Baurillard – Douglas I. Bell

Tocqueville, Reisman, and Baudrillard on American culture

In 1831, French lawyer Alexis de Tocqueville received permission to visit the United States and study its penal system for three months. Using this official trip to study the young nation, Tocqueville also pursued his own research of the American democratic system. In his later study, Tocqueville posits that America represents democracy at its puristContinue reading “Tocqueville, Reisman, and Baudrillard on American culture”

Destroying the Aura of Mt Everest

People like to say I ran a marathon. I completed a triathlon. I swam 90 miles. I did it. While many individuals find a sense of accomplishment in completing these events, Jean Baudrillard instead asks why “[d]o we continually have to prove ourselves that we exist?” For Baudrillard, people who participate in events just toContinue reading “Destroying the Aura of Mt Everest”