The Exile of Language

German-Jewish Philosophical Challenges of Linguistic Autochthony
Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-90-04-72676-5
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 10, 288 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm

Reihe: Maimonides Library for Philosophy and Religion

The Exile of Language uncovers a hidden chapter in the history of philosophy, where early twentieth-century German-Jewish thinkers such as Fritz Mauthner, Gustav Landauer, Margarete Susman, Franz Rosenzweig, and Walter Benjamin grappled with the inherent tension of their intertwined identities. The study of these thinkers reveals how a sceptical and diasporic approach to language can question and reshape traditional concepts of belonging, purity, and nation. By confronting the myth of autochthony, their critiques of linguistic and national idolatry offer a fresh lens for reimagining politics in our times. This narrative blends philosophical depth with groundbreaking insights, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the dynamic interplay of language, identity, and community.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pisano, Libera

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Sprachwissenschaften Sprachphilosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien Jüdische Studien: Leben & Praxis, Soziale Aspekte
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Geschichte der Westlichen Philosophie Westliche Philosophie: 20./21. Jahrhundert
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Sprachphilosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction 1 Philosophical Sprachkrise 2 The German-Jewish Linguistic Turn 3 Autos without chton 4 Chronocentric Paths 5 Outlines of the Individual Chapters

1 Sceptical Doubt and the Love for the Mother Tongue: Fritz Mauthner’s Tension between Language and Identity 1 2 3 2 New Metaphors for the Anarchic Community: Gustav Landauer’s Linguistic Temporal Revolution 1 2 3 3 Exile as a Theological-Political Challenge: Margarete Susman’s Linguistic Sceptical Umweg 1 2 3 4 The Grammar of Redemption: Franz Rosenzweig’s Diasporic Philosophy of Language 1 2 3 5 Messianic Epoché of Meaning: Walter Benjamin’s Exilic Linguistic Gestures 1 2 3 Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Libera Pisano is currently a research associate at the IFILNOVA (Nova Institute of Philosophy) at Nova University Lisbon. She has authored numerous essays on the role of language and politics in contemporary German and German-Jewish philosophy.