Research Catalogue

research expositions

• Sense of Entangled Being, The Emotion of Awe in Weaving Towards Polyperspectivity (last edited: 2024) author(s): Miranda Kistler This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
  How has the concept of the sublime informed an unconsciously internalized world view throughout the history? And how could a mindset driven by the emotion of awe be a foundation for new understanding towards our environment as polyperspective? Small elements all play a part in how we perceive. The choices of words we make, influence how we experience and how we define our reality. It becomes clear that to be aware of definitions and the use of words in a certain context, is crucial to avoid unconsciously misinforming our own perception and creating a reality we do not want to be in. Words create realities, realities we live in and others tap into when enforcing exchange. But would it be possible to alternatively inform an exchange that can reach beyond words and their established structures? Sublime and awe are terms which often seem to come hand in hand. Some might refer to them as synonyms. However, the word ‘sublime’ from the contemporary perspective, has throughout history accumulated multiple connotations. It is thus that it differentiates itself from the word ‘awe’. This research paper investigates the difference of the two linguistic definitions. By comparing the difference between the philosophical works on the sublime, by thinkers such as Longinus and Edmund Burke to contemporary psychological works on awe by Dacher Keltner. The paper investigates the sublime from its early origin up until its transformation into the contemporary time. By tracing back the development and unfolding of the sublime experience with a focus on nature, into a sublime influenced by technology, the paper will come to speculate how nature of the modern age can then be experienced and perceived if modern technology is drawn away within that experience. As a counter proposal, the paper will there conclude in proposing the emotion of awe as a new guiding concept in replacement for the sublime. Sublime has influenced a world view and ontology, with a perspective led by distinction for the majority of history. Awe will hold a new aim to foster interconnectivity and polyperspectivity between the human and the environment, making awe to become the new guiding concept for viewing interspecies relation between human, nature and technology of the future.
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