La liberté et l'universalité sont des critères de la moralité fondés en raison et qui n'admettentrien de relatif. Dans cette étude, nous soupçonnons le relativisme d’être à l’origine de la crisemorale d’aujourd’hui. Ensuite, parce ce que ce courant de pensée soulève un doute sur l’unitéde la raison, et donc de la liberté et de l’universalité pour le genre humain. Pour cela, nousvoulons opposer au relativisme la philosophie kantienne, laquelle pose la liberté etl’universalité comme étant deux concepts fondamentaux dans la conception kantienne de lamoralité, atemporels et dépassant le champ de toute expérience. De fait, nous comprenonsmieux l’effort de Kant qui consiste à poser l’autonomie de la volonté comme le principeunique et universel de la morale (pour le genre humain) et à désapprouver toutes les doctrinesmorales qui sont fondées par exemple sur la culture, la religion ou le bonheur personnel. AvecKant, on ne peut donc dériver la morale de tout cela. / Liberty and universality are criteria of morality ; they are grounded in reason and admitnothing relative. In this study, relativism is put into question as being at the origin of today’smoral crisis. More to the point, this school of thought raises a doubt about the unity ofreason, and therefore the liberty and universality for mankind. In this perspective, the thesisconfronts relativism to the Kantian philosophy, which puts forward the concepts of ‘freedom’and ‘universality’ as fundamental in understanding morality that is timeless and goes beyondthe scope of any experience. In fact, we understand better Kant's premise which consists inputting forward the principle of party autonomy as the unique and universal criteria ofmorality (to mankind) and in disapproving all moral doctrines which are based, for example,on culture, religion or personal happiness. From a Kantian point of view, one cannot derivemorality from the latters.

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The present study was conducted to explore the effectiveness of a worksite stress management program delivered via electronic mail (e-mail). One hundred and thirty-seven employed adults (36 males, 102 females; mean age = 29.46) from several diverse businesses consented to participate. The volunteers completed Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, the Daily Hassles Scale, the Daily Work Hassles Scale, the TCU Self-Ratings Scales, and a demographic and opinion questionnaire. Individuals in the treatment group received e-mail messages twice weekly and had access to a website for three months about a variety of cognitive-behavioral techniques for managing worksite stress. A MANCOVA of post-intervention stress levels indicated that individuals who received the stress management messages perceived the same amount of stressors and hassles as individuals who did not receive the messages [F (5, 86) = 0.95, p = .45]. However, a MANCOVA of post-intervention perceived mood states revealed a tendency for individuals in the treatment group to be less depressed, anxious, and angry than individuals in the control group [F (3, 92) = 2.44, p = .07]. Demographic variables did not influence the outcome variables and pre- and post-test absenteeism and illness rates were similar for treatment and control groups. Coping skill usage was similar in amount and frequency, but differed in quality between the groups. The findings of the present study indicate that health promotion programs can be feasibly and effectively delivered via e-mail in the worksite.

Bank leaders who fail to implement effective leadership strategies experience low employee morale and high employee turnover. The estimated failure rate of bank industry leadership to attain some organizational targets such as desired levels of employee morale, employee retention, and profitability is as high as 60%. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies bank leaders implemented to improve employee morale and mitigate employee turnover. The population for this study included 4 bank leaders in the United States who successfully applied effective leadership to improve morale and mitigate employee turnover for more than 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with bank leaders and from artifacts such as the company website. The transformational leadership theory guided this research as the conceptual framework. Data triangulation was employed. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5 steps of data analysis. Three themes emerged from analysis of the data: adopting motivational leadership techniques, applying open and transparent communication skills, and applying recognition or rewards. The application of findings from this study could contribute to positive social change because society may benefit from an improved banking intermediation system to support employment retention and the improvement of citizens’ livelihoods.

Notre recherche interroge la manière dont la question métaphysique des premiers principes a été soulevée dans la philosophie grecque de l’Antiquité tardive (IIIe-VIe s. E.C.) ainsi que dans la pensée chinoise des IIIe-IVe s. E.C. Nous définissons cette question comme un complexe d’interrogations quant aux fondements et à l’origine de tout, ainsi que quant aux conditions premières de l’ordre et de la cohérence des choses, cet ordre définissant le cadre où l’homme peut connaître et agir. Cette question soulève nombre de difficultés. Afin qu’il soit vraiment principe de tout, le principe devra être pensé à la fois comme différant de tous ses dérivés et comme antérieur à toutes les modalités de l’être. Non-causé, non-fondé, non-étant, le principe ne doit posséder aucun caractère propre à ce qu’il fonde. Or, s’il n’est rien de cela, c’est-à-dire s’il n’est rien du tout, comment garantir qu’il en soit le principe ?Un tel principe risque en effet d’apparaître à ce point étranger à ce qu’il fonde et à ce point distinct de ce qui en dérive que nous perdrions la possibilité même de le dire « principe ».Cette question fut soulevée avec une acuité particulière en Grèce par les philosophes néoplatoniciens et en Chine par les penseurs du courant de l’étude du mystère (玄學 xuanxue). Dans ces deux traditions, Damascius (458/462-538) et Guo Xiang 郭象 († 312) sont à la fois éminemment représentatif et critique des tendances philosophiques de leur temps. L’étude conjointe de leur pensée respective par le prisme de la question des premiers principes permet de mettre en lumière des conceptions originales et contrastées du principe, de la question elle-même et de sa valeur. Par une approche inspirée des méthodes en histoire de la philosophie (notamment l’archéologie développée par M. Foucault puis par A. de Libera) et des études comparatives en histoire des sciences (en particulier celles de G.E.R. Lloyd), nous contextualisons les deux auteurs étudiés et les abordons « dans leur volume propre », afin d’établir entre eux un « espace limité de communication ».La thèse compte six chapitres. Les trois premiers visent à inscrire Damascius et Guo Xiang dans leur époque et dans leur paysage philosophique respectif. Chaque chapitre est un diptyque où le premier volet est consacré au contexte grec et le second au contexte chinois. Les trois chapitres suivants sont une lecture détaillée des pensées de Damascius et de Guo Xiang relativement à la question posée. Le chapitre I expose les principaux éléments relatifs aux biographies de Damascius et de Guo Xiang. Le chapitre II aborde l’arrière-plan historique, intellectuel et institutionnel de chaque auteur :y sont présentés les cadres dans lesquels prennent place et évoluent l’activité intellectuelle dans la Grèce des IIIe-VIe s. et dans la Chine des Han et des Wei-Jin. Le chapitre III est un essai d’archéologie de la question des premiers principes dans la philosophie grecque et dans la pensée chinoise ancienne. Le premier volet parcourt l’histoire ancienne du platonisme et de l’aristotélisme ;le second traite des réflexions cosmologiques chinoises depuis les Royaumes combattants, jusqu’au IIIe s. Le chapitre IV aborde la question des limites auxquelles se heurte le langage s’efforçant d’appréhender la nature profonde des principes et de la réalité. La question est abordée chez Damascius, puis dans le Zhuangzi sur base du Commentaire de Guo Xiang. Au chapitre V, nous analysons la métaphysique de Damascius :nous montrons comment Damascius critique et repense l’architecture néoplatonicienne des principes. Le chapitre VI aborde les notions clés de la pensée de Guo Xiang, en particulier celles d’ainséité (自然 ziran) et de transformations autonomes (獨化 duhua). Nous montrons que Guo Xiang insiste sur le caractère infini d’une recherche de la cause première et comment il se défait de ces considérations pour penser l’unité du cosmos en termes de co-présence de tout avec tout plutôt qu’en référence à un terme premier. / The present research aims to explore the metaphysical issue of the first principles as it has been risen in Late Antiquity Greek philosophy (IIIrd-VIth century CE) and in Early medieval Chinese thought (IIIrd-IVth century CE). I define it as a complex of questions about the founding principles and about the origin of all things conceived as a whole, as well as about the fundamental conditions of the cosmic order and of the framework wherein human knowledge and actions take place. These questions bring out many philosophical issues: if the principle is truly principle of everything, it should have a nature distinct from what proceeds from it, as it should be conceived as prior to everything that proceeds from it. Uncaused, unfounded, non-being, the principle should not possess any attribute of what it founds, otherwise it would not be principle, but something among other things. Still, the principle cannot be absolutely disconnected from what it makes possible since, in the absence of any connection, the former could not be a principle of the latter anymore.Greek and Chinese philosophers have risen these questions. In the Neoplatonist school and in the Dark Learning movement (玄學 xuanxue), Damascius and Guo Xiang are both highly representative and critical toward the philosophical trends of their time. The study of their thought through the question of the first principles reveals original perspectives on the principle, as well as different opinions regarding the question and its significance. The methodological framework of this comparative approach is based on the methods in history of philosophy (especially the archaeological method developed by M. Foucault and by A. de Libera), and on the comparative studies in history of sciences (especially G.E.R. Lloyd’s studies). I aim to contextualise Damascius philosophy and Guo Xiang thought and to study them “in their own terms” in order to define a “delimited space for dialogue” between them. The dissertation has sixth chapters. The purpose of the three first chapters is to contextualise Damascius and Guo Xiang in the philosophical landscape of their time. Each of these chapter has two parts: the first part deals with the Greek context, the second part with the Chinese context. The three following chapters are devoted to the study of Damascius philosophy and Guo Xiang thought. Chapter I addresses Damascius and Guo Xiang biography. Chapter II addresses Damascius and Guo Xiang historical, intellectual and institutional background. The purpose of this chapter is to expose the framework of intellectual and philosophical practices in Late Antiquity Greece and in Early medieval China. Chapter III is an archaeological approach of the question of the first principles in ancient Greek philosophy and in Early Chinese thought. The first part of this chapter addresses the history of Platonism and Aristotelism in Antiquity; the second part addresses Chinese cosmological thinking from the Warring States period to the beginning of the Wei-Jin period. Chapter IV addresses the notion of aporia: the guidelines of the chapter are the limits of human language in the metaphysical quest for the ultimate principles or in the attempt to reach the core nature of reality. I discuss these question in Damascius’ philosophy and in the Zhuangzi as interpreted by Guo Xiang. In chapter V, I analyse the critical dimension of Damascius’ metaphysics in order to stress how Damascius cunningly modifies the Neoplatonist metaphysics. In chapter VI, I address the main concepts of Guo Xiang’s thought, especially the notion of self-so (自然 ziran) and the notion of lone transformations (獨化 duhua). I show how Guo Xiang argues that the search for a primordial cause is potentially endless and how he dismisses such inquiry. By so doing, Guo Xiang thinks the unity of the cosmos as the co-presence of all things with all things rather than through the priority of a first ordering principle. / Doctorat en Philosophie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The primary aim of this study was to explore primary school teachers’ experiences that influence their morale in Bohlabela District, Mpumalanga Province in order to improve practice and create a suitable environment for effective teaching and learning. The aim was achieved by exploring teachers’ experiences, identifying factors which influence the morale of teachers and developing strategies which could be applied to motivate teachers in their profession. The empirical inquiry was informed by behaviourism as a theoretical framework as well as the extant literature on teachers’ morale. The study applied an interpretive paradigm which is qualitative in nature to collect and analyse teachers’ subjective but accurate accounts of their opinions, experiences and perceptions regarding their morale. A case study was opted as the research design method and purposive sampling was used to identify 12 poorly performing rural primary schools and to select information- rich 36 teacher participants, all of who were teaching Grade 6 Mathematics and English. The primary data gathering technique was focus group interviews with teachers. Data extracted from the participants were augmented, supported, confirmed and corroborated by observations. Data were analysed using a thematic data analysis approach. Data were segmented and inductively coded into three main themes which served as the main empirical research findings. The first theme of this study dealt with experiences that influence teachers’ morale which included boredom, frustrations, lack of professional development and feelings of neglect and violence.InIn this theme it was found that experiences such as boredom, lack of professional development, feelings of neglect and school violence negatively affected the morale of teachers. The second theme comprised factors that affect teachers’ morale which included personal factors; work related factors and socio-economic factors. Personal factors and work related factors were also found to play a negative role in the morale of teachers. The third theme comprised intervention strategies to enhance teachers’ morale which included improved communication, family support, safety in schools and parental involvement. Based on the findings of the literature review and the empirical investigation, recommendations were made for the improvement of practice. It was concluded in this study that low teacher morale is a challenge in the schooling systems globally including South Africa. The study further concluded that low teacher morale negatively affects both teachers’ and learners’ productivity. As a way of mitigating problems associated with low teacher morale, it was recommended that the Department of Education should prioritise the issue of consulting teachers as an important component when developing professional development programmes aimed at assisting teachers, this is thought will assist in identifying problem areas which affect the work of teachers which ultimately affects their morale. / Educational Studies

The focus of this research is on the development of a real time application that uses a low cost EEG headset to measure a player's state of mind while they play a video game. Using data collected using the Emotiv EPOC headset, various EEG processing techniques are tested to find ways of measuring a person's engagement and arousal levels. The ability to measure a person's engagement and arousal levels provide an opportunity to develop a model that monitor a person's flow while playing video games. Identifying when certain events occur, like when the player dies, will make it easier to identify when a player has left a state of flow. The real time application Brainwave captures data from the wireless Emotiv EPOC headset. Brainwave converts the raw EEG data into more meaningful brainwave band frequencies. Utilizing the brainwave frequencies the program trains multiple machine learning algorithms with data designed to identify when the player dies. Brainwave runs while the player plays through a video gaming monitoring their engagement and arousal levels for changes that cause the player to leave a state of flow. Brainwave reports to researchers and developers when the player dies along with the identification of the players exit of the state of flow.

Analisi del percorso intellettuale di René Girard, con particolare attenzione a temi etici (orgoglio, mìmesis, infanzia) della sua produzione. / Analysis of the intellectual path of René Girard, with particular attention to ethical themes (pride, mìmesis, childhood) of his production

En fixant des normes et des interdits, les valeurs morales participent du bon fonctionnement d'un groupe ou d'une société (Haidt & Kesebir, 2010 ; Janoff-Bulman, Sheikh, & Hepp, 2009). Lorsqu'une norme sociale ou morale est transgressée, l'individu est parfois pris du désir de sanctionner l'auteur de la transgression, même s'il n'en a pas lui-même souffert les conséquences (Chekroun & Brauer, 2008 ; Fehr & Fischbacher, 2004). Ce type de sanction aurait pour fonction de maintenir l'ordre social et la coopération entre les individus (Fehr & Gächter, 2002 ; Ginits, Henrich, Bowles, Boyd, & Fehr, 2008 ; Jensen, 2010). Afin de mieux comprendre ce phénomène, nous avons étudié le rôle joué par les valeurs morales dans le déclenchement de ces conduites punitives « désintéressées ». De nombreuses études ont mis en évidence la force motivationnelle dont sont pourvues les valeurs, poussant l'individu à agir en adéquation avec elles (e.g., Hertel & Kerr, 2001 ; Maio, Pakizeh, Cheung, & Rees, 2009). Partant de cet état de fait, nous avons postulé l'existence d'une deuxième composante motivationnelle propre aux valeurs morales, conduisant l'individu à les faire respecter en sanctionnant les personnes qui ne les respectent pas. Nous avons testé dans un premier temps cette hypothèse à travers l'impact du système moral individuel sur le jugement punitif dans le cadre de situations moralement ambivalentes dans lesquelles le protagoniste respectait une valeur morale (e.g., l'équité) aux dépens d'une autre (e.g., la loyauté). Les résultats suggèrent que plus les individus adhèrent à une valeur, plus ils souhaitent voir sanctionnées les personnes transgressant cette valeur. Dans un second temps, nous avons étudié à l'aide de différentes procédures d'amorçage l'influence momentanée que peuvent avoir les valeurs morales sur les tendances punitives lorsque le contexte les rend saillantes. Les effets de l'amorçage spécifique d'une valeur, la loyauté, ont été testés dans le cadre de situations fictives moralement ambivalentes ainsi que dans des conditions écologiques. Les résultats montrent que l'amorçage spécifique de la loyauté entraine une augmentation de la sévérité du jugement punitif ainsi qu'une baisse des tendances prosociales à l'égard d'une personne ayant agi de façon déloyale. L'apparition de ces effets semble néanmoins dépendre du niveau d'implication des individus vis-à-vis de la situation. Ce travail de recherche nous a aussi permis de constater que lorsqu'une valeur est accessible (de façon chronique ou temporaire), l'individu a davantage tendance à percevoir les événements à travers celle-ci. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats obtenus à travers cette série d'études mettent en évidence l'influence exercée par les valeurs morales, liée à leur niveau d'accessibilité et de désirabilité, entrainant les individus à les faire respecter en sanctionnant leurs transgresseurs. / Moral values take part in the effective functioning of a group or society by setting prescriptive and proscriptive norms (Haidt & Kesebir, 2010, Janoff-Bulman, Sheikh, & Hepp, 2009). When witnessing the violation of a social or moral norm, people sometimes wish to punish the transgressor, even if they do not suffer any negative consequences of the violation (Chekroun & Brauer, 2008 ; Fehr & Fischbacher, 2004). The function of this kind of sanction would be an upholding of the social order and cooperation between group members (Fehr & Gächter, 2002 ; Ginits, Henrich, Bowles, Boyd, & Fehr, 2008 ; Jensen, 2010). In order to better understand this phenomenon, we studied how moral values can trigger such third-party punishment. Numerous studies highlight the motivational nature of moral values, driving people to act in line with these ideals (e.g., Hertel & Kerr, 2001 ; Maio, Pakizeh, Cheung, & Rees, 2009). With this in mind, we suggested the existence of a second motivational component, specific to moral values, driving the individual to enforce them by punishing their transgressors. Firstly, we tested this hypothesis through the impact of the individual moral system on punitiveness in morally ambivalent situations describing a protagonist respecting a value (e.g., fairness) at the expense of another (e.g., loyalty). According to the results, the more participants agreed with a value, the more they wanted to see someone who violated the value being punished. Then, we studied the influence exerted by moral values on punitiveness when they are salient within the situation, using different priming procedures. We tested the priming effects of one specific value, loyalty, using morally ambivalent situations and ecological designs. According to the results, priming loyalty led to an increase of punishment severity and to a decrease of prosocial intentions toward a person who didn't act loyally. However, these effects seem to be moderated by the level of personal involvement vis à vis the situation. This research also revealed that when a value is accessible (chronically or temporarily), one tends to perceive the events through the value. All in all, the results gathered through this series of studies reveal the influence exerted by moral values, linked to their levels of accessibility and desirability, which drive people to enforce them by sanctioning their transgressors.

Teacher turnover has a significant effect on the overall success of schools. The use of comprehensive turnaround strategies such as the conservatorship process created a problem for a small Southeastern high school by affecting teacher retention rate. A qualitative approach was used to investigate how aspects of turnaround strategies influenced teacher morale, which may have contributed to the small Southeastern high school's lower than average teacher retention rate. Bandura's self-efficacy theory provided the conceptual framework for this qualitative case study. The research question addressed teachers' perspectives of morale as well as their views and experiences with the conservatorship process. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 teachers who were actively employed at the school before the conservatorship process and were retained by the district. After coding each interview, 6 themes emerged relating to factors that influence teachers' perspectives of morale: (a) powerlessness, (b) excessive visitations, (c) loss of confidence, (d) ineffective instructional practices, (e) stress and burnout, and (f) ineffective professional development opportunities. As a result, a professional development project was created to train administrative leaders and teachers on the benefits of the distributed leadership framework, including how to use teachers' experiences and expertise in school reform efforts. The impact of this study is the potential to affect teacher morale positively and promote positive social change in the high school by fostering an environment in which stakeholders work collaboratively to increase the teacher retention rate, furthering the success of this small Southeastern high school.