The Unfinished Project Toward a Postmetaphysical Humanism

As humanity becomes increasingly interconnected through globalization, the question of whether community is possible within culturally diverse societies has returned as a principal concern for contemporary thought. Lorenzo Simpson charges that the current discussion is stuck at an impasse--between postmodernism's notions of fragmented cultural difference and what some see as humanism's homogeneous versions of community. Simpson proposes an alternative--one that bridges cultural differences without erasing them. He argues that we must establish common languages for articulating aesthetic and ethical standards that incorporate a sensitivity to difference if we are to achieve cross-cultural understanding.

Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: Humanism, Postmodernism , and Irony; I. Historical Considerations; 1. On Arnold and Herder: The Idea of Culture and the Idea of Difference 2. Musical Interlude: Adorno on Jazz, Or How Not to Fuse Horizons; II. The Unfinished Project; 3. Critical Theory and the Politics of Recognition; 4. Situated Cosmopolitanism; 5. Postmodern Rejoinders; Epilogue: Towards a Humanistic Multiculturalism; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Lorenzo C. Simpson is Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His most recent book is Technology, Time, and the Conversations of Modernity (Routledge, 1995).