With the awareness of climate change our experience of literature has fundamentally changed. Using the heideggarian notions of world and earth, as well as key insights of Timothy Morton regarding...Show moreWith the awareness of climate change our experience of literature has fundamentally changed. Using the heideggarian notions of world and earth, as well as key insights of Timothy Morton regarding the experience of climate change and the experience of literature according to Maurice Blanchot, this thesis tries to show how our experience of literature has changed. The literary texts may have stayed the same, the way in which we read them has certainly not. The awareness of climate change has forced us to recognize that we are connected to and have a bearing on everything else on earth. This awareness makes it so that we read literary texts according to this awareness.Show less
Bildung as an educational paradigm is wildly influential. However, it does not exist without critiques. Bildung is an ideal that is founded on a very specific kind of German outlook, that proposes...Show moreBildung as an educational paradigm is wildly influential. However, it does not exist without critiques. Bildung is an ideal that is founded on a very specific kind of German outlook, that proposes a staunch look towards the sciences, humanities and the arts. It promotes the study of them as the highest ideal that will constitute a good moral person. A problem that comes with this stance, however, is the underlying tendency to study this historicised account of the world and to do that whilst not being in the world. What this paper sets out to do, is question these methodological pathologies of Bildung, after which the intercultural angle, allows Ubuntu to be used to revitalise Bildung. This revitalisation is done through the centrality of Ramose’s be-ing becoming, and the proverb Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu. These two notions allow Bildung to move beyond its pietist chains, and show how the methodological underpinning of Bildung can be reinterpreted as being outwards and in the world.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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This thesis examines the film Everything Everywhere All At Once, by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert from 2022, in relation to Albert Camus’ absurdism from the 1940s. My research question is: how can...Show moreThis thesis examines the film Everything Everywhere All At Once, by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert from 2022, in relation to Albert Camus’ absurdism from the 1940s. My research question is: how can the contemporary blockbuster EEAaO, as an update of Camus’s ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’, be read as a critique of current social media practices? Camus’ first approach of absurdism is discussed in his essay ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’, in which he compares the absurdity of life with the situation that Sisyphus is in. According to Camus, Sisyphus is able to cope with the absurd, because he is conscious of his absurd existence. This argument can also be found in the film, specifically the use of the multiverse. Evelyn, the protagonist, wants to escape to other universes, in which her life is seemingly better. However, at the end of the film, she realizes that her high life expectations cannot be realized and she reaches a level of acceptance of her current life. This acceptance can be seen as a critique regarding the contemporary use of social media, which I referred to as ‘neo-absurdism’. The film is thus able to offer critique towards our use of social media.Show less
In this thesis I have argued that Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy forms a sandbox for Young Adults to consider and play around issues of social justice. I have linked the events in the books to...Show moreIn this thesis I have argued that Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy forms a sandbox for Young Adults to consider and play around issues of social justice. I have linked the events in the books to events in historical or contemporary societies and have done so by making use of Foucault's political theory of a control and disciplinary society.Show less
Ralph Waldo Emerson is nowadays known as one of the foundational philosophers of individualism, mostly in the United States of America (though he has also influenced thoughts on individualism in...Show moreRalph Waldo Emerson is nowadays known as one of the foundational philosophers of individualism, mostly in the United States of America (though he has also influenced thoughts on individualism in Europe, e.g., Nietzsche). Common misinterpretations of Emerson’s self-reliance position him as promoting egocentric ideas of individualism. Examples of this can be found in the works of scholars Cary Wolfe (1993; 1994) and Myra Jehlen (1986). In this thesis I will examine the criticisms of Emerson and refute these by reading Emerson’s work through the lens of “individualism-collectivism”, as introduced by Wagner and Moch (1986). It is in this cooperation between the self and the other, the individual and the collective, that I will show Emerson can in fact be read as promoting collectivism alongside individualism. The introduction will give a brief overview of this thesis, including some background on critical scholars both within the field of literary analysis on Emerson, as well as providing the reader with some basic background information on individualism-collectivism-scholarship in philosophical and sociological research fields. Chapter one will focus on criticism of Nature and my reinterpretation of the essay where Emerson operates in the individualism-collectivist dimension. Chapter two will focus on “Self-Reliance” and how this truly individualist work can still be found to represent the collective in society. In the conclusion I will not only give the reader an overview of arguments made in this thesis, but also consider how this reading of Emerson can be relevant in contemporary society.Show less
This project explores the relation between 20th century Italian Fascist ideology and aesthetics, investigating the influence of the latter in the development of the former. To this end relevant...Show moreThis project explores the relation between 20th century Italian Fascist ideology and aesthetics, investigating the influence of the latter in the development of the former. To this end relevant literature, speeches, manifestos, and figures are consulted . I contend that aesthetics held a significant role, directly affecting the formation and development of Fascist ideology. However, I further argue that aesthetics was not the nature of Fascism, only an important tool. Socio-political developments lead to my conclusion that aesthetics was a significant component of Fascism which imploded under political pressures in the 1930’s, becoming subservient to an ideological component best interpreted as a civic religion. As such, I dismantle the intuitive notion that aesthetics were simply reflective, with artists as coerced mouthpieces of a totalitarian regime. But I also dismantle the modern academic consensus that Fascism is inherently aesthetic – a politics of spectacle. This project therefore provides a theory on the relation of aesthetics and Fascist ideology, further illuminating the nature of Fascism and outlining how politics can be aestheticized – plus the potential dangers of this.Show less
The central thesis of this paper is that something exists if and only if it is causally connected to me. Using this as a means to find an answer to the question of what it means to exist, the...Show moreThe central thesis of this paper is that something exists if and only if it is causally connected to me. Using this as a means to find an answer to the question of what it means to exist, the thesis is treated as a principle, which sets up a specific, unorthodox kind of defense. Following a Kantian line of thinking, this principle is first interpreted, then and compared to alternatives, upon which finally the specific, concrete implications of its truth are explained. This leads not only to a clear understanding of existence as defined by a causal connection to us, but also a specific understanding of the nature of principles and their proper philosophical application.Show less
In this thesis, I will defend the epistemic and moral value of democratic government, and oppose claims that there are legitimate grounds to replace democratic elections or restrict universal and...Show moreIn this thesis, I will defend the epistemic and moral value of democratic government, and oppose claims that there are legitimate grounds to replace democratic elections or restrict universal and equal suffrage to ensure the epistemic value of political decision-making. If one takes the principles normative authority and legitimacy into account, then any restriction on equal voting rights on the grounds of elitism will result neither in a rule of government that is intrinsically better nor a rule of government that is superior in producing better outcomes than a democratic system.Show less
In this thesis I argue that Nietzsche and Weber have common points, or to put it precisely, that in Max Weber’s thought Nietzsche’s presence can be detected. Specifically, and in light of the...Show moreIn this thesis I argue that Nietzsche and Weber have common points, or to put it precisely, that in Max Weber’s thought Nietzsche’s presence can be detected. Specifically, and in light of the passage from Science as a Vocation, my focus will be on the critique of science they both articulated. My thesis is that Weber’s attitude towards science bears similarities to Nietzsche’s despite the grave differences separating their thought. I will argue that both rejected the idea of scientific objectivity as well as the belief in science’s capacity to generate ultimate values. The reasons for this rejection lie in fact that in their accounts science stands as the main force which carried forward the Death of God and the process of disenchantment (Entzauberung) in modernity. However, for both science still retains its instrumental importance and hence neither Nietzsche nor Weber relapse into positions that disregard science as such. In effect, I argue, Nietzsche and Weber affirm science although they do not ascribe to it anything more than its instrumental value. However, the heterogeneity of their critiques as regards to science and philosophy in general arises from Nietzsche’s commitment to a contestation of values aiming at the enhancement and affirmation of life itself, whereas Weber insists on the character of vocation (Beruf).Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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The purpose of this essay is to make a literary comparative analysis between two sources: the Bhagavad Gita and the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Because of their different backgrounds, one would...Show moreThe purpose of this essay is to make a literary comparative analysis between two sources: the Bhagavad Gita and the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. Because of their different backgrounds, one would be inclined to think that these sources do not resemble each other much. However, their philosophical teachings might be more similar than one expects. This essay will compare the two texts and discuss their differences and similarities. The central research question in this is: “In what ways are the philosophical ideas of the Bhagavad Gita and the Meditations similar and different?” The focus will be specifically on researching the overarching ideas that create a certain mindset. From there, one can figure out how guidelines on how to conduct oneself are established.Show less
Confucianism has a long history in China, and its reach continues to grow. Confucianism is the practice of following the ideology of Confucius (551 B.C. – 479 B.C.), who was a Chinese philosopher...Show moreConfucianism has a long history in China, and its reach continues to grow. Confucianism is the practice of following the ideology of Confucius (551 B.C. – 479 B.C.), who was a Chinese philosopher and teacher. In memory of him, the many Confucian temples in China not only display the importance of Confucius and his philosophy but also teach visitors about Confucius and Confucianism. These are temples where people can pay their respects to Confucius, honor him, and learn more about his life and thoughts. The Confucius Temple in Qufu was built a year after Confucius’ death, in 478 BC, at the location thought to have been his residence. The Temple is advertised in many tourist guides as the largest and most famous Confucian temple in China, and as one of the three greatest ancient building complexes in the country. This study tries to understand how the Temple contributes to the understanding that visitors gain from visiting the Temple, by conducting questionnaires and interviews.Show less
If one looks at love in popular culture one sees that the current attitude towards love is one of idolatry. This thesis explains what this popular conception of love is (largely) based on. Current...Show moreIf one looks at love in popular culture one sees that the current attitude towards love is one of idolatry. This thesis explains what this popular conception of love is (largely) based on. Current love has its roots in Christianity and thus, by extension, Platonic thought. This thesis therefore examines some of the most essential characteristics of love in Christianity. These characteristics help to analyze the resemblance between love in Christianity and love in popular culture. Furthermore this thesis explores whether or not popular love could have been born out of ancient Greek philosophy or that these resemblances between popular and Christian love come from the fact that both schools are simply right about the nature of love. It is for that reason that this thesis briefly examines the potential heritage (of love) between Christianity and ancient Greece. Moreover, while it is impossible to prove that Christianity and popular culture are not right about love, this thesis provides a secular conceptualization of love which does not share the previously mentioned essential characteristics. This conceptualization ‘love as bestowal and affirmation’ is deeply rooted in the works of Singer, May and Nietzsche and will provide a secular view on love. This to show that it is possible to create a probably conceptualization of love completely separate from the Christian framework.Show less
