This thesis explores the possible impact of a postmaterialist value shift on the future of democracy in advanced industrial democratic countries. Research over the past few decades has questioned the responsiveness of representative democratic institutions in advanced industrial democracies to individual and communal needs in society. Radical democratic theorists have called for direct action, structural reform, and other social and political changes to make democracy "stronger." Increased education levels brought on by continued economic and physical security in advanced industrial societies has led to a change in the ability of citizens to access the political process. How the relationship between the citizen and the state is altered as a result of continued prosperity is a primary motivation for this research. Working with World Values Survey data, I examine individual and societal level relationships between postmaterial values and direct political participation and acceptance of participatory values. Empirical evidence supports the hypotheses that postmaterial values are positively associated with direct political participation and as the level of Postmaterialists increases in a given society the level of participatory behavior and acceptance of participatory values will also increase. Substantive analysis suggests that increase in the level of postmaterialism in a country will lead to increases in alternative political activity and other forms of direct participation. / Master of Arts

Tolkien’s hobbit characters are capable of a particular type of rhetorical persuasion, one which relies on their ability to leverage their status as outsiders among the other people of Middle-earth. The hobbits are uniquely suited to the task of bringing unity to Middle-earth’s people because of the simplicity of their rhetoric, which focuses on proving their own morality and presenting truths without elaboration. When compared with the text, the film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings also help highlight the importance that Tolkien placed on the simplicity of hobbit rhetoric. These abilities of the hobbits become clear through a narrative analysis of the stories from Tolkien’s world, including Bilbo’s speech patterns, the efforts of Merry and Pippin to convince the Ents to fight Isengard, and Frodo’s appeal for unity and aid as made to the Council of Elrond.

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Thesis advisor: Elisa Magri / This thesis will argue that art expresses feeling, affirming the expressivist theory of aesthetics of R.G. Collingwood, and will expand this thesis to say that aesthetic experience of nature is also expressive. By aesthetic experience of nature, I refer to an experience in which the subject is not merely observing, but appreciating the natural world for its aesthetic qualities. I will present the argument that such experiences of nature are governed by the same principles of expression and imagination that intentionally made art objects are. I will begin with an analysis of the expressivist theory of Collingwood, which asserts that all proper art is the result of expression followed by an act of imaginative creation. Following this, I will investigate the expression of feelings in the non-art aesthetic experience of nature. To do this I will present the work of Arnold Berleant, whose framework for aesthetic engagement will allow the expressivist theory of expression and imagination to apply in natural aesthetics. With this framework in place I will explore several examples of aesthetic experience of nature to illustrate this process at work. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Morrissey School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy. / Discipline: Departmental Honors.

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While a great deal of psychological research is conducted on college students, less has been done on their adaptation to college. These young adults, as they develop ego identity and differentiate themselves from parents and families, must adjust to the social and academic environment of college. Psychosocial adjustment predicts college retention better than academic predictors do. First generation college students face greater than typical challenges adapting to college. The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program exists to aid first generation, lower income undergraduate student who wish to pursue a doctoral degree. Self-definition scored from thematic apperceptive technique stories reflects an individual’s relative freedom from social role constraint. This study examined the role of self-definition and familial understanding and acceptance in this population as predictors of successful adaptation to college. While neither was found to be a significant predictor, family understanding and acceptance was found to be a more defining characteristic of this sample than was self-definition. This suggests that when social support is sufficient, individuals do not need to rely on self-definition.

Från Reagan till Trump: Populistiska uttryck inom det republikanska partiet 1980–2017 är en kandidatuppsats av Angelica Carlsson. Syftet med studien är att förklara förekomsten av populistiska uttryck inom det republikanska partiet i USA under tidsperioden 1980–2017. Populistiska uttryck i politiska tal av presidenterna Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush och Donald Trump undersöks och graderas utifrån Kirk A. Hawkins sex kriterier över populism. Talen analyseras också utifrån de teoretiska begreppen tunn respektive tjock populism. För att förklara de populistiska uttrycken beaktar studien den historiska kontexten och utvecklingslinjer inom det republikanska partiet. Utifrån studiens resultat kan konstateras att de populistiska uttrycken är högst i Reagans och Trumps tal, medan Bushs tal har en lägre grad av populism. I studien förklaras detta utifrån den historiska kontexten, där 1980 och 2016 präglades av mer politisk instabilitet än 2000. Studien belyser hur populism inte uppstår ur tomma intet utan ska förstås i relation till kontexten i vilken den uttrycks. / From Reagan to Trump: Populist expressions within the Republican Party 1980–2017 is a bachelor thesis by Angelica Carlsson. The aim of the thesis is to explain populist expressions within the Republican Party in the United States during the period 1980–2017. Populist expressions in political speeches by the presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Donald Trump are investigated and graded based on Kirk A. Hawkin's criteria of populism. The thesis is also taking the theoretical terms thin and thick populism into consideration. In order to explain the populist expressions the historical context and the historical development of the Republican Party is taken into account. The main findings of the thesis is that Reagan's and Trump's speeches has the highest degree of populist expressions, while Bush's speeches has a lower degree of populist expressions. The study explains this from the historical context, where 1980 and 2016 were characterized by more political instability than 2000. The study illustrates how populism does not arise from nothing and should be understood in relation to the historical context.

Esta tese busca analisar a viabilidade do projeto de naturalização da teoria do direito defendido por Brian Leiter. No primeiro capítulo, apresenta-se o esforço da filosofia desde o fundacionismo de Descartes até Carnap para a solução da dúvida cética sobre o que é conhecimento e que conduziram ao que foi denominado fisicalismo, evidenciado nas obras de Kelsen e dos Realistas Escandinavos e Norte-Americanos. A virada linguística foi determinante para a reconstrução dos parâmetros cartesianos, sendo notável a influência de Wittgenstein e Quine. Com Quine, a proposta de naturalização da epistemologia ganhou corpo, tendo conduzido, entretanto, ao abandono do desafio cético e ao cientismo. O behaviorismo já apresentava sinais no Realismo Jurídico Norte-Americano e foi criticado por H.L.A. Hart. Hart se apropriou de elementos do naturalismo quineano e de Wittgenstein, estabelecendo uma nova objetividade para o direito. O projeto de Leiter, apresentado no segundo capítulo, nasce da discordância dessa crítica hartiana. Dois são seus objetivos: (i) resgatar o Realismo Norte-Americano, reconstruindo-o à luz do pragmatismo e do naturalismo quineano, ancorado no antifundacionismo e na substituição das teorias normativas por descrições causais-nomológicas das decisões judiciais para fins de previsibilidade do direito. Cabe ao dogma do positivismo estabelecer o critério de legalidade, excluindo a moral como parte do que é juridicamente objetivo; (ii) adotar uma postura cética externa, numa tentativa de minar o interpretativismo de Ronald Dworkin. É no terceiro capítulo discute a viabilidade do projeto de Leiter propriamente. É possível verificar que Leiter não consegue mostrar o naturalismo na teoria do direito sob sua melhor luz, uma vez que é incapaz de lidar com as questões normativas inerentes ao direito e, por conseguinte, de justificar as decisões judiciais sem recorrer a uma teoria substantiva, algo que Dworkin consegue realizar com maior proveito, especialmente no que tange ao tema da objetividade. Leiter aponta para um futuro em que a investigação empírica pode aumentar a confiança no direito, mas seu projeto teórico limitado à descrição causal-nomológica das decisões é inviável para os fins propostos por uma teoria do direito de sucesso. / This thesis aims to analyze the viability of the project of naturalization of jurisprudence championed by Brian Leiter. The first chapter presents the effort of philosophy from Descartes foundationalism to Carnap for the solution of skeptical doubt about what is knowledge and that led to what was called physicalism, evidenced in the works of Kelsen and Scandinavian and Americans Legal Realists. The linguistic turn was decisive for the reconstruction of Cartesian parameters, being remarkable the influence of Wittgenstein and Quine. With Quine, the naturalization of epistemology proposal gained momentum and led, however, to abandon the skeptical challenge and scientism. Behaviorism already showed signs in american legal realism and was criticized by H.L.A. Hart. Hart appropriated elements of Quinean naturalism and Wittgenstein, establishing a new objectivity to law. Leiters project, presented in the second chapter, was born of the disagreement with hartian criticism. Two are his goals: (i) redeem American Legal Realism, reconstructing it in the light of pragmatism and Quinean naturalism, supported by antifoundationalism and replacement of normative theories by causal-nomological descriptions of judicial decisions for predictability purposes. The dogma of positivism will establish the criteria of legality, excluding the moral as part of what is legally objective; (ii) adopt an external skeptical position in an attempt to undermine the interpretativismo of Ronald Dworkin. The third chapter discusses the feasibility of Leiters project properly. Leiter cannot show the naturalism in theory of law in its best light, since it is incapable of dealing with normative questions related to law and, therefore, to justify judicial decisions without resorting to a substantive theory, something that Dworkin can make more profit, especially with regard to the issue of objectivity. Leiters project points to a future in which empirical research can increase laws confidence, but its limitation to a theoretical project of causal-nomological description of decisions is not feasible for the purposes proposed by a successful theory of law.

Esta tese busca analisar a viabilidade do projeto de naturalização da teoria do direito defendido por Brian Leiter. No primeiro capítulo, apresenta-se o esforço da filosofia desde o fundacionismo de Descartes até Carnap para a solução da dúvida cética sobre o que é conhecimento e que conduziram ao que foi denominado fisicalismo, evidenciado nas obras de Kelsen e dos Realistas Escandinavos e Norte-Americanos. A virada linguística foi determinante para a reconstrução dos parâmetros cartesianos, sendo notável a influência de Wittgenstein e Quine. Com Quine, a proposta de naturalização da epistemologia ganhou corpo, tendo conduzido, entretanto, ao abandono do desafio cético e ao cientismo. O behaviorismo já apresentava sinais no Realismo Jurídico Norte-Americano e foi criticado por H.L.A. Hart. Hart se apropriou de elementos do naturalismo quineano e de Wittgenstein, estabelecendo uma nova objetividade para o direito. O projeto de Leiter, apresentado no segundo capítulo, nasce da discordância dessa crítica hartiana. Dois são seus objetivos: (i) resgatar o Realismo Norte-Americano, reconstruindo-o à luz do pragmatismo e do naturalismo quineano, ancorado no antifundacionismo e na substituição das teorias normativas por descrições causais-nomológicas das decisões judiciais para fins de previsibilidade do direito. Cabe ao dogma do positivismo estabelecer o critério de legalidade, excluindo a moral como parte do que é juridicamente objetivo; (ii) adotar uma postura cética externa, numa tentativa de minar o interpretativismo de Ronald Dworkin. É no terceiro capítulo discute a viabilidade do projeto de Leiter propriamente. É possível verificar que Leiter não consegue mostrar o naturalismo na teoria do direito sob sua melhor luz, uma vez que é incapaz de lidar com as questões normativas inerentes ao direito e, por conseguinte, de justificar as decisões judiciais sem recorrer a uma teoria substantiva, algo que Dworkin consegue realizar com maior proveito, especialmente no que tange ao tema da objetividade. Leiter aponta para um futuro em que a investigação empírica pode aumentar a confiança no direito, mas seu projeto teórico limitado à descrição causal-nomológica das decisões é inviável para os fins propostos por uma teoria do direito de sucesso. / This thesis aims to analyze the viability of the project of naturalization of jurisprudence championed by Brian Leiter. The first chapter presents the effort of philosophy from Descartes foundationalism to Carnap for the solution of skeptical doubt about what is knowledge and that led to what was called physicalism, evidenced in the works of Kelsen and Scandinavian and Americans Legal Realists. The linguistic turn was decisive for the reconstruction of Cartesian parameters, being remarkable the influence of Wittgenstein and Quine. With Quine, the naturalization of epistemology proposal gained momentum and led, however, to abandon the skeptical challenge and scientism. Behaviorism already showed signs in american legal realism and was criticized by H.L.A. Hart. Hart appropriated elements of Quinean naturalism and Wittgenstein, establishing a new objectivity to law. Leiters project, presented in the second chapter, was born of the disagreement with hartian criticism. Two are his goals: (i) redeem American Legal Realism, reconstructing it in the light of pragmatism and Quinean naturalism, supported by antifoundationalism and replacement of normative theories by causal-nomological descriptions of judicial decisions for predictability purposes. The dogma of positivism will establish the criteria of legality, excluding the moral as part of what is legally objective; (ii) adopt an external skeptical position in an attempt to undermine the interpretativismo of Ronald Dworkin. The third chapter discusses the feasibility of Leiters project properly. Leiter cannot show the naturalism in theory of law in its best light, since it is incapable of dealing with normative questions related to law and, therefore, to justify judicial decisions without resorting to a substantive theory, something that Dworkin can make more profit, especially with regard to the issue of objectivity. Leiters project points to a future in which empirical research can increase laws confidence, but its limitation to a theoretical project of causal-nomological description of decisions is not feasible for the purposes proposed by a successful theory of law.