An assessment of the life and works of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in light of the post-... more An assessment of the life and works of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in light of the post-Communism, European integration, the Five Star direct democracy movement, and the economic crisis.
To begin with a confession, this discussion is mostly about one of the most powerful montages tha... more To begin with a confession, this discussion is mostly about one of the most powerful montages that has, to my mind, ever be assembled. Though this is definitely true in a personal way, I do use the term 'powerful' in several senses, reflecting both an internal, structural power insofar as it serves a narrative purpose, and an external power on how it functions to shape the viewer's understanding of how images operate in a more generalized sense. If taken in context of the film in which it features, the montage perfectly fits the role of the microcosm (as above, so below). It forms the beginning of Chris Marker's Le fond de l'air est rouge (English: Grin without a cat), which fairly incontestably be described as a history of the left from the post-World War II economic boom through until the early 1970s, with emphasis and sympathy towards the socialist/communist left.
Herder is often written about in historical studies as being one who championed cultural disconti... more Herder is often written about in historical studies as being one who championed cultural discontinuities through time. Sometimes he also credited, rightly, for championing discontinuities spatially (that is, synchronically) as well. Both concepts have their complex or troubling aspects, but the notion is quite defensible when explored philosophically. Further the complexities of one are bound up in the other, even though one certainly seems more problematic than the other. Temporally the notion can appear quite simple, especially due to the widespread acceptance this idea has found in historical studies since then, though there are certainly complexities when one tries to uncover what processes or mechanisms might be held responsible for such widespread and wholesale changes.
This is an outline of a proposed methodological approach to historical studies that might be able... more This is an outline of a proposed methodological approach to historical studies that might be able to test theoretical approaches to history by forcing a certain level of complexity into the discourse. It is necessarily imperfect and cannot achieve this goal in full. Problems with it are covered in the penultimate section.
There is an unfortunate tendency (not ubiquitous) in contemporary political debates to take very ... more There is an unfortunate tendency (not ubiquitous) in contemporary political debates to take very abstract philosophical discussions, with obviously mythical scenarios and likewise implausible actors, in order to prove a moral point. The notion seems to be that through such illustrations (e.g. of a perfectly good individual having nothing but bad things happen to them) would so shock the reader's sense of what is morally right and wrong that the rest of the argument would follow logically.
Marx and Menger are concerned with money in it philosophical, as opposed to historical, aspects, ... more Marx and Menger are concerned with money in it philosophical, as opposed to historical, aspects, only invoking the latter when it illustrates the former. For both, the importance of money is in its representative value, though they differ in the determining the form and nature of what it represents.
Liberalism is known by many traits, none of which are not contestable by others equally willing t... more Liberalism is known by many traits, none of which are not contestable by others equally willing to term themselves liberal. These include freedom of individual lifestyle, behavior, or belief (pluralism), ontological equality of all humans/'men' (egalitarianism), the freedom from coercion as opposed to for social equality or privilege (negative liberty).
For more than a century now language has proved a troubling and complicated manner. The contestat... more For more than a century now language has proved a troubling and complicated manner. The contestation over generative grammar (i.e. what it"s specific characteristics are, whether it could predict the fullness of any language, even theoretically, or whether the more fruitful and experimental route is through rhizomatic conceptualizations) shows even the most instantly comprehensible aspects of such problems.
An assessment of the life and works of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in light of the post-... more An assessment of the life and works of Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in light of the post-Communism, European integration, the Five Star direct democracy movement, and the economic crisis.
To begin with a confession, this discussion is mostly about one of the most powerful montages tha... more To begin with a confession, this discussion is mostly about one of the most powerful montages that has, to my mind, ever be assembled. Though this is definitely true in a personal way, I do use the term 'powerful' in several senses, reflecting both an internal, structural power insofar as it serves a narrative purpose, and an external power on how it functions to shape the viewer's understanding of how images operate in a more generalized sense. If taken in context of the film in which it features, the montage perfectly fits the role of the microcosm (as above, so below). It forms the beginning of Chris Marker's Le fond de l'air est rouge (English: Grin without a cat), which fairly incontestably be described as a history of the left from the post-World War II economic boom through until the early 1970s, with emphasis and sympathy towards the socialist/communist left.
Herder is often written about in historical studies as being one who championed cultural disconti... more Herder is often written about in historical studies as being one who championed cultural discontinuities through time. Sometimes he also credited, rightly, for championing discontinuities spatially (that is, synchronically) as well. Both concepts have their complex or troubling aspects, but the notion is quite defensible when explored philosophically. Further the complexities of one are bound up in the other, even though one certainly seems more problematic than the other. Temporally the notion can appear quite simple, especially due to the widespread acceptance this idea has found in historical studies since then, though there are certainly complexities when one tries to uncover what processes or mechanisms might be held responsible for such widespread and wholesale changes.
This is an outline of a proposed methodological approach to historical studies that might be able... more This is an outline of a proposed methodological approach to historical studies that might be able to test theoretical approaches to history by forcing a certain level of complexity into the discourse. It is necessarily imperfect and cannot achieve this goal in full. Problems with it are covered in the penultimate section.
There is an unfortunate tendency (not ubiquitous) in contemporary political debates to take very ... more There is an unfortunate tendency (not ubiquitous) in contemporary political debates to take very abstract philosophical discussions, with obviously mythical scenarios and likewise implausible actors, in order to prove a moral point. The notion seems to be that through such illustrations (e.g. of a perfectly good individual having nothing but bad things happen to them) would so shock the reader's sense of what is morally right and wrong that the rest of the argument would follow logically.
Marx and Menger are concerned with money in it philosophical, as opposed to historical, aspects, ... more Marx and Menger are concerned with money in it philosophical, as opposed to historical, aspects, only invoking the latter when it illustrates the former. For both, the importance of money is in its representative value, though they differ in the determining the form and nature of what it represents.
Liberalism is known by many traits, none of which are not contestable by others equally willing t... more Liberalism is known by many traits, none of which are not contestable by others equally willing to term themselves liberal. These include freedom of individual lifestyle, behavior, or belief (pluralism), ontological equality of all humans/'men' (egalitarianism), the freedom from coercion as opposed to for social equality or privilege (negative liberty).
For more than a century now language has proved a troubling and complicated manner. The contestat... more For more than a century now language has proved a troubling and complicated manner. The contestation over generative grammar (i.e. what it"s specific characteristics are, whether it could predict the fullness of any language, even theoretically, or whether the more fruitful and experimental route is through rhizomatic conceptualizations) shows even the most instantly comprehensible aspects of such problems.
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