This thesis examines Karl Jaspers' theory of the origin of man in a historical period 2500 years ago.Jaspers believes that it was then that man's current mental and spiritual consciousness was formed and developed. Jaspers was convinced that man should use the abilities of his origin as a counterforce in the struggle in modern reality, a development which in many respects was based on myths, dogmas and irrationality, and which characterized man's living conditions. After suffering the trauma of World War II until 1945, Jaspers decided to identify the good qualities that he believed all people should have in common, thereby creating new existential conditions. Jaspers started from the archaic and classical times in history and then found a period where man had obviously been endowed with specific soul gifts and cognitive qualities. He called the period "the axial age" in the book published in 1949, Vom Ursprung und Ziel der Geschichte, which was then translated into English in 1953 with the title The Origin and Goal of History. The English edition is the primary source in this study. In his book, Jaspers uses a philosophical-historical perspective on the origins and events that he associates with human development during the axial age, in order to draw attention to the normative image we have of our selves and others as human beings in the world. Jaspers pedagogically describes the life man lives in modernity in the same way as when Plato explains the world of ideas. As it is demonstrated in the thesis, Jasper's idea is based on a speculative reflection on the origin and properties of man and regards it as a "tabula rasa" with new existential conditions intended for man in the modern world, facing a charge and a prelude to the future. Furthermore, the thesis explores comments on and critique of this theory expressed by other scholars.

This study searches for the origin and history of the concept of individual accountability and the reason for its absence in the African Traditional Religion framework. This search begins in the Axial Age (800-200 BCE), and discusses ancient Israel's Axial Age and its Axial Hebrew prophets' response models. The study tracks the introduction of Axial ideals to South Africa, via Christianity since 1826, and examines the Xhosa prophets' response models to their Axial context. The Social Christians attempts to impart Axial ideals during the period of segregation and the Tuskegeean response model are also examined. The similarities between ancient Israel and South Africa as revealed by Biblical archaeology, underlie this study's call for the utilisation of the power of religions such as Christianity, and of South Africa's religious elite, to rapidly alter current maladaptive beliefs within the African Traditional religious framework that impedes Africans' ability to adopt individual accountability. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. A. (Biblical Archaeolgy)

This study searches for the origin and history of the concept of individual accountability and the reason for its absence in the African Traditional Religion framework. This search begins in the Axial Age (800-200 BCE), and discusses ancient Israel's Axial Age and its Axial Hebrew prophets' response models. The study tracks the introduction of Axial ideals to South Africa, via Christianity since 1826, and examines the Xhosa prophets' response models to their Axial context. The Social Christians attempts to impart Axial ideals during the period of segregation and the Tuskegeean response model are also examined. The similarities between ancient Israel and South Africa as revealed by Biblical archaeology, underlie this study's call for the utilisation of the power of religions such as Christianity, and of South Africa's religious elite, to rapidly alter current maladaptive beliefs within the African Traditional religious framework that impedes Africans' ability to adopt individual accountability. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. A. (Biblical Archaeolgy)

This thesis deals with the concept of modernity called "nadcivilizace" ("supercivilization") that was developed in the nineteen-fifties by Czech philosopher Jan Patočka (1907-1977) in his originally unpublished study Nadcivilizace a její vnitřní konflikt. The main goal of the thesis is to introduce this concept in the framework of the author's life and work, as well as in the context of current research in the field of historical sociology. This goal is fulfilled through three main steps, which are preceded by preliminary remarks about the issues of nowadays civilizational analysis. The first part is focused on the introduction of the author's concept of modernity as it was presented in the aforementioned study. Patočka's original term "nadcivilizace" is introduced and put into the context of civilizational analysis. At the same time, the circumstances of the genesis of the text, and the spiritual framework of the epoch in which Czech philosopher lived, are presented. Second part attempts to put the original concept into the author's lecture of philosophy of history, and to demonstrate the changes that occurred in Patočka's understanding of modernity in his work Kacířské eseje o filosofii dějin (Heretical Essays in the Philosophy of History, 1975). Finally, the last part is dedicated to the problem...

This thesis outlines some basic approaches in the field of comparative civilizational analysis in the works of Jóhann P. Árnason and Jaroslav Krejčí in the confrontation with Jan Patočka's philosophy of history. Those theoretical bases are put into a wider historical context and historical relations in casuistic studies, narrowed to the civilizational area of the Middle East, especially Mesopotamia and Syria-Palestine and also the Aegean-Greek area. This work emphasizes the inevitable interconnection of generally conceived civilizational analysis, or historical sociology, with specific historiography. Individual detaching of theoretical concepts is understood as a relic of blind reductionism and determinism which is strongly rejected by philosophy of history which tries to focus on the phenomenon of historicity instead of historical chronologies. Nevertheless, without the support of empirical reality even philosophy of history would become a mere philosophical rumination. The connected interdisciplinary approach is the only way how to figure out the historical / civilizational sense, "between the past and the future" and to create continual cultural memory from the awareness of relations to the relation of awareness.

This essay examines, from a religious psychological perspective and with references to current religious psychological theories, possible connections between religion and long-distance trade in pre-modern societies, with an emphasis on the Silk Road. These possible connections concern both the role of religion in trade itself; for example, in the form of supernatural monitoring and costly signaling of credibility, as well as the role of long-distance trade in the spread and formation of religions. This essay also touches on the historical context in which the Silk Road had its greatest significance for both trade and religion; from the 2nd century BC until the end of the 15th century AD, to shed light on how historical factors such as technology, politics and societal organization interacts and intertwines with religion and trade. / Uppsatsen undersöker utifrån ett religionspsykologiskt perspektiv och aktuell religionspsykologisk teoribildning möjliga samband mellan religion och långväga handel i förmoderna samhällen, med särskild fokus på Sidenvägen. Dessa samband berör såväl religionens roll i själva handeln; till exempel i form av övernaturlig övervakning och kostsam signalering om trovärdighet, som den långväga handelns betydelse i spridning och formering av religioner. Uppsatsen berör också den historiska kontext där Sidenvägen får sin största betydelse för både handel och religion; från 200-talet f.Kr. och fram till 1400-talets slut, för att belysa hur historiska faktorer som teknologi, politik och sammahällsorganisation står i ett ständigt samspel med religion och handel.

[ES] A lo largo de la historia, cada era configura su propio imaginario respecto al héroe, de modo que la mitología resultante se conforma en función a la cosmogonía del momento. Sin embargo, este imaginario también posee una ascendencia cultural y está constantemente influida por las distintas corrientes cosmogónicas del pasado. Eso permite comprender que la aprehensión del arquetipo sucede en un entorno noológico en transformación constante que se extiende hasta tiempos ancestrales. En esta investigación, presentamos un estudio sobre el arquetipo del héroe en cada edad, para poder comprender la función mítica de este referente mítico a lo largo de la historia, y sus repercusiones en la contemporaneidad. Del mismo modo, esto nos permite reflexionar sobre la función sociopolítica del heroísmo, y cómo la mitología está sujeta al control del discurso de las jerarquías sociales. En cualquier caso, estudiamos cómo frente a esto, en el imaginario colectivo popular subsisten temáticas y héroes independientemente de quien ostente la hegemonía cultural. Analizamos también, el imaginario de la sociedad contemporánea, para determinar qué héroe es el más representativo de nuestro tiempo, en función del orden del discurso y los intereses sociales. Del mismo modo, también prestamos atención a los héroes que, sin ser protagónicos, representan mejor los ideales democráticos que fundamentan las sociedades occidentales. Asimismo, identificamos aquellos héroes que han llegado hasta nuestros días debido a su arraigo cultural. Por último, el desarrollo de la investigación en torno a la noología del héroe y la evolución del imaginario colectivo nos permite comprender mejor el carácter esencial del héroe. Al final de la tesis es posible considerar el grado en que los arquetipos son monolíticos y si, en algunos de los casos, la transformación de su aprehensión puede dar lugar a referentes singulares, a pesar de conservar rasgos comunes. / [CA] Al llarg de la història, cada era configura el seu propi imaginari respecte a l'heroi, de manera que la mitologia resultant es conforma en funció a la cosmogonia del moment. No obstant això, aquest imaginari també posseeix una ascendència cultural i està constantment influïda pels diferents corrents cosmogònics del passat. Això permet comprendre que l'aprehensió de l'arquetip succeeix en un entorn noològic en transformació constant que s'estén fins a temps ancestrals. En aquesta recerca, presentem un estudi sobre l'arquetip de l'heroi en cada edat, per a poder comprendre la funció mítica d'aquest referent mític al llarg de la història, i les seves repercussions en la contemporaneïtat. De la mateixa manera, això ens permet reflexionar sobre la funció sociopolítica de l'heroisme, i com la mitologia està subjecta al control del discurs de les jerarquies socials. En qualsevol cas, estudiem com enfront d'això, en l'imaginari col·lectiu popular subsisteixen temàtiques i herois independentment de qui ostenti l'hegemonia cultural. Analitzem també, l'imaginari de la societat contemporània, per a determinar quin heroi és el més representatiu del nostre temps, en funció de l'ordre del discurs i els interessos socials. De la mateixa manera, també parem esment als herois que, sense ser protagonistes, representen millor els ideals democràtics que fonamenten les societats occidentals. Així mateix, identifiquem aquells herois que han arribat fins als nostres dies a causa del seu arrelament cultural. Finalment, el desenvolupament de la recerca entorn de la noologia de l'heroi i l'evolució de l'imaginari col·lectiu ens permet comprendre millor el caràcter essencial de l'heroi. Al final de la tesi és possible considerar el grau en què els arquetips són monolítics i si, en alguns dels casos, la transformació de la seva aprehensió pot donar lloc a referents singulars, malgrat conservar trets comuns. / [EN] Throughout history, each era configures its own imaginary regarding the hero, so that the resulting mythology is shaped according to the cosmogony of the moment. However, this imaginary also has a cultural ancestry and is constantly influenced by the different cosmogonic currents of the past. This allows us to understand that the apprehension of the archetype happens in a noological environment in constant transformation that extends to ancient times. In this research, we present a study on the archetype of the hero in each age, in order to understand the mythical function of this mythical reference throughout history, and its repercussions in contemporaneity. Similarly, this allows us to reflect on the sociopolitical function of heroism, and how mythology is subject to the discourse control of social hierarchies. In any case, we study how, in the face of this, the themes and heroes subsist in the popular collective imagination regardless of who holds the cultural hegemony. We also analyze the imaginary of contemporary society, to determine which hero is the most representative of our time, based on the order of discourse and social interests. In the same way, we also pay attention to the heroes who, without being protagonists, better represent the democratic ideals that underpin Western societies. Likewise, we identify those heroes who have survived to this day due to their cultural roots. Finally, the development of research around the noology of the hero and the evolution of the collective imagination allows us to better understand the essential character of the hero. At the end of the thesis it is possible to consider the degree to which the archetypes are monolithic and whether, in some of the cases, the transformation of their apprehension can give rise to singular referents, despite preserving common features. / Sanmartín Cava, JF. (2022). El héroe en el imaginario colectivo. Aproximación arquetípica desde los primeros relatos hasta las industrias de la comunicación y culturales [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/182257