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More and more, we present ourselves and encounter others through profiles. A profile shows us not as we are seen directly but how we are perceived by a broader public. As we observe how others observe us, we calibrate our self-presentation accordingly. Profile-based identity is evident everywhere from pop culture to politics, marketing to morality. But all too often critics simply denounce this alleged superficiality in defense of some supposedly pure ideal of authentic or sincere expression. This book argues that the profile marks an epochal shift in our concept of identity and demonstrates why that matters. You and Your Profile blends social theory, philosophy, and cultural critique to unf...
Justice, equality, and righteousness these are some of our greatest moral convictions. Yet in times of social conflict, morals can become rigid, making religious war, ethnic cleansing, and political purges possible. Morality, therefore, can be viewed as pathology-a rhetorical, psychological, and social tool that is used and abused as a weapon. An expert on Eastern philosophies and social systems theory, Hans-Georg Moeller questions the perceived goodness of morality and those who claim morality is inherently positive. Critiquing the ethical "fanaticism" of Western moralists, such as Immanuel Kant, Lawrence Kohlberg, John Rawls, and the utilitarians, Moeller points to the absurd fundamentalis...
Genuine Pretending is an innovative and comprehensive new reading of the Zhuangzi that highlights the critical and therapeutic functions of satire and humor. Hans-Georg Moeller and Paul J. D’Ambrosio show how this Daoist classic, contrary to contemporary philosophical readings, distances itself from the pursuit of authenticity and subverts the dominant Confucianism of its time through satirical allegories and ironical reflections. With humor and parody, the Zhuangzi exposes the Confucian demand to commit to socially constructed norms as pretense and hypocrisy. The Confucian pursuit of sincerity establishes exemplary models that one is supposed to emulate. In contrast, the Zhuangzi parodies...
Niklas Luhmann (1927-1998) was a German sociologist and system theorist who wrote on law, economics, politics, art, religion, ecology, mass media, and love. Luhmann advocated a radical constructivism and antihumanism, or "grand theory," to explain society within a universal theoretical framework. Nevertheless, despite being an iconoclast, Luhmann is viewed as a political conservative. Hans-Georg Moeller challenges this legacy, repositioning Luhmann as an explosive thinker critical of Western humanism. Moeller focuses on Luhmann's shift from philosophy to theory, which introduced new perspectives on the contemporary world. For centuries, the task of philosophy meant transforming contingency i...
Hans-Georg Moeller has achieved the perfect blend with At the Center of the Circle: it is both a fascinating introduction to Daoist thought as well as an original and insightful contribution to Eastern philosophy. This book will take the place of The Tao of Pooh by Hoff. Like that book, At the Center of the Circle offers a comprehensive presentation of Daoist philosophy that is interesting and easy to follow. Two ways the present book differs from the earlier classic are (1) this one has a more rigorous philosophical grounding so teachers will not hesitate to use it in classes and (2) it takes into account the research and discoveries in the decades following the release of the Pooh book. It...
For centuries, the ancient Chinese philosophical text the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) has fascinated and frustrated its readers. While it offers a wealth of rich philosophical insights concerning the cultivation of one's body and attaining one's proper place within nature and the cosmos, its teachings and structure can be enigmatic and obscure. Hans-Georg Moeller presents a clear and coherent description and analysis of this vaguely understood Chinese classic. He explores the recurring images and ideas that shape the work and offers a variety of useful approaches to understanding and appreciating this canonical text. Moeller expounds on the core philosophical issues addressed in the Daodejing, ...
What are systems? What is society? What happens to human beings in a hypermodern world? This book is an introduction to Niklas Luhmann's social system theory which explains specific functions like economy and mass media from a cybernetic perspective. Integrating various schools of thought including sociology, philosophy and biology Luhmann Explained results in an overall analysis of "world society". Special attention is given to the present-day relevance of Luhmann's theory with respect to globalization, electronic mass media, ethics, and new forms of protest.
This book first appeared in Germany in 2004. In response to the great amount of interest in the book expressed by colleagues from all over the world, we subsequently decided to produce this English version. We have also taken this opportunity to update the information on the Department of Psychiatry since 1994 to include further developments up to the present day (see Chapter 15). One can look at a hospital from all kinds of different perspectives. For psychiatrists with the daily medical task of dealing with the life histories of their patients, it is understandable that they are interested in the development of their hospital from a historical perspective. To do this for the University Department of Psychiatry of Munich an introduction can be made by reminding the reader of a date: just over 100 years ago, on November 7, 1904, the newly constructed »Royal Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Munich« was inaugurated with a ceremonial act and handed over to the public. Emil Kraepelin gave a ceremonial speech on the occasion.
Ancient philosophy has from the outset inspired phenomenological philosophers in a special way. Phenomenological Interpretations of Ancient Philosophy offers fresh perspectives on the manner in which ancient Greek thought has influenced phenomenology and traces the history of this reception. Unlike various related treatments, the present volume offers a broad account of this topic that includes chapters on Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Jacob Klein, Hannah Arendt, Eugen Fink, Jan Patočka, Emmanuel Levinas, and Jacques Derrida. This collection of essays, edited by Kristian Larsen and Pål Rykkja Gilbert, is addressed to students of ancient philosophy and the phenomenological tradition as well as to readers who have a general interest in the fascinating, yet complex, connection between ancient Greek thought and phenomenological philosophy. Contributions by: Jussi Backman, Pål Rykkja Gilbert, Burt Hopkins, Filip Karfík, Alexander Kozin, Kristian Larsen, Arnaud Macé, Claudio Majolino, Hans Ruin, Thomas Schwarz Wentzer, Vigdis Songe-Møller, Tanja Staehler, Morten S. Thaning and Charlotta Weigelt.
An introductory guide To The Dao de Jing, exploring key themes and passages in this key work of Daoist thought.