
The Heresies of Jan Patocka
Phenomenology, History, and Politics
James Dodd(Author)
Northwestern University Press
Published on 30. March 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-8101-4586-3 (ISBN)
Description
A nuanced reflection on the meaning and resonance of Patocka's philosophy
Foregrounding the turbulent political and intellectual scene in Czechoslovakia following the Prague Spring in 1968, James Dodd explores the unity of philosophy, history, and politics in Jan Patocka's life and legacy. James Dodd presents Patocka as an essential philosopher of modern concepts-such as freedom, subjectivity, and history-and also as an interpreter of prominent thinkers such as Husserl and Heidegger.
Dodd outlines the phenomenology that Patocka, as a late pupil of Husserl and Heidegger, crafted in response to the classical model before turning to his philosophy of history, which was oriented around the problem of Europe and the care for the soul. Finally, Dodd examines Patocka's role as a dissident intellectual and one of the principal voices of the Charter 77 human rights movement before his death in March 1977. By situating Patocka's thought in relation to classical phenomenology and to the political and historical conditions of Central Europe, Dodd illuminates the enduring impact of this key thinker of the twentieth century.
Foregrounding the turbulent political and intellectual scene in Czechoslovakia following the Prague Spring in 1968, James Dodd explores the unity of philosophy, history, and politics in Jan Patocka's life and legacy. James Dodd presents Patocka as an essential philosopher of modern concepts-such as freedom, subjectivity, and history-and also as an interpreter of prominent thinkers such as Husserl and Heidegger.
Dodd outlines the phenomenology that Patocka, as a late pupil of Husserl and Heidegger, crafted in response to the classical model before turning to his philosophy of history, which was oriented around the problem of Europe and the care for the soul. Finally, Dodd examines Patocka's role as a dissident intellectual and one of the principal voices of the Charter 77 human rights movement before his death in March 1977. By situating Patocka's thought in relation to classical phenomenology and to the political and historical conditions of Central Europe, Dodd illuminates the enduring impact of this key thinker of the twentieth century.
Reviews / Votes
"James Dodd gives us a lucid and comprehensive account of Patocka's work, thought, and life: his idea of Europe and its classical origins; his background in phenomenology; and his role in the turbulent events of postwar Prague. For Dodd, Patocka's thinking can be characterized as a philosophy of history rooted in a phenomenological ontology." -David Carr, author of Experience and History: Phenomenological Perspectives on the Historical World"The best synthetic account of Patocka's thought I've read. Dodd reads Patocka with an empathy and generosity; he writes of him in a way absolutely devoid of hagiography (which is not so easy when dealing with a Socrates-like figure), defensiveness, and apologetics. The analysis is subtle, the writing deeply reflective and never gratuitously polemical." -Marci Shore, author of The Taste of Ashes: The Afterlife of Totalitarianism in Eastern Europe
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Evanston
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
363 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8101-4586-3 (9780810145863)
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Schweitzer Classification
Content
Preface
Introduction: Philosophy in Troubled Times
Chapter One: On an Asubjective Phenomenology
Chapter Two: On the Body
Chapter Three: On the Three Movements of Human Existence
Chapter Four: On Care for the Soul
Chapter Five: On Sacrifice
Chapter Six: On Hope
Chapter Seven: On Dissidence
Conclusion: Legacies
Epilogue
Notes
Index
Introduction: Philosophy in Troubled Times
Chapter One: On an Asubjective Phenomenology
Chapter Two: On the Body
Chapter Three: On the Three Movements of Human Existence
Chapter Four: On Care for the Soul
Chapter Five: On Sacrifice
Chapter Six: On Hope
Chapter Seven: On Dissidence
Conclusion: Legacies
Epilogue
Notes
Index