Anales del Seminario de Historia de la Filosofía

The metaphysical dimensions ignored by neostoicism

José Barrientos Rastrojo — 2025-09-30

A new model of practical stoicism, or neo-stoicism, has been spreading in our society for last two decades. That proposal presents Greek and Roman Stoicism as a form of therapy for healing and normalizing citizens.

This theory is based on two risky presupossitions: his narcissistic individualism and the aims to implement Zeno’s or Marcus Aurelius’ teachings under capitalist ideological tendencies. Against this framework, classical Stoicism defended cosmopolitanism and a philosophy that did not seek merely practical ends but rather the assimilation of the subject to the logos. In this way, the Panaetius’ or Posidonius’ Stoicism was metaphysical, that is, it sought the ascent of the subject to reason or cosmic vision rather than achieving uncritical adaptation to the system.

This article aims to reveal the errors of neostoicism and concludes by calling for a shift from the ethical-moral vision of neostoicism to the metaphysical perspective of Stoicism.

Dissimulation as an artifice of prudential knowledge in the ethics-hermeneutics of Baltasar Gracián

Gastón G. Beraldi — 2025-09-30

The present study considers that Baltasar Gracián's Manual Oracle and Art of Prudence falls within the framework of a hermeneutic ethics. Here, prudential knowledge is developed from a dynamic conception of reality and hermeneutical experience as the source of its maxims. This approach is traced from the articulation of aphorisms 98 and 212 of the Oráculo Manual with a fragment of Discourse XXXXVI of Arte de Ingenio. In this context, the artifice of dissimulation stands out as a fundamental part of the operation of the production of phronetic knowledge. From this point of view, dissimulation is not only an aesthetic artifice, but also a political and moral artifice that aims not to remain exposed and vulnerable to the attacks of power. It is maintained that Gracián communicates the art of prudence as a person of practical wisdom should act, so that his inclination is not known, overlapping his intention, misleading, thus decisively compromising, in this process, the reader.

Kant on the faculty of desire and the case of pleasure

Vojtěch Kolomý — 2025-09-30

At first glance, Kant’s understanding of the faculty of desire and the role of feeling in it may appear straightforward. However, when one attempts to offer a more detailed conception, several, ultimately related problems arise. What exactly does Kant mean when he claims that in the lower faculty of desire, pleasure in the reality of an object must always be presupposed? How exactly should we understand the incentive [Triebfeder], that, according to Kant, moves us to action? What is the role of the feeling of respect in the faculty of desire? This paper aims to offer a comprehensive account of the functioning of the faculty of desire, reconstructed from rather dispersed allusions and remarks throughout the Kantian corpus, with the goal of clarifying the role that feeling plays within it.

Association and Objectivity. The threefold synthesis as Kant's answer to "Hume´s Problem"

Alberto López López — 2025-09-30

The aim of this paper is to show in what sense the Kantian notion of theoretical objectivity constitutes an answer to what Kant calls “Hume's problem”. For this purpose, an analysis of the Transcendental Deduction is carried out, where Kant offers a foundation of this notion, with special emphasis on the first edition and, particularly, on the well-known doctrine of the triple synthesis. From this analysis it is shown, already in the conclusions, that the transcendental affinity, inseparable from the notion of theoretical objectivity, constitutes Kant's answer to the problem proposed by Hume.

The Wissenschaftslehre and its Relation to Phenomenology. Husserlian Reflections on the Foundations of Sciences

Luis Niel — 2025-09-30

The article addresses the relation between the Wissenschaftslehre (pure logic, mathesis universalis) and phenomenology. First, I will analyze the meaning and scope of the Husserlian project of a doctrine of science as the study of the logical conditions which every theory must fulfil for being considered as such, which is framed on the correlation between the interconnexion of objective truths and the interconnexion of things. Second, I will examine why the account of fundamental concepts (and propositional combinations, general laws, and the theory of manifolds) leads to the question about the phenomenological origin, i.e., to the inquiry about the subjective performances of consciousness. On the one hand, I will argue that the Wissenschaftslehre and phenomenology are two different projects with some autonomy, but they are both related in a complementary sense. On the other hand, I will explain why, even when the Wissenschaftslehre and sciences may work as an objective knowledge, only phenomenology enables to overcome the naivety of the ideal ‘in itself’ by making explicit the sense given by intentional consciousness.

Variations on State and Infinity. The Deconstruction of Atomism in the Doctrine of Being from the Science of Logic as a Propaedeutic for a Late-modern Revision of the Contractualism and Infinity problem.

Antonio Sánchez Domínguez — 2025-09-30

This research aims to demonstrate the solidarity between Logic and the political, taking as a starting point the references to atomism in the Doctrine of Being within Hegel’s Science of Logic. This approach seeks to overcome interpretative shortcomings arising from selective readings of Hegel's System; in other words, it attempts to avoid the excesses of an approach that would allow reading the Philosophy of Right without undertaking the labor—explicitly mandated by Hegel in that very text—of first reading that without which the method for grasping the political would remain insufficient, just as the modern approach had previously been. In this regard, Hegel's own references to contractualism in the Doctrine of Being itself make it possible to significantly modulate contractualism at the logical level, thereby ensuring—and only thereby—the essence of what will later unfold within the Philosophy of Right.

Spinoza's Non-Concentric Circles. History and Analysis of a Geometrical Example from Hegel until Today

Christian López Mas — 2025-09-30

One of the issues that has aroused most interest in the recent reception of Spinozism is that of the link between his philosophy and the geometrical method of exposition used in the Ethics. Among the frequent mathematical examples that come with his reasoning, the example of the non-concentric circles included in the famous letter to Meyer has been applauded for its ability to reproduce geometrically the conceptual determination of the infinite. Its interpretation has, however, given rise to conflicting positions. Through a review of its meaning, the present work aims to reconcile two interpretative trends: Hegel’s and Gueroult’s. The aim is, on the one hand, to vindicate the proximity that exists between the two, at least in the analysis of this geometrical example, and, on the other hand, to contribute to the restoration of the stigmatised image that Hegel would have left us of Spinozism.

Hegel and the Ontology of Freedom

Andrés Felipe Parra-Ayala — 2025-09-30

In this paper I want to defend the thesis that Hegel's Science of Logic, and especially the transition from substance to subject at the end of the doctrine of essence, must be read as an ontology of freedom. The ontology of freedom is the answer to the question of how the existence of human freedom is possible within nature and the objective world. But beyond explaining and clarifying the transition from substance to subject in the Science of Logic as clearly as possible, I intend to contribute to the debate about the transcendental or metaphysical-precritical character of Hegelian logic. As an ontology of freedom, logic is not merely a transcendental philosophy, as certain Anglo-Saxon readings suppose, but neither is it a pre-Kantian metaphysics that ignores the problem of self-consciousness. Thus, the ontology of freedom offers a new perspective for thinking the absolute: since the spontaneity of the subject is nothing other than the appearance and reflexive manifestation of substance, the absolute can no longer be simply substance or nature, nor even the simple unity between substance and subject, but rather the self-conscious and reflexive thought of that unity.

Quod revealed. Event and Difference in the Late Schelling

Abraham Rubín Álvarez — 2025-09-30

This article investigates the transformation in Schelling’s ontology towards a philosophy of existence that prioritizes the event and the irreducibility of novelty over essential determinations. This exploration follows key stages: first, the reinterpretation of the Aristotelian distinction between Was (essence) and Daß (existence), where Schelling highlights the radical contingency of existence. Second, it examines his critique of scholasticism and the primacy of essences, showing how, for Schelling, existence emerges as an unpredictable event, independent of any logical plan. Finally, it explores how Schelling’s notion of freedom and his theory of the “dark ground” (Ungrund) engage in dialogue with Jacques Derrida’s contemporary thought, emphasizing the importance of the event as radical novelty. This shift towards a positive philosophy offers a vision in which the divine and the real reveal themselves through freedom and contingency. Through this journey, the article underscores Schelling’s relevance in addressing contemporary philosophical challenges related to difference and openness to the impossible.

The Transcendental Foundation of Ethics in Kierkegaard and Levinas: a Comparative Study of Fear and trembling and Totality and infinity

Gabriel Leiva Rubio — 2025-09-30

Through a hermeneutic-comparative analysis, this essay aims to determine the foundation of ethics in Kierkegaard and Lévinas. To this end, the focus is placed on two seminal works of contemporary thought: Fear and Trembling by Kierkegaard and Totality and Infinity by Lévinas. The goal is not only to understand how these authors establish the foundation of ethics in two essential works of their respective philosophies but also to examine whether their proposals share common elements that might conceptually bring them closer together.

Unleashed particularity and constrained particularity: Max Stirner and Carl Schmitt on civil society and the State in Hegel

Héctor Jiménez García — 2025-09-30

In Hegel’s Philosophy of Right, the complex theoretical tension between particularity and universality is key to understanding the notions of civil society and the State. This paper aims to transfer the significance of this tensional duality in Hegel to the intertwined understanding of Stirner and Schmitt, to suggest a negative connection between them that moves away from the already explored theological-political angles and rests comparatively on a Hegelian framework. Thus, it will be argued that Stirner advocates egoism linked to a unilateral understanding of civil particularity, while Schmitt, from a unilateral view of Hegelian universality, defends a state that is hostile to particularity. Ultimately, from this indirect dissent on Hegelian grounds will emerge a possibility of positivisation of the Stirner-Schmitt interaction from a shared notion of pre-intellectual and decisional individuality.

The “frozen word”. Three epistolary testimonies about Walter Benjamin

Chaxiraxi Escuela Cruz — 2025-09-30

The paper examines an approach to three moments in the form of letters to understand certain central aspects in the development of Walter Benjamin's philosophical project. In his correspondence with Gershom Scholem, Theodor W. Adorno and Gretel Karplus, some challenges Benjamin faced are explained, such as the supposed transition towards materialism of his thesis or the difficulties in his research on Baudelaire.

Foucault, reader of Husserl: the Philosophie der Arithmetik

Edgardo Castro — 2025-09-30

The volume entitled Phénoménologie et psychologie (2021) is almost entirely dedicated to Edmund Husserl. It is a manuscript by Michel Foucault composed in the mid-1950s, which has remained unpublished for almost seventy years. The first chapter of this volume deals with two works by the Moravian philosopher: Philosophie der Arithmetik and Logische Untersuchungen. For Foucault, already in the Philosophie der Arithmetik, Husserl had moved away from the dominant psychologism of the time and discovered the properly phenomenological dimension of consciousness.

This article analyses this anti-psychologistic reading of Philosophie der Arithmetik. It examines the interpretation, firstly, of the historical location of phenomenology and, secondly, of the notion of number. With regard to the historical location of phenomenology, the author examines the path that, according to Foucault, leads from Malebranche to Husserl and where the two general postulates of 19th-century psychologism would have originated: the theological dimension of truth and, correlatively, the denial of the constitutive dimension of consciousness. With regard to the notion of number, the aim is to show how, according to Foucault, with the notions of collective connection and heterogeneous acts, Husserl avoids the aforementioned postulates. This article also aims to show the specificities of the Foucauldian position, the relationship between this manuscript and other works by the author, and the influence of this writing by the young Foucault on his subsequent intellectual journey.

Michel Foucault and the tragic-existential form of freedom: toward an anarchic chiasm

Gonzalo Ramos Pérez — 2025-09-30

This article examines the early thought of Michel Foucault with the aim of elucidating the tragic-existential chiasm that shapes his initial conception of freedom, influenced by the ideas of Heidegger and Nietzsche. It analyzes how Foucault integrates the anti-essentialist readings of both philosophers to formulate a notion of freedom that shifts the question of the human being toward the margins of an anti-humanist hypothesis. This approach enables the development of a distinctive hermeneutics of freedom, which not only allows for an interpretation of Foucault's work through an anarchic lens but also positions his ethical-political thought within discussions on post-foundationalism, post-anarchism, and radical democracy. This article seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of Foucault as an anarchic thinker, exploring some of the ideas that are deeply intertwined with philosophical debates aiming to exhaust the political language of modernity.

Wild Beasts, Domestic Beasts & Stuffed Beasts: An Analysis of the Concepts «Universe» & «World», «Meaning» & «Sense», in the Thought of Juan David García Bacca

Alberto Ferrer García — 2025-09-30

This paper addresses García Bacca's dichotomy between the concepts of «universe» and «world», as well as those of «meaning» and «sense», from both an ontological and an aesthetic perspective. The «universe» is presented as an objective totality, governed by natural laws, while the «world» emerges as a subjective construction, shaped by human perception. On the other hand, «meaning» is understood as the cognitive decoding of symbols, in contrast to «sense», which is revealed in the concrete and experiential experience of that same reality. García Bacca postulates that the latter has a profound ontological impact as it is not merely a subjective experience but the basis of reality.

Jorge Eduardo Rivera: philosophical and vital motivations. In search of a unifying background

Hardy Neumann Soto — 2025-09-30

This paper aims to identify a potential thematic core in the thought of Jorge Edo. Rivera, as it is manifested both explicitly and implicitly in his writings, particularly in his book De Asombros y Nostalgia. It is argued that this core is structured around a set of ideas centered on the notion of ‘executivity’. Moreover, it is crucial to address this challenge by not only focusing on the content of his work but also on the way in which his thoughts are presented. This is because in the works of the Chilean philosopher, the integration of both aspects is profound, and thus they also become a fundamental part of his philosophical discourse.

Adriana Cavarero, A pesar de Platón, Barcelona: Galaxia Gutenberg, 2024

Hypatia Pétriz Haddad — 2025-09-30

VVAA, Psicogeografía. Trayectoria de un método, Logroño: Pepitas de Calabaza, 2024

María Santana Fernández — 2025-09-30

Zamora Calvo, José María, Platón. La filosofía y la polis, Barcelona: Shackleton Books, 2024

Marc Zapata Pedrosa — 2025-09-30

Crossing the walls between disciplines in the 21st century

Nicol A. Barria-Asenjo — 2025-09-30

These unpublished dialogues were constructed throughout 2024, is a document that attempts to contribute to the complex and diverse terrain of the History of Ideas of the XXI Century. Once again, it highlights the importance of the study of the contributions of our time. Theoretical and intellectual intervention in the present implies a live approach to the diverse conceptual tools that are being woven. The intellectual work of today will represent and crystallize into the foundations of the intellectual academy of tomorrow. What is our duty and responsibility as intellectuals in our present situation? Breaking down the walls of the Social Sciences and Humanities is the goal of these dialogues. This document brings together two generations, two voices and trajectories, on the one hand, an initial trajectory, an intellectual of 29 years of Chilean nationality who has consolidated new possibilities of building intellectual communities globally, on the other side, we have one of the most recognized intellectuals of the French academy, at 85 years old, preceded by a fundamental contribution in various disciplines. A meeting that makes it possible to understand that there is a persistence in common struggles, spaces from the common that are built from the difference. These dialogues are the representation of the crossings and openings that are necessary to generate in the academy today. There are no ivory towers that can contribute, we have in front of us common battles that require encounter, solidarity and political and social commitment. It is important to break down the walls of the social sciences and humanities today, to get out of the trenches.