Project Outline: In our daily lives we experience a huge amount of artistic representation in the things we see and do. This art can take any form, be it adverts, architecture or sculptures; but on the whole it goes unnoticed by the observer. This project is looking to uncover hidden meanings behind these artworks to explain their origins and placement in the urban environment whilst focusing on the implications to the observer. Methods and Sources: Architecture, Advertisements, Film, Street Art, Photography, Sculptures,Television Etc. The Ideas: What is the purpose of art? – Modernity vs. Postmodernity; do they exist?; Why do people create art? – Existentialism in art and the principles of Sartre; What is good art? – Aesthetic qualities from Kant and Hegel.
Category: Stage 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an inspiring novel by Kevin Kesey which brought to attention the shocking treatment of the mentally ill in the old gothic asylums of the early Twentieth Century. My aim for this project is to… • Learn how the mentally ill have been treated through history. • See how things have changed and see whether this change has been positive or negative. • Use literature like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and Human Traces (by Sebastian Faulks) to analyse the changes. • Pinpoint which treatments work and do not work in modern day times. • Try and see different ways we can move forward in helping the mentally ill to be more accepted in society.
Key concepts: University education system, changes in teaching methods, the idea behind university, vocational elements to further education, course structure and the general university institution set up/structure. Object and territory: The object-Is represented by the student; the student represents the consumer of the territory and is essentially the most affected and involved aspect of the movements occurring within the university education system. Within my project I have looked to the student with regards to how they are affected by changing teaching methods, different forms of institution, funding issues, course structure changes, employability aspects and government incentives etc. The territory- Is Newcastle University; this institution gives me an example of a 19th century university which offers various types of degree. In order to use this university within my project I researched into the history and future of the institution in terms of the significant changes that were either planned or has already occurred. The university was essentially used as a representative for universities nationally, because my project homes in more generally to university systems as a whole rather than one specific university. This is possible because the issues and transformations that have occurred for Newcastle are typically apparent within all universities nationally. Research methods: In order to research my topic I used a variation of methods, most of my research coming from newspaper articles, radio broadcasts, books and experience of my course itself. I also looked to the ‘Idea of a university’ put forward by John Newman in order to gain some perspective on what originally made a university; this allowed me to compare the postmodern ideas of education to a previous account of what a university institution originally represented. Essentially I wanted my research to focus on the major changes that were occurring within university education and I wanted to highlight these for individuals in order for them to note the possible future that may exist within the university system. The change: Within my project in terms of research into the university I am looking to its origins in comparison with today’s situation. This is a broad time spectrum hence obviously within this time scale I will be focussing more on the modern and contrasting it back to make the changes apparent. I also want to bring in the postmodern and consider the future of university education which will tie in specifically with Lyotard and my considerations over the possibility of computerised learning. Philosophical concepts: Within my project I want to tie in 3 key thinkers with regards to the focus of my project. Initially I will bring in the more general thinkers, Kant and Mill. Kant who will emphasise the importance of learning essentially because we are rational beings and it can be seen as a benefit to educate because it allows man to become ‘man.’ We have a duty to be educated within the world and to use this to continue to act rationally and essentially make good actions to display goodness in society. Hence my ideas on Kant will tie in with the more traditional methods of teaching which emphasis moral training. Then I will bring in Mill that will focus on the utility principle and claim education is always correct and beneficial regardless of its methods, if it benefits society and this is clearly apparent when we consider the needs of the labour market and the emphasis on low unemployment. Finally I will bring Lyotard and his ideas on the inhuman and tie them in closely with the changing teaching methods of education specifically to computer learning or Open University degrees where everything is done via a computer. Personal change/ development: I feel I have through my project developed a wide variation of skills especially my organisation and research skills; this project has ensured that I work to deadlines and collect sufficient information to ensure I produce a good end product. I have been allowed to investigate something interesting to me that I otherwise would not have had the time to look to in depth. It has taught me about the institution of which I am part of and has given me insight into something particularly relevant to myself. I can use my findings in the future to explain myself and my degree in greater detail than before undergoing this project.
Territory: Women and their representation within society over the last 100 years. Object: Within Territory looking at women in relation to Identity, Self-Image and Social Determination. Philosophical Concepts: Sartre – Existence preceding essence. Debord – Society of the Spectacle, Donna Haraway – Cyborg and a sexless society. Over the last 100 years, the representation of women within society has completely turned around. With advancements in liberation and law, women now enjoy an equal status in UK society. I was initially inspired by fashion, and how women have used fashion as a vehicle of expression. However I realised the way women dressed and expressed themselves, merely mirrored the social and cultural changes of the time. I looked at each decade over the last 100 years in the UK, studying the major changes of each decade which have impacted women’s liberation. How women’s identity has changed from a second class citizen, to the role of a strong maternal figure, to enjoying equal status. Key historical moments like WWI/WWII and women getting the vote have helped. Women’s self-image has changed, as women enjoy relaxed rules about dress, sex, marriage and children. This has allowed women to liberate the way they are seen and how they feel about themselves. Fashion movements like the mini skirt along with movie stars like Marilyn Monroe encouraged women to view and express themselves differently. Women’s social determination has moved to a point where first and second wave feminism are contradicting each other and influences from the media mean women are confused about their true role and representation within society. From Thatcher to Madonna, how are women now supposed to fit into society?
A friend once told me visiting Cuba is like “the closest thing to time travel”. To understand exactly what they meant I did no less than visit the place myself. When I arrived the immediate visual images I saw confirmed this. Foremost I noticed the appearance of the buildings and transport; many still used horse and cart, and there was an abundance of 1950’s cars and likewise Soviet cars from the 1970’s. But even more strikingly there was a lack of imagery that one takes for granted in a capitalist society. Instead of seeing a huge Coca-Cola signs leering at me as I drove down the road I would see a huge monument of Che Guevara eyes staring down at me. In place of brand-name slogans are sentiments of an anti-bush propaganda. Does this country really exist? It of course got me to thinking about how this country has come to exist amids such an advanced capitalist and technological world? What has inspired this country so strongly that it has not only sustained itself without support from the western world but has managed to resist attack from it? To understand this country as it is today, first must be understood the movement which inspired such a revolution as Che Guevara’s and Fidel Castro’s. Che Guevara was inspired by Marx and the revolution can be seen as an honest attempt to put implement the theory of Marx’s science. I will explore Marx, in particular reference to Hegel and further explore what relevance the concepts of such a movement have today. Having explored the past of Cuba and what has led it to become the place that it is today, I will then ask what future can not only Cuba as a place have but what future there are for all the ideologies that surround it. Is Cuba only the shadow of an old History? Or will the direction the Globalised world takes revert back to some of these ideologies?
My territory: Domestic Violence. My Methods And Sources: Women’s Aid, The Women’s Shelter, Political Bills and Laws, Interviews, Questionnaires, Books, Magazines, Pamphlets. The Ideas: Husserl and Hegel’s influence on Sartre’s construction on his theories of love and viewing the other as an attractive object. The battle to one’s freedom from being viewed as an object. Krishnamurti’s idea of the importance of becoming a free individual to transcend an essentially violent society. My Philosophers: The Existentialists, Husserl, Sartre, Krishnamurti.
I will be using the St. James’ Park football stadium in Newcastle as the territory for my project. What is postmodernism? – Crucial to my work on St. James’ Park will be an understanding of the postmodern condition and its relation to modernity. In my project I will look mainly at the work of David Harvey and Jean-Francois Lyotard on the subject of postmodernism. Is St. James’ Park postmodern? – St. James’ Park is a mix of old and new in design and construction. It stands towering over the city of Newcastle as a symbol of local identity. It is also home to numerous shops and corporate ventures catering for many tastes. I will examine to what extent the stadium could be considered a postmodern building, examining the idea of postmodern architecture. How has the rise in techno-science and increased capitalist penetration affected St. James’ Park? – Identified by Lyotard as key features of postmodernity, techno-science and capitalism are driven by the quest for development through efficiency. I will investigate what effect this has on St. James’ Park as a stadium and as a stage for football in a postmodern age. Key Sources: The Condition of Postmodernity by David Harvey; The Postmodern Condition by Jean-Francois Lyotard; The Inhuman by Jean-Francois Lyotard
It is only a recent occurrence that people have realised the importance of the environment and the damage we are doing to it. This has caused a wider response to nature conservation than ever before, with more people getting involved and more things being done to protect the environment and the natural world. Attitudes have changed. How then, do these attitudes differ to previous philosophical attitudes of Western philosophy? My project starts with an introduction as to why I chose the natural world and nature conservation, it being a great interest and love for me. It continues with a look at the history of philosophical attitudes towards the natural world such as Newton believing man was very much an observer and other common beliefs that man was separate to nature. This will show to what extent these philosophies provided an attitude towards nature which was one of almost indifference as far as conservation was concerned. Finally my project moves to the contemporary where it will explore the work of Edward O. Wilson, The Future of Life to see how far attitudes have changed. For support with this discussion my project includes the thoughts and views of other contemporary philosophers such as Holmes Rolston III and current environmental issues from sources such as the news.
An investigation into the nature and extent of capitalist domination today. Capitalism is the most powerful force that exists in civilised society today. Its networks of power are dispersed everywhere and it defines most arenas of our existence yet nowhere are its processes easy to define or hold accountable and capitalism has much to be held accountable for. Chapter 1 I will use Marx’s theory of capitalism as a base from which to better understand our contemporary capitalist condition. Chapter 2 I will use the philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari to try and explain the schizophrenic processes of capitalism that control everything from who we think we are and how we think about right and wrong, to which countries we go to war with and how we justify our actions. Chapter 3 I will use the distinctly Deleuzian concept of Empire that is developed by Hardt and Negri to describe the force of global capitalist expansion now that sovereignty has passed from individual bourgeois states to the machine of capitalism with America at its helm. Chapter 4 will take a look at the theory of Empire in action with the philosophy of illusion of Jean Baudrillard. He uses the Gulf war as an example of how our perception of reality is altered to the point that moral and political thought are short-circuited. Sources: Deleuze and Guattari’s ‘Capitalism and Schizophrenia’, Hardt and Negri’s ‘Empire’ and Jean Baudrillard’s ‘the gulf war did not take place’
The project will examine the problems that confronted the Situationist International from 1957 to 1968 and show how those same problems are addressed almost half a century later in the film, Fight OutlineClub. Aim: To argue that that the problems faced by the SI are still evident today and that the events presented in Fight Club are symptomatic of this. Method: The following aspects of both Situationist thought and the themes discussed in Fight Club will be used to support my argument: – Commodification and Consumerism: Both Guy Debord and Tyler Durden felt society had become ‘over-reliant’ on material possessions. – The Society of the Spectacle: The product of this over-reliance. Debord’s term for the vicarious nature of modern life. – Detournement: The process of defacing or editing already existing pieces of art, film, music, literature or architecture. Tyler’s assignments in Fight Club are deeply rooted in this idea. – The LA Riots, the Strasbourg Scandal, May 1968 and ‘Project Mayhem’: These events marked the culmination of both SI thought and Tyler’s desires in Fight Club. – Situationist Film and Fight Club Itself: Both looked to push the boundaries and confront traditional cinematic norms. – Terrorism: Could the Situationists be viewed as terrorists? The members of ‘Project Mayhem’ certainly could. Is terrorism in fact necessary for change? – Generation X: The events of May ’68 marked a culmination of social unrest, but as “the middle children of history” does our generation have anything left for which to fight? Sources include: ‘Fight Club’- David Fincher, ‘The Society of the Spectacle’- Guy Debord, ‘Guy Debord and the Situationist International’- Tom McDonough, and ‘The Culture Industry- Theodor Adorno. Information from the Internet, magazines and newspapers will also be used to illustrate my project.
AIM – To examine the changes in English football in recent decades, which have led to increasing levels of commodification. I intend to discover the reasons increased commodification has occurred, at the impact of increased commodification on both big clubs and small clubs and I intend to see how genuine football supporters have been affected. TERRITORY – My territory is the English Football League – I will look at how several English league clubs have been affected by the changes, focusing on two clubs who have been affected very differently, Burnley F.C. and Chelsea F.C. CHANGE – English Football’s Rapid transformation from being a sport to being a profit-making business, which began in the 1960s, accelerated in the 80s and still continues today. SOURCES – I focused mainly on the theories of the Situationist International, in particular Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle. I also looked at Karl Marx’s Capital. and other texts from the Situationists and Marx. I also used several texts that examined changes in English football, in particular Anthony King’s The End of The Terraces, which charts the transformation in English football in the last two decades in favour of big city clubs.
Territory: Africa has always been a focal point when discussing Third World Poverty as this vast continent contains the 24 lowest ranking nations out of the world’s 175 poorest countries. In the Western World we are frequently reminded of the poverty and suffering taking place in Africa through images in the media and events such as ‘Make Poverty History’, ‘Live 8’, and the most recent G8 summit which took place in the UK in 2005. In my project I will be exploring Africa and how it has changed over the past one hundred and fifty years; from pre-colonial times to the ‘Scramble for Africa’, through its struggle to regain independence and up to the current time. In considering how Africa has changed, or has been changed, over the last two centuries, it will also be necessary to give an account of the factors acting upon it such as Europeans as the main founders of the African colonies and the British and American governments in their political policies towards African poverty. Aims: I will look at Africa in a historical and political context and it’s relationships with Europe and America in order to determine whether or not we, in the Western World, can be held responsible for the extensive poverty in our world’s second largest continent. In addition to this, I will be assessing to what extent people actually care about those suffering in the Third World or if their way of life is so removed from our own that we view the situation as more fiction than fact. Finally, I will try to establish if the Western World has a social and moral obligation to try and ameliorate the situation and by what means. Concepts and Philosophy: In order to answer the questions set out in my aims, I will be paying particular reference to Peter Singer’s Practical Ethics and John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice. This will be in conjunction with the exploration of concepts such as; responsibility (individualistic and communitarian), moral obligation, justice and equality.
TERRITORY: The relation between the individualist and the collectivist, the individual and the collective has been well documented down through the centuries, but what of the future? What technological, socio and political endeavors and horrors will unfold and will philosophy continue to guide the way, or will things spiral rapidly out of control? Who really has control and where will people be looking to find the truth in a century from now? AIMS: Because of the shear ‘potential’ size of this project it would be impossible to look at all relevant recent breakthroughs and revolutions in subjects of our modern interest, so I decided to look at the major issues of the day in both the factual and the fictional, physical and mental. There really is nowhere to run then! Cloning, what are the issues? ‘AI’, the issues? What even is the structure of reality? This project will look in depth at the arguments for and against collective unification of our minds (theory now), but perhaps real some day and wonder what a society might be like that is devoid of secrets! Do we have the right to rob people of their personality for the sake of society, or to invade privacy to combat crime? If yes then why? If no then why? Are we living at a moment of great change? Is private identity worth preserving? Can we limit technological advancement or will it spiral out of control like drugs? Can we proceed any further at all without a hard look at reality outside any fixed time, whereby we ask; ‘what really is of value to humanity?’ Freedom or equality? PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS: Kant’s Critique of Judgement, Schiller’s Aesthetic Essays, T.G.Reed’s Schiller, Herman Cohen’s Kantian Socialism, Jean Francois Lyotard’s Kantian Socialism, Harry Van Der Linden’s ‘Kantian Ethics and Socialism’, Judith Barad’s ‘Ethics of Star Trek’, Lesley Sharpe’s ‘Schiller’s Aesthetic Essays: Two Centuries of Criticism’, TPM.
Title: The advancement of genetic therapy and the philosophical implications Aims: The main aim of this project is to look at gene therapy and the advancements it has made over the last 20 years, since the discovery of DNA. I will consider the ethical implications which may occur should genetic therapy become legal. Also, I will consider how changing ones DNA structure to overcome disease may conflict with the views of predetermination. Concepts: Primarily I will look at the concept of gene therapy. The use of gene therapy has huge philosophical implications. I will use the philosophical concepts of ‘fate’ and ‘free-will’ looking particularly at early Christian philosophy including St. Augustine and Calvin. Also I will look at ethics, including ‘Utilitarianism’ along with looking in particular at the philosophies of Kant, Mill and Hobbes. Sources: For this project I will use a wide variety of sources, within a number of different areas. Some of the main sources which I will use include Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy, St.Augustine’s The City of God, and Gordon Graham’s Genes: A philosophical inquiry. I will also look at the works of Kant, Mill, Hobbes, Calvin and I will also use a number of scientific journals.
Aims: The main aim of this project is an attempt to come up with a universal law that could be used in the treatment of sexual predators if there is one. I will look at whether sexual abusers are deserving of punishment. I will attempt to understand the motivations of the abuser. Look at the impact that the attack has on the victim. I will look at a range of punishment theories that could be universalised for one set rule for all abusers. Questions that need addressing: Why do paedophiles consider sex with children as acceptable behaviour? Why and how do sex offenders believe what they do is right, and how do they justify their actions? Can child molesters be cured? Or is it impossible? Is it to risky to let them out? The victim is affected for life so why shouldn’t the attacker pay for life? Key Sources. Michael Foucault: ‘The History of Sexuality’ Volume 1, Ernest Van Hagg ‘Punishing Criminals’, Barry M. Maletzky ‘Treating the Sexual Offender, Ann Wolbert and Burgess ‘Sexual assault of Children and Adolescents’.
What will be discussed is the elements of form and dissolution, the discrepancies between meaning and manner, between profits of decay and the state of man. However perhaps the most interesting aspect is that of the correlation between Venice’s decline and Ashenbach struggle. This conflict is the same as we see today between the destruction and confusion that Modernism has erupted. Our Postmodern society is frayed with ambiguity and fragmentation. The decline of our own morality and our own purpose is still concurrent with that of our city. The search for truth has become a notion tainted by its own paradoxical character. The question is where does man go from here? Or is it merely that like Ashenbach, we remain struggling within ourselves. Works cited will comprise the question of Lyotard’s Postmodern theory attributed to Nietzsche and the question of Nihilism. As well as Structuralism and Deconstructionalist activity with reference to Derrida Barthes and Foucault.
Aim: The main objective of this project is to, firstly, assess whether as humans we actually possess a moral and ethical basis. Then to discover where this ethical and moral basis originated from. Then to move on to investigating its position in the law, looking closely as the philosophy of law itself. Following this, a critique of capital punishment provides us with reasons we give for such punishment, which are based on a diverse number of reasons. I intended to answer the following questions: Are morals innate to us? What part do ethics and morals play in justice? Do we have the right to punish and imprison other human beings? Concepts: Having researched the subject and attempted to answer the above questions, a number of clear cut concepts began to emerge as integral to my project. Firstly, that morals originated from basic needs through hominid evolution to maintain survival, and were in fact merely behavioural requirements for the well-being of group living. Secondly, that the split between those who view morality and law as overlapping and those who don’t is extremely lucid. Thirdly, law is distinguished as a system of norms vastly different from all other norms. During the project I came to see that the arguments for and against capital punishment are similar, but argue different sides of the same fence. For example, those against argue that it debases the intrinsic value of human life. While those for argue that the only way to value the life lost it to take that of the perpetrator. Sources: For this project I used a number of sources, including books covering philosophy of law, Kant’s moral philosophy, Mill and utilitarianism, and general books which focused specifically on the law judicial system itself. Some internet resources on psychology were also of interest. The main body of text however, will be referring to Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes and John Stuart Mill.
Territory • I wished to look at those with autistic spectrum disorders and the treatment methods that are used to attempt to improve, or even cure, this condition. Philosophical Concepts • I looked at Sartre’s and Descartes theories on freedom in order to make a comparison between the two. Key texts used were ‘Nausea’ by Sartre and ‘Meditations on First Philosophy’ by Rene Descartes. • Also given consideration was Kant’s ‘Categorical Imperative’ taken from his work ‘Groundwork to the Metaphysics of Morals.’ This was a deontological ethical theory, concentrating on the act itself, not the consequences. • Kant’s theory was compared with a teleological theory. I looked at Mill’s Utilitarianism to show the contrast between looking at the consequences of the act, as opposed to the act itself. Aims and Objectives. • To reach a conclusion on how much freedom those with Autism need/should be given. • To discuss whether those who care for them have the right to make decisions on their behalf, and if so is this compromising their freedom • Look at whether it is the act itself or the consequences of the act that is important in making an ethical decision. • Decide whether we should follow Kant’s older ethical theory or Mill’s modernised version of Utilitarianism.
In this project I plan to look at the inter-faith town of Glastonbury and the varying beliefs and religions which make it into the new-age subculture it is today. Then I will look into various challenges to beliefs and religions in general looking at such scholars as Freud and Marx and how religion may merely act as a comforting device . Finally I will investigate in what respects such views of religious belief can be applied to these new-age religions which are strife in and around Glastonbury and how they may simply be acting as a refuge. I will also look at arguments and so-called ‘proof’ as to how this may not be the case, e.g. miracles, healing etc. Glastonbury has been a site of pilgrimage for hundreds of years with people claiming a magnetic pull which draws creative and spiritual people to the area. It has become an inter-faith town with many incomers settling of various faiths and beliefs, making Glastonbury one of the most spiritually diverse places in the country.During the last fifty years there has been an increased interest in new ways of finding a meaning in life other than that of following established religions. This new way of thinking involves many different paths and each one is seen as having its own unique value and truth. All of these paths have a common awareness of the divine, although this is expressed in different ways. It involves going about everyday life whilst incorporating spirituality into it as not to get wound up in the material things in life. People who want to live this way find themselves drawn to Glastonbury; perhaps because of the many myths and legends, perhaps because it is where you can find like-minded people, and many different channels of which to express your spirituality. Religion as comfort. Do humans follow religious beliefs because they want protection from the world which scares them? maybe because it gives their lives meaning and purpose and stops death being the end? Also it may give people faith that someone or something cares for them and that their life and the world has importance. Freud:” what the common man understands by his religion – with the system of doctrines and promises which on the one h and explains to him the riddles of this world with enviable completeness, and, on the other, assures him that a careful Providence will watch over his life and will compensate him in a future existence for any frustrations he suffers here.” Marx : For Marx, religion was an illusion. It dulls the pain of oppression for the proletariat but at the same time it blinds them from their true reality. Thus, it stops them from seeing what needs to be done to end their exploitation. Religion is a form of social control keeping the rich rich and the poor poor.“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed culture, the sentiment of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
Roy Keane is one of the greatest players of his generation and one of the most controversial. This essay aims to come to a conclusion as to whether Roy Keane is an Egoist or an Existentialist. Aims and objectives: To critically assess the philosophical ideas of Egoism and Existentialism; To relate these philosophical ideas to football and Roy Keane’s actions and what he has said; To look at the evidence put forward and come to a conclusion as to whether Roy Keane is an egoist or an existentialist