Part of The Student Room Group

  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

Evaluate Corwin(TM)s claim that Metallicas One(TM) illustrates Descartes(TM) conception of the interaction between mind and body

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

ADVERTISING AND MEDIA BA MODULE: UNDERSTANDING THROUGH MEDIA MP0509 Essay document Word count: 1,574 (not inc bibliography and title) BY FAHMIDA BEGUM STUDENT ID: S013351 19th May 2009 Evaluate Corwin's claim that Metallica's 'One' illustrates Descartes' conception of the interaction between mind and body This essay will address the issues on Philosophical thinker Rene Descartes' work on dualism, through the analysis of the song 'One', by US thrash metal band 'Metallica'. The song similarly explores and evokes the interaction between mind and body dualism through Joanna Corwin's understanding of the song which will be evaluated against Descartes. The essay begins by giving an outline of Rene Descartes; his beliefs and knowledge. The essay then discusses Metallica's song which is from the soundtrack of the movie 'Johnny Got His Gun' (Irwin 2007:174). The focus of this essay will be based on Descartes Second Mediation 'The nature of the human mind, and how it is known better than the body' and Sixth Mediation 'The existence of material things, and the real distinction between mind and body' Rene Descartes (1596-1650) not only was he a philosopher but a mathematician, a man of science and even a mercenary for some time in his life. ...read more.

Middle

(2007:174). Which many philosophers struggle to explain including Descartes; (1996:18) 'I do not know, and for the moment I shall not argue the point, since I can make judgements only about things which are known to me, I know that I exist; the question is what is this 'I' that I know?'. We can only begin to try and understand Joe's condition as we are being educated about such things, but what about those who are really facing such difficulties? What about those who are in a coma, they are presumed brain dead and being 'kept alive' by a machine, but inside they might be screaming for help just the way Joe is. Descartes points out in his Second Mediation, (1996:59) 'although the whole mind seems to be united to the whole body, I recognize that if a foot or arm or any other part of the body is cut off, nothing has thereby been taken away from the mind.' So here he is proposing that even if you are physically disabled, your mind won't be affected. This is the point that Metallica are trying to get across through this song. ...read more.

Conclusion

'there is nothing that my own nature teaches me for vividly that that I have a body, and that when I feel pain there is something wrong with my body...so I should not doubt there is some truth in this.' Here he admits to knowing that there is a link and interaction between mind-body, and it would be difficult without one or the other. In conclusion to the essay, Descartes overall objective in the Meditations is to question knowledge. To explore such metaphysical issues as the existence of God and the separation of mind and body, it was important for him to distinguish what we can know as truth. Corwin is correct in linking the song to Descartes, even if the song doesn't aim to solve the mind-body interaction. The song evokes the topic and explores the 'aftermath' of one going though the very process of 'living' with the mind only. Through the song Metallica reveal the anguish that Joe is going through. It does prove that is it very difficult if not impossible to socialise or communicate without both. Its clear Descartes did come across various difficulties when trying to come up with evidence and conclusion to his mind-body dualism theory. Through this essay we see that even the greatest of Philosophical thinkers can't always prove their beliefs and thinking. ...read more.

The above preview is unformatted text

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our University Degree Television & Radio Studies section.

Found what you're looking for?

  • Start learning 29% faster today
  • 150,000+ documents available
  • Just £6.99 a month

or


Not the one? Search for your essay title...
  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

See related essaysSee related essays

Related University Degree Television & Radio Studies essays

  1. Nomalanga M. siwela

    MTV- features music only Paramount- for comedy films only Bid-Up TV- centred on selling items on TV Premiership Plus- for football focus, etc. Yet with PSB channels like BBC1 and Channel 5 all these are incorporated to include all the different segments of the population e.g.

  2. Active audiences have a mind of their own and they inject their own meanings ...

    all the time as different questions raised outside a particular reading can be developed in different forms during it. According to Jenkins (1992:83), fans are drawn to particular programme because there are materials for concern and they can raise issues that they want to discuss.

  1. Research Investigation To what extent does a music video follow the narrative set ...

    Another area which can affect the narrative of a music video is the reasons behind the portrayal. Various music videos can be said to have a meaning behind it, whether that reason be for a political reason, mediated or just general controversies about the artist being either challenged or created or events of the world at the time.

  2. The Music Business Research Project: Angel Music Group

    Events have been held all over the globe in countries such as, Belarus, Poland, South Africa, Russia, Spain and many more. Since Cambridge and as the brand started to grow, Angel Music Group were quick to realise that they needed to constantly re-locate to venues all over the UK that could hold a larger audiences.

  1. textual analysis of SATC

    * They are having one of their typical 'girly' chats about men and sex. Miranda talks about her lack of sex and how she is spending her time doing laundry instead. This may be interpreted as a sarcastic comment from Miranda who is very much the power woman and often

  2. 'In attempting to understand the making of meanings in contemporary media cultures, should our ...

    Violence is only one such representation which is discussed in terms of media output and the influence upon audiences, other popular topics include: politics, health, racism and war (Iyengar, 1997). When approaching the subject of direct media influence upon crime rates using stimulus/response research, Berkowitz and Macaulay (1971, in Berkowitz and Heimer Rogers, 1986)

  1. Many voices one cause: One cause many voices? An investigation into Zimbabwe broadcasting corporation's ...

    Thirdly, this dissertation would not have been written without a number of interviews conducted with the ZBC personnel, University staff and students. I thank you all. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family. Thank you very much to my sister Elizabeth for free use of the

  2. Zee Television Network.

    Going forward the company would continue to rely on various technological advancements in order that its operation maintain their competitive edge. Programming costs: Programming costs are the largest cost head and control over such costs can be the difference between the success and failure of a channel.

  • Over 160,000 pieces
    of student written work
  • Annotated by
    experienced teachers
  • Ideas and feedback to
    improve your own work