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Finding a Fitting Companion: Reading \u27Genesis\u27 After Cavell
No full textGiven Cavell’s extensive engagement with themes of marriage and the role of desire in perfectionist transformation, it is striking that he never offered a sustained reading of Genesis 2-3—one of our culture’s foundational tales of marriage and the consequences of desire.
In this essay I begin developing a reading of these chapters that supports their inclusion in the conversation among perfectionist texts that Cavell encourages us to recognize. The overarching idea informing my reading is that these chapters do not depict a fall from original human perfection but, instead, represent a birth narrative; they trace the actions and events through which novice or proto-humans begin to achieve their humanity and so culminate in expulsion from the womb of Eden into the wider world of human life and labor. Given constraints of space, I focus on the first beginnings of the perfectionist journey in Genesis 2.
In this chapter the first human discovers that he requires, and comes to desire, a companion with whom he can develop into humanity. These initial steps are momentous but stumbling. The human’s speech of ecstatic delight in beholding the companion God creates renders her temporarily speechless and so unable to contribute to the work that compelled her creation and drives her to seek conversation with a welcoming serpent. My detailed reading ends at this perilous point. However, I conclude by gesturing toward Genesis 3 and its account of how the woman finds her voice and leads the pair into the next steps of human development
Perfectionist Counterpoint: Time and Place in "Thinking of Emerson"
No full text“Perfectionist Counterpoint” puts good books in conversation to demonstrate how such thinking enables us to overhear and affirm viable dimensions of ourselves. Plato’s Symposium, Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier, and Erasmus’s “Religious Feast” set the table here since they all feature imaginary dinner parties where lively exchanges take place among engaged interlocutors.
Likewise, Cavell pursues lines of skepticism and romanticism in Emerson once they develop in tandem as modes of thinking in dialogue with one another. For Emerson only becomes interesting to Cavell after Emerson takes skepticism fully enough into account. Cavell’s initial anti-Emerson feelings parallel those of many Southern writers.
In The Last Gentleman, Walker Percy creates Forney Aiken, a high-minded alcoholic who parodically embodies the misbegotten idealism associated with the sage of Concord. Robert Penn Warren records similar sentiments in “Reading Emerson at 30,000 Feet,” a view from nowhere that Richard Tillinghast echoes in Sewanee in Ruins and turns against Percy himself: “flying Delta over kudzu fields out of Atlanta / reading The Last Gentleman by Walker Percy.”
Such dialogues between Southern writers and Emerson reflect an awareness of how skepticism and romanticism evolve in what Cavell might call “conversations” whether they succeed or fail. This essay samples a few such dialogues in terms that Cavell has made available for inquiries along those lines. Both their success and failure test the range and value of Cavell’s perceptions in this regard
Transformer l’écoanxiété en engagement : rôle des émotions et perspectives pour un avenir durable
No full textThe links between climate change, emotional regulation, and mental health are now an emerging field of research in neuroscience. The environmental challenges associated with the ecological crisis are unprecedented and particularly affect adolescents and young adults: more than 70% of Canadians in this age group report feeling eco-anxiety, a combination of fear and distress about environmental degradation. Although this reaction is natural and adaptive, its persistence can contribute to the onset of mental disorders, making it a major public health issue. Analysis of the literature highlights the neurobiological and psychological foundations of emotions, the importance of regulating them, and the role of neuroplasticity, which can be reinforced by meditation, contact with nature, or sensory experiences. Art, particularly when it mobilizes visual, auditory, and multisensory stimuli, appears to be a key lever for transformation, especially through projects rooted in the local area that nurture a connection to living things and emotional resonance. The perception and impact of eco-anxiety also vary according to cultural and generational contexts. Indigenous peoples, who have a deep connection to nature, are strongly affected by it, while older people, who are often more experienced in emotional management, sometimes express feelings of guilt towards future generations. All of these facts call for decolonized, intergenerational approaches that are co-constructed with communities, combining neuroscience and artistic practices, immersive experiences, and hopeful narratives in order to transform climate distress into constructive engagement.Les liens entre changement climatique, régulation émotionnelle et santé mentale constituent aujourd’hui un champ de recherche émergent en neurosciences. Les défis environnementaux liés à la crise écologique sont sans précédent et affectent particulièrement les adolescents et les jeunes adultes : plus de 70 % des Canadiens de cette tranche d’âge déclarent ressentir de l’écoanxiété, une inquiétude mêlant peur et détresse face à la dégradation de l’environnement. Bien que cette réaction soit naturelle et adaptative, sa persistance peut favoriser l’apparition de troubles mentaux, ce qui en fait un enjeu majeur de santé publique. L’analyse de la littérature met en lumière les fondements neurobiologiques et psychologiques des émotions, l’importance de leur régulation et le rôle de la neuroplasticité, que peuvent renforcer la méditation, le contact avec la nature ou les expériences sensorielles. L’art, notamment lorsqu’il mobilise des stimuli visuels, auditifs et multisensoriels, apparaît comme un levier central de transformation, surtout à travers des projets ancrés dans le territoire qui nourrissent la connexion au vivant et la résonance émotionnelle. La perception et l’impact de l’écoanxiété varient également selon les contextes culturels et générationnels. Les peuples autochtones, profondément liés à la nature, en subissent fortement les effets, tandis que les aînés, souvent plus aguerris dans la gestion émotionnelle, expriment parfois un sentiment de culpabilité envers les générations futures. L’ensemble de ces faits plaide pour des approches décolonisées, intergénérationnelles et coconstruites avec les communautés, associant neurosciences et pratiques artistiques, expériences immersives et récits porteurs d’espoir afin de transformer la détresse climatique en engagement constructif
Expanding Our Conversations of Justice: The Perfectionist Invitations of Indra Sinha’s \u27Animal’s People\u27
No full textIndra Sinha’s 2007 novel Animal’s People offers a “voice” notably different from the canonical British, European, and American texts repeatedly drawn into conversation by Stanley Cavell. It is narrated by a profane, amoral, trickster figure, and it focuses on the disenfranchised poor residents of a fictional city modelled after Bhopal, India, the site of Union Carbide’s devastating chemical disaster in 1984.
Yet as I strive to show in this essay, Sinha’s novel shares core features of the “outlook or dimension of thought” that Cavell calls moral (or Emersonian) perfectionism. Moreover, its outlook and voice—which combine playfulness, confrontation, political outrage and hope—may be read as instigating an aversive, perfectionist conversation with its reader and with criticism undertaken in a Cavellian spirit. By drawing this novel into the endlessly developing “conversation” about perfectionism—and its links to justice—that Cavell teaches us to hear amongst admired books, I propose that Animal’s People can contribute to perfectionist “literary-philosophical criticism” by challenging us to imagine a further, higher state of our own work
This Side of Silence: \u27Middlemarch\u27 and Moral Perfectionism in a Different Voice
No full textMoral perfectionism, for Stanley Cavell, is the lifelong struggle to side with the better (the unattained but attainable) version of oneself, where this better self is a) pursued through speaking for the consent of others with whom you are, or want to be, in community and b) never fully realisable because justice itself is never fully realisable. A glaring omission from Cavell’s list, in the opening pages of Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome, of the texts that demonstrate this struggle is surely George Eliot’s Middlemarch.
Cavell read and admired George Eliot. He used examples from her other novels to explore moral judgment in The Claim of Reason and even hints briefly in both Cities of Words and Philosophy the Day After Tomorrow that her work (along with Jane Austen’s) is a forerunner of the remarriage comedies, some of which are included in the list. Spinoza’s Ethics is there too—famously translated by Eliot and providing a philosophical blueprint for much of her work.
In this paper, I suggest that Middlemarch exemplifies Cavellian moral perfectionism in its investigation of the moral perfectionist struggle as experienced by its major characters and also in three additionally instructive ways. First, it helps us address the central importance of voice for moral perfectionism and exemplifies a philosophical voice ingeniously close to the human voice. Second, it illuminates the productive tension within moral perfectionism between searching for one’s voice (Emerson calls this “whim”) and attending closely to the minutiae of ordinary life (feminists call this “care”). And third, it endorses a version of Cavellian moral perfectionism that reinforces the primary importance of caring. I hope that the overall effect of this argument will be to reinforce ascendent readings of Cavell’s work as pertinent to, and reflective of, feminist care ethics
Le flamenco comme outil pédagogique dans le cursus académique : renforcer le sentiment de communauté et l’identité andalouse
No full textThis study examines future teachers’ perceptions of incorporating flamenco into the Andalusian educational curriculum and its potential impact on fostering a sense of community and Andalusian identity. The study analysed 301 surveys conducted among university students enrolled in academic education programs. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that 88.4% of participants supported the integration of formal flamenco in schools. A more detailed analysis of the responses revealed recognition of the influence of flamenco on various aspects such as the preservation of heritage (5.29), a sense of belonging to a community (5.15) and cultural identity (5.17), which guarantees a lasting source of inspiration and growth for future generations. Flamenco is not only considered a cultural relic but a vital part of Andalusia\u27s heritage, essential to its future.Cette étude examine la perception qu’ont les futurs enseignants de l’intégration du flamenco dans le programme éducatif andalou et son impact potentiel sur le renforcement du sentiment d’appartenance à la communauté et à l’identité andalouses. L’étude a analysé 301 enquêtes menées auprès d’étudiants universitaires inscrits dans des programmes d\u27enseignement académique. L’analyse statistique descriptive a révélé que 88,4% des participants étaient favorables à l’intégration du flamenco formel dans les écoles. Une analyse plus détaillée des réponses a révélé la reconnaissance de l’influence du flamenco sur divers aspects tels que la préservation du patrimoine (5.29), le sentiment d’appartenance à une communauté (5.15) et l’identité culturelle (5.17), qui garantissent une source durable d’inspiration et de croissance pour les générations futures. Le flamenco n’est pas seulement considéré comme une relique culturelle, mais comme un élément essentiel du patrimoine andalou, indispensable à son avenir
Factors Associated with Vaccine Hesitancy Among Adults in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study
No full textObjective: To assess socio-demographic attributes, healthcare workers\u27 encouragement, and income status as predictors of vaccine hesitancy among adults in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Methods: The study was a cross-sectional design employing an online survey to obtain data from participants from Peshawar, Pakistan. We used binary logistic regression to ascertain the extent of the association between vaccine hesitancy and independent predictors including age, gender, marital status, education, healthcare worker encouragement, and income level. We set the level of significance at p≤.05.
Results: The study sample consisted of 398 participants with a mean age of approximately 48.05 years. The gender distribution was relatively balanced, with 205 males (51.5%) and 193 females (48.5%). Out of the total participants, 270 individuals (67.8%) accepted the vaccine, while 128 individuals (32.2%) declined it. Males were more likely to be vaccine hesitant than females (OR=2.42,95%CI:1.34-4.38). Healthcare worker encouragement reduced vaccine hesitancy (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.06-0.20). Individuals aged 46-60 showed higher vaccine hesitancy compared to those aged 18-30 (OR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.44-8.73). Low-income earners were more likely to be vaccine-hesitant than higher-income earners (OR = 5.34, 95% CI: 2.07-13.80). Marital status and education level were not significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy.
Conclusion: The study highlights the complex interplay of factors influencing vaccine hesitancy in Peshawar, Pakistan. Gender, age, income level, and healthcare worker encouragement significantly influence vaccine acceptance. These findings call for targeted interventions to tackle vaccine hesitancy pragmatically and promote vaccine uptake in the Peshawar region of Pakistan.
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Objectif : Évaluer les caractéristiques sociodémographiques, l’encouragement des professionnels de santé et le niveau de revenu comme prédicteurs de l’hésitation vaccinale chez les adultes à Peshawar, au Pakistan.
Méthodes : L’étude était une étude transversale utilisant un sondage en ligne pour obtenir des données auprès de participants de Peshawar, au Pakistan. Nous avons utilisé une régression logistique binaire pour déterminer le degré d’association entre l’hésitation vaccinale et des prédicteurs indépendants, notamment l’âge, le sexe, l’état civil, le niveau d’éducation, l’encouragement des professionnels de santé et le niveau de revenu. Nous avons fixé le niveau de signification à p ≤ 0,05.
Résultats : L’échantillon de l’étude était composé de 398 participants dont l’âge moyen était d’environ 48,05 ans. La répartition par sexe était relativement équilibrée, avec 205 hommes (51,5 %) et 193 femmes (48,5 %). Sur l’ensemble des participants, 270 personnes (67,8 %) ont accepté le vaccin, tandis que 128 personnes (32,2 %) l’ont refusé. Les hommes étaient plus susceptibles d’hésiter à se faire vacciner que les femmes (OR = 2,42, IC à 95 % : 1,34-4,38). Les encouragements des professionnels de santé ont réduit l’hésitation vaccinale (OR = 0,11, IC à 95 % : 0,06-0,20). Les personnes âgées de 46 à 60 ans ont montré une plus grande hésitation vaccinale que celles âgées de 18 à 30 ans (OR = 3,55, IC à 95 % : 1,44-8,73). Les personnes à faibles revenus étaient plus susceptibles d’hésiter à se faire vacciner que celles à revenus élevés (OR = 5,34, IC à 95 % : 2,07-13,80). La situation matrimoniale et le niveau d’éducation n’étaient pas associés de manière significative à l’hésitation vaccinale.
Conclusion : Cette étude met en évidence l’interaction complexe des facteurs influençant l’hésitation vaccinale à Peshawar, au Pakistan. Le sexe, l’âge, le niveau de revenu et les encouragements des professionnels de santé influencent de manière significative l’acceptation de la vaccination. Ces résultats appellent à des interventions ciblées pour lutter de manière pragmatique contre l’hésitation vaccinale et promouvoir la couverture vaccinale dans la région de Peshawar au Pakistan
The Notions of Self and Truth in Moral Perfectionism
No full textThis essay discusses Stanley Cavell’s account of Emersonian moral perfectionism with a focus on the notion of self in Cavell’s characterizations of perfectionism. The question I address is how moral perfectionism would be best described, and what role the notion of the self plays in this connection.
Relatedly, I discuss the way in which Cavell contrasts Emersonian perfectionism with Iris Murdoch’s account of perfectionism which she illustrates with her famous example of M and D. Subsequent to problematizing Cavell’s account of perfectionism as a matter of moving from a self to a next one, and his way of distinguishing Emersonian perfectionism from Murdoch’s with reference to the notion of a changed self or a changed perception of oneself, I argue that essential to perfectionism is the the aspiration to comprehend what is true, and that it is impossible to make good sense of the perfectionist’s concern with the self, unless we take into account this concern with truth. Rather than concerned with the self as such, perfectionism is concerned with the self as a vehicle for grasping what is true.
This also explains how Cavell’s and Murdoch’s accounts of perfectionism can be understood as compatible after all, revealing an important similarity between Emerson’s perfectionist concern with truth and Murdoch’s account of objectivity in terms of the task of perfecting oneself. I conclude with remarks on how paying attention to the notion of truth likewise dissolves the worry that perfectionism might be elitist and incompatible with democracy. As I argue, perfectionism is not only consistent with but necessary for democracy
Art et créativité collective en région boréale : le cas de KM3, un projet ancré dans le territoire, le patrimoine et sa communauté
No full textThis article explores the practices of the Bang centre in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Quebec, Canada) as an exceptional approach that fosters interactions between territory, artistic creation, creative economy, and local heritage. The appropriation of space by cultural actors and the community highlights the importance of collective initiatives in building a regional identity. It also demonstrates that the territory, far from being a fixed entity, is shaped by processes of appropriation, collaboration, and co-production that link it to a particular history and culture. These dynamics contribute to the emergence of a living and evolving heritage, while integrating health issues, particularly through the positive impact of forest areas on the well-being of local communities. We examine how interdisciplinary projects that place art at the heart of their processes generate innovative proposals in terms of the criteria that structure and guide the creative economy, by integrating themselves into the territory and establishing new forms of collective production.Cet article explore les pratiques du centre Bang au Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Québec, Canada) en tant que démarche exceptionnelle suscitant des interactions entre territoire, création artistique, économie créative et patrimoine local. L’appropriation de l’espace par les acteurs culturels et la communauté souligne l’importance des initiatives collectives dans la construction d’une identité régionale. Elle démontre aussi que le territoire, loin d’être une entité figée, est façonné par des processus d’appropriation, de collaboration et de coproduction qui le rattachent à une histoire et à une culture particulière. Ces dynamiques contribuent à l’émergence d’un patrimoine vivant et évolutif, tout en intégrant les questions de santé, notamment à travers l’impact positif des espaces forestiers sur le bienêtre des communautés locales. Nous nous interrogeons sur la manière dont les projets interdisciplinaires situant l’art au cœur de leurs processus génèrent des propositions innovantes dans les critères qui structurent et orientent l’économie créative, en s’insérant dans le territoire et en instituant des formes inédites de production collective