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This dissertation examines from a Vattimian perspective the challenge that euthanasia and assisted suicide posed to the sanctity of life ethos in Canada from 1972–2005. Gianni Vattimo’s central themes—metaphysics (absolute values), “event of being” (lived experiences that call absolute values into question), and passive-reactive nihilism (the use of “masks” or “disguises” to prevent the dissolution of metaphysics)—are pivotal to understanding the way religious and secular beliefs are interwoven within ethical, medical, legal and political discourses in Canada. Vattimo’s philosophico-ethical approach was specifically chosen because as a theoretical tool, it helps to illuminate the presence, weakening, and resilience of metaphysics in discourses surrounding an intentionally hastened death. To demonstrate how Vattimo’s major themes apply empirically to the research, a social constructionist approach was adopted in the form of a discourse analysis. Particular emphasis was placed on an examination of the three most important cases of death and dying in Canada, namely, Nancy B., Sue Rodriguez and Robert Latimer. The bulk of the evidence suggests that when these “events of being” challenged the sanctity doctrine as the ultimate foundation for life-terminating decisions, ethical, medical, legal and political discourses converged to promote three normative positions or authorizing discourses used in the tradition of Christian ethics: (1) stewardship—the view that since life is a “loan from God,” sacred, and of infinite worth, death cannot be intentionally hastened (“nature must take its course”); (2) value in prolonged suffering—the view that since suffering possesses transcendent meaning or purpose, its prolongation is justified in individual circumstances; and (3) the “slippery slope”—the view that any weakening of the sanctity of life ethos inevitably harms or threatens the community. Generally speaking, religious and secular advocates of the sanctity of life ethos reacted similarly in cases involving an intentionally hastened death. In other words, both the religious and the secular embraced metaphysics (absolute values), condoned and rationalized the prolongation of suffering, and relied on the “slippery slope” as a “mask” to maintain the sanctity of human life as first principle. The research strongly suggests that Canada is still significantly indebted to Christian notions when it comes to discussions surrounding the decriminalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Författarna av Zoopolis – A Political Theory of Animal Rights, Sue Donaldson och Will Kymlicka, anser att djurrättsrörelsen idag har stagnerat till följd av den bristfälliga utformningen av traditionell djurrättsteori. Även om vissa framgångar har uppnåtts så är avsaknaden av offentlig opinion och verkliga politiska förändringar ett avgörande problem för djurrättsrörelsen. De anser att djurrättsteorin har misslyckats med att identifiera de mest allvarliga etiska utmaningarna när det gäller våra relationer till icke-mänskliga djur. Donaldsons och Kymlickas avsikt med Zoopolis är att vidareutveckla och utvidga traditionell djurrättsteori genom att utforma ett nytt ramverk som ska kunna svara på de utmaningar som vi står inför när det gäller icke-mänskliga djurs välfärd. Genom att utgå från modern politisk teori så delar författarna in icke-mänskliga djur, härefter refererade till som ”djur” för enkelhetens skull, i tre övergripande kategorier. Dessa är baserade på djurens relationella förhållande till människor, grundat på geografiska och historiska faktorer som har påverkat hur olika grupper av människor och djur samverkar. De visar hur de olika grupperna ger upphov till olika moraliska förpliktelser och ger sedan förslag på vilken politisk status vi bör ge respektive grupp och vad denna status kan komma att betyda för oss människor och vårt politiska system. De tre kategorierna är: domesticerade djur, liminala djur (sådana djur som delar livsmiljö med människan men som lever oberoende av dessa, till exempel duvor och råttor) och vilda djur. Den sista gruppen, vilda djur, är sådana djur som flyr mänsklig kontakt och som lever utanför människans bosättningar. Dessa kan själva tillfredsställa sina behov av föda, skydd, och social struktur, de skyr människans bosättningar och upprätthåller en oberoende existens. Denna uppsats kommer att fokusera på denna kategori samt Donaldsons och Kymlickas förslag om hur vi bör förhålla oss till denna grupp. Deras förslag är att vi bör anta en generell princip om icke-ingripande för att måna om vilda djurs välfärd och att vi bäst gör detta genom att utvidga suveränitetsbegreppet och erkänna vilda djur suveränitet. Jag kommer att undersöka Donaldsons och Kymlickas suveränitetsmodell i ljuset av kritik som har formulerats av Andrée-Anne Cormier och Mauro Rossis i deras artikel ”The Problem of Predation in Zoopolis”. De anser också att vi bör följa en generell princip för icke-ingripande när det gäller vilda djur, men att denna inte kan legitimeras med hjälp av en suveränitetsmodell. De anser att Donaldsons och Kymlickas teori faller offer för vad de kallar predationsproblemet. De menar att fenomenet predation, alltså företeelsen att rovdjur måste döda andra djur för att överleva, visar att vilda djur inte har tillräcklig kompetens för att inneha suveränitet. På grund av avsaknaden av denna kompetens så kan inte en suveränitetsmodell användas som belägg för en generell princip om icke-ingripande i vilda djurs livsmiljö. Jag vill undersöka om predationsproblemet utgör ett allvarligt problem för Donaldson och Kymlickas teori om en suveränitetsmodell för vilda djur och huruvida dessa skulle kunna svara på kritiken. Detta leder oss fram till frågeställningen: Är Cormiers och Rossis kritik, att vilda djur inte kan utgöra suveräna samhällen på grund av avsaknad av kompetens, mot Donaldsons och Kymlickas teori om vilda djurs suveränitet, övertygande? Min tes är att kritiken är övertygande. Donaldson och Kymlicka verkar inte kunna svara på kritiken på ett tillfredställande sätt och samtidigt vara konsekventa mot sin teori. Det verkar som att de bedömer människan och djur olika, trots att deras teori gör anspråk på att inte göra detta.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-09T12:28:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-02-20Bitstream added on 2015-04-09T12:47:17Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000813195.pdf: 874407 bytes, checksum: 550b00d09097fd89cbf077c69352a2d0 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O objetivo desta dissertação é discutir conceitos sobre gênero, presentes em algumas teorias e críticas pontuais e analisar dois romances contemporâneos: o norte-americano The Secret Life of Bees (2002), de Sue Monk Kidd, e o brasileiro Sapato de salto (2006), de Lygia Bojunga. Pretende-se cotejar o modo como cada escritora apresenta o processo de formação das protagonistas e, visto que esses romances são considerados Bildungsromane femininos, verificar como a forma do romance influencia na construção do gênero nas personagens principais das obras supracitadas. A formação das protagonistas será avaliada de acordo com as perspectivas críticas adotadas em que o sujeito é performativo e reivindica posições como marca da própria identidade. Considerando que as obras estão inseridas na contemporaneidade, procura-se mostrar que a mulher não assume mais uma posição inferior ao homem. A tradição misógina e machista é rompida nos romances, conforme propõe Butler, no momento em que as autoras dão voz e vez ao sexo (até então tido como) frágil, instaurando, assim, um discurso da ruptura. Como aparato crítico-teórico, utilizar-se-ão as perspectivas de Beauvoir (1974), Wittig (1982), Hollanda (1994) e Butler (1990; 2001; 2004), para questões do gênero; os trabalhos de Pinto (1990), Maas (2000) e Scwhantes (2007), para o estudo sobre o romance de formação tradicional ou feminino e as obras de Laclau (1990), Ortiz (1994) e Santos (2001), para a contextualização da contemporaneidade / The aim of this work is to discuss concepts about gender, present in some theories and specific criticisms, and analyze two contemporary novels: the American - The Secret Life of Bees (2002), by Sue Monk Kidd, and the Brazilian - Sapato de salto (2006), by Lygia Bojunga. It is intended to collate the way each writer presents the protagonists’ formation process and to check how the form of the novel influences on the gender construction of the main characters in both works, once these novels are considered feminine Bildungsromane. It is pertinent to emphasize that the protagonists’ formation will be evaluated according to the adopted critical perspectives in which the subject is performative and claims positions as a mark of identity. Whereas the works are embedded in contemporary times, it attempts to show that women do not assume an inferior position to men anymore. A misogynistic and sexist tradition is broken in the novels, as Butler proposes, at the moment the authors give the weaker sex their turn and voice, thus introducing a discourse of rupture. As critical- theoretical apparatus, the prospects of Beauvoir (1974), Wittig (1982), Hollanda (1994) and Butler (1990, 2001, 2004) will be used about gender issues; Pinto (1990), Maas (2000) and Scwhantes (2007) works will be the basis for the study of traditional and female Bildungsromane, and the works by Laclau (1990), Ortiz (1994) and Santos (2001) will contextualize the contemporaneity

This dissertation examines from a Vattimian perspective the challenge that euthanasia and assisted suicide posed to the sanctity of life ethos in Canada from 1972–2005. Gianni Vattimo’s central themes—metaphysics (absolute values), “event of being” (lived experiences that call absolute values into question), and passive-reactive nihilism (the use of “masks” or “disguises” to prevent the dissolution of metaphysics)—are pivotal to understanding the way religious and secular beliefs are interwoven within ethical, medical, legal and political discourses in Canada. Vattimo’s philosophico-ethical approach was specifically chosen because as a theoretical tool, it helps to illuminate the presence, weakening, and resilience of metaphysics in discourses surrounding an intentionally hastened death. To demonstrate how Vattimo’s major themes apply empirically to the research, a social constructionist approach was adopted in the form of a discourse analysis. Particular emphasis was placed on an examination of the three most important cases of death and dying in Canada, namely, Nancy B., Sue Rodriguez and Robert Latimer. The bulk of the evidence suggests that when these “events of being” challenged the sanctity doctrine as the ultimate foundation for life-terminating decisions, ethical, medical, legal and political discourses converged to promote three normative positions or authorizing discourses used in the tradition of Christian ethics: (1) stewardship—the view that since life is a “loan from God,” sacred, and of infinite worth, death cannot be intentionally hastened (“nature must take its course”); (2) value in prolonged suffering—the view that since suffering possesses transcendent meaning or purpose, its prolongation is justified in individual circumstances; and (3) the “slippery slope”—the view that any weakening of the sanctity of life ethos inevitably harms or threatens the community. Generally speaking, religious and secular advocates of the sanctity of life ethos reacted similarly in cases involving an intentionally hastened death. In other words, both the religious and the secular embraced metaphysics (absolute values), condoned and rationalized the prolongation of suffering, and relied on the “slippery slope” as a “mask” to maintain the sanctity of human life as first principle. The research strongly suggests that Canada is still significantly indebted to Christian notions when it comes to discussions surrounding the decriminalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Ce projet examine comment la politique et l’amitié sont actualisées dans la fiction spéculative du XXIe siècle à travers différents médias. Cette thèse aborde la manière dont ces relations interpersonnelles affectent la sphère sociale et le statu quo des mondes fictifs à l’étude. Pour orienter la discussion, j’utilise le concept d’autonomie relationnelle qui reconnaît l’interdépendance des individus autonomes et de la communauté en général et l’éthique du care qui environne la moralité comme étant relationnelle et contextualisée. L’utilisation conjointe de ces deux cadres me permet de discuter de la façon dont les amitiés sont propices à la participation politique. Le premier chapitre présente une discussion globale de The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) de Margaret Atwood et notamment de son influence au sein du genre de la fiction spéculative féministe. Ensuite, dans une première section, je me concentre sur les notions d’autonomie par rapport à l’adaptation graphique du roman d’Atwood par Renée Nault (2019), que je compare avec la bande dessinée Bitch Planet de Kelly Sue DeConnick et Valentine de Landro (2013-2017). Dans une seconde section, je me concentre sur l’éthique du care en tant que processus pouvant favoriser des amitiés empreintes d’implications politiques en analysant l’adaptation télévisée de The Handmaid’s Tale, produite par Hulu, et la série Orphan Black, produite par BBC America. La fiction spéculative permet d’expérimenter librement avec différentes idées politiques et de comprendre comment la société pourrait réagir dans des scénarios extrêmes. Ces expériences de pensée reflètent nos propres luttes et lacunes politiques et pourraient ultimement indiquer de meilleures façons de résoudre les problèmes actuels. / This project examines how politics and friendship are actualized in speculative fiction across different media in the twenty-first century. This thesis discusses how these interpersonal relationships affect the social sphere and the status quo of the fictional worlds in question. To guide the discussion, I use the concept of relational autonomy, which recognizes the interconnectedness of both autonomous individuals and the community at large, and ethics of care, which understands morality as relational and contextualized. I use these two frameworks in tandem to discuss how friendships are conducive to political participation. The first chapter presents an overarching discussion of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale (1985) in its legacy to the feminist speculative fiction genre. Following, in the first section, I focus on notions of autonomy in relation to Renée Nault's graphic novel adaptation of Atwood’s novel (2019) and contrast it with Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine de Landro’s comic Bitch Planet (2013-2017). In the second section, I focus on the ethics of care as a process that can foster friendships with political implications by analyzing Hulu's TV adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale and BBC America's Orphan Black. SF offers the freedom to test different political ideas and to understand how society might react in extreme scenarios. These thought experiments reflect our own political struggles and shortcomings; ultimately, they might point at better ways to solve current problems.

As an alternative to existing research which states that the phenomenon of displacement resists theorisation because of its complex nature, this study conducts a Phenomenological examination of the nature of displacement in which the interlinked losses in the key concepts of the consciousness of the displaced, namely Memory, Land and home and Identity, are navigated. It is shown that the current consciousness of society mimics these losses with the effect of displacement being experienced as a state of mind by contemporary society. By comparing selected artworks of artists Rachel Whiteread and Cornelia Parker, it is established that although manifested in diverse ways, contemporary artworks reflect displacement according to a set of broadly defined visual signifiers. The visual documentation of a site of displacement in the North West Province of South Africa and subsequently produced artworks underline these findings and highlight the elusive attributes of loss inherent in the displacement phenomenon. / Art History, Visual Arts & Musicology / M.A. (Visual Arts)

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