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Lookup NU author(s): Professor David RoseORCiD
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Department of Philosophy, DePaul University, 2016.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
Vattimo’s political liberalism often sits uncomfortably with his non-foundational commitments. The attempt to disentangle postmodern thought from moral relativism is seen as a disingenuous strategy: one either arbitrarily adopts liberal values or does so because it is part of our tradition. Most readers of Vattimo see his real position as depending on the very metaphysical foundations which he denies to other thinkers. One answer may well be to distinguish metaphysics from ontology and show that Vattimo’s justification of liberalism arises from his philosophical context, the original oscillation between Heidegger and Nietzsche.The tension between the quietism of the former and the radical overcoming of the latter, however, remains uncomfortable given Heidegger's own description of Nietzsche as the last metaphysician. The present paper maintains that Vattimo’s justification is often not properly understood because it is peculiarly Italian and belongs to a tradition which, since the Italian humanists sought a pluralist account of truth derived from the human being’s peculiar position as the imaginative creature. As such, he offers a distinctly unique form of political liberalism.
Author(s): Rose DE
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Philosophy Today
Year: 2016
Volume: 60
Issue: 3
Pages: 621-640
Print publication date: 01/07/2016
Online publication date: 14/07/2016
Acceptance date: 02/04/2016
Date deposited: 31/05/2016
ISSN (print): 0031-8256
ISSN (electronic): 2329-8596
Publisher: Department of Philosophy, DePaul University
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5840/philtoday2016712123
DOI: 10.5840/philtoday2016712123
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