Philosophy has been more than an abstract search for truth or body of knowledge. It perfects one’s understanding by means of discussion and dialogue and personal, poetic, or dramatic investigation. Philosophers such as Socrates, Spinoza, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Foucault, and Derrida differ in almost every respect, yet they share a common method of practicing philosophy—not as a detached, intellectual discipline, but as a worldly art.

 

Through reading key philosophical texts from classical Greece to the present day, Roy Brand explores the fundamental role of passion, desire, and love in the development of western philosophy. He then examines the character of knowledge love has created. Love Knowledge returns to the long tradition of philosophy as an exercise not only of the mind but also of the soul, asking whether philosophy can shape and inform our lives and communities. Each chapter of the book focuses on a major philosopher’s seminal work and central motivation, opening with a brief biography encouraging readers to compare the philosopher’s life and worldview. “Popular philosophy” in the best sense, Love Knowledge proves the vitality and relevance of the discipline’s most important questions and perplexing texts. Steering clear of jargon without oversimplifying the narrative, the book draws readers into the active and emotional dimensions of knowledge production.

 

Roy Brand is a professor of philosophy at the Graduate School of Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem.

(Source: Columbia University Press)

Edited by Yang Min