Science Politics and Ontology of Life-Philosophy

Life-philosophy central to nineteenth-century philosophical thought is concerned with the meaning value and purpose of life. This much-needed study returns to the central philosophical questions of <i>Lebensphilosophie</i> and reveals the ascendency of 'life' in contemporary philosophical thinking. <br/><br/>Scholars from the disciplines of political theory aesthetics bioethics and ontology examine how the notion of life has made its way into contemporary philosophical discussions. They explore three main themes: the shift toward biological and technological views of life; the political implications of our conceptions of life; and the re-emergence of the idea of life in recent philosophical discussions about for example care of the self scepticism tragedy desire the emotions and history. <br/><br/>Anticipating new directions of philosophical thinking this study restores a vital school of thought to crucial considerations about the dangers of contemporary politics and the threat of new technologies.