«Sophia» XVIII (2026)

Abstract: If many phenomena in contemporary research possess an intrinsically relational structure, knowledge adequate to them cannot be contained within a single discipline. The literature on transdisciplinarity, however, rarely thematizes the epistemic space in which the relation between forms of knowledge becomes productive of knowledge. This contribution proposes to interpret that space through the concept of μεταξύ, understood not as synthesis but as a relational structure that allows different perspectives to enter into relation without being reduced to one another.

Keywords: Metaxy – In-between, -Transdisciplinarity – Unity of Science – Philosophy of Science

Read full article in Italian: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 11-28

Abstract: The Carnap of Der logische Aufbau der Welt was aware of the problem of “imperfect community.” Nonetheless he ignores it. We argue that Carnap’s tendency to downplay this difficulty is best understood in light of the enduring influence of Husserlian phenomenology on his early philosophy. On this reading, the Aufbau preserves an epistemological framework partially grounded in the structures of subjective experience, already at the heart of Der Raum.

Keywords: Rudolf Carnap – Aufbau – Structural Empiricism – Sensible Intuition – Quasi-Analysis

Read full article in English: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 29-51

Abstract: Analogy is often understood as an inferential tool for justifying projections across domains, yet such a reading proves insufficient when analogy orients theoretical development over the long term. We therefore introduce the notion of analogical support – a form of methodological justification distinct from both heuristics and empirical confirmation, capable of rendering rational the continuation of research programmes even under conditions of limited empirical access – taking black hole thermodynamics as our case study.

Keywords: Analogy – Analogical Reasoning – Black Holes – Philosophy of Physics

Read full articlein Italian: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 53-68

Abstract: This paper examines how evolutionary psychology integrates paleoanthropological evidence to reconstruct the evolution of the human mind. Using the savanna hypothesis as a case study, it introduces the concept of stylization bias and argues for a more historically grounded integration of paleoanthropological evidence into the discipline’s methodology.

Keywords: Evolutionary psychology – Savanna hypothesis – Paleoanthropology – Philosophy of evolutionary biology – Archaeology

Read full article in English: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 69-87

Abstract: This paper reconstructs George Berkeley’s theory of beauty as a coherent philosophical account grounded in relations of proportion, subordination, and teleological fittingness. It argues that beauty, for Berkeley, spans both natural and moral domains under a single unifying principle – the rational ordering of parts within a hierarchy of ends – and that this commitment leads to a qualified but significant rejection of the moral sense tradition in favor of a view on which beauty is an object of rational apprehension, ultimately grounded in divine reason.

Keywords: Divine Order – Berkeley -Proportion – Reason

Read full article in English: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 89-111

Abstract:

This article compares Spinoza’s causa sui with Mullā Sadrā’s wājib al-wujād to examine how divine necessity coexists with human freedom. Through a non-genealogical analysis, it distinguishes modal necessity from graded ontological dependence. The result is two distinct compatibilist models of agency, each grounded in a different metaphysical architecture of divine causality.

Keywords: Freedom – Metaphysical – Mullā Sadrā – Necessity – Spinoza

Read full article in English: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 113-126

Abstract: This paper examines Kant’s critique of the ontological argument, arguing that the limit of reason does not lead to the dissolution of metaphysics, but rather opens the possibility for its reconsideration. The impossibility of logically demonstrating the existence of God points toward an excess that cannot be reduced to conceptual determination. From this perspective, the dialogue between Kant and the tradition of the ontological argument allows for a rethinking of both the subject and the meaning of speculative thought.

Keywords: Kant – Ontological Argument – Limit of Reason – Metaphysics

Read full article in Italian: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 127-136

Abstract: The paper aims to examine Spinoza’s vision of the «true idea», highlighting how this concept enables the Dutch philosopher to radically rethink the process of God’s self-revelation and the traditional theological constructs of Providence, freedom, and salvation.

Keywords: Spinoza – Ontology – Theology – True Idea – Beatitude

Read full article in Italian: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 137-148

Abstract: The essay examines the relationship between humans and machines in Hannah Arendt’s thought through a comparison of The Human Condition, On the Human Condition, and the Cybernetics typescript. The analysis highlights textual differences and continuities, emphasizing the importance of Arendt’s reflection on technology and its connection with themes later developed in The Life of the Mind.

Keywords: Automation – Cybernation, -Human condition – Techno-scientific progress – IA

Read full article in Italian: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 149-171

Abstract: Questo contributo muove dalla recente pubblicazione del testo Etica e Restorative Justice – Definizioni, concetti e problemi di Serena Meattini. Il presente testo evidenzia la centralità del danno come categoria relazionale orientata ai bisogni dei singoli e della comunità, ponendo conseguentemente in luce il concetto di accountability, inteso come processo dinamico di riconoscimento, responsabilità e impegno alla riparazione dello stesso.

Keywords: giustizia riparativa – etica – accountability – danno – relazione

Leggere l’articolo in italiano: «Sophia» XVIII (2026-1) 173-180