Papers by José Tovar
The aim of this essay is to show that moral judgments are produced both by emotions and rational ... more The aim of this essay is to show that moral judgments are produced both by emotions and rational principles. First of all, I will point out some of the answers that have been given in modern and contemporary philosophy to the question concerning to the cause of moral judgments. Secondly, from researches that are being developed in contemporary moral psychology, I will give reasons that explain why such question must be re-formulated. Finally, I will propose a new method of investigation that allows solving the question exposed in the first part. This method follows the line of the studies in moral psychology. From this point of view, it is suggested that moral judgments are produced both by rational principles and emotions. This implies that emotivism and rationalism give an incomplete answer to the question concerning the causes of moral judgments.
It may be said as a first glance that Wittgenstein’s purpose in the Tractatus is the same as his ... more It may be said as a first glance that Wittgenstein’s purpose in the Tractatus is the same as his purpose in the Investigations, namely dissolving philosophical problems. Nevertheless, the methods used in each of those texts to put an end to such problems are very different. In this article it will be shown what the investigations’ critique to the method of the Tractatus consists in. In order to do that it will be necessary to show that the posterior Wittgenstein refers to the pictorical theory of the Tractatus with the expression ‘prejudice of crystalline purity’.
In this essay I undertake an examination of Hobbes theory of contract. First, I present an argume... more In this essay I undertake an examination of Hobbes theory of contract. First, I present an argument to show that there may be justice in Hobbes State of War. This implies that Natural Laws are compelling forces in the life of the inhabitants of this State. Second, I present Hobbes reasons to show that in the State of War there may not be justice. This implies that the natural laws are not binding. From this, I will prove a contradiction with respect to natural laws. Third, I will demonstrate one way in which such a contradiction can be dissolve. This solution I present will, permit a resolution of the circularity in the Hobbes contractual theory. Finally, I show a limitation of such resolution.
El Hombre y la Máquina, Mar 5, 2009
Within the framework of experimental philosophy, Thalia Wheatley and Jonathan Haidt published one... more Within the framework of experimental philosophy, Thalia Wheatley and Jonathan Haidt published one of the experiments most recognized by literature in 2005. They maintain that moral judgments are grounded in affectively laden moral intuitions. Experimental philosophers use this experiment as evidence in favor of sentimentalist theory. The aim of the paper is to show that this experiment does not take into account necessary variables
to make it valid. To that end I will use the same model that Haidt et al. used to review Turiel’s proposal in 1993.
Book Reviews by José Tovar
Thesis Chapters by José Tovar
In general, it could be said that the compatibilism and incompatibilism debate focuses on the que... more In general, it could be said that the compatibilism and incompatibilism debate focuses on the question of whether freedom and determinism are compatible or not. However, there are different ways to understand their compatibility. This paper will refer to two different kinds of compatibilism: semantic and ontological. The aim of this paper is to locate Kant within the compatibilism-incompatibilism debate, clarifying his position in it. The essay presents different interpretations of Kant’s position in the compatibilism-incompatibilism debate in order to point out the different forms in which comentators understand the terms in question. Based on those interpretations it draws a distinction between the semantic and the ontological perspective concerning compatibilism-incompatibilism to prove that Kant is a semantic incompatibilist and an ontological compatibilist.
The aim of my dissertation is to propose a model to account for the psychological architecture of... more The aim of my dissertation is to propose a model to account for the psychological architecture of moral judgment. That is, I will try to answer the question: which mental processes take place when a subject expresses a moral judgment? In the first chapter, I present some models that have been proposed in order to explain what are the cognitive bases of moral judgement (Blair, 1995; Haidt, 2001; Nichols, 2004; Hauser, 2006). In the second chapter, I describe the main problems that each of these models has. In the third chapter I present empirical –especially neuropsychological– evidence to support the thesis that emotions play a crucial role in the generation of moral judgments. In the fourth chapter, I introduce the plastic model of moral judgment. Relying on this model, I account for the psychological architecture of moral judgment. I argue that my account overcomes the problems that arise for the alternative models characterized in the first chapter. Finally, in the fifth chapter, I advance a hypothesis about the agent’s moral development. This hypothesis requires the postulation of a cognitive mechanism that I call emotional grammar. My purpose in putting forward the idea of an emotional grammar is to provide additional support for the plastic model. The capacities that allow an agent to express moral judgments depend greatly on her brain development and the interactions with members of her community. I suggest that the postulation of an emotional grammar, which constitutes the core of the plastic model of moral judgement, can help us to explain why this is so.
Drafts by José Tovar
Resumen: el objetivo de este artículo es presentar un modelo que explique las habilidades cogniti... more Resumen: el objetivo de este artículo es presentar un modelo que explique las habilidades cognitivas que están a la base del desarrollo moral. Gracias a que el cerebro humano tiene la capacidad de cambiar en respuesta a la experiencia del sujeto (plasticidad cerebral) y dado que los seres humanos nacemos con unas habilidades cognitivas con funciones no específicamente morales, se muestra que -tras la interacción del agente en una comunidad "saludable"estas habilidades cognitivas se desarrollan hasta que empiezan a cumplir funciones morales y, por tanto, llegamos a ser agentes morales competentes. El conjunto de estas habilidades es la gramática emocional y, tras su desarrollo en sociedad, explica cómo el agente es empático y, posteriormente, simpático con los otros miembros de su grupo.
El objetivo de este texto es exponer el desarrollo de las emociones morales en los seres humanos.... more El objetivo de este texto es exponer el desarrollo de las emociones morales en los seres humanos. Cuando un agente es capaz de simpatía –capacidad fundamental en el desarrollo moral– es porque tiene una respuesta emocional ante el sufrimiento de otras personas. Esto significa que la simpatía se expresa a través de emociones, más específicamente, de emociones morales. Para explicar cómo se desarrollan las emociones morales, se sostiene que una emoción es una percepción de un cambio fisiológico y, además, que el contenido representacional de las emociones es desacoplado. Posteriormente, se muestra que los seres humanos nacemos con unas emociones básicas que comenzarán a recalibrarse para formar emociones no-básicas, dentro de las que se encuentran las emociones morales, esto es, emociones que se activan positivamente frente a acciones que promuevan el bienestar ajeno o propio, o se activan negativamente frente a conductas dañinas tanto para otros como para sí mismo.
Bicchieri and Xiao 2009 manipulated and elicited the empirical and normative expectations of dict... more Bicchieri and Xiao 2009 manipulated and elicited the empirical and normative expectations of dictators in a dictator game, with a view to measure the relative influence of both types of expectations in the decision to comply with a norm of fairness. They found that empirical expectations have greater relative weight in dictator’s decisions. We replicated the experiment with students in Bogotá, Colombia and obtained strikingly different results. The manipulation of expectations did not throw the expected pattern. Also, a remarkably high proportion of choices were fair and they showed little variance across treatments. We explain these results by taking into account the particular properties of internalized norms. Norms remain conditional on both empirical and normative expectations, as in Bicchieri’s theory, but normative expectations must allow for the influence of internalized norms.
Press articles by José Tovar
Es importante y urgente que la sociedad en general participe en la defensa por el derecho a la ed... more Es importante y urgente que la sociedad en general participe en la defensa por el derecho a la educación, incluyendo estudiantes y fuerza pública. En relación con esto, se propone una actividad que lleve a estos dos actores a interactuar para exigir el derecho a una educación de calidad para todos.
Desde la lógica elemental y el análisis de la Exposición de Motivos del Referendo, es posible lle... more Desde la lógica elemental y el análisis de la Exposición de Motivos del Referendo, es posible llegar a una conclusión diferente a la de sus promotores: ya existen las instituciones y las herramientas para castigar a los culpables de maltrato infantil de toda índole. El Estado tiene la obligación de corregir sus propias fallas.
Traducciones by José Tovar
Books by José Tovar
Uploads
Papers by José Tovar
to make it valid. To that end I will use the same model that Haidt et al. used to review Turiel’s proposal in 1993.
Book Reviews by José Tovar
Thesis Chapters by José Tovar
Drafts by José Tovar
Press articles by José Tovar
Traducciones by José Tovar
Books by José Tovar
to make it valid. To that end I will use the same model that Haidt et al. used to review Turiel’s proposal in 1993.