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Huh Stuff

This document lists themes and topics related to the HSH1000 course, including happiness and suffering, utopias and dystopias, mortality and memorialization, identity and self-perception, the search for meaning, and the relationship with the natural world. Each theme is accompanied by a brief description and examples of related texts that may address that theme. The list is meant to be non-exhaustive and was developed by the course instructor to highlight some of the concepts that may be discussed.

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42 views3 pages

Huh Stuff

This document lists themes and topics related to the HSH1000 course, including happiness and suffering, utopias and dystopias, mortality and memorialization, identity and self-perception, the search for meaning, and the relationship with the natural world. Each theme is accompanied by a brief description and examples of related texts that may address that theme. The list is meant to be non-exhaustive and was developed by the course instructor to highlight some of the concepts that may be discussed.

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List of HSH1000-related themes/ topics *non-exhaustive

*Developed by Dr. Anu Selva-Thomson (HSH1000/ NUS Philosophy)

Happiness and suffering (individual and collective)

➢ The impact of materialism/ consumerism on notions of happiness and well-being


Related texts: Omelas, Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ The perils of pursuing happiness. Does the perennial quest for contentment and pleasure
foster unrealistic expectations and dissatisfaction?
Related texts: Gilgamesh, Omelas, Xunzi, to some extent A Number

➢ The ways in which concepts like authenticity, meaning, and responsibility influence the
human experience of happiness and suffering.
Related texts: Gilgamesh, A Number, Omelas, Xunzi, No Exit, Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ The judgements/perceived judgements of others impacting our self- perceptions and


contributing to happiness and/or suffering.
Related texts: No Exit, Xunzi, A Number, Sexual Politics of Meat, Omelas

➢ Suffering as a means of emotional maturation


Related texts: Omelas, Gilgamesh, No Exit, Xunzi

➢ Technological advancements and their impact on human suffering and happiness


Related texts: A Number, to some extent, Omelas, Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ One’s ethical responsibility to alleviate societal suffering while pursuing individual


happiness.
Related texts: No Exit, Xunzi, A Number, Sexual Politics of Meat, Omelas

Utopias/ Dystopias

➢ The pursuit of a perfect society and its impact on individual freedoms


Related texts: Omelas, A Number, Xunzi

➢ The ethical concerns resulting from technology becoming a central driver of societal
perfection.
Related texts: A Number, Omelas

➢ The relationship between a desired state of perpetual contentment and human fulfilment.
A consideration of how the absence of struggle and adversity in a utopian society
hinders human growth, creativity, and progress.
Related texts: Omelas, Xunzi, No Exit, A Number

➢ Dystopian narratives as a cautionary tale against the abuse of political power and the
consequences of unchecked authority.
Related texts: Omelas, A Number

➢ What utopian/ dystopian narratives reveal about the essential human need for
connection, empathy, and identity.
Related texts: Omelas, A Number
➢ The utility of utopian/ dystopian stories in addressing present-day societal issues.
Related texts: Omelas, A Number

Mortality and memorialisation

➢ The knowledge of mortality and its impact on everyday life/ choices (e.g., in the realms
of love, friendship, duties, politics, ethics etc)
Related texts: Omelas, Gilgamesh, Xunzi, No Exit, A Number, Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ The way in which cultural practices, rituals and/or stories help individuals confront and
manage their anxieties and fears (especially as it relates to death).
Related texts: Omelas, Gilgamesh, Xunzi

➢ Storytelling as a means of memorialisation


Related texts: Gilgamesh, No Exit, A Number

➢ The impact of medical advancements and anti-ageing aspirations on human perspectives


on mortality
Related texts: Gilgamesh, A Number

➢ Notions of the afterlife and their impact on everyday choices/ aspirations


Related texts: Gilgamesh, No Exit, A Number

Identity and Self-Perception

➢ The impact of others’ perceptions on the formation of our identities


Related Texts: Gilgamesh, No Exit, A Number, Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ The importance of being unique


Related texts: A Number, Gilgamesh, No Exit, Xunzi

➢ The constituents of individual identity/ identity as a construct (i.e. What makes me a


self?)
Related texts: A Number, Gilgamesh, No Exit, Sexual Politics of Meat, Xunzi

➢ The role of memory and personal history in shaping an individual's sense of identity
Related texts: A Number, No Exit, Sexual Politics of Meat, to some extent Gilgamesh

➢ The influence of self-perception on interpersonal relationships, including friendships,


romantic partnerships, and family dynamics.
Related texts: Gilgamesh, A Number, No Exit, Sexual Politics of Meat, to some extent Omelas
and Xunzi

➢ The interplay between self-perception and external validation (e.g. social media
feedback) and how this affects individuals' sense of self-worth and authenticity.
Related texts: Gilgamesh, No Exit, Sexual Politics of Meat, to some extent Xunzi, A Number and
Omelas

➢ Empathy and self-cultivation as tools for fostering a sense of identity/ belonging and
connectedness.
Related texts: Omelas, Gilgamesh, No Exit, to some extent Xunzi, A Number and Sexual Politics
of Meat
The Search for Meaning
➢ How existential angst fosters the search for meaning.
Related texts: Gilgamesh, No Exit, to some extent Xunzi and Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ Personal quests for meaning and its relationship with societal goals/ aspirations.
Related texts: Gilgamesh, No Exit, A Number, Omelas to some extent Xunzi and Sexual Politics
of Meat

➢ Scientific advancements and its impact on the human search for meaning?
OR
➢ The impact of religious beliefs on the human search for meaning
Related texts: Gilgamesh, Xunzi, A Number, Omelas, Sexual Politics of Meat

Relationship with the Natural World

➢ The impact of consumerism and materialistic values on human behaviour towards the
environment.
Related texts: Gilgamesh, Omelas, Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ The ways in which technology mediates our experience of nature, and how this impacts
our understanding of the natural world.
Related texts: Sexual Politics of Meat, A Number

➢ The role of the natural world (environment/ plants/ animals) in shaping human identity
Related texts: Gilgamesh, Xunzi, Sexual Politics of Meat

Miscellaneous

➢ How the concept of moral accountability shapes our understanding of the human
condition.
Related texts: Gilgamesh, No Exit, A Number, Xunzi, Sexual Politics of Meat

➢ Rituals as a means of coping with anxiety and fear.


Related texts: Xunzi

➢ The relationship between social isolation, loneliness, and mental health.


Related texts: Omelas, Gilgamesh, No Exit, to some extent Xunzi, A Number and Sexual Politics
of Meat

➢ The relationship between individual and collective freedoms


Related texts: Omelas, Gilgamesh, No Exit, A Number, Sexual Politics of Meat, Xunzi

*See also the bi-weekly tutorial handouts for further themes.

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