Literature, Philosophy, Nihilism : The Uncanniest of Guests

This book charts the history of the concept of nihilism in some of the most important philosophers and literary theorists of the modern and postmodern periods, including Wyndham Lewis, Heidegger, Adorno, Blanchot, Derrida, and Vattimo. Focusing in particular on the ways in which each of these thinkers produces a theory of the literary as the privileged form of resistance to nihilism, Weller offers the first in-depth analysis of nihilism's key role in the thinking of the aesthetic since Nietzsche. "Since Nietzsche's appropriation of the term in his later work, the concept of nihilism has played a decisive role in the thinking of both modernity and postmodernity. This book charts the deployment of that concept by some of the most influential philosophers and literary theorists of the modern period, including Heidegger, Adorno, Blanchot, Derrida, Agamben, Vattimo, and Badiou. Focusing in particular on the ways in which each of these deployments involves both a countering redetermination of nihilism and a privileging of a certain concept of the literary for what is taken to be its power of resistance to it, Weller proposes neither a critique nor a revalorization of nihilism; rather, he explores through an historical, conceptual, and philological analysis the various ways in which nihilism, as what Nietzsche terms the 'uncanniest of all guests', returns to haunt the thought of those who would counter it."--Jacket Since Nietzsche's appropriation of the term in his later work, the concept of nihilism has played a decisive role in the thinking of both modernity and postmodernity. This book charts the deployment of that concept by some of the most influential philosophers and literary theorists of the modern period, including Heidegger, Adorno, Blanchot, Derrida, Agamben, Vattimo, and Badiou. Focusing in particular on the ways in which each of these deployments involves both a countering redetermination of nihilism and a privileging of a certain concept of the literary for what is taken to be its power of resistance to it, Weller proposes neither a critique nor a revalorization of nihilism; rather, he explores through an historical, conceptual, and philological analysis the various ways in which nihilism, as what Nietzsche terms the 1uncanniest of all guests2, returns to haunt the thought of those who would counter it [prepared By] Petroleum Economist Cartographic, Energy Maps ; Designed, Produced, And Distributed By The Petroleum Economist Ltd. ; Designed And Researched By P. Bush And K. Fuller ; Produced By The Petroleum Economist Ltd., London, In Association With Pricewaterhousecoopers. Relief And Depths Shown By Gradient Tints. Shows Gas Or Gas/condensate Field(s), Oil Field(s), Gas Pipeline(s), Oil Pipeline(s), Gas Pipeline(s) Under Construction, Planned Or Proposed, Oil Pipeline(s) Under Construction, Planned Or Proposed, Major Gas Processing Plant, Underground Gas Storage Facility, Underground Gas Storage Facility Planned, Lng Export Plant, Planned Or Proposed, Tanker Terminal, Oil Refinery, Capital City, And City/town. Includes Notes, Caspian Sea Inset, Yamal Inset, Sakhalin Inset, Pipeline Projects Map, Directories, And Graphs. September 2003. Title Panel, Col. Ill., And Advertisement On Verso. Absolute devaluation : Friedrich Nietzsche Homelessness : Martin Heidegger Fatal positivities : Theodor Adorno The naive calculation of the negative : Maurice Blanchot Bad violence : Jacques Derrida The fracture : Giorgio Agamben Distortions, or, Nihilism against itself : Gianni Vattimo The denial of (Greek) thought : Alain Badiou.