German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
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German philosophy remains the core of modern philosophy. Without Kant, Frege, Wittgenstein, and Husserl there would be no Anglo-American 'analytical' style of philosophy. Moreover, without Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, and Heidegger, the 'Continental Philosophy' of Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze, Badiou, and Zizek, which has had major effects on humanities subjects in recent years, is incomprehensible. Knowledge of German philosophy is, then, an indispensable prerequisite of theoretically informed study in the humanities as a whole. German Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction discusses the idea that German philosophy forms one of the most revealing responses to the problems of 'modernity'. The rise of the modern natural sciences and the related decline of religion raises a series of questions, which recur throughout German philosophy, concerning the relationships between knowledge and faith, reason and emotion, and scientific, ethical, and artistic ways of seeing the world. There are also many significant philosophers who are generally neglected in most existing English-language treatments of German philosophy, which tend to concentrate on the canonical figures. This Very Short Introduction will include reference to these thinkers and suggests how they can be used to question more familiar German philosophical thought.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Impressively Concise and Readable Introduction to German Philosophy
18 July 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
There are very few countries that can boast of an intellectual tradition that is as impressive as that of Germany. This is particularly true of the "hard" sciences and philosophy. In fact, when it comes to philosophy, it could be argued that for a couple of centuries Germany was a philosophical "superpower." The time period that is roughly spanned by Kant on one side and Heidegger on the other saw the emergence of several giants of philosophical thought. This time period and its greatest philosophers is the subject matter of this very short book, and it does a tremendous job of elucidating some of the most difficult works in all of philosophy.
German philosophy fell out of favor in most of the Western world shortly after World War II. This was in part due to politics, but a shift towards analytical philosophy played a major role as well. In recent decades, however, interest in German philosophy has been rekindled; many of the most significant thinkers are being "rediscovered" and their works discussed in academic circles. In light of this trend, a short primer like this book is a useful introduction to German philosophy for a new generation of readers. The book is aimed at the general readership, and no formal knowledge of German philosophy is assumed. The author does a tremendous job of succinctly and lucidly presenting the most important ideas in German philosophical tradition. This is no small feat as some of the works discussed include the most notoriously difficult works of philosophy ever written: Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason," Hegel's "The Phenomenology of Spirit," and Heidegger's "Being and Time." To fully appreciate this book, however, it would be useful for the reader to be at least familiar with some philosophical questions and themes. Some other books in this "Very Short Introduction" series could be of great use in that regard. I would in particular recommend Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions).
German philosophy fell out of favor in most of the Western world shortly after World War II. This was in part due to politics, but a shift towards analytical philosophy played a major role as well. In recent decades, however, interest in German philosophy has been rekindled; many of the most significant thinkers are being "rediscovered" and their works discussed in academic circles. In light of this trend, a short primer like this book is a useful introduction to German philosophy for a new generation of readers. The book is aimed at the general readership, and no formal knowledge of German philosophy is assumed. The author does a tremendous job of succinctly and lucidly presenting the most important ideas in German philosophical tradition. This is no small feat as some of the works discussed include the most notoriously difficult works of philosophy ever written: Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason," Hegel's "The Phenomenology of Spirit," and Heidegger's "Being and Time." To fully appreciate this book, however, it would be useful for the reader to be at least familiar with some philosophical questions and themes. Some other books in this "Very Short Introduction" series could be of great use in that regard. I would in particular recommend Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions).
It Gets the Job Done
12 May 2012
Format:Paperback
My only two complaints about this work are in the writing style, which is a bit mechanically rough, and the information included, which is more a matter of taste; everyone is going to have a little bit of a different idea about what should be included in such a work.
The above aside, I thought this work does everything that a work of this type should do. Having read it, a novice would be able to carry out a superficial, though competent, discussion on German philosophy. Also, if one were to never read another book, the individual would have a satisfactory idea of the subject. Finally, this book serves as a well balance introduction that is capable of informing the reader whether he or she would like to read further into the subject or one of its authors. Bowie covers everything from Kant to the Marburg School to Habermas. Having had an undergraduate level knowledge of the material presented, I still took away a few helpful tidbits.
The only case I would not recommend this book is for someone certain that they would like to read more thoroughly into this subject, in which case there are a number of other books that will give more depth. One concern I have, not being a complete novice myself, is as to whether there is a deep enough explication of terminology given, so beware. In any event, this is a nice and quick read for anyone with some idea of the subject.
The above aside, I thought this work does everything that a work of this type should do. Having read it, a novice would be able to carry out a superficial, though competent, discussion on German philosophy. Also, if one were to never read another book, the individual would have a satisfactory idea of the subject. Finally, this book serves as a well balance introduction that is capable of informing the reader whether he or she would like to read further into the subject or one of its authors. Bowie covers everything from Kant to the Marburg School to Habermas. Having had an undergraduate level knowledge of the material presented, I still took away a few helpful tidbits.
The only case I would not recommend this book is for someone certain that they would like to read more thoroughly into this subject, in which case there are a number of other books that will give more depth. One concern I have, not being a complete novice myself, is as to whether there is a deep enough explication of terminology given, so beware. In any event, this is a nice and quick read for anyone with some idea of the subject.
vERY SHORT, VERY SOUND, VERY SAVVY
11 Dec 2011
Format:Paperback
I felt compelled to write about this book for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it makes a very pleasant reading, but most importantly,
it makes you want to read more about the subject, which, let's face
it, is essential.
That's not to say that if you have in fact a good background reading
on the topic you're not in for a good surprise. I, for one, loved
to see several pieces finally fall into place, for which I'll feel
eternally indebted to Doctor Bowie. Many thanks and please keep on
writing!
Firstly, it makes a very pleasant reading, but most importantly,
it makes you want to read more about the subject, which, let's face
it, is essential.
That's not to say that if you have in fact a good background reading
on the topic you're not in for a good surprise. I, for one, loved
to see several pieces finally fall into place, for which I'll feel
eternally indebted to Doctor Bowie. Many thanks and please keep on
writing!
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