Our Broad Present: Time and Contemporary Culture (Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics, and Culture)

Considering a range of present-day phenomena, from the immediacy effects of literature to the impact of hypercommunication, globalization, and sports, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht notes an important shift in our relationship to history and the passage of time. Although we continue to use concepts inherited from a "historicist" viewpoint, a notion of time articulated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the actual construction of time in which we live in today, which shapes our perceptions, experiences, and actions, is no longer historicist. Without fully realizing it, we now inhabit a new, unnamed space in which the "closed future" and "ever-available past" (a past we have not managed to leave behind) converge to produce an "ever-broadening present of simultaneities." This profound change to a key dimension of our existence has complex consequences for the way in which we think about ourselves and our relation to the material world. At the same time, the ubiquity of digital media has eliminated our tactile sense of physical space, altering our perception of our world. Gumbrecht draws on his mastery of the philosophy of language to enrich his everyday observations, traveling to Disneyland, a small town in Louisiana, and the center of Vienna to produce striking sketches of our broad presence in the world.-- Proporcionado por la editorial. Considering a range of present-day phenomena, from the immediacy effects of literature to the impact of hypercommunication, globalization, and sports, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht notes an important shift in our relationship to history and the passage of time. Although we continue to use concepts inherited from a "historicist" viewpoint, a notion of time articulated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the actual construction of time in which we live in today, which shapes our perceptions, experiences, and actions, is no longer historicist. Without fully realizing it, we now inhabit a new, unnamed space in which the "closed future" and "ever-available past" (a past we have not managed to leave behind) converge to produce an "ever-broadening present of simultaneities." This profound change to a key dimension of our existence has complex consequences for the way in which we think about ourselves and our relation to the material world. At the same time, the ubiquity of digital media has eliminated our tactile sense of physical space, altering our perception of our world. Gumbrecht draws on his mastery of the philosophy of language to enrich his everyday observations, traveling to Disneyland, a small town in Louisiana, and the center of Vienna to produce striking sketches of our broad presence in the world.-- Provided by Publisher Considering A Range Of Present-day Phenomena, From The Immediacy Effects Of Literature To The Impact Of Hypercommunication, Globalization, And Sports, Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht Notes An Important Shift In Our Relationship To History And The Passage Of Time. Although We Continue To Use Concepts Inherited From A ÒhistoricistÓ Viewpoint, A Notion Of Time Articulated In The Eighteenth And Nineteenth Centuries, The Actual Construction Of Time In Which We Live In Today, Which Shapes Our Perceptions, Experiences, And Actions, Is No Longer Historicist. Without Fully Realizing It, We Now Inhabit A New, Unnamed Space In Which The Òclosed FutureÓ And Òever-available PastÓ (a Past We Have Not Managed To Leave Behind) Converge To Produce An Òever-broadening Present Of Simultaneities.Ó This Profound Change To A Key Dimension Of Our Existence Has Complex Consequences For The Way In Which We Think About Ourselves And Our Relation To The Material World. At The Same Time, The Ubiquity Of Digital Media Has Eliminated Our Tactile Sense Of Physical Space, Altering Our Perception Of Our World. Gumbrecht Draws On His Mastery Of The Philosophy Of Language To Enrich His Everyday Observations, Traveling To Disneyland, A Small Town In Louisiana, And The Center Of Vienna To Produce Striking Sketches Of Our Broad Presence In The World. Acknowledgments 8 Tracking a Hypothesis 10 1. Presence in Language or Presence Achieved Against Language? 18 2. A Negative Anthropology of Globalization 28 3. Stagnation: Temporal, Intellectual, Heavenly 44 4. “Lost in Focused Intensity”: Spectator Sports and Strategies of Re-Enchantment 56 5. Steady Admiration in an Expanding Present: On Our New Relationship with Classics 66 6. Infinite Availability: About Hyper-Communication (and Old Age) 78 In the Broad Present 90 Notes 98 Index 102 An internationally acclaimed theorist examines the consequences of our changing relationship to time and space.