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Arquivo para 2016

I wish you peace? What Peace?

31 Dec

International day of peace, we wish for a happy New Year, it would be better happynewyearto make a commitment for a better year than this one, where world tensions seem to surface, the United Europe seems to be on the way out and the United States of America seems disunited, not to mention Of Jerusalem divided into three (and new tensions), Syria, Africa and the Arab world.

We are already talking about Pax Roman (see the post), the Westphalian Peace Treaty (the Tolerance Treaty) and the Eternal Pax, but it seems that it is not from any of this peace that we speak, in fact Pax Eterna is no more than the idealist model of Peace of modernity, what peace do we want then?

Perhaps a little of all of them, from the Pax Romana we should think of laying down the arms, but not only the defeated ones but rather the winners, of the Treaty of Peace we should desire the peace of tolerance, by the way, that is the acceptance of Different social and cultural values ​​and, from the Eternal pax, a treatise on Peace that looks at a world as a homeland of all, where differences do not mean intolerance, where the acceptance of values ​​and peoples is a truth and not a hypocrisy, and especially Where there are feelings of solidarity.

 Confessional messages, blessed and well-intentioned desires will not bond in a divided world, where the 2016 facts seem more promising for division than union, is a step back, no doubt, but perhaps necessary for us to reflect a little on OTHERS.

What I hear most is the word dialogue, the less I see it to be practiced, we must break the vicious circle of this pseudo-ideological, pseudo-religious discourse and in fact each one is inside his bubble (I will share the reading of the book Spheres I – Bubbles by Peter Sloterdick), yes they are not boxes, because they can remain closed, while bubbles are a breath of passing illusion, this is the idealistic world.

 Do not say anything to others about your conceptions and beliefs, listen to him carefully, he is wanting to tell you something all the time, although sometimes inconveniently, it is quite true, but perhaps because his ears are inattentive and his sight darkened .

“I leave you peace, I give you my peace,” said Jesus to his contemporaries, but what peace he gave, the one capable of suffering to the end, going to extreme sacrifice for the Others, and many think that this peace is An “inner peace”, something extraterrestrial or the “eternal pax” of the moderns, this has led us to two wars and may lead us to a third, it is a lying Peace.

 

What can we say about the year that goes?

30 Dec

In Brazil, a lot of people are already late, in the world allegations of corruption,dilmatrumph a conservative wave, the post-truth (we have already posted), it is difficult to comment everything, I then separated any facts related to Information, which is my beach:

The fact that news appears all the time on the Web has made many people pass not read more newspapers, but journalists found that having “a full day” to process news, could give more accuracy and more analysis in the facts, people need “digest”.

The serious and almost daily events of 2016 required ”serious” journalism with what is being called zero ethics or experience, is a response to post-truth, or time in which facts contest the Directed analysis.

The year began with the “white” Oscar that generated protests and ironies, no black nominees for awards, at this point the real in social media was very good, which joked the awards.

In february Ukraine officially broke with the pro-Western governmental coalition, breaking into a crisis that would make a war with Russia with strong interests there.
In March Obama made a history visit to the island of Cuba, which begins to resume with the US.

In April the impeachment process of President Dilma is presented in the Federal Chamber, presided over by Eduardo Cunha, who would be dismissed on May 5, on May 12 Dilma Roussef is removed from the presidency of Brazil and becomes defending for violating tax laws. The mass spectrometer of the Rosetta probe confirms the presence of substances related to the origin of life in the comet’s tail 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko, almost unnoticed but fundamental to explain the origin of life.

In June, in a surprising plebiscite the UK opts to leave the Eurozone, it is called BRExit, begins the Eurocoup Soccer on June 10 that would be won by Portugal.
The retired deputy Eduardo Cunha resigned from the position of president of the Brazilian Congress of Deputies, after which he will be arrested for misappropriation of public money.

The Olympic Games begin in Brazil, under the motto of improvisations (brazilian term is gambiarras), Brazil wins the unprecedented gold medal in football, the main selection begins to have victories over the command of coach Tite.

On August 31, Dilma Roussef is definitely removed from the presidency by assuming the presidency of her deputy Michel Temer.

On Oct. 4 Hurricane Matthew Hurricane hits Haiti causing 877 deaths and many damage, on October 7 Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting the end of the Civil War in Colombia, but the people Rejects in plebiscite, and Bob Dylan Nobel Prize of Literature.

On November 8, Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, and on November 26, Fidel Castro died and on November 29, a plane carrying Chapecoense in Colombia crashed, killing 71 people and leaving 6 injured.

In December, Brazilian poet and popular brazilian writer Ferreira Gullar died at the age of 86, Park Geun-Hye is removed from the South Korean presidency by favoring a friend, Matteo Renzi resigns from the post of prime minister of Italy taking over Paolo Gentiloni.

When we imagine that the tragedies were over, Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, is murdered and a few days later a Russian plane crashes, a band, a doctor and journalists.

 

What is verifiable in the post-truth

29 Dec

What the English, through the University of Oxford defined as post-truth, posverdadehas little or nothing to do with philosophical hermeneutics, that is, objective facts and personal beliefs, in the logic of the hermeneutical circle after entering into fusion and dialogue giving rise to new Truths when it comes to hermeneutics and thus, “individual” discourses are part of the whole.
The kind of truth at stake is that of the “authority” of pseudo-owners of truth, the state is in check, especially in the last elections around the planet, until Angela Merkel had losses in the regional elections of Germany, and the prime minister Of South Korea, takes with a “simple” act of corruption has totally lost the credibility, already in Brazil …
The logic of everyday life should change, bosses and bosses no longer have space in modern companies, it is known that many of them were manipulative and authoritarian, incidentally who is not, even among religious hierarchy is complicated, the pope tells the bishops that ” They are not princes. ”
Parents are terrified of their children’s contestation, but the truth is that no one grows up if they do not answer, do not question, the most important truth in philosophy is the question, the answer can take ages and fry millions of neurons.
I am of the opinion that there is a setback that I have called de-globalization, but a new cycle of changes will come later, a global globalization with the participation of all and a more “globalized” truth.

 

 

Whats happen in Brazil in 2016?

28 Dec

Manifestations, arrested politicians, record of hearing in sessions of the senatetrespoderes and congress, remember that last year was the monthly, impeachment, etc., was a lot, almost a fact per day, and still had the Olympics, prison of president of Congress Eduardo Cunha  and the bankruptcy of Rio de Janeiro, I almost forgot the main one: the demonstrations, some of them surpassing the millions.

My synthesis is that the three powers have resolved to “work”, sometimes for their own benefit (as it always was) and sometimes for the benefit of the population, but most often in confrontations and this is the novelty, for there would be such a balance “of three powers. “

Remember, in the first polemical decisions of the year, the Court decides on the validity and “rite” of the impeachment process of the former president Dilma Roussef, in March, 9 to 2.

The investigations of the lava-jet approach to Lula and Gilmar Mendes decides that Lula could not become minister chief of the Civil House of Dilma, Judicial dispute x Executive.

In May Minister Teori Zavaski decided to suspend Cunha (the impeachment had already occurred), because the Supreme Court understood that Cunha used the mandate to “promote spurious interests”, Legislative vs. Judiciary dispute.
In September Minister Carmem Lucia assumed the presidency of the FTS and changed the “solemn” tone of the house, and addressed the citizens to whom she gave “supreme authority over all of us, public servants”, even if this takes years is a new breath To a house so “learned”.

In a decision applauded by many, but not so much by the “learned” gentlemen, the Court decided to authorize the arrest of prisoners to be arrested in the second instance of Justice, but it had to be voted twice, until the OAB made appeals, only being approved at the beginning of October.

In a new vote hearing the people, the disapproval was considered unconstitutional.
But the biggest arm drop was for the end of the year, on December 5, Minister Marco Aurélio of the STF decided, at the request of the Sustainability Network, that Renan Calheiros should be removed from the position of chairman of the Senate, since Responds process.

He gave in to nothing, but Renan went through serious constraints, such as rejecting a court order, in a pathetic scene, but that showed the power he has despite the proceedings.

Ended up? No, new battle now on the 10 measures against corruption, which resulted in Sergio Moro and Gilmar Mendes going to the Senate, now Minister Luis Fux ordered that the “popular” nature project return to the National Congress, since it was completely Altered, escaping to its initial scope.

I will not conclude by just stating one fact: the three powers working, here its new.

 

Books to I read in 2017

27 Dec

I already have 2 books in my stack: Spheres I: Bubbles by Peter Sloterdijk andbolhas Truth and Method (Wahrheit und Methode), the work of Otto-Hans Gadamer of greatest impact, where he tries to answer Heidegger’s question: “Where are we when we say we are in the world?”.
In Bubbles, the first of the Spheres trilogy, Peter Sloterdijk, just published in Brazil, offers a philosophical-existential inquiry to the question question of Heidegger, but also says about man and his relationship with his fellowmen and his surroundings, from the notion Of “intimate spaces” like “bubbles”, are we stuck in “bubbles” that are our “closed” circles?
Motivated by the economic climate, self-help must give way to more “psychological” books and alternative health issues, perhaps you can read two of the best-selling lists: psychologist Angela Duckworth’s work for educators, athletes, and even businesses, Where it indicates talent, it takes passion and perseverance for conquest: Claw – the Power of Passion and Perseverance, is already well sold and can bomb in 2016.
In the line of health care, the well-known Drauzio Varella gives signs that will bomb now in the books: Word Of Doctor – Science, Health And Lifestyle, where he gives tips of very recent discoveries of medicine and says how to take good health, without “fads”.
Of course there can always be surprises, someone better to explain the confused global situation of turning to patriotic and populist conservatism, new questions about ecology and someone who points optimistically toward the future.

Martin Gayford has been art critic, and Michelangelo – his epic life, is translate to portuguese in 2016, but its book is to year 2013.

 

What was good to read in 2016

26 Dec

I talked a lot about books about Hermeneutica, the Other and issues of politicsadvertise and ethics that bombed in 2016, but there are less “dense” and equally good books, they are easy readings that can help a lot of people, the first one is by Mario Sérgio Cortella : Why do we do what we do? Short, cheap and very interesting.

What does the pleasure of everyday life take away from us? Lack of time for everything? Do you have a purpose for life? Seems self-help, but it is not, it is a very practical philosophy book, without “theories”.
Cheap and very simple is also Anxiety and Self-control, from the well-known and brazilian famous writer Augusto Cury, gives important tips on the stress of our lives and how anxiety is generated, I liked it mainly because it demystifies the fact that it would be too much or too much information, the problem Is “self-control”, we do a lot in the momentum.

My third place is in reverse order, because I always need deeper books was the girl on the train: audacious and very intelligent, tells the story of Rachel that every day trains to London, one day she follows a couple and discovers that the Young is missing, goes to politics and tells everything, ah turned movie yes, it’s what was in the poster, but did not see, the author is Paula Hawkings, she changed as I see my day to day and the people next door.

My second place is Peter Kreeft, it was a discovery almost at random, but it did me very well, he does philosophy Socratic fashion, this is dialogue, I read the Best Things in Life, see my post, and Socrates meets Hume, there are others to read.
The first and last on this list was Edgar Morin’s book: Where Does The World Go? The book is old, but this 2016 turn to nationalism and conservative thinking seemed timely, according to François L’Yvonnet’s preface, Morin “resists any blessed reconciliation or optimism” and proposes a “planetary humanism, An awareness of ‘Homeland’ as the community of destiny of origin of doom ‘(be my post and the following).

My stack for 2017 is ready, but events always divert my reading.

 

 

(Português) Deus entrou na história ?

23 Dec

Sorry, this entry is only available in Brazilian Portuguese.

 

Innocence and politics

22 Dec

From Plato and Aristotle, through Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hegel, and Marx, to Habermas, jesusluzJohn Rawls, Charles Taylor, and Edgar Morin and Manuel Castells,  apolitical question is fundamental and underlies every elaborate political discourse: how will we live together in society?

Little known and completing his sabbatical in Brazil, the Italian Antonio Baggio wrote about the forgotten motto of the French Revolution: the fraternity, with a good Brazilian translation.
What an innocent child born in a colony of the mighty Roman Empire might have to do with all this would have nothing if not for this “forgotten motto” of the last great civilizing revolution, since the socialist did not complete its cycle, and perhaps not Complete, but the social problems: concentration of income, ecology and now disglobalization are there.

Returning to Edgar Morin in his Earth-Country and Manuel Castells with the Information Society, a world that is seen there, but this world can elaborate forms of peaceful coexistence?

At this moment it seems like a setback, but it takes a certain dose of naivety, of love for humanity and respect for diversity, and this innocent child, this God-child has something to say, the pure and even somewhat naive look to the Other, To different can help us.

It is possible, more than this, it is necessary to create the idea of ​​a world where all can live together, and there is no other way than to respect differences, to live and to extend the heart to all.

A born child was counted among the men (it was the period of the census), then fled to Egypt, for Herod orders to kill all newborns, and later because “he loved his to the end” will be killed, but left to the world His message, his new commandment: “love yourselves as I love you”, that is to the end, even unto death.

But do not confuse one Jesus, and his politics are not to be confused with human structures, powers and passions too, one only understands fraternity if one sees oneself with fraternity brothers.

 

Machado and the literary canon

21 Dec

I have always found insufficient the analysis of Machado de Assis, it was necessary to look machadoat an educated Machado and like any good intellectual capable of influencing, without losing his Brazilian, mulatto and great brazilian author.
The author Sonia Netto Salomão, wrote the book released this year Machado and the literary canon (Eduerj, 434 pp.,2016), she is Brazilian, but is a professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza, and deepened her studies in the Italian context Of Rio de Janeiro in the second half of the nineteenth century, with a strong influence of Dante, Machiavel, Leopardi and emphasized his condition of frequent spectator of operas and dramatic theater in Rio de Janeiro, and the strong Italian influence in the book Dom Casmurro.
This analysis is going to go unnoticed for some time, because we oscillate in a good part of the national mentality, or by a European xenophobia (the American is worse), without realizing our strong European influences, or by an uncritical adherence of foreign readings being unable to see the nuances Of adherence in the national culture of Western thought.
The book costs around $ 60.00 (U$ 16)  and was published by editor Eduerj in 2016.

 

Disglobalization: defining 2016

20 Dec

 There are several possible definitions for 2016, which is not over yet, but we knowterradividida that there is a change of route, it was the year of BREXIT (the departure of the Great Britain from the Euro zone), the most surprising victory of Donald Trump in the USA, The right and extreme right disputing elections in France and Angela Merkel losing spaces in Germany.

The University of Oxford used the word post-truth to define this year, a word that although known since 1992, coined by Steve Tesich, had a growth of more than 2,000% in the year 2016.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, post-truth is defined as: “which relates or denotes circumstance in which objective facts have less influence in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal beliefs”, ie also the scenario of Latin America could be contemplated this way.

The Germans of the German-speaking Society (GfdS) used a speech by Angela Merkel when her party was defeated in regional elections: “we live in post-factual times”, to define 2016 thus: post-factual.

I prefer what is common in all these facts, in a retrogression the tendency of globalization, a certain revival of the concepts of “nations”, “cultures” and “peoples”, which is not a bad thing, if there were no rejection Of what is different, is the need for tolerance and dialogue.

I call this process the reverse of globalization, of disglobalisation, a tendency opposite to what books like Edgar Morin’s “Land-Patria” ask for, and “The world has no time to lose” of several important thinkers, among them Morin himself, Peter Sloterdijk and many others who call for “global governance” to tackle emergency problems: concentration of income, ecological imbalance, corruption, etc. Who need a global agenda.

I remember that the history of humanity also had setbacks, such as the Restoration in France, the reigns in the midst of an incipient advance of modernity and many others, but the vector of “globalization” is positive, we must understand within various parameters.

The role of networks and social media in denouncing discrimination, atrocities and non-coherent use of the state machine, a greater visibility of everything that occurs on the planet and on the philosophical plane, the rediscovery of the “Other”, the different and homo sacer.