Agamben's Ethics of the Happy Life: Beyond Nihilism and Morality

(Hardback)

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Ype de Boer invites you to rethink what you know about the philosophy of Giorgio Agamben. In a compelling and original argument, De Boer contends that, in the work of Agamben, ethics takes primacy over politics. Presenting a careful evaluation of Agambens overlooked contribution to ethics, this book explores his enigmatic yet central concept of the happy life. By reading Agambens philosophy in terms of a poetico-philosophical experiment a term coined by the Italian philosopher himself, and one through which he questions our very mode of existence De Boer assesses the variety of ethical paradigms that Agambens work offers. This not only challenges the widespread misconception of Agamben as the dark prophet known for his pessimistic, even nihilistic political critiques, but reveals how understanding the various facets of the happy life allows for a better appreciation of his attacks on the ethico-political condition. Agamben's Ethics and the Happy Life demonstrates that ultimately Agamben seeks to formulate an alternative notion of ethics, politics and ontology that will lead us out of nihilism. Tracing Agambens positive moral philosophy through his key works, including the seminal Homo Sacer series, De Boer uncovers how, for Agamben, a happy life is one directed not by responsibility, guilt, action and duty, but by receptivity, love, use and potentiality.

Reviews

This book has the potential to redefine the study of Agamben. It is a groundbreaking study which needs to be read by any scholar or student of Agambens work, or who is interested in how ethics can form the basis for a transformative philosophy. * Dr Tom Frost, Senior Lecturer, Kent Law School, University of Kent, UK *
One doesnt have to agree with Ype de Boers views of Agamben to reap the rewards of this book's reading of the provocative Italian philosopher as a fundamentally ethical thinker and as a poet of the good life. De Boer's interpretative lens offers readers an illuminating way of appreciating the ambiguities and continuities of Agamben's grammars, and thereby a way of reflecting anew on some of the most pressing dialogues in contemporary thought. * Vivian Liska, Director of the Institute of Jewish Studies, University of Antwerp and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author of German-Jewish Thought and Its Afterlife and Giorgio Agambens leerer Messianismus *
By emphasizing the ethical dimension of an author who is typically understood as a political thinker, Ype de Boers book breaks new ground, offering a new lens through which Agambens philosophical project can be understood. With a great deal of precision, and without succumbing to jargon, the book methodically reveals Agambens positive projectthe many stars I sketched in the margins are a testament to the books marvelous content. * Steven DeCaroli, Professor of Philosophy, Goucher College, USA *
Against those who read Agamben as a pessimistic political thinker, Ype de Boer presents a powerful affirmative account of his ethical thought. Clearly written and carefully argued, Agambens Ethics of the Happy Life challenges readers to fall in love with the world and allow themselves to be transformed by it. * Jessica Whyte, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of New South Wales, Australia *

Author Bio

Ype de Boer is Lecturer in Metaphysics and Philosophical Anthropology at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands and translator of the work of Giorgio Agamben.