Emerson as Philosopher: Postmodernism and Beyond

Description

This book considers the role of postmodernism (skepticism towards metanarratives and anti-essentialism) in Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy by putting it in conversation with key 20th and 21st century thinkers such as Beauvoir, Coates, Derrida, Paz, Rorty, and Zizek. Postmodern Emerson shows how Emersonian skepticism to metanarratives such as sexism, racism, Beauvoiran "serious values," and others, can help us face some of society's gravest contemporary social and philosophical challenges. Methodologically, the book exemplifies Emersonian postmodernism by defying traditional philosophical metanarratives about the difference between high and low culture or serious and ridiculous subjects, and Emerson with what would seem to be his opposite. This is itself a postmodern gesture, breaking rules of genre and topic to make unlikely but interesting connections. Above all, this book proves that in this time of social division and widespread despair, Emerson can help.   Preface Contents Chapter 1: Introduction: Philosophy as Thinking Emerson’s Method My Method Part I: Emerson as Philosopher Chapter 2: Emerson as Philosopher Chapter 3: Emerson on Thinking via Peirce and Beauvoir Emerson and the Comic Emerson and Beauvoir’s Serious Man Why Anyone’s Oppression Oppresses Me Ambiguities of ‘Seriousness’ Emerson and Frost: Seriousness and Humor; Grievances and Griefs Chapter 4: Philosophy of the People Part II: Postmodern Emerson Chapter 5: Postmodern Emerson Emerson and Rorty: A Reading of Postmodern Philosophy Emersonian Hermeneutics Emerson and Deleuze and Guattari: BwO’s Žižek and the OwB Part III: Emerson and… Chapter 6: Emerson and Žižek: On the Crack in Everything, or, the Dialectical Nature of Philosophy and the World The Handsome Absolute Response to a Possible Objection Real Ideas, the Kafkaesque, and Resistentialism Chapter 7: Emerson and Paz: Evolutionary Existentialism Dialectics of Waking and Sleeping: Labyrinths and Fiestas; Silence and Language Inspiration as Collaboration as Thinking Chapter 8: Emerson and Irigaray: The Sorites of Ethical Difference Ironic Sex, Active Sex The Labyrinth of Solitude of Sexual Difference: Irigaray on Nietzsche and Ariadne Chapter 9: Emerson and Derrida: On the Track of the Circle Trace Derrida on Exergue and Parergon Chapter 10: Emerson and Heidegger: Thinking as Thanking Chapter 11: Conclusion: A Brief Reading of “Fate”: Thinking about “Fate” after Cavell, Bloom, and Rorty From tertium non datur to tertium datur Index