Endgames: The Irreconcilable Nature of Modernity: Essays and
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Wellmer, Albrecht / Midgley, David, PUBLISHER: MIT Press (MA), A common theme ong>ofong> this set ong>ofong> thirteen ong>essayong>s by one ong>ofong> the major figures in contemporary Germong>anong> philosophy is the idea ong>ofong> a postmetaphysical modernity. In his preface Wellmer relates the title ong>ofong> his book, "Endgames," to this common theme: The historical utopias ong>ofong> the Marxist tradition ong>anong>d the programs ong>ofong> ultimate justification in the Kong>anong>tiong>anong> tradition are both endgames "within" metaphysics, the deconstruction ong>ofong> those utopias ong>anong>d programs ong>ofong> ultimate justification are endgames played "with" metaphysics, ong>anong>d the game with ong>anong> end as ultimate telos--the end(s) ong>ofong> history, the end(s) ong>ofong> knowledge, the end(s) ong>ofong> humong>anong> life--is metaphysics. The title, "Endgames," finally also refers polemically to postmodernist games with ong>anong> end ong>ofong> modernity; as opposed to these, Wellmer defends the fragile moral ong>anong>d political substong>anong>ce ong>ofong> the modernity that postmodernists attempt to overcome--ong>anong>d that sense ong>ofong> what needs to be preserved ong>ofong> the modern tradition for a postmetaphysical modernity is what makes his writings unique. In the first ong>ofong> the book's three parts, "Negative ong>anong>d Communicative Freedom," Wellmer focuses on political philosophy, examining in particular the links ong>anong>d tensions between liberal basic rights ong>anong>d modern ideas ong>ofong> democracy. In Part II, "Postmetaphysical Perspectives," he attempts to develop a postmetaphysical perspective on aesthetics ong>anong>d metaphysics (with ong>anong>d against Adorno), on the problem ong>ofong> truth (with ong>anong>d against Richard Rorty, Jurgen Habermas, ong>anong>d Karl-Otto Apel), ong>anong>d on hermeneutics (with ong>anong>d against Hong>anong>s-Georg Gadamer ong>anong>d Karl-Otto Apel). Part III, "Images ong>ofong> the Times," contains occasional pieces on Ludwig Wittgenstein, the Frong>anong>kfurt School, Hong>anong>s Jonas, ong>anong>d architecture. The book closes with ong>anong> appended critical ong>essayong> on Hong>anong>nah Arendt, reflecting the importong>anong>ce ong>ofong> Arendt's political philosophy to Wellmer's work.