In his recent An Inquiry into Modes of Existence: An Anthropology of the Moderns (8-9), Bruno Latour gives this pithy summary of the argument of his now-classic We Have Never Been Modern : “I sought to give a precise meaning to the overly polysemic word ‘modern’ by using as a . . . . Continue Reading »
In his contribution to Social Change and Modernity , Jeffrey C. Alexander surveys “differentiation theory” from Durkheim to Weber to Parsons to recent studies. In the end, he admits that “Even in relatively developed countries, the autonomy of the societal community—its . . . . Continue Reading »
In his introduction to The Cambridge Companion to Postmodernism , Steven Connor suggests that “The most striking difference between modernism and postmodernism is that, though both depend upon forms of publicity, few guides or introductions to modernism appeared until it was felt to be over. . . . . Continue Reading »
Anticipating a number of recent studies, Rosenstock Huessy highlighted the theatricality of the French Revolution: “Not only did the actors try to play ‘the made day,’ but the madness of the Revolution was embodied in an actress who had to play the Goddess of Reason on the Field . . . . Continue Reading »
Rosenstock-Huessy recognizes Anthony, Athanasius, Jerome, and Augustine as pioneers who created new pathways for their followers to track. Anthony was crucial, and if Rosenstock-Huessy is to be believed, we owe much of the world we know to his initiative ( Religion, Redemption and Revolution: The . . . . Continue Reading »
As recounted by Wayne Cristaudo ( Religion, Redemption and Revolution: The New Speech Thinking Revolution of Franz Rozenzweig and Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy ), Rosenstock-Huessy took Emil Brunner to takes for his adoption of the “protestant myth” about a fall of the church in the fourth . . . . Continue Reading »
This year is the 1700th anniversary of Edict of Milan, and Constantine is academically hot and politically invisible . What might it mean for our politics if Constantine disappeared into the graduate seminars? . . . . Continue Reading »
Rosenstock-Huessy talks about the necessity of enemies as much as Carl Schmitt. Enemies keep us awake: “Thanks to Mr. Stalin, we have kept awake. It’s wonderful. Just, you see, have a good enemy, and you are taken care of. But your friends, beware of them. They put you to sleep. Do you . . . . Continue Reading »
It’s common to tell the history of philosophy as a calm passing-on of concepts or at least of questions. There are arguments, sometimes vigorous, but they take place in the proverbial ivory tower designed just to house philosophers. Rosenstock thinks otherwise. Philosophy arises from shock, . . . . Continue Reading »
Anthony Ossa-Richardson’s richly detailed The Devil’s Tabernacle: The Pagan Oracles in Early Modern Thought is mainly about the role that ancient oracles played in modern thought, but he begins with a fascinating overview of the place of oracles in the classical world and the Christian . . . . Continue Reading »
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