Seeking to discover what we can learn about the meaning of evil and human
responsibility, the author turns to philosophers such as Kant, who coined the
expression 'radical evil', as well as to Hegel and Schelling. He also examines
more recent explorations of evil, namely the thinking of Freud and Nietzsche on
the moral psychology of evil.At present, there is an enormous gulf between the visibility of evil and
the paucity of our intellectual resources for coming to grips with it. We have
been flooded with images of death camps, terrorist attacks and horrendous human
suffering. Yet when we ask what we mean by radical evil and how we are to
account for it, we seem to be at a loss for proper responses. Bernstein seeks
to discover what we can learn about the meaning of evil and human
responsibility. He turns to philosophers such as Kant, who coined the
expression 'radical evil', as well as to Hegel and Schelling. He also examines
more recent explorations of evil, namely the thinking of Freud and Nietzsche on
the moral psychology of evil. Finally, he looks at the way in which three
post-Holocaust thinkers - Emmanuel Levinas, Hans Jonas, and Hannah Arendt -
have sought to come to grips with evil "after Auschwitz." Bernstein's primary
concern throughout this challenging book is to enrich and deepen our
understanding of evil in the contemporary world, and to emphasize the vigilance
and personal responsibility required for combating it.; "Radical Evil" will be essential reading for students and scholars of
philosophy, social and political theory, and religious studies.
