Philosophy and the Book: Early Modern Figures of Material Inscription

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Philosophy and the Book examines the philosophical mobilization of metaphors for print, inscription, reading and knowledge organization in early modern philosophical texts in continental Europe. Primarily engaging with the work of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz and Bayle while also touching on Valla, Gassendi, Hobbes, Lamy, and others, the book explores the effect the explosion of early modern print technology, textual distribution and related cultural practices had on the early modern philosophical imagination. Daniel Selcer foregrounds a series of figures that were extremely important to many early modern philosophers as they sought to develop positions on the nature of the material world and our knowledge of it. He explores significant questions for the history of early modern philosophy in relation to the problem of the materiality of philosophical discourse and counterpoises these considerations with approaches in late twentieth-century continental philosophy, such as Foucaultian archaeology and Derridean deconstruction. Finally, through rhetorical analysis and historical contextualization, Selcer begins to sketch an ontology of the page'.

Reviews

A fascinating, erudite, and insightful book. Selcer's use of figures of material inscription' - from books and letters to the library and the encyclopedia - to interrogate the great questions of early modern philosophy - matter and spirit, space and time, chance and necessity, ignorance and knowledge - is inspired and rewarding. Selcer doesn't merely track down metaphors, but does philosophy, working where all philosophy must, at the intersection of the corporeal and the conceptual. A tremendously enjoyable intellectual experience. -- John Protevi, Louisiana State University, USA
This is a thoughtful and interesting book that deals intelligently with the materialist theories of a number of influential Continental philosophers and as such is particularly useful for students of early modern philosophy interested in some of the ways that the subject interacted with print culture. -- English Historical Review, vol. CXXVI, no 523
Philosophy and the Book... is a challenging account, offering novel readings of key writings by Bayle, Leibniz, Descartes and Spinoza, and new models for our own engagements with the printed page and its successors. -- Forum for Modern Language Studies, vol 48, no 1

Author Bio

Daniel Selcer is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Duquesne University, USA.