Lin, Kwan Ting Maggie. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 190-195). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction / Literature Review --- p.17 / "Theories of the Body, Class and Social Status" --- p.21 / Theories of Globalization --- p.28 / Why Yoga in Hong Kong --- p.32 / Defining Social Class in Hong Kong --- p.32 / Methodology --- p.39 / Personal Statement --- p.42 / Structure of the Thesis --- p.44 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Yoga in Hong Kong and its Historical Development / The 1950s Indian Wave --- p.48 / The 1980s-90s Western Wave --- p.52 / The Commercial Yoga Boom --- p.54 / Characteristics of Yoga in Hong Kong --- p.58 / My Fieldsites --- p.61 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Yoga Studios: The Construction of Difference and Distinction / Features of Yoga Studios in Hong Kong --- p.65 / Studio Space for Leisure --- p.68 / Liminality and Yogic Ambience --- p.70 / "“Playing Yoga""" --- p.74 / Conspicuous Leisure --- p.75 / Discipline vs. Leisure --- p.81 / Membership as a Status Symbol --- p.87 / Conclusion --- p.90 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Practitioners and Teachers: Ethnicity and Respect / Verbs for Describing Degree of Engagement in Yoga --- p.92 / “Doing Yoga´ح --- p.93 / “Practicing Yoga´ح --- p.93 / "Ethnicity, Respect, and Relationships" --- p.95 / "Yoga, Ethnicity，and Status" --- p.103 / Ethnicity and Social Class --- p.112 / Beyond Ethnicity? Internationalism --- p.117 / Conclusion --- p.118 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Yoga and the Fetishism of the Body / Marketing and Advertising of Yoga and the Ideal Female Body --- p.122 / Yoga and the Slim Body Ideal in Hong Kong --- p.124 / Different Slimming Rhetorics --- p.125 / Mirrors and Discipline --- p.127 / Studios as Panopticon --- p.129 / The Slimming Myth --- p.131 / Yoga and the Fetishism of the Body in Hong Kong --- p.133 / Body as Capital --- p.134 / Body as Class Signifier --- p.135 / Conclusion --- p.139 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Beyond the Body? Spirituality and Distinction / Yoga and Spirituality --- p.143 / Yoga and Mysticism --- p.147 / Beyond the Body? --- p.150 / "Yoga, Spirituality and Progression" --- p.154 / Body vs. Spirituality --- p.156 / Disciplining the Body --- p.162 / Distinction and Class Analysis --- p.172 / Conclusion --- p.175 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Conclusion: The Significance of Yoga as Distinction in Hong Kong Limitation --- p.178 / Summary of Chapters --- p.179 / Leisure and Discipline in Hong Kong --- p.181 / Globalization and Yoga in Hong Kong --- p.182 / Capital Transference in the Capitalist Society --- p.183 / "Yoga, Class，and Status Evolution" --- p.184 / Reflections from the Failure of the Hong Kong Yoga Journal --- p.186 / "A New ""Yogic"" Hong Kong?" --- p.187 / Bibliographies --- p.191 / Appendix --- p.198

The main purpose of this dissertation is to answer the question of how one can understand the fact that we mean very different things when we say that God exists and when we say that chairs, mountains and trees exist, and that it is still a matter of existence. On the one hand it seems that we talk about the same thing when we say that something exists, irrespective of what it is, on the other hand it seems to be a question of very different things depending on what it is we are talking about as existing. This dissertation seeks to give an understanding of the relation between the concept of truth and the concept of reality. The conclusion is not only that we presuppose these concepts in everything we do, say, believe and think, but that we presuppose a specific understanding of these concepts, namely a concept of objective truth and a concept of an external and mind independent reality. In this dissertation it is also argued that our use of these concepts and that we use them in everything we do – that they are as basic as they are – says something about how it is, about reality. The use of these concepts does not only say something of what we conceptually presuppose but it also says something about what we assume in relation to reality. The conceptual aspect, in this way, has consequences ontologi.

In this essay I examine the relation between religious non-realism and religious pluralism. Religious pluralism is celebrated by it's adherents, to be benevolent and tolerant towards other religions truth claims and practices. Religious non-realism is also, by its adherents, praised for its including way to look upon truth claims and differing opinions about reality. When it comes to questions like what there is and what is not, does God exist or does he not etc. the religious non-realist is prone to less dogmatism and definite answers than metaphysical realists. Or at least so does the non-realists themselves like to think. What I examine in this essay is whether religious non-realism pragmatically implies religious pluralism, or if a non-realist judiciously can dismiss religious pluralism and instead adopt a form of confessional view of a specifik religion. Religious exclusivism, like the one Alvin Plantinga defends, rejects the possibility of x being both true and false. If a religious claim is taken to be true then incompatible claims have to be considered false according to this view. This fits poorly whith religious non-realism since the latter does not embrace a correspondance theory of truth. Religious pluralism is strongly criticized, among others for leaving “God” or other religious entities empty and whithout characteristics or content. This, because if God is litterally indescribable and unreachable, we would have no reason to believe that God has the chatacteristics we think he has. If religious pluralism cannot answer to the criticism, and if non-realism can not help pluralism evade the problems, then we are in need of a religious inclusivism that does not depend on metaphysical realism. I propose, what I have called, a pragmatic non-realistic inclusivism as an answer to the problem. This is a non-realistic theory that evades metaphysical realism and reductionism of religion, but nevertheless can prefere one religion before others. Not because one religion is concidered to have metaphysical and objective truth while others do not, but because one could prefere a specific religious language and consider that religion to be the most adequate response to human life

The energy dynamics of creativity are the metaphysical foundations upon which the theory of holistic aesthetics was built. Traditional inquiry into creativity has been concerned with the isolated issues of either the process, technique, product, creator, or environment in which creation occurs. The aesthetics presented herein provide the art educator with an alternate approach and attitude. The absolute presupposition from which the theory develops states that "there is naught but energy, for God is life." The resulting model which incorporates the rationale of the physics of light is designed to illustrate relationships between the creator and the energies of creativity. Educational applications and significance of the model are described in terms of light and color; these practical implications lend themselves to empirical testing.

Si d'aucuns pensent que la tragédie est morte, le tragique quant à lui reste une catégorie théâtrale toujours actuelle. Chez Eugène Ionesco, dramaturge de la deuxième moitié du XXe siècle, nous retrouvons le sens du tragique dans ses oeuvres même si celui-ci diffère de l'époque antique. Le tragique ionescien s'inspire sur une vision du monde fondamentalement absurde. Ainsi, à l'instar de ses contemporains comme Samuel Beckett par exemple, Eugène Ionesco propose un tragique humble (cf. Jeux de massacre : tragique = absence d'issue), un tragique politique à la mesure des bouleversements du siècle (cf. Rhinocéros, Le Roi se meurt, Macbett, etc.). A la place des héros combattants, on a chez Ionesco des fantoches qui gesticulent, des objets qui prolifèrent (cf. Les Chaises) ; un langage humain qui est mis en cause (cf. La Cantatrice chauve « tragédie du langage »). Le théâtre d'Eugène Ionesco naît plutôt de la crise de l'humanisme. / If some people think that the tragedy died, the tragic as for him rest an always current theatrical category. At Eugène Ionesco, playwright of the second half of the XXth century, we find the sense (direction) of the tragic in its works even if this one differs from the antique time (period).The ionescien tragic is inspired on a vision of the world fundamentally absurd. So, following the example of his contemporaries as Samuel Beckett for example, Eugène Ionesco proposes a tragic humble (cf. Games (sets) of massacre: tragic = absence of outcome (exit)), a tragic political in the measure of the upheavals of the century (cf. Rhinoceros, King is dying, Macbett, etc.). On the place (square) of the heroes fighters, we have at Ionesco the marionettes which gesture, objects which proliferate (cf. Chairs); a human language which is questioned (implicated) (cf. The bald Opera singer "tragedy of the language"). The theater of Eugène Ionesco arises rather from the crisis of the humanism.

[pt] Partindo do lugar reservado à interpretação no método genealógico de Nietzsche, o presente mostra que a genealogia, por ouvir o silêncio inerente às produções culturais, por se ater àquilo que as construções silenciam enquanto são produzidas e preservadas, necessariamente aborda a violência velada por tais empreendimentos. Há um excesso de violência no desenvolvimento da cultura metafísica, proporcional à quantidade existente de mecanismos de encobrimento dessa violência. O esclarecimento genealógico das violências recusadas indica a aposta de Nietzsche no alargamento da razão, cuja direção implica na redução da violência e em novos destinos para o mal-estar sentido pela consciência moral. / [en] Starting with the examination of the place reserved for the interpretation in the Nietzsche´s genealogical method, this work shows that genealogy, by listening the silence inherent to cultural productions, necessarely broaches the violence covered by such undertakings.There is an excess of violence in the development of the metaphysical culture, proportional to the quantity of existing mechanisms for concealing this violence. The revelation of these hidden violences through genealogical method indicated Nietzsche´s bet on the expantion of reason, whose consequences are the reduction of the same violence and the cration of new destinies for the discomfort felt by the moral conciousness.

L'abstraction, la fragmentation et d'autres modes de destruction de l'image ou du discours ont caractérisé l'art de la deuxième moitié du XX siècle. L'absence d'éléments narratifs ou référentiels dans les oeuvres de cette période indique une vide de signification qui, en même temps, est expression ou manifestation du sacré. Cette recherche établit les liens entre la radicalité de ces propositions et l'expérience mystique ou l'expérience du néant. Dans ce but, nous avons analysé "Boîtes métaphysiques", de Jorge Oteiza, et "Trois leçons de ténèbres", de José Ángel Valente. / Abstraction, fragmentation, and other ways of image or speech destruction have characterized the art of the second half of the 20th century. The absence of narrative or referential elements in the artworks of this period points to a condition of absolute emptiness of meaning, which, in turn, constitutes the expression or manifestation of the sacred. This investigation is aimed at establishing links between these radical artworks (o, is prefieres, between the radicalness of these artworks) and mystic experience. To that end, I have analyzed two important works of 20th century art, namely, “Metaphysical Boxes” by the Basque sculptor Jorge Oteiza and “Three Lessons of Darkness” by the Galician poet José Ángel Valente.

[pt] O trabalho se destina a elucidar os motivos pelos quais Kant postula, na Crítica da Razão Pura, a tese de que os juízos infinitos da forma S é não-P não se reduzem aos afirmativos da forma S é P e nem aos negativos da forma S não é P. A distinção não parece se sustentar na abordagem extensional que é própria da Lógica Geral, uma vez que a equivalência entre juízos infinitos e negativos se revela incontornável. O método adotado segue as advertências dadas pelo próprio Kant e consiste em localizar algum passo da argumentação desenvolvida na Dialética Transcendental onde esta forma judicativa desempenhe um papel exclusivo e imprescindível. Duas hipóteses são examinadas. A primeira é que os juízos infinitos têm papel essencial na formulação e na solução da Primeira Antinomia da Razão Pura. A segunda é que têm função na formulação do Princípio da Determinação Completa, o qual é suscitado a pretexto de se elucidar o Ideal Transcendental da Razão Pura. Esta segunda hipótese se mostrará de fato a solução do nosso problema, mas terá repercussões sérias na interpretação de toda Crítica da Razão Pura, sobretudo ao pressupor um aspecto intensional da predicação que, no geral, tem sido desconsiderado e, por vezes, até mesmo recusado pelo comentário da filosofia de Kant. / [en] The task of this work is explaining why Kant claims in Critique of Pure Reason that infinite judgments of the form S is not-P are not reducible to the affirmative ones of the form S is P nor to the negative ones of the form S is not P The distinction does not seem justifiable in the extensional approach that is proper of General Logic, since the equivalence between infinite and negative judgments ends up to be inevitable. We adopt a method that is suggested by Kant s advices, which consists in looking for some moment in the discussion of Transcendental Dialectic where this form of judgment plays an exclusive and indispensable role. Two hypotheses are examined. The first one is that infinite judgments have an essential role in the formulation and in the solution of the First Antinomy of Pure Reason. The second one is that they have function in the formulation of the Principle of Complete Determination, which is mentioned in order to explain the Transcendental Ideal of Pure Reason. Actually, this second hypothesis will show up as the solution for our problem, but also will have strong repercussions at the interpretation of the whole Critique of Pure Reason, especially for presupposing an intensional aspect of predication that generally has been ignored and sometimes denied by Kantian philosophy s commentators.

[pt] Esse ensaio se pretende um simples esboço de análise crítica da idéia de Deus como tentativa de resposta metafísica e religiosa ao problema do sentido, assim como de certos argumentos em defesa dessa idéia. - Mas pretende, sobretudo, investigar o fracasso das teodicéias em dar conta do problema do mal. / [en] This essay intends to be a mere effort of critical analysis of the idea of God as an attempt to give a metaphysical and a religious answer to the problem of the sense, as well of certain arguments in defense of this idea. - But mainly this essay intends to investigate the failure of the theodicy in finding a solution to the problem of evil.

In this essay I describe the development of my prose work entitled Jorden är platt (Earth is flat). In the text we encounter a woman whose 40-year-old brother is diagnosed with lung cancer. The brother has been living a hectic life of drug addiction. The relationship between brother and sister is characterized by ironic distance, but also a lot of love. My aim is to write a funny yet dramatic and serious novel about illness and foreboding death.I have studied how depictions of disease have evolved from the 1950s onward, and how the need for personal disease narratives, often containing elements of metaphysical thought and metaphors of illness, is steadily increasing in our modern biomedical world, where disease and death have become institutionalized.