Why do well‐functioning psychological systems sometimes give rise to absurd beliefs that are radically misaligned with reality? Drawing on signalling theory, I develop and explore the hypothesis that ...groups often embrace beliefs that are viewed as absurd by outsiders as a means of signalling ingroup commitment. I clarify the game‐theoretic and psychological underpinnings of this hypothesis, I contrast it with similar proposals about the signalling functions of beliefs, and I motivate several psychological and sociological predictions that could be used to distinguish it from alternative explanations of irrational group beliefs.
The paper makes an attempt at exploring the concept of the absurd as it applies to Yvonne Vera’s Butterfly Burning. The inordinate quest for survival and human dignity is graphically etched on the ...sordid canvas of angst, grime and abject poverty. The author deftly links this quest with the quest of identity which is manifested in a stream of endless waiting. The world of the novel is patently portrayed as irrational. The absurd is depicted, in the vein of Camus, as the function of the conflict between the irrational world and the human being’s passionate desires. The grossly traumatised and colonised humanity in Makokoba, a microcosm of Southern Africa, represents a scathing human condition. The female protagonist Phephelaphi is cast as an emblem of a subjugated and struggling African person seeking an identity as well as self-fulfilment. Phephelaphi, as a matter of course, bears the Sisyphean burden which remains unmitigated for the stone continuously rolls to the foot of the hill. This futile, endless and laborious feat which is symptomatic of the individual’s relentless struggles on earth echoes the absurd in an irrational milieu. This is inextricably linked with an indomitable and immortal time against which African men, women and children contend as they are kept waiting in stark futility.
الوجودية بين الحرية والحزم في رواية (الغثيان) لجان بول سارتر تعتبر الحرية أساسية في الأيديولوجيا الوجودية. ويدعو الوجوديون وعلى رأسهم الفيلسوف الوجودي الفرنسي جان بول سارتر الإنسان إلى التفكير ...والتصرف بحرية لخلق الإبداع لتغيير كافة المفاهيم الاجتماعية التي دفعت المجتمع إلى عزلته. ويشجع على البحث عن الحرية والعودة إلى النفس الإنسانية متجاوزة كل القيود والحواجز التي كانت موجودة من قبل والتي كانت تعيق تقدم الفرد في الحياة. في حين أن الحرية تعطي فرصة للإنسان للتغلب على كل حدوده وكذلك ماضيه. وهذا الماضي الذي لا معنى له يجبر الفرد على العزلة في مجتمعه، وهذه السلوكيات المنعزلة تشير إلى العدم والفراغ الذي يشعر به الفرد تجاه نفسه. لقد ركز سارتر على إثبات أن الوجود الإنساني لا يوجد إلا من خلال أفعال الأفراد، وهذه الأفعال تعتمد على حرية الفرد في تحديد وجوده وبالتالي جوهره. في روايته الأولى الغثيان
Despite being impossible to explain a paradox, this work attempts to make sense of what it means, and what Abraham believes ”by virtue of the absurd”. First of all, various interpretations of ...renowned authors will be summarized. Then, some guidelines set by Friedrich Schelling will be followed, such as his philosophy of the process and his vision of time, and set by Immanuel Kant, such as the antinomies raised in the Critique of Pure Reason, his attempt to think beyond the possible limits to finite human beings, leading to the paradox and to a special conformation of a free agent. Finally, based on those foundations, I will present my own interpretation of Abraham’s faith and some conclusions from it.
Aunque es imposible explicar una paradoja, este trabajo trata de dar sentido a lo que ella significa y a lo que Abraham cree “en virtud del absurdo”. Antes que nada, se resumirán diversas interpretaciones de reconocidos autores. Luego, se detallarán algunos lineamientos marcados por Friedrich Schelling, como su filosofía del proceso y su visión del tiempo; y por Immanuel Kant, como las antinomias planteadas en la Crítica de la razón pura, su intento de pensar más allá de los límites posibles para los seres humanos finitos, lo cual conduce a la paradoja y a la conformación especial de un agente libre. Finalmente, a partir de estos fundamentos, expondré mi propia interpretación de la fe de Abraham y algunas conclusiones a partir de allí.
En diálogo con la filosofía de José Ferrater Mora, con el concepto de muerte en su núcleo y llevándolo más allá del mismo, considero las temáticas de la muerte y la vida, la muerte y la filosofía así ...como también la imposibilidad lógica de conceptualizar la muerte y de discutir sobre ella.
The article examines the formal process of ‘ethical clearance’ for social science research at a large university and illuminates how it functions to undermine its stated purpose. We find that rather ...than promoting ethical standards, the bureaucratic process creates negative and cynical attitudes and game playing. For almost all participants, the entire procedure is counterproductive and experienced as absurd, creating a boomerang effect. The findings reveal how a specific rationalization effort leads to widespread experiences of irrationality, where detailed and strict organization merges with experiences of the bizarre. The article develops concepts capturing the experience and resulting organizational type: ‘orbizzarization’ and ‘absurdocracy’. These concepts enrich our understanding of toxic/irrational organizations, including Kafkaesque organizations.
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