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We work on the dialogue between literature, philosophy, and Manichaeism in Book IV of Confessions; we refer to the pact that sustains an autobiographical account and its different levels of the narrator and (already as a first contribution on our part) to the ways in which the religious experience of an absolute dualism required a philosophical dualism that expressed the principles of the mythical account. The rhetorical device of a self-reflexive narrator allows us to move from the consideration of the present implied by the Confessions to the past of his nineteen years (Liberal Arts -Stoicism, Pythagoreanism, Virgil, Cicero and Aristotle- and Manichaeism), et retour, starting from the horizon of eternity that is God; the second part of our contribution lies in following the way in which this temporal structure is embodied in the story (recourse to the adverb tunc and the imperfect tense), with reference to De Pulchro et Apto). From the methodological point of view, we carry out a philological analysis, that is, a reading of the narrative disposition in reference to Late Antiquity's cultural contents.

When the body is the interlocutor of life, there is no other possible option than the affirmation of everything, even of the negativity of what we lack. The present work intends to show how for Nietzsche the deepest forces of vital impulses begin in this initial physiological mutism and derive in the tragic and bottomless demand of hermeneutic condemnation. Contrary to what it might seem, there is in his thought a hierarchy of drives linked to the appropriate cadence of the choreographic. Dance could be understood as the physiological pedagogy of the will to power for anyone who laughs riskily and who frees himself from the reductive moral manichaeism of conscience. Only the seriousness of laughter, without ever intending it, can become an educational testimony for others. The way in which we can best understand this is by looking at the unconscious magisterium of Kazantzakis' old Zorba. 

This paper intends to argue that one aspect that characterizes hermeneutics is a certain positionality or subjective disposition towards truth. That is, in philosophies that are usually categorized as hermeneutic there are at least three existential definitions towards truth: it exists, and we (humans) have the possibility of accessing it (i); the human being is finite and precarious, so that total access to truth is impossible (ii); this, however, does not lead to relativism, but rather demands from the individual a subjective disposition towards truth characterized by an existential openness towards it, as well as effort and commitment in its search. The latter has been understood by some authors as an ethical requirement. Given the amplitude of the subject, in this article we will limit our discussion to two authors, namely Luigi Pareyson and Hans Georg-Gadamer.

This paper intends to argue that one aspect that characterizes hermeneutics is a certain positionality or subjective disposition towards truth. That is, in philosophies that are usually categorized as hermeneutic there are at least three existential definitions towards truth: it exists, and we (humans) have the possibility of accessing it (i); the human being is finite and precarious, so that total access to truth is impossible (ii); this, however, does not lead to relativism, but rather demands from the individual a subjective disposition towards truth characterized by an existential openness towards it, as well as effort and commitment in its search. The latter has been understood by some authors as an ethical requirement. Given the amplitude of the subject, in this article we will limit our discussion to two authors, namely Luigi Pareyson and Hans Georg-Gadamer.

In this paper, we analyze Borges' short story The Immortal, paying special attention to the situations where issues related to animality and divinity are intertwined, or treated without differentiating them too much. We maintain that this confusion or lack of precision in dealing with issues so far away from personal identity and the Self, such as immortality, is not a casual or unfounded element, but can be analyzed philosophically by entering the animal otherness. The Immortal illustrates that philosophy may have been insufficiently precise in its treatment of otherness, allowing that animality and divinity, or rather certain characteristic properties of each, can be amalgamated within the boundaries of this concept. The fact that Borges' tale so characteristically makes inaction coexist with immortality makes this work an obligatory object of reflection for all those interested in the concept of otherness.

The dispute about the political potential of literary practice is once again in evidence with the current and increasingly recurrent alliance between identity politics, art and cultural industry. Despite the relative novelty of these formulas, within the literary field, the terms of the debate around the relations between artistic practice and society continue to refer to one of its most influential and controversial moments: the second half of the last century. For this reason, this article uses the aesthetic-artistic Theory of Theodor W. Adorno with the aim of pointing out which of his approaches are still valid when thinking about the uses and politics of literature.

The article shows that Oscar Wilde's life and work can only be understood through the ideal of beauty. As an ideal that resides in the connection between the existing and the artists, this ideal makes the world habitable. Likewise, Wilde's legacy responds to a fecund philosophical- hermeneutic discourse that extends beyond the modern era in which it was conceived, influencing today's postmodern world. This is analysed on the concepts of truth and falsehood present in the author's artistic and existential theory, which in turn reflects the intrinsic link between the writer and his legacy. 

The present article will review some of Richard Rorty's arguments in favor of the elimination or reduction of the concept of truth, especially regarding its normative dimension. First, I will outline Rorty's proposal, and then show some of the most significant objections to his suggestion to transform the search for objectivity into an attempt to broaden solidarity. Subsequently, I will present some of the arguments in favor of Rorty's position, which advocate naturalizing or reducing the normative dimension of truth. Finally, I will argue that, even though truth has an undeniable social dimension, we do not seem to be able to get rid of it so easily.

Allometry refers to the changes correlated between the size and shape and organic processes within an organism, to the growth of a part in the organism regarding the whole, or among parts of the same individual. The objective was to model the allometric relationships between the stump, normal and crown diameters, total and clean stem heights, and stem volume with bark, using mixed effect models (MEM) for forest pine plantations (FPs) in the Indigenous Community of Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, Michoacán, Mexico. We used data from 196 sampling plots (400 m2) located in 34 FPs (7-37 years) of Pinus Pseudostrobus; and 14 (7-32 years) of Pinus montezumae, to fit with MEM linear, Chapman-Richards and allometric models, according to the trend between the variables. In addition, we tested the influence of altitude, slope, aspect, social position of each individual and age as covariates for the random effects. The best models were selected based upon the coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and Akaike's Information Criterion. It is concluded that the MEMs are statistically robust, with low values of average error and relative average error; in addition, they showed an increase in the R², up to 20.6 % between the allometric relationships (Afl-dn) with respect to altitude, topography, environmental characteristics and plantation density with the variables of forest interest and the timber yield of the FPs.

Currently, ecosystem services (ES) provided by agroecosystems are gaining significant importance due to their implications for human well-being; however, family orchards are among the least explored agroecosystems under this approach. Therefore, the objective of the study was to identify, assess, and describe the ES deriving from the tree stratum in agroecosystems of family orchards (AEFO) in central Veracruz, Mexico. The methodology included an in-depth review of the scientific literature on the classification of ES and their identification in the AEFO. For the assessment analysis, the socio-cultural method was used, based on peasants’ perception regarding the importance and characteristics of the ES, for which 50 semi-structured interviews were applied to the owners of AEFO; additionally, direct observations and field visits were used. Four ecosystem functions were identified (regulation, habitat, production, and information), and a total of 10 ES wich were perceived as “important”. The largest number of ES (4) was found in the regulatory functions, followed by provision (3), information (2), and habitat (1). The ES derived from the tree stratum of AEFO turned out to be a valuable resource for rural communities, as various tangible and intangible benefits were recorded. The information generated in this study constitutes the starting point for creating strategies that guarantee the permanence of the agroecosystem, as well as the supply of the ES.