PhilosophicalPolitical Profiles (Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought)

ReviewAt the hands of a minor talent, profiles are often flat, twodimensional outlines of a thinkers intellectual physiognomy. At the hands of a master like Jrgen Habermas, they can become something far more substantial and profound.... For those of his readers accustomed to the demandingly abstract level of his theoretical work, the results will prove a welcome surprise. Without sacrificing any of the rigor and brilliance of those longer studies, he displays a remarkable ability to combine depth with brevity. PhilosophicalPolitical Profiles not only adds a new dimension to our understanding of the intellectual odyssey of Germanys leading contemporary thinker but also provides a series of stunning insights into the thought of the generation that preceded him.Martin JayProduct DescriptionBased on the new German edition of Philosophischpolitische Profile which has attracted serious and widespread attention, this book includes thirteen pieces written by Habermas between 1958 and 1978 the most important of those in the German edition, plus additional articles.In these essays, Habermas offers a clear and strikingly personal examination of major modern German philosophers and cultural critics, focusing particularly on the content of their thought in relation to their respective political and biographical contexts.ContentsDoes Philosophy Still Have a Purpose? The German Influence (Heidegger) The Figures of Truth (Jaspers) Karl Lwiths Stoic Retreat from Historical Consciousness A Marxist Schelling (Bloch) A Primal History of Subjectivity and SelfAffirmation Gone Wild (Adorno) Imitated Substantiality (Gehlen) Consciousnessraising or Rescuing CritiqueOn the Relevance of Walter Benjamin Herbert Marcuse on Art and Revolution Hannah Arendts Concept of Power The Hidden Torah (Gershom Scholem) Urbanizing the Heideggerian ProvinceIn Praise of HansGeorg GadamerPhilosophicalPolitical Profiles is included in the series, Studies in Contemporary German Social Thought.Review At the hands of a minor talent, profiles are often flat, twodimensional outlines of a thinkers intellectual physiognomy. At the hands of a master like J rgen Habermas, they can become something far more substantial and profound.... For those of his readers accustomed to the demandingly abstract level of his theoretical work, the results will prove a welcome surprise. Without sacrificing any of the rigor and brilliance of those longer studies, he displays a remarkable ability to combine depth with brevity. PhilosophicalPolitical Profiles not only adds a new dimension to our understanding of the intellectual odyssey of Germanys leading contemporary thinker but also provides a series of stunning insights into the thought of the generation that preceded him. Martin Jay& quot; At the hands of a minor talent, profiles are often flat, twodimensional outlines of a thinkers intellectual physiognomy. At the hands of a master like J& uuml; rgen Habermas, they can become something far more substantial and profound.... For those of his readers accustomed to the demandingly abstract level of his theoretical work, the results will prove a welcome surprise. Without sacrificing any of the rigor and brilliance of those longer studies, he displays a remarkable ability to combine depth with brevity. PhilosophicalPolitical Profiles not only adds a new dimension to our understanding of the intellectual odyssey of Germanys leading contemporary thinker but also provides a series of stunning insights into the thought of the generation that preceded him.& quot; Martin JayAt the hands of a minor talent, profiles are often flat, twodimensional outlines of a thinkers intellectual physiognomy. At the hands of a master like Jurgen Habermas, they can become something far more substantial and profound.... For those of his readers accustomed to the demandingly abstract level of his theoretical work, the results will prove a welcome su