Description
Book SynopsisWestern philosophy has often claimed for itself not just a distinct sphere of knowledge, but a distinct form of communication, set against ordinary speech. In
Speaking Philosophically, Thomas Sutherland proposes that for some philosophers, authentic philosophizing demands a specific manner of speaking or writing, adoption of which enables one to gesture toward truths that propositional speech will never grasp. Drawing on a variety of thinkers Heraclitus, Plato, Kant, Fichte, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Weil, Foucault, and Irigaray Sutherland argues this emphasis on the form of philosophical communication can function as an exclusionary mechanism, determining who is deemed capable of speaking philosophically.
Trade ReviewA stunningly original investigation of philosophical expression. Focused less on the content of Western systems of philosophy and more on the challenge of their communicability, the book raises fascinating questions about what philosophizing says, and cannot say, how it speaks, and what that tells us. * Garnet C. Butchart, Associate Professor, Duquesne University, USA *
Drawn to an other without which thinking would remain mute,
Speaking Philosophically is both a declaration of love and an appeal for a rethinking of philosophers’ relationship with language—a depth hermeneutics by which the “love of wisdom” is brought back to its discursive provenance as it engages speech and writing in perpetuity. * Briankle G. Chang, Professor of Communication, University of Massachusetts, US *
Thomas Sutherland has produced an excellent book that interrogates the dynamic boundaries and intersections between language, philosophy, knowledge, and subjectivity. Whilst many students and scholars will already be familiar with the ideas of Plato, Kant, and Foucault, Sutherland masterfully weaves Fichte, Simone Weil, and other less famous thinkers into his brilliant narrative. The book makes a major contribution to our understanding of communication and reason today. * Darrow Schecter, Professor of Critical Theory & Modern European History, University of Sussex, UK *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: A Philosophical Manner Of Speaking 1. Escaping The Noise Of The City: Heraclitus’ Logos 2. Speaking In The Presence Of Truth: Plato And Dialectic 3. Speaking Appropriately: The Philosophical Work Ethic In Immanuel Kant 4. The Foundation Within Us: J.G. Fichte On The Role Of The Scholar 5. A New Breed Of Philosophers: Friedrich Nietzsche’s Tyrannical Impulse 6. The Mark Of A True Christian: Søren Kierkegaard On Solitude 7. Aspiring To A Higher Good: Speaking Of Afbliction With Simone Weil 8. Writing At The Limits Of History: Michel Foucault And Unreason 9. Speaking With Borrowed Words: Strategic Mimesis In Luce Irigaray
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