Dieter Misgeld: A Philosopher's Journey From Hermeneutics To Emancipatory Politics
by Hossein Mesbahian /
2017 / English / PDF
11.5 MB Download
Professor Dieter Misgeld taught Philosophy of Education at the
University of Toronto for over 30 years. His retirement lent
occasion for a series of lengthy interviews, ranging from his
years in Heidelberg where he studied philosophy in its history,
based on philosophical hermeneutics with Gadamer, participated in
debates about Hegel with Heidegger, and saw Habermas begin his
career; to his interest in Richard Rorty, encounter with
Buddhism, and reflections on global politics and the new security
regime.
Professor Dieter Misgeld taught Philosophy of Education at the
University of Toronto for over 30 years. His retirement lent
occasion for a series of lengthy interviews, ranging from his
years in Heidelberg where he studied philosophy in its history,
based on philosophical hermeneutics with Gadamer, participated in
debates about Hegel with Heidegger, and saw Habermas begin his
career; to his interest in Richard Rorty, encounter with
Buddhism, and reflections on global politics and the new security
regime.
With Dieter Misgeld we see the seductions of philosophy when
studied among this centuries’ greatest practitioners. What
emerges in the book is a pedagogy of hope based on Misgeld’s own
utopian aspirations, emancipatory politics, and caution about
philosophy – Misgeld argues that philosophy is no longer helpful
for any project of social and political change, that the problems
of the world today are political rather than philosophical. Thus,
it is political engagement rather than philosophical reflection
that is called for. Considering the stature of his teachers and
the depth of his own philosophical capabilities, his insistence
on the limitations of philosophy compels us to reflect on our own
assumptions about the promise of philosophy. What emerges is the
grounding of thought in the personal character of philosophical
reflection, and the drama of ideas as they unfold throughout a
lifetime.
With Dieter Misgeld we see the seductions of philosophy when
studied among this centuries’ greatest practitioners. What
emerges in the book is a pedagogy of hope based on Misgeld’s own
utopian aspirations, emancipatory politics, and caution about
philosophy – Misgeld argues that philosophy is no longer helpful
for any project of social and political change, that the problems
of the world today are political rather than philosophical. Thus,
it is political engagement rather than philosophical reflection
that is called for. Considering the stature of his teachers and
the depth of his own philosophical capabilities, his insistence
on the limitations of philosophy compels us to reflect on our own
assumptions about the promise of philosophy. What emerges is the
grounding of thought in the personal character of philosophical
reflection, and the drama of ideas as they unfold throughout a
lifetime.