The International Township of Auroville was inaugurated as an international experiment in Human Unity on the southeast coast of India in 1968. My research on Auroville constitutes a case study of collective decision-making. Coding extracts from the weekly internal newsletters of the Township 1975 to 2000 in the qualitative software program, NVivo, I reconstruct features of decision-making in the township which I argue form implicit agreements on principles of organization. Illocutionary action, the effort to reach mutual understanding, underscores each of these principles. Illocutionary action is the building block of Jurgen Habermas Theory of Communicative Action and his Discourse Ethics. Because of the correspondence between decision-making in Auroville and the formulations of Jurgen Habermas, I apply key dimensions of Habermas theory to developments in the township in order to identify the practical consequences of adherence to the primacy Habermas pays to illocutionary action. In this way, I submit his theory to practical test. Contrary to the theoretical expectations of Habermas, decision-making characteristic of lifeworld continues to play a role in steering the systems developed to facilitate the expansion of the Auroville Township.

The International Township of Auroville was inaugurated as an international experiment in Human Unity on the southeast coast of India in 1968. My research on Auroville constitutes a case study of collective decision-making. Coding extracts from the weekly internal newsletters of the Township 1975 to 2000 in the qualitative software program, NVivo, I reconstruct features of decision-making in the township which I argue form implicit agreements on principles of organization. Illocutionary action, the effort to reach mutual understanding, underscores each of these principles. Illocutionary action is the building block of Jurgen Habermas Theory of Communicative Action and his Discourse Ethics. Because of the correspondence between decision-making in Auroville and the formulations of Jurgen Habermas, I apply key dimensions of Habermas theory to developments in the township in order to identify the practical consequences of adherence to the primacy Habermas pays to illocutionary action. In this way, I submit his theory to practical test. Contrary to the theoretical expectations of Habermas, decision-making characteristic of lifeworld continues to play a role in steering the systems developed to facilitate the expansion of the Auroville Township.

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Housing crisis in India -- What is vernacular? -- Vernacular as timeless -- Vernacular aesthetics : the legacy of craft -- Disengagement of vernacular from architectural practice in India -- Revisiting architectural academics -- Conclusion : applicability of vernacular studies -- Vernacular studies at Auroville Earth Institute, Auroville, India -- Low cost building technologies at Auroville Earth Institute, India -- Vernacular architecture : exemplary projects -- The joy of building. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Accompanying CD-ROM contains additional copy of chapters 8-10. / Department of Architecture

Today, schools wanting to work with Integral Education are caught between security that the traditional system of social reproduction offers parents and children, and the universal needs of a new global education for human change that is trying to emerge. This pull between the expectations of the past and the aspirations of the future, gives little scope for deepening in the present. This dilemma can be observed in Auroville, International township in South India, created for the purpose of experimentation in collective process working for human unity and sustainability. To define the underlying foundations of Integral Education , give clear visibility of its purpose and implementation in TLC, thereby identifying perimeters through which it can be assessed. The following questions are used to answer to the aims of the research: How can Integral Education respond to the universal needs of human change through transformational educational leadership (of facilitators/parents/children) in everyday work with children? How can an education with the aim of individual development and growth be assessed? How can the pedagogical principles of an Integral Education be made visible to gain recognition? The study was done through analysis of filmed material and reflective interviews gathered during an entire school year in one of Auroville’s schools - The Learning Community (TLC). The data collected, was analysed and discussed through a hermeneutic approach, using a three step chain of inference, involving children, parents and teachers, to process the material. The results showed that Integral learning is indeed very tangible, made visible through the pedagogical core areas in the TLC approach and methodology, and exemplified through manifestations that can be observed, and results seen through process over time. It showed that educational leadership is a key both to understanding Integral Education, and working towards recognition based on deeper connection to the practice and its universal intentions.

[EN] This PhD in Fine Arts is the introduction to a Yantric Theory of Drawing as a result of researching plastic forms from the universal principles present in perceptive reality. Based on the yantra as an active element in the drawing of a integral mandalic vision, Drawing re-presents a vision of the world based on aesthetic distance, in which the sum and multiplication of all the parts is contemplated from one point of view, a naked eye. This perspective is transdimensional, whereby co-creative man is capable of making his own vision real, enjoying the aesthetic experience through the practice of Art. Art is the fifth element in which contact with Beauty takes place in a disinterested way. This thesis in its Form and Consciousness explores the fundaments of these aesthetic formulations through its most yogic roots in India. We will add a metaphor to such aesthetic formulations and explain them through the voice of the artist, in which the process of transmutation of the matter, the transformation of the Nature into Art takes place. The shilpi yogi is the inspiration and aspiration of the being which indwells the imagery artist who develops images of himself, the imprints of personal consciousness transcended through transpersonal art forms. Its being, its Presence, can be modulated through plasticity, from the purest abstraction to the finest figurative art. This thesis represents a plastic voyage to the very heart of India, in which an artist and a sadhu go hand in hand as a symbolic encounter between indosophy and the sublime plastic representative of the tragedy of duality, sunk in life under the weight of chiaroscuro. Light is the Great Symbolic Metaphor and the primordial object of the mystery of Science. The space of the heart is the fifth plastic element on which we base our Yantric Theory of Drawing. We use this to reintegrate the coherence of Art from all times and places, reinterpreting it from an optimistic historical standpoint. Drawing gives us the power to make this real (maya-magic), through the yantric vision. This thesis is the foundational preface to a way to make real the dream of the imagined, a function which Art, the original inoculant, has had throughout history. Such a possibility of form-function-power is endorsed by the most ancient foundations of civilization: the great symbolic potential which was crystalised in Man, the complex system of ancient times which doesn't respond to limits, but rather to constellations, the tantra, inspiration and aspiration of quantic meta-physics. / [ES] Esta tesis doctoral en Bellas Artes es la introducción de una Teoría Yántrica del Dibujo como resultado de una investigación de la forma plástica desde principios universales presentes en la realidad perceptiva. Basada en el yantra como elemento activo dibujístico de una visión mandálica integral, el Dibujo viene a re-presentar una visión del mundo basada en la distancia estética, en la que la suma y multiplicación de todas las partes es contemplada desde un punto de vista y un ojo genuino, transdimensional, en el que el hombre co-creativo es capaz de realizar su propia visión y disfrutar de la experiencia estética a través de la práctica del Arte. El Arte es el quinto elemento en el que el contacto con la Belleza de modo desinteresado tiene lugar. Esta tesis, como Forma y Consciencia explora los fundamentos de estas formulaciones estéticas, a través de sus raíces más yóguicas, en India. A tales formulaciones estéticas les añadimos una metáfora y las explicamos a través de la voz del artista, en el que se da el proceso de transmutación de la materia, la transformación de la Naturaleza en Arte. El silpi yogui es la inspiración y aspiración del ser que habita en el artista imaginero, quien desarrolla sus propias imágenes o la huella de la consciencia personal que se supera a sí misma a través de la plástica de lo trans-personal. Su ser, solo Presencia, se deja modular en el vehículo plástico desde la más pura abstracción a la más fina figuración. Esta tesis representa un viaje plástico al corazón de la India, en el que van de la mano una artista y un sadhu como encuentro simbólico de la indosofía y el sublime representante plástico de la tragedia de la dualidad, sumido en la vida y el peso del claroscuro. La Luz es la Gran Metáfora simbólica y el objeto de misterio primordial de la Ciencia. El espacio del corazón es el quinto elemento plástico en el que se basa nuestra Teoría Yántrica del Dibujo para reintegrar la coherencia del Arte de todos los tiempos y lugares, desde un punto de vista histórico optimista que está en nuestras manos hacer real (magia-maya), a través de la visión yántrica para el Arte, a que da pie el Dibujo. Esta tesis es el prolegómeno fundacional de una vía de hacer real el sueño de lo imaginado, como ha venido haciendo el Arte como inóculo original a lo largo de la Historia. Tal posibilidad de forma-función-poder está avalada por los más antiguos fundamentos de la civilización, el gran potencial simbólico que fue posible cristalizar en el Hombre, el sistema complejo de la antigüedad que no responde a límites, sino a constelaciones, el tantra, inspiración y aspiración de la meta-física cuántica. CLARA M. SEVILLA SEGUÍ / [CAT] Aquesta tesi doctoral en Belles Arts és la introducció d'una Teoria Iàntrica del Dibuix com a resultat d'una investigació de la forma plàstica des de principis universals presents en la realitat perceptiva. Basada en el iantra com a element actiu del dibuix d'una visió integral del mandala, el Dibuix vindria a re-presentar una visió del món basada en la distància estètica, en què la suma i multiplicació de totes les parts és contemplada des d'un punt de vista i un ull genuí, "transdimensional", en què l'home co-creatiu és capaç de realitzar la pròpia visió i gaudir de l'experiència estètica a través de la pràctica de l'Art. L'Art és el cinquè element en què el contacte amb la Bellesa hi té lloc de forma desinteressada. Aquesta tesi, en tant que Forma i Consciència, explora els fonaments d'aquestes formulacions estètiques mitjançant unes arrels basades en sistema del ioga, pel que fa a l'Índia. A aitals formulacions estètiques els afegim una metàfora, i les expliquem per mitjà de la veu de l'artista, l'individu en qui es produeix el procés de transmutació de la matèria, la transformació de la Natura en Art. El silpi iogui és la inspiració i aspiració de l'ésser que habita en l'artista imaginer, qui desenvolupa les seves pròpies imatges o l'empremta de la consciència personal que se supera a si mateixa a través de la pràctica d'allò trans-personal. El seu ésser, tan sols Presència, es deixa modular en el vehicle plàstic des de la més pura abstracció fins a la figuració més fina. Aquesta tesi representa un viatge plàstic al cor de l'Índia, en què una artista i un sadhu, plegats, conflueixen de manera simbòlica en la indosofia i el sublim representant plàstic de la tragèdia de la dualitat, immers en la vida i el pes del clarobscur. La Llum és la Gran Metàfora simbòlica i l'objecte primordial de la ciència. L'espai del cor és el cinquè element plàstic en què es basa la nostra Teoria Iàntrica del Dibuix, el propòsit del qual consisteix a reintegrar la coherència de l'Art de tots els temps i llocs, des d'un punt de vista històric i optimista, que tenim a les nostres mans convertir en real (màgia-maia) a través de la visió iàntrica per a l'Art, a què dóna peu el Dibuix. Aquesta tesi és el prolegomen fundacional d'una via per tal de materialitzar el somni respecte d'allò imaginat, com ha vingut fent l'Art com a inòcul originari al llarg de la Història. Aquesta possibilitat de forma-funció-poder és avalada pels més antics fonaments de la civilització, el gran potencial simbòlic que fou possible cristal·litzar en la figura de l'Home, el sistema complex de l'antiguitat que no respon a límits, sinó a constel·lacions, el tantra: inspiració i aspiració de la meta-física quàntica. / Sevilla Seguí, CM. (2016). Forma y Consciencia: Fundamentos para una Teoría Yántrica del Dibujo [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/63259 / TESIS