A Watery Umwelt: Intercorporeal Currents in Virginia Woolf’s The Waves and Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s Philosophy

Literary Animals Thomas C. Marshall (bio) Animal Perception and Literary Language Donald Wesling Palgrave MacMillan https://www.palgrave.com/gp 327 Pages; Cloth, $86.75 Why conflate these two: "animal perception" and "literary language"? Literary language has been a province of "humanism" for several centuries. The rise of the bourgeoisie pulled humanism into place as a stepping stone and a foundation stone. Donald Wesling shows that an alternate was hovering in the wings all along. Calling it "animalism" may be slightly reductive, but this book asserts believably that "animal perception" is at the root of much literary language—more intrinsically and basically than humanist concerns. Wesling presents many specific literary cases as evidence, following up on his earlier insightful studies of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Muir, and others. His work on Mikhaïl Bakhtin feeds this book, too. Philosophers like Jacques Derrida and cultural critics like Brian Massumi are recruited to take humanist thinking beyond itself. Wesling's moves take us "back" to the animal basis of our lives and forward to a new "post-humanism" that has actually been going on for a couple hundred years "underground." The traditional aesthetic emphasizes the personal end of perception. Wesling's detailed argument opens the possibility of putting the personal in its place as part of the "animal." He belabors some small points, but his larger argument is strong and progressive. This is a book to embrace and to follow into further study. It is a gift to all who might like to ground and expand the study of perception, thinking, writing, and reading. It gives us many things to work with to further our studies, not simply convincing or answering or otherwise closing any question but leading us to mindfulness of the roots and fruits of questioning in how we are what we are—humans among animals. Early in the book, Dr. Wesling states his task as trying "to uncover, then explain how the animal perception of the humAnimal gets into writing that is formally and intellectually dense." He states his argument there, too: "that evolution has set up all language as a vehicle of and for animalist perception." In the first chapter, there is a grand claim for trying "to turn around the Western tradition of thinking about animals." That's a biggie, but the effective trick used is to display many ways that an alternate track or tack is already clearly in place in Lucretius or Montaigne or Shakespeare and visible all around them. This is a study of "perception-into-writing." Animal Perception joins the work of several philosophers who have put our embodiment at the heart of their thinking. Maurice Merleau-Ponty is [End Page 22] employed to focus our attention on how our attention follows patterns of basic corporeal perception, and how this has a basis itself in "animal perception." The word "animalist" becomes a term for those from Lucretius to Temple Grandin who have worked with such awareness. Derrida's surprising later work on the "animal" and the "beast" is engaged to poke holes in the old "we are the animal with language" division of the world. Bakhtin is brought in to emphasize the dialogical aspect of literary language, often crossing such divides. Even more from each of these thinkers might have been effectively used to show how the animal crops up again within the enclave of the language using species, but each is used to demonstrate a good point. The elaborately detailed readings of animalist thinkers and literary writers basing their work in perception may not be everyone's cup of tea, but among them are gems of analysis and appreciation. Neither objectivity nor subjectivity, science nor humanism, is given the upper hand in showing how "concepts are perception-derived." John Muir's mix of "Christianity and Mountaneity" exemplifies one kind of cross-over. Alice Notley's phantasmagoria in The Descent of Alette (1992) is used to display another. Grandin's struggle with her own autistic thinking and how to fit it into the world of science shows another. Wesling's findings, from his close readings on up to his big ideas, extend our sense of reading and...

Acknowledging the Anthropocene crisis, my research examines myth and myth-making to reimagine the role of Claude Lévi-Strauss’ bricoleur concept. Following Joseph M. Coll’s Taoist and Buddhist systemic thinking inspired theory of sustainable transformation, the practice-led project evolves into the making of an essayist film that conveys a specific personal myth.My research reckons that a bricoleur should perceive myth-making as an organic growing organisation that acquires intuition and posteriori knowledge. And focus on a narrative that evolves into the mythic identity of a piece of coal and a bar-tailed godwit corresponding to designated oppositional values and semiotic assets. Apart from the practitioner works of Stan Brakhage, Chris Marker and Adam Curtis, my research also dives into Elysia Crampton Chuquimia, Howie Lee and Yaksha‘s musical languages to explore the other narrative possibilities when re-examining history in a socially conscious manner. As the film soundtrack is also part of the myth-making production. My practice-led project inevitably evolves into the subject of the self as the production presents a negotiation through metaphors and signifiers concerning memory, history and experience. The filmmaking echoes a search for the wisdom of self-acceptance. It adopts Stephen Yablo’s understanding of conceivability to generate and regenerate meaningful assets. Concepts are planted to grow into newer representations compromising posteriori knowledge and self-realisations, with informal syllogistic reasoning concerning the epistemological nature of imagination and the transformative structure of myth. The contextual knowledge of my research examines the subject of myth and myth-making through Jacques Lacan's theory of fantasy, Jungian analytical psychology and Claude Lévi-Strauss knowledge of structural linguistics. It adopts Lévi-Strauss’ canonical myth formula concerning the missing discussion of experience, community, and the wilder contexts of shamanology. Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological body and Martin Heidegger's thoughts on the philosophy of technology concerning the body-to-technology relation and the notion of symbolic light and darkness. With critics on the instrumentalist stance of technology and Rene Descartes's modal metaphysics concerning Arnold Gehlen’s conservative alert of mankind’s debased condition of modern existence, my research proposes that myth-making is a necessary altruistic form of social technology that can transform experience into wisdom. Acknowledging that will is the priority for behaviour change. The production examines the Dao of myth and myth-making as a specific technological answer to resolve David Attenborough's calling for a global transformation and collaboration in his book A Life of Our Planet. To further develop such a technology, my research seeks a systemic understanding of myth and myth-making. Therefore, my research hypothesis a wholistic and heuristic methodology, namely Daoist bricoleur. By experiencing a personal myth, I celebrate my Manchu and Chinese culture origin and the complexity of my upbringing. My research visits the endangered Manchu Ulabun storytelling tradition and reckons the film production rely on the structural establishment of critical mythic fragments founded on autobiography and social conventions. As a permanent resident of New Zealand born in a coal-mining town in eastern Inner Mongolia, China, with an unverifiable ancestral clan name related to Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty and much more.

The article outlines the pathways for integrating STEM disciplines into the planning of Ukrainian language and literature lessons in secondary education institutions within the framework of the New Ukrainian School. It substantiates the growing need for interdisciplinary approaches that foster the development of core competencies while considering the advantages, potential risks, and limitations of the proposed methods. The emphasis is placed on the importance of combining humanities with natural and mathematical sciences to enhance students' understanding of a holistic worldview, illustrating the need to avoid focusing solely on one aspect of development (so-called «humanitarians» and «technocrats»). The article offers theoretical and practical recommendations for developing STEM projects that engage students in creative literary exploration through applying scientific principles and doctrines. The effective combination of STEM education principles with the field of philology enables the creation of a dynamic and effective educational environment where students perceive the interconnectedness of knowledge, develop a well-rounded intellect, and receive foundational preparation for higher education. Methods of linguistic analysis of scientific texts are discussed, demonstrating how language skills can be enhanced through scientific discourse. To illustrate the material, approximate schemes for planning integrated lessons with specific examples from both linguistic-literary and scientific perspectives are provided. To improve understanding and engagement of modern students, emphasis is placed on using digital tools and platforms that ensure integration, including online resources, interactive modeling, multimedia content and artificial intelligence. The necessity for alignment among educators of various disciplines is evident to ensure a fair assessment of proficiency in the state language and scientific literacy, which is a crucial issue during wartime when language matters become increasingly prominent, alongside scientific and mathematical literacy, for building an intellectually developed country.

Purpose: This study examines the evolving field of translanguaging within English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. Design/Methodology/Approach: A bibliometric analysis of research publication from 2015 to 2024, sourced from the dimension database, reveals key trends, influential authors, and the impact of technology on translanguaging practices in language learning. Findings: A flow in publications over this period highlights the growing interest ad recognition of translanguaging as a valuable pedagogical approach within EFL contexts. The research encompasses a diverse range of areas, including language, communication, culture, linguistics, education, curriculum, and pedagogy. This underscores the multifaceted nature of translanguaging and its relevance across multiple disciplines. Studies repeatedly demonstrate the positive benefits of translanguaging in EFL classrooms. These benefits include improved language acquisition, literacy development, student participation, and a more inclusive learning environment. The analysis identifies leading scholars whose work has significantly shaped the field and continues to guide the direction of translanguaging research. Furthermore, the study finds that integrating digital technologies into translanguaging practices further enhances language learning experiences. Research, Practical & Social implications: This study has important implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers engaged in EFL education. The evidence clearly supports the adoption of translanguaging approaches to maximize the learning potential of linguistically diverse students. Future research should explicitly examine the potential of translanguaging to develop creativity, critical thinking, and the influence of socio-political factors surrounding its implementation. The study’s findings highlight the need for educational policies that promote multilingualism and inclusivity in language classroom. Originality/Value: This study offers a novel contribution by systematically analyzing the development of translanguaging research within EFL education over a decade. Utilizing a comprehensive bibliometric approach, the study identifies key trends, influential authors, and the integration of digital technologies, highlighting the multifaceted benefits of translanguaging as an effective pedagogical approach that enhances language acquisition, literacy, and student participation, thus promoting a more inclusive and dynamic learning environment.