Ernst Bloch gives a striking account of materialism that traces emancipatory elements of modern thought to medieval Islamic philosophers' encounter with Aristotle. He argues that the great medieval Islamic philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina) planted the seeds of a radical materialism still relevant for critical theory today.

Bloch's The Spirit of Utopia, here presented for the first time in English translation, is one of the great historic books from the beginning of the twentieth-century. A peculiar amalgam of biblical, Marxist, and Expressionist turns, drawing on both Hegel and Schopenhauer for the groundwork of its metaphysics of music, but consistently interpreting the cultural legacy in the light of a certain Marxism, The Spirit of Utopia is a unique attempt to rethink the history of Western civilizations as a process (...) of revolutionary disruptions and to reread the artworks, religions, and philosophies of this tradition as incentives to continue disrupting. The first part concerns a mode of 'self-encounter' which presents itself in the history of music from Mozart through Mahler as an encounter with the problem of a community to come. The second part is entitled 'Karl Marx, Death and the Apocalypse'. (shrink)

This book represents a unique attempt to reconcile the traditional oppositions of the natural law and social utopian traditions, providing basic insights into the meaning of human rights in a socialist society.

Bloch, E. Discussing expressionism.--Lukács, G. Realism in the balance.--Brecht, B. Against Georg Lukács.--Benjamin, W. Conversations with Brecht.--Adorno, T. Letters to Walter Benjamin.--Benjamin, W. Reply.--Adorno, T. Reconciliation under duress.--Adorno, T. Commitment.--Jameson, F. Reflections in conclusion.

First published in Switzerland in 1935 and now available for the first time in English translation, _Heritage of Our Times_ is a bold work of cultural criticism by a major twentieth-century German philosopher. Recalling work by Walter Benjamin and the Frankfurt School, Ernst Bloch's study of everyday life and politics during the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany is a brilliant historical analysis of the cultural conditions leading to German fascism. A half-century later, Bloch's prescient meditations on culture and politics still (...) retain their explosive power and are certain to provoke controversy and discussion among cultural critics, philosophers, social theorists, and historians. In their Introduction, the translators contextualize the book within the political and intellectual tendencies of the period and Bloch's other work. (shrink)

These essays in aesthetics by the philosopher Ernst Bloch belong to the tradition ofcultural criticism represented by Georg Lukács, Theodor Adorno, and Walter Benjamin.

Marx as a student -- Karl Marx and humanity : the material of hope -- Man and citizen in Marx -- Changing the world : Marx's Theses on Feuerbach -- Marx and dialectics of idealism -- The university, Marxism, and philosophy -- The Marxist concept of science -- Epicurus and Karl Marx -- Upright carriage, concrete utopia.

Foreword, by H. Cox.--Introduction, by J. Moltmann.--Karl Marx; death and apocalypse.--Incipit vita nova.--Biblical resurrection and apocalypse.--Christ, or The uncovered countenance.--Religious truth.--Christian social utopias.--The nationalized God and the right to community.--Man's increasing entry into religious mystery.

Articles from anthropology - the ontological perspective redefines the "hope" of the specific content. Hope will be disappointed, but will be painful disappointment. Firstly, I hope not convinced and want to be disappointed is directly related to trouble itself contains, circuitous, setbacks, failures and other factors; Second, I hope is an open state forward, I hope not with the things associated with the existing established , but with as to the existence of things not yet linked. Strong hope that the (...) class contains the essence of things, so by the trend - the faithful observation of the potential to be calibrated, and the realm of freedom of the target in accordance with the contents of a measure itself. For a political system, the pre-grasp of hope and principle, that is humane socialism but the most reliable test its performance benchmark. This paper redefines the concrete connotation of "hope" from the view point of anthropology-ontology. Hope will become disappointment, and will become deeply disappointment. Because firstly, hope is not sureness, hope is directly connected with the possibility of disappointment and it contains troublesome, circuitousness, setback and failure; Secondly, hope is an open state of forward, hope is not the connected with established things, but with the thing of future as yet. The stable hope contains the similar essence of things, and is justified through the faithful observation of tendency-potentiality, and itself becomes the scale according with target content of freedom kingdom. For a political system, mastering hope and principle in advance, that is human Socialism, is the most reliable scale of checking its achievement. (shrink)

There are three sense farewell to utopia. Former Marxist utopian pioneer, but the lack of intermediate stages of utopian, unrealistic, poor life. Marxism is not is not a utopia, but a concrete utopia of new things. Specific requirements of utopian possibility of dealing with our good efforts to comprehend the possibility of making an intellectual general staff, thereby building a fair, beautiful, humane society. Concrete utopia never met. There are saying good-bye to Utopia in three senses. The formerly Utopianist is (...) pioneer of Marxism, but Utopianist is short of middle stage, loses contact with reality and is not know how to live. Marxism is not non-Utopia, but a new thing of the concrete Utopia. The concrete Utopia demands us good at dealing with possibility and actively understands possibility, and makes it an intelligent post of staff officer, thus builds a just, fine and human society. The concrete Utopia is never contented. (shrink)

Afhandlinger om den tyske filosof Ernst Bloch's værker og idéer.

This volume contains a selection of essays in translation by the German philosopher and man of letters Ernst Bloch, on the philosophy of music. For Bloch - often simply assimilated to the Marxist tradition, but whose thought shows a strongly individual and idealist cast - music was a primary focus on reflection. His musical knowledge and expertise were of a very high order and he was well acquainted with many of the leading composers and theorists of music of his time (...) in Germany: even divorced from his philosophy his criticism remains of value and significance. Throughout, whether discussing the complex and varied relations between text and music, or questions relating to the 'expressive' as opposed to the 'descriptive' functions of music, Bloch is intent on elucidating and placing musical experience. (shrink)