| Present Hope: Philosophy, Architecture, Judaism Contributor(s): Benjamin, Andrew (Author) |
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ISBN: 0415133866 ISBN-13: 9780415133869 Publisher: Routledge OUR PRICE: $44.60 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: July 1997 Annotation: "Present Hope" is a compelling exploration of how we think philosophically about the present. Andrew Benjamin considers examples in philosophy, architecture and poetry to illustrate crucial themes of loss, memory, tragedy, hope and modernity. The book uses the work of Walter Benjamin and Martin Heidegger to illustrate the ways the notion of hope was weaved into their philosophies. Andrew Benjamin maintains that hope is a vital part of the present, rather than an expression only of the future. "Present Hope" shows how Judaism and philosophy interact; how the Holocaust provides an important link between modernity and the present. Benjamin's writings on the significance of the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the poetry of Paul Celan unite toward understanding the present. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Philosophy | History & Surveys - Modern - History | Holocaust |
| Dewey: 617 |
| LCCN: 97205268 |
| Series: Pathology |
| Physical Information: 0.58" H x 6.16" W x 9.22" (0.76 lbs) 192 pages |
| Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - Jewish - Religious Orientation - Jewish - Topical - Holocaust |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: An understanding of what we mean by the present is one of the key issues in literature, philosophy, and culture today, but also one of the most neglected and misunderstood. Present Hope develops a fascinating philosophical understanding of the present, approaching this question via discussions of the nature of historical time, the philosophy of history, memory, and the role of tragedy. Andrew Benjamin shows how we misleadingly view the present as simply a product of chronological time, ignoring the role of history and memory. Accordingly, discussion of what is meant by the present disappears from philosophical concern. To draw attention to this absence, Andrew Benjamin introduces the notion of hope and asks what this concept can tell us about the present. At the heart of the outstanding work is an emphasis on the relation between hope and the Jewish tradition. Through discussions of philosophical responses to the Holocaust, the work of Walter Benjamin, Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, and the poetry of Paul Celan, Present Hope shows how we must look beyond the purely philosophical horizon to understand the present we live in. |