Ontological humility : Lord Voldemort and the philosophers / Nancy J. Holland.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holland, Nancy J. (Nancy Jean)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rowling, J. K.

Humility.

Knowledge, Theory of.

Ontology.

Postmodernism.

Rowling, J. K--Criticism and interpretation.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

ix, 155 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Albany, NY : SUNY Press, [2013]

Summary:

Neither self-effacing modesty nor religious meekness, onto-logical humility is a moral and philosophical attitude toward transcendence-the unknown and unknowable background of existence-and a recognition and awareness of the contingency and chance that influence the course of our lives. It is a concept that Nancy J. Holland finds both throughout the history of philosophy and across the volumes of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Tracing it through, the philosophical thought of figures ranging from Descartes, Hume, and Kant to Heidegger, Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and Derrida, Holland uses the Harry Potter saga as a guide to illustrate the concept, revealing a whole set of ethical imperatives. Connecting the concept to contemporary gender and race theory, she demonstrates its implications both for our understanding of the philosophical tradition and for the way we live our own lives. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Epistemological Humility and Its Other 23

Chapter 2 Ontological Humility in Heidegger 45

Chapter 3 Existential Humility and Its Other 67

Chapter 4 Postmodern Humility and Its Other 89

Chapter 5 Feminist Humility 111.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781438445502

1438445504

9781438445496

1438445490

OCLC:

786161589