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
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
How does the notion of the common good in Machiavelli's Prince and Discourses compare to the common good of classical political philosophy? It would seem that Machiavelli, as the harbinger of...Show moreHow does the notion of the common good in Machiavelli's Prince and Discourses compare to the common good of classical political philosophy? It would seem that Machiavelli, as the harbinger of modernity and amoral political 'machiavellianism', can leave no room for the common good in his thought. However, a close examination of The Prince and the Discourses on Livy will reveal that the common good is allotted an ambiguous place in Machiavelli's thinking. The author concludes that, whereas Machiavelli's Prince is a truly amoral work devoid of consideration for the common good, the Discourses on Livy show a unique mixture between 'machiavellian' themes and classical ideas about liberty, the mixed regime, and statesmanship in the common interest.Show less
What is Western philosophy? The established narrative of 'our' intellectual tradition begins with classical Greek reason: championed by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, revived and perfected in...Show moreWhat is Western philosophy? The established narrative of 'our' intellectual tradition begins with classical Greek reason: championed by Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, revived and perfected in Enlightenment rationalism and empiricism, to culminate in the modern European canon of Kant, Frege or Nietzsche. Conspicuously absent are any 'Middle Eastern' sources, notably Arabic and Persian philosophy. 'Islamic golden age' Aristotelians are often seen as babysitting rationality during a supposed mediaeval 'Christian dark age'. But the original impact on contemporary thought by the likes of al-Ghazali (d.1111) or Suhrawardi (d.1191) is ignored. Analysing this conspicuous absence reveals a deep binary structure in the narrative. Our canon is in fact made universally valid by excluding everything deemed mystical and arbitrary: Eastern religious thought. All religious traditions — especially Islam — represent this non-Western un-philosophy, simultaneously 'foreign' and 'archaic'. To recover our proper intellectual history, beyond this colonialist binary, we can employ a provocative redefinition: North-Atlantic (modern European) philosophy as "Far Western", and all broadly Mediterranean (Greco-Judaic and Islamo-Christian) philosophy as "Middle Western". This foregrounds the relations within the West, further suggesting its interdependence with all philosophies, including Sino-Indic ones.Show less
I provide an analysis of modern freedom, introduced by de Dijn. I claim that modern freedom is a vague and ambiguous concept, influenced by many different conceptions throughout history, which all...Show moreI provide an analysis of modern freedom, introduced by de Dijn. I claim that modern freedom is a vague and ambiguous concept, influenced by many different conceptions throughout history, which all have had different ideas about freedom and the value of freedom within a political context, and that they are all still relevant to this day. To defend this claim, this thesis makes two arguments. The first is that the conceptions of freedom that form the basis of modern freedom, show many differences in their conceptions and valuations of freedom. If the conceptions on which modern freedom is based are diverse and different, it would seem that modern freedom is not a homogeneous conception, but instead an assembly of different ideas and values that can change depending on the context of the discussion in which it is named. The second argument is that there are many elements in De Dijn’s conception of modern freedom that can be traced back to her notion of democratic freedom, which would suggest that the ‘decisive breach’ that De Dijn describes is not as decisive as she claims it was. Instead, while new elements were introduced, our modern conception of freedom has been influenced by both ancient and modern ideas on freedom, leading to a broad and vague, context-dependent conception of freedom in modern times.Show less
This dissertation starts by defending that if the conceptual engineer is serious about the new contemporary project of conceptual engineering, the conceptual engineer aims to (at least) change the...Show moreThis dissertation starts by defending that if the conceptual engineer is serious about the new contemporary project of conceptual engineering, the conceptual engineer aims to (at least) change the semantic meaning or the psychological structure of concepts used by most people in a standing language. I continue by arguing that based on this ‘serious’ definition of the conceptual engineer, the new field of conceptual engineering has three practical and normative challenges to overcome before the method can be what its primary participants want it to be. The first problem that is discussed is the widely recognised implementation problem. I discuss various proposed solutions to this problem but conclude that they do not solve the problem. The second significant challenge is what I call the evaluation dilemma. In short, this is the dilemma that the conceptual engineer faces if the engineer could implement conceptual change but has to consider based on what parameters a concept ought to be evaluated. I defend that the first horn of the dilemma that the engineer can take is considering all things about a concept. I argue that this is practically impossible. The second horn of the dilemma will only consider one or a small set of parameters to evaluate a concept. However, my argument is that this will likely lead to more unintended problems than the initial amelioration would solve. Finally, I discuss what I call two motivation problems for the conceptual engineer. The first motivation problem is the problem of accounting for the biassed motivations of the conceptual engineer. I argue that the subjective motivations of the engineer are problematic and that such motivations are likely to lead to the wrong-kind-of-reason-problem. The second motivation problem contends that if the conceptual engineer is successful in his project, one or a small group of engineers has conceptual power over large groups of people. I argue that the conceptual engineer owes us a justification for the motivation to gain such power. In short, based on the serious definition of the conceptual engineer, the new field of conceptual engineering has both practical and normative challenges to overcome before the method can be what its primary participants want it to be.Show less
A central tenet of the standard account of moral enhancement qua algorithmic technology is that it has the potential to solve the mega-problems of our time, such as global poverty or the climate...Show moreA central tenet of the standard account of moral enhancement qua algorithmic technology is that it has the potential to solve the mega-problems of our time, such as global poverty or the climate crisis. Thereby, it is simply assumed that the enhanced moral competence of individual agents will directly translate into solutions to our major moral problems. This paper sheds light on this key assumption and argues for a more sophisticated outlook on the potential effects of algorithmic moral enhancement. In particular, it is shown that our major moral problems are essentially political problems which are characterised by various kinds of dilemmas. The author shows that due to this peculiar nature of these problems, three distinct challenges arise when it comes to translating moral competence into political solutions. These challenges will have to be met by future proposals of algorithmic moral enhancement.Show less
In this essay it is researched whether Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex is still relevant in today's age, in which intersectionality is the reigning theory of oppression. This essay suggests...Show moreIn this essay it is researched whether Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex is still relevant in today's age, in which intersectionality is the reigning theory of oppression. This essay suggests that The Second Sex is in fact still relevant, since De Beauvoir’s The Second Sex is compatible with the concept of intersectionality. This essay demonstrates that The Second Sex is a work of queer phenomenology and, therefore, serves the same disorienting function as intersectionality regarded as a provisional concept.Show less
This thesis argues that fiction and eventually play, accumulating into the interactive fiction of video games, can offer a toolset to help cultivate familiarity and understanding between cultures....Show moreThis thesis argues that fiction and eventually play, accumulating into the interactive fiction of video games, can offer a toolset to help cultivate familiarity and understanding between cultures. In a world where cultures are living closer together than before, tensions between cultures are sure to rise. These tensions stem from a lack of shared context causing misinterpretations of the other. I will refer to the works of Wilhelm Dilthey and Robin Collingwood, who have both developed theories of hermeneutics that emphasise the importance of context as meaning-giving. Similar contexts provide similar meaning between people and vice versa. A lack in familiarity thus constitutes a lack in understanding, which poses a problem for the cross-cultural encounter. They suggest a hermeneutic method based on empathy in order to increase our understanding of others. In the second chapter, I will illustrate how fiction functions as both a tool to impart knowledge and as an exercise in empathy, which aids the hermeneutic process, drawing on Suzanne Keen’s theory of narrative empathy. When engaging with fiction, audiences temporarily abandon their own context in order to step into the alternate world of fiction. This encourages open-mindedness and empathic understanding of others, which both are of vital importance to the hermeneutic process. In the third chapter, I’ll move on play, showing how it, like fiction, demands a certain openness of mind from the player so they can step into the play-world, which makes play very well-suited to learning by doing. This section on play will be largely informed by Johan Huizinga and Miguel Sicart’s work on play and playfulness respectively. In requiring participation from its audience, they are absorbed into the other, the strange, and the new, and provided with tools to make sense of it. As an immersive and interactive medium, video games thus allow players to gain an intuitive understanding of other cultures on their own terms.Show less
In this thesis I argue that the book On Touching-Jean-Luc Nancy by Jacques Derrida, whilst having touching as its main theme, is informed by Derrida's ethics. In On Touching Derrida argues that the...Show moreIn this thesis I argue that the book On Touching-Jean-Luc Nancy by Jacques Derrida, whilst having touching as its main theme, is informed by Derrida's ethics. In On Touching Derrida argues that the history of philosophy is haptocentric, meaning that touch is privileged over the other senses. This privilege consists in a lack of liminality and alterity in the philosophy of touching. I argue that this is problematic for Derrida because alterity is an important factor in his thinking of ethics, where the alterity of the other informs the double bind between the responsibility for the general and the singular alterior other. The double bind is important because of its implications in the impossible yet necessary jump from ethics to politics and justice for Derrida. A reading of On Touching and a contextualizing of the book within Derrida's broader oeuvre have led to these conclusions.Show less
This thesis challenges both Michael Huemer’s claim that political authority is a moral illusion and his suspicion that such authority cannot be justified. It argues that Huemer’s arguments against...Show moreThis thesis challenges both Michael Huemer’s claim that political authority is a moral illusion and his suspicion that such authority cannot be justified. It argues that Huemer’s arguments against two prominent elements of the traditional social contract theory fail, and that political authority based on both explicit and implicit agreement is possible in a valid manner. It furthermore rejects Huemer’s criticism of consequentialism as a justification for political authority, and defends the possibility of a plausible rule consequentialist account of political authority. Additionally, it criticises Huemer’s claim that government is not necessary for the provision of the vital good of limiting dangerous climate change. It suggests that it is plausible that many people currently live under political authority on a climate policy-based consequentialist account of political authority.Show less
