Philosophical-Political Profiles

"At the hands of a minor talent, profiles are often flat,two-dimensional outlines of a thinker's intellectualphysiognomy. At the hands of a master like Jürgen Habermas,they can become something far more substantial and profound. Withastonishing economy, Habermas sketches his impressions of thegiants of recent German thought, several of whom were his personalmentors. For those of his readers accustomed to the demandinglyabstract level of his theoretical work, the results will prove awelcome surprise. Without sacrificing any of the rigor andbrilliance of those longer studies, he displays a remarkableability to combine depth with brevity. Philosophical-PoliticalProfiles not only adds a new dimension to our understanding of theintellectual odyssey of Germany's leading contemporarythinker but also provides a series of stunning insights into thethought of the generation that preceded him." Martin Jay, University of California, Berkley "With enormous sensitivity, judiciousness, and critical insight,Habermas engages in dialogue with many of the leadingGerman-trained intellectuals of our time-including Heidegger,Jaspers, Löwith, Bloch, Adorno, Benjamin, Marcuse, Arendt,Gadamer, Scholem, and others. These essays range over the mostcentral and vital issues of contemporary life. Whether dealing withJewish mysticism or critiques of modernity, Habermas is alwaysilluminating and incisive. These essays can serve as an excellentintroduction to his thinking. They also help to situate histheoretical work by revealing his deepest concerns." Richard Bernstein, The New School for Social Research