Die "unermessliche Leichtigkeit und Zerbrechlichkeit des menschlichen Faktums." Jan Patočka und die Krise des Humanismus

Abstract

The "immeasurable lightness and fragility of the human fact." Jan Patočka and the Crisis of Humanism The article addresses Jan Patočka’s writings in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. The paper’s title – "The Immense Lightness and Fragility of the Human Fact" – is taken from a short, yet immensely crucial 1946 text of his that formulates a severe criticism of ideology/ideologies and eventually offers a profound questioning of humanist ideals. Accentuating his critique against the backdrop of Sartre's and Heidegger's contemporaneous challenges to humanism, the paper argues that Patočka debunks a misconceived "cult of the human being" and ideologies of progress while insisting on the integrity of a human life in confrontation with its inherent weakness and fragility.

Authors and Affiliations

Ludger Hagedorn

Keywords

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  • EP ID EP392698
  • DOI 10.25180/lj.v19i1.126
  • Views 51
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Ludger Hagedorn (2017). Die "unermessliche Leichtigkeit und Zerbrechlichkeit des menschlichen Faktums." Jan Patočka und die Krise des Humanismus. Labyrinth: An International Journal for Philosophy, Value Theory and Sociocultural Hermeneutics, 19(1), 46-62. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-392698