This essay analyzes and tries to untangle the meaning and intention of dystopian literature, by analyzing two novels (Neal Shusterman‟s “Unwind” and Aldous Huxley‟s “Brave New World”). From this analysis, whether or not the futures portrayed in dystopian literature relate to our own future is riddled out, furthermore the importance of the authors‟ intention is debated and a conclusion is reached. As the dystopian future unravels, ethnicity, gender, class and sexual orientation, to mention a few factors, find their own place in the new world; this essay tries to establish their roles in the new society. When discussing the characters in the novels, Bourdieu‟s theories on fields, habitus and social capital are used to figure out what they are competing for and in what ways they struggle for the reward. Furthermore, the development of dystopian imagining is discussed and its function as a reflection of contemporary society and the state of science. Delineating the roles of social classes in dystopias is an important task in figuring out whether social power still reduces minorities depending on class or gender. Our antiquated morals and ethics aren‟t suitable anymore and need to be reformed; this is discussed based on dystopian literature and the image of the future. Furthermore, this essay gets into detail with the reduction of man and by what means we are enslaved and made to believe in the faux utopias. In the end, the conclusion reached is that dystopian literature delivers a hefty and important point that needs to be heeded and used as a rare look into the future.

This diploma thesis examines John Dewey's concept of experience, focusing especially on his notion that an aesthetic factor is present in every complete and consummatory experience. It deals with the differences between a common experience and "an experience" and examines how an aesthetic factor works in them. The indispensable role of the aesthetic factor is intentionally demonstrated on the non-artistic example of experiences of snowboarding. The most important findings are developed through the approach of Richard Shusterman's somaesthetics. The theories of these two philosophers support the main idea of this thesis, namely that dynamic movements of the body can bring aesthetic experiences to their actor. Thus, some of the reasons that explain the attractiveness of this modern sport come to light that are not apparent at first glance.

<p><p>The aim of this thesis is to investigate the critique Richard Shusterman is raising towards Maurice Merleau-Pontys view on consciousness of bodily sensations and habit. Richard Shusterman critique towards Merleau-Ponty is found to have no other basis than Shusterman own subjective view on what the task of philosophy is.</p></p>

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the critique Richard Shusterman is raising towards Maurice Merleau-Pontys view on consciousness of bodily sensations and habit. Richard Shusterman critique towards Merleau-Ponty is found to have no other basis than Shusterman own subjective view on what the task of philosophy is.

The main theme of the thesis is the position of the concept of the aesthetic experience on the field of the contemporary esthetics. As the one of the most basic concepts of the modern-age esthetics the esthetic experience was criticized from the different views in the last half century. But at the same time in the last decades, this concept is effort to reinterpret and keep as the meaningful and functional one at the frame of discourse of the esthetic theory from few related reasons (revival of the philosophical pragmatism, re-thinking of the Kant's esthetic theory etc.). The closer topic of the thesis is the defense of the neo pragmatically oriented interpretation of the concept of the esthetic experience in the work of Richard Shusterman. The thesis should point out not only the Shusterman's arguments, which support the sustainability of the pragmatism approach of the esthetic experience's concept, but also the attitudes that prevent the sustaining of this point of view. The attention will be focused mainly on Shusterman's interpretation of Dewey's conception "The art as the experiences" and in the end on Shusterman's theme - Somaesthetics, that related with Dewey's pragmatism too. Key words: aesthetic experience, pagmatism, Richard Shusterman, somaesthetic

The success of teacher strikes is often analyzed according to tangible outcomes, such as salary gains or the prevention of privatization bills. The point of this dissertation, however, is to argue that there are significant intangible outcomes as well. Using the West Virginia teacher strikes of 2018 and 2019 as a case study, I argue that the intangible outcomes of teacher strikes comprise a political-aesthetic education that expands the possibilities for how teachers can live within a neoliberal and patriarchal context. To do this, I develop a theoretical framework using three disparate yet nested concepts: counter-conduct, as used by Michel Foucault; performativity, as used by Judith Butler; and aesthetics, including everyday aesthetics, as used by Yuriko Saito, and somaesthetics, as used by Richard Shusterman. With this theoretical framework, I analyze the West Virginia teacher strikes as both political manifestations and aesthetic experiences. I collected data on the strikes through teachers’ written and spoken first-personal narratives, media interviews, academic books and articles, podcasts, videos, and images. Ultimately, I find that in their strikes, the West Virginia teachers performed counter-conduct against particular characteristics expected of them under neoliberalism and patriarchy. Even though not articulated or asserted, this counter-conduct could be aesthetically experienced through the sensuous and felt dimensions of the strikes. Teachers could feel, see, and hear the performance of alternative ways of being. This experience led to an expansion of possibilities for how teachers live as educators and as persons, even without dismantling the governmentalities of neoliberalism and patriarchy.

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