In this thesis, I propose a reconstruction of the response to Nietzsche’s nihilism made available by Ubuntu philosophy. This is achieved by extracting a theory of the meaning of life from the...Show moreIn this thesis, I propose a reconstruction of the response to Nietzsche’s nihilism made available by Ubuntu philosophy. This is achieved by extracting a theory of the meaning of life from the Ubuntu worldview, as put forward by Mogobe Ramose, which makes meaning resilient to nihilism. Ubuntu philosophy understands personhood as inherently relational and co-constituted with the world in a way that “a person is a person through other persons” (Ubuntu aphorism). From this relational ontology of personhood, I propose a theory of meaning that locates the experience of meaningfulness in the relations that constitute the person. I then show how meaning, because it is immanent to personhood, is impervious to nihilism.Show less
Iconicity in reduplication is often considered to be a relation between form and referent, but this idea is more often than not inappropriate or too complicated. A thorough discussion about the...Show moreIconicity in reduplication is often considered to be a relation between form and referent, but this idea is more often than not inappropriate or too complicated. A thorough discussion about the nature of the sign, reduplication and its iconic nature, followed by a case study of Samoan shows that the iconicity should be seen as a relation between form and content.Show less
The research conducted in this paper revolves around the interpretation and meaning of temporal adverbial clauses in English. The research was based on Diessel’s (2008) study of the positioning of...Show moreThe research conducted in this paper revolves around the interpretation and meaning of temporal adverbial clauses in English. The research was based on Diessel’s (2008) study of the positioning of temporal adverbials in English. The study consisted of a survey that the participants were asked to fill out. The questions regarded their personal interpretation of different sentence pairs. The results showed no significant difference between the meanings of the sentences in each pair. However, the results did show that the participants recognized that a change in emphasis was present in the sentence pairs.Show less
This thesis examines whether the neoclassical intensifiers extra-, hyper-, mega-, super-, and ultra- are in competition, and if so, whether this competition is leaning towards adaptation of the...Show moreThis thesis examines whether the neoclassical intensifiers extra-, hyper-, mega-, super-, and ultra- are in competition, and if so, whether this competition is leaning towards adaptation of the various forms to different uses or towards extinction of one or several forms. In order to collect data to answer the research questions, the Corpus of Contemporary American English was used. For each individual neoclassical intensifier, a random sample of approximately 100 tokens was extracted from the corpus. The data were then analysed for their independency, the category of the base word, whether the intensifiers were used in a positive, negative or neutral context, and their meaning or function, including replaceability. The results suggest that the five neoclassical intensifier do compete, and that this competition is leaning towards adaptation of the various forms on different levels.Show less
Animals have played a major role in the Halaf. Animals did not only figure in Halaf subsistence and the economy, but they also played a prominent role in symbolism. We encounter animals in...Show moreAnimals have played a major role in the Halaf. Animals did not only figure in Halaf subsistence and the economy, but they also played a prominent role in symbolism. We encounter animals in different material categories, as images in wall paintings, on Halaf Fine Ware ceramics, sealings, and as stamps for sealing, amulets, and figurines. Animal remains have been found alongside those of humans, or in other special or ritual contexts. How can we understand these animal representations and ‘ritual’ animal deposits? This preliminary study explores the meanings of animals in the Halaf by using a new approach that was never employed in this area before: Social zooarchaeology. Social zooarchaeology views animals not only as ‘good to eat’, but also as ‘good to think with’ as Lévi-Strauss so famously pointed out. This study investigates multiple case studies from various sites, like Domuztepe (Turkey), Tell Kurdu (Turkey), Kazane Höyük (Turkey), Fıstıklı Hüyük (Turkey), Tell Sabi Abyad (Syria), Tell Khirbet esh-Shenef (Syria), Tell Arpachiyah (Iraq), Banahilk (Iraq), and Yarim Tepe I and II (Iraq). In order to interpret the various animal representations and ritual deposits, every material category and ritual animal deposit is considered in its depositional context and context of use. Furthermore, comparisons with the zooarchaeological record are made, and subsistence. Four main contexts can be recognized in which animals fulfilled symbolic roles, and these often overlap: 1) Domestic space, 2) ‘ritual’, including communal events, commensality and burial, and 3) administration, including storage, the marking of property, and the usage of objects as mnemonic devices, and 4) bodily adornment. It appears that animals might have functioned as a common spoken language in the sharing economy, figuring in complex narratives, myths, and rituals, enforcing human-human relationships and tying together diverse people from various backgrounds in communal events.Show less
Picasso’s work Guernica is one the most well known paintings of the twentieth century and probably the most influential icon of Spanish art history. As soon as Guernica commenced its public life,...Show morePicasso’s work Guernica is one the most well known paintings of the twentieth century and probably the most influential icon of Spanish art history. As soon as Guernica commenced its public life, being presented in the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris World Fair in 1937, its progression in meaning of the artwork began. In this thesis I intend to explore how, through different exhibitions and collections from museums and galleries in which it was displayed, Guernica was able to shape, in one or another way, its history as one of the world’s icons of universal modern art. How did the exhibitions in which Guernica took part helped to shape its political meaning? Moreover, I would like to explore how artworks can be shaped by their surroundings. Accordingly, I endeavour to examine how the display of Guernica in different surroundings has shaped its meaning since its presentation at Paris World Fair in 1937, with attention being placed on the entire context of each exhibition. Central to this thesis is Guernica’s legacy: the meaning which it had in past exhibitions, its meaning in the present and its meaning for contemporary artists. selecting Goshka Macuga’s The Nature of the Beast (2009) as a case study. Show less
In deze scriptie wordt de reactie op de aanslag op het hoofdkantoor van Charlie Hebdo (d.d. 7 januari 2015) geanalyseerd aan de hand van enkele godsdienstwetenschappelijke en sociaalpsychologische...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt de reactie op de aanslag op het hoofdkantoor van Charlie Hebdo (d.d. 7 januari 2015) geanalyseerd aan de hand van enkele godsdienstwetenschappelijke en sociaalpsychologische theorieën. De massale reacties in de vorm van de wijdverspreide leus “Je suis Charlie” en de massademonstraties die door Frankrijk werden gehouden impliceren dat deze gebeurtenis als zeer heftig werd ervaren. Welke rol speelt het Franse wereldbeeld in de betekenistoekenning van de aanslag en in hoeverre verschilt dit wereldbeeld kwalitatief van een religieus wereldbeeld, in overweging nemend welke emoties hiermee gepaard gaan? De verschillende theorieën wekken tezamen de suggestie dat een seculier en een religieus wereldbeeld in functie weinig verschillen; zij fungeren beiden als angstbuffer. “Je suis Charlie” kan hierbij als sacraal symbool geïnterpreteerd worden en de massademonstraties als collectief ritueel.Show less
Stylized depictions of animals with imposing horns, birds and various other animal species are often seen as characteristic for Halaf painted pottery. In fact they remain exceptional as Halaf Fine...Show moreStylized depictions of animals with imposing horns, birds and various other animal species are often seen as characteristic for Halaf painted pottery. In fact they remain exceptional as Halaf Fine Ware is generally dominated by geometric motifs. There is more about these figurative motifs than meets the eye. Apart from species identification, how can we interpret this figurative art? This study investigates the animal symbolism as painted on Halaf Fine Ware ceramic containers from Tell Sabi Abyad, located in the Balikh region of northern Syria. In order to interpret these animal motifs, the study contextualizes the motifs against the zoo-archaeological record, the depositional context, and the context of use. It appears that animals used in art were special, showing an inverse relationship with the faunal record. These animals probably represented seasonality and danger, and they may have been related to taboos and apotropaic magic. Moreover, some animals might have functioned within complex narratives, which were brought to life as the vessels upon which they were painted were discussed during Halaf commensality practices.Show less
