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The Political Thought of Václav Havel
Philosophical Influences and Contemporary Applications
Series: - Value Inquiry Book Series, Volume: 295
- Central European Value Studies, Volume: 295
Author:
The book considers Václav Havelâs body of writing as a cohesive whole offering a consistent political philosophy. This bold claim is backed up through a close examination of Havelâs plays, letters, essays and aphorisms. The political philosophy that a close reading of Havel reveals is a liberal one. However, Havel is not the run-of the-mill liberal having influences from the field of phenomenology, Masaryk, Husserl, Levinas PatoÄka and Heidegger which give him a nuanced view of the self. Havel sees the self as something always being formed. Hence for Havel man has an ability to âshakeâ his current state and invite transcendence into his life. This agonistic process reveals our responsibility and liberates the self from forces which coerce behaviour.
Dr Daniel Brennan, PhD (2013), Bond University, is a Senior Teaching Fellow at that University. He has published articles on the thought of Jan PatoÄka and Vaclav Havel, as well as in the area of political and social philosophy.
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1. Themes in Havelâs Thought
Chapter 2. The Influence of Jan PatoÄka
Chapter 3. Further PatoÄkean Ideas in Havelâs Thought
Chapter 4. Living in Truth as an Existential Concept
Chapter 5. Havelâs Concern for Meaningful Political Discourse
Chapter 6. Václav Havelâs Political Thought as a Liberal Philosophy.
Chapter 7. Havelâs Liberal Agonism
Chapter 8. Conclusion: Havel and the Neoliberal State
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
Chapter 1. Themes in Havelâs Thought
Chapter 2. The Influence of Jan PatoÄka
Chapter 3. Further PatoÄkean Ideas in Havelâs Thought
Chapter 4. Living in Truth as an Existential Concept
Chapter 5. Havelâs Concern for Meaningful Political Discourse
Chapter 6. Václav Havelâs Political Thought as a Liberal Philosophy.
Chapter 7. Havelâs Liberal Agonism
Chapter 8. Conclusion: Havel and the Neoliberal State
Bibliography
Index
Political philosophers interested in liberalism, agonism, political elements of phenomenology and anyone concerned with East and Central European dissidence.