Introduction to German Philosophy - by Andrew Bowie (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Introduction to German Philosophy is the only book in English to provide a comprehensive account of the key ideas and arguments of modern German philosophy from Kant to the present.

• the first book in English to provide a comprehensive account of the key ideas and arguments of modern German philosophy from Kant to the present.
• offers an accessible introduction to the work, among others, of Kant, Fichte, the Romantics, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, the Vienna Circle, Husserl, Heidegger, Benjamin, Adorno, Gadamer, and Habermas.
• considers how German philosophy reacts to revolutionary changes in modern science, society, and culture;
• ideal for anyone wanting to know more about the role of the German tradition within philosophy and literature as a whole.

From the Back Cover

Introduction to German Philosophy is the only book in English to provide a comprehensive account of the key ideas and arguments of modern German philosophy from Kant to the present. Andrew Bowie offers an accessible introduction to the work, among others, of Kant, Herder, Fichte, the Romantics, Schelling, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche, Frege, Wittgenstein, the Vienna Circle, Husserl, Heidegger, Benjamin, Adorno, Gadamer and Habermas. Modern German philosophy is proving to be more and more important to the study of all areas of the humanities. The book considers how that philosophy reacts to revolutionary changes in modern science, society and culture. The works of the philosophers are seen both as part of the wider traumatic history of Germany and as offering arguments which are central to debates in contemporary philosophy and theory in the humanities.

The book is clearly written, and makes complex arguments accessible without running the risk of oversimplification. It will be essential reading for students in philosophy, literature and the humanities in general and for anyone wanting to know more about the role of the German tradition within philosophy and literature as a whole.

Review Quotes

"One strength of this admirable introduction to modern German philosophy for English-speaking readers is the masterly manner in which Andrew Bowie manages to fairly structure an abundance of illuminating ideas." Jürgen Habermas

"Bowie provides an excellent overview which will be useful for general readers, students and specialists." The Philosophers' Magazine

"Where Bowie really shines ... is in introducing "minor" figures such as Herder and Hamann and showing how they prefigure the ideas of Schelling, Heidegger, Wittgenstein and contemporary analytic thinkers such as John McDowell and Robert Brandom. His chapter on the Early Romantics is equally clear and far-reaching." Times Higher Education Supplement

"This is probably the most knowledgeable presentation in English of the history of the German contribution to so-called continental philosophy from Herder and Kant to Gadamer and Habermas. Andrew Bowie is an exceptional scholar of German Romanticism and Idealism as well as of the hermeneutic tradition and critical theory of the twentieth century." Manfred Frank, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen

"This book has remarkable breadth. Not only does it cover a larger period of German thought than other similar books, but it also has a genuine appreciation for so-called "second-rank" figures (e.g., Herder, Schlegel, Schelling) and for a range of issues concerning aesthetics and society that go far beyond the narrow focus on epistemology and metaphysics that one typically finds in philosophical overviews." Karl Ameriks, University of Notre Dame

About the Author

Andrew Bowie is Chair of German and Founding Director of the Humanities and Arts Research Centre at Royal Holloway, University of London.