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 explores the framing of the burqa ban in the Dutch media over the past decade, focusing on the divergence between left-wing (Volkskrant) and right-wing (Telegraaf) newspapers, potential...Show moreThis thesis explores the framing of the burqa ban in the Dutch media over the past decade, focusing on the divergence between left-wing (Volkskrant) and right-wing (Telegraaf) newspapers, potential polarizing frames, and the shifts in media narratives pre and post-implementation of the ban. The analysis is guided by framing theory, which shows the dominant frames visible in the newspapers and explores the dynamic interplay between media, public opinion, and politics. A framework of five frames, guided by Semetko and Valkenburg’s frames, has been constructed for this research. These are the Moral, Political, Societal Impact, Policy Conflict, and Security frames. The Volkskrant is characterized as progressive and socially oriented. The dominant frame between 2012 and 2022 has been the Societal Impact frame, emphasizing the ban’s consequences for society. In contrast, the Telegraaf, known for its activist and critical stance, used the Political Conflict frame the most often, focusing on discussions around implementing the ban. Contrary to expectations, the study has not identified a polarizing trend over time in the analysis. Moreover, it was concluded that the newspapers are growing convergent with their opinions concerning the burqa ban. When looking at the impact the implementation of the burqa ban has had on the dominant frames, a shift is visible post-implementation. Both newspapers have increased the use of the Societal Impact frame, increasing attention to the law’s implications. Looking forward, this thesis suggests additional research, including an exploration of the beginning of the debate in 2005, the recent victory of Wilders’ PVV, and other newspapers.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
This thesis studies the connection between suffering and sentience in Karel Capek’s R.U.R. (1921) and the first season of Westworld (HBO, 2016). Both R.U.R. and Westworld present suffering as a...Show moreThis thesis studies the connection between suffering and sentience in Karel Capek’s R.U.R. (1921) and the first season of Westworld (HBO, 2016). Both R.U.R. and Westworld present suffering as a catalyst for the emergence of a human form of consciousness in artificial people. Initially, however, organic human characters in both texts are convinced that artificial people feel no pain and are unable to suffer. The organic human characters use this supposed inability to justify the inhumane treatment of the artificial characters. This thesis demonstrates how R.U.R. and Westworld reflect on the ways that theories about differences in sensitivity to pain were and continue to be used to justify the mistreatment of Others in real life. Additionally, the thesis shows how R.U.R. and Westworld offer illustrations of the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, in which one’s suffering in response to the Other’s suffering is the foundation of becoming a fully human subject. The thesis shows how R.U.R. and Westworld interweave these opposite ways of responding to the suffering Other, and thereby contribute to a better understanding of the role of suffering in the ongoing negation of what it means to be human.Show less
