Towards a Transformation of Philosophy

by Karl-Otto Apel, Pol Vandevelde, Glyn Adey (Translator), David Fisby (Translator)

Overview

Karl-Otto Apel has often been associated with Jurgen Habermas and, together, they have been considered to be the main representatives of critical theory. Although not entirely inaccurate, this characterization does not do justice to Apel's specific project and it seems to have somewhat hampered the reception of his thought in the United States. The publication of two volumes of selected essays by the Humanities Press, edited by Eduardo Mendieta (Apel 1994, Apel 1996) as (Apel 1998) should contribute to the dissemination of his original theses and commentaries. In 1973, Apel published a collection of articles and papers under the general title Transformation der Philosophie (Apel 1973). The first volume, subtitled Sprachanalytik, Semiotik, Hermneutik, is dedicated to a discussion of how contemporary philosophy has been transformed by the emphasis put on language. The second volume, with the subtitle Das Apriori der Kommunikastionsgemeinschaft more specifically presents Apel's own transformation of philosophy by claiming for language analysis the status of a first philosophy as a foundation for any rational human enterprise.

Marcel is probably best known to English-speaking audiences for his philosophic writings, since most of these have been translated into English, whereas only tea of his plays are thus far available in English. In Matters 1961 William James Lectures at Harvard University, he expressed the hope that American audiences would someday be familiar with his theater. It is a joy to see The Broken World available again to readers of English, for it is one of Marcel's finest and most important plays and marks a capital moment in the evolution of his thought. It is a powerful,touching, and deeply moving piece, flail of intrigue and surprising turns, including a stunning ending that takes readers into the realm of mystery.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780874626193
Publisher:	Marquette University Press
Publication date:	08/01/1998
Series:	Studies in Philosophy
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	5.53(w) x 8.54(h) x 0.90(d)

Editorial Reviews

In his preface to the English edition, Apel (identified with critical theory) explains that the title of his two-volume German collection connotes both a reconstruction of the process of hermeneutic transformation in recent philosophy and the author's semiotical transformation of transcendental logic. The emphasis here is on the latter with discussions of the a priori nature of language per Wittgenstein, Pierce, and Chomsky, and its implications for a rational foundation for ethics in modern science. Includes a new foreword. Name index only. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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