The concept of the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) was proposed in 1905 and its key features are hard work, asceticism, and success. The main unanswered question in the context of PWE is its relation...Show moreThe concept of the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) was proposed in 1905 and its key features are hard work, asceticism, and success. The main unanswered question in the context of PWE is its relation to demographic variables. Relationships between PWE and demographic variables are still not clear. The current study aims to answer the research question: “How do demographic variables influence the Protestant Work Ethic?” To address this question, the thesis proposes a single-factor model of PWE, which is assessed on five demographic variables: formal education, age, family size, marital status, and religion. Groups were created for each of the five variables in order to assess their relationship with PWE. For the statistical analysis, multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) was used and measurement invariance was evaluated in order to account for the differences between the groups. Based on the academic literature five hypotheses were created on the basis of model fit, factor loadings, and predicted factor scores. Only two of the hypotheses were partially supported (religion and family size) due to consistently higher factor loadings. Patterns were observed across most of the groups. Lower-educated participants exhibit distaste for leisure time, while more educated participants tend to be more hard-working. Religious people tend to endorse PWE less. Participants with more siblings endorse PWE more. Young participants tend to be more success-oriented, compared to single participants and middle-aged participants who are more hardworking. Future research should be focused on the area of demographics, the differences between religions in the context of a multidimensional factor model of PWE, and testing measurement invariance.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
What does it mean to be a good person? How should one behave? What is our soul like? How is it structured? And how does our soul affect our behaviour? These are questions that have occupied us...Show moreWhat does it mean to be a good person? How should one behave? What is our soul like? How is it structured? And how does our soul affect our behaviour? These are questions that have occupied us since the dawn of time. This thesis explores the ways in which Middle Platonist thinkers of the second century AD in particular approach such questions of good moral behaviour. As it turns out, these thinkers tend to focus on the human soul and its constitution in order to tackle moral conundrums. Therefore, the research question this thesis aims to answer is as follows: how do the Middle Platonists of the second century AD use the structure of the human soul in order to enforce practical ethics? By examining the works of Maximus of Tyre, Alcinous, and Galen – authors active in different genres within the Middle Platonic philosophical movement – through the lenses of both ancient psychology as well as ancient moral psychology, this thesis aims to advocate for the presence of a methodology of psychological morality in Middle Platonism: the structure of the human soul is noticeably being used in order to enforce ideal behaviour.Show less
The analogy of the city and the soul in Plato's "Republic" has often been criticised in academic literature, perhaps most famously by Bernard Williams in his 1973 essay "The Analogy of City and...Show moreThe analogy of the city and the soul in Plato's "Republic" has often been criticised in academic literature, perhaps most famously by Bernard Williams in his 1973 essay "The Analogy of City and Soul in Plato's Republic". Building on the refutation of this criticism in an earlier essay, this thesis attempts to establish an integral interpretation of the city-soul analogy which is both conceptually and narratively adequate. A close study of the introduction of the analogy in book II of the "Republic" informs us that the analogy implies a similar structure between city and soul, but no correlation, and that it is not intended as an argument or principle, but rather as a guiding hypothesis for Socrates' experimental investigation of justice. This interpretation allows for the refutation of numerous criticisms of Plato's elaboration of the analogy in Callipolis. Finally, the combination of this interpretation with insight in the psychologically realist character of Callipolis, enables us to understand the working of the analogy in the "City of Pigs", and the role of this short-lived utopia in Plato's ethical and political theory, leading us to the conclusion that Plato's "Republic", if properly understood, is everything but a highlight of utopian thinking.Show less
The idea of displacing humans from our position of established viewpoints is provocative but necessary in order to better face our impending extinction. If we do not expand our visualities we will...Show moreThe idea of displacing humans from our position of established viewpoints is provocative but necessary in order to better face our impending extinction. If we do not expand our visualities we will not get this chance again. My research explores how nonhuman vision encourages us to confront anthropocentrism - to reconceptualise the way we see ourselves in our domination of all worldly inhabitants. I examine how we can develop ethical ways of living and interacting with others by creating a video work that imagines what it is like to see as a dog. Dogs are one of our closest companions and we have taken away their agency in almost every aspect of their lives. By looking with dogs through a makeshift camera apparatus, I have cultivated an empathetic understanding on how they perceive the human-constructed world. Dogs know how to live well, so we should start believing them.Show less
In this thesis is questioned when human smuggling is permissible. By analysing the risk objection, the exploitation objection, the motivation objection, the freedom of association objection and the...Show moreIn this thesis is questioned when human smuggling is permissible. By analysing the risk objection, the exploitation objection, the motivation objection, the freedom of association objection and the law-breaking objection is concluded that human smuggling is not always wrong, at least not pro tanto. Nevertheless, certain conditions have to be satisfied. For one the smuggler should illuminate as many risks as possible, if doing so does not involve more than moderate risks. Therefore a smuggler should actively investigate the possible risks and take steps to mitigate the risks. Secondly, the smuggler needs to fully inform the client about the risks. Thereon, the client must give his real consent. Thirdly, a smuggler should not exploit his clients. Therefore a smuggler may not harm or abuse his client. A smuggler may not deceive his client by not giving an equivalent in return. Furthermore a smuggler may not take advantage of someone in a vulnerable position for example by charging an amount that includes a high profit. Fourthly, a smuggler may break the law if there is a moral reason to override this. The smugglers’ illegal conduct is justified if it prevents a greater evil than the conduct caused, there is no legal alternative that would have averted the harm and that the person was not responsible for creating the threat she helped avert. Finally, human smugglers should only accept a client when he claims that his rights are threatened. Migrants are only allowed to engage in human smuggling if their human rights are threatened and should apply for officials if the state will indeed give a fair hearing. It is the state's responsibility to give a fair hearing.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
open access
When a person or an institution has the ability to act upon what they believe is the best possible situation - or at least a relatively good set of circumstances - through changing real-life...Show moreWhen a person or an institution has the ability to act upon what they believe is the best possible situation - or at least a relatively good set of circumstances - through changing real-life livelihoods, they engage with the politics of desirability. That means that they are positioned within the political playing field of actors with different degrees of power to act upon what they believe is desirable. This thesis is an attempt to discover truths about the political relationship between government - and the act of governance - and those whom are influenced yet not fully involved with the processes that influence them. The analysis builds upon two types of cases: one concerns general descriptions of regimes’ governance, rationales, techniques and ideologies; and the other concerns government responses to contestations to its governance. Each case is shortly analysed in regards to the concept of desirability. After presentations and short discussions of the cases, I present two different dimensions of critiques on government’s dealing with the matter of desirability: contingent issues, that can be found explicitly in the cases, but can vary amongst regimes; and inherent limits, which are present, by definition, in every attempt at governance from outside. The latter critiques come down to problematising the core asset of government in the political realm of desirability. That core asset is its position of power, in which it is able to act upon its own conception of ‘what is desirable’ without involving conceptions and lived experience of the people most influenced by the government action; but also in which it cannot overcome its limits - deriving straight from the asset - to do justice to the open-ended, ethical question of desirability.Show less
The increased importance of data and its consequences have reached the social debate about the data-governance of the public sector. With recent data scandals in the Netherlands in municipalities,...Show moreThe increased importance of data and its consequences have reached the social debate about the data-governance of the public sector. With recent data scandals in the Netherlands in municipalities, the research sets out to discover why and how differences in data handling of municipalities are to be declared. This research focusses specifically on one government level in the Netherlands, its municipalities. An overall hierarchical data-readiness framework is made based on available data-readiness frameworks consisting of four characteristics; organisational alignment, organisational maturity, organisational capabilities and ethical considerations. The framework is applied by means of a survey and send to different Dutch municipalities. We find that the frameworks hierarchy works and that with the framework the differences between the municipalities become more apparentShow less
This thesis discusses the show 'Dexter' (2006) and proves that Dexter confronts its audience with their own (often contradictory) ideas on right and wrong and seeks to show them how to judge those...Show moreThis thesis discusses the show 'Dexter' (2006) and proves that Dexter confronts its audience with their own (often contradictory) ideas on right and wrong and seeks to show them how to judge those that do not fit into the framework of the ruling ethical order. This analysis ties into the bigger picture of how society views ‘the serial killer’ (the ultimate criminal) and the attached moral implications of sympathetic responses to criminals in our current day and age.Show less
Thomas Pogge claims to close the gap between proponents of large-scale humanitarian aid to the third world, and those opposing such policy. Pogge turns this last group into his target audience by...Show moreThomas Pogge claims to close the gap between proponents of large-scale humanitarian aid to the third world, and those opposing such policy. Pogge turns this last group into his target audience by adopting an alleged core-principle of libertarianism, a premise that is often held among those who oppose large governmental programs, roughly the political ‘right’. According to Pogge’s argument, those holding onto the libertarian tenet must completely turn their stance on foreign aid around, as their principle actually prescribes moral duties of first world citizens to aid the third world in order to salvage inflicted damages. In this essay, I examine the actual persuasiveness of Pogge’s argument by assessing the similarity between premises used by Pogge and those held by his target audience. I do so by distinguishing two variants of Pogge’s argument, which both consist of three sub-arguments. Despite the occasional agreement, Pogge’s argument fails to concord with many key-premises generally associated with libertarians, liberals and conservatives. Due to the clash in between the two sides of the debate, Pogge’s tactic to reconcile them into one proposal fails to truly convince. I conclude that Pogge is more likely to sway his target audience by using their similarities to open a dialogue.Show less
Introduction Money used to be simple. Everybody liked the shiny yellow metal we now call gold. However, at a certain point, some so-called ‘states’ made the whole practice of exchanging gold rather...Show moreIntroduction Money used to be simple. Everybody liked the shiny yellow metal we now call gold. However, at a certain point, some so-called ‘states’ made the whole practice of exchanging gold rather more complicated, as they issued vouchers that were said to ‘represent’ an amount of gold. Even more farfetched was their later decision to cut any links between our metal of desire and the vouchers we got accustomed to. In the present day, our vouchers often lack any physical qualities, and seem to be nothing more than digits projected on a computer screen. It is perhaps remarkable that the proverbial man or woman in the street does not at all seem to be concerned with how abstract our money really is. Its omnipresence and utility have made almost every inhabitant on earth comfortable using it. We hardly reflect on its nature anymore. And so, now that an entirely novel type of money – cryptomoney – is coming to the forefront, we are quick to accept it as just another incarnation of a phenomenon that we have been familiar with ever since we started appreciating a certain shiny yellow metal. But I believe this to be a mistake. Cryptomoney has the potential to transform our financial system just as radically as the move from gold and silver to fiat money, or the abandonment of the gold standard once did. This is because there are certain qualities to cryptomoney that are fundamentally different from the money as we know it. It seems, however, that although some people are interested in comparing different types of money from an economic standpoint, not many care about the philosophical implications of choosing one system over another. I believe this to be a second mistake. The economist Leonidas Zelmanovitz is right when he says that ‘the value of any monetary policy is contingent on its adherence to a coherent set of philosophical assumptions’. But this works both ways, and we should also not neglect how our philosophical assumptions are challenged by the sort of money we use. If cryptomoney would make it harder for us to adhere to our ideas about justice, equality, fairness etc. that underlie our financial system, we should try to prevent it from gaining too much prominence. The question that lies at the origin of this investigation is the following: should we want to replace ‘traditional’ money with cryptomoney? The answer to this question will be negative: in this paper I will argue that it is impossible to replace traditional currencies with any form of cryptomoney and not as a direct result undermine national sovereignty and increase inequality within countries, and between them. The former is under threat because of the decentralized market-based nature of cryptomoney that leaves powerless governmental tools to execute monetary policy. The latter is the result of the disproportionate advantage more affluent people and countries will gain over their poorer equivalents as a consequence of the way cryptomoney works. If we see the consequences of these two effects through, we arrive at the conclusion that any form of replacement of traditional money by cryptomoney means a redistribution of power from (democratic) states to the market, from people to algorithms, from economically less developed countries to economically more developed countries, and from the poor to the rich. Such a redistribution, I will argue, is unjust and undermines the legitimacy of states. To support this conclusion, I have divided this thesis in four chapters. In chapter one, I will answer the questions what money is and how cryptomoney is a separate subset of the money family. A definition of cryptomoney will also be provided, as there are many virtual phenomena called cryptomoney that are really something else. Through this definition we will come to see that cryptomoney functions quite differently from the money we use today. And because cryptomoney’s ability to change our society stems in part from its technicalities, I will then give a concise explanation of how cryptomoney works. One of the really novel aspects of cryptomoney is the way it is safeguarded against fraud. The technology that does this, the ‘blockchain’, is the reason why cryptomoney could be the first serious competitor to national currencies since gold. Important as this all is, we will not discuss the mathematical or programmers’ side of cryptomoney in detail; it has been done elsewhere. Rather, we move on to the second chapter and discuss the consequences that a financial regime based on cryptomoney would have for states and individual users. We refrain from giving too strong a normative judgment here, and merely list and explain some of the most important practical advantages and disadvantages that the introduction of cryptomoney could have, in order to better understand why cryptomoney is so attractive to some of its proponents. In chapters three and four we shift our attention to the main question of the thesis: is cryptomoney a good idea? Now there might be many arguments that could be given either for or against using cryptomoney, and some of these will be discussed in chapter two. Many of these arguments, however, are mostly pragmatic in nature, and therefore not very interesting for a philosophical inquiry. Others do merit more thorough examination, but are contingent on the type of cryptocurrency used. However, there are two arguments against cryptomoney that are rather more substantial. In chapter three, we will explain why cryptomoney necessarily undermines national sovereignty, and why that would be bad. Chapter four does the same for equality. These arguments hold for any form of cryptomoney as defined in chapter one, as they are the direct result of the way cryptomoney functions. Furthermore, they transcend all pragmatic arguments, because of the strong commitment many of us have to sovereignty and equality. Naturally, not everyone believes in these values. And although I will give some arguments in favour of sovereignty and equality, this thesis does not have the explicit aim to convince those that a priori disagree with me that these two principles are desirable. There are many libertarians and anarchists who are outright opposed to the basic idea of statehood, and do not think that national sovereignty is worthwhile at all. Likewise, there are some who claim that (some sort of) inequality has utility, usually because it yields a desired effect. For some niche thinkers it could even be good in itself. This paper might not be for them. Of course, many of cryptomoney’s (dis)advantages will only become apparent in a future where cryptomoney sheds its volatile state and blossoms into a type of money on par with the money we have now. That it could come that far is an underlying assumption for this research. It is made plausible throughout, and in chapter one especially. Interest in cryptomoney surges and it has already proven to be a very popular type of artificially created money. At the same time, it would be folly to claim that we are on the brink of a true cryptomoney revolution. The trade volume of all cryptocurrencies combined is still quite small, and no single currency, not even the (in)famous bitcoin, is anywhere near a position where it could start replacing even the weakest of national currencies. So uncertain is the future in fact, that it is even possible that we are already past the peak of cryptomoney. And that would then actually be a good thing, as an ascension of cryptomoney will lead to an increase of the problems noted in chapter three and four. In a way, you could say that this inquiry aims to make itself obsolete, because in the end it argues that cryptomoney would be bad for us. Still, if we manage to keep the use of cryptomoney at bay, and all the different cryptocurrencies lose their value, that would not mean that the phenomenon could not still be valuable as a hypothetical alternative to traditional money, capable of shedding light on our current monetary institutions and the normative foundations on which these are based.Show less
The thesis looks at how the pre-famine conditions in the Yemen civil war are being portraied through photography in late 2018, early 2019 and, at its core, discusses the lack of systematic,...Show moreThe thesis looks at how the pre-famine conditions in the Yemen civil war are being portraied through photography in late 2018, early 2019 and, at its core, discusses the lack of systematic, institutionalised ethic regulations in humanitarian photography and its impact on the future of understanding humanitarian tragedies. It explores three different ways of photographic representation that all aim for charity as main purpose: case oriented, illustrative human rights photography (Doctors Without Borders), dehumanising and objectifying tendencies of mass media photography spectacles (New York Times) and the inbetween, using sequential narratives to generate context (United Nations Crisis Relief/UNOCHA). The following discussion explores the use of photography as visual spectacle rather than portraying human beings in a context that grounds them as human beings. This bases in the recent discourses of visual global politics (Bleiker, Hutchinson, Chouliaraki, Robinson, Pruce et al.). At last, it expands the discussion towards modern means of visual media (sequential photography, video, virtual reality, augmented reality, 4d)and explores the vast possibilities of integrating alternative media formats in humanitarian causes as well as its possible dangers that 'do-good' humanism can cause for humanitarian organisations in the long run.Show less
Current prevalent representations of displacement are ubiquitous and often deeply shocking. Previous studies of refugee representation have focused on the polarisation of pro/anti-refugee...Show moreCurrent prevalent representations of displacement are ubiquitous and often deeply shocking. Previous studies of refugee representation have focused on the polarisation of pro/anti-refugee narratives and highlighted patterns in their depiction at opposite poles (in humanitarian and media/political discourses). However, new methods and mediums for representation indicate the evolution of a third discourse which this thesis identifies. At once material, ethical, political and representational, the current crisis of forced migration demands response beyond the reach of governments, intergovernmental and humanitarian organisations. In looking to narrative to enhance our understanding of the contemporary ‘crisis’, cultural representations find new ways of responding to displacement and hosting— without which the debate cannot be advanced. This paper testifies to one strand of cultural engagement with forced migration by focusing on four narratives published since 2015. Reading across genres from fiction to life-stories to journalistic literature and theatre, this thesis examines new discursive approaches to refugee representation in Patrick Kingsley’s The New Odyssey, collaborative refugee writing projects, Voices from the ‘Jungle’ and Shatila Stories, and Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy’s play The Jungle.Show less
I contrast naturally occurring conversation with the Liturgy of the Catholic Mass, focussing on speech acts, implicatures, the intersubjective/argumentative nature of language, and on uncooperative...Show moreI contrast naturally occurring conversation with the Liturgy of the Catholic Mass, focussing on speech acts, implicatures, the intersubjective/argumentative nature of language, and on uncooperative communication. This comparison allows me to determine what the characteristics of Mass are as an activity type (Levinson 1992), and to reflect from a Wittgensteinian point of view on the philosophical implications of the results gained. Ultimately, I show that human communication with the divine, i.e. prayer, closely resembles interpersonal communication in the ethical realm.Show less
This paper locates sexuality/ies within the field of International Relations by identifying how the latter shapes and is shaped by sexualities. Through the empirical application of the concept of ...Show moreThis paper locates sexuality/ies within the field of International Relations by identifying how the latter shapes and is shaped by sexualities. Through the empirical application of the concept of ‘Ethical Power Europe’ to the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement, and the analysis of Turkish ‘conservative democracy’ and 'traditional social life', it analyses the consequences for sexual minorities in Turkey. The use of Queer International Relations allows for the realisation of Turkey as an ‘unsafe haven’ and of how figurations of LGBTIQ asylum-seekers/refugees are less protected there. In contrast, this reflects on the concepts of ethics and universalism implied in ‘Ethical Power Europe’, and the EU's level of protection of sexual minorities.Show less
A study of the ways in which contemporary Japanese photographers visualized the Tōhoku disaster (the trifold disaster that destroyed the Tōhoku region in Japan in 2011). The concept of the sublime...Show moreA study of the ways in which contemporary Japanese photographers visualized the Tōhoku disaster (the trifold disaster that destroyed the Tōhoku region in Japan in 2011). The concept of the sublime functions as a theoretical framework, explored in relation to moral and aesthetic dilemmas that occur when representing death, disaster and trauma.Show less
This thesis attempts to investigate the reasons for going to war and committing warlike actions from a human perspective. It endeavours to answer the question why atrocities are possible even by...Show moreThis thesis attempts to investigate the reasons for going to war and committing warlike actions from a human perspective. It endeavours to answer the question why atrocities are possible even by individuals with little or no exposure to violence. The French philosopher Gabriel Marcel wrote on a theory named 'the spirit of abstraction' in which he elaborated upon the manner in which abstraction causes killing to be justified in the mind of the individual. This theory is applied to the Napoleonic war diary 'The Recollections of Rifleman Harris' and investigates the notion's application to the Napoleonic Wars from a more general perspective. It follows the story of Rifleman Harris and attempts to explain how he set out as a farm boy and returned a man that had waged war with an utterly different perspective of the world. It also aims to raise suggestions about whether Marcel's theory can be applied to "modern" times and that abstraction is responsible for so much of the cruelty and malice present in society.Show less
