Ideologies of Experience

Trauma, Failure, Deprivation, and the Abandonment of the Self

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, Reference
Cover of the book Ideologies of Experience by Matthew H. Bowker, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Matthew H. Bowker ISBN: 9781317294481
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 22, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Matthew H. Bowker
ISBN: 9781317294481
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 22, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Matthew H. Bowker offers a novel analysis of "experience": the vast and influential concept that has shaped Western social theory and political practice for the past half-millennium.

While it is difficult to find a branch of modern thought, science, industry, or art that has not relied in some way on the notion of "experience" in defining its assumptions or aims, no study has yet applied a politically-conscious and psychologically-sensitive critique to the construct of experience. Doing so reveals that most of the qualities that have been attributed to experience over the centuries — particularly its unthinkability, its correspondence with suffering, and its occlusion of the self — are part of unlikely fantasies or ideologies. By analyzing a series of related cases, including the experiential education movement, the ascendency of trauma theory, the philosophy of the social contract, and the psychological study of social isolation, the book builds a convincing case that ideologies of experience are invoked not to keep us close to lived realities and ‘things-in-themselves,’ but, rather, to distort and destroy true knowledge of ourselves and others.

In spite of enduring admiration for those who may be called champions of experience, such as Michel de Montaigne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and others treated throughout the work, the ideologies of experience ultimately discourage individuals and groups from creating, resisting, and changing our experience, urging us instead to embrace trauma, failure, deprivation, and self-abandonment.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Matthew H. Bowker offers a novel analysis of "experience": the vast and influential concept that has shaped Western social theory and political practice for the past half-millennium.

While it is difficult to find a branch of modern thought, science, industry, or art that has not relied in some way on the notion of "experience" in defining its assumptions or aims, no study has yet applied a politically-conscious and psychologically-sensitive critique to the construct of experience. Doing so reveals that most of the qualities that have been attributed to experience over the centuries — particularly its unthinkability, its correspondence with suffering, and its occlusion of the self — are part of unlikely fantasies or ideologies. By analyzing a series of related cases, including the experiential education movement, the ascendency of trauma theory, the philosophy of the social contract, and the psychological study of social isolation, the book builds a convincing case that ideologies of experience are invoked not to keep us close to lived realities and ‘things-in-themselves,’ but, rather, to distort and destroy true knowledge of ourselves and others.

In spite of enduring admiration for those who may be called champions of experience, such as Michel de Montaigne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and others treated throughout the work, the ideologies of experience ultimately discourage individuals and groups from creating, resisting, and changing our experience, urging us instead to embrace trauma, failure, deprivation, and self-abandonment.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Psychoanalysis by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book A Marxist History of Capitalism by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Foreign Investment and Dispute Resolution Law and Practice in Asia by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Decolonising Gender by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Political Participation in Asia by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Visions of Yesterday by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Immigrants and Social Work by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book The English Novel in History 1700-1780 by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Mercenaries, Hybrid Armies and National Security by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Economic Development, Education and Transnational Corporations by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Poststructuralism, Citizenship and Social Policy by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Leaders and Laggards by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book The Social Basis of European Fascist Movements by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book Reorienting Economics by Matthew H. Bowker
Cover of the book The Division of Labour in Economics by Matthew H. Bowker
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy