Caring for the soul in a postmodern age : politics and phenomenology in the thought of Jan Patočka

The first full exploration of the political thought of Jan Patocka, student of Husserl and Heidegger and mentor of Vaclav Havel. CARING FOR THE SOUL IN A POSTMODERN AGE......Page 4 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 1. Introduction......Page 9 2. “Concrete Humans in Their Corporeal World”: An Interpretation of Husserl and Heidegger......Page 23 HUSSERL......Page 24 THE INFLUENCE OF HEIDEGGER......Page 40 A PHENOMENOLOGY OF MOVEMENT......Page 50 CONCLUSION......Page 56 3. Philosophy After the Death of Metaphysics: Patocka and Greek Thought......Page 59 PLATO AND EUROPE......Page 64 CARING FOR THE SOUL......Page 69 METAPHYSICS AND “NEGATIVE PLATONISM”......Page 76 THE IDEA, THE GOOD, AND THE TRUTH......Page 82 4. A Philosophy of History and a Theory of Politics......Page 91 THE BASIS OF HUMAN HISTORICITY......Page 94 A PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY......Page 97 THE POLIS IN HISTORY......Page 107 TWO ELEMENTS OF HISTORICAL LIFE: FREEDOM AND PROBLEMATICITY......Page 109 PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY AND POLITICS......Page 115 EUROPE, SCIENCE, AND METAPHYSICS......Page 120 5. Politics and Ethics in the Twentieth Century......Page 129 PATOCKA AND POLITICS......Page 130 THE HERETICAL ESSAYS AND THE TWENTIETH CENTURY......Page 141 THE SPIRITUAL PERSON AND THE POLIS......Page 154 ETHICS AND MORALITY......Page 159 6. Conclusion: Foundations and Philosophy, Politics and Postmodernism......Page 169 THE PROBLEM OF MEANING......Page 173 MEANING, POLITICS, AND CONFLICT......Page 179 CONCLUSION......Page 185 PERSPECTIVE......Page 186 Appendix: Patocka’s Reception in the English-Language Literature......Page 193 PATOCKA AS CONFLICTED HUMANIST......Page 194 PATOCKA AS POSTMODERN: ANTIFOUNDATIONALISM, THEOLOGY, AND LIBERALISM......Page 201 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION......Page 215 CHAPTER 2. “CONCRETE HUMANS IN THEIR CORPOREAL WORLD”......Page 217 CHAPTER 3. PHILOSOPHY AFTER THE DEATH OF METAPHYSICS......Page 225 CHAPTER 4. A PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY AND A THEORY OF POLITICS......Page 230 CHAPTER 5. POLITICS AND ETHICS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY......Page 234 CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSION......Page 240 APPENDIX......Page 244 PATOCKA, JAN......Page 249 SECONDARY LITERATURE......Page 252 C......Page 259 F......Page 260 H......Page 261 M......Page 262 N......Page 263 P......Page 264 S......Page 265 W......Page 266 X......Page 267 Concrete Humans In Their Corporeal World: An Interpretation Of Husserl And Heidegger -- Husserl -- The Influence Of Heidegger -- A Phenomenology Of Movement -- Philosophy After The Death Of Metaphysics: Patocka And Greek Thought -- Plato And Europe -- Caring For The Soul -- Metaphysics And Negative Platonism -- The Idea, The Good, And The Truth -- A Philosophy Of History And A Theory Of Politics -- The Basis Of Human Historicity -- A Philosophy Of History -- The Polis In History -- Two Elements Of Historical Life: Freedom And Problematicity -- Philosophy Of History And Politics -- Europe, Science, And Metaphysics -- Politics And Ethics In The Twentieth Century -- Patocka And Politics -- The Heretical Essays And The Twentieth Century -- The Spiritual Person And The Polis -- Ethics And Morality -- Conclusion: Foundations And Philosophy, Politics And Postmoderism -- The Problem Of Meaning -- Meaning, Politics, And Conflict -- Perspective -- Patocka's Reception In The English-language Literature -- Patocka As Conflicted Humanist -- Patocka As Postmodern: Antifoundationalism, Theology, And Liberalism. Edward F. Findlay. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 241-249) And Index. "In 1977 the sixty-nine-year-old Czech philosopher Jan Patocka died from a brain hemorrhage following a series of interrogations by the Czechoslovak secret police. A student of Husserl and Heidegger, he had been arrested, along with young playwright Vaclav Havel, for publicly opposing the hypocrisy of the Czechoslovak Communist regime. Patocka had dedicated himself as a philosopher to laying the groundwork of what he termed a "life in truth."". "This book analyzes Patocka's philosophy and political thought and illuminates the synthesis in his work of Socratic philosophy and its injunction to "care for the soul." In bridging the gap, not only between Husserl and Heidegger, but also between postmodern and ancient philosophy, Patocka presents a model of democratic politics that is ethical without being metaphysical, and transcendental without being foundational."--BOOK JACKET. In 1977 the sixty-nine-year-old Czech philosopher Jan Patočka died from a brain hemorrhage following a series of interrogations by the Czechoslovak secret police. A student of Husserl and Heidegger, he had been arrested, along with young playwright Václav Havel, for publicly opposing the hypocrisy of the Czechoslovak Communist regime. Patočka had dedicated himself as a philosopher to laying the groundwork of what he termed a'life in truth.'This book analyzes Patočka's philosophy and political thought and illuminates the synthesis in his work of Socratic philosophy and its injunction to'care for the soul.'In bridging the gap, not only between Husserl and Heidegger, but also between postmodern and ancient philosophy, Patočka presents a model of democratic politics that is ethical without being metaphysical, and transcendental without being foundational.