Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / My essential purpose in this dissertation was to explore the relationship of Nietzsche's views on consciousness to his general theory of valuation. In order to carry out this project it was necessary to elaborate the two principal modes of man's being in the world for Nietzsche, the Apollonian and the Dionysian, inasmuch as this distinction provides the cornerstone of his entire philosophy of value creation. The Apollonian represents the impulse toward discipline, structure, restraint, and order, while the Dionysian stands for the impulse toward ultimate self-abandonment, the urge toward direct participation in life's most intense passions. The key to producing genuine value, for Nietzsche, lies in reconciling these two divergent aspects of man's existence. This dualism was interpreted in terms of the states of mind, the modes of awareness, which they reflect so that his formula for value creation could be meaningfully translated into distinct forms of consciousness. Reflective, or self, consciousness was found to be normative of the Apollonian impulse and unreflected, or non-self, consciousness was found to be normative of the Dionysian. Correspondingly, both reflective and unreflected elements were found to participate in the condition which represents their eventual synthesis as well as Nietzsche's axiological ideal. I next presented Nietzsche's explicit treatment of mentalistic psychology, as expressed particularly in the Twilight of Idols. It was brought out that Nietzsche distrusts reflection and introspection, since he claims that they are full of what he calls "will-o'-the-wisps", because they suggest the existence of such phantom entities as a self, causality, freedom of the will, etc. Nietzsche wants to hold an epiphenomenal view of consciousness; he insists that consciousness is merely concomitant to physiological processes, which is where, he believes, actions originate. Nietzsche does not distrust sensation, however. "Reality" is defined as co-extensive with immediate experience. Introspection is therefore seen as artificial and obscuring, since in such moments, reflection becomes the 'primary reality for us; and this is just an abstraction and removal from that which Nietzsche considers to be metaphysically most real. Next I showed that this view is incompatible with his own theory of value creation. The distinguishing traits of the Apollonian life, self-conscious, responsible, and disciplined action, are all intimately connected with both his aesthetic and ethical ideals. Yet such an individualistic theory, which places such a premium upon deliberation and calculation, cannot be reconciled with a view which would deny the validity of reflection, free will, and the causal efficacy of consciousness. Furthermore, his epistemological emphasis upon immediate experience would entail the primacy and self-sufficiency of the unreflected (Dionysian) mode of consciousness, despite the fact that he claims that this form of awareness is only a necessary, and not a sufficient, condition of the realization of value. Finally, it was shown that Nietzsche's thought does exhibit a certain unity, even though it does not fit together logically at many points. He succeeds, in spite of his treatments of consciousness and value, in virtue of his existential attempt to realize and to express his own most distinct desires, needs, and potentialities in his works. And in this he represents the individual's effort to find meaning for his life in the midst of the alienating influences wrought by modern culture. / 2999-01-01

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 1998. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis an inquiry is made into the contributions that cultural ecofeminism, critical-transformative ecofeminism and cyber-(eco)feminism make towards the articulation of an ecological feminist notion of the self that can generate or promote an ethical relation with nature from a position beyond dualism and essentialism. In the first chapter, titled Cultural ecofeminism, different aspects of patriarchal Western culture are identified that are responsible for the twin dominations of women and nature. In the light of their critique of patriarchal culture and the alienated masculinist self that lies central to it, cultural ecofeminists endorse two alternative notions of the self, namely a female self and a feminine self. In both cases the notion of relationality between self and nature is stressed, and alternative "feminine" values such as care and nurturing are put forward as providing us with alternative ecological values. The contribution that this position makes towards the articulation of an ecological feminist self lies in its emphasis on a notion of relationality between self and nature, so as to establish an ethical relation between self and nature. From both a feminist and an ecological perspective however, this position is flawed given its inability to (adequately) overcome the problems of dualism and essentialism. In the second chapter, titled Critical-transformative ecofeminism, the dualist conceptual framework of the rationalist philosophical tradition is identified as grounding the domination of women, nature and others. By employing the notions of continuity and difference, a strategy is proposed to move beyond dualism and by implication, essentialism. In this chapter, the notion of a pluralist feminine self is proposed and in the context of a critical-transformative ethics, the notion of the mutual self is endorsed that allows for continuity and difference between different selves and self and nature. The ecological values that are endorsed by this position include respect, care, and trust, therefore coinciding, but also diverging from cultural ecofeminism. Critical-transformative ecofeminism's contribution towards the articulation of an ecofeminist self beyond dualism and essentialism, lies in its successful movement beyond dualism, especially with regard to the notion of the mutual self as a feminist notion of an ecological self. The shortcoming of this position is however that the pluralist feminine self which is proposed as an ecological notion of a feminist self, is unsuccessful in its attempt to address the problem of universalising female gender identity. In the third chapter, titled Cyber-(eco)feminism, the notions of the cyborg, the situated self and the lnappropriate/d Other are discussed as alternative feminist subjectivities. In the discussion of a politics of articulation, an environmental politics that emphasises the social and artifactual dimensions of nature, is articulated. Through the figuration of nature as Coyote Trickster, an ecological dimension to these selves comes to the fore and together these notions are positively received from an ecological and feminist perspective as adequately overcoming the problems of dualism and essentialism. From an ecological perspective, it is however argued that the technophilic character of the cyborg is problematic and doubt is cast on its ability to forge significant ethical relations. The politics of articulation proposed by cyber-(eco)feminism is commended for its inclusivity, but in the final analysis, it is argued that to establish an ethical relation with nature, care must be taken not to overlook nature's difference, that is, that nature is an independent entity with needs and ends of its own. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis behels 'n ondersoek na die bydraes van kulturele ekofeminisme, kritiestransformatiewe ekofeminisme en cyber-(eko)feminisme tot die artikulering van 'n ekologies-feministiese self wat 'n etiese verhouding met die natuur kan voortbring vanuit 'n posisie wat die probleme van dualisme en essensialisme oorskry. In die eerste hoofstuk getiteld Cultural ecofeminism, word verskillende aspekte van patriargale Westerse kultuur ge"identifiseer as onderliggend aan die dominasie van be ide vroue en die natuur. In die lig van hul kritiek op patriargale kultuur en die vervreemding van die "masculinist self" wat sentraal staan daarin, onderskryf kulturele feministe twee alternatiewe konsepsies van die self, naamlik 'n "female self' en 'n "feminine self'. In beide gevalle word die konsep van relasionaliteit tussen self an natuur beklemtoon, en alternatiewe "vroulike" waardes soos sorg en koestering word voorgestel as ekologiese waardes. Die bydrae wat hierdie posisie lewer tot die konsepsualisering van 'n ekologies-feministiese self, le in die beklemtoning van 'n konsep van relasionaliteit ten einde 'n etiese verhouding tussen self en natuur tot stand te bring. Hierdie posisie skiet egter te kort vanuit beide 'n ekologiese en feministiese perspektief aangesien dit nie in staat is om die probleme van dualisme en essensialisme (toereikend) te oorkom nie. In die tweede hoofstuk getiteld Critical-transformative ecofeminism, word die dualistiese konseptuele raamwerk van die rasionalistiese filosofiese tradisie ge"identifiseer as onderliggend aan die dominasie van vroue, die natuur en andere. Met behulp van die konsepte "continuity" en "difference" word 'n strategie voorgestel waarvolgens dualisme, en by implikasie essensialisme, oorskry kan word. In hierdie hoofstuk word 'n konsep van 'n "pluralist feminine self' voorgestel en 'n konsep van die "mutual self' word in die konteks van krities-transformatiewe ekofeministiese etiek voorgestel, wat ruimte laat vir beide kontunu"iteit en verskille tussen selwe en tussen self en natuur. Die ekologiese waardes wat deur hierdie posisie onderskryf word, sluit respek, sorg en vertroue in. Dit sluit dus aan, maar verskil ook van kulturele ekofeminisme. Die bydrae van krities-transformatiewe ekofeminisme tot die artikulering van 'n ekologies-feministiese self wat dualisme en essensialisme oorskry, le in die suksesvolle oorskryding van dualisme. Dit is spesifiek die geval met die konsep van die "mutual self' as feministiese konsep van 'n ekologiese self. Die tekortkoming van hierdie posisie is egter dat die "pluralist feminine self' wat as 'n ekologiese konsep van 'n feministiese self voorgestel word, onsuksesvol is as 'n paging om die probleem van universalisme ten opsigte van vroulike identiteit aan te spreek. In die derde hoofstuk getiteld Cyber-(eco)feminism, word die konsepte van die cyborg, die "situated self', en die "lnappropriate/d Other" bespreek as alternatiewe feministiese subjektiwiteite. In die bespreking van 'n "politics of articulation", word 'n omgewingspolitiek geartikuleer wat die sosiale en artefaktiese dimensies van die natuur beklemtoon. Deur middel van die figurering van die natuur as "Coyote Trickster", kom 'n ekologiese dimensie tot die verskillende konsepte van die self na vore. Gepaardgaande met die konsep van die natuur as "Coyote Trickster", word hierdie konsepte positief evalueer weens hul oorskryding van die probleme van dualisme en essensialisme. Vanuit 'n ekologiese perspektief word daar egter geargumenteer dat die tegnofiliese karakter van die cyborg problematies is, en dit word betwyfel of die cyborg in staat is om betekenisvolle etiese verhoudings aan te gaan. Die "politics of articulation" wat voorgestel word deur cyber-(eko)feminisme, word as prysenswaardig geag weens die inklusiewe karakter daarvan. In die finale analise word daar egter geargumenteer dat ten einde 'n etiese verhouding met die natuur tot stand te bring spesiale voorsorg getref moet word om die anders-heid van die natuur in ag te neem. Dit is dat die natuur 'n onafhanklike entiteit is met doelwitte en behoeftes van haar eie. / Center for Science Development

My thesis examines Dubliners through the lens of Rene Descartes’s mind-body dualism to explain the relationship between contrasting themes in the text and demonstrate how they are connected. In an explication of the three words introduced by Joyce in the introductory paragraph of the first story in his collection, namely paralysis, gnomon, and simony, linking them with their more subtle but equally significant antonymic themes, which I propose are progression, epiphany, and grace, I show that Joyce was as compassionate as he was contemptuous of his countrymen. I propose that recognizing this balance helps us better understand what Joyce may have meant by making no apology for the brute-like spectacle he projects in his nicely polished looking-glass. Moreover, I argue that Dubliners serves as a fictional canvas upon which Joyce projects his dream of an Ireland that can transcend the tedium-inducing confines of its past.

<p>This is my thesis on the D-level at the university in Karlstad at the department for environmental science. It is an analysis of the idea of self-realisation in the deepecology movement.</p><p>The Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess is one of the profiles in the foreground of deepecology in the world. His teories is important for the development of how to look at ecophilosophical matters in the nordic countries.</p><p>i will therefor investigate his theories and see how Naess constructs the relation man-nature in his ecosophy T. The principle of self-realisation and identification is there the most important foundation for the antropocentric perspective.</p><p>In my analysis I use Martin Bubers philosophy of dialogue and his thoughts about relational concept of the self as tools for my investigation.</p><p>Ecophilosophy is an academic subject that touches a variety of fields of studies but has the collaboration between the subject of culture and nature as its base. Bubers concept of the self that highlights the third. Videlicet, the relation is a third aspect of the selfs constitution apart from the me and you.</p><p>I will also, as Buber does not notice power and hierarchy in his teory, try to integrate Val Plumwoods critique towards dualism in the thinking of western society as a complementing tool.</p><p>Plumwood points out, in her ecofeministic point of view, the importance of noticing difference as an important aspect of the problems in western thinking when it comes to the relationship between humanity-environment. To develop a non-dualistic thinking, according to Plumwood, it would take a critical analysis of all types of concepts that has been developed through the classic concept of logics reduktionistic discussion wich uses separation as a method.</p><p>Plumwoods conclusion is that to come to terms with the underlying powerstructures we have to examine the thinking itself.</p><p>Buber who is rooted in the jewish chassidism tradition has from a spiritual point of view examined aspects of the relationship between I and the other/world which touches Plumwoods theories.</p><p>By combining these two thinkers I want to formulate a more complex analysis of Arne Naess principle of self-realisation.</p>

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Thesis advisor: Christopher L. Constas / This work presents the post-modern problem in philosophy. It first presents knowledge as subjective or perspectival through the work of Martin Heidegger's Being and Time. Part Two aims to show, how, in the midst of post-modern relativism, meaningful truths may be constructed in society. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2005. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

Many of the problems in dominant Western education and philosophy can be connected to various dualisms, in particular reason/emotion, reason/imagination, reason/experience, mind/body, subject/object, individual/community, abstract/concrete, theory/practice and male/female dualisms. These pairs are considered opposites, with the attributes on the left supposedly superior to their dualistic partners on the right. While those attributes on the left, such as mind and reason, are traditionally associated with knowledge, autonomy, citizenship and learning, the attributes on the right, such as emotion and experience, are traditionally thought to be opposed to knowledge, autonomy, citizenship and learning. Drawing on the philosophies of John Dewey and various feminist philosophers, I will argue that the attributes that make up each of these dualistic pairs are not opposed but are actually interdependent and interconnected. For example, I will argue that all thinking and learning involves reason, experience, emotion and imagination interacting with one and other. Neither of these attributes or functions is complete or fully functional without the others. Since mainstream Western pedagogies incorporate such dualisms they are unable to fully facilitate the thinking skills, attributes, dispositions and understandings necessary for autonomy, democratic citizenship and leading a meaningful life. It will be shown that Philosophy for Children (P4C) has the potential to overcome many of the problems with mainstream education, including many gender equity problems, because it is based on Dewey???s philosophical ideals, which reconstruct many of these dualisms. An analysis of the ideals of truth, meaning, community, self, autonomy, democracy, thinking, emotion and imagination assumed by P4C will show how it reconstructs various dualisms and overcomes many problems with traditional schooling. However, it will also be shown that P4C fails to reconstruct the undesirable theory/practice dualism because it doesn???t require students to test and apply their ideas in the real world. This is even though many P4C theorists, such as Matthew Lipman, accept Dewey???s claim that all thinking and learning involve such practicality. Thus, I will reconstruct the P4C pedagogy by integrating it with a Deweyian type of service learning that I call social reconstruction learning. Social reconstruction learning involves students engaging in P4C style communities of inquiry with members of their community in order to reconstruct real social problems. Such a Practical P4C pedagogy can better facilitate reflective thinking, autonomy, active citizenship and meaningfulness.

It is proposed that there exist unmistakable resonances of the Hermetic world-view in much of the science of the modern period. Hermes Recidivus examines key figurations operating within both the imaginaries of Hermeticism and modern(ist) science with a view to developing a postmodern critical position in regard to the discourse of the modernist scientific project. It is proposed that a re-examination of the notions surrounding these key figurations may provide new hermeneutical tools, and that the imaginary of Hermeticism represents a potentially rich resource from which to develop alternative modes of critical enquiry. It is furthermore proposed that the mechanism by which these Hermetic resonances are perpetuated within the discourse of modernist science takes the form of a logic of the imaginary associated with key figurations within Hermeticism. Certain figural elements associated with the Hermetic imaginary seem to possess a constancy that travels across temporal and disciplinary barriers, encouraging the assumption that these figures are central organising principles within both Hermeticism and modern science. Specifically these figurations are those of the anima mundi and the Gnostic 'alien light' or spintheros. It is proposed that these figurations take the form of 'ideal objects' within both the discourses of Hermeticism and modernist science. The individual chapters respectively examine the relevance of the Hermetic imaginary to Artificial Intelligence research and cybernetic theory; occidental and oriental traditions of the 'subtle body' and their relevance to developing a postmodern perspective on the question of mind-body dualism; the 'metaphysical geometry' of key figures within the Hermetic and Kabbalistic traditions and their resonances within mathematical 'catastrophe theory' as developed by Rene Thom; the Hermetic alchemy of Robbert Fludd as revealed in his text Truth's Golden Harrow, and its relevance in regard to the subject-object split of modern(ist) scientific consciousness and, finally, the influence of Kabbalistic and Hermetic figuration on the development of Leibniz's monadological philosophy and on the notion of the 'field' in contemporary physical theory / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This is my thesis on the D-level at the university in Karlstad at the department for environmental science. It is an analysis of the idea of self-realisation in the deepecology movement. The Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess is one of the profiles in the foreground of deepecology in the world. His teories is important for the development of how to look at ecophilosophical matters in the nordic countries. i will therefor investigate his theories and see how Naess constructs the relation man-nature in his ecosophy T. The principle of self-realisation and identification is there the most important foundation for the antropocentric perspective. In my analysis I use Martin Bubers philosophy of dialogue and his thoughts about relational concept of the self as tools for my investigation. Ecophilosophy is an academic subject that touches a variety of fields of studies but has the collaboration between the subject of culture and nature as its base. Bubers concept of the self that highlights the third. Videlicet, the relation is a third aspect of the selfs constitution apart from the me and you. I will also, as Buber does not notice power and hierarchy in his teory, try to integrate Val Plumwoods critique towards dualism in the thinking of western society as a complementing tool. Plumwood points out, in her ecofeministic point of view, the importance of noticing difference as an important aspect of the problems in western thinking when it comes to the relationship between humanity-environment. To develop a non-dualistic thinking, according to Plumwood, it would take a critical analysis of all types of concepts that has been developed through the classic concept of logics reduktionistic discussion wich uses separation as a method. Plumwoods conclusion is that to come to terms with the underlying powerstructures we have to examine the thinking itself. Buber who is rooted in the jewish chassidism tradition has from a spiritual point of view examined aspects of the relationship between I and the other/world which touches Plumwoods theories. By combining these two thinkers I want to formulate a more complex analysis of Arne Naess principle of self-realisation.