"Patrie et Humanité" (1928):Politique et relations internationales

One fundamental question raised by the philosophical works of Maurice Blondel, which were published over a long life, is that of the relation between his early masterpiece L’Action (1893) and the volume of the same name—more precisely, its second tome L’Action humaine et les conditions de son aboutissement (1937)—forming part of the Trilogy of his later years (La Pensée; L’Être et les êtres; L’Action). The treatment of the nature of international relations in the work of 1937 is more developed than that found in L’Action of 1893. For understanding the development of Blondel’s thought on this matter, the key text is "Patrie et Humanité", a paper prepared for the 1928 annual meeting, held in Paris, of the Catholic Semaine sociale movement. It brings out the affinity between his understanding of international relations and that represented by such established thinkers in the canon of international thought as Vitoria and Suarez (in the case of the latter, despite some radical difference in respect of metaphysics). Not surprisingly from the standpoint of the genesis of Blondel’s philosophy, there is also a certain affinity between his view of the importance of justice for international affairs and that of Leibniz (notably in the preface of the Codex Juris Gentium, 1693). Various specialists treating of Blondel’s philosophy have drawn attention to parallels between the phenomenology of the will in L’Action of 1893 and Hegel’s Phänomenologie des Geistes. However, as regards the two philosophers’ understanding of the nature of international relations, there is a considerable gulf, and some of the difference may be related to the Hegelian idea of the Christian Church as found, at least implicitly, in the Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts (1821).

The stratigraphy of the Fishguard volcanic complex and associated sediments, SW Dyfed, Wales

This thesis describes the geology of a Lower Palaeozoic terrain, situated west of the town of Fishguard, SW Dyfed, Wales. The area is dominated by the Fishguard Volcanic Complex (Upper Llanvirn), and sediments that range in age from the Middle Cambrian to the Lower Llandeilo. The successions represent an insight into sedimentation and volcanism for c. 100 Ma. along the south-western margin of the Lower Palaeozoic Welsh Basin. The stratigraphy of the sedimentary sequence has been completely revised and the existing volcanostratigraphy modified. The observed complexity of the stratigraphy is primarily the consequence of Caldedonide deformation which resulted in large scale repetition. Fold-thrust tectonics dominates the structural style of the area. Caledonide trending (NE-SW) cross-faults complicate preexisting structures. Middle Cambrian (?) sedimentation is documented by shallow marine clastics and red shales deposited within tidal - subtidal environments. Upper Cambrian sedimentation was dominated by shallow marine `storm' and `fair weather' sedimentation within a muddy shelf environment. Shallow marine conglomerates and heterolithic intertidal siliciclastics mark the onset of Ordovician sedimentation during the lower Arenig transgression. Mid-Arenig sediments reflect deposits influenced by storm, fair-weather and wave related processes in various shallow marine environments, including; shoreface, inner shelf, shoaling bar, and deltaic. Graptolitic marine shales were deposited from the upper mid-Arenig through to the lower Llandeilo; during which time sediments accumulated by pelagic processes and fine grained turbidites. The varied nature of sedimentation reflects both localised change within the depositional system and the influence of larger regional eustatic events. Ordovician subaqueous volcanic activity produced thick accumulations of lavas, pyroclastics, hydroclastics, and hyaloclastics. The majority of volcanism was effusive in nature, erupted below the Pressure Compensation Level. Basaltic volcanism was characterised by pillowed lavas and tube networks, whilst sheet-flow lavas, pillow breccias and minor hyaloclastites developed locally. Silicic volcanism was dominated by rhyolitic clastics of various affinities, although coherent silicic obsidian lavas, sheet-flow lavas and pyroclastics developed. Hypabyssal intrusives of variable composition and habit occur throughout the volcanic successions. Low-grade regional metamorphism has variably affected the area, conditions of the prehnite-pumpellyite and greenschist facies having been attained. Numerous secondary phases developed in response to the conditions imposed, which collectively indicate that P-T conditions were of low-pressure facies series in the range P= 1.2-2.0 kbars and T= 230-350oC, under an elevated geothermal gradient of 40-45oC km-1. Polymineralic cataclastites associated with Caledonide deformation indicate that tectonism and metamorphism were in part contemporaneous.

In the name of the father, son, and grandson:succession patterns and the Kim dynasty

This paper seeks to understand North Korea’s Kim Il Sung to Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un’s hereditary transition by proposing a comparative analysis of several dictatorship families. The paper utilizes totalitarian successions in Nicaragua with García and Debayle, in Haiti with the Duvalier family, in Syria with the al-Assads, in Azerbaijan with the Aliyevs, in Congo with the Kabilas in order to draw parallels and difference with the North Korea. Eventually, North Korea’s control over information and its management of myths are highlighted as factors that have enabled the country’s hereditary transition, though new patterns of domestic governance might lead to a different political environment over the Korean peninsula.