La questione demografica e il pensiero di Giovanni Paolo II

L’articolo offre una sintesi dell’insegnamento di Giovanni Paolo II sulla cosiddetta “questione demografica”, che si presenta con scenari differenti nelle diverse parti del mondo. Nei Paesi ricchi si registra, infatti, un preoccupante calo delle nascite, mentre nei Paesi poveri si assiste all’aumento della popolazione, il che appare non compatibile con le frequenti condizioni di sottosviluppo. Da qui il riferimento alle note teorie maltusiane e alla loro riformulazione da parte del neomalthusianesimo, dell’organicismo e dell’ecologismo, che propongono come soluzione il controllo delle nascite. Non esistendo, però, una reale e insanabile sproporzione tra crescita della popolazione e disponibilità delle risorse, le politiche antinataliste appaiono più che una scelta razionale, un escamotage per risolvere problemi ben diversi come ad esempio le politiche economiche di molti Paesi ricchi. La vera causa del sottosviluppo va, infatti, ricercata nella mancanza di equità nell’accesso alle risorse. Ed anche qualora si provasse che la crescita della popolazione è la causa del sottosviluppo, il rispetto della dignità e del valore incondizionato e inalienabile che si deve a ogni persona rende moralmente inaccettabile il ricorso a qualsiasi mezzo per il contenimento delle nascite (come la contraccezione, la sterilizzazione o l’aborto) o la loro imposizione da parte delle politiche governative. ---------- The article aims to offer a synthesis of John Paul II’s teaching about the so-called “demographic matter”, present in different way in the various parts of the world. Rich and advanced Countries see a fall in the births; instead, poor Countries see an increase in the population, which is not easily tolerable in a context of underdevelopment. The idea of the Malthusian theory and its reformulation now that point by the neo-Malthusianism, the Organicism and the Environmentalism, that intent “to resolve” the demographic matter by birth control. Because of there is not an effective gap between population growth and resources availability, anti-birth policies, therefore, seem to be an escamotage to resolve different problems that, otherwise, would debate economic policies in many rich Countries instead of a choice imposed by rationality. In fact, the true reason of underdevelopment must be found in the lack of equity in resources access. But, even if underdevelopment be proved by population growth, respect for human dignity makes morally unjustifiable any means for births control (as contraception, sterilization or abortion) or their imposition by government policies.

The Richmond Boulder Trains: Verae Causae in 19th-Century American Geology

In the 1840's and 1850's some of the leading geologists of the day, including Edward Hitchcock, Henry D. and William B. Rogers, Charles Lyell, and Louis Agassiz, investigated long, distinct trains of erratic boulders discovered in 1842 in western Massachusetts. It was hoped that study of the boulder trains would help solve the vexing problem of the origin of the drift. The theories tested by application to the erratics were various in content but remarkably similar in justification. They all appealed to the Newtonian principle of vera causa. This methodological principle appears to have been more fundamental in treating the boulder trains than conceptions drawn from catastrophism and uniformitarianism. Use of the method did not, however, dispel the mystery of the boulders. A clarification of their origins came only with the general adoption of the glacier theory around 1870.

Podstępne wprowadzenie w błąd jako przyczyna nieważności małżeństwa w aktualnej praktyce sądowej

Prima in parte articuli de termino a quo can. 1098 aplicandus est disceptabatur. Praescriptum huius canonis lex mere ecclesiastica est et propterea rétro non agit. In praxi iudiciali cain. 1098 directe applicandus est solummodo ad matrimonia inita die 27 novembris 19183 anni et postea. Sententia iudicialis matrimonia antea contracta definiens in parte „in iure” praescnipta iuris veteris indicare debet et de can. 1098 solummodo obiter dicere potest. Secuinda in parte articuli de Sacrae Romanae Rotae iurisprudentia dolosam deceptionem attingente dicitur. Tribunalia inferiora hanc iurisprudentiam ante annum 1984 elaboratam sequi possunt et debent. Sentantiae rotales ab anno 1970 mullitatem matrimonii ob dolum contracti decreverunt, hunc dolum ad titulum erroris reduindantis in errorem personae reducentes. Secundum auctorem articuli sola reductio doli ad errorem insufficiens ad nullitatem matrimonii probandam videtur, quia sententiae rotales una cum probatione erroris circa gravem qualitatem personae etiam probationes aliarum circumstantiarum exigunt. Hae circumstantiae ad probandam nullitatem matrimonii necessariae sequentes sunt: 1° error redundans dolo patratus esse debet ab altero contrahente qui debitae smceritais ad mutuam donationem necessariae caret; 2° dolus patratus esse debet circa tarn gravem qualitatem personae ut revera persona alia ab intenta evadat; 3° qualitas de qua pars innocens erratur talis esse debet, ut eius detectio huic parti communianem vitae coniugalis continuandam impossibilem efficiat; 4° dolus vera causa matrimonii esse debet sine quo contrahens innocens matrimonium non contraxisset. Tertia in parte articuli auctor nonnullae opiniones canonistarum ad futuram applicatiomem can. 1098 spectantes refert. Dicitur nempe de connexione doli cum errore partis deceptae, de dolo a tertia persona patrato, de efficacia doli, de positivo et negativo aspectu doli seu de obreptione et subreptione, de intentione deceptoris, de omissione debitae diligentiae ex parte coniugis decepti, de obiecto doli seu de qualitate personae quam qualitatem alter scire debet.

The True Cause of the Peloponnesian War

It might reasonably be argued that this question is one of those historical problems which form excellent subjects for the writing of essays, but which are far too complex to admit of a decisive answer, and consequently are much better left alone. No one man is responsible for a war between great powers, and the motives which influence the vast number of people, whose consent is necessary, can rarely, if ever, be identical. It is therefore comparatively easy to argue against any given motive which is asserted to be the one and only reason. Certainly the writer would make no effort to rake up the ashes of this controversy, were it not that in Dr. Grundy's recent work on Thucydides a new and ingenious theory is put forward concerning the vera causa of the Peloponnesian War.

VI. Mathematical contributions to the theory of evolution. —VI. Genetic (reproductive) selection: Inheritance of fertility in man, and of fecundity in thoroughbred racehorses

I understand by a factor of evolution any source of progressive change in the constants—mean values, variabilities, correlations—which suffice to define an organ or character, or the interrelations of a group of organs or characters, at any stage in any form of life. To demonstrate the existence of such a factor we require to show more than the plausibility of its effectiveness, we need that a numerical measure of the changes in the organic constants shall be obtained from actual statistical data. These data must be of sufficient extent to render the numerical determinations large as compared with their probable errors. In a “Note on Reproductive Selection,” published in the ‘Roy. Soc. Proc.,’ vol. 59, p. 301, I have pointed out that if fertility be inherited or if it be correlated with any inherited character—those who are thoroughly conversant with the theory of correlation will recognise that these two things are not the same—then we have a source of progressive change, a vera causa of evolution. I then termed this factor of evolution Reproductive Selection . As the term lias been objected to, I have adopted Genetic Selection as an alternative. I mean by this term the influence of different grades of reproductivity in producing change in the predominant type.