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Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses Balanced Wonder: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Role of Wonder in Human Flourishing PEDERSEN, JAN,BJERGGAARD,WAKATSUKI How to cite: PEDERSEN, JAN,BJERGGAARD,WAKATSUKI (2015) Balanced Wonder: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Role of Wonder in Human Flourishing, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11406/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 BALANCED WONDER: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Role of Wonder in Human Flourishing By Jan Bjerggaard Wakatsuki Pedersen Submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health Durham University 2015 To my family Mai Wakatsuki Pedersen, Iris (2015). Table of Contents Abstract 1 List of Illustrations 2 Acknowledgement 3 Introduction 5 1. The Lure of Wonder 15 1.1 The Name and Root of Wonder 23 1.2 A History of Wonder 26 1.3 Provisional Taxonomy of Altered States 47 1.4 Enemies of Wonder 64 1.5 Towards a Preliminary Understanding of Wonder 68 2. Wonder and Emotion 72 2.1 Grounds for Investigating Wonder as an Emotion 73 2.2 What is an Emotion? 80 2.2.1 The Cognitive Approach 86 2.2.2 The Cognitive Approach and Epistemic Emotions 91 2.3 Is Wonder an Emotion? 94 2.4 Other Faces of Wonder 97 2.5 Conclusion 100 3. Wonder and Imagination 101 3.1 Why Investigate Wonder in Relation to Imagination 101 3.2 The Range and Scope of Imagination 103 3.3 Mary Warnock and Imagination 106 3.4 Ronald Hepburn and Imagination 116 3.5 Roger Scruton and Imagination 126 3.6 Conclusion 138 4. Implications of the Role of Imagination in Wonder 141 4.1 Wonder, Perception and Imagination 141 4.2 Wonder, Imagination and the Development of Moral Scope and Sensitivity 148 4.3 Wondrous Afterglows and Deep Wonder 156 4.4. Conclusion 161 5. Wonder, Human Flourishing and Virtue 162 5.1 Douglas Rasmussen and Human Flourishing 163 5.2 Alasdair MacIntyre and Human Flourishing 172 5.3 Martha Nussbaum and Human Flourishing 180 5.4 Sources of Human Flourishing 194 5.5 Wonder as a Source of Flourishing 199 5.6 Conclusion 216 Conclusion: Wondering about Wonder 218 Bibliography 232 Abstract The phenomenon of wonder has fascinated scholars for centuries, yet today the subject is understudied and not rooted in any specific academic discipline. Attempts at building a preliminary account of wonder reveals that the experience of wonder is characterised by seven properties: wonder (1) is sudden, extraordinary and personal; (2) intensifies the cognitive focus; (3) intensifies the use of imagination; (4) instigates awareness of ignorance; (5) causes temporary displacement; (6) makes the world newly present; and (7) brings emotional upheaval. Furthermore, wonder can be distinguished from other similar altered states, including awe, horror, the sublime, curiosity, amazement, admiration and astonishment. Human flourishing is a concept in ethics that has enjoyed a revival since Elizabeth Anscombe’s 1958 article ‘Modern Moral Philosophy’. Through the work of Neo- Aristotelian philosophers Douglas Rasmussen, Alasdair McIntyre and Martha Nussbaum who have contributed to the field a working model of human flourishing attentive to human nature was established. As a result of in-depth examination of the contribution of both emotion and imagination in the experience of wonder through a Neo-Aristotelian lens it becomes evident that wonder may contribute to human flourishing via a number of effects, including (but not restricted to) widening of perception, extension of moral scope or sensitivity and prompting deep wonder, a wondrous afterglow, openness, humility, an imaginative attitude, reverence and gratitude. Importantly, for wonder to act as a strong contributor to human flourishing one needs to wonder at the right (or appropriate) thing, in the right amount, in the right time, in the right way and for the right purpose. Cultivating a balanced sense of wonder is thus by no means an easy task but having a critical attitude towards one’s wonderment would aid one to wonder in a virtuous way. 1 List of Illustrations Page 142 Figure 4.1. Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Rudolf II as Vertumnus, Skoklosters slott, Skokloster, Sweden (1591). Page 146 Figure 4.2. Phillipe Grassous, Hydrothermal Worm (2010) Page 218 Figure 6.1. The Core Constituents of the Experience of Wonder. Page 223 Figure 6.2. Possible Effects of Wonder. 2 Acknowledgement The present doctoral study on wonder has grown out of a Welcome Trust supported 5- year, £2M project on ‘Medicine and Human Flourishing’ conducted by the Centre for Medical Humanities (CMH), School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health, Durham University. It has been a privilege to be a part of this project but to wonder about wonder is an unsettling affair and during the course of my undertaking I have ever so often found myself trapped in what seemed to be an inescapable mire. In such situations unless one like Rudolf Erich Raspe’s adventurous character Baron Munchhausen has the ability to pull oneself out of trouble by ones own hair deliverance depends on the good will of others. I am no Munchhausen and thus I would like to take this opportunity to thank some of the excellent people whose wisdom, knowledge and skills I have enjoyed throughout my years at Durham University and whose support enabled me to pull through. First and foremost I must express my inestimable dept to my supervisors Professor Martyn Evans and Dr. Angela Woods who despite my many shortcomings continued to believe in me and offered helpful guidance, careful critique and corrective comments at numerous stages in the writing process. Many thanks also to my reviewers from the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Health: Dr. Simon Forrest, Professor Jane Macnaughton and Dr. Lutz Sauerteig for helpful advice and encouragement during my study. Likewise I am grateful to Dr. Ian Kidd and Dr. William Viney, Durham University and Professor Stephen Pattison, University of Birmingham for their many courtesies and academic advice. A big thanks also goes to my friends Geoff Beyers, Jakob Mølbjerg, Lone Stub Petersen and my brother Lars Pedersen for thoughtful suggestions and critical comments on the thesis. I also benefitted from many conversations with my friends Matthew Neale and Colin Wild about life’s big questions. Thanks also goes to David Clinnick and James Walker who invited me into the world of archaeology. Additionally I like to extend my appreciation to all my colleagues at the Deaconess Foundation, Frederiksberg, Denmark but especially to Pia Palnæs Hansen and Fred Maron who kindly invited me twice a year during my study to lecture at the Deaconess University College, which not only provided me the opportunity to share some of my ideas on wonder and human flourishing but also helped ease financial pressures. I also like to thank Sister Marete Pelle Poulsen for a healing conversation about gaps. 3 A big thanks goes to Thomas Hirst and Sam Walkwell for making my many writing hours at Starbucks, Framwelgate-Bridge House in Durham most pleasant and for providing an endless supply of my favourite cognitive enhancer: ‘Tall Filter’ at a reasonable price. Thanks also to fellow customer at Starbucks Allan Beattie for interesting and heart-warming discussions. Additionally I am grateful to my mentors Dr. Hans Fink and Professor Steen Wackerhausen at Aarhus University for inspirational lectures that still live on in me and for their encouragement to advance my philosophical studies. My gratitude also goes to Peter Martin Fogh-sensei, Seido Ryu for extending ‘Os (オス)!’ at a critical time and Ethan Monnot Weisgard-sensei, head of Copenhagen Aiki Shuren Dojo for teaching me the mental application of ‘Tai no henko (体の変更)’ which I have put to use frequently during my study. Lisewise I am grateful to my friends Astrid Polato, Fabio Cicarelli, Frank Kauf, Catherine Racine and Claus Simonsen for their kind support. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family. I extend my thanks to my wife’s grandmother Chiba-chan (Kiyo Wakatsuki) who at a critical stage told me that she was proud of me and that I will appreciate my study when I am as old as she. My parents-in-law Tetsuyuki and Keiko Wakatsuki for accepting my reasons for commencing the study and for trusting that I would remain capable of caring for their daughter and grandchild in spite of it. Likewise I like to thank my own parents Kirsten and Flemming Pedersen, my brother Lars Pedersen, his partner Pernille Dohn and my brother Kim Pedersen for their continuous moral support and financial aid. My biggest thanks go to my wife Ayako and my daughter Mai. Mai has provided the art depicting Iris on the dedication page and she is responsible for an important example of wonder used in the thesis. Ayako has more than often pulled me out of ‘the mire’ and I cannot express how grateful I am for her fortitude, kindness, patience and unshakeable support throughout my study not forgetting her careful critique, suggestions and proof reading which have saved me from a variety of errors.
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