The central research question of this thesis is ‘How can we define the concept of integrity for the purpose of realizing an adequate tool to normatively assess the actions of public officials in...Show moreThe central research question of this thesis is ‘How can we define the concept of integrity for the purpose of realizing an adequate tool to normatively assess the actions of public officials in both a desirable and feasible way?’. The thesis aims to: (1) demonstrate how the relevant norms, values, virtues and principles relate to integrity in a fundamental way; (2) contribute to reducing the ambiguous nature of integrity of governance; (3) advance the ongoing process of defining integrity as an ‘essentially contested concept’. First, the thesis establishes that integrity should be regarded as an ‘essentially contested concept’, according to the conditions set out by Gallie (1956). Second, the thesis develops a ‘multidimensional account of integrity of governance’, as I contend that it is possible to formulate a sufficient definition of integrity in regard to particular contexts. The multidimensional account defines integrity of governance on the basis of five aspects, which are indebted to existing philosophical accounts of integrity, and operate jointly as necessary elements to explain the wholeness of integrity of governance: (1) communityidentification (FL), which constitutes the formal limits; (2) community-constitution (ML 1) and standing for community values (ML 2) as the moral limits; and (3) the fundamental principles and moral norms and values (MC 1) and the framework of virtuous judgement (MC 2) as the moral content. Third, the thesis will exemplify how the multidimensional account accounts for several criticisms inherent in the existing philosophical theories of integrity, as well as argue that the potential objections of demandingness, disagreement, and indistinctiveness do not invalidate the multidimensional account.Show less
The growing existence of multiethnic individuals and diverse societies seems to pose a challenge to the nation-state and its configuration of the political community. Classic theories of...Show moreThe growing existence of multiethnic individuals and diverse societies seems to pose a challenge to the nation-state and its configuration of the political community. Classic theories of nationalism prescribe the formation of a state around an ever-existing nation which constitutes a somewhat homogenous community, conflicting with the modern realities of statehood. Thus, this thesis explores the theory of nationalism and its ability to accommodate diversity and plurality within its structure. Ultimately, I argue, illustrated through the concept of the critical hybrid subject, that nationalism is unable to cope with the diversity of its members, due to the implementation of a national identity as an authority retaining political strategy.Show less
Abstract: Enactivism regards itself as the paradigm of cognitive science that puts an end to Representationalism. Representationalism conceives of objective reality as independent from, and prior...Show moreAbstract: Enactivism regards itself as the paradigm of cognitive science that puts an end to Representationalism. Representationalism conceives of objective reality as independent from, and prior to the mind. The mind is therefore posited as a secondary representation of the primary reality which creates a dualistic divide between ontology and epistemology. Enactivism conceives of reality and the mind as interdependently arising in unison with each other. The mind is conceived as the activity of the organism in interdependence with its environment. This is how Enactivism believes to end up with a non-dualistic conception of reality that is capable of conceiving of life as evolving autonomously, as opposed to being predetermined by the one objective reality in itself. Enactivism uses the notion of self-reference in order to make sense of this interdependent becoming of the organism and its environment in a dialectically circular fashion. This dialectics of circularity, though, due to Enactivism’s existentialistic philosophical roots, is conceived entirely from within the perspective of life itself. Reality in itself is not addressed due to existentialistic fears of ending up with the presupposition of a deterministic thing-initself. I will show that Enactivism nonetheless ends up with the very same dualistic separation between reality itself and mind that is believed to be the cause of Representationalism, precisely because it avoids answering the question of reality in itself (i.e., reality prior to mind and life). In other words, I will show that Enactivism can only be regarded as logically coherent, once we extend this philosophy of 'becoming' into reality in itself. Reconstructing Hegel’s self-referential logic of negation, which I will prove to be the nondual solution to Representationalism, and thereby dualistic thinking as a whole, I will provide a non-dualistic answer to the conception of reality in itself. I will thus show how Enactivism, by avoiding to conceive of reality in itself as selfreferential, inadvertently falls back upon this Dualism. Enactivism falls short of following through on its principle of self-reference, as it restricts this principle to life itself, as opposed to applying it to all of reality. The application of the principle of self-reference to the whole of reality will additionally be shown to be not only in line with but also fulfilling all of Enactivism’s core desiderata, while also giving logical sense to the Buddhistic philosophy of Non-Dualism and Emptiness that is at the very heart of Enactivism’s project of overcoming Representationalism. The result will be a non-dual understanding of reality as the self-referential becoming of the psyche as subjective (i.e., immaterial) change of the object (i.e., matter). This understanding of the psyche will amount to the foundation of a non-dual science of psychology.Show less
We live in a post-truth era. Truth is no longer relevant in matters of political deliberation and objective facts are subordinated to emotive appeals and spurious opinions. This is crippling the...Show moreWe live in a post-truth era. Truth is no longer relevant in matters of political deliberation and objective facts are subordinated to emotive appeals and spurious opinions. This is crippling the political legitimacy of western liberal democracies, as these rely strongly on Enlightenment ideals of rationality, science and truth-based solutionism. At least, that is the common view. This thesis builds on a radically different conception of post-truth politics, one that sees it as an attack on the current knowledge game of established elites. It argues that post-truth politics is epistemically different from lies and bullshit. Fundamentally, it is a strategy that attacks the epistemic authoritarianism pervading our liberal democracies. This strategy wishes to uncover the game-like nature of truth in politics that is intimately linked to power and authority. Consequently, it seeks to level the playing field of the truth game. By doing so, I ultimately argue for the claim that this conception of post-truth politics is in line within the framework of political legitimacy as expounded by Rawls and Habermas.Show less
The underlying claim of the investigation is that images don’t act as just mnemonic or decorating devices for the text but are instead an integral part of the philosophical knowledge disseminated...Show moreThe underlying claim of the investigation is that images don’t act as just mnemonic or decorating devices for the text but are instead an integral part of the philosophical knowledge disseminated through the text. By denying the auxiliary or even decorative role of images and viewing them as an integral part of a philosophical system, the thesis challenges the common-sensical view that image doesn’t have a place within the philosophical text which is seen as closer and more connected to thinking. As it can be noticed, the investigation relies on a historical account, an analysis of seventeenth-century accounts on the conception and role of images in thinking, followed by a contemporary phenomenological and embodied analysis, informed by neuroscientific finds, to give an answer to the main research question. Namely, what is the role that printed images have within an early modern philosophical publication for thinking and understanding?Show less
Since the 2010's Psychology is in a replication crisis. There is an active debate within the discipline to "solve" the crisis. I argue that so far, most of the debate has been ignorant about the...Show moreSince the 2010's Psychology is in a replication crisis. There is an active debate within the discipline to "solve" the crisis. I argue that so far, most of the debate has been ignorant about the real problem causing the crisis. Roughly the crisis literature be grouped into a replication, a normativity and a validity crisis (Lundh, 2019). Most authors focus on the first to issues. While in reality the current crisis is a validity crisis, the method’s of psychology pass by the nature of its problem (chapter 1). I show through the work of Edmund Husserl how the problem arises as a consequence of the Galilean method of natural science (chapter 2). Then, I show how in psychology’s history the naturalism, which arose with the scientific revolution, kept it stuck in a perpetual crisis causing a perpetual cycle of revolutions (Introspectionism, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Enactvisim) (chapter 3). Lastly, I sketch out Husserl’s proposed solution to break the cycle and arrive at scientific psychology on new terms which capture the essence of the mind as essentially subjective (chapter 4).Show less
Two types of personal knowledge are identified: physical/tacit knowledge and knowledge from personal experience. Both types of knowledge seem to deal with the same problems in natural science: they...Show moreTwo types of personal knowledge are identified: physical/tacit knowledge and knowledge from personal experience. Both types of knowledge seem to deal with the same problems in natural science: they are not accepted as scientifically relevant, and they are not easily translated into words. However, they seem to be of great importance for the decision making and scientific success of scientists (in the field of nanobiology). In this thesis, it is argued that both tacit personal knowledge and personal knowledge from experience should be accepted as scientifically relevant, based on arguments from feminist philosophy of science, and thus incorporated into the scientific practice and communication amongst scientists. Furthermore, empathy is put forward as a possible method for transmission of personal knowledge, based on the account of Edith Stein and other contemporary work on the function and effects of empathy in the practice of natural science.Show less
This thesis broadly reviews the current literature on voice-like thought. I observe two major lines of explaining the phenomenon of inner speech (‘the little voice inside our heads’), which are...Show moreThis thesis broadly reviews the current literature on voice-like thought. I observe two major lines of explaining the phenomenon of inner speech (‘the little voice inside our heads’), which are perception-based and action-based approaches. The former focuses on inner speech as an auditory experience, and the latter focuses on inner speech being an act of speaking. This thesis discusses a currently dominant action-based model on inner speech (the forward model). The model includes a theory of how errors in inner speech generation can lead to clinical symptoms commonly found in people diagnosed with schizophrenia, such as auditory verbal hallucinations (‘hearing voices’). The way I will approach the topic is to find key assumptions on which the forward model is based, and discuss the concepts used in these assumptions. I argue mainly that inner hearing as a concept should be considered in further developing the model, and that the definitions of sense of agency, sense of ownership, intention, and source-monitoring need to be sharpened. This review aims to contribute to mapping our verbal mental experiences and their interrelations, which will ultimately be useful in clinical contexts. Hence, this work is meant to guide future research projects and inspire ongoing discussion about our verbal mental experiences.Show less
An analysis of several passages from Nietzsche's 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' is used to explore possible reasons for the attractiveness of videogame worlds.
The ethical writings of Alexander of Aphrodisias and of Plotinus both contain discussions on the thesis of the mutual implication of the virtues, which states that having one virtue implies having...Show moreThe ethical writings of Alexander of Aphrodisias and of Plotinus both contain discussions on the thesis of the mutual implication of the virtues, which states that having one virtue implies having them all. Their discussions are furthermore marked by the same term, namely antakolouthein (‘to be reciprocally implied’). Combined with the fact that there are other already established connections between Alexander and Plotinus, these facts raise the interesting question of to what degree Plotinus participates in the debate on the mutual implication of the virtues as is visible in Alexander of Aphrodisias’ Ethical Problems and Mantissa? This thesis provides an answer to this question by comparing both philosophers on the topic of mutual implication of the virtues and by pointing out the differences and similarities. The debate on the mutual implication and the different perspectives will be discussed, as well as the Stoics as opponents in the debate, Aristotle as background to Alexander and the origin of the debate and of the term antakolouthein.Show less
