Inventing "Humanity": Early-modern perspectives

László Kontler*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Book/Report typesChapterpeer-review

Abstract (may include machine translation)

This essay addresses a crucial chapter in the development of the modern concept of humanity (mankind, humanité, Menschheit )in European culture.¹Rather than a n empirical study based on primary research, it is an attempt to sketch an analytical framework for approaching and understanding a broad array of specific historical topics and phenomena within the parameters of an encompassing theme.T he methodological assumption at its heart is trivial; our concept o f“humanity”is not an intrinsic one, but a contextually defined cultural product shaped by processes of philosophical, historical, social-anthropological, and political self-reflection, and of encounter with“others”in modern times, which all raised important and disturbing questions about the differentiae specifica of the humankind.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPassions, Politics and the Limits of Society
EditorsHeikki Haara, Koen Stapelbroek, Mikko Immanen
PublisherDe Gruyter
Pages25-46
Number of pages22
ISBN (Electronic)9783110679861
ISBN (Print)9783110679793
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Inventing "Humanity": Early-modern perspectives'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this