Description
Book SynopsisThe Poetic Character of Human Activity is a collection of essays by two Oakeshott scholars, most of which explores the meaning of Oakeshott's pregnant phrase, the poetic character of human activity by comparing and contrasting this idea with similar and opposing ones, in particular those of the Taoist thinker, Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu), and his Western interpreter, A.C. Graham. Oakeshott's deep appreciation of the poetic and non-instrumental character of human activity led him to develop an interest in the works of Zhuangzi and Confucius. Comparison of shared themes between Oakeshott and these two Chinese thinkers facilitates appreciation of his elegant analytic style and his resort to use of metaphors and story-telling when conveying some of his most profound insights. The collection also contains essays contrasting Oakeshott's idea of the creative in human experience with views of, among others, Plato, Leo Strauss and Eric Voegelin. Oakeshott used the phrase the poetic character of hu
Trade ReviewIn this book Coats and Cheung explain the centrality of Chinese thought in Michael Oakeshott’s philosophy. His notion that life’s value is found in doing things for their own sake rather than for some far-off telos reflects a central preoccupation of Taoism. Thus the essays collected here illuminate 'the poetic character of human activity,' which undoubtedly lies at the heart of Oakeshott’s philosophy. The book brings to light Oakeshott’s notion of the moral life as inherently creative, helping readers to see why he objects to the Rationalism and utilitarianism that pervade so much of modern life. -- Elizabeth Corey, Baylor University
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Michael Oakeshott and the Poetic Character of Human Activity Chapter 2: Practical Implications of Oakeshott’s Poetic Conception of Human Activity Chapter 3: Skepticism, Poetic Imagination, and the Art of Non-Instrumentality: Oakeshott and Zhuangzi Chapter 4: Some Correspondences between Michael Oakeshott’s Critique of Rationalism and A.C. Graham’s account of Spontaneity vs. Reason Chapter 5: Conversation and Learning: Oakeshott and Confucius Chapter 6: Michael Oakeshott and Contemporary Political Philosophy: an interpretation Chapter 7: “Theory and Practice” in Oakeshott, Strauss, and Vogelin Chapter 8: Three Views of Leviathan – Oakeshott, Strauss, and Vogelin Chapter 9: The Cave, The Tower of Babel, and Civil Conversation: Methaphors and the Philosophical and Political Thought of Oakeshott
