Of Reality

Of Reality represents the fullness of Vattimo's philosophical journey, which places him at the heart of contemporary European thought. Realistic in the face of our post-metaphysical age, Vattimo's philosophy is rooted in a theological and political vision that should be taken with the utmost seriousness. -- David Jasper, Distinguished Overseas Professor, Renmin University of China A continuation of his lifelong engagement with Nietzsche and Heidegger, Of Reality provides a reflective summation of Gianni Vattimo's late thinking while also exemplifying a mode of hermeneutical philosophy that is politically engaged without being merely ideological and that is inspired not by the ideals of an unattainable utopia but by the need to stand against enslavement, domination, and suffering. This is a powerful work by one of the major figures in contemporary and twentieth-century philosophy. -- Jeff Malpas, University of Tasmania One of the great privileges I've had during my life was to attend Gianni Vattimo's Cardinal Mercier Chair lectures in Leuven and Gifford Lectures in Glasgow. While in the former the Italian philosopher ventured into the effects Nietzsche and Heidegger thought continues to have on philosophy, in the latter he individuated it's new enemy in the twenty-first century: 'new realism.' The return to reality these movement calls for is actually a return to order, in other words, to any alteration of the political and financial order we are submitted to today. Now that these lectures are available, together with new essays, I'm not afraid to describe this book as his magnum opus. -- Santiago Zabala, ICREA Research Professor at the Pompeu Fabra University An engaging and refreshing read for any serious student of philosophy. * Library Journal *