Central European Time: FIT

FIT is a European project on Fanaticism by Castrum Peregrini

Towards Porto: Outlines of the FIT

Preparing next project meeting
Porto, 29 April – 1 May 2010
 
The FIT peperation group (Fleur Ravensbergen, Frans Damman, Michael Defuster and Lars Ebert; structure and guidance by Dirk Jansen) has discussed and developed the outlines of the Fanaticism Indication Test (FIT) according to our discussions at the last project meeting in Vienna, in January 2010. Please [...]

Optimism and willingness versus Caution

Testing the scale ends of the
Fanaticism Idication Test (FIT)
See the last posting under point 14.  To be completed and discussed in Porto.
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a. Optimism and willingness versus Caution
Positive, open, easy going, naive versus suspicious, alert to danger and unpredictable circumstances.
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Next

Security versus Exploratory

Testing the scale ends of the
Fanaticism Idication Test (FIT)
See the last posting under point 14.  To be completed and discussed in Porto.
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b. Security versus Exploratory
Looks for common norms and values, experiences shared heritage with people in their group, is in search of human companionship, feels secure when he/she is a part of a community versus  looks [...]

Focus versus Thinking in Opportunities

Testing the scale ends of the
Fanaticism Idication Test (FIT)
See the last posting under point 14.  To be completed and discussed in Porto.
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c. Focus versus Thinking in Opportunities
Focuses on one specific goal, refuses to be diverted/divert from this goal versus  is continuously looking for different perspectives, refuses to commit to one perspective, is unattached.
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Next

Individual versus Group

Testing the scale ends of the
Fanaticism Idication Test (FIT)
See the last posting under point 14.  To be completed and discussed in Porto.
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d. Individual versus Group
Individuals are needed for a group and a group is needed to … individuals. The mutual dependency of both entities is evident.
  

1)      Group is good (individualization is bad):

a group is a [...]

Reason versus Impulse

Testing the scale ends of the
Fanaticism Idication Test (FIT)
See the last posting under point 14.  To be completed and discussed in Porto.
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e) Reason  versus Impulse
If I make a decision then it is a well-considered and well-formulated one  versus  my decisions are initially usually impulsive.

1)      Well-considered, reasonable behavior is good (impulsive, instinctive behavior is bad):
human instinctive [...]

Utilitarian versus Pacifist

Testing the scale ends of the
Fanaticism Idication Test (FIT)
See the last posting under point 14.  To be completed and discussed in Porto.
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f.       Utilitarian versus Pacifist
Violence can be used as a means to an end if the end goal is sufficiently important to me versus the use of violence is only an acceptable option under extreme [...]

Fanaticism indicator

Proposal on a fanaticism indicator and test
 
Introduction
At our September meeting we earmarked two issues to be worked out for further consideration and final decision:

a definition of fanaticism
a fanaticism test

Proposals on both items has been worked out below.

Definition
In our discussions we found (at least) two different meanings of the term fanaticism:
1. a determined and focused way [...]

Call for case studies on Fanaticism

FIT  is looking for
examples of fanaticism
and inspiring practices
in dealing with fanaticism
We want to build a Collection of case studies on and tools for dealing with fanaticism
For this pupose we would be grateful if you could answer the following questions:
1)      Could you therefore provide us a brief description of situations of fanaticism in your region/organisation/social [...]

A case study from Lodz

The anti-Semitic graffiti in Lodz has already been written about.  It’s still on walls in the rougher parts of town, though there is less of it than there used to be.  I’m not even sure whether to call this graffiti outright anti-Semitism – it is more a way of denigrating your rival, the main rivals [...]

FIT first meeting of project partners

Getting to know each other – planning the future
 
Questions: 

What are our individual organisation about?
What is each organizations particular interest in the subject?
What do we want to get out of the project?
How doe we contribute to that purpose? 

 
Statements made during discussions; questions raised by Ram Mannikalligam:
1) Fanaticism (F):

means absence of reason (But who is inside and [...]

Fanaticism as de-humanization

Bert van den Brink, Utrecht University, spoke under above title during Castrum Peregrini Central European Time kick-off workshop of FIT – ‘Fanaticism Indicator Test’
Do not quote or reproduce without written consent of the author: bert.vandenbrink[at]phil.uu.nl
I was asked to give a philosophical reflection on fanaticism. Fanaticism has never been a topic in my research but it [...]

Quotes on Fanaticism – D/EN

 fr: fanatique oder lat. fanaticus = göttlich inspiriert.
 
Bedeutungsebenen:
I.             im engeren Sinn das Besessensein von einer Idee, Vorstellung oder Überzeugung („ein fanatischer Anhänger einer Ideologie oder einer Gruppierung“, meist also religiös und politisch motiviert.)
II.            im weiteren Sinn eine besonders hohe emotionale Wertschätzung bestimmter Tätigkeiten, Interessengebiete (fanatischer „Motorrad-Freak“ oder „Fußball-Fan“) oder Objekte wie z. B. Sammelobjekte. Harmlose Form, [...]

Roundtable on Fanaticism

Europe has a long history of religious, political, racist and economical fanaticism that has had disastrous effects on the development of the continent. Today, fanatism is present in the tendencies towards nationalism and populism, religious movements, the call for strong leaders, exclusion of outsiders and minorities, intolerance towards different opinions and ways of life etc.
Castrum [...]

FIT – Reading list

This Reading List is to grow during the project. This is just a first point of departure. All hints for additional titels are welcome. Please use the comment box below.
 
Arendt, Hannah, The Origins of Totalitarianism. New York, 1951. Third edition with new prefaces, 1973.
Canetti, Elias, Die Fackel im Ohr, Lebensgeschichte 1921-1931, 1980; as The Torch [...]

FIT – working conference

FIT – Fanaticism Indicator Test
Project launch – first partners meeting – working conference
Castrum Peregrini and Goethe Institut in association with the Dialogue Advisory Group
Amsterdam 25 and 26 September 2009
Working language: English 
As a practical conclusion drawn from the project application we suggest to work in three strands:
1)         on the general theme of fanaticism
2)         on the [...]

Fanaticism, inextricably connected to human life

Summary of the article “Fanatisme, van alle tijden, in alle mensen”
by Dirk Jansen
Introduction
In finding my way through stories, studies and literature on the theme of fanaticism it struck me that most of the authors locate fanatic characteristics in distant, impersonal entities (Taliban, Nazis, inquisition etc.). Not much attention is paid to the individual, personal perspective. [...]

FIT – Fanaticism Indicator Test

FIT – Fanaticism Indicator Test
Our application for a two year project on the theme of fanaticism was granted by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Comission. We are happy to work for two years with the following group of partners:

Volkshochschule Hietzing, Vienna, Austria

The Red House for Culture, Bulgaria, Sofia
Goethe Institut, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tolerance Institute, [...]

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