The first part of the paper presents the philosophical concept of Jean Baudrillard in which the issues of death and dying constitute an essential theme. Contemporary times in which the human condition seems to be extr...The first part of the paper presents the philosophical concept of Jean Baudrillard in which the issues of death and dying constitute an essential theme. Contemporary times in which the human condition seems to be extremely difficult are presented in a somber way. Isolation from nature results in the existence filled with fear of death. Natural death is a mentally inconceivable occurrence, an embarrassing phenomenon, and therefore unworthy of being remembered. Only sudden, spectacular death creating media hype seems to be meaningful and worth paying attention to. Instant death is set in opposition to slow death which is also called postponed death. Death in the heat of work, duties, obligations, and prohibitions is the death inflicted at the request of both an employee and an employer. Work rewarded with payment is an act of temporary suspension of death. Burdened with work, people forget about the debt they have incurred from nature. A contemporary employee does not deserve death and instant death is only act of salvation, the act of free will. The second part of the paper focuses on artistic activity of Zuzanna Janin and Bogna Burska. Both artists deal with an issue of media death using different means of expression. Spinning their narratives of intimate decaying and media rage in a public space, they correspond with the Baudrillard＇s philosophical thought.展开更多
Condemned by Mencius （ca.372-289 BCE） as selfishness （weiwo, 为我）, Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy in China is traditionally depicted as a philosophy of egoism and hedonism. In contrast, Yang Zhu （fl.ca.370-350...Condemned by Mencius （ca.372-289 BCE） as selfishness （weiwo, 为我）, Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy in China is traditionally depicted as a philosophy of egoism and hedonism. In contrast, Yang Zhu （fl.ca.370-350 BCE） is described as an ＂early liberal or individualist＂ hero in the Western Discussion of Chinese Philosophy. Yang Zhu may not be a liberal or individualist hero as portrayed by the West, but surely he should not be depicted as a promoter of egoism as Mencius did. Both John Emerson and A.C. Graham are probably right when they claimed that Yang Zhu was a revolutionary thinker of his own time; and ＂Yang Zhu＇s intervention for the Chinese thinking world had provoked a metaphysical crisis which had threatened the basic assumptions of Confucianism and Mohism and set them into a new course＂ （A.C. Graham 1978）. From my reading, Yang Zhu＇s influence on Chinese philosophy had been and will be even greater, although his philosophy as a whole was not practiced by Chinese society in the past due to the dominance of Confucianism. Yet as the first person who clearly emphasized nourishing of life for individuals and the first theory that rooted morality into xing （性, human nature）, Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy had indeed through history made a huge contribution to Chinese nurturing life tradition, and had great potential in providing inspiration to modern moral thinking. Many discussions initiated or developed by Yang Zhu and his followers have influenced both Confucianism and Daoism profoundly. His idea of nourishing life was not only inherited and developed by Zhuangzi and later Daoist religion from life preservation perspective, but also by Mencius and Xunzi from moral cultivation perspective. As a doctrine that has shown more and more relevance to modern society, people can find many inspirations from Yang Zhu＇s answer to the following questions： What is the aim of human life？ What is the right attitude toward life and death？ What is human nature？ What is the relationship between life nourishment and individual freedom？ Why nourishing one＇s own life should be as important as nourishing that of others？ What is the difference between humans and animals？ Why living a natural life is so important for human beings？ Based on materials collected from various Chinese sources directly related to Yang Zhu＇s school, especially the chapter entitled as ＂Yang Zhu＂ from the book of Liezi, this paper will explore essential features of Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy and its relevance to modern society. As ＂guiji＂ （贵已, cherishing oneself） is the core of Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy, discussion of this paper will focus on what Yang Zhu＇s ＂guiji＂ means, why Yang Zhu＇s ＂guiji＂ is not ＂weiwo＂ （为我, for oneself）, and how Yang Zhu＇s ＂guiji＂ yangsheng is relevant to modern society.展开更多
In the 40s and the 50s of the last century existed a largely shared conviction amongst the majority of social scientists in the US regarding the explanation of the theoretical philosophical roots of National Socialism...In the 40s and the 50s of the last century existed a largely shared conviction amongst the majority of social scientists in the US regarding the explanation of the theoretical philosophical roots of National Socialism. Contrarily to European writers, who searched its philosophical origins in irrational philosophical traditions, in the US, they relied upon the perception that Hegel＇s Philosophy of State was the most relevant ideological basis of National Socialism. Hegel＇s idea for the need of a strong state, seemed to clearly support the hypothesis. Herbert Marcuse, exiled in the United States, bad to confront himself with this conviction that academic colleague shared. This theoretical hypothesis was in tune to the Zeitgeist and the political context, in which anticommunism was growing stronger by the day and where the cold war was developing. Associating Hegel and National Socialism implied, for most of the hypothesis defenders yet another vantage point： it could discredit also Marx, for the tights links between his philosophical thinking and Hegel＇s one. For Marcuse this hypothesis was even more problematic knowing that in Germany, national socialist philosophers had rejected Hegel from the very first day their party came to power. In this article we try to analyze Marcuse＇s respective philosophical argument. The point of departure of this reconstruction is the philosophical interpretation of Hegel＇s theory of the State. Further than the historical context, the debate on Hegel and his theory of the State, is very relevant for today＇s debates, dominated by neoliberal ideologies, which often are starting from similar theoretical errors than the mentioned. In both cases exists a lack of understanding of the classic bourgeois content within the concept of the State, based on the French Revolution.展开更多
文摘The first part of the paper presents the philosophical concept of Jean Baudrillard in which the issues of death and dying constitute an essential theme. Contemporary times in which the human condition seems to be extremely difficult are presented in a somber way. Isolation from nature results in the existence filled with fear of death. Natural death is a mentally inconceivable occurrence, an embarrassing phenomenon, and therefore unworthy of being remembered. Only sudden, spectacular death creating media hype seems to be meaningful and worth paying attention to. Instant death is set in opposition to slow death which is also called postponed death. Death in the heat of work, duties, obligations, and prohibitions is the death inflicted at the request of both an employee and an employer. Work rewarded with payment is an act of temporary suspension of death. Burdened with work, people forget about the debt they have incurred from nature. A contemporary employee does not deserve death and instant death is only act of salvation, the act of free will. The second part of the paper focuses on artistic activity of Zuzanna Janin and Bogna Burska. Both artists deal with an issue of media death using different means of expression. Spinning their narratives of intimate decaying and media rage in a public space, they correspond with the Baudrillard＇s philosophical thought.
文摘Condemned by Mencius （ca.372-289 BCE） as selfishness （weiwo, 为我）, Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy in China is traditionally depicted as a philosophy of egoism and hedonism. In contrast, Yang Zhu （fl.ca.370-350 BCE） is described as an ＂early liberal or individualist＂ hero in the Western Discussion of Chinese Philosophy. Yang Zhu may not be a liberal or individualist hero as portrayed by the West, but surely he should not be depicted as a promoter of egoism as Mencius did. Both John Emerson and A.C. Graham are probably right when they claimed that Yang Zhu was a revolutionary thinker of his own time; and ＂Yang Zhu＇s intervention for the Chinese thinking world had provoked a metaphysical crisis which had threatened the basic assumptions of Confucianism and Mohism and set them into a new course＂ （A.C. Graham 1978）. From my reading, Yang Zhu＇s influence on Chinese philosophy had been and will be even greater, although his philosophy as a whole was not practiced by Chinese society in the past due to the dominance of Confucianism. Yet as the first person who clearly emphasized nourishing of life for individuals and the first theory that rooted morality into xing （性, human nature）, Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy had indeed through history made a huge contribution to Chinese nurturing life tradition, and had great potential in providing inspiration to modern moral thinking. Many discussions initiated or developed by Yang Zhu and his followers have influenced both Confucianism and Daoism profoundly. His idea of nourishing life was not only inherited and developed by Zhuangzi and later Daoist religion from life preservation perspective, but also by Mencius and Xunzi from moral cultivation perspective. As a doctrine that has shown more and more relevance to modern society, people can find many inspirations from Yang Zhu＇s answer to the following questions： What is the aim of human life？ What is the right attitude toward life and death？ What is human nature？ What is the relationship between life nourishment and individual freedom？ Why nourishing one＇s own life should be as important as nourishing that of others？ What is the difference between humans and animals？ Why living a natural life is so important for human beings？ Based on materials collected from various Chinese sources directly related to Yang Zhu＇s school, especially the chapter entitled as ＂Yang Zhu＂ from the book of Liezi, this paper will explore essential features of Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy and its relevance to modern society. As ＂guiji＂ （贵已, cherishing oneself） is the core of Yang Zhu＇s yangsheng philosophy, discussion of this paper will focus on what Yang Zhu＇s ＂guiji＂ means, why Yang Zhu＇s ＂guiji＂ is not ＂weiwo＂ （为我, for oneself）, and how Yang Zhu＇s ＂guiji＂ yangsheng is relevant to modern society.
文摘In the 40s and the 50s of the last century existed a largely shared conviction amongst the majority of social scientists in the US regarding the explanation of the theoretical philosophical roots of National Socialism. Contrarily to European writers, who searched its philosophical origins in irrational philosophical traditions, in the US, they relied upon the perception that Hegel＇s Philosophy of State was the most relevant ideological basis of National Socialism. Hegel＇s idea for the need of a strong state, seemed to clearly support the hypothesis. Herbert Marcuse, exiled in the United States, bad to confront himself with this conviction that academic colleague shared. This theoretical hypothesis was in tune to the Zeitgeist and the political context, in which anticommunism was growing stronger by the day and where the cold war was developing. Associating Hegel and National Socialism implied, for most of the hypothesis defenders yet another vantage point： it could discredit also Marx, for the tights links between his philosophical thinking and Hegel＇s one. For Marcuse this hypothesis was even more problematic knowing that in Germany, national socialist philosophers had rejected Hegel from the very first day their party came to power. In this article we try to analyze Marcuse＇s respective philosophical argument. The point of departure of this reconstruction is the philosophical interpretation of Hegel＇s theory of the State. Further than the historical context, the debate on Hegel and his theory of the State, is very relevant for today＇s debates, dominated by neoliberal ideologies, which often are starting from similar theoretical errors than the mentioned. In both cases exists a lack of understanding of the classic bourgeois content within the concept of the State, based on the French Revolution.
