Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Moral letters'

Stem cell research offers hope to many people suffering from incurable diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease and spinal back injuries. However this poses a moral dilemma because embryos are destroyed during embryonic stem cell research. To determine whether embryonic stem cell research is morally justifiable, two views in respect of a human being were considered: i. a human has a dualistic nature in which his body and soul are two separate entities or ii. his body and soul forms a unity which can not be separated. If a human has a dualistic nature, it means that the embryo is not a human, it does not have a soul because the soul is added later to form a human. The implication of this is that it will be morally justifiable to kill an embryo during embryonic stem cell research. However if body and soul forms a unity which can not be separated, the embryo is a human which is already developing into a full grown human with several stages of development. It will thus not be morally justifiable to kill an embryo as this will violate the sixth commandment, i.e. “Thou shalt not kill.” To determine whether a human’s body and soul is an inseparable unity or whether they are two separate entities, the Pauline letters' view on the human being was investigated. The research method employed was to do a comparative literary study to highlight the different aspects of stem cell research and then exegesis was done in respect of body (σoμα / sōma); soul (ψυχὴ / psychē) and spirit (πνεῦμα / pneuma) in the Pauline letters according to the grammatical-historical method. An electronic Bible Concordance was used to determine the texts in which the above concepts appear. A semantic word analysis was also done to analyse these concepts. Then authoritative commentaries were used to check the findings. The analysis indicated that Paul refers to a human as unity in which body and soul can not be separated. The implication of this finding is that embryonic stem cell research should be dismissed because it will result in the destruction of embryos. Humans will thus be killed in violation of the sixth commandment. On the other hand adult stem cell research should be encouraged because it has the potential to cure diseases which has up to now been incurable.
Thesis (MTh (Ethics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

La tesi introduce, commenta, annota e contestualizza le lettere inedite del critico e scrittore Giovanni Testori al suo maestro Roberto Longhi. Vengono poi approfonditi gli elementi di novita' che emergono dalle lettere: sulla Milano artistica degli anni '50, sulla produzione letteraria di Testori e sulla sua idea di critica d'arte. Conclude la tesi una fitta antologia di interventi di Testori dedicati al maestro.
This thesis is a study and a critical analysis of the unpublished correspondence between the art critic and writer Giovanni Testori and his master Roberto Longhi considered within its historical and cultural context. In particular this study is focused on topics that have never been considered before, such as the artistic production typical of the city of Milano during the fifties in relation to Testori's literary work and his thought on the critic of art. The work ends with a wide appendix consisting in a collection of Testori's essays and articles on Longhi.

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of cross lateral preference (CLP) amongst young children. This study also explored whether the use of educational technology and the use of specific software can assist young children in the development of early letter and number formation, especially those identified as displaying CLP. Method: The study included fifty children aged 4-5 years, divided into two groups; the experimental group and the control group. The lateral preferences of hand, foot, eye and ear of both groups were assessed through the use of individual performance based assessments. The experimental group had daily access to the software on an interactive table for a period of eight weeks whilst the control group had no access to the software. Results: The prevalence of CLP amongst fifty 4-5 year olds was found to be 100% when all four indices of hand, foot, eye and ear were considered. The results from the univariate ANOVA analysis showed a statistically significant result for the experimental group only in respect of letter formation. No statistical evidence was found to suggest a relationship exists between attainment and CLP. Conclusions: The prevalence of CLP amongst fifty 4-5 year olds is much higher than previously reported, especially when the four indices of hand, foot, eye and ear are considered. The use of the specific software on the interactive table was successful in assisting young children with early letter formation.

L'étude de la correspondance de Marsile Ficin, dont le livre premier est ici traduit intégralement, dévoile tout un pan de sa philosophie en général négligé. D'inspiration stoïcienne, la pensée morale du maître de l'Académie platonicienne à Florence trouve dans la lettre son mode d'expression le plus adéquat, sans doute parce que la littérature épistolaire interroge au quotidien les actes des correspondants, ce qui fournit l’occasion de réflexions nombreuses sur les vertus et sur le style dont devra user le sage pour inciter ses lecteurs à vivre bien. Cette philosophie pratique permet à une âme de progresser dans le sens de la vertu en faisant retour vers elle-même, lui fait entrevoir son unité et sa divinité. Elle constitue une étape vers la philosophie spéculative, à laquelle elle introduit en exigeant l'accord entre l'acte et la pensée, entre la parole et pensée
The study of the Marsilio Ficino's correspondence, whose first book is being comprehensively translated, reveals an aspect of his philosophy which is usually ignored. Inspired by Stoicism, the moral thought of the master of Platonician Academy in Florence finds in the letter its most appropriate way of expression. Indeed because epistolary literature daily examines the actions of the correspondents, it may be seen as an opportunity to reflect on virtues as well as the philosophical style most likely to encourage people to live a good life. This practical philosophy ensures the progress of the soul, after looking into itself, toward virtue, and as a consequence catches sight of its unity as well as its divinity. Practical philosophy is a stage to speculative one, introducing to make acts agree with thoughts, ant thoughts with words

Cette thèse entend poser les fondements philosophiques d’une « conversion écologique » en éclairant la dimension ontologique de la crise écologique. Tout en s’inscrivant dans le sillage de l’Encyclique Laudato Si’, où le Pape François lance un vibrant appel à la conversion écologique, l’auteur s’efforce de penser les enjeux proprement philosophiques liés à cette notion. En s’appuyant sur des auteurs tels que Heidegger et Hans Jonas, la première partie de la recherche montre la nécessité d’une véritable « conversion » face au péril métaphysique que représente la technique envisagée ici comme dévoiement de notre « être-au-monde ». Dans un contexte marqué par la résurgence du catastrophisme, l’auteur entend ici souligner la dimension humaniste qui constituait l’horizon de la pensée de ses fondateurs (Günther Anders, Jacques Ellül) tout en confrontant leur vision à celle du « Principe Espérance » porté par Ernst Bloch.La seconde partie de la thèse consiste à poser les fondements éthiques et religieux du concept de conversion. De la metanoia platonicienne aux thérapies de l’âme stoïciennes et épicuriennes, l’auteur explore la place de la connaissance de la nature (physis) dans le « retour à Soi » (epistrophè) de ces sagesses grecques. Peut-on voir en elles la source d’une véritable « conversion écologique » par laquelle il s’agirait autant de convertir notre regard sur la nature que d’être converti par elle ? Si oui, quelles en seraient les modalités ? Dans cette perspective, quels sont les apports de la metanoia chrétienne par rapport à la metanoia platonicienne ? En quoi la « conversion des sens » portée à la fois par la mystique franciscaine et la « prière du cœur » des Pères neptiques dans le monde orthodoxe, constitue-t-elle une étape capitale pour penser la conversion écologique comme conversion du corps et du cœur ? Pour mener à bien cette analyse, l’auteur emprunte la méthode phénoménologique afin de mettre en lumière les liens entre conversion et réduction.La dernière partie, plus spécifiquement consacrée à l’écologie contemporaine, s’appuie sur les modalités de la conversion écologique esquissées avec les penseurs grecs et chrétiens pour penser une transformation profonde de notre « affect du monde ». En s’appuyant sur les notions merleau-pontiennes de « chair du monde » et de « monde brut », l’auteur cherche à penser une « empathie universelle » comme socle d’une nouvelle éthique environnementale. A travers une relecture merleau-pontienne de deux grands courants de l’écologie que sont l’écologie profonde (deep ecology) et la wilderness, l’auteur jette les bases d’une ontologie relationnelle dans deux directions. La première envisage la conversion écologique comme un approfondissement du Soi. Dans le sentiment de la wilderness, c’est autant la nature vierge à l’extérieur de nous que le « monde brut » au plus intime de nous-même, qu’il s’agit de préserver pour ouvrir la voie à une expérience transformante du monde telle que la décrit Henri-David Thoreau dans Walden ou la vie dans les bois. La seconde vise un élargissement du Soi par lequel la réalisation de Soi devient indissociable, par un mouvement d’identification, de celle de notre environnement, jusqu’à faire l’expérience charnelle de ce « Soi écologique » dont nous parle Arne Naess en écho à la « chair du monde » merleau-pontienne et aux théories de la Gestalt dont s’inspirent les deux auteurs. Conscient des limites de la pensée occidentale pour cheminer vers cette non - dualité, clé d’une empathie universelle, l’auteur montre, dans la dernière partie de son analyse, l’influence de la pensée bouddhique sur la deep ecology et explore une spiritualité de la résonance avec le bouddhisme zen japonais incarné dans la figure de Maître Dogen, jusqu’à penser une « échologie de la Joie »
This thesis is an attempt to provide the philosophical foundations for an ecological conversion while revealing the ontological aspects of the ecological crisis. Following the path described in the Laudato Si’ encyclical letter, where Pope François launches a vibrant call for ecological conversion, the author seeks to adress the philosophical issues in relation to this notion. Refering to philosophers such as Heidegger and Hans Jonas, the first part of this research accounts for the necessity of a true ecological conversion to face the metaphysical « peril » represented by the technical way of mind which leads to an unauthentic « being-in-the-world ». As catastrophism rages, the author underlines the humanistic aspect of its founders’ thought (Gûnther Anders, Jacques Ellûl) while confronting their vision to Ernst Bloch’s « Principle of Hope ».The second chapter of the thesis aims at laying down the ethical and religious foundations of the concept of conversion. From Plato’s metanoia to stoïcian and epicurian soul therapies, the author explores the importance of the knowledge of nature (physis) in the process of epistrophè (return to one’s « Inner Self »). Can these therapies be considered as the roots of a true ecological conversion throughout which we could not only modify the way we look at nature but also be transformed by it? If the answer is yes, what would the terms be? From this perspective, what is the specificity of Christian metanoia compared to Plato’s? To what extent can the doctrine of the “spiritual senses” experienced by both the Franciscan mystic and the neptical Fathers’ « Prayer of the heart » - be considered a crucial step to a living experience of ecological conversion that appeals to our body and heart? To carry out this research, the author relies on the phenomenological methodology, evidencing the links between conversion and reduction.The last part, more specifically dedicated to modern ecology, relies on the definitions of ecological conversion outlined with greek and Christian authors to think through a deep change in our « affect for the world ». Refering to Merleau Ponty’s notions of « flesh of the word » and « wild being », the author endeavours to develop the concept of “universal empathy” as the corner stone of environmental ethics. Through a merleau-pontian interpretation of two major ecological schools of thought, wilderness and deep ecology, the thesis provides tools for elaborating a relational ontology based on two concepts. The first one, called deepening of the Self, refers to the wilderness. The author shows that what has to be preserved is not only territories such as natural reserves but the “wild being” in the innermost part of ourselves so as to enable us to be transformed by nature itself through this experience of wilderness described by famous authors such as Henri-David Thoreau in Walden life in the woods… The second one, called “enlargment of the Self” refers to the experience described by Arne Naess as identification to other living beings as a source of self-realization, echoing the merleau-pontian “flesh of the word”.Aware of the limits of western thought to reach this universal empathy based on non-duality, the author points out, in a conclusive paragraph, the influence of the buddhist way of mind on Arne Naess’s deep ecology, explores a spirituality of the resonance with the world through zen buddhism embodied by Master Dogen, and goes as far as thinking an “echology of Joy”

This thesis aims to illuminate Seneca’s criticisms of Neronian Rome through a novel exploration of the philosopher’s collection of moral letters – the so-called Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium. Noting the glaring absence of court politics in these letters the thesis identifies themes of dissimulation and veiled criticism, penned by Seneca in a concealed manner to ensure his safety during a time of dire political unrest. The first chapter establishes the cultural context of this collection by examining how they fit in with the practice of elite Roman letter writing. This line of inquiry stems from a longstanding question in the scholarship as to whether the Epistulae Morales are letters in the earnest sense, or merely a literary-philosophical exercise contrived by Seneca. The chapter concludes that the letters can be seen as genuine, exchanged with their addressee. They were, however, also written for the wider senatorial class who are clearly the subject of Seneca’s moral discussions. The second chapter examines the circumstances which preceded the writing of these letters in order to identify points of political tension under Nero’s reign. Drawing on the Neronian books of Tacitus’ Annals and earlier Senecan treatises, this chapter identifies themes of political ideology (clemency, libertas, tyranny, superbia) which shaped the ongoing altercations between senate and emperor during Nero’s rule. With the political tensions identified, the third chapter unearths the underhanded ways in which Seneca criticises Nero’s reign throughout the letters. Additionally, this chapter showcases a range of techniques employed by Seneca to disguise his criticisms in order to maintain deniability and avoid persecution. The fourth and final chapter examines Letters 14 and 18 in detail, illustrating the techniques discussed in the preceding chapter and bringing to light Seneca’s veiled criticisms of Nero’s regime. The pair of case studies demonstrates that Senecan criticisms are present throughout the collection, and are apparent in both letters with overt political themes (eg. Letter 14) and those which are, at first glance, seemingly mundane and commonplace (eg. Letter 18).
Thesis (MPhil) -- University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 2021

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo abordar o tema do sentido e do valor de uma vida em sofrimento para o atual Programa da disciplina curricular da Educação Moral e Religiosa Católica (EMRC). Ele nasce da constatação de uma notória ausência de tão importante tema no Programa. Fazer sentir a necessidade da busca de um sentido e um valor para a vida numa situação de sofrimento, abrindo assim horizontes de esperança na esfera do amor e do serviço nestas situações de carga extremamente negativa, é um dos campos privilegiados do ser-se humano e da missão cristã. E consequentemente um dos campos que devem também estar privilegiados nas distintas abordagens da disciplina da EMRC. O presente trabalho aborda os pontos principais do relevante tema nos seus aspetos mais fundamentais a partir da Carta Apostólica Salvifici Doloris de João Paulo II, expõe de seguida a análise do atual Programa da disciplina na perspetiva da presença ou ausência do tema nele e termina numa proposta pedagógica para o mesmo, dentro dos limites de um trabalho para um aluno do Mestrado em Ciências Religiosas.
The present work aims to address the meaning and value of a life in distress and suffering" issue in the current curricular schedule school program of Moral Studies and Catholic Religion (EMRC). This arises from the verification that such an important issue is seriously lacking within the programme. Feeling the need of reaching out for a meaning in a suffering situation, opening horizons of hope, love and service in this negative situations, is indeed one of the privileged fields of It’s one of the privileged fields of the humanity and also christian mission. And consequently one of the issues that should also be privileged in the various important topics of the teaching of EMRC. First, the present work addresses the issue in its fundamental aspects from the readings of the Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris of John Paul II, then presents a full analysis of the current school program in the perspective of the presence or absence of this issue and ends with a pedagogical proposal of the same, within the limits of an M.A. Religious Studies student.

Bank demand guarantees have become an established part of international trade. Demand guarantees, standby letters of credit and commercial letters of credit are all treated as autonomous contracts whose operation will not be interfered with by courts on grounds immaterial to the guarantee or credit itself. The idea in the documentary credit transaction/demand guarantee transaction is that if the documents (where applicable) presented are in line with the terms of the credit/guarantee the bank has to pay, and if the documents do not correspond to the requirements, the bank must not pay. However, over the years a limited number of exceptions to the autonomy principle of demand guarantees and letters of credit have come to be acknowledged and accepted in practice. In certain circumstances, the autonomy of demand guarantees and letters of credit may be ignored by the bank and regard may be had to the terms and conditions of the underlying contract. The main exceptions concern fraud and illegality in the underlying contract. In this thesis a great deal of consideration has been given to fraud and illegality as possible grounds on which payment under demand guarantees and letters of credit have been attacked (and sometimes even prevented) in the English, American and South African courts. It will be shown that the prospect of success depends on the law applicable to the demand guarantee and letter of credit, and the approach a court in a specific jurisdiction takes. At present, South Africa has limited literature on demand guarantees, and the case law regarding the grounds upon which payment under a demand guarantee might be prevented is scarce and often non-existent. In South Africa one finds guidance by looking at similar South African case law dealing with commercial and standby letters of credit and applying these similar principles to demand guarantees. The courts, furthermore, find guidance by looking at how other jurisdictions, in particular the English courts, deal with these issues. Therefore, how the South African courts currently deal/should be dealing/probably will be dealing with the unfair and fraudulent calling of demand guarantees/letters of credit is discussed in this thesis.
Jurisprudence
LL.D

American jurisprudence currently applies two incompatible validity standards to determine which laws are enforceable. The natural law tradition evaluates validity by an uncertain standard of divine law, and its methodology relies on contradictory views of human reason. Legal positivism, on the other hand, relies on a methodology that commits the analytic fallacy, separates law from its application, and produces an incomplete model of law. These incompatible standards have created a schism in American jurisprudence that impairs the delivery of justice. This dissertation therefore formulates a new standard for legal validity. This new standard rejects the uncertainties and inconsistencies inherent in natural law theory. It also rejects the narrow linguistic methodology of legal positivism. In their stead, this dissertation adopts a pragmatic methodology that develops a standard for legal validity based on actual legal experience. This approach focuses on the operations of law and its effects upon ongoing human activities, and it evaluates legal principles by applying the experimental method to the social consequences they produce. Because legal history provides a long record of past experimentation with legal principles, legal history is an essential feature of this method. This new validity standard contains three principles. The principle of reason requires legal systems to respect every subject as a rational creature with a free will. The principle of reason also requires procedural due process to protect against the punishment of the innocent and the tyranny of the majority. Legal systems that respect their subjects' status as rational creatures with free wills permit their subjects to orient their own behavior. The principle of reason therefore requires substantive due process to ensure that laws provide dependable guideposts to individuals in orienting their behavior. The principle of consent recognizes that the legitimacy of law derives from the consent of those subject to its power. Common law custom, the doctrine of stare decisis, and legislation sanctioned by the subjects' legitimate representatives all evidence consent. The principle of autonomy establishes the authority of law. Laws must wield supremacy over political rulers, and political rulers must be subject to the same laws as other citizens. Political rulers may not arbitrarily alter the law to accord to their will. Legal history demonstrates that, in the absence of a validity standard based on these principles, legal systems will not treat their subjects as ends in themselves. They will inevitably treat their subjects as mere means to other ends. Once laws do this, men have no rest from evil.