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Overview
Beginning with a sustained critique of the so-called ‘end of philosophy', Badiou goes on to propose a new definition of philosophy, one that is tested with respect to both its origin, in Plato, and its contemporary state. The essays that follow are ordered according to what Badiou sees as the four great conditions of philosophy: philosophy and poetry, philosophy and mathematics, philosophy and politics, and philosophy and love. Conditions provides an illuminating reworking of all the major theories in Being and Event. In so doing, Badiou not only develops the complexity of the concepts central to Being and Event but also adds new ones to his already formidable arsenal. The essays in Conditions reveal the extraordinary and systematic nature of Badiou's philosophical enterprise.
Synopsis
"Alain Badiou is without doubt the most important and influential thinker working in European philosophy today. Conditions is the first major collection of essays written after Being and Event, his extraordinary magnum opus." "Badiou starts with philosophy itself and a clear critique of the theme of its so-called 'end'. He then goes on to propose a new definition of philosophy, one that is tested with respect to both its origin, in Plato, and its contemporary state. The essays that follow are all ordered around the four great conditions of philosophy: philosophy and poetry, philosophy and mathematics, philosophy and politics, and philosophy and love." "Conditions provides an illuminating reworking of many of the major concepts in Being and Event. In so doing, Badiou not only develops the complexity of the concepts central to Being and Event but also adds new ones to his already formidable arsenal." The essays contained within Conditions show the immense scope and potential of Badiou's extraordinary system.
Scott Duimstra - Library Journal
In this collection of essays, French philosopher Badiou (École Normale Supérieure; Being and Event) seeks to provide a new definition of philosophy. According to Badiou, contemporary philosophy has become paralyzed because "it no longer knows if it has a proper place." This paralysis has come about because philosophers have interpreted philosophy through the confines of its own history. He explains that philosophy must be independent of its history and work with the conditions of science, art, politics, and love to inform universal truths. Each section contains a collection of essays pertaining to each condition and examines its relationship to philosophy. According to Badiou, just as Plato refuted the claims of sophists regarding universal truths, philosophy must now refute the theories of 20th-century sophists such as Wittgenstein, who tried to explain away philosophical problems by examining language and meaning rather than trying to understand philosophy itself. Badiou is a prominent and sometimes controversial voice in Continental philosophy, and this collection of essays demonstrates his highly technical and original thought. Recommended for academic libraries.
Editorials
Library Journal
In this collection of essays, French philosopher Badiou (École Normale Supérieure; Being and Event) seeks to provide a new definition of philosophy. According to Badiou, contemporary philosophy has become paralyzed because "it no longer knows if it has a proper place." This paralysis has come about because philosophers have interpreted philosophy through the confines of its own history. He explains that philosophy must be independent of its history and work with the conditions of science, art, politics, and love to inform universal truths. Each section contains a collection of essays pertaining to each condition and examines its relationship to philosophy. According to Badiou, just as Plato refuted the claims of sophists regarding universal truths, philosophy must now refute the theories of 20th-century sophists such as Wittgenstein, who tried to explain away philosophical problems by examining language and meaning rather than trying to understand philosophy itself. Badiou is a prominent and sometimes controversial voice in Continental philosophy, and this collection of essays demonstrates his highly technical and original thought. Recommended for academic libraries.
—Scott Duimstra