
J. G. Herder is enjoying a renaissance in philosophy and across the humanities. This book offers important new insights into the complexity and depth of his thought. This unprecedented collection fills a gap in the secondary literature, highlighting the genuinely innovative and distinctive nature of Herder's philosophy. Not only does Herder offer highly original answers to important philosophical questions, such as the mind-body problem and the role of sensibility in cognition and ethics, he also opens up rich resources for thinking about the very nature of philosophy itself and its connections to other fields in the humanities and social sciences. Herder: Philosophy and Anthropology brings together a set of original essays that centre on the question at the heart of Herder's philosophical thought: How can philosophy enable an understanding of the human being that does not narrowly focus on its rational and moral capacities, but rather understands these in the context of its existence as a creature of nature that is fundamentally marked by a sensuous and affective openness and responsiveness to the world and other persons. The first part of the volume examines the various dimensions of Herder's philosophical understanding of human nature through which he sought methodologically to delineate a genuinely anthropological philosophy. The second part then examines further aspects of this understanding of human nature and what emerges from it: the human-animal distinction; how human life evolves over space and time on the basis of a natural order; the fundamentally hermeneutic dimension to human existence; and the interrelatedness of language, history, religion, and culture.
This collection investigates how Johann Gottfried Herder’s philosophical framework redefines the human being as a creature of nature defined by sensuous and affective responsiveness rather than purely rational capacities. The editors, Nigel DeSouza and Anik Waldow, curate a series of original essays that analyze Herder’s methodology for an anthropological philosophy. By examining his work on cognition, ethics, and the mind-body problem, the contributors argue that Herder provides a unique bridge between philosophical inquiry and the broader humanities.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars identify this collection as a significant contribution to the recent resurgence of interest in Herder’s philosophical contributions. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for those already familiar with Enlightenment philosophy and anthropological theory.
Page Count:
280
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191085219
ISBN-13:
9780191085215
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