The Inhuman Condition

By: Keith Tester

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Paperback | 7 September 1995 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
168 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.6 x 13.8 x 0.99

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In "The Inhuman Condition" Keith Tester explores whether we are capable of coming to terms with the world we have made, then argues that we are not. We are so confused by the wonders and the sights and sounds around us that we all try to build safe little homes in which we can, for a while, be consoled by love which is doomed to fail as soon as it is thought about, and by commodities which leave us unsatisfied.
This book is a major interpretation of contemporary cultural and social relationships. It is also a major exercise in sociology which encompasses thinkers like Heidegger, Arendt, Benjamin and Simmel. The author opens with Heidegger worrying about photographs of the earth and argues that, contrary to sociological orthodoxy, the world is now more experienced in the finding than the making. Tester then explores aspects of that finding: from the beautiful promises of commodities to the noises and sights of cities, from the search for love to the throbbing gristle painted by Francis Bacon. We can only come to terms with our experiences and our existences if we embrace the inhuman idiot wisdom of kitsch; and perhaps there is no escape from the embrace of stupidity.

Industry Reviews

..." an insightful and lucid essay on the fate of human subjects. A serious and grave assessment of the modernity of the late twentieth century." -John Rundell, University of Melbourne ..." an engaging and parallel text to Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition. He at once reminds us of the importance of Arendt's work in a manner accessible to the lay reader, and revitalizes Arendt's approach by making it his own and by updating it with applications to our end-of-the century social and moral dilemmas ..." -Rob Shields, Carleton University ..." a remarkable book, for its boldness, its imaginative reasoning, its grip on the condition of our time and its profoundly personal character." -Peter Wagner, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin Fur Sozialforschung "The Inhuman Condition is a serious book for serious times, serving as a sharp reminder of the dangers of complacency in the face of alienating processes." -"Canadian Philosophical Reviews

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