#philosophy resource

[sinterhinde]

Haraway, 1985

Donna Haraway’s concept of the cyborg is a radical archetype for emancipatory self-construction that models conscious reshaping of socially imposed identities. The cyborg represents the plasticity of our socially constructed identities: our ability to transcend the limits of prefabricated identities and overwrite oppressive, socially imposed roles. Understanding social construction through this lens gives social workers and clients the conceptual tools to deconstruct rigid identities—particularly those of gender identity—imposed by society. These identities are the subject of active political contestation; they are the product of economic, social, and cultural relations and institutions. The concept of the cyborg provides an emancipatory model that denaturalizes and destabilizes rigid essentialist binaries and instead recognizes the chimeric multiplicity of the individual.

Abstract by Nicholas D. Tolliver, 2022

https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/mar4-1k48

We are all cyborgs: How machines can be a feminist tool

By Nour Ahmad

Upon hearing the word “cyborg”, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is a fusion of human and machine. Our imagination might even drift to an image of Frankenstein’s monster or a depiction such as Major Mira Killian in the anime Ghost in the Shell. A cyborg is actually just a hybrid — part mechanism, part organism. The cyborg, as a concept, is associated with scientist, innovator and musician Manfred Clynes, who deployed it in his 1960’s article Cyborgs and Space, where he argued for altering the human body to make it suitable for space travel.

We, thus, might perceive this concept as being in the future, far from the here and now. However, Donna Haraway, an American biologist and feminist, claims the opposite. She believes that we are all already cyborgs. More significantly, she posits that the advent of cybernetics might help in the construction of a world capable of challenging gender disparities, a proposal she made in her 1985’s essay titled A Cyborg Manifesto. 

How, then, would the notion of cybernetics make for a post-gender understanding of the world? And how would it be a tool for women to undermine the roles imposed on them by society? 

Cyborgs and human nature

The investigation into human nature has always been an essential pursuit for schools of philosophy and a basic assumption made by political ideologies. The answer to the question “what does it mean to be a human?” determines the orientation of a political movement or an ideology. Patriarchal societies have historically adopted an essentialist interpretation of human nature, so as to justify male domination over women. It makes the claim that each of the sexes has a specific role to play and, ultimately, considers the feminine to be secondary to the masculine and thus subjugates women. In such societies, predetermined sets of values and behavioural patterns are strictly enforced on both sexes.  

In A Cyborg Manifesto, Haraway explores the history of the relationship between humans and machines, and she argues that three boundaries were broken throughout human history which have changed the definition of what is deemed cultural or otherwise natural. The first such boundary was between humans and animals, and was broken in the 19th century after the publishing of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin. As the biological connection between all organisms was discovered and publicised in this book, it served as a rejection of notions of human exceptionalism and superiority, turning the evolution of the organism into a puzzle. It also introduced the concept of evolution as necessary for understanding the meaning of human existence.  

The second boundary-breaking event relates to the relationship between machines and organisms (be they human or animal). As the industrial revolution arrived, all aspects of human life became mechanised. As human dependence on machines surged, machines became an inseparable part of what it is to be human; an extension of human capability.

As for the third boundary, it concerns the technological advancement that has produced evermore complex machines which can be miniscule in size or, in the case of software, altogether invisible. First came developments in silicon semi-conductor chips that now pervade all of life’s domains. As these machines are practically invisible, it is then difficult to decide where the machine ends and humans start. This machine thus represents culture intruding over nature, intertwining with it and changing it in the process. As a result, boundaries between the cultural and the natural became more and more intangible.

“…the advent of cybernetics might help in the construction of a world capable of challenging gender disparities.”

In this context, Haraway uses the cyborg as a model to present her vision of a world that transcends sexual differences, expressing her rejection of patriarchal ideas based on such differences. Because a cyborg is a hybrid of the machine and the organism, it merges nature and culture into one body, blurring the lines between them and eliminating the validity of essentialist understandings of human nature. This includes claims that there are specific social roles reserved for each of the sexes which are based in biological differences between them, in addition to other differences such as age or race.

You are cyborg!

Since first practicing agriculture, using tools to increase production and developing language and writing, humans have been able to boost capabilities and expand their potential. Today, the implantation of artificial organs has been a vital development in the field of medicine, while the smartphone, for example, serves as an extension of human memory, our senses and our mental functions as well. The advancements made in GPS and communication technologies allow us to be present remotely and even grant us the ability to exist outside of the limitations of our time and space frameworks. All these aspects of technology are an expansion of human beings and an augmentation of our physical and cognitive abilities.

Taking all of this into consideration, the cyborg seems present here and now. In an interview with Wired magazine, Haraway said that being a cyborg does not necessarily mean having silicon chips implanted under one’s skin or mechanical parts added to one’s body. The implication is, rather, that the human body has acquired features that it could not have been able to develop on its own, such as extending life expectancy. Indeed, in our current state, cybernetics exist around us, and in simpler forms than futuristic visions. Even maintaining our physical fitness is today cybernetic, from the use of exercise machines to the many food supplements available as well as clothing and footwear engineered for athletic activity. Moreover, the culture surrounding fitness could not have existed without viewing the human body as a high-performance machine whose performance can be improved over time.

On the other hand, a cyborg is “a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction” according to Haraway’s manifesto. The internet has brought about profound changes in human consciousness and human psychology. Virtual reality does not only surround us, but it also involves us in its own processes. The social dimension to technology plays a role in the construction of our identities, whether through online games, discussion forums or social media, where our identities can be as multiple as the online platforms that we use.     

Therefore, we can now say that we are all cyborgs, as technology “is not neutral. We’re inside of what we make, and it’s inside of us,” as Haraway formulates it. In modern life, the link between humans and technology has become inexorable to the extent that we cannot tell where we end and the machines begin. 

Cybernetics and feminism

Feminist issues lie at the heart of the concept of cybernetics, since the latter’s prospects erase major contradictions between nature and culture, such that it is no longer possible to characterise a role as natural. When people colloquially use the word “natural” to describe something, this is an expression of how they view the world, but also a normative claim about how it should be as well as a statement on what cannot be changed.

In this context, the cybernetics erase gender boundaries. For generations, women have been told that their “nature” makes them weak, submissive, overemotional and incapable of abstract thought, that it was “in their nature” only to be mothers and wives. If all these roles are “natural” then they are unchangeable, Haraway said. 

Conversely, if the concept of the human is itself “unnatural” and is instead socially constructed, then both men and women are also social constructs, and nothing about them is inherently “natural” or absolute. We are all [re]constructed when given the right tools. In short, cybernetics have allowed a new distinction of roles, based on neither sex nor race, as it provided humans the liberty and agency to construct themselves on every level.

“Because a cyborg is a hybrid of the machine and the organism, it merges nature and culture into one body, blurring the lines between them and eliminating the validity of essentialist understandings of human nature. This includes claims that there are specific social roles reserved for each of the sexes which are based in biological differences between them, in addition to other differences such as age or race.”

Therefore, through her notion of the cyborg, Haraway calls for a new feminism that takes into account the fundamental changes that technology brings to our bodies, to reject the binaries that represent the epistemology of the patriarchy —binaries such as body/psyche, matter/spirit, emotion/mind, natural/artificial, male/female, self/other, nature/culture. Technology is simply one of the means by which the boundaries between identities are erased. Cyborgs, in addition to being hybrids, transcend gender binaries and can thus constitute a way out of binary thinking used to classify our bodies and our machines and accordingly “lead to openness and encourage pluralism and indefiniteness.”

Haraway’s idea is based on a full cognisance of the ability of technology to increase the scope of human limitation and thus open opportunities for individuals to construct themselves away from stereotypes. And while Haraway describes A Cyborg Manifesto as an ironic political myth that mocks and derides patriarchal society, she still claims that cybernetics lay the foundation for a society in which we establish our relations not on the basis of similarity, but on harmony and accord.

(mediasupport.org)

#donna haraway #contemporary philosophy #american philosophy #queer theory #feminist philosophy #politics resource #politics texts #philosophy resource #philosophy texts #80s #90s #2000s #2010s #a cyborg manifesto #american writing

[pratchettquotes]

Holiday Theme: Happy Hogswatch

IT IS HOGSWATCH, said Death, AND PEOPLE DIE ON THE STREETS. PEOPLE FEAST BEHIND LIGHTED WINDOWS AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE NO HOMES. IS THIS FAIR?

"Well, of course, that's the big issue--" Albert began.

THE PEASANT HAD A HANDFUL OF BEANS AND THE KING HAD SO MUCH HE WOULD NOT EVEN NOTICE THAT WHICH HE GAVE AWAY. IS THIS FAIR?

"Yeah, but if you gave it all to the peasant then in a year or two he'd be just as snooty as the king--" began Albert, jaundiced observer of human nature.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

#DEATH #albert #hogfather #discworld #terry pratchett #fairness #unfair #classism #poverty #resources #gifts #philosophy #ethics #holidays #the big issue #jaundiced observer of human nature #holiday theme: happy hogswatch

[lia-life-lounge]

A Philosopher's Lexicon: Vocab that'll make you sound like an academic

Although curated by a philosophy major for philosophy, the following list of vocabulary is a great addition to any intellectual's written or spoken lexicon!

Verbs to Replace "Says" or "Thinks"

Asserts

Affirms

Argues

Contends

Expounds

Posits

Postulates

Delineates

Reiterates

Conjectures

Refutes

Disputes

Verbs to Replace "Shows" or "Explains"

Elucidates

Demonstrates

Validates

Substantiates

Corroborates

Vindicates

Exemplifies

Enumerates

(There's a bit of room for overlap between the "Says" or "Thinks" list and the "Shows" or "Explains" list).

Words to Describe Perspectives or Approaches

Holistic

Myopic

Dogmatic

Pragmatic

Empirical

Normative

Prescriptive

Descriptive

Reductionist

Relativistic

Utilitarian

Absolutist

Subjectivist

Objectivist

Positivist

Words to Describe Statements

Incontrovertible

Pertinent

Cogent

Nuanced

Dialectical

Syllogistic

Empirical

Normative

Didactic

Esoteric

Transitional Phrases

Moreover

Consequently

In contrast

Furthermore

As such

Henceforth

Therefore

In light of this

By the same token

To that end

Words for Critique, Analysis, or Inquiry

Scrutinizes

Deconstructs

Mitigates

Substantiates

Vindicates

Invoke

Inquiry

Interrogate

Delineate

Explicate

Reconcile

Synthesize

Undermine

Engage

Evoke

Scrutiny

Descriptive Words for Ideas or Concepts

Paradigm

Construct

Framework

Epistemology

Ontology

Teleology

Dialectic

Axiom

Maxim

Tenet

Doctrine

Dogma

Words for Nuanced Argumentation

Corollary

Inference

Premise

Deduction

Induction

Syllogism

Refutation

Rebuttal

Concession

Adjudication

Exposition

Elucidation

Conjecture

Remember, the key is not just to use these words, but to understand them fully so you can wield them effectively. Context is king; make sure the word or phrase fits seamlessly into your argument.

_________

Imagine trying to cram all those words into just a couple of paragraphs... not saying you should do it, but it might be a fun challenge, no?

If you're interested in more academic writing tips, feel free to explore the #AcademicWriting and #WritingTips tags on my blog. To distinguish between my original content and reblogs, you can filter the tags #LiaLifeLounge and #LiaReblogs, respectively.

Have fun writing! ✨

#AcademicWriting #WritingTips #writing advice #Philosophy #Vocabulary #writing #academia #student tips #writing tips #writing resources #college student #mindmatters #LiaLifeLounge

[flamejob]

it's so hard to find basic exercise info without it being polluted by fatphobia and diet and weight loss shit it's so triggering

#i bought a mat to do basic stretches in the mornings and i like the pilates philosophy #of strength and controlled movements and not a lot of physical impact (like running) #but it's like the tiktok exercise now and it makes it so hard to look for basic beginner stuff without the LOSE WEIGHT FASY #anyways. if u have any advice or resources for basic at home exercises that are ED friendly pls help

[dark-audit]

Sources & Further Reading

This list is continually updated. I try to stick to studies or articles that are available for free, but bear with me if i link to something behind a paywall. For books, I link to Goodreads, where you'll find blurbs, reviews, and purchasing options.

Torture:

freedomfromtorture.org

The Ethics of Torture: Definitions, History and Institutions (2012), Evans

When and Why We Torture: A Review of Psychological Research (2017), Houck, Repke

The Torture Myth, Anne Appelbaum

The Effects and Effectiveness of Using Torture as an Interrogation Device: Using Research to Inform the Policy Debate (2009), Costanzo, Gerrity

Psychological Effects of Torture (2010), Jayatunge

Torture and its Consequences: Current Treatment Approaches, Metin Basoglu

Political Torture in Popular Culture: The Role of Representations in the Post 9/11 Torture Debate (2016), Adams

How to Justify Torture: Inside the Ticking Bomb Scenario, Alex Adams

Why Torture Doesn't Work: The Neuroscience of Interrogation, Shane O'Mara

Torture and Democracy, Darius Rejali

Gestures of Testimony: Torture, Trauma and Affect in Literature, Michael Richardson

The Cognitive Dissonance Theory of Torture Perceptions (2015), Houck

Trauma:

What is Moral Injury?

Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services, SAMHSA

Of Monsters and Men: Perpetrator Trauma and Mass Atrocity (2015), Mohamed

Psychology:

Everyday Sadism, Dark Triad, Personality and Disgust Sensitivity (2017), Meere & Egan

Sadism and Aggressive Behavior: Inflicting Pain to Feel Pleasure (2018), Chester, DeWall & Ejanian

The Divided Self: An Existential Study in Sanity and Madness, R. D. Laing

Philosophy:

Act and Rule Utilitarianism, IEP

The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus

The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli

The Art of War, Sun Tzu

History & Biography

Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, Laura Hillenband

The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago, Flint Taylor

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland, Christopher R. Browning

The ISIS Hostage: One Man's True Story of 13 Months in Captivity, Puk Damsgård

#sources #resources #torture #psychology #philosophy #history #nonfiction #havent read all of these yet so its also kind of a to-read list tbh

[khensaptah]

Mystic Egyptian Polytheism Resource List

Because I wanted to do a little more digging into the philosophy elements explored in Mahmoud's book, I took the time tonight to pull together the recommended reading he listed toward the end of each chapter. The notes included are his own.

MEP discusses Pharaonic Egypt and Hellenistic Egypt, and thus some of these sources are relevant to Hellenic polytheists (hence me intruding in those tags)!

Note: extremely long text post under this read more.

What Are The Gods And The Myths?

ψ Jeremy Naydler’s Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It dives deep into how the ancients envisioned the gods and proposes how the various Egyptian cosmologies can be reconciled. ψ Jan Assmann’s Egyptian Solar Religion in the New Kingdom: Re, Amun and the Crisis of Polytheism focuses on New Kingdom theology by analyzing and comparing religious literature. Assmann fleshes out a kind of “monistic polytheism,” as well as a robust culture of personal piety that is reflected most prominently in the religious literature of this period. He shows how New Kingdom religious thought was an antecedent to concepts in Hermeticism and Neoplatonism. ψ Moustafa Gadalla’s Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are The One provides a modern Egyptian analysis of the gods, including reviews of the most significant deities. Although Gadalla is not an academic, his insights and contributions as a native Egyptian Muslim with sympathies towards the ancient religion are valuable.

How to Think like an Egyptian

ψ Jan Assmann’s The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It illuminates Egyptian theology by exploring their ideals, values, mentalities, belief systems, and aspirations from the Old Kingdom period to the Ptolemaic period. ψ Garth Fowden’s The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind identifies the Egyptian character of religion and wisdom in late antiquity and provides a cultural and historical context to the Hermetica, a collection of Greco-Egyptian religious texts. ψ Christian Bull’s The Tradition of Hermes Trismegistus: The Egyptian Priestly Figure as a Teacher of Hellenized Wisdom provides a rich assessment of the Egyptian religious landscape at the end of widespread polytheism in Egypt and how it came to interact with and be codified in Greek schools of thought and their writings.

How To Think Like A Neoplatonist

Radek Chlup’s Proclus: An Introduction is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It addresses the Neoplatonic system of Proclus but gives an excellent overview of Neoplatonism generally. It contains many valuable graphics and charts that help illustrate the main ideas within Neoplatonism. ψ John Opsopaus’ The Secret Texts of Hellenic Polytheism: A Practical Guide to the Restored Pagan Religion of George Gemistos Plethon succinctly addresses several concepts in Neoplatonism from the point of view of Gemistos Plethon, a crypto-polytheist who lived during the final years of the Byzantine Empire. It provides insight into the practical application of Neoplatonism to ritual and religion. ψ Algis Uzdavinys’ Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth: From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism draws connections between theological concepts and practices in Ancient Egypt to those represented in the writings and practices of the Neoplatonists.

What Is “Theurgy,” And How Do You Make A Prayer “Theurgical?”

ψ Jeffrey Kupperman’s Living Theurgy: A Course in Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Theology and Theurgy is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It is a practical guide on theurgy, complete with straightforward explanations of theurgical concepts and contemplative exercises for practice. ψ Gregory Shaw’s Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus demonstrates how Iamblichus used religious ritual as the primary tool of the soul’s ascent towards God. He lays out how Iamblichus proposed using rites to achieve henosis. ψ Algis Uzdavinys’ Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity explores the various ways theurgy operated in the prime of its widespread usage. He focuses mainly on temple rites and how theurgy helped translate them into personal piety rituals.

What Is “Demiurgy,” And How Do I Do Devotional, “Demiurgical” Acts?

ψ Shannon Grimes’ Becoming Gold: Zosimos of Panopolis and the Alchemical Arts in Roman Egypt is my top text recommendation for further exploration of this topic. It constitutes an in-depth look at Zosimos—an Egyptian Hermetic priest, scribe, metallurgist, and alchemist. It explores alchemy (ancient chemistry and metallurgy) as material rites of the soul’s ascent. She shows how Zosimos believed that partaking in these practical arts produced divine realities and spiritual advancements. ψ Alison M. Robert’s Hathor’s Alchemy: The Ancient Egyptian Roots of the Hermetic Art delves deep temple inscriptions and corresponding religious literature from the Pharaonic period and demonstrates them as premises for alchemy. These texts “alchemize” the “body” of the temple, offering a model for the “alchemizing” of the self. ψ A.J. Arberry’s translation of Farid al-Din Attar’s Muslim Saints and Mystics: Episodes from the Tadhkirat al-Auliya contains a chapter on the Egyptian Sufi saint Dhul-Nun al-Misri (sometimes rendered as Dho‘l-Nun al-Mesri). He is regarded as an alchemist, thaumaturge, and master of Egyptian hieroglyphics. It contains apocryphal stories of his ascetic and mystic life as a way of “living demiurgically.” It is an insightful glimpse into how the Ancient Egyptian arts continued into new religious paradigms long after polytheism was no longer widespread in Egypt.

Further Reading

Contemporary Works Assmann, Jan. 1995. Egyptian Solar Religion in the New Kingdom: Re, Amun and the Crisis of Polytheism. Translated by Anthony Alcock. Kegan Paul International. Assmann, Jan. 2003. The Mind of Egypt: History and Meaning in the Time of the Pharaohs. Harvard University Press. Bull, Christian H. 2019. The Tradition of Hermes Trismegistus: The Egyptian Priestly Figure as a Teacher of Hellenized Wisdom. Brill. Chlup, Radek. 2012. Proclus: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. Escolano-Poveda, Marina. 2008. The Egyptian Priests of the Graeco-Roman Period. Brill. Fowden, Garth. 1986. The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind. Cambridge University Press. Freke, Tim, and Peter Gandy. 2008. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. Gadalla, Moustafa. 2001. Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are The One. Tehuti Research Foundation. Grimes, Shannon. 2019. Becoming Gold: Zosimos of Panopolis and the Alchemical Arts in Roman Egypt. Princeton University Press. Jackson, Howard. 2017. “A New Proposal for the Origin of the Hermetic God Poimandres.” Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism 17 (2): 193-212. Kupperman, Jeffrey. 2014. Living Theurgy: A Course in Iamblichus’ Philosophy, Theology and Theurgy. Avalonia. Mierzwicki, Tony. 2011. Graeco-Egyptian Magick: Everyday Empowerment. Llewellyn Publications. Naydler, Jeremy. 1996. Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred. Inner Traditions. Opsopaus, J. 2006. The Secret Texts of Hellenic Polytheism: A Practical Guide to the Restored Pagan Religion of George Gemistos Plethon. New York: Llewellyn Publications. Roberts, Alison M. 2019. Hathor’s Alchemy: The Ancient Egyptian Roots of the Hermetic Art. Northgate Publishers. Shaw, Gregory. 1995. Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus. 2nd ed. Angelico Press. Snape, Steven. 2014. The Complete Cities of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. Uzdavinys, Algis. 1995. Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books. Uzdavinys, Algis. 2008. Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth: From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism. Lindisfarne Books. Wilkinson, Richard H. 2000. The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson.

Ancient Sources in Translation Attar, Farid al-Din. 1966. Muslim Saints and Mystics: Episodes from the Tadhkirat alAuliya. Translated by A.J. Arberry. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Betz, Hans Dieter. 1992. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Copenhaver, Brian P. 1995. Hermetica: The Greek Corpus Hermeticum and the Latin Asclepius in a New English Translation, with Notes and Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Guthrie, Kenneth. 1988. The Pythagorean Sourcebook and Library: An Anthology of Ancient Writings which Relate to Pythagoras and Pythagorean Philosophy. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press. Iamblichus. 1988. The Theology of Arithmetic. Translated by Robin Waterfield. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes Press. Iamblichus. 2003. Iamblichus: On the Mysteries. Translated by Clarke, E., Dillon, J. M., & Hershbell, J. P. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature. Iamblichus. 2008. The Life of Pythagoras (Abridged). Translated by Thomas Taylor. Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing. Lichtheim, Miriam. 1973-1980. Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volumes I-III. Berkeley: University of California Press. Litwa, M. David. 2018. Hermetica II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Majercik, Ruth. 1989. The Chaldean Oracles: Text, Translation, and Commentary. Leiden: Brill. Plato. 1997. Plato: Complete Works. Edited by John M. Cooper and D. S. Hutchinson. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing. Plotinus. 1984-1988. The Enneads. Volumes 1-7. Translated by A.H. Armstrong. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Van der Horst, Pieter Willem. 1984. The Fragments of Chaeremon, Egyptian Priest and Stoic Philosopher. Leiden: E.J. Brill.

#mystic egyptian polytheism #resource list #philosophy #neoplatonism #egyptian polytheism #hellenic polytheism #hermeticism

[aptericia]

hi aptericia! I hope you are having a good day!

I was wondering if you have any tips for sketching things so quickly and accurately the way you do :O obviously you've worked really hard for years and years and years to be able to develop this skill. but what is your process like for sketching something? what do you think about when trying to draw shapes that are like, the right proportion and like angle and like. stuff. I hope this is not too vague. 🙇

hey there, sorry for the late response! It was harder than I thought to articulate my strategies…

The first strategy for sketching (esp when you don’t have a 1:1 reference) is to simplify the form into shapes. So a person might be made of a circle & oval for the head, a rectangle for the chest, cylinders for the neck & arms, etc. I usually start by drawing said shapes, and then a few guidelines for lining things up correctly (e.g. one horizontal line in the center of the head for lining up the eyes).

(You don’t have to use different colors; I just wanted to make it clear here)

To learn to draw these shapes & guides, I like to do studies of 3D objects at different angles. You can also practice finding them in photograps and other people’s drawings

Another sketching strategy is to draw many extremely loose iterations, slowly refining the shapes. This approach is based more on intuition rather than logic, and it works by giving your brain many different paths for where the lines could go and then narrowing it down to the most “correct”-looking one

In the above example, I just threw down a bunch of lines on the first layer, then traced it more deliberately on the second one. The third layer was for the details, since putting them in the first two stages would have been both confusing and constraining.

Most artists use a combination of these strategies—for instance, you can see I also used guidelines for that last pic. And of course this approach can be used for drawing humans or anything else!

This is a really big topic, but hopefully these examples were somewhat useful! Happy drawing!!! 😊

#thanks for the ask! #art tutorial #art ramblings #art philosophy tag #resources #posting this without editing it cuz I need to get dinner 😓

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Conservatism and conservation are two aspects of a single long-term policy, which is that of husbanding resources and ensuring their renewal. These resources include the social capital embodied in laws, customs and institutions; they also include the material capital contained in the environment, and the economic capital contained in a free but law-governed economy. According to this view, the purpose of politics is not to rearrange society in the interests of some over-arching vision or ideal, such as equality, liberty or fraternity. It is to maintain a vigilant resistance to the entropic forces that threaten our social and ecological equilibrium. The goal is to pass on to future generations, and meanwhile to maintain and enhance, the order of which we are the temporary trustees.

- Roger Scruton, Green Philosophy: How to think seriously about the planet  

#scruton #roger scruton #quote #green #envinronmentalism #environment #conservation #conservatism #philosophy #society #countryside #femme #nation #resources

[biblically-accurate-soup]

“if you are trying to be a phd candidate in a social science field why the fuck are you studying math for fun” because i’m quirky and hot. next question.

#uriel posting #currently doing a crash course review of calc 1 and 2….. inverse trig function integrals are like a divorced lover who i still yearn for #to me. #mathblr #i guess #i think i’m mainly just pissed that i went from having the most legendary math instructors ever #to getting the 1-2 bad instructor combo and being turned off from the field for a bit #‘oh i used to be good and math and love it’ (<- he still does) #recently realized i can just. do it on my own #i was homeschooled i pretty much taught myself math from a textbook grades 6-10 #(parents consist of a former math major and mechanical engineer. i wasn’t starved for resources they were there if i needed help) #(also did dual credit grades 11 and 12. goated math instructors of all time i miss them every day) #i have so much power now. i can learn anything i want to forever #<- guy about to become the most insufferable man in the universe #you mean i can just get the textbook from the library. about anything ? #not just math. i have realized i can do this for whatever. guy who is gonna learn about art history and is so excited #if i could i’d just stay in school forever and get 83 degrees #alas #this also loops around to my philosophy that anyone anywhere should be able to learn whatever they want #i will keep you updated on how this process goes 🫡 i am keeping notes incase anyone after me is interested #god. i’m gonna be That Guy (derogatory) #‘i always wished i had majored in classics. i always enjoyed it’ can i interested you in a google document with links and a drive folder

[chaos-has-theories]

*fuming with anger*

#I thought I'd disabled all of those new functions? What the actual FUCK #Not only does the robot speak to me despite my wishes with words I didn't give to it #it goes on to countermand my achool's entire philosophy. I'm sorry I know this is completely random but I am SEETHING #I am so glad I've already been working on setting up carlbot bc the enshittification is REAL #anyway. If anyone has resources on good discord bots/making your own (👀) PLEASE send them my way #because this staff member has been given its three week's notice for REAL #and it had the GALL to pretend that it 'shall depart with the dignity befitting a gallant knight on a noble quest'. WRONG. #you shall kiss the fucking asphalt. by the stars I am not a violent man but you come into MY school and preach PERFECTIONISM? #aroi te denna-leyan for REAL #chaos rambles

[sinterhinde]

Sister/Outsider: Some thoughts on Simone Weil, Michelle Cliff

I found this essay in Between Women: Biographers, Novelists, Critics, Teachers, and Artists Write About Their Work on Women, edited by Carol Ascher, Louise DeSalvo, and Sara Ruddick, 1993 (originally published 1984).

I will return to this, but I'm just so grateful to read it. Cliff's experience, reflections, the insight about her seminar professor...

Separately, I attended a discussion on Weil last night which was so painful and shit - two male academics belittling her direct actions, her relationship to God, an obsession with describing her 'naivety'. It was so rank and absurd to watch these two berks infantilise a figure like Weil using a very, very thin sheet of scholarship over their misogyny.

Rant over, gratitude for Cliff's essay. Looking forward to reading the rest of the contributors.

#simone weil #michelle cliff #between women #american writing #queer theory #philosophy resource #to read #1990s #1980s #feminist writing #queer art #queer resource

[omegaphilosophia]

Types of Power

Power can manifest in various forms, each influencing individuals and societies in distinct ways. Here are some different types of power:

Coercive Power: Coercive power involves the ability to force compliance or obedience through threats, punishment, or use of force. It relies on fear of negative consequences and is often associated with authoritarian regimes, law enforcement, or military institutions.

Reward Power: Reward power stems from the ability to provide incentives, rewards, or benefits in exchange for compliance or desired behavior. It can involve material rewards such as money, promotions, or privileges, as well as social rewards like praise or recognition.

Legitimate Power: Legitimate power is based on recognized authority, formal roles, or institutional positions within society. It derives from social norms, traditions, or legal structures that confer authority to certain individuals or institutions, such as elected officials, government leaders, or religious figures.

Referent Power: Referent power arises from the attractiveness, charisma, or perceived likability of an individual or group. It is rooted in admiration, identification, or emotional connection with a person or group, leading others to voluntarily align with their values, beliefs, or goals.

Expert Power: Expert power comes from possessing specialized knowledge, skills, or expertise in a particular domain. Individuals or groups with expert power are perceived as credible, trustworthy, and competent, enabling them to influence others through their expertise and insights.

Informational Power: Informational power derives from controlling access to valuable information or resources. Those who possess information that others need or desire can wield influence by selectively sharing or withholding information, shaping perceptions, or guiding decision-making processes.

Connection Power: Connection power is based on social networks, relationships, or alliances with influential individuals or groups. Those who have extensive social connections, networks, or alliances can leverage their relationships to access resources, opportunities, or support, enhancing their influence and status.

Resource Power: Resource power involves control or ownership of valuable resources, assets, or material wealth. Individuals, organizations, or institutions that possess significant resources, such as financial capital, land, or technology, have the ability to influence others through control over vital resources.

Symbolic Power: Symbolic power arises from the ability to shape meanings, values, or cultural norms within society. It is associated with influential figures, institutions, or ideologies that shape collective beliefs, identities, or symbols, influencing how individuals perceive themselves and their social reality.

Relational Power: Relational power emerges from interpersonal relationships, dynamics, or interactions between individuals or groups. It involves the ability to negotiate, persuade, or influence others through communication, trust-building, or emotional connections within social contexts.

These different types of power interact and intersect in complex ways, shaping social hierarchies, organizational dynamics, and individual behaviors within societies.

#philosophy #epistemology #knowledge #learning #chatgpt #education #metaphysics #ethics #psychology #sociology #society #culture #power #Coercive power #Reward power #Legitimate power #Referent power #Expert power #Informational power #Connection power #Resource power #Symbolic power #Relational power

[nerdnag]

Soooo due to events I'm apparently about to write my bachelor's in philosophy about art philosophy

#More specifically AI and art #And my supervisor said I should try to find resources on art philosophy #He suggested these: #'routledge companion to aesthetics' #'Oxford handbook of aesthetics' #'the transfiguration of the commonplace' and 'the artworld' by Arthur Danto #But said also to search for academic articles and papers #If anyone has any suggestions pls hit me up #(I think I'm mainly looking at you moss. Lol) #Nagnerd #Art philosophy? #'bout to become educated 😎 no longer an art philosophy n00b

[aatroxskitten]

i think the solution to seeing more of the content about your specific kind of trans existence to follow blogs that actually post about it instead of expecting different trans ppl to cater to you. tumblr is not activism and ppl are allowed to do whatever they want on their personal tumblrs, so like??? i am not expecting a trans girl to blog about transmasc experiences and vice versa. it is not a "denial of resources" and it is not oppression to not be blogged about on Tumblr Dot Com. this is literally just a little journal. we're not changing the world, we're venting or posting about things we like. allow others their space. "waaah there's too much x on my dash, why aren't they posting about y" why do you follow people who only post about x then, why aren't you following the million blogs that post about y? it's tumblr. we're not running out of space. there is room for all of us, so curate your dash and stop whining.

#trans #basically my personal philosophy #i will not end anti-transmasculinity by posting shit on a blog about taking demon boy cock #it's all venting #it's not activism in the slightest #demanding that someone post more about a certain issue #is pretty much asking for virtue signaling. #using a platform is for people with more than 14 followers #using a platform is for ppl like celebrities #big youtubers #that sort of thing #most tumblr users do not have that kind of reach #so if a trans girl on here doesn't talk about transmasc issues ever? #why do i fucking care #it's her blog #it's not some vital queer resource #i'm not entitled to her silly little journal #where all she does is post things she feels #we need to stop acting like it's bad praxis to just have our own spaces for our own experiences #not everything is about everyone #sometimes it is just about you #sometimes it is just about me #and that is FINE #because tumblr posts are not a limited resource

[muninnhuginn]

trigun (talking original anime not stampede/manga here as I can’t comment on those yet) is actually genuinely really solid in terms of themes and repeating imagery. the way the very setting of a desert with the associated resource scarcity plays into it all. you get monopolies over water where one family holds everything whilst the surrounding areas are left to rot. but then you have small patches of greenery that could have amounted to nothing but due to years of nurturing they’ve grown up into forests. it’s about what you do with what you’re given and what you choose to pass on to others.

#trigun #trigun spoilers #<- is it spoilers if the series came out over two decades ago. eh. let's play it safe #keep thinking about rem -> vash -> wolfwood and rem/vash vs knives in the whole debate about sacrificing one to save the many #because honestly both rem and knives' opposing philosophies are extremes and the only reason vash survived by rem's philosophy for so long #was because he wasn't human. rem and wolfwood don't have that and so the price they pay for moral purity is steep #(and honestly sometimes you do get scenarios where by choosing not to interfere it means more people suffer and vash is called out on this) #there's a reason why vash decides to carve his own path in the end and that's because both of the extremes are untenable #but he can still hold what he's been taught dear and move forward. people make mistakes and all they can do is try to be better #and that's all humanity as a whole can do. water and resources can be taken advantage of. but they can also be shared communally #and so in the series there is the hope that with water and nurturing eden will return and this desert planet will turn green #(also the christian imagery cracks me up but unlike with death note and eva I can't really call it faux symbolism because it kinda fits) #(and the gunpoint dilemma + cross scenes (rem -> wolfwood -> meryl) are so lovely if painful to watch #because the only time we know the 'right' choice was made is the last instance. the others are left to speculation)

[bythefiraplace]

philosophy 101: a documentation of sorts

a week ago, I jumped into a little rabbithole called philosophy. alas, I had no idea it was going to continue for more than a week, but now that we're 4 days further than the originally intended 7 I've found it most sensible to make a side tumblr to document and chronicle my self-learning progress !!

Here are my sources of learning (to be updated as the texts are basically pulled directly from the recommendations and texts from the lecture):

Lecture

Introduction to Philosophy by Jack Sanders

Texts

Classics of Western Philosophy 8th Ed. by Steven M. Cahn (2012)

Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.

Great Political Thinkers: Plato to the Present 5th Ed. by William & Alan Ebenstein

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Course Hero: Study Guide

Jeff Speaks (nd.edu) Philosophy Courses

Works of St. Anselm, Translated by Sidney Norton Deane (2018)

In behalf of the fool by Gaunilo & Anselm's reply

Last Updated: 2023-03-13

#philosophy #self learning #learning resources