Description
Book SynopsisWhat is the origin of evil? Where does what we term evil come from? According to the author, to think through evil is to think through fallibility; because human freedom is summed up as existence prior to evil.
Trade ReviewOffers rich philosophical resources for theological reflection. -- Brian Gregor * Heythrop Journal *
One of the most important achievements of Catani’s work is to demonstrate that literature, as a discourse of knowledge that can intersect with science, theology, politics, and history, deserves to play a decisive role in deepening and complexifying the terms of public debate. -- Ian James, University of Cambridge, UK * French Studies *
Mention in Church Times, January 2009
Evil: A History in Modern French Literature and Thought offers a rich study of French thought on evil in its development over almost two centuries. Catani succeeds in the ambitious task of placing in dialogue with one another upwards of forty key thinkers in order to establish a series of significant shifts in understanding evil that will greatly benefit scholars of intellectual history. -- Scott M. Powers, University of Mary Washington * H-France Review *
With engaging prose, Damian Catani pays close attention to linguistic choices— his own and those of the authors he studies, as they attempt to find and forge a language capable of representing evil. Other strengths include Catani’s mastery of a broad corpus of literary and theoretical works, as well as
Evil’s compelling overarching narrative, which propels the reader forward and regularly underscores connections among chapters and disparate authors and periods. This valuable contribution to the field will appeal to scholars of intellectual history and modern French literature, in addition to readers interested in the public debate surrounding recent (counter)terrorist actions and rhetoric. -- Erin Tremblay Ponnou- Delaffon, Illinois State University * French Forum *
Table of ContentsExtended Introduction by Graham Ward; Preface by Pierre Gisel; 1. The experience of evil; 2. The levels of discussion and discourse on evil; 3. Thinking, acting, feeling.
