Description

Book Synopsis
Sublime madness and ennui: melancholy is a condition of imbalance, chaotic and desolate, and a keystone of modern Western thought. In Angels in Mourning, Roger Bartra explores how three lucid European thinkers - Immanuel Kant, Max Weber and Walter Benjamin - addressed the irrational and the dolorous, drawing attention to some apparently marginal aspects of their work in order to illuminate the way in which they gazed into the darkness. It is not obvious why melancholy should find such a prominent space in our society. Why did this threatening expression of langour and disorder gain such a foothold at the heart of a European culture guided by the light of rationalism? In this surprising and insightful study, Bartra considers this question through investigations of Kant, Weber and Benjamin, and suggests that one explanation may lie in the blossoming of Romanticism, that deep-seated protest against the Enlightenment and the capitalist order.

Angels in Mourning: Sublime Madness, Ennui and

    Product form

    £26.98

    Includes FREE delivery

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Thu 25 Jun 2026.

    A Hardback by Roger Bartra

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Angels in Mourning: Sublime Madness, Ennui and by Roger Bartra

      Publisher: Reaktion Books
      Publication Date: 16/07/2018
      ISBN13: 9781780239729, 978-1780239729
      ISBN10: 1780239726

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Sublime madness and ennui: melancholy is a condition of imbalance, chaotic and desolate, and a keystone of modern Western thought. In Angels in Mourning, Roger Bartra explores how three lucid European thinkers - Immanuel Kant, Max Weber and Walter Benjamin - addressed the irrational and the dolorous, drawing attention to some apparently marginal aspects of their work in order to illuminate the way in which they gazed into the darkness. It is not obvious why melancholy should find such a prominent space in our society. Why did this threatening expression of langour and disorder gain such a foothold at the heart of a European culture guided by the light of rationalism? In this surprising and insightful study, Bartra considers this question through investigations of Kant, Weber and Benjamin, and suggests that one explanation may lie in the blossoming of Romanticism, that deep-seated protest against the Enlightenment and the capitalist order.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account