Texte remanié de: Diss.--Katholisch-theologische Fakultät--Universität Münster, 1993. / Notes bibliogr. Bibliogr. p. 190-228.

Texte remanié de: Diss.--Katholisch-theologische Fakultät--Bonn--Rheinische-Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, 1999. / Bibliogr. p. 373-409. Index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 307-320).

Univ., Diss.--Berlin, 2003. / Literaturverz. S. [409] - 423.

This dissertation reconstructs German philosopher Hans Blumenberg’s theory of language in its intellectual and historical context. It shows how Blumenberg develops an original interpretation of language as a “weak” medium of expression, and offers an approach to Blumenberg’s whole oeuvre by tracing the changes he makes to this conception over the course of his career. In a first phase, Blumenberg develops a notion of language that is based on intersubjective situatedness, which both accounts for the impossibility of language to ever reach full objectivity, as Edmund Husserl set out to do, and language’s function to infer this intersubjectivity as the historical understanding of the reality in which it arose. The systematic investigation of these “concepts of reality” Blumenberg calls “historical phenomenology,” and it informs his thought up to the late nineteen-sixties. In a second phase, Blumenberg turns away from the philosophy of history and toward anthropology; now, intersubjectivity is no longer an exclusively linguistic phenomenon. Language loses its dominant status and is incorporated into a “phenomenological anthropology” that studies all productions of meaning—be they linguistic or otherwise—as “significances.” Here, language is one tool among others for human survival. In tracing these changes, the thesis contextualizes both Blumenberg’s major works and discusses unknown archival material. In addition to a new assessment of Blumenberg’s biographical background, the thesis addresses his metaphorology, his literary theory, and, in particular, his theory of liberalism.

Texte remanié de: Diss.--New Haven (Conn.)--Yale university. / Bibliogr. p. 253-268. Index.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis, 'shadow' is investigated as an object of thought and (analogically connected to this) of perception. This dialectical process is structured through means of a series of experiments and Plato's allegory of the cave, which is interpreted as a process directed towards selfconciousness. This process is further explained through thinkers such as, Blumenberg, Heidegger, Levinas en Voegelin. The purpose of this study is to break with the self-evident way in which 'shadow' is 'normally' treated and to bring back about a sense of astonishment for it. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis word die 'skaduwee' as waarnemingsobjek en (analogies verwant daaraan) as denkobjek ondersoek. Hierdie dialektiese proses word gestruktureerd met behulp van 'n aantal eksperimente en Plato se grotgelykenis, wat geinterpreteer word as programmaties van die proses van selfbewuswording. Hierdie proses word verder toegelig aan die hand van denkers soos Blumenberg, Heidegger, Levinas en Voegelin. Die doel van die ondersoek is om die vanselfsprekendheid waarmee daar met die fenomeen van die skaduwee omgegaan word te deurbreek en weer verwondering daarvoor op te roep. / NEDERLANDSTALIGE SAMENVATTING: In deze thesis wordt de 'schaduw' als waarnemingsobject en (analogisch verwant daaraan) als denkobject onderzocht. Dit dialectische proces wordt gestructureerd met behulp van een aantal experimenten en Plato's grotvergelijking, die geïnterpreteerd worden als een proces gericht op zeltbewustwording. Dit proces wordt verder toegelicht aan de hand van denkers zoals, Blumenberg, Heidegger, Levinas en Voegelin. Het doel van het onderzoek is om de vanzelfsprekendheid waarmee met het fenomeen van de 'schaduw' omgegaan wordt, te doorbreken en er opnieuw verwondering voor op te roepen.