The Transparent Society (Parallax: Re-visions of Culture and Society) - Hardcover

Vattimo, Professor Gianni

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801845270 ISBN 13: 9780801845277

Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992

Synopsis

"This book is of major importance to the debate on the postmodern question."--Jean François Lyotard.

"This is Vattimo at his best--and at his best he is very, very good, which is to say, erudite, witty, engaging, and precise. I do not think anyone comes close to Vattimo in his ability to correlate complex philosophical issues and arguments, such as those of Heidegger or Benjamin on such topics as `the origin of the work of art' or technology and artistic production, with current social and cultural-political issues."--Hayden White.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

In The Transparent Society Vattimo develops his own distinctive views on postmodernism and its philosophical and cultural relevance.

Vattimo argues that the post-modern condition is linked to the development of the mass media and the diffusion of systems of communication. However, he disputes the belief that this development will produce a more enlightened, self-conscious and 'transparent' society, maintaining instead that it leads to a diversity of viewpoints which render societies more complex, even chaotic.

Vattimo suggests that aesthetics provides vital insight into the post-modern condition, and argues that the function of art is not to reinforce eternal truths concerning the human condition, but to provide an experience of dislocation and of 'shock'. The multiplication of perspectives on the world disorientates us and removes the certainties we gain from our local culture. Instead, Vattimo argues, we learn the art of living in a world characterized by ambiguity and flux.

About the Author:

Gianni Vattimo is the author of numerous works in Italian.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0801845270
• ISBN 13: 9780801845277
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 136