Foundations of Culture

Foundations of Culture PDF Author: Harald Haarmann
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9783631566855
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Get Book Here

Book Description
Constructing culture means constructing knowledge and making it operational for the benefit of sustained community life. As a cognitive process, knowledge-construction does not evolve in a vacuum but rather interacts with belief systems and worldview. Cultural knowledge is modulated by key factors such as time (linear versus non-linear), conceptions of reality (physical, imagined, virtual), identity, and intentionality. The critical investigation and comparison of cultures in space and time call for a revision of several concepts. These include utility (as the maxim of modern Euro-American society), prototype (as an allegedly unified concept of culture evolution), and replacement (as a generalizing signifier for the exchange of old items for new ones). The working of cultural memory is understood as the storage capacity of items of knowledge (relating to the past, present and future) according to parameters of experienced rather than absolute time. This study discusses a wide selection of the variables shaping the foundations and fabric of culture, starting with the human capacities for symbol-making and using sign systems. The impact of knowledge-construction on the culture process is articulated in 30 postulates concerning the dynamics of communal life and patterns of sustenance, the relationship between the natural environment and cultural space, and the life cycle of cultures.

Foundations of Culture

Foundations of Culture PDF Author: Harald Haarmann
Publisher: Peter Lang
ISBN: 9783631566855
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Get Book Here

Book Description
Constructing culture means constructing knowledge and making it operational for the benefit of sustained community life. As a cognitive process, knowledge-construction does not evolve in a vacuum but rather interacts with belief systems and worldview. Cultural knowledge is modulated by key factors such as time (linear versus non-linear), conceptions of reality (physical, imagined, virtual), identity, and intentionality. The critical investigation and comparison of cultures in space and time call for a revision of several concepts. These include utility (as the maxim of modern Euro-American society), prototype (as an allegedly unified concept of culture evolution), and replacement (as a generalizing signifier for the exchange of old items for new ones). The working of cultural memory is understood as the storage capacity of items of knowledge (relating to the past, present and future) according to parameters of experienced rather than absolute time. This study discusses a wide selection of the variables shaping the foundations and fabric of culture, starting with the human capacities for symbol-making and using sign systems. The impact of knowledge-construction on the culture process is articulated in 30 postulates concerning the dynamics of communal life and patterns of sustenance, the relationship between the natural environment and cultural space, and the life cycle of cultures.

The Phoenix Exultant

The Phoenix Exultant PDF Author: John C. Wright
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 1429915587
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Get Book Here

Book Description
And now The Phoenix Exultant, a second epic novel of an heroic quest in a far future world of super-science from an important new talent. The Phoenix Exultant is a continuation of the story begun in The Golden Age and, like it, a grand space opera in the tradition of Jack Vance and Roger Zelazny (with a touch of Cordwainer Smith-style invention). At the conclusion of the first book, Phaethon of Radamanthus House, was left an exile from his life of power and privilege. Now he embarks upon a quest across the transformed solar system--Jupiter is a second sun, Mars and Venus terraformed, humanity immortal--among humans, intelligent machines, and bizarre life-forms, to recover his memory, to regain his place in society and to move that society away from stagnation and toward the stars. And most of all Phaethon's quest is to regain ownership of the magnificent starship, the Phoenix Exultant, the most wonderful ship ever built, and to fly her to the stars. It is an astounding story of super-science, a thrilling wonder story that recaptures the verve of SF's Golden Age writers The Phoenix Exultant is a suitably grand and stirring fulfillment of the promise shown in The Golden Age and confirms John C. Wright as a major new talent in the field. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Transformation and Tradition and Other Essays

Transformation and Tradition and Other Essays PDF Author: Gottfried Wilhelm Locher
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900464427X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Get Book Here

Book Description


Ancient Southeast Asia

Ancient Southeast Asia PDF Author: John Norman Miksic
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1317279042
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 654

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ancient Southeast Asia provides readers with a much needed synthesis of the latest discoveries and research in the archaeology of the region, presenting the evolution of complex societies in Southeast Asia from the protohistoric period, beginning around 500BC, to the arrival of British and Dutch colonists in 1600. Well-illustrated throughout, this comprehensive account explores the factors which established Southeast Asia as an area of unique cultural fusion. Miksic and Goh explore how the local population exploited the abundant resources available, developing maritime transport routes which resulted in economic and cultural wealth, including some of the most elaborate art styles and monumental complexes ever constructed. The book’s broad geographical and temporal coverage, including a chapter on the natural environment, provides readers with the context needed to understand this staggeringly diverse region. It utilizes French, Dutch, Chinese, Malay-Indonesian and Burmese sources and synthesizes interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and data from archaeology, history and art history. Offering key opportunities for comparative research with other centres of early socio-economic complexity, Ancient Southeast Asia establishes the area’s importance in world history.

The Golden Transcendence

The Golden Transcendence PDF Author: John C. Wright
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 1429915595
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 436

Get Book Here

Book Description
Beginning with The Golden Age, continuing with The Phoenix Exultant and now concluding in The Golden Transcendence, John C. Wright's grand space opera is a SF adventure saga in the tradition of A. E. van Vogt and Roger Zelazny. It is an astounding story of super-science, a thrilling wonder story that recaptures the excitements of SF's golden agewriters in the suspenseful and passionate tale of a lone rebel unhappy in utopia. The end of the Millennium is imminent, when all minds, human, posthuman, cybernetic, sophotechnic, will be temporarily merged into one solar-system-spanning supermind called the Transcendence. This is not only the fulfillment of a thousand years of dreams, it is a day of doom, when the universal mind will pass judgment on all the races of humanity and transhumanity. The mighty ship Phoenix Exultant is at last in the hands of her master; Phaethon the Exile is at her helm. But the terrible truth has been revealed: he is being hunted by the agents from a long-lost dead star, the eerie and deadly Lords of the Silent Oecumene, whose super-technology plumbs depths even the all-knowing Earthmind cannot fathom. Humanity will be helpless during the Golden Transcendence. Phaethon's enemies plan to use the opportunity to destroy the population of the Inner System, man and machine alike. To do this, they must take control of Phaethon's beloved starship and turn her unparalleled power to warlike uses. Phaethon's memories are incomplete - but he knows a spy for the Silent Ones is already aboard. And when the all-encompassing Mind of the Golden Transcendence wakes - who will it condemn? Which future will it chose? Are Phaethon's dreams of star-flight about to revolutionize the Golden Age into an age even more glorious than gold, or will they kindle the first open war fought across the immensity of interstellar space? At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The Territories of Identity

The Territories of Identity PDF Author: Soumyen Bandyopadhyay
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134717318
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Get Book Here

Book Description
The expedited globalised process of exchange and new forms of cultural production have transformed old established notions of identity, calling into question their conceptual foundations. This book explores the spatial and representational dimension of this phenomenon, by addressing how the reshaping of the key themes of place, architecture and memory are altering the nature, as well as, our understanding of identity. Cutting across boundaries, the book drives discussion of identity beyond the well-worn concern for its loss within a globalised context, and importantly provides links between identity, place, memory and representation in architecture. Examining a range of case studies from Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico, Turkey and Singapore, as well as with contributions cutting across geographical and temporal boundaries, this volume addresses such issues as architecture technology, place and memory – critical issues in the monitoring and mapping of identity shift within a rapidly globalising context. With contributions from renowned authors in the field including Nicholas Temple, Patsy Hely, Robert Brown, Liane Lefaivre, John Hendrix, Ana Souto, Fiona MacLaren, Stephen Walker, Nezar AlSayyad, Andrzej Piotrowski, Catherine Ettinger, Luz Marie Rodríguez, and Raymond Quek this book presents fresh insights and diverse perspectives on the evolving question of identity and globalisation.

Burial and Memorial in Late Antiquity

Burial and Memorial in Late Antiquity PDF Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004687971
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 431

Get Book Here

Book Description
Burial and Memorial explores funerary and commemorative archaeology A.D. 284-650, across the late antique world. This second volume includes papers exploring all aspects of funerary archaeology, from scientific samples in graves, to grave goods and tomb robbing and a bibliographic essay. It brings into focus neglected regions not usually considered by funerary archaeologists in NW Europe, such as the Levant, where burial archaeology is rich in grave good, to Sicily and Sardinia, where post-mortem offerings and burial manipulations are well-attested. We also hear from excavations in Britain, from Canterbury and London, and see astonishing fruits from the application of science to graves recently excavated in Trier.

ANCIENT GREECE: The History of Classical Greece from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Hellenistic Age

ANCIENT GREECE: The History of Classical Greece from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Hellenistic Age PDF Author: John Bagnell Bury
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 805

Get Book Here

Book Description
In 'ANCIENT GREECE: The History of Classical Greece from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Hellenistic Age' by John Bagnell Bury, readers are taken on a comprehensive journey through the rich history of Classical Greece. Bury's scholarly work delves into the political, cultural, and social developments of ancient Greece, offering deep insights into the foundations of Western civilization. His meticulous research and engaging narrative style bring to life the key events and figures that shaped this influential period in history. Bury's examination of the Hellenistic Age provides a thorough analysis of the aftermath of the Classical era, highlighting the lasting impact of Greek civilization on the world. Through a blend of historical analysis and storytelling, this book offers a compelling exploration of ancient Greece's enduring legacy. John Bagnell Bury, a renowned historian and classical scholar, brings his expertise to 'ANCIENT GREECE'. With a background in studying ancient civilizations, Bury's passion for the subject shines through in his detailed account of Classical Greece. His authoritative voice and nuanced understanding of the historical context make this book a valuable resource for students and enthusiasts of ancient history. Bury's contribution to the field of classical studies is evident in this meticulously researched and accessible work. For readers seeking a comprehensive and engaging exploration of Classical Greece, 'ANCIENT GREECE' by John Bagnell Bury is a must-read. Whether you are a student of history or simply curious about the origins of Western civilization, this book offers a captivating narrative that illuminates the complexities and significance of ancient Greece. Bury's work encapsulates the essence of Classical Greece, making it an essential addition to any library of historical scholarship.

The Measure of Times Past

The Measure of Times Past PDF Author: Donald J. Wilcox
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226897222
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 302

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this extraordinary work, Donald J. Wilcox seeks to discover an approach to narrative and history consistent with the discontinuous, relative time of the twentieth century. He shows how our B.C./A.D. system, intimately connected to Newtonian concepts of continuous, objective, and absolute time, has affected our conception and experience of the past. He demonstrates absolute time's centrality to modern historical methodologies and the problems it has created in the selection and interpretation of facts. Inspired by contemporary fiction and Einsteinian concepts of relativity, he concludes his analysis with a comparison of our system with earlier, pre-Newtonian time schemes to create a radical new critique of historical objectivity.

The Fiction of Geopolitics

The Fiction of Geopolitics PDF Author: Christopher Lloyd GoGwilt
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804737319
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 292

Get Book Here

Book Description
Charting the contours of the long turn of the century, from 1860 to 1940, and studying a range of writers, genres, and disciplines, this book moves back and forth from Victorian to modernist fields of study to show how the 19th-century European hypothesis of culture haunts the 20th-century fiction of geopolitics.