, weil sie die spezifische Normativität von Jazz als Improvisationskunst missversteht. In Abschnitt VI. wird schließlich erklärt, in welchem Sinne von einer Normativität der gelungenen Performanz die Rede sein kann und warum dies für unser Verständnis von Jazz bedeutend ist. Abschließend (VII.) wird diese Idee gegen mögliche Einwände verteidigt.<br><br>In this paper I aim at discussing the aesthetic-normative conditions for the right understanding and the right evaluation of jazz. My main point is this: The aesthetics of jazz is an aesthetics of the successful performance, rather than an aesthetics of imperfection. The paper will be structured as follows. SectionI introduces the topic. SectionII presents the ›imperfection thesis‹, while III discusses some arguments against it. Sections IV and V investigate two related questions: the first is about the role of the »mistake« in jazz; the second concerns the crucial topic of normativity. At this regard I will maintain that the ›imperfection thesis‹ does not work, especially because it misunderstands the specific normativity of jazz as improvisational art. Section VI is devoted to clarifying both in which sense the idea of a normativity of the successful performance is sound and why this idea is important for understanding jazz. Finally (VII) I defend this view against possible objections.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Harris ◽  
Mark Wilson ◽  
Tim Holmes ◽  
Toby de Burgh ◽  
Samuel James Vine

Head-mounted eye tracking has been fundamental for developing an understanding of sporting expertise, as the way in which performers sample visual information from the environment is a major determinant of successful performance. There is, however, a long running tension between the desire to study realistic, in-situ gaze behaviour and the difficulties of acquiring accurate ocular measurements in dynamic and fast-moving sporting tasks. Here, we describe how immersive technologies, such as virtual reality, offer an increasingly compelling approach for conducting eye movement research in sport. The possibility of studying gaze behaviour in representative and realistic environments, but with high levels of experimental control, could enable significant strides forward for eye tracking in sport and improve understanding of how eye movements underpin sporting skills. By providing a rationale for virtual reality as an optimal environment for eye tracking research, as well as outlining practical considerations related to hardware, software and data analysis, we hope to guide researchers and practitioners in the use of this approach.


Author(s):  
Alexander Votinov

Современное состояние и развитие уголовно-исполнительной системы Российской Федерации диктует необходимость овладения будущими специалистами комплексом определенных знаний, умений и навыков, позволяющих им эффективно решать служебные задачи. Одним из путей повышения профессионального уровня специалистов является формирование и развитие профессиональной культуры. Проведенный в статье анализ понятия «профессиональная культура» позволяет констатировать сложность его содержания, что связано с особенностями профессиональной деятельности сотрудников УИС, многообразием решаемых задач. Автором подробно исследуется процесс формирования профессиональной культуры в вузах ФСИН России, рассматриваются особенности работы в данном направлении профессорско-преподавательского состава, командиров строевых подразделений, сотрудников отделов по работе с личным составом, приводятся возникающие при этом проблемы и предлагаются возможные пути решения. Отмечается, что успешность формирования профессиональной культуры курсантов зависит от их профессионализма, дисциплинированности, инициативности, настойчивости и личного примера сотрудников. В заключение подчеркивается, что высокий уровень профессиональной культуры сотрудника УИС является условием успешной служебной деятельности и целью дальнейшего профессионального самосовершенствования.The current state and development of the criminal Executive system of the Russian Federation dictates the need for future specialists to master a set of certain knowledge, skills and abilities that allow them to solve official tasks effectively. One of the ways to improve the professional level of specialists is the formation and development of professional culture. The analysis of the concept of «professional culture» in the article allows us to state the complexity of its content, which is associated with the peculiarities of professional activity of employees of the UIS, the variety of tasks to be solved. The author studies in detail the process of formation of professional culture in the universities of the Federal penitentiary service of Russia, examines the features of work in this direction of the teaching staff, commanders of combat units, employees of departments for work with personnel, presents the problems arising in this case and suggests possible solutions. It is noted that the success of the formation of professional culture of cadets depends on their professionalism, discipline, initiative, perseverance and personal example. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the high level of professional culture of the employee is a condition of successful performance and the purpose of further professional self-improvement.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Leira ◽  
Esteban Jove ◽  
Jose M Gonzalez-Cava ◽  
José-Luis Casteleiro-Roca ◽  
Héctor Quintián ◽  
...  

Abstract Closed-loop administration of propofol for the control of hypnosis in anesthesia has evidenced an outperformance when comparing it with manual administration in terms of drug consumption and post-operative recovery of patients. Unlike other systems, the success of this strategy lies on the availability of a feedback variable capable of quantifying the current hypnotic state of the patient. However, the appearance of anomalies during the anesthetic process may result in inaccurate actions of the automatic controller. These anomalies may come from the monitors, the syringe pumps, the actions of the surgeon or even from alterations in patients. This could produce adverse side effects that can affect the patient postoperative and reduce the safety of the patient in the operating room. Then, the use of anomaly detection techniques plays a significant role to avoid this undesirable situations. This work assesses different one-class intelligent techniques to detect anomalies in patients undergoing general anesthesia. Due to the difficulty of obtaining real data from anomaly situations, artificial outliers are generated to check the performance of each classifier. The final model presents successful performance.


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