Evaluation result of “GIULIO GIORELLO” Prize for the Philosophy of Science 2020:
The scientific committee for the 2020 Giulio Giorello Prize of the Italian Society for Logic and the Philosophy of Science (SILFS) has decided to award the prize ex aequo to Alberto CORTI, Enrico CINTI, Marco SANCHIONI, On entanglement as a relation, and Marco VIOLA, A neural-based assessment of Basic Emotion Theory.
Corti, Cinti, and Sanchioni’s article is a significant piece of work in the philosophy of physics. The authors address a central issue in the metaphysical interpretation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics: the nature of entanglement in physical systems. Relying on solid and up-to-date knowledge of the philosophical and scientific literature, Corti, Cinti, and Sanchioni advocate the idea that entangled systems instantiate genuine relations – a substantial and consequential stance in the debate. While not unprecedented, the proposal is supported here by targeted, explicit, and detailed arguments. The authors’ main points are largely novel, plausible, and embedded in a compelling presentation.
Viola’s article deals with two distinct but intertwined debates: first, the discussion about the biological substrates of basic emotions; and second, the role of neuroscientific evidence in defining concepts and explanatory models in psychology. Viola relies on the latter theme as a critical tool to address the former. The text is well organized, following a clear line of thought with a remarkable level of scientific undertanding and philosophical insight. The state of the art is surveyed carefully, and properly neuroscientific and psychological discussions are coupled with thorough assessment of their philosophical implications. The approach taken is original and methodologically sound, yielding a valid contribution to contemporary debates in cognitive science.
The chairman, on behalf of the committee,
Vincenzo Crupi