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Categoria: Numeri di riviste

[SEGNALAZIONE] War is not our Profession – Paradoxes for a Moralization and Morality of War


War is not our Profession – Paradoxes for a Moralization and Morality of War

Here we go! It is with distinct pleasure sharing this paper with my everpresent SF audience. It is the first one for this year. The topic is extremely timely: the morality of war. This is a real philosophical paper for the journal Moral Philosophy/Filosofia Morale. I thank Professor Roberto Mordacci, dean of the faculty of philosophy of Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, for his kind invitation. It was the opportunity to write officially about Kant’s morality, one of my greatest philosophical conceptions. I reframed it and tackled the most difficult question in morals: can war be just? And the answer is resolute: no… but! And I leave you all with this hoping to have feedback on the reading.  The paper can be found here: academia and on the journal’s webpage.

[Segnalazione] Integrating intelligence theory with philosophy: introduction to the special issue

Since I started this blog, its motto was “All we need is philosophy… which is love for knowledge”. Naturally, it was a paraphrasis of Beatle’s song “All we need is love”, an over abused mantra. The irony is that the paraphrasis is almost untouched as philosophy was classically defined by Plato as love for knowledge (or wisdom, or whatever it increases human understanding): “all we need is love for knowledge” is what I would have sung if only I was a good songwriter. “All we need is love for knowledge” seems to be a far better and more universal creed, so much so that so great music composers such as the Beatles did not miss it. As it was said in a private conversation by one of the two editors of the esteemed Intelligence and National Security, this special issue was an act of love toward philosophy. As strange it may sound, as unlikely it could be in hour days, when everything is reduced to brutish emotions and useless sarcasm and cynicism, this is the truth.

[Segnalazione] Deciphering intelligence analysis – The synthetic nature of the core intelligence function


Giangiuseppe Pili (2022) Deciphering intelligence analysis – The synthetic nature of the core intelligence function, Intelligence and National Security, DOI: 10.1080/02684527.2022.2041947


Honestly proud of this achievement! For a shortcut: Pili_2022_INS_Deciphering_Intelligence_Analysis


ABSTRACT
Intelligence analysis is one of the most explored topics in intelligence studies. However, decoding its nature is still challenging. A unifying question must be considered: ‘Is intelligence analysis – analysis?’ Unfolding the problem leads to an extreme conclusion: intelligence analysis is a way to structure sensory data collection and reduction. It is, namely, synthesis. A systematic scrutiny of the general nature of analysis is considered to compare it to what intelligence analysis is intended to be. As it will turn out, intelligence analysis is much more synthesis – namely, structuring sensory data collection – than analysis per se, which is the main conclusion of the argument.

[Segnalazione] Social dominance orientation predicts civil and military intelligence analysts’ utilitarian responses to ethics-of-intelligence dilemmas


 

Margoni, F., Pili, G. Social dominance orientation predicts civil and military intelligence analysts’ utilitarian responses to ethics-of-intelligence dilemmas. Curr Psychol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02364-5


Abstract

What is the real ethical framework of an intelligence analyst? We addressed this question by presenting a group of civil and military intelligence analysts (N = 41), and a control group of non-professionals (N = 41), with a set of dilemmas depicting intelligence agents facing the decision whether to violate a deontological rule where that would benefit their work (ethics-of-intelligence dilemmas). Participants judged how much violating the rule was acceptable. Next, we measured participants’ individual differences in social dominance orientation (using the Social Dominance Orientation scale which measures the proclivity to endorse intergroup hierarchy and anti-egalitarianism), their deontological and utilitarian response tendencies (using classical moral dilemmas), and how much they value rule conformity, traditions, and safety and stability in the society (using the Value Survey). A multiple regression analysis revealed that, among all the factors, only social dominance significantly helped explain variability in intelligence analysts’ but not non-professionals’ resolutions of the ethics-of-intelligence dilemmas. Specifically, social dominance positively predicted the tendency to judge violating the deontological rule acceptable, possibly suggesting that analysts who show a stronger proclivity to desire their country or company to prevail over others are also more lenient toward deontological violations if these result in a greater good for the state or the company. For the first time in the open literature, we elucidated some key aspects of the real ethics of intelligence.

[Segnalazione] Be Coherent with Yourself: A Pluralistic Approach to Objectivity for Intelligence Analysis


Pili, G., (2021), “Be coherent with yourself! A pluralistic approach to objectivity for intelligence analysis”, American Intelligence Journal, 38:1, 96-103.


Is objectivity possible in intelligence analysis? This long-lasting question can be answered by a new and pluralistic approach to objectivity within the s objectivity possible in intelligence analysis? This intelligence studies literature. If objectivity is possible, first, it must be defined. Second, it must be understood in terms of its attainability—in what way, how, and to what extent. A systematic analysis is offered to tackle the issue through the different angle offered by the philosophy of science, which already engaged in close issues such as politicization in science. Ultimately, the challenge is to fix the analyst’s duty in the face of his/her goal, which requires unfolding the implicit intelligence analyst’s worldview. Finally, balancing reality and ideals, the slogan of intelligence should be: “Be coherent with yourself; be coherent with what you know,” instead of “Speak truth to power.” A conceptual defense of this very idea will be explored systematically. Interested? Write me at scuolafilosofica_AT_gmail.com!

What Happened? After-Effects of the 2007 Reform Legislation of the Italian Intelligence Community

Fabrizio Minniti & Giangiuseppe Pili (2020)What Happened? After-Effects of the 2007 Reform Legislation of the Italian Intelligence Community“, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, DOI: 10.1080/08850607.2020.1771655


I’m super-proud to present my last paper, “What Happened? After-Effects of the 2007 Reform Legislation of the Italian Intelligence Community” published by the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence! It was co-authored by Mr Fabrizio Minniti!, a real intelligence and international security expert! I hope you will find it exciting! Below you can find the abstract!


What happened to the Italian Intelligence Community (IC)? The IC underwent a major reform in 2007, 30 years after its previous one, in 1977, the first since 1945 and positioned between the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War. The paper explores the roots and evolution of the Italian intelligence community during the last decade or so.

[Preview] Sorites paradox and the problems for the ontology of war

Scopri i libri della collana di Scuola Filosofica!

Would you like to help the scientific research in the field? Are you interested in war and ontology? Please, write to the author (scuolafilosofica_at_gmail.com) and ask him for the first draft of the paper!


1 gunshot is not a war, 2 gunshots are not a war… are 1 million gunshots a war? There is no such thing so investigated as war and, at the same time, still so outcasted theoretically. Ambiguity, vagueness and logical conundrums lay unsolved in the very hardcore of the several theories that considered war from a general perspective and, then, philosophically committed explicitly or implicitly. It is not the experience and observational data we lack but the general ability to generalize and expand our knowledge beyond what we can directly observe empirically and historically. Sorites arguments are everywhere in war theories: vagueness and ambiguities of many shapes inform the literature. Only a philosophical account of war can solve some of those issues: an ontology of war is needed to bring light into the heart of darkness.


Intelligence and Social Epistemology – Toward a Social Epistemological Theory of Intelligence

Giangiuseppe Pili (2019): Intelligence and Social Epistemology – Toward a Social Epistemological Theory of Intelligence, Social Epistemology, DOI: 10.1080/02691728.2019.1658823


Yes, I know what you are thinking: “Pili stroke again! I cannot miss it!” Indeed, it is my first publication in a Q1 Journal of Philosophy, one of the best in the Social Epistemology field. Social Epistemology is a autoritative journal of philosophy. But this is not the real point. The point is that this is a first attempt toward a social epistemological theory of intelligence in a philosophical journal. It is my third paper on the epistemology of intelligence (after Epistemology and Intelligence – Some philosophical problems to be solved and Intelligence and social knowledge – A philosophical inquiring on the social epistemological nature of intelligence as a state institution) and this marks a real progress toward what I think a real epistemological theory of intelligence should be. Then, follow the progress if you like this project and don’t miss the next step of this exciting research project! Finally, if you want the gist of the paper, please, feel free to write me at scuolafilosofica_AT_gmail.com!

Keep in touch, guys!


Abstract

We, like the Romans, face the prospect of a state of permanent (cyber)war Cyberspace as the new limes of the empires in an age of durable disorder

Mules of Marius

Scopri i libri della collana di Scuola Filosofica!

Would you like to help the scientific research in the field? Are you interested in cyberwar and cyber security? Please, write to the author (scuolafilosofica_at_gmail.com) and ask him for the first draft of the paper!


Abstract
When we feel the deceitful sense of darkness of the present, we should look back to our enlightened past to study the human behavior in order to achieve a higher sense of understanding. Cyberspace is militarized from within and from without for clear political objectives, whose most important is the control of the laws of the cyberspace itself, namely the technical principles, the rules of the infrastructure and the legal standards that shape the cyber domain. The logic of the cyber competition could be traced back to the Roman armed border system and frontier: the limes. The armed frontier is not pacific and not entirely pacified because it is not the goal. The main current powers, like the Romans, want to project power and influence inside and outside their borders. There is no meaningful sense of peace inside the cyberspace as it was the case for the Roman territory. And then, looking back to the past in which Rome was falling, we should remember the Luttwak’s warning: “Once the empire was no longer sustained by the logic of collective security, it could only endure because of the unsustainable will of its rulers, and by men’s waning fear of the unknown”.

Toward a Philosophical Definition of Intelligence – International Journal of Intelligence, Security and Public Affairs

Giangiuseppe Pili, (2019), “Toward a Philosophical Definition of Intelligence“, The International Journal of Intelligence, Security, and Public Affairs, 21:2, 162-190, DOI: 10.1080/23800992.2019.1649113

It is with my great pleasure to announce my last issue in the International Journal of Intelligence, Security and Public Affairs!: Toward a philosophical definition of intelligence. This is my second paper in the journal and my third on the topic in a peer-reviewed journal (and a new one is coming, so keep in touch!). However, I am particularly proud of this scientific result, as far as the topic is one of the most relevant in the field, as it was defined by Mark Phythian and Peter Gill in one of their best papers. The two scholars stressed the importance of the definitional debate inside the intelligence studies literature. This paper tries to bring analytic philosophy to intelligence as state institution in order to give a new definition of intelligence. I want to thank two anonymous reviewers, who significantly helped me in improving the paper with their comments and suggestions.


What is intelligence? A short question, which is difficult to answer. In fact, there is no general agreement on the definition of intelligence. A good philosophical analysis starts with intuitions, which can be found in the literature. After the recollection of these intuitions and their discussion, it is necessary to add some rational justifications of them. I want to express a general definition of intelligence, whose formulation is indebted to a philosophical analytic approach that considers some different alternatives. Intelligence is a vague word and it has different meanings. In fact, the intelligence studies are so rich but they pose some particular philosophical problems. Philosophy defines complex and complicated words in a simple and coherent way. I want to defend a definition, which is philosophically consistent and meaningful for intelligence studies. Is this a good way to solve such a complex problem? As Ludwig Wittgenstein said: “The problems are solved, not by giving new information, but by arranging what we have always known. Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language”.