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Dynamic Reading

Studies in the Reception of Epicureanism

Brooke Holmes author W H Shearin author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc

Published:24th May '12

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Dynamic Reading cover

Dynamic Reading examines the reception history of Epicurean philosophy through a series of eleven case studies, which range chronologically from the latter days of the Roman Republic to late twentieth-century France and America. Rather than attempting to separate an original Epicureanism from its later readings and misreadings, this collection studies the philosophy together with its subsequent reception, focusing in particular on the ways in which it has provided terms and conceptual tools for defining how we read and respond to texts, artwork, and the world more generally. Whether it helps us to characterize the "swerviness" of literary influence, the transformative effects of philosophy, or the "events" that shape history, Epicureanism has been a dynamic force in the intellectual history of the West. These essays seek to capture some of that dynamism.

Dynamic Reading is an exciting experiment in perspective. Eleven essays by a range of distinguished scholars come at the Epicurean inheritance from radically different angles, from an ancient Roman who starved himself to death to Mark Rothko, from a 'whore's doctrine of pleasure' to the philosophy of Giles Deleuze. The volume bears witness to the haunting ambiguity of Epicureanism and to its continuing vitality. * Stephen Greenblatt, author of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern *

ISBN: 9780199794959

Dimensions: 218mm x 145mm x 36mm

Weight: 612g

416 pages