Systematic Theology, like all other disciplines, are subject to basic assumptions about its first principles, which is determinant for the way the discipline understands itself and does its work. The consequential perception the discipline has of knowledge acquisition and method of research in turn determines its interpretation of the knowledge acquired. The three areas of understanding (metaphysical assumptions, epistemological theories and ethical praxis) together form a cycle that builds the basis of a paradigm. Paradigms are continually present and are by nature developmental. The development from the macro-, to the messo-, and micro-levels in the structure of a paradigm is described through the three areas of understanding, providing a method for analysing paradigms. Using a developmental method of observation (affective awareness), analysis (ontological way of understanding), theorising (a different way of thinking) and application (ethical responsible living) suggests a fundamental reconsideration of the task of all disciplines, including systematic theology. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / M. Th.(Systematic Theology)

The religious significance of Emmet Fox (1886-1951), a pioneer in the New Thought movement, is the focus of this study. The relevance of Fox's religious thought will be determined in reference to and in the context of contemporary theorist Ken Wilber's theoretical framework of integral hermeneutics. On the basis of Fox's primary writings, biographical information, the ideas and philosophy of modern New Thought scholars and Wilber's literature, Fox's religious thought was interpreted and evaluated. Aspects of Fox's belief, such as creative mind, scientific prayer, meditation and healing, concepts such as God, Jesus Christ, death, reincarnation, karma and end times, as well as his method of biblical exegesis are discussed. It becomes apparent that Emmet Fox, preacher and teacher, had never intended to provide a scientific or academic structural doctrine in which to deliver his teaching. His non-conformist, simple, yet well thought-through beliefs, which include esoteric, eastern and universal truths, focused on the fundamental truths that are necessary for humanity's evolutionary development. This approach made Fox's teaching valuable to his audience of the time, a changing American consciousness, as well as appropriate to a transformational South Africa, where it is relevant in bridging the various cultures, languages, and religious beliefs within a continuously changing spiritually minded population, and most of all, beneficial to every person's inner spiritual journey towards ultimate enlightenment. Fox's underlying religious belief is that `the thought is the thing' and this endorses the whole of the New Thought teaching, which states that `whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve' or `be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind'. Probably the most remarkable feature of his religious thinking is his popular allegorical interpretation of the Bible, which he interprets spiritually. It is apparent that there is an affinity between the religious thought of Emmet Fox and that of Wilber. Although the intent of this study is not to compare these scholars, it is interesting and valuable to Fox's interpretation that they advocate a similar underlying belief in the holistic Kosmos and the importance of having an integral vision. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:12:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JoseMN.pdf: 393628 bytes, checksum: 681edfa16c6d45e95595bec0b691cfc6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-11-19 / This work s objective is to make a literal interpretation of Kant s Aesthetic transcendental, the first pilaster of sustentation of the epistemology of Kant and to interpret it at Strawson s light. It contains the doctrine of sensitivity responsible for the intuitions, which rests on the concepts of space and time, and, with this, the tematiza??o of two important questions. For Kant s philosophy in its epistemologic source what s the importance of the concepts of and time? How these concepts of space and time inscribe themselves with such statute as an investigatory task of metaphysics? The specification of the concepts of space and time as ingredients of the theories treated and enrolled in this work are segmented of the Aesthetic transcendental of Kant, and interpreted under Strawson s light. The research is divided in two chapter; first, constituted of two parts, the first part presents an introduction to the Aesthetic transcendental of Kant, to show the doctrine of the sensitivity which is part of with its forms space and time, authentic forms of the intuition. The second chapter, is constituted of four parts, that deal with the interpretation of the austere model of Strawson and related with Kant s transcendental Aesthetic. The conclusion of our work, about the declared objection of Strawson in its austere interpretation that refuses the idea of space and time, even keeping its a priori character, cannot be accepted. The apriority, the intuitivity and the ideality are theories non-separable in a coherent boarding of space and time of Kant s model of epistemology / Este trabalho tem por objetivo fazer uma interpreta??o textual da est?tica transcendental kantiana, a primeira pilastra de sustenta??o da epistemologia de Kant e interpret?-la ? luz de Strawson. Ela cont?m a doutrina da sensibilidade respons?vel pelas intui??es, que repousam sobre os conceitos de espa?o e tempo e, com isso, a tematiza??o de duas importantes quest?es. Para a filosofia kantiana em sua vertente epistemol?gica, qual a import?ncia dos conceitos de espa?o e tempo? Como esses conceitos de espa?o e tempo se inscrevem com tal estatuto como uma tarefa investigat?ria da metaf?sica? Os conceitos de espa?o e tempo, especificados como ingredientes das teses tratadas e arroladas nesta disserta??o, s?o no??es relevantes da est?tica transcendental de Kant, aqui interpretados ? luz de Strawson. A pesquisa est? dividida em dois cap?tulo. O primeiro cap?tulo, que consta de duas partes, ap?s fazer uma introdu??o ? est?tica transcendental de Kant, exp?e a doutrina da sensibilidade de que fazem parte espa?o e tempo, formas aut?nticas da intui??o. O segundo cap?tulo, constitu?do de cinco partes, trata da interpreta??o do modelo austero de Strawson relacionado com a est?tica transcendental de Kant. A conclus?o do nosso trabalho ? a de que, no que pese a declarada obje??o de Strawson em sua interpreta??o austera, que recusa a idealidade do espa?o e do tempo, mesmo mantendo o seu car?ter a priori, n?o pode ser aceita A aprioridade, a intuitividade e a idealidade s?o teses insepar?veis numa abordagem coerente do espa?o e do tempo do modelo de epistemologia kantiana

Submitted by Jaqueline Silva (jtas29@gmail.com) on 2016-10-13T17:31:49Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Vítor Valente Cavalcante - 2016.pdf: 2136169 bytes, checksum: afb0fae050604056378fbb2141b42137 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Jaqueline Silva (jtas29@gmail.com) on 2016-10-14T20:00:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Vítor Valente Cavalcante - 2016.pdf: 2136169 bytes, checksum: afb0fae050604056378fbb2141b42137 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-14T20:00:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Vítor Valente Cavalcante - 2016.pdf: 2136169 bytes, checksum: afb0fae050604056378fbb2141b42137 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-30 / This study sought to reconstruct the elements left by Marx that assist in building a fetish theory reviewing the place of this concept in the thought of the author in question. The hypothesis that guides research is that there is no way to understand the theories of Marx without understanding its epicurean ontology, from the clues left in his professorial thesis, or, more broadly, in the period 1835-1841 . Thus, during the research it was necessary to establish an overview of the ontological foundations of Marx's thought and place of fetishism, in addition to the stroke path, analyzing the evolution of the concept of fetishism in the light of wider horizon of his thought, weaving a summary of the most relevant passages considered in the path taken by this influential advocate of socialism around the theme. Therefore, we established a dialogue with some theoretical fetish theory of the second half of the twentieth century and early twenty-first century, which, in most cases, or interpret Marx's thought as concrete itself and the laws of history which inevitably led to the victory of the proletariat, or identify their theory of value with the fetishism and reduce the ideology of the hegemony of exchange value and colonial prejudice of nineteenthcentury anthropology, advocating a purely rhetorical use of the concept in Marx. Finally, there are several key issues guided by today in order to establish some guidelines that helped to think the centrality of consciousness industry in the production of human life, insignia of the present day, when the production became immaterial and established a global system of fetishism in the struggle for consciousness, the arena in which it locks the clash between the main worldviews. / O presente trabalho buscou reconstituir os elementos deixados por Marx que auxiliam na construção de uma teoria do fetiche que revê o lugar deste conceito no pensamento do autor em questão. A hipótese que guia a pesquisa é a de que não há como compreender as teorias de Marx sem compreender sua ontologia epicurista, a partir das pistas deixadas em sua tese de docência, ou, de modo mais abrangente, no período que vai de 1835 a 1841. Dessa forma, no decorrer da pesquisa, foi necessário estabelecer uma visão panorâmica das bases ontológicas do pensamento de Marx e do lugar do fetichismo, além do caminho traçado, analisando a evolução do conceito de fetichismo à luz do horizonte mais amplo de seu pensamento, tecendo uma síntese das passagens consideradas mais relevantes no caminho percorrido por este influente defensor do socialismo em torno do tema. Para tanto, estabeleceu-se um diálogo com alguns teóricos da teoria do fetiche da segunda metade do século XX e do início do século XXI, que, na maioria dos casos, ou interpretam o pensamento de Marx como o concreto mesmo e as leis da história que levaram inevitavelmente à vitória do proletariado, ou identificam sua teoria do valor com a do fetichismo e as reduzem à ideologia da hegemonia do valor de troca e ao preconceito colonial da Antropologia do século XIX, defendendo um uso meramente retórico do conceito em Marx. Por fim, verificou-se várias questões cruciais pautadas pela atualidade, no intuito de estabelecer algumas diretrizes que auxiliaram a pensar a centralidade da indústria da consciência na produção da vida humana, insígnia dos dias atuais, quando a produção se tornou imaterial e se instaurou um sistema global de fetichismo na luta pela consciência, arena na qual se trava o embate entre as principais visões de mundo.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T18:26:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Juliano Tomasel.pdf: 749013 bytes, checksum: f485f52f87a1652112a4f32bad42018f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work is intended to discuss Kant's reflections and responses to the problem of the objectivity of representations. This issue that is the central theme of the Transcendental Analytic of the Critique of Pure Reason, is strongly focused on the distinction between sensible and intellectual conditions, intuitions and concepts, which constitute the fundamental elements of our experience. The experience is determined by the way our representations are referred to objects. The objects of experience are the objective contents of our representations, constituted by intuitions and concepts. The first ones are immediate and singular representations of objects the latter are mediate rules that determine the data of intuitions by general characteristics. Therefore, it s necessary that intuitions are described by concepts, which are universal representations. By means of writings of Metaphysical Deduction and Transcendental Deduction, I intended to rebuild the arguments provided for Kant to support the idea that reference to intuitions is necessary and universally held by the rules that derive a priori of the understanding and not by mere accident. These rules are the pure concepts of understanding or categories. The Metaphysical Deduction is the argument used by Kant to present the complete list of these categories by derivation of the universal logical functions of thought. These functions are the elementary forms of judgments because the judgments represent the forms of thought or the relations in which different representations are brought to unity of thought. In the Transcendental Deduction, at first, Kant seeks to demonstrate that the pure concepts of understanding are a priori rules of the reference of thought to objects of a sensible intuition in general. Secondly, the argument is directly addressed to the specific conditions of our sensible intuition, with the intention of asserting that all sensible representations must be determined in own intuition by means categories. / Este trabalho tem o intuito de discutir as reflexões e respostas de Kant para o problema da objetividade das representações. Tal assunto, que é tema central da Analítica transcendental da Crítica da Razão Pura, é delineado pela distinção de Kant entre as condições sensíveis e intelectuais, intuições e conceitos, os quais se constituem nos elementos fundamentais da nossa experiência. A experiência é determinada pelo modo como nossas representações são referidas aos objetos. Os objetos da experiência são os conteúdos objetivos das nossas representações, constituídos por intuições e conceitos. As primeiras são representações imediatas e singulares dos objetos, os segundos são regras mediatas que determinam os dados das intuições por características gerais. Por isso, é necessário que as intuições sejam descritas por conceitos, que são representações universais. Pelos textos da Dedução metafísica e da Dedução transcendental pretendi reconstruir os argumentos fornecidos por Kant para fundamentar a ideia de que a referência às intuições é realizada necessária e universalmente por meio das regras que derivam a priori do entendimento e não por simples acaso. Estas regras são os conceitos puros do entendimento ou categorias. A Dedução metafísica é o argumento utilizado por Kant para apresentar a lista completa destas categorias da derivação das funções lógicas universais do pensamento. Estas funções são as formas elementares dos juízos, pois os juízos representam a forma pensamento ou as relações pelas quais diferentes representações são conduzidas à unidade do pensamento. Na Dedução transcendental, Kant visa num primeiro momento demonstrar que os conceitos puros do entendimento são regras a priori da referência do pensamento aos objetos de uma intuição sensível em geral. Num segundo momento, o argumento é diretamente direcionado as condições específicas da nossa intuição sensível, com a intenção de asseverar que todas as representações sensíveis devem ser determinadas na própria intuição pelas categorias.

L’objectif de ce travail est l’étude de la démarche artistique du mouvement surréaliste et de la peinture métaphysique en Grèce pendant la période des années 1930. En particulier la thèse étudie le cas des peintres Nikos Engonopoulos, Gerassimos Steris et Georges Gounaro. Tout en examinant « l’idiome pictural » des artistes, ce travail vise également à élucider les influences reçues des artistes Grecs tant par le mouvement surréaliste en France que par les aspirations métaphysiques de la peinture de Giorgio de Chirico. Ainsi orientée, la mise en relation s’effectue sur deux axes, premièrement thématique et deuxièmement stylistique. Dans la première partie, la thèse considère la réception du surréalisme et de la peinture métaphysique en Grèce, effectuée dans des conditions hostiles. Il s`agit donc d`étudier le concept de la « Grécité » et le contexte historique et sociopolitique qui a marqué l’implantation retardée et l’expression affaiblie de cette peinture qui, affranchie des contraintes de l’académisme, a provoqué un scandale sans précédent, combinant Modernisme et Tradition. Dans les parties suivantes, ce travail aborde des thèmes communs dans l`œuvre des artistes du corpus, à savoir l`espace pictural surréel, méta empirique, et onirique, les visions métaphysiques, le rôle du Mythe Orphique, et finalement la représentation et le symbolisme de la figure humaine, historique et mythique, dans son inquiétante étrangeté. De surcroît, la thèse révèle l’originalité de cette création artistique subversive (thèmes choisis, techniques, dessin, et couleurs utilisées) qui a oscillé entre les influences occidentales et la revendication d`une spécificité nationale et culturelle. / The objective of this work is the study of the artistic process of the surrealist movement and the metaphysical painting in Greece, during the 1930s. In particular, the thesis examines the case of painters Nikos Engonopoulos, Gerassimos Steris, and Georges Gounaro. While examining the artists’ « pictorial idiom », it also seeks to elucidate the influences received from Greek artists by the surrealist movement in France and by the metaphysical aspirations of Giorgio de Chirico’s painting. The method of approach is based on the parallel, performed on two axes, firstly thematic and secondly stylistic. In the first part this work considers the reception of surrealism and the metaphysical painting in Greece, at the time of the inter-war period, which was carried out in adverse conditions. The reasons for the weak expression of Surrealism and its delayed implantation in Greece are attributed to the socio-political context and the imperatives of the time. This surreal and metaphysical creation, freed from the constraints of academic painting, caused a scandal as she approached Greek tradition in an innovative way. In the following sections the research deals with common topics in the pictorial work of Greek artists’, namely the surreal, meta-empirical, and dreamlike pictorial space, as well as painters’ metaphysical visions, the role of the Orphic myth, and finally the presence and the symbolism of historical and mythical human figures which often follow the principle of metamorphosis. In addition this work reveals the originality of this art (topics, drawing and colours used) mainly due to its Greek character. It’s a particular case study of that thoroughly subversive artistic creation, oscillated between Western influences and claims of national and cultural specificity.

This thesis aims to establish Jessica Powers (1905 – 1988) as a metaphysical poet, to augment the composite definition of metaphysical poetry, and to add two emphases to Christian literary theory. A comprehensive library search on Powers reveals that no scholarly work has been written on her poetry since 2005. A meta-analysis of existing work on Powers demonstrates that the metaphysical aspect of her poetry has not yet been comprehensively examined. Though Powers wrote in a time commonly called ‘post-modern’, my contention is that it would be more accurate to describe her as a metaphysical poet in the traditional sense of that term, as used, for example, of George Herbert (1593 – 1633). I endorse the view that the central theme of all metaphysical poetry is the relation between body and soul (Tanenbaum 2002: 211). It will be seen that this relation is the central concern of Powers’ metaphysical poetry. My close reading of Powers’ work as metaphysical is according to a Christian literary theory which agrees with Hass ‘that the study of the text and textual hermeneutics in the twenty-first century will continue because of a particular resurgence of religion’ (2007: 856). It is augmented by two emphases, a scientific (based on Gallagher’s 2009 study of the neurophysiology of attention), and a philosophical (based on Fromm’s 1976 analysis of the ‘being mode’, and on Buber’s 1947 analysis of attentiveness to the present moment). My study thereby contributes to Christian literary theory. There are one hundred and eighty two poems in The Selected Poetry of Jessica Powers. This thesis refers, to greater or lesser extents, to one hundred and seventy six of the poems, and comprehensive examination of their metaphysical aspect is the primary focus of the thesis. My examination of the poems demonstrates that Powers’ poetry can justly be described as metaphysical, which definition of her work serves to highlight an important and hitherto neglected aspect of her work, that she is a metaphysical poet of the finest calibre, and that renewed attention to her work is timely. / English Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (English studies)

[pt] A dissertação tem como objetivo apresentar uma defesa do princípio de nãocontradição, uma defesa sustentada por dois argumentos. No primeiro argumento, coloca-se em destaque a relação entre a validade do princípio de não-contradição e a determinação do sentido das expressões linguísticas, em particular, a determinação do sentido dos termos gerais usados como predicados em frases singulares. Utilizar uma frase para dizer de um objeto que ele possui e, sob o mesmo aspecto, não possui uma mesma característica resultaria na indeterminação do sentido, a saber, que nada seria dado a entender pela frase. O segundo argumento pretende estabelecer uma relação entre uso de instâncias do princípio de não contradição e a capacidade de identificar objetos particulares. Para se referir determinadamente a um único particular, de tal maneira que seja possível pensar sobre este como sendo um sujeito de predicações, é preciso que se identifique esse particular através de um termo sortal e não simultaneamente através de um sortal oposto. Mais especificamente: tentar se referir a algo como sendo e não sendo de um certo tipo resultaria na indeterminação da referência, viz. não haveria identificação de um único objeto. / [en] The dissertation aims to present a defense of the principle of noncontradiction, a defense supported by two arguments. In the first argument, it is emphasized the relation between the validity of the principle of non-contradiction and the determination of the sense of linguistic expressions, in particular, the determination of the sense of general terms used as predicates in singular sentences. To say of an object that it has and, in the same respect, does not have a certain characteristic would result in the indetermination of sense, namely that nothing would be understood by the sentence. The second argument seeks to establish a relation between the use of instances of the principle of non-contradiction and the ability to identify particular objects. To refer specifically to a single individual, in such a way that it can be thought of as a subject of predication, it is necessary to identify this individual by means of a sortal term and not simultaneously through an opposite sortal. More precisely: trying to refer to a thing as being and not being of a certain sort would result in the indetermination of the reference, viz. no single object would be identified.

In this article, we apply Mikhail Bakhtin's model of a 'divided self' to R.D. Laing's eponymous work on the lived experience of divided selves in 'psychosis'. Both of these authors offer intriguing insights into the fracturing of self through its social relationships (including the 'micro-dialogues' staged for oneself) but from uniquely different perspectives. Bakhtin (1984) uses Dostoevsky's novels as his material for a theory of self, centrally concerned with moments of split identity, crisis, and personal transformation, while Laing relies on his patient's accounts of 'psychosis'. We will outline how two key Bakhtinian divisions of the self (spirit/soul and authoritative/internally persuasive discourse) help to make sense of Laing's descriptions of his patient's experiences and micro-dialogues. Conversely, when refracted through Laing's phenomenology Bakhtin's account of the self becomes richer and somewhat darkened in terms of a double-edged ontology, which describes a maximally open self but one that is consumed by ideas, unable to manage their contradictions. The implications of this for managing the dilemmas of self-identity will be drawn out.

Against the background of New Thought history in general, the dissertation researches the origins of the movement in South Africa. On the basis of primary documents, made available by leaders and other informants, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and participant observation, the roots and history of New Thought in South Africa has been reconstructed. Aspects of New Thought belief, such as God, Jesus, Christ, the Bible, prayer, meditation, wealth, prosperity, death and reincarnation are discussed. It becomes apparent that, with its syncretistic, flexible and open structure, as well as the unique way in which services (weddings, christenings, funerals) are conducted, New Thought offers an alternative to spiritual and religiously minded people in South Africa, and shows potential to play a dynamic role in the cross-cultural bridging that is taking place in a changing South Africa. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Religios Studies)