What Happened in the Twentieth Century?

Towards a Critique of Extremist Reason

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book What Happened in the Twentieth Century? by Peter Sloterdijk, Wiley
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Peter Sloterdijk ISBN: 9781509518418
Publisher: Wiley Publication: July 26, 2018
Imprint: Polity Language: English
Author: Peter Sloterdijk
ISBN: 9781509518418
Publisher: Wiley
Publication: July 26, 2018
Imprint: Polity
Language: English

When we look back from the vantage point of the 21st century and ask ourselves what the previous century was all about, what do we see? Our first inclination is to focus on historical events: the 20th century was the age of two devastating world wars, of totalitarian regimes and terrible atrocities like the Holocaust – “the age of extremes,” to use Hobsbawm’s famous phrase. But in this new book, the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk argues that we will never understand the 20th century if we focus on events and ideologies. Rather, in his view, the predominant motif of the 20th century is what Badiou called a passion for the real, which manifests itself as the will to actualize the truth directly in the here and now.

Drawing on his Spheres trilogy, Sloterdijk interprets the actualization of the real in the 20th century as a passion for economic and technological “antigravitation”. The rise of consumerism and the easing of the burdens of human life by the constant deployment of new technologies have killed off the kind of radicalism that was rooted in the belief that power would rise from a material base of production. If the 20th century can still inspire us today, it is because the fundamental shift that it brought about opened the way for a critique of extremist reason, a post-Marxist theory of enrichment and a general economy of energy resources based on excess and dissipation.

While developing his highly original interpretation of the 20th century, Sloterdijk also addresses a series of related topics including the meaning of the Anthropocene, the domestication of humans and the significance of the sea. The volume also includes major new pieces on Derrida and on Heidegger’s politics. This work, by one of the most original thinkers today will appeal to students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences, as well as anyone interested in philosophy and critical theory.

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

When we look back from the vantage point of the 21st century and ask ourselves what the previous century was all about, what do we see? Our first inclination is to focus on historical events: the 20th century was the age of two devastating world wars, of totalitarian regimes and terrible atrocities like the Holocaust – “the age of extremes,” to use Hobsbawm’s famous phrase. But in this new book, the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk argues that we will never understand the 20th century if we focus on events and ideologies. Rather, in his view, the predominant motif of the 20th century is what Badiou called a passion for the real, which manifests itself as the will to actualize the truth directly in the here and now.

Drawing on his Spheres trilogy, Sloterdijk interprets the actualization of the real in the 20th century as a passion for economic and technological “antigravitation”. The rise of consumerism and the easing of the burdens of human life by the constant deployment of new technologies have killed off the kind of radicalism that was rooted in the belief that power would rise from a material base of production. If the 20th century can still inspire us today, it is because the fundamental shift that it brought about opened the way for a critique of extremist reason, a post-Marxist theory of enrichment and a general economy of energy resources based on excess and dissipation.

While developing his highly original interpretation of the 20th century, Sloterdijk also addresses a series of related topics including the meaning of the Anthropocene, the domestication of humans and the significance of the sea. The volume also includes major new pieces on Derrida and on Heidegger’s politics. This work, by one of the most original thinkers today will appeal to students and scholars across the humanities and social sciences, as well as anyone interested in philosophy and critical theory.

More books from Wiley

Cover of the book Neuro-linguistic Programming For Dummies by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Martini 1 by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Code of Practice for Project Management for Construction and Development by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Fundamentals of Power Integrity for Computer Platforms and Systems by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Nonprofit Guide to Going Green by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Knowledge and Human Interests by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Piezoelectric Materials by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book The Single Woman's Guide to Retirement by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Conscious Marketing by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Cyber Security in Parallel and Distributed Computing by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book You Should Test That by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Building Wealth All-in-One For Canadians For Dummies by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Practical Analysis of Flavor and Fragrance Materials by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book A Textbook of Neuroanatomy by Peter Sloterdijk
Cover of the book Grundlagen elektrischer Maschinen by Peter Sloterdijk
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