From an ingenious fool to the Grail King: the significance of courtly love in Wolfram’s Parzival The focus of this thesis lies on the doctrines in courtly behavior, a multifaceted system of chivalric norms and behaviors often referred to as the knightly virtue system based on the literature of the early and high Middle Ages. The aim of this thesis is to study the different aspects, such as religious, military, courtly and romantic, of the knightly virtue system. The romantic aspect of the knightly ideal is given particular attention, as it is the focus of this paper. The word minne is the bearer of the romantic aspect and is central in Wolfram’s von Eschenbach Parzival which is the main source studied. The following issues are discussed in more detail: how the knightly ideal is presented in Wolfram’s epic and to what extent the minne affects the development of Parzival to the Grail king. In the course of this thesis it will also be shown that the romantic aspect is the most influential aspect of the knightly virtue system and that this particular aspect truly defines an ideal knight.

This dissertation is a Christian-ethical comparison of Western and Tanzanian leadership styles and their impact on cross-cultural partnerships. Christian ethics and the two cultural models by Hofstede, and Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars provide a framework for the analysis, interpretation, comparison and evaluation of both leadership styles. This study combines theoretical and empirical qualitative research in a dialectical process. The data are generated through interviews, observations, case studies, group discussion and literature. The main leadership features of character, relationship, power and conflict in the West and in Tanzania are described and compared. Furthermore, Western and Tanzanians enter into a cross-cultural dialogue on leadership issues to discover the differences, strengths and weaknesses and what they can learn from each other. Both leadership styles are evaluated in light of the Scripture. Practical action steps are proposed to move towards a truer Christian leadership style. Finally, the impact of the different leadership styles, challenges and hindrances for partnerships are addressed and a way to foster partnerships is proposed. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / (M.Th. (Theological Ethics)

This master's thesis deals with a symbolism of tortoise in fine art. The text is limited to the European art only, to keep the range of the thesis sustainable. The thesis is devided into three parts. The first chapter focuses on literature, as a source of meanings for fine art. There are in detail described beginnings of literature about turtles and development of the dominant lines of their symbolism until 17th century. It is about "Tortoise-Lady", "Tortoise-Beast & Heretic" and "Slow Tortoise". Within the second part there are briefly mentioned the shades of turtle meanings that were not specified in the previous chapter due to the time period limitation. The third section includes a case study of the painting "Bathers with a Turtle" by Henry Matisse. It contains also occurrence of "Tortoise-Lady" within the history of art.

This diploma thesis deals with the Aristotelian virtue ethics and its renaissance in the twentieth century. Ethics is first defined generally as a separate science which belongs to the practical sciences. Subsequently, the emphasis on virtue ethics as one of the directions of normative ethics. A key part of the thesis deals with the ethics of virtue in Aristotle and interpretation corresponding more or less to the interpretation of the work of Nicomachean Ethics. The emphasis is on concepts of virtue, bliss and goodness. The development of u virtue ethics from the time of Aristotle until the twentieth century is also mentioned. The last part deals with the form of virtue ethics in the twentieth century, including the process how the ethics of virtue acquired its present form. It is also compared to the interpretation of virtue ethics in Aristotle and in the works of modern moral philosophers, particularly the work of Alasdair MacIntyre After Virtue is emphasized.

The diploma thesis deals with the elucidation of the importance of ethics in social work. It focuses on important theoretical knowledge in the field of ethics and ethical concepts and its aim is to point out the possibilities of using ethical values, theories or virtues in professional practice. The work is focused on the presentation of important ethical concepts and ethical values, the contemporary form of social work, the personality of the social worker, the level and importance of education, and various examples of possible ethical problems or ethical dilemmas that can occur in the practice of social work. This thesis is based on the assumption that current social work is in a crisis and its setting requires change.

Virtue can be seen as a core construct of pastoral theology when it is understood as a relational dynamic which includes the experience of suffering and the pastoral response of compassion. This thesis probes the philosophical theology of Jonathan Edwards, who proposed that virtue is a form of beauty defined as "consent to being." Edwards' construct of virtue is examined from its inception in his pastoral work at Northampton parish. Although it was offered in the context of the 18th century debates in moral philosophy, it is argued that Edwards' idea of virtue is a unique theological contribution to our understanding of the nature of virtue. The implications of this conception of virtue are weighed against current discussions in ethics and moral philosophy on the theme of virtue. Edwards' idea of "consent to being" is expanded from a pastoral theological perspective to include the notion of compassion as an integrative motif. The structure of experience and how we speak about our experiences are explored in relation to this aesthetic understanding of virtue as a form of beauty. This leads to the notion of compassion as ontological consent. Since language is the vehicle by which our experiences are conveyed, the thesis probes the issue of how moral vision is expressed in "experience-near" language through parable, poem, and lament. Moral vision is articulated most adequately through such language, the formulation of which takes the form of a necessary quest. The thesis concludes with a constructive proposal concerning a mature pastoral theology of virtue. This may be seen as an expansion of Edwards' concept of "consent to being" from the vantage point of pastoral theology. It is argued that a dynamic vision of virtue requires some connection between the experience of suffering and the inward striving toward the greatest good. The essence of virtue can be best understood, from a pastoral theological perspective, as the relational dynamic of "suffering with" another human being. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Practical Theology)

This research investigates the teaching and practice of moral formation at three theological education institutions in South Africa. The theological institutions, while acknowledging moral formation in their aims and teaching ethical theory, have difficulty developing and implementing a moral formation programme. Among the reasons for this are the complex nature of moral formation and the numerous and wide ranging expectations placed on the institutions. In this research, morality is described in terms of relationship with God, with self, with others in the Church and society and with the environment. The findings of the research suggest that the teaching and practice at the institutions that involve relationships are most effective for moral formation. Hence it is recommended that the institutions find ways to foster the students‟ relationship with God, with themselves, with others and with the environment. Modes of moral formation that involve thinking and knowledge are important, but so are those modes that encourage emotional development and character and spiritual formation. Through projects and assignments, students can be exposed to the harsh realities of life and opportunities created to reflect on these experiences in the light of faith. Practical suggestions such as encouraging students to pray, meditate, reflect, journal and study are made. Other suggestions are that lecturing staff make more use of participative teaching methods such as discussions, case studies and stories, including the stories of the students. The mentoring role of staff and the importance of the faith community are affirmed. These relational teaching methods and activities are easier to implement in a residential seminary than in a distance learning situation. In order to fully implement the relational aspects of a programme for moral formation, it would be helpful for the theological institutions to explore various forms of blended education and to develop partnerships and work with local churches. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Ethics)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The links between individual and employer are being widely studied. Therefore, its normative dimension is still poorly explored. The sense within this base has a feeling of obligation implied in it, a sense demanding that, associated to values and standards shared between individual and organization; drive them to being morally linked to each other. The assumption is that moral virtues applied to organizations could affect this bond. However, the Brazilian literature doesn t have an instrument to measure this attribution, together with employees. Thus, the aim of this paper the construction and validation of a measuring instrument to the perception of organizational moral values. The methodology applied to this paper followed the procedures recommended by Pasquali (1999). The theoretical procedures gave foundation to the bibliographic review about the construct, in order to elaborate the definitions and items which constitute this study. To serve the validation procedures, the following step was based on the analysis of the answers from social and organizational psychology specialists to verify the obtained indexes of agreement. Afterwards, the instrument was applied to 227 respondents situated in Triângulo Mineiro/MG area that were formally linked to public and private companies. For the analytical procedure, was applied the exploratory factorial analysis method, through the extraction method Main Axis Factoring, rotation direct oblimin, factorial loads equal or above to 0,40 and auto values equal or bigger than 1,5. The results revealed that the moral organization virtue instrument of perception is composed of three factors that explains 58,89% from the total variation. The index of reliability for the organizational good Faith factor was 0,95, for the organizational reliability was 0,92 and for the organizational generosity was 0,80. Subsequent investigations must search for more delimitation of this construct and the relation between this measure and normative organizational commitment. / Os vínculos do indivíduo com seu sistema empregador vêm sendo largamente estudados. Contudo, sua dimensão normativa ainda encontra-se pouco explorada. O sentido implicado nesta base contempla a ideia de um sentimento de obrigação, um senso de dever que, associados aos valores e normas partilhados entre o indivíduo e a organização, os levam a ela permanecerem moralmente vinculados. A pressuposição é de que as virtudes morais atribuídas às organizações podem afetar este vínculo. Entretanto, a literatura brasileira não disponibiliza um instrumento para mensurar, junto aos empregados, esta atribuição. Assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo a construção e validação de um instrumento de medida sobre a percepção de virtudes morais organizacionais. O método empregado para a construção do instrumento seguiu os procedimentos recomendados por Pasquali (1999). Os procedimentos teóricos fundamentaram a revisão de literatura a respeito do construto, a fim de elaborar as definições constitutivas e os itens. Para atender o procedimento de validação, o seguinte passo constituiu na análise das respostas dos juízes especializados na área de Psicologia Social e do Trabalho para verificar os índices de concordância obtidos. Posteriormente, o instrumento foi aplicado a 227 respondentes situados na região do Triângulo Mineiro/MG que estavam formalmente vinculados a empresas públicas e privadas. Para o procedimento analítico, foi empregado o método da análise fatorial exploratória, através do método de extração Principal Axis Factoring, rotação direct oblimin, cargas fatoriais iguais ou acima de 0,40 e autovalores iguais ou maiores que 1,5. Os resultados revelaram que o instrumento de percepção de virtudes morais organizacionais é composto por três fatores que explicam 58,89% da variância total. O índice de confiabilidade para o fator boa-fé organizacional foi de 0,95, para o fator confiança organizacional foi de 0,92 e para o fator generosidade organizacional foi encontrado um valor de 0,80. Investigações posteriores devem buscar maior delimitação deste construto e a relação desta medida com o comprometimento organizacional normativo. / Mestre em Psicologia Aplicada

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:12:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_josineide.pdf: 1902681 bytes, checksum: 8b5a0cf2633f112596b53ceacc1c7e9b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-03 / La base de referencia de esta tesis es la Comissão de Ensino Religioso del estado de Rio Grande do Norte (CER-RN) en sus 39 años de existencia. En el curso del trabajo, se ha buscado comprender como la institución investigada hace surgir las resonancias del sagrado ente las líneas de los ejes temáticos previstos en los Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais do Ensino Religioso (PCNER). La investigación utilizó como referencial metodológico consultas a fuentes documentales de la Secretaria Estadual de Educação, estudio de los subsidios producidos por el Fórum Nacional Permanente do Ensino Religioso (FONAPER) y entrevistas con miembros de la comisión. El sagrado aparece como una dimensión humana capaz de inspirar el florecer de actitudes como templanza, prudencia, tolerancia, resistencia y perseverancia, sabidurías necesarias a la formación del sujeto responsable. / A base de referência desta dissertação é a Comissão de Ensino Religioso do estado do Rio Grande do Norte (CER-RN) nos seus 39 anos de existência. Nesse percurso, buscou-se compreender como a instituição estudada faz surgir as ressonâncias do sagrado nas entrelinhas dos eixos temáticos previstos nos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais do Ensino Religioso (PCNER). A pesquisa valeu-se de consultas a fontes documentais da Secretaria Estadual de Educação, do estudo dos subsídios produzidos pelo Fórum Nacional Permanente do Ensino Religioso (FONAPER) e de entrevistas com membros da comissão. O sagrado aparece como uma dimensão humana capaz de inspirar o desabrochar de atitudes como temperança, prudência, tolerância, resistência e perseverança, sabedorias necessárias à formação do sujeito responsável.

L’éducation morale est un aspect central de l’éthique de la vertu de tradition aristotélicienne. De nombreux auteurs sont attachés à l’idée qu’une bonne théorie éthique doit nous informer sur la manière de former de meilleurs agents moraux. Les éthiciens de la vertu considèrent que c’est par une éducation du caractère que l’on peut façonner des agents vertueux. Or, une telle éducation est-elle vraiment possible? Et si elle l’est, en quoi consiste-t-elle? Ce mémoire entend répondre à ces questions en explorant les horizons de la théorie des vertus, horizons qui dépassent maintenant les limites de la philosophie. En s’interrogeant d’abord sur le naturalisme moral en théorie des vertus, le naturalisme libéral est retenu comme la position métaéthique la plus réaliste pour l’avenir de la théorie. Celle-ci doit tenir compte des avancées scientifiques, notamment en psychologie sociale, si elle souhaite accomplir ses objectifs éducatifs. Pour suivre cette démarche, les caractéristiques centrale du concept de vertu sont identifiés, puis mis à l’épreuve par la critique situationniste des vertus. Selon le situationnisme, de nombreuses études empiriques montreraient que les comportements moraux des agents sont déterminés par des facteurs circonstanciels et arbitraires. Par conséquent, une caractéristique centrale de la théorie, la robustesse des vertus, est abandonnée. Cet abandon ne marque toutefois pas la fin de la théorie des vertus : elle est alors orientée vers l’éducation morale où elle demeure pertinente grâce à la littérature sur l’expertise et sur l’intelligence émotionnelle. Ce cadre théorique et empirique permet de donner une solide fondation pour l’éducation de vertus. Certaines difficultés demeurent présentes quant à l’implantation de programmes concrets d’éducation des vertus dans les écoles. Pour le futur, les chercheurs devront relevés les défis que représentent l’environnement scolaire et la mesure de vertus. / Moral education is a central aspect of the virtue ethics of Aristotelian tradition. Many authors are attached to the idea that a good ethical theory should inform us about how to form better moral agents. The ethicists of virtue consider that it is through an education of character that virtuous agents can be fashioned. But is such an education really possible? And if it is, what does it consist of? This thesis aims to answer these questions by exploring the horizons of the theory of virtues, horizons that now exceed the limits of philosophy. By first questioning moral naturalism in the theory of virtues, liberal naturalism is retained as the most realistic metaethical position for the future of the theory. It must take into account scientific advances, particularly in social psychology, if it wishes to achieve its educational objectives. To follow this approach, the central characteristics of the concept of virtue are identified and then tested by the situationist critique of virtues. According to the situationism, many empirical studies would show that the moral behaviors of the agents are determined by circumstantial and arbitrary factors. Therefore, a central feature of the theory, the robustness of virtues, is abandoned. This abandonment, however, does not mark the end of the theory of virtues: it is then oriented towards moral education where it remains relevant thanks to the literature on expertise and emotional intelligence. This theoretical and empirical framework makes it possible to give a solid foundation for the education of virtues. Some difficulties remain in implementing concrete curricula for the education of virtues in schools. For the future, researchers will have to take up the challenges of the school environment and the measurement of virtues.