WULOLIFE
Useless Theology: Benjamin, Heidegger and Derrida Author: Xia Kejun Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press
Useless Theology: Benjamin, Heidegger and Derrida Author: Xia Kejun Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press
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Description
Introduction · · · · · ·
Benjamin's Theological-Politics Fragment is the true beginning of the modernity of life theology. This fragmentary text contains all the seeds of thought for deconstructing modern theological politics. Benjamin's absolute distinction between the Messianic Kingdom and the secular order makes both theological politics and politicized theology impossible and "useless".
Starting from "Theological-Political Fragments", this book embarks on a journey of "useless thinking", which is about the life healing and redemption of modernity.
The question explored in this book is how modern philosophy faces the crisis of modernity. The so-called "crisis of modernity" is a description of the overall alienation phenomenon in the capitalist era, which includes the turmoil and suffering in the real world, and also refers to the disappearance of the "aura" of art and the "homelessness" of humanity since the "disenchantment" of the modern world. This state was particularly evident between the two world wars in the 20th century. The philosophical manuscript "Theological-Political Fragments" left by Benjamin in this era is a profound response to the crisis of the times. This book uses this "Fragment" as a starting point to analyze Benjamin's criticism of political theology and violence, especially revealing the similarities between his "naturalness" thought and Zhuangzi's "useless thinking", and uses this clue to connect Heidegger's reflection in the middle and late periods with Derrida's deconstruction philosophy, and then question the conditions for the restart of contemporary philosophy, and explore the way out and room for thought in the progressive dialogue.
About the Author · · · · · ·
Xia Kejun is a philosopher, critic and curator.
Doctor of Philosophy from Wuhan University, studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany and the University of Strasbourg in France, and is currently a professor at the School of Literature of Renmin University of China. He has written more than ten books, starting from "uselessness", including "Void: Duchamp and Zhuangzi", "Pao Ding's Cutting of Oxen", "A Nation of Waiting and Uselessness: Zhuangzi and Heidegger's Second Turn", "Useless Literature: Kafka and China", and the English book Chinese Philosophy and Contemporary Aesthetics, Unthought of Empty.
Xia Kejun attempts to make Chinese categories such as "uselessness", "emptiness" and "surplus" become core concepts of contemporary world philosophy.
