Philosophy between the lines
Subtitle: the lost history of esoteric writing
By: Arthur M. Melzer
Published: 2014
Language: eng
Number of pages: 453
ISBN-13: 9780226175096
Subjects: Methodology; Censorship; Secrecy; History and criticism; Philosophical literature; Hermeneutics
Description: "Philosophical esotericism--the practice of communicating one's unorthodox thoughts 'between the lines'--was a common practice until the end of the eighteenth century. The famous Encyclopédie of Diderot, for instance, not only discusses this practice in over twenty different articles, but admits to employing it itself. The history of Western thought contains hundreds of such statements by major philosophers testifying to the use of esoteric writing in their own work or others'. Despite this long and well-documented history, however, esotericism is often dismissed today as a rare occurrence. But by ignoring esotericism, we risk cutting ourselves off from a full understanding of Western philosophical thought... Philosophy Between the Lines is the first comprehensive, book-length study of the history and theoretical basis of philosophical esotericism, and it provides a crucial guide to how many major writings--philosophical, but also theological, political, and literary--were composed prior to the nineteenth century."--Publisher's Web site.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages411-430) and index.
Table of contents: title: The testimonial evidence for esotericism; title: Interlude: two brief examples; title: The theoretical basis of philosophical esotericism: the "problem of theory and praxis"; title: Objections, resistance, and blindness to esotericism; title: Fear of persecution: defensive esotericism; title: Dangerous truths: protective esotericism; title: The educational benefits of obscurity: pedagogical esotericism; title: Rationalizing the world: political esotericism; title: A beginner's guide to esoteric reading; title: Defending reason: esotericism and the critique of historicism.