Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2016, Philosophy (Arts and Sciences)

In this thesis the problem to be confronted concerns the Principle of Non-Contradiction (PNC) as understood by Aristotle in his Metaphysics (Gamma). For over a hundred years scholars have been questioning Aristotle's defense of the principle, and whether he succeeded in defending or demonstrating the veracity of the principle. One such scholar is Graham Priest (1998), who thinks that Aristotle's arguments are not only unsuccessful at demonstrating PNC, but they also do not provide any arguments against (A) Dialetheism or (B) Trivialism. Priest concludes with a positive thesis (C) that Aristotle's arguments do show that trivialism must be rejected. Thesis (A) is countered by a conception of contradiction that is formed from original Aristotelian texts and Alan Code (1987). Thesis (B) is countered by the same conception of contradiction, and three of Aristotle's own refutations. All of this is done in an effort to show that Aristotle established more than merely thesis (C).

Committee: Donald Carson (Committee Chair); James Petrik (Committee Member); Yoichi Ishida (Committee Member) Subjects: Logic; Philosophy

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1967, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1961, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1909, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts in Medical Ethics and Humanities, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 2023, College of Graduate Studies

My thesis explores the concept of dual loyalties among military physicians and proposes a more thorough integration of virtue ethics in the military. The ethical principles and values embodied in virtue ethics theory align with the foundational mission and purpose of the military, but their implementation of the theory remains incomplete. The proposed framework for military medical ethics combines both virtue theory and duty-based ethics, with an emphasis on the former. While duty-based ethics are important, this framework recognizes the importance of virtuous character traits to help military physicians navigate dual loyalties. The aim is to ensure that duties are nested in a way that enables the actualization of moral virtues. By prioritizing the development of virtuous character traits, military physicians can better fulfill their duties in a manner that aligns with virtuous character. The military and medical profession share a commitment to ensuring that military physicians uphold high moral standards by being people of good character. Despite the military's appreciation for virtue ethics, there are instances where its application falls short which may be due to various factors like a lack of emphasis on character development in training or a focus on rules and regulations over virtuous conduct. My thesis seeks to create a more robust ethical framework for military medical ethics that combines duties, rules, and regulations with the development of virtuous character to prevent misconduct and distress among military physicians. By incorporating a more comprehensive virtue ethics theory into military medical ethics education and development, military physicians can develop a deeper understanding of how to act virtuously in challenging situations, even when the duties, rules, and regulations may not explicitly guide their behavior.

Committee: Julie Aultman Ph.D. (Advisor); Brian Harrell (Committee Member); Matthew Arbogast Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Ethics; Medical Ethics; Military Studies

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 0, Philosophy (Arts and Sciences)

The ethical teachings of Aristotle and the Roman Stoics occupy a prominent role in the history of virtue ethics, and its enduring influence on Western civilization. Both traditions deem the cultivation of a virtuous and disciplined character to be the basis of human flourishing, yet their views concerning the development and purpose of virtue, the proper end of human life, and the value of external goods, demonstrate significant incompatibilities. While Aristotle's teachings on virtue are part of a larger study on political science, whose proper end is collective human flourishing, the Stoics' teachings center on achieving personal tranquility, which involves detaching from matters beyond one's control. Although the Stoics offer a liberating alternative to the conditional happiness envisioned by Aristotle, which is dependent on external goods and admittedly not available to all, their extreme commitment to rational self-sufficiency entails a superficial account of the development of virtue, and a potentially unnatural apathy towards the fortunes of others, which is in conflict with the inherently social nature of human beings. A unique and promising solution to the Stoic doctrine's problematic implications comes from Buddhist philosophy, whose teachings, like those of the Stoics, emphasize the attainment of inner tranquility by overcoming attachments, while simultaneously preserving a benevolent concern for others.

Committee: Scott Carson (Committee Chair); Christoph Hanisch (Advisor); James Petrik (Advisor) Subjects: Philosophy

MA, Kent State University, 2021, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

William Shakespeare's tragedies dwell upon death, loss, grief, and sacrifice. But one of the common, underlying and at times unexpected components that recurs throughout the tragedies is honor. For Shakespeare's honor is tied to human life, as Julius Caesar insinuates to his wife, “Cowards die many times before their deaths; / The valiant never taste of death but once” (2.2.32-33). Shakespeare's honor is largely connected to how one lives their life, whether it be honorably in bravery, or cowardly in fear. The concept is further developed in Othello, when Iago says, “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, / Is the immediate jewel of their souls” (3.3. 183-184). If one does not possess an honorable character, in other words, he or she owns nothing of import. This is reiterated in Richard II, when Mowbray says, “Take honor from me, and my life is done” (1.1.183). However, Shakespeare's portrayal of honor often displays an ambivalence between the Christian and the pagan-humanist values of honor in his age. He toys with the concept of honor radically within the minds of several of his most prominent characters, namely the protagonists in King Lear, Coriolanus, and Macbeth. For these three men, honor becomes a moral trap, and they each meet tragic fates as a result. In this paper, I seek to illuminate the different functions of honor and how this coincides with Shakespeare's overall theme which suggests that honor and (quality of) life go hand in hand, which demonstrates the idea that the pursuit of glory can prove to be a snare for the overly ambitious man.

Committee: Don-John Dugas (Advisor); Vera Camden (Committee Member); Ann Martinez (Committee Member) Subjects: Literature

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2021, Greek and Latin

“Eutrapelia: Humorous texts in Hellenistic poetry” provides a study of the literary humor in Hellenistic iambic poetry in the context of rapid political and cultural change in the Ancient Mediterranean of the third century BCE. This project clarifies several questions connected to the nature of humor in Hellenistic iambic poetry: how does humor function in the poetry and performance of the early Hellenistic era? In which contexts does it appear? Does it reflect the multicultural environment of Ptolemaic Egypt? How is humor connected to the recontextualization of generic conventions, both literary and performative? Does humor become an expression of transgression: political, religious, or social? To address these questions, I conduct several case studies focusing on fragments of poems by Greek writers of the third century BCE (Callimachus, Cercidas, Machon, and Herodas) that refer to the tradition of Greek iambic poetry, a poetic invective genre closely connected to comedy and ritual obscenity. In Chapter 1, I focus on the humorous representation of philosophers in Callimachus's Iambus 1 and argue that these representations play an important role in Callimachus's dialogue with Plato and contemporary philosophy, and, at the same time, reflect Callimachus's ideas about the role of intellectual working in Alexandria under the royal patronage. In Chapter 2, I analyze fragments of Cercidas of Megalopolis, politician and Cynic philosopher, and argue that Cercidas employs elements of Cynic teaching to problematize the political and social issues of his community. In Chapter 3, I conduct a study of several anecdotes attributed to the comic writer Machon and argue that the targets of these anecdotes mirror Machon's own professional fate. In Chapter 4, I analyze sexually oriented humor in Herodas's Mimiamb 6 and argue that in this poem, Herodas promotes an idea of the female origin of iambic poetry. For each of these case studies, I address linguistic features of humor by a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Benjamin Acosta-Hughes Ph.D. (Advisor); Tom Hawkins Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dana Munteanu Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Classical Studies; Gender Studies; Language; Literature; Philosophy

Bachelor of Arts, Walsh University, 2020, Honors

Many believe that capitalism is inherently immoral, a system designed by the rich, for the rich. Events like the 2008 financial crisis seem to point to a conclusion of this sort as well. However, delving deeper into the roots of capitalism and its founder, Adam Smith, paint a different picture, with different intentions. The Theory of Moral Sentiments predates and provides the foundation for the Wealth of Nations. In both the timing of the books, and in their content, morality is clearly shown to be the bedrock upon which capitalism was built. Having proved this, one must then look to the 2008 crisis through the previously constructed lens, and evaluate the actions that led up to it. If they were immoral, as this thesis claims them to be, then the theory that morality is the basis of capitalism is given practical application.

Committee: Bradley Beach (Advisor) Subjects: Banking; Economic Theory; Economics; Finance; Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Philosophy

In my dissertation I examine Aristotle's concept of matter by highlighting the tools from his Organon which he uses to introduce matter in his Physics. I make use of logical concepts Aristotle develops in his work on explanation in Posterior Analytics, especially his concept of subject or υποκειμενον, to argue that matter, for Aristotle, must be understood not as a distinct ontological category but as a term of art denoting a part of an explanation in natural philosophy. By presenting an analysis of Aristotle's concept of υποκειμενον from his logical works, I show how Aristotle uses it to spell out just what explanatory role matter plays, and what this means for what it is to be matter. I argue that when Aristotle uses the term “υποκειμενον” to name a principle of change in Physics A, he is employing the logical concept which he had made use of and developed in his logical works, contra prominent readings which argue instead that the term in Physics is a distinct technical term, homonymous with the logical term. Further, I offer a new reading of the concept of υποκειμενον in the logical works. On my reading, a genuine υποκειμενον is something which, just by being what it is or οπερ x τι, is what is presupposed by something else, y, and which grounds and partially explains the presence of that y. In the light of this, I argue that for Aristotle matter as υποκειμενον is what is presupposed in a dynamic context, and which thus partially explains both the change and its outcome. What counts as matter is something under the description by which it is that very thing which must be present in order for something y to come to be. For example, in order for an educated or musical thing to come to be, there must first be a human, for rationality is what is presupposed by education. Thus in the change by which a musical thing comes to be, a rational thing or person is the matter or subject. What counts as matter in a case of change is not simply some other item, but t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Allan Silverman (Advisor); Tamar Rudavsky (Committee Member); Lisa Downing (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1986, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Theater

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1974, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Philosophy

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2016, Classics

The comedic playwright Menander is known for his unique style of characterization. His genre of New Comedy is distinct in its way of using common stock characters, but Menander himself enriched this generic trope through variation of these stock types. Techniques of characterization are naturally found in all genres of literature, but New Comedy places a unique emphasis on character. Similarly, ancient ethical philosophy and rhetoric focuses on human character. The philosophers Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Plato each have notable works that try to answer ethical questions about character and try to depict and explain human behaviors through character elements. This thesis analyzes Menander's method of characterization and compares his style to the techniques of characterization used by Aristotle, Theophrastus, and Plato. The comparison is utilized to answer what aspects of characterization is similar between these two distinct genres and which elements of character these writers saw as important.

Committee: William Owens (Advisor) Subjects: Ancient Languages; Classical Studies; Literature; Philosophy; Theater History

MA, Kent State University, 2015, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Philosophy

My project is to establish a secularized concept of evil by filtering F.W.J. Schelling's philosophy through that of Martin Heidegger. Schelling's philosophy is essential to my project, because he seeks to claim a positive ontological status for evil, as do I. Schelling's evil, despite its religious context, is not mired in concepts of malformation, or even original sin, as is the evil of his predecessors. I offer Aristotle and Immanuel Kant as Schelling's key secular predecessors, in whose philosophies we find the beginnings of Schelling's free-will theodicy. Similarly, Schelling stands apart from modern theodicy—that is, from G.W. Leibniz, who coined the term “theodicy”—in three key ways: Schelling focuses on human beings, rather than on God; he embraces nature, rather than seeking to overcome it, which requires that he also embrace chaos; and he insists that evil has a positive ontological status, rather than a negative one. These departures show the influence of both Kant and Aristotle on Schelling's conception of evil. Over the course of this project, we will find that when we uncover evil's positive ontology and lay bare its actualization by humans, we ground an approach to evil suited to the political necessities of the twenty-first century. That is, we see that a proper philosophical understanding of evil necessarily calls us to a political address of the same. What the evils of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have shown us, especially, is that a stronger, positive conception of evil enables us to assign accountability more effectively to those who commit evil acts. Hence, crafting a positive conception of evil outside of a theological framework will necessitate a moral framework. To that end, I engage the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche and Hannah Arendt in order to make clear the implications of an ontologically positive evil and draw conclusions regarding the best concept of evil for a contemporary context. My view is that the best concept of (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gina Zavota PhD (Advisor); Kim Garchar PhD (Committee Member); Michael Byron PhD (Committee Member); Tammy Clewell PhD (Other) Subjects: Philosophy

PHD, Kent State University, 2013, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of English

This dissertation describes how four professional graphic designers use rhetoric in their design processes. While the classical understanding of rhetorical arrangement refers to the ordering of elements within oral discourse, I argue, instead, that arrangement is a creative and guiding tool for making meaning in these graphic design processes. This perspective suggests that arrangement is used horizontally and vertically instead of in a static, linear fashion. Ultimately, I describe how rhetorical arrangement in professional graphic design processes is layered and dimensional—a rational reconstruction of the classical understanding of arrangement as the organization of the parts of verbal discourse (Schiappa, 1990). An underlying theme of this dissertation is the invisibility of these composing processes and their respective technologies and techniques. Data were collected through research methods designed to capture much of the rhetorical complexities in a set of four professional graphic design processes, including: • Pre-interviews to develop a contextual picture of each participant’s design approach and background, • Think-aloud protocols (multimodal recording with video screen-capture and audio software) to create a trace of each participant’s design process, and • Stimulated recall retrospective interviews (using the video screen-capture recording to stimulate responses) for additional context. I analyzed verbal think-aloud protocol data by looking for emergent rhetorical themes with support from video screen capture data and supplementary interviews for context. I then define and describe horizontal and vertical arrangement through multi-dimensional examples supported by verbal and visual think-aloud data. This project is not intended to support broad generalizations about contemporary multimodal and graphic design processes (a kind of multimodal composing). Instead, the purpose is to contribute curren (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Pamela Takayoshi (Committee Chair); Raymond Craig (Committee Member); Sara Newman (Committee Member); Stanley Wearden (Committee Member); Albert Ingram (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Design; Rhetoric; Technical Communication; Technology

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Arts and Sciences : Philosophy

Mandatory sentencing has not resolved the problem of disparity in sentencing in our criminal justice system, as originally thought when it was first implemented. However, Aristotle's concept of particularism can help alleviate the situation when it is agreed that mandatory sentencing has failed. This is because particularism involves a feature called equity in Aristotle's idea of justice. One of the most noticeable impediments created by mandatory sentencing is the lack of discretionary powers on the part of judges, resulting in a strictly retributivist form of justice, a one-size fits all approach to those who are found guilty of violating certain kinds of laws. With Aristotle's concept of equity developed to encompass discretionary powers for judges, a means is provided for the spirit of the law to be the dominating force in its application and not just the letter of the law. In this thesis I hope to show that Aristotle held such a view, to consider what modern particularists are saying about it, and synthesize my own version of it. This involves a review of how strict sentencing came about, as well as explaining why Aristotelian Particularism offers a better solution to the problems plaguing our criminal justice system than we have in place today.

Committee: Lawrence Jost PhD (Committee Chair); John Martin PhD (Committee Member); Robert Richardson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Law; Philosophy

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2005, Arts and Sciences : Romance Languages and Literatures

Paloma Pedrero's hyperrealist theater provides a glimpse into the daily existence of a group of Madrid's outcasts as well as an analysis of the pertinent social issues that affect them. In her plays, characters suffer from numerous conflicts linked to financial and emotional alienation. Longing for solidarity and companionship, an atmosphere of rivalry and mistrust thwarts their attempts to establish effective dialogue or productive cooperation. Though role-play can bring about momentary connections, bonds are soon severed as characters fail at (self)expression and resort to mutual victimization. Spectators exit the theater perplexed since characters seem no better off at the plays' open-ended conclusions. In recent years, Pedrero is proving to be one of the most important playwrights to emerge on the Spanish stage. The growing number of critical studies on her plays attest scholars' interest to unravel the complexities of her thought-provoking texts. Although most critics concentrate on the theatric, erotic or feminine aspects of her writing, I believe an analysis of the psycho-sociological dimensions of her theater is essential to a greater understanding of her works, especially in light of her educational background in sociology. Consequently, my dissertation approaches Pedrero's texts uniquely within this social framework. Although Pedrero avoids writing plays with overtly didactic messages, in La isla amarilla, she offers rare insight into the concerns that characterize her Weltanschauung: i.e. dismay at contemporary society's thirst for material wealth and its individualistic nature. Commencing with these ideas, my aim is to delve into Pedrero's world, revealing the influences, theories and experiences which have shaped her discourse. The three primary points of my research, constituting my chapters, include: 1) Success and failure in Western society, the marginalization process and deviancy – Merton's theory; 2) Relationship disorders and the breakdown of i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Maria Paz Moreno (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2012, Philosophy

Virtue ethics, to date, has not taken seriously enough the fact that humans are inherently limited creatures. It is all well and good to paint a picture of the ideal human being, filled with virtue and living the good life, but unless we understand how this picture is supposed to apply to those of us who still lack the virtues, it will be of little use to us. If virtue ethics is to succeed, it needs to become more realistic. It needs to recognize that we are epistemically limited beings who are largely incapable of becoming fully virtuous. Several things follow from this basic insight: virtue ethicists should focus on the subjective rather than the objective sense of ‘right' and ‘wrong', they should embrace both realistic and ideal conceptions of virtue, and they should transition toward an approval-based theory of right action. Once all of this is taken into account, the plausibility of virtue ethics is quite striking. There is a clear and important connection between the virtues and actions that are subjectively-right. Since subjective rightness is the kind we care about most, it is natural to try to construct a theory of right action on the basis of the virtues. Once we get clear about what it means to be virtuous, we see that there are two different standards, ideal and realistic virtue, and that each of these standards plays a different role in our moral theorizing. We ought to strive toward the development of realistic virtues, by performing actions that would be approved of by ideally virtuous observers, for only they have the required insight to see the right way forward in every case. Nevertheless, these virtuous observers needn't be overly idealized, because they will still need to exercise vigilance in certain circumstances and they don't require full-information in order to see what the subjectively-right actions are in each situation. For this reason, we can expect realistically virtuous people to closely approximate ideally virtuous ones in most cases (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Justin D'Arms (Advisor); Donald Hubin (Committee Member); Sigrun Svavarsdottir (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2011, Philosophy

This dissertation is an inquiry into the natures of moral responsibility and an agent's worthiness of praise and blame and the relation between these two phenomena. The project commences with a reflection on how contemporary views of moral responsibility and praise-and blameworthiness owe a significant heritage to a division that can be seen in Aristotle's view—that of sourcehood and reasons-responsiveness. Aristotle was one of the first to argue that an agent ought only to be praised or blamed for voluntary behavior. For Aristotle, the voluntary involves the agent's particular knowledge of her situation as well as her control over her behavior as its source. Since Aristotle's presentation of these issues, scholars tend to highlight one of these aspects over the other, indicating which is more central to establishing moral responsibility and the worthiness of praise and blame. Then, I show that contemporary views of each type hold that moral responsibility is prior to (i.e., a precondition for) an agent's worthiness of praise and blame. In my dissertation, I challenge this presumption. First, I show that moral responsibility is a type of causal responsibility. Then I argue that there are instances of agents being praise- and blameworthy that lack a causal element on the part of the agent, thus showing that one need not be morally responsible in order to be worthy of praise or blame. From here, I consider what grounds praise- and blameworthiness, offering my own account, the moral attitude account, which is in part inspired by my interpretation of how Aristotle deemed emotions to be deserving of praise and blame. Finally, I consider the possibility that moral responsibility requires agents to be praise- or blameworthy and I ultimately endorse this claim. I suggest that sourcehood accounts are applicable to moral responsibility only and that reasons-responsiveness accounts are better equipped to incorporate my conclusions into their views.

Committee: Timothy Schroeder (Advisor); Tamar Rudavsky (Committee Member); Allan Silverman (Committee Member) Subjects: Philosophy

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2009, History

Recent scholarship on the seventeenth-century Jesuit-Amerindian encounter in New France has emphasized the cultural disruptiveness and loss of the various native groups as a result of the missionary project. Crucial to understanding this loss of traditional Amerindian culture, however, is a parallel understanding of the cultural and intellectual forces coming from Europe which shaped and often restricted the Jesuits' attitudes toward native customs. Examining the first fifty years of the cross-cultural encounter through the lens of dream interpretation, this paper argues that the Jesuits made several adjustments to their initial assumptions and responses toward native dreams. Although the Jesuits originally denounced all native dreams as superstitious, the advent of native convert dreams forced the Jesuits to recognize the placement of at least some native dreams within traditional Christian categories of visions and miracles, even though some of these dreams retained characteristics which they condemned in traditional native dreams. Over time, however, the Jesuits' accommodating policy drew criticisms from competing missionaries. Because the dispute centered on events in China rather than Canada, the acceptability of convert dreams was resolved first by a silence on the issue in public records and later by a retraction of the papal condemnation of the Chinese Rites ruling and certain accomodationist practices. Ultimately, the issue of dreams reveals the deep tensions faced by the Jesuits in evaluating and accepting practices, even in part, that did not fit precisely into orthodox categories during a period when the Catholic Church, an institution that, like many other European centers of power, strove to buttress their institutional authority and to reduce the varieties of acceptable worship and belief in the face of enormous expansion in intellectual ideas and varieties of cultural practices around the world.

Committee: Dale K. Van Kley (Advisor); Matt Goldish (Committee Member); Alice Conklin (Committee Member) Subjects: European History; History; Native Americans; Religion; Religious History