Thesis (M.A.)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-89).

Thesis (M.A.)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-89).

Thesis (M.A.)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 2004. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-89).

This thesis presents a study on the way of thinking and way of design of the Czech born architect Antonin Raymond (1888-1976). The data used for this study was a series of lectures and articles written by Raymond between 1935 and 1967 and original architectural drawings and photographs. These documents were all collected personally by the author at Raymond’s former studio in Karuizawa and Architectural Office in Tokyo. These documents provide a new source of information on Raymond’s residential work and have been compiled in an electronic database available with the thesis. The database includes architectural drawings, original and contemporary photographs, and general information on a majority of the residential works designed by Raymond between 1920 and 1938. The aim of this thesis is to answer the following question: what is the core quality or concept that identifies a work of architecture as Raymond’s? In order to answer this question, the thesis presents a study on the identity of Antonin Raymond as an architect, which the author has chosen to refer to as “Architectural Identity”. The essential quality of Raymond’s “Architectural Identity” is defined through the study of the architect’s way of thinking, way of design, and the relationship between the two. These three elements are considered by the author as the three components of “Architectural Identity”. For the study of Raymond’s way of design, the thesis focuses on one residential project, which is Raymond’s own summer house, built in Karuizawa in 1933. / Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第13809号 / 工博第2913号 / 新制||工||1430(附属図書館) / 26025 / UT51-2008-C725 / 京都大学大学院工学研究科建築学専攻 / (主査)教授 髙松 伸, 教授 前田 忠直, 教授 門内 輝行 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当

This dissertation investigates the possibility of justifying simplicity principles in science. The labor of these projects is organized into three chapters. The first chapter introduces some of the key authors and issues in the history of simplicity in science. This chapter also gives a detailed discussion of the work of the 19th century physicists Le Verrier and Newcomb who played a crucial role in setting the stage for Einstein's theory of relativity. These examples are used to illustrate points in the following chapters. However, they play a specific role in the first chapter to show serious problems with a view defended by an important contemporary author, Richard Swinburne, that one version of the principle of parsimony contributes to the probability that scientific theories will be true. The second chapter elucidates the problems involved in specifying and measuring the simplicity of scientific hypotheses and theories. When simplicity criteria are employed in a scientific methodology, we find that simplicity judgments of one kind are always traded-off with simplicity judgments of another kind. We also find that the scientific project involves a delicate balancing of several aims. This analysis renders a valuable result: that some dogmas, in particular, the dogma that principles of parsimony are the final court of appeal in scientific theory selection must be jettisoned. I also find that it is misguided to ask the question of whether or not simplicity of some clearly specified kind is related to the truth. In point of fact, the legitimate questions about the justification of specific simplicity judgments in science are much more complex and nuanced than this. This becomes clear when it is seen exactly how different simplicity criteria are related to one another and to the various desiderata of science. The third chapter investigates which argument forms may be available to justify simplicity principles in science. In some cases it is nonsense to ask the question of how simplicity is related to the truth. However, we can investigate the forms of various arguments that may be given to justify methodological principles involving simplicity criteria. The results from the second chapter are employed in two ways. First, methodological principles stand in a tight-knit set of interrelations, so our analysis of justificatory argument forms must incorporate the complexity of these relations. Second, simplicity is extremely heterogeneous and since no conceptual reduction of all of the various simplicity criteria is possible, justificatory arguments must deal with clusters of interrelated principles. This result may have certain advantages and other disadvantages for inductive, transcendental, or inference to the best explanation approaches to the justification of simplicity. My analysis shows what will and what will not work for these possible approaches to the question of justification and shows what some of the systematic and metaphilosophical commitments would have to be were philosophers to pursue this project.

This study aims to generate increased understanding for, and to portray, the mobile lifestyle vanlife by examining motives, obstacles and potential consequences of this particular lifestyle.  The study was conducted using qualitative method. The selection of study participants was aimed towards people who own or have owned a mobile home and lives or have lived in it periodically at the least. The selection was interviewed through semi structured interviews, and the empiric material was analyzed using thematic analysis.  The results show that vanlife can be seen as a form of voluntary simplicity because it’s a minimalistic lifestyle both in terms of resource- and energy consumption and because of the simpler dwelling. Vanlife can also be seen as a form of lifestyle migration because of the great importance of the destination to people within vanlife, but also because they can move to these places whenever they feel due to the flexible mobility of their homes.  The strongest motive is freedom in various aspects – such as freedom to travel but also financial freedom. Another strong motive is the feeling of belonging to a community. The opinions about the environmental impact of the lifestyle are divided among the participants, but some testify of negative impacts on local environments. Cold weather and safety concerns are some of the obstacles to vanlife, and a feeling of not belonging anywhere are one of the consequences. Additionally, vanlifers don’t want to be confused with people living at traditional camping grounds.

The aim of the thesis was to design the urban town house in blank space on Krizova street. The blank space is situated on the edge of the Mendel's square, an important transportation node of the city Brno. Spatial and conceptual solutions of the house is based on urban studies of Mendlel's square and its surroundings. The house is designed on a long parcel, which in the urban environment is equivalent to about four houses. Therefore, the house is divided vertically to keep the urban scale. At the same time at both ends it is directly connected to the existing buildings, therefore, different height levels of each mass are designed. Parterre of the house is commercial, as is the same for neighboring houses, in the other floors modern large single deck and maisonettes are designed.

There is a fine line between the "simple" and the "simplistic". The simple such as the plain, the pure, and the truthful holds a complexity within, which is extremely hard to obtain. It ultimately results in beauty. The simplistic embodies nothing more than obviousness and boredom. My aim is to strive for simple beauty. Concerning objects and architecture, to simplify means to reduce by eliminating the superficial and the superfluous, to unmask what is essential. Quality materials and craftsmanship are prerequisites. In combination with the accuracy of the design they help to attain the desired result which speaks of precision and clarity. / Master of Architecture

In the first chapter of this paper I focus on the general overview of Occam's Razor, and develop several interpretations and adaptations of Occam's Razor as a principle of simplicity. In the second chapter I apply these different interpretations in the Physicalism/Dualism debate, and critically assess the validity of these implementations of Occam's Razor in philosophy of mind. In the final chapter I give an overview of my discussion thus far, and make assertions about what my paper means for the usage of Occam's Razor's as a whole.

The present paper describes an innovative electro-hydraulic system developed for automated side loaders. The system is based on Intelligent Flow Control (IFC), a concept where open circuit electric displacement controlled pumps are coupled with EH directional control valves. IFC was selected in order to achieve the level of performance required, in terms of efficiency and productivity (i.e. cycle times), and also to provide the best possible control of the side loader arm. The paper describes the system layout and the basics of the controls: from the alghorithms of the arm actuators to the vehicle on board telemetry and diagnostic. The paper reports the comparison between the IFC system (implemented on the vehicle) and a more traditional approach based on a Load Sense Flow Sharing concept. The benefits of the IFC solution are highlighted focusing on the energy efficiency (very important especially in the case of CNG engines, where the torque available at idle is significantly lower than diesel engines), but also in terms of controlability and response (due to the lack of load sensing signal lines).