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--Criticism and interpretation.

Rowling, J. K.

Humility.

Knowledge, Theory of.

Ontology.

Postmodernism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (165 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Neither self-effacing modesty nor religious meekness, ontological 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.

Contents:

""Ontological Humility: Lord Voldemort and the Philosophers""; ""Contents""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Prologue: Defining Ontological Humility""; ""Chapter One: Epistemological Humility and Its Other""; ""Chapter Two: Ontological Humility in Heidegger""; ""Chapter Three: Existential Humility and Its Other""; ""Chapter Four: Postmodern Humility and Its Other""; ""Chapter Five: Feminist Humility""; ""Conclusion""; ""Notes""; ""Bibliography""; ""Index""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781461921387

1461921384

9781438445519

1438445512

OCLC:

831625489