Mainstream Interpretation Research Articles

Taste formation in Classical Political Economy

Owing to the mainstream interpretation of classical economics as being supply-side, studies examining the analytical role of demand and consumption have been scarce. In this paper, I bring together such passages in Cantillon, Steuart, Smith and Ricardo and forge an analytical link between social tastes and consumption—an attempt at reconstructing a classical theory of taste formation. A classical theory of taste formation has as its foundation methodological holism—viewing social classes as the fundamental unit of analysis. Through a discussion of necessaries and luxuries in the above classical economists, the social division of commodities is highlighted. By drawing on social classes and the social division of commodities, it is seen that taste plays a critical role in the determination of economic growth by influencing consumption expenditure. Finally, it is demonstrated that taste is both a cause and consequence of foreign trade.

Geometrical Oppositions as Coordinates for a Heraclitus’ Circular Cosmology

Abstract The doctrine of unity of opposites lays in the centre of the debate on Heraclitus’ philosophy. The present article proposes a critical analysis of the mainstream interpretation of geometrical oppositions (fragments DK 22 B 59, B 60 and B 103) as mere examples of different points of view. Instead, we suggest that these fragments are fundamental pieces in Heraclitus cosmology and that they are traces of a circular and archaic paradigm. Indeed, cyclical formulations are spread throughout the fragments and, read in connection with geometrical oppositions, perform a useful model to describe how permanence and change can be complementary events. In this context, circularity can be a key to the comprehension of unity of opposites as a result of interchangeable processes – as day and night, life and death, beginning and end – so that opposites are part of a concrete and vital unity.

TIMELESS GEM: HOW MAHABHARATA CAN BE THE GAME CHANGER IN INSPIRING RESPECT FOR ELDERS

Mahabharata is the longest epic poem and a product of ancient Hindu civilisation, written post Ramayana between 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE. Scholars unanimously agree the Mahabharata is a Hindu moral treatise. However, the fundamental moral values relating to the family as depicted in the epic is very much understudied, notably the element of respect given to the elders. The mainstream interpretations of the Mahabharata text focus primarily on its spiritual element, limiting its application and relevance to wider moral living. In reality, the epic promotes family values, notably the enduring respect for older family members by the younger ones even when they treat the latter unjustly. This paper contributes to literature on morality, namely the value of respect as discussed and portrayed in Mahabharata. Respect is a universal value; however, this moral value as discussed in Mahabharata is unique and worthy to be promoted as a moral ideal because it has significant scientific and cultural implications. Therefore, the current study further seeks to identify moral values associated with family life, namely respect for the elderly. Relevant data is extracted and later analysed using Hermeneutic Approach, while Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory is utilised to understand intra-familial relationship. Kohlberg's Moral Development Theory meanwhile is used to delineate the moral phases of important characters. Certain methods and expressions are used in the epic that reflect familial respect, namely: i) Salutatory Respect; ii) Acquiescent Respect; iii) Consultation Respect; iv) Linguistic Respect; v) Gift Respect and Reverence. Mahabharata is potentially a valuable moral resource for the younger generation and including its moral values in the educational syllabus will pave way to create generations that respect and honour its elderly and older members of society.

WOMEN'S TESTIMONY IN THE QUR'AN IN ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER'S PERSPECTIVE

Discussions about gender issues in contemporary times are never-ending topics, including in the realm of Islamic studies. This study examines women's testimonies in Asghar Ali Engineer's thoughts, which are analyzed using Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutical phenomenological framework. Engineer's thoughts regarding women's testimony are important to discuss because of the dismantling of the discourse he carried out regarding verses with gender connotations in the Al-Qur'an, which often do not follow the mainstream interpretation. This research is library research with qualitative research methods. The primary source for this research is Asghar Ali Engineer's interpretation of verses from women's testimonies, while the secondary sources used are other literature sources that are relevant to the research, both in the form of books and journal articles. This research aims to track and explore Asghar Ali Engineer's thoughts regarding the verses in women's testimonies. The author uses Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic phenomenology theory in analyzing Asghar Ali's thoughts. The results of this research were the engineer's re-reading of the verse about women's testimony, namely QS. Al-Baqarah/2: 282. In Paul Ricoer's concept of hermeneutical phenomenology, engineers go through a process of decontextualization-recontextualization in order to obtain new meanings that are relevant to the current context. In the decontextualization process, Engineer explained the socio-cultural conditions at the time the verse was revealed, which implied that women lacked knowledge and experience regarding business, so that one additional female witness was needed as a reminder, and it did not fully mean that women's status was half that of men. The recontextualization process includes three stages, namely semantic, reflexive, and existential. In the modern context where women are more educated about financial matters, even more so than men, there is nothing to prevent a woman's position as a witness from being equal to that of a man.

From “actually existing socialism” to actually existing post-socialism: János Kornai and the importance of language reform in political economy

AbstractThis paper discusses the contributions of János Kornai to the “language reform” of socialism and post-socialism, meaning the creation of new conceptual frameworks to replace the mainstream interpretation of the system with a more realistic, critical description. We show that, in the three waves of language reform under the Kádár regime – economics, sociology, and law – Kornai was a trailblazer by introducing concepts like “soft budget constraint,” “plan bargaining,” and “shortage,” which became key concepts for reform economists and dissident intellectuals in Eastern Europe. We discuss Kornai's work on post-socialism as well, particularly his paper “The System Paradigm Revisited,” and point out its merits and shortcomings in the description of the regimes of the region. Presenting our offer for a new language reform, based on Kornai, we underline the importance of proper words for understanding “actually existing post-socialism,” and the task of political economists to revise the current mainstream and analyse the phenomena of post-communist “relational economies.”

Humanistic Characterization Yet Unattainable Miscegenation: A Contrapuntal Reading of Shakespeare’s Humanism

Objectives: This study proposes a contrapuntal reading for the Oriental/Westerner interracial marriages in William Shakespeare’s Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, and The Merchant of Venice. It aims to show that Edward Said’s postmodern humanism provides intriguing insights which challenge the mainstream interpretations implied by Renaissance humanism. Methods: The study deconstructs the point-counterpoint structure in the aforesaid plays to acknowledge the feasibility of different interpretations for the Oriental discourse using Said’s postmodern humanism. It compares and contrasts Shakespeare’s Renaissance humanism with Said’s understanding of postmodern humanism to show that the latter underscores the necessity of inclusion and the triumphant integration of the Oriental in Western societies. The study opens the Shakespearean texts to new interpretations by examining their humanistic inclinations vis- à vis postmodern humanism which puts its philosophical stances into effective practice in order to influence the global imagination, empower the “Other” and entail ideological change. Results: Shakespeare’s humanism mitigates his Orientalism but does not reverse the stereotypical representation of the “Other” as an individual with exotic cultural background who fails to have a normal relationship with a Western spouse. Shakespeare’s latent advocacy of the stereotypical representation of the “Other” becomes manifest in the outcome of the marriage relationship with the Oriental. The cultural barrier hampers the successful union between the Oriental and the Westerner; accordingly, Shakespeare portrays this relationship as either tragic or comic. Conclusion: The final conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that Shakespeare’s mainstream Renaissance humanism informs his characterization, yet it does not reverse Oriental stereotypes nor does it condone miscegenation, if approached in the light of the tents of postmodern humanism

Two Approaches to Augustine’s Theory of the Trinitarian Image in Ming and Qing China

In some of the earliest Chinese works written by Catholic missionaries in the late Ming Dynasty, St. Augustine became associated with the mystery of the Trinity. When explaining the Trinity to Chinese believers, missionaries would often use an analogy of the mens (mind) and its activities in Augustine’s theory of Imago Dei, drawing parallels between “the One” and “the Three”. In the Ming and Qing periods, Augustine’s mental analogy gave rise to two approaches: the “Augustinian-Ignatian” and the “Augustinian-Thomistic”. The former, which was the mainstream interpretation, linked “Mind: memory-understanding-love” to “God: the Father-the Son-the Holy Spirit”, using “the word generated by memory” to represent “the Son begotten by the Father” and “love proceeded from memory and understanding” as an analogy to “the Holy Spirit proceeded from both the Father and the Son”. The latter, more of a minority interpretation, correlated “mind-understanding-love” to “the Father-the Son-the Holy Spirit”, using “word generated by mind” to represent “the Son generated by the Father”, and “love proceeded from mind and word” as an analogy to “the Holy Spirit proceeded from both the Father and the Son”. The former was mainly adhered to by the Jesuits and the Augustinians, while the latter was favored by the Dominicans. This article examines both approaches and critiques of Augustine’s theory of the Trinitarian image in Ming and Qing China.

“Separation, but not Division”: A Southern Italian Perspective on “Lived Conspirituality”

Conspirituality—that is, the connection between conspiracy theories and spirituality—has recently gained popularity in academic and non-academic circles. Often associated with populist and irrational beliefs, it has been linked to right-wing politics, faulty thinking, and disruptive and potentially violent behaviour (Greenwood 2022; Russell 2022). While these connections have been proven to be true in some cases, in this paper, rooted in my long-standing ethnographic research, I offer a contribution that illuminates other aspects of conspirituality—in line with recent attempts to honour the complexity and internal variability of the phenomenon (for example, Greenwood 2022; Ong 2021). In particular, differently from the overwhelming majority of current approaches in the study of conspirituality, I propose to frame the study of conspirituality not only by focusing on ideas and beliefs, but in conversation with the study of “lived religion” (see, for example, Ammerman 2021; Hall 2001; McGuire 2008) in a way that distinguishes the actual experience of persons from normative beliefs and practices. Similarly to what the study of “lived religion” does to the study of religion, I claim that the study of “lived conspirituality” could offer insights into the phenomenon of conspiracism, today (Ong 2020). By analyzing discourses and practices of conspiritualists that I observed on the field, I will challenge mainstream interpretations of the role of the individual and of marginality in New Age conspirituality.

J.M.G. Le Clézio and Jacques Derrida’s “Limitrophic,” Biocentric Deconstruction of the “Genesis Myth”

This transdisciplinary reflection examines J.M.G. Le Clézio and Jacques Derrida’s limitrophic deconstruction of what is commonly referred to as the “genesis myth” in Judeo-Christian society. In addition to Cartesian dichotomies and debunked notions of human exceptionalism originating from Renaissance humanism, the Franco-Mauritian writer and Pied-noir philosopher take aim at the mainstream interpretation of Abrahamic cosmogonic narratives that have created a sharp ontological gap between Homo sapiens and other animals. Le Clézio and Derrida describe the genesis account of human-animal relations as an ecocidal, conflictual relationship that could be labeled a world war. They demonstrate that our dominant cognitive structures including the “genesis myth” that mostly remain uncontested, at least within the general public, have already left behind a path of irreversible destruction and other-than-human suffering. Unless we are able to curb the unending fury that the animal within us has unleashed against other sentient beings who bleed, suffer, live, and die just like us, Le Clézio and Derrida lament that our days are numbered.

Re-reading the 1972 Faure report as a policy repertoire: Advocacy of lifelong education as recurrent education with neoliberal tendencies

This paper explores transnational circulation during the early 1970s of lifelong education and recurrent education as ‘policy repertoires’ addressing redistribution of participation in organised (adult) learning throughout life. Focused on a re-reading of UNESCO’s 1972 report on lifelong education, the paper offers a critical analysis of the Faure Commission’s ‘position-taking’ with regard to its understanding of recurrent education as a policy repertoire. Frequently cited differences between the Commission’s policy recommendations for lifelong education and its position-taking regarding recurrent education are shown to have fragile empirical foundations. This paper argues that Faure’s report explicitly appropriated and openly incorporated arguments favouring recurrent education in its own policy recommendations for lifelong education. Mainstream interpretations of the Faure report are subsequently subjected to a critical analysis of putative neoliberal tendencies articulated by the Faure Commission’s own report. Key areas for further social-historical research regarding policy repertoires in the 1970s are identified.

Modernizing Myth: Madeline Miller and the Continuation of the Monomyth

Greek mythology is generally looked upon as stagnated stories of made up characters and monsters; however, through the words of one contemporary author, Madeline Miller, mythology is revealed to be a modern phenomenon, not solely a classical one. This essay explores the works of Miller’s Young Adult novels, Song of Achilles, Circe, and Galatea that reveal unrepresented and misunderstood segments of mythology, interpreting them to empower and reveal aspects of not only Antiquity but also modern society. Her interpretation inevitably encourages young readers to challenge classical history that people have normally accepted as absolute truths, which allows myths to be more accessible to the modern reader while utilizing an evolving perspective. The stories she creates are different compared to mainstream interpretations, but they are still authentic. In a way, Miller is the modern Homer, adding to the ancient tapestry of mythology while weaving in her own threads to add to history and myth that transcend both time and space.

Toward a Synopsis of the Challenges Facing Mainstream Interpretations of Skin Pigmentation in Humans

When traditional or mainstream interpretations of skin pigmentation in humans were proposed, not much data was available about the anatomy of human skin in particular and pigment research in general. The most popular and influential thesis put forth to date to justify the evolution of skin pigmentation is the thesis that skin pigmentation grew out of a natural adaptation of Homo sapiens skin to scorching conditions of fiery heat faced with by Homo sapiens individuals in equatorial regions of Africa. It is thereby argued that peak UVR [ultraviolet rays] environments encountered in equatorial/savannah climate caused an eccrine gland production to offset the overheating of skin during the high physical activity of hunting exerted by Homo sapiens persons. However, with human anatomy increasingly becoming the object of scrutiny from various fronts of biology, newer insights have given rise to significant blind spots vis-à-vis traditional explanations of black skin pigmentation. The present paper takes stock of the major challenges afflicting existing characterizations of human skin evolution. Paths for future research of skin/pigment are suggested. The paper aims to lay out a follow-up on and/or synopsis of recurrent challenges that the space of pigment research has accumulated over the years, giving way to long due synergies. In a world supersensitive to racial equality and dignity, the paper furnishes concerned researchers and policy makers with a much-needed contribution to inquiry into dark- and black-skinned peoples.

Public history and transmedia storytelling for conflicting narratives

ABSTRACT Histories of events can be told from multiple perspectives, and there is rarely just one linear narrative or a single interpretation of the past. This paper takes an interdisciplinary approach to explain how the concept of shared authority in public history can be applied to transmedia storytelling, in the context of media studies, to address conflicting narratives on historical events. Transmedia narratives allow for more opportunities to target different audiences and offer alternatives, and perhaps conflicting interpretations, to official mainstream interpretations of historical events. This is achieved through three primary methods of public participation in the development of conflicting narratives which can be presented through a variety of different media. The theoretical challenges in sharing authority of transmedia narrative creation with different publics ranges from strong to little control (i.e. radical trust). Thus, we discuss a series of methodologies that can be strategically used in future research projects that wish to share authority with different publics in the development of historical transmedia narratives with conflicting interpretations. This approach can be particularly relevant in contexts of segregation, discrimination, identity, political changes or cultural wars.

Konsistensi Will dan Thing-in-Itself: Menafsir Ulang Metafisika Schopenhauer

This article aims to present a different reading from the mainstream interpretation that corners Schopenhauer: a consistent interpretation. The authors use a method of acquiring knowledge by acquaintance and description. Schopenhauer’s theory is often considered inconsistent because it concludes will as a thing-in-itself. The will, which is obtained through direct observation of the body, is a representation that is still shrouded in the veil of time form, while thing-in-itself is completely different from representation, and is beyond the reach of space, time, and causality, with reference to principle of sufficient reason. Concluding will as a thing-in-itself is therefore considered inconsistent. However, this interpretation might be wrong because Schopenhauer never claimed that direct observation of the body would yield knowledge of the thing-in-itself. From the very beginning, he realised that direct knowledge of thing-in-itself was impossible, because the knowledge, regardless of its form, was always knowledge of appearances. He knows that will does not qualify as a thing-in-itself. The true function of the will in Schopenhauer's metaphysics lies in the name and concept by which one can think about thing-in-itself objectively.

Kawaii Affective Assemblages

Kawaii Affective Assemblages

Two Neglected Arguments for a Pragmatist Metaphysics: Peirce and James on Individuals and Generals

This article proposes an integrative reading of Peirce's and James's philosophies, which aims to figure out the main features of a shared pragmatist metaphysics. Two methodologies are adopted to reach this goal: a historical scrutiny of sources (letters, works, manuscripts), prevalent in the first part, and a theoretical investigation of Peirce's and James's philosophies, in the second and third parts. The first part analyzes Peirce's and James's proximity, which lies in their common understanding of pragmatism as an anti-dogmatic method in philosophy, and their alleged main difference, which is represented by the issue of nominalism/anti-nominalism, and pivots around the concepts of individuals and generals. The article challenges the mainstream interpretation that sees Peirce as a champion of generality and continuity, whereas James is known for being an ardent defender of individuality. The arguments supporting such an unconventional interpretation are offered in the second part, which explores Peirce's view of individuality in logic, and the third one, dedicated to James's view of continuity in psychology. As a conclusion, Peirce and James's shared pragmatic metaphysics turns out to be centered on the dynamical bonding between individuals and generals.

Visualizing deep networks using segmentation recognition and interpretation algorithm

Owing to the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, deep learning has found applications in data analysis and problem-related decision-making processes. However, because of the “black-box” characteristics of deep neural networks, the explanations of decision-making processes are ambiguous. Therefore, model developers face challenges while establishing users’ trust in these processes and the associated decision results. Understanding and explaining the decision-making processes implemented by deep learning-based predictive models has importance in various fields.Based on existing interpretation algorithms, this study proposed a novel interpretation algorithm for deep convolutional neural network (CNN) models. The proposed algorithm, known as the neural network interpreter-segmentation recognition and interpretation (NNI-SRI) algorithm, uses the general ideas of segmentation and recognition to interpret models. Compared with other mainstream interpretation algorithms, this algorithm has the following advantages. First, it has a higher model interpretation speed. Second, it can label the positive and negative features observed during the model prediction process. Third, fewer parameters and hardware resources are required because only the forward propagation is used. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm showed better scene adaptability under the premise of ensuring the accuracy of interpretation, which is consistent with the CNN convolution process. Theoretically, the NNI-SRI algorithm can be applied to any model, particularly CNN models, such as InceptionV3, Xception, and ResNet. In this study, the interpretation algorithm was applied to the standard Inception deep network model and the spider sex recognition model developed by us, which achieved excellent results and verified the feasibility of the algorithm.

A hairy affair: Applying translation studies concepts and methods to the musical theatre

In this piece, music and translation are discussed as tools to analyse society and social changes, taking as an example the musical Hair and specifically the song ‘I Got Life’, its translation into German and a cover version by Nina Simone. The article focuses on translation as an integrated research approach, an extra layer of cultural analysis that can enrich studies in musical theatre (e.g. the German translation of ‘I Got Life’ and the role of the translator), finally stressing the need for collaboration between scholars of cultural, musical theatre and translation studies to explore new areas of research, broaden perspectives and challenge mainstream interpretations.

‘You Have to Integrate to Belong Here!’: Acculturation and Exclusion among Turkish and Belgian Descent Students on a University Campus

ABSTRACT While substantial attention has been given to the integration processes of ethnic minority groups across Western Europe, few studies have focused on how students in higher education engage with and make sense of these processes. We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with 25 female university students of Turkish and Belgian descent to shed light on students’ acculturation meanings. Our analyses show that both student groups reiterate the mainstream interpretation of integration as an adaptation process targeting immigrants and their descendants, although their views differ particularly as they relate to the dimension of cultural maintenance. Students’ accounts show how sweeping demands for integration are putting pressure on female ethnic minorities, restricting their freedom to negotiate their identities and making them vulnerable to exclusion and marginalisation. The acculturation attitudes of ethnic majority students, however, remain exclusionary as they fail to consider their own role in acculturation and enjoy few opportunities to build meaningful relations across ethnic groups on the university campus. We discuss the role of higher education context in reproducing such exclusionary mainstream integration discourses and delve further into the implications of gender in shaping students’ acculturation meanings and experiences.

Consciousness, Analytic Idealism and Buddhist Foundations: Exploring Non-Materialist Ways of Connecting Eastern and Western Spiritual Perspectives

Contemporary approaches to explaining the connections and reconciling perceived differences between spiritual and scientific interpretations of reality have tended to accept mainstream interpretations of physics, cosmology and biology. The resultant putative combinations of ideas-seeking to equate materialist with non-materialist worldviews-display anomalous, artificial and deeply problematic features. Instead of accepting the validity of scientific materialism-expressed in accounts offered, for instance, by Thich Nhat Hanh, the Dalai Lama, and, in a more secular context, Deepak Chopra and Fritjof Capra-the central thesis of this paper is that it is more plausible to question the foundations of materialism and argue for an idealist interpretation of both science, reality and spirituality as suggested in recent work by Bernardo Kastrup, Steve Taylor and Donald Hoffman. After exploring the central claims of these new interpretations of idealism-and their principal critiques of scientific materialism-arguments that such perspectives offer a richer, more cogent and more parsimonious method of linking Eastern and Western worldviews than the flawed materialist perspectives will be explained and justified.