German Political Thought and the Discourse of Platonism

German Political Thought and the Discourse of Platonism “Tis book is a genuine tour de force. Paul Bishop reads the tradition of German political thought through the prism of the allegory of the cave in Plato’s Republic. His aim is not merely to re-contextualise and re-interpret, but to reveal the continued relevance of the history of ideas to our own time. In a series of penetrating interpretations ranging from Plato and Aristotle via Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche to Heidegger, Adorno, and Habermas, he addresses the central challenges of modernity—such as the rela- tion between the individual and society, the promises and pitfalls of economic development, and the role of the state. Tis is an original and engaging way into the intricacies of German thought. Supremely erudite yet invariably acces- sible, the book works on two levels: undergraduate students will be able to use it as a general introduction, while scholars will beneft from its interpretative subtleties and historical insights. German Political Tought and the Discourse of Platonism is one of the most fascinating philosophical studies I have read in a long time.” —Henk de Berg is Professor of German at the University of Shefeld, UK, and co-editor of Modern German Tought from Kant to Habermas (2012) “Paul Bishop ofers a stunning revision of political thinking via Plato and his continued presence in German philosophy. Plato’s Cave is the famous allegory that depicts humans as doomed to remain prisoners deluded by shadows on the cave wall when their only hope of freedom is to focus on the mystical fre itself. In a powerful analysis of foundational dialogues with Plato from Aristotle and Rousseau to moderns such as Nietzsche, Marx, the Frankfurt School and Habermas, Bishop ofers a compelling argument about the nature of politics in the twenty-frst century. Do we build societies based upon the revolutionary potential of individual consciousness or must we provide an Ideal model after the example of Plato? Digging for the Platonic heart of the German philosophical heritage, German Political Tought and the Discourse of Platonism plots new routes into who we are and how we got here. Tis book is a must for political scien- tists, German scholars, philosophers and all who seek positive visions for a viable global future.” —Susan Rowland is Chair of the Engaged Humanities and the Creative Life M.A. at Pacifca Graduate Institute, USA. Her recent book is Remembering Dionysus (2017) “Paul Bishop’s new book takes us on an absorbing journey through the history of German political thought. Bishop’s central premise is that the discourse of Platonism provides a gateway to understanding the connections between thinkers ranging from Kant to Habermas. With clarity and concision, Bishop brings the reader to a deeper comprehension of the German engagement with Platonism. Tis book will appeal to anyone interested in the continuity of German thought and its observations on fundamental questions regarding human interaction with the world.” —James M. Skidmore is Associate Professor of German Studies and Director of the Waterloo Centre for German Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada Paul Bishop German Political Thought and the Discourse of Platonism Finding the Way Out of the Cave Paul Bishop School of Modern Languages and Cultures University of Glasgow Glasgow, UK ISBN 978-3-030-04509-8 ISBN 978-3-030-04510-4 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04510-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018962021 © Te Editor(s) (if applicable) and Te Author(s) 2019 Tis work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifcally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microflms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Te use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifc statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Te publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Te publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional afliations. Cover image: © Plato’s Cave 122cm 183cm Oil on Canvas by Lalita Hamill × Tis Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG Te registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Tose who do not move do not notice their chains. ~ (Rosa Luxemburg, attrib.) It is easier to perceive error than to fnd truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it. ~ (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, MuR, §166) Te more people chant about their freedom and now free they are, Te more loudly I hear their chains rattling. ~ (George Orwell, attrib.) Preface In the centre of Glasgow it is a short distance from Central Station to the River Clyde and the several bridges that span it for the use of trafc, for trains, or for pedestrians. Glasgow Bridge (or Jamaica Street Bridge) was built between 1895 and 1899, replacing an earlier seven-arched bridge that had been built in classical style by Tomas Telford in 1833 (itself a replacement for a yet earlier bridge built in 1772) but had subse- quently proved to be too narrow and too shallow. From Glasgow Bridge one can see the remains of another bridge, since disappeared: the frst Caledonian Railway Bridge, built between 1876 and 1878. Tis wrought iron bridge carried four tracks, supported on giant cast iron cylinders sunk to the bedrock—all flled with concrete, and extended above the riverbed with great pillars of Dalbeattie granite.1 Tese massive pillars, now redundant, bear the following inscriptions in Greek and English: ΤΑ ΓΑΡ ΔΗ ΜΕΓΑΛΑ ΠΑΝΤΑ ΕΠΙΣΦΑΛΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΛΕΓΟΜΕΝΟΝ ΤΑ ΚΑΛΑ ΤΩΙ ΟΝΤΙ ΧΑΛΕΠΑ vii viii Preface ALL GREATNESS STANDS FIRM IN THE STORM It is tempting to read these inscriptions as a typical Neoclassical Victorian statement of confdence in the industrial future of Glasgow, but in fact these inscriptions are much more recent. In 1990, the art- ist Ian Hamilton Finlay won a commission from a project organised by Television South West Arts entitled New Works for Diferent Places: TWSA Four Cities Project (the cities in question being Derry, Glasgow, Newcastle, and Plymouth). Ian Hamilton Finlay’s design for a work of public art in Glasgow involved inscribing the words now found on these pillars, but what does the quotation mean? Te phrase is, in fact, a quotation from book 6 of Plato’s Republic, based on the translation into German made by the German philoso- pher, Martin Heidegger (1889–1976). It can be found in the conclud- ing paragraphs of his Rectoral Address, made in 1933 to the University of Freiburg, and it is a problematic translation in what is widely regarded as a controversial speech. Leaving aside (for now) the con- troversy surrounding Heidegger’s address, the original Greek, τὰ γὰρ δὴ μεγάλα πάντα ἐπισϕαλῆ, καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον τὰ καλὰ τῷ ὄντι χαλεπά, could also be translated as “for all great things are precarious, and, as the proverb truly says, ‘fne things are hard.’” In some respects, the English version seems (as Lairich Rig has pointed out) directly contrary to the meaning of Plato’s statement, for the English translation says that great things endure, while the Greek text says that great things are hard to achieve, emphasizing instead their instability and their impermanence (ἐπισϕαλής: “prone to fall, unstable, precarious”; Liddell & Scott, 9 edn.]). Few people crossing the bridge seem to notice the quotations (although maybe the members of the short-lived Glasgow rock band, Midnight Lion, did; see their 2011 song, “All Greatness Stands Firm”). Yet these inscriptions, as recent as they are, serve as a reminder of the persistence of Platonic thought which, like the pair of granite pillars, stands strong—even if it is not regarded, like the pillars, as any longer Preface ix fulflling a useful function. Although this is not a book about Glasgow, but about German Political Tought, Ian Hamilton Findlay’s choice for his inscription of a quotation from Plato, following the translation made by Heidegger, provides us with a suitable symbol for the surpris- ing presence of the Republic in the hustle and bustle of a great city as, in the background, the trains trundle noisily over the second Caledonian Railway Bridge into and out of Central Station; and maybe it might prompt us to ponder the truth or otherwise of Plato’s assertion—however one chooses to translate it. While the central theme of this volume may at frst sight appear obscure, or even quirky, this book has been written in the conviction that it is neither of these things (however inadequate its treatment in the following pages may be) but in fact of major signifcance. For we live in a time when the focus on all things German—the enduring success- fulness of the German economy, the role of German economic policy in determining the fate of the euro zone, the German response to the refugee crisis—keeps growing by the day.

Load more