This thesis analyses the impact of the colonization era of Japan on South Korea, and how this impacts the economic relations between these two countries over the last decade. Furthermore, this...Show moreThis thesis analyses the impact of the colonization era of Japan on South Korea, and how this impacts the economic relations between these two countries over the last decade. Furthermore, this thesis will look into the events that took place during the colonial era, such as the comfort women issue and the forced labor issue.Show less
Kaput is about escaping hegemonical structures. Yet, I claim that these structures perpetuate themselves through escape, the harder we run the more rigid these structures get. So the question...Show moreKaput is about escaping hegemonical structures. Yet, I claim that these structures perpetuate themselves through escape, the harder we run the more rigid these structures get. So the question becomes, what can we do to get rid of these structures without resorting to fleeing from them?Show less
Academic studies of nonduality tend to focus on the phenomenology of what is called “nondual experience” or “nondual awareness” that is universal to a wide range of diverse spiritual traditions...Show moreAcademic studies of nonduality tend to focus on the phenomenology of what is called “nondual experience” or “nondual awareness” that is universal to a wide range of diverse spiritual traditions such as Mahāyāna Buddhism, Advaita Vedānta, Daoism, as well as Christianity and Sufism among others. A popular way of approaching nonduality from a philosophical perspective is to assume or argue that these contradictory metaphysical systems are grounded in the same or similar phenomenological experience, which is then taken as a basis for the resolution of ontological differences between these diverse systems to arrive at a conclusion proclaiming a single absolute truth or reality revealed by all of them. This work challenges such an understanding of nonduality by engaging with an influential study in the field of intercultural comparative philosophy authored by David Loy and showing how this type of interpretation leads to epistemologically dualistic consequences, which render it untenable. What follows is a presentation of an alternative way of approaching nonduality based on the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Dzogchen. By tracing its origins in the Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thought, this work presents how two fundamental kinds of nonduality are understood in Dzogchen: the relative-ultimate nonduality, based on Madhyamaka, and the subject-object nonduality, based on Yogācāra. The conclusion this study aims to establish is that the most philosophically cogent presentation of nonduality is one where the negations of duality are understood to be nonimplicative, revealing the inseparable identity of any two poles under consideration. Nonduality as inseparability means that neither of the given two poles is reducible to the other, as a negation of duality is not seen to imply a unified or singular absolute reality.Show less
The first elections after the anti-establishment Arab Spring protests resulted in a victory for Islamist political parties in a number of MENA countries. This came as a surprise to the West, which...Show moreThe first elections after the anti-establishment Arab Spring protests resulted in a victory for Islamist political parties in a number of MENA countries. This came as a surprise to the West, which points of view are known to contradict Islam with the democracy and civil liberties that the Arab Spring protests called for. It comes as no surprise then that Islamist political success is often contributed to the inclusion of these parties in a pluralist and democratic playfield. Allegedly, this forces them to bargain and negotiate with other actors, resulting in the disappearance of Islamist ideological elements and making them viable options for the electorate. This prominent way of thinking - which has been called the moderation through inclusion theory - is much critiqued for being too shortsighted in its view of political Islamism. That is why this thesis argues in favor of an alternative approach that shifts the focus from the outcome of a period of political transition and whether or not this is moderate, to one that emphasizes the processes and internal and external factors that shape the ideological transformations of these parties. By looking at the most prominent Islamist parties of three countries (Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt) and tracing their historical developments and contexts based on these internal and external factors, this thesis then offers an alternative explanation to the popularity of political Islamism in the first elections after the Arab Spring uprisings.Show less
Books are deeply intertwined with the societies that produce them. Besides the unmistakable benefits leisure reading can give to individuals, such as literacy, creativity, imagination, knowledge...Show moreBooks are deeply intertwined with the societies that produce them. Besides the unmistakable benefits leisure reading can give to individuals, such as literacy, creativity, imagination, knowledge and empathy, this free time activity has an impact on a higher level too. The written word enables connections between individuals and communities in ways that were unimaginable before the Print Revolution. Books can encompass the values of a nation, they can communicate and reinforce them. These aspects are especially important in the case of a small nation with a distinct language, as a strong need of cultural preservation is present. The main focus of this thesis is the two-way connection between a country’s reading culture and its social, political and economic realms. It is based on the argument that participants of the reading landscape not only affect the readers with their actions, but have an indirect impact on the wider cultural system through the reading landscape. The means to support this argument is an analysis of the literary landscape of Hungary, based on a self-constructed model, the Reading Promotion Impact Matrix. The two dimensions of this model are the nation’s core values that are supported and reflected by the reading promotion efforts; and the areas that can impact and can be impacted by these reading promotion activities. The thesis also highlights the interactivity and interconnectedness of the participants of a country’s literary landscape.Show less
Vermeer was born and baptised as a Protestant. Due to his marriage to the Catharina Bolnes, a Catholic woman of high society, Vermeer converted to the Catholic faith. Vermeer started as a history...Show moreVermeer was born and baptised as a Protestant. Due to his marriage to the Catharina Bolnes, a Catholic woman of high society, Vermeer converted to the Catholic faith. Vermeer started as a history painter. Among his first known works are large paintings with religious (Catholic) subject matter. Later, he mainly painted small genre pieces. One of his last works, however, is Allegory of the Catholic Faith, an enormous painting. In this thesis it is argued that the change in painted subject matter is a result of Vermeers conversion to Catholicism. His religious paintings are most probably commissioned. Since the Protestant faith was the State religion in the 17th century Netherlands and the Catholic faith was officially prohibited, the market for paintings with Catholic subject matter was very limited: eligible clients were either hidden churches, or rich Catholic civilians. Economic motives - Vermeer had a large family to maintain - may have urged him to tap into a new market. Genre paintings were popular at the time. The small format of Vermeer's genre paintings involved less costs. Unknown is whether these genre paintings were commissioned. It is assumed that his genre paintings were sold immediately after, of even before, they were finished. Half of Vermeer's paintings were bought by his patrons, the Protestant couple Van Ruijven-De Knuijt from Delft. No relation is apparent between Vermeer's shift to (mainly) genre painting and his stilistic development. Vermeer's fame is mainly due to his non-religious later work, especially his genre pieces.Show less
In de nasleep van de ballingschap van Elizabeth Stuart en haar familie, die vanwege de Dertigjarige oorlog naar de Republiek waren gevlucht, groeide Elizabeth uit tot spilfiguur in de strategieën...Show moreIn de nasleep van de ballingschap van Elizabeth Stuart en haar familie, die vanwege de Dertigjarige oorlog naar de Republiek waren gevlucht, groeide Elizabeth uit tot spilfiguur in de strategieën ter restauratie van de machtspositie van de Palts-dynastie. Het correspondentienetwerk dat zij vanuit Den Haag onderhield, fungeerde als een krachtig instrument waarmee zij bondgenoten wierf, financiële steun vergaarde en discussies voerde over militaire operaties. Na het overlijden van haar echtgenoot, Frederik V van de Palts, in 1632, kwam de toekomst van de dynastie in handen van Elizabeth. Zij stond voor de uitdaging van het overnemen van het leiderschap en werd het familiehoofd, een positie die zij behield zelfs nadat haar oudste zoon, Karel Lodewijk, de volwassenheid bereikte. Gedurende vele jaren was Elizabeth het brein achter het beleid en de strategieën van de dynastie, en fungeerde als bewaarder van de dynastieke continuïteit. Elizabeth hanteerde verschillende strategieën om het dynastieke herstel te bewerkstelligen, waarbij haar kinderen een cruciale rol speelden. Niet alle leden van de familie deelden echter dezelfde mate van toewijding aan Elizabeths streven naar samenwerking ten behoeve van het herstel. Dit resulteerde in verdeeldheid binnen de familie, die de stabiliteit ondermijnde en zelfs tot schandalen leidde, terwijl reputatie en status juist van groot belang waren voor het vormgeven van een dynastie. Dit onderzoek tracht te beantwoorden hoe Elizabeth Stuart de machtspositie van de Palts-dynastie heeft geprobeerd te herstellen tijdens haar ballingschap vanaf 1621 en welke invloed de familiedynamiek heeft gehad op de uitkomst van deze inspanningen.Show less
International bankers as diplomatic agents during the Napoleonic wars, an example of business diplomacy. How and why were the bankers of Hope & Co and Baring in the period from 1800-1810...Show moreInternational bankers as diplomatic agents during the Napoleonic wars, an example of business diplomacy. How and why were the bankers of Hope & Co and Baring in the period from 1800-1810 involved in diplomatic dealings and what were the effects of their involvement? This question is answered on the basis of three cases: the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican silver and peace negotiations. Internationale bankiers als diplomatieke agenten gedurende de Napoleontische oorlogen, een voorbeeld van business diplomatie. Hoe en waarom waren de bankiers Hope & Co en Baring betrokken bij diplomatieke acties en wat waren de effecten van hun betrokkenheid? Deze vragen worden behandeld aan de hand van drie cases: de verkoop van Louisiana, het Mexicaanse zilver en vredesbesprekingen.Show less
