In ancient Greek philosophy the concept of ataraxia (“absence of disturbance,” “freedom from anxiety,” “tranquility”) rapidly gained importance in the third century BCE during and after the... Show moreIn ancient Greek philosophy the concept of ataraxia (“absence of disturbance,” “freedom from anxiety,” “tranquility”) rapidly gained importance in the third century BCE during and after the conquests of Alexander the Great († 321 BCE). In this period most of the so-called Hellenistic philosophers—the Epicureans, Stoics, Academic skeptics, and Pyrrhonists—related tranquility to their concept of happiness as a fulfilled life. In this chapter I briefly discuss views of ataraxia in the work of Epicurus, the Stoics Seneca and Marcus Aurelius, and the Academic skeptic Cicero. I then give more space to the role of ataraxia in the Pyrrhonism defended by Sextus Empiricus because it presents us with an attitude to life that may appear particularly helpful to us in the twenty-first century. Show less
In this article I show the relevance of Emmanuel Levinas’ notion of primordial teaching for understanding why online teach- ing cannot adequately mimic face-to-face teaching. I will argue that the... Show moreIn this article I show the relevance of Emmanuel Levinas’ notion of primordial teaching for understanding why online teach- ing cannot adequately mimic face-to-face teaching. I will argue that the current Covid-19 pandemic shows us that being in the immediacy of the embodied presence of one’s students is intimately intertwined with being responsive to the needs of students, which highlights that teaching is not only the trans- mission of intellectual knowledge and skills but first and fore- most an ethical attunement to the suffering of the Other. Lev- inas argues that teaching is in its essence a relation between unique individuals; a uniqueness that originates in the indi- vidual’s unconditional responsibility to each and every other human being. This unconditional responsibility is for Levinas the non-mediated embodied sensitivity to the needs of the Other; an openness that precedes freedom and the conscious choice of a person. In this article I claim this embodied sensitiv- ity is jeopardised in online education, which makes it harder for the teacher to attune to the needs of every student. The risk we run is that the face of the Other remains ‘plastic’, which makes it more difficult for the teacher to attune to the specific needs of students. I will argue that online teaching should not only con- centrate on enabling the transmission of knowledge but should also invest in creating an environment of intimacy that enables responsiveness and genuine contact. Show less
This thesis is a comparative study in the History of Modern Philosophy focused on the recourse to physiology on the part of two key figures, Spinoza and Nietzsche. This involves comparative... Show moreThis thesis is a comparative study in the History of Modern Philosophy focused on the recourse to physiology on the part of two key figures, Spinoza and Nietzsche. This involves comparative research into their emphatic appeal to the body as the key to solving fundamental philosophical problems. Both Spinoza and Nietzsche are thinkers of immanence and for both the turn to the body, which is part of their projects of naturalisation, is motivated by theoretical and practical goals. I argue that we can best understand the similarities and differences between their respective philosophical physiologies, and their broader philosophical positions, starting from their shared interest in power ontologies and their commitment to immanence and naturalism. Show less
This thesis interprets the Japanese Buddhist master, Dōgen's metaphysical ideas concerning Buddha-nature, Total-function, and temporality, with the help of Deleuze's pragmatism, in a manner... Show moreThis thesis interprets the Japanese Buddhist master, Dōgen's metaphysical ideas concerning Buddha-nature, Total-function, and temporality, with the help of Deleuze's pragmatism, in a manner congruent with the central Buddhist doctrine of pratītyasamutpāda. In doing so, the research attempts to overcome the problems of what I view as the two opposing poles of Dōgen interpretation: that of the Critical Buddhists who deny Dōgen's metaphysics, claiming that it is in-congruent to pratītyasamutpāda, and the “Comparative Philosophers,” who affirms Dōgen's metaphysics yet in a manner that disregards pratītyasamutpāda. The research reconsiders Dōgen's above metaphysical concepts, of which Critical Buddhism and comparative interpretations gives a shortsighted picture inasmuch as they impose upon Dōgen a “representational epistemology.” This error prevents the former interpretations of Dōgen to acknowledge the potential that Dōgen's metaphysical concepts can have a practical use for an ethics centered on pratītyasamutpāda. Deleuze's philosophy, insofar as it is pragmatist and non-representational, can help to elucidate this limitation, and to create a reinterpretation of Dōgen's doctrine on Total-function, time and Buddha-nature to function as tools for spiritual practice in concurrence to pratītyasamutpāda. Ultimately, I claim that Dōgen's metaphysics is not descriptive or explanatory of reality, but are pragmatically functional tools incorporated into spiritual practice. Show less
