Gadamer's transformation of hermeneutics : from Dilthey to Heidegger

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to show how Gadamer's hermeneutics synthesizes the insights of both Heidegger and Dilthey in order to introduce a new hermeneutics. Gadamer's hermeneutics is based not only on the priority of ontology, as Heidegger insists, and neither is it only a product of life which can be objectively understood through study and rigorous method, as Dilthey suggests. For Gadamer, hermeneutics is the bringing together of ontology in terms of history. By this synthesis Gadamer not only places himself within the context of a Lebensphilosophie, but also shows that it is within language that Being can be disclosed according to a lived context. Throughout this paper the philosophies ofDilthey and Heidegger are explicated within a historical context as to bring out how, and why, Gadamer sees the need to surpass these philosophies. Through Gadamer's philosophy of play and the game, language, the dialogical model, application, and the fusion of horizons we can see how Gadamer's critique and questioning of these two philosophy leads to his new hermeneutics. Special attention is paid to the role in which these two contrasting philosophies were used to complement each other in the product of Gadamer' s philosophical hermeneutics as it is presented in his major work Truth andMethod. For Gadamer, the task of understanding is never complete. Therefore, his hermeneutics remains a dynamic structure with which we can always question the past and our traditions. This paper seeks to show his philosophical movements within these questions

The essence of a tacit intersection : a heuristic inquiry into nature-based leisure and personal transformation

There are a considerable number of programs and agencies that count on the existence of a unique relationship between nature and human development. In addition, there are significant bodies of literature dedicated to understanding developmentally focused nature-based experiences. This research project was designed to flirther the understanding of this phenomenon. Consequently, the purpose of this research endeavour was to discover the essence ofthe intersection ofpersonal transformation and nature-based leisure, culminating in a rich and detailed account of this otherwise tacit phenomenon. As such, this research built on the assumption of this beneficial intersection of nature and personal transformation and contributes to the understanding ofhow this context is supporting or generating of selfactualization and positive development. Heuristic methods were employed because heuristics is concerned with the quality and essence of an experience, not causal relationships (Moustakas, 1990). Heuristic inquiry begins with the primary researcher and her personal experience and knowledge of the phenomenon. This study also involved four other coresearchers who had also experienced this phenomenon intensely. Co-researchers were found through purposeful and snowball sampling. Rich narrative descriptions of their experiences were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and artifact elicitation was employed as a means to get at co-researchers' tacit knowledge. Each coresearcher was interviewed twice (the first interview focused on personal transformation, the second on nature) for approximately four and a half hours in total. Transcripts were read repeatedly to discern patterns that emerged from the study of the narratives and were coded accordingly. Individual narratives were consolidated to create a composite narrative of the experience. Finally, a creative synthesis was developed to represent the essence of this tacit experience. In conclusion the essence of the intersection of nature-based leisure and personal transformation was found to lie in the convergence of the lived experience of authenticity. The physical environment of nature was perceived and experienced to be a space and context of authenticity, leisure experiences were experienced as an engagement of authenticity, and individuals themselves encountered a true or authentic self that emanated from within. The implications of these findings are many, offering suggestions, considerations and implications from reconsidered approaches to environmental education to support for selfdirected human development.

Words on wisdom: perspective transformation in a "learning in retirement institute" /

In this study, 7 men and women with an average age of 77 were interviewed regarding their experience of attending courses at a Learning in Retirement Institute (LRI) in southern Ontario. The purpose was to explore the role of wisdom in the learning of these retirees. Explicit theories of wisdom developed by selected philosophers, psychologists, and religious thinkers were compared to the implicit theories of wisdom that respondents expressed. Further comparisons were drawn between these implicit theories of wisdom and the act of perspective transformation in transformative learning. Some evidence was found that the development of wisdom compares favourably to perspective transformation, especially with regards to the behavioural changes associated with critical self-reflection. Among all the respondents, those 3 LRI stude.its who had also moderated courses indicated that they had experienced the most opportunities for critical self-reflection. These 3 also expressed deep satisfaction in having been able to put their learnings to use as teachers. A recommendation of this study is that opportunities for sharing and acting upon the results of discourse within Learning in Retirement Institutes should be implemented. In the absence of evaluation, opportunities for praxis (such as coop placements) must be developed so that students can measure their success against objective criteria and hence attach meaning to their studies.

Paradigms and prisons: a narrative of translation and transformation : my hero's journey from "at-risk" youth to teacher/learner in a jail setting /

All life is suffering. Life is the pursuit ofhappiness. These are two foundational Buddhist dictums that, in their simplicity, I have entirely misunderstood regarding their depth, misreading them as contradictory. Indeed, my superficial interpretations led me to Thoreau's life ofquiet desperation and deep depression. We come to know and bring understanding to our lives by storying them. My own Hero's Journey, the path from my egoic selftoward the universal Self, can be understood as the resultant translations and transformations. Inevitably each of us is involved in such a story, though most are unaware of the stages along our own Hero's journey. ' Narrative honours writing as a means of knowing. The contemplative reflection allows insight into our imprisoning paradigms, beliefs, behaviours, and blind spots. My research revisits and explores nodal experiences along my Hero's Journey through 4 categories: self, society, soil, and Self. While the value of this process of narrative inquiry lay in its ability to come to know and understand one's self, perhaps its greater value is of a more universal nature. My inquiry, while adding to the body of academic educational narrative literature, may also illuminate a path to educators, students, and all interested, encouraging a response to the call of their own Hero's journey. I am a teacher/learner in a jail setting, working with youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who have committed crimes such as armed robbery, assault, rape, and murder. As this thesis follows my continual development from egoic self/teacher/learner to universal Self/Teacher/Learner, it also enables me to both consciously and unconsciously open the ways in which I expand my care, compassion, and love to work with at-risk youth.

An exploration of transformation theory and the western tradition: a critical evaluation of a graduate studies class

This qualitative study is an exploration of transformation theory, the Western tradition, and a critical evaluation of a graduate studies class at a university. It is an exploration of assumptions that are embedded in experience, that influence the experience and provide meaning about the experience. An attempt has been made to identify assumptions that are embedded in Western experience and connect them with assumptions that shape the graduate class experience. The focus is on assumptions that facilitate and impede large group discussions. Jungian psychology of personality type and archetype and developmental psychology is used to analyze the group experience. The pragmatic problem solving model, developed by Knoop, is used to guide thinking about the Western tradition. It is used to guide the analysis, synthesis and writing of the experience of the graduate studies class members. A search through Western history, philosophy. and science revealed assumptions about the nature of truth, reality, and the self. Assumptions embedded in Western thinking about the subject-object relationship, unity and diversity are made explicit. An attempt is made to identify Western tradition assumptions underlying transformation theory. The critical evaluation of the graduate studies class experience focuses upon issues associated with group process, self-directed learning, the educator-learner transaction and the definition of adult education. The advantages of making implicit assumptions explicit is explored.

An investigation into some mechanistic aspects of estrogen biosynthesis

The mechanistic aspects of the 19-hydroxy1ation and aromatization of androgens were investigated. Fungal, bacterial and mammalian enzymatic activities were studied in this regard . The fungus Pell i cular~ fi1amentosa metabolized androst-4-ene-3 , 17-dione to the corresponding 110<' , 11 f and 14 0( hydroxylated derivatives. No ~19- hydroxylated products were isolated, although this transformation was previously observed for the C21-steroids . The intestinal bacterium Clostridi um paraputrific~ had been reported to aromatize androsten-4-ene-3,17-dione. In the present study, however, only the ring A reduced products , 17(3 - hydroxy-5f -andro8tane- 3-one and 5f-androstane-3,17-dione , were recovered . Human placental microsomes contain substantial aromatase activity and were employed in an effort to elucidate some of the mechanistic details of aromatization. Selectively deuterated steroidal substrates were employed as a probe in order to distinguish b'!tween certain of the mechanisms proposed for aromatization . Retention of deuterium at C4 and C6 was observed. It was concluded that no free intermediates allowing for loss of hydrogen from either of these two positions are implicated in this process . The involvement of a Schiff base enzyme-sup strate complex in aromatization was examined using the substrate 17f - hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3-one- 3_ 1BO. Since no loss of label was ob~erved, the implication of a Schiff base was discounted . Mixed label1ir~ studies were performed in order to determine if hydroxylation at C19 is a rate-determining process in aromatization . Isotope effects of 2 .1 and 1.7 were determined for the conversion of 17f - hydroxyandrost-4-ene-J-one-19,19,19-dJ and -19-dl respectively to estrogens. It was concluded from this that 19-hydroxylation is at l east a partially rate-determinjng process in aromatization. A homoenb~ation mechanism for 19-hydroxylation was not supported by the data obtained in this s tudy. In vitro 1JC NMR monitoring using l7f-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-Jone- 19-l3C was found not to be a successful approach in the study of steroid transformations, owing in part t o their low solubility in the incubation medium.

An investigation into fungal metabolism of halogenated and related steroids

Fungal metabolism of halogenated and related steroids was investigated. The fungi Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142, Curvularia lunata NRRL 2380 and Rhizopus stolonifer ATCC6227b were studied in this regard. 2l-Fluoro-, 2l-chloro, 2l-bromo- and 2l-methyl-pregn-4-ene-3,20diones were prepared and incubated with ~ niger (a C-2l-hydroxylator) in order to observe the effect of the C-2l substituent on the metabolism of these substrates. In all four cases, the C-2l substituent prevented any significant metabolism of these substrates. llB-Fluoropregn-4-ene-3,20-dione was prepared and incubated with C. lunata (an llB-hydroxylator) and ~ stolonifer (an lla-hydroxylator). With ~ lunata, the ll-fluoro- substituent prevent hydroxylation at the 11 position, but diverted it to a site remote from the fluorine atom. In contrast, with ~ stolonifer the llB-fluoro- substituent, although slowing the apparent rate of hydroxylation, did not prevent its occurrence at the 11a- position. llB-Hydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione was also incubated with R. stolonifer. The llB-hydroxy-;group did not appear to have any significant effect on hydroxylation at the lla- position. The incubation of a substrate, unsaturated at a favoured site of hydroxylation with Rhizopus arrhizus ATCC 11145 provided a complex mixture of products; among them were both the a and S epoxides. The formation of these products is rationalized as arising because of the lack of regio- and stereospecificity of the hydroxylase enzyme(s) involved.

Organizational change: implications of culture and leadership in the transformation to a total quality management paradigm

The study was undertaken to investigate organizational readiness for change to a total quality management (TQM) paradigm as the corporate-wide strategy within a long-term care facility. The focus of the study was on leadership values and organizational cultural characteristics that could either accelerate or impede the change process at The Public Hospital. structurally, the ~tudy included 'three distinct components. The first component examined the management philosophy outlined by Deming (1986) and his contemporary Juran (1989) in order to determine what leadership values best support the new Total Quality Management paradigm. Secondly, this information was compared to present leadership values at The Public Hospital with the purpose of identifying opportunities for improvement within the organization's current culture as the hospital moves toward the desired TQM culture. The final component, a roadmap, was developed to reflect the most appropriate direction for organizational change at The Public Hospital.

The 21-dehydroxylation of corticosteroids: evidence for an enol intermediate and the hydroxylation of steroids by fungal cyto-chrome P450: evidence for a stepwise mechanism

Two enzyme mechanisms were examined: the 21-dehydroxylation of corticosteroids by the anaerobe Eubacterium l en tum, and the hydroxylation of steroids by fungal cytochrome P450. Deuterium labelling techniques were used to study the enzymic dehydroxylation. Corticosteroids doubly labelled (2H) at the C-21 position were incubated with a culture of Eubacterium lentum. It was found that t he enzymic dehydroxylation proceeded with the loss of one 2H f rom C-21 per molecule of substrate. The kinetic isotope ef fect f or the reaction was found to be k~kD = 2. 28. These results suggest that enzyme/substr ate binding in this case may proceed via t he enol form of the substrate. Also , it appears that this binding is, at least in part, the rate determining step of t he reaction. The hydroxylation of steroids by fungal cytochrome P450 was examined by means of a product study. Steroids with a double bond at the A8 (9), ~( lO ), or ~ (ll) position were synthesized. These steroids were then incubated with fungal strains known to use a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase to hydroxylate at positions allylic to these doubl e bonds. The products formed in these incubations indicated that the double bonds had migrated during allylic hydroxylat ion. This suggests that a carbon centred radical or ion may be an intermediate i n the cytochrome P450 cat alytic cycle.

The transformation of teachers: an adult learning approach

The study focused on the teacher as an adult learner rather than an instructor. A sample of three hundred and three elementary school teachers completed a two-part Likert survey questionnaire. The instrument was developed by the researcher in an attempt to operationalize Mezirow's Theory of Perspective Transformation. The four sub-scales collected information about teachers as they perceived themselves as adult learners and the way they conceptualize critical SelfReflection, Meaning perspectives and New Insights (Mezirow, 1978, 1981, 1989, 1990) within a framework of Mezirow's concept of Transformative Learning. Survey research methodology was used. Frequency distributions, means, and standard deviation were calculated. Reliability analysis and Pearson 'r' correlations established the internal consistency of items It Cross tabulations to describe differences in responses across demographic valuables were computed. The survey results indicated that teachers perceived themselves as self-directed learners. The findings support the need for a better understanding of the teacher as an adult learner so that teacher inservice programs and teacher supervision and evaluation can provide a viable learning alternative to the existing models used in practice.

Transformation in teaching : listening to every voice

Action research is a methodology that supports practitioner research. This study is an exploration of one researcher's practice using the living-theory approach to action research. Initially, my focus was to improve my practice by asking how I can facilitate transformative learning experiences with the teachers with whom I work. As part of this search, I examined the contradictions between my espoused and implicit values. In keeping with the evolving nature of my inquiry, I unveiled the telos that constituted the impetus for my search, which began as a tension about the quality of my interactions and ended as a quest to find my voice among the others'. I used personal narratives, journal entries, a videotaping session, interactions with critical friends and interviews with colleagues and administrators to engage in a process of continuing self- and interactive reflection. Throughout my study, I explored how theoretical concepts intertwine with personal experiences. In the final chapter, I share the possible connections between my living educational theory and a more general theory of transformative learning. I conclude my study with a look at the transformation process I underwent as a result of the study and the new questions I formulated as I began the action research spiral again.

Fungal biotransformation of morphine alkaloids

The purpose of the study was to determine the ability of certain fungi to biotransform morphine alkaloids into medicinally relevant intermediates. Fungal strains screened for their ability to affect biotransformation of morphine alkaloids include Cunninghamella echinulata, Helicostylum pirijorme, Pycnoporus sanguinea, Pycnoporus cinnabarina, Curvularia lunata and Sporotrichum sulfurescens. The research demonstrated that Cunninghamella echinulata N-demethylated thebaine, hydrocodone, codeine, oripavine and oxycodone into corresponding nor-compounds in varying yields. The study further focused on the characterization of the enzyme responsible for the biotransformation of thebaine into northebaine by Cunninghamella echinulata. The study clearly showed that incubation of the fungal culture with thebaine over a period of 48 hours was required to activate the biotransformation process. The biotransformation studies with [14C] labeled thebaine showed that Ndemethylation by Cunningham ella echinulata does not involve O-demethylation followed by methyl group transfer as suggested in previous studies.

Stereoselective synthesis of 5-substituted pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazol-3-ones. Access to aldosterone synthase inhibitors and chiral precatalysts

Compounds containing the pyrrolidine moiety are key substructures of compounds with biological activity and organocatalysts. In particular, annulated chiral pyrrolidines with alpha stereogenic centers have aldostereone synthase inhibition activity. In addition, 5-substituted pyrroloimidazol(in)ium salts precursors to N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precatalysts are rare due to a lack of convenient synthetic routes to access them. In this thesis is described a rapid synthesis of NHC precursors and a possible route to 5-substituted pyrroloimidazole biologically active compounds. The method involves the preparation of chiral saturated and achiral unsaturated pyrrolo[I,2- c]imidazol-3-ones from N-Cbz-protected t-Butyl proline carboxamide. The resulting starting materials may be used to prepare the target chiral annulated imidazol(in)ium products by a two-step sequence involving first stereoselective lithiation-substitution, followed by POCh induced salt formation.

Stereoselective synthesis of substituted hexahydro-3a,4a-diazacyclopentaphenanthren-4-ones and aminoferrocenes

This thesis explored the development of several methodologies for the stereoselective construction of ligand frameworks and some of their applications. The first segment concerns the application of an enantioselective lithiation at an Sp3_ hybridized position adjacent to nitrogen by means of the widely used and typically highly effective enantioselective lithiation with ( -)-sparteine. This investigation was intended to develop a method to install chirality into a system that would be converted into a family of diaminoylidenes for use as phosphine mimics in transition metal catalysis or as nucleophilic reagents. Molecular modeling of the system revealed some key interactions between the substrate and (-)-sparteine that provided general insight into the diamine's mode of action and should lend some predictive value to its future applications. The second portion focuses on the development of methods to access 1,2- disubstituted aminoferrocenes, an underexplored class of metallocenes possessing planar chirality. Two routes were examined involving a diastereoselective and an enantioselective pathway, where the latter method made use of the first BF3-mediated lithiation-substitution to install planar chirality. Key derivatives such as 1,2- aminophosphines, made readily accessible by the new route, were evaluated as ligands for Pd(II), Pt(II) and Ir(I). These complexes show activity in a number of transformations with both achiral and prochiral substrates. Optimization experiments were conducted to prepare enantiomerically enriched 2-substituted-I-aminoferrocenes by direct asymmetric lithiation of BF3-coordinated tertiary aminoferrocenes. A predictive computational model describing the transition state of this reaction was developed in collaboration with Professor Travis Dudding's group (Department of Chemistry, Brock University). The predicted stereochemistry of the process was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis of a 2-phosphino-l-dimethylaminoferrocene derivative. Enantiomerically pure samples of the aminophosphine ligands derived from this new process have given promising preliminary results in the enantioselective hydrogenation of prochiral alkenes and warrant further stUdy in metal-mediated catalysis.

Creating a Space for Self-Transformation: Factors of Success for Adult Literacy Learners with Specific Learning Difficulties

A significant number of adults in adult literacy programs in Ontario have specific learning difficulties. This study sought to examine the holistic factors that contributed to these learners achieving their goals. Through a case study design, the data revealed that a combination of specific learning methods and strategies, along with particular characteristics of the instructor, participant, and class, and the evidence of self-transformation all seemed to contribute to the participant's success in the program. Instructor-directed teaching and cooperative learning were the main learning methods used in the class. General learning strategies employed were the use of core curriculum and authentic documents, and using phonics, repetition, assistive resources, and using activities that appealed to various learning styles. The instructor had a history of both professional development in the area of learning disabilities as well as experience working with learners who had specific learning difficulties. There also seemed to be a goodness of fit between the participant and the instructor. Several characteristics of the participant seemed to aid in his success: his positive self-esteem, self-advocacy skills, self-determination, self-awareness, and the fact that he enjoyed learning. The size (3-5 people) and type of class (small group) also seemed to have an impact. Finally, evidence that the participant went through a self-transformation seemed to contribute to a positive learner identity. These results have implications for practice, theory, and further research in adult education.