title: Western historical traditions of well-being

authors: Michalos, Alex C.

subjects: Social Science

abstract: This chapter provides a brief historical overview of Western philosophical views about well-being from the eighth century before the Common Era to the middle of the twentieth century. We explain different understandings of the concept of well-being, including our preferred understanding of well-being as the subjective states and objective conditions that make our lives go well for us. Although this review is necessarily incomplete, we discuss some of the most salient and influential contributions to our subject. To that end, we cover some key views from ancient Greece, including the aristocratic values that were considered central to leading a good life, notions of personal and more expansive harmony as they key to well-being, and the idea that the experience of pleasure is all we should really care about. We also explain some of the major religious conceptions of the good life and their progression through the Middle Ages and beyond. We further consider more recent secular conceptions of well-being, including several views on the importance of personal and public happiness. Finally, we discuss views to the effect that happiness is not enough for the good life and that we should strive for loftier goals.

text: Western historical traditions of well-being This chapter provides a brief historical overview of Western philosophical views about well-being from the eighth century before the Common Era to the middle of the twentieth century. We explain different understandings of the concept of well-being, including our preferred understanding of well-being as the subjective states and objective conditions that make our lives go well for us. Although this review is necessarily incomplete, we discuss some of the most salient and influential contributions to our subject. To that end, we cover some key views from ancient Greece, including the aristocratic values that were considered central to leading a good life, notions of personal and more expansive harmony as they key to well-being, and the idea that the experience of pleasure is all we should really care about. We also explain some of the major religious conceptions of the good life and their progression through the Middle Ages and beyond. We further consider more recent secular conceptions of well-being, including several views on the importance of personal and public happiness. Finally, we discuss views to the effect that happiness is not enough for the good life and that we should strive for loftier goals.

year: 2017-01-09

title: Investigation into strain propagation to determine preserve regions for compliant mechanisms

authors: Venter, Christoff

subjects: compliant mechanisms

abstract: This thesis aims to improve the theoretical modelling of compliant mechanisms. The
conclusions drawn from this work will help designers understand sources of error associated
with strain propagation when designing with lumped compliance. Compliant mechanisms
have increased in popularity as they allow for designs that feature lower part counts,
increased precision and reduced manufacturing costs. Although using theoretical models
to design compliant mechanisms is a useful tool, there is an assumption that only the
nodes in a compliant mechanism undergo strain. This is not the case. There is strain
occurring outside of the node in a region called the preserve region. The preserve region’s
impact on the theory is greatly under-explored in the literature.
The preserve region’s size, shape, and impact were found and quantified for a range
of critical node types. This was done through the use of FEA software by altering the
model of a simple, compliant mechanism. The size of the preserve region changed based
on the thickness and the fillet used, with an increase of thickness from 4mm to 8mm,
causing the radius of the arc that encompasses the preserve region to grow from 8.5mm to
13mm. The shape was also found to be an ellipse, irrespective of the node’s geometry. The
preserve region’s impact on the theoretical models was also quantified. It was found that
the thickness has the most drastic effect on the compliance values of the node, increasing
the error from 20.53% to 102.18% when the thickness was increased from 4mm to 8mm.
This work shows the importance of considering the preserve region when creating
theoretical models of compliant mechanisms. When properly considered, this research
shows that the error between the theoretical and the FEA values can be greatly reduced.

text: Investigation into strain propagation to determine preserve regions for compliant mechanisms This thesis aims to improve the theoretical modelling of compliant mechanisms. The
conclusions drawn from this work will help designers understand sources of error associated
with strain propagation when designing with lumped compliance. Compliant mechanisms
have increased in popularity as they allow for designs that feature lower part counts,
increased precision and reduced manufacturing costs. Although using theoretical models
to design compliant mechanisms is a useful tool, there is an assumption that only the
nodes in a compliant mechanism undergo strain. This is not the case. There is strain
occurring outside of the node in a region called the preserve region. The preserve region’s
impact on the theory is greatly under-explored in the literature.
The preserve region’s size, shape, and impact were found and quantified for a range
of critical node types. This was done through the use of FEA software by altering the
model of a simple, compliant mechanism. The size of the preserve region changed based
on the thickness and the fillet used, with an increase of thickness from 4mm to 8mm,
causing the radius of the arc that encompasses the preserve region to grow from 8.5mm to
13mm. The shape was also found to be an ellipse, irrespective of the node’s geometry. The
preserve region’s impact on the theoretical models was also quantified. It was found that
the thickness has the most drastic effect on the compliance values of the node, increasing
the error from 20.53% to 102.18% when the thickness was increased from 4mm to 8mm.
This work shows the importance of considering the preserve region when creating
theoretical models of compliant mechanisms. When properly considered, this research
shows that the error between the theoretical and the FEA values can be greatly reduced.

year: 2024

title: Telling “Us” in the “Days Destined to You: Response Life-Telling: Indigenous Oral Autobiography and the Performance of Relation

authors: Mahuika, Nepia

subjects: Arts & Humanities

abstract: This “tau-utuutu” (responsive) protocol feels familiar to me.² My turn to speak, to respond, to share in a conversation with Warren Cariou’s stimulating essay on “Life-Telling,” Indigenous autobiography, and Dovie Thomason. It reminds me of how life-telling, orality, and history, interweave and work in my tribal universe. At home, we take turns speaking. We inherit our words, we respond, carve, and weave new narratives—make them ours. Where I come from, lives are frequently “told,” sung, cried, carved, and performed, through tribal conversations, a chorus of textured tones, sometimes in a grand debate within which our personal and collective pasts, presents, and futures converge and diverge.³ I am glad, then, to be invited, to add my voice to this present discussion. It feels natural . . . normal . . . Native.

text: Telling “Us” in the “Days Destined to You: Response Life-Telling: Indigenous Oral Autobiography and the Performance of Relation This “tau-utuutu” (responsive) protocol feels familiar to me.² My turn to speak, to respond, to share in a conversation with Warren Cariou’s stimulating essay on “Life-Telling,” Indigenous autobiography, and Dovie Thomason. It reminds me of how life-telling, orality, and history, interweave and work in my tribal universe. At home, we take turns speaking. We inherit our words, we respond, carve, and weave new narratives—make them ours. Where I come from, lives are frequently “told,” sung, cried, carved, and performed, through tribal conversations, a chorus of textured tones, sometimes in a grand debate within which our personal and collective pasts, presents, and futures converge and diverge.³ I am glad, then, to be invited, to add my voice to this present discussion. It feels natural . . . normal . . . Native.

year: 2016