Thesis (doctoral)--Vrije Universiteit te Amsterdam, 1985. / Summary in Dutch. Includes bibliographical references (p. 186-198).

When it comes to the notion of creativity, both R. Dawkins and D. Dennett argue that creativity is a matter of random mutation, in the same way that genes randomly mutate. Neither Dennett nor Dawkins see anything else in the mimetic theory of creativity than a process of Darwinian evolution. However, this complete reliance upon the extension of evolution for understanding creativity needs to be supplemented by combining it with other ideas such as those of "schema theory," because creativity always occurs within a structured context and is not simply a matter of random mutation of ideas. Schema theory comes largely from the works of E.H Gombrich, who argued that "schemas" play a crucial role in how it is that we are able to be creative. He defines schemas as structure and traditions in society that help to convey the meaning of our creative efforts. Just as semantics needs syntax within language in order to formulate and convey meaning, so by analogy memes need schemas for the creation and expression of new ideas. Rather than being the antithesis of creativity, existing forms of expression and traditions are important for the creation of new ideas. This needs to be factored into any theory of creativity in order to account for the effect of the social context on creative endeavours in addition to a Darwinian account of memes. The unconscious processes at work within the brain that are involved in the generation of ideas and other creative products can be understood using the notion of a "generator", as originally conceived by D. Dennett. This notion goes beyond mere concrete Skinnerian behavioural trial and error. Within this generator, there appear to be at work processes such as those of bisociation and association, as discussed by A. Koestler, as well as processes such as the role of language, memory, generate-and-test and intentionality that must be acknowledged in addition to the syntactic operations of schemas and the replicating contents of memes. The operation of all of these ingredients within the generator, when understood together, can be seen as responsible for our ability to be creative.

When it comes to the notion of creativity, both R. Dawkins and D. Dennett argue that creativity is a matter of random mutation, in the same way that genes randomly mutate. Neither Dennett nor Dawkins see anything else in the mimetic theory of creativity than a process of Darwinian evolution. However, this complete reliance upon the extension of evolution for understanding creativity needs to be supplemented by combining it with other ideas such as those of "schema theory," because creativity always occurs within a structured context and is not simply a matter of random mutation of ideas. Schema theory comes largely from the works of E.H Gombrich, who argued that "schemas" play a crucial role in how it is that we are able to be creative. He defines schemas as structure and traditions in society that help to convey the meaning of our creative efforts. Just as semantics needs syntax within language in order to formulate and convey meaning, so by analogy memes need schemas for the creation and expression of new ideas. Rather than being the antithesis of creativity, existing forms of expression and traditions are important for the creation of new ideas. This needs to be factored into any theory of creativity in order to account for the effect of the social context on creative endeavours in addition to a Darwinian account of memes. The unconscious processes at work within the brain that are involved in the generation of ideas and other creative products can be understood using the notion of a "generator", as originally conceived by D. Dennett. This notion goes beyond mere concrete Skinnerian behavioural trial and error. Within this generator, there appear to be at work processes such as those of bisociation and association, as discussed by A. Koestler, as well as processes such as the role of language, memory, generate-and-test and intentionality that must be acknowledged in addition to the syntactic operations of schemas and the replicating contents of memes. The operation of all of these ingredients within the generator, when understood together, can be seen as responsible for our ability to be creative.

Le présent travail s'initie par des entretiens directifs et des questionnaires auprès d'enseignants de collège afin de voir s'ils établissent un lien entre l'imagination et l'apprendre. Il continue par la lecture et l'analyse des textes officiels et des programmes relatifs aux mathématiques et au français. Il se poursuit avec l'interprétation de textes pédagogiques qui convoquent l'imagination. Suite au constat de la polysémie voire de la polymorphie de l’imagination, cet écrit lit et interprète certaines théories en pédagogies et en philosophie convoquant l’imagination. Cependant la recherche reste animée par la visée de comprendre si l’imagination permet d’apprendre. La centration théorique de notre thèse est le schématisme tel que le décrit Kant. Le schématisme est le produit de l’imagination présentative qui, dans la configuration de l’analogie de l’expérience, met en évidence l’attente d’un terme, d’un objet ; objet à saisir, à-prendre, afin que puisse être établi un rapport, puis soient aussi comparés deux rapports.Grâce à cette approche kantienne nous avons pu conclure que l’imagination est au cœur de l’apprendre parce que l’apprendre est le prolongement de l’analogie de l’expérience, produit de l’imagination présentative. / This work opens up with directive interviews of and questionnaires for secondary school teachers in order to find out if they perceive a link between imagination and learning. It is then devoted to studying and analysing official texts and syllabuses related to Mathematics and French. It proceeds with the interpretation of pedagogic writings thar refer to imagination. Based on the observation that imagination is polysemic and even polymorphic, this work interprets some pedagogic and philosophic theories on the theme of imagination. However this research remains motivated by the aim of finding out if imagination allows one to learn.This thesis is centered on the theory of schematism as described by Kant. Schematism is produced by presentative imagination which, in the analogical configuration of experience, reveals the expectation of a term, an object ; an object to seize, ʺto ap-prehendʺ, so that a link can be established, then two links be compared. Thanks to this approach by Kant we are in a position to conclude that imagination is at the heart of learning because learning is the extension of analogical experience, the outcome of presentaive imagination.

This thesis aims to explore the role and significance of the aesthetic experience in Kant&rsquo / s philosophy. To accomplish this aim / firstly, the role of aesthetic power of judgment is discovered in subject&rsquo / s production of truths about the sensible world which is attributed to the cognitive power of understanding. Secondly, the role of aesthetic power of judgment in subject&rsquo / s representation of the good and in formation of moral judgments is demonstrated. Aesthetic power of judgment which enables both the reception and production of the beauty as a necessary harmony and unity brings an aesthetic and intuitive determinability to the acknowledged transcendent field for knowledge. The thesis is concluded by the affirmation that aesthetic power of judgment as an orienting interpretative power is a necessary condition for the subject, who is limited in knowledge and sensibly conditioned in the realization of moral purposes, in order to know and to have a moral life.

No description available.

Compilation of two papers, the first of which was accepted for publication in the South African Journal of Philosophy in the second half of 2001. / Why metaphors have no meaning : considering metaphoric meaning in Davidson. -- Bare idea of a conceptual scheme : relativism, intercultural communication and Davidson. / Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: WHY METAPHORS HAVE NO MEANING: CONSIDERING METAPHORIC MEANING IN DAVIDSON Since the publication of Donald Davidson's essay 'What Metaphors Mean' (1984c) - in which he famously asserts that metaphor has no meaning - the views expressed in it have mostly met with criticism: prominently from Mary Hesse and Max Black. This article attempts to explain Davidson's surprise-move regarding metaphor by relating it to elements in the rest of his work in semantics, such as the principle of compositionality, radical interpretation and the principle of charity. I conclude that Davidson's views on metaphor are not only consistent with his semantic theory generally, but that his semantics also depend on these insights. Eventually, the debate regarding Davidson's views on metaphor should be conducted on the level of his views on the nature of semantics, the relationship between language and the world and the possibility of there existing something like conceptual schemes. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: THE BARE IDEA OF A CONCEPTUAL SCHEME: RELATIVISM, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND DAVIDSON Donald Davidson's paper 'On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme' ('OVICS') has become famous for the refutation accomplished in it of conceptual relativism. Via an argument that, essentially, all languages are intertranslatable, Davidson rejects the notion that different conceptual schemes can inhere in the supposed 'un-translatable' languages said to exist by, for instance, Whorf and Kuhn. Critics of Davidson's position have mainly focussed on practical issues, with many holding that his arguments in 'OVICS' ignore the realities of the real intercultural communication situation. In the present paper, I address criticisms of this sort. Davidson's arguments are reconstructed, with attention being paid to their dependence on the idea of practical application in the real intercommunication situation. With the aid of practical examples, the implications of elements of Davidson's philsophy of interpretation for intercultural communication are evaluated. Finally, radical interpretation is presented as a better model for intercultural dialogue than linguistically relativist ones. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: WHY METAPHORS HAVE NO MEANING: CONSIDERING METAPHORIC MEANING IN DAVIDSON Sedert die publikasie van Donald Davidson se opstel 'What Metaphors Mean' (1984c) - waarin hy die berugte stelling maak dat metafoor geen betekenis het nie - is sy sieninge meestal begroet met kritiek, ook van prominente figure soos Mary Hesse en Max Black. Hierdie artikel poog om 'n verduideliking te vind vir Davidson se verassende skuif aangaande metafoor, deur sy sieninge hieroor te kontekstualiseer teen die agtergrond van elemente uit die res van sy werk in semantiek, soos die beginsel van komposisionaliteit, radikale interpretasie en die beginsel van rasionele akkomodasie ('charity'). Ek kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat Davidson se sieninge aangaande metafoor nie slegs naatloos aansluit by sy algemene sieninge aangaande semantiek nie, maar dat die res van sy semantiese teorie ook afhang van sy sieninge aangaande metafoor. Uiteindelik behoort die debat rakende Davidson se sieninge aangaande metafoor gevoer te word op die vlak van die aard van semantiek, die verhouding tussen taal en die werklikheid en die moontlike bestaan van konseptueie skemas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: THE BARE IDEA OF A CONCEPTUAL SCHEME: RELATIVISM, INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND DAVIDSON Donald Davidson se artikel 'On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme' het beroemdheid verwerf as teenargument vir die idee van konseptuele relativisme. By wyse van 'n argument dat alle tale in beginsel vertaalbaar is, verwerp Davidson die idee dat verskillende konseptueie skemas kan skuilgaan in die veronderstelde 'onvertaalbare' tale waarvan daar sprake is by byvoorbeeld Whorf en Kuhn. Kritici van Davidson se posisie beperk hul hoofsaaklik tot praktiese besware en 'n vername aanklag teen Davidson is dat hy die realiteite misken van werklike interkulturele gesprek. In hierdie artikel spreek ek sodanige kritiek aan. Ek herkonstrueer Davidson se argumente en voer aan dat dit deurgaans afhanklik is van die idee van toepassing in 'n praktiese situasie van interkulturele dialoog. By wyse van praktiese voorbeelde evalueer ek die implikasies van Davidson se filosofie van interpretasie vir interkulturele kommunikasie. Laastens bied ek radikale interpretasie aan as 'n beter model vir interkulturele dialoog as linguisties relativistiese modelle.

The thesis focuses on a chapter from Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, "The Schematism of the Pure Concepts of the Understanding". Kant assumes two independent sources of knowledge, understanding and intuition. These sources need to be overcome, because of their heterogeneity. Schematism is closely related to "The Deduction of the Pure Concepts of the Understanding". That is why the analysis of schemata is preceded by the analysis of this chapter. It shows a more detailed description of a role of intuition with respect to understanding. Firstly, the validity of the categories regarding whatever form of intuition is proved. Secondly, the proof of the validity of the categories regarding specific forms of time and space follows. The chapter on schematism deals with the specific methods by means of which the categories relate to intuition. Kant introduces transcendental schemata bridging the heterogeneity of understanding and intuition. The relation between category and schema is understood as one of analogy. The categories are rules of discursive type of unity of any kind of intuition, whereas schemata are determined as rules of perceptive unity of intuition. Intuition is brought under unity of apperception by means of schemata of imagination. Inseparable part of the thesis is the schematism of...

仲輝. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-164) / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Zhong Hui.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1999. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 24, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Margaret S. Steffensen (chair), Jeffrey P. Bakken, William C. Woodson, Charles B. Harris. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 214-240) and abstract. Also available in print.