Of Reality - The Purposes of Philosophy

Developed from his popular Gifford Lectures, this book advances a critical approach that recovers our interpretive powers and native skepticism toward normative claims. Though he recognizes his ideas invite charges of relativism, the philosopher counters with a discussion of truth, highlighting its longstanding ties to history and social circumstance. Truth is always contingent and provisional, and reason and reasonableness are bound to historical context. Truth is therefore never objective, and resistance to reality is our best hope to defeat the indifference that threatens the scope of freedom and democracy.

About the author

Gianni Vattimo, geboren 1936 in Turin, studierte Philosophie in Turin sowie in Heidelberg bei Hans-Georg Gadamer und Karl Löwith. 1964 wurde er Professor für Ästhetik in Turin, 1982 übernahm er dort den Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Philosophie. Von 1999 bis 2004 war Gianni Vattimo linksdemokratischer Abgeordneter im Europäischen Parlament.

Summary

A defense of the critical faculties that keep us from settling for the status quo. Drawing on Nietzsche and Heidegger, Vattimo develops a philosophy to combat the newest enemy of freedom and democracy: complacency toward reality. Resistance to reality becomes our best hope for countering the ongoing indifference to our fate.

Report

An engaging and refreshing read for any serious student of philosophy. Library Journal

Product details

• Authors: Gianni Vattimo, Vattimo Gianni
• Assisted by: Robert T. Valgenti (Translation), Valgenti Robert T. (Translation)
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.10.2017
• EAN: 9780231166973
• ISBN: 978-0-231-16697-3
• No. of pages: 248
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works; Philosophy, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Translating & Interpreting, PHILOSOPHY / Movements / General, Translation & interpretation, Philosophy: metaphysics and ontology, Topics in philosophy, Structuralism and Post-structuralism, Translation and interpretation