Pre-cognitive experience is important to Kant's epistemology, but for decades, the scholarship tended to leave this aspect aside. Pre-cognitive experience must be reintegrated, and several important works have made progress toward this goal. Some scholars maintain that the distinction between the A- and B- editions of the Critique of Pure Reason largely relates to the role of pre-cognitive experience in Kant's system. I offer an account of what Kant calls the "obscure functions of understanding," drawing from the third Critique, the Anthropology, and other writings in which Kant discusses pre-cognitive experience. I argue that the key to integrating pre-cognitive experience into Kantian epistemology lies in the proper analysis of sensus communis, or social feeling. Reflective judgment provides the logical structure by which both social feeling and the experience of the sublime come to be synthesized with cognitive experience. The result of my argument is a deepened and enhanced understanding of autonomy (which pervades the entire architectonic).

A presente investigação tem como objetivo identificar os projetos de vida e projetos vitais éticos dos jovens estudantes com idade entre 16 e 18, anos em condição de vulnerabilidade social, de instituição pública de Ensino Médio do estado de São Paulo, buscando compreender as principais características destes projetos, e, se eles podem influenciar os demais objetivos e aspirações e a percepção de sentido e significado de suas vidas. Para tanto, esta pesquisa partiu do conceito de projeto de vida (BRONK, 2010; MARIANO; SAVAGE, 2009) e dos conceitos de projeto vital e projeto vital ético de Damon e seus colaboradores (DAMON; MENON; BRONK, 2003; DAMON 2003; DAMON 2009a; DAMON 2009b). Em suma, o projeto de vida e o projeto vital correspondem a objetivos de vida de longo prazo, orientados para o futuro e significativos para o sujeito, que podem motivar e conferir sentido à existência desse sujeito. Entretanto, o projeto vital difere do projeto de vida porque corresponde a uma meta essencial na identidade do sujeito que visa beneficiar o mundo e a sociedade. O projeto vital, sobretudo o projeto vital ético, é um projeto que possui uma orientação moral que implica o devotamento a uma causa significativa e ética, com uma preocupação em fazer diferença no mundo através de ações éticas e cidadãs. Para atingir o objetivo proposto neste trabalho, foi realizada uma pesquisa com 90 sujeitos estudantes de uma escola pública da zona leste da cidade de São Paulo, inserida num bairro cujo índice de desenvolvimento humano (IDH) está abaixo da média. Em conjunto com a análise dos indicadores econômicos e sociais da região onde a escola estava localizada, foi possível identificar a presença da condição de vulnerabilidade social analisando-se outros fatores qualitativos da região onde a pesquisa foi realizada. Para atingir os objetivos aos quais esta pesquisa se propôs aplicou-se um questionário sobre projetos de vida, a escala de objetivos de vida (ROBERT; ROBINS, 2000) e a escala de sentido de vida (STEGER et. al., 2006). Os resultados da pesquisa demonstraram uma baixa presença de jovens estudantes com projetos vitais, mas confirmou o fato de que os projetos vitais éticos influenciam suas vidas no que diz respeito aos seus objetivos e ao sentido que eles atribuem a elas. / This present investigation is aimed at identifying purposes and ethical purposes of young students between 16 and 18 years old who cope with social vulnerable conditions in a public High School in the State of Sao Paulo, trying to understand the main characteristics of those purposes and whether they can have any influence on those people´s lives. For such, this research adopted the concept of purpose (BRONK, 2010; MARIANO; SAVAGE, 2009) and the concept of purpose and ethical purpose, as defined by Damon and his collaborators (DAMON; MENON; BRONK, 2003; DAMON 2003; DAMON 2009a; DAMON 2009b). In short, purposes refer to enduring, future-minded goals in life, meaningful for the people, capable of motivating and fulfilling their lives. However, the concept of purpose as defined by Damon differs from the concept of purpose as defined by other autors, as the former is stable and indicates intention of having consequences to the world beyond the self, consisting of family, community or society. Ethical purpose, however, consists of a long-term, stable and generalized goal in life, but with moral orientation that implies dedication to a significant, ethical cause, with a sense of purpose to make a difference in the world, by means of ethical and civic actions. In order to achieve the objective set in this work, we surveyed 90 students in a public school on the East side of the City of Sao Paulo, located at a neighborhood whose human development index (HDI) is lower than average. Combining the analysis of social and economic indexes for the region where the school was located, it was possible to identify the presence of social vulnerable conditions. For such, we distributed a survey on purposes, scale of purpose in life (ROBERT; ROBINS, 2000) and meaning in life questionnaire (STEGER et. al., 2006). Our survey results show there is a small number of students with purpose, but confirmed that ethical purpose influences their lives when it comes to goals and the meaning those goals can have in their lives.

Using a combination of interviews of social entrepreneurs and secondary research, this paper investigates the strategies that social entrepreneurs use to overcome tension and conflict between the two distinct goals of financial sustainability and mission fulfillment. The results suggest that although some social entrepreneurs can simultaneously achieve revenue generation and mission fulfillment, thus almost entirely eliminating any tension or misalignment, it is the creative responses of social entrepreneurs who have achieved one of these objectives and are attempting to achieve the other that prove the unique value of the practice. Additionally, the results gesture towards the conclusion that different kinds of profit-purpose tension are differentially challenging to overcome. Ultimately, this paper suggests that it is only by interrogating the past experiences of social entrepreneurs that answers to the most difficult questions in the field can be obtained.

Les fondations philanthropiques sont la source d’un intarissable questionnement, au sein duquel les règles de droit sont largement sollicitées. Que l’on songe à la création, au fonctionnement ou à la disparition des fondations… Un examen approfondi du droit positif permet de montrer que les règles de droit classiques sont souvent inadaptées au dynamisme que requiert la pratique philanthropique. À partir des résultats de cette analyse, la recherche d’une optimisation entre les règles juridiques et les véhicules d’actions d’intérêt général peut être envisagée. Cette optimisation pourrait être obtenue de plusieurs manières complémentaires, par l’amélioration de l’accessibilité des fondations à des financements multiples, par l’observation des organismes à but non lucratif concurrents de la fondation, par l’édification d’une éthique de la fondation, et par la rénovation de sa fiscalité. La fondation philanthropique apparaît ainsi, au fil de l’étude, comme un véritable laboratoire de recherche appliquée en droit fiscal, en droit administratif, et en droit comparé / French Philanthropic foundations are the source of endless questions, in which the laws governing them are sought. Think of the creation, operation or disappearance of foundations... This thorough review of positive foundation law shows that the classical laws are often inadequate for the dynamism required by philanthropic practice. This work investigates the optimization between legal rules and vehicles of public interest, which could be obtained in several complementary ways : by improving the accessibility of foundations to multiple financing, by the stricter observation of non-profit organizations competing with the foundation, by building an ethics of foundations, or by the renovation of its taxation system. The philanthropic foundation appears throughout the study as a true research laboratory for tax law, administrative law, and comparative law

This thesis is questioning the meanings of artistic creation. It is divided into two parts - theoretical and empirical. The first part introduces the topic through seven fundamental psychological approaches. The second part tracks the question of the meanings of artistic creation using qualitative half-structured interviews with three painters. During the interview analysis and interpretation, additional text and image documents are included as supplementary sources. Subjectively important topics that are linked to individual's artistic creation formed their so-called internal story of creation as the first output of analysis and data interpretation. Moreover, all three stories are compared with psychological approaches within the model of De Botton and Armstrong (2014), extended by a mutual comparison among artists and unification of various psychological approaches. Key words: creation, meaning, art, purpose, value

This diploma thesis extends the theme of bachelor thesis, in which alternative site specific exhibition spaces, called "independent galleries", in the Czech Republic were observed and described in terms of motivation and the reasons for their establishment. The diploma thesis focuses on the study of specific mainly alternative exhibition possibilities of contemporary art and on a description of the contemporary phenomenon of exhibition space abroad regarding the Czech context. These findings are developing into its own site-specific art activity in public space, which is then transformed in educational structure and implemented with the students of a selected high school in Prague in public spaces around the school. The educational part of the thesis is complemented by a qualitative research, which helped to capture mediation specifics of the topic in the educational process.

Few studies apply the Eriksonian model of identity formation to cross-cultural samples (3), even though issues of ethnicity and culture may inform a Hispanic woman’s self-concept (Phinney, 1996). Hispanic women may also be influenced by traditional gender role behaviors such as passivity or dependence that are outlined by marianismo (Stevens, 1973). A recent study of a multiethnic sample of emerging adult women and men found that purpose commitment mediated the effects of identity commitment on hope and life satisfaction (Burrow & Hill, 2011). The current research consists of two studies that replicate and expand upon the work of Burrow and Hill (2011). Study I replicated the work of Burrow and Hill (2011) among a sample of emerging adult Hispanic women, in order to assess the extent to which the original findings would replicate in a culturally distinct sample. Study II examined the role of marianismo, ethnic identity, and acculturation on identity commitment among emerging adult Hispanic women. Both studies utilized a sample of 532 female undergraduate psychology students, age 18 to 25, who self-identified as Hispanic and submitted data via online surveys. Both studies used self-report, quantitative data, which was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results from Study I indicated good model fit and replicated the findings from Burrow and Hill (2011). Specifically, the direct effect of identity commitment on hope was fully contingent upon an individual’s level of purpose commitment, while the effect of identity commitment on life satisfaction was not contingent upon an individual’s level of purpose commitment. Results from Study II indicated that marianismo, Spanish proficiency, familiarity with Latino culture, and familiarity with American culture demonstrated statistically significant direct effects on identity commitment among emerging adult Hispanic women. Results indicated cultural convergence regarding the association of an individual’s identity with well-being through a sense of purpose. Findings also revealed the role of cultural factors in the extent to which Hispanic women commit to a personal identity. Future studies should employ mixed method research designs as a means to better ascertain implications of findings.

Thesis advisor: Belle Liang / Research has documented the benefits of youth purpose (i.e., a sustained intention that facilitates engagement in activities and contributes to the world beyond oneself) (Damon, Menon, & Bronk, 2003). Youth purpose has been considered a developmental asset (Benson, 2006) and predictive of flourishing (e.g., Seligman, 2002). A sense of purpose can also serve as an important psychological resource for people experiencing adversity (e.g., Frankl, 2006). Similarly, critical consciousness (CC) has been associated with positive outcomes among youth, including improved mental health and vocational commitments (Diemer, 2009; Diemer & Li, 2011), and can help youth cope with oppression and marginalization (Diemer, Kauffman, Koenig, Trahan, & Hsieh, 2006). Given the benefits of youth purpose, additional research on how purpose develops is warranted (Liang et al., 2017a). Theoretical models of character development (e.g., Lerner & Callina, 2014) have suggested that purpose and CC develop in similar, parallel ways, though research often has not connected these two constructs explicitly. The youth purpose and CC literatures suggest that a study of the possible link between CC and purpose, whereby CC helps facilitate the development of purpose, is warranted. Therefore, this dissertation sought to expand the literature on purpose development in college students, as well as better understand if and how CC facilitates purpose development in this population. This study included 17 interviews with purposeful college students who had either relatively higher or lower levels of CC, as measured by the Critical Consciousness Scale (CCS) (Diemer, Rapa, Park, & Perry, 2017). A modified Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method was used to analyze the data and yielded 60 categories to describe the factors that contributed to the students’ purpose development (Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997). Additional analyses suggested that CC facilitated purpose development via a healing and/or directing pathway. Students were able to heal from marginalization and trauma, which was important for helping them pursue their goals; and/or they were better able to direct their prosocial motivations toward specific beneficiaries. Implications for practice are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

The aim of this master thesis is the construction of a single-purpose semi-automatic machine to assembly a component of a car. The component of assemble is a device to refueling, which consists of more thermoplastic parts. It is used a knowledge of 3D modeling software, solution of construction assemblies and necessary calculations to design the machine. The result of this thesis is detailed 3D model and drawing documentation of designed assembly machine.

This thesis provides a brief introduction to the technology milling and analysis of various parts of milling machines. In addition, this thesis focuses on the design of a dedicated milling machine for machining functional areas of aluminum cast.