Since Martin Heidegger developed the notion of dwelling as a fundamental ontological concept that is based on the basic character of human being, this idea of dwelling has inspired a number of...Show moreSince Martin Heidegger developed the notion of dwelling as a fundamental ontological concept that is based on the basic character of human being, this idea of dwelling has inspired a number of architectural theorists in relation to the question of how we should build. However, it has been argued that such interpretations have often been flawed, and I think that in reality Heidegger’s conception of dwelling is too intangible to really comment on the act of building. This thesis will therefore explore inhabitation from a different angle – from an angle that investigates how we experience architecture, how architecture means something us and how architecture also changes us – in order to ask how we can come to an understanding of the experience of inhabitation from which it is possible to comment on the act of building. I will therefore not investigate inhabitation from a Heideggerian perspective – asking what it means to dwell – but rather approach inhabitation from a more phenomenological and hermeneutic perspective. I will argue that the experience of inhabitation depends upon the interaction between people and architecture; it is a melodic experience in which the possibilities for meaningful action that the architecture offers correspond with people’s intention of action, while at the same time the architecture amplifies experience through functioning as a medium. From this conception, I will argue that inhabitation must become an answer to building – not in the sense that existing models of inhabitation are reproduced, but rather that an understanding of the experience of inhabitation becomes guiding in the design process.Show less
Following the discovery of the similarities between the Mesoamerican sites of Tula, Hidalgo and Chichén Itzá, Yucatan, in the late 1800’s, their connection has been the subject of extensive...Show moreFollowing the discovery of the similarities between the Mesoamerican sites of Tula, Hidalgo and Chichén Itzá, Yucatan, in the late 1800’s, their connection has been the subject of extensive academic debate. Recently, the Epiclassic centre of Tula Chico, the smaller plaza north of Tula Grande, has started to play a role in this discussion, most notably through the comparison of the sculpted reliefs recovered from the largely unexcavated structures. A lack of systematic description and interpretation of these elements, however, has resulted in the eye of the beholder problem. This research attempts to resolve this issue through the development of a clearly defined methodology based on earlier proposed models, adapted to fit a Mesoamerican narrative. After a brief overview of both sites and the proposed theories on their connection since the 1800’s, the proposed methodology was tested. Following Erwin Panofsky’s approach, while supplementing the required historical context with Lindsay Jones’ ritual architectural priorities, the methodology relies on the context where the sculpted relief was found, its iconographic description, and iconological interpretation. In testing, comparable images from Tula Chico and Chichén Itzá were meticulously evaluated to identify their function and meaning, after which comparison between them was possible. From this analysis, the possibility of contact between Tula Chico and Chichén Itzá can be suggested. The sites share sculptural elements with similar function that do not appear in Tula Grande. Additionally, the possibility of a warrior cult at Tula chico has become evident, mainly through the depiction of jaguars and eagles in its monumental architecture. More extensive research of Tula Chico’s structures is required to strengthen this interpretation, however. It is concluded that the proposed methodology is successful in its application to Mesoamerican contexts, and is capable of producing meaningful comparisons between sites that could benefit archaeological research going forward.Show less
The concept of destiny is most regularly invoked in everyday life at the moments when events are so “coincidental” that it gives one at least the impression that they were pre-ordained by some...Show moreThe concept of destiny is most regularly invoked in everyday life at the moments when events are so “coincidental” that it gives one at least the impression that they were pre-ordained by some mysterious, transcendent force or principle. Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung proposes the synchronicity principle to explain such phenomena. This thesis asks: what are the implications of C.G. Jung’s depth psychology, and his synchronicity principle in particular, for the personal significance and attainment of destiny? Destiny can be said to be the knowing awareness of the realization of the course of one’s life which is always to some extent meaningful to the experiencing subject. The causality principle cannot account for the meaningful connections required for destiny, that is, it cannot explain why destiny is important to the individual. To understand the experience of destiny, Carl Jung’s principle of synchronicity might be more useful. Synchronistic phenomena require explanation from the perspective of a worldview that allows for the interconnectedness of all that exists. For the synchronicity principle to be effective as principle of explanation, then, it needs to stand in a necessary relationship to totality, which Jung understands as the archetypes in the collective unconscious, which form patterns. The conscious awareness and interpretation of the unfoldment of such archetypal patterns in life is what we might call destiny. Destiny, as knowledge about one’s life course is never concrete in showing what one might expect to happen but gives one a subtle glance at the larger pattern of reality to find oneself in the meaningful order of totality. One can come to know what role one is to play within the whole of reality on the basis of the interpretative framework that is offered by the archetypal expressions in synchronistic experiences. Destiny, in conclusion, is foremost about getting to know oneself: self-knowledge forms a hermeneutical framework from which one interprets (the events of) one’s life course. Synchronistic phenomena contribute to self-knowledge in a uniquely compelling and valuable way by offering unconscious guidance through meaningful co-incidences, but, finally, the responsibility rests with the individual whether to use this guidance to their advantage in obtaining destiny.Show less
In this paper I argue that the only way to eliminates cross-cultural conflicts is an hermeneutic dialogue based on the triad curiosty, dialogue and transformation. The cross/cultural dialogue is...Show moreIn this paper I argue that the only way to eliminates cross-cultural conflicts is an hermeneutic dialogue based on the triad curiosty, dialogue and transformation. The cross/cultural dialogue is initiated by the cosmopolitan irtue of curiosity, and does not aim at reaching an agreement between different cultures, but to be able to acknowledge each other's existence, a recognition that stems fro the acceptance of what is different from usShow less
The hermeneutic interpretation of cultural tradition moves away from the surface meanings of material culture or ritual to focus on the historical and social context within which these meanings are...Show moreThe hermeneutic interpretation of cultural tradition moves away from the surface meanings of material culture or ritual to focus on the historical and social context within which these meanings are produced, transmitted, or reinterpreted through time. This thesis takes a long-term perspective on the perception of the Mixtec or Ñuu Dzaui sacred landscape, and strives to understand the meaning of cultural concepts in the terms of the Mixtec people themselves. Due to its temporal depth, it is argued that the Mixtec cultural tradition can be approached by investigating the symbolism of its sacred landscape from a multidisciplinary perspective focusing on archaeological contexts, pictorial manuscripts as well as contemporary rituals and oral history. In light of this, hermeneutical historical interpretation offers important insights for landscape archaeology. In both cases, the past and the present are approached in relation to each other, a relationship which is materialized in the concept of the sacred landscape. From the perspective of individual communities, sacred geography and ceremonial sites foster cultural continuity insofar as religious symbolism is transmitted through rituals conducted in meaningful landscape locations.Show less
