Society’s current experience of nature is ambiguous. Just as nature proves severely affected by human activities and vulnerable, it also appears threatening to us. Although the changes in nature have been perceived for long as an ecological crisis, this experience and the challenges it provides have remained persistently exigent over the last four decades. As a consequence, our epistemological understanding of nature and culture as separate entities has been inherently shaken. My study is located among ecocritical attempts to negotiate these experiences. Immanent critiques of E. O. Wilson’s and Bruno Latour’s epistemologies exemplify how we cannot escape the dualism in society’s relationship to nature by simply declaring nature’s and culture’s unity. Relying on the social philosophy of Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno, I instead consider the dualism as historically both true and false, and argue that instrumental reason provides a socio-psychological barrier to transcending the way Western society relates to nature. Central to the situation’s perpetuation is the confidence that the object of knowledge can be adequately and steadily identified in knowledge. Based on Adorno’s negative dialectics, I develop a model of cognition that works through the dualism within the knowing subject and in its relation to animals. This model is substantiated in the context of Enlightenment thought. A reconstruction of the development of René Descartes’ (1596–1650) epistemology in relation to his philosophy of nature and the place of animals within it shows the animal as particularly resistant to Descartes’ conceptual identification. In the writings on animal behaviour of Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694–1768) this resistance further manifests as a self-mediation of animals, which denotes the limits to their conceptual assimilation. Maria Sibylla Merian’s (1647–1717) aesthetically mediated insect studies capture this tension between species commonalities and unique particularities, and represent the single specimens as nonidentical individuals. Through critical engagement with these works, my study develops a cognitive approach to nature that preserves its object as qualitatively mediated between universal and particular properties, and inherently nonidentical. Simultaneously, it recovers the animal as an object of knowledge particularly resistant to identificatory thought. Consolidating these two insights, aesthetic mediation of animals provides an experience that reveals to the subject its limited power over the objects and which is capable of raising the memory of nature within the subject.

The material of this study includes literature on the historically bound nature of the ideographical nature vs. culture polarity. From this material, general concepts of "nature" and "culture" are formed on the basis of value in the context of environmental management. Then, the existence of a polar dualism (nature vs. culture) is indicated via a transcendental critique of the worldview underlying the construction of this relationship. It is shown that the polarity is asymmetrical, causing a hierarchical organization in the Western ontology. The nature/culture hierarchical polarity is subjected to a less radical deconstruction and a non-dualistic, less reductionist conception of "nature" and "culture" formulated. This enables a foresee ably sustainable environment in terms of quality of life of the human being in totality. / Thesis (M.A. (Philosophy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Dominant narratives of the green revolution focus on the top-down dissemination of technology produced by global scientific networks into developing regions or nations, but comparatively little scholarship has been produced regarding the forms of local knowledge which were transferred during the same process. This thesis will examine several important sites of interaction between formal scientific networks and indigenous knowledge with a focus on moments of historical transition in methodology. A main contention of this thesis is that this dissemination was not just a top-down flow of Western technology into Indian villages, but was rather a dialectical process by which class interest and reductionist science moulded the interaction between disparate knowledge systems. The focus will be an exposition of changes in research methodologies pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation’s Indian Agriculture Program, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, and the founder of an indigenous knowledge database NGO, Anil Gupta.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-09-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:50:25Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 diebe_ep_me_mar.pdf: 264602 bytes, checksum: 3d1b3d7f97082522e77484e146964b90 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A investigação de Pedro Abelardo acerca das intelecções inicia-se na primeira metade do século XII, período vinculado à lógica vetus. Na psicologia de Abelardo, o Tractatus de Intellectibus é a obra que irá se ocupar principalmente no Periermenias de Aristóteles e nos comentários sobre Periermenias de Boécio, da análise do processo de intelecção no homem, do ponto de vista das intelecções da gramática e das intelecções da lógica, necessárias à doctrina sermonum. Mostraremos que, no decorrer do processo de intelecção, o homem inteligirá as coisas de dois modos, a saber: pela razão, único processo que produzirá intelecções sãs e verdadeiras, e pela existimatio, isto é, processo ligado à opinião. Entenderemos que somente Deus, criador de todas as coisas, intelige tudo de forma plena, e o que é concedido ao homem será apenas uma pequena parte deste conhecimento. O nosso objetivo neste trabalho, portanto, será primeiramente investigar como Pedro Abelardo concebe o processo de intelecção do homem através das palavras universais e verificar, no decorrer desse processo, o significado da existimatio, que, apesar de ser limitada, se mostrará uma forma genuína de conhecer / Peter Abelard‟s investigation on intellections started during the first half of the XII century, period bind to the Logica vetus. In Abelard‟s psychology, the Tractatus de Intellectibus is the work that mainly on Aristotle‟s Periermenias and Boethius‟ comments on Periermenias, contains the analysis of man‟s process of intellection from the point of view of the intellections of grammar and the intellections of logics, necessary for the doctrina sermonum. We will show that in the process of intellection man constitutes intellections of things in two ways, namely, by reason, the only process that produces valid and true intellections, and by existimatio¸ that is, a process related to opinion. We will understand that only God, the Creator of all things, fully intellects all things and man will only be allowed a little part of this knowledge. Therefore our aim in this study firstly is to investigate how Peter Abelard conceives man‟s process of intellection by means of universal words and, during the process, verify the meaning of existimatio, which, though limited, will reveal a genuine form of knowing

abstract: Emerging adulthood--a developmental point in the life span (usually between the ages of 18-25) during which children no longer see themselves as adolescents but would not yet consider themselves adults--is marked by identity exploration and discovering new life directions. When emerging adults find themselves serving as caregivers for their parent during a time when they would normally be establishing autonomy and exploring new directions, they may feel conflicted by their desire to both care for their parent and maintain a sense of independence. Thus, using a multiple-method research design that includes both an autoethnography and a qualitative content analysis of young adult caregivers' online posts, this study intends to uncover the dialectical tensions (the interplay of communicative tensions within a relationship) an emerging adult daughter experiences in her relationship with her mother as she serves as her caregiver, experiences her death, and grieves her passing by analyzing the author's personal narrative. To provide a deeper understanding of the dialectical nature of the emerging adult caregiver experience, the study was extended with an examination of other young caregivers' experiences, drawn from online forums, to explore how they encounter tensions within their own relationships with their parents. An analysis of the personal narrative revealed one primary dialectical tension, separation-connection, and three interrelated tensions--predictability-change, openness-closedness, and holding on-letting go--that seemed to influence this primary tension. Results of the qualitative content analysis revealed that other caregivers experienced one primary dialectical tension, sacrifice-reward, and two additional, interrelated tensions: independence-dependence and presence-absence. A comparison of the findings from each methodological approach revealed both similarities and differences in experiences of emerging adult caregivers. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Communication 2010

abstract: The current study is the first qualitative investigation aimed solely at understanding what it means to communicate conditional forgiveness in serious romantic relationships. Conditional forgiveness is forgiveness that has been offered with the stipulation that the errant behavior cease. It is a provocative topic because some argue genuine forgiveness is not conditional, but recent discoveries that have associated its use with severe transgressions and relational deterioration suggest it is a critical site for investigation. This inductive analysis of open-ended data from 201 anonymous surveys identified both distinctions between and intersections of conditional forgiveness, forgiveness, and reconciliation. A relational dialectics analysis also revealed that reconcilable-irreconcilable was the overarching tension for conditional forgivers and six additional tensions also were also discovered: individual identity-couple identity, safety-risk, certainty-uncertainty, mercy-justice, heart-mind, and expression-suppression. Of particular intrigue, the current analysis supports the previous discovery of implicit conditional forgiveness--suppressing conditions, sometimes in response to physical and substance abuse. Ultimately, the current analysis contributes to the enduring conversation aimed at understanding the communication and pursuit of forgiveness and reconciliation. It addresses one of the basic instincts and paradoxes of existing with others--the balance between vulnerability and protection. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Communication Studies 2011

The purpose of this paper is to offer a general view of the philosophical affinities between Plato and Hegel through the analysis of the Hegelian interpretation of the Parmenides. We will show how the Hegelian approach to Plato, and his understanding of idealism and dialectics, is determined by Hegel’s debate with the philosophy of Kant. A brief exposé of the differences between Kantian transcendental idealism and Hegelian absolute idealism will be needed. Then, we will show some traits of the Hegelian hermeneutics of Plato in order to understand how the first part of the Parmenides admits parallelisms with certain excerpts of Hegel’s work, both regarding its philosophical purpose as well as stylistically. Finally, the Author expounds the Hegelian evaluation of the dialectical exercise from the second part of the Parmenides. There, Platonic Dialectic fails and does not accomplish its philosophical purpose, and becomes a valuable skepticism consubstantial to philosophical thought. / El propósito del presente trabajo es ofrecer un panorama de las afinidades filosóficas entre Platón y Hegel a partir del análisis de la interpretación hegeliana del Parménides. Se mostrará cómo la aproximación hegeliana a Platón y su comprensión del idealismo y la dialéctica están marcadas por el debate con la filosofía kantiana. Esto exige una breve exposición del idealismo trascendental kantiano frente al idealismo absoluto hegeliano, así como de la lógica trascendental kantiana frente a la lógica especulativa hegeliana. Se señalarán luego algunos rasgos hermenéuticos de la interpretación hegeliana de Platón para poder exponer después cómo la primera parte del Parménides admite paralelismos de intención filosófica y hasta narrativos con pasajes de obras de Hegel. Finalmente, se expondrá la evaluación hegeliana del ejercicio dialéctico de la segunda parte del Parménides. Esto exige indicar por qué la dialéctica platónica no logra su cometido filosófico del todo y queda “reducida” a un escepticismo, no desprovisto de valor sino consustancial a toda labor filosófica.

NICOLAU, Marcos Fábio Alexandre. O ser como começo da Ciência: a Ciência da Lógica de Hegel. 2008. 111f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Filosofia, Fortaleza (CE), 2008. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-11-05T18:18:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2008-DIS-MFANICOLAU.pdf: 685556 bytes, checksum: 376f0181011120560c3338e8c8de037c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2013-11-05T18:27:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2008-DIS-MFANICOLAU.pdf: 685556 bytes, checksum: 376f0181011120560c3338e8c8de037c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-11-05T18:27:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2008-DIS-MFANICOLAU.pdf: 685556 bytes, checksum: 376f0181011120560c3338e8c8de037c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / The Hegelian refusal to entire Absolute suggests or post unrefletly demanded the establishment of a system of discursive and philosophical intelligible from the principle to the end. The idea is that the resulting possibility of intelligibility is the Absolute connection to the possibility of their exposure. That is, the inherent need it that needs to produce its own contents, extruding up while acknowledging its identity with itself, proving the need to start the effectiveness of a system of science that is based on a project of a science the logic founder of the science itself. Thus, the developing of a principle first–last speculation, the Hegelian philosophy, make clear the role of mediator, to liberate the system of methods and proposals outside and quotas that have condition. The result is that in the Science of Logic, the assumption of an early and immediate vacuum system of scientific-philosophical categories of the Absolute, and methodological speech in which it explains, must be described and explained, precisely due to the nature of the unconditional pure thought, which structure such bases to the said system. That is the task, apparently irrefutably the philosophy, to seek the union between being and thinking of a system that is capable of self-grounded and justified, donating solid basis not only to itself but to any science, which does be regarded as a genuine doctrine of science, able to establish the basic assumptions to any knowing that you want to say valid. As in Hegel made this feasible only on bases of a dialectical method, the fruit of the very nature of starting that brings you the inherent element of contradiction, denial determined, capable to promote self-development of a knowledge absolute said. / A recusa hegeliana a todo Absoluto intuído ou posto irrefletidamente exigiu a elaboração de um sistema filosófico inteligível e discursivo do princípio ao fim. A ideia daí decorrente é que a possibilidade de inteligibilidade deste Absoluto é correlata à possibilidade de sua exposição. Ou seja, a necessidade a ele inerente, que precisa produzir seus próprios conteúdos, exteriorizando-se e ao mesmo tempo reconhecendo sua identidade consigo mesmo, provando a necessidade do começo na efetivação de um sistema da ciência que tem por base um projeto de uma ciência da lógica fundadora da própria ciência em si mesma. Assim, o desenvolver de um princípio primeiro-último especulativo, na filosofia hegeliana, marca o papel inequívoco de mediador, no sentido de liberar o sistema de métodos e propostas exteriores e contingentes que ainda o condicionam. O resultado disso é que, na Ciência da Lógica, a pressuposição de um começo imediato e vazio do sistema científico-filosófico das categorias do Absoluto, e o discurso metodológico pelo qual ele se expõe, precisam ser descritos e explicados, devido justamente ao caráter incondicional do pensamento puro, no qual se estrutura tais bases para o dito sistema. Eis a tarefa, aparentemente irrecusável à filosofia, de buscar a união entre ser e pensar em um sistema que seja capaz de se auto-fundar e justificar, doando bases sólidas não somente a si, mas a toda e qualquer ciência, o que o faz ser considerado como uma verdadeira doutrina da ciência, capaz de estabelecer os pressupostos básicos a todo e qualquer saber que se queira dizer válido. Sendo em Hegel tal feito realizável tão somente em bases de um método dialético, fruto da própria natureza de começo que traz imanente a si o elemento da contradição, da negação determinada, capaz de promover o autodesenvolvimento de um saber dito absoluto.

LEMOS, Solon Sales. Dialética Negativa: formação e resistência em Theodor Adorno. 2013. 95f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2013. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-02-27T14:29:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013-DIS-SSLEMOS.pdf: 476832 bytes, checksum: f68f6fc4fb17469b428844bd681bf695 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-02-27T14:31:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013-DIS-SSLEMOS.pdf: 476832 bytes, checksum: f68f6fc4fb17469b428844bd681bf695 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-02-27T14:31:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013-DIS-SSLEMOS.pdf: 476832 bytes, checksum: f68f6fc4fb17469b428844bd681bf695 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / The work we now have developed reflects on the process of education in Theodor Adorno from its proposed revision of the classic dialectic method transforming it into a Negative Dialectics Assuming that never at any time in history a man could tell so many achievements scientific and technological and never knew much about the heavenly bodies or the domain of nature and that parallel to these achievements has never been so much poverty in all its dimensions violence and exploitation of man by man will reflect along with Adorno on true role of reason in this historical context as an instrument in the service of late capitalism or the purpose of human action that seeks to free itself from the shackles of an " administered society " in the wake of these reflections it is necessary to seek the place it should occupy today philosophy on real understanding of what will be the human enlightenment as a means for the formation of autonomous individuals the path taken by science in the tracks of " instrumental reason " late industrial capitalism has reduced men to things such that the barbarity of Nazi concentration camps attest to the horror that is meant a society semi - formed , since the psychological mechanisms and economically structured that led to Aushiwitz not left behind but endures today on other forms of harassment and violence as racism reification class workers and discrimination against religious minorities and socioeconomic groups to name a few in seeking to overcome this condition mechanized and impersonal capitalist societies current method presents as Adorno and counterpoint to all this bourgeois structure of late capitalism in which his Negative Dialectics by reason critical if reshape the trajectory of Western philosophy resuming the moment this is lost on metaphysical concepts and absolutizantes and now must resume its course while knowledge to enable man to pass a condition heteronomous to an autonomous status through the resistance of non- -identification system late capitalist / O trabalho que ora desenvolvemos reflete sobre o processo de formação em Theodor Adorno a partir da sua proposta de reformulação do método dialético clássico transformando-o em uma Dialética Negativa Partindo do pressuposto de que jamais em momento algum da história o homem pôde contar com tantas realizações tecnológicas e científicas e nunca se soube tanto sobre os astros celestes ou o domínio da natureza e que paralelo a todas essas realizações nunca houve tanta miséria em todas as suas dimensões violência e exploração do homem pelo homem refletir-se-á juntamente com Adorno sobre o verdadeiro papel da razão no presente contexto histórico se como instrumento a serviço do capitalismo tardio ou como finalidade do agir humano que busca libertar-se dos grilhões de uma “sociedade administrada” Na esteira destas reflexões faz-se necessário buscar o lugar que deve hoje ocupar a filosofia no entendimento real do que venha a ser o esclarecimento humano como meio para a formação de indivíduos autônomos O caminho percorrido pela ciência nos trilhos da “razão instrumentalizada” do capitalismo industrial tardio tem reduzido os homens a coisas de tal forma que a barbárie dos campos de concentração nazista atesta o horror a que se destina uma sociedade semi-formada, uma vez que os mecanismos psicológicos e economicamente estruturados que levaram a Aushiwitz não ficaram para trás mas resistem hoje sobre outras formas de perseguição e violência como o racismo reificação da classe operária e discriminação de minorias etárias socioeconômicas e religiosas só para citar algumas Na busca de superação dessa condição mecanizada e impessoal das sociedades capitalistas atuais Adorno apresenta como método e contraponto a toda essa estrutura burguesa do capitalismo tardio sua Dialética Negativa na qual por meio de uma razão crítica se reformulará a trajetória da filosofia ocidental retomando o instante em que esta se perdeu em conceitos metafísicos e absolutizantes e que agora deve retomar seu curso enquanto conhecimento capaz de possibilitar ao homem a passagem de uma condição heterônoma a uma condição autônoma através da resistência da não-identificação ao sistema capitalista tardio

Este estudo é sobre a relação entre administração e política. Trata-se de uma tese teórica que, além de compilar o debate no cenário internacional e nacional, pretende avançar nas discussões a respeito. Apoia-se, principalmente, no referencial teórico da administração pública e da ciência política, desenvolvido a partir da contribuição decisiva dos textos clássicos de Woodrow Wilson (The Study of Administration), Frank Goodnow (Politics and Administration: a study in government) e Max Weber (Parlamento e Governo na Alemanha Reordenada: crítica política do funcionalismo e da natureza dos partidos e, Política como Vocação). Apoia-se também em estudos contemporâneos que, a partir dos referidos clássicos, seguiram o debate percorrendo três caminhos distintos. O primeiro pela via da dicotomia política-administração que retrata política e administração como fenômenos distintos e separados. O segundo pela via da complementaridade que propõe uma visão integradora entre política e administração, considerando que as práticas administrativas são fundamentalmente fenômenos políticos. O terceiro pela via da afirmação direta de que administração é política. Na esteira desse terceiro caminho, esta tese é uma afirmativa de que a administração é política, mas assim o é em seu próprio “espaço existencial”. Então, a partir das especulações sobre “modos de vida”, a administração é situada naquele modo de vida que lhe é próprio, qual seja, o modo de vida prática ou modo de vida produtiva. É neste “espaço existencial” que a administração é política, portanto, a referida relação deve ser pensada considerando a preservação não apenas deste espaço, mas daquele que é próprio da política “por excelência”. Para assim pensar a natureza política da administração, recupera-se a ideia de “bom governo” de Hannah Arendt, cuja abordagem permite compreender o lugar da administração na vida política. / This study is about the relationship between administration and politics. It is a theoretical thesis that, in addition to compiling the debate on the international and national scene, intends to advance in the discussions about it. It is based mainly on the theoretical reference of public administration and political science, developed from the decisive contribution of the classic texts of Woodrow Wilson (The Study of Administration), Frank Goodnow (Politics and Administration: a study in government) and Max Weber (Parliament and Government in Reordered Germany: political critique of functionalism and the nature of parties and, Politics as Vocation). It is also supported by contemporary studies that, following these classic authors, continued the debate in three different roads. The first is via the politicsadministration dichotomy that portrays politics and administration as distinct and separate phenomena. The second, through complementarity, proposes an integrative vision between politics and administration, considering that administrative practices are fundamentally political phenomena. The third is by way of direct assertion that administration is politics. Following this third road, this thesis assert that the administration is politics, but so it is in its own “existential space”. Thus, from the speculations on “ways of life”, the administration is situated in that way of life that is its own, that is, the practical way of life or productive way of life. It is in this “existential space” that administration is politics, therefore, the said relation must be thought considering the preservation not only of this space, but of that which is proper to politics “par excellence”. To think about the political nature of the administration, the idea of “good government” of Hannah Arendt is recovered, whose approach allows the understanding of the place of the administration in the political life.