Marcos Silva

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Apr 30, 2019, 4:55:18 PM4/30/19

to logical logical

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Daily Nous

Open Letter Regarding President Bolsonaro’s Recent Pronouncements on Defunding Philosophy and Sociology

Below is a letter responding to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s recent declarations that he is considering a plan to withdraw funding for the study and teaching of philosophy and sociology at public universities in Brazil.

Written by Sergio Tenenbaum (University of Toronto), Alice Pinheiro Walla (University of Bayreuth), and Catarina Dulith Novaes (VU Amsterdam), the letter is open for academics from around the world to sign. (To sign, use the form at the end of the letter.)

Open Letter Regarding President Bolsonaro’s Recent Pronouncements on Defunding Philosophy and Sociology

We, the undersigned academics around the world, would like to express our alarm and concern about President Bolsonaro’s recent claims that he is planning to defund Philosophy and Sociology (and possibly other areas in the Humanities and social sciences). Brazilian public universities have produced internationally recognized major research in both of these areas. Philosophy and Sociology are fundamental disciplines of any modern university, and, given the interdisciplinary nature of the university, defunding them will affect not only research in these specific areas, but also the reputation, and the quality of research and teaching, of Brazilian universities across all areas. In fact, it is ironic that Philosophy is singled out in this respect, as philosophers in Brazil were among the pioneers of paraconsistent logic, a research program that has had impact in such diverse areas as robotics and expert systems for medical diagnosis.

President Bolsonaro implies in his remarks that public funding should flow exclusively to professional schools. These are certainly important programs. However, a democratic society depends not only on its commercial productive output, but also on its social institutions, its understanding of their foundations and governing principles, as well as its understanding of how these policies and institutions affect its population. Research in social sciences and humanities, and especially Philosophy and Sociology, is vital to such an understanding. The contribution of academics to public debates is also of crucial importance to a well functioning democracy.

Students taking courses in these areas learn to think critically about their conditions, and the broader condition of the society and the world around them. But also the wider public and Brazilian society benefit from the intellectual expertise from philosophers and sociologists.

Thus an attack on Philosophy and Sociology, as well as the humanities and social sciences more generally, is an attack on the very fabric of a democratic society. We call on the Bolsonaro government to reconsider such proposals, and we call on all citizens of Brazil to join us in preserving public support of the social sciences and humanities in Brazil.

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Please sign the open letter using the above form. (Note that a valid email confirmation of your signing is required; your email address will not be publicly displayed nor used for any other purpose.)

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Marcos Silva

https://sites.google.com/site/marcossilvarj/

Philosophie macht Spaß!

"How Colours Matter to Philosophy" (Springer, 2017)

http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319673974

"Colours in Wittgenstein's Philosophical Development" (Palgrave, 2017)

http://www.palgrave.com/br/book/9783319569185

Antonio Marmo

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Apr 30, 2019, 10:16:30 PM4/30/19

to Marcos Silva, logi...@dimap.ufrn.br

A propósito disto trago assunto relevante para a comunidade acadêmica que foi manchete nos jornais:

Diz a Constituição Federal:

“Art. 207. As universidades gozam de autonomia didático-científica, administrativa e de gestão financeira e patrimonial, e obedecerão ao princípio de indissociabilidade entre ensino, pesquisa e extensão.

§ 1º É facultado às universidades admitir professores, técnicos e cientistas estrangeiros, na forma da lei.

§ 2º O disposto neste artigo aplica-se às instituições de pesquisa científica e tecnológica.”

Dizem os jornais do dia 30 de abril de 2019:

MEC cortará verba de universidade por 'balbúrdia' e já mira UnB, UFF e UFBA

O Ministério da Educação (MEC) vai cortar recursos de universidades que não apresentarem desempenho acadêmico esperado e, ao mesmo tempo, estiverem promovendo "balbúrdia" em seus câmpi, afirmou o ministro Abraham Weintraub ao jornal O Estado de S. Paulo.

https://educacao.uol.com.br/noticias/agencia-estado/2019/04/30/mec-cortara-verba-de-universidade-por-balburdia-e-ja-mira-unb-uff-e-ufba.htm

Bloqueio de verba de universidade por motivo ideológico fere Constituição

A ameaça do governo Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) de bloquear 30% dos recursos de custeio de três universidades federais –UnB, UFBA e UFF– por motivos ideológicos fere a Constituição, segundo especialistas.

A afirmação do ministro, Abraham Weintraub que essas universidades teriam também fraco desempenho ignora os resultados positivos dessas instituições em indicadores do ensino superior.

https://www.jb.com.br/pais/2019/04/997619-bloqueio-de-verba-de-universidade-por-motivo-ideologico-fere-constituicao.html

Tirem suas conclusões, por favor. Mas, a mim me parece óbvio o erro do Ministro.

Most problems of teaching are not problems of growth but helping cultivate growth. As far as I know, and this is only from personal experience in teaching, I think about ninety percent of the problem in teaching, or maybe ninety-eight percent, is just to help the students get interested.

Noam Chomsky

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Marcos Silva

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May 1, 2019, 9:55:56 AM5/1/19

to Antonio Marmo, logical logical

British Philosophical Association Defends Philosophy in Brazil

http://dailynous.com/2019/05/01/british-philosophical-association-defends-philosophy-brazil/

Cassiano Terra Rodrigues

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May 1, 2019, 10:58:12 AM5/1/19

to LOGICA-L, marcos...@gmail.com

Obrigado Tony por lembrar algo aparentemente esquecido, q é a Constituição (não por aqui, é claro).

A razão ora alegada é absolutamente estapafúrdia, mas é bom tb lembrar q o projeto não é novo e já foi tentado antes, sob o nome de ajuste fiscal, essa entidade metafísica q teima em não desaparecer com nenhuma navalha:
http://g1.globo.com/bom-dia-brasil/noticia/2015/02/universidades-federais-tem-um-terco-dos-recursos-bloqueados-pelo-mec.html

Abraços,

cass.