2001 research outputs found
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From Mathematics to Metaphysics: Aristotle’s Review of Platonism in the Metaphysics
No full textAs a preliminary step in the search for the first principles and ultimate causes of all things, Aristotle dialectically uses Platonism to advance his own metaphysical theories in the Metaphysics. In particular, I defend that the main criticism of Platonism in Aristotle’s Metaphysics is of the inner nature of its metaphysical objects, because they are actually mathematical, which makes them impossible to be substances. Thus, Aristotle’s theory of substance in the treatise emerges as a response to those problems of Platonism—providing also an alternative for the foundations of mathematics and the philosophy of mathematics. That is, an important portion of Aristotle’s efforts in the Metaphysics is a review of Platonism, within which the analysis of the inner nature of its objects plays a key role because it provides the basis for Aristotle’s theory of substance in the treatise. However, this review requires a prefatory step consisting of the realization that all the Platonist metaphysical objects are mathematical. Thus, Aristotle’s analysis of the Platonist metaphysical objects is ultimately the analysis of mathematical objects, from which he concludes that they cannot be substances. Hence, I claim that Aristotle’s theory of substance in the treatise emerges as a response to these problems of Platonism—also providing a different basis for the foundations of mathematics and the philosophy of mathematics. Therefore, while this latter statement claims that, for Aristotle, mathematics is grounded on metaphysics, the former claims that the main task Aristotle performs in the Metaphysics regarding Platonism is a transit from mathematics to metaphysics
Laps of Loyalty: Drive to Survive and the Growth of Formula 1 Fandom in the United States
No full textFormula 1 racing, a global sensation, has historically grappled with securing a substantial viewership in the United States, where domestic racing genres like NASCAR have reigned supreme. Recent trends, however, reveal a burgeoning American F1 fanbase, most notably after the Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive. This research delves into this intriguing transition, highlighting the relationship between the documentary's premiere and a notable spike in U.S. F1 viewership. Using the Psychological Continuum Model, this study explores the relationship between viewer connectedness to a TV show and fan engagement with the sport. After surveying 101 Drive to Survive Netflix viewers, we found that connectedness components such as escape and imitation influenced fans' psychological and behavioral engagement. In addition, components of consumer involvement, including hedonic value, centrality, and symbolic value, either fully mediated or partially mediated the relationship. Our results offer invaluable insights for marketers and media strategists eyeing the American sports market. In addition, this research adds to the academic literature by further exploring the dynamics of fan attitudes and behaviors through a consumer behavior lens
The Clash of Subcivilizations: A Revision of the Huntingtonian Thesis
No full textThis text provides a broad overview of Samuel P. Huntington's assertions in Clash of
Civilizations and their application to the recent history of geopolitics. It is also primarily a
critique of Huntington's construction of the world of civilizations, demonstrating several
inefficiencies in his broad usage of religious groupings as the foundation of the civilizational
spheres. This master's thesis focused on several modern case studies, including Ukraine, Iran,
and the Koreas, which are examples of where the Huntingtonian thesis's original construction is
insufficient in explaining certain aspects of sociological and cultural development in those
countries. I used data from several authors, including social scientists and sociological
institutions, to form the basis of my findings and lead to new conclusions about how the
Huntingtonian thesis can be refined for the modern era. The latest reconstruction of the thesis
addresses the phenomenon of the subcivilizational state, arguing instead that what Huntington
describes as subcivilizational is a separate civilization. The findings utilize linguistic factors and
explore individual self-agency's role in civilizational identity formation
Identifying the Propensity for Burnout in a Professional Setting: A Field Study of Accountants
No full textThe issue of burnout among accountants has been a significant concern in recent years, with both micro and macro-level implications. Accounting roles are characterized by demanding schedules, complex tasks, stringent time constraints, and a fundamental requirement for precision and detail-oriented work. These inherent characteristics increase the likelihood of feelings of burnout and turnover intentions. The situation has been even more pronounced after COVID-19. Yet, discussions on the subject matter are largely missing in accounting literature.
This study is significant because it is one of the few studies in accounting literature to address this literature gap by seeking to empirically test how proactive coping strategies and personality traits can effectively mitigate burnout in accountants. Accountants who proactively utilize coping strategies are expected to be better equipped to navigate job demands and reduce burnout. This research discusses strategies for improving employee well-being and retention within the accounting field. The Job Demands-Resource (JDR) model, transactional stress model, and proactive coping strategy are the theoretical foundations of the study. Based on its findings, the study also recommends coping strategies to address the issue of turnover intentions in the accounting industry
YOLKING THE END TO ITS SOURCE: CIRCULAR GEOMETRY AND MOTION AS AN IMAGE OF DIVINE ASCENT IN DANTE'S DIVINA COMMEDIA
No full textDante's Divina Commedia is one of the most renowned works extant from the medieval era. His poetry is imbued with striking images which characterize the relationship between God, man, and His entire created order. Central to these images is la via (the way) which, for Dante, marks the path of man's return to his creator. This return is typified by a geometric image of perfection, i.e., a circle, since God is perfect unity and the rejoining of man with his source consequently follows a circular path. Dante suggests that the circle, being an image of perfection, is concomitant to the image of God Himself, and further that He imprinted this image upon man and the cosmos. Such a suggestion warrants further investigation into the circular mode of man's return to the divine in the Commedia, to examine the imprint of the divine image upon man through the creative act of God. This examination of Dante's Commedia seeks to outline the structure of Dante's cosmos as principally circular, focusing not only on the overt presence of circular structures but also on the motion of Dante the pilgrim in and through those structures. Further, it endeavors to establish this circular organization, which is formed by Wisdom, Love, and the Good, as a theological image of man's return to 'the way' and his motion toward God
Longing to Belong: the Literary Evolution of the Bastard Character Archetype from Shakespeare to Byron
No full textExploring the connections between Shakespeare’s Bastard Character archetype and the Byronic Hero, this paper argues that there are similarities between the two which have not been adequately considered before. Beginning with the archetype’s origins in the Vice character of Medieval Morality Plays, the Bastard Character evolved in light of socio-political pressures of the English Renaissance. In Shakespeare’s theater, it traces the Bastard Character’s development over three plays to show the fundamental problem facing the character, that is the longing to belong in a society unwilling to accept them. Moving into the Romantic period, the origins of the Byronic Hero are considered in order to show how what has been assumed to be Byron’s literary self-insert character is indebted to the archetype established by Shakespeare. By recognizing the differences between their portrayals of this character type, the study reveals how Byron reduces the Bastard Character’s crisis from the political sphere to the personal, and the difficulties which emerge from his hero’s choices. Finally, the essay concludes with a few thoughts about the implications of this archetype’s journey, and its prevailing popularity in literature and other media today
Duty and Responsibility: A Christian Personalist Set of Criteria for Teaching Complex Works to Younger Audiences
No full textOne of the hallmarks of classical/liberal education is the usage of the classics in the classroom, yet given the complexity that can be inherent in classic literature, there is the real challenge to present complex texts that are not only appropriate to the student’s academic growth but also to the student’s formative growth as a person. Such a challenge involves the right selection, abridgment, and mediation of complex texts. To address the challenge, this paper explores a brief history of teaching literature to understand problems and paradigms when it came to teaching the various complexities of literature. The paper then considers Vygotsky’s More Knowledgeable Other as the duty of the teacher while it uses Christian personalism as a philosophical basis to create the term, and develop the criteria for, the More Loving Other as the responsibility of the teacher. The criteria of the More Loving Other are then applied to examples of selection, abridgment, and mediation in the classroom. Because Christian personalism considers persons in their concrete situation while recognizing their ability to awaken to a sense of the whole of reality, a personalist-based set of criteria for selecting, abridging, and mediating complex works is an excellent tool for crafting age-appropriate classroom readings and assignments
Tonal Ironies in Flann O'Brien's At Swim-Two-Birds and the Third Policeman
No full textIt is difficult to find much criticism on Flann O'Brien's masterful manipulation of tone in his two most famous novels. At Swim-Two-Birds and The Third Policeman are very different when it comes to subject matter and main themes but they both display O'Brien's particular use of incongruous tonal elements in his writing to bring our attention to discrepancies in our normal modes of thinking. It not only challenges our assumptions but also lets his readers look at contrary ideas on an equal footing. In order to do this, he frequently employs the poetic devices of bathos and cacozelia. Between the use of bathos to deflate high ideals and cacozelia to inflate low ones, the novels become an incredible study of the power of tone in satire
Connecting with Multi-Campus Systems in Higher Education: The Moderating Role of Proximity Between Perceived Organizational Support and Employee Commitment
No full textThis study examines how proximity influences the relationship between perceived
organizational support and employee commitment in multi-campus organizational structures.
Authors have underlined how geographical proximity is not the only measure of the closeness of
an organization. Proximity can be further examined through cognitive, institutional, social, and
organizational proximities. We hypothesized that not only does the closeness of an organization
influence employee commitment, but it also influences the relational dynamics of an employee's
perceived organizational support. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to provide a conceptual
framework to measure an organization's closeness and assess how proximity influences the
relationship between organizational support and employee commitment. A survey was sent to the
faculty and staff at a regional community college (n=92). The regression results aligned with the
direct effects of perceived organizational support and employee commitment; however, the
hypothesized moderating effects of proximity were insignificant. This research has implications
for higher-education institutions with multiple campuses and contributes to organization
proximity and employee commitment literature
Chasing Realism: Consumption Science & Platform Performance Convergence in the Video Game Industry
No full textFor decades, the video gaming community has passionately debated whether the best gaming experience can be found using a personal computer (PC) or a gaming console (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.) platform. While PCs have had superior performance (e.g., speed, graphics, etc.) for many years, some experts now believe that the gaming hardware industry is becoming isomorphic. That is, with advances in technology, “the playing field has been levelled,” and gamers should get the same experience whether they are using a PC or a console. If this truly is the case, have gamers noticed, and has it affected their perceptions of the different platforms? Using a cross-sectional survey of gamers, we examined if a gamer’s platform (i.e., hardware) expectations directly influenced their engagement, and if this relationship is mediated by perceived isomorphism by the gamer. Moreover, we posited that the relationship between gamer platform performance utility and perceived isomorphism will be moderated by how much importance a gamer places on hardware price. A survey measuring these constructs was sent to gamers resulting in a final sample of 512 respondents. Using PROCESS model 7 for moderated mediation, a direct relationship between performance utility and engagement was significant. In addition, we found that perceived isomorphism also directly influenced engagement. Yet, support for our moderated mediation model put forth was not found. Altogether, we believe that this research will enable gaming platform manufacturers to better position their products, and that our findings will extend the very limited consumer behavior gaming research in academia