Lenka Hanovská, Motiv individuality ve Fenomenologii ducha G. W. F. Hegela. Praha 2010. Abstract The work focus on the notion of individuality in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. It's aim is to understand the question: "what does it mean to be individual being?" from the point of view of traditional thinker who is considered to stand on the top of traditional philosophical thinking. In the work I interpret the most important passages of Phenomenology. I point out that to the individuality we can look only as on a single example of subjectivity. Every specific quality and determination of individuality come from outside, individuality is determinated by the common reason and the society where she lives. Individuality in Hegel doesn't mean some sort of special beeing, concrete life (which search modern philosophy of 20th century) but it means only occurence of something "eternal", the consciousness.

Habitus is a type of order that explains how an individual becomes a member of a society or a culture and can be studied to learn about that society or culture. Daniel Miller is introducing a similar approach to order of individuals’ material relationships through which one can learn about meaningful representation of the individual subjects themselves. These relationships could be interpreted as being highly subjective and be seen in the form of a practice of self-construction. In a search for an anthropology of morality authors such as Mattingly (et.al) are complementary using virtue ethics and Foucault´s notion of “a care of the self” as a moral practice to study moral subjectivity and its formation. Strathern and Stewart claim that embodiment, as a theoretical concept, can show how the mind, body, and experience come together and provide insight into personhood. This thesis focuses on tattoos as a moral practice, by studying individuals through a narrative of a moral being, with the aim to understand its formation of moral subjectivity and its embodiment of individuality. In conclusion, there will be argued that the practice of tattoos creates a negotiation between the individual mind and body, and between the practice itself and the society where it takes place.

Using Black feminist criticism, this study will examine the influence of the multifaceted yet simultaneous system of oppression on individuality and mutuality in the aftermath of slavery, as depicted in Toni Morrison’s works in Beloved and Jazz. Furthermore, this essay will explore the effects of the intersecting system of oppression on the characters’ identity formation. It will also investigate the influence of intersecting systems of oppression on the characters’ perception of motherhood. This study will highlight the ways in which Morrison’s two novels show how racism and sexism affect Black women’s maternal authority even after they have claimed ownership of themselves.

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The term “hive mind” was originally used to describe the behavior of social insectslike bees and ants. Later, writers began using it to describe malevolent collective intelligencethat eradicates individuality. However, with time, the meaning of the phrase becameambiguous as some later writers began using it in a neutral or positive sense. This paper aims to investigate the implications of the historical ambiguity of the term“hive mind” in the context of the dystopian novel. The paper goes through a detailed analysisof Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984 to unravel the intricacies ofthe hive mind phenomenon.

This dissertation introduces a research puzzle relatively unexplored by both liberal theorists and critics of liberalism, which I term an irony of liberal universalism: while liberalism aims to guarantee the autonomy of all individuals, the expansion of liberalism through imposition became one of the external factors that interfere with individuals’ autonomous judgment. I suggest that the legacy of imperialism has created an environment in which “non-Western” actors adopt liberal values in a marginalized and alienating way, even when they decide to utilize those values as their vehicle of emancipation. This is because these actors adopt liberal values under the collective narrative that liberal modernity is a condition for becoming a developed nation or a strategic choice for international recognition. Unlike the existing literature, which has largely focused on viewpoints fundamentally critical of liberal morality, my research takes a distinctive approach of problematizing the harm of liberal imperialism as a liberal within a liberal framework of individual autonomy and self-authorship. By taking this approach, I aim to develop a liberal theoretical framework that resolves “non-Western” actors’ alienating relationship with liberalism marked by the counterproductive notion of “Westernization.” To achieve this goal, I envision a situated model of liberalism, which contrasts with the dominant model of liberalism, typically consisting of a priori normative standards. As the first step of this broader goal, this research reconstructs individual autonomy, one of the foundational concepts of the liberal political model, in a relational and situated direction. Drawing on the feminist theory of relational autonomy, I propose individual autonomy as critical appropriation: the capacity to construct one’s life by appropriating existing life-constructing materials and justifying one’s judgment from critical challenges posed by meaningful others. To maintain their individuality as well as their critical and reflective capacities, “non-Western” actors should critically interact both with traditionalist views that oppress them in the name of cultural integrity and with paternalistic attitudes or imperialistic ideologies of “the West” that seek to impose perspectives external to their society as universal normative standards. Critical appropriation captures this dynamic reflective process more accurately than the existing conception of individual autonomy typically defined as self-government. Moreover, I propose critical appropriation as a more attractive and persuasive conception of individual autonomy for any contemporary society dealing with issues of pluralism and cultural imperialism, either “West” or “non-West.” In fact, I argue that critical appropriation can provide a liberal conceptual framework that helps us move beyond the persistent dichotomy of “liberal West” and “non-liberal Rest.”

"July 2004." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 204-229). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Identity can be considered to be socially constructed and developed through narratives about ourselves and our experiences. Having socially valued roles may thus facilitate a positive identity. This study aimed to explore how the experiences of service user involvement (SUI) in health and social care services (specifically, being involved in staff recruitment) influenced the narrative identities of people with learning disabilities. Interviews were conducted with seven people with learning disabilities who had been service user representatives on NHS interview panels. These were analysed using thematic narrative analysis as a framework. All described positive narrative identities, but the degree to which SUI featured in the construction of narrative identities varied. Whilst some found the experience transformative, for others it was not an important part of their narratives. The findings suggest that such experiences formed just one of many narratives that participants drew from to construct their narrative identity.

Positive health-related behaviour is particularly important for liver transplant recipients’ (LTRs) recovery. However, non-adherence in adolescents post-transplant is thought to be greater than, or equal to, 50%. Literature searches have found limited research into the area of young adults’ experiences of having a donated liver. Knowing more of their experience seems important to help inform practice to improve adherence and ultimately save lives. The present study aimed to construct a grounded theory of young adults’ experiences of having a liver transplant, in order to better understand how young adults may adjust following such experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve liver transplant recipients (LTRs; five female, seven male). Data were analysed using constructivist grounded theory. A model was constructed to capture the dynamic interactions between thirteen categories, resulting in four main themes: Finding Identity Post-Transplant, Carrying Responsibility, Unseen, Unspoken or Misunderstood Challenges and Adjusting to Life After Transplant. The study highlights the importance of the themes in psychological adjustment post-transplant. Understanding this process is imperative in order to improve health-related behaviours in a cohort with traditionally poor adherence. Implications for further research and clinical practice are discussed, including educating LTRs to raise their levels of self-efficacy, which have a positive impact on adherence.

The transition to multicellularity has occurred numerous times in all domains of life, yet its initial steps are poorly understood. The volvocine green algae are a tractable system for understanding the genetic basis of multicellularity including the initial formation of cooperative cell groups. Here we report the genome sequence of the undifferentiated colonial alga, Gonium pectorale, where group formation evolved by co-option of the retinoblastoma cell cycle regulatory pathway. Significantly, expression of the Gonium retinoblastoma cell cycle regulator in unicellular Chlamydomonas causes it to become colonial. The presence of these changes in undifferentiated Gonium indicates extensive group-level adaptation during the initial step in the evolution of multicellularity. These results emphasize an early and formative step in the evolution of multicellularity, the evolution of cell cycle regulation, one that may shed light on the evolutionary history of other multicellular innovations and evolutionary transitions.