Eros and Irony: A Prelude to Philosophical Anarchism (Philosophy

by David L. Hall

"The conception of culture and philosophy's role within it developed in this work permits interesting formulations of a number of important issues and the relations between the utopian and utilitarian functions of philosophic theory; the character of the aesthetic and mystical sensibilities; the meaning and function of metaphor and of irony; the value of theoretical consensus; the nature of philosophic communication; and the distinctive relation of Plato and Socrates as a model for philosophic activity." — David L. Hall

With Eros and Irony, David Hall re-evaluates the cultural role of philosophy, probing to the very heart of questions in epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of culture. Two central arguments structure the the first is that in modern culture the autonomy of the aesthetic and religious sensibilities has been seriously qualified by an overemphasis on narrowly rational moral interests. The second is that philosophic activity must be construed in terms of two conflicting the desire for completeness of understanding, and the failure to achieve such understanding.

Hall provides a historical survey of philosophic thought, encompassing Plato, Kant, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, and Whitehead. He also avails himself of sources outside of philosophy, in such diverse fields as poetry, psychology, physics, and Eastern religion, to create a work that not only addresses key issues in philosophy, but also has deep implications for science, art, religion, morality, and cultural self-understanding.

Genres: Philosophy

271 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1982

Reviews

[Jerome · Rating 2 out of 5]

I frankly expected a more from this work, which had little to contribute to an anarchist ontology. Hall essentially reiterates the anti-foundational critique of theoretical objectivity prevalent in Western philosophy since the 1960s, although he eschews the slide into postmodern relativism, falling in with the same camp as thinkers like Ricoeur, Gadamer, MacIntyre, and Verene, who emphasize the emotive dimension of nous and the metaphoric dimension of logos. Hall's main influences are American pragmatism, especially Whitehead, and the Daoism of Chuang-Tzu (although he is seldom referenced). While this approach has something to contribute to anarchism in that it is anti-foundational, or anti-arché, Hall doesn't do enough to connect the dots. Sure, he emphasizes praxis as the basic telos of theoria, but praxis alone does not make an anarchist. This requires a particular kind of praxis.

This is not to say that the book is without its virtues, or without a particular audience. While most anarchists who want utilize heady philosophy would probably be better off with someone like Deleuze, this work shows that you can still do some radical philosophy in the Anglo-American tradition.