Angelica Ourri

Dialectics of the fable
"The Matrix", A philosophical Machine
By Alain Badiou

“Nevertheless we must recognise that the three films have a problem in common, which is simply the fundamental problem of cognition: what is it that, from within our own capacity to know testifies that is indeed the real that is at stake in our cognition?”(Badiou, 2004)

How do these 3 movies ("The Matrix", "Cube","eXistenZ") philosophically distinguish what is real and what's not?

The following paper will provide an analysis on how midnight movies evolved and the role of queer identities in their progression. Furthermore , this paper will provide an examination in the development of american counterculture in 1960’s and 1970’s. The counterculture will be analysed as to explore the argument that midnight movies began as a reaction to conservative politics by transgressive identities. Moreover, the paper will provide an introduction into how the genre of midnight movies began, before analysing the role of queer identities in its evolvement through the two main case studies Pink Flamingos and The Rocky Horror Picture show. Finally, this paper aims to reach a conclusion on the importance of queer identities in midnight movies and open a discussion on where , and if, the genre still exists today.

It​ ​ has​ ​ been​ ​ argued​ ​ that​ ​ transgressive​ ​ or​ ​ subversive​ ​ expressions​ ​ which​ ​ challenge perceived​ ​ sexual​ ​ repression​ ​ or​ ​ religious​ ​ taboos​ ​ are​ ​ essential​ ​ for​ ​ a​ ​ free​ ​ and healthy​ ​ society.​ ​ Or​ ​ is,​ ​ as​ ​ even​ ​ Freud​ ​ believed,​ ​ a​ ​ degree​ ​ of​ ​ repression​ ​ essential for​ ​ the​ ​ maintenance​ ​ of​ ​ any​ ​ social​ ​ order?​ ​ Consider​ ​ these​ ​ views​ ​ and​ ​ provide examples​ ​ of​ ​ such​ ​ challenges. The​ ​ following​ ​ essay​ ​ will​ ​ aim​ ​ to​ ​ examine​ ​ whether​ ​ transgressive​ ​ identities​ ​ and taboos​ ​ that​ ​ challenge​ ​ what​ ​ is​ ​ perceived​ ​ as​ ​ acceptable,​ ​ or​ ​ even​ ​ in​ ​ more​ ​ extreme cases​ ​ break​ ​ rules​ ​ and​ ​ laws,​ ​ should​ ​ exist​ ​ with​ ​ a​ ​ high​ ​ level​ ​ of​ ​ freedom​ ​ or​ ​ if​ ​ in​ ​ order to​ ​ maintain​ ​ social​ ​ order​ ​ ,​ ​ hierarchy​ ​ and​ ​ avoid​ ​ chaos​ ​ such​ ​ identities​ ​ should​ ​ be repressed.​ ​ In​ ​ order​ ​ for​ ​ the​ ​ following​ ​ analysis​ ​ to​ ​ take​ ​ place,​ ​ it​ ​ is​ ​ essential​ ​ to​ ​ take​ ​ a step​ ​ back​ ​ and​ ​ look​ ​ at​ ​ what​ ​ is​ ​ considered​ ​ a​ ​ taboo,​ ​ the​ ​ reason​ ​ behind​ ​ laws​ ​ that prevent​ ​ some​ ​ and​ ​ the​ ​ overall​ ​ meaning​ ​ of​ ​ social​ ​ order​ ​ and​ ​ freedom​ ​ of​ ​ identities. Also,​ ​ for​ ​ a​ ​ closer​ ​ analysis,​ ​ the​ ​ essay​ ​ will​ ​ focus​ ​ on​ ​ identities​ ​ ​ ​ that​ ​ have​ ​ or​ ​ are challenging​ ​ social​ ​ norms​ ​ and​ ​ regulations​ ​ and​ ​ social​ ​ structures​ ​ in​ ​ which​ ​ taboos have​ ​ no​ ​ place.​ ​ In​ ​ order​ ​ to​ ​ study​ ​ repression,​ ​ social​ ​ order​ ​ and​ ​ transgressive identities​ ​ this​ ​ essay​ ​ will​ ​ be​ ​ using​ ​ one​ ​ of​ ​ Yorgos​ ​ Lanthimos​ ​ movie's,​ ​ " Dogtooth " , by​ ​ examining​ ​ societies​ ​ and​ ​ environments​ ​ in​ ​ which​ ​ one​ ​ must​ ​ follow​ ​ what​ ​ is " right " ​ ​ and​ ​ social​ ​ order​ ​ depends​ ​ on​ ​ the​ ​ elimination​ ​ or​ ​ exclusion​ ​ of​ ​ anything taboo​ ​ that​ ​ breaks​ ​ what​ ​ is​ ​ learned.​ ​ Also​ ​ using​ ​ a​ ​ scene​ ​ from​ ​ the​ ​ second​ ​ volume​ ​ of Nymphomaniac​ ​ by​ ​ lars​ ​ von​ ​ trier​ ​ ,​ ​ this​ ​ essay​ ​ will​ ​ examine​ ​ sexual​ ​ taboos,​ ​ the nature​ ​ of​ ​ sexuality​ ​ and​ ​ paraphilias​ ​ and​ ​ the​ ​ idea​ ​ of​ ​ being​ ​ born​ ​ with​ ​ fantasies unable​ ​ to​ ​ leave​ ​ out. The​ ​ overall​ ​ analysis​ ​ will​ ​ draw​ ​ theories​ ​ from​ ​ ,​ ​ George​ ​ Bataille​ ​ writing​ ​ on​ ​ sexuality and​ ​ transgression,​ ​ Michel​ ​ foucault's​ ​ History​ ​ of​ ​ sexuality​ ​ ,​ ​ writings/​ ​ research​ ​ on

The following essay will aim to explore the concept of true Identity in Artificial Intelligence. The paper will present an analysis of the various ways that the 2016 HBO tv show, Westworld, has portrayed identity and the journey to self consciousness through the main characters multilayered and complex journey towards the centre of the maze. An idea created by the android's creators in westworld. The paper will also look at westworld in comparison to Plato's allegory as it is vital in understanding the situation artificial intelligence exists in within westworld. Moreover, the second part of this essay shall look at the 2015 movie Ex ­ Machina and contrast the notion of identity creation in A.I with the one in westworld. To complete the following paper the essay uses primary research and analysis of the Hbo show Westworld. Additionally, there is extensive research of Plato's allegory of the cave in order to introduce a proper comparison between the allegory and westworld. In order to demonstrate the above, the paper utilises the books Plato's mirror and the actuality of the cave allegory as well as Interpreting Plato's Cave as an Allegory of the Human Condition. The essay will also explore various theories around the theme of Identity from essentialism to post structuralism, by using a variety of books and journals such as culture after humanism The sovereign individual and The Dilemmas of Identity. The paper will also look at the theme of trauma and its importance to creating identity and reaching human consciousness ,for A.I and humans. In order to examine the significance of trauma the paper has used books and journals such as Performing the past, Reconstructing trauma and meaning and Memory, history, and identity. During 514a–520a Plato, the greek founder of western philosophy, as one could argue, introduced and presented the Allegory of the Cave. (Beitin, Emmerling and French, 2012) This allegory tells how a group of people , in cave below the earth, are chained in such a way that they can only see their opposing wall. They can not look back, neither right nor left. there is fire on and in between a road, along which there is a small wall. So anything that occurs behind their backs is represented as a shadow on the opposite wall. People walk with a variety of items, from animal to human models ,with the shadows appearing on the wall as a result of the fire and road.

Through the years and the mediums Mexican women have been depicted with different
meanings and ways. One very important medium that has been significant in capturing the
experience of Latin America women has been photography. Thus the following essay will
aim to show and analyse the way in which the experience of being a woman has been
depicted in Latin American photography.

This essay will explore the significant impact that digital and social media has had on battling stereotypes and expressing counter hegemonic views on the issue of people living with schizophrenia. Whether it's paranoid or dissociative schizophrenia ,mainstream media has misrepresented and created false assumptions of people who suffer from the illness, creating a dominant misinformed view for the audience due to the high use of the violent and criminal schizophrenic camp representation. Thus, this essay will aim to analyse some of the dominant representations and how individuals or groups use social media and participatory culture to counter the misconceptions and hegemonic opinions of those who have schizophrenia. To conduct the following essay, movies and media texts such as " Saving Grace " , " American Horror Story " and " A beautiful mind " will be analysed from a more constructionist approach , of how media texts shape the audience's understanding of the world through their representations. Furthermore, to study the issue of representation in mass media and their role, the books " The matter of images : essays on representation " By Richard Dyer and " Diffusions of Innovation " by ​ ​ Everett M. Rogers with focus on Hypodermic Needle theory Antonio Gramsci and Stuart Hall's theories on Hegemony​ , ​ were used to analyse the hegemonic ideas of schizophrenia in mass media. Also, in order to study the effect social media has had in expressing counter hegemonic views on the topic , books such as " The Structural information of the Public sphere " by Jürgen Habermas​ , " The Global Village: transformations in world life and media in the 21st century " By Marshall McLuhan and " Technologies Without Boundaries : on Telecommunications in a Global Age " by Ithiel De Sola Pool to study the utopian perspective of new digital media that give the audiences access to a greater variety of ideas and texts while also empowering individuals ,giving anyone the power to expresses a public opinion on any matter that's of his/her concern and represent themselves the way they wish. People suffering from schizophrenia have been stigmatised by mass media. A misinformed representation of schizophrenics and absent presence of a more realistic character with schizophrenia has led to widely glamorised version and camp representation of this group as violent, " mad " and unable of living normal lives or forming significant relationships without inflicting any arm on themselves or others. Although , those with schizophrenia are far more likely to self harm that hurt others, even on the issue of self harming the media has over exaggerated the situation. In the article Portrayals of Schizophrenia by Entertainment Media: A Content Analysis of Contemporary Movies, Dr Patricia Owen of the university of Texas has found that a high 69% percent of schizophrenic movie characters have been portrayed to