The central theoretical statement of this study proposes that practical wisdom as an executive virtue within positive psychology may be applied in a pastoral-theological paradigm. One of the main virtues in positive psychology, namely wisdom, is investigated and defined in this study. The article format has been used in this thesis, ultimately consisting of five articles. In Article 1 the scriptural perspectives found on practical wisdom in the Old Testament are discussed. From the information contained in the article, it is deduced that Old Testament wisdom should and can possibly be used to connect the reader with the teachings in a realistic way so that the person is enabled to apply the principles of Old Testament wisdom literature to everyday circumstance. Article 2 deals with the wisdom principles found in the Sermon on the Mount. It can be said that wisdom teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount could possibly be used to enable the reader to achieve personal happiness in everyday life. It is further concluded that the principle of the transforming initiative could possibly be used in a valid psychotherapeutic process by the Christian psychologist with Christian clients. In Article 3 the meta-theoretical fields of philosophy, psychology, and specifically positive psychology, are investigated in terms of wisdom principles. The study focuses on how practical wisdom can be used as an executive virtue within the context of a Christian psychotherapeutic process. The conclusions from this chapter are used to direct the empirical research on the executive function of wisdom. Wisdom is an essential part of the psychotherapeutic process and can be used to enable the client to achieve personal happiness in everyday life. Article 4 deals with the empirical research where practical wisdom as executive virtue in the psychotherapeutic process was used to drive a process of personal growth and exploration for the clients in this study. It is stated further that wisdom is not the primary aim of the therapeutic intervention, but a tool to assist the therapist and the client in a more effective, outcomes-based, measurable result of personal growth. In Article 5 a pastoral-theological model for the executive virtue of practical wisdom in positive psychology is formulated. This model could possibly be applied to a therapeutic context, providing the client has the ability to comprehend the concepts and that the spiritual dimensions fit into his religious frame of reference. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The central theoretical statement of this study proposes that practical wisdom as an executive virtue within positive psychology may be applied in a pastoral-theological paradigm. One of the main virtues in positive psychology, namely wisdom, is investigated and defined in this study. The article format has been used in this thesis, ultimately consisting of five articles. In Article 1 the scriptural perspectives found on practical wisdom in the Old Testament are discussed. From the information contained in the article, it is deduced that Old Testament wisdom should and can possibly be used to connect the reader with the teachings in a realistic way so that the person is enabled to apply the principles of Old Testament wisdom literature to everyday circumstance. Article 2 deals with the wisdom principles found in the Sermon on the Mount. It can be said that wisdom teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount could possibly be used to enable the reader to achieve personal happiness in everyday life. It is further concluded that the principle of the transforming initiative could possibly be used in a valid psychotherapeutic process by the Christian psychologist with Christian clients. In Article 3 the meta-theoretical fields of philosophy, psychology, and specifically positive psychology, are investigated in terms of wisdom principles. The study focuses on how practical wisdom can be used as an executive virtue within the context of a Christian psychotherapeutic process. The conclusions from this chapter are used to direct the empirical research on the executive function of wisdom. Wisdom is an essential part of the psychotherapeutic process and can be used to enable the client to achieve personal happiness in everyday life. Article 4 deals with the empirical research where practical wisdom as executive virtue in the psychotherapeutic process was used to drive a process of personal growth and exploration for the clients in this study. It is stated further that wisdom is not the primary aim of the therapeutic intervention, but a tool to assist the therapist and the client in a more effective, outcomes-based, measurable result of personal growth. In Article 5 a pastoral-theological model for the executive virtue of practical wisdom in positive psychology is formulated. This model could possibly be applied to a therapeutic context, providing the client has the ability to comprehend the concepts and that the spiritual dimensions fit into his religious frame of reference. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Pastoral Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This thesis by the name To create oneself: Carl Peter Thunberg’s persona constructed by means of his travel account draws inspiration from recent studies within the history of science regarding the concept of persona. It seeks to expand the notion of persona to examine how it could be constructed and refined by individuals. In doing so, it offers an alternative approach to persona. Not as intellectual standard types but as a joining together of qualities that through the joining creates unique personae to each individual. Furthermore, the essay looks at change, and how it could function as an aspect of a persona. In order to examine this, I will look at how the persona of Carl Peter Thunberg was constructed in his travel account which was published in four parts and covered his travels in Europe, Africa and Asia in the 1770s. Thunberg was one of Carl von Linné’s students and a natural historian and physician in his own right. His travel account was widely anticipated and offered an opportunity for him to introduce himself to a wider audience. This source is exemplary for this kind of analysis as all four parts of the travel account existed within the same genre and was written for the same public, yet changes occurred in how Thunberg was portrayed. Rather than explaining these changes in how Thunberg was portrayed by changes in his personal circumstances, I will argue that they are best understood by considering the aspect of change as a central strategy in constructing Thunberg’s persona as a evolving scientist and natural historian.

Thesis deals with the ethical problems at the wards of psychiatric hospital. The environment of a psychiatric hospital in the context of its target group psychiatric patients is a source of ethically important situations, which must be solved by the medical social worker. This puts high demands on the worker as he is the/an executive tool of medical social work.The goal of the thesis is to identify ethically important situations, to suggest their solution and eventually to reflect these solutions with the ethical theories, ethical codes, inner rules of the psychiatric hospital and other statutory norms. The structure of the thesis is adjusted to this goal: first, I define the environment of the hospital, describe the target group and medical social worker profession. Secondly, I describe ethical problems identified before, suggest their solutions and reflect them. Finally, in the last part of the thesis, in the discussion, I contemplate about preliminary ethical understanding as a basis for identification of the ethical problems and I ponder other factors that matters in reaching the remedies of ethical problems.

L’imagerie morale connaît un essor considérable dans la péninsule italienne entre 1315 et 1415. Les ordres mendiants, notamment les franciscains, les dominicains et les augustins, sont les principaux promoteurs du renouveau de ce thème. Intégralement tournés vers l’étude et la propagation de la morale, ces trois ordres entrent en concurrence les uns avec les autres sur la question des vertus. Chez les laïcs, les villes mettent en œuvre une imagerie cohérente dressant le portrait de communes vertueuses destinée à légitimer les gouvernements et à dénoncer les régimes tyranniques. À partir d’un corpus iconographique riche (plus de 700 images), l’étude des vertus et des vices se propose de dégager la fonction et la signification des personnifications dans l’art italien à la veille de l’époque moderne. L’analyse des images met à jour les notions qui travaillent les figurations des vertus : les procédés artistiques consistant à figurer des valeurs morales ; la dimension édifiante et mnémonique des personnifications ; les échos et les écarts entre les personnifications et les exemplifications ; le phénomène de vulgarisation de la morale par l’image. / The moral imagery knows an exceptional development in the Italian Peninsula between 1315 and 1415. The mendicant orders, in particular the Franciscans, the Dominicans and the Augustinians, are the main instigators of the revival of this theme. Completely turned towards the study and the propagation of morality, these three orders are in competition on the matter of virtues. Among the laymen, cities initiate a coherent imagery drawing the portrait of virtuous communes intended to legitimate the governments and to denounciate the tyrannical systems. From a large iconographic corpus (more than 700 pictures), the study of virtues and vices intends to find the function and the meaning of personifications in the Italian art on the eve of Modern history. The analysis of pictures brings to light the notions that underlie the representation of virtues: the artistic processes consisting in representing moral values; the edifying and mnemonic dimension of personifications; the echos and gaps between personifications and exemplifications; the popularization phenomenon of ethics by the picture.

This thesis deals with the social and ethical aspects of the approach to clients suffering from schizophrenia. The theoretical part presents schizophrenia as a mental disorder that seriously affects our perception of reality and in which changes in personality occur. As a result, problems arise in everyday life, such as establishing close relationships, employment, housing, education or meaningful leisure time activities. These social problems threaten human with social exclusion. The practical part looks into client satisfaction with treatment in medical facilities, the clients´ main problems and offers solutions to such problems by the mediation of follow-up services. The ethical part deals with ethical dilemmas connected with the approach to clients where the common denominator is a thin line between promoting human autonomy and its limitations caused by the treatment of disease.

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. / 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.

Cette étude se propose d’analyser la réception médiévale du personnage de Caton d’Utique, philosophe stoïcien et citoyen romain engagé dans la défense des institutions républicaines durant la période de la seconde guerre civile, qui se suicida après la victoire de Jules César (46 av. J.-C.). Concentrant, dans un premier temps, notre intérêt sur le Catone dantesco, et en particulier sur le portier du Purgatorio de la Commedia, il a semblé pertinent de remonter le cours du temps afin d’étudier les potentielles sources de la figure catonienne élaborée par Dante (1265-1321). Ce projet a conduit à réévaluer l’image du Romain dessinée par les auteurs antiques (Ier s. av. J.-C.-VIIe s. ap. J.-C.), puis à découvrir les contours de celle tracée par les auteurs médiévaux (VIIIe s. ap. J.-C.-1320). Cet imposant parcours s’est organisé autour d’une quadruple interrogation concernant la pensée médiévale : quel rôle y joue l’exemplarité ? quelle place revient à Rome et aux Romains ? comment sont traitées les questions de la liberté et du suicide ? comment répond-on au problème du salut des païens antiques ? / The study examines the medieval reception of the character of Cato of Utica, a Stoic philosopher and Roman citizen engaged in defending the institutions of the Roman Republic during the second civil war, who committed suicide after the Julius Caesar's victory (46 B.C.E.). The thesis starts by focusing on the Catone dantesco, and in particular on Cato as the warden of the Purgatorio of the Commedia, and then works backwards in analyzing the potential sources of Dante’s (1265-1321) portrayal. This undertaking leads to a reevaluation of the image of Cato in antique authors (1st century B.C.E.-7th century C.E.), and then to uncovering the outlines of the portrayals of medieval authors (8th century C.E. - 1320). This massive undertaking is organized around four questions concerning medieval thought : what role does the notion of exemplarity play in the discussion? What place is given to Rome and to the Romans? How are the questions of liberty and suicide treated? How do the authors discuss the problem of salvation for pagans of Antiquity?

La bienveillance est un motif d'action qui vise le bien de l'autre où répond à un bienfait de l'autre ; elle constitue également un élément du contexte organisationnel, qui participe du climat éthique dans lequel chaque membre agit. Elle prend diverses formes selon l'importance donnée au bien de l'autre, au sien propre et à la relation : elle peut être gratuite, utilitariste réciproque, instrumentale, etc. jusqu'à une forme de « bienveillance mutuelle », faite de gratitude, orientée vers l'autre dans une relation. La bienveillance organisationnelle - comme bienveillance d'un agent en tant qu'il participe avec d'autres de l'expérience organisationnelle, l'influence et est influencé par elle- peut émerger et se développer dans un engagement réciproque de agents, favorisant alors la coopération et un dépassement des normes d'action : elle est efficace - et paradoxalement, elle est d'autant plus efficace qu'elle ne vise pas cette efficacité. Cette bienveillance peut être comprise dans son rapport aux règles et aux rôles organisationnels: un rapport d'interprétation ou de réinterprétation réciproque. Cette thèse comprend trois essais :-Le cynisme organisationnel comme réponse à une violation de contrat psychologique: un moindre mal ? Le cas d'un cabinet de conseil -La bienveillance organisationnelle: prescrite ou proscrite? Les parcours de bienveillance dans un cabinet de conseil. Co-écrit avec Ghislain Deslandes.-Mercier, G. & Deslandes, G. (2016). There are no Codes, only Interpretations. Practical Wisdom and Hermeneutics in Monastic Organizations. Journal of Business Ethics. DOI: 10.1007/s10551-016-3055-4. / Benevolence is a motive for action that aims at the other's good or is an answer to the other's good deed; it constitutes also an element of the organizational context, which participates to the ethical climate within which each member acts. It takes various forms according to the importance give to the other's good, to one's own good and to the relationship: it can be gratuitous, utilitarian reciprocal, instrumental, etc. up to mutual benevolence', made of gratitude, directed at the other in a relationship. Organizational benevolence - as the benevolence of an agent in as much as he/she participates with others to the organizational experience, influences it and is influenced by it - can emerge and develop in a agents' reciprocal commitment, thus fostering cooperation and the exceeding of norms of action; it is efficient -and paradoxically, it is all the more efficient that it does not seek such efficiency. This benevolence can be understood in its relation with rules and organizational roles: a relation of reciprocal interpretation or reinterpretation. This thesis comprises three essays: -Organizational cynicism as a response to the violation of the psychological contract: A lesser evil? The case of a consulting firm -Organizational benevolence: prescribed or proscribed? Courses of benevolence in a consulting firm Co-authored with Ghislain Deslandes-Mercier, G. & Deslandes, G. (2016). There are no Codes, only Interpretations. Practical Wisdom and Hermeneutics in Monastic Organizations. Journal of Business Ethics. DOI : 10.1007/s 10551-016-3055-4.

La crise environnementale a bouleversé la vie de l’homme et toutes ses activités. L’écologie a essayé de trouver des solutions aux problèmes qui nous assaillent, mais elle reste toujours dans le même logos qui nous a mis dans ces difficultés. La théologie, quant-à elle, s’est intéressée depuis peu de temps à cette question. Elle a répondu aux reproches qui lui ont été adressés avec une théologie renouvelée de la création. Notre auteur, Raimon Panikkar, propose de compléter cette approche avec une nouvelle théologie trinitaire. C’est ce qu’il a appelé l’« intuition cosmothéandrique » qui établit une relation étroite et constitutive entre Dieu, l’homme et le cosmos. Cette intuition implique de prêter une attention particulière à la sagesse. Il s’avère donc urgent que l’écologie chemine de pair avec l’écosophie. Dans ce but, il conviendrait que l’homme cultive les vertus qui lui permettront de retrouver son lien avec les autres dimensions de la réalité. Cette nouvelle approche a deux corollaires fondamentaux : une éthique et une théologie politique écosophiques, que nous nous proposons de développer pour prolonger la pensée de Panikkar. / The environmental crisis has disrupted the lives and activities of man. The ecological movement has proposed solutions to the problems we face, but it always uses the same Logos that got us into these difficulties. Theology, however has focused on this question only recently. It answered to criticisms with a renewed theology of creation. Our author of interest, Raimon Panikkar, proposes to complement this approach with a new Trinitarian theology. What he called the “cosmotheandric intuition” establishes a constitutive close relationship between God, man and the cosmos. This intuition means paying special attention to wisdom. It is therefore urgent that ecology walks hand in hand with ecosophy. To this end, mankind ought to cultivates the virtues that will allow it to reconnect with the others dimensions of reality. This new approach has two fondamental corollaries : an ecosophical ethics and a ecosophical political theology, that we intend to develop in order to prolong on Panikkar’s thought.