Reflections of Equality by Christoph Menke

Reflections of Equality by Christoph Menke

This book brings a new perspective—mainly out of German intellectual discussions rooted in Hegel—to bear on the problems of equality as discussed in Anglo-American conceptions of liberalism. Menke argues that the idea of equality is at the heart of political modernity. At the same time, political modernity is characterized by an attitude of critical reflection on the notion of equality in view of its consequences for the lives of individuals. This book explores the sources and legitimacy as well as the limitations and problems of this attitude toward equality in the work of such thinkers as Adorno, Habermas, Derrida, Hegel, Luhmann, Nietzsche, Rawls, and Schmitt. Looking at key texts in modern political philosophy, the author develops the claim that there is a basic and irreconcilable conflict in justice: between general demands of equality and attention to the individual. In a debate with contemporary Anglo-American liberal philosophy's concepts of rights, the political process is thereby understood as an interminable strife and negotation between equality and individuality.

"Reflections of Equality comes at a timely momentThere is an enormous appetite for material on equality and a dissatisfaction with the state of the discussion. This highly informed book, written from a continental perspective, makes the current dilemma about the role of equality in political thought all the more striking. Menke is one of the best of the newer generation of German philosophers." —Terry Pinkard, Georgetown University "Menke's contribution to the debate over political equality is significant...It is no small feat tha Menke has incorporated the work of Rawls into his Hegelian studies; for this alone he should be commended." —Philosophy in Review/Comptes Rendus Philosophiques

Christoph Menke is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Potsdam, Germany. He is the author of four books in German. The Sovereignty of Art: Aesthetic Negativity in Adorno and Derrida (1999) was his first book translated into English.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780804744737
ISBN 10	0804744734
Title	Reflections of Equality
Author	Christoph Menke
Series	Cultural Memory In The Present
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Stanford University Press
Year published	2006-06-28
Number of pages	248
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.