Gianni Vattimo Book order

Gianni Vattimo, a leading contemporary philosopher known for his concept of weak thought, challenges the traditional Western view of Being as an absolute and unchanging reality. Through a series of essays, he examines both theoretical and practical implications of this rejection, navigating the complexities of Being without aiming for a systematic or definitive analysis. This exploration invites readers to reconsider foundational philosophical concepts in a more fluid and dynamic context.

Exploring the philosophical interplay between Nietzsche and Heidegger, this work presents an innovative interpretation that lays the groundwork for Vattimo's idea of weak thought. It delves into the nuances of their ideas, examining how their existential and ontological perspectives challenge traditional notions of strength in philosophy. The text invites readers to reconsider the implications of weakness as a potent philosophical stance, enriching contemporary discourse on postmodern thought.

An engaging and refreshing read for any serious student of philosophy. Library Journal

Separating communism from its metaphysical foundations, which include an abiding faith in the immutable laws of history and an almost holy conception of the proletariat, the authors recast Marx's theories at a time when capitalism's metaphysical moorings are buckling

"With Western cultures becoming more pluralistic, the question of "truth" in politics has become a game of interpretations. Today, we face the demise of the very idea of truth as an objective description of facts, though many have yet to acknowledge that this is changing. Gianni Vattimo explicitly engages with the important consequences for democracy of our changing conception of politics and truth, such as a growing reluctance to ground politics in science, economics, and technology. Yet in Vattimo's conception, a farewell to truth can benefit democracy, exposing the unspoken issues that underlie all objective claims. The end of absolute truth challenges the legitimacy of policies based on perceived objective necessities--protecting the free market, for example, even if it devastates certain groups or classes. Vattimo calls for a truth that is constructed with consensus and a respect for the liberty of all. By taking into account the cultural paradigms of others, a more "truthful" society--freer and more democratic--becomes possible. In this book, Vattimo continues his reinterpretation of Christianity as a religion of charity and hope, freeing society from authoritarian, metaphysical dogmatism. He also extends Nietzsche's "death of God" to the death of an authoritarian God, ushering in a new, postreligious Christianity. He connects the thought of Martin Heidegger, Karl Marx, and Karl Popper with surprising results and accommodates modern science more than in his previous work, reconciling its validity with an insistence that knowledge is interpretive. Vattimo's philosophy justifies Western nihilism in its capacity to dispense with absolute truths. Ranging over politics, ethics, religion, and the history of philosophy, his reflections contribute deeply to a modern reconception of God, metaphysics, and the purpose of reality." -- Publisher's website

First collected in Italy in 1985, Art's Claim to Truth is considered by many philosophers to be one of Gianni Vattimo's most important works. Newly revised for English readers, the book begins with a challenge to Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Hegel, who viewed art as a metaphysical aspect of reality rather than a futuristic anticipation of it. Following Martin Heidegger's interpretation of the history of philosophy, Vattimo outlines the existential ontological conditions of aesthetics, paying particular attention to the works of Kandinsky, which reaffirm the ontological implications of art.Vattimo then builds on Hans-Georg Gadamer's theory of aesthetics and provides an alternative to a rationalistic-positivistic criticism of art. This is the heart of Vattimo's argument, and with it he demonstrates how hermeneutical philosophy reaffirms art's ontological status and makes clear the importance of hermeneutics for aesthetic studies. In the book's final section, Vattimo articulates the consequences of reclaiming the ontological status of aesthetics without its metaphysical implications, holding Aristotle's concept of beauty responsible for the dissolution of metaphysics itself. In its direct engagement with the works of Gadamer, Heidegger, and Luigi Pareyson, Art's Claim to Truth offers a better understanding of the work of Vattimo and a deeper knowledge of ontology, hermeneutics, and the philosophical examination of truth.

It has long been assumed that the more modern we become, the less religious we will be. Yet a recent resurrection in faith has challenged the certainty of this belief. In these original essays and interviews, leading hermeneutical philosophers and postmodern theorists John D. Caputo and Gianni Vattimo engage with each other's past and present work on the subject and reflect on our transition from secularism to postsecularism.As two of the figures who have contributed the most to the theoretical reflections on the contemporary philosophical turn to religion, Caputo and Vattimo explore the changes, distortions, and reforms that are a part of our postmodern faith and the forces shaping the religious imagination today. Incisively and imaginatively connecting their argument to issues ranging from terrorism to fanaticism and from politics to media and culture, these thinkers continue to reinvent the field of hermeneutic philosophy with wit, grace, and passion.

For over forty years, Gianni Vattimo has been a prominent figure in the postwar philosophical revival of Nietzsche. In this collection of essays, he engages in a dialogue with both Nietzsche and the Nietzschean tradition, examining key themes such as the Ubermensch, time, history, truth, hermeneutics, ethics, and aesthetics. Vattimo presents a distinctive interpretation of Nietzsche that diverges from typical German and French perspectives, emphasizing his political philosophy and relevance to social change, shaped by the revolutionary spirit of 1968. Unlike many contemporary French and poststructuralist thinkers who focus on literary or aesthetic aspects, Vattimo argues for a political hermeneutics of Nietzsche's work. He also critically engages with Heidegger, whose influence on Nietzsche's interpretation is profound. Vattimo offers a unique Heideggerian understanding of Nietzsche that contrasts with Heidegger's view of him as the ultimate metaphysician, instead positioning Nietzsche as a pioneer of postmetaphysical thought. Throughout the essays, Vattimo extensively quotes from Nietzsche's notebooks, many of which are newly translated into English. His clear and accessible writing reveals his intellectual evolution, making a compelling case for a new direction in Nietzsche scholarship.

In this engaging book, Gianni Vattimo explores the theme of faith and religion which underlies much of his work.

One of Europe’s foremost contemporary philosophers provides hermeneutics with a fresh relevance and a substantive account of its philosophical meaning for science, ethics, religion, and art.