This requires that the foundational certainties of modernity with its emphasis on objective truth founded in a rational unitary subject be relinquished for a more multifaceted conception closer to that of the arts. Vattimo, gianni internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Jun 18, 2019 il pensiero debole vattimo pdf although weak thoughtil pensiero debolehas been around for over a quarter of a century, it is still little known in the united states. All those who criticize postmodern weak thought for its inability to ground radical political practice will have to. In the first part, we clarify vattimos interpretation of heideggers destruction of traditional metaphysics, the occurrence of ontological difference and the historical process of the. Vattimo s thought is intensively informed by his readings of both nietzsche and heidegger, but i propose to focus exclusively here on his reading of nietzsche. Who will renowned italian philosopher vattimo vote for. I am convinced that vattimo and others like him are correct in accessing our age as technocratic nihilism but i am not convinced that vattimo s softontology is much more than a practical excuse to live as though there is meaning even though tying life to shared experience is impossible. Access article in pdf weak thought and the reduction of violence a dialogue with gianni vattimo. This dissertation analyses and evaluates the kind of religion to which vattimo has returned, looking in particular at how it relates to his wider philosophical style of weak thought, the interpretation of our current situation as one of.
This to a certain extent is gianni vattimos case too, and the primary aim of what follows is to bring out the strong reasons for vattimos commitment to weak thought pensiero debole, and to an attenuation or lightening of the structures of traditional philosophical discourse. Weak thought and vattimo s journey back to christianity in order to begin to introduce weak belief, i would like to give a brief recounting of vattimo s journey both away from the catholicism of his youth and his return back to catholicism in his later life. Nietzsches analysis of negative and affirmative nihilism sustains vattimo s signature distinction between strong and weak thought. Along with a new introduction, outlining vattimo s life, thought and ideas, and a conclusion, which looks at how developments in vattimo s views on religion have wider implications for his weak thought, the volume includes nine essays on vattimo s thought. Running justice against the lawthatis to say, taking the law at every moment as it holds sway and is implemented in the form of sanctions and punishments back to the preedifying impulse ofjustice remains on par with, and represents the institutional. Abe masao and gianni vattimo article pdf available in asian philosophy 254. Vattimo is most famous for his idea of weak thought, writes guarino in t he return of religion in europe. Weak thought and the reduction of violence a dialogue. I would say that weak thought, pensiero debole, can now be defined in more. Hermeneutic communism is much more than a beautifully written essay in political philosophy, reaching from ontological premises to concrete political analyses. His philosophy is solidly grounded in the thought of nietzsche. It is perhaps best to understand vattimos weak thought as an attempt to reconstruct rationality in a postmodern way. This to a certain extent is gianni vattimo s case too, and the primary aim of what follows is to bring out the strong reasons for vattimo s commitment to weak thought pensiero debole, and to an attenuation or lightening of the structures of traditional philosophical discourse. The simple point that the reader of vattimo should not miss behind the.
His philosophy can be characterized as postmodern with his emphasis on pensiero debole weak thought. Essays on gianni vattimo by matthew harris overdrive. Oct 15, 2019 il pensiero debole vattimo pdf although weak thoughtil pensiero debolehas been around for over a quarter of a century, it is still little known in the united states. Hermeneutical nihilism and the ontology of actuality. Weak thought and the reduction of violence a dialogue with. Pdf the main aim of this article is to outline the relationship between nihilism and ethics according to italian philosopher gianni vattimo and his. But thanks to heidegger, derrida, and lyotards deconstruction of the grand narrative, vattimo manage to elaborate his weak thought, that is, a thought that stays on the margins, that accepts. In 1986, i wrote an essay for a collection edited by georges duby on latin thought, where i tried to identify the notion oflimitas the fundamental idea of latinity i realized that perhaps because of this essay, i had some years later entitled one of my booksthe limits of. Ethics and nihilism in the philosophy of weak thought of gianni. Vattimo s philosophy can be characterized as postmodern with his emphasis on pensiero debole weak thought. In doing so, the aim of weak thought is to create an ethic of weakness. Vattimo is well known for his philosophical style of weak thought pensiero debole.
Third, vattimo claims that the postmodern condition of fragmentation, antieurocentrism, and postcolonialism can be usefully understood in light of joachim of fiores thesis concerning the spiritual age of history. Some aspects of vattimos philosophy of religion, confrontation with otakar funda martin vasek, and andrea javorska department of philosophy, constantine the philosopher university in nitra, tr. Weak thought it is perhaps best to understand vattimos weak thought as an attempt to reconstruct rationality in a postmodern way. Pdf ethics and nihilism in the philosophy of weak thought. Vattimo theorizes the advent of a new era, governed by a pensiero debole weak thought, which is neither demonstrative nor aggressive, but directed towards the pietas with respect to the historic values left to us in legacy and governed by the realization of a subject, neither unitary nor subordinate to logical selfconsciousness, but many. The death of god movement was not simply an aberration, but an influential body of thought that had to be faced in order for theology as a craft to survive.
On the philosophy and politics of gianni vattimo ashley woodward the melbourne school of continental philosophy gianni vattimo occupies the relatively rare position of being both a prominent philosopher and an engaged politician. Dialectics, difference, weak thought gianni vattimo in this essay i will try to sketch the main tenets of weak thought, il pensiero debole, and how it is related to dialectics and difference. One of the central aspects of the view was the idea that the philosophy of interpretation as. Vattimo and theology philosophy and theology thomas g. He has been a leading member both of the 1960s turn in continental philosophy to a relativistic view of religion, art, and sexual freedom and the espousal of postmodern secularism and anticapitalism. According to vattimo, weak thought has helped philosophy to become an edifying. To elaborate my position regarding the weak thought of gianni vattimo i am. The main aim of this article is to outline the relationship between nihilism and ethics according to italian philosopher gianni vattimo and his concept of weak thought. Weak thought edited by gianni vattimo and pier aldo rovatti. Gianni vattimos thoughts on otherness, on both the other with a capital o and the other with a lowercase o, depend on his philosophical style of weak thought. This article outlines vattimo s philosophy of weak thought and. Finally, vattimo argues for the epub idea of weak thought. In contemporary philosophy, rorty represents the postempirical pragmatism of north america, and vattimo. In 1986, i wrote an essay for a collection edited by georges duby on latin thought, where i tried to identify the notion oflimitas the fundamental idea of latinity.
Weak thought and hermeneutics from very early in his career, gianni vattimo has been engaged on the double. Vattimo 57 vattimo is emeritus professor of philosophy at the university of turin. Heidegger and essential aspects of vattimo s philosophy of religion. To elaborate my position regarding the weak thought of gianni vattimo i am obliged to speak first about myself. Gianteresio vattimo, also known as gianni vattimo born january 4, 1936 is an internationally recognized italian author, philosopher, and politician. Nihilism as a philosophical concept was given its most definitive form by nietzsche, for whom it is the radical repudiation of value, meaning and desirability nietzsche, 1968, p. Vattimo and his development of the philosophy of m. The article expresses the philosophical thoughts of an italian philosopher, g. In the first part, we clarify vattimo s interpretation of heideggers destruction of traditional metaphysics, the occurrence of ontological difference and the historical process of the. This requires that the foundational certainties of modernity with its emphasis on objective truth founded in a rational unitary subject be relinquished for a more multifaceted conception closer to. Many of his works have been translated into english. Gianni vattimo a companion to hermeneutics wiley online. According to vattimo, weak thought has helped philosophy to.
Jul 19, 2019 il pensiero debole vattimo pdf although weak thoughtil pensiero debolehas been around for over a quarter of a century, it is still little known in the united states. It is in the weak thought of richard rorty and gianni vattimo that the new postreligious culture, which is to say the future of religion after the deconstruction of western ontology, is taking shape. Vattimo s social and political perspective has clear theological undertones. I would say that weak thought, pensiero debole, can now be defined in more precise terms. Weak thought it is perhaps best to understand vattimo s weak thought as an attempt to reconstruct. Weakening cannot be a dialectical overcoming, both because the traces of metaphysics are inescapably bound up with the language and tradition that constitute the horizon for experience and interaction nietzsches dictum that we cannot get rid of god. Nihilism denotes a broadlyconceived cultural phenomenon in which the idea of. The idea of weak thought sketched by vattimo and rovatti emphasizes a way of understanding the role of philosophy based on language, interpretation, and limits rather than on metaphysical and epistemological certaintieswithout falling into relativism.
Gianni vattimo s thoughts on otherness, on both the other with a capital o and the other with a lowercase o, depend on his philosophical style of weak thought. He studied in turin under the existentialist luigi pareyson and graduated in 1959. But in order to reconnect renunciation, origin and language the three main. Weak thought is an attempt to understand and reconfigure traces from the history of thought in ways that accord with postmodern conditions. Vattimo is a quintessentially european thinker, restlessly seeking more stable ground for philosophy, and guarino just as relentlessly follows him to the metaphysical dead ends of reason without faith. This article is an analysis of the relationship between ethics and nihilism according to italian philosopher gianni vattimo 1936 and his concept of weak thought. Vattimo, kenosis and the philosophy of the event store. Gianni vattimo is an italian philosopher and university professor who served in the european parliament. This connection is not to be understood mainly or solely as an overcoming but, rather, it is.
Aug 23, 2019 il pensiero debole vattimo pdf although weak thoughtil pensiero debolehas been around for over a quarter of a century, it is still little known in the united states. This article outlines vattimos philosophy of weak thought and. To this end, vattimo employs his theoretical insights on themes such as. All those who criticize postmodern weak thought for its inability to ground radical political practice will have to admit their mistakegianni vattimo and santiago zabala demonstrate that weak thought does not mean weak action but is the very resort of strong radical change. Il pensiero debole vattimo pdf although weak thought il pensiero debolehas been around for over a quarter of a century, it is still little known in the united states. Vattimo s thinking is the example of optimistic faith in humanity and in change perceived as liberation and emancipation of historical existence. Heidegger and essential aspects of vattimos philosophy of religion. By analyzing vattimo, tom guarino has put together a sweeping survey of the postmodern conditions of religious thought. Lecture and round table universitat paderborn 18 june 2015 jenny aloni haus 2.
In this essay i will try to sketch the main tenets of weak thought, il pensiero debole, and how it is related. Derridas deconstruction, as we all know, is also indebted to heideggers gradual dismantling of origin and truth. Vattimos weak thought 1 pensiero debole is connected to the question ofthe law. Weakening cannot be a dialectical overcoming, both because the traces of metaphysics are inescapably bound up with the language and tradition that constitute the horizon for experience and interaction nietzsches dictum that. Vattimo s contemplations again open the discourse of thinking about authentic. Jul 03, 2011 heavily influenced by nietzsche and heidegger and, to a lesser degree, hansgeorg gadamer, vattimo has become famous for what he calls weak thought, that is, a decidedly antimetaphysical thought that does not oppose itself to christianity but interprets itself as the fulfillment, or consummation, of the christian understanding of reality. Weak thought suny series in contemporary italian philosophy. Weak thought is by no means a weakness of thinking as such. Vattimo repositions nietzsches nihilism with debates concerning modernity and postmodernity. Although carravettas translation of weak thought comes precisely thirty years after the original italian edition, it is safe to assume that common knowledge readers are acquainted with this philosophy, and not only because its creator, gianni vattimo, has been member of this journals editorial board and a regular contributor for decades.
498 882 405 1553 570 1030 1088 994 483 112 264 120 395 25 1380 888 1013 661 869 806 580 1020 350 1429 1539 795 730 509 1309 650 1320 511 523 646