ETHICS IN PROGRESS
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Between Life and Spirit: The Place of Plants in Hegel’s Dialectic of Nature
Full text linkThe aim of this paper is to examine the place of plants in G.W.F. Hegel’s philosophy, highlighting their relevance for understanding the relationship between life and spirit within the Hegelian dialectical system. We will demonstrate how plants are situated in the context of the Philosophy of Nature proposed by the author, emphasizing how, despite being understood through their “incomplete subjectivity” and limited individuality (as there is no individual cohesion due to the separation of their organs), it is still possible to conceive of the basic metabolism of plants as the first expression of the dialectical relationship between inner life and the external environment. In this sense, plants represent a special transitional moment in the progressive realisation of the Idea. We will analyze how plants, for Hegel, embody a universal form of life – selforganized and oriented toward its relationship with the environment – that serves as a point of mediation, or the nexus, between the objectivity of nature and the subjectivity of spirit, which will develop more fully in animal life, especially human life. As we intend to demonstrate, referring to the subjective incompleteness of plant life does not deny it a place in the very history of spirit
Animals We Eat and Animals We Care for: Hegel’s Ambiguous Notion of the Animal as Soul
Full text linkThere is a fundamental contradiction in most people’s behaviour towards animals. On certain occasions, we pet, nurture, name and even talk to them. On other occasions, we put up with or even endorse slaughtering and eating them. While this contradiction takes on a particular shape in times of modern slaughterhouses, petting zoos and pet culture, the contradiction itself is not modern at all. The ancient Chinese Confucian classic Mencius already speaks of the noble person who cultivates compassion while staying out of the kitchen (where animals are butchered). Modern philosophy begins with Descartes’ firm proposal of the animal machine, that is, of animal life as natural automaton or mechanism. By contrast, Hegel conceives of the animal as soul and the highest articulation of self-determination in nature. Yet Hegel’s position is ambiguous: he provides everything one needs to acknowledge animal subjectivity but does not propose any dignity of the animal. Drawing mostly from the Science of Logic and the Philosophy of Nature along with his discussion of Descartes in the Lectures on the History of Philosophy, I examine Hegel’s account of animal subjectivity. I conclude by pondering why Hegel, nevertheless, does not attribute any dignity to the animal.  
Aerial Digital Archaeology and Data Ethics through the Lens of Actor-Network Theory
Full text linkActor-network theory emphasizes the importance of technology in archaeological research, particularly in aerial digital archaeology. It deconstructs objective narratives by revealing the complexity of knowledge production, including the archaeologist’s expertise, excavation tools, technology, and the researcher’s cultural background. Data are a dynamic output of the network, influenced by factors like tools, environment, and survey timing. The researcher’s cultural context also plays a role, as Western archaeologists may have different approaches and interpretations from those of researchers from developing countries. The theory also highlights the power dynamics of the network, with those controlling it – through technology, funding, and interpretation – wielding greater influence. This raises ethical concerns, especially in cases of “parachute science”, where foreign researchers conduct research in developing countries. A strong ethical framework is therefore needed to address these issues, and to promote collaboration and knowledge transfer. Actor-network theory encourages a more collaborative, ethically sound approach to understanding the past, especially when using aerial digital archaeology. This article systematically argues for such an approach
Hegel on Physical Health and Illness: A Brunonian Influence and a Metaphysical Approach
Full text linkPhysical health and illness according to Hegel is a topic that has been largely overlooked. To understand its importance in Hegel’s philosophy, one must first understand its medical context, which begins with the crisis of German medical theory in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This crisis facilitated the entry of Brunonianism into German medicine. Hegel was influenced by this context but also introduced ideas of his own into his conception of health and illness. According to Hegel, health is related to fluidity and solidification, which are two metaphysical notions. Using the Brunonian vocabulary of his time alongside his own metaphysical framework, Hegel elaborated a metaphysical theory of physical health and illness
Moral Foundations as Predictors of Academic Success: Examining GPA and Subject Preferences in Middle Adolescents
Full text linkThis study explores relationships between adolescents’ moral foundations and academic outcomes, extending existing psychological frameworks into educational research. A sample of 192 German high school students (aged 15–17) completed the Moral Foundations Questionnaire, although the analyses specifically focused on the Care, Fairness, and Authority foundations based on theoretical relevance to educational contexts. Academic achievement (grade point average, GPA) and subject preferences were measured through self-reported grades and subject rankings. Data were analyzed using non-parametric correlations, ordinal logistic regression, and group comparisons. Results indicated that higher scores in the Care foundation were significantly associated with better GPA, whereas Fairness showed no significant correlation. Moreover, students expressing dislike for natural sciences displayed significantly higher Authority foundation scores. These results suggest that specific moral foundations may be relevant in shaping academic performance and subject preferences among adolescents. Future studies should further explore underlying mechanisms to inform targeted educational practices
Reconceptualizing Consumer Responsibility: From Rosters to Philosophy
Full text linkConceptual papers reflect a researcher’s theoretical thoughts and philosophical speculations about a topic and are especially useful for generating ideas that incentivize theory development. This conceptual paper shares a philosophical reconceptualization of consumer responsibility, which people traditionally approach using rosters of corresponding responsibilities and rights. After profiling rosters from both the United Nations and Consumers International, the consumer responsibility phenomenon was reconceptualized through three philosophical queries: (a) what is it to be responsible (moral reasoning, feelings, or virtue/character trait); (b) what is a person responsible for (past and future orientation — retrospection and prospection); and (c) before whom is someone responsible (self-attribution versus diffusion)? Future researchers are encouraged to use this new conceptual framework to study and theorize the different ways people might philosophically understand being responsible consumers
Tending and Logic between Bardili and Hegel: The Operativity of Reason beyond the Philosophy of the Subject
Full text linkThe paper traces some stages in the process of the speculative emancipation of the Trieb in Post-Kantian philosophy with the aim of reconstructing the context that allows explaining the outcomes of the treatment given to it by Hegel in the Science of Logic. Initially, some elements that underlie the speculative assimilation of the concept of Trieb in the course of the development of post-Kantian philosophy are presented, and in a second step, the position of an author central to the development of Hegel’s Logic, namely Christoph Gottfried Bardili, is discussed. The theory of the drive developed by Bardili in Grundriss der ersten Logik makes possible a clearer understanding of the different levels at which Hegel makes use of the notion of Trieb in the doctrine of the concept and particularly in the understanding of teleology developed in Wissenschaft der Logik. The overall purpose is to show how the debate on Trieb does not take the form of the evolution of a purely anthropological interpretation, oriented toward a supposed critique of ‘subjectivity’, but rather is the result of its integration in a speculative sense
Is There Any Equal Opportunity Approach in Latin America? A Systematic Review 2014-2024
Full text linkThis paper presents the results of a systematic literature review examining the evolution of contemporary Theories of Justice, Egalitarianism, and the Principle of Equality of Opportunity in Latin American countries from 2014 to 2024. It seeks to contribute perspectives from the Global South to the philosophical field, thereby enriching the dialogue on how egalitarian justice operates across diverse contexts. The study used three academic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. A total of 864 articles were initially identified, and after applying the PRISMA methodology, 64 papers were selected according to the established criteria. The analysis reveals that these works reflect a distinctly Latin American approach characterized by: Intrinsic Pluralist Egalitarianism (relational-distributive), Decolonial and Feminist Theoretical Influence, and Pragmatic Equality of Opportunity