Böcker av Benjamin Berger

During the first decade of the 19th century, F. W. J. Schelling was involved in 3 distinct controversies with one of his most perceptive and provocative critics, A. C. A. Eschenmayer. The first of these controversies took place in 1801 and focused on the philosophy of nature. Now, Berger and Whistler provide a ground-breaking account of this moment in the history of philosophy. They argue that key Schellingian concepts, such as identity, potency and abstraction, were first forged in his early debate with Eschenmayer. Through a series of translations and commentaries, they show that the 1801 controversy is an essential resource for understanding Schelling's thought, the philosophy of nature and the origins of absolute idealism.

A study of the genesis of Schelling's philosophy of nature and absolute idealism, highlighting the importance of A. C. A. EschenmayerDuring the first decade of the nineteenth century, F. W. J. Schelling was involved in three distinct controversies with one of his most perceptive and provocative critics, A. C. A. Eschenmayer. The first of these controversies took place in 1801 and focused on the philosophy of nature.Berger and Whistler provide a ground-breaking account of this moment in the history of philosophy. They argue that key Schellingian concepts, such as identity, potency and abstraction, were first forged in his early debate with Eschenmayer. Through a series of translations and commentaries, they show that the 1801 controversy is an essential resource for understanding Schelling's thought, the philosophy of nature and the origins of absolute idealism.Additionally, Berger and Whistler demonstrate how the Schelling-Eschenmayer controversy raises important issues for the philosophy of nature today, including questions about the relation between identity and difference and the possibility of explaining sensible qualities in terms of quantity. This ultimately leads to the formulation of the most basic methodological question for the philosophy of nature: must this philosophy be based upon a prior consideration of consciousness - as Eschenmayer insists - or might it simply begin with nature itself? By arguing for the latter position, Schelling challenges us to entertain the possibility that the philosophy of nature is first philosophy.Benjamin Berger is Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Haverford College. Daniel Whistler is Reader in Modern European Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Handwringing about political apathy is as old as democracy itself. As early as 425 BC, the playwright Aristophanes ridiculed his fellow Athenians for gossiping in the market instead of voting. In more recent decades, calls for greater civic engagement as a democratic cure-all have met with widespread agreement. But how realistic--or helpful--is it to expect citizens to devote more attention and energy to politics? In Attention Deficit Democracy, Ben Berger provides a surprising new perspective on the problem of civic engagement, challenging idealists who aspire to revolutionize democracies and their citizens, but also taking issue with cynics who think that citizens cannot--and need not--do better. "e;Civic engagement"e; has become an unwieldy and confusing catchall, Berger argues. We should talk instead of political, social, and moral engagement, figuring out which kinds of engagement make democracy work better, and how we might promote them. Focusing on political engagement and taking Alexis de Tocqueville and Hannah Arendt as his guides, Berger identifies ways to achieve the political engagement we want and need without resorting to coercive measures such as compulsory national service or mandatory voting. By providing a realistic account of the value of political engagement and practical strategies for improving it, while avoiding proposals we can never hope to achieve, Attention Deficit Democracy makes a persuasive case for a public philosophy that much of the public can actually endorse.