In Quest of the Ordinary : Lines of Skepticism and Romanticism

"These lectures by one of the most influential and original philosophers of the twentieth century constitute a sustained argument for the philosophical basis of romanticism, particularly in its American rendering. Through his examination of such authors as Emerson, Thoreau, Poe, Wordsworth, and Coleridge, Stanley Cavell shows that romanticism and American transcendentalism represent a serious philosophical response to the challenge of skepticism that underlies the writings of Wittgenstein and Austin on ordinary language."--Page 4 de la couverture Preface and Acknowledgments At Berkeley THE MRS. WILLIAM BECKMAN LECTURES (1983) 1. The Philosopher in American Life (Toward Thoreau and Emerson) 2. Emerson, Coleridge, Kant (Terms as Conditions) 3. Texts of Recovery (Coleridge, Wordsworth, Heidegger . . .) 4. Recounting Gains, Showing Losses (A Reading of The Winter's Tale) At Stanford CONFERENCE: RECONSTRUCTING INDIVIDUALISM (1984) 5. Being Odd, Getting Even (Descartes, Emerson, Poe) Postscript A. Skepticism and a Word concerning Deconstruction Postscript B. Poe's Perversity and the Imp(ulse) of Skepticism Postscript C. The Skeptical and the Metaphorical At Stanford THE TANNER LECTURE (1986) 6. The Uncanniness of the Ordinary At Vienna CELEBRATION LECTURE (1986) 7. The Fantastic of Philosophy Bibliography Index These lectures by one of the most influential and original philosophers of the twentieth century constitute a sustained argument for the philosophical basis of romanticism, particularly in its American rendering. Through his examination of such authors as Emerson, Thoreau, Poe, Wordsworth, and Coleridge, Stanley Cavell shows that romanticism and American transcendentalism represent a serious philosophical response to the challenge of skepticism that underlies the writings of Wittgenstein and Austin on ordinary language. -- Book cover WHEN IN ACCEPTING THE INVITATION to deliver a set of Beckman Lectures I asked what expectations are placed on such occasions, and I was assured by my hosts that they would be interested in whatever I wanted to talk about, I wasn't certain whether I was being answered or humored.