LoveKnowledge: The Life of Philosophy from Socrates to Derrida ISBN: 9780231530842 Platform/Publisher: Oxford Academic / Columbia University Press Digital rights:Users: Unlimited; Printing: Unlimited; Download: Unlimited Subjects: History of Western Philosophy;
Taking a cue from the usual translation of philosophy ("love of knowledge") Brand, a professor of philosophy at Sarah Lawrence College, constructs an intensely personal and engrossing book that tackles several major philosophical texts, weaving connections and seeking to discover anew why philosophy, its questions, and its interplay of desire and knowledge are relevant to this day. He begins with Socrates-via Plato-and moves through Spinoza, Rousseau, and Nietzsche to the present with Foucault and Derrida. Brand anchors each chapter with a brief biographical sketch before approaching a key late text, often finding links between philosophies. His authorial voice captivates, and though arcane terms inevitably spring up, the dedicated reader is amply rewarded. Ideally, the book "trusts the impressions of the reader and her ability to navigate a philosophical landscape without an outline or map but with a sense of orientation and know-how." Thus, Brand doesn't always provide answers-and admits he won't-but he offers food for thought, so when he describes Rousseau's philosophy as "an exercise in the art of living," he could easily be talking about his own work. Though experts may have their own views on Brand's "idiosyncratic" interpretations, those newer to this discipline will have much to take away-about love, learning, and leading the fullest life possible-from this slim but full volume. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Brand Roy :
Roy Brand is Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate School of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem and the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in the Arts at Tel Aviv University; he also founded and served as Director and Chief Curator of Yaffo 23, a center for art and culture in downtown Jerusalem. He is the author of LoveKnowledge: The Life of Philosophy from Socrates to Derrida (Columbia, 2012), the editor and translator of Borradori: Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogues with Habermas and Derrida (Chicago, 2004) , and the editor and consultant curator of Bare Life (Museum on the Seam, 2007).Roy Brand is Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate School of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem and the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in the Arts at Tel Aviv University; he also founded and served as Director and Chief Curator of Yaffo 23, a center for art and culture in downtown Jerusalem. He is the author of LoveKnowledge: The Life of Philosophy from Socrates to Derrida (Columbia, 2012), the editor and translator of Borradori: Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogues with Habermas and Derrida (Chicago, 2004) , and the editor and consultant curator of Bare Life (Museum on the Seam, 2007).
