{"title":"Hans Blumenberg","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the fascinating world of Hans Blumenberg, a renowned German philosopher known for his insightful exploration of human thought and perception. Blumenberg's works often delve into the realms of metaphors, myths, and the significance of language in shaping human understanding. His unique ability to weave complex ideas with clarity and wit makes his writings both intellectually stimulating and accessible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eLions\u003c\/em\u003e, Blumenberg invites readers on a philosophical journey that examines the symbolic powers and cultural significance of lions through history and intellectual tradition. This compelling analysis reflects his trademark style of combining historical detail with philosophical inquiry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Laughter of the Thracian Woman\u003c\/em\u003e showcases Blumenberg's talent for storytelling as he reimagines a legendary moment in philosophical history—when the Thracian woman laughed at Thales the philosopher for falling into a well while stargazing. This work reveals Blumenberg's nuanced understanding of the role of humour and distraction in human cognitive processes, offering profound insights into the human condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlumenberg's contributions to Philosophy \u0026amp; Psychology are revered for their depth and originality. His books are essential reading for anyone intrigued by the interplay between human culture and philosophical inquiry.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lions-by-hans-blumenberg-9780857428264","title":"Lions","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor distinguished philosopher Hans Blumenberg, lions were a life-long obsession. \u003ci\u003eLions\u003c\/i\u003e, translated by Kri Driscoll, collects thirty-two of Blumenberg's philosophical vignettes to reveal that the figure of the lion unites two of his other great preoccupations: metaphors and anecdotes as non-philosophical forms of knowledge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach of these short texts, sparkling with erudition and humour, is devoted to a peculiar leonine presence—or, in many cases, absence—in literature, art, philosophy, religion, and politics. From Ecclesiastes to the New Testament Apocrypha, from Henri Rousseau to Aesop and La Fontaine, and from Rilke and Thomas Mann, the extraordinary breadth of Blumenberg's knowledge and intellectual curiosity is on full display. \u003ci\u003eLions\u003c\/i\u003e has much to offer readers, both those already familiar with Blumenberg's oeuvre and newcomers seeking an introduction to the thought of one of Germany's most important postwar philosophers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Blumenberg was one of those rare figures, like Robert Burton or Goethe himself, who was able to read widely across disciplines and time periods while maintaining a detailed sense of the internal conflicts and complexities of each particular domain.’ - David Auerbach\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000672698604,"sku":"9780857428264","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/7208173482493.jpg?v=1763295432"},{"product_id":"the-laughter-of-the-thracian-woman-by-hans-blumenberg-9781623562304","title":"The Laughter of the Thracian Woman","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn important work by 20th-century philosopher Hans Blumenberg, here translated into English for the first time, \u003ci\u003eThe Laughter of the Thracian Woman\u003c\/i\u003e describes the reception history of an anecdote best known from Plato’s \u003ci\u003eTheaetetus\u003c\/i\u003e dialogue. While focused on observing the stars, the early astronomer and proto-philosopher Thales of Miletus fails to see a well directly in his path and tumbles down. A Thracian servant girl laughs, amused that he sought to understand what was above him when he was not mindful of what was right in front of him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBlumenberg sees the story as a highly sought substitute for our missing knowledge of the earliest historical events that would fit the label “theory.” By retelling the anecdote, philosophers reveal their distinctive values regarding absorption in curiosity, philosophy’s past, and the demand that theorists abide by sanctioned methods and procedures. In this work and others, Blumenberg demonstrates that philosophers’ most beloved images and anecdotes have become indispensable to philosophy \u003ci\u003eas\u003c\/i\u003e metaphors; that is, as representations whose meanings remain indefinite and invite frequent reinterpretation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000791023852,"sku":"9781623562304","price":65.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1127903482766.jpg?v=1763305184"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/hans-blumenberg.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}