Myth and the Human Sciences

Hans Blumenberg's Theory of Myth

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book Myth and the Human Sciences by Angus Nicholls, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Angus Nicholls ISBN: 9781317817215
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: December 5, 2014
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Angus Nicholls
ISBN: 9781317817215
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: December 5, 2014
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This is the first book-length critical analysis in any language of Hans Blumenberg’s theory of myth. Blumenberg can be regarded as the most important German theorist of myth of the second half of the twentieth century, and his Work on Myth* *(1979) has resonated across disciplines ranging from literary theory, via philosophy, religious studies and anthropology, to the history and philosophy of science.

Nicholls introduces Anglophone readers to Blumenberg’s biography and to his philosophical contexts. He elucidates Blumenberg’s theory of myth by relating it to three important developments in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German philosophy (hermeneutics, phenomenology and philosophical anthropology), while also comparing Blumenberg’s ideas with those of other prominent theorists of myth such as Vico, Hume, Schelling, Max Müller, Frazer, Sorel, Freud, Cassirer, Heidegger, Horkheimer and Adorno. According to Nicholls, Blumenberg’s theory of myth can only be understood in relation to the ‘human sciences,’ since it emerges from a speculative hypothesis concerning the emergence of the earliest human beings. For Blumenberg, myth was originally a cultural adaptation that constituted the human attempt to deal with anxieties concerning the threatening forces of nature by anthropomorphizing those forces into mythic images.

In the final two chapters, Blumenberg’s theory of myth is placed within the post-war political context of West Germany. Through a consideration of Blumenberg’s exchanges with Carl Schmitt, as well as by analysing unpublished correspondence and parts of the original Work of Myth manuscript that Blumenberg held back from publication, Nicholls shows that Blumenberg’s theory of myth also amounted to a reckoning with the legacy of National Socialism.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This is the first book-length critical analysis in any language of Hans Blumenberg’s theory of myth. Blumenberg can be regarded as the most important German theorist of myth of the second half of the twentieth century, and his Work on Myth* *(1979) has resonated across disciplines ranging from literary theory, via philosophy, religious studies and anthropology, to the history and philosophy of science.

Nicholls introduces Anglophone readers to Blumenberg’s biography and to his philosophical contexts. He elucidates Blumenberg’s theory of myth by relating it to three important developments in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German philosophy (hermeneutics, phenomenology and philosophical anthropology), while also comparing Blumenberg’s ideas with those of other prominent theorists of myth such as Vico, Hume, Schelling, Max Müller, Frazer, Sorel, Freud, Cassirer, Heidegger, Horkheimer and Adorno. According to Nicholls, Blumenberg’s theory of myth can only be understood in relation to the ‘human sciences,’ since it emerges from a speculative hypothesis concerning the emergence of the earliest human beings. For Blumenberg, myth was originally a cultural adaptation that constituted the human attempt to deal with anxieties concerning the threatening forces of nature by anthropomorphizing those forces into mythic images.

In the final two chapters, Blumenberg’s theory of myth is placed within the post-war political context of West Germany. Through a consideration of Blumenberg’s exchanges with Carl Schmitt, as well as by analysing unpublished correspondence and parts of the original Work of Myth manuscript that Blumenberg held back from publication, Nicholls shows that Blumenberg’s theory of myth also amounted to a reckoning with the legacy of National Socialism.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book France and the 1998 World Cup by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Crisis System by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book The Philosophy of Primary Education (RLE Edu K) by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Arab Voices by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Domesticity and Consumer Culture in Iran by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Women, Diplomacy and International Politics since 1500 by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Indigeneity, Landscape and History by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Teaching Social Behaviour by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Neurobiology of Comparative Cognition by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Professional Development: Education for All as praxis by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Key Indicators of Child and Youth Well-Being by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Professional Responsibility by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book ResponsAbility by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Write in Style by Angus Nicholls
Cover of the book Learning from the Margins by Angus Nicholls
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy