2. A Response to a Non-Philosophical Stimulus
Please Note: Even though this NPS has been released the other previous NPS’s are still live and available for comments.
What does this non-philosophical source suggest to you?
Answer the two following questions in your response:
1) What Issues about the Self does it suggest?
2) What is your position on this issue?
Please feel free to respond to someone else’s comments.
Be the first one to offer a comment or interpretation!
April 12, 2008 at 7:01 pm
This is more for the Grade 12s but anyone can comment!
April 13, 2008 at 12:58 am
the soiltary mood of the art inspires – do humans exist as individual beings, or are we actually connected to others as a whole (intersubjectivity). Could use sartre’s intersubjectivity and anguish or despair. or using Hegel’s world historical being but the idea of the community.
April 13, 2008 at 9:00 am
Thanks for this Olivia – I like the contrast between Sartre and Hegel. Obviously Marx’s use of Hegel World Spirit is the transition between Hegel and Sartre. The idea of a island leads to abandonment and so on. The lack of colour could also suggest the issue of consciousness, even Mary the Colour Scientist.
April 13, 2008 at 2:33 pm
In terms of political philosophy, I see this as the individual’s lack of influence onto society’s political framework. Therefore i’d use Hobbes’ Leviathan figure against Rousseau and evaluate the extent of our control over society.
Or, i would consider the state of nature identified by these political philosophers. I’d contrast the altruistic nature of man as seen by Rousseau against Hobbes’ war-like savage beast. Then, i’d argue that this image portrays the fact that man is not wholly in control of his being and that forces such as a basic state of nature influences who he is (therefore he is in an inferior, cowering position).
April 13, 2008 at 2:52 pm
This is a good approach – I hadn’t thought of this dimension and it is a valid one. A good use of your understanding from the optional themes in the Core Theme. Very legitimate.
April 13, 2008 at 6:38 pm
the harsh black and white lines on the being seem to represent a sort of mental or even physical straightjacket to his freedom. i would focus on Sartres concept of radical and metaphysical freedom, particularly his story of the prisoner in chains, who while had lost his phsycial freedom, still retained his mental freedom, leaving him free to think and make cognitive decisions. in contrast, a darwinistic, biolgical appraoch could be used to argue for determinsm in individuals. that we are all puppets, controlled by our genetic makeup and chemical impulses.
though i thought gillians interpretation was really unique and interesting to take
April 13, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I also see Camus’ Myth an option here – the starkness of his existence – up/down or black/white, equating meaning with colour.
A question that comes to mind is Are we free to create our own meaning (colour our own lives?)