Forum. Supplement to Acta Philosophica

An Introduction to Anselm of Aosta’s "De Veritate"

Paola Anna Maria Muller — 2025-10-20

This article examines Anselm of Aosta’s De veritate as a systematic hinge of his philosophical and theological thought, in which the notion of veritas unfolds from the linguistic and logical level to the ontological and moral one. Through a progressive analysis of the dialogue’s chapters, the study demonstrates how rectitudo — understood as the conformity of being, thinking, and willing to their proper debere — constitutes the unifying principle linking truth, justice, and freedom.
Particular attention is given to the paradigmatic role of linguistic truth, which functions as the model for every other form of rectitude, and to the transition from rectitudo naturae to rectitudo voluntatis, where the ethical dimension of human freedom is grounded. In the final chapter, Anselm extends his inquiry to the metaphysical plane, arguing that truth, one and immutable, does not belong to things but transcends them, since they are true only insofar as they participate in the summa veritas.
The article thus interprets the De veritate as a theoretical synthesis in which logic, ethics, and ontology converge into a single vision: truth as both the principle of being and the path of the mind toward God.

Presentation of Volume 11

2025-10-20

The current volume of Forum. Supplement to Acta Philosophica first gathers a large group of contributions from the conference Perspectives on Altruism: Empathy, Compassion, Care. The Studies and Seminars section presents three papers by Fabrizio Amerini, Aldo Vendemiati, and Alessandra Modugno. Finally, Itineraries offers Paola Muller's introduction to Anselm of Aosta's De veritate. [Read more]

Perspectives on Altruism. Presentation

Victor Torre de Silva — 2025-10-20

In an increasingly polarised world, philosophical reflection is needed to investigate the causes of division among human beings, while also exploring the aspects that unite them, strengthening them both individually and socially. Altruism is one such unifying factor: it offers a wealth of nuances that allow it to be analysed from different perspectives. [Read more]

On merit

Vincenzo Arborea — 2025-10-20

Who truly deserves more? Should the market be the sole arbiter of merit? The ongoing debate on meritocracy, particularly ignited by Michael Sandel’s The Tyranny of Merit, compels us to reflect on which forms of merit society should acknowledge and reward. Individual success is rarely the sole outcome of a single person’s effort; rather, it emerges from a complex interplay of people and circumstances. While it is legitimate to reward individual commitment and talent, it may be even more crucial to recognize and reward those who direct their efforts toward others, acknowledging them as individuals worthy of care and attention due to their inherent dignity. The inherent relational nature of merit suggests a necessary redefinition of social recognition. This redefined framework should prioritize and reward solidarity, trust, the ability to inspire groups and collaborators, service and generosity, and the care shown toward those in difficulty.

Altruism Beyond Time

Marta Armigliato — 2025-10-20

This article supports the thesis that intergenerational moral relationships need to be reconceived and re-modelled under the framework of care. Hence, it will defend that the Ethics of Care can provide a contextual and narrative approach to intergenerational moral theories, not only because it focuses on cultivating and applying emotions like empathy and compassion, but also because it encourages the creation of distinctive altruistic dispositions towards others, not necessarily limited to cases of space or time closeness.

When the Other Happens to Me

Gianmarco Bezzi — 2025-10-20

Altruism is not merely configured as a moral gesture, but rather as an ontological event that unfolds in the intersubjective encounter with alterity. By overcoming the logic of a closed and self-sufficient identity, the subject reveals itself as co-originated and constitutively relational. Situated within a reflective horizon that straddles philosophy and theology, and drawing upon the hermeneutic contributions of Martin Heidegger, Max Scheler, and Karol Wojtyla, the present study proposes a reinterpretation of altruism as a transformative and rhythmic experience. This experience demonstrates how alterity unveils the relational, asymmetrical, and generative structure of the human, thereby opening new possibilities for thought and for co-existence grounded in reciprocity and authentic relation.

Empathy and Neuroscience: Possible Educational Implications

Giuseppa Crimì — 2025-10-20

Education enables human beings to build their life project and is grounded in the possibility of freedom. This article explores the link between educability, freedom, and brain structure, integrating philosophical reflection and neuroscience. By analyzing empathy and its neural basis, it shows how intersubjective relationships can be cultivated, starting from bodily experience. Mirror neurons and embodied simulation theory offer new insights into aesthetic experience, imitation, and learning. This perspective supports a renewed understanding of the human person, where science and philosophy cooperate to foster a holistic and personalistic education.

Care as the Vertebrating Axis of the Family Intergenerationality

María Dolores Dimier de Vicente — 2025-10-20

We are currently witnessing a global reality with unprecedented dynamics in human history: the incessant population change reflected in permanent changes in birth and death patterns. Despite being unprecedented, intergenerational family relationships remain relevant as a primary sphere and the most significant framework in people's lives.
In the family, intergenerationality intertwines care and vulnerability in a way that is inherent to the human ontological character enabled by intrafamilial dynamics. Likewise, the recognition of one's own vulnerability gives rise to the value of solidarity and the reaffirmation of otherness as a truly human condition and vocation: of care, of co-responsibility, and of altruism.
In this way, we could estimate the paradigm of care based on the reaffirmation of ontological vulnerability. To address this issue in depth, and given the complexity of the facets of this highly relevant topic, we propose an analysis of current scientifically rigorous studies in these fields of research, taking an interdisciplinary approach based on fundamental concepts. An introduction to a study proposal aims to foster a more just and compassionate society, one that is proud to care for the future of new generations, by reaffirming care as the intergenerational backbone of the family.

You Are My Salvation

Francesco Luigi Gallo — 2025-10-20

Special needs teaching relies on human, empathic and relational qualities that are essential to respond to the emotional and psychological needs of students with severe disabilities. These qualities, such as empathy, compassion and care, are crucial not only to improve teaching effectiveness, but also to promote an inclusive school environment. The skills required of special needs teachers, similar (in some ways) to those of psychotherapists, must facilitate an authentic relationship with others, supporting the integral well-being of the individual with disabilities. My research focuses on these fundamental qualities, which go beyond technical and teaching skills, and highlights the importance of relational skills for meaningful school inclusion. Although the Italian school is a recognized example of inclusiveness, everyday reality does not always reflect these ideals. Often, teaching focuses on the transmission of content without considering the emotional needs of students. This approach compromises not only learning, but also the psychological and social well-being of students, negatively affecting their development as citizens not beyond but starting from their specialty.

Should the Altruist Stay at Home?

Stella Gonzalez-Arnal — 2025-10-20

We consider altruism as a core characteristic of human beings, grounded on an awareness of our interdependence. We address some of the difficulties that an altruist might encounter when promoting the wellbeing of those who are different from himself. In cases like thiswe can find that: the beneficiaries disagree with the altruist about what is good for them, what will benefit them or improve their well-being; and/or the ‘goods’ or benefits that the beneficiaries want the altruist to promote may actually conflict with the altruist’s values. We will discuss whether or not the altruist should ‘stay home’ and refrain from exercising altruism with those who are different from him. We will offer (tentative) solutions that allow (at least I some instances) altruism to be promoted in cases in which the altruist and the beneficiaries have a different understanding of what would promote the wellbeing of the beneficiaries.

Work-Family Stress and Altruism at Home

Mary K. Hunt — 2025-10-20

Through a lens of organizational psychology this paper discusses the nature of altruism at home in the context of work and family stressors. Altruism in the care of the home is characterized by self-giving out of love, creating a nurturing environment for the flourishing of family members. This implies on-going acts of generous behavior in service of the closest family members. We propose that this form of sustained altruism may be challenged by the stressors stemming from work-family conflict. This paper proposes that the individual resource of psychological capital and the external resource of social support can serve to enable the individual to continue their desired altruistic behaviors amid the stress of work-family conflict.

Between Well-Being and Virtue

Bryan Jesús Irias Alfaro — 2025-10-20

Otherness, understood as a reality distinct from the self, can be considered a relatively recent concept, emerging in the early twentieth century. The novelty of this perspective lies in a paradigm shift that moves the focus from the centrality of the self to the dimension of the “we” emphasizing the relational act as a constitutive element of existence in all its forms. The concept of “relationship” entails interaction between distinct entities and, consequently, a process of discovery of the other’s world. This line of thought opens the way to an ontological existentialism, oriented toward understanding the world as an external reality separate from the self. In parallel at the renewed interest in otherness, a reflection on virtuous action within the human–nature relationship has developed, wherein nature is conceived as both an ontological and axiological framework for human coexistence. Investigating how this relationship evolves—andhow caring for others inherently involves caring for the world—constitutes the core of this inquiry. For this reason, it is essential to analyze the relationship between human beings and the natural environment, recognizing nature as a foundational element for human well-being.

The Vulnerable Exchange:

Zyra Lentija — 2025-10-20

This paper explores the anthropological foundations of empathy, emphasizing how in-person encounters counteract the detachment fostered by digital communication. As education increasingly shifts online, there is a pressing need to reaffirm the intrinsic value of physical presence and shared space. Drawing from phenomenology and philosophical anthropology, this study argues that face-to face interaction uniquely nurtures empathy, a vital disposition for human flourishing and authentic communication. Focusing on pedagogy within higher education at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), this research examines why digital natives—despite their fluency with technology—consistently express a preference for traditional, in-person learning. Through students’ testimonies and philosophical reflection, we demonstrate that the immediacy of embodied communication deepens relational bonds, supports emotional growth, and cultivates a richer, more humane educational environment.

Christian Theistic Ethics in the Thought of Neo-Scholastic Philosopher Stjepan Zimmermann (1884-1963)

Ivan Macut — 2025-10-20

In this essay, the most prominent Croatian Neo-Scholastic philosopher of the 20th century, Stjepan Zimmermann, will be examined in relation to his philosophical works, particularly in the context of morality. The first chapter will provide a concise overview of his life and the most significant philosophical works. The second chapter will present his philosophical reflections on Christian theistic ethics, beginning with a question of all philosophical worldviews and concluding that only Christianity has the true answer. Within the framework of Christian theism, the human life is believed to extend beyond the confines of this world, offering the prospect of life after death. In this context, the purpose of man is to achieve communion with God after death, which can be attained by leading a moral life. The ability to distinguish between good and evil is attributed to the correct use of reason and conscience.

Beyond Egoism and Altruism: Cicely Saunders’ Ethical Proposal

Ilaria Malagrinò — 2025-10-20

This paper aims to propose a reflection on the link between care and life that animates Saunders’ philosophy of total care in order to highlight its revolutionary ethical scope. Proclaiming care as an ethical act proper “of” and “to” life, Saunders postulates a sort of primordial solidarity that challenges and surpasses every egoistic or individualistic paradigm. The attitude of care is not only expressed in terms of its purpose, such as helping those in need but also reflects the existential need of the agent to play a responsible role in the world. This vision is fascinating because it first problematizes the concept of individual autonomy and then opens up to a reevaluation of the foundations of ethics or at the very least to a reformulation of the categories through which we perceive the moral agent and structure our understanding of morality.

Ethics of Care: Analysis of a Moral Paradigm in Weil and Tronto

Sofia Marini — 2025-10-20

This work sets to demonstrate, within the perimeter of ethics, the conceptual connections internal to the notion of care by making reference to Christianity and feminist thought, paradigmatic here in Simone Weil and Joan Tronto. First, I aim to identify the constitutive features of an ethics of Christian care by dissecting the Weilian notion of attention as applied to the Gospel narrative of the Good Samaritan. For Weil, care takes the form of dilectio proximi, love of our neighbor, of which kenosis is the cornerstone — the act of emptying the self in order to make room for the need of the other and, necessarily, satisfy it. Second, I photograph the moral elements of the ethics of care as outlined by Tronto — attentiveness, responsibility, competence, responsiveness — and relate them to the ethics of Christian care, tentatively contextualizing them in the Good Samaritan parable. This way of proceeding in parallel unveils the underlying intention of my inquiry: to integrate the two paradigms of care.

Does One’s Own Good Include the Good Of Others?

Patrizia Masoero — 2025-10-20

This article draws on Paul Ricœur’s work on solicitude and otherness, which helps us understand how a healthy philautia can lead to openness toward others. In order to investigate the nature of genuine altruism, the second part of the essay revisits Aristotelian concepts like the good life, virtuous behavior, and solicitude. We do this through Julia Annas’s interpretation, whose Aristotelian understanding of solicitude connects her work to Ricœur’s. Our aim is to demonstrate the crucial role of phronesis in ensuring actions driven by both true self-love and genuine love for the good of others. To provide empirical grounding for these theoretical insights, the study presents episodes from the life of Maximilian Kolbe, using them as emblematic examples to illustrate altruism deeply rooted as a moral habitus.

Education as Care and Accompaniment of the Metaphysical Opening of the Human Person in the Philosophy of Josep Maria Esquirol

Eduardo Pérez Pueyo — 2025-10-20

This work focuses on the last two works of philosopher Josep Maria Esquirol (1963). In Humano, más humano (2021), he revisited the concept of contingency, understanding it as the possibility of being otherwise and, ultimately, of growing. From this perspective, the human person appeared as a being endowed with an "infinite wound", also called a "metaphysical window", which opened them up to life, death, the "you", and the world. In La escuela del alma (2024), he proposes a specific way of caring for the infinite wound (metaphysical window), and that is education. An education that supports personal growth requires a type of school that constitutes an "altertopia", that is, as an "other place". School must be a different environment in which the persons are treated as themselves, and their capacity to pay attention to reality is fostered, so that they can lead a fruitful life.

The Other between Hell and Responsibility: Sartre and Lévinas Compared

Anita Pierini — 2025-10-20

The relationship with the other has been a central theme in twentieth-century philosophy, spanning ontology, ethics and phenomenology. This contribution analyses the perspectives of Sartre and Lévinas, who, despite sharing a phenomenological basis, arrive at opposite conclusions. Sartre develops a pessimistic view: seeing the other as a threat that objectifies and limits freedom, in his theory, the self risks losing its authenticity under the gaze of the other. Lévinas, on the other hand, conceives otherness as an ethical appeal: the face of the other arouses responsibility, placing ethics above ontology. The relationship is asymmetrical, implying a unilateral commitment to justice and altruism. The comparison between these views raises questions about altruism and the meaning of empathy. While Sartre warns of the risks of reification, Lévinas proposes an ethic of recognition. Both perspectives offer crucial tools for understanding the meaning of empathy and ethical commitment to the other in contemporary society.

Preference Utilitarianism and Effective Altruism: Ethical Reflections on Climate Change

Simone Saccomani — 2025-10-20

The proposal of effective altruism can represent a response to climate change. The contribution, after an examination of the paradigmatic aspects of altruism and individualism, analyses Peter Singer’s thought with reference to his reflections on hedonistic utilitarianism and preference utilitarianism. Finally, the salient elements of effective altruism and the incorporation of individualistic and altruistic tools in environmental policies are outlined in the perspective of raising awareness in the political-cultural sphere capable of involving, also from an ethical perspective, a large portion of civil society.

Simone Weil: For an Ethics of Altruism and Care

Riccardo Sasso — 2025-10-20

The paper analyses the central point of the short text ‘The Person and the Sacred’ by the French philosopher SimoneWeil. Reflecting on theWeil’s critique of subjectivity, we will try to formulate an ethical prospective based on altruism and the healing of suffering humanity. Weil thought that an ethics based on the personal subject run the risk of being abstract and individualistic. She believed that, in order to have a real ethical encounter with others, it is pivotal to first put our ego in a second place. The ‘I’, according to Weil, is an idol; where there is something, which say ‘I’, there is also the sin. Goodness, justice, beauty, love, and truth are not personal but impersonal, they are not an abstract and codified law directed at an abstract person, rather they are an interior calling and a concrete and unwritten ethical and spiritual code.

Thomas Aquinas’ "Amor amicitiae" and Society

Miriam Savarese — 2025-10-20

From a moral point of view, does Thomas Aquinas’amor amicitiae have social relevance? The answer is relevant to understand the social role of altruism and compassion. This amor — i.e., to love a person for herself — is gratuitous, both at the natural and supernatural levels (as caritas). It determines a bond with the beloved. It originates compassion (which founds mercy). It necessarily unfolds in beneficentia and opera misericordiae, i.e. acting in favor of the beloved, including relieving her of a defect from which she suffers. This study aims first to retrace these characteristics of amor amicitiae. Second, to consider the link between Thomas Aquinas’ notion of amicitia politica or civilis and amor amicitiae. Third, to highlight the subsequent social implications of this amicitia (thus originated by amor amicitiae): the gratuitous political bond (ordered to common good), and social action including beneficentia and misericordia. Main reference texts are the Treatise on Charity in Summa Theologiae II-II (qq. 23-46) and De virtutibus (q. 2 or De caritate).

Living for Others? Friedrich Nietzsche and the “Impossibility” of Altruism

Paolo Scolari — 2025-10-20

Thinking of others? Living for others? To love others? The questions of altruism, in the hands of Friedrich Nietzsche, deflagrate like dynamite. His critique of altruistic morality is irreverent and, at first glance, seems to leave no room for repartee. The image of neighbour that human beings create in their minds is always, in Nietzsche’s eyes, a mere projection of themselves, and “love of neighbour” is a contradiction in terms: one can only love oneself, love for others is impossible. Moreover, when this love seems to manifest itself, it is never an original feeling, but always an attachment to our own representation of others. The Nietzschean demolition of proximity really seems to leave no room for alternatives. It seems. Because thinking with Nietzsche beyond Nietzsche is possible, just as it is possible to trigger ethical relaunches between the lines of his invectives. Even for the concept of proximity itself.

For a culture of ‘us’ and care

Massimiliano Signifredi — 2025-10-20

In his message for the 54th World Day of Peace, entitled A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace, Pope Francis invited us “to care for one another and for creation in our efforts to build a more fraternal society.” The experience of the pandemic has profoundly affected humanity, revealing its fragility and the need to invest in relationships to escape from the condition of solitude, which is at the origin of so much unhappiness and loss of meaning. In a time characterized by egocentrism, which places one’s own interest at the center to the detriment of everything that is common, it is essential to develop and spread a culture of “us,” which makes care an expression of friendly, human and evangelical responsibility, capable of looking at the other and responding to his needs. The christian model of care is the Good Samaritan.

Human Empathy in the Face of Affective Robotics

Angelo Tumminelli — 2025-10-20

This contribution intends to propose a reflection on the experience of empathy in its multiple forms of manifestation: starting from the phenomenological analysis of the empathic experience proposed by Edith Stein and then reformulated by Max Scheler in the form of sympathy, we intend to focus on the dynamism of affective openness that characterizes human existence in its pathic nature to investigate, therefore, the possible declinations of artificial empathy on the basis of the most recent studies of robotic ethics. The last part of the contribution is dedicated to affective robotics and the possible impacts that robotic agents can exert on the human capacity to experience empathy and, more generally, openness to otherness. The implementation of the use of such robots, in fact, not only increases the forms of human-machine interaction by stimulating the cognitive and affective capacities of the subjects but poses new ethical challenges in order to re-understand the human pathos within an anthropology of the artificial.

Augustine and Thomas Aquinas on Teacher

Fabrizio Amerini — 2025-10-20

The notion of a teacher is not easy to define. During the Middle Ages, intense debate was about who could properly be called a teacher. This contribution traces the development of this concept from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas, with the aim of highlighting how the figure of the teacher and the reflection on this notion evolved and changed along with the change of the social and cultural context in which teachers operate.

The Equivocation of Natural Law

Aldo Vendemiati — 2025-10-20

The expression “natural law” becomes ambiguous when there is no clear distinction between its classical conception — ancient and medieval — and the modern one. In modernity, two approaches confront each other: a secular natural law (of an individualistic, nominalist and rationalist nature) and a “Catholic” theological-religious natural law. The first has been destroyed by positivism, while the second is unable to speak to the secular world; but neither of them is the classical natural law. The article reflects on the origin of the misunderstanding, tracing it back to the different conceptions of theonomy developed between the end of the thirteenth century and the Protestant Reformation. The study aims to show that a recovery of the classical conception of natural law is not only possible, but necessary.

Birth and Motherhood in María Zambrano

Manuela Giorgia Moretti — 2025-10-20

This paper aims to investigate the feminine matrix of María Zambrano’s philosophy, highlighting the generativity of a thought that recognizes in the maternal bond the essential tie that marks the entry of every human being into the world. Dwelling on the still largely unexplored lands of childhood, an authentic continuation of the birth process, the first philosopher's approach to mysticism and poetry will be explored here, showing the possibility of following a path that can join philosophy and religion. Following the mysticism negative way here exposed will then be possible to show the generativity of an authentic female thinking that unhinges the traditional thought models, distancing ourselves not only from pure deductions, but also from a mortality’s thought as a key to understanding life.