Christian Bök - Inviting Us to Rethink how Language Works Essays

In the post-Modernist world, developments in the sciences overshadow human relationships. To bridge humankind’s alienation from science and technology, Christian Bà ¶k turns science into poetry, and poetry into science. He delves into â€Å"pataphysics,† the poetics of an imaginary science which renders the English language whimsical and at times nonsensical. He also attempts virtuosic feats with his sound and concrete poetry. Bà ¶k’s language welcomes new interpretations and shows that poetry is an ongoing process that can disrupt traditions and reshape them. Bà ¶k’s innovative use of sound, form, and narrative reshapes language, inviting the audience to rethink how language works. Exploring sound’s primitivism, Christian Bà ¶k transforms his poetry into wild vocal terrains. He deconstructs and reinvents meaning in language by banishing words from some of his sound poetry. Following the post-Modernist tradition of melding old materials with new ideas, Bà ¶k re-imagines Dadaist Hugo Ball’s poem â€Å"Seepferdchen und Flugfische (Seahorses and Flying Fish)† by infusing it with his own tempos, pitches, and exclamation points. The â€Å"language† in this poem does not consist of words but a string of nonsensical sounds like â€Å"billabi†, â€Å"zack†, and â€Å"bisch!† Can language still be â€Å"language† without words? To be effective, language must be able to communicate ideas. Bà ¶k’s â€Å"language† then, communicates ideas through explosions of non-meanings. It relies heavily on its emotive function, stirring the audience’s imagination with fluctuations in pitch, tone, and te mpo. It is also metalingual: it draws attention to itself as the audience tries to decipher the poem through only the sense of hearing. In his poem â€Å"Valuvà «ula†, Bà ¶k chants in an alien language. S... ... Available http://www.ubu.com/sound/bok.html, 2000. Accessed: November 16, 2003. Bà ¶k, Christian. â€Å"Valuvà «ula† in UbuWeb Sound Poetry. Available http://www.ubu.com/sound/bok.html, 2000. Accessed: November 16, 2003. Carmine, Starnino. â€Å"Vowel Movements: Pointless Toil and Empty Productivity.† Books in Canada 31, 4 (Jun/Jul 2002): 29. Crawley, Devin. â€Å"[Eunoia].† Quill & Quire 67, 10 (October 2001): 40. Crawley, Devin. â€Å"The book of Bok: author’s new poetry title uses just one vowel per chapter [Eunoia].† Quill & Quire 67, 10 (October 2001): 9. Dykk, Lloyd. â€Å"Are we having fun yet? Series: 2002: I Resolve†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Vancouver Sun [Vancouver], 3 January 2002, p. D12. â€Å"Pataphysics,† The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 2000 ed. Samuels, Ian. â€Å"Books highlight poetry’s past and present.† Calgary Herald [Calgary], 18 October 2003, p. ES12.

Ancient Women Powerfull or Powerless Essay

In ancient world, men’s and women’s life were highly segregated. Man worked in public places while women were confined to their homes, where they managed the household and raised children with the help of slave. This does not mean that women did not have a social, public and economic life. David Cohen says that Athenian women participated in many activities such as working in fields, acting as nurse and many other activities. Women were considered week in front of men, role’s of men were given more importance than roles of women. The role of women may differ depending upon the class of the women or the region of Greece she belong. It is believed that Spartan women enjoyed more freedom than Athenian women. Women also participated in religious festivals and in a sacrifice as said by Cohen. The relationship of women with man is made evident through the household, government and in wars. Women also had some political ability which has been made evident through the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes where Lysistrata portrays the political ability by bringing the devastating Peloponnesian was to a end. The roles played by men and women in ancient Greek society are made evident through the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes. In the play an indication is given of women’s role in the households and their relationship with man. As this play was written by a male playwright it also provides a male point of view towards women. Women role were confined to the house where they produce legitimate children and ensuring that that household activities were executed. Sarah Pomeroy say, â€Å"The primary duty of citizen women towards the polis[city] was the production of legitimate heirs to the oikoi, or families, whose aggregate comprised the citizenry. † The women place was seen being within the home as Lysistrata provides evidence of this when, Cleonice, states, â€Å"†¦but it’s not easy, you know, for women to leave the house. One is busy pottering about her husband; another is getting the servant up; a third is putting her child asleep or washing the brat or feeding it. Households were the only place in which women have power, as they were in command. The role of women to produce legitimate children was viewed as a most important duty of women. Women also participated in rites and rituals. The burial rites were most likely the mid ritual women were involved with. The roles of women in rituals are concerned with how Athenian women participated in religious festivals as stated in Lysistrata. This displays that Greek women participated in rites and rituals. The elationship between men and women in ancient Greek society illustrates the role of women was in relation to household duties and everyday affairs. A Women’s actions were expected to be respectful towards men and were dependent upon their husbands. The women’s were not also able to have an initiate communication with one, as it is displayed in Lysistrata when Lysistrata addresses the magistrate who then replies back, â€Å"You disgusting creature,† as he is appalled with her nonconformist manner. Men did not believe that women’s were capable of running the state as their political roles were viewed with contempt; despite the fact that they run the households in an efficient manner. Politics was not the business of women their business was confined to their household activities. This is displayed in Lysistrata when she asks about the affairs of the state and the response she receives is, â€Å"Shut up and mind your own business! † The involvement of women in war is seen in the same way as their involvement in politics. Go and attend to your work; let war be the care of the men folks. † This is from Lysistrata shows the reply to women’s involvement on the war effort. However, Lysistrata says that women did contribute greatly to the war, â€Å"We’ve given you sons, and then had to send them off to fight. † Women did have power within the households but they did not have any power over men, this is the reason why women did not posses many roles in the politics. The male view of women portrayed throughout the play is degrading of women. Popular opinion through the play is that women are drunkards and sex-crazed. In Lysistrata it states, â€Å"If it had been a Bacchus celebration they’d been asked to attend – or something in honor of Pan or Aphrodite – particularly Aphrodite! You wouldn’t have been able to move. † This extract shows the opinion as Bacchus was the god of wine and Aphrodite the goddess of love, therefore implying that these are the festivals the women took pleasure in. The men also viewed women as being sub-human as said in Lysistrata, â€Å"There is no beast as shameless as a women. The women’s were also believed to be sensitive and emotional. The overall male view about women were seen as insignificant and an annoyance. All these roles played by women were slightly varied between the different cultures. Athenian women were different from Spartan women as their lives were much freer, as is alluded to in Lysistrata when the Spartan, Lampito, comments on her da ily activities, â€Å"If we were in training. † There is also mention of the Metic women in Lysistrata who were able to carry out commercial roles. However, despite these differences, the women of citizen families, whether they were of middle class or royalty, still carried out the same roles and still had very little freedom and rights. It is made evidently apparent all the roles which women played in ancient Greek society and their relationship with men through these roles. Women in ancient Greece were given little to no freedom and rights, and their only true place of power was in the household.

James Rachels s Active And Passive Euthanasia - 1275 Words

Morality, in its basic sense, can easily be interpreted as a view or a response that is influenced by a culture. Given its conditioned thoughts, a single person may not take a stance where they have the ultimate discretion of what deems the distinction of moral things, and those that are not. Instead of attempting to grasp this larger picture, a second thought to ponder is whether or not there is a difference between active and passive euthanasia. Breaking this argument down a bit more, our ultimate goal is to prove that the acts of killing and letting die are indistinguishable. Philosophers such as Phillipa Foot, believes that there is a morally relevant difference between killing and letting die, however the case she presents is not as easy to influence as is James Rachels’ argument in â€Å"Active and Passive Euthanasia.† In opposition to Foot, Rachels creates the argument that there is not a morally relevant distinction between the acts of killing and letting die. A lthough Rachels presents a more influential case, he also suggest that we should be inclined to change the laws and medical policy around euthanasia. Given this implied suggestion, we must ignore his suggestion, because it is not necessarily inclusive to his conclusion. In the medical realm, any argument regarding euthanasia is an argument of ethics. After considering the argument, we must first define what active and passive euthanasia is. The definitional distinction between passive and euthanasia is oneShow MoreRelatedThe Morality Of Euthanasia By James Rachels1086 Words   |  5 PagesPanther ID: 3339147 Active Euthanasia Does James Rachels in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† successfully argue that in at least some cases active euthanasia is morally acceptable? Explain his view and respond to it. In this essay, we are going to analyze the main ideas included in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† by James Rachels to provide a response to the following question: Does James Rachels in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† successfully argue that in at least some cases active euthanasia is morally acceptableRead MoreEuthanasi Active And Passive Euthanasia1562 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia, also known as voluntary or assisted suicide, is used for terminally ill patients to end their lives instead of undergoing painful treatments and torment of waiting for death. There are, however, two different ways in which A can bring about B’s death. In this essay I will present the distinction between active and passive euthanasia as explained by James Rachels in his article called â€Å"Active and Passive Euthanasia†. I will also debate whether euthanasia is justified or not by presentingRead MoreEuthanasi Active And Passive Euthanasia1634 Words   |  7 Pages1) James Rachel, a philosophy professor at the university of Alabama, wrote a paper called Active and Passive Euthanasia where he argues against the distinction between killing in letting die. He says that the distinction is made on morally irrelevant grounds. He says that the distinction between passive and active euthanasia should not be based on whether or not wanted more morally permissible then the other. To prove his point Rachel uses three dif-ferent examples, which included different circumstanceRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Killing And Letting Die1401 Words   |  6 Pages According to James Rachels in his highly acclaimed article The End of Life, Rachels argues that killing and letting die are morally equivalent. My objective within this essay is to highlight and illuminate Rachel’s key points within the The End of Life, which leads him to this particular conclusion. While doing so I will highlight the main objection to Rachels argument, and illuminate my own objections to further prove that Rachels position is false. Before discussing Rachels position a key distinctionRead MoreEuthanasia Is The Painless Killing Of A Patient1825 Words   |  8 PagesEuthanasia is the painless killing of a patient who is suffering from an incurable and very painful disease. Also, if the patient is in a permanent coma. Within the United States of America and in most countries euthanasia is illegal to be practiced. The origin of the word euthanasia came from the early 17th century within the Greek culture. In Greek, the word euthanasia translates to ÃŽ µÃâ€¦ÃŽ ¸ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ±. (â€Å"Google.† Google. Translator. Web. June 19, 2016.) In a way, this translates to easy death. An exampleRead MoreThe Moral Permissibility of Legalizing Active Euthanasia Essay1442 Words   |  6 PagesPermissibility of Legalizing Active Euthanasia To date, in the united States of America, active euthanasia has been seen as unacceptable in legal terms. However, the issue is not so clear in moral terms among the public, and especially among the medical community. In fact, nearly half of the doctors in the United States say that they would prescribe active euthanasia under certain circumstances. The law that prohibits active euthanasia restricts many people fromRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Euthanasia1302 Words   |  6 Pagesbehind Euthanasia In an ethics class I took in high school, I have learned about many controversial topics. One that caught my attention specifically was euthanasia or the â€Å"right to die† as some call it. There are many types of Euthanasia, including active and passive. In class we debated the difference between the two and why passive euthanasia is legal and active is not. Active euthanasia is defined as â€Å"a person directly and deliberately causing the patient s death.† (Forms of euthanasia) PassiveRead MoreMaria s Accident Is More Tragic1317 Words   |  6 Pagestherefore, we should not intervene. Discussion: the removal of the nutrition and hydration tubes will be active euthanasia. The important difference between active and passive euthanasia is that, in passive euthanasia, the doctors does not do anything to bring about the patient’s death. The doctor does nothing and the patient dies of whatever ills already afflict him or her. In active euthanasia, however, the doctor does something to bring about the patient’s death: he kills him. The doctor who givesRead MoreEuthanasia Is Morally Permissible?1389 Words   |  6 PagesEuthanasia means,’ the painless killing of patients suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma, also known as â€Å"assisted suicide† or ‘mercy killing’’. James Rachel asks a very interesting question to the reader. He asks if active euthanasia is morally permissible. Rachel creates a distinction between active and passive euthanasia for the reader. Furthermore he not only defends the idea but he brings it one step forward to say that there is nor should there be any differenceRead MoreEuthanasia Is Morally Permissible?973 Words   |  4 Pages Euthanasia means the painless killing of patients suffering from an incurable and painful diseases or in an irreversible coma, it is also known as â€Å"assisted suicide† or ‘mercy killing’. James Rachel asks a very interesting question to the reader. He asks if active euthanasia is morally permissible? Je has an affirmative stance and defends the idea and brings it one step forward to say that there is nor should there be any difference between active and passive euthanasia. Rachel creates a distinction