scholarly journals Notes towards a semiotics of parasitism

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-439
Author(s):  
Han-liang Chang
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Jakob Von Uexküll ◽  
Von Uexküll ◽  
The Times ◽  
Creative Writings ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Biological Foundation

The metaphor of parasites or parasitism has dominated literary critical discourse since the 1970s, prominent examples being Michel Serres in France and J. Hillis Miller in America. In their writings the relationship between text and paratext, literature and criticism, is often likened to that between host and parasite, and can be therefore deconstructed. Their writings, along with those by Derrida, Barthes, and Thom, seem to be suggesting the possibility of a semiotics of parasitism. Unfortunately, none of these writers has drawn enough on the biological foundation of parasitism. Curiously, even in biology, parasitism is already a metaphor through which the signified of an ecological phenomenon involving two organisms is expressed by the signifier of “[eating] food at another’s [side] table”. This paper will make some preliminary remarks on semiotics of parasitism, based on the notions of Umwelt (Jakob von Uexküll) and structural coupling (Maturana and Varela). It will look into the phenomenon of co-evolutionary process in community ecology. With reference to empirical history, the project will briefly survey the literary and medical praxis of the 17th century England where large number of creative writings referred to the phenomenon of parasitism, which was deeply embedded in religious practice (e.g., the Eucharist) and political life (e.g., the courtier ecology in monarchy) of the times. Finally, it will touch upon the possible ‘parasitic’ relationship between language and biology.

The Flight of the Gods

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-252
Author(s):  
Bruce Rosenstock
Keyword(s):  
Martin Heidegger ◽  
Human Geography ◽  
The State ◽  
Animal Life ◽  
Human Species ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Life Force ◽  
Jakob Von Uexküll ◽  
Von Uexküll ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractThe article argues that Martin Heidegger and Oskar Goldberg share a common gnostic motif of the “flight of the gods from the earth” and that both thinkers seek to prepare their people (the Germans, the Jews) for a “second beginning” of metaphysics that would restore the relationship between the people’s god and the earth. Both thinkers also reject the Darwinian concept of the “state as organism” in the new academic study of human geography known as Geopolitik. Both thinkers embrace a neovitalist concept of animal life as it was developed in the work of Jakob von Uexküll. Despite these commonalities, Heidegger and Goldberg differ in how they understand the place of human animality once this renewal takes place. Heidegger calls for the sacrificing of the people’s animality in their readiness to die for the “last god,” whereas Goldberg envisions the increasing power of the transcendental life force in the human species as a whole.

RELASI ISLAM DAN NASIONALISME DALAM SEJARAH BANGSA INDONESIA

ALQALAM ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 563
Author(s):  
Suhaimi Suhaimi
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Nationalism ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
New Order ◽  
Japanese Colonial ◽  
Muslim Intellectuals ◽  
Colonization Period ◽  
The Times ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Governance Reforms

In line with the times demand, nationlism changes as a dynamic of dialectics proceeds with changes in social, political, and ekonomic in the country and global levels. Based on a review of historical chronology, this paper analyzed descriptively the relationship between Islam and nationalism in Indonesia. Since the early growth of nationalism and the Dutch colonization period in Indonesia, Islam became the spirit of sacrifice of lives and property of the Indonesian people's fighting to get independence and on the Japanese colonial period and the early days of independence, Islam through the muslim leaders founction as base of departure and developer awareness of nasionalism, patriotism and unity to defend the independence. Despite the authoritarian New Order ruler cope with Islam through the establishment of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI), but awareness of national Muslim leaders to build Indonesia managed to push governance reforms. And in this era of reform, the spirit of nationalism and the spirit of sacrifice of the Indonesian leaders increasingly eroded by corruption. Key words: proto-nationalism, political nationalism, cultural nationalism.

‘The Oral Versus The Written’

Moreana ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (Number 175) (3) ◽  
pp. 14-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Religious Practice ◽  
Philosophical Argument ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Confessional Identity ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between scripture and tradition has always been recognised as central to the controversy between More and Tyndale in the late 1520s and early 1530s. It was already one of the key issues in the English campaign against Luther instigated in 1521, and in the 1540s became one of the lynchpins of confessional identity both among Catholic theologians at Trent and in the English reformed articles of 1553. This is often seen as a doctrinal issue, but beneath the surface it can also be seen as part of a profound philosophical argument about the authority of oral and written evidence, an argument which goes back to the origins of Jewish and Christian religious practice and which continues to haunt the ecumenical concerns of today.

Repressive Religious Regulation and Political Mobilization in Central Asia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin Gamza ◽  
Pauline Jones
Keyword(s):  
Political Action ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Political Mobilization ◽  
The State ◽  
Religious Community ◽  
State Repression ◽  
Religious Persecution ◽  
Muslim Majority ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Perceived Harm

What is the relationship between state repression of religion and political mobilization in Muslim-majority states? Does religious repression increase the likelihood that Muslims will support acts of rebellion against the state? This chapter contends that the effect of repression on attitudes toward political mobilization is conditional on both the degree of enforcement and the type of religious practice that is being targeted. When enforcement is high and the repressive regulation being enforced targets communal (rather than individualistic) religious practices, Muslims expect state persecution of their religious community to increase, and that this persecution will extract a much greater toll. They are thus more willing to support taking political action against the state in order to protect their community from this perceived harm. The chapter tests this argument with two novel survey experiments conducted in Kyrgyzstan in 2019. It finds that the degree of enforcement has a significant effect on attitudes toward political mobilization, but this effect is negative (reducing support) rather than positive (increasing support). The chapter also finds that repression targeting communal practices has a stronger effect on attitudes toward political mobilization than repression targeting individualistic practices, but again, these effects are negative. The chapter’s findings suggest that the fear of collective punishment increases as the degree of enforcement increases, particularly when it comes to repression targeting communal practices. Thus, while Muslims are motivated to protect their community from harm, it may be that the certainty of financial and physical harm outweighs the expectation of increasing religious persecution.

scholarly journals Sex Dolls in the Swedish Media Discourse: Intimacy, Sexuality, and Technology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Björkas ◽  
Mariah Larsson
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Sexual Practices ◽  
Media Discourse ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Uses ◽  
Broad Variety ◽  
The Media ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractSex dolls are a complex phenomenon with several diverse possible emotional, sexual and therapeutic uses. They can be part of a broad variety of sexual practices, and also function as a sexual aid. However, the media discourse on sex dolls first and foremost concerns how we perceive the relationship between intimacy and technology. A critical discourse analysis of the Swedish media discourse on sex dolls reveals six themes which dominate the discourse: (a) the definition of what a human being is; (b) a discourse on the (technological and existential) future; (c) a social effort; (d) a loveless phenomenon; (e) men’s violence against women; and (f) pedophilia. Accordingly, this discourse is very conservative and normative in its view of sexuality, technology, and humanity. Overall, the dominant themes do not provide any space for positive effects of technology on human sexuality, and if they do, it is usually as a substitute for something else.

Generational Change and Continuity in British Partisan Choice

1976 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-368
Author(s):  
Paul R. Abramson
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Generational Change ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Relationship

The strong relationship between social class and partisan choice is one of the most extensively documented facts of British political life; but that relationship declined markedly during the 1960s, as Butler and Stokes have shown. Their lucid documentation of the declining class–party nexus is among the major findings of the second edition of their book, and, as class-based partisanship is particularly low among the young, many might conclude that the relationship between class and party will continue to decline in future. It would, however, be premature to reach this conclusion.

Revisiting the relationship between art and industry in nineteenth-century Britain from the manufacturer’s perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Ann Compton
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Drawing Board ◽  
Public Exposure ◽  
Production Practices ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Two Sectors

The mid-nineteenth century critical discourse compartmentalized art and industry by crediting each with specific powers. Manufacturing was identified with the development of technologically advanced processes, materials and products, while fine artists were given authority over the aesthetic aspects of industrial design. The idea that the two sectors had separate areas of responsibility has proved extremely enduring, and continues to influence our perceptions of Victorian manufacturing. This article contributes to the wider task of re-evaluating the relationship between art and industry in nineteenth-century Britain by examining the role of design in potteries and art metalworking firms from the manufacturer’s perspective. It shows that contrary to the picture painted by Victorian critics, design was central to the ambitions and commercial operations of manufacturing businesses. Crucially, decisions about the recruitment of design staff were shaped by the close connection between the creation of new products at the drawing board, and their fabrication in the workshop. Since each branch of manufacturing had its distinctive characteristics, there were significant practical, aesthetic and commercial advantages for manufacturers in employing experienced designers who knew the trade, and were fully conversant with production practices. Unless a professional sculptor joined a firm, they were unlikely to have this inside knowledge, which made commissioning one-off designs from artists a riskier proposition. Manufacturers found that one of the best ways to get around this was to make reductions of sculptures, and initial demand for statuettes in Parian suggested they would be profitable for all concerned. In the end, the market did not live up to its early promise, but the publicity given to Parian statuettes compensated manufacturers and sculptors. Overall, it was this increased public exposure for art manufactures that was the prime benefit of the mid-nineteenth century critical discourse for the industrial sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document