Buch, Englisch, 200 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 504 g
Buch, Englisch, 200 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 504 g
ISBN: 978-1-316-51705-5
Verlag: Cambridge University Press
Apocalypse, it seems, is everywhere. Preachers with vast followings proclaim the world's end. Apocalyptic fears grip even the nonreligious amid climate change, pandemics, and threats of nuclear war. As these ideas pervade popular discourse, grasping their logic remains elusive. Ben Jones argues that we can gain insight into apocalyptic thought through secular thinkers. He starts with a puzzle: Why would secular thinkers draw on Christian apocalyptic beliefs – often dismissed as bizarre – to interpret politics? The apocalyptic tradition proves appealing in part because it theorizes a relation between crisis and utopia. Apocalyptic thought points to crisis as the vehicle to bring the previously impossible within reach, offering resources for navigating challenges in ideal theory, which involves imagining the best, most just society. By examining apocalyptic thought's appeal and risks, this study arrives at new insights on the limits of utopian hope. This title is available as open access on Cambridge Core.
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Weitere Infos & Material
Introduction; Part I. Secular Apocalyptic Thought: 1. The hazards of studying secular apocalyptic thought; 2. The paradox of secular apocalyptic thought; Part II. Historical Case Studies: 3. Apocalyptic hope's appeal: Machiavelli and Savonarola; 4. Tempering apocalyptic ideals: Hobbes and pretenders to God's kingdom; 5. Reimagining God's kingdom: Engels and Müntzer; Part III. Implications for Ideal Theory: 6. Ideal theory as faith; 7. Limiting the dangers of Utopian hope; Conclusion; Appendix: Argument against ideal theory's plausibility; Bibliography.
