RISULTATI RICERCA

Leopardi and Distraction: a Pascalian Heritage? This article aims to pre-­ sent the phenomenon of distraction (or divertissement) by comparing the perspectives of two classics of thought: Pascal and Leopardi. What does it mean to be distracted? How can this be done? What relationship does distraction have with human nature and with the theoretical apparatus of the two thinkers considered? To answer these ques-­ tions, the author puts into dialogue Pascal and Leopardi and the most relevant contem-­ porary critical voices on the topic, highlighting similarities and disagreements between the two modern intellectuals and trying to seize their main elements of originality.

This paper examines an argument developed by Leibniz against physical atomism, which has been largely overlooked in the scholarship. As outlined in the Introduction, this specific argument is closely tied to Leibniz’s conception of infinity and, in particular, to his theory of the universal connection of all things. The central sections analyse its principal formulation in a challenging text from 1689, highlighting its connections to key aspects of Leibniz’s metaphysics, including his account of individuation and his theory of individual substances as “mirrors of the universe.” After addressing a potential objection to the argument, the conclusion shows how Leibniz’s reduction of physical atoms to fictions nonetheless allows for a partial and provisional rehabilitation of physical atoms.

In this paper, it will be examinated addresses the paradox of modes that exist although they do not exist, which has its central place in Baruch Spinoza’s Ethics II, p. 8. It will be argued that argues that there is no ambiguity of the proposition, even if it could sound undecidable from an historical-­philosophical point of view, due to the lack of an explicit theory of distinctions. Thus, the problem of non-­existent modes will be theoretically framed in relation to the eternal status of substance by showing that: 1) there is no contradiction in thinking something that does not exist;; 2) starting from the definition of God, all modes must necessarily give themselves and their non-­existence is implied in the definition of God itself;; 3) the problem under consideration concerns rather the constitutive allusiveness of every image regarding God’s eternal actuality and its infinite production.

Old and New Threads: The Functions of Fear in Niccolò Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy. The article aims to study the functions of fear in Niccolò Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy. More specifically, the article intends to accomplish three different but related goals. The first goal is to prove that Machiavelli weaves his thoughts on fear by tying new threads to old ones. He draws on some of the functions of fear emerging from The Prince as well as from the ante res perditas writings, thus showing intellectual consistency in this regard. The second goal is to point out that Machiavelli further develops those recurring functions. He applies them in new theoretical contexts, enriches them with circumstance-­based remarks, and connects them with other key psychological factors, such as love, hatred, and discontent. The third goal is to underscore that Machiavelli’s thoughts on fear in the Discourses constitute an articulated conceptual framework, which allows him to explain political dynamics, historical events, and their psychological underpinnings.

In his Lectura Secunda (d. 1, q. 6, §1), Adam Wodeham depicts a scenario in which God’s absolute power is uncommonly used to prove the inseparability of enjoyment (fruitio) and pleasure (delectatio) in the beatific vision. After putting Wodeham’s argument into its historical context, I argue that it can be considered an example of a thought experiment. If confirmed, this acknowledgment can lead to a major clarification in the current debate about Medieval thought experiments.

Several studies have investigated the role that the budget can play in contexts characterized by continuous changes, emphasizing the necessary incompleteness of accounting practices as a driver for addressing unforeseen or unknown phenomena. Embracing this perspective requires a shift in focus from the budget’s ability to make objectives visible to the process through which those objectives are defined. Any deviation from the initial goals is not as a drift, but it is rather the result of a never-ending process where the budget engages the actor and unveil the narrative hidden within its assumptions, provided that the actor engages in conscious questioning. This raises the question of whether and how the budget can support decision-making processes in highly dynamic environments, encouraging innovative and creative visions of future scenarios. To this end, a case study was conducted on a company operating in the Italian energy efficiency sector. The analysis revealed that the budgeting process stimulated critical thinking among the actors involved, who, by interrogating the figures, uncovered new growth trajectories. They revised the budgeting assumptions prompting a reconfiguration of the business portfolio and financing policies.

The adoption of logics aimed at fostering organizational agility has profoundly changed the structure of traditional managerial models. This implies the need to revise control systems in a direction aimed at making “radical decentralization” (O’Grady, 2019) choices effective and fostering the emotional involvement of employees. The role played by measurement systems has always been particularly important, so it should come as no surprise that there have been significant evolutions in these forms of control. In agile companies, measurement plays an important role in nurturing interactive control mechanisms so as to capture the whole breadth of strategic uncertainties» (Tuomela, 2005). However, proper development of goal-setting processes and effective operation of diagnostic control systems maintain an important role in these contexts as well. These systems must clearly move in the same direction in which the overall control system evolves and thus take on a new physiognomy compatible with the new information and control requirements. In this contribution one of the possible evolutionary forms represented by the «collaborative goal-setting protocol» (Doerr, 2018) called OKR is analyzed.