Strangers, Gods, and monsters : interpreting otherness / Richard Kearney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kearney, Richard.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Identity (Philosophical concept).

Identity (Psychology).

Difference (Philosophy).

Difference (Psychology).

Physical Description:

x, 294 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2003.

Summary:

Strangers, Gods and Monsters is a fascinating look at how human identity is shaped by three powerful but enigmatic forces. Often overlooked in accounts of how we think about ourselves and others, Richard Kearney skilfully shows, with the help of vivid illustrations, how the human outlook on the world is formed by the mysterious triumvirate of strangers, gods and monsters.

The first part of the book shows how the figure of the stranger - the 'barbarian' for ancient Greece, the 'savage' for imperial Europe - defines our own identity by the very idea that it is the Other, not we, who is unknown. Kearney then goes on to examine the image of the monster, and with the aid of powerful examples from ancient Minotaurs to medieval demons and postmodern enemies, argues that human selfhood itself frequently contains a monstrous element. In the final part of the book he explores how some gods are still alive for people today, testifying to the human psyche's yearning to slip the shackles of our finitude and death. Throughout, Richard Kearney shows how strangers, gods and monsters do not merely reside in myths or fantasies but constitute a central part of our cultural unconscious. Above all, he argues that until we better understand how the Other resonates deep within ourselves, we can have little hope of understanding how our most basic fears and desires manifest themselves in the external world and how we can learn to live with them.

Contents:

Introduction: strangers, gods and monsters 1

1 Strangers and scapegoats 23

2 Rights of sacrifice 47

3 Aliens and others 63

4 Evil, monstrosity and the sublime 83

5 On terror 109

6 Hamlet's ghosts: from Shakespeare to Joyce 141

7 Melancholy: between gods and monsters 163

8 The immemorial: a task of narrative 179

9 God or Khora? 191

10 Last gods and final things: faith and philosophy 213.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 233-291) and index.

ISBN:

0415272572

0415272580

OCLC:

50090174