Howard Caygill Knihy

In this new lexical survey Howard Caygill presents Kantian concepts and terminology in terms that will introduce and clarify his ideas for students and general readers alike. The book takes as its starting point the historical nature of philosophical language, and shows how Kant set about redefining certain key concepts and terms. It then shows the profound effect that Kant’s interpretation of the philosophical tradition continues to have upon contemporary philosophical debates. In addition to his reconstruction of Kant’s philosophical vocabulary, Howard Caygill presents a contextual essay on Kant and his place in ‘the age of criticism’. The book has extensive cross-references, and offers valuable scholarly aids in an appendix of philosophers, bibliographies of Kant’s work and secondary sources, and a comprehensive index. Each Blackwell Philosopher Dictionary presents the life and work of an individual philosopher in a scholarly yet accessible manner. Entries cover key ideas and thoughts, as well as the main themes of the philosopher’s works. A comprehensive biographical sketch is also included.

No word is more central to the contemporary political imagination and action than 'resistance'. In its various manifestations - from the armed guerrilla to Gandhian mass pacifist protest, from Wikileaks and the Arab Spring to the global eruption and violent repression of the Occupy movement - concepts of resistance are becoming ubiquitous and urgent. In this book, Howard Caygill conducts the first ever systematic analysis of 'resistance': as a means of defying political oppression, in its relationship with military violence and its cultural representation

How to intervene? Interventions are in vogue in digital cultures as forms of critique or political actions into public spheres. By engaging in social, political, and economic contexts, interventions attempt to interrupt and change situations—often with artistic means. This volume maps methods of interventions under the specific conditions of the digital. How are interventions shaped by these conditions? And how can they contribute to altering them? In essays and interviews, this book interrogates modes of intervening in and through art, infrastructures, techno-ecological environments, bio-technology, and political protests to highlight their potentials as well as their ambivalences.

Kant seeks to define the nature of reason itself and builds his own unique system of philosophical thought with an approach known as transcendental idealism.

Caygill delves into the intricate connections between Levinas' philosophy and political thought, examining his early responses to National Socialism and his contentious views on Israeli and French politics. Key themes include the deconstruction of metaphysics, the significance of embodiment, and the concepts of the face and alterity. This thorough analysis offers a fresh perspective on how Levinas' ideas intersect with political contexts, shedding light on their relevance in contemporary discussions.

The book delves into Walter Benjamin's early writings, focusing on how his concept of experience is shaped by visual engagement, especially with color. It positions Benjamin as a thinker primarily concerned with the visual realm, exploring the interplay between perception and experience in his philosophical framework.

"By challenging many of the assumptions, misguided presuppositions and even legends that have surrounded the legacy and reception of Franz Kafka's work during the 20th century, Howard Caygill provides us with a radical new way of reading Kafka. He advances a unique philosophical interpretation via the pivotal theme of the accident, understood both philosophically and in a broader cultural context, that includes the philosophical and sociological basis of accident insurance and the understanding of the concepts of chance and necessity. Caygill reveals how Kafka's reception was governed by a series of accidents - from the order of Max Brod's posthumous publication of the novels and the correction of 'misprints', to many other posthumous editorial strategies. The focus on the accident casts light on the role of media in Kafka's work, particularly visual media and above all photography. By stressing the role of contingency in his authorship, Caygill also fundamentally questions the 20th century view of Kafka's work as 'kafkaesque'. Instead of a narration of domination, Caygill argues that Kafka's work is best read as a narration of defiance, one which affirms (often comically) the role of error and contingency in historical struggle. Kafka's defiance is situated within early 20th century radical culture, with particular emphasis lent to the roles of radical Judaism, the European socialist and feminist movements, and the subaltern histories of the United States and China."--Page [4] of cover

This biography of Walter Benjamin encompasses political, philosophical and artistic events of the 20th century. He was born into a Jewish family in Berlin, lived in Moscow and Paris while engaging with leading modernists artists, and committed suicide after fleeing the Nazis.