This thesis explores the conceptualization of selfhood, self-interest, and self-sacrifice in ancient Chinese thought by performing an intra-textual analysis of several anecdotes in the Han Feizi, a...Show moreThis thesis explores the conceptualization of selfhood, self-interest, and self-sacrifice in ancient Chinese thought by performing an intra-textual analysis of several anecdotes in the Han Feizi, a canonical text on ancient Chinese political philosophy dating back to the 3rd century BCE. More specifically, this thesis describes a paradox in early Chinese thought, particularly in the Han Feizi, about conceptions of self-hood as articulated in anecdotes involving self-interest and self-sacrifice. A close reading of relevant passages demonstrates that, according to the Han Feizi, the contradictory tension between self-interest and self-sacrifice that instigated the premise for this study is in fact not so paradoxical after all. According to the Han Feizi, individuals are motivated by their self-interested nature, even when they sacrifice their limbs, their children, or their lives in the pursuit of personal aggrandizement.Show less
With 300 million monthly active users, Twitter is a global social media platform embedded in everyday communication and information diffusion. As a result, it has attracted a wide range of...Show moreWith 300 million monthly active users, Twitter is a global social media platform embedded in everyday communication and information diffusion. As a result, it has attracted a wide range of scholarly disciplines, studying its data, resulting in hundreds of studies that utilized Twitter’s data. This thesis will focus on the challenges and potential of using Twitter data for Humanities. As every social media platform has its unique dynamics, Twitters structure will be explored to see how it relates to the research questions applied to it. The process of increasing policy-orientated measures, will be described to illustrate how Twitter data is a valuable, and therefore limited accessible form of information. A number of studies is analyzed to explore potential methods and the results. Finally, a case study will be executed to demonstrate both the challenges and potential for humanities students. The focus will be on how Twitter’s 140 character long tweets can eventually be used to attribute to the greater stories written about human society and culture.Show less
