The Laughter of the Thracian Woman

A Protohistory of Theory

By:

Hans Blumenberg

Format:

Paperback / softback

Series:

New Directions in German Studies

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Description

An important work by 20-century philosopher Hans Blumenberg, here translated into English for the first time, The Laughter of the Thracian Woman describes the reception history of an anecdote best known from Plato’s Theaetetus dialogue: while focused on observing the stars, the early astronomer and proto-philosopher Thales of Miletus fails to see a well directly in his path and tumbles down. A Thracian servant girl laughs, amused that he sought to understand what was above him when he was not mindful of what was right in front of him. Blumenberg sees the story as a highly sought substitute for our missing knowledge of the earliest historical events that would fit the label “theory.” By retelling the anecdote, philosophers reveal their distinctive values regarding absorption in curiosity, philosophy’s past, and the demand that theorists abide by sanctioned methods and procedures. In this work and others, Blumenberg demonstrates that philosophers’ most beloved images and anecdotes have become indispensable to philosophy as metaphors; that is, as representations whose meanings remain indefinite and invite frequent reinterpretation.

Author Biography:

Hans Blumenberg (1920-1996) was one of the most significant German philosophers of the twentieth century. His publications include The Legibility of the World, Legitimacy of the Modern Age, Genesis of the Copernican World, Work on Myth, and Out of the Cave. Spencer Hawkins is an Instructor in the Cultures, Civilizations, and Ideas program at Bilkent University, Turkey.

Release date Australia

June 18th, 2015

Author

Hans Blumenberg

Audience

Professional & Vocational

Contributor

Translated by Spencer Hawkins

Pages

224

Series

New Directions in German Studies

Dimensions

140x216x15

ISBN-13

9781623562304

Product ID

22323896

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