A great deal of philosophy of perception literature has been concerned with determining the fundamental philosophical account of perception. The overwhelming majority of contemporary work in this area has advocated for either a relational view of perception (broadly known as relationalism) or a representational view of perception (broadly known as representationalism). Each of these views is argued by its proponents to constitute the fundamental philosophical account of perception. These arguments are often framed in a manner suggesting that relationalism and representationalism are incompatible with one another on the grounds that if one theory explains all that we would like a philosophical theory of perception to explain, then the other theory is at best screened off as explanatorily redundant. This is known as a screening off argument, and has been utilised by both sides of the relationalism versus representationalism debate. The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate that both the utilisation of this argument in the philosophy of perception, as well as the explanatory methodology underpinning this utilisation, are misguided. This is accomplished by proposing instead that a methodology called explanatory pluralism, which holds that the best explanation of a given phenomenon is determined by what it is about that phenomenon one wishes to understand, should be applied to the debate in question. Once this plausible methodology is applied, I argue, instances that appeared to settle the relationalism versus representationalism debate decisively in favour of one view or the other instead become instances that shape the contours of a view according to which relationalism and representationalism are in fact compatible. I identify and argue for such instances, using them to support the conclusion that relationalism and representationalism are complementary explanations of perception and are, therefore, compatible.

Yong-mo Yu (1890-1981) was a supporter of religious pluralism in Korea, advocating for a syncretistic conception of God; and for interfaith spiritual renewal, during a period marked by the rejection of these concepts. A study of his work enriches our conception of the 20th century Korean Christianity. The main goal of my dissertation is to first analyze Yu's theological understanding of God and examine it in relation to the three East Asian major religious traditions as well as a Western ontological understanding of the ultimate reality; and second, through such analyses, to discuss the significance and challenges of Yu's pluralistic theology and spirituality. Yu's own definition of God as Opshi-gyeshin-Haneunim (God who exists as Non-Being) is an ontological understanding of the ultimate reality, which is very different from conservative Korean Protestantism's understanding of God. Yu's understanding of God is very similar to Robert C. Neville's understanding of God as the creator in that both of them define the ultimate reality as absolute Nothingness or Emptiness transcending both being and non-being. Yu's understanding of God was also based on the East Asian religious traditions which are Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Therefore, Yu defines Christian God as T'ai-chi and Wu-chi, nothingness, and Tao which are concepts that Yu borrows from the East Asian religions. Yu's concept of God as Opshi-gyeshin-Haneunim was formed and developed based on his own spiritual experiences, for example, his experience of spiritual union with God. At the same time, his theological reflection on the ultimate reality also had great effect on his spirituality. In the same tenor, the pluralistic characteristics of Yu's theology and spirituality are the result of Yu's creative combination of his ontological understanding of the ultimate reality transcending various religious contexts and the East Asian spirituality focusing on spiritual discipline to develop the divine power given to human beings. Yu's creative integration of the ontological analysis of God and the East Asian spiritual tradition can provide a new perspective to Korean conservative Protestantism in understanding other religions, and suggest a new type Christian spirituality in plural Korean contexts. / 2017-01-12T00:00:00Z

Le pragmatisme, en tant que courant philosophique, et l'anarchisme, en tant que courant politique, semblent être reliés par deux approches d'apparence complémentaire : le premier est souvent considéré comme politiquement neutre alors que le second comme philosophiquement indifférent. Notre étude consiste à examiner cette double neutralité et, suivant notre interrogation, à savoir « le pragmatisme, est-il une philosophie anarchiste ? », valoriser et évaluer la possibilité d'une réponse positive, car les conséquences politiques de l'un et les conséquences philosophiques de l'autre, ainsi que les causes de leur prétendue indifférence complémentaire, nous inspirent l'idée d'une architecture commune. Dans un premier temps, nous tentons de situer cette architecture dans la philosophie de James et de Dewey se focalisant sur le rapport du pragmatisme à la démocratie. Nous dégageons ainsi les traits principaux d'une philosophie de l'expérience conforme aux exigences que les philosophes pragmatistes prêtent à la démocratie, car c'est l'expérience qui permet à la démocratie de voir sa dimension éthique, très présente chez les pragmatistes, devenir politique. Dans un deuxième temps, nous examinons l'articulation de ce que l'on peut appeler doxa anarchiste avec les thèses philosophiques que James et Dewey voient composer la philosophie de l'expérience. Nous nous focalisons notamment sur la pensée de Proudhon et de Bakounine, dont la filiation nous semble porteuse du même esprit anti-absolutiste qui correspond à la dimension critique de la philosophie de l'expérience. / Pragmatism, as a philosophical movement, and anarchism, as a political one, seem to be connected by two seemingly complementary approaches: pragmatism is often considered as politically neutral, while anarchism as philosophically indifferent. The aim of our study is to examine this double neutrality and, following our interrogation, namely « is pragmatism an anarchist philosophy? », to evaluate the possibility of a positive answer, the political consequences of the one and the philosophical consequences of the other, and also the causes of their alleged complementary indifference, inspiring us the idea of a commun architecture. First, we try to locate this architecture in the philosophy of James and Dewey, focusing on the relationship of pragmatism to democracy. Thus, we point out the main features of a philosophy of experience fitting the demands - in a pragmatic perspective - of democracy. For it is only experience that allows democracy to see its ethical dimension - very present among pragmatists - become political. Second, we examine the articulation of what we can call anarchist doxa with the philosophical assertions that form, according to James and Dewey, the philosophy of experience. We focus, in particular, on the thought of Proudhon and Bakunin, whose kinship seems to carry the same anti-absolutist spirit that forms the critical dimension of the philosophy of experience.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A mobilidade religiosa é um fenômeno recente e se configura num dos principais fatores que modificam o campo religioso brasileiro, o qual pode ser caracterizado por um quadro de diversificação e pluralismo religioso. Na modernidade, as modificações no campo produzem novas configurações da religião, do crer e do pertencimento. As igrejas tradicionais são alcançadas por essas movimentações, especialmente, no âmbito urbano. Nesse sentido, esta tese versa sobre a adesão à Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil (IECLB) em comunidades urbanas, através de uma pesquisa empírico-qualitativa que aborda os percursos religiosos e modalidades de pertencimento e adesão em três comunidades, as quais serviram como estudo de caso. Além dos percursos religiosos, buscamos decifrar as motivações, os níveis de participação e integração, a relação exclusiva ou dúplice com a comunidade religiosa escolhida. Problematizamos o fenômeno da migração religiosa através de conceitos como conversão, passagem ou adesão, num campo religioso em que a adesão por atribuição perde espaço para a adesão adquirida. O levantamento de dados aponta para uma mobilidade religiosa que proporciona diferentes modalidades de agregação e pertencimento compreendidas pela nova identidade religiosa, evidenciando adesões pela família (Sapucaia do Sul/RS), individuais (São Luís/MA), ou momentâneas, parciais e móveis (Rio de Janeiro/RJ). Identificamos que a migração e adesão religiosa, nessas comunidades, através da família ou da escolha pessoal, revelam que o elemento transmissor da religião não mais ocorre através dos laços simbólicos, como a tradição e a etnicidade, o que evidencia uma Igreja que, paulatinamente, vai se modificando, no contexto brasileiro, substituindo esses elementos tradicionais de adesão, pelo teológico e confessional, como proposta eclesial aberta e universal. Nesse sentido, com base nos estudos de caso, elencamos desafios e oportunidades para comunidades urbanas da IECLB, que ao receber pessoas com percursos religiosos dinâmicos e acentuados, torna-se um lugar religioso escolhido para a vivência da fé. / Religious mobility is a recent phenomenon and has become one of the main factors which modify the Brazilian religious field, which can be characterized by a scenario of religious diversification and pluralism. In modernity, the modifications in the field produce new configurations of religion, of believing and of belonging. The traditional churches are reached by these movements, especially in the urban areas. In this sense, this theses deals with the adhesion to the Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil (IECLB) [Evangelical Church of Lutheran Confession in Brazil] in urban congregations, through an empirical-qualitative research which addresses the religious journeys and modalities of belonging and joining in three congregations which served as a case study. Besides the religious journeys, we sought to decipher the motivations, the levels of participation and integration, the exclusive or twofold relation with the chosen religious community. We problematized the phenomenon of religious migration through concepts such as conversion, passage or joining, in a religious field in which adhesion by attribution loses space to acquired adhesion. The survey of data points to religious mobility which propitiates different modalities of aggregation and belonging comprehended by the new religious identity, revealing adhesions by family (Sapucaia do Sul/RS), by individuals (São Luís/MA), or momentary, partial and mobile (Rio de Janeiro/RJ). We identified that the religious migration and adhesion, in these congregations, through family or personal choice, reveal that the transmitter element of religion no longer occurs through symbolic ties, such as tradition and ethnicity, which reveals a church which, slowly, is changing, in the Brazilian context, substituting these traditional elements of adhesion with theological and confessional ones, for an open and universal ecclesial proposal. In this sense, based on the case studies, we list challenges and opportunities for urban congregations of the IECLB, which, upon receiving persons with dynamic and accentuated religious journeys, becomes a chosen religious space for living out the faith.

[pt] Diante do contexto ricamente plural em que nos encontramos e que desafia as tradições religiosas, acreditamos estar frente a uma oportunidade única para que ocorra o diálogo entre as mais diversas tradições. Trata-se de, sem renegar ou desconhecer o que há de único e irrevogável em cada religião, poder no convívio com a diversidade acolher o que é específico e essencial de cada uma. Sem abandonar a identidade cristã procuramos encontrar uma base para a reflexão teológica que possibilite à fé cristã o reconhecimento justo e respeitoso da pluralidade religiosa. Para isso, buscamos a contribuição de um fenomenólogo da religião, Juan Martin Velasco, que com suas reflexões nos apresenta a importância que está adquirindo a dimensão espiritual no diálogo inter-religioso. Assim também estudamos o pensamento do teólogo Andrés Torres Queiruga, que nos afirma a autêntica necessidade de um encontro entre as religiões. Desta confrontação compreendemos que em todas as religiões existe a experiência mística unicamente graças ao convite e desejo de Deus que deseja tornar-se conhecido. Acolhendo esta Presença, o ser humano tem a possibilidade de atingir sua autêntica realização. E sem fazer oposição à singularidade cristã na interpretação positiva das outras religiões e do pluralismo religioso, apontamos a mística como um novo paradigma, lugar de encontro e diálogo inter-religioso, por acontecer na experiência mais profunda de todo ser religioso, colocando em contato quem a vive com a raiz de onde todas as religiões emanam. / [fr] Dans le contexte richement pluriel dans lequel nous vivons, que constitue un défi pour les traditions religieuses, nous croyons nous trouver devant une chance pour le dialogue entre les plus diverses traditions. Cela se passe quand, sans renier ou méconnaître ce qu´il y a d´unique et irrévocable dans chaque religion nous pouvons, dans la convivialité avec la diversité, acueillir ce qui est spécifique et essentiel de chacune. Sans abandonner l´identité chrétienne nous essayons de trouver une base pour la reflexion théologique qui soit em même temps une possibilitè réelle pour la foi chrétienne de reconnaître d´une façon juste et respectueuse le pluralisme religieux. Pour cela, dans ce travail nous avons cherché la contribution d´um phénoménologue de la religion, Juan Martin Velasco, lequel, avec ses réflexions, nous presente l´importance acquérie par la dimension spirituelle dans le dialogue inter-religieux. Nous avons étudié aussi la pensée du théologien Andrés Torres Queiruga, lequel nous affirme l´authentique necessité d´une rencontre entre les religions. De cette confrontation nous comprenons que, dans toutes les religions il existe une expérience mystique, due seulement à l´invitation et au désir de Dieu de se faire connaître. Et, en acueillant cette Présence, l´être humain a une possibilité d´authentique réalisation. Sans entrer en conflit avec la singularité chrétienne dans l´interprétation positive des autres religions et du pluralisme religieux, nous essayons de signaler la mystique comme un nouveau paradigme, lieu de rencontre et dialogue inter-religieux, possible événement dans l´expérience la plus profonde de tout être religieux, mettant en contact celui qui la vit avec la racine où puisent toutes les religions.

Este trabalho consiste em uma análise comparativa entre os municípios de Campos dos Goytacazes e Niterói, ambos localizados no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Com a criação da Lei do Petróleo em 1997, os municípios produtores de petróleo tiveram um acréscimo significativo das suas receitas em função de um extraordinário recebimento de royalties. Porém, esse crescimento da receita não vem sendo acompanhado pela melhora dos indicadores que medem desenvolvimento social. O caso de Campos, maior beneficiário de royalties no Brasil, comparado ao município de Niterói, caso raro de autonomia financeira, terá como objetivo elucidar os fatores que atuam sobre a escolha dos padrões de alocação dos recursos públicos nesses municípios. / This work is based on a comparative analysis between the cities of Campos dos Goytacases and Niterói, both situated in the state of Rio de Janeiro. With the creation of the "Oil Law" in 1997, the cities ,where oil is produced, presented a significant increase of their income due to a great amount of royalties they received. In spite of the income raise, social development indicators are not following the same successful path. The analysis of Campos, the greatest beneficiary of royalties in Brazil, compared to the city of Niterói, a singular case of financial autonomy, will the have the aim to show the factors that make the difference in terms of the choice of the patterns of allocation of public resources in these cities.

Esta dissertação aborda a constituição do camelódromo de Porto Alegre e de suas práticas de comércio popular, em sua relação com as tecnologias de (i)legibilidade produzidas na sua relação com o Estado. Este trabalho parte de uma etnografia realizada entre os anos de 2013 e 2014, que se focou tanto nas práticas e sentidos elaborados pelos comerciantes do camelódromo, quanto nas visões dos atores representantes dos órgãos de controle e vigilância estatal. A partir da perspectiva teórica de Veena Das & Deborah Poole, destaco que o Estado e suas margens interagem de forma coprodutiva. Inspirada nesta abordagem, percebendo o camelódromo como uma “margem”, objetivo demonstrar como o Estado e a margem em questão estabelecem uma relação de produção mútua a partir de suas práticas. Utilizo-me dos conceitos de (i)legibilidade e pluralismo jurídico para compreender os limites e as mobilidades de tal interação. A partir da análise dos dados coletados, pode-se depreender que o Estado é reforçado, ao mesmo passo que redefinido, pelas atividades informais do camelódromo. Por sua vez, tal fortalecimento também acontece, na relação com o Estado no comércio popular em questão, onde as tecnologias de controle estatais estimulam redes de solidariedade a se organizarem e produzirem práticas diversas, que relacionam códigos legais e condutas locais. / This dissertation approaches the constitution of Porto Alegre’s “camelódromo” and its popular trade’s practices, in relation with (i)legibility technologies produced in its nexus with the State. This study consists in an ethnography carried out between 2013 and 2014, which focused on practices and meanings produced by camelódromo’s vendors, as in the visions of the actors that represents the organs of state control and surveillance. From the theoretical perspective of Veena Das & Deborah Poole, I emphasize that the State and its margins interact in a coproductive way. Inspired by this approach, perceiving camelódromo as a margin, my purpose is to demonstrate how the State and the margin in question establish a mutual relation of production from their practices. I use, in this work, the concepts of (i)legibility and legal pluralism to understand the limits and mobilities of such interaction. From the analysis of the collected data, it is possible to deduce that the State is reinforced and redefined by camelódromo’s informal activities. In turn, this strengthening also happens between the relation of the State and popular trade in question, where State’s control technologies stimulate solidarity networks to organize and produce themselves various practices that relates legal codes and local behavior.

This thesis attempts to answer one basic question: what we can philosophically say to justify liberalism as a mode of political existence of society. It is divided into three parts. In the first one, I critically survey two popular answers to this question, employing the concepts of self- ownership and value pluralism respectively. I argue that both of them are inadequate and unsatisfactory, mostly because they operate with a conception of person that is too thin for the justificatory task. In the second part, I develop an interpretation of John Rawls and the conception of person he uses. I argue that this conception is crucial with regards to his answer to my question, yet that he provides only a limited and in the final analysis unpersuasive justification for it. The third part tries to remedy the deficiencies of Rawlsian liberalism by providing a better argumentative support for his conception of person and developing from it two arguments aiming to justify liberalism as a mode of political existence of society Key words Liberalism - John Rawls - Pluralism - Conception of person

Orientadora: Profª Drª Patrícia Del Nero Velasco / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Filosofia, 2017. / Busca-se, na presente dissertação, elucidar a natureza da argumentação a partir da concepção sistematizada por Perelman e Olbrechts-Tyteca no Tratado da argumentação: a nova retórica (2005), bem como estabelecer uma relação entre o exercício argumentativo e a concepção de uma filosofia do pluralismo. Para tanto, o texto é dividido em três momentos. O primeiro consiste em uma discussão acerca da natureza da argumentação na Grécia antiga a partir dos conceitos de retórica e dialética formulados por Platão e Aristóteles e a partir também da prática argumentativa exercida pelos sofistas ¿ que serviram de substrato para a proposta cunhada pelo autor belga e sua colaboradora. Em um segundo momento, procura-se especificar a natureza da argumentação no âmbito d¿A Nova Retórica como retomada dos conceitos gregos de retórica e dialética, destacando a racionalidade que essa representa (e que se contrapõe à racionalidade comum à modernidade, a qual se configura pertinente no âmbito das ciências naturais e formais, mas se desvanece da relação com o outro). No terceiro e último capítulo, empreende-se o esforço de relacionar a referida concepção de argumentação dialético-retórica com a concepção de filosofia do pluralismo, composta das noções de escuta, tolerância, não-violência e alteridade, pressupostas e reiteradas pela prática argumentativa proposta por Perelman e Olbrechts-Tyteca. / This dissertation aims to explore the nature of the argumentation from the conception systematized by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca in the Treaty of Argument: a new rhetoric (2005), as well as to establish a relation between the argumentative exercise and the conception of a philosophy of pluralism. To do so, the text is divided into three moments. The first consists of a discussion about the nature of argumentation in ancient Greece, from the concepts of rhetoric and dialectics formulated by Plato and Aristotle, and of the argumentative practice exercised by the sophists - which served as a substrate for a proposal coined by the Belgian author and his collaborator. Secondly, it seeks to specify the nature of the argumentation in the New Rhetoric as a resumption of the Greek concepts of rhetoric and dialectic, highlighting a rationality that is represented (one that is a counterproposal to the common rationality of modernity ¿ that works with the natural and formal sciences, but doesn¿t consider otherness. The third and last chapter relates the conception of argumentation with the conception of Philosophy of Pluralism composed of the notions of listening, tolerance, non-violence and otherness presupposed and reiterated by the argumentative practice proposed by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca.

This thesis explores the imagery of underworld justice, and its associated beliefs and practices, as they developed throughout Chinese imperial history. Certain elements of the Chinese imperial legal system, including judges and trials, and laws and codes, were borrowed by the Daoists and applied to their construct of the afterlife. Underworld justice beliefs and practices flourished throughout China's imperial past, and are still influential to some devotees in today's Hong Kong. Among the various questions that are explored, this thesis examines the place of underworld justice in the legal consciousness, or everyday law, of the devotees in contemporary Hong Kong. There are two dimensions to this thesis: historical and empirical. In the historical part, I trace the development of underworld justice beliefs and practices in imperial China. I analyse some of the characteristics and rituals of underworld justice, and relate them to the imperial laws and procedures upon which they were modelled. Such tracing allows us to discern the considerable overlap between the imperial legal system and underworld justice beliefs and practices. In the empirical part, I present data gathered at mainly three City God temples in Hong Kong. Such data involve conversations with Daoist and Buddhist priests, temple keepers and devotees. The data gathered not only shed light on the general state of City God veneration in contemporary Hong Kong, but also the influence of underworld justice on the devotees' understanding of law. The data reveal that the studied devotees regard underworld justice, which administers the law of karma, as superior to the state legal system. Hence, underworld justice is not considered as an informal dispute resolution process alternative to that of the state, but as a mechanism that can intervene in court cases, due to its being more authoritative.