Spirit in Ashes: Hegel, Heidegger, and Man-made Mass DeathContemporary phenomena of mass death--such as Hiroshima and Auschwitz--have brought with them the threat of annihilation of human life. In this provocative and disturbing book, Edith Wyschogrod shows that the various manifestations of man-made mass death form a single structure, a "death-event," which radically alters our understanding of language, time, and self. She contends that the death event has its own logic and driving force that she traces to pre-Socratic philosophy and to certain mythological motifs that recur in Western thought. "Spirit in Ashes is one book in contemporary philosophy that should be read aloud and taken to heart by any professional or intellectual who purports to have a conscience."--Carl Rasche, Journal of the American Academy of Religion "A masterful blend of scholarship, originality, and serious passion."--Robert C. Neville, Commonweal "An original, insightful, and challenging work."--Robert Burch, Canadian Philosophical Reviews |
Common terms and phrases
Absolute abstract acts actual analysis animal apocalyptic authenticity paradigm become C. I. Lewis camp Christian claims cognition conception consciousness constitute contemporary created culture Dasein death event death-world destruction dialectical Duino Elegies entities essence eternity evil existential experience expressed finite force functions gnostic grasp Hegel Hegel's view Heidegger Heidegger's history of Spirit human idea ideal imagine individual infinite interpretation Kant Kant's knowledge language life-world living logic of presence man-made mass death meaning metaphysics moral negation negative Nietzsche nonbeing object ontological Origins of Totalitarianism persons Phen Phenomenology philosophy of reflection poetry possible present Primo Levi primordial priori radical rational reason relation religion Rilke Rilke's significance significations slave labor social sorting myth space sphere structure sublated T. S. Eliot technique technological society temporal things thought tion trans transcendence truth understanding unity universal whole writes Zeno's paradox