Volume 10: Duality (Spring 2016)
Duality
In humanity’s search for understanding, we often compartmentalize concepts into dual binaries. Is there a true duality observable in nature or is the world more complex? Are dualities simply constructs that we use to understand phenomena? Can anything be fully understood as a singular thing, or can it only be understood in juxtaposition? Is dualism by definition difference?
Mind
The “philosophy of mind” form of dualism expresses a distinction between the mind (subjective experiences, dreams, thoughts, and emotions) and the brain (the physical entity and processes). Does the mind transcend the physical brain to produce our discrete realities or can all mental phenomena be reduced to the firing of synapses and the release of neurotransmitters? How do we reconcile or explore this duality and, furthermore, how does the mind respond in light of life’s dualities? In regards to the mind and mental functioning, what purposes might dualities serve in helping us understand, interpret, and/or create reality?
Distant Stranger by Matthew Gonzalez
Hamlet: The Construction of Insanity by Anastasia Finney
Illuminating the Unattainable: The Opposition of Light and Dark in Ethan Frome by Anastasia Finney
Storytelling by Ashley Musick
Sulcus by Helena McGill
Body
In what ways can physical appearance show the dual nature between the exterior and interior, between feelings and expression? How does appearance link to perceived identity? What is the connection between our primitive nature and civilized life, and how do we reflect that?
My Little Sage by Matthew Gonzalez
Phoenix Shower by Callan Keeter
Death
Death is defined in dual opposition to life. Does this mean that we can never understand death without relating it to life? Is death simply the absence of life, or is it something else altogether? Is this distinction between life and death absolute? Can we see life and death as a process in dynamic equilibrium? Is dying, as a necessary part of life, simply a component of life? How is death mediated as a duality in visual and narrative arts?
Now Before by Drew Petriello
The Reign of Death Over Society by Dana Vengrow
Space
Modern physics has shown us that space and time, previously viewed as separate, are actually the same. What other dualities does space present to us? Are they actually dualities? For instance, light and dark are conventionally seen as opposites. Are they? In what ways have spatial dualities influenced humanity? Is the day/night duality responsible for the good/evil duality found in stories?
Come Home by Jay Dye
Time
Conventionally we view time as having a Past, a Present, and a Future, but these concepts do not always exist separately. How might one exist in both the Past and Present? Present and Future? Past and Future? How might two individuals each experience the same moment in time? How do individuals consider time differently? Can different models of time coexist?
Dreams by Matthew Gonzalez