Shipped from UK, please allow 10 to 21 business days for arrival. A good, clean, copy.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
An unsettling reflection on the twentieth century in its twilight hours in which we are asked to rethink our assumptions about universalism and humanism. While many people look to humanist ideals as a deterrent to nationalist chauvinism, Finkielkraut challenges the abstract idea of universalism by describing the terrible crimes "civilized" Europe has committed in its name.
In the Name of Humanity is a stark, provocative reflection on the history of humanism and the relationship of this philosophical tradition to the rise of totalitarianism in the twentieth century. Alain Finkielkraut begins by reviewing the famous debates about what makes man human, tracing the arguments back to Plato and Aristotle. He then juxtaposes the works of key European philosophers with memoirs and novels of war and degradation.
Finkielkraut maintains that one can no longer express unqualified enthusiasm for the Enlightenment idea of universal man, something that he himself had done in earlier works. Echoing Hannah Arendt, he now asks, as she did in The Origins of Totalitarianism: How was it possible for a great philosophical tradition, celebrated for affirming the unity of mankind, to end up inspiring a political system of such dehumanizing proportions? In order to grasp the magnitude of the question, Finkielkraut contrasts eyewitness accounts with ideological justifications of the mechanized carnage of World War I, the horror of concentration camps (in their Nazi and Soviet manifestations), and ethnic cleansing campaigns today in many parts of the world. He also reveals in humiliating detail how inadequate, even useless, our "humanitarian" responses to these atrocities have been, rehearsing the sad choices international organizations have faced as they try to minimize the starvation and pain of millions of people.
As this "despotic century" draws to a close, Finkielkraut cheers the downfall of Soviet Communism but warns that totalitarian thinking is still with us. The last chapters of the book offer a penetrating analysis of the ongoing plight of displaced persons and of thestruggles endured by small nations. Finkielkraut then presents a bitter critique of globalization and the uses being made of information technology. Is there any hope? Perhaps, he suggests, if modern man embraces what Hannah Arendt has called a "fundamental gratitude" for existence.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 6.44
From United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: USED_GOOD. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR005791109
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR004475068
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 0.35. Seller Inventory # 0712667296-2-3
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_GOOD. Buy with confidence! Book is in good condition with minor wear to the pages, binding, and minor marks within 0.35. Seller Inventory # bk0712667296xvz189zvxgdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Deals, Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_FAIR. Acceptable/Fair condition. Book is worn, but the pages are complete, and the text is legible. Has wear to binding and pages, may be ex-library. 0.35. Seller Inventory # 353-0712667296-acp
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_FAIR. Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00073131649
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9780712667296
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, United Kingdom
Condition: Very Good. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP93130041
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Condition: Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780712667296
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Anybook.com, Lincoln, United Kingdom
Condition: Good. This is an ex-library book and may have the usual library/used-book markings inside.This book has soft covers. Clean from markings. In good all round condition. Seller Inventory # 8970024
Quantity: 1 available