The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment by Christian Thorne (English) Hardcover B

Description: The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment by Christian Thorne Thorne confronts the history and enduring legacy of anti-foundationalist thought. At its heart, this book is a plea not to take doubt at its word—a plea for the return of a vanished philosophical intelligence and for the retirement of an anti-Enlightenment thinking that commits the very crimes that it lays at Enlightenments door. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description In this wide-ranging, ambitious, and engaging study, Christian Thorne confronts the history and enduring legacy of anti-foundationalist thought. Anti-foundationalism-the skeptical line of thought that contends our beliefs cannot be authoritatively grounded and that most of what passes for knowledge is a sham-has become one of the dominant positions in contemporary criticism. Thorne argues that despite its ascendance, anti-foundationalism is wrong. In The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment, he uses deft readings of a range of texts to offer new perspectives on the ongoing clash between philosophy and comprehensive doubt. The problem with anti-foundationalism is not, as is often thought, that it radiates uncertainty or will unglue the university, but instead that it is a system of thought-with set habits that generate unearned certainties. The shelves are full of histories of modern philosophy, but the history of the resistance to philosophical thought remains to be told. At its heart, The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment is a plea not to take doubt at its word-a plea for the return of a vanished philosophical intelligence and for the retirement of an anti-Enlightenment thinking that commits, over and over again, the very crimes that it lays at Enlightenments door. Notes This provocative, highly original book masterfully reverses received views on skepticisms role in history and, in consequence, raises probing questions about the continued position of skepticism at the heart of contemporary criticism. Although thoughtful and carefully contextualized, Thornes claims are delivered with the wit and sense of repartee of a brilliant conversationalist, almost as if Samuel Johnson were resurrected to join the fray of post-theory debates. -- George Hoffmann, University of Michigan Thorne raises a question about the history and enduring legacy of anti-foundationalist thought with broad implications for the entire field of literary studies, and he tells a story that is compelling and wide-ranging. Each of his chapters is rich enough to be somebody elses book. The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment reminds us that literary studies matter: this field can illuminate the very biggest questions, in this case the very form and future of thought itself. -- Helen Deutsch, University of California, Los Angeles Christian Thornes delightful and stimulating The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment manages a stunning achievement. You begin reading in the presence of such an engaging and encouraging narrative voice that you feel as if you are negotiating the trickiest Adornian turns without training wheels, only to realize, as the argument twists and soars, that you have been strapped into the Batmobile all along. The stakes of the book are prodigious: a careful and devastating conceptual-historical critique of the political confidence of poststructuralist anti-foundationalism, secure in its leftish effects. Not so fast, warns Thorne: anti-foundationalism can support right-leaning towers as well as left-leaning ones. It comes with no guarantees. Beginning with a primer on classical skepticism, Thorne wrenches it face to face with the emergence of "modern" epistemology in the European sixteenth and seventeenth century, a push-me, pull-you era of "scientific skepticism" and "natural philosophy" waging war on the very principles that are typically taken to be modernitys raison detre. This is the Dialectic of Enlightenment through the looking glass. However sure you are of your take on Montaigne, the emergence of utopian literature, seventeenth century theater, Hobbes, eighteenth century satire or the rise of the novel, this book <emphasis>will unsettle it. You might not always agree, but you will surely see European modernity fresh and new, and view the poststructuralist ascendancy from a clarifyingly-disorienting perspective. Urgent and compelling, Thornes book tempers the melancholy aspect of negative dialectic by asserting its shimmering utopian promise. -- Crystal L. Bartolovich, Syracuse University Author Biography Christian Thorne is Assistant Professor of English, Williams College. Review This provocative, highly original book masterfully reverses received views on skepticisms role in history and, in consequence, raises probing questions about the continued position of skepticism at the heart of contemporary criticism. Although thoughtful and carefully contextualized, Thornes claims are delivered with the wit and sense of repartee of a brilliant conversationalist, almost as if Samuel Johnson were resurrected to join the fray of post-theory debates. -- George Hoffmann, University of MichiganThorne raises a question about the history and enduring legacy of anti-foundationalist thought with broad implications for the entire field of literary studies, and he tells a story that is compelling and wide-ranging. Each of his chapters is rich enough to be somebody elses book. The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment reminds us that literary studies matter: this field can illuminate the very biggest questions, in this case the very form and future of thought itself. -- Helen Deutsch, University of California, Los AngelesChristian Thornes delightful and stimulating The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment manages a stunning achievement. You begin reading in the presence of such an engaging and encouraging narrative voice that you feel as if you are negotiating the trickiest Adornian turns without training wheels, only to realize, as the argument twists and soars, that you have been strapped into the Batmobile all along. The stakes of the book are prodigious: a careful and devastating conceptual-historical critique of the political confidence of poststructuralist anti-foundationalism, secure in its leftish effects. Not so fast, warns Thorne: anti-foundationalism can support right-leaning towers as well as left-leaning ones. It comes with no guarantees. Beginning with a primer on classical skepticism, Thorne wrenches it face to face with the emergence of "modern" epistemology in the European sixteenth and seventeenth century, a push-me, pull-you era of "scientific skepticism" and "natural philosophy" waging war on the very principles that are typically taken to be modernitys raison dêtre. This is the Dialectic of Enlightenment through the looking glass. However sure you are of your take on Montaigne, the emergence of utopian literature, seventeenth century theater, Hobbes, eighteenth century satire or the rise of the novel, this book will unsettle it. You might not always agree, but you will surely see European modernity fresh and new, and view the poststructuralist ascendancy from a clarifyingly-disorienting perspective. Urgent and compelling, Thornes book tempers the melancholy aspect of negative dialectic by asserting its shimmering utopian promise. -- Crystal L. Bartolovich, Syracuse UniversityAmbitious, wide-ranging, [and] well-executed. -- H. I. Einsohn * Choice *An important work of criticism that makes crucial points about skepticism (which can be construed as a lack of belief in the possibility of universal rational agreement) and its ties to regressive politics...This is an important discussion of pre-Enlightenment opponents of enlightenment, of those who wanted to stand pat all in the defense of standing pat with the king or tyrant we know (whether devil or not), rather than either following the demands of philosophy or embracing egalitarianism. And it is flat out entertaining, to boot. -- Robert Moore * PopMatters.com * Promotional This provocative, highly original book masterfully reverses received views on skepticisms role in history and, in consequence, raises probing questions about the continued position of skepticism at the heart of contemporary criticism. Although thoughtful and carefully contextualized, Thornes claims are delivered with the wit and sense of repartee of a brilliant conversationalist, almost as if Samuel Johnson were resurrected to join the fray of post-theory debates. -- George Hoffmann, University of Michigan Thorne raises a question about the history and enduring legacy of anti-foundationalist thought with broad implications for the entire field of literary studies, and he tells a story that is compelling and wide-ranging. Each of his chapters is rich enough to be somebody elses book. The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment reminds us that literary studies matter: this field can illuminate the very biggest questions, in this case the very form and future of thought itself. -- Helen Deutsch, University of California, Los Angeles Christian Thornes delightful and stimulating The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment manages a stunning achievement. You begin reading in the presence of such an engaging and encouraging narrative voice that you feel as if you are negotiating the trickiest Adornian turns without training wheels, only to realize, as the argument twists and soars, that you have been strapped into the Batmobile all along. The stakes of the book are prodigious: a careful and devastating conceptual-historical critique of the political confidence of poststructuralist anti-foundationalism, secure in its leftish effects. Not so fast, warns Thorne: anti-foundationalism can support right-leaning towers as well as left-leaning ones. It comes with no guarantees. Beginning with a primer on classical skepticism, Thorne wrenches it face to face with the emergence of "modern" epistemology in the European sixteenth and seventeenth century, a push-me, pull-you era of "scientific skepticism" and "natural philosophy" waging war on the very principles that are typically taken to be modernitys raison detre. This is the Dialectic of Enlightenment through the looking glass. However sure you are of your take on Montaigne, the emergence of utopian literature, seventeenth century theater, Hobbes, eighteenth century satire or the rise of the novel, this book will unsettle it. You might not always agree, but you will surely see European modernity fresh and new, and view the poststructuralist ascendancy from a clarifyingly-disorienting perspective. Urgent and compelling, Thornes book tempers the melancholy aspect of negative dialectic by asserting its shimmering utopian promise. -- Crystal L. Bartolovich, Syracuse University Prizes Winner of Thomas J. Wilson Prize 2008 Review Quote Thorne raises a question about the history and enduring legacy of anti-foundationalist thought with broad implications for the entire field of literary studies, and he tells a story that is compelling and wide-ranging. Each of his chapters is rich enough to be somebody elses book. The Dialectic of Counter-Enlightenment reminds us that literary studies matter: this field can illuminate the very biggest questions, in this case the very form and future of thought itself. Details ISBN0674035224 Author Christian Thorne Publisher Harvard University Press Language English ISBN-10 0674035224 ISBN-13 9780674035225 Media Book Format Hardcover DEWEY 149.73 Year 2010 Imprint Harvard University Press Place of Publication Cambridge, Mass Country of Publication United States Birth 1972 Short Title DIALECTIC OF COUNTER ENLIGHTEN UK Release Date 2010-01-01 AU Release Date 2010-01-01 NZ Release Date 2010-01-01 US Release Date 2010-01-01 Pages 390 Publication Date 2010-01-01 Audience Professional & Vocational We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:23192972;

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