Baseando-se nos conceitos de tradição de Eric Hobsbawn e seus colaboradores, e no referencial teórico da semiótica discursiva desenvolvida por Algirdas Julien Greimas, buscou-se examinar as estratégias discursivas que tecem a significação de tradição em uma das principais casas de marroquinaria, com mais de um século de existência, a Hermès. Especificamente, procurou-se compreender como os produtos icônicos da marca figurativizam modos de vida de seus consumidores e veiculam valores da família em suas distintas configurações plásticas, revelando-se, assim, como uma marca tradicional que se reinventa a cada temporada, como um símbolo de rigor e excelência. / Based on the concepts of tradition of Eric Hobsbawm and his collaborators, and the theoretical framework of discursive semiotics developed by Algirdas Julien Greimas, we sought to examine the discursive strategies that weave the significance of tradition in one of the main homes of leather over a century of existence, Hermès. Specifically, we sought to understand how iconic products figurative lifestyles of its consumers brand and convey family values in their different visual settings, revealing itself as well as a traditional brand that reinvents itself every season as a symbol of rigor and excellence.

Com o intento de fundar a metafísica rumo ao conhecimento certo, Descartes rejeita a história precedente da filosofia. Com efeito, esta carrega consigo uma pluralidade de opiniões e disputas, o que é inaceitável face à unidade da verdade e da razão. Por isso, o progresso da filosofia em direção ao futuro só pode se dar mediante uma ruptura com o passado, ruptura que se opera por meio da dúvida metódica. Leibniz, ao contrário, defende que o avanço do conhecimento rumo à descoberta de novas verdades pode e deve retomar o que já foi anteriormente estabelecido. Isto porque, à diferença de Descartes, o autor da Monadologia possui uma outra concepção da relação entre pluralidade e unidade, o que se pode constatar de maneira privilegiada na sua tese de que cada mônada ou ser criado representa o universo inteiro de uma determinada perspectiva. Ora, como todas as representações possuem o mesmo referente o mundo , todas são verdadeiras e harmônicas entre si, de modo que o que varia é a maneira como o mundo é representado, isto é, os graus de distinção presentes na representação. Deste modo, a pluralidade dos sistemas filosóficos redunda em diferenças (de modo que uns são mais perfeitos do que outros e que haja determinadas partes mais relevantes do que outras dentro de um mesmo sistema), mas não em uma heterogeneidade radical. Ora, justamente sem a consideração de que há alguma conveniência subjacente na diversidade das filosofias, não é possível a tentativa de conciliação do que haveria de melhor entre elas, isto é, se há uma heterogeneidade irredutível, como Descartes considera, não há qualquer ponto de transigência. Assim, a fim de dar conta de como este projeto de conciliação das filosofias é possível, examinar-se-á nesta dissertação a tese de que cada mônada representa o universo inteiro de uma determinada perspectiva, exame no qual se enfatizará as noções leibnizianas de espírito, de conhecimento e de sistema / Willing to found metaphysics toward right knowledge, Descartes denies the preceding Philosophy history on the basis that the plurality of opinions and disputes this Philosophy holds is not acceptable under the unity of true and reason. As a result, Philosophy cannot evolve toward the future unless by breaking up with the past, a rupture that operates by way of the methodic doubt. Leibniz, in contrast, advocates that the evolution of knowledge toward the discovery of new truths can and should resume what was established antecedently. This is so because, unlike Descartes, the author of Monadology conceives the plurality-unity relationship in a different way, which one has the privilege to infer from his thesis that each monad or created being represents the entire universe from a certain perspective. Now, since all representations have the same referent the world , all are true and harmonic in relation to each other, and thus what varies is how the world is represented, i.e., the degrees of distinction in the representation. Therefore, the plurality of philosophic systems results in differences (where one is more perfect than another and certain parts are more relevant than others within a system) but not in a radical heterogeneity. Indeed, precisely without considering that some convenience underlies the diversity of philosophies, one cannot attempt to conciliate them in what would be the best in them, i.e., if an irreducible heterogeneity does exist, as Descartes proposes, then there is no point of convergency. Therefore, in order to apprehend how this project of conciliation of philosophies is possible, this paper will address the thesis that each monad represents the entire universe from a certain perspective, with an emphasis on Leibnizs notions of spirit, knowledge, and system

Nosso estudo procura mostrar o possível papel da obra de Ardengo Soffici na formação do pensamento estético de Mário de Andrade, sob a perspectiva da identidade artística nacional. Considerando o contexto histórico no qual os dois intelectuais operaram, em que se assistiu à afirmação e o desenvolvimento do nacionalismo na Itália e no Brasil, tentamos apresentar como o problema da identidade artística nacional se manifesta dentro da formação artístico-literaria dos dois escritores. A partir das obras de Soffici presentes na biblioteca de Mário de Andrade, acompanhamos a leitura crítica que o intelectual brasileiro fazia dos textos de Soffici; de maniera específica, estudamos o conceito de futurismo assim como se desenvolve nas obras teóricas Primi principi di una estetica futurista (1920) e em A Escrava que não é Isaura (1925) e, tendo em vista a relacão entre modernidade e tradição e aquela entre cosmopolitismo e nacionalismo, analisamos alguns poemas de Pauliceia desvairada (1922) e de BIF&ZF+18. Simultaneità e Chimismi Lirici (1919). A seguir, buscamos apresentar, na crítica de arte de Ardengo Soffici e Mário de Andrade, o desenvolvimento do problema da identidade artística nacional ao longo da primeira e da segunda década do século XX e sua evolução durante a época da ditadura na Itália e no Brasil. / The possible role of Ardengo Sofficis work in shaping Mário de Andrades aesthetic thought, from the perspective of a national artistic identity, was reviewed. The historical context in which these two intellectuals operated sees the development and affirmation of nationalism in Italy and Brazil. We present how the problem of national artistic identity manifests itself within the artistic and literary formation of the two writers. From the works of Soffici kept in Mário de Andrades library, we analyze the critical reading the Brazilian intellectual made of Sofficis texts. In particular, we study the concept of futurism as it develops in the theoretical works Primi principi di una estetica futurista (1920) and in A Escrava que não é Isaura (1925) and we analyze some poems of Pauliceia desvairada (1922) and BIF&ZF+18. Simultaneità e Chimismi Lirici (1919), considering the relationship between modernity and tradition and between cosmopolitanism and nationalism. This work discusses the question of national artistic identity in Ardengo Soffici and Mário de Andrade writings as art critics during the first and the second decade of the XX century and its evolution during the dictatorship in Italy and Brazil.

A roda de capuêra angola, em sua multiplicidade de significados, inaugura, a cada novo grito de Iê, a cada nova ladainha, a cada novo apertar de mãos aos pés do berimbau, um espaço no qual tudo o que já foi, todo legado ancestral da capuêra, se atualiza, com nuances sutis ou transformações surpreendentes, na fricção com o agora, com os corpos, vozes e a energia vital dos capuêras que vivem tal arte. Na prática e cultivo desta arte convivem uma espécie de culto dirigido simultaneamente ao que foi legado por mestres do passado, à tradição, na forma de cantos, toques e movimentos corporais e ao que é criado e recriado nos improvisos que emergem da experiência de cada nova roda. Nesta capuêra angola, com a qual tomei contato a partir de pesquisa de campo realizada ao longo de quase quatro anos junto a Associação Cultural de Capuêra Angola Paraguassu criada por mestre Jaime de Mar Grande, as conotações de acervo e transmissão de conhecimento carregadas pelo termo tradição se equilibram e articulam com processos de ordem mais emergente e improvisacional. No primeiro capítulo analiso o processo de produção corporal e preparo para o improviso que se dá nos treinos cotidianos, sobre como encontrar a sua capuêra. No segundo, seguindo as linhas melódicas e variações dos cantadores, volto minha atenção aos desdobramentos surpreendentes que ocorrem no calor da ação nas rodas. No terceiro e último capítulo, busco pensar a forma como a capuêra torna-se a vida dos capueristas e suas vidas tornam-se e dão feições particulares à capuêra que praticam e insinuam a seus alunos. O conceito de experiência, nas fronteiras do pensamento de Walter Benjamin, Victor Turner e Tim Ingold é uma batida constante que atravessa todo o trabalho. / The Capuêra Angola roda, in its multiplicity of meanings, opens, every time someone exclaims \"Iê\", in every ladainha, in every shake of hands at the foot of the berimbau a space in which all that has already been, all ancestral legacy of capuêra, is updated, with subtle nuances or striking changes in friction with the present, the bodies, the voices and the vital energy of the living capueristas. The practice of this art is marked by a cult oriented simultaneously to the old mestres legacy and the tradition in the form of songs, beats, gestures and body movements and to that which is created and recreated in the improvisations that emerge from the experience of each new roda. In this capuêra Angola, with which I made contact from field research conducted over nearly four years with the Cultural Association Capuêra Angola Paraguassu created by mestre Jaime de Mar Grande, the connotations of collection and transmission of knowledge carried by the term \"tradition\" are balanced and articulated with other processes with more emergent and improvisational features. The first chapter analyses the body\'s production process and the preparation for improvisation that happens in everyday practice, or how to find your own capuêra. In the second, following the melodic lines and variations of the cantadores, the attention is turned to the amazing developments that occur in the heat of action on the rodas. The third and final chapter try to think how capuêra becomes the life of capueristas and their lives, merging with capuêra, becomes and gives special features to the capuêra they practice and teach to their students. The concept of experience, on the borders of the thought of Walter Benjamin, Victor Turner and Tim Ingold, is a constant beat that sounds through out the work.

The concept of autonomy underlies many other issues in moral and political philosophy. This dissertation states that contemporary debates within Shi’i thought view autonomy as individualistic, and that this individualism brings it into conflict with tradition. It then argues that autonomy is not equivalent to individualism, and argues for an understanding of autonomy that is socially and historically embed- ded and discursive. This makes it possible to rethink the relationship between autonomy and tradition. This rethinking is done through a method of reflective equilibrium, where various ideas from various fields are brought into a coherent whole. There are two phases to this rethinking. The first is in clarifying the concept of autonomy and the second is bringing this concept of autonomy and Shi’i tradition into equilibrium. The dissertation begins by stating that Shi’i thought has already made room for autonomy, but that the concept of autonomy that is dominant is individualistic. An understanding of autonomy as socially and historically embedded is defended. The second phase is to reconcile this embedded notion of autonomy with Shi’i tradition. It is argued that autonomy is important for both the internalisation of tradition and the formation of tradition. Empirical evidence is provided through positive psychology that shows that the most effective means of internalising a belief is through contexts that support autonomy. This understanding of internal- isation is brought into equilibrium with the Shi’i concept of forbidding wrong. It is argued that one of the conditions of forbidding wrong is the condition of efficacy. Approaches to forbidding wrong that support autonomy meet this condition, while those that deny autonomy generally do not. Finally, it is argued that autonomy should be considered within the process of ijtihād because it has an epistemic gain. Autonomous individuals gain a certain level of expertise through their life experiences that are necessary to be incorporated in the ijtiḥād.

This thesis examines Ngugi wa Thiong'o's later writings in order to establish the nature of his quest for a people's literature. It illustrates how the author attempts to break the barriers between traditional oral forms and the relatively new written forms in addressing a basically "illiterate" audience. The research begins with an exploration of Gikuyu oral literature as an essential background to Ngugi's later dramatic and fictional writings as distinct from his earlier literary works in which he initiates the dominant quest for a more just society. Ngugi's return to these roots constitutes the central "homecoming" that characterizes his search for new forms. The analysis is conducted through three significant chronological stages representing Ngugi's writings over a period of about a decade from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Each stage starts with a play and performance followed by a parallel novel, the first pair written in English and the subsequent ones in Gikuyu. The three stages - designated Transition, Homecoming and Realization - mark Ngugi's involvement in the promotion of Gikuyu culture and orature, both as a source of inspiration and as a cause to which he fully dedicates himself. The transitional stage depicts the convergence between conventional and traditional oral literary forms with which Ngugi begins to experiment. The second stage introduces significant departures as Ngugi begins to use the Gikuyu language as his primary medium of creative expression. The final stage demonstrates his ultimate assertion of the primacy of orality over the written word as a dynamic agent of transmission. The thesis concludes that Ngugi wa Thiong'o in these later works - while leaving the possibilities of his vision of a "New Earth" unfulfilled pioneers the African writers' climb down from an "ivory tower" to deal with the realities of the experience of the predominantly non-reading African masses, acknowledged as both recipients of and active participants in the relatively new written literature which purports to speak for their experiences and their times.

This study explores Thomas Gray’s concepts of literary history, tradition, and the past. It proffers critical examinations of Gray’s literary and historical thoughts, illustrating the extent of the complexity of the mid‐century cultural and intellectual climate in which Gray and his contemporaries were writing. It shows the aesthetic, cultural, and political dimensions of canonicity in the course of examining the ideological motivation behind Gray’s literary history. Though much of Gray’s poetry is private and written for a narrow literary circle, his literary history seems engaged with issues of public concerns. Gray’s literary history must not be understood as a mere objective scholarly study, but as an ideological narrative invented to promote specific national and cultural agendas. Though Gray’s plan for his History of English Poetry was inspired directly by Pope’s scheme of writing a history of English poetry, Gray’s historiography represents a challenge to Pope’s most fundamental “neo‐classical” premises of canonicity in that it aligns English literary poetry back to the literary tradition of ancient Britain and resituates the English literary canon in an entirely different theoretical framework. Gray reworked Pope’s historical scheme to suits the need of the political and intellectual agendas of his own time: the national need for a distinctive cultural identity, which was promoted by and led to the emergence of a more national and less partisan atmosphere. Gray’s comprehensive project of literary history charts the birth and development of what he views as an English “high‐cultural” tradition, whose origins he attributes to the classical and Celtic antiquity. In Gray’s view, this tradition reaches its peak with the rise of Elizabethan literary culture; a culture which was later challenged by the “French” model which dominated British literary culture from the Restoration to Gray’s time. Gray’s literary history is to be examined in this study in relation to the concept of canonformation. Gray’s historiographical study of literary culture of ancient Britain, his historicization of Chaucerian and medieval texts, his celebration of Elizabethan literary culture, and his polemical attack on “neo‐classical” literary ideals intend to relocate the process of canon‐formation within a “pure” source of national literary heritage, something which provides cultural momentum for the emergence of a historiography and an aesthetics promoting Gray’s idea of the continuity of tradition. As is the case in his poetry, the concept of cultural continuity is also central to Gray’s literary history, and permeates through his periodization, historicism, criticism, and his concept of the transformation of tradition.

Magister Legum - LLM / This thesis sets out to examine the practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Somalia and its impact on women. The political instability in Somalia provides an opportunity for the increase of all forms of violations of human rights. The prevalence of FGM/C in Somalia has been declared as the highest in the World, but the Somali Government has not taken any steps to address the problem. This study was motivated by the dire situation of women in Somalia. Women suffer from gender inequality in the sense that societal practices – and norms dictate that women’s sexuality be controlled with a view to suppressing their sexual desires. In this way; their rights are violated. Infibulation and sunna performed on women come with immediate and late complications including death, infection, sexual dysfunction, and exposure to HIV infection. Somalia is one of the African countries where women’s rights are almost non-existent. As Dirie notes: ‘if genital mutilation were a problem affecting men, the matter would long be settled.’ International human rights instruments help this study to investigate whether customary practices such as FGM/C are harmful to Somali women and children and whether they constitute violence against women. This practice prevents women from enjoying fundamental rights as recognized by international human rights standards. It is universally known that FGM/C constitutes a violation against women and girls’ rights because they are forced to embrace the practice. Consequently, several rights are violated such as the right to equality, the rights to freedom from all forms of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, the right to freedom from harmful customary practices, the rights of the child, and the right to health. The persistent practice of FGM/C is mainly a result of the absence of specific legislation proscribing it as well as the political instability that creates an environment conductive to the wanton violation of the rights of citizens. A recent Somali provisional constitution has recognised FGM/C as a violation of children’s rights but the law is not enforced.Infibulation and sunna are part of Somali culture. That is why attempts to eradicate the practice create a dilemma for the authorities. This has invariably placed Universalists and cultural relativists on a collision course. Ensuing government inaction has resulted in numerous reservations being made to stall the adoption of certain instruments of human rights law such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This is because cultural relativists do not consider FGM/C as a violation, but as an expression and fulfilment of Somalis’ culture as provided for in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of 1948. As argued by Packer, human dignity and life represent universal values for everyone; even if FGM/C is a part of culture, certain limitations must be implemented to preserve people’s fundamental rights. This thesis agrees with the stance that FGM/C violates women’s health. This is due to the absence of proper legislation in Somalia, inadequate literacy and the collapse of the political system. Recommendations include the proposal that legal strategies to eradicate FGM/C must be accompanied by broad policies and grassroots programmes such as educational activities to explain to people the risks of this practice and how communities can remedy it without affecting their cultural tenets.

L’itinéraire de Pierre-Sébastien Laurentie, publiciste d’origine modeste qui connaît une ascension grâce aux réseaux de la Congrégation, éclaire un milieu bourgeois royaliste et catholique œuvrant pour le renouveau de leur mouvement. Appartenant à la « génération de 1820 » comme son éternel rival Eugène de Genoude, Laurentie accède à une fonction de journaliste national, en restant soumis aux exigences d’un mouvement royaliste qui le pousse à devenir ultra. N’ayant pas fait l’expérience de la Révolution française, il prend des chemins de traverse qui témoignent de la complexité du mouvement royaliste aux multiples sensibilités. Laurentie souhaite catholiciser le mouvement royaliste et compte, pour cela, sur le soutien de Lamennais et de ses disciples. Il veut que la restauration monarchique s’accompagne d’une restauration complète du catholicisme, alors que l’Église est en pleine mutation. Du côté de la tradition avant 1830, Lamennais influence Laurentie vers le traditionalisme absolu. Laurentie est alors écartelé entre les mennaisiens, les ultras dissidents et les partisans du renforcement de l’Église de France. Il lutte contre la monarchie modérée, car elle est, d’après lui, la porte ouverte aux Carbonari. Plus enclin à la modernité après 1830, il est un des chefs de file avec Berryer du légitimisme légaliste qui peine à s’imposer face aux partisans de l’action, aux absolutistes émigrés, à ceux qui souhaitent se rallier à Louis-Philippe et aux légitimistes ouverts à la démocratie. La rupture avec Lamennais en 1834 marque l’échec de sa politique d’unité : un fossé se creuse entre légitimistes et catholiques que seule la défense de la liberté d’enseignement rapproche. / The itinerary of Pierre-Sébastien Laurentie, publicist of humble extraction who managed to climb the social ladders thanks to his connections with the Congregation, informs on a royalist, catholic and bourgeois environment manoeuvring for the revival of their movement. Laurentie is, like his rival Genoude, part of the so-called "1820 generation". His writing abilities contributed to his becoming an influential journalist nationwide, while the royalist movement retained a strong influence on him that contributed to his becoming an ultra. Having not experienced the French Revolution, his itinerary reflects the complexity and multiple nuances of the royalist movement. Laurentie is willing to “catholicize” the royalist movement and is counting on the support of Lamennais. His objective is that the restoration of the monarchy be accompanied by a restoration of catholicism, in a period when the Church is going through significant changes. Before 1830, Lamennais influences Laurentie towards absolute traditionalism. Laurentie is torn between Mennaisians, dissidents in the ultra movement and supporters of the strengthening the French Church. He stands against moderate monarchy which, he believes, would benefit the Carbonaris. More open to modernity after 1830, Laurentie is, with Berryer, one of the main promoters of legalistic legitimism, which encounters a fierce opposition from the supporters of action, absolutists who emigrated, conservatives behind Louis-Philippe and legitimists more open to democracy. The breakdown with Lamennais’ ideas in 1834 marks the failure of Laurentie’s efforts towards unity: it increases the gap between Catholics and legitimists, reduced only during the fight for the freedom of choice between education systems.

This study explored the interface between the abuses inherent in the sacred nature of the Akan (a Ghanaian ethnic group) Chief and international human rights laws. It argued that the sacred basis of Akan Chieftaincy, which empowers and legitimizes Akan Chiefs, also leads to them imposing restrictions on the rights of their subjects. The study examined the implications of these restrictions in the light of a rapidly modernizing, thoroughly globalizing, and a religiously pluralistic Ghana where the influence of western originated belief in individual rights is growing. The study also explored why, in spite of the many existing Constitutional and legal provisions in Ghana, breaches of religious freedom still occur. It shed considerable light on how agents of the modern state and the Chiefs, connive to sometimes suppress the rights of individuals. The study identified the implications of this development for policymaking in Ghanaian communities where modernity and tradition co-exist.