The Antiphilosophers: (220 American University Studies)

In this volume, author Steven L. Bindeman presents a survey of the key figures in postmodern antiphilosophy. Noting that the main thrust of their work can be found in their need to respond to the threat of nihilism, he is guided by the question, if the path to abstract truth is no longer viable, what then? He shows how the antiphilosophers turn their focus on the complexity of lived experience in place of the search for certainty, which was in their view what previously had guided the dominating discourse of the modernist philosophical tradition. Through close examination of a broad variety of texts, Bindeman illuminates how the antiphilosophers initiate a new way of doing philosophy, one which prefers to examine the question, Does it work? instead of, Is it true? Moreover, Bindeman demonstrates how the antiphilosophers are united in questioning the centrality of the great cornerstones of western metaphysics – time, self, universe, and God – because of their insistence that there is no way to reach beyond any of these words to the actual things to which they refer. Utilizing the exposed, significant fault in the foundation of all philosophical systems, The Antiphilosophers delivers new insight concerning the issue of how we should relate to the resultant chaos. Written with a rare combination of philosophical rigor and clarity of expression, Bindeman’s work will be of interest to students and scholars of postmodern philosophy.

Table of Contents:
Contents: The Four Central Themes of Antiphilosophy – Two Responses to Nihilism: Kierkegaard and Nietzsche – The Break with Science: Husserl and Freud – Silence at the Edge of Language: Wittgenstein and Heidegger – Reason Under Siege: Benjamin and Horkheimer/Adorno – The Lived Experience: Bachelard and Merleau-Ponty – Strategies of Disruption: Levinas and Derrida – Exploring the Edge of the Real: Foucault and Deleuze/Guattari – Philosophy at the Boundaries of Thought. – Badiou and Žižek Debate Antiphilosophy.

About the Author :
Steven L. Bindeman was Professor of Philosophy and Department Chairperson at Strayer University, Arlington campus, until his retirement in December 2010. His teaching experience reflects not only his interest in philosophy and psychology, but also in film and media studies, science fiction, world music, and comparative religion. Bindeman has been elected into Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. He has published articles on Heidegger, Wittgenstein, Levinas, the creative process, and postmodernism, as well as numerous book reviews. His book Heidegger and Wittgenstein: The Poetics of Silence (1981) is currently listed as a recommended text under the listing «Heidegger» in the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Review :
«Steven L. Bindeman’s thoughtful presentation of the antiphilosophers is a must read for all who care about thinking. Philosophy shows us how to think. But what if philosophy gets complacent with a certain set way of thinking? The antiphilosophers can set our thinking free.» (Louise Sundararajan, Fellow of the American Psychological Association; Past President of the Society for Humanistic Psychology) «I do not envy the author the labor of research he had to undergo into these anti-philosophers since each in his own way seeks to transcend language, rationality, and common sense and is thus purposefully obscurantist. But Steven L. Bindeman’s erudition and articulation has done the impossible by making sense of these original thinkers by exploring their purposes within their various cultural and personal contexts. I gained insight where I had only guesswork before, so I must highly recommend this fine book, especially as a highly readable ‘guide to the perplexed.’» (Gregory Michael Nixon, Professor of Educational Studies, University of Northern British Columbia)