Ágnes Heller was een Hongaarse filosofe wiens werk ethiek, de theorie van de moderniteit en de postmoderne filosofie onderzocht. Als centrale figuur van de Boedapest School in de jaren zestig beïnvloedde ze het intellectuele discours diepgaand. Heller's geschriften kenmerken zich door een originele benadering van het marxisme en een kritisch perspectief op de moderne samenleving. Haar werk duikt in fundamentele vragen over het menselijk bestaan en sociale rechtvaardigheid.
Exploring the comic phenomenon in literature, art, and life, Agnes Heller presents a philosophical analysis that spans both classical and contemporary works. By examining figures such as Shakespeare, Kafka, and Rabelais, along with the art of Brueghel and Daumier, Heller offers insightful observations that enrich modern thought across the humanities. Her work stands as a significant contribution to understanding humor's role in culture and its deeper implications.
Exploring Shakespeare's innovative approach to time and temporality, this work delves into the distinctions between factual truth, theoretical understanding, and interpretive revelation. It argues that Shakespeare presciently engaged with themes central to post-metaphysical philosophy, highlighting his relevance to contemporary philosophical discussions even before modern metaphysics fully emerged.
The first full presentation of a fundamental aspect of Marx, the concept of need What are needs? While the edifices of economic theory are built upon various mechanisms designed to satisfy “human needs,” not many economists have addressed the idea of need itself. Heller’s highly original work identifies this lacuna, recognizing the concept of needs as playing a “hidden but principal role in Marx’s economic categories.” Her writing lucidly exposes radical needs as bearing the seeds of revolutionary agency in alienated capitalist society, and reasserts our existence as sentient beings beyond the realm of the material, productive spheres.
Exploring the evolution of the concept of beauty, the book contrasts 'warm' metaphysics with the 'cold' perspective rooted in Plato. It delves into the thoughts of significant intellectuals, including Nietzsche, Benjamin, and Adorno, who contribute to a fragmented yet hopeful vision of beauty in a post-metaphysical context. The work provides a comprehensive analysis of how beauty has been interpreted throughout history, highlighting key figures and their philosophical contributions to the discourse.
Exploring the complexities of human feelings, this work delves into drives, affects, and the essence of "feeling" through a detailed examination of emotions, emotional dispositions, orientive feelings, and passions. It offers insights from phenomenological, analytical, and historical perspectives, making it a valuable resource for those engaged in philosophy, psychology, sociology, and cognitive science.
Exploring the often-overlooked theme of shame, this collection of interconnected essays delves into its moral implications, distinguishing it from the more frequently examined issue of conscience. First published in 1985, the work encourages readers to reflect on the complexities of shame and its impact on human behavior and ethics, offering a thought-provoking perspective that invites deeper philosophical inquiry.
Doomsday or Deterrence? argues against the majority of premises and conclusions of the antinuclear argument as existed in 1986 when this study was first published. This title will be of interest to students of politics and international relations.
This book, first published in 1983, is a radical reinterpretation of the Hungarian revolution in the context of world politics and Eastern Europe as a whole. It examines the events and protagonists with a fresh eye, and relies on witnesses and participants for the rigorous documentary backing.
Agnes Heller, una delle maggiori filosofe viventi e autrice di studi fondamentali sulla teoria politica, ripercorre alcuni degli eventi più significativi della sua vita con uno sguardo all'attualità europea. In questo dialogo, pubblicato nel 2013 e tradotto qui per la prima volta in italiano, la riflessione si snoda seguendo il filo della relazione tra filosofia e politica a partire dal concetto di libertà. "Libertà" non significa solo assenza di abusi e violenze, ma anche la possibilità di essere cittadini responsabili e attivi, godere di un'uguaglianza effettiva, essere padroni della propria vita e delle proprie scelte. In questa prospettiva, la libertà diventa la precondizione di qualunque azione o attività umana, la cornice imprescindibile di qualsiasi impresa individuale o collettiva. I filosofi hanno il compito di riconoscere di volta in volta il grado di "vera" libertà della società, tenendo però presente che mentre il pensiero filosofico si basa su un concetto assoluto di verità, il pensiero politico si confronta con un ambito pluralistico di riflessione sempre aperto, che deve cercare di convogliare là diversità di opinioni verso una serie di norme condivise. Questo significa che il filosofo, quando è libero, si impegna nella società per stimolare la continua produzione e discussione di idee e analisi importanti per la convivenza civile.