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Tania Norell

Lund University, Religious, Graduate Student

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B-tech National Diploma in Costume Design Bachelor Degree in Theology Bachelor Degree in Religious Studies Masters Degree in Visual Culture Masters Degree in Philosophy of Religion

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Valentin Muresan

University of Bucharest

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Stockholm University

Prof. Dr. Raffaele Pisano, MSc, HDR (Habil.)

Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille (Lille-1)

George Y. Kohler

Bar-Ilan University

University of Oslo

University of Oxford

Sorbonne University

Massimo Mazzotti

University of California, Berkeley

Utrecht University

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Papers by Tania Norell

An Intentional Look at the Chinese Room

The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties ... more The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties in relation to the world, has been around since the 4th century with philosophers like Socrates and Plato. The Mind and Matter Problem, also known as the Body and Soul Problem, deals with the issues of identifying and understanding the apparent difference between the mental mind or soul and the physical matter or body. Through history many resolutions to this problem have been presented. For example, Ontological Dualism claims that the mind and body are two distinct substances. Property Dualism claims that the mind is independent of the body, because it has its own properties, but it is not a distinct substance. Idealism claims that the physical can be reduced to the mental, and Monism claims that the mental can be reduced to the physical, whereas Neutral Monism claims that the mental and the physical are two attributes of one “unknown” substance. So as we can see the Mind and Matter Problem can be approached in a variety of ways. The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze two articles on the topic of the thought experiment called the Chinese Room, which pertains to the Mind and Matter Problem within Monism. A common view of contemporary philosophers is within the realm of Physicalistic Monism which includes Identity Theory, Behaviorism, Functionalism and Eliminative Materialism. In this paper I will not go into the different aspects of the variations of Monism. My intention is to focus on one of the monist theories that deals with Biological Naturalism, which entails the view that mental properties and physical properties are not two separate properties but rather two different properties of the biological brain. (Less)

A Comprehension of Spinoza's God : through the Dichotomy of Labels

The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Na... more The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nature and therefore considered as a monist and categorized as a naturalist. He has been labeled an atheist and God-intoxicated man, as well as a determinist and pantheist, which I perceive to be dichotomies. The problem, as I see it, is that Spinoza's philosophy and concept of God has mainly been interpreted through a dualistic mind-set, traditional to philosophers and theologians of the West, but Spinoza has a monistic worldview, and this has consequences in regards to the comprehension of what Spinoza's concept of God entails and what a relationship "with" God implies. The labels panentheist and necessitarianist are discussed and the label of theologian argued. The thesis methodology is constructive because the purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation that has the potential to be applied in dialogues about God between the vast varieties of believers and non-believers alike, as well as across boundaries of contradicting worldviews and academic disciplines, and this focus on functionalism is inspired by a theory that calls for the furthering of inter-disciplinary dialogue between the subject areas philosophy of religion and theology specifically. My personal worldview is that there might well be One Substance, God or Nature, but that does not necessarily mean that there is one truth that is valid, but rather that all truth claims may be of value. The thesis therefore provides yet another lens through which one can view and relate to the attitude of there being an "Other" or "others.

Remembering Ideological Identities: Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expression

We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation abo... more We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation about what happened during the Holocaust, but that does not mean there will be a lack of facts. The issues are rather how to remember, who is to remember what, and even why remember such atrocities at all. It is often stated that we have to remember to make sure "it" never happens again. Commemorations days are held and monuments are erected to prompt remembrance because we are perceived to have a duty to remember that which we might otherwise forget, but who "is" we? What memory holds, and how it´s content is remembered and expressed, and even why it is remembered at all, differs from person to person.

Spinoza - A Rational Mystic

Remembering Ideological Identities: Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expression

We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation abo... more We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation about what happened during the Holocaust, but that does not mean there will be a lack of facts. The issues are rather how to remember, who is to remember what, and even why remember such atrocities at all. It is often stated that we have to remember to make sure “it” never happens again. Commemorations days are held and monuments are erected to prompt remembrance because we are perceived to have a duty to remember that which we might otherwise forget, but who “is” we? What memory holds, and how it´s content is remembered and expressed, and even why it is remembered at all, differs from person to person. By analyzing the transference of Holocaust Memory through the artistic expression in the comic Maus: A Survivors Tale, by Art Spiegelman, and the ash paintings “Memory Works”, by Carl Michael von Hausswolff, using social semiotics, psychoanalysis, and ethical reasoning, I question if Holocau...

A Comprehension of Spinoza's God : through the Dichotomy of Labels

The 17th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nat... more The 17th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nature and therefore considered as a monist and categorized as a naturalist. He has been labeled an atheist and God-intoxicated man, as well as a determinist and pantheist, which I perceive to be dichotomies. The problem, as I see it, is that Spinoza’s philosophy and concept of God has mainly been interpreted through a dualistic mind-set, traditional to philosophers and theologians of the West, but Spinoza has a monistic worldview, and this has consequences in regards to the comprehension of what Spinoza’s concept of God entails and what a relationship “with” God implies. The labels panentheist and necessitarianist are discussed and the label of theologian argued. The thesis methodology is constructive because the purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation that has the potential to be applied in dialogues about God between the vast varieties of believers and non-believers alike, as well...

Spinoza - A Rational Mystic

Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, th... more Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, through the self, so it is not hard to see why it has been argued that he may have been a mystic. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all since he is considered to be one of the most rational philosophers of the Modern Age and Spinoza´s God is neither transcendent nor supernatural and therefore he is considered an atheist. The problem as I see it is; how can such a rational man even be considered to have anything to do with mysticism which traditionally is considered to be a personal, subjective, emotive, religious experience of a transcendent God, which today does not qualify as being rational in any scientific sense of the word? What has prompted my curiosity is the seeming contradiction of combining the rational label with a perceived mystical sensibility. In my analysis I investigate the possibility of a correlation between the definitions of the terms rational and mystic through t...

An Intentional Look at the Chinese Room

The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties ... more The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties in relation to the world, has been around since the 4th century with philosophers like Socrates and Plato. The Mind and Matter Problem, also known as the Body and Soul Problem, deals with the issues of identifying and understanding the apparent difference between the mental mind or soul and the physical matter or body. Through history many resolutions to this problem have been presented. For example, Ontological Dualism claims that the mind and body are two distinct substances. Property Dualism claims that the mind is independent of the body, because it has its own properties, but it is not a distinct substance. Idealism claims that the physical can be reduced to the mental, and Monism claims that the mental can be reduced to the physical, whereas Neutral Monism claims that the mental and the physical are two attributes of one “unknown” substance. So as we can see the Mind and Matter Pro...

Spinoza - A Rational Mystic

Remembering Ideological Identities:Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expressions

A Comprehension of Spinoza's God Through the Dichotomy of Labels

The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Na... more The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nature and therefore considered as a monist and categorized as a naturalist. He has been labeled an atheist and God-intoxicated man, as well as a determinist and pantheist, which I perceive to be dichotomies. The problem, as I see it, is that Spinoza's philosophy and concept of God has mainly been interpreted through a dualistic mind-set, traditional to philosophers and theologians of the West, but Spinoza has a monistic worldview, and this has consequences in regards to the comprehension of what Spinoza's concept of God entails and what a relationship "with" God implies. The labels panentheist and necessitarianist are discussed and the label of theologian argued. The thesis methodology is constructive because the purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation that has the potential to be applied in dialogues about God between the vast varieties of believers and non-believers alike, as well as across boundaries of contradicting worldviews and academic disciplines, and this focus on functionalism is inspired by a theory that calls for the furthering of inter-disciplinary dialogue between the subject areas philosophy of religion and theology specifically. My personal worldview is that there might well be One Substance, God or Nature, but that does not necessarily mean that there is one truth that is valid, but rather that all truth claims may be of value. The thesis therefore provides yet another lens through which one can view and relate to the attitude of there being an "Other" or "others."

Remembering Ideological Identities: Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expression A Master's Thesis for the Degree Master of Arts (Two Years) in Visual Culture

We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation abo... more

SPINOZA A Rational Mystic

Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, th... more Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, through the self, so it is not hard to see why it has been argued that he may have been a mystic. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all since he is considered to be one of the most rational philosophers of the Modern Age and Spinoza´s God is neither transcendent nor supernatural and therefore he is considered an atheist. The problem as I see it is; how can such a rational man even be considered to have anything to do with mysticism which traditionally is considered to be a personal, subjective, emotive, religious experience of a transcendent God, which today does not qualify as being rational in any scientific sense of the word? What has prompted my curiosity is the seeming contradiction of combining the rational label with a perceived mystical sensibility. In my analysis I investigate the possibility of a correlation between the definitions of the terms rational and mystic through the understanding of rationalism and mysticism. I will delineate how they have been understood through history and discuss how they can be understood. I will explain Spinoza´s concept of God and through the lens of Spinoza´s philosophy see if it is possible to get an understanding of what effect a union of the two concepts can have. The purpose of this essay is not to find proof as to be able to label Spinoza as a mystic within the mysticism of his time, but rather to get an understanding of what a relationship with God, through Spinoza´s monist concept of God as One Substance, can entail and thereby maybe widen the frame of what a mystic can be considered to be. My question is thus: Is Spinoza a Rational Mystic? Sammanfattning: Är Spinoza en mystiker? Mystik anses traditionellt höra samman med en tro att förståelse och kännedom om Gud kommer till en genom en Uppenbarelse som förenar människan med en transcendent och övernaturliga Gud. Enligt Spinoza´s filosofi nås förståelse av Gud genom ökad självförståelse, så det är inte svårt att se hur han kan ha tolkats som en mystiker. Men å andra sidan är det helt oförståeligt eftersom han anses vara en av de mest rationella filosoferna i modern tid och Spinoza´s Gud är varken transcendent eller övernaturlig och därför anses han vara ateist. Syftet med uppsatsen är inte att bevisa att Spinoza var en mystiker av sin tid utan jag vill titta på vad en relation med Gud kan innebära när Gud anses vara Spinoza´s monistiska Gud som är En Substans. Jag vill reflektera över om det går att vidga ramen för vad en mystiker kan anses vara. Min fråga är därför: Är Spinoza en Rationell Mystiker?

An Intentional Look at the Chinese Room

The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties ... more The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties in relation to the world, has been around since the 4th century with philosophers like Socrates and Plato. The Mind and Matter Problem, also known as the Body and Soul Problem, deals with the issues of identifying and understanding the apparent difference between the mental mind or soul and the physical matter or body. Through history many resolutions to this problem have been presented. For example, Ontological Dualism claims that the mind and body are two distinct substances. Property Dualism claims that the mind is independent of the body, because it has its own properties, but it is not a distinct substance. Idealism claims that the physical can be reduced to the mental, and Monism claims that the mental can be reduced to the physical, whereas Neutral Monism claims that the mental and the physical are two attributes of one “unknown” substance. So as we can see the Mind and Matter Problem can be approached in a variety of ways. The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze two articles on the topic of the thought experiment called the Chinese Room, which pertains to the Mind and Matter Problem within Monism. A common view of contemporary philosophers is within the realm of Physicalistic Monism which includes Identity Theory, Behaviorism, Functionalism and Eliminative Materialism. In this paper I will not go into the different aspects of the variations of Monism. My intention is to focus on one of the monist theories that deals with Biological Naturalism, which entails the view that mental properties and physical properties are not two separate properties but rather two different properties of the biological brain. (Less)

A Comprehension of Spinoza's God : through the Dichotomy of Labels

The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Na... more The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nature and therefore considered as a monist and categorized as a naturalist. He has been labeled an atheist and God-intoxicated man, as well as a determinist and pantheist, which I perceive to be dichotomies. The problem, as I see it, is that Spinoza's philosophy and concept of God has mainly been interpreted through a dualistic mind-set, traditional to philosophers and theologians of the West, but Spinoza has a monistic worldview, and this has consequences in regards to the comprehension of what Spinoza's concept of God entails and what a relationship "with" God implies. The labels panentheist and necessitarianist are discussed and the label of theologian argued. The thesis methodology is constructive because the purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation that has the potential to be applied in dialogues about God between the vast varieties of believers and non-believers alike, as well as across boundaries of contradicting worldviews and academic disciplines, and this focus on functionalism is inspired by a theory that calls for the furthering of inter-disciplinary dialogue between the subject areas philosophy of religion and theology specifically. My personal worldview is that there might well be One Substance, God or Nature, but that does not necessarily mean that there is one truth that is valid, but rather that all truth claims may be of value. The thesis therefore provides yet another lens through which one can view and relate to the attitude of there being an "Other" or "others.

Remembering Ideological Identities: Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expression

We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation abo... more We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation about what happened during the Holocaust, but that does not mean there will be a lack of facts. The issues are rather how to remember, who is to remember what, and even why remember such atrocities at all. It is often stated that we have to remember to make sure "it" never happens again. Commemorations days are held and monuments are erected to prompt remembrance because we are perceived to have a duty to remember that which we might otherwise forget, but who "is" we? What memory holds, and how it´s content is remembered and expressed, and even why it is remembered at all, differs from person to person.

Spinoza - A Rational Mystic

Remembering Ideological Identities: Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expression

We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation abo... more We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation about what happened during the Holocaust, but that does not mean there will be a lack of facts. The issues are rather how to remember, who is to remember what, and even why remember such atrocities at all. It is often stated that we have to remember to make sure “it” never happens again. Commemorations days are held and monuments are erected to prompt remembrance because we are perceived to have a duty to remember that which we might otherwise forget, but who “is” we? What memory holds, and how it´s content is remembered and expressed, and even why it is remembered at all, differs from person to person. By analyzing the transference of Holocaust Memory through the artistic expression in the comic Maus: A Survivors Tale, by Art Spiegelman, and the ash paintings “Memory Works”, by Carl Michael von Hausswolff, using social semiotics, psychoanalysis, and ethical reasoning, I question if Holocau...

A Comprehension of Spinoza's God : through the Dichotomy of Labels

The 17th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nat... more The 17th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nature and therefore considered as a monist and categorized as a naturalist. He has been labeled an atheist and God-intoxicated man, as well as a determinist and pantheist, which I perceive to be dichotomies. The problem, as I see it, is that Spinoza’s philosophy and concept of God has mainly been interpreted through a dualistic mind-set, traditional to philosophers and theologians of the West, but Spinoza has a monistic worldview, and this has consequences in regards to the comprehension of what Spinoza’s concept of God entails and what a relationship “with” God implies. The labels panentheist and necessitarianist are discussed and the label of theologian argued. The thesis methodology is constructive because the purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation that has the potential to be applied in dialogues about God between the vast varieties of believers and non-believers alike, as well...

Spinoza - A Rational Mystic

Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, th... more Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, through the self, so it is not hard to see why it has been argued that he may have been a mystic. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all since he is considered to be one of the most rational philosophers of the Modern Age and Spinoza´s God is neither transcendent nor supernatural and therefore he is considered an atheist. The problem as I see it is; how can such a rational man even be considered to have anything to do with mysticism which traditionally is considered to be a personal, subjective, emotive, religious experience of a transcendent God, which today does not qualify as being rational in any scientific sense of the word? What has prompted my curiosity is the seeming contradiction of combining the rational label with a perceived mystical sensibility. In my analysis I investigate the possibility of a correlation between the definitions of the terms rational and mystic through t...

An Intentional Look at the Chinese Room

The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties ... more The Philosophy of Mind, which pertains to the study of mental properties and physical properties in relation to the world, has been around since the 4th century with philosophers like Socrates and Plato. The Mind and Matter Problem, also known as the Body and Soul Problem, deals with the issues of identifying and understanding the apparent difference between the mental mind or soul and the physical matter or body. Through history many resolutions to this problem have been presented. For example, Ontological Dualism claims that the mind and body are two distinct substances. Property Dualism claims that the mind is independent of the body, because it has its own properties, but it is not a distinct substance. Idealism claims that the physical can be reduced to the mental, and Monism claims that the mental can be reduced to the physical, whereas Neutral Monism claims that the mental and the physical are two attributes of one “unknown” substance. So as we can see the Mind and Matter Pro...

Spinoza - A Rational Mystic

Remembering Ideological Identities:Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expressions

A Comprehension of Spinoza's God Through the Dichotomy of Labels

The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Na... more The 17 th century philosopher Spinoza is known for his concept of God as One Substance, God or Nature and therefore considered as a monist and categorized as a naturalist. He has been labeled an atheist and God-intoxicated man, as well as a determinist and pantheist, which I perceive to be dichotomies. The problem, as I see it, is that Spinoza's philosophy and concept of God has mainly been interpreted through a dualistic mind-set, traditional to philosophers and theologians of the West, but Spinoza has a monistic worldview, and this has consequences in regards to the comprehension of what Spinoza's concept of God entails and what a relationship "with" God implies. The labels panentheist and necessitarianist are discussed and the label of theologian argued. The thesis methodology is constructive because the purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation that has the potential to be applied in dialogues about God between the vast varieties of believers and non-believers alike, as well as across boundaries of contradicting worldviews and academic disciplines, and this focus on functionalism is inspired by a theory that calls for the furthering of inter-disciplinary dialogue between the subject areas philosophy of religion and theology specifically. My personal worldview is that there might well be One Substance, God or Nature, but that does not necessarily mean that there is one truth that is valid, but rather that all truth claims may be of value. The thesis therefore provides yet another lens through which one can view and relate to the attitude of there being an "Other" or "others."

Remembering Ideological Identities: Transference of Holocaust Memory through Artistic Expression A Master's Thesis for the Degree Master of Arts (Two Years) in Visual Culture

We are rushing into an era where there will be no more witnesses to carry on the conversation abo... more

SPINOZA A Rational Mystic

Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, th... more Is Spinoza a mystic? Spinoza´s philosophy clearly relates to the concept of understanding God, through the self, so it is not hard to see why it has been argued that he may have been a mystic. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all since he is considered to be one of the most rational philosophers of the Modern Age and Spinoza´s God is neither transcendent nor supernatural and therefore he is considered an atheist. The problem as I see it is; how can such a rational man even be considered to have anything to do with mysticism which traditionally is considered to be a personal, subjective, emotive, religious experience of a transcendent God, which today does not qualify as being rational in any scientific sense of the word? What has prompted my curiosity is the seeming contradiction of combining the rational label with a perceived mystical sensibility. In my analysis I investigate the possibility of a correlation between the definitions of the terms rational and mystic through the understanding of rationalism and mysticism. I will delineate how they have been understood through history and discuss how they can be understood. I will explain Spinoza´s concept of God and through the lens of Spinoza´s philosophy see if it is possible to get an understanding of what effect a union of the two concepts can have. The purpose of this essay is not to find proof as to be able to label Spinoza as a mystic within the mysticism of his time, but rather to get an understanding of what a relationship with God, through Spinoza´s monist concept of God as One Substance, can entail and thereby maybe widen the frame of what a mystic can be considered to be. My question is thus: Is Spinoza a Rational Mystic? Sammanfattning: Är Spinoza en mystiker? Mystik anses traditionellt höra samman med en tro att förståelse och kännedom om Gud kommer till en genom en Uppenbarelse som förenar människan med en transcendent och övernaturliga Gud. Enligt Spinoza´s filosofi nås förståelse av Gud genom ökad självförståelse, så det är inte svårt att se hur han kan ha tolkats som en mystiker. Men å andra sidan är det helt oförståeligt eftersom han anses vara en av de mest rationella filosoferna i modern tid och Spinoza´s Gud är varken transcendent eller övernaturlig och därför anses han vara ateist. Syftet med uppsatsen är inte att bevisa att Spinoza var en mystiker av sin tid utan jag vill titta på vad en relation med Gud kan innebära när Gud anses vara Spinoza´s monistiska Gud som är En Substans. Jag vill reflektera över om det går att vidga ramen för vad en mystiker kan anses vara. Min fråga är därför: Är Spinoza en Rationell Mystiker?