Sybe Schaap

The Tragedy of Almightiness (eBook, ePUB)

Revaluing Ethical Life

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

The Tragedy of Almightiness encircles the theme of human yearning for omnipotence, as expressed in religion and various ideologies. The central question revolves around the matter of what--in pursuing such an extreme power of the will--man seeks to achieve. While exploring the question, a thought-provoking link is made between religion and atheism; between the Biblical longing for God's promise and the Marxist appeal for man to realize that same promise. Omnipotence must vouch for the fulfilling of the promise, for justice and for man's dream of redemption. However that is not where it ends. The longing for salvation turns out to have a dangerous reverse side to it because it encourages a turning away from the actual world and the all-pervading evil. Omnipotence also facilitates the avenging of such evil. History has shown what this kind of yearning can lead to. The book demonstrates how modernity translates Biblical longings into ideologically justified revengefulness. The description of this process leads to a plea for renewed ethical purpose in life. It is a challenge that also extends to religion. Hence the reason that it is necessary to depart from the idea of omnipotence.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wipf and Stock Publishers
• Seitenzahl: 268
• Erscheinungstermin: 6. Januar 2016
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781498233057
• Artikelnr.: 63255981

Autorenporträt

Sybe Schaap (Lemmer, The Netherlands, 1946) gained his doctorate in philosophy from the Free University of Amsterdam, after which he lectured at the Charles University in Prague. Schaap is active worldwide as a water management expert, holding a chair in water management at Delft University of Technology. He is a member of the Dutch Senate for the Dutch liberal party, VVD. Schaap has written five books on philosophy, with translations into German, Russian and Ukrainian.