In order to explain the results of experiments on scattering of a rays by matter Prof. Rutherford** has given a theory of the structure of atoms. According to this theory, the atoms consist of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons kept together by attractive forces from the nucleus; the total negative charge of the electrons is equal to the positive charge of the nucl...

In early 2010, the Nebraska state legislature passed a new abortion restricting law asserting a new, compelling state interest in preventing fetal pain. In this article, we review existing constitutional abortion doctrine and note difficulties presented by persistent legal attention to a socially derived viability construct. We then offer a substantive biological, ethical, and legal critique of...

This Article contains some reflections concerning the Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (“the Draft Treaty”), which was approved by the European Council on September 28, 2004 and formally signed in Rome on October 29, 2004. At the time of writing in early 2005, it is presently in the process of ratification by the twenty-five Member States of the European Union (“EU”). The Art...

The science of consciousness is a nascent and thriving field of research that is founded on identifying the minimally sufficient neural correlates of consciousness. However, I have argued that it is the neural constitution of consciousness that science seeks to understand and that there are no evident strategies for distinguishing the correlates and constitution of (phenomenal) consciousness. H...

“What is the difference,” went an old joke in the Soviet Union, “between the Soviet and U.S. Constitutions? The Soviet Constitution guarantees freedom of speech; the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom after speech.” The joke captures the common intuition about the function (or dysfunction, rather) of constitutions in authoritarian regimes. Many other examples abound: citizens of North Korea m...

The objective is to discuss and analyze some elements of the process of institutionalization of social policies in Brazil after the Constitution of 1988, especially those of social welfare (social security, health and social assistance). It is assumed that this process present hybrids that compromise the results prescribed by the Constitution. From one hand, there are important advances in poli...

Most philosophers, whether they consider themselves naturalists or not, typically think that we can talk and think about objects in the world which are themselves independent of our conception of them. Unfortunately, providing a naturalistic explanation of how we can do this has proved notoriously difficult. In particular, naturalistic accounts of intentionality have had problems explaining how...