Abstract

This is a thematic work in nineteenth and twentieth century Continental Philosophy, concerned with the breakdown of systematic thought in Hegel, the subsequent development of topical thinking in Heidegger, and the displacement of thinking in Derrida and Levinas. Topical thinking involves a turn away from logic, and a turn toward a substantive theory of rhetoric that understands tropes as a constitutive and inescapable part of philosophy. ;Recent Continental thought develops in the shadows of Hegel. Nietzsche, Heidegger, Derrida and Levinas each criticize Hegel's understanding of philosophy as a systematic enterprize providing and accurate representation of what has come to be. Despite their differences these thinkers share an orientation toward types of thought that have a strong topical orientation: thought happens from different places, the relation between which cannot be encapsulated by any neutral ontological framework. ;A topical orientation to philosophic problems is usually criticized because of its relativistic and nihilistic consequences, which seem to undercut any basis for claiming a proper basis for thought or action. However, I articulate a new sense of the proper, based in Heidegger's notions of Dasein and authenticity, which can withstand the criticisms of post-metaphysical thinking. Developed from Heidegger's early and later work, I believe this position changes our conception of ethics as well as ontology