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In my personal experience, I have discovered notable aesthetic problems that face many contemporary evangelical churches. In spite of these churches’ best efforts, they fail to bridge the culture gap and foster a meaningful worship service. But John Dewey’s aesthetic philosophy understands the shifting nature of our environment and the value of aesthetic experience, providing beneficial insights to assist unhealthy churches. To better understand the applicability of his philosophy, Chapter II is an exposition of John Dewey’s aesthetics that revolves around four central questions: What is Dewey’s starting point for aesthetics? What distinguishes aesthetic experiences from others? What is his criticism of the “museum conception of art”? What is the significance for Dewey of our activities having or not having aesthetic quality? Chapter III is a Deweyan investigation of four real churches: the elite church, which promotes an aesthetic that is reserved for its members; the broken church, which is divorced from community; the humdrum church, which is preoccupied with the routine; and the sensational church, which is characterized by indulgence. Chapter IV is a description of two recent attempts to bridge the culture gap and offer meaningful worship activities: the seeker-sensitive movement which contends that the church must be “culturally inviting” to the community, and the emerging movement(s), which seeks to dismantle traditional churches using deconstructionism and reconstructing worship services that are experiential, pluralistic, and sensory. My Deweyan argument in Chapter V is that both the “seeker-sensitive” and the “emerging” movements fail to adequately understand the shifting character of our environment and our relation to it. If problem churches acknowledge that discontinuity with environment is inevitable, seek to meet the needs of others, embrace adjustment as a core component, and value aesthetic experience, they will be in a better position to bridge the culture gap and offer an enriching worship experience in their services. Three Deweyan lessons are gleaned from this inquiry: value aesthetic experience and its contribution in bridging the culture gap, implement Deweyan insights drawn from our examination of traditional churches, and contribute to society by generating artproducts that will benefit the community.

My thesis is that there is an aesthetic dimension of nature that is metaphysically significant, qualitatively pluralistic, and artistically creative, and that this accounts for the sensuous complexity of experience, as well as the possibility of discovering new qualitative features about the world and expressing them in novel forms, as exemplified in art. I call the philosophy that endorses the reality of this dimension Transcendentalist Aesthetics. The term "Transcendentalist" recalls the philosophy of New England Transcendentalism with its core in Ralph Waldo Emerson, and which influenced the philosophical writings of Charles S. Peirce and the art of the nineteenth-century American landscape painters of the Hudson River School and Luminism. The primary overall goal is to present and argue for a Transcendentalist Aesthetics by making use of the philosophy of Emerson and Peirce, together with the writings and landscapes of the painters. More specifically, Emerson's claims about nature and art and the painters' representations of nature provide various poetic observations of nature that provide an empirical starting point concerning the rich aesthetic complexity of the world. This complexity finds a theoretical ground in Peirce's metaphysical cosmology, which presents a rationally coherent account of the greater structures and processes of the universe while possessing important aesthetic consequences for lived experience and art. The landscape paintings also have a role in that they are expressive of the Transcendentalist philosophy itself, serve as case studies for theoretical interpretation, and are concrete evidence that new qualitative features about the world may be discovered and realized in novel artistic ways.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Daniel Pansarelli / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Filosofia, 2017. / Tendo como motivação e ponto de partida os acontecimentos e experiências políticas da segunda década dos anos 2000 no Brasil, em nossa pesquisa lançamos mão do método analético e da filosofia produzida por Enrique Dussel para explicitar sua proposta de "fetichização do poder" e apresentá-la como fundamento da corrupção nas instituições. Para tal, em nosso primeiro capítulo, constituímos junto ao filósofo latino-americano a base material antropológica que dá conteúdo e que sustenta sua política. Em seguida, apresentamos os princípios ético-políticos de sua filosofia da libertação que guiam o processo de institucionalização de uma comunidade de vida. No terceiro capítulo, desenvolvemos a diferença entre o exercício obediencial e o exercício corrompido do poder, abrindo caminho para a explicitação do processo de "fetichização do poder", tomando-o como fundamento da corrupção nas instituições. Cabe indicar que tomar a produção em filosofia política do latino-americano Enrique Dussel não implica em pressupor que a corrupção seja um problema exclusiva ou redutivamente do campo político, mas que tomaremos a produção em política como estudo de caso para construir um modelo teórico aberto que permita evidenciar o fundamento da corrupção institucional em diversos campos ¿ ainda a ser criticado, melhorado e/ou transformado. / Taking as a starting point and motivation for this work the recent political events and experiences in Brazil, in our research we use the analetical method and the philosophy produced by Enrique Dussel to make explicit the concept of "fetishization of power" and present it as the basis of corruption in institutions. To this end, in our first chapter, we constitute together with the Latin American philosopher the anthropological material base that gives content and that sustains its political philosophy. Next, we present the ethical-political principles of his liberation philosophy that guide the process of institutionalization in a community of life. In the third chapter, we develop the difference between obediential exercise and the corrupt exercise of power, preparing the way for the process of "fetishization of power" to be explicited, taking it as a basis for corruption in institutions. It should be pointed out that taking the production in political philosophy of the Latin American Dussel doesn¿t imply that we are taking corruption as an exclusively political problem, but that we will take the production the politic content as a case to constitute an open theoretical model that makes it possible to highlight the basis of institutional corruption in various fields ¿ still to be criticized, improved and / or transformed.

One of the most critical issues impeding African American liberation today is the American education system, which overwhelmingly and disproportionately, negatively impacts African American youth. In defiance of the hegemonic system, African American adolescents have created alternative modes of expressing their native African sensibilities, connecting them back to traditional ancestral philosophy; one of the resulting cultural productions is Hip-Hop. The proceeding pages will offer a critical analysis of literature on Philosophy for Children (PFC/PWC), Africana Philosophy, and the use of Hip-Hop as a pedagogical tool in the classroom (CHHP), in order to discover connections between these three elements. The results showed significant similarities in the PFC/PWC and CHHP programs, supporting the hypothesis to develop a program incorporating both practices in the classroom as an alternative to Eurocentric pedagogy. Additionally this project creates space for future consideration of the connections between traditional Africana philosophy as praxis and Hip-Hop performance. / African American Studies

The Ethics of Liberation in the Age of Globalisation and Exclusion by the Latin American philosopher Enrique Dussel aims to be 'a day to day ethics, starting from and in favour of the immense majorities of humanity excluded from globalisation, in the historic 'nonnality' that is presently prevalent' 1 • Dussel's Ethics is based around the material principle of 'the production, reproduction and development of life', the formal discursive principle that decision-making processes should be open to all those affected by them, and the principle of (ethical and empirical) feasibility. Ethical critique and liberatory practice, Dussel argues, should start from and be carried out by the 'victims' of the partial or non-realisation of these principles. Nevertheless, the discussion of Dussel's philosophy has tended to stay at the philosophical level. This thesis moves beyond this discussion by relating the universal principles Dussel proposes to the concrete experiences of two movements that are insisting on universalistic normative ideas in the context of globalisation and eicclusion: The Zapatistas in Mexico and the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement - NBA) in India. My study of these concrete struggles to challenge victimisation reveals both the similarities between their nonnative content and Dussel's principles and the complex questions that arise in attempts to realise these normative principles precisely in the situations of domination and exclusion that Dussel takes as his starting-point. While some of these questions constitute a challenge to rethink aspects of the philosophical debate, others can only legitimately be answered by those who participate in practical attempts to challenge material and discursive exclusion. From this background, the relationship between philosophy and practice becomes an important question in itself. / The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Notre propos dans cette recherche est double. D'une part, il s'agit d'examiner les rapports qu'entretient le concept d'universalité avec la proposition latino-américaine d'une philosophie située, « inculturée », et donc d'examiner les rapports des philosophies critiques latino-américaines aux débats sur l'universalisme et le culturalisme. Dans un contexte où l'universalisme est de fait l'effet d'une globalisation homogénéisante et ethnocentrique (universalisme monologique), et face aux revendications de la différence comme identités préfixées et closes aux risques fondamentalistes, un nouveau et véritable universalisme comme dialogue interculturel se présente à nous comme une alternative intéressante au dilemme entre universalisme et particularité. D'une part, notre propos est de présenter la pensée critique latino-américaine actuelle. En ce sens, ce travail s'organise autour d'une seule figure, à savoir Enrique Dussel, afin de pouvoir approfondir les liens entre la philosophie latino-américaine de la libération et certains courants de philosophie européens (la métaphysique de l'altérité) d'Emmanuel Levinas et l'éthique de la discussion de Karl-Otto appel en particulier) et latino-américains (Leopoldo Zea et Augusto Salazar Bondy d'une part, et le courant nommé « groupe Modernité/Colonialité », « postoccidentalisme » ou encore « théories décoloniales » d'autre part). Afin de mener à bien ces perspectives de recherche, sera adopté le plan suivant. Pour comprendre l'intention du changement de paradigme que prétend la philosophie de la libération de Dussel, ce travail prend comme point de départ l'exposé des différents contextes (philosophique, historique, politique, économique, culturel, etc) et des origines de la philosophie de la libération. Dans la deuxième partie, nous étudions de manière spécifique, et suivant une approche diachronique, l'éthique de la libération de Dussel, développée en dialogue avec différents auteurs. Nous étudions de manière particulière et critique l'influence de Levinas dans la philosophie de la libération, et le long dialogue de celle-ci avec l'éthique de la discussion d'Apel. Finalement, la dernière partie de cette recherche pose la question de l'actualité ou plutôt de la problématique actuelle de la philosophie de la libération à travers les critiques, internes et externes, qu'au courant de ces dernières quatre décennies ont été adressés à ce courant de pensée. A partir de cette problématique, notre recherche entend contribuer à la tâche de notre point de vue urgente et nécessaire de penser philosophiquement depuis un horizon mondial. / Our purpose in this research is twofold. On one hand, it is to examine the relations that the concept of universality maintains with the Latin American proposal of « local », « inculturated » philosophy, and therefore to examine the contributions of critical Latin American philosophies to the debate on universalism and culturalism. In a context where universalism is for all intents ans purposes the effect of an ethnocentric and homogenizing globalization (monological universalism), and faced with the demands of differences as identities that are predetermined and closed to fundamentalism risks, a new and genuine universalism as intercultural dialogue presents itself as an interesting alternative to the dilemma between universalism and particularity. On the other hand, our purpose is to present crtical thinking in Latin America today, in this sense, our work is organized around a single figure, namely Enrique Dussel, in order to deepen ties between Latin American philosophy of liberation and certain currents of European (Emmanuel Levinas's metaphysics of alterity and Karl-Otto Apel's discourse ethics in particular) and Latin American philosophy (Leopoldo Zea and Augusto Salazar Bondy on one hand, and the current names « Modernity/Coloniality group », « post-Occidentalism » or « decolonial theories » on the other). To see these research perspectives through, the following plan will be adopted. To understand the intention of the paradigm shift claimed by Dussel's philosophy of liberation, this work takes as its starting point the presentation of different contexts (philosophical, historical, political, economic, cultural,etc) and the origins of philosophy of liberation. In the second part, we study a specific way, using a diachronic approach of Dussel's ethics of liberation, which was developed through dialogue with various authors. We specifically and critically study Levinas's influence on philosophy of liberation, and of its extensive dialogue with Apel's discourse ethics. Finally, the last part of our research raises the question of timeliness, or rather the current problems of philosophy of liberation, through internal and external criticism that has been directed at the school of thought over the last four decades. Using these issues, our research aims to contribue to the task, from our point of view both urgent and necessary, of thinking philosophically from within a global mindset. / Nuestro propósito en esta investigación es doble. Por un lado, se trata de examinar las relaciones que mantiene el concepto de universalidad con la propuesta latinoamericana de una filosofía situada, « inculturada », y, por lo tanto, de examinar los aportes de las filosofías críticas latinoamericanas a los debates sobre universalismo y particularismo cultural. En un contexto en el que el universalismo fáctico es resultado de una globalización homogeneizadora y etnocéntrica (universalismo monológico), y frente a las reivindicaciones de la diferencia como identidad prefijada y cerrada con riesgos fundamentalistas, un nuevo y verdadero universalismo como diálogo intercultural se presenta hoy como una alternativa a la oposición entre universalismo y particularidad. Por otro lado, nuestro propósito es presentar el pensamiento crítico latinoamericano actual. Ahora bien, este trabajo queda nucleado en torno a la sola figura de Enrique Dussel, con el fin de poder profundizar en la relación entre la filosofía latinoamericana de la liberación y determinadas corrientes de filosofía europeas (en concreto, la metafísica de la alteridad de Emmanuel Levinas y la ética del discurso de Karl-Otto Apel) y latinoamericanas (Leopoldo Zea y Augusto Salazar Bondy de un lado, y la corriente llamada « grupo Modernidad/Colonialidad », « posoccidentalismo » o también « teorías decoloniales » de otro. Para conseguir los objetivos propuestos, el trabajo quedará estructurado de la manera siguiente. Con la finalidad de facilitar la comprensión del cambio de paradigma que pretende la filosofía de la liberación en América latina, tomaremos como punto de partida la exposición de los diferentes contextos (filosófico, histórico, político, económico, cultural, etc.) y de los orígenes de la filosofía de la liberación. En la segunda parte estudiamos de manera específica, siguiendo un enfoque diacrónico, la ética de la liberación que Dussel ha desarrollado en diálogo con diferentes autores. Estudiamos especialmente, y de manera crítica, la influencia de Levinas en la filosofía de la liberación así como el largo diálogo entre la ética de la liberación (Dussel) y la ética del discurso de Apel. Cierra el trabajo una tercera parte donde se plantea la cuestión de la actualidad, o más bien de la problematicidad actual de la filosofía de la liberación a través de las críticas, internas y externas, que esta corriente de pensamiento ha recibido a lo largo de las últimas cuatro décadas. A partir de la problemática planteada, esta investigación quiere contribuir a la tarea, desde nuestro punto de vista urgente y necesaria, de pensar filosóficamente desde un horizonte mundial.

This project focuses on the natural elements earth and water as presented in the works of African American author Toni Morrison. The primary texts analyzed are Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved. In the first two novels, Morrison alludes to the abuse of black bodies by drawing parallels between the destruction of trees and the negative effects of urbanization. I argue that environmental destruction and urbanization parallels the disenfranchisement and killing of black bodies. Water in Beloved connotes bondage because of its historical link to the Triangular Trade. However, considering Morrison's frequent mention of water and the fugitives' constant need to drink, I argue that ingesting water symbolizes a need for psychological freedom. All of the novels that I have analyzed emphasize the complex connections between African Americans and nature. / by Pauline P. Anderson. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

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The purpose of this work is to detect a pattern: the concordance of Ethics and Aesthetics, Poetics and Politics in the most influential American thinker of the nineteenth century. It is an attempt to trace a basic concept of the Emersonian transcendentalist doctrine, its development, its philosophical meaning and practical implications. Emerson’s thought is analyzed genetically in search of the generating paradigm, or the set of axioms from which his aesthetic ideas as well as his political reasoning are derived. Such a basic structure, or point of convergence, is sought in the emergence of Emerson’s idea of universal laws that repeat themselves on all levels of reality. A general introduction is given in Part One, where the crisis in Emerson’s life is seen as representing and foreshadowing the deeper existential crisis of modern man. In Part 2 we follow the increasingly skeptical theologian’s turn to science, where he tries to secure a safe secular foundation for ethical good and right and to solve the problem of evil. Part 3 shows how Emerson’s conception of the laws of nature and ethics is applied in his political philosophy. In Part 4, Emerson’s ideas of the arts are seen as corresponding to his views of nature, morality, and individuality. Finally, in Part 5, the ancient and classical nature of Concord philosophy is brought into focus. The book concludes with a short summary.