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Beginning with Plato and Aristotle, philosophers throughout history have built their theories around the problem of reconciling a fundamental distinction, as for example, Plato's distinction between knowledge (reality) and opinion (appearance), Descarte's mind/body distinction, and Kant's a priori/a posteriori distinction. This 'problem of difference' is a classic theme in philosophy, and one that has taken especially intriguing turns in recent decades. Jeffrey A. Bell here presents a finely constructed survey of the contemporary continental philosophers, focusing on how they have dealt with the problem of difference.

Bell's work centres around three key figures- Husserl,Merleau-Ponty, and Deleuze. He also considers the positions of such thinkers as Foucault, Derrida, and Rorty, who have called for an end to the traditional response to the problem of difference - an end to the search for any ultimate foundations on which our varied and different experiences of the world might be based - and thus, in effect, an end to traditional philosophy.

In clarifying the relationship between phenomenology and poststructuralism, Bell analyses the role of paradox in both traditions, in particular the role it plays in accounting for difference. Not only philosophers, but also teachers and students in the area of comparative literary they will benefit from this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Paradoxa and the Repetition of Irreducible Difference
The central matter of this text is that the difference between two things, a difference that is irreducible, brings about a paradox, in that the things that are irreducibly different are nevertheless related. This problem is what Bell names as 'the problem of difference' (p. 3). This is not a new problem, as it dates back to at least Plato: only the proposed solutions are. And it is for the same purpose, so at least appears to me, that Bell discusses Husserl (part 1), Merleau-Ponty (part 2), and Deleuze (part 3).

Bell starts with Husserl and his recognition of a previously neglected difference, especially by Kant, between acts that intend an object and acts that experience an object, in an effort to break away from the traditional quest for the origin of such a difference. As Bell explains, with Husserl one is aware of an object in an act of consciousness, which has interpretive sense. Hence a dual focus, one on language (linguistic model), and the other on perception (perceptual model). Bell however shows that each model has its own difficulty to account for the problem of difference (that sense needs sense to be meaningful; that an object needs a sense-content to be meaningful). This regress (paradox of fulfillment) Husserl eventually comes to admit as taking place within the continuity of consciousness. To correct his position, Husserl tries to account for the constitution of the datum of sensation, hence the difference between the intuited object and the act of intuition giving form to what is form-less. Such an act is moreover meaningful as it is grounded on noema, the neutral 'condition for the expressibility of consciousness', which accounts for the 'irreducible difference in consciousness itself' (pp. 69-70). Against Follesdal (concept theory) and Gurwitsch (percept theory) Bell argues that noema is the 'neutral, non-positing boundary between sense and object' (p. 86). And it is this view of the noema that becomes for Bell not only the tread linking Husserl to Deleuze to Merleau-Ponty, but also the basis for defining paradox as 'the simultaneous affirmation of two contrasting senses (p. 95).

However meritorious the effort to develop noema as that which accounts for difference, it seems, according to Bell, that in assigning a 'mediating identity' (p. 96) to noema as being that between a positing consciousness and reality, Husserl provides us with an interpretation that denies the paradoxical character of noema. And to avoid it becomes subservient to a more fundamental identity Merleau-Ponty sees noema to be the 'condition which makes possible the distinction between subject and the word' (p. 99). It is not a mediate identity because it is unable to account for the other, since such a position tends to reduce the other within oneself. Instead, in adopting a noematic reflection, Merleau-Ponty proposes to reveal the body and the world as being the condition for self and other, hence an emphasis on structure: the perceived is not form-less. To avoid however accounting for the existence of a structure by claiming another structure of a higher order, Bell explains that Merleau-Ponty argues for the paradoxical nature of perception, in that it makes all binary oppositions possible. But in this sense perception is also primordial whereupon language as excess is grafted, a leakage that precludes any direct perception. Thus, self and the other can only be related in a divided consciousness in a perceiving body: 'it is the paradoxical experience of the perceiving body, of being already constituted and constituting, that is the condition for perceiving an already constituted object' (p. 136). This characterization, however, causes a tension between paradox as the differentiating condition and a fundamental identity, that is the body, hence accounting for the other (paradox of limitation and access). For this reason, Bell elucidates, Merleau-Ponty shifts emphasis from the body onto the Being, as that which makes inter-subjectivity possible along the notion of "reversibility", in particular that of the flesh, to account for the other. Against Lefort (flesh is immanence) and Dillon (flesh is transcendence) Bell argues that for Merleau-Ponty flesh is a differentiating condition, a paradox that plays a constitutive role (in the same vein as Husserl's noema). From this Bell arrives at stressing two types of paradox, namely, 'of infinite series' and 'of identity and difference' (p. 185).

Bell clarifies Merleau-Ponty's position: the former type refers to the fundamental synthesis of being whereas the latter to the fundamental difference of Being: a paradox is 'something which is itself conditioned, conditioned by Being' (p. 187). With this Deleuze seems to be in complete disagreement: the body, following Bergson and a discussion on cinema, takes snapshots of passing reality in that it frames the world and therefore is the condition of differentiation for perception (in the same manner as noema). For Bell then 'the frame is paradoxa' (p.203). And given the importance of time in the treatment of cinema, time is 'the fundamental difference that cannot be measured - that is, non-identifiable, un-present-able' (p. 222). Deleuze, in Bell's reading, is thus confronted with the problem of difference to which he responds by making it a neutral event dependent upon its actualization (playing a similar role as Husserl's noema). More importantly, Deleuze recognizes that the problem is not a matter of accounting for difference in terms of a fundamental identity, but the other way round.

Overall, this is a well-structured and thought-provoking text, albeit challenging in the sense that it is not always easy to follow unless familiar with the authors discussed, but the frequent reminders of the issues at stake does help maintain focus. And this is the focus on difference. In this respect it is a very important and highly recommended text because Bell has put together some original arguments and ideas on difference. Particularly that of seeing difference as a problem, not only in terms of a problematic to be solved, but as a recurrent problem that upsets the previous endeavor.

Good book!
The most important part of Bell's book, I believe, is the chapter on Merleau-Ponty, a chapter which marks the transition from phenomenology to post-structuralism.The preceding discussion on Husserl is good, but dozens of books are out there interpreting Husserl.Rather, his exposition not only of Merleau-Ponty but of current Merleau-Ponty scholarship, is what raises this book a notch above other books of its kind.In particular, he sheds light on the contemporary debates over Merleau-Ponty's ambiguous notion of the "flesh".And he uses the ambiguity surrounding this notion as impetus into his sections on post-structuralism, notably, the philosophy of Deleuze.As far as I know, this is the first work to present the philosophical ties between Merleau-Ponty and Deleuze.I recommend this book to anyone interested in the development of French thought in the 20th century. ... Read more

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This book proposes a new phenomenological analysis of the questions of perception and cognition which are of paramount importance for a better understanding of those processes which underlies the formation of knowledge and consciousness. It presents many clear arguments showing how a phenomenological perspective helps to deeply interpret most fundamental findings of current research in neurosciences and also in mathematical and physical sciences.

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Hannah Arendt and the Challenge of Modernity explores the theme of human rights in the work of Hannah Arendt. Parekh argues that Arendt's contribution to this debate has been largely ignored because she does not speak in the same terms as contemporary theoreticians of human rights. Beginning by examining Arendt’s critique of human rights, and the concept of a right to have rights with which she contrasts the traditional understanding of human rights, Parekh goes on to analyze some of the tensions and paradoxes within the modern conception of human rights that Arendt brings to light, arguing that Arendt’s perspective must be understood as phenomenological and grounded in a notion of intersubjectivity that she develops in her readings of Kant and Socrates.

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Developing ideas drawn from historical figures such as Descartes, Husserl, Aristotle, and Whitehead, this collection of essays explores the structure of consciousness and its place in the world and, inversely, the structure of the world and the place of consciousness in it. Among the topics covered are: the phenomenological aspects of experience, dependencies between experience and the world and the basic ontological categories found in the world at large. ... Read more

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A major criticism of Hegel's philosophy is that it fails to comprehend the experience of the body. In this book, John Russon shows that there is in fact a philosophy of embodiment implicit in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. Russon argues that Hegel has not only taken account of the body, but has done so in a way that integrates both modern work on embodiment and the approach to the body found in ancient Greek philosophy.

Although Russon approaches Hegel's Phenomenology from a contemporary standpoint, he places both this standpoint and Hegel's work within a classical tradition. Using the Aristotelian terms of 'nature' and 'habit,' Russon refers to the classical distinction between biological nature and a cultural 'second nature.' It is this second nature that constitutes, in Russon's reading of Hegel, the true embodiment of human intersubjectivity. The development of spirit, as mapped out by Hegel, is interpreted here as a process by which the self establishes for itself an embodiment in a set of social and political institutions in which it can recognize and satisfy its rational needs. Russon concludes by arguing that self-expression and self-interpretation are the ultimate needs of the human spirit, and that it is the degree to which these needs are satisfied that is the ultimate measure of the adequacy of the institutions that embody human life.

This link with classicism - in itself a serious contribution to the history of philosophy -provides an excellent point of access into the Hegelian system. Russon's work, which will prove interesting reading for any Hegel scholar, provides a solid and reliable introduction to the study of Hegel.

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Rigorous and readable account of the body in Hegel's thought
John Russon's ambitious aim in this book is twofold: (1) to identify the conception of the body that is implied by the argument of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, and (2) to provide a systematic argument thatshows this conception of the body to be both comprehensive and compelling. Not only does the book make a good case for having succeeded in these aims,it also provides material for a very careful and provocativereinterpretation of Hegel's Phenomenology that should prove readable andinsightful for both general readers with interests in the history ofphilosophy as well as trained philosophers.

Russon shows that the bodythat animates the forms of experience that Hegel studies in his text cannotbe adequately conceived as reducible to the merely physical organism.Inan important early chapter, Russon gives an account of the systematic wayin which Hegel's philosophy challenges and overcomes the dualism ofimmaterial mind and physical body that stands at the heart of early modernphilosophy and science.He argues that the body as we experience it is notmerely a natural entity (physis), but is a construct of habit andinstitutions; our experience of the body is not one merely of nature, butof second nature, as Aristotle described the habitual formation of socialdispositions (hexis).The final chapters of the text aim to show,moreover, that this "habit-body" should be conceived ultimatelyas emerging through communicative activity (logos), and that the ongoingprocess whereby we (non-arbitrarily) constitute ourselves and our worldalong with others is precisely what is thematized in Hegel's dialecticalphenomenology.

Considering the difficulty of the topic, and the vastresources that the argument draws upon, the text is remarkably clear (andconcise, at just 137 pages).You need not have spent several years poringover the details of Hegel's challenging and dense text in order to gainmuch benefit from reading Russon's book.In addition, the book has themerit of demonstrating (against a number of prejudices from a number ofsources) that Hegel's philosophy can be a rich resource for thinkingthrough a number of topics of contemporary concern.Russon's conclusionsin fact converge nicely with recent efforts in a number of disciplines todraw attention to the embodied character of experience, cognition, andculture.

Russon on Hegel and the Body
Russson's book is nothing less than a re-organization of the *Phenomenology of Spirit*, one that makes explicit the conceptual commitment to embodiment that may have been concealed from many readers. This re-organization is accomplished with an all-too-rare philosophicalsophistication, as Russon draws on a variety of sources and informs hisreading with a strong command of 20th century phenomenology.

Among thebook's strengths is a startlingly lucid and original reading of Hegel'stext, a reading that illuminates many familiar passages and arguments instriking fashion.Russon's account of the master and slave, and hisaccount of Sittlichkeit, re-animate texts often thought to have beenexhaustively understood, revealing both the richness of Hegel's text andthe power of a serious reader like Russon.But Russon is also adept atuncovering new insights in passages under-represented in the literature,and it is perhaps here that this book makes one of its strongestcontributions.Russon on the reason chapter, and on the unhappyconsciousness (the analysis of which is one of his central arguments),provides original and compelling arguments for the centrality of embodimentto the Hegelian understanding of self-consciousness.

But arguably themost significant contribution made by this book is that it reminds us thata Hegelian argument can and should be a philosophical argument.Ratherthan limiting himself to contributing to ongoing debates within Hegelcircles, Russon has engaged philosophical inquiry itself, and shown howHegel's text, at the hands of a keen reader, can speak, indeed arguesuccessfully, to the broader philosophical community.This book is anargument for the complete understanding of phases of embodiment asconditions of self-consciousness, and thereby an argument that bringsphenomenology and Hegel into the centre of important contemporarydiscussions.

An outstanding book on body, self and Hegel
I highly recommend John Russon's _The Self and its Body in Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit_ to anyone with a philosophical interest in Hegel or the body: 1) It gives a compelling account of how Hegel would have to conceive body, and thus gives a new understanding of just what Hegel's phenomenology of spirit is concerned with, and what our bodies are. The latter is of central concern in much recent philosophy, and in everyday life in our political and technological culture. 2) It gives a lucid and convincing interpretation of Hegel's difficult book, one that proceeds through an engagement with historical positions in philosophy and science, and more important, through an engagement with the experience of trying to act responsibly in a situation, which experience haunts philosophy from the very beginning and is a most familiar element of life. Russon thus gets to the heart of Hegel's philosophy in a way that is illuminating for both the novice and the dedicated student of Hegel. And he thereby arrives at an important understanding of the body as that sphere of communicative and expressive existence which develops itself so as to enable responsible action in the first place. 3) The book's situation of Hegel in relation to ancient philosophy, transcendental argument and recent phenomenology invites a renewed engagement with Hegel, which is important given the role of Hegel in many current philosophical debates. In particular, Russon's discussion of the body and the unfolding of the Phenomenology of Spirit in terms of phusis (nature), hexis (habit) and logos (here meaning "expression") gives a very comprehensive and original way of grasping both the body and the Phenomenology. Likewise, his interpretation of Hegel's dialectic in terms of the relation of the empirical ego and transcendental ego and focus on recognition help clarify many crucial themes in Hegel. In general, Russon's elucidation of a concept of body in Hegel opens rich ways of thinking about our selves and our bodies. ... Read more

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Good companion to reading the Phenomenology of Spirit
Like the other reviewer of this book, I would not suggest this as a replacement to the reading of Hegel's Phenomenology.It is, rather, a good thing to read after you have worked through the Phenomenology on your own, or while you are studying it in a class.It is not really an introduction to Hegel, and shouldn't be read first.This is mainly because Hyppolite stays very close to the text of Hegel.Often, when you want him to just say what Hegel means in a passage, Hyppolite ends up saying something that amounts more to a paraphrase than a literal explication in simpler terms.That is fine, though, if what you are interested in is discussing this rich text on its own terms with someone who has clearly spent a lot of time with it and who knows the Hegelian corpus intimately.In his refusal to simply say what Hegel means in terms other than the ones Hegel employs (or rather: in terms other than Hyppolite's own French translations of Hegel's German terms, that are for this text translated into English), Hyppolite appears to be responding to his contemporary Kojeve, who does sometimes take Hegel too literally, and -- while his readings are always incredibly illuminating and persuasive -- appears to put too much weight on some of the early moves of Hegel's self-consciousness chapter while failing to appreciate its later developments.

You should go to Hyppolite as to a very intelligent companion, who has spent a lot of time with a text that you also are interested in, not as a first source of instruction.I would never suggest you use commentaries as a way into Hegel's text without at least beginning to grapple with the text on your own -- since it's too easy to find yourself trapped by the seeming obviousness of one way of reading the text -- but I know first hand that if you try to do this with Hyppolite you won't get too far.Better companion texts for a first read would be Charles Taylor's "Hegel" (which is not always accurate and precise, but is always clear and gives a good general take on the various stages of Hegel's book that helps you not to be totally lost in the details), and John Russon's "Reading Hegel's Phenomenology" (which has the advantage of consisting of several relatively independent chapters that can each be read on its own as a commentary on the various sections of Hegel's book, and which does an exceptional job connecting up the themes of each chapter with themes that each of us must grapple with in our everyday life).

Hyppolite does identify several of the historical and literary references that Hegel has in mind, and amplify and expand on points that Hegel touches on briefly, and that can help to clarify a preliminary understanding of the text.His text's real worth, however, can only be appreciated when you've spent some time grappling with Hegel's text on its own.

An exceptionally lucid exposition of the Phenomenology
In his introduction to the Phenomenology of Spirit, Hegel himself says that "[the] road can therefore be regarded as the pathway of doubt, or more precisely as the way of despair."Though Hegel didn't intend for that sentence to relate to reading the Phenomenology, I'm sure many readers felt that way while making their way through that nearly inpenetrable and poorly translated text.Despite initial appearances, the Phenomenology does make sense, and there is no better guide to Hegel's difficult thought that Jean Hyppolite's Genesis and Structure of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit.Hyppolite looks at the Phenomenology section by section and illuminates and concretizes Hegel's thought without reducing it.I wouldn't substitute this book for an actual reading of the Phenomenology (though it would probably work), but rather suggest that this commentary be used as an introduction to Hegel's Phenomenology or read concurrently with it.Highly recommended. ... Read more

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Don't just think... do!
Phenomenology can strain the most robust craniums with voluminous terminology, concepts, and unfamiliar perspectives. Those new to the field can drown in abstractions and all those familiar words used in nonstandard ways. What's "intentionality," "horizon," or "epoché?" Most introductory books tend toward a historical approach. They swirl around Husserl and use him as a pedagogical focus. Though this works for those wanting a historical perspective, this somewhat distant approach may keep phenomenology a distant and nebulous topic. Since phenomenology contains elements of practice it requires action for full understanding. Similar to logic and mathematics, one must go out and actually do something with its concepts and methods and begin to "see" the world phenomenologically to get at the practice's essence.

This short book approaches phenomenology through action. Following two introductory chapters, the book dives right into examples. Though all remain highly abstract, such as geometric shapes, Necker cubes, and visual illusions, they nonetheless outline a step by step method for moving from a literal-minded perspective ("I only see a cube, nothing else!") to a polymorphic-minded perspective ("I see a cube in 2D, 3D, from the left, from the right, etc."). This method inculcates a type of seeing that reveals possibilities in items of experience. Rather than merely explaining this technique, the book asks the reader to actually look at drawings in specific ways. Activity and engagement are required. This reveals two dominant strategies for extracting possibilities or variations from things: the hermeneutic and the transcendental. The former uses "stories" or descriptions to bring out non-obvious features (e.g., "imagine that you're looking up at a vaulted ceiling"). The latter uses a more analytic literal approach (e.g., look above the line, then turn the drawing on itsside"). Through these experiences the polymorphic nature of the drawings emerge. And if abstract shapes can elicit such permutations, think what variations the concrete objects of reality contain.

Following the example, the book discusses, in the final two chapters, the "existential turn" that phenomenology took following Husserl. The experiencing subject became primary. Everyday experience and language took on a central role. Philosophers began to dig into cultural sedimentation to reveal the roots and presuppositions of tradition and the taken-for-granted. This was the ground laid by Heidegger and Sartre and developed over the last century. Lastly, the book introduces "Interdisciplinary Phenomenology" through the lenses of Natural Science, the Social Sciences, and the Arts. This section glimpses the contributions phenomenology can make to other pursuits.

Though one doesn't need a background in phenomenology to follow this book, reading a more general introduction to the subject first may illuminate this text. Here terminology arises and zooms by with sometimes cursory detail. Also, context may be lost on those who plunge right into the subject with no notion of the why and what of this new way of seeing. Nonetheless, this book's central chapters provide a unique insight that no one interested in this subject should miss. Going through the examples will not only enlighten further phenomenological reading, but also hint at a new way of seeing the world, and all its marvelous polymorphicity, in a whole new way.

Phenomenology made simple
With this short and clearly written text, Ihde describes phenomenology in intelligible terms, and illustrates this approach to understanding and perceiving the world with simple examples taken from visual perception.

The reason for adopting this clear way of describing phenomenology is that he is aware that phenomenology especially that developed by Husserl, uses a daunting vocabulary that often obscures meaning and its purpose. This is the main concern of chapters 1 and 2 where phenomenology is contrasted to empirical methodology, and phenomenological notions are explained, including "epoche", "apodicticity", "noesis" and "noema" - in addition to their relations.

In order to illustrate phenomenology, in chapter 3 Ihde starts by explaining the visual field, which consists of the "core", the "field" and the "horizon", the elements of the "noema" (that which we look at) by means of the "noesis" (the process by which we look at). In chapter 4, he deals with a first visual example to mark a difference between "literal-mindedness" (describing that which is looked at in one manner only) and "polymorphic-mindedness" (describing that which is looked at in two manners). The latter is the core of the phenomenological attitude, in that it is a deliberate search for variations, cases, possibilities and choices beyond the familiar, that is, an `open possibility search' (p.78). Chapters 5, 6 and 7, which unfortunately become somewhat tedious, apply these ideas to additional visual examples that include the Necker cube. What is achieved nevertheless is a progression from `natural attitude' to `phenomenological attitude', and finally to an `eidetic attitude', when perceiving phenomena and their variations in an open manner has become familiar and second nature. Finally, in chapter 8, he gives directions to use phenomenology with objects that often compose our surrounding.

In the concluding chapter 9, Ihde argues with Schutz for phenomenology to be the science to precede any empirical science as it goes beyond the sedimentation of experience by language and therefore of social practice.

Overall, a nice and clear introduction to phenomenology especially the first 4 chapters which come in handy before tackling Husserl! ... Read more

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The definative commentary on Husserl's Ideas I. ... Read more

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Very clear
This book is a very clear analysis of an extremely complex and not specially clearly written book: Husserl's Ideas I. This was my first approach to Husserl and I found Dan Zahavi's book Husserl's Phenomenology (Cultural Memory in the Present)to be essential reading to get the basics before tackling the Ideas I with Brainard's valuable commentary ... Read more

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Fredrik Svenaeus' book is a delight to read. Not only does heexhibit keen understanding of a wide range of topics and figures inboth medicine and philosophy, but he manages to bring them together inan innovative manner that convincingly demonstrates how deeply thesetwo significant fields can be and, in the end, must be mutuallyenlightening. Medicine, Svenaeus suggests, reveals deep but rarelyexplicit themes whose proper comprehension invites a carefulphenomenological and hermeneutical explication. Certain philosophicalapproaches, on the other hand - specifically, Heidegger'sphenomenology and Gadamer's hermeneutics - are shown to have ahitherto unrealized potential for making sense of those themes longburied within Western medicine.
Richard M. Zaner, Ann Geddes Stahlman Professor of MedicalEthics, Vanderbilt University ... Read more

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Good Guide to Phenomenology
This is a clear, concise introduction to phenomenology, an investigative technique created by Edmund Husserl.It was used by such philosophical luminaries as Heidegger, Sartre and Merleau-Ponty.

uninspiring
How I see it, philosophy books can be inteligent and inspiring, daring you to take another leap to the world of unknown, or they can be inteligent. Main difference being that this last one is that kind of philosophy that you can almost always find on academy benches, that rather dull and uninspiring chain of thought that somehow presents itself as philosophy.

Whether you think of it as philosophy in general or not, you cannot mistake these two ways of expression.

Yes, I know this is Lyotard, and I know that he is one of the people responsible for making the groundwork for great human acomplishment which is called postmodernism, but that doesn't say anything at all about this book.

Taking the work of Husserl, Lyotard debates phenomenology on its basis, diachronicaly and sinchronicaly, making debates with psichology, sociology, history and finally marksism. Being what it is, that's to say left winged intelectual, Lyotard tends to overpresent marksist arguments about nature of the world, object, subject and matter.

Now, this here is highly developed thought which expects from his reader to know the background of philosophical debates of early twentieth century, knowedge from which he can draw conclusion about the facts that are being discussed in this book. If you lack this knowledge it will be very hard for you to follow Lyotard's thought and you'll often find yourself wandering aimelessly amongst the pages.

All in all, after tiresome trouble of getting to the point of the text, one feels almost disappointed. All this one turns out to be is just another solastic work (almost scientific in its nature) without any heart or zeal for the matter being discusse. It is debate for the sake of debate.

But, maybe second reading (and trust me, you will need this one) will reveal some new layers of meaning, of that I cannot say anything yet.

Until than, cheers.

... Read more

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Offering a new translation of the famous chapter IV ("Self-Consciousness") of Phenomenology of Spirit, this book reflects the far-reaching insights of contemporary Hegelian scholarship. Included is extensive commentary as well as a review of its reception by such important twentieth-century thinkers as Kojeve, Heidegger, Sartre, Gadamer, Bataille, Deleuze, Lacan, and Habermas.

Interest in Hegel has historically centered around the Phenomenologyof Spirit. In particular chapter IV, including Hegel's celebrated"master-slave dialectic," has influenced philosophers, politicaltheorists, social psychologists, cultural anthropologists, andliterary theorists alike. Hegel began this chapter with an influentialdiscussion of the nature of human "desire," and then described ahypothetical encounter between two pre-social human beings who engagein a life-and-death struggle for recognition. Out of this strugglethat gave rise to self-identity, emerged such forms of consciousnessas master and slave, stoicism, skepticism, and what Hegel referred toas "the unhappy consciousness," which he took to be paradigmatic ofearly Christianity. These forms of consciousness, in turn, aretranscended by other, more comprehensive, forms of consciousness thatultimately come to reflect the highest elaborations of societallife. The impetus for these dynamic changes comes from thedialectical contradictions that inhere within our most basicconceptions of personhood. ... Read more

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While earlier work has emphasized Kant’s philosophy of religion as thinly disguised morality, this timely and original reappraisal of Kant’s philosophy of religion incorporates recent scholarship in the philosophy of religion, particularly as it touches questions of phenomenology and Christianity. Chris L. Firestone, Stephen R. Palmquist, and the contributors to this volume make a strong case for more specific focus on religious topics in the Kantian corpus. Main themes include the relationship between Kant’s philosophy of religion and his philosophy as a whole, the contemporary relevance of specific issues arising out of Kant’s philosophical theology, and the relationship of Kant’s philosophy to Christian theology. As a whole, the work capitalizes on contemporary movements in Kant studies by looking at Kant not as an anti-metaphysician, but as a genuine seeker of spirituality in the human experience. ... Read more

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This work provides a phenomenological account of the experience of illness and the manner in which meaning is constituted by the patient and the physician. Rather than representing a shared reality between doctor and patient, illness represents two quite distinct realities - the meaning of one being significantly and qualitatively different from the meaning of the other. Drawing upon insights derived from psychological phenomenology, the author explores this difference and provides a detailed account of the way in which illness and body are apprehended differently by doctor and patient.
The author considers the implications for medical practice, particularly in terms of achieving successful communication between doctor and patient, providing a comprehensive account of illness, alleviating suffering, and devising maximally effective therapeutic interventions. Consideration is given to ways of developing a shared world of meaning through the use of clinical narrative, empathic understanding and an explicit focus on the lifeworld interpretation of illness.
Awarded the first Edwin Goodwin Ballard Prize in Phenomenology. ... Read more

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"... no other book undertakes to relate all these French philosophers to each other the way that [Lawlor] does, brilliantly." -- François Raffoul

For many, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Gilles Deleuze represent one of the greatest movements in French philosophy. But these philosophers and their works did not materialize without a philosophical heritage. In Thinking through French Philosophy, Leonard Lawlor shows how the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty formed an important current in sustaining the development of structuralism and post-structuralism. Seeking the "point of diffraction," or the specific ideas and concepts that link Derrida, Foucault, and Deleuze, Lawlor discovers differences and convergences in these thinkers who worked the same terrain. Major themes include metaphysics, archaeology, language and documentation, expression and interrogation, and the very experience of thinking. Lawlor's focus on the experience of the question brings out critical differences in immanence and transcendence. This illuminating and provocative book brings new vitality to debates on contemporary French philosophy.

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A Great Thinker
Lawlor is sort of a new name among the continental philosophy crowd, but he's nonetheless a force to be reckoned with.His first book on Derrida and Husserl probed the relationship between those titans in such depth and with such precision that, in the end, the detail wound up being a bit maddening.A tough book, but a wonderful book as well.
For those unfamiliar with Lawlor's style, a few things should be brought to your attention.Lawlor is a scholar and a gentleman, first of all, which means that he is citation crazy and often seems to lack a sense of humor.It's not that he's prolix or turgid, it's simply that he embodies one of Nietzsche's aphorisms, writing with "a yes, a no, a straight line, a goal;" and he never cracks jokes.
Second of all, this scholarly mode of exposition isn't a drawback necessarily, as he is a particularly lucid writer, especially when you consider the muddle he wafts through and the sheer immensity of the project he's undertaking---namely, investigating the "points of diffraction" between the french philosophers of the 60s and drawing some very general, and much-needed, conclusions from it all.Any reader will appreciate the care with which he treats his subjects, which if not uncontroversial in its conclusions, is always clear about the path he follows in reaching them.
Thirdly and lastly, this books here is simply a watershed, and "merely" a segment of a grand project which Lawlor has been promising since the Derrida and Husserl book.He plunges into the mucky morass of everyone from Foucault, Merleau-Ponty, and Deleuze, to Derrida, Levinas, and others--bouncing them off of one other with an ease that would make any aspiring philosopher green with envy.
The plot spoiler is that Lawlor feels the basic enterprise of phenomenology has been superceded by the Deleuzes, the Foucaults, and the Derridas, and, ultimately, as his next book argues, by the Bergsons.He claims we need "a name" for this new post-phenomenological enterprise, and while we may not get it here, we do get the next best thing: the understanding that goes along with it.
Highly recommended. ... Read more

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"... a profoundly stimulating and satisfying piece of philosophy.... It is a book from which one really can learn something worthwhile." -- Idealistic Studies

"... exceptionally well-written philosophy of religion... " -- Mentalities

"... a most impressive phenomenology of religion... a splendid achievement... " -- The Reformed Theological Review

"... challenging to scholars... interesting to general audiences." -- International Journal for Philosophy of Religion

"... equal in clarity of thought and comprehensiveness of scope.... profoundly original." -- The Reformed Journal

"Challenging and thought-provoking, this makes a fine... textbook in the philosophy of religion." -- Religious Studies Review

"... its virtues as a textbook in phenomenology or philosophy of religion are extraordinary." -- Faith and Philosophy

Examples from the writings of Kierkegaard, Freud, Heidegger, Dostoyevsky, Nietzsche, and Tolstoi illuminate Westphal's thesis that guilt and death are the central problems of human existence.

Product Description
This is a new translation, with running commentary, of what is perhaps the most important short piece of Hegel's writing. The Preface to Hegel's first major work, the Phenomenology of Spirit, lays the groundwork for all his other writing by explaining what is most innovative about Hegel's philosophy.

This new translation combines readability with maximum precision, breaking Hegel's long sentences and simplifying their often complex structure. At the same time, it is more faithful to the original than any previous translation.

The heart of the book is the detailed commentary, supported by an introductory essay. Together they offer a lucid and elegant explanation of the text and elucidate difficult issues in Hegel, making his claims and intentions intelligible to the beginner while offering interesting and original insights to the scholar and advanced student. The commentary often goes beyond the particular phrase in the text to provide systematic context and explain related topics in Hegel and his predecessors (including Kant, Spinoza, and Aristotle, as well as Fichte, Schelling, Hölderlin, and others).

The commentator refrains from playing down (as many interpreters do today) those aspects of Hegel's thought that are less acceptable in our time, and abstains from mixing his own philosophical preferences with his reading of Hegel's text. His approach is faithful to the historical Hegel while reconstructing Hegel's ideas within their own context. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Outstanding Introduction to Hegel
Hegel (1770 -- 1831) is probably the most difficult and the most controversial of the great philosophers.Much of modern analytic philosophy, beginning with Russell and Moore, had its origin in an uncompromising rejection of Hegel (in the persons of his British idealist followers) and his obscurantism. Continental philosophers, such as Heidegger, are heavily indebted to Hegel even while philosophizing against him. I have had difficulty in prior attempts to read Hegel. His massive "Phenomenology of Spirit" proved nearly impenetrable when I read it several years ago.The short introductory secondary sources on Hegel that I read proved unsatisfactory.

Thus, I was pleased to find and read this short book by Yirmiyahu Yovel, "Hegel's Preface to the Phenomenology of Spirit." Yovel is a Professor of Philosophy at the New School University and Chairmand of the Jerusalem Spinoza Institute. I had earlier read Yovel's two-volume study of Spinoza, "Spinoza and Other Heretics" which made me eager to learn about Hegel from him. Yovel offers an erudite, careful and highly-philosophically informed account of this difficult philosopher.

Even with a philosopher as difficult as Hegel, the best approach begins with the philosopher's own writings rather than a paraphrase. Yovel offers a translation of the Preface to Hegel's "Phenomenology."Written in 1807, the "Phenomenology" remains Hegel's greatest work. A close reading of the Preface, which Hegel wrote after completing his text, may be the best way to begin to understand what he is about. Yovel's translation is as accessible and accurate as a translation of such a work may be. But the major appeal of his version of the Preface is the running commentary which explains and elucidates Hegel's words on an almost line-by-line basis, trying to clarify Hegel's thought and its many differing interpretations. After reading through the Preface and Yovel's commentary, I tried to read the Preface alone, without reference to the notes. This remains a daunting task. The better approach remains to read the Preface closely several times, together with Yovel's commentary.

The text and commentary forms about one-half of the book.Yovel begins with an introductory 60-page essay which, he observes, "is not intended to replace the commentary but to complement it." Much of the introduction is spent explaining Hegel's difficult metaphysical concepts which are anathema to most contemporary philosophers. Even if much of Hegel's metaphysical baggage is rejected, as it should be, Yovel argues persuasively that it must be understood in order to know Hegel and to find whatever may be valuable in his thought. Yovel tries to explain two of the most famous and puzzling statements in Hegel: that "the true is the whole" and that "the true [the absolute] is subject." He offers parallells and divergences between Hegel's thought and that of Kant and Spinoza. Yovel differentiates Hegel's idealism from that of his former friends and post-Kantian thinkers, Fichte, Schelling and Holderlin, in elucidating Hegel's rejection of "mysticism" and commitment to what he viewed as "reason". The introduction concludes with a consideration of what Yovel finds valuable in Hegel, including his commitment to a this-worldy philosophy of immancence which tries to avoid both positivism and spiritualism, a recognition that human reason is substantive rather than a formal machine-like calculus, and a concern with the meaning of existence and with the role of human activity in bringing it about (rather than finding it ready-made somewhere).Yovel also emphasizes the dynamic character of Hegel's thought, with its emphasis on becoming, the abandoning of substance-based metaphysics, and historicism. Yovel finds that the key to developing these themes for contemporary thought lies in renouncing Hegel's inflated claims to certainty and to absolute knowledge.The result would be a philosophy that "would no longer be Hegel but would not have been possible without him." (p. 62)

The book concludes with a section on "Works on Hegel" in which Yovel describes some of the competing interpretations of Hegel that have been offered in recent years together with a select but detailed annotated bibliography for further study.

This book gave me more of an understanding and appreciation of Hegel than I had before I read it. Yovel's passion for his subject and for philosophy and his commitment to its importance is apparent on every page. This is not a book for the beginner in philosophy. But it is a rare book in that it will teach both readers new to Hegel as well as the readers who have studied him for many years.

Robin Friedman

Looks like a great tool.
Perused this in the real-world bookstore two nights ago.Half the book is Yovel's introduction, the other half is his commentary on the Preface.

The commentary not only identifies allusions to Schelling et al., but does a good job of identifying Hegelian terms of art (like "immediacy") and explaining them.Yovel also discusses places he disagrees with Miller's translations of terms or phrases.

With Yovel under your belt, you are surely much better prepared to tackle the "Phenomenology." ... Read more