Meaning, subjectivity, society : making sense of modernity /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Smith, Karl E.
Imprint:Leiden [The Netherlands] ; Boston : Brill, 2010.
Description:1 online resource (vi, 264 pages)
Language:English
Series:International comparative social studies, 1568-4474 ; v. 22
International comparative social studies ; v. 22.
Subject:
Format: E-Resource Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/11234614
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9789004190559
9004190554
1282952307
9781282952300
9789004181724
9004181725
Notes:Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-248) and index.
Print version record.
Summary:"This book grapples with questions at the core of philosophy and social theory - who am I? Who are we? How are we to live? That is, questions of what humans are capable of, the 'nature' of our relationships to each other and to the world around us, and how we should live. They appear to be both prohibitive and seductive - that they are ultimately irresolvable makes it tempting to leave them alone, yet we cannot do that either. This interdisciplinary investigation proceeds primarily as a dialogue with Cornelius Castoriadis and Charles Taylor."--Jacket.
Other form:Print version: Smith, Karl E. Meaning, subjectivity, society. Leiden [The Netherlands] ; Boston : Brill, 2010 9789004181724

PREFACE This book grapples with questions at the core of philosophical enquiry -- Who am I? Who are we? How are we to live? That is, questions of what humans are capable of, the 'nature' of our relationships to each other and to the world around us, and how we should live. Such questions precede the advent of philosophy as a distinct mode of inquiry and remain central to the later development of social theory. They appear to be both prohibitive and seductive -- that they are ultimately irresolvable makes it tempting to leave them alone, yet we cannot do that either. This investigation is both a personal and an intellectual journey. The research is interdisciplinary, crossing the boundaries of anthropology, philosophy, psychology, psychoanalysis, and sociology. Along the way I was introduced to the phenomenology of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and while pursuing that line of inquiry was steered towards the post-phenomenological perspectives of Cornelius Castoriadis and Charles Taylor. Undoubtedly, there are myriad other ways, and multitudes of other thinkers that could have been drawn upon to pursue my quest, but the breadth and depth of these two thinkers' works resonates in ways that are both satisfying and challenging. Hence this hermeneutical inquiry into what it means to be human in the modern world proceeds primarily through an exploration of the thought of Castoriadis and Taylor. The two have much in common in terms of their philosophical roots, their respective understandings of the peculiarities of anthropos and their deep and abiding concern for the future well-being of human kind. Both can be classified as post-Heideggerian hermeneuticists. In many and varied ways, each author's work informs and enriches the other's theory. Yet they strongly disagree about ultimate foundations and values. Contrasting their positions on these points reveals much about their respective limitations. Analyzing their respective strengths and weaknesses in the light of each other's work helps to provide a better account of how to answer the perennial questions of who we are and how we are to live. Excerpted from Meaning, Subjectivity, Society: Making Sense of Modernity by Karl E. Smith All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.