The Science, Politics, and Ontology of Life-Philosophy
Author(s):
Life-philosophy, central to 19th-century philosophical thought, is concerned with the meaning, value and purpose of life. This much-needed study returns to the central philosophical questions of Lebensphilosophie and reveals the ascendency of 'life' in contemporary philosophical thinking.
Scholars from the disciplines of political theory, aesthetics, bioethics and ontology examine how the notion of life has made its way into contemporary philosophical discussions. They explore three main themes: the shift toward biological and technological views of life; the political implications of our conceptions of life; and the re-emergence of the idea of life in recent philosophical discussions about, for example, care of the self, scepticism, tragedy, desire, the emotions, and history.
Anticipating new directions of philosophical thinking, this study restores a vital school of thought to crucial considerations about the dangers of contemporary politics and the threat of new technologies.
Review(s):
“The editors have put together a highly stimulating collection. There a number of strong essays, and the book will appeal to those working across the disciplines in philosophy, political theory, sociology, and cultural studies and with an interest in the notion of 'life', especially as it is now being played out in contemporary intellectual discourses. The editors are correct in their belief that the notion of life needs to address and provoke thought in the domains of science, politics, and ontology.” —Keith Ansell-Pearson, University of Warwick, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
ISBN: 9781472591586