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German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction by Andrew Bowie β€” book cover

German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction

by Andrew Bowie
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Overview

German philosophy stands at the center of modern thought. Without Kant, Frege, Wittgenstein, and Husserl there would be no Anglo-American "analytical" style of philosophy. And without Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, the "Continental Philosophy" of Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze, Badiou, and Zizek is incomprehensible.

This compact introduction offers an illuminating discussion of German philosophy, presenting it as one of the most revealing responses to the problems of "modernity." The rise of the modern natural sciences and the related decline of religion raise a series of questions, which recur throughout German philosophy, concerning the relationships between knowledge and faith, reason and emotion, and scientific, ethical, and artistic ways of seeing the world. The book also highlights the ideas of early German Romantic philosophy, including the works of Friedrich Schlegel, Novalis, Schleirmacher, and Schelling, significant thinkers who are generally neglected in most existing English-language treatments of German philosophy. This Very Short Introduction will include reference to these thinkers and suggest how they can be used to question more familiar German philosophical thought.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

Synopsis

German philosophy remains the core of modern philosophy. Without Kant, Frege, Wittgenstein, and Husserl there would be no Anglo-American 'analytical' style of philosophy. Moreover, without Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, the 'Continental Philosophy' of Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze, Badiou, and Zizek, which has had major effects on humanities subjects in recent years, is incomprehensible. Knowledge of German philosophy is, then, an indispensable prerequisite of theoretically informed study in the humanities as a whole. German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction discusses the idea that German philosophy forms one of the most revealing responses to the problems of 'modernity'. The rise of the modern natural sciences and the related decline of religion raises a series of questions, which recur throughout German philosophy, concerning the relationships between knowledge and faith, reason and emotion, and scientific, ethical, and artistic ways of seeing the world. There are also many significant philosophers who are generally neglected in most existing English-language treatments of German philosophy, which tend to concentrate on the canonical figures. This Very Short Introduction will include reference to these thinkers and suggests how they can be used to question more familiar German philosophical thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

About the Author, Andrew Bowie

Andrew Bowie is Professor of Philosophy and German at Royal Holloway, University of London.

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Book Details

Published
July 22, 2010
Publisher
Oxford University Press, USA
Pages
144
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780199569250

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