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Post by pieter on Nov 27, 2005 14:11:50 GMT -7
I am curious what the favorite composer of the visitors of this Folder is, and if people can explain me why?
Pieter
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Post by pieter on Nov 27, 2005 14:29:26 GMT -7
Dear reader,
I voted somebody else, because my favorite is Emmanuel Levinas. Why? Because of his plea for ethical responsibility for "the Other" the bedrock of his philosophical analyses in a time that was filled by hyperindividualism on one side and collectivism on the other side, especially in the seventees.
I read his Humanism of the Other in Duch translation (the original book is written in French) and was deeply touched and impressed by this book. I like Levinas much more than Nietsche, Sartre, Heidegger or Foucault, although in this book Levinas answers much questions or theories by some of these philosophers, especially Heidegger and Nietsche.
Pieter
Humanism of the Other
Emmanuel Levinas
Translated from the French by Nidra Poller Introduction by Richard A. Cohen
In Humanism of the Other, Emmanuel Levinas argues that it is not only possible but of the highest exigency to understand one's humanity through the humanity of others. Based in a new appreciation for ethics, and taking new distances from the phenomenology of Hegel, Heidegger, Husserl, and Merleau-Ponty, the idealism of Plato and Kant, and the skepticism of Nietzsche and Blanchot, Levinas rehabilitates humanism and restores its promises.
The author expresses disappointment with the revo-lutions that became bureaucracies and totalitarian governments and the national liberation movements that eventually led to oppression and international wars. He argues that defining the human as subject, ego, synthesis, identification, cognition, and mood all too easily lead to subjugation, persecution, and murder.
Painfully aware of the long history of dehumanization that reached its apotheosis in Hitler and Nazism, Levinas does not underestimate the difficulty of reconciling oneself with another. The humanity of the human, he argues, is not discoverable through mathematics, rational metaphysics, or introspection. Rather, it is found in the recognition that the suffering and mortality of others are the obligations and morality of the self.
Emmanuel Levinas (1906-95) is the author of Time and the Other, Ethics and Infinity, Otherwise Than Being: or, Beyond Essence, and many other philosophical texts.
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aadam
Junior Pole
Posts: 130
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Post by aadam on Nov 28, 2005 15:04:23 GMT -7
There are many favourite philosophers I hve. I'd say that this changes, but those 'past favourites' somehow remain favourite forever. Shestov - you already now. Other names include Acvinata, Augustin, Eckhart, Jakob Boehme. Wittgenstein was/is one of my favourites, too! And Leibnitz. And Schopenhauer. And an anonymus author of 'cloud of unknowing', and... , and..
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aadam
Junior Pole
Posts: 130
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Post by aadam on Nov 28, 2005 15:05:23 GMT -7
as to 'why' part of the pole question - I have to leave it for the future...
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forza
Cosmopolitan
Posts: 514
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Post by forza on Nov 28, 2005 15:32:48 GMT -7
My favorite is Walter Kaufman; a professor from Princeton University known for his translations of Nietzsche. I read several of his books: From Sartre to Dostoevsky, Critique of Religion and Philosophy, Without Guilt and Justice to name some. I like him for he's very practical and not only but also scholar. He also wrote a wonderful book Future of Humanities. Kaufman was also a poet "Cain and other poems" His opinion about academia (where he was employed to my knowledge all his live) was quite critical, too. One of his poems from Cain book: "The Academic Zoo" Whatever spins web or cocoon is welcome, however jejune. Butterfly need not apply
My other philosopher of choice is from Switzerland and of polish origin, a woman! Alice Miller. Her discoveries about consequences of child abuse are not waiting to be recognized as valid but their importance is something each individual is yet to realize and follow with some homework. Her most well know book: the drama of the gifted child. She later wrote many more. Miller and Kaufmann are a bible for me I haven't found arguments making them invalid.
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Post by pieter on Nov 28, 2005 17:14:05 GMT -7
Adam and Forza, thank you very much for your serious reactions and so your favorites. Adam, I liked our discussion about Shestov and about other topics. It is very late know, and I have to leave the Forum now, but will react more serious on your posts later. Forza, I did not know Walter Kaufman and Alice Miller, but now know them, because of you, interesting and important philosophers indeed.
Pieter
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aadam
Junior Pole
Posts: 130
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Post by aadam on Nov 30, 2005 13:10:12 GMT -7
Thanks Forza! never heard of the two before.
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nancy
European
Posts: 2,144
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Post by nancy on Nov 30, 2005 14:45:08 GMT -7
Re: Alice Miller ... I think of her as a psychologist and sociologist, but perhaps the term philosopher is also appropriate. I did not realize she was born in Poland. Her books were popular when I was selling books.
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Post by estelle on Dec 1, 2005 4:11:16 GMT -7
pieter, I miss wittgenstein, derrida, baudrillard, levinas, barthes, adorno, arendt etc etc in your poll.
PS: nietzsche is written with a Z. ha ha be accurate.
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Post by pieter on Dec 1, 2005 11:25:04 GMT -7
Estelle,
You are right, in the same line as Adam mentioned the possibility of Multiple choise. I tried to form a classical line of philosophers and was curious what people would mention who chose "Somebody else, and why...", because that was for me the most interesting choice. What are the favorites of the visitors. Polls are always limited in my view. But you are absolutely right that I should have mentioned wittgenstein, derrida, baudrillard, levinas, barthes, adorno, arendt and Schopenhauer, Feuerbach, Sartre, Habermas, Levi-Strauß, Merleau-Ponty and Bergson.
Pieter
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Post by pieter on Sept 9, 2006 9:21:41 GMT -7
I am interested what Wojtek's favorite philosopher is, and that of the visiting guests!
Feel free to drop names or give your opinion, your view or critique, you are welcome!
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Post by pieter on Jun 8, 2007 10:21:17 GMT -7
Recycling this to (again)!
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