Bøger af Lieven De Cauter

The Dwarf in the Chess Machine offers a study of the tension between materialism and theology in the work of the German-Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin. Belgian philosopher, art historian, writer and activist Lieven De Cauter takes Benjamin's own metaphor--that there is a "dwarf of theology" hidden inside the seemingly mechanical, seemingly inevitable power of historical materialism--and traces its presence throughout Benjamin's oeuvre, showing how it produced his unique take on historical materialism. In the course of demonstrating this thesis, De Cauter examines Benjamin's language theory, his art theory, his philosophy of history and his legendary, labyrinthine unfinished magnum opus on Paris, the Arcades Project. The resulting book is a detailed, meticulous and lucid analysis of the structure of Benjamin's texts and an indispensable resource for anyone who admires the work of one of the most influential and prophetic thinkers of the 20th century.

What with global warming, the war on terror, extreme political polarization, an unstoppable demographic explosion and migration, anarchy and chaos are becoming parts of our world system in hitherto unprecedented ways. What to call the planetary state of emergency we are now entering--a "New World Disorder," perhaps, or "Entropic Empire"? In his latest book, the Dutch philosopher, art historian, writer and activist Lieven De Cauter suggests that an entropic empire is created by opposing forces or philosophical poles: the "state of exception" (tyranny) and the "state of nature" (anarchy). Entropic Empire: Considerations on the Planetary State of Emergency is part post-historical sci-fi scenario and part philosophical consideration on the eternal return of prehistory (the "state of nature"). For De Cauter, the simple but troubling question is: are we falling out of history?

Post 9-11, post Iraqi invasion, post (we wish) the War on Terrorism, there is a great deal of interest in safety in the public domain, both in the political realm and among the general public. Individuals and society as a whole are increasingly concerned with protection and security for themselves and their material possessions. These newfound worries have repercussions for the layout, design, and management of public and semi-public places, imposing new demands on artists, designers, commissioners, and policy makers. "Open 6 examines the root causes of the public desire for safety. The authors consider theoretical and practical scenarios, proposals and visions from the realms of art, architecture, philosophy, and politics, in an attempt to lay bare something of the modern-day safety paradigm. Alternatively, the authors argue the need for new models. The contributors also provide insight into the current state of the modern-day practicalities of the aesthetics and ethics of safety in essays which directly consider real places or (art) projects.