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	<description>We have every right to dream heroic dreams.</description>
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		<title>&#8220;Self-Ownership&#8221;: A Critique.</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/self-ownership-a-critique/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/self-ownership-a-critique/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:01:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Epistemology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[axiom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free will]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[libertarianism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[package-deal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[relationship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-ownership]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[(1) Ownership is a relational concept that implies a relationship between the owner and the thing owned. Of course, the mere fact that a concept denotes a relationship does not exclude the possibility of self-referential relationships, e.g. a doctor treating himself, and that self-ownership is just an instance of that. But observe that the doctor [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=46&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>(1) Ownership is a relational concept that implies a relationship between the owner and the thing owned. Of course, the mere fact that a concept denotes a relationship does not exclude the possibility of self-referential relationships, e.g. a doctor treating himself, and that self-ownership is just an instance of that. But observe that the doctor does not treat himself qua doctor but qua patient. So that person is doctor in one respect and patient in another respect, and the relationship is between these two. Such, however, is not possible in the case of &#8220;self-ownership&#8221;. Between what aspects of man&#8217;s nature is there a relationship of ownership? Since ownership designates the right to sovereignly dispose of the owned, what in man owns what in him? The only possible answer that comes to my mind is: his mind owns his body. But this implies an invalid mind/body dichotomy. Therefore, &#8220;self-ownership&#8221; is an invalid concept. At best, it is a bad metaphor for the fact that human being are sovereign entities that direct their own course.</p>
<p>(2) This brings me to the second point: the purpose of this invalid concept. Usually, libertarians use the so-called &#8220;self-ownership axiom&#8221; as the foundation of their political philosophy (to the extent that they have one): Man is a self-owner, to deny this implies a self-contradiction (thus &#8220;axiom&#8221;), therefore his rights/his freedom may not be infringed. Observe however, that this kind of faulty reasoning is only made possible by the term &#8220;self-ownership&#8221; which actually package-deals two different ways in which you can talk about &#8220;freedom&#8221;. For the purpose of this discussion, I call the first &#8220;metaphysical freedom&#8221; and the second &#8220;political freedom&#8221;. What I mean by metaphysical freedom simply is free will. I have the freedom to act as I will, I direct my own course and actions by choice.</p>
<p>Now, how are these two distinct concepts package-dealt? Observe that ownership is a political concept, it denotes my right to dispose of the owned as I please. And to have this right respected is a significant precondition for political freedom. However, when libertarians talk about self-ownership, they more often than not refer to &#8220;metaphysical freedom&#8221;, and this is also where the notion of &#8220;self-ownership&#8221; as an axiom comes from. For free will is indeed axiomatic: you cannot deny it without committing a self-contradiction. But in labeling this kind of freedom &#8220;self-ownership&#8221;, libertarians blurr the distinction between metaphysical and political freedom and thus are able to assert that just because we have free will, we should be politically free. Which is a non sequitur. Just because we can direct our own actions by choice does not automatically mean that we have the right to do so. Such a right needs to be grounded philosophically in an account of human nature and ethics. By using the package-deal &#8220;self-ownership&#8221;, libertarians try to get around that.</p>
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		<title>My Schedule for the Winter</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/my-schedule-for-the-winter/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/my-schedule-for-the-winter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:27:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/?p=44</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Monday
&#62; 10-12, Lecture: &#8220;Early Modern Europe&#8221; (Franz)
&#62; 12-14, Lecture: &#8220;Theories, Methods and Tendencies of Historical Science: An International Survey&#8221; (Raphael)
&#62; 14-16, Study Project: &#8220;Religious Women in the Middle Ages&#8221; (Burgard)
Tuesday
&#62; 10-12, Lecture: &#8220;Concept and History of the Virtues&#8221; (Bermes)
&#62; 12-14, Lecture: &#8220;Elites and Ruling Classes in 20th Century Germany&#8221; (Reitmayer)
&#62; 14-16, Lecture: &#8220;German 20th Century [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=44&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>Monday<br />
&gt; 10-12, Lecture: &#8220;Early Modern Europe&#8221; (Franz)<br />
&gt; 12-14, Lecture: &#8220;Theories, Methods and Tendencies of Historical Science: An International Survey&#8221; (Raphael)<br />
&gt; 14-16, Study Project: &#8220;Religious Women in the Middle Ages&#8221; (Burgard)</p>
<p>Tuesday<br />
&gt; 10-12, Lecture: &#8220;Concept and History of the Virtues&#8221; (Bermes)<br />
&gt; 12-14, Lecture: &#8220;Elites and Ruling Classes in 20th Century Germany&#8221; (Reitmayer)<br />
&gt; 14-16, Lecture: &#8220;German 20th Century Philosophy&#8221; (Welsen)<br />
&gt; 16-18, Seminar: &#8220;Hume and Kant on Causality&#8221; (Dörflinger)<br />
&gt; 18-20, Language Course: &#8220;Ancient Greek&#8221; (Schwind)</p>
<p>Wednesday<br />
&gt; 14-16, Seminar: &#8220;Theories of Self-Consciousness&#8221; (Welsen)<br />
&gt; 16-18, Lecture: &#8220;Introduction to the Foundations, Theories and Methods of Historical Science&#8221; (Schäfer)</p>
<p>Thursday<br />
&gt; 18-20, Language Course: &#8220;Ancient Greek&#8221; (Schwind)</p>
<p>Friday<br />
&gt; 10-12, Lecture: &#8220;Modern Constitutional History&#8221; (Schnabel-Schüle)<br />
&gt; 12-14, Exercise Course: &#8220;Everyday Life in 15th Century France: Le Journal d&#8217;un Bourgeois de Paris&#8221; (Voltmer)</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>And perhaps I am going to add another four hours of a Greek tutorial.</p>
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		<title>The Purpose of Societal Organization</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/the-purpose-of-societal-organization/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/the-purpose-of-societal-organization/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:51:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gesellschaftsvertrag]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social contract]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/?p=42</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The doctrine of the social contract is wrong insofar as it states that men primarily organize themselves into a society in order to see themselves/their rights secured in the face of other men. Protection of his rights is not the principal value society can offer man. The purpose of societal organization is not the prevention [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=42&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>The doctrine of the social contract is wrong insofar as it states that men primarily organize themselves into a society in order to see themselves/their rights secured in the face of other men. Protection of his rights is not the principal value society can offer man. The purpose of societal organization is not the prevention of negatives but the promotion of positives. Society is beneficial to man because it offers him the possibility of trade in goods and knowledge, and thus enables cooperation by division of labor and specialization &#8212; which is life-enhancing. Society enables man to be more productive and more purposeful since it allows him to concentrate on certain goals and purposes by relieving him &#8212; through trade &#8212; of splitting up his energy too much on too great a number of (otherwise) necessary goals/purposes.</p>
<p>A political order protective of man&#8217;s rights is of course an important aspect of societal organization and a necessary precondition for the realization of society&#8217;s principal value. But it is not an end in itself since such a political system is only of value because it is beneficial to man in his pursuit of his life and happiness.</p>
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		<title>&#8220;Market Failure&#8221; vs. Individualism</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/market-failure-vs-individualism/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/market-failure-vs-individualism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 18:19:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[capitalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[individualism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market failure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nanny state]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tutelage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/?p=35</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The term &#8220;market failure&#8221; implies an anti-individualistic premise. The market is nothing but the individuals interacting on it for purposes of trade and mutual cooperation according to the best judgment of their reasoning minds. To say that &#8220;the market has failed&#8221; is equivalent to saying that all or a significant portion of individuals on the [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=35&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>The term &#8220;market failure&#8221; implies an anti-individualistic premise. The market is nothing but the individuals interacting on it for purposes of trade and mutual cooperation according to the best judgment of their reasoning minds. To say that &#8220;the market has failed&#8221; is equivalent to saying that all or a significant portion of individuals on the market have failed. Of course, individual failures can happen since man&#8217;s rational faculty is not infallible. Just as an overindulgence when shopping can make you unable to pay your rent, so the misjudgments of a CEO can make a whole company crash.</p>
<p>However, the proponents of &#8220;market failure&#8221; do not only claim that people are fallible and can make mistakes &#8212; they deny that people can ever get it right (which is a non-sequitur).  When they claim that &#8220;markets failed&#8221;, what they in effect say is this: The people who act on these markets are by their very nature incompetent to do so, their minds are immature and inherently unable to reach the right conclusions, and therefore it is necessary that someone wiser &#8212; the government &#8212; take care of them, tell them what is best for them, and superintend what they do. This is properly called the nanny state, since government bureaucrats under such a system indeed do regard their &#8220;fellow citizens&#8221; as unthinking little children that desperately need their guidance and disciplinatory measures.</p>
<p>Therefore, whenever you hear someone claiming that &#8220;markets failed&#8221;, you should remember that he is insulting your intelligence and questioning your ability to freely lead your own life according to your best rational judgment. The only appropriate reaction to any such attempt at putting you or anyone else under government tutelage is: to proudly reject it.</p>
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		<title>Ayn Rand on natural sciences vs humanities</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/ayn-rand-on-natural-sciences-vs-humanities/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/ayn-rand-on-natural-sciences-vs-humanities/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:27:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Epistemology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ayn rand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consciousness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[engineering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Geisteswissenschaften]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural sciences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[This is just a short note or reminder to myself, and to anyone who might be interested, since I find the following very interesting. At OCON some of us discussed whether it is legitimate to split human knowledge into the natural sciences on the one hand and the humanities or Geisteswissenschaften on the other hand, [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=33&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>This is just a short note or reminder to myself, and to anyone who might be interested, since <em>I</em> find the following very interesting. At OCON some of us discussed whether it is legitimate to split human knowledge into the natural sciences on the one hand and the humanities or Geisteswissenschaften on the other hand, especially in the way which it is done &#8211; because it usually comes down to denying that the humanities are sciences.</p>
<p>Now, I found a very brief statement by Ayn Rand on this issue, which I want to put here without further comment:</p>
<p>&#8220;Growing from a common root, which is philosophy, man&#8217;s knowledge branches out in two directions. One branch studies the physical world or the phenomena pertaining to man&#8217;s physical existence; the other studies man or the phenomena of his consciousness. The first leads to abstract science, which leads to applied sience or engineering, which leads to technology&#8211;to the actual production of material values. The second leads to art.<br />
Art is the technology of the soul.&#8221;</p>
<p>(Ayn Rand: The Romantic Manifesto, p. 169.)</p>
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		<title>Emergencies and Range of Tolerance</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/emergencies-and-range-of-tolerance/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/emergencies-and-range-of-tolerance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 03 May 2008 18:06:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ethics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[capacity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[emergency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[man]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mode of life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mode of survival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[need]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[normal conditions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[normalcy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[range of tolerance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toleranzbereich]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I find it quite interesting to try to understand what an emergency situation is by means of a biological approach. In German, there is a word called &#8220;Toleranzbereich&#8221;. I do not know what the technical term is in English, but it could be roughly translated as &#8220;range of tolerance&#8221;. This concept denotes the physical or [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=31&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>I find it quite interesting to try to understand what an emergency situation is by means of a biological approach. In German, there is a word called &#8220;Toleranzbereich&#8221;. I do not know what the technical term is in English, but it could be roughly translated as &#8220;range of tolerance&#8221;. This concept denotes the physical or environmental circumstances in which an organism, given its particular physiological and psychological needs and its particular capacities for fulfilling these needs, is able to function and thrive. For example, a fish, by its nature, needs to live in water. It cannot survive on land because it does not have the capacities to adapt itself to the conditions on land so that it can still fulfill its needs. Man, too, is an organism with a specific range of tolerance. His environment must be structured in a specific way for him to be able to function properly. </p>
<p>An emergency is a situation where the conditions under which an organism, e.g. man, can live and flourish are no longer the case. Therefore, I would argue that what an emergency is can be best understand by reference to the concept of &#8220;range of tolerance&#8221;: Everything that falls into this range of tolerance are an organism&#8217;s normal conditions of living; everything that falls outside of this range would constitute an emergency.</p>
<p>The interesting thing about man is that he has the power to reshape the world according to his needs, i.e. he has the power to bring the world/his environment into his specific range of tolerance. However, this also means that he can do the opposite: He can reshape the world so that it will be inimical to his needs, that it falls outside of his range of tolerance. Man can create &#8220;artificial&#8221; emergencies, such as totalitarian dictatorships or wars. </p>
<p>The primary purpose of the science of ethics is to define principles according to which the volitional being &#8220;man&#8221; has to use his capacities for action in order to satisfy his needs <i>under normal conditions</i>, because he, by definition, is unable to survive (at least in the long-range) under any other circumstances. This is (1) why ethical guidance in emerency situations is difficult, if not outright impossible, because man&#8217;s capacities for action are wholly inadequate for such situations, and (2) why the only proper ethical principle applicable in an emergency situation is: restore normal conditions, i.e. do everything to return into your specific range of tolerance, as soon as possible.</p>
<p>It is, as a concluding sidenote, pretty interesting that man&#8217;s mode of life/survival &#8212; a mode of life/survival is an organism&#8217;s application of its specific capacities for action to satisfying its specific physiological and psychological needs &#8212; includes the expansion of the actual existence (or prevalence) of the normal conditions of his survival. Which means: Reshaping his environment so that it falls into his specific range of tolerance is not something man somehow does along the way, as a secondary issue besides surviving, but it forms a core part of his specific mode of life.<br />
&#8212;<br />
It must be added, however, that this is a relatevely new approach for me; and thus my position is still preliminary. There is still some thinking to do, e.g. concerning the status of things like heart-attacks which, too, pose an emergency to the organism, but arguably not due to environmental or outside circumstances where the organism&#8217;s capacities for satisfying its needs prove inadequate, but rather because the organism loses some of these capacities and therefore can no longer satisfy its needs/pursue its specific mode of life.</p>
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		<title>US/German friendly fire?</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/usgerman-friendly-fire/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/usgerman-friendly-fire/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:02:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[citizen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[error]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gholam Ghaus Z.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terrorism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At present there is an issue that interests me very much in a theoretical as well as practical respect. The German news magazin Spiegel Online reported on the case of Gholam Ghaus Z. who is a German citizen and presently in US captivity in Afghanistan. Z., who was on a visit to family members in [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=29&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>At present there is an issue that interests me very much in a theoretical as well as practical respect. The German news magazin Spiegel Online reported on the case of Gholam Ghaus Z. who is a German citizen and presently in US captivity in Afghanistan. Z., who was on a visit to family members in Kabul, was arrested in Kabul while trying to buy a razor at a local US army grocery store. The fact that he was in possession of approximately 1000 Euro in different currencies and several phone cards led the US army to suspect that he could be a terrorist. However, according to the German government, several interrogations and checking of Z.&#8217;s life context in Germany did not lead to a confirmation of that suspicion. The US government on the other hand is only willing to release him if the German government is willing to establish a de facto 24 hour surveillance of Z., which the German government refuses to do on grounds that such a violation of Z.&#8217;s right to liberty were absolutely unwarranted without any evidence or indication of his being a terrorist.</p>
<p>Now, what interests me, is the question: How is this conflict amongst otherwise friendly governments to be resolved? Of course, it is the legitimate purpose of the US government to protect the rights and security of its own citizens. But the German government has the same purpose. Obviously, the main problem is the different assessment of the case of Z. in the eyes of the German and the US government. </p>
<p>From the point of view of the German government, the US government illegitimately holds captive one of its citizens. What then is the German government morally obliged to do if the US government is not willing to release the German citizen? By what means can this conflict between otherwise friendly governments resolved in case that a common assessment of Z.&#8217;s case will not be achieved?</p>
<p>And more generally: By what means are possibly fatal errors of knowledge leading to conflict in the dealings of two (more or less) free and sovereign nations to be avoided and dealt with? </p>
<p>I would be intrigued to hear your answers.</p>
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		<title>At the Ballet: Polina Semionova</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/at-the-ballet-polina-semionova/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/at-the-ballet-polina-semionova/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:20:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Value Sharing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ballet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[body]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[control]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polina semionova]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[value]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/?p=28</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Polina Semionova is a Russian ballet dancer at the Berliner Staatsoper. A few years ago she recorded a video of her dancing which let me to discover ballet as the great form of art it is, and as something I very much want to learn more about in the future.
When watching the video, please of [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=28&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p><a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polina_Semionowa" target="_blank">Polina Semionova</a> is a Russian ballet dancer at the Berliner Staatsoper. A few years ago she recorded a video of her dancing which let me to discover ballet as the great form of art it is, and as something I very much want to learn more about in the future.</p>
<p>When watching the video, please of observe the following items. For me, they are very striking and admirable: the subtly defined musculature; the utter and seemingly effortless control over every movement of her body; the incredible grace and naturalness she is moving with despite that total conscious control; the powerful expression of her body language, of her gestures and facial expressions; the literal unfolding of all that beauty during the whole video, and her smile at 1:55.</p>
<p>This is celebrating the human body.</p>
<p><span style="text-align:center; display: block;"><a href="http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/at-the-ballet-polina-semionova/"><img src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/id-bFpYQzXE/2.jpg" alt="" /></a></span></p>
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		<title>Sammelsurium zu Liebe, Sex &amp; Beziehung</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/sammelsurium-zu-liebe-sex-beziehung/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/sammelsurium-zu-liebe-sex-beziehung/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:46:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ethics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Psychology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beziehung]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[charakter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethik]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[körper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebensgefühl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[liebe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monogamie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[promiskuität]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[psychologie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[schönheit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seele]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[selbstwertgefühl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sichtbarkeit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stolz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vertrauen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[visibility]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/?p=27</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Selbstwertgefühl &#38; Liebe
Was das Thema &#8220;Konkurrenz in Person des eigenen Partners&#8221; angeht, so ist das eine Frage, an welchem Maßstab man sein eigenes Selbstwertgefühl eigentlich misst. Baut man es darauf auf, dass man unbedingt besser sein muss als andere, und macht sich somit von anderen abhängig, weil man dann im Endeffekt den eigenen Wert von [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=27&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p><strong>Selbstwertgefühl &amp; Liebe</strong></p>
<p>Was das Thema &#8220;Konkurrenz in Person des eigenen Partners&#8221; angeht, so ist das eine Frage, an welchem Maßstab man sein eigenes Selbstwertgefühl eigentlich misst. Baut man es darauf auf, dass man unbedingt besser sein muss als andere, und macht sich somit von anderen abhängig, weil man dann im Endeffekt den eigenen Wert von seinem Verhältnis zu jemand anderem, etwas, was man gar nicht kontrollieren kann, herleitet? Oder macht man den eigenen Wert daran fest, dass man zwar vllt. in manchen Dingen nicht besser ist als andere, aber man doch immerhin im Rahmen seiner eigenen Möglichkeiten seine Potentiale voll ausschöpft und so gut ist wie man sein kann, quasi 100% gibt?</p>
<p>Ich glaube, letzteres ist ein Ausdruck von echtem Stolz und Selbstwertgefühl, und ersteres nur eine Form von Arroganz &#8211; die ja immer auch Schwäche ist. Ein Mensch mit echtem Selbstwertgefühl lässt sich nicht unter Druck setzen, wenn ein anderer besser ist; er ruht ganz in sich selbst und kann daher andere sogar für ihre Stärken bewundern, schätzen, lieben &#8211; als Inspiration und Vorbild nehmen.</p>
<p>&#8220;Show me your achievement, and it will give me courage for mine.&#8221; (Ayn Rand)</p>
<p><strong>* * * * *<br />
</strong></p>
<p><em>Zwischenfrage:</em> kann man diese selbstsicherheit aber auch in der praxis aufrechterhalten, oder ist dies nur auf theoretischer ebene möglich? kann mann sich selbst als so optimal im rahmen der eigenen möglichkeiten empfinden, dass man nicht verletzt werden kann? und benötigt man in diesem fall dann eigentlich noch den partner, ist man noch in der lage diesen zu lieben?</p>
<p><em>Meine Antwort:</em> Ich denke schon, dass man diese Selbstsicherheit erwerben kann, aber man muss sie eben tatsächlich erwerben; sie kommt nicht von alleine, und sie bleibt auch nicht ewig, wenn man nicht kontinuierlich etwas dafür tut. Nathaniel Branden erklärt das in &#8220;Psychology of Self-Esteem&#8221; sehr schön.</p>
<p>Was das Verletzen angeht: Natürlich kann auch ein so selbstbewusster Mensch enttäuscht und verletzt werden, aber er unterscheidet sich wohl von einem selbstschwachen Menschen dadurch, dass sein Schmerz nur bis zu einem gewissen Punkt geht, aber niemals den Kern seiner Seele berührt, er also die Zuversicht behält, dass dieses Leid nicht das ist, was das Leben eigentlich ausmacht, sondern dass er sich noch immer Hoffnungen auf Erfolg und Glück im Leben machen kann. Glück, nicht Schmerz, ist der Normalzustand des Menschen &#8212; das glaubt jedenfalls ein Mensch mit ausgebildetem Selbstwertgefühl.</p>
<p>Einen Partner benötigen&#8230; Nunja, er benötigt einen Partner sicherlich nicht als eine Instanz, die er nur ausnutzt, um seine Unsicherheiten zu überspielen. Das ist aber auch nicht so der Sinn einer Beziehung. Ich glaube, dass jeder Mensch ein psychologisches Bedürfnis hat, sich sichtbar zu fühlen, d.h. Menschen zu treffen, in denen sich seine Werte und sein Lebensgefühl in geringerem oder größerem Ausmaß konkret widerspiegeln. Sprich: Er hat das Bedürfnis, sich verstanden zu fühlen; den Eindruck zu haben, dass er nicht der einzige ist, der so denkt und fühlt. Und es bereitet ihm natürlich Vergnügen, Menschen zu sehen, die diese Dinge teilen, und vllt. auch die Eigenschaften besitzen, die er als besonders wichtig und gut betrachtet. Menschen, die solche &#8220;Tugenden&#8221; haben, die schätzt er dann, bewundert sie, schließt mit ihnen Freundschaft und verliebt sich vllt. sogar in sie &#8212; weil sie so völlig seinem Lebensgefühl, seiner Sichtweise, wie das Leben sein sollte, entsprechen. Und ich denke, dass ein starkes Selbstwertgefühl sehr wichtig ist, um das in vollem Maße zu können, und genießen zu können. Man muss seinen eigenen Standpunkt kennen, bevor man zu anderen in gleichberechtigte Beziehung treten kann. &#8220;To say &#8216;I love you&#8217;, one first must know how to say the &#8216;I&#8217;.&#8221; (Ayn Rand) &#8230; Und ich denke schon, dass einem sonst auch die persönliche Souveränität abgeht, ohne die es nicht wirklich geht. Wer die ganze Zeit nur Angst darum hat, was der andere von einem denkt und wie man es ihm denn recht machen könnte, der vermasselt es am Ende nur, weil er unsicher wirkt, seine Persönlichkeit nicht wirklich entfaltet, und einfach nicht als ein echtes Gegenüber in Erscheinung tritt, sondern eher etwas langweilig oder gar nervig wirkt. Das ist dann natürlich eher unattraktiv.</p>
<p><strong>Rolle von Körper und Charakter<br />
</strong></p>
<p>Ich denke, wenn man eine Beziehung anstrebt, oder in einer Beziehung ist, dann möchte man ja auch, dass man attraktiv für den Partner ist, wovon dann ja beide Seiten profitieren. Insofern halte ich es schon für wichtig, dass man &#8212; sich und seinem Partner zuliebe &#8212; mindestens auf eine schlanke Linie und ein gepflegtes Äußeres achtet.</p>
<p><strong>* * * * *<br />
</strong></p>
<p>Für mich ist der Charakter das entscheidende, auch wenn der Körper natürlich eine gewisse, und auch legitime Rolle spielt. Ich bin nicht so der Fan von platonischer Liebe, der die körperliche Seite völlig egal ist, solange nur der Geist stimmt, und ich glaube auch nicht, dass irgendjemand wirklich in der Lage ist, so einer Idee gerecht zu werden. Ich bin für eine Liebe, die auch (!) körperbetont ist, ohne den Körper zum einzigen Kriterium zu erheben.</p>
<p>Ich bin für eine Harmonie von Leib und Seele, und dagegen, eines von beiden zum alleinigen Kriterium zu machen.</p>
<p><strong>* * * * *<br />
</strong></p>
<p>Zumal es völlig verfehlt wäre, menschliche Schönheit allein auf das Äußere zu verkürzen. Der Mensch ist nicht nur ein Stück Fleisch; er hat auch ein Bewusstsein, das soetwas wie Charakter ausbildet. Was nutzt die größte äußere Schönheit, wenn man charakterlich eine Null ist? Ist sojemand wirklich schön als Mensch? Wohl eher nicht. Zu wahrer Schönheit gehört auch immer ein schöner Charakter.</p>
<p>Und abgesehen davon, dass man dem Äußeren ja durch Kleidung, Frisur und ähnliches doch in einem sehr starken Maße nachhelfen kann, muss man auch schlicht und ergreifend einmal festhalten, dass äußerliche Defizite durch einen schönen Charakter in Form von Charisma und Charme in einem nicht unbedeutenden Rahmen wettgemacht werden können. Umgekehrt kann man das wohl eher nicht sagen.</p>
<p><strong>* * * * *<br />
</strong></p>
<p><em>Frage:</em> aber wie würdet ihr reagieren, wenn der potentielle partner (charakterlich soll er bis hierhin als sehr attraktiv gelten) euren körper, bzw. teile davon ablehnend beurteilt?</p>
<p><em>Meine Antwort:</em> Nunja, das käme sicher auf den Kontext an. Wenn es nur um Kleinigkeiten geht &#8212; ein bischen Sport, ne etwas frischere Frisur oder ein bischen modischer; das ist sicher nicht Gravierend und sicherlich drin.</p>
<p>Wenn er aber mich körperlich ablehnt, und nur eine &#8220;platonische Beziehung&#8221;, evtl. mit Freifickschein haben will, dann disqualifiziert er sich m.E. charakterlich völlig, und ist für mich dann auch nicht weiter attraktiv, egal welche Vorzüge er sonst haben mag. So ein Vorschlag würde mir jedenfalls demonstrieren, dass er im Bereich &#8220;Liebe&#8221; irgendetwas sehr zentrales überhaupt nicht verstanden hat. Mit so jemandem kann man keine Beziehung führen, oder glücklich werden.</p>
<p>Etwas anderes ist es natürlich, wenn er so einen Vorschlag auf eine Beziehung hin nicht macht, sondern schlicht und ergreifend feststellt, dass er mich körperlich nicht attraktiv findet und sich deshalb keine Beziehung vorstellen kann. Soetwas kann ich im Prinzip akzeptieren. Es wäre zwar vllt. schade, aber dann ist möglicherweise ja noch eine gute Freundschaft drin.</p>
<p>Allerdings muss man wohl auch das dahingehend modifizieren, dass sich natürlich die Frage stellt: Warum genau lehnt er mich körperlich ab? Und wenn das dann aufgrund irgendwelcher Dinge ist, die objektiv wenig bedeutend sind im Vergleich zu dem, was in einer Beziehung emotional möglich wäre (nach dem Motto: &#8220;Unter 20 cm geht bei mir nichts, egal wie sehr Du sonst mein Traummann bist&#8221;)&#8211; dann würde das wohl doch eher wieder in Richtung dickes Charakterdefizit deuten.</p>
<p>Wie gesagt, es hängt doch sehr stark vom Kontext ab.</p>
<p><strong>Rolle des Alters</strong></p>
<p>Ich denke, das Alter wäre allenfalls insofern von Relevanz, als dass man vernünftigerweise zumindest davon ausgehen könnte, dass Menschen mit ähnlichem Alter über ähnliche Lebenserfahrung und -umstände verfügen, ggf. also eher auf der eigenen Wellenlänge schwimmen. Das muss natürlich nicht so sein, und ich denke, es gibt auch viele Ausnahmen. Ich denke, dass Attraktivität zweier Personen für einander zu einem wichtigen Teil durch die geistige Reife bzw. den geistigen Entwicklungsstand beider Personen bedingt ist, und deshalb jemand, der vllt. 40 und geistig recht stark entwickelt ist, mit einem 20jährigen &#8212; auch wenn er körperlich anziehend sein mag &#8212; insgesamt nicht so viel anfangen kann, weil da einfach das für den 40jährigen nötige Maß an Reife und Lebenserfahrung noch fehlt. Ähnliche Probleme könnte vllt. auch ein 20jähriger haben, der im Vergleich zu seinen Altersgenossen ungewöhnlich &#8220;weit&#8221; in der Entwicklung ist.</p>
<p>Ansonsten denke ich, dass das Alter, neben dem geistigen Aspekt, auch in körperlicher Hinsicht eine Barriere sein kann, insofern nämlich, als dass für einen jungen Menschen ein anderer Mensch ab einem gewissen Alter einfach körperlich unattraktiv ist, was m.E. ein legitimer Grund ist, selbst bei großer geistiger Affinität eine Beziehung in jedem Fall auszuschließen, und stattdessen nur bei einer guten Freundschaft zu bleiben.</p>
<p><strong>Monogamie und &#8220;offene Beziehung&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>Ich denke, Monogamie ist, gerade wenn man Single ist, in erster Linie eine persönliche Einstellung. Man bringt den Anspruch mit sich, nicht mit jedem x-beliebigen, den man gerade mal kennengelernt hat, ins Bett zu gehen, sondern sucht nach jemandem, der es wirklich wert ist, den man entsprechend vorher etwas kennenlernen möchte, und der vom Prinzip her auch geeignetes boyfriend material wäre. Also Monogamie als eine Einstellung, die letztlich auf Begründung und Erhalt einer romantischen Beziehung ausgerichtet ist.</p>
<p>Ich persönlich bin sehr skeptisch, was das &#8220;Erweitern&#8221; angeht. Eine Beziehung erfordert sehr viel Vertrauen, weil es in ihr ja um die intimsten Gefühle beider Partner geht, um ein Teilen der intimsten und wichtigsten Werte bis hin zur Essenz der eigenen Seele. Da braucht man Vertrauen, dass man dem Partner das alles anvertrauen und offenbaren kann, weil sich sonst das Gefühl, für den anderen so völlig sichtbar zu sein, nicht einstellt. Und so ein Vertrauen muss eben mühsam aufgebaut und kontinuierlich unterhalten werden. Das geht nicht, wenn man den Sex, der ja nun wirklich ein Zeichen von unglaublicher Intimität und emotional extrem aufgeladen ist, auch mit irgendwelchen anderen unterhält, denen man nicht derart nahe steht. Dadurch entwertet man nicht nur den Sex, sondern bringt auch gegenüber dem Partner zum Ausdruck: &#8220;So besonders intim sind wir gar nicht.&#8221; Und das verletzt den anderen ganz massiv in seinem Sichtbarkeitsgefühl, in seinem Vertrauen.</p>
<p>Man kann nun behaupten: Ja, okay, aber was ist denn, wenn beide einverstanden sind? Naja&#8230; Sagen wir es so: Man kann sich auf sehr viel einigen, und man kann sich auch sehr viel einreden, aber am Ende kommt es doch weniger auf die Worte an, als auf die Taten. Und wenn man behauptet, man wäre in einer intimen Liebesbeziehung, gleichzeitig aber so handelt, als wäre man es nicht, dann ist das ein Widerspruch, den der eigene Kopf natürlich registriert &#8212; und irgendwann entlädt sich dieser Widerspruch dann ganz hässlich. Ich persönlich habe jedenfalls häufig gehört, dass Eifersucht in &#8220;offenen Beziehungen&#8221; durchaus ein massives Problem ist, und dass diese auch nicht lange halten, ausser bei Leuten, von denen ich eher den Eindruck habe, dass sie charakterlich-emotional etwas verkrüppelt sind&#8230;</p>
<p>Insofern würde ich auch sagen: Wenn der Sex langweilig ist, dann hat man in der Beziehung etwas falsch gemacht, und sollte entweder versuchen, sich wieder intensiver drum zu kümmern, oder getrennte Wege gehen. Eine &#8220;Öffnung&#8221; der Beziehung kommt ihrer Auflösung gleich.</p>
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		<title>Weekly Schedule for Next Semester</title>
		<link>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/weekly-schedule-for-next-semester/</link>
		<comments>http://heroicdreams.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/weekly-schedule-for-next-semester/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:35:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sascha Settegast</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Miscellaneous]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[After having finished off the third university paper for last semester, I thought it was about time to create the weekly schedule for the summer semester which is about to begin on Monday. And here it is:
* * *
Monday
4-6 p.m. &#8212; Seminar: Expansion and Crisis of the European Welfare States since the 1960s (Raphael)
Tuesday
10-12 a.m. [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=heroicdreams.wordpress.com&blog=1152149&post=26&subd=heroicdreams&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>After having finished off the third university paper for last semester, I thought it was about time to create the weekly schedule for the summer semester which is about to begin on Monday. And here it is:<br />
* * *<br />
<b>Monday</b><br />
4-6 p.m. &#8212; Seminar: Expansion and Crisis of the European Welfare States since the 1960s (Raphael)</p>
<p><b>Tuesday</b><br />
10-12 a.m. &#8212; Lecture: A History of Roman Citizenship from 500 BC to 300 AD (Coskun)<br />
2-4 p.m. &#8212; Lecture: Early Modern Philosophy (Welsen)</p>
<p><b>Wednesday</b><br />
10-12 a.m. &#8212; Lecture: The Renaissance of the 12th Century (Beach)<br />
2-4 p.m. &#8212; Seminar: Edmund Husserl. Expression and Meaning (Welsen)</p>
<p><b>Thursday</b><br />
10-12 a.m. &#8212; Lecture: Industrialization (Frie)<br />
noon-2 p.m. &#8212; Proseminar: Arnold Gehlen. Anthropological Analyses (Welsen)<br />
[2-4 p.m. -- Lecture: Science and Its Heretics (Fischer) ... I'm not sure yet.]<br />
4-6 p.m. &#8212; Tutorial: Territorialization in the Middle Ages (Burgard)</p>
<p><b>Friday</b><br />
10-12 a.m. &#8212; Proseminar: Kant on Lying (Kugelstadt)<br />
* * *<br />
This semester I am not going to do as much as I did during the last semesters since there are two intermediate exams &#8212; one in history, and one in philosophy &#8212; still on my to do list, too. But I hope it&#8217;s going to be interesting nonetheless.</p>
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