The Impertinent Self

"Much negative (and sometimes positive) excitement was triggered by a pseudo-philosophical phrase about "the Death of the Subject" during the final decades of the 20th century. Today, we tend to see similar transformations in the ways that humans think and speak about themselves, in more sober—and sometimes even more sarcastic—terms. If Gianni Vattimo's "weak Subject" functioned for a long time as a modest alternative to a discourse of self-reflexive negativity, Josef Früchtl's "Impertinent Self" now offers a both realistic and entertaining option of Nietzschean flavor. His combination of profound scholarship and intellectual provocation will certainly appeal to the American reader." —Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Stanford University
"In this interesting book, Früchtl argues that the impertinent self collapses the distinction between the private and public, feeling free to announce publicly matters that once were considered intensely private. He is referring to the self as presented in memoirs, so-called reality shows, and talk shows.... The Impertinent Self will be useful for those with interests in cultural studies, film, and/or philosophy.... Recommended."—J. M. Fritzman, Choice