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’.
Category: Stage 2
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
In recent times the body has regained value, the body is now used to sell, and we see massive amounts of advertising projecting the ‘perfect body’ causing the individual to strive for the ‘ideal’ self. “‘Looking good’ not only becomes necessary to achieve social acceptability but can become the key to a more exciting lifestyle.” Featherstone (1992) The body regaining value shows a shift away from the valuation of soul over body, and the religious connotation which that implies. Popular society has caught up with the shift we saw in philosophy with Nietzsche’s innovative views. In this project I have taken the work of Descartes who professed the ‘I think therefore I am’ maxim, devalued the material world and even our own bodies through his belief that everything could be doubted except the thinking thing. I have then compared this theory to Nietzsche’s valuation of the body and the actual world, through his belief that the soul is a function of the body. I have taken the work of a Modern artist, Helen Chadwick into account to show a contemporary viewpoint on how the body and soul argument has developed outside the realms of philosophy, she expresses through various, sometimes shocking pieces of art that the combined nature of the human body and soul. Through various cultural advancements we have moved away from our quest to spiritual enlightenment and have began our quest for bodily perfection and satisfaction of our desires.
Can one consider the ethical viewpoint of both sides of terrorism? If terrorists believe their actions cause the greater overall good, would J.S. Mill condone them? Can the media be held responsible for the growth in terrorism? The growth in the media is consistent with the growth of terrorism, is this significant? The intention of terrorists is to reach a wide audience, does the media aid them in achieving their ends? What implications would censoring the media cause for us? Could it be considered to limit our freedom?
The conception of the revolutionary vanguard has been pertinent in political thought since Plato’s Philosopher Kings. Indeed this notion has informed the superstructure of political and revolutionary theory and practice ever since its genesis. That is to say that there are a minority of elite, the ‘vanguard’, whom harbour superior sociological insight and who thus possess the intellectual capabilities to lead others to overcome their contextual peril. My central intention was thus to investigate the change in this very notion of the revolutionary vanguard. There have been a number of post-ideological reformulations regarding such a conception. However, placing such an exploration within the theoretical studies of my second year, I decided to examine several philosophers and protagonists of the vanguard, whom belong to the Marxist tradition, these being: Marx, Lenin and Gramsci. I then juxtaposed such theoretical assertions parallel to the post-ideological views of Zapatismo, which are the revolutionary views of the Mexican resistance movement known as the Zapatistas/EZLN. Territory & Change. My project thus traced the development of my central concept, being that of the vanguard, in revolutionary thought. Marx himself spoke little of the notion, yet the necessity of examining his thought derived from the work of Lenin and Gramsci whom pertain to the Marxist tradition. Both Lenin and Gramsci spoke of the notion of the Party, in which the dichotomy of the elite and the masses is both inherent and necessary for the revolution. Although Gramsci attempted to overcome its inherent elitism, he still necessitated the need of the leaders. However, within the contemporary thought of the Zapatistas, one can document an absolute abolition of the vanguard. One in which necessitates a ‘non-philosophy’ of listening-Zapatismo. These masked revolutionaries show that revolution does not have a face, but is a mirror in which greed is forced to see itself. They show us that we do not need a leader, but that we all may put on the mask of revolution and pertain with all those who dare say YA BASTA! (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!)
Territory: In my project I have chosen to focus on MTV as a producer of identity in contemporary society. I intend to focus mainly on the issues of identity in contemporary western culture and the possibilities of its manipulation for greater gains than mere financial profit through focusing on MTV. Objectives and questions: Can a coherent and stable sense of identity exist without a sense of history, and particularly a collective history and a feeling of belonging to a larger group, be it a nation, race, or more contemporary forms of groups (e.g. social groups defined by musical taste, class, political dispositions, etc.) Can there be such a thing as an “authentic” identity? One that isn’t shaped in any way by outside influences, even if we choose not to follow any parochial notions? Is there any possibility of such an endeavour being pursued by the majority of the population? And if not, what does this mean for an age fraught with identity crises and in which anyone with the know-how can take advantage of this fact? Key concepts: Identity, Alienation, Division of Labour, Authenticity, Myth, Identity Production, Synaesthesia. Main sources: Andrew Goodwin’s Dancing in the Factory of Distraction, Sartre’s Being and Nothingness, Burroughs, Erik Erikson’s work on identity and more.
Aims and Objectives ▪ To begin by establishing the Modern and Postmodern styles and characteristics of Architecture and more importantly, how and why they came about. ▪ To Show how Ouseburn Valley has been affected by the changing styles of Architecture. ▪ To illustrate how and why society’s view of the world has changed with the regeneration of Ouseburn Valley. Intentions. I will progress to evaluate the effects of this change by considering the following questions: ▪ Material change results in special change. Thus, how do our interpretations of space and time alter with the shift from modernism to postmodernism? ▪ Furthermore, how does this affect the way we act with respect to the world? ▪ How does our view of knowledge and reality change as a consequence of Postmodernism? Sources. The key source for my investigation will be David Harvey’s Condition of Postmodernity. In addition to this, I will refer to: Fredric Jameson – Postmodernism, or, the cultural logic of late capitalism. Perry Anderson – The Origins of Postmodernity. Jean-Francois Lyotard – The postmodern condition.
Territory: The Jimi Hendrix song Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Aims and Objective: To analyse 1960’s culture and counterculture movements in terms of their aesthetical and ethical values with reference to Nietzsche’s philosophies. I intend to demonstrate that with the aid of music and the arts people at this time began to turn away from traditional pre-war values and began to experiment with more subjective, postmodern views of the world and humanity’s relation to it. Concepts: The underlying concept of my project is: ‘Ethical redemption through the means of aesthetical values’; this is closely related to Nietzsche’s conception of art as being ‘the highest dignity of mankind’. I am also investigating the concept of ‘slave and master moralities’ as theorised by Nietzsche to analyse the shift away from pre-war traditional values (for example, Christian doctrines) towards a more individual style of ethics, as can be witnessed in hippy communes and in relation to the civil rights movements and the sexual revolution. The ‘will to power’ in relation to these concepts will be the basis of my conclusion as to what extent this era can be said to be one of the defining periods of the shift of humanity towards post-modernism, especially within western culture and society. Sources: I will reference a wide variety of sources both on the structure of 1960’s culture and on Nietzsche’s philosophy as well as on post-modern philosophy. My main texts, however, will be: • Friedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy, • Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, • David Henderson, ‘Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky: The Life of Jimi Hendrix, • John Morton Blum, Years of Discord. American Politics and Society, 1961-1974.
CHANGE Photography as the creation of a new language and form of representation and documentation. The change in the relationship between individuals and their immediate world as a result of the globalisation of communications and the media. The rise of iconography and the celebrity and the duality of image versus reality which this entails. Photographic images start off their existence as a means of mediation between the external world and human beings. They are meant to aid our comprehension of the world in some way; however, there is a danger that instead of representing the reality of the world, they can obscure it. Like all images, they are encoded with a cultural significance which it is easy to overlook. Photographs, especially those featured in the media and in advertising, represent not the world itself, but merely an eidolon – an idealised, and therefore fictional image of the world. A division between reality and unreality is therefore created when, neglecting to decode these images, we project them back into society: it is at this point of reflection that we allow the fiction contained within the images to become a reality. In this project I will be looking at the implications of the ‘fiction versus reality’ dualism which photography brings about. I will begin by looking at the political and cultural uses of photography by four key public figures (Queen Victoria, Adolf Hitler, J F Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe) in order to track the evolution of photography and its integration into society. I will be looking at the works of Vilem Flusser, Roland Barthes, Jean Baudrillard and E H Gombrich to look at photography itself, and then at the works of J G Ballard, Guy Debord and Alison Jackson in order to explore the deeper, psychological implications of photography and the ‘image’ within society.
Object: My experience as a toddler of being punished for adding paint to the water pot rather than paper • Want to research into educational psychology—Piaget • Begin by looking at Philosophical concepts—The concept of the individual in Postmodern and Modern society • I will look at thinkers such as Descartes and Gilbert Ryle • How do children think and learn? • How does the change in ideas of identity affect the educational system today? Relate to the recent changes in education—coming into force in September, focusing on skills rather than a curriculum based system and Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning • Relate to Every Child Matters
The aim of this project is to define such concepts as “art” and “the avant- garde”. Having outlined the rise of Liberalism and explained its position as having influenced the beginnings of avant- garde, I will look at key avant- garde movements, namely Abstract Expressionism, Dada and the Situationists, linking society in each time period to the reasons behind each movement, as well as the concepts and issues raised by key artists and philosophers. I will explain the meaning of “the avant- garde” in each case, as well as the impact each had on it’s culture. I will then investigate modern avant- garde art, including some of the new media used. I will briefly consider the controversial concept of the death of the avant- garde, issues raised by modern artists and whether the shock factor of art has gone. I will conclude by looking at what can actually be considered “art”, as all the movements studied have had doubts and criticisms thrust upon them due to supposed lack of context, meaning or skill. Key artists and philosophers I will be looking at include Immanuel Kant, Jean- Francois Lyotard, Jackson Pollock and Robert Motherwell among others. As well as visiting art galleries and travelling exhibitions, I have been volunteering at the Hatton Art Gallery in Newcastle, which is an excellent source for information, including public opinions on various different exhibitions.
Territory: The works of Marc Chagall. Change: The progression of Chagall’s work from The Holy Family to The White Crucifixion. Philosophy: Mikhail Bakhtin’s Rabelais and His World, particularly the notion of the carnivalesque. The aim of this project will be to examine the way in which art (such as Rabelais’ writing and Chagall’s paintings) can undermine the status quo of a particular time even without an explicitly political message. I will explore the works of Chagall in terms what they represent, by means of a detailed analysis of five paintings, The Holy Family, I and the Village, The Birthday, Dedicated to My Fiancee and The White Crucifixion. I will look at them both stylistically and symbolically, and then apply them to Bakhtin’s philosophical framework. My main agenda will be to look at the duality and unity of things, as explored by both Bakhtin and Chagall as well as symbols of rebirth, renewal and immortality. I will do so by considering the parallels between what Bakhtin/Rabelais and Chagall were trying to achieve and their differing methods of doing so. My main sources will be: Rabelais and His World by Mikhail Bakhtin, biographies of Chagall, and secondary literature.
How has art changed since the era of modernity (late 19th century to 1970s)? What evidence is there for these changes in the work of artists like Antony Gormley and Damien Hirst? What is it about contemporary art that makes it ‘postmodern’? Is the postmodern era really a complete break from modernity, or just another state of it? Modern art: broke away from traditional methods and began to experiment. No longer having to paint of draw objects exactly as they appear. More emotion through art. Postmodern art: celebrates and demonstrates chaos of modern life; even more inventive; anything goes; no distinction between higher and lower art; uses features from the past (eg Grayson Perry’s vases). De Duve: nowadays the important question in art is ‘What can be considered art?’. Baudrillard: fashion is what motivates change in art; we want things to be more shocking. Lyotard: importance of profit making when deciding the ‘value’ of a piece of art; idea of ‘the sublime’ coming back into importance in contemporary art. Postmodernity just another state of modernity? From modernity to postmodernity: materials used; methods of presentation; relationship between artist and viewer; media influence; ‘anything goes’; competitive element; purpose/message; historic narratives; concern with current events.
Territory: The picture here shows a detail of one of the feature pyramids of the Kostnice Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora, near Prague. The Ossuary contains a jar of earth reportedly from Golgotha, and important Christian site, making the chapel an extremely popular place to bury loved ones. Over-population of the graveyard led to the creation of the Ossuary in 1511. Initial Aims: The Sedlec Ossuary has left a lasting impression on me and I wanted to sort out for myself why it had the impact it did. This helped me to generate a list of basic questions to answer, some of which were: ▫ How much is identity an abstract concept? To what extent is it bound up in our bodies? ▫ Do most people experience a crisis of identity as some philosophers believe (eg Sartre’s crisis of the enormity of our freedom) or is it only provoked by trauma? ▫ How rigid is our personal identity? Is identity purely conscious or can our identity remain even if we do not? ▫ Are we alienated from our bodies or united with them through our identity? ▫ How does identity work in a social situation? Key Concepts and Philosophical Models: The most obvious key concepts are identity and the mind/body divide. My chosen philosophers as key thinkers and their works are: ▫ Hegel: The Phenomenology of Spirit ▫ Beck & Beck-Gernsheim: Individualization Basic Overview: ▫ Hegel: Use and abuse of the master/slave relationship. ▫ Beck & Beck-Gernsheim: Individualization as a concept is self-perpetuating.
Questions I will be asking 1. Why do people travel and emigrate? 2. How has travel had an affect on cultures? 3. How has the world changed through the rise of the business? 4. How has society integration benefited and impeded cultures and communities. Aims In this project I aim to explore a number of different ideas involving travel. I will be trying to explore the way in which travel has had an impact on modern societies whether it be through modern mass travel, economic needs or personal exploration. I will be examining the positive and negative aspects of travel on a social level, philosophical level and ethical level. The environmental problems have become major ethical concerns today. I will also be examining what motivates us to travel. In particular I will want to explore the influence that the west has had on Asia especially Japan and see what effect it has changed cultures. The major idea I want to explore is what can other cultures teach us about the world. I will be exploring these ideas in relation to Hegel’s Philosophy of History and Lyotard’s Postmodern Condition. Sources • Georg Hegel- The Philosophy of History • Jean-François Lyotard- The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge • Shlomo Avineri- Hegel’s Theory of the Modern State • J. Christopher Holloway- The Business of Tourism • Bella Dicks- Culture on Display.
• Our bodies are our mind’s access to the outside world. This tool for spatial interaction is increasingly abused in our current times. Why has it become so apparently unimportant to us? Image, as opposed to our tactile relation to the outside world, has realised new status. In exploring this the image we ourselves create will be looked into. • The key subject to be discussed in this project is how our mentality towards clothes has changed through the ages. My territory will be the body but more specifically, the body’s interaction, as an image, with others in an attractive or repellent way. We use the body, now more than ever, in a fleeting and ephemeral way. • Lacan – recognition of our bodies as our own from birth to adulthood. Tangibility and testing of our own bodies in infancy. • Descartes – measure and quantify. Removal of reality and questioning and reasoning of the unknown. • Debord and Baudrillard – false images as expressions of the spectacle of society – a manifestation that resides and guides our society through mediation of images as part of a capitalist society. • Harvey – space-time compression. Reduction of our ability to live in normal realms of space and time. Recalling of the past and other cultures in post-modern design as a stability to the culture we are currently a part of. FASHION – a constant flux showing examples of the state of society. Acceleration and deceleration of trends with changing rate of living. DIVORCE OF THE BODY FROM THE MIND