Readable contemporary philosophy recommendation.

shmik May 05, 2019 at 00:16 4650 views 9 comments

Hey guys been a while.

Looking for some book recommendations.
The last book a read was about half of 'What is philosophy' - Deleuze a couple years ago. I really enjoyed his take on philosophy. I was planning on reading 'Difference and Repetition'. But I'm more time poor these days and cannot really be bothered bashing my head against something and completely failing to understand the sentences being used - let alone the concepts.
I wish some of these guys could write as clearly as a book like Naming and Necessity.

Basically looking for something interesting to read - more from the continental side. But something where I will be able to understand the sentences being used.

Cheers

Comments (9)

Artemis May 05, 2019 at 00:29 #285632 0 likes

Well, not continental, but still highly readable was Peter Lamarque's "Philosophy of Literature." I just finished it, and it's a fantastic survey of important and interesting ideas regarding literature (and in many ways thus art). Particularly interesting were the chapters on Intentionality, Truth, and Value.

Deleteduserrc May 05, 2019 at 01:33 #285644 0 likes

Cannot recommend The Differend by Lyotard highly enough. Funnily - you mentioned Naming & Necessity - Kripke has a big cameo. Lyotard wrote an Anti-Oedipus style book (Libidinal Economies) and felt kind of dumb after and set out to address the continental ideas of the day in a more AP way (the style is close to Late Wittgenstein, if he was writing about the concerns of post '68 contys). It's certainly still difficult, but it's not obscure (some parts presuppose familiarity with Kant tho)

Streetlight May 06, 2019 at 11:07 #286341 0 likes

Some readable, contemporary recc's, continentally inclined:

Elizabeth Grosz - The Incorporeal: Ontology, Ethics, and the Limits of Materialism
Martin Hagglund - This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom
Heidi Ravven - The Self beyond Itself: An Alternative History of Ethics, the New Brain Sciences, and the Myth of Free Will
Mari Ruti - The Singularity of Being: Lacan and the Immortal Within

S May 06, 2019 at 11:19 #286343 0 likes

Readable contemporary philosophy from the continental side? Good luck with that.

Jamal May 06, 2019 at 11:39 #286348 0 likes

For super easy reading and kind of continental: Why the World Does Not Exist by Markus Gabriel. I just read it and liked it quite a lot.

Heracloitus May 06, 2019 at 11:44 #286351 0 likes

Quoting S

Readable contemporary philosophy from the continental side? Good luck with that.

Predictable lame analytic response.

Keith Ansell-pearson - Philosophy and the adventure of the Virtual

S May 06, 2019 at 11:46 #286353 0 likes

Quoting emancipate

Keith Ansell-pearson - Philosophy and the adventure of the Virtual

I'll pass.

Streetlight May 06, 2019 at 11:46 #286354 0 likes

Reply to jamalrob Also a good one! His I Am Not A Brain is also meant to be accessable and good as well.

shmik May 06, 2019 at 12:31 #286375 0 likes

Cheers for the recommendations.
Got a good amount to keep me busy.

Also in case anyone is interested found out the Sydney School of Continental Philosophy shut down and made all their courses public (recordings plus notes).

http://sscp.org.au/index.html