This thesis discusses the Vaiśeṣika philosopher Praśastapāda's conception of self in his text, the Padārthadharmasaṃgraha, and its key commentaries. It examines the arguments these texts propose for the existence of a self that is non-physical and yet non-Cartesian, based in a paradigm I term ‘differential naturalism'. I examine Praśastapāda's four arguments for the existence of a self from: the structures of agency and action in human cognition; in intentional mental and bodily acts; in the homeostatic regulation of the human body; and in the biological life of the human organism. The core thesis, I argue, is that the rational structures of agency and action we find in these activities require a conscious owner. This must be a self. The dualist argument for the self's non-physical nature emerges from a dichotomous ontology of mental and physical properties and causal powers, which entails that only a non-physical substance can be a bearer of the normative and intentional structures that agency and mental causation demand. The minded self is, however, necessarily embodied. Praśastapāda, I suggest, postulates a naturalistic conception of self. Such a self enables the integration of the mental, moral and physical realms as aspects of natural order, for self is the bearer not only of psychological, vital and normative powers in the natural world, but of natural law qua moral law. This integrative, yet differential, naturalism provides an innovative alternative to Western and classical Indian physicalist and dualist perspectives.

Rapport de stage DCB : Ecole nationale supérieure des sciences de l'information et des bibliothèques : 2002.

Le phénomène de la désindustrialisation est abordé à partir de deux approches différentes et complémentaires: celle d’un territoire, le quartier de Vaise, ancien quartier industriel proche du centre-ville de Lyon, et celle d’une entreprise, Rhône-Poulenc-Textile, anciennement Rhodiaceta, représentant le plus important ensemble industriel de Vaise. La désindustrialisation du quartier de Vaise a été particulièrement rapide et radicale, se traduisant par la disparition entre 1975 et 2005 de l’essentiel de ses emplois industriels, tandis que les surfaces occupées par l’industrie diminuaient des deux tiers. Le secteur s’est transformé en une vingtaine d’années en un quartier résidentiel et de bureaux, où l’industrie n’a plus guère sa place.En 1977, Rhône-Poulenc-Textile annonce son Plan textile prévoyant une réduction de moitié de ses productions textiles chimiques en France, la fermeture emblématique de son usine-mère de filature du nylon à Vaise qui avait connu jusqu’à 7 000 salariés et fabriqué le premier fil nylon en France, mais aussi celles de Roussillon, Besançon, Vaulx-en-Velin… Il ne s’agit pas seulement d’une restructuration mais d’une véritable désindustrialisation.Pour ces deux exemples, l’étude recherche les causes des transformations mises en évidence, auprès de leurs acteurs : les dirigeants de Rhône-Poulenc, les décideurs politiques tant au gouvernement que dans les collectivités territoriales, l’importance décisive ou non des crises économiques que cette période a connues. / The deindustrialization phenomenon is approached by two different and complementary ways: one about the territory, Vaise district, old industrial district near the Lyon’s town center, and the other about a company, Rhône-Poulenc-Textile, before called Rhodiaceta, the biggest industrial of Vaise.The Vaise district deindustrialization has been particularly fast and radical, showing the disappearance between 1975 and 2005 of most of industrial employments, whereas the busy surfaces by the industry decreased by two thirds.The sector was transformed into about twenty years in a residential and offices district, where the industry has hardly its place.In 1977, Rhône-Poulenc-Textile announces his textile Plan, foreseeing a reduction of half of its textile chemical productions in France, the emblematic closure of its manufactory mother of nylon spinning in Vaise which had known up to 7 000 employees and had made the first thread nylon in France, but also these of Roussillon, Besançon, Vaulx-en-Velin… It’s not only a restructuring but a real deindustrialization.For these two examples, the study looks for the cause of processing put there evidence, with their actors: Rhône-Poulenc managers, the politic deciders in the government as well as the territorial communities, the decisive importance or not of the economic crises that the period has knew.