The Freedom of the Migrant
Objections to Nationalism
Published on 2. April 2003
Book
Hardback
136 pages
978-0-252-02817-5 (ISBN)
Description
VilEm Flusser was one of the most fascinating and original European thinkers of the late twentieth century. In this collection of his essays on emigration, nationalism, and information theory, he raises questions about the viability of ideas of national identity in a world whose borders are becoming increasingly arbitrary and permeable. Flusser argues that modern societies are in flux, with traditional linear and textual epistemologies being challenged by global circulatory networks and a growth in visual stimulation. Beyond globalization, Flusser's ideas about communication and identity are rooted in the Judeo-Christian concept of self-determination and self-realization through recognition of the other.
Reviews / Votes
"A smooth, fluid translation of an excellent collection of essays by this timely and necessary thinker."--Andreas StrOEhl, editor of VilEm Flusser's Writings "Flusser emerges out of these writings as an engaging and playful thinker, one who moves deftly from deeply personal reflections to abstract theory often within the same paragraph. This is at once part of the charm and the difficulty of his writing; his simple observations gesture toward rich layers of meaning that lie beneath the surface awaiting excavation."--Canadian LiteratureMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Baltimore
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
286 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-252-02817-5 (9780252028175)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
VilEm Flusser (1920-91) was a German-Jewish philosopher from Prague who fled in 1940 to Brazil, where he was a professor of philosophy of communication and wrote a daily newspaper column. In 1972, he moved to France and wrote books in both German and Portuguese, including The Shape of Things: A Philosophy of Design, Toward a Philosophy of Photography, and From Subject to Project: Becoming Human.Anke K. Finger is an associate professor of German studies and comparative literature at the University of Connecticut. Kenneth Kronenberg is a professional translator and the author/translator of Lives and Letters of an Immigrant Family.
Content
The challenge of the migrant; on the alien; we need a philosophy of emigration; to be unsettled - one first has to be settled; planning the unplannable; from guest to guest worker; thinking about nomadism; nomads; building houses; "How goodly are your tents - Jacob"; ex-perience; reunification or networking?; does the French nation still exist?; exile and creativity; conversation between Vil em Flusser and Patrick Tschudin.