Dr. Roy Murphy

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Dr. Roy Murphy US THE WHO, WHAT & WHY OF MANKIND Dr. Roy Murphy Visit us online at arbium.com An Arbium Publishing Production Copyright © Dr. Roy Murphy 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner. Nor can it be circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on a subsequent purchaser. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Cover design created by Mike Peers Visit online at www.mikepeers.com First Edition – 2013 ISBN 978-0-9576845-0-8 eBook-Kindle ISBN 978-0-9576845-1-5 eBook-PDF Arbium Publishing The Coach House 7, The Manor Moreton Pinkney Northamptonshire NN11 3SJ United Kingdom Printed in the United Kingdom Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici 863233150197864103023970580457627352658564321742494688920065350330360792390 084562153948658394270318956511426943949625100165706930700026073039838763165 193428338475410825583245389904994680203886845971940464531120110441936803512 987300644220801089521452145214347132059788963572089764615613235162105152978 885954490531552216832233086386968913700056669227507586411556656820982860701 449731015636154727292658469929507863512149404380292309794896331535736318924 980645663415740757239409987619164078746336039968042012469535859306751299283 295593697506027137110435364870426383781188694654021774469052574773074190283 978095110681256793740995907438789810410681467634852679375584650569891396718 163092205340892169959873666589415940629793739511027808035164792285277142430 881267379529903252037828369064101984577293530157520180036433668960022486667 668878832554942937409959091472974812631221928787595831412750182825833947917 484132417181954146362527316768397080838386250967693337438153537131019133662 654033377532575581476732017532314767233874663442268567829411584988695522237 019726205552908848588712256825234475504785480291939481891.5620641562064156 In loving memory of T.A.B Whitaker Esq. MBE & P.G Mustoe CONTENTS Preface 3 CHAPTER 1 Earth History 5 CHAPTER 2 Religion 20 CHAPTER 3 The Gods of the Earth 44 CHAPTER 4 The Lost Gospels 66 CHAPTER 5 Inevitability of Life 90 CHAPTER 6 Evolution of Man 100 CHAPTER 7 The World of Me 117 CHAPTER 8 Biology of Perception 144 CHAPTER 9 Fight or Flight 164 CHAPTER 10 Nature's Fractals 175 CHAPTER 11 Tomorrow’s World 193 CHAPTER 12 Greater Antiquity 207 CHAPTER 13 Geometry of the Ancients 229 CHAPTER 14 A Spanner in the Works 244 Epilogue 265 Acknowledgements 268 Just For Fun 272 Index 274 US Preface Whatever the field of study, the drive to provide an answer to the most profound of questions is the ubiquitous search for truth, which is the underlying premise of science. Who are we, what are we and why are we, are some of the oldest philosophical quandaries humanity has ever asked. The answers to most of these questions have historically fallen at the feet of the myriad religions around the world who dare to renew, refresh and re-invent the word of God, to give meaning, hope and guidance on one hand, and on the other; rules, fears and dependencies. I can hear the groans already from those who subscribe to differing flavours of fundamentalist ideologies, and of course, each and every one has amazingly happened upon and guessed the correct version of historical astrotheological literary religious hybrid, bound by perpetual sermonising which provides meaning and relevance to today's society. Most of all, they speak pearls of wisdom directly to you. Filtered and interpreted via hierarchical vessels of God, giving answers and comfort which is sought by so many; providing solace, peace and contentment for countless millions worldwide. As a general rule, I speak so ambivalently about religion as I have seen and continue to be partisan to the good that religion can have in our lives. Science is the search for truth. Instead of magically uplifting words of encouragement from edited and mistranslated words of scriptures of ancient man, and when seen through the un-blinkered eyes of science, these tales of old taught as fact have as much meaning today as this year's best selling, new transliteration and interpretation of the works of Nostradamus, or today's tabloid horoscopes; each using the well defined and documented 'Forer Effect', giving perceived extra 3 weight to a more generalised phenomenon which is of limited and subjective validation due to belief expectancy, or what is simply known as a self-serving bias. Science has always distanced itself from religion because of the empirical nature of its results. Religious faith requires the denial of observation in order to preserve a belief, whereas science adjusts its views based upon observations. These observations are then documented, becoming the basis for ongoing research; whereby, indicatively weighted and peer reviewed research results become hypotheses with an abundance of positive Six Sigma data-sets, begetting unequivocal acceptance as fact unto the greater scientific community with its adoption by leading scholars and the greatest minds in the world, which slowly filter into our educational text books. This book strips away the perceived necessity to circumnavigate the foibles and subjective interpretations of what each and every person's idea of spirituality is, or any remedial definitions of the soul or afterlife. This book aims at combining the facts we already know about humanity and presents them in a way that most people can comprehend, leaving any interpretations or subjective matters of the heart aside, in order for you to decide where this takes you on your own journey of discovery. Walk with me now on a journey of past, present and future; discovering what it means to be human...and the questions and answers we discover along the way. Dr. Roy Murphy 4 CHAPTER 1 Earth History Depending upon your book of choice, either space is our final frontier, or in the beginning God created The Heavens and The Earth. Science tells us that there is a lack of data to confirm either statement and strongly suggests beyond reasonable doubt, that neither are true. Science does however give us a wealth of empirical data with a very precise set of calculators of universal truths, and yet the vast majority of the world will inevitably, seemingly obstinately, in spite of all of this knowledge, continue to believe in the mystical and magical writings of ancient man. This is not a story to boldly go where no book has gone before, but an irrefutable and empirical chain of documented events that describe what we know with absolute certainty in a manner that the typical, rational person can comprehend. This is however a journal of empirical information; a wealth of known knowns, condensed into a handy encyclopaedia of knowledge, and for those who have neglected these truths so far are either going to mock in order to preserve their belief, or lead a real sea change of thought processes that evokes ferment instead of invoking mysticism, for a true understanding and set of philosophical reasoning’s, rather than the forced perspective of scriptures, formed inside the superstitious depths of hallowed antiquity. This will be a bitter pill to swallow for any Seventh Day Adventist or any other Millerite based flavour of Presbyterian polity. 5 US - THE WHO, WHAT & WHY OF MANKIND For others, there will be a sliding scale of acceptance, although science does not begin to pander to any of them. Science is the unified and universal voice of the continued search for truth. Billions of people on our planet will tell you that God is the only truth, and one which can only be found through Him as it is written in the scriptures. These scriptures are the majority of the monotheistic religions, of which there is a choice of around 730 established major religions, which, in turn, are broken down into about 3200 sects. Christianity for example, is just one of those religions, yet has over 200 major sects of beliefs containing their own unique traditions and interpretations, currently nearing 41,000 different Christian belief denominations that make up 2.1 billion people. It seems that the odds of winning the lottery are considerably more favourable than the permutations of an individual happening upon the correct religious set of beliefs, if there is such a thing; yet, nearly 84% of the population of the planet subscribes to a belief system of one entity or another, with promises of some form of reincarnation, or the promise of everlasting life for the most benevolent and subordinate of subjects. Thankfully, science also agrees with everlasting life. For anyone who studies particle physics, or has an understanding about the creation of our universe will understand the undeniable truth that all of the energy in the universe has always been there and always will be there, which should at least bring some comfort to those of an atheist persuasion. To fully understand the requirements of life we must first understand how our home planet came about, and where that fits in over the course of the cycle of our universe. When we say universe, we mean all of the matter created by the last 'Big Bang' event that continues to emanate outwards today. Without going too deep into Loop Quantum Cosmology or String Theory, there is a consensus now among scientists that reinforces Einstein's original theory of the Cyclic Model that emulates a scaled
Recommended publications
  • 2012 St. Peter's Pikeland Ucc Church History
    2012 Author Unknown The wonder of it! Eternity having been set in the tiny acorn of the man called Jesus Christ, waiting to fill the universe with the plantation of mighty Live-oak trees! ST. PETER’S PIKELAND UCC CHURCH HISTORY CHAPTER THREE 1883 THROUGH 2012 When recounting our history – particularly during the latter part of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries – we must recognize and commend the work of our St. Peter’s Angel, Annamae Moore. Officially we call her our Pastoral Coordinator, a role that in many ways only Annamae is uniquely qualified to serve. Our last eight pastors (Siudy, Thompson, Mackey, Langerhans, Hetrich, Lamson, Zehmer and Hanson) have been ably assisted by Annamae. She has an extraordinary bedside manner when calling on the sick or grieving families, she helps every bride with the stress of a wedding day and every Sunday assure that our worship service runs like a finely tuned watch. We thank Annamae for her tireless service and dedicate this chapter of our history to her because she has been and continues to be a major part of our church life. 2 Table of Contents A Message to Our Successors at St. Peters ..................................................................................... 5 Getting to Know St. Peter’s Pikeland in the Larger Context of the United Church of Christ ......... 7 What we believe ......................................................................................................................... 7 UCC Structure:............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • HINDUISM in EUROPE Stockholm 26-28 April, 2017 Abstracts
    HINDUISM IN EUROPE Stockholm 26-28 April, 2017 Abstracts 1. Vishwa Adluri, Hunter College, USA Sanskrit Studies in Germany, 1800–2015 German scholars came late to Sanskrit, but within a quarter century created an impressive array of faculties. European colleagues acknowledged Germany as the center of Sanskrit studies on the continent. This chapter examines the reasons for this buildup: Prussian university reform, German philological advances, imagined affinities with ancient Indian and, especially, Aryan culture, and a new humanistic model focused on method, objectivity, and criticism. The chapter’s first section discusses the emergence of German Sanskrit studies. It also discusses the pantheism controversy between F. W. Schlegel and G. W. F. Hegel, which crucially influenced the German reception of Indian philosophy. The second section traces the German reception of the Bhagavad Gītā as a paradigmatic example of German interpretive concerns and reconstructive methods. The third section examines historic conflicts and potential misunderstandings as German scholars engaged with the knowledge traditions of Brahmanic Hinduism. A final section examines wider resonances as European scholars assimilated German methods and modeled their institutions and traditions on the German paradigm. The conclusion addresses shifts in the field as a result of postcolonial criticisms, epistemic transformations, critical histories, and declining resources. 2. Milda Ališauskienė, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania “Strangers among Ours”: Contemporary Hinduism in Lithuania This paper analyses the phenomenon of contemporary Hinduism in Lithuania from a sociological perspective; it aims to discuss diverse forms of Hindu expression in Lithuanian society and public attitudes towards it. Firstly, the paper discusses the history and place of contemporary Hinduism within the religious map of Lithuania.
    [Show full text]
  • Conference Handbook ICSA 2010 Annual International Conference: Psychological Manipulation, Cultic Groups, and Harm
    Conference Handbook ICSA 2010 Annual International Conference: Psychological Manipulation, Cultic Groups, and Harm With the collaboration of Info-Cult/Info-Secte, Montreal, Canada July 1-3, 2010 Doubletree at George Washington Bridge 2117 Route 4 East, Fort Lee, NJ International Cultic Studies Association PO Box 2265 Bonita Springs, FL 34133 239-514-3081 www.icsahome.com Welcome Welcome to the 2010 International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) conference, Psychological Manipulation, Cultic Groups, and Harm. Speakers have given much of their time in order to present at this conference. Many attendees have come long distances and have diverse backgrounds. Hence, please help us begin sessions on time and maintain a respectful tone during the sometimes lively and provocative discussions. This is a public conference. If you have matters that are sensitive or that you prefer to keep confidential, you should exercise appropriate care. Private audio- or videotaping is not permitted. We hope to make some videos and/or audios available after the conference. Press who attend the conference may come from mainstream and nonmainstream, even controversial, organizations. If a journalist seeks to interview you, exercise appropriate care. If you desire to refuse an interview request, feel free to do so. Remember, if you give an interview, you will have no control over what part of the interview, if any, will be used. ICSA conferences try to encourage dialogue and are open to diverse points of view. Hence, opinions expressed at the conference or in books and other materials available in the bookstore should be interpreted as opinions of the speakers or writers, not necessarily the views of ICSA or its staff, directors, or advisors.
    [Show full text]
  • Principia Discordia.Pdf
    RAW Intro | Omar Intro | Title Page | Index | Version Notes | INTRODUCTION You hold in your hands one of the Great Books of our century fnord. Some Great Books are recognized at once with a fusillade of critical huzzahs and gonfolons, like Joyce’s Ulysses. Others appear almost furtively and are only discovered 50 years later, like Moby Dick or Mendel’s great essay on genetics. The Principia Discordia entered our space-time continuum almost as unobtrusively as a cat-burglar creeping over a windowsill. In 1968, virtually nobody had heard of this wonderful book. In 1970, hundreds of people from coast to coast were talking about it and asking the identity of the mysterious author, Malaclypse the Younger. Rumors swept across the continent, from New York to Los Angeles, from Seattle to St. Joe. Malaclypse was actually Alan Watts, one heard. No, said another legend – the Principia was actually the work of the Sufi Order. A third, very intriguing myth held that Malaclypse was a pen-name for Richard M. Nixon, who had allegedly composed the Principia during a few moments of lucidity. I enjoyed each of these yarns and did my part to help spread them. I was also careful never to contradict the occasional rumors that I had actually written the whole thing myself during an acid trip. The legendry, the mystery, the cult grew very slowly. By the mid- 1970’s, thousands of people, some as far off as Hong Kong and Australia, were talking about the Principia, and since the original was out of print by then, xerox copies were beginning to circulate here and there.
    [Show full text]
  • Apocrypha Discordiadiscordia Ðe Seconde Edityon
    ApocryphaApocrypha DiscordiaDiscordia Ðe Seconde Edityon Compy’eled fromme Dyverƒ Sorƒeƒ by Hiƒ Wholineß ðe Rev DrJon Swabey Wið ILLUMINATIONS by Pope Phil Wlodarczyk III To the Prettiest One and to Blade, without whom. and in honour: Mal2 and Omar; Greg and Kerry; A couple of guys, A couple of saints. Dance with the Goddess (Jiggy-Jiggy) ILLUMINATIONS BY POPE PHIL WLODARCZYK III Content and Layout The Rev DrJon Swabey & a whole bunch of other Erisians, Discordians and Weirdos far too many to list here on this tiny page (sorry). Where identified, they’re all credited in the text. All effort has been made to verify the (K) status of individual items, however in the event of non - (K) items being accidentally included, please notify, and said items will be removed in subsequent editions. ( K ) 2001 ALL RITES REVERSED REPRINT WHAT YOU LIKE Second Edition 2002 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Apocrypha Discordia with ILLUMINATIONS by Pope Phil Wlodarczyk III Assembled by His Wholiness the Rev DrJon on behalf of The Committee for Public Safety Approved for abuse in schools Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to be free The wretched refuse of your teeming shore This country always needs more Soylent Green HAIL ERIS! — καλλιχτι — ALL HAIL DISCORDIA! Eristroduction You should have put that in there...”I found out I was dying, and used my last days to create a Discordian Manual...” Prince MuChao, Private correspodance, January 2002 Of course, I was wrong, Little Deluded Dupe that I am. Seven days before I was scheduled for Surgery, that quiet voice which I imagine also talks to Zen monks, Sufi mullahs and other Disreputable Persons at the End, rapped sharply on my skull and told me to get my shit in order within the week.
    [Show full text]
  • A Contextual Examination of Three Historical Stages of Atheism and the Legality of an American Freedom from Religion
    ABSTRACT Rejecting the Definitive: A Contextual Examination of Three Historical Stages of Atheism and the Legality of an American Freedom from Religion Ethan Gjerset Quillen, B.A., M.A., M.A. Mentor: T. Michael Parrish, Ph.D. The trouble with “definitions” is they leave no room for evolution. When a word is concretely defined, it is done so in a particular time and place. Contextual interpretations permit a better understanding of certain heavy words; Atheism as a prime example. In the post-modern world Atheism has become more accepted and popular, especially as a reaction to global terrorism. However, the current definition of Atheism is terribly inaccurate. It cannot be stated properly that pagan Atheism is the same as New Atheism. By interpreting the Atheisms from four stages in the term‟s history a clearer picture of its meaning will come out, hopefully alleviating the stereotypical biases weighed upon it. In the interpretation of the Atheisms from Pagan Antiquity, the Enlightenment, the New Atheist Movement, and the American Judicial and Civil Religious system, a defense of the theory of elastic contextual interpretations, rather than concrete definitions, shall be made. Rejecting the Definitive: A Contextual Examination of Three Historical Stages of Atheism and the Legality of an American Freedom from Religion by Ethan Gjerset Quillen, B.A., M.A. A Thesis Approved by the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies ___________________________________ Robyn L. Driskell, Ph.D., Interim Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee ___________________________________ T.
    [Show full text]
  • Examining the Transference Between Mithraism and Christianity Peter J
    \ The Sword and the Cross: Examining the Transference between Mithraism and Christianity Peter J. Decker III Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Manwell Ph. D .. Kalamazoo College Co-Chair of Classics Department I - A paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degr~e of Bachelor of ~rts at - - Kalamazoo College. 2013 Table of Contents Acknowledgments ......................... ~ .... : ......................................................ii I. The Cult ofMithras: Imagery, Practices, and Beliefs ............................... .1-21 II. Examining the Transference between Mithraism and Christianity ............... ~ .. 23-38 III. Appendix .......................· ............................................................. 39 Bibliography .................... ·................................................................. 40-44 / 11 Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to my loving parents who made it possible to attend Kalamazoo College and allow me to further my studies in Classics. Without their financial and emotional support I would not have been able to complete this Senior Independent Project (SIP). Love you Mom and Dad! I am also deepl_y thankful to the Todd family and their generous grant, the Todd Memorial Classics Study Abroad Grant, which allowed me to travel to Italy and gain the inspiration for the topic of my SIP. I would like to express aspecial thanks to my SIP advisor Prof. Manwell, for putting up with all my procrastination and my challenging writing. I hope you didn't spend to many nights up late editing my drafts. Without all of you none of this would have been possible. Thank you very much. 1 I. The Cult ofMithras: Imagery, Practices, and Beliefs In the spring of 2011 an American atheist group put up a billboard in downtown New York City which read: "Born of a virgin on December 25th, known to his 12 disciples as "the Son of God, and resurrected three days after his death, we wish a Happy Birthday to Mithras, the mythical Persian god imagined over 600 years before that other guy ..
    [Show full text]
  • Mithraism and Gnosticism
    Mithraism and Gnosticism The theme of'Mithraism and Gnosticism' is at the same time fascinating and difficult to handle. It evokes a general question of relations between gnos­ ticism and the mystery cults (and the mysteriosophic doctrines)! of late pagan antiquity, but is at the same time conditioned by the specific char­ acteristics of the sources of Mithraism, that historical-religious 'quantity' which is so well determined yet so difficult to penetrate. Furthermore, it must be said that, whereas the final form of the initiatory cult of Mithras in the Roman milieu may be clearly caught through the remains of its typical sanctuaries and through direct witnesses (though poor in contents) which its adepts have bequeathed to us, the questions of the historical-cultural back­ ground of Mithraism are more complex than those of other mystery cults of the Graeco-Roman world. Suffice it to mention the researches of the Swedish school, and in particular those of G. Widengren,2 which examine the prob­ lem of the relations of Mithraism with Iran and those ~octrines which also play an essential part in the same author's studies of the origins of Gnosticism. We will face the problem starting with Mithraism's occidental connections. We have already hinted at this argument in a previous article on certain aspects of Gnostic and 'Orphic' theologies that imply syncretism or analogies with the Mithraic material.3 In this paper, two topics will be considered: first the cult and the figure of Arimanius in the mysteries, and second the ascensus of the souls-topics that most evidently belong to the question of 'Mithraism and Gnosticism'.
    [Show full text]
  • Transcendent Philosophy an International Journal for Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism Editor Transcendent Philosophy Is a Publication of the Seyed G
    Volume 9. December 2008 Transcendent Philosophy An International Journal for Comparative Philosophy and Mysticism Editor Transcendent Philosophy is a publication of the Seyed G. Safavi London Academy of Iranian Studies and aims to SOAS, University of London, UK create a dialogue between Eastern, Western and Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism is published in Book Review Editor December. Contributions to Transcendent Sajjad H. Rizvi Philosophy do not necessarily reflect the views of the Exeter University, UK editorial board or the London Academy of Iranian Editorial Board Studies. Contributors are invited to submit papers on the G. A’awani, Iranian Institue of Philosophy, Iran following topics: Comparative studies on Islamic, A. Acikgenc, Fatih University, Turkey Eastern and Western schools of Philosophy, M. Araki, Islamic Centre England, UK Philosophical issues in history of Philosophy, Issues in contemporary Philosophy, Epistemology, S. Chan, SOAS University of London, UK Philosophy of mind and cognitive science, W. Chittick, State University of New York, USA Philosophy of science (physics, mathematics, R. Davari, Tehran University, Iran biology, psychology, etc), Logic and philosophical logic, Philosophy of language, Ethics and moral G. Dinani, Tehran University, Iran philosophy, Theology and philosophy of religion, P.S. Fosl, Transylvania University, USA Sufism and mysticism, Eschatology, Political M. Khamenei, SIPRIn, Iran Philosophy, Philosophy of Art and Metaphysics. B. Kuspinar, McGill University, Canada The mailing address of the Transcendent Philosophy is: H. Landolt, McGill University, Canada Dr S.G. Safavi O. Leaman, University of Kentucky, USA Journal of Transcendent Philosophy Y. Michot, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, UK 121 Royal Langford 2 Greville Road M. Mohaghegh-Damad, Beheshti University, Iran London NW6 5HT J.
    [Show full text]
  • Kayla Marie Swanson
    What the Puck? The Gentle Wind Project, a Quasi-Religious New Age Alternative Healing Organization by Kayla Marie Swanson A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Religious Studies University of Alberta © Kayla Marie Swanson, 2015 ii Abstract The quasi-religious space is important for examining groups and organizations that exhibit qualities of both the sacred and the secular, particularly when groups have a vested interest in being perceived as either secular or sacred. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the Gentle Wind Project, a quasi-religious, New Age alternative healing movement, and to demonstrate how the group fit the category of quasi-religious. First I examined the category of quasi-religion, using Scientology and Transcendental Meditation as two examples of it, followed by examining the religious and secular aspects of Gentle Wind. As part of the examination of Gentle Wind as a quasi-religion, this thesis also briefly explores the role of the internet for Gentle Wind and critics, as well as examines one of the main lawsuits in which the group was involved. Gentle Wind ultimately sued former members and critics over statements made about the group online, and the results of this lawsuit have implications for a long-standing debate within the sociology of religion. This debate revolves around the reliability of former member testimony regarding groups with which they were previously affiliated. In order to conduct my analysis, I followed two research methods. First, I relied heavily on primary source material regarding the Gentle Wind Project, which required me to use an archival methodology.
    [Show full text]
  • Integrating Việt Nam Into World History Surveys
    Southeast Asia in the Humanities and Social Science Curricula Integrating Việt Nam into World History Surveys By Mauricio Borrero and Tuan A. To t is not an exaggeration to say that the Việt Nam War of the 1960–70s emphasize to help students navigate the long span of world history surveys. remains the major, and sometimes only, point of entry of Việt Nam Another reason why world history teachers are often inclined to teach into the American imagination. Tis is true for popular culture in Việt Nam solely in the context of war is the abundance of teaching aids general and the classroom in particular. Although the Việt Nam War centered on the Việt Nam War. There is a large body of films and docu- ended almost forty years ago, American high school and college stu- mentaries about the war. Many of these films feature popular American dents continue to learn about Việt Nam mostly as a war and not as a coun- actors such as Sylvester Stallone, Tom Berenger, and Tom Cruise. There Itry. Whatever coverage of Việt Nam found in history textbooks is primar- are also a large number of games and songs about the war, as well as sub- ily devoted to the war. Beyond the classroom, most materials about Việt stantial news coverage of veterans and the Việt Nam War whenever the Nam available to students and the general public, such as news, literature, United States engages militarily in any part of the world. American lit- games, and movies, are also related to the war. Learning about Việt Nam as erature, too, has a large selection of memoirs, diaries, history books, and a war keeps students from a holistic understanding of a thriving country of novels about the war.
    [Show full text]
  • SETTLER COLONIALISM and UTOPIANISM by Karl
    UNSETTLING HOPE: SETTLER COLONIALISM AND UTOPIANISM by Karl Joseph Hardy A thesis submitted to the Cultural Studies Graduate Program In conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada June 10, 2015 Copyright © Karl Joseph Hardy, 2015 Abstract This dissertation locates the manifold concept of utopia as imbricated with the project of English settler colonialism in the New World and the succeeding settler colonial societies of Canada and the US. I situate Thomas More’s Utopia as an early modern narrative that was mobilized to articulate notions of transcendental progress and universal rationality commensurate with Christian Humanism, which served to justify expropriation of Indigenous lands. I further locate contemporary Indigenous critical theoretical interventions into longstanding scholarly theories of nation and peoplehood. I argue that Indigenous critical theory, literary studies, and works of Indigenous speculative fiction serve an immanent critique to the settler utopian traditions of Canada and the US, which both reflect and further the naturalization of settler colonialism as an enduring force which frames the contemporary experience of globalization. This immanent critique is also applied to contemporary utopian studies discourses, including emergent discussions of “Non-Western” and “postcolonial” utopias. I proceed to an exploration of contemporary speculative narratives of Indigenous, racialized non-Native, and white settler peoples concerned with varying notions of indigneity. I argue such narratives propose desirable social change in ways that further naturalize or resist settler colonialism in their respective envisages of the future. ii Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to all of my family, friends, teachers, and colleagues who have challenged and supported me throughout my time as a doctoral student, especially my supervisor, Scott Morgensen.
    [Show full text]