[pt] A presente dissertação trata da centralidade de Jesus Cristo no entendimento do projeto de Deus sobre o ser humano. Esta abordagem encontrou na Gaudium et Spes, especialmente em seu número 22, um lugar significativo, pois permitiu à antropologia teológica uma visão mais unitária. Cristo, Homem Novo, aparece como Homem Perfeito, isto é, paradigma daquilo que o ser humano é chamado a ser. O caminho que faremos terá três momentos. O primeiro será um relato descritivo e interpretativo sobre a gênese e o desenvolvimento da Gaudium et Spes, com uma atenção especial ao tema proposto, o mistério do homem revelado no mistério de Cristo, marcadamente presente no primeiro capítulo do documento, em destaque no número 22. Em seguida, aprofundaremos a centralidade de Jesus no projeto de Deus Pai para o ser humano. A dignidade da pessoa humana se esclarece no mistério de Cristo (GS 22). Nesta afirmação está a mais alta fundamentação da Constituição Pastoral. E, finalmente, iremos explicitar o pensamento de dois grandes teólogos alemães do século XX, Wolfhart Pannenberg, pastor luterano, e Karl Rahner, padre jesuíta católico, que afrontaram o tema da relação entre teologia e antropologia. / [en] This dissertation is about the centrality of Jesus Christ in the understanding of God s project about human being. This approach found in Gaudium et Spes, especially in its number 22, a significant place because it allowed a more unified vision to the theological anthropology. Christ, New Man, appears as Perfect Man, that is, paradigm of what human beings are called to be. There will be three moments on the path we will have. The first will be a descriptive and interpretive account about the genesis and the development of Gaudium et Spes, with special attention to the theme, the mystery of the man revealed in the mystery of Christ, markedly present in the first chapter of the document, highlighted the number 22 . Then we will deepen the centrality of Jesus in the project of God the Father for humans. The dignity of the human person is made clear in the mystery of Christ (GS 22). This statement is the highest reason for the Pastoral Constitution. And finally, we will explain the thoughts of two great German theologians of the twentieth century, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Lutheran pastor, and Karl Rahner, Catholic Jesuit priest who blasphemed the theme of relationship between theology and anthropology.

This study proposes an answer to the question of what the contemporary relevance of the writings of GK Chesterton (1874-1936) may be to the field of visual culture studies in general and to discourse on visual hermeneutics in particular. It contends that Chesterton’s distinctive hermeneutic strategy is dramatology: an approach rooted in the idea that being, which is disclosed to itself via language, has a dramatic, storied structure. It is this dramatology that acts as an answer to any philosophical outlook that would seek to de-dramatise the hermeneutic experience. The structure of Chesterton’s dramatology is unpacked via three clear questions, namely the question of what philosophical foundation describes his horizon of understanding, the question of what the task or goal of his interpretive process is and, finally, the question of what tools or elements shape his hermeneutic outlook. The first question is answered via an examination of his cosmology, epistemology and ontology; the second question is answered by the proposal that Chesterton’s chief aim is to uphold human dignity through his defenses of the common man, common sense and democracy; and the third question is answered through a discussion of the three principles that underpin his rhetoric, namely analogy, paradox and defamiliarisation. After proposing the structure of Chesterton’s dramatology via these considerations, the study offers one application of this dramatology to Terrence Malick’s film 'The tree of life' (2011). This is sustained in terms of the incarnational paradox between mystery and revelation that acts as the primary tension and hermeneutic key in Chesterton’s work. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Visual Arts / unrestricted

La découverte de nouveaux procédés biotechnologiques remet en question la capacité de la loi de fournir une protection suffisante de l'être humain dès le commencement de sa vie. Ces nouvelles méthodes, comme la méthode CRISPR/Cas9, également connue sous le nom de « genome editing », le don de mitochondries et, finalement, la création de cellules souches pluripotentes induites humaines (cellules hiPS) permettent de manipuler et d'influencer de manière fondamentale la constitution génétique de la progéniture et des générations futures. En vue de ces développements, cette thèse vise à élaborer un projet de loi adressé au législateur allemand en prenant compte de deux aspects : d'un côté, sur la base d'une analyse comparative du droit allemand et français, il s'agit d'optimiser la législation allemande actuelle en identifiant des avantages éventuels de l'approche réglementaire en France. De l'autre côté, en admettant que les techniques en question pourront être appliquées un jour avec des risques gérables, il est examiné sur la base d'une étude de droit constitutionnel allemand si une telle application future pourrait en principe être justifiée, le résultat de cette étude étant également concrétisé sous forme d'une proposition de loi. / The discovery of new biotechnological processes calls into question the ability of the law to provide sufficient protection for human beings from the beginning of their lite. These new methods, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 method -also known as "genome editing" -mitochondrial donation, and the creation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPS cells), make it possible to manipulate and influence in a fundamental way the genetic make-up of one's offspring and future generations. This thesis aims to prepare a draft law addressed to the German legislature. ln so doing, it takes into account two aspects : on the one hand, it aims to optimise, on the basis of a comparative analysis of German and French law, current German legislation by identifying possible advantages of the regulatory approach in France. On the other hand – assuming that the techniques in question can one day be applied with controllable risks – it examines, on the basis of an analysis of German constitutional law, whether such a future application could, in principle, be justified and implements these considerations by drafting a legislative proposal.

C’est en tant que principe du droit de l’Union européenne et de la Convention européenne des droits de l’Homme que la non-discrimination est souvent étudiée. Rattachée au droit français, la notion a fait l’objet d’analyses qui, pour la plupart, se sont limitées à un critère (sexe, race,etc.) ou à un domaine en particulier (fonction publique, marchés publics, etc.). On saisit l’intérêt d’une étude globale de la non-discrimination en droit public français ; et ce d’autant plus que si la notion émerge, sa mise en oeuvre rencontre des difficultés qui tiennent aux spécificités de ce droit par rapport au principe d’égalité. Adapté à la culture juridique anglosaxonne, ce principe attire la suspicion : il entraînerait avec lui des conséquences a priori peu compatibles avec l’universalisme français. Le principe d’égalité ne semble pourtant plus entièrement suffire pour répondre aux réalités sociales. Les juges recourent aux dérogations, au risque d’affaiblir la norme. Et la doctrine se livre à des acrobaties conceptuelles pour en minimiser l’importance. La non-discrimination offre de ce point de vue des perspectives utiles au droit français en alliant interdiction active des discriminations et promotion des différenciations. Au fond, la notion ne vise rien d’autre que la recherche de l’intérêt général, ou plus exactement de l’ « utilité commune » (article 1er de la Déclaration de 1789). Au-delà des préjugés, elle s’avère conforme à notre tradition juridique. Forte d’une dimension holistique et plus centrée sur la manière de vivre en commun que sur l’exacerbation de droits strictement catégoriels, la non-discrimination mériterait d’être élevée à la dignité constitutionnelle. / Non-discrimination is often studied as a principle of both European Union law and European Convention on Human Rights. In French law, the notion has been the subject of analyses which have mostly been limited to a criteria (sex, race, etc.) or to a particular field (public service, public contracts, etc.). We can see the significance of a global study of non-discrimination in French public law ; all the more that if the notion is appearing, it is still difficult to implement it, due to the specificities of French law regarding the principle of equality. Adapted to the Anglo-Saxon legal culture, this principle attracts suspicion : it would trigger some consequences which would not be seen at first as befitting French universalism. However, the principle of equality does not seem to be sufficient in itself to address social realities. Judges use derogations, risking to weaken standards. And the doctrine has to adjust through conceptual feats to minimize its scope. Non-discrimination offers, from this point of view, useful perspectives for French law by combining active prohibition of discrimination and promotion of differentiation. Basically, the notion only aims to seek general interest, or more precisely the "common utility" (article 1 of the Declaration of 1789). In spite of appearances, non-discrimination is in agreement with our legal tradition. Because it has a holistic dimension and it is focusing more on how to live together than on making categorical rights worse, non-discrimination deserves to be raised to constitutional dignity.

MA (English) / Department of English / In this study, I explore the depiction of homelessness in K. Sello Duiker’s Thirteen Cents (2000) and Phaswane Mpe’s Welcome to Our Hillbrow (2001). Against the background of post-colonial and transcultural theories, I explore the effects of homelessness on select characters depicted in the two novels, particularly how homelessness and its effects impact on the characters’ identity and human dignity, as some of the themes which the two authors deal with. I achieve this through a close analysis of themes, characterisation and style as well as a demonstration of how the metaphor of the plight of the homeless is drawn from the experiences of the homeless characters portrayed in the novels. I establish, through this study, that the two novels depict characters on whose identity and human dignity, colonialism had an adverse impact. I argue that the corroded dignity and identity of the select homeless characters can be restored through the application of the tenets of transcultural theory. I consistently identify the central morals of the two novels under study as highlighting the need for society to address the plight central to the two novels’ major themes of homelessness, poverty, identity and human dignity against the backdrop of postcoloniality and transculturalism.

Lethal automated weapon systems (LAWS) are developed and deployed by a growing number of state and non-state actors, although no international legally binding framework exists as of yet. As a first attempt to regulate LAWS the UN appointed a group of governmental experts (GGE) to create the guiding principles on the issue of LAWS AI. A few years later the EU appointed an expert group to create the Ethics guideline for trustworthy and the European Parliament passed a resolution on the issue of LAWS.  This thesis attempts to make the underlying norms and discourses that have shaped these guiding principles and guidelines visible. By scrutinizing the documents through the ‘What’s the problem presented to be’-approach, the discursive practices that enables the framing is illuminated. The obscured problems not spoken of in the EU and UN documents are emphasised, suggesting that both documents oversimplifies  and downplays the danger of LAWS, leaving issues such as gender repercussions, human dignity and the dangers of the sophisticated weapons system itself largely unproblematised and hidden behind their suggested dichotomised and anthropocentric solutions, which largely results in a simple “add human and stir”-kind of solution. The underlying cause of this tendency seems to stem from a general unwillingness of states to regulate as LAWS are quickly becoming a matter of have- and have nots and may potentially change warfare as we know it. A case can also be made as to AI’s ‘Hollywood-problem’ as influencing the framing of LAWS, where the dystopian terminator-like depiction in popular culture can be seen reflected in international policy papers and statements.

[pt] O conceito tradicional da função social da empresa, hoje predominante na doutrina e jurisprudência brasileiras, apresenta uma compreensão focada na circulação de riquezas e na geração de empregos. Tal compreensão, embora reflita aspecto importante da função social da empresa, não esgota seu conteúdo, quando compreendido sob a óptica civil-constitucional. Nesse sentido, acompanhando a evolução histórica que demonstrou a necessidade de se promover a conciliação da autonomia privada com os ideais de solidariedade social, e o consequente processo de funcionalização dos institutos jurídicos, é preciso que a ideia subjacente a tão relevante princípio seja revista, dimensionando sua abrangência além da perspectiva socioeconômica que hoje o caracteriza. Revela-se necessário, assim, reconhecer que o princípio da função social da empresa impõe a obrigação de que a atividade empresária seja desempenhada de forma orientada a promover valores e princípios constitucionais, sobretudo a dignidade humana. O projeto pessoal do empresário deve ser conciliado com o igual direito de todos os indivíduos de terem seus respectivos projetos de vida respeitados. Nessa perspectiva, o presente trabalho aponta outras dimensões que devem ser depreendidas da função social da empresa interpretada à luz da constituição. E a partir dessa nova concepção, propõe consequências concretas aos administradores que não observarem tão relevante princípio. / [en] The traditional concept of the social function of the company, currently predominant in Brazilian doctrine and jurisprudence, presents an understanding focused on wealth circulation and jobs generation. Although such understanding reflects a relevant aspect of the social function of the company, it does not exhaust its content when understood from a constitutionalization of private law perspective. In this sense, following the historical evolution that demonstrated the need to promote the conciliation of private autonomy with the ideals of social solidarity, and the consequent process of functionalization of legal institutions, it is necessary to review the idea underlying such a relevant principle to encompass other dimensions beyond the socioeconomic perspective that characterizes it today. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize that the social function of the company principle imposes the obligation that the business activity is carried out in a way that promotes values and constitutional principles, especially human dignity. The entrepreneur s personal project must be harmonized with the equal right of all individuals to have their own personal life projects respected. From this perspective, the present work points out other dimensions that must be inferred from the social function of the company interpreted in the light of the Brazilian constitution. And based on this new conception, it proposes concrete consequences for administrators who do not observe such an important principle.

Sections 15 and 16 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amended Act 32 of 2007 regulate consensual sexual acts between children. Both these sections criminalised children engaging in consensual sexual acts. The constitutionality of sections 15 and 16 of the Act where tested before the Constitutional Court by the Teddy Bear Clinic and RAPCAM. The Constitutional Court held that both articles are unconstitutional and ruled that these articles violate children's right to human dignity, privacy and the best interest of the child. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate whether children’s best interests are protected by law when they are involved in consensual sexual conduct. In order to answer this question, the historical background of legislation that regulated consensual sexual acts between children is analysed. Legislation that gives and protects children’s right to self-determination is examined. International instruments are also analysed. The High Court and the Constitutional Court judgements relating to children involved in consensual sexual conducts are discussed. The negative consequences of both these articles are discussed. The best interest principle is discussed according to case law. Ultimately a conclusion is reached. / LLM (Comparative Child Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Sections 15 and 16 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amended Act 32 of 2007 regulate consensual sexual acts between children. Both these sections criminalised children engaging in consensual sexual acts. The constitutionality of sections 15 and 16 of the Act where tested before the Constitutional Court by the Teddy Bear Clinic and RAPCAM. The Constitutional Court held that both articles are unconstitutional and ruled that these articles violate children's right to human dignity, privacy and the best interest of the child. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate whether children’s best interests are protected by law when they are involved in consensual sexual conduct. In order to answer this question, the historical background of legislation that regulated consensual sexual acts between children is analysed. Legislation that gives and protects children’s right to self-determination is examined. International instruments are also analysed. The High Court and the Constitutional Court judgements relating to children involved in consensual sexual conducts are discussed. The negative consequences of both these articles are discussed. The best interest principle is discussed according to case law. Ultimately a conclusion is reached. / LLM (Comparative Child Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Die doel van hierdie studie van beperkte omvang is om inligting in te samel oor die probleem van dissipline soos dit manifesteer in Intermediêre Skole in die Namakwa Distrik van die Noord-Kaap Provinsie. Die aandag word toegespits op: * wetgewing met betrekking tot dissipline in skole; * soorte van probleme; * faktore wat aanleiding gee tot probleme; * maatreëls wat gebruik word om dissiplinêre probleme te hanteer en te voorkom. Deur literatuurstudie word begrip en kennis verkry wat as agtergrond dien vir die kwalitatiewe ondersoek waardeur `n kontekstuele begrip verkry word van die ervaring van dissipline en probleme deur `n geselekteerde groep skoolhoofde van Intermediêre Skole in die Namakwa Distrik van die Noord-Kaapprovinsie. Ten slotte word voorstelle gemaak met die oog op die verbetering van `n komplekse situasie. / The aim of this study on a small scale is to gather information about the problem of discipline as manifested in Intermediate Schools in the Namaqua District of the Northern Cape Province. The attention is focused on: * legislation in connection with discipline in schools; * types of problems; * factors that cause problems; * measures to cope and prevent disciplinary problems. The study of literature provides understanding and knowledge that serves as background to the qualitative study by way of which a contextual understanding is developed of the experience of discipline and specific problems by a selected group of principals of Intermediate Schools in the Namaqua District of the Northern Cape Province. In conclusion proposals are made aimed at the improvement of a complex situation. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Educational Management)