Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewSimpson argues persuasively that the concept of “life as art” offers a “coherent ethical position” responsive to the ethical challenges of the contemporary situation. By presenting an original reading of the history of modern thought and developing a theoretical understanding of its conceptual framework, Simpson demonstrates how life as art strives to affirm the beauty, meaning, and value of life after the “death of God.” And he shows that by “intensifying the relationship between thinking and aesthetics” life as art can function as a form of resistance to the forces of domination and normalization that threaten freedom and solidarity in contemporary societies. This book makes an original contribution to our understanding of the history of modern and post-modern philosophy and it is a valuable addition to the growing field of works that seek to locate the point of intersection between philosophical thinking and life as it is, or could be, lived. -- Edward F. McGushin, Stonehill College
Table of ContentsPart I: Introducing Life as Art Chapter 1: The Path Ahead Chapter 2: Dandyism and Life is Art Chapter 3: Nietzsche’s Ideal Types Part II: Resistant Chapter 4: Theodor Adorno on Negative Thinking and Utopia Chapter 5: Herbert Marcuse and the Artful Individual Part III: Affirmation Chapter 6: Martin Heidegger and Poetic Thinking Chapter 7: Merleau-Ponty and Marion on the Thought of Being Part IV: Creation Chapter 8: Albert Camus on the Life Artist Chapter 9: Foucault’s Aesthetics of Existence Chapter 10: Conclusion: Life as Art
