by Ahlrich Meyer (Author), Ahlrich Meyer (Author), Hans Blumenberg (Author), Joe Paul Kroll (Author)
In Moses the Egyptian -the centerpiece of Rigorism of Truth, the German philosopher Hans Blumenberg addresses two defining figures in the intellectual history of the twentieth century: Sigmund Freud and Hannah Arendt. Unpublished during his lifetime, this essay analyzes Freud's Moses and Monotheism (1939) and Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963), and discovers in both a principled rigidity that turns into recklessness because it is blind to the politics of the unknown.
Offering striking insights into the importance of myth in politics and the extent to which truth can be tolerated in adversity, the essay also provides one of the few instances where Blumenberg reveals his thinking about Judaism and Zionism. Rigorism of Truth also includes commentaries by Ahlrich Meyer that give a fuller understanding of the philosopher's engagement with Freud, Arendt, and the Eichmann trial, as well as situating these reflections in the broader context of Blumenberg's life and thought.
Format: Illustrated
Pages: 120
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Published: 01 Jan 2018
ISBN 10: 1501704818
ISBN 13: 9781501704819
Blumenberg's essay brilliantly demonstrates his thesis on the subjectivity of `truth.'
* Neue Zurcher Zeitung *This work is recommended to everyone interested in Blumenberg's thinking and work.
* literaturkritik.de *At the core of this fascinating volume is Hans Blumenberg's concise essay, which addresses Freud's last work, `Moses der Aegypter,' and Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem. It stages Blumenberg's own thinking about myth, his unexpected engagement with Jewish topics, and a surprisingly sharp critique of Arendt's text. Ahlrich Meyer's lucid critical apparatus engages and clarifies the essay's arguments, offering readers a judicious and balanced access to this intriguing text.
-- Russell A. Berman, Stanford University, editor of Telos