Abstract: This thesis deals with the question of human subjecthood. What makes us Subjects? The innovations in computer science and artificial intelligence prompt a follow up question: When and how...Show moreAbstract: This thesis deals with the question of human subjecthood. What makes us Subjects? The innovations in computer science and artificial intelligence prompt a follow up question: When and how can an artificial intelligence or artificial life form be considered a Subject? In a comparison between man and machine this essay investigates different notions of Subjecthood. Introducing a narratological concept of subjecthood based on Bal’s narratology leads to the conclusion that the subject object division isn’t a binary opposition. Analysing Heidegger’s theory of agency as well as Freud and Lacan their narratives of development in psychoanalytical theory illustrate the importance of a split within the Subject, a split between what it needs and what it learns. The space between internal and external forces in an agent allow a Subject to come into being pointing out how the individual needs society in order to exist.Show less
In dit literatuuronderzoek wordt getracht de lezer aan de hand van bestaande literatuur en film te overtuigen waarom de Human Flesh Search Engine een inbreuk op de privacy is. Dit wordt structureel...Show moreIn dit literatuuronderzoek wordt getracht de lezer aan de hand van bestaande literatuur en film te overtuigen waarom de Human Flesh Search Engine een inbreuk op de privacy is. Dit wordt structureel gedaan door eerst uit te leggen wat de Human Flesh Search Engine precies is, wat de voor- en nadelen van dit fenomeen zijn, waarom het juist in China opgekomen is, wat er wettelijk geschreven is over privacy in China, hoe dit zich verhoudt tot het Westen en in het bijzonder Nederland en wat de juridische implicaties van de Human Flesh Search Engine zijn. In de discussie worden de conclusies gegeven.Show less
This paper attempts to answer the question of why sacrificial rituals were present within the cultures of Iron Age Northern Europe and to what extent human sacrifice in particular was a part of such...Show moreThis paper attempts to answer the question of why sacrificial rituals were present within the cultures of Iron Age Northern Europe and to what extent human sacrifice in particular was a part of such rituals. The assertion is made that sacrificial rituals as a concept represent a common thread woven into the fabric of human culture which manifests itself in different ways but can be observed cross-culturally and throughout time. Human sacrifice, although it represents the most extreme example of the ritualized sacrifice phenomenon can be observed in cultures around the globe. An in depth analysis of the concept of ritual is explored along with an attempt to define the parameters of the phenomenon in terms of how it applied to the culture of Pre-Roman Iron Age and Iron Age Northern Europe. This paper also explores the environmental conditions needed in order for a bog body to be preserved, with specific interest in the key element in the equation of preservation: sphagnan moss. The methods of dating bog bodies are analyzed, with radiocarbon dating usually being the most reliable and accurate. The cultural and spiritual characteristics of the ancient Germanic peoples are also examined as they are related to and give considerable insight into the reasons behind the practices of human sacrifice. A description is made of the various bog bodies which have been discovered and categorized as victims of this behavior and an analysis of the suspected reasons behind their deaths is also presented. Finally, along with the probable reasons behind the question of why a culture might practice human sacrifice and why the ancient Germans in particular engaged in such rituals, an assessment of the various approaches taken to study such things and archaeology in general is also presented.Show less
