Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Minding the Modern: Human Agency, Intellectual Traditions, and Responsible Knowledge
Minding the Modern: Human Agency, Intellectual Traditions, and Responsible Knowledge
Minding the Modern: Human Agency, Intellectual Traditions, and Responsible Knowledge
Ebook1,174 pages19 hours

Minding the Modern: Human Agency, Intellectual Traditions, and Responsible Knowledge

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

In this brilliant study, Thomas Pfau argues that the loss of foundational concepts in classical and medieval Aristotelian philosophy caused a fateful separation between reason and will in European thought. Pfau traces the evolution and eventual deterioration of key concepts of human agency—will, person, judgment, action—from antiquity through Scholasticism and on to eighteenth-century moral theory and its critical revision in the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Featuring extended critical discussions of Aristotle, Gnosticism, Augustine, Aquinas, Ockham, Hobbes, Shaftesbury, Mandeville, Hutcheson, Hume, Adam Smith, and Coleridge, this study contends that the humanistic concepts these writers seek to elucidate acquire meaning and significance only inasmuch as we are prepared positively to engage (rather than historicize) their previous usages. Beginning with the rise of theological (and, eventually, secular) voluntarism, modern thought appears increasingly reluctant and, in time, unable to engage the deep history of its own underlying conceptions, thus leaving our understanding of the nature and function of humanistic inquiry increasingly frayed and incoherent. One consequence of this shift is to leave the moral self-expression of intellectual elites and ordinary citizens alike stunted, which in turn has fueled the widespread notion that moral and ethical concerns are but a special branch of inquiry largely determined by opinion rather than dialogical reasoning, judgment, and practice.

A clear sign of this regression is the present crisis in the study of the humanities, whose role is overwhelmingly conceived (and negatively appraised) in terms of scientific theories, methods, and objectives. The ultimate casualty of this reductionism has been the very idea of personhood and the disappearance of an adequate ethical language. Minding the Modern is not merely a chapter in the history of ideas; it is a thorough phenomenological and metaphysical study of the roots of today's predicaments.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 15, 2015
ISBN9780268089856
Minding the Modern: Human Agency, Intellectual Traditions, and Responsible Knowledge
Author

Thomas Pfau

Thomas Pfau is the Alice Mary Baldwin Professor of English and professor of German at Duke University, with a secondary appointment on the Duke Divinity School faculty. He is the author and editor of a number of books, including Romantic Moods: Paranoia, Trauma, and Melancholy, 1790–1840.

Read more from Thomas Pfau

Related to Minding the Modern

Related ebooks

Science & Mathematics For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Minding the Modern

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Minding the Modern - Thomas Pfau

    Nabook_preview_excerpt.html˒$Ǖ%+&d fB| |IfJI-ݍanGDzXP\tfմk""K%sϹyD=*"=z>=Ͽr~e'_=]^~˟_̿3/;C[]mc:.&)4>aQv]AQ/XC6q~./Uome=}W^~iۧ WOñV?_Tc۶PǪTՓzӺmW WMSUVoG_/.>/~y~K~WUxumU3rM>eM/{{}5n 4w*d붢ˣ+狀?<]\j۸eo姲z0F/}=FSQ^՗uU5A_I#?:v?qf}|oqzjAeE^Ջ͛zU=}3J7+_xs|S+գ("ʚ 'q{9b[ꉫk~c&%{7vTZ~y^S.i;vrN~'wzWt'M9@YܳrMQ?qm=i4J÷ 7uV}+_TF:m;QH+HbɆԢtV^Ʈǟ y󧿃/^=O=DD!ꍸ_-(ɢ=~T'[QxMzʧZHCw'ir gbq|gm'| fW7vJd%4汓 k&YޗIn+[kp;PT{ʃmJp\4(i9A>x{[țgo{{^L|*yFZi%w}.*(߅p<1 G>P 3~o_#H5yoWDrc73%WD6/kej+ vQ?z ڊ_U}GC/Vs+Z4\xCQؤ/{<\",=6}J.؈7"a xp܉iA=_BM]E;+j%R+]c?aT*v,c w$n6aIj;Z<[Z1WD/[Z9ע C{(O, M'wcGY?p>,lha_UNF}⪷(rC"YJ _MDLV@lJBxEǧZv*j-܊eދ.奦f-.vWal!EKfL "r *BEl _;L{0 Wn?<.+ԜSo,RbgVݶ.o][:Q*5J]n%ߓ s:.onLوĬ/xt ĉw;W˸qlʋ4Gxvxi9o8RVw1ISp4*wBz^XXn$!xVLİ)vT.5u.brl(8i8abr@pm5Mn!pv(o9|ȰyXIua{߅,VԈVpdn;(?W0W+YWʓ(xۊ[3,W*u$A'% wyt\x| o啙[hY`e[Qq (:ynUdpMH 5豏J% >- :UV"2PE9؇j9 5= :\|X:-JR{D.9QC-h%'X{FNQ5L7gn43FXCX3^bS܎ۖ D `!$gNɝf΁ mD, EA׃'/m[~/oV my hQPYA1^ NW] 9BڅZ>=@>b] u+!Fi% mJ^P/ SD}^3T4PDC\Z$*E޸ C1,ʵE $85]="Vrup|Q~)'Ǭ1=4țaVȂHViM]uy[jlD/D ^D= zdF3=q&?ِ,5&41l|D/һf춑+}yz~j{FKгXNvĿq9$1XM 6rcg.U)Ɣ[sj <3RP%= QY`Ac~]-YCwZVoV亩sdaV<-\@Z{?I27;Eә] DoVy]uII.?S4>t*Fۿ8nsvx19ғxyvvrf^lՓΜE>F9> -Դ-EQX'păP%/^^,e]}(-5MvɩBZjKmz7WAAV+&Ӷ4;sG% Ԅ٪DeK*whJI$9ALcOErh걖WFKZ\nHb a+"9LAjD88/q@u Be?$_#+uFM _^fNy&Gdy=sw3E 8| ѧբ[QVXw9Dg{u2BѹnW{Z4_Z`-/:uAU$㵙R@^WsK/1kYff?r!K8'asL,njtS\RTC)ZYŗѲ` |]}J+FK<܅kMBq1<jO mz_e׃ڱ݊@,ϤR22EZsK%~<=r[#r(Dx,uKZ_j_k2G˪3Lt[gԎB%%>vp,n3Dgޱe5ooJM-fZ}^f}s A[ܦ9ήÅgfExk_FU+M^22HO.%ڽn˦!B:Tct_/c ݪN^[J֚Β/ ۪` d< ҍHrK rrupNr/oШR Wa.lZ`zidmV15U"1Y<{Xk*nj{fp!kTIëc ͔+?/#Ǽ s琵w꘢m!UvPpFQhyVXMΞ A Ce΀;F4I:CQPwXڨ YSEz^ѲMwJqRԞ(.<ʮڞZ>px2WYJ-rH1c y GØY`H-+S]fa}&R_'|s0t<+Ǫ[!jdx:h־+zbS]^x},@zB'/;FkI V<ӵ͋Ch<${7|y+sxg <*'> UYO07L·̦{QGН'^bz7 jLf}אJ˫<-Agw;kru{ON>Zd+Ssvf5''75~%B0&xDrɳҨ2B])?4|/|gŤ{x%sq"T!c4-:-`DiA79Ѐm%?5P-i~d;@<|[/_qKG9b{nRmrB5vV6+͢|UR-JM_WwKz O.guItάQM~MI $\|=`& =u'w|()5@wbO M5}T#jVZk/fWCʓPfeָr?lߗի5觞q"(h*YνL Q 2 -(w\ -|-gЉ 'c{nJF@ݵj-d[t`4ƨ^X q%VrYXˁՕu{ xԪ$|2uQ=,xNz]wx뚅o͹vCROY8!t sΕ[NϾf hVݡ0KfX)7Na>kxa:Fδ:1AԘ ٶWR)?qؠ$bXȒGYp9OF[5a}30+ ownfz%B'Ȏ +dT09 [~~ 1Q0EO[Z'A ri?*#aV}}H>i1gfr#`u_1ԍ.m.Z  9EH4 <'(6*8~lC_, CȄ%#c'EYRC jM#@d+gкIu9s` \+]l8p}qbNGg4 wv4MO/{![`ű~P{Գq-q8/ah4|WMMhD!c8[ Z$N %sϯH3ZLiֺ"dJ:ZYM!RhvZ>g^uC;*.,>>;jUUAus\{)YC=8NrI2F)ʎer0Ö0٤x&:찏&I`09g迋H_8+Lm|?iIU{;$ļsw bXB@H- i Sx>5 D95ؿ{הj:/bC- D3y^zŅnwX/~kDmʰ/ໞ*YЙJ-qO!ǨP꥓z'G6/)#-oBXC[hK)f^n4Zw pIPPznߑ, Ķ{l .ORRL|xUSãm:l;YED߶۩V+GlXH{ 5 D*$îjdO{6KU jQp MЂrwSݞ&H-EB]>KE,gY2'ת}Y%f=W[ Ud?ӆ+Ϳ>)u?u8+?co*A7P˄%Q,ư&HF  -2$ȺCЎm'mę'Mk,{pՎL_U5k;HgAspet^wxaf>~7wyTQ+2"NS6D \G"4w/)CV|qBǸDOz69 qkV!f\bK6fwÕUU+L:Т"7 SPǡvM<>GpOص8^uVy:: uuY3Ůz)xD5S@=Kr_iwAwmuM,"D$s]púz *X>/NH#ynE(:^U.ScV 8&{[zB{]3&SX_O0鴰&{o*w@}4u0ޕX;V4tZ Q_s@áξs;ip֓4XI+eY"6S3eFʠQ gB-ɋ] Ю-zKd+b[[5vG;ypD2 ?G^N 8PAݘw@;(Q}1T㠰b*Hfhn[Jh͒9y ^ao?Ȣ ڜY=R_\x8ý8,;٫}x3~*/JôD{?|-@$Yʹ;m|8d|H! 4m/Itț"&<*@̡U#6oyKRh)Pf72 <<,E29r兝0KC*򌣒Uz,i8z+! @uAe=-k% C(P5#ΌEz++>x/by@m_lS[P`E 6OL>itn1z#xvwf{ѰG%.*#X\D]Í? +G  ѫ/blCKc&zit@ՊggeIկ/IY=f{*Y%&KJrBKn7#8̈ x%\D .+-tk|O4ArL:FvPYռ]'/BLQ.[45 ɵk;~85!1#ɥy=ؽq>%R /xMa'ǟJԭQ}6ܦZ,4ػ?8 lź;e2r3^Q Sxk,NZpx0T0\씠c'n*+ 7A$(D9HG sh񞘀oO;[я8қLujKk6l 3"~Z^Z7M:u9L{@k󵷾.VvZTF>>iuf8djG-UUp Hf.Lx ee>(s*,my(ar Z$dH`IY薞 aI$J5:IGHmi#P睴ɚճ?OfݾWhu/ʲP\ZrKfHDa@@P1_#@0\"si< @ uXv9|1dH{E:ufcq~ 8^_bQA-4=|^ e$ˮgDe9 d\ VFq3񋊅ɳ*n;#&'JTY0g\[,&xA\Bpj^[]V &\53,mys} nv 6hfխ*Q!AIke6"ߪg= E訵獙DoZց8$_!dA5ٝ2ƻRD;q8*)a>Md!BM Sq,>ǒy->]dCBlXIG0ZAn%&&2BlF'nں{Y5Ų0x:0K {U 58XZDN8 ;?w>ivܑ%ftt#ՒR2 L.դ>Rn M/$_X$93#FkU2=2[ D28*Q,pq:攄*OMx@XjԶv/TiwHӰm"#!'>YJ:*Nyl.ޙ1GPKN9-@&jGUl cTp,W^dZ= ID]ƺxjDI(y&:82 iU\뉗΃;K?k O_V[ Q>hs@@4OwI֮w̗eV3cEGlSf&ݺyԥ؛b"0.2g\̮B`ٓݡY0}9 fLez(1cfNG9vڢ3]$}SPĭy8j9^k Z\f eϓVMSx%Jcu/䰴{+/3cMZɵ esmXo5Cp7gbBd矧|(rtT3Lfr޴i/nֆ>c Qߩ`,Ѱ٦W4:[HS Ёn\~p|2G8ӰtїdX*EUjnlLɞ)t."~e<&R@8(>\ᄘOqaĕe >jzEĘ]wZTFhEdp҉0ֺ)))+*Ap׹Ra 05OI5XL5C:H%Da^c>!$EY,_Ue E:]EUR9nFV ԍ5yAj&ȏQ "]CRUُX5qFk11ߋȆ|``);z:Ɣ&9g8u[cr21M6,gV5T¦H"5+TY%'jg;L0%mmd wʬ oM7JEeKWY[WɕhҴ'SnTPc ڵ`ؖIDA[=BXl[^NH=Bé$xV45ra?6\*⳾iaVgM~}5俉G=vI%JJu-Vˑ>$ t΍nǢ|*+8^&AjwMܥ@5&KdBs%ߎ>39 =(ރQ5"ۭRpuwP3&ƀ)g5Xx%!KGf]GGCl  wM{VFa RE*gU[15, he.CH؀UlQX;HeZnRYN[q<Xd2lowKB*` X]J5\ZV;g΍2^jJJҤUn@!KGgQc0|dS`+rlP1c7JMAʞBխ1I% r"oY|X!g(S':b,QߣU0;0r[ qŋ eU^OF%9[NLJ%_*ʵVZ@tPD쉻w&S0X& jQw05EmYB&@nQ ])1[My1KSRO%,)$2*~EQ>Phz^(|sțjxVpė@1t)wòNƹ3oZPTo}hr,2?Gi 4Y[kN]{`fg8#qNG>ek'%+jdhܤqqCW|RP2nsڭkg =xep͚Qy%:-,Az0Y4ɹwYh,kޡywEqj`ƢV-"JL5wnf@-Vqq//3뷨n |O+ӍP?ΐ.HNDQ6[\P%=8(WLˉ&Tړ񬧈:)RLq0;;;m.brj)\;G!,c4&@pF"PN[,A)$s1 "{cfn&AMG:֤Rظ9q(('؈o2kF,DQsSiQSn8xȄiqN ]{Ù֜>mc|ýZw=Ƃ 6"09!HF2| }e>=JD}Q/6SԖ$[CAA]xHzL |*oՏALűM Wy`E ʢr$Q]O0ۀxn<9zllDlRy3Ѥ8(MV9*2Fڝ$tz@WJCwRU"~ C} VcibޫHd)g^]-9=I`sM!ne,7ޗ< рE@! c& Qu[22Ԭ9W8y*)&2u]]׈)PUW7ym9 enQ"|=>7ЩFZ%'PNsfA'4QbC4.g|D\=]U|#o- 3`)#e֔;)+8zʍwκʐUЛiOX\p?b>bBŃA2b#FT|‰.c[ڊ8⤱YXJ*.Ep5 w1IZ*ַդ B L:-/ ¬K ZלhW"E^Zm*JNSGbPk 3kֺU4z,OaD-y !DS-@ ~;eyG.3bYCH  s/@y@Pg$Fh W8v@2) Kc8IEu8l`6]I\YM"MVqcJ7r4ݫAPMC5_H?yfȿ1:{4,  QdԘH(hal^[f Zk;Ob[PB:]>nIL1caBâx<]oՙ@0OqAZ;)[avl\o5p(F=]Aw.ޖhŠr q+eϬVsX"7O83&O.'^{_Xf]8SF8f,i 4cR0DA$$ONFY<ur''f%e?x'4S(x<3Xe#xAiXe)KO|Cf0E%dϜx&,a9p3:Ѹ W<E ?{d Aslvp"JpӂV"0˙sAC 6kq ~6.lCXn=@[bZ1c]ql]սV⦭;:PH1/͔09ۂE'j4*8=퉽?jF"_90uv?X md$Csx~4sMh-nkBEcW<ƺyd`Ӆ{.'0Zݠ5&=mS,PH=3;0^6,BdY_J%)A iu-NҒ +.Vŭ:E[uv6B,-F=9$k${P5-E#1N FK'<7XHzJvzZPZ(+48];7{[59iYMeN!*p/D BS!\TmbġƯu^=s#jw7OUf%eˏ_>f'BҠulSjisL?o&&6v1Uj(/ wҠZlƺ=cV됬tO*1Gž5`ܚ\oX99|ޅrʏNԵ-Jff/szoR\'?:-r28U su8CnOc3hn%e |"sNx۵irïk6,\Qr _|+s G mY:VDwk"r!+mGFMt݋'Oo;6٠oؚ͗]+N=P;iEрI6+!Ԯl #97nՍV7ŋԿ~crP`խ$O{<\bj:!}1%R8?X5G^V5߬\u*pM"^[%;[8Q"3 ZuUЎ&H[h \#ld_~$$ L. -2iy_2R`e$*TeЋoސt)y"g]šT}q&*% Mn9@rUT'YoNy]`.(It=7.Oju\eW4)PGjW'R,QjT6vhAXw܃ u9P`eAL9EswVCKG5udl ˡw:ǎ3nվ繉+0WΪHYib]FGtF|[tTӿgHr8hY;7w*r + ,#nz>~l|PEs.a10ŒB嶺 X}{+U U'>ѹSt 8_.u,ܟpeN&Xh^lز.Ǹ Eۜ4 j[|X9FO3rV:c"-@aIIMtt÷} iZv,?c6όC\twZ06iX]~f8ɈuAS檐^M]*V Ymmey9 ͗} Ƞ=ePLsfHbl/*xHpz(9ϠoB+7ţ&Dmѝ5ZM"qsꕅΰ}/ [IPжC%:tRZ3E6S9QEsXVg: +6'ͼn.I |1 LcK 4N49 tnVY~NV^C37ߜh hK vU$ػK)CQh,nb `e9pB[XMh٥fZ\MG'l:3glVg*<0ۉ܍=3o3ERH nE]Gs냢yxשU-@RwE˿KwcjnPNSej$Oҏ%X81zj.g:@}T3 v1_Gwԉ<ʵnqpZ4#rAvQm.zox9+F,oT&ڡ^\vĎrVg^L5g̪Z}2LLln JYN4ڤD;}856OcmŀBd .J:|gN3%ܙRjX< 0-.S}&I2V.vϴ`|"d~ hM|9);_6:(5rF9D\yt+_z!d߲nIӈW_z> ,ruWCdfȣ{_AIxxB9pm#Tsn\ ӖLD;9@EqNKT8HƬO’fu[mSnQ<\3B2f >b] nh.1g8znf!. `j*{0v]J|A@G`cl Ѓ=%y Kl6K`1LgH^1eH3@F{#%%YY)2i ]v>hJ="[K8WO?=rJ'x~e&A+}Q @\v*,,.b\iR ,Ym)rN_?Q1#5R:xgrMdŵ9:T;s[,a#JbA@^(qÅu$dE+MPk5x3d~Mk?ʤpeifyxaj(kn@jN _JPB4k<1,: l;/gdp~Ա 'w:OlY $)o'`,FCR2dм2 FuE6R2q6tENoJɶљӓex}"_)Ui*()E׺v7FM4ysC?4lVZ fHI vh;g- ocJ1(Is%<:0[:)ZI2UK؜_>qcBJ_P w)D U"9D㠮<&(~n6).8]D-'m #<dB[E'M/3,?bSWu0 %@9p+> r pw &Jw5'Mن3]pK&Zd&1ʝ&g|/(Ʌ.o4XA9n3^ ]F`FV zAF 3dt|iia=e*M1'v(Z?jWTm-ȯӛ|nd V$>DJ.OnJ[:76Y'-}ߊBX Rg : !S\3akLZ|C/\jR=|ui#p EP{zdͽG10/te"џ5>{&9Gion3A6iyT6^Лˑ{(d|S+>^a $5j)>.YzJ|x< 0(vJCҨRuh?/İVApG xɢE.bC{L Y̨HRB1~:ؽ?;C:^$^NC` @f5baR'y[pk;'8g"I%5)tn 3R24\!ZIǺXe7f ba᥀r D/Tix04f!DzNXd  8(ȓXGbirPȱA(l j|0M]8!(ej&+0O$בJ{ ?4ѧv$29o2WF4tРc`$# ΍_'|1YG۟[n?J(_mkm5U%a1+D"uXYn"*Vr8`sbJtf{f3(@КCzBb]ۨSRT^2qrxs +F<(\S;~ ֿZ{\3tjO\VۡuIH4B8İ1ZbɰUT-jcXx. 81*ٕ{eşkM=lauzub+~KǺ#&%}!?1"C`S;ʧW5#&PL(SfWۑDbPz$A'@q:5:N5"{}dջpD8~a] Ri:Wiuch9̍FOL45'D>Ӄ~iĢ2,za{E,GTSZ)GQUI@'\=qdW\SܸpcAKA[$>vBDɳN賗ROy H̾GY(1-hǤ, Y>:;Ȉk9=juRk}laJĜRy`":@|KWZ)$' ))׃n\ΘfR&R!&21(fGt{'n: DN히?(2˪mk\.M!usٸG*BNEj< +iI>;R|VAY$"~s>/TXTq 8MD|tI܌ӃW(yUpvqJtamq} Qx‚[ɷHfi/hV.| TၟL,D2{:?hxGthC=6&0jBv@Em*pKڗkUy ?Q8̮.PyycΩ.W6{C^k_E]_]Zf'hV-UƦAdHeo_8K¢*Uk:4*3¼^,TZg֌3 ⪇ʢ#G+jNE*yB#R&/ȶWH'Ig1K0k9ҩ4]I @ h6O|]s V]DR<@ kz Vڧ\AH-,x\[#h9gd"R*9;8Q&F)VpxS`nJP}lj'޺Y>aTi=-O
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1