Girard Desargues (1951-1662) was a key figure in the transformation of architectural geometry from its ancient and venerated status as transcendental knowledge and supreme reality to a mere technological instrument for the control of building construction practice. As a friend of Rene Descartes and Marin Mersenne, Desargues participated in the development of the mechanistic worldview which accompanied the emergence of experimental science and the renewed interest in mathematics and geometry as axiomatic, deductive systems. This dissertation examines in detail Desargues' methods of stereotomy (the geometrical basis of architectural stone cutting) and his system of perspective construction without vanishing points beyond the picturespace. Desargues' theorem and other key discoveries for which he is still known in the history of mathematics are discussed as they bear upon his methods of stereotomy and perspective. Desargues' stereotomy is almost certainly the first attempt at a universal descriptive geometry such as Gaspard Monge finally developed after the French revolution. Desargues' work in this area may thus be seen as a precocious foreshadowing of the engineering geometry in common use today. The writings of Desargues have been consulted in the original French. Extensive passages are quoted and translated, and a number of illustrations from the original texts are reproduced. Supplementary illustrations are also provided. Appendices list the known architectural works of Desargues, his writings and those of his friend and student Bosse which bear upon the exposition of Desargues' methods. / Ph. D.

This thesis explores the implications of René Girard’s mimetic theory on Genesis 1 and 2 in the Old Testament. It tests the extent to which Genesis 1 and 2 are structured sacrificially or mythically as outlined by Girard. René Girard’s theory is summarized and clarified as to how the theory can be applied to biblical texts. In addition, Girard’s theory is explained in the context of theory-making in late modernity, and critiques of Girard from biblical, anthropological, sociological, and theological perspectives are addressed. A sacrificial structure is explored in Genesis and Exodus that informs the exegesis of Genesis 1 and 2. The critical elements in Girard’s scapegoat mechanism—acquisitive desire leading to rivalry, crisis, and ultimately to an expulsion—are examined in the expulsion of the Hebrews from Egypt (Exodus 1) and the expulsions of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis (Gen 12-21). A particular pattern takes shape that structures the narratives in the Pentateuch. An exegesis of Israel’s narrative of origins in Genesis 1 and 2 follows, incorporating Girard’s theoretical insights with higher critical methods conventionally employed to the Old Testament. The thesis discovers striking parallels with Israel’s narrative of origins. They are indeed sacrificially structured, but they also interrogate that structure and describe an alternative sacrificial response. The sacrifice that Yahweh instigates dismantles the mythical structure even as it moves through the sequence. The thesis concludes with a validation of Girard’s theory and explains how Girard’s theory can be useful to the current exegetical tasks. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th. (Old Testament)

This thesis explores the implications of René Girard’s mimetic theory on Genesis 1 and 2 in the Old Testament. It tests the extent to which Genesis 1 and 2 are structured sacrificially or mythically as outlined by Girard. René Girard’s theory is summarized and clarified as to how the theory can be applied to biblical texts. In addition, Girard’s theory is explained in the context of theory-making in late modernity, and critiques of Girard from biblical, anthropological, sociological, and theological perspectives are addressed. A sacrificial structure is explored in Genesis and Exodus that informs the exegesis of Genesis 1 and 2. The critical elements in Girard’s scapegoat mechanism—acquisitive desire leading to rivalry, crisis, and ultimately to an expulsion—are examined in the expulsion of the Hebrews from Egypt (Exodus 1) and the expulsions of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis (Gen 12-21). A particular pattern takes shape that structures the narratives in the Pentateuch. An exegesis of Israel’s narrative of origins in Genesis 1 and 2 follows, incorporating Girard’s theoretical insights with higher critical methods conventionally employed to the Old Testament. The thesis discovers striking parallels with Israel’s narrative of origins. They are indeed sacrificially structured, but they also interrogate that structure and describe an alternative sacrificial response. The sacrifice that Yahweh instigates dismantles the mythical structure even as it moves through the sequence. The thesis concludes with a validation of Girard’s theory and explains how Girard’s theory can be useful to the current exegetical tasks. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th. (Old Testament)

Orientador: Mário Luiz Frungillo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T15:02:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Brito_MelissaBarros_M.pdf: 1433251 bytes, checksum: 9c3f5fbc60205a8fc202ea5ca8d5e9a7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a construção do bode expiatório de José Saramago à luz das teorias de René Girard. Para analisar a construção de Saramago, foram eleitos dois de seus romances: Ensaio sobre a cegueira (1995) e Ensaio sobre a lucidez (2004), livros que mantêm entre si uma continuação. O foco desta dissertação está voltado para a personagem mulher do médico, que divide o espaço da narrativa com outros que serão de fundamental importância para o desenvolvimento da trama. É essa personagem quem faz o papel de bode expiatório nas tramas de Saramago. A leitura dos romances de Saramago sob esse viés é possível em razão das teorias e estudos elaborados por René Girard, que procura compreender e teorizar o desejo mimético, a violência fundadora e a escolha (construção) do bode expiatório. As teorias defendidas por René Girard acerca da escolha do bode expiatório ¿ desde o seu surgimento até o seu sacrifício para o surgimento de uma nova sociedade ¿ nos ajuda a compreender os movimentos criados por José Saramago no decorrer dos dois romances e a importância que a personagem mulher do médico tem para ajudar a discutir as relações de poder e, principalmente, para revelar a crítica de José Saramago aos estados tidos como democráticos. Neste trabalho me interessa, sobretudo, observar o percurso desta personagem desde o primeiro romance em que aparece como uma espécie de heroína abnegada até o segundo romance, quando se torna vítima do sistema ¿ portanto o bode expiatório ¿, até a sua execução, e quais são as questões que estão envolvidas na construção criada por Saramago para melhor compreender a crítica aos estados democráticos em suas obras / Abstract: This work aims to analyse the construction of José Saramago¿s scapegoat with the help of René Girard¿s theoretical writings. In order to do it, two novels writen by Saramago were selected: Ensaio sobre a Cegueira (Blindness, 1995) and Ensaio sobre a Lucidez (Seeing, 2004), whose themes derive one from another. The focus is put on the main character, named simply as doctor¿s wife, who shares the narrative space with other characteres responsible for the developing of the plot. It¿s doctor¿s wife who plays the role of the scapegoat in Saramago¿s novels. The reading of both books from the point of view of Girard¿s works is possible because there are a sort of resemblances between the novels and the theory: the mimetic desire, the founding violence e the choosing of the scapegoat are all themes and subjects that belong both to Saramago¿s literature and Girard¿s thought. Finally, the work also wants to understand the trajectory of doctor¿s wife from the first novel, where she shows herself as some sort of unselfish heroine, to the second novel, when she becomes a victim of the political system ¿ therefore, the scapegoat ¿ until her execution. The goal is to reveal what is behind the construction of the character in order to be able to comprehend the critics that Saramago draws to the democratic system in his literary works / Mestrado / Teoria e Critica Literaria / Mestra em Teoria e História Literária

Orientador: Suzi Frankl Sperber / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T08:54:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Closel_RegisAugustusBars_M.pdf: 2038312 bytes, checksum: 7c1b1af36416b37e4e7597571df3f57d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A presente dissertação tem por objetivo propor um diálogo entre duas obras dramáticas de grande significância, Ricardo III e As Troianas, no cânone de seus autores, respectivamente, William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) e Lucius Annaeus Sêneca (4 a.C - 65 d.C). A premissa inicial é a relação tradicional entre ambos, que atribui ao tragediógrafo elisabetano uma influência textual, temática e estilística originária do filósofo e tragediógrafo latino. Para o estudo dessas relações, limitadas ao escopo de duas obras, o trabalho foi dividido em três partes. No primeiro capítulo é realizado um percurso sobre toda a historiografia da crítica da influência que Sêneca teria exercido sobre os dramaturgos que escreveram durante a segunda metade do século XVI, na Inglaterra. Observa-se, principalmente, como a visão e a metodologia de se tratar o tema da influência se altera, ao longo dos anos, chegando, por exemplo, a ser negada por alguns críticos durante certo tempo, além da observação do delineamento do próprio objeto. Toma-se o cuidado, durante todo o trabalho de não fazer opção a favor ou negar a presença de Sêneca para não incorrer em extremismos. No segundo capítulo, busca-se, com base nos resultados do primeiro capítulo, a leitura histórica dos elementos temáticos e estilísticos lidos como derivados de ou influenciados por Sêneca. Neste ponto o foco distancia-se do campo de discussão crítica do fenômeno para o campo de crítica histórico-literária e os objetos focados, agora, são exatamente aqueles que anteriormente foram levantados como ?"senequianos". No terceiro capítulo, conhecida a história da influência e tendo sido feita uma gama de opções e leituras sobre a época de Shakespeare, inicia-se a leitura das duas obras. Tal abordagem preambular se fez necessária para que houvesse um embasamento tanto da crítica da discussão da influência, como da leitura histórica da cultura que produziu Ricardo III. Foi feita a opção de seguir com a leitura de René Girard sobre os conceitos de Teoria Mimética e Crise de Diferenças, pois tocam em noções basilares do mundo Elisabetano, apresentando, portanto, uma atmosfera na qual os diálogos poderiam situar relações de aproximação e afastamento entre a dupla de obras escolhida. Observa-se uma leitura mítica, muito rica politicamente, ao trabalhar com a história/mito conhecidos por ambas as obras / Abstract: This dissertation aims to propose a dialogue between two dramatic works of great importance, Richard III and Trojan Women, both canonic for their authors, respectively, William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) and Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BC - 65 AD). The initial premise is the traditional relationship between them, which presupposes that the Elizabethan tragedies have textual, thematic and stylistic influence of the Latin philosopher and tragedian. In order to study these relationships, restricted to the scope of the two referred plays, the dissertation was divided into three parts. The first chapter is about Seneca's influence on playwrights who wrote along the second half of the sixteenth century in England. It focuses mainly the vision and methodology used to study the issue of influence and changes of views over the years, reaching, for example, the fact that the influence was denied by some critics for some time. It also observes the outline of the object - the relation between plays - itself. Along these considerations, I was aware that I should not propose or deny the influence of Seneca in order not to incur in extremism. The second chapter, based on the results of the first chapter, seeks to read the historical interpretation of stylistic and thematic elements as derived from or influenced by Seneca. At this point, the analysis moves away from the critical discussion to approach the field of historical and literary criticism. The focused objects are exactly those that have previously been raised as "senequians", like the blank verse, the tyrant and the presence of ghosts. In the third chapter begins the interpretation of both tragedies. This preliminary approach was necessary in order to have a critical foundation for the discussion of influence, as that one produced by historical reading of Richard III. The mimetic theory of René Girard and the Crisis of Differences offered fundamental notions for the Elizabethan world, which presented interlocution between both tragedies, so that it was possible to examine approaches and distances between the two chosen plays. It was observed a very rich mythical and political relation among the plays using the known versions of history/myth / Mestrado / Teoria e Critica Literaria / Mestre em Teoria e História Literária

A comparative analysis of the musical transcriptions of Dorothy Ashby with those of her predecessors proves that Ashby was a uniquely powerful and innovative influence on the genre of jazz harp. This dissertation begins with a summative biography of Ashby, following her education in both jazz and classical music through to her career highlights as a performer, arranger and composer. An analysis of Ashby's recordings reveals the development of her groundbreaking musical style throughout her life. This paper also examines Ashby's social activism through musical theatre, especially with regards to combating racism. Next, a brief biography of jazz harp forerunners Casper Reardon and Adele Girard precedes a comparative analysis of Reardon's "Aint' Misbehavin" with Ashby's "Soft Winds" and a comparative analysis of Girard's "Harp Boogie" with Ashby's "Blues for Mr. K." Finally, myriad examples of current musicians covering and sampling her work confirm the paramount and lasting influence of Dorothy Ashby's music.

In 1972, with the publication of Violence and the Sacred, René Girard makes the stunning assertion that violence is the foundation of culture. Humanity’s innate urges for competition and rivalry entrap us in cycles of violence, which left alone would find no resolution. Girard calls the cause of this rivalry “mimetic desire”, and the only way out of this deeply embedded vengeance is to create a scapegoat to take the blame, reconciling the conflicting parties. Girard asserts that the biblical texts uniquely reveal the mechanisms of mimetic rivalry and scapegoating, and even demystify sacrificial rituals as nothing more than sacrilized “good” violence to keep a fragile peace. This revelation, according to Girard, can finally allow us to remove violence from the sacred. Much scholarship has been devoted to Girard’s theory, in particular how it offers a viable alternative to the still-dominant sacrificial theology of the cross. But there is little scholarship on the connection between Girard and Judaism; and Girard’s own work leaves us with a picture of Judaism that is at best incomplete, and at worst unable to find an answer to disturbing violence permeating the scriptures. This dissertation brings the Hebrew Bible into dialogue with Girard’s ideas in a systematic fashion to assert, contra Girard, that the Jewish revelation is a full, effective and even practical expression of his theory. After an overview of Girard’s work in the first chapter, the dissertation examines three Jewish “vaccines” to the mimetic disease as follows: the Birkhat ha-Banim (“The Blessing of the Children”); the reading of the Book of Esther on Purim; and the reading of Jonah on Yom Kippur. The conclusion to the dissertation asserts, drawing on these three demonstrations, the following points: 1) Rene Girard gives an important and clarifying lens to aid us in finding a new way to talk about, understand, and unify Jewish scripture and ritual; 2) a Jewish perspective can help flesh out what a different “revelation” of Girard’s mimetic desire looks like—even providing prescriptions to curtail this desire; and 3) positive mimesis is possible, and there are Hebrew examples of it free of originary violence. The final chapter addresses certain challenges in reconciling Girard with Judaism, moving toward a sincere Jewish Girardianism that will harmonize with the central views of the tradition.

Dans ce document, nous montrons comment la notion de calculabilité introduite par W. W. Tait et étendue par Girard aux types polymorphes peut être utilisée et facilement étendue pour montrer la terminaison de différents types de relations de réécriture, y compris avec filtrage sur des symboles définis, filtrage d'ordre supérieur ou réécriture de classe modulo certaines théories équationnelles. Nous montrons également que la notion de clôture de calculabilité donne lieu a une relation bien fondée incluant l'extension à l'ordre supérieur par J.-P. Jouannaud et A. Rubio de l'ordre récursif sur les chemins de N. Dershowitz.

<p>Abstract</p><p>A Problem to Every Solution</p><p>The Corrymeela Community, René Girard and the ambiguous pluralism</p><p>The main purpose of this study is to examine how Girard´s ideas of society, culture and</p><p>religion have become part of the reflexion in the praxis of Corrymeela Community through the work of Roel Kaptein and how this praxis can shed light over the work with dissonances of faith and values in education in RE, Social Studies and other subjects.</p><p>In earlier publications I have studied how dissonances of faith and values can be</p><p>understood in educational settings and in connection with issues of interreligious dialogue.</p><p>The extensive discussion of how differences in culture, religion and value in a pluralistic</p><p>society are to be analysed and treated in pedagogical reflexion seems to increasingly occupy</p><p>actors in different parts of the educational system. It is obvious that these issues also are</p><p>brought into focus as an important field of research. My main interest in this paper is to study how a reconciliation group in the middle of the conflict in Northern Ireland has developed a view of conflict reason and conflict resolution under the influence of the French researcher René Girard and what aspects of this study that can improve the reflection over pluralism and dissonances of faith and values in everyday praxis in education.</p><p>For a period of more than a decade I have been in contact with actors in the peace process in</p><p>Northern Ireland in connection to different educational projects. The attempts to analyse the different aspects of ”The Troubles” and the efforts to find ways out of conflicts and civil war are many and the literature on subjects related to these tragic history of social, cultural and religious conflicts is difficult to survey. An interesting and continuing reflexion on conflicts in relation to dissonances of faith and value has been carried out by the ecumenical group “Corrymeela Community”. It has its main centre in Belfast and the members are mainly lay people in different professions. The community is dispersed but meet regularly in the centre of Belfast or in a centre in Ballycastle up at the northern coast.</p><p>René Girard is a member of the French Academy. In his books that touch upon Anthropology,</p><p>Literature Theory, Philosophy and Theology he defends a hypotheses about “ Things Hidden</p><p>Since the Foundation of the World”, as the title reads of one of his books. The conflicts</p><p>among men must be understood in the light of a elaborated mimesis-theory, where the desire</p><p>to acquire what the Other desires leads to rivalry and scapegoating. Cultures arise through</p><p>rules and rituals as a way of structuring social life and thereby avoid the otherwise inevitable</p><p>crises that lead to repeated scapegoating of individuals or groups. From analysing myths,</p><p>literature of fiction and biblical texts he has developed the hypotheses to illuminate how</p><p>conflicts are related to culture and religion.</p>

Abstract A Problem to Every Solution The Corrymeela Community, René Girard and the ambiguous pluralism The main purpose of this study is to examine how Girard´s ideas of society, culture and religion have become part of the reflexion in the praxis of Corrymeela Community through the work of Roel Kaptein and how this praxis can shed light over the work with dissonances of faith and values in education in RE, Social Studies and other subjects. In earlier publications I have studied how dissonances of faith and values can be understood in educational settings and in connection with issues of interreligious dialogue. The extensive discussion of how differences in culture, religion and value in a pluralistic society are to be analysed and treated in pedagogical reflexion seems to increasingly occupy actors in different parts of the educational system. It is obvious that these issues also are brought into focus as an important field of research. My main interest in this paper is to study how a reconciliation group in the middle of the conflict in Northern Ireland has developed a view of conflict reason and conflict resolution under the influence of the French researcher René Girard and what aspects of this study that can improve the reflection over pluralism and dissonances of faith and values in everyday praxis in education. For a period of more than a decade I have been in contact with actors in the peace process in Northern Ireland in connection to different educational projects. The attempts to analyse the different aspects of ”The Troubles” and the efforts to find ways out of conflicts and civil war are many and the literature on subjects related to these tragic history of social, cultural and religious conflicts is difficult to survey. An interesting and continuing reflexion on conflicts in relation to dissonances of faith and value has been carried out by the ecumenical group “Corrymeela Community”. It has its main centre in Belfast and the members are mainly lay people in different professions. The community is dispersed but meet regularly in the centre of Belfast or in a centre in Ballycastle up at the northern coast. René Girard is a member of the French Academy. In his books that touch upon Anthropology, Literature Theory, Philosophy and Theology he defends a hypotheses about “ Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World”, as the title reads of one of his books. The conflicts among men must be understood in the light of a elaborated mimesis-theory, where the desire to acquire what the Other desires leads to rivalry and scapegoating. Cultures arise through rules and rituals as a way of structuring social life and thereby avoid the otherwise inevitable crises that lead to repeated scapegoating of individuals or groups. From analysing myths, literature of fiction and biblical texts he has developed the hypotheses to illuminate how conflicts are related to culture and religion.