Description
The Agony of Reason
Book Summary
In this work, the philosopher Rosemary Rizo-Patrón applies the phenomenological method to analyze the limits and scope of modern reason. The book examines how the self-determination of reason, initiated in the Modern Age, has led to scientific, political, and religious fundamentalisms. Through a journey through epistemological, anthropological, and practical philosophy topics, the author proposes, following Edmund Husserl, that the rational project is not closed, provided that its radical finitude is assumed and the sense of foundation is reinterpreted from its "doxic" roots. An essential reading to understand the crisis of contemporary rationality.
What is it about?
The book addresses the crisis of reason in the contemporary world from a phenomenological perspective. The author analyzes the historical process by which modern reason, by grounding itself, generated both epistemological achievements and problematic derivations: scientific fundamentalisms, political ideologies, and violence. Throughout its pages, themes such as interculturality, practical philosophy, and ethics are examined, showing how modern foundationalisms have given rise to dogmatic positions. The central proposal, inspired by Husserl, is that reason can be renewed if its origin in the life-world (doxa) is recognized and its finite character is assumed, thus opening a path to overcome the crisis without falling into irrationalism.
Main themes
- Phenomenology and phenomenological method applied to current philosophical problems.
- Critique of contemporary scientific, political, and religious fundamentalisms.
- Relationship between modern reason, ideology, and violence.
- Practical philosophy, ethics, and social and political philosophy.
- Finitude of reason and reinterpretation of the foundation from "doxic" roots.
- Interculturality and dialogue between philosophical traditions.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at students and professionals of philosophy, especially those interested in phenomenology, epistemology, and political philosophy. It is also relevant for readers with a background in social sciences or humanities who seek to understand the philosophical roots of current fundamentalisms and the possibilities of a renewed rationality. It requires some familiarity with Husserl's thought and the phenomenological tradition.
What this book offers
- A rigorous analysis of the crisis of modern reason from Husserlian phenomenology.
- Keys to understanding the relationship between contemporary fundamentalisms and the modern rational project.
- A philosophical proposal to rethink rationality from finitude and the life-world.
- Conceptual tools to address problems of interculturality, ideology, and violence.
- A critical reading that invites overcoming both dogmatism and skepticism.
Technical specifications
- Author: Rosemary Rizo-Patrón de Lerme
- Publisher: Anthropos Editorial
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Philosophy, phenomenology and existentialism, ethics and moral philosophy, social and political philosophy
- Collection: Philosophy
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: May 2015
- Number of pages: 400
- Weight: 477 g
Editorial review
This is a work of high-level academic philosophy that offers an original contribution to the debate on contemporary rationality. Its phenomenological approach and its ability to connect epistemological problems with political and ethical issues make it a valuable read for specialists. The proposal of a finite but not closed reason is especially suggestive in a context of crisis of foundations. It is a demanding book, but it rewards the reader with a deep and nuanced perspective on one of the central problems of our time.