Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Philosophers, biography'

The primary aim of this psychobiography was to examine Friedrich Nietzsche’s life by utilizing Carl Rogers’ theory of the fully functioning person. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900) has become an iconic figure in German philosophy and literature. Nietzsche’s criticism of western morality and culture led him to believe that humankind was not living to its highest potential and consequently Nietzsche sought after a life of self-becoming. Nietzsche’s philosophy has influenced various people such as Viktor Frankl, DH Lawrence, Michel Foucault and NP van Wyk Louw. Nietzsche was chosen as the research subject because of personal interest, his prominence as a philosopher, and because of his ambition to live a meaningful life. Psychobiographical research with the use of psychological theory allows for the exploration and description of the life of an individual. This significant area of research involving the application of psychological theory has in previous decades, however, been under-utilized, particularly in South Africa. But more recently, has it been receiving increasing support by researchers both internationally and in South Africa. Data collected on Friedrich Nietzsche’s life were drawn from several primary and secondary sources. A data collection and analysis grid was developed in order to collect data systematically, and to analyse the data according to the qualities of Carl Rogers’ theory. The study adds to the body of psychobiographical research. It also provides an empirical exploration of Carl Rogers’ theory of the fully functioning person. As the scope of the study was that of a master’s dissertation, future research, utilising semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable relatives, academics, psychologists, biographers, philosophers and historians on Nietzsche’s life, could extend this line of research. In conclusion, the current psychobiography suggests that Nietzsche lived a life filled with several personal crises. Despite these challenges, Nietzsche directed himself towards living as a fully functioning person. Nietzsche’s impetus towards self-becoming is also evident within his philosophical writings. Nietzsche was an extraordinary individual whose life, as described in the current psychobiography, corresponds closely to Rogers’ (1961) theory of a fully functioning person.

The intellectual world of the late Ming literati was without question one of great richness and complexity. The focus of the present study, however, is limited to an examination of Wang Ken, the man, his key philosophical beliefs, and his role in the founding of the T'ai-chou School of thought. In exploring the genesis of Wang Ken and his school of thought, certain aspects of the social milieu are examined in order to reach a better understanding of how the larger environment and this radical intellectual movement became intertwined. In other words, I have attempted to discern and define the interplay of the most important creative minds of the time, and particularly those of the elite class with this group. As a teacher and thinker Wang Ken exercised a considerable influence on his times, contributing in the process to the new permissiveness so characteristic of the latter half of the Ming dynasty. In this regard, the present study also represents an attempt to discover the basic patterns underlying Wang Ken's thought, as well as the T'ai-chou School's responsiveness to dramatic changes in society. In doing so, we perceive an implication of intellectual autonomy in the form of social and political protest against imperial autocracy. Also, the spread of his faith in an attainable and intelligible sagehood among the lower classes, gradually blurred the dividing line between elite and commoner. Finally, the assertions of Wang Ken and the T'ai-chou School indeed stimulated a new sense of self-awareness and self-worth. Nevertheless, it is because of its radical rejection of the established social, political, and intellectual order that the T'ai-chou School has been branded as heterodox. As a result, the frustration of its aspiration for a more genuine humanity was inevitable, as this intellectual movement fell victim to the forces of orthodoxy and conformity.

Les personnages de philosophes sont nombreux dans les textes à l’époque impériale, et donnent lieu à des représentations variées chez les écrivains. L’importance des philosophes à l’époque impériale n’est plus à démontrer : ils sont au carrefour de toutes les connaissances, terrestres et célestes, sont liés au pouvoir et font partie de la vie quotidienne des habitants des cités de langue grecque. Ils sont emblématiques de l’hellénisme, une identité fondée sur l’éducation. Le présent travail étudie la position nodale de ces personnages à travers leur récurrence et les modalités de leur représentation dans les textes, afin de comprendre comment une même figure, au-delà de l’effet de répétition qui émane de la multiplicité des occurrences, propose moins une définition du philosophe que ne le pose comme un problème permettant de penser le monde dans lequel vivent les écrivains. Les personnages de philosophes se révèlent un outil fécond pour nourrir une réflexion, illustrer un point de vue, revendiquer une identité ethnique ou culturelle, une supériorité dans le champ de la connaissance. La mise en scène des personnages, jamais exempte d’ambiguïté, dévoile que chaque philosophe potentiel pourrait bien n’être que l’usurpateur d’un titre prestigieux, un sophiste, figure vide qui, comme chez Platon, prend l’apparence du philosophe. Ce travail a ainsi permis de mettre en avant toutes les facettes d’une représentation porteuse de sens dans des textes d’origine et de portée diverses, mais aussi les moyens par lesquels, par le biais de représentations quasi standardisées, la notion de philosophe est posée comme un outil pour penser le monde contemporain et les débats qui l’animent
The philosopher figures are numerous in the literature of the Imperial Period, and they are variously depicted by the Antic writers. The importance of philosophers under the Empire has been shown. They seat at the crossroad of both terrestrial and celestial knowledge; they are often related to powerful people and take part in the everyday life of the Greek-speaking citizens. They are emblematic for the Hellenism, which is a kind of identity based on education. This work focuses on the nodal position they occupy in the texts and on the modalities of their representation, in order to understand how the same kind of figure, apart from the repetitive impression that emanates from the multiplicity of their appearances, constitutes less of a definition of what exactly is a philosopher than a problem allowing to shed some light on the world in which the writers are living. Philosopher figures reveal themselves a useful tool in order to grow a reflexion, illustrate a point of view, claim his ethnical or cultural identity, or assert his superiority in the field of knowledge. The setting of philosophers is never deprived from ambiguity and shows that every character could actually be a sophist under the guise of the philosopher. In this study, we have shown the various faces the philosophers can take depending on the writer and the context, and the different ways they gain meaning in texts of every genres and every source. The philosopher figures appear as a fruitful tool when it comes to make sense of the contemporary world and the debates pervading it

The Problem Investigated: This thesis is conceived as: [1] a work of scholarship and exegesis [2] an examination of more recent scientific works which use similar metaphors or concepts, eg. Cooperation, that are central to Kropotkin's thinking. As a work of scholarship and exegesis this thesis is an attempt to present the many areas/dimensions of Kropotkin's philosophy and thinking in a systematic way. I do not believe that this has been attempted previously in any language. Although his political, social and economic theories have generated a substantial secondary literature, Kropotkin's scientific works and philosophy of science, with the exception of his famous book, Mutual Aid, have received virtually no attention. In consequence of this the emphasis of this work will be upon his scientific writings. However, his political writings will also be examined as well as related to his broad scientific outlook. In addition to evaluating Kropotkin's scientific works in relation to his period I also discuss them in relation to contemporary debates. Although not strictly true, the second half of this thesis is not a work of historical scholarship but an attempt to bring together the ideas of scientists that in one way or another support a Kropotkinesque characterisation of natural processes. Although Kropotkin is often rightly regarded as a founder of modern environmentalism, this is difficult to substantiate from his purely political and social writings. Thus I will attempt to present the core concepts of Kropotkin's anarchism in a coherent and succinct way with an emphasis upon showing how they relate to contemporary debates and perspectives within the environmental movement. The Procedures Followed: The thesis will be introduced biographically. This seemed the best way to introduce Kropotkin's works to the reader and place them in relation to one another and in their historical context. Thus the primary purpose of this historical section is to contextualise the great diversity of works by Kropotkin. As I do not have a science background, but also for reasons of clarity, the remainder of the analysis shall be based upon the least technical and most accessible scientific literature in the various disciplines investigated. I will begin by systematically collecting, cataloguing and analysing both Kropotkin's works as well as the secondary literature and then proceed to make some overall sense of them and then relate them to contemporary debates upon process and organisation in nature and society. The General Results Obtained: My research has revealed a large body of scientific work by Kropotkin. My analysis of them shows that he had a deep understanding of the role of mutualism, symbiosis, dynamism, group and social behaviour etc., in relation to physical and biological processes. His ideas, although necessarily containing errors, are broadly, as well as in many detailed aspects, consistent with the findings of professional, though often unorthodox, scientists of the present day. The main faults of Kropotkin's approach was a fundamental failure to appreciate the role of territories and hierarchies in animal groups and his excessive progressivism. My research also reveals how Kropotkin's social vision, although somewhat utopian, can be sympathetically interpreted in terms of modern environmentalist perspectives. The Major Conclusions Reached: Kropotkin's diverse works in science and social theory when presented systematically reveals that he is a philosopher of considerable interest in respect to both contemporary and historical debates concerning sociality and its influence upon the evolution of life on Earth.

Die französische Philosophie der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts hat weltweit eine Rezeption erfahren, die immer wieder neu Zusammenfassungen und einführend-kommentierende Darstellungen herausfordert. Nun ist ein neuer Sammelband zu vermelden, der von dem Freiburger Romanisten Joseph Jurt herausgegeben wurde.

Die französische Philosophie der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts hat weltweit eine Rezeption erfahren, die immer wieder neu Zusammenfassungen und einführend-kommentierende Darstellungen herausfordert. Nun ist ein neuer Sammelband zu vermelden, der von dem Freiburger Romanisten Joseph Jurt herausgegeben wurde.

Cette thèse entend analyser la renégociation des rapports entre littérature et philosophie au tournant des XX e et XIX e siècles dans les fictions narratives, à travers la représentation des figures de philosophes. Ces figures, lieu d’un fort investissement axiologique, valent comme marqueur d’une revendication de la portée cognitive de la fiction et de la proximité de la pensée du roman avec le discours philosophique. Au XX e siècle, le philosophe servait de figure repoussoir, contre lequel se dessinait la pensée du roman, qui se manifestait par d’amples développements de l’ordre de l’essai fictionnel. Aujourd’hui, alors que la philosophie est de plus en plus mise en scène et valorisée au sein de la fiction, ces moments essayistiques se font rares. La fiction affirme ainsi que son propre régime de véridiction réside dans sa capacité à imaginer. Mettre en scène les philosophes permet d’articuler vivre et penser. En privilégiant le récit des actions et de la vie du philosophe, le récit fictionnel fait descendre la pensée philosophique dans le champ de l’expérience sensible et la met à l’épreuve La littérature est souvent présentée comme le lieu où se défont les discours de savoirs. Mais les textes contemporains relèvent d’une forme de pensée qui s’enrichit en côtoyant la philosophie. Un rapport dynamique entre discours philosophique et pensée du roman se fait jour. Là où le roman du siècle précédent pensait contre la philosophie, le roman actuel pense avec la philosophie. Renouant le dialogue avec la philosophie, le récit renouvelle sa propre esthétique. Les auteurs contemporains forgent des formes narratives originales pour raconter la philosophie plutôt que de l’exposer
This thesis analyzes the renegotiation of the relationship between literature and philosophy in narrative fiction at the turn of the 20th and 19th centuries, through the representation of philosophical figures. These figures, which the author sees as objects of value, reveal a claim to the cognitive scope of fiction and the proximity of novelistic thought to philosophical discourse. In the 20th century, the philosopher was the foil of the artist, the thought of the novel took shape against him, manifesting itself in fictional essays. Today, while philosophy is increasingly staged and valorized within fiction, theoretical developments in fiction are rarer. Fiction thus asserts that its own regime of veracity lies in its capacity to imagine. Staging philosophers allows to articulate living and thinking. By emphasizing the story of the philosopher's life and actions, fictional narrative brings philosophical thought down into the realm of sensible experience, and puts it to the test. Literature is often presented as the place where discourses of knowledge come undone. But contemporary texts are part of a form of thought that is enriched by its proximity to philosophy. A dynamic relationship between philosophical discourse and the thinking of the novel is emerging. Where the novel of the previous century thought against philosophy, today's novel thinks with philosophy. Renewing the dialogue with philosophy, the narrative renews its own aesthetic. Contemporary authors are forging original narrative forms to tell the story of philosophy, rather than to expound it

Essentiellement biographique, le propos de ce travail est de restituer l'itinéraire spirituel et intellectuel du grand soufi Muhyi l-din Ibn Arabi (ob. 638 1240) en le situant autant que possible dans le contexte religieux et historique de l'époque. Né à Murcie en 1165, Ibn Arabi meurt à Damas en 1240 après avoir passé la majeure partie de sa vie à sillonner l'occident musulman d'abord, puis l'orient. Sa destinée s'inscrit donc à l'un des moments les plus dramatiques de l'histoire du monde musulman : en Occident, ou Ibn Arabi passe les quarante premières années de sa vie, la reconquista gagne chaque jour du terrain ; en Orient, ou il émigra ensuite, les croisades se succèdent et le péril mongol se rapproche. Par un dépouillage minutieux des sources internes et des sources externes, ce travail tente non seulement de retracer la vie d'Ibn Arabi de manière chronologique et évènementielle mais également d'en mieux éclairer et ordonner les moments privilégiés, les étapes spirituelles marquantes et, d'autre part, de situer cette destinée exceptionnelle dans l'époque et la société qui en constituent le cadre
The aim of this biographical work is to reconstruct the spiritual and intellectual itinerary of the famous sufi Muhyi al-din Ibn Arabi (d. 638 1240) by placing it, as much as possible, in the religious and historical context of his time. Ibn 'Arabi was born in Murcia (Spain) in 1165 and died in Damascus in 1240, after having spent most of his life travelling throughout the Islamic world, first in the Maghreb and then in its eastern regions. Thus his destiny was to participate in one of the most dramatic periods in the history of the Muslim world: in the west, where Ibn Arabi spent the first forty years of his life, the reconquista was constantly gaining new ground ; in the Islamic east, to which he emigrated, the crusades were continuing and the Mongols hordes were approaching. This study, based on the detailed examination of both Ibn 'Arabi's own voluminous writings and external sources, does more than simply retrace the chronology and external events of his life. It also attempts to outline and clarify the critical moments, the decisive spiritual stages of his life, while at the same time relating that extraordinary destiny to the society in which it was situated

Dans notre première partie, nous mettons en rapport l’enseignement dispensé par un maître avec la bonne nature de l’élève et l’exercice. Puis sont étudiés les pré-requis parfois exigés des disciples postulants, et au contraire l’adaptation de certains maîtres à leur auditoire. Nous constatons ensuite qu’instaurer une relation harmonieuse est difficile : confiance et bienveillance mutuelles sont indispensables, mais certains maîtres s’établissent dans une position de domination ; parfois même, de mauvais maîtres pervertissent leurs disciples. Notre quatrième partie est consacrée à trois attaches particulières : les liens de parenté ; les sentiments amoureux ; la vénération. Finalement, nous rappelons que maîtres et disciples vivaient au sein de la société : par conséquent, nous nous interrogeons sur leurs rapports aux biens matériels, aux puissants de ce monde, à la politique, et enfin à la mort, dans la mesure où celle-ci s’insère dans un cadre social
In our first part, we observe teaching in connection with pupil’s good disposition and training. Then we examine which prerequisites a disciple must fulfil in order to attend a master’s lecture, and, on the contrary, the way some masters adapt themselves to their audience. Thirdly, we remark that a harmonious relationship is difficult to establish : mutual confidence and benevolence are essential to success ; but some masters may dominate their disciples ; sometimes, bad masters even corrupt their pupils. Our fourth part tackles three peculiar bonds uniting some masters with their disciples : family ties ; love ; veneration that some ardent disciples feel towards their master. Lastly, we remind that teachers and disciples lived within a society ; consequently, we think about their relations to material possessions, to mighty personages, to politics, a finally, to death, inasmuch as it is not only a personal experience, but comes within a social context

Στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η εξέταση του δικτύου των σχέσεων, οι οποίες αναπτύσσονται εντός των σοφιστικών και φιλοσοφικών κύκλων που παρουσιάζονται σε δύο βιογραφικά corpora, στους Βίους Σοφιστῶν του Φιλοστράτου και στους Βίους Φιλοσόφων καὶ Σοφιστῶν του Ευναπίου, καθώς και του κεντρικού ρόλου που διαδραμάτισαν οι σχέσεις αυτές (κυρίως η σχέση δασκάλου και μαθητή) στη συγκρότηση των δύο συλλογών. Η μελέτη του δικτύου αυτών των σχέσεων στοχεύει στην ανάδειξη της μοναδικότητας των δύο συλλογών από άποψη δομής, η οποία καταδεικνύεται, επί παραδείγματι, από την ένταξη ορισμένων σοφιστών ή φιλοσόφων και τον αποκλεισμό άλλων. Ταυτόχρονα, διερευνάται πώς αυτές οι σχέσεις λειτουργούν ως μια βασική οργανωτική αρχή των Βίων και μας επιτρέπουν να διαμορφώσουμε μια σαφέστερη εικόνα για τη σοφιστική/φιλοσοφική ταυτότητα κατά την ελληνορωμαϊκή αυτοκρατορική περίοδο. Το πλέγμα σχέσεων που διαμορφώνεται ανάμεσα στους σοφιστές και τους φιλοσόφους, καθώς και ο τρόπος ταξινόμησής τους στα δύο βιογραφικά corpora μας επιτρέπουν να αναγνώσουμε τις συλλογές ως ρυθμιστικά, κανονιστικά κείμενα, τα οποία υπαγορεύουν και εξασφαλίζουν την επιβίωσή των βιογραφουμένων προσώπων για τις επόμενες γενιές.
The aim of this thesis is to examine the network of relationships developed among the sophists and the philosophers in two biographical corpora, Philostratus’ Lives of Sophists and Eunapius’ Lives of Philosophers and Sophists, as well as the pivotal role these relationships (especially those of master and student) played in the formation of the two collections. The study of the nexus of these relationships aims to demonstrate the structural singularity of these corpora, which is pointed, for instance, by the inclusion of certain sophists/philosophers and the exclusion of others; at the same time, these relationships are shown to constitute a major organizational principle of the Lives, allowing thus a sharper understanding of the sophistic/philosophical identity in the Graeco-Roman Imperial period. The two corpora are read as regulatory, canonistic texts, in the sense that they dictate and determine, to a great extent, the type of the biographised sophists and philosophers worth preserving for future generations.

This dissertation presents an outline, and one interpretation of, the life of its author, The Reverend Doctor Melvyn John Macarthur. It seeks to do this through both its methodology, which is textual and experiential, and through dialogue with the provocateur, Qoheleth, author of the book of Ecclesiastes. The dialogue component (the ‘Conversations’) reflects the author’s passion to engage with people in conversation and also his love of theatre. The ‘Conversations’ in the dissertation take place on the Camino Santiago de Compostella (French Way), a long distance, ancient pilgrim route from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. The dialogue partners are the author of the dissertation and Qoheleth. Qoheleth, the self-proclaimed Royal Philosopher, is a mysterious figure about whom much is conjectured, but little known. Qoheleth has been, and remains, a controversial figure in the Judeo-Christian traditions: considerable numbers of people, whether lay, ordained or scholar, hold that Ecclesiastes should not have been included in the canons. This author holds the view that the work of Qoheleth is among the most thoughtful and unique of the canonical writings. One hope held for this dissertation is that it would be a vehicle whereby I could ‘lean toward’ (Pelias, 2016; 9-11) the person Qoheleth. The motivation for doing this is that his remarkable honesty and depth of thought commends Qoheleth as an ideal provocateur, one who is able to offer a searching critique of the wide and varied life experience of the author, one who it is enticing to lean toward. Ronald Pelias (2016; 12) writes of his use of multiple qualitative methods in the writing of personal narratives. The methodology of this dissertation is, likewise, eclectic, and I would argue, ’necessarily’ so. A human life is complex and mine is no exception. A human life does not readily lend itself, convincingly at least, to understandings from a single discipline. This dissertation draws on material and methods from a variety of disciplines in an endeavour to convey and clarify aspects of the life of the author. The influences in the life of this author are, as mentioned, wide and varied: his professional life in social work, particularly in child protection; his vocational life in ordained ministry and pilgrimage; his more than four decades of participation as a student and researcher in a wide variety of pursuits in the academy; his experience of wilderness for significant periods during his adult lifetime and his last ten years of living with a life threatening cancer (non Hodgkins lymphoma) have all significantly impacted his life. The methodology of the dissertation is built upon these foundations that are termed ‘abiding interests’. For anyone wishing to have more detail of the author’s life prior to the reading of this dissertation, a brief curriculum vitae is attached as Appendix One. An appraisal of the author’s account is presented at the conclusion of the ‘Conversations’ with Qoheleth. The appraisal takes the form of commentaries written from the widely differing theological, philosophical and social perspectives of the Reverend Brand, the central character of Henrik Ibsen’s play Brand and the Grand Inquisitor, a prominent figure in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, The Karamazov Brothers. The author’s personal reflections about the pilgrimage to Santiago follow on from and take a full account of, the appraisals of The Reverend Brand and the Grand Inquisitor, in addition to the conversations with Qoheleth.