The Moment of: Western Thought in the Realm of Modernity

Author: Liu Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: This book explores various topics within the realm of modernity by examining the research and writings of Western thinkers and scholars such as Habermas, Arendt, Schmitt, Berlin, Popper, Kolakowski, Skinner, and Pokok. It discusses issues such as the legitimacy of knowledge and politics, liberalism, pluralism, nationalism, republicanism, and the Enlightenment tradition and utopian thought. The author argues that viewing modernity as a homogeneous whole is an illusion. Modernity is internally characterized by complex diversity and tension. Modern Enlightenment carries the tendency of "rational arrogance" while also encompassing self-doubt and a critical stance. The diagnosis of the modern crisis does not necessarily force us to choose between "arrogant scientific hubris" and "irrational nihilism." This extreme binary notion itself is a typical symptom of modern thought. Modernity remains a "living" and evolving reality, and its future prospects hold multiple possibilities. It is precisely the uncertainty of the modern world that invites us to embrace a cautious rationalism, a critical thinking that transcends binary oppositions, and a practical philosophy highly sensitive to historical and contemporary circumstances, thereby exploring potential pathways to address the challenges of modernity.