Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / It is an approach of the concept of evil in Paul Ricoeur. In a first moment, the hermeneutics of the symbol is evidenced what gives that to think , point where all types of immediate knowledge are refuted and he defends that the thought is founded in the interpretation of the symbols. In a second moment, it is analyzed the several understanding levels by where passed the concept of evil in the tradition, mainly in opposition to the teodiceia and the gnosis. In a third moment, the pretension is shown of basing the understanding of the evil by the symbols, the myths and philosophical narratives, giving distinction to the cosmological and anthropological traditions, that although opposed, they are complemented in the measure where the symbolic registration of the origin evil points the man as author, receiver and builder of the own evil. Finally, it is suggested that the formulations around the evil are always unsatisfactory and, for that, it is necessary to rescue the foundation of the evil by an ethics that contemplates coming from the instituted. Such perspective transcends the own ethics in the measure where necessary to consider that every conscience awakes wrapped up in an economy of the talent, on which the human being should base his moral proceeded. / Trata-se de uma abordagem do conceito de mal em Paul Ricoeur. Em um primeiro momento, evidencia-se a hermenêutica do símbolo que dá que pensar , ponto em que se refuta toda espécie de conhecimento imediato e defende-se que o pensamento se funda na interpretação dos símbolos. Em um segundo momento, analisa-se os diversos níveis de compreensão por que passou o conceito de mal na tradição, principalmente em oposição à teodicéia e à gnose. Em um terceiro momento, mostra-se a pretensão de fundamentar a compreensão do mal mediante os símbolos, os mitos e narrativas filosóficas, destacando-se as tradições cosmológicas e antropológicas, que embora opostas, se complementam na medida em que a inscrição simbólica do mal de origem aponta o homem como autor, receptor e instituidor do próprio mal. Por fim, sugere-se que as formulações em torno do mal são sempre insatisfatórias e, por isso, é preciso resgatar o fundamento do mal mediante uma ética que reflita a partir do instituído. Tal perspectiva transcende a própria ética na medida em que é preciso considerar que toda consciência desperta envolta numa economia do dom, sobre a qual o ser humano deveria fundamentar seu agir moral.

The thesis systematically explicates Dostoevsky's portrayal of the origin of human evil on earth through the novel The Brothers Karamazov. Drawing from the novel and from Augustine, Pelagius, and Luther, the explication compares and contrasts Dostoevsky's doctrine of original conflict against the three theologians' views of original sin. Following a brief summary of the three earlier theories of original sin, the thesis describes Dostoevsky's peculiar doctrine of Karamazovism and his unique account of how human evil originated. Finally, the thesis shows how suffering, love, and guilt grow out of the original conflict and how the image of Christ serves as an icon of the special kind of social unity projected by Zosima the Elder in The Brothers Karamazov.

This thesis examines Dickens's presentation of evil women. In the course of my reading I discovered that most of the evil women in his novels are mothers, or mother-figures, a finding which altered the nature of my interpretation and led to closer examination of these characters, rather than the prostitutes and criminals who may have been viewed negatively by Nineteenth century society and thereby condemned as evil. Among the many unsympathetically portrayed mothers and mother-figures in Dickens's works, the three that are most interesting are Lady Dedlock, Miss Havisham, and Mrs Skewton. Madame Defarge initiates the discussion, however, as a seminal figure among the many evil women in the novels. Psychoanalytical and socio-historic readings grounded in Nineteenth century conceptions of womanhood provide background material for this thesis. Though useful and informative, however, these areas of study are not sufficient in themselves. The theory that shapes the arguments of this thesis is defined by Steven Cohan, who argues strongly that the demand for psychological coherence as a requisite of character obscures the imaginative power of character as textual construct, and who both refutes and develops character theory as it is argued by Baruch Hochman. Cohan's theory is also finally closer to that outlined by Thomas Docherty, who provides a complex reading of character as ultimately "unknowable".

Critics have declined to acknowledge the influence of Platonism on Keats' poetry except in its most rudimentary form. Close analysis of a contemporary translation of Plato's Timaeus, however, reveals many connections between Keats' thought and the mythology of the dialogue. This thesis contends that Thomas Taylor's translation of and commentaries on the Timaeus underlie much of the mythological structure of Keats' Hyperion and the system of salvation which Keats later develops in his vale of soul-making letter. It is true that the poet before 1818 decries the importance of "philosophy," but when the problem of evil comes to haunt him, he is forced to confess his need to understand the world within a philosophical framework. The mythology of the Timaeus provides him with such a framework. It cannot be proven absolutely perhaps that Keats was dependent upon the Timaeus in his own myth-making, but there appears to be a number of very direct influences of the dialogue on his letters and on Hyperion -- these are outlined in Chapters Two and Three. What is of most importance in the study of Keats' mythology is the way in which the poet eventually reshapes and moves beyond Platonism to answer the problem of evil and to establish a mythology of his own, a mythology which finds embodiment in the vale of soul-making and in the odes of 181°. Chapter One traces the growth of Keats from a poet who prefers to delight in sensations to one who seeks philosophic truth. It establishes his religious and philosophic beliefs before and after the problem of evil (recorded in March 1818) is brought home to him, and indicates how he modifies on ^'builds upon those beliefs. In the Mansion of Many Apartments and the March of Intellect letter, Keats introduces the allegories which later become the basis of the mythology of Hyperion. Chapter Two explores the process of Keats' myth-making in Hyperion and reveals to what extent the poet depends upon the Timaeus to answer the problem of evil. Keats is determined to show how the Principle of Beauty is inherent in the world, and he adopts the Platonic world-view to explain that mortality and mutability are really calculated towards a greater good, are not to be considered evils. The philosophic argument, sustained in the structure of the poem, falls apart on the emotional level, however: Keats' tragic vision as exemplified in the Titans is not compensated by the philosophic argument. The failure of Hyperion to build a mythology induces the poet to reassess the problem of evil, to rework its parameters, and the effort leads finally to the resolution of the problem and to Keats' own mythology. The final chapter establishes how, from the Pythagorean concept of soul found in the Timaeus, Keats develops his theology of soul-making. His- system of spirit-creation moves far beyond Platonism and becomes the basis of the poet's own, independent mythology. But although Platonism is abandoned, its contribution to the thought of Keats should not be underestimated: in measuring his own ideas against it, Keats is able finally to define his own philosophy, to answer the problem of evil. The odes of 1819 are a series of myths which develop and sustain Keats' vision. In each one Keats illustrates the weaknesses of traditional Greek theology, offering in its stead one more appropriate to modern England, one which explains the role of evil in man's personal salvation. If we are to know Keats' mythology, it is to the odes that we must turn. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

The real purpose of this study has been to learn something of the nature of evil as perceived by these adolescents, and to discover something of the American reaction to it as perceived by their creators.

We examine an understudied connection between religion and sexuality: beliefs about the reality of supernatural evil (Satan, hell, and demons). After controlling for multiple other aspects of religiosity, beliefs about religious evil remain a strong and consistent predictor of attitudes about issues involving sexuality, including abortion, homosexuality, premarital sex, extramarital sex, and pornography use. Further, the effects of religious service attendance on attitudes about sexuality are contingent upon beliefs about religious evil. Moral condemnation of non-traditional sexuality is significantly higher among regular religious participants who believe strongly in religious evil compared to actively religious people who disbelieve in religious evil, as well as compared to people who do not attend religious services. Beliefs about religious evil are therefore central to understanding the empirical connections between religion and support for conservative, traditional views of sexual morality.

No description available.

1. Remiantis interpretacinės antropologijos paradigma ir vadovaujantis trimis – paties tyrinėtojo, tyrimo dalyvių ir sociokultūrinio konteksto vaidmens blogos akies konstrukto kuriamajame darbe – perspektyvomis, daktaro disertacijoje nustatyta šiuolaikinio lietuviškojo blogos akies komplekso raiška. Siekiant atskleisti didelę individualių požiūrių ir sampratų įvairovę, darbe pabrėžiamos skirtingų nuomonių sankirtos ir sąveikos, akcentuojamas nepaliaujamas kūrybos vyksmas, dėl kurio randasi lankstus, griežtai neapibrėžtas darinys, leidžiantis bloga akimi tikintiems žmonėms aktyviai veikti, kurti, išreikšti daugybę įvairiausių prasmių ir asmeninių patirčių, interpretuojant asmenines bei socialines nesekmes, nepalankias gyvenimo aplinkybes ir laimės stoką. 2. Šių dienų Lietuvoje blogos akies kompleksas pasireiškia kaip homogeniškas, tačiau drauge ir įvairiaprasmis kultūrinis konstruktas. Jo kūrime dalyvauja abiejų lyčių, įvairaus amžiaus, profesijos ir išsilavinimo žmonės. Lyties požiūriu, blogos akies komplekso raiška nėra vienoda. Moterys, lyginant su vyrais, intensyviau išreiškia ir akcentuoja blogos akies idėją. Pasitvirtino iškelta hipotezė, kad šiuolaikinėje Lietuvoje moterys anksčiau negu vyrai sužino apie kenkiamąją akių galią ir daugiau apie blogą akį išmano. Remiantis turimais duomenimis, galima teigti, kad blogos akies idėja moterims svarbesnė negu vyrams, kad moterys blogos akies idėją pabrėžia intensyviau ir net pačios blogaakystę noriai priskiria moterims. 3... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / 1. Taking guidance from the paradigm of interpretative anthropology and basing on three perspectives – the role played by the researcher, research participants, and sociocultural context in the creation of evil eye construct – the doctoral dissertation has determined the representation of contemporary Lithuanian evil eye complex. In order to demonstrate a wide variety of individual attitudes and notions the present work highlights the intersections and interactions of differing opinions, stressing the continuous creative process due to which a flexible and vague construct emerges. It enables evil eye believers to express a multitude of various meanings and personal experiences for the purpose of interpreting their personal and social failures, unfavourable circumstances of life, and general lack of fortune. 2. In contemporary Lithuania, the evil eye complex manifests itself as a homogeneous multifaceted cultural construct, the creation of which involves people differing in terms of gender, age, profession, and education. However, from the point of view of gender, the evil eye representation is not balanced. Females express and stress the idea of evil eye more intensively than males. The hypothesis that females in contemporary Lithuania, compared to males, learn about the destructive power of eyes sooner and are better informed about the evil eye was corroborated. Basing on the existing data it is possible to contend that the idea of evil eye is more important to females than... [to full text]

1. Evil eye participates in the daily life of people of contemporary Lithuania in spite of urbanisation or achievements in the area of medicine and science. A homogeneous yet at the same time very elastic construct of the evil eye helps evil eye believers to interpret their personal and social failures, unfavourable circumstances of life, and lack of luck or fortune. 2. As a cultural construct, the contemporary Lithuanian evil eye complex may be characterised by flexibility, vagueness, dynamism, and a wide variety of forms of its representation. Developed perpetually in the processes of social and reflexive interactions, the evil eye representation in contemporary Lithuania undergoes endless modification, remaining, however, stable and resistant to changes. 3. In contemporary Lithuania, the fear of evil eye features not only among elderly people with relatively lower levels of schooling and livelihoods mostly connected with agriculture. The younger generation adopts the traditional notion of evil eye, enriching it with the elements of popular culture. 4. In contemporary Lithuania, the evil eye representation is not balanced from the point of view of gender. The idea of evil eye is expressed and stressed more intensively by females. Even in contemporary Lithuania, a typical possessor of the evil eye is an elderly dark-eyed female – an inquisitive, intrusive, talkative and envious neighbour, co-worker or relative. 5. It is commonly believed that the most vulnerable evil eye... [to full text] / Remiantis interpretacinės antropologijos paradigma ir vadovaujantis trimis – paties tyrinėtojo, tyrimo dalyvių ir sociokultūrinio konteksto vaidmens blogos akies konstrukto kuriamajame darbe – perspektyvomis, daktaro disertacijoje nustatyta šiuolaikinio lietuviškojo blogos akies komplekso raiška. Siekiant atskleisti didelę individualių požiūrių ir sampratų įvairovę, darbe pabrėžiamos skirtingų nuomonių sankirtos ir sąveikos, akcentuojamas nepaliaujamas kūrybos vyksmas, dėl kurio randasi lankstus, griežtai neapibrėžtas darinys, leidžiantis bloga akimi tikintiems žmonėms aktyviai veikti, kurti, išreikšti daugybę įvairiausių prasmių ir asmeninių patirčių, interpretuojant asmenines bei socialines nesekmes, nepalankias gyvenimo aplinkybes ir laimės stoką. Šių dienų Lietuvoje blogos akies kompleksas pasireiškia kaip homogeniškas, tačiau drauge ir įvairiaprasmis kultūrinis konstruktas. Jo kūrime dalyvauja abiejų lyčių, įvairaus amžiaus, profesijos ir išsilavinimo žmonės. Lyties požiūriu, blogos akies komplekso raiška nėra vienoda. Moterys, lyginant su vyrais, intensyviau išreiškia ir akcentuoja blogos akies idėją. Pasitvirtino iškelta hipotezė, kad šiuolaikinėje Lietuvoje moterys anksčiau negu vyrai sužino apie kenkiamąją akių galią ir daugiau apie blogą akį išmano. Remiantis turimais duomenimis, galima teigti, kad blogos akies idėja moterims svarbesnė negu vyrams, kad moterys blogos akies idėją pabrėžia intensyviau ir net pačios blogaakystę noriai priskiria moterims. Blogaakiu... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

This is a study of the hardship suffered in Paul Ricoeur. Ricoeur believes that one of the greatest confusion pertains to the problem of evil is to put under the same optical phenomena as diverse as sin and suffering. Thus, this work tries to highlight the distinction made by the author of evil committed (sin) and the hardship suffered (suffering). For this purpose, it was necessary to conceptualize the harm in Ricoeur and then addressing the concept of harm suffered. For Ricoeur, the evil has not been the causative agent, to the extent that the suffering challenges us, hitting us indiscriminately. Finally, it is suggested that the wording of the evil is always unsatisfactory and therefore you must rescue the foundation of evil by an ethic that reflects from the set. / Trata-se de um estudo acerca do mal sofrido em Paul Ricoeur. Ricoeur acredita que uma das maiores confusões no que tange o problema do mal é colocar sob a mesma ótica fenômenos tão díspares como o pecado e sofrimento. Desta forma, esta dissertação busca evidenciar a distinção efetuada pelo autor entre o mal cometido (pecado) e o mal sofrido (sofrimento). Com esse propósito, foi necessário conceituar o mal em Ricoeur e, posteriormente, abordar o conceito de mal sofrido. Para Ricoeur, o mal sofrido não possui agente causador, na medida em que o sofrimento nos interpela, nos atingindo indiscriminadamente. Por fim, sugere-se que as formulações acerca do mal são sempre insatisfatórias e, por isso, é preciso resgatar o fundamento do mal mediante uma ética que reflita a partir do instituído.