The Eurozone crisis is an example of how democratic regimes can be threatened under emergencies, and it revealed two contributing phenomena – the state of exception and technocracy. This thesis...Show moreThe Eurozone crisis is an example of how democratic regimes can be threatened under emergencies, and it revealed two contributing phenomena – the state of exception and technocracy. This thesis aims to understand the link between the two in the context of emergency politics, through the paradox of politics. This paradox, which can be traced back to Rousseau, brings to light an aporia in democratic politics, where we need good citizens to make good laws and good laws to make good citizens. This thesis starts by analysing each phenomenon individually and the way they threaten democracy. It then interprets them through the paradox of politics as arrangements meant to resolve that paradox, but infringing upon the ideal of democracy it subscribes to (inspired by the analysis of political theorist Bonnie Honig). Finally, it analyses the link between them and the potentials for the democratization of emergency politics. The main conclusions are 1) in emergency politics, technocracy and exception display a link of mutual reinforcement that infringes upon democratic politics (empirically and conceptually), and 2) the democratization of emergency politics requires not only a deexceptionalization of emergency (as suggested by Honig), but also a process of detechnocratization of democracy.Show less
The thesis provides a comparative analysis of the evolving regulatory frameworks in China's fintech sector, with a specific focus on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending and crowdfunding. It explores how...Show moreThe thesis provides a comparative analysis of the evolving regulatory frameworks in China's fintech sector, with a specific focus on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending and crowdfunding. It explores how these frameworks have adapted to technological innovations and assesses their impact on the development and stability of the fintech sector. The study reveals a transition from initial regulatory leniency to increased oversight in P2P lending and details the evolving regulatory environment of crowdfunding. By examining these sectors, the thesis sheds light on the interplay between regulation, technological innovation, and the broader economic and political context, contributing to both academic research and practical policy-making in the fintech field.Show less
Een van de dingen die bijdraagt aan een goed functionerende democratie is het volgen van het nieuws. Een deel van onze samenleving zegt daarentegen ontevreden te zijn over de veelal negatieve...Show moreEen van de dingen die bijdraagt aan een goed functionerende democratie is het volgen van het nieuws. Een deel van onze samenleving zegt daarentegen ontevreden te zijn over de veelal negatieve berichtgeving in de media, omdat ze zich er somber, depressief en hopeloos door voelen. Sommigen kiezen er daarvoor zelfs voor om het nieuws te mijden. Constructieve journalistiek is stroming die iets wil doen aan die focus op negativiteit in de media. Eerder onderzoek laat veelbelovende resultaten zien op de effecten van constructieve journalistiek op de emoties van het publiek en op de betrokkenheid. Met een experiment is in dit onderzoek onderzocht of die resultaten opnieuw werden gevonden. Een groep volwassen respondenten (N = 96) tussen de 19 en 62 jaar las hiervoor nieuwsverhalen gemaakt door Omroep West. Het bleek dat de constructieve nieuwsverhalen zorgde voor meer positieve emoties, maar niet voor meer betrokkenheid. Dit onderzoek draagt bij aan de kennis over de effecten van constructieve journalistiek. Het biedt handvatten voor mediaorganisaties als Omroep West. Door als journalist constructieve elementen in nieuwsverhalen te gebruiken, zoals meer aandacht voor nuance, oplossingen en hoop, voelt het publiek zich positiever. Die positiviteit zou er uiteindelijk voor kunnen zorgen dat meer mensen het nieuws wel willen blijven volgen.Show less
This thesis explores Bollywood's homogenizing potential through the lens of "soft power," positing Bollywood as a national conduit that obscures the hegemonic tendencies of the BJP and Prime...Show moreThis thesis explores Bollywood's homogenizing potential through the lens of "soft power," positing Bollywood as a national conduit that obscures the hegemonic tendencies of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The analysis is focused on the function of Bollywood as a platform for promoting and perpetuating dominant national narratives and cultural norms, thereby discrediting minority considerations. In addition, this research shall expand its scope to explore developments in celebrity discourses and the growing politicization of social media. Through these inquiries, the thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted influence of Bollywood on Indian society and politics.Show less
This thesis examines a collection of drawings by Abraham Delfos (1731-1820), an eighteenth-century engraver and draftsman from Leiden. Housed in the Print Room of Leiden University Libraries, these...Show moreThis thesis examines a collection of drawings by Abraham Delfos (1731-1820), an eighteenth-century engraver and draftsman from Leiden. Housed in the Print Room of Leiden University Libraries, these drawings predominantly consist of reproductions made after seventeenth-century paintings. Despite the fact that reproductions were a common practice and a typical eighteenth-century phenomenon, they have received limited attention from researchers. By examining Delfos' drawings within the broader context of his time, including his role as a director and his involvement in the establishment of drawing academy Ars Aemula Naturae, as well as his art dealership, this research uncovers the historical significance of these artworks. The study explores the factors that influenced changing attitudes towards reproductions and their growing popularity in the eighteenth century. Through a comprehensive analysis of Delfos' drawings, insights are gained into the influences shaping his artistic approach, the role of art education, and the perception of reproductions. These drawings serve as valuable windows into the past, offering a unique perspective on the interplay between art, education, societal development, and the evolving status of reproductions in the eighteenth century. The exploration not only highlights Delfos as an artist but also enriches our understanding of the artistic and cultural landscape of the time.Show less
This thesis is an investigation into the ontological basis of pessimism. I develop a Nietzschean interpretive framework of pessimism, based on a distinction Nietzsche makes between two types of...Show moreThis thesis is an investigation into the ontological basis of pessimism. I develop a Nietzschean interpretive framework of pessimism, based on a distinction Nietzsche makes between two types of pessimism in The Gay Science 370: romantic and Dionysian pessimism. According to Nietzsche, this distinction is based on a dynamic articulated using the language of physiology. This dynamic is either expanding or degenerating. The thesis relates this distinction to Schopenhauer's and Nietzsche's notions of a 'world of appearance' to test if their ontology testifies to a romantic or Dionysian pessimism. Their ontologies are interpreted as either a transfiguration of romantic or Dionysian pessimism. I then develop a reading of Schopenhauer’s pessimistic philosophy. I argue that Schopenhauer’s notion of representation or appearance is central to his metaphysics. I then interpret his punctum pruriens of philosophy as a priori pessimism permeating the whole of Schopenhauer’s philosophy resulting in an ethics of renunciation. I then lay out Nietzsche’s critique of Schopenhauer in the Genealogy, based on the aforementioned physiological dynamic. In the last chapter, I investigate Nietzsche’s world of appearance, characterized as semblance or ‘Schein’. I relate this to Nietzsche’s aesthetics and art as a transfiguration of Dionysian pessimism. However, the question is whether Nietzsche’s philosophy itself is the transfiguration of Dionysian pessimism. I then explain how Nietzsche does this by means of a project of life affirmation through the notions of perspectivism and the will to power.Show less
The Meiji period was the source of many anxieties about the modernity brought in from overseas. However, this also meant reaping the benefits of the modern life. Ukiyo-e prints were used in the Edo...Show moreThe Meiji period was the source of many anxieties about the modernity brought in from overseas. However, this also meant reaping the benefits of the modern life. Ukiyo-e prints were used in the Edo period to entertain people like modern social media and in the early Meiji period, this continued. Meiji Ukiyo-e prints showing trains, carriages, modern buildings, and schools were used to show the Japanese people around the country what positive things modernity could accomplish. These prints manufactured a positive form of modernity that had a soothing effect on people who had feelings of anxiety about the country opening up, foreigners coming in, and the political and cultural systems changing. The government could censor ukiyo-e prints and thus might even have a say in the changing topics to introduce modern things like trains and Western-style buildings. Publishers and the government's influence on the prints' topics could have made a manufactured positive modernity. Also, prints showed scenes that were either beautified scenes of reality or made up by artists to help manufacture a positive image of the Meiji period. Meiji ukiyo-e prints had the effect of creating a positive notion of reality not only for the image of Japan as a great nation to the foreign powers but also as a way to show the capabilities of Japan’s modernization skills to the nationals living in the Meiji era Japan.Show less
