- Limerick, Munster, Ireland
- Aedit
Boldly going where no one has gone before? -An analysis of the humanist approach and values present in Thomas More’s Utopia and Star Trek the Next Generation in their quest to establish the most ideal state. ‘While the word... more
Boldly going where no one has gone before?
-An analysis of the humanist approach and values
present in Thomas More’s Utopia and Star Trek the Next
Generation in their quest to establish the most ideal
state.
‘While the word ‘utopia’ originated at a particular time and place, utopianism has existed in every cultural tradition. Everywhere utopianism has held out hope of a better life, and at the same time questions have been raised about both the specific improvements proposed and, in some cases, whether improvement is possible.’ (Sargent 126)
With so much material already available, it is amazing that the utopian genre has not become saturated, and with the rise of the dystopian and anti-utopian text from the late 19th century some may argue that it has. There are still those however who prescribe to the positive imagination of the utopia up to the present day and have hope for the future and human kind. This continuous reinvention and re-imagination of the utopian genre, like so many literary genres, has transferred from textual form to the modern on screen method of storytelling. Conceived five hundred years apart, this project looks at two utopian texts; Thomas More’s Utopia (novel) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (television series) as examples of this varied and rich field.
Aside from being utopian texts, both these texts also engage with humanist philosophy when imaging their ideal state. The aim of this project is to investigate the humanist philosophies of these texts and examine how/if the underlying philosophical and moral values that these texts are based on have changed in the centuries that separate these texts.
This project found that each of these texts’ philosophies’ foundations were based on faith in human reason, justice and ethics have remained the same. Although this project found many similarities in both texts approaches to problems such as inequality, respect and the betterment of human kind, the biggest divider of these texts was the place of religion in society.
-An analysis of the humanist approach and values
present in Thomas More’s Utopia and Star Trek the Next
Generation in their quest to establish the most ideal
state.
‘While the word ‘utopia’ originated at a particular time and place, utopianism has existed in every cultural tradition. Everywhere utopianism has held out hope of a better life, and at the same time questions have been raised about both the specific improvements proposed and, in some cases, whether improvement is possible.’ (Sargent 126)
With so much material already available, it is amazing that the utopian genre has not become saturated, and with the rise of the dystopian and anti-utopian text from the late 19th century some may argue that it has. There are still those however who prescribe to the positive imagination of the utopia up to the present day and have hope for the future and human kind. This continuous reinvention and re-imagination of the utopian genre, like so many literary genres, has transferred from textual form to the modern on screen method of storytelling. Conceived five hundred years apart, this project looks at two utopian texts; Thomas More’s Utopia (novel) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (television series) as examples of this varied and rich field.
Aside from being utopian texts, both these texts also engage with humanist philosophy when imaging their ideal state. The aim of this project is to investigate the humanist philosophies of these texts and examine how/if the underlying philosophical and moral values that these texts are based on have changed in the centuries that separate these texts.
This project found that each of these texts’ philosophies’ foundations were based on faith in human reason, justice and ethics have remained the same. Although this project found many similarities in both texts approaches to problems such as inequality, respect and the betterment of human kind, the biggest divider of these texts was the place of religion in society.
Research Interests:
“...there will often be more minority language material produced on the internet than in traditional print or audio-visual forms” (UNESCO, 2004). It has been noted that the area surrounding the actual effects of new media on minority... more
“...there will often be more minority language material produced on the internet than in traditional print or audio-visual forms” (UNESCO, 2004).
It has been noted that the area surrounding the actual effects of new media on minority languages is largely under researched. This is potentially a difficult situation for minority languages and their activists as they struggle to formulate policy initiatives and guidelines for new media and online resources which they hope will have a guaranteed positive effect on a minority language.
This project looks at the positive and negative effects new media have on minority languages and whether online is the ideal medium for minority language sustainability and revitalisation. The aim of this project is to investigate this relationship, outlining both the negative and positive effects new media bring to minority languages and their communities.
Several sites which feature minority languages and which act as online resources for these languages are examined throughout this project. These sites include online initiatives such as The Google Endangered Language Project, social networking sites like Facebook, online resources such as teanglann.ie and tearma.ie, along with Apps such as Duolingo and Abairleat!.
Initial findings appeared to undermine the original perception that new media are a safe-place for minority languages. This project found that new media can both benefit and threaten minority languages and their speakers’ communities. This project first discusses the positive and negative effects of new media on minority languages originally discussed by Cunliffe (2007) in relation to the sites mentioned above. The fourth chapter then goes on to discuss several of these effects in relation to the Irish language, along with several new effects which were observed in chapter three. These effects include: Connection
Cost
Status
Appeal
Freedom from Regulation
Limitations
It has been noted that the area surrounding the actual effects of new media on minority languages is largely under researched. This is potentially a difficult situation for minority languages and their activists as they struggle to formulate policy initiatives and guidelines for new media and online resources which they hope will have a guaranteed positive effect on a minority language.
This project looks at the positive and negative effects new media have on minority languages and whether online is the ideal medium for minority language sustainability and revitalisation. The aim of this project is to investigate this relationship, outlining both the negative and positive effects new media bring to minority languages and their communities.
Several sites which feature minority languages and which act as online resources for these languages are examined throughout this project. These sites include online initiatives such as The Google Endangered Language Project, social networking sites like Facebook, online resources such as teanglann.ie and tearma.ie, along with Apps such as Duolingo and Abairleat!.
Initial findings appeared to undermine the original perception that new media are a safe-place for minority languages. This project found that new media can both benefit and threaten minority languages and their speakers’ communities. This project first discusses the positive and negative effects of new media on minority languages originally discussed by Cunliffe (2007) in relation to the sites mentioned above. The fourth chapter then goes on to discuss several of these effects in relation to the Irish language, along with several new effects which were observed in chapter three. These effects include: Connection
Cost
Status
Appeal
Freedom from Regulation
Limitations