Exemplarity and Chosenness: Rosenzweig and Derrida on the Nation of Philosophy

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Stanford University Press, Mar 28, 2008 - Philosophy - 296 pages

Exemplarity and Chosenness is a combined study of the philosophies of Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) and Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) that explores the question: How may we account for the possibility of philosophy, of universalism in thinking, without denying that all thinking is also idiomatic and particular? The book traces Derrida's interest in this topic, particularly emphasizing his work on "philosophical nationality" and his insight that philosophy is challenged in a special way by its particular "national" instantiations and that, conversely, discourses invoking a nationality comprise a philosophical ambition, a claim to being "exemplary." Taking as its cue Derrida's readings of German-Jewish authors and his ongoing interest in questions of Jewishness, this book pairs his philosophy with that of Franz Rosenzweig, who developed a theory of Judaism for which election is essential and who understood chosenness in an "exemplarist" sense as constitutive of human individuality as well as of the Jews' role in universal human history.

 

Selected pages

Contents

introduction
1
on rosenzweigs reception of the philosophy
13
derridas Early Considerations of historicism and relativism
43
Between translatability
74
on the philosophical ambition of national affirmation
101
nationality Judaism and the sacredness of language
118
specters of messiah
184
Jacques Derridas Seminar Cycle Nationalité
205
Index
255
Copyright

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Exemplarity and Chosenness: Rosenzweig and Derrida on the Nation of Philosophy
Dana Hollander
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Common terms and phrases

according already appears becomes beginning calls Chapter Christianity cites claim Cohen comes concept concern consists constituted continuity course critique cultural Derrida describes discussion early election eschatology essay eternity ethical example exemplarity existence experience expression fact finds follows Franz Rosenzweig future Geometry German give given hand Heidegger human Husserl idea ideal identity important individual interpretation Intro Introduction Jewish Jews Judaism language later letter Levinas linguistic logic look means messianic Metaphysics nature notes object Origin Paris particular philosophical nationality philosophy possible present problem proper published question reading reason recalls reference reflections regard relation religion remains remnant represents responsibility revelation role Rosenzweig Scholem seminar sense singular situation speak Star suggests temporality theology theory things thinking thought tion tradition trans translation understanding unique University University Press writes

About the author (2008)

Dana Hollander holds the Canada Research Chair in Modern Jewish Thought at the Department of Religious Studies, McMaster University. Her areas of research are continental philosophy, modern Jewish thought, and German-Jewish studies. She is the translator of Jacob Taubes's The Political Theology of Paul (Stanford, 2004).

Bibliographic information

TitleExemplarity and Chosenness: Rosenzweig and Derrida on the Nation of Philosophy
Cultural Memory in the Present
AuthorDana Hollander
PublisherStanford University Press, 2008
ISBN0804769974, 9780804769976
Length296 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Philosophy / Movements / Deconstruction
  
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