Overcoming Metaphysics as a Problem in the History of Philosophy

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Pages:408
ISBN:0-7734-5747-X
978-0-7734-5747-8
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This book approaches the issue of overcoming metaphysics from a double perspective called ‘metaphysical insideoutness.’ On the one hand, acknowledging the impossibility of a complete overcoming of metaphysics, it opts for the constant overcoming of one metaphysics with another. On the other hand, it acknowledges some ways of stepping outside metaphysics from the inside. The book starts with an overview of the development of metaphysics from Aristotle to the 18th century and then interprets the modern and recent instances of overcoming metaphysics from the viewpoint of the aforementioned double perspective.

Reviews

“ ... This book’s largest contribution is Dr. Titans’ thorough review of pertinent earlier discourse in order to draw out the presence of the intermediate process of ‘insideoutness’ throughout the history of both philosophy and theology. In doing so, he offers many fruits and helpful insights ...” – Terrence N. Tice, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan

“Metaphysics seems to be an issue one cannot leave behind. Dr. Titans gives us a close reading of Schleiermacher, a classic in modern theology, and at the same time introduces Derrida’s thought. Might it be that in a safe environment of the explication of the classic, Derrida’s critique of the metaphysics of presence is easier (psychologically, religiously) to grasp? ... Dr. Titans’ lucid explanation of the problematics of metaphysics is certainly worth publishing and merits a careful reading. Contemporary theology has not overcome Schleiermacher’s proposal, rather, the details are still being filled in by both philosophers (like Derrida) and by theologians (like Taylor or Dr. Titans himself).” – Prof. Dr. Anne Kull, University of Tartu

“This book makes two major contributions to scholarship: first, it gives a very compelling interpretation of Schleiermacher’s corpus (primarily his Dialektik and Glaubenslehre) in Derridean terms as a series of interrelated efforts to escape metaphysics. Second, in so doing, the book also provides a very important integrated account of the Dialektik and Glaubenslehre – that is, an account of how they fit together in Schleiermacher’s thinking as a whole. Dr. Titans suggests, intriguingly, that Schleiermacher’s very effort here – to escape from metaphysics in doing dogmatics while being unable to – is itself a prime instance of the ‘insideoutness’ that is the only viable ‘escape’ from metaphysics ...” – Professor Kathryn Tanner, University of Chicago Divinity School

Table of Contents

A Note on Texts and Translations of Schleiermacher’s Works
Acknowledgements
Foreword by Terence N. Tice
Introduction

Part One: The Problem of Overcoming Metaphysics in the History of Western Thought
1. The Way from Ambiguity to the Relatively Late Definitiveness of Metaphysics
2. The Overcoming of Metaphysics in Modern Philosophy
3. Derrida and Metaphysical Insideoutness

Part Two: Schleiermacher’s Metaphysics: Understanding and Context
4. Metaphysics as Speculation
5. Schleiermacher and Kant’s Metaphysics

Part Three: The Constructive Metaphysics of Schleiermacher
6. Dialectic: Transcendental (Metaphysics) and Formal (Logic)
7. The Metaphysics of Contrasts
8. Metaphysics Overcoming the Opposites/Contrasts

Part Four: Dogmatics Overcomes Metaphysics
9. The Glaubenslehre and Metaphysics
10. Other Writings – Further Elucidations

Part Five: Schleiermacher’s Overcoming of Metaphysics: An Assessment
11. Philosophical or Dialectical Overcoming of Metaphysics
12. Dogmatic Theology Overcomes Metaphysics
Concluding Remarks: Some Sketches on Schleiermacher Today
Bibliography
Index

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