New Trends in Literature and AI-Driven Transformations in Language Studies-Seminar

 Greetings everyone!

On 21 September 2024, I participated in a virtual seminar on "New Trends in Literature and AI-Driven Transformations in Language Studies," organized by the School of Social Sciences and Language Studies, Department of English, Vellore University of Technology.

One of the key takeaways from the seminar is that while we are all vulnerable, not everyone is helpless. This is because there are different factors and types of vulnerability that affect us in various ways.

The seminar had four insightful sessions. As usual, Prof. Pramod Nair delivered an impressive and enlightening lecture titled "Posthumanism and Precarity," which really caught my attention. Other remarkable sessions included:

Dr. Shobha K N, who spoke on "AI and Language Studies"

Dr. C G Shamala, who presented on "AI and Digital Humanities"

Dr. Candy D'Cunha, who discussed "Eco-Narratives: Storytelling's Role in Shaping Environmental Awareness"

During Prof. Nair’s session, he emphasized the complexity of vulnerability and how it is shaped by various forces around us. He also touched on "speciesism," a term coined by Richard Ryder, which refers to the bias that favors the interests of one's own species over others. According to Ryder, this attitude often leads humans to believe they have the right to exploit other species for their own benefit.

Types of Vulnerability:

1. Intrinsic Vulnerability: This type of vulnerability is inherent to being human. Our bodies, made of blood and nerves, are susceptible to injury and disease. Aging, natural disasters, and health issues can all contribute to our vulnerability.

2. Shared Vulnerability: We share vulnerability with others in many ways:We share our identity with others in social and cultural contexts. We share a physical ecosystem with other humans, animals, and plants.

We share institutions and practices, such as law, government, and the economy, which can either protect or expose us to risk.

Human Vulnerability and Control:

Prof. Nair also highlighted how our vulnerability is shaped by structures of power, including the state, corporate institutions, and economic systems. These structures—through mechanisms like insurance, healthcare, and legal systems—exist to reduce our collective vulnerability.

Vulnerability Beyond Humans:

We are not the only beings who are vulnerable. Plants and animals also experience vulnerability in their own ways. This brings us to an important ethical question: How should we treat other species? Should we exploit them for our benefit, or recognize their vulnerabilities and treat them with care?

Biopolitics and Technology:

The session also touched on the concept of biopolitics, which examines how political and social systems control human life. Prof. Nair explained how technology, while highly beneficial, can also be misused. He used examples from literature, such as The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, to illustrate how human bodies can be exploited when viewed merely as tools for production or reproduction. This raises questions about whether we truly own our bodies, or whether external forces exert control over us.

Ethical Considerations:

We must also be mindful of the limits of our consumption and exploitation of resources—both human and environmental. As Prof. Nair pointed out, no human is an island. We are interconnected with other beings and with the Earth itself, and we must be cautious about how we use the power and technology at our disposal.

In conclusion, while technology and progress are important, we need to ensure that we use them ethically, keeping in mind the vulnerabilities of not just humans, but all living beings. I would be glad to hear your thoughts and insights on these topics.

Thank you!

The Wretched of the Earth

 The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon 

This blog is the part of thinking activity task of the paper Postcolonial Studies and unit The Wretched of the Earth by Franz Fantz Fanon. Let us have brief introduction of the Fanon and the work. 

Frantz Fanon : 

Born: July 20, 1925, Fort-de-France, Martinique

Died: December 6, 1961, Bethesda, Maryland

Occupation: Psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary

Known for: Works on colonialism, decolonization, and race relations

Influential on: Post-colonial theory, critical theory, Marxism

Key themes: Violence, alienation, identity, race, and colonialis

Frantz Fanon: Works in Chronological Order

Year	Work
1952	Black Skin, White Masks
1955	A Dying Colonialism
1961	The Wretched of the Earth
1963	Studies in a Dying Colonialism
1967	Toward a Revolutionary Culture
1970	Black Skin, White Masks: A Psychoanalytic Study of the Negro

"The Wretched of the Earth" is a non-fiction, originally written in French in 1961 under the title "Les Damnes de la Terre," and later translated into English.(Fanon)

Role of violence in colonialism with reference to the wretched of Earth

Frantz Fanon, a writer from a French colony, explored the terrible effects of colonialism. Colonialism is when a powerful country takes over another country and exploits its people. This often involves racism and violence. Fanon argued that colonialism was deeply harmful and could only be overcome through violence.

Fanon believed that colonialism created a divided world. It divided people based on their skin color, with white people seen as superior and black people as inferior. This was similar to an ancient Persian religion called Manichaeanism, which believed in the battle between good and evil.

Colonialism was also a system of violence. The colonizers used force to control and oppress the colonized people. This included things like police brutality and military presence. Fanon argued that violence was a constant part of colonial life and could not be avoided.

The Need for Violence

"Decolonization, therefore, implies the urgent need to thoroughly challenge the colonial situation. Its definition can, if we want to describe it accurately, be summed up in the well-known words: “The last shall be first.” Decolonization is verification of this. At a descriptive level, therefore, any decolonization is a success."

Fanon believed that the only way to overcome colonialism was through violence. He argued that peaceful methods would not work because colonialism was itself based on violence. He believed that violence was a way for colonized people to cleanse themselves of the inferiority complex imposed on them by the colonizers. It talks about how violence is a big part of colonialism. Colonialism is when a powerful country takes over another country and treats its people badly.

Fanon says that colonialism starts with violence. The colonizers use force to take control of the other country. After that, they keep using violence to keep the people under their control. There are always soldiers and police around, making people feel scared and powerless.

"In its bare reality, decolonization reeks of red-hot cannonballs and bloody knives. For the last can be the first only after a murderous and decisive confrontation between the two protagonists. This determination to have the last move up to the front, to have them clamber up (too quickly, say some) the famous echelons of an organized society, can only succeed by resorting to every means, including, of course, violence."

Even when there isn't any open fighting, people still feel like they could be hurt at any time. This makes them feel weak and hopeless.

So, Fanon says that violence is like a shadow that's always there in colonialism. It's hard to escape and it makes life very difficult for the people who are being colonized. Fanon argues that the only way to overcome colonialism is through violence. His book has had a significant impact on discussions about colonialism and decolonization.

The Role of the Lumpenproletariat in the violence : 

Frantz Fanon's book The Wretched of the Earth talks about a group of people called the lumpenproletariat. These are people who are very poor and often do bad things like stealing or taking drugs. They are the lowest part of society.Even though they are not good people, Fanon thinks they are very important in the fight for independence. He says they are like a sharp spear that can hurt the colonizers. These poor people are angry and want to make a change.

So, even though the lumpenproletariat are not good people, they can be used to help fight against colonialism. They are a powerful force that can help to overthrow the colonizers.m Colonialism is when a powerful country takes over another country and treats its people badly.

Fanon argued that Europe became rich by stealing from other countries. He said that Europe exploited these countries, taking their resources and making them poor. This was unfair and made it hard for these countries to develop after they became independent.

Fanon also said that Europe was wrong to ask for help after World War II. He said that Europe should have helped the countries it had colonized instead. He believed that Europe owed these countries money and support because of what they had done to them.

Fanon wanted the world to focus on helping these poor countries, not on fighting wars between different political systems. He believed that everyone should work together to make the world a fairer place.

Manichaeism means in a colonial context

Manichaeism worshipped Jesus, Buddha

Spread and Decline of Manichaeism

Both the videos will provide the overview of how  manichiaesm is connected with the religion. However, our main concern is how it is connected with the colonialism. 

"The people who in the early days of the struggle had adopted the primitive Manichaeanism of the colonizer—Black versus White, Arab versus Infidel—realize en route that some blacks can be whiter than the whites, and that the prospect of a national flag or independence does not automatically result in certain segments of the population giving up their privileges and their interests."

Manichaeism is an old religion from Persia that believes in a battle between good and evil. Frantz Fanon, a writer who talked about colonialism, used Manichaeism to explain how colonialism works.

Fanon said that colonialism sees the world in a very simple way. It divides people into two groups: the colonizers, who are seen as good and powerful, and the colonized people, who are seen as bad and weak. This way of thinking is like Manichaeism, which divides everything into light (good) and dark (evil).

This belief that colonized people are bad is the reason for the racism that is common in colonial societies. It leads people to believe that it's okay to treat colonized people badly because they are seen as inferior.

Manichaeism and the National Bourgeoisie

In Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth, the concept of Manichaeism, which divides the world into good and evil, is also applicable to the relationship between the national bourgeoisie and the colonized masses.

• The National Bourgeoisie as the "Good": The national bourgeoisie, often Westernized and educated, are seen as the "good" or "light" force in colonial society. They are perceived as the hope for progress and modernization, aligning them with the colonial powers.

• The Colonized Masses as the "Evil": The colonized masses, living in poverty and often uneducated, are seen as the "evil" or "dark" force. They are perceived as backward, ignorant, and a threat to the stability of the nation.

This Manichaean division creates a hierarchy within the colonial society, with the national bourgeoisie occupying the dominant position. They benefit from the existing colonial system and often align themselves with the colonial powers to maintain their privileged status.

However, Fanon argues that this Manichaean worldview is flawed and harmful. It reinforces the colonial power structures and prevents the development of a truly independent and equitable nation. The national bourgeoisie, despite their claims of representing the nation's interests, ultimately prioritize their own wealth and power, perpetuating the exploitation of the colonized masses. It leads people to believe that it's okay to treat colonized people badly because they are seen as inferior.

Relation Fanon describes between culture and combat?

"The recognition of a national culture and its right to exist represent their favorite stamping ground. Whereas the politicians integrate their action in the present, the intellectuals place themselves in the context of history. Faced with the colonized intellectual’s debunking of the colonialist theory of a precolonial barbarism, colonialism’s response is mute."

Frantz Fanon, a writer who talked about colonialism, believed that culture is very important for decolonization. Decolonization is when a country becomes independent after being ruled by another country.Fanon said that colonial powers tried to erase the culture of the colonized people. They said that these people didn't have any culture or art. This was racist and wrong.

Fanon argued that it's important for colonized people to show their culture to the world. This helps them to build a new nation and feel proud of who they are. However, Fanon also said that it's not possible to have one single black culture for all African countries. Each country has its own unique culture that should be celebrated.

Frantz Fanon, a writer who talked about colonialism, believed that culture is very important for national liberation. National liberation is when a country becomes independent after being ruled by another country.

Fanon said that culture is often hidden or destroyed by colonial powers. This is because colonial powers want to erase the identity of the colonized people. However, Fanon argued that culture is a sign of national identity and resistance. It shows that people are proud of who they are and are not willing to give up their traditions.

Fanon also said that culture is important for building a new nation after decolonization. It helps people to feel connected to each other and to their history. Culture can also be used to fight against colonialism by expressing the people's identity and their desire for freedom.

In conclusion, Fanon believed that culture is a powerful tool for national liberation. It can be used to resist colonial oppression and to build a strong and independent nation.

"A culture is first and foremost the expression of a nation, its preferences, its taboos, and its models. "

Thank You.

Words : 1634

Images: 9

Videos : 2

References : 

Fanon, Frantz. “Preface to Frantz Fanon's Wretched of the Earth by Jean-Paul Sartre.” Marxists Internet Archive, https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/1961/preface.htm. Accessed 09 October 2024.

Fanon, Frantz. “The Wretched of the Earth Study Guide | Literature Guide.” LitCharts, 31 October 2019, https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-wretched-of-the-earth. Accessed 09 October 2024.