Central and East European
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The rational constitution of evil

reflections on Franz Baermann Steiner's critique of philosophy

Michael Mack

pp. 105-114

Abstract

This chapter contributes to an analysis of philosophy's involvement in genocide by exploring the work of Franz Baermann Steiner (1909–52), a Prague poet and Oxford anthropologist whose critique of philosophy was developed against the background of the Holocaust. The epigraph from Imre Kertész's novel goes to the heart of Steiner's philosophical investigation of philosophy, which emphasizes that, far from being irrational, evil is impregnated by and with reason.

Publication details

Published in:

Roth John K. (2005) Genocide and human rights: a philosophical guide. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Pages: 105-114

DOI: 10.1057/9780230554832_9

Full citation:

Mack Michael (2005) „The rational constitution of evil: reflections on Franz Baermann Steiner's critique of philosophy“, In: J. K. Roth (ed.), Genocide and human rights, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 105–114.