The relation of St. Payl to contemporary Jewish thought.

Mode of access: Internet.

The Kyoto School and Confucianism: a Confucian reading of the philosophy of history and political thought of Masaaki Kosaka

This dissertation examines the philosophy of Masaaki Kōsaka (1900-1969) from the East Asian perspective of Confucianism, which I believe is the most appropriate moral paradigm for comprehending his political speculations. Although largely neglected in post-war scholarship, Kōsaka was a prominent member of the Kyoto School during the 1930s and 40s. This was a group of Japanese thinkers strongly associated with the philosophies of Kitarō Nishida and Hajime Tanabe. Kōsaka is now best known for his participation in the three Chūō Kōron symposia held in 1941 and 1942. These meetings have been routinely denounced by liberal historians due to the participants’ support for the Pacific War and the Co-Prosperity Sphere. However, many of these liberal portrayals have failed to take into account the full extent of the group’s resistance to the military junta of Hideki Tōjō. Adopting the methods and techniques of the empirical disciplines of academic history and Orientalism, I develop an interpretative framework that is more receptive to the political values that mattered to Kōsaka as a Confucian inspired intellectual. This has necessitated the rejection of moral history, which typically prioritises modern liberal values brought a priori to the historical record of wartime Japan, as well as recognition of the different ontological foundations that inform the unique political theories of the East Asian intellectual tradition. Reinforced by the prior research of Michel Dalissier and Graham Parkes, as well as my own reading of the Confucian canon, I adopt David Williams’s thesis of ‘Confucian Revolution’ as my principle schema of interpretation. This, I believe, is better able to reconcile Kōsaka’s support for the war with his strong condemnation of the imperialist practices of the Japanese military. Moreover, acknowledging the importance of Confucianism allows us to fully appreciate Kōsaka’s strong affinity for Kant’s practical metaphysics, Hegel’s political philosophy and Ranke’s historiography.

Aristotle, Cicero and cosmopolitan political thought

This is a conference paper which compares and contrasts the views of Aristotle and Cicero in relation to cosmopolitan political thought. The paper focuses on the issue of the social and political 'identity' of the individual moral agent. It also distinguiishes between 'strong' and 'weak' versions of both 'cosmopolitanism' and 'communitarianism.' It argues that the views of Aristotle and Cicero are closer than is usually thought. Aristotle is more of a 'cosmopolitan' and less of a 'communitarian' thinker than is commonly supposed, whereas, on the other hand, Cicero is more of a 'communitarian' and less of a 'cosmopolitan' thinker.

[E]scape : anonymat et politique à l'ère de la mobilisation globale: passages chinois pour la communauté qui vient

Le thème de la mobilisation totale est au cœur de la réflexion actuelle sur le renouvellement des modes de subjectivation et des manières d’être-ensemble. En arrière-plan, on trouve la question de la compatibilité entre les processus vitaux humains et la modernité, bref, la question de la viabilité du processus de civilisation occidental. Au cœur du diagnostic: l’insuffisance radicale de la fiction de l’homo oeconomicus, modèle de l’individu privé sans liens sociaux et souffrant d’un déficit de sphère. La « communauté qui vient » (Agamben), la « politisation de l’existence » (Lopez Petit) et la création de « sphères régénérées » (Sloterdijk) nomment autant de tentatives pour penser le dépassement de la forme désormais impropre et insensée de l’individualité. Mais comment réaliser ce dépassement? Ou de manière plus précise : quelle traversée pour amener l’individu privé à opérer ce dépassement? Ce doctorat s’organise autour d’une urgence focale : [E]scape. Ce concept suggère un horizon de fuite immanent : il signe une sortie hors de l’individu privé et trace un plan d’idéalité permettant d’effectuer cette sortie. Concrètement, ce concept commande la production d’une série d’analyses théoriques et artistiques portant sur des penseurs contemporains tels que Foucault, Deleuze ou Sloterdijk, l’album Kid A de Radiohead ainsi que sur le cinéma et l’art contemporain chinois (Jia Zhangke, Wong Kar-Wai, Wong Xiaoshuai, Lou Ye, Shu Yong, Huang Rui, Zhang Huan, Zhu Yu, etc.). Ces analyses sont conçues comme autant de passages ou itinéraires de désubjectivation. Elles posent toutes, d’une manière ou d’une autre, le problème du commun et de l’être-ensemble, sur le seuil des non-lieux du capitalisme global. Ces itinéraires se veulent liminaux, c’est-à-dire qu’ils se constituent comme passages sur la ligne d’un dehors et impliquent une mise en jeu éthopoïétique. Sur le plan conceptuel, ils marquent résolument une distance avec le paradigme de la politique identitaire et la critique des représentations interculturelles.

Prolegómenos al problema de la filosofía política judía

El propósito de este ensayo radica en ubicar la filosofía política judía como un problema propiamente filosófico, tal como ha sido planteado por Leo Strauss. Esta tarea implica que descartemos tratar el asunto de la filosofía política, y específicamente su distintivo judío, como una subdisciplina de la filosofía o como parte de un manual de historia de la filosofía. La filosofía política judía, por el contrario, es el escenario donde pueden ser develadas las respuestas sobre los problemas que aquejan al pensamiento político contemporáneo. En ese sentido, resulta necesario abandonar el prejuicio moderno de considerar a las ideas del pasado inferiores respecto a las perspectivas de nuestro tiempo. La comprensión de la filosofía política judía exige que estemos preparados para aprender algo de los filósofos judíos, pero no podemos llegar a tal punto sin antes esbozar los términos en los que esa aproximación debería ser efectuada.---Prolegomena to the problem of the jewish political philosophyThe purpose of this paper is to locate the Jewish political philosophy as a philosophical problem itself, as has been raised by Leo Strauss. This task requires that the Jewish political philosophy is not considered a subdiscipline of philosophy or as part of a history of philosophy’s handbook. Jewish political philosophy, by contrast, is the scene where the answers on the problems facing the contemporary political thought can be unveiled. In this sense, it is necessary to abandon the modern prejudice of considering the past ideas lower about the prospects of our time. The understanding of Jewish political philosophy requires that we are prepared to learn from the Jewish philosophers, but we can not go that far without outlining the terms in which this approach should be made.Key words: political philosophy, Jewish philosophy, philosophy of history---Prolegômenos ao problema da filosofia política judaicaO Propósito deste ensaio radica em localizar a política judaica como um problema propriamente filosófico, tal como tem sido exposto por Leo Strauss. Esta tarefa implica que descartemos tratar o assunto da filosofia política, e especificamente seu distintivo judaico, como uma sub-disciplina da filosofia ou como parte de um manual de historia da filosofia. A filosofia política judaica, pelo contrário, é o cenário donde podem ser reveladas as respostas sobre os problemas que afetam o pensamento político contemporâneo. Neste sentido, resulta necessário abandonar o prejuízo moderno de considerar às idéias do passado inferiores respeito às perspectivas de nosso tempo. A compreensão da filosofia política judaica exige que estejamos preparados para aprender algo dos filósofos judeus, mas não podemos chegar a tal ponto, sem antes esboçar os termos nos que essa aproximação deveria ser efetuada.Palavras chave: Filosofia política, filosofia judaica, filosofia da historia

Capacita' e formazione nel liberalismo di Amartya Sen e Martha Nussbaum. Eredita' differenti del pensiero politico per una "cittadinanza del mondo"

Il presente lavoro di ricerca si propone di discutere il contributo che l’analisi dell’evoluzione storica del pensiero politico occidentale e non occidentale riveste nel percorso intellettuale compiuto dai fondatori della teoria contemporanea dell’approccio delle capacità, fondata e sistematizzata nei suoi contorni speculativi a partire dagli anni Ottanta dal lavoro congiunto dell’economista indiano Amartya Sen e della filosofa dell’Università di Chicago Martha Nussbaum. Ci si ripropone di dare conto del radicamento filosofico-politico del lavoro intellettuale di Amartya Sen, le cui concezioni economico-politiche non hanno mai rinunciato ad una profonda sensibilità di carattere etico, così come dei principali filoni intorno ai quali si è imbastita la versione nussbaumiana dell’approccio delle capacità a partire dalla sua ascendenza filosofica classica in cui assume una particolare primazia il sistema etico-politico di Aristotele. Il pensiero politico moderno, osservato sotto il prisma della riflessione sulla filosofia della formazione che per Sen e Nussbaum rappresenta la “chiave di volta” per la fioritura delle altre capacità individuali, si organizzerà intorno a tre principali indirizzi teorici: l’emergenza dei diritti positivi e sociali, il dibattito sulla natura della consociazione nell’ambito della dottrina contrattualista e la stessa discussione sui caratteri delle politiche formative. La sensibilità che Sen e Nussbaum mostrano nei confronti dell’evoluzione del pensiero razionalista nel subcontinente che passa attraverso teorici antichi (Kautylia e Ashoka) e moderni (Gandhi e Tagore) segna il tentativo operato dai teorici dell’approccio delle capacità di contrastare concezioni politiche contemporanee fondate sul culturalismo e l’essenzialismo nell’interpretare lo sviluppo delle tradizioni culturali umane (tra esse il multiculturalismo, il comunitarismo, il neorealismo politico e la teoria dei c.d. “valori asiatici”) attraverso la presa di coscienza di un corredo valoriale incentrato intorno al ragionamento rintracciabile (ancorché in maniera sporadica e “parallela”) altresì nelle tradizioni culturali e politiche non occidentali.

Linhart, Badiou y Rancière, a propósito de las fábricas y la política

Este artículo analiza las reflexiones de intelectuales franceses sobre la relación entre la política y las fábricas. Robert Linhart, Alain Badiou, y Jacques Rancière fueron discípulos de Louis Althusser con quien rompieron a propósito del Mayo francés de 1968 y de la emergencia del maoísmo. Revisamos sus trayectos intelectuales y políticos desde aquella coyuntura, cómo evalúan las proletarizaciones estudiantiles en relación a las organizaciones sindicales, los métodos de lucha y la formación de los grupos de la nueva izquierda setentista. Analizamos cómo aquella reflexión sobre la unidad obrero estudiantil se va transformando respecto de la crisis del movimiento comunista, de los estados socialistas y cómo se desarrollan los argumentos referidos a la teoría y la historia de los trabajadores. Por último presentamos las argumentaciones contemporáneas de Badiou y Rancière referidas a la crisis del pensamiento político contemporáneo, al papel adjudicado a los trabajadores en ella y a la reformulación de la emancipación humana.

Linhart, Badiou y Rancière, a propósito de las fábricas y la política

Este artículo analiza las reflexiones de intelectuales franceses sobre la relación entre la política y las fábricas. Robert Linhart, Alain Badiou, y Jacques Rancière fueron discípulos de Louis Althusser con quien rompieron a propósito del Mayo francés de 1968 y de la emergencia del maoísmo. Revisamos sus trayectos intelectuales y políticos desde aquella coyuntura, cómo evalúan las proletarizaciones estudiantiles en relación a las organizaciones sindicales, los métodos de lucha y la formación de los grupos de la nueva izquierda setentista. Analizamos cómo aquella reflexión sobre la unidad obrero estudiantil se va transformando respecto de la crisis del movimiento comunista, de los estados socialistas y cómo se desarrollan los argumentos referidos a la teoría y la historia de los trabajadores. Por último presentamos las argumentaciones contemporáneas de Badiou y Rancière referidas a la crisis del pensamiento político contemporáneo, al papel adjudicado a los trabajadores en ella y a la reformulación de la emancipación humana.

Linhart, Badiou y Rancière, a propósito de las fábricas y la política

Este artículo analiza las reflexiones de intelectuales franceses sobre la relación entre la política y las fábricas. Robert Linhart, Alain Badiou, y Jacques Rancière fueron discípulos de Louis Althusser con quien rompieron a propósito del Mayo francés de 1968 y de la emergencia del maoísmo. Revisamos sus trayectos intelectuales y políticos desde aquella coyuntura, cómo evalúan las proletarizaciones estudiantiles en relación a las organizaciones sindicales, los métodos de lucha y la formación de los grupos de la nueva izquierda setentista. Analizamos cómo aquella reflexión sobre la unidad obrero estudiantil se va transformando respecto de la crisis del movimiento comunista, de los estados socialistas y cómo se desarrollan los argumentos referidos a la teoría y la historia de los trabajadores. Por último presentamos las argumentaciones contemporáneas de Badiou y Rancière referidas a la crisis del pensamiento político contemporáneo, al papel adjudicado a los trabajadores en ella y a la reformulación de la emancipación humana.

"You can see some eagles. And hear the trumpets": the literary and political hinterland of T.S. Eliot's 'Coriolan'

There has been an increased amount of scholarly interest lately in T.S. Eliot's unfinished sequence, Coriolan (1932)—interest drawn from its Shakespearian allusiveness, and from analysis of this writing's particularly rebarbative, jarring poetic. Although, however, the two parts of the sequence published by Eliot are acknowledged as being his nearest approach to poetic commentary upon contemporary political ideas, little criticism exists establishing the hinterland of the political thought, with which Eliot was most familiar, as editor of the Criterion. Coriolan emerges at a time when the lure of fascism pulled hardest at Eliot's sensibility. This article reviews the full political context provided by Eliot's journal, as well as considering the connections between that political engagement and the readings of Shakespeare he was also promulgating through this forum, in order to provide a more complex sense than hitherto of the diverse pressures underlying the unsettled nature of the existing Coriolan poems.

What toleration means to contemporary liberalism?

Toleration is a key concept of liberalism, both from the historical and conceptual points of view. On the other hand, as people’s freedom to live according to their moral and religious ideas has long become a basic value for liberal societies and their political constitutions, it is reasonable to understand that there is nothing to be tolerated nor by citizens neither by the State. However, a part of the scope and meaning of the fundamental rights and freedoms is subject to what John Rawls calls reasonable disagreements and this is a field where toleration understood in the classic way is compatible with equality: not to intervene against that which is being disapproved understood has a raison d'être. Since the 1980s, toleration has been present in the debates on how to deal with pluralism in a constitutional democracy. This has to be connected to the rise of identity politics: political and intellectual movements such as multiculturalism or comunitarism that questioned whether social order based on neutral criteria was either possible or desirable or both things at the same time. Outstanding liberal philosophers were among those demanding political priority for comunitarian values and those who showed interest for toleration as a key concept to articulate pluralism. Key distinctions between them can be explained as the result of the different approaches they take when facing classical theories on toleration: whereas John Locke’s is a major influence on Rawls, John Stuart Mill’s is on the others, while Gray, Walzer and Rorty follow Isaiah Berlin’s reading of Mill.