Language and Death: The Land of Negation Author: [Italy] Giorgio Agamben Translator: Zhang Yujia Publisher: Nanjing University Press

Heidegger's discussion on the relationship between language and death calls Agamben to the path of language, to explore the meaning of sound and silence to the "dead", and to explore the ancient secrets sealed in the Eleusinian Mysteries. From Aristotle to Hegel, from Prissian to Benveniste, from the tragedy of Oedipus to Leopoldi's pastoral poetry, Agamben wanders between philosophy, theology and poetry, and inquires into the puzzle between sound and meaning, language and death in the abyss of negativity.

Language and Death is an early work of Agamben, first published in 1982. What he wants to uncover is the secret hidden deep in the abode of human nature. What exactly is the foundation of the ontological tradition of Western philosophy? What is the knot of language, death and temporality? What kind of "rootlessness" is the creature who always speaks logos in? What kind of interweaving and intertextuality is the relationship between the sacred and violence, politics and theology, voice and ethics, discourse and logic? What is voice? Where does negativity reside?

Reading this book is like a spiritual odyssey, from ancient Greek tragedy to contemporary linguistics, from Plato to Heidegger, from the tragic Oedipus Rex to Leopoldi's pastoral poetry, there are surprises of thought everywhere, and you will also be tempted by language at all times. Agamben integrates these philosophical, religious, literary and even linguistic texts into one, giving readers a rich, passionate and imaginative reading experience.

About the Author

Giorgio Agamben is a famous contemporary Italian philosopher and thinker. He has taught at many colleges and universities, including the University of Macerata, the University of Verona, the Venice School of Architecture, the International Institute of Philosophy in Paris, and the European Graduate School. His research fields are extensive and far-reaching. His mastery of literary theory, continental philosophy, political thought, religious studies, and literature and art make him one of the most challenging thinkers of our time.

About the Translator

Zhang Yujia is an associate researcher at the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.