I consider two versions of an argument against (so-called) negative action, both of which take it that causation is a defining feature of actions. The first asserts that when an agent refrains, her mental states do not cause the absence of an event; as such, the refraining does not qualify as an action. The second asserts that when an agent refrains, she does not cause the apparent results of her refraining, and so again, the refraining does not qualify as an action. The idea motivating the second argument appears to improve on the first, insofar as it allows for the agent to play a role in her actions. I argue that both accounts rely on a narrow conception of causation, framed in terms of a physical connection between cause and effect. This narrow conception does not appear to be justified, and the focus on physical connection causation leads both accounts to misconceive agency. Fortunately, there is available a broader conception of causation, which is both intuitively plausible and better able to capture the phenomenon. / text

本論文「客語打類、忍類及促類動詞中動力學之體現」從物理學中之動力學觀點來審視語言之現象，以Lai (2000)針對客語打類動詞詞彙化類型之研究以及Gao (2001), Gao & Cheng (2002)針對中文與英語中肢體接觸類動詞之研究為基礎，並進一步修正及採用Talmy (2000a)所提出之動力學架構來加以分析客語打類、忍類及促類三類近義動詞。客語之打類動詞涉及內在心理意圖與外在肢體接觸，亦即同時牽涉到心理層面與肢體層面中「力」的作用，忍類動詞中「力」的衝突發生於內在心理層面，亦即本我與自我之間產生衝突，而促類動詞則表現出交互心理層面中「力」的相對關係，亦即藉由溝通等方式與他人產生「力」的對抗。因此，本論文藉由分析此三類動詞，將得已呈現心理肢體(psychophysical)，內在心理(intrapsychological)以及交互心理(interpsychological)三個不同層面中動力學之體現，並能夠進一步檢視語意內涵「力」與此三類動詞之句法表現間之相互關係。 / Based on Lai’s (2000) study of verbs of hitting in Hakka and Gao’s (2001) and Gao & Cheng’s (2002) studies of verbs of physical action by impact in English and Mandarin Chinese, this study modifies the force-dynamic model proposed by Talmy (2000a) to analyze Hakka hitting verbs in psychophysical domain, Hakka refraining verbs in intrapsychological domain, and Hakka urging verbs in interpsychological domain. The analysis proposes that two force-dynamic patterns can be generalized from these three groups of verbs, one ONSET CAUSATION pattern, and the other ONSET DESPITE pattern. Moreover, the correlation between the semantic component FORCE and the syntactic manifestation has been examined. This force-dynamic opposition is manifested in syntax as demonstrated by resultative complements, BUN-constructions, LAU-constructions, the potential mode and verb-copying constructions along with the adverbs of duration. In addition, the confirmation of the speaker’s expectation can be achieved by adverbs of evaluation and adverbs of justification. The well-formedness of these syntactic structures and the felicity of the usage of the adverbs depend heavily on the interaction of the Antagonist’s force and the Agonist’s force.

Les universités françaises sont en crise car le taux d’échec et d’abandon y est prégnant depuis plusieurs années. Les réformes nées ou naissantes poursuivent toutes le même but : la réussite. Alors que plusieurs dispositifs d’aide sont désormais offerts aux étudiants, ce travail se propose d’approfondir les travaux menés sur le non-recours au tutorat méthodologique. Il interroge pour cela la variable « information », et s’articule autour de trois hypothèses. - Les étudiants de premier cycle ont des capacités attentionnelles limitées qui les empêchent de faire des choix rationnels.- La surabondance informationnelle en premier cycle ne permet pas aux étudiants de recourir au tutorat méthodologique.- Les étudiants « engagés » qui reçoivent une information claire des potentialités et des objectifs du dispositif d’aide, et qui l’utilisent de manière optimale, réussissent. Pour les tester, nous avons fait appel à deux outils d’enquête complémentaires.Dans un premier temps, vingt-deux tuteurs ont été interviewés, ainsi que la directrice des études et de la vie universitaire, et trois directeurs d'Unité de Formation et de Recherche (UFR). Les résultats de ces enquêtes qualitatives réalisées in situ, révèlent que le tutorat méthodologique souffre de défauts d’information, et que des efforts doivent être fournis dans ce domaine. Des pistes d’amélioration pour informer efficacement les primo-entrants en vue d’augmenter le taux de fréquentation aux séances de tutorat sont donc présentées. Dans un second temps, ont été interrogés par questionnaires 392 étudiants de première année issus des trois facultés que compte l’Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA). Cette enquête avait pour buts de vérifier si les étudiants de premier cycle étaient bien informés des potentialités et des objectifs du tutorat méthodologique, et de faire le lien entre l’étudiant, usager d’un dispositif d’accompagnement méthodologique ou pédagogique, et le dispositif lui-même dans l’atteinte des objectifs qu’il s’est donnés. A partir du « modèle d’efficacité individuelle d’un dispositif d’accompagnement méthodologique ou pédagogique » de Ben Abid-Zarrouk (2013), les virtualités d’un tel outil ont été questionnées ainsi que les caractéristiques de ses utilisateurs. Cette recherche montre notamment que les étudiants qui établissent des stratégies de réussite optimale, qui sont attentifs aux informations relatives aux potentialités des dispositifs d’aide à la réussite en termes de réussite, qui l’estiment utile et qui en sont donc satisfaits, réussissent mieux que les autres, y compris les tutorés. Puis, en s’appuyant sur l’analyse factorielle, cette cohorte a pu être découpée en cinq classes : « Les Scolaires », « Les Oisifs », « Les Retardataires », « Les Irréprochables » et « Les Inadaptés », et huit variables qui se rapportent au tutorat ont pu être caractérisées. / French universities are in crisis because the failure and dropout rates among students have remained high for years. The existing reforms or those being tested are all pursuing the same purpose: achievement. When many assistive devices are now offered to students, this work will be dedicated to the further development of works undertaken on the non-use of methodological tutoring. For this purpose, it will interrogate the variable “information” and will focus on three hypotheses.- Freshmen have limited focusing capacities which do not allow them to make reasonable choices.- Information overload in the first university years does not allow students to use the methodological tutoring. - The “committed” students, who receive clear information about the potential and objectives of this aid scheme and who use it in the best possible manner, succeed.We have used two complementary survey tools to test them.First, twenty-two tutors have been interviewed, as well as the director of studies and university life and three directors of Training and Research Faculty. The results of such qualitative on-site investigations show that methodological tutoring is suffering from lack of information, and efforts must be made in this field. Sources of improvement, in order to inform efficiently the newcomers and increase the attendance rate in tutoring sessions, are thus introduced.Second, 392 freshmen, from the three faculties of the University of Haute-Alsace (UHA), completed questionnaires we gave them. This survey was conducted to determine if undergraduates had been well informed about the potential and objectives of the methodological tutoring and to establish a link between the student using a personalized methodological or educational support and the support mechanism itself in the achievement of the objectives of the plan. The potential of such a tool has been questioned, as well as the characteristics of its users in Ben Abid-Zarrouk’s « modèle d’efficacité individuelle d’un dispositif d’accompagnement méthodologique ou pédagogique » (2013).This research shows that students, who establish optimal achievement strategies, care about information related to the potential of success assistance schemes, find it useful and are then satisfied with it, can make it better than the others, including the tutored ones. So, based upon factor analysis, this cohort can be divided into five classes: “The School-goers”, “The Idle Ones”, The Stragglers”, “The Blameless”, “The Unsuitable Ones”, and eight variables related to tutoring have been characterized.

Democracy cannot exist without active and responsive citizens. However, the character of political participation of the young generation has changed. Given the decreasing willingness of young people to participate in conventional politics, a highly relevant issue is to examine the sources and motivations of their political commitment and relations to politics. Therefore, the dissertation traces the political trajectories of young Czech and German activists and focuses on the contextual and sociopsychological factors that shape them. The aim of the text is to answer the main research question: 'How and why do Czech and German university students get involved in political and civic organisations?' Firstly, the thesis examines the role of primary and secondary political socialisation in different societal contexts. It provides an understanding of the key mechanisms and narratives of family political socialisation. Attention is also paid to the influence of civic education, peers and teachers at secondary and grammar schools, as well as to the impact of the university environment on political activism. Secondly, the thesis explores the range of motivations for organisational membership and recruitment procedures, as well as the variable ways of how youth relate to politics. The dissertation also...