MA Alumni

Research subject: Aspects of comedy and humor in the second part of Cervantes' Don Quixote.

Supervisor: Prof. Ruth Fine

Supervisor: Dr. Sharon Krishek

Abstract: I am writing my thesis on a question that has been bothering me for quite some time, the question whether or not we are obligated to forgive the people we love? or, to put it somewhat differently, can we truly love someone and at the same time hold a negative attitude towards that person, believing that he wronged us?

 This is a complex question, which requires clarifying the basic terms with which it is concerns, namely forgiveness and love. In addition, it is also not clear what kind of obligation is in question. While every person on the street can understand the question asked, since it concerns two of the most basic concepts of human life, a closer look would reveal that it is far from easy to precisely define them.

 Given the complexity and width of the topic, I shall begin my discussion from the question whether or not we are ever obligated to forgive, regardless of our attitude towards the offender. Since our initial intuition is that an obligation to forgive belongs to the moral sphere, the first step would be ascertaining whether or not there could be a moral obligation to forgive.

 After concluding, through the discussion of the secondary literature on the subject, that in the moral sphere forgiveness is always supererogatory and never an obligation; I turn to a discussion of forgiveness as a religious duty, asking if forgiveness can be a moral prerogative and a religious duty. In this discussion I shall turn to Kierkegaard's conception of forgiveness, as presented in "Works of Love". His view is a view that binds forgiveness and love together.

 Yet deferring to Kierkegaard's view would entail accepting his religious framework, which many of us have trouble accepting. Trying to avoid an obligation to a religious-Christian framework, I shall check other models of love, in an attempt to ascertain whether there could be an obligation to forgive loved ones that is not of a religious nature. This inquiry will be based on the assumption that love does not necessarily belong to the moral domain. This will be the final step, after which I hope to offer a comprehensive answer to the question.

Supervisor: Aldina Rodriguez Quintana

Abstract: This dissertation will examine how Hebrew speakers respond to compliments by examining Hebrew speaking students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a sub-group of Hebrew speakers. This focus on a micro-level speech act is part of a wider understanding of the importance of pragmatics to intercultural communication.  By examining linguistic choices in socio-linguistic interaction a lot can be learned about the pragmatic motives of speakers. Understanding pragmatic motivation is extremely beneficial in preventing pragmatic failure, which occurs when speakers apply the pragmatic patterns of their native language (L1) on the spoken foreign language (L2) (Thomas 1983). 

 When receiving a compliment, it is expected to show happiness or embarrassment, the latter is more expected from women. External compliments, on appearance, performance and possession are the most welcomed, while physical appearance, talent and personality compliments are perceived as interior and therefore less welcomed. A simple /to’da/ will always suffice, especially if you are men, but expressing your pleasure with the compliment is a good choice too, especially if you are a woman and the giver of the compliment is a woman as well. Try to avoid denial of the compliment, as acceptance is much preferred. The least expected sub-strategies are ‘return compliment’, ‘magnified acceptance’ and ‘soliciting confirmation’. If you wish to choose ‘acceptance with amendment’, your best bet will be ‘tempered acceptance’. If you wish to ignore the illocutionary force of the compliment and address it as discursive, the best option is to view it a ‘topic introduction’.

The comparatively large variation in response choice in the Israeli culture, compared to the Spanish culture for example (Siebold 2008) is a result of two things: 1) the relative newness of the Israeli society, which means cultural expectations are not yet fully established, and 2) The importance of the individual over the importance of the group; Israel has become very diverse and Capitalism and North-American influence raised the importance of the individual over the collective. 

Subject: Talmudic reasonning and the Sasanian context of the Babylonian Talmud

MA Honors 2018/19