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PHIL 204
Dolleen Tisawii’ashii Manning
Final Take-Home Exam
April 20th, 2023,
Darwyn Lewis 20178875
1.
Defining and comparing these terms, discuss ‘
the good life’
in relation to Mino-
bimaadiziwin, examined life, and rational life. From your perspective as a young person living today, considering each of these arguments, what would constitute a good life for you?
Both philosophers and thinkers throughout history have argued about the 'good life.' there are multiple ways to understand what makes up a good life, such as Mino-bimaadiziwin, the rational
and examined life. These concepts are crucial for me as a young person in today's society to understand to fulfil my happiness and have a good life.
Mino-bimaadiziwin is a concept from the community of Anishinaabe, which means "living in a good way" or "the good life. The importance of this concept is living in balance with others, oneself, environment, and it prioritizes the well-being of the body, soul, and mind. Agamben and Aristotle did not directly discuss this, but it remains relevant in further discussion.
The term "examined life" was coined by Socrates, who portrays this term as a life without introspection that is not as valuable as it may seem. Aristotle or Agamben's work should have addressed this in the Nicomachean ethics. However, it highlights the importance of logical thinking and self-analysis in living a satisfying life purposefully. The concept of the "examined life" is just an idea that many should participate in for philosophical exploration and to continuously scrutinize their actions, principles and behaviours to adjust to whichever environment they are in. As I connect it, I find it a coming of age for living beings to try and fail but use the failure as a step to reform for a better future. According to Aristotles' description of a rational life in his Nicomachean Ethics (I. 2, 2 and 7), Eudaimonia, or the pursuit of happiness, is the most important to the centre of the rational life. Aristotle thought happiness is one's ultimate goal throughout their life. As well as having a plan or purpose, the best way to achieve this is through good behaviour and thoughtful reflection to improve in all aspects of one's community. "Happiness makes a life choice worthy" (Nicomachean Ethics, I.1). He also believed that having a sensible life entailed developing virtues like, moderation, knowledge and bravery and attempting to balance purpose and pleasure.
The idea of Homo Sacer is explored by Giorgio Agamben, which describes a person that is cast out by society and reduced to the state of barely living, in "The Omnibus Homo Sacer (pg 9-14). Agamben's writings and thoughts do not specifically come across the "good life," the writings do serve significant issues regarding the possibilities of exclusion and marginalization in modern society. One should work for equity, inclusion and social justice to allow everyone to live a happy, fulfilled life.
Embracing interdependence and connection with individuals and the environment they stand, as
underlined in Mino-bimaadiziwin, a happy life promotes a feeling of compassion, responsibility and community. Critical self-reflection and thought are deeply encouraged in examining life to access another point of view, actions, and beliefs and to develop emotionally and academically. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle also defines the pursuit of happiness as being guided by moral
behaviour and reason (Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle I. 1, 2 and 7). This further entails developing character traits like discernment, bravery, balancing pleasure and purpose and moderation. Giorgio Agamben's light of concepts in "The Omnibus Homo Sacer" (pg 9-14) is highly critical to understand the likelihood of exclusion and marginalization in modern society. Therefore, a good life should involve striving for equity, inclusion and social justice.
Having a good life in today's modern society would combine the concept of rational life, Mino-
bimaadiziwin and scrutinized. Pursuing happiness could be obtained through proper logical reflection, getting along with others and the environment that stands, critical thinking of oneself and self-reflection, and finally, standing up for equity, inclusion and social justice.
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Aristotle, “happiness makes a life choiceworthy” from the Nicomachean ethics i 1, 2 and 7 week 3
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'the omnibus homo sacer' pages 9-14 by Giorgio Agamben Week 2
2.
What is necropolitics
, according to Achilles Mbembe? Putting Mbembe’s concept in dialogue with one or two other texts from this course, discuss what makes this politics of death a critical lens for understanding modern life and death today.
Political theorist Achilles Mbembe and Cameroonian philosopher introduced the concept of
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Necropolitics, which touches on the capacity of modern states, and other political entities to control, power, dictate the conditions of life and death as well as manipulate. In week 8, we were
introduced to the article "Necropolitics," published in Public Culture (2003); in his article, Mbembes's thoughts build upon biopolitics, a concept by Michel Foucault which focuses on the state's power to regulate life. However, Necropolitics emphasizes the state's power to expose populations to brutal conditions or to inflict death. This brings awareness of how death can be used as a political tool to obstruct anyone else's control over social control, domination and exclusion, which can be seen as unfair in all aspects.
Jorge Porilla, a Mexican existentialist and philosopher, analyzes the Mexican cultural identity in Community, Greatness and Misery in Mexican Life (1949), which identifies the lens of multiple archetypes such as greatness, community and misery. The philosopher's work excels in the thoughts of the Mexican psyche. Moreover, it analyzes how these important archetypes reflect Mexican social, historical and political conditions, which was also brought to our class's attention
in week 8. Although Porilla's work does not directly engage in Necropolitics, his work of examination in Mexican society can be seen as a forerunner to Mbembe's theory of politics of death.
Using Mbembe's concept of Necropolitics and relating it to Jorge Porilla's examination, we can see how, through a critical lens, the politics of death is crucial for understanding modern life and death today. This theoretical framework, Necropolitics, shows how political entities and other states use their power over specific populations, especially deemed inferior, to maintain control and reinforce hierarchies and systems of governance.
Necropolitics cab be seen in various contemporary manifestations in Mexican society. An example of this instance in Mexican society is the Spanish Empire's colonization of Mexico, which developed exploitation, systematic subjugation and death of many indigenous communities that founded the land. Moreover, the colonization by the Spanish empire resulted in social hierarchies based on ethnicity and race, which has been seen to still happen in modern
Mexican society. This can be seen as early Necropolitics, which shaped the contours of Mexican
life and death and the politics of death that inherited it.
The aftermath of the Mexican revolution between 1910 to 1920 provides a crucial context for understanding the situation that resulted in the entanglement of communities, greatness, and misery revolving around Necropolitics, this revolution aimed to tear apart existing political and social governance which led to vast suffering and deaths. However, this action also brought national unity as Mexicans with different backgrounds all came together for the same goal to pursue a common cause. This situation is a prime example of Necropolitics which involves the interplay between life and death with the use of political hierarchy to manipulate the population to assert power and control.
Using the situation regarding the migrants trying to cross t Mexico-US border and looking through the lens of Necropolitics, we can see how the politics of death plays an enormous role in how both Mexico and the united states both implement practices and policies that put these refugees in hazardous conditions like the violence that is involved, exploitation and dangerous environmental hazards. Political power effectively uses death to control and deter migration between these two states. We gain a critical lens by comparing Achilles Mbembe's concept of Necropolitics with the examination of Mexico through Jorge Porilla's work of Community, Greatness and Misery in Mexican Life. This critical lens shows the power of states and political power that wields control over populations and the extent to which they will lead to death to
achieve this control and domination of modern society.
Necropolitics can be seen in various contexts in the case of Mexico, from the colonization of indigenous people due to the colonization of the Spanish empire, the continuous "war on drugs,"
and the ongoing issue with migrants and refugees at the Mexico-US border. These contexts perfectly demonstrate how the effect of politics can disrupt populations collectively. Nevertheless, at the same time, some of these issues brought the country together. Politics and death in Mexico demonstrate the experiences of community, greatness and misery by shaping Mexico's life's social, political and cultural fabric.
In conclusion, when applying Mbembe's concept of Necropolitics to these diverse contexts, it is better understood how the power structures play in modern life and death with violence,m suffering and inequality. The comparison between Mbembe's Necropolitics and Portilla's examination of Mexican society underlines the politics shaping our contemporary world and helps us better comprehend the importance of politics and death.
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Necropolitics by J.-A. Mbembé, Libby Meintjes Public Culture, Volume 15, Number 1, Winter 2003, pp. 11-40 (Article)
Published by Duke University Press week 8
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Community, Greatness, and Misery in Mexican Life (1949)
Jorge Portilla
Carlos Alberto Sánchez
DOI:10.1093/oso/9780190601294.003.0014 week 8
3.
4.
What is Queer about Queer Death
? In answering this question, define queer death, and
consider it in relation to one of the following: Grief and mourning, pollution, extinction, Black life, social imaginaries of the dead, temporality/futurity, multi-species entanglement, love, another relevant concept from class.
A concept that contradicts traditional ways about the end of life, Death and mourning is Queer Death. This concept explores different ways individuals understand the boundaries between life and Death; it often drives towards bodies, experiences and non-normative identities. This includes ways individuals handle grieving and mourning, planning the future or even considering
the discrepancies between non-human and human life.
As discussed in week 6, we were brought towards Vanbasten De A Raújo, who wrote "Life Without Humankind" from An Ecosystem of Excess. This explores Queer Death through plastic pollution, potential life without humans and extinction. His work considers Queer Death/Life as a
way for individuals to engage in our relationships with the environment, mortality and the implications of the use of plastic that causes terrible pollution in settings worldwide. The implications of humans can destroy so much.
In Judith Butler's work "Violence, Mourning, Politics" (pg 9-36), she discusses the importance of dealing with situations like mourning and the implications of political grief. The argument she brings to attention is that grief can be a powerful force for change; it exposes the precariousness of life and the importance of keeping it well maintained so it can be preserved; connecting her ideas to Queer Death helps us understand how grief mourning and queer Death might disrupt traditional notions of life and Death.
A challenge that affects traditional ideas of pollution and extinction is solely based on the concept of queer Death concerning plastic pollution explored in "Life Without Humankind." This concept helps to think about how humans can destroy and disrupt settings worldwide, leading to
various species going extinct (Raújo 53.). This is not just an environmental issue but also a queer issue, as it disrupts such multiple understandings of life and Death. Plastic takes many years to decompose, creating a liminal space where the line between life and Death is blurred.
In Butler's context of grieving and mourning, queer Death pushes the boundaries of the traditional way to grieve and mourn. Queer Death prompts individuals to question standard ways we understand loss and drive us to find other ways to mourn that better account for the complex relationships between non-human, human and the environment (Butler 19).
Furthermore, temporality/futurity is relevant in understanding queer Death concerning "Life Without Humankind." Queer Death challenges us to consider the implications of our actions today and how they will impact future generations and the planet (Raújo 58). In this sense, queer Death disrupts traditional ideas about life and Death and is a call to action for a more sustainable and equitable future.
In conclusion, queer Death, as explored in "Life Without Humankind" and "Violence, Mourning, Politics," disrupts traditional understandings of life, Death, and mourning. It highlights the need to consider alternative ways of grieving and mourning and the importance of recognizing the interconnectedness of human and non-human life regarding issues like plastic pollution and extinction. By pushing the boundaries of these concepts, queer Death encourages us to rethink our relationships with the environment, future generations, and each other.
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‘Life Without Humankind’ – queer death/life, plastic pollution, and extinction in
An Ecosystem of Excess By Vanbasten De A Raújo pages 49-59 week 6
-
Violence, Mourning, Politics Judith Butler, Ph.D. page 9-36 week 9
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