Childhood Cognition, By Walter Benjamin - 2522 Words

In a series of reflections scattered throughout The Arcades Project and elsewhere, Walter Benjamin offers a view of childhood cognition as defined by an immediacy between perception and action; the inherently tactile relation between thought and world elicited by the child invokes a direct relationship of thought and action and so a capacity to transform the world.1 Rather than accept the given meaning of things, children are said to acquire knowledge by grabbing objects, analysing them in new ways, putting them to uses beyond those to which they were intended (think of the ubiquitous admission of the child s preference for the wrapping to the toy).2 Play thus has a redemptive quality. As an experimental and tactile engagement with the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Children are Spinozists† they write in A Thousand Plateaus, their existence takes place on a generative level of affect unhinged from an autonomous and rational adult subject.6 When I Dance, I Put You in a Trance... In his book Noise, Jacques Attali articulates a similarly lapsarian trajectory to physiological and cognitive development but this time situated upon the terrain of sound itself. For Attali, music stands in for the very possibility of social order; its effects begin from the moment of birth, as when the lullaby re-transmits the child s cry in tidy and harmonic form.7 Might we locate something of the force of generative enchantment and imagination prior to its capture by the chloroform of the social in moments when the child s voice takes form in music? Suggestive of what I have in mind here is Makoto Kurita s first album as Magical Power Mako, recorded in 1973 partly with Keijo Hano when both were fifteen years old. The album s first song, Open the morning window, the sunshine comes in, the hope of today is a small bird singing , begins with a chorus of children gently chanting the song s absurdly long title repeatedly, first in Japanese then in English, upon which the melody begins to devolve into a chaotic patchwork of tape manipulations and field recordings, then a heavy rock guitar solo backed by a string section worthy of The Rolling Stones or one of

Existentialism And Its Impact On Society Essay - 976 Words

Jean-Paul Sartre once said â€Å"man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.† The implications of this statement and his entire school of thought had a profound effect on society as a whole. Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard is often thought to be the first proponent of existentialism but never used the term as a self-describer and was categorized as an existentialist posthumously. Sartre derived his inspiration from Martin Heidegger and embraced the term, but he was hardly the only one to flirt with such thinking. Many philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Albert Camus and Fyodor Dostoyevsky were also influential existentialists. Although this branch of philosophy theorizes over many facets of human existence, one of its most innovative proposals was the true meaning of life. Scholar Frederick Copleston explains that Sartre believed that what â€Å"all existentialists have in common is the fundamental doctrine that existence precedes essence. As a result, each individual is free of preconceived notions assigned to them by society and religion. Everyone must be responsible for creating their own values and determining a meaning to their own lives. Existence precedes essence is a central theme in existentialism. This notion makes every person liable for their own actions instead of placing the blame on someone or something. As a result, every individual has the freedom to do what he or she chooses but must always assume responsibility insteadShow MoreRelatedExistentialism And Its Impact On Society1816 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Existentialism developed in the more extensive feeling to twentieth century rationality that is focused upon the investigation about presence and of the best approach people discover themselves existing or their existence as a whole. Existentialism takes its name from those philosophical topic of existence , this doesn t involve that there will be homogeneity in the way presence will be on be comprehended. On simpler terms, existentialism will be an logic worried for finding selfRead MoreShakespeares King Lear vs. Tuesdays with Morrie1495 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Existentialism was in part a reaction to modernism, but its roots can be traced to ancient philosophical traditions ranging from Zoroastrianism and Judaism, Buddhism and Platonism (Flynn). The essence of existentialism is authenticity of experience, asking the philosopher to undergo deep introspection. However, existentialism is perhaps most famous for its probing questions about what Friedrich Nietzsche called the tensi on of the soul, (2). 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The old adage you learn something new everyday is very true, and nothing fascinates me more than simply talking to other people; you can learn so much from them. Education is the foundation of our American society, and the children of today areRead More Existentialism in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay1635 Words   |  7 PagesExistentialism in Things Fall Apart      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chinua Achebe presents his audience with an interesting twist to a contemporary school of thought in his work Things Fall Apart.   This post-colonization narrative incorporates several traits that revolt against normative philosophic systems and tralititious theories and beliefs of the existence of man and his place in the universe.   Achebes efforts are characterized by a small diverse group of writers that purge realizations of predestinationRead MoreExistentialism in Soldier’s Home by Ernest Hemingway Essay example531 Words   |  3 PagesThe saying â€Å"Existence precedes essence† is the slogan of existentialism. This element of existentialism is displayed throughout the short story â€Å"Soldier’s Home† by Ernest Hemingway. 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The death of his mother provided him with experience thatRead MoreTechnology On Our Generation s Future1239 Words   |  5 Pagesrotary phones and advancing into Instagram, twitter and facetime. Technology dating back to 1943 when the first computer was created by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, and still has a major impact on our lives while still advancing every day (Computerhope). Technology has had both a negative and positive impact on human lives, although to a certain extent technology has gotten out of hand. In this essay, I will argue how technology plays a huge role in the future of our generation, and the positiveRead More Existentialism Essay1005 Words   |  5 Pagesone’s choices and decisions create a code for all of man. This set of codes creates the unwritten laws of people, which in turn create quot;good and bad.quot; If a person acts against this he can pray to God and ask for forgiveness. 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Analysis of Social Movements in the Egyptian Revolution Free Essays

The Egyptian Revolution can undoubtedly be considered one of the significant events of the 2011. However, even after three months since the 18-day revolution, people are still unable to determine whether or not this revolution will bring about positive amends to Egyptian society. Having said that, the Egyptian Revolution has shown to be a convenience to many sociologists, as it offers a promising case study on social movements. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Social Movements in the Egyptian Revolution or any similar topic only for you Order Now Throughout this three-month revolution aftermath, it has become clear that the January 25th Revolution has brought about symptoms of virtually all sorts of social movements. In the typical sociological perspective, social movements are collective efforts to bring about social or political change. Characteristics of a social movement include it being goal-oriented, having a unified ideology, and having an organized, sometimes bureaucratic, system. Social movements can be characterized by the type of change they promote. There are six major types of social movements: expressive social movements, progressive social movements, resistant social movements, reformative social movements, revolutionary social movements, and utopian social movements. Expressive social movements attempt to change individuals, rather then directly trying to change institutions or laws. Evangelical groups and Alcoholic Anonymous groups offer examples. Members of such movements believe that because institutions are people-created, they can only be changed by changes in people. Progressive social movements attempt to improve society by making positive changes in institutions and organizations. The Labor Movement and Civil Rights Movement exemplify progressive social movements. Resistance movements, rather than advocating change, seek to hold it back and keep the status quo. For instance, an example of this type of movement is the anti-gun control movement. Reformative social movements attempt to make a major change to some aspect of society or politics in general. For instance, efforts to end the death penalty, or efforts to apply gun control in a society are considered reformative social movements. Revolutionary social movements advocate a radical shift in the fundamental structure or practice of a society. Such types of social movements tend to involve violence. Almost all revolutionary social movements arise when a specific segment of the population is strongly oppressed or generally dissatisfied with the society they inhabit. Examples of revolutionary social movements include the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Bolshevik Revolution. The last type of social movement is the utopian social movement. Such movements seek to create an ideal social environment from an image of a perfect society. They tend to reject violence as a method to gain its goal. Examples of such revolutions include Gandhi’s Peaceful Revolution and the counterculture movement in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. First and foremost, the Egyptian Revolution, according to its name, can obviously be categorized under a revolutionary social movement. During the 18-day uprising, people, people assembled in the now distinguished, Tahrir Square, for a simple, yet drastic agenda. They called for the resignation of the President as well as his staff, substantial amendments to the constitution, and a promise for a democratic nation that grants its people their human rights. The protestors remained devoted to their aims until they eventually had them fulfilled. The fact the protestors’ agenda was realized makes the January 25th incident a revolution and not a revolt. Furthermore, unlike in reformative social movements, participants of the Egyptian Revolution called for drastic change in the ruling system. Reformative social movements tend attempt to gain rights and protection for some segment of society without changing other aspects. The Egyptian Revolution brought forth a change to the whole system. Furthermore, among the participants of the Egyptian Revolution, there were undoubtedly protestors that exemplified the symptoms of a utopian social movement. Evidently, many of the protestors zestfully chanted â€Å"Selmeya! Selmeya! † (Arabic roughly meaning, â€Å"Remain peaceful! †). Despite the eventual violence and chaos that emerged in streets all around Egypt, there is sufficient evidence to prove that many protestors did in fact call for non-violent demonstration. After the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, symptoms of other social movements began appearing. For instance, having had their nationalist spirit replenished, many citizens took part in expressive social movements to better themselves and abide more strictly to their moral codes. Such campaigns can easily be observed by watching the television, as there have been many advertisements urging Egyptians to take better care of their nation. Additionally, progressive movements sporadically appeared after the resignation of the 83 year-old President. After the ouster of the President, minority groups in the population, such as the Copts, began calling for better treatment by the government. Also, groups that were previously subjugated by the government, specifically Islamist groups, began appealing for the Islamic amendments they asked for before. Such groups eventually came up with more stringent demands, that their progressive movements became reformative movements. For instance, the Copts who protested at the State’s ‘Maspiro’ building initially called for better conduct towards Coptic Christians in Egypt, however they eventually began calling for the change in the article of the constitution that states that Egyptian law is mostly derived from Islamic ‘Sharia’a’ Law. Ultimately, it is without a shadow of a doubt that the Egyptian January 25th revolution brought about the trend of desiring change. Hence, Egypt is commonly seeing all sorts of social movements nowadays. Having said that, although the change-urging groups in Egypt all claim to have the good of the country as their top priority, it must be acknowledged that a large number of these groups of conflicting ideologies. On top of that, many participants of these social movements derive their ideologies from religion, and thus this makes the matter delicate. Throughout the past few months, Egypt has seen a number of incidents involving sectarian strife. Such incidents gave a warning signal to what this revolution may very well lead to. The question to ask now is will Egypt remain â€Å"2eed wahda† (Arabic for â€Å"one hand†) as they fervently chanted during the 18-day uprising, or will contradictions in ideologies and demands for change lead to a theological strife within Egypt. How to cite Analysis of Social Movements in the Egyptian Revolution, Papers