The Phoenix Complex (Paperback)

Michael Marder

ISBN 10: 0262545705 / ISBN 13: 9780262545709

Published by MIT Press Ltd, 2023

About this Item

Paperback. An innovative, wide-ranging consideration of the global ecological crisis and its deep philosophical and theological roots.An innovative, wide-ranging consideration of the global ecological crisis and its deep philosophical and theological roots.Global crises, from melting Arctic ice to ecosystem collapse and the sixth mass extinction, challenge our age-old belief in nature as a phoenix with an infinite ability to regenerate itself from the ashes of destruction. Moving from antiquity to the present and back, Michael Marder provides an integrated examination of philosophies of nature drawn from traditions around the world to illuminate the theological, mythical, and philosophical origins of the contemporary environmental emergency. From there, he probes the contradictions and deadlocks of our current predicament to propose a philosophy of nature for the twenty-first century.As Marder analyzes our reliance on the image and idea of the phoenix to organize our thoughts about the natural world, he outlines the obstacles in the path of formulating a revitalized philosophy of nature. His critical exposition of the phoenix complex draws on Chinese, Indian, Russian, European, and North African traditions. Throughout, Marder lets the figure of the phoenix guide readers through theories of immortality, intergenerational and interspecies relations, infinity compatible with finitude, resurrection, reincarnation, and a possibility of liberation from cycles of rebirth. His concluding remarks on a phoenix-suffused philosophy of nature and political thought extend from the Roman era to the writings of Hannah Arendt. "An innovative look at philosophies of nature across cultures and traditions through the common thread of burning nature down in order to be reborn over and over again"-- Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780262545709

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Phoenix Complex (Paperback)
• Publisher: MIT Press Ltd
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0262545705
• ISBN 13: 9780262545709
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

An innovative, wide-ranging consideration of the global ecological crisis and its deep philosophical and theological roots.

Global crises, from melting Arctic ice to ecosystem collapse and the sixth mass extinction, challenge our age-old belief in nature as a phoenix with an infinite ability to regenerate itself from the ashes of destruction. Moving from antiquity to the present and back, Michael Marder provides an integrated examination of philosophies of nature drawn from traditions around the world to illuminate the theological, mythical, and philosophical origins of the contemporary environmental emergency. From there, he probes the contradictions and deadlocks of our current predicament to propose a philosophy of nature for the twenty-first century.

As Marder analyzes our reliance on the image and idea of the phoenix to organize our thoughts about the natural world, he outlines the obstacles in the path of formulating a revitalized philosophy of nature. His critical exposition of the phoenix complex draws on Chinese, Indian, Russian, European, and North African traditions. Throughout, Marder lets the figure of the phoenix guide readers through theories of immortality, intergenerational and interspecies relations, infinity compatible with finitude, resurrection, reincarnation, and a possibility of liberation from cycles of rebirth. His concluding remarks on a phoenix-suffused philosophy of nature and political thought extend from the Roman era to the writings of Hannah Arendt.

About the Author

Michael Marder is IKERBASQUE Research Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU). His books include Philosophy for Passengers (MIT Press, 2022); Hegel’s Energy: A Reading of The Phenomenology of Spirit; and Dump Philosophy: A Phenomenology of Devastation.