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Sklaven ohne Herrn

Goethes Faust als moderner Führer
  • Clemens Pornschlegel
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In Need of a Master
This chapter is in the book In Need of a Master

Abstract

The article “Slaves Without Masters” presents Goethe’s Faust (in part two of the drama) as a pioneer of modern economic thinking. Religion no longer plays a role in his world of technical-scientific perfection, as every form of transcendence collapses into immanence of production processes. Especially the end of the drama illustrates this, because here, through a huge colonization enterprise with Faust as the leader of modern technological knowledge, land is to be gained on a large scale for the purpose of economic expansion. Max Weber’s secularization thesis is anticipated here. This world, which Faust calls his own, is solely organized by economic standards as the singular yardstick of the difference between truth and knowledge.

Abstract

The article “Slaves Without Masters” presents Goethe’s Faust (in part two of the drama) as a pioneer of modern economic thinking. Religion no longer plays a role in his world of technical-scientific perfection, as every form of transcendence collapses into immanence of production processes. Especially the end of the drama illustrates this, because here, through a huge colonization enterprise with Faust as the leader of modern technological knowledge, land is to be gained on a large scale for the purpose of economic expansion. Max Weber’s secularization thesis is anticipated here. This world, which Faust calls his own, is solely organized by economic standards as the singular yardstick of the difference between truth and knowledge.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Introduction: Political Theologies in the Era of Immanence 1
  4. I Figurations of the Master
  5. Sklaven ohne Herrn 21
  6. Sovereignty Figures in the History of the ‘Finance Regime’ 35
  7. Im Namen des Vaters 49
  8. Spinoza on the Death of the Master 71
  9. Enmity as Cast Shadow of Love 93
  10. Meister, Väter und Surrogate 111
  11. II Identity – Diversity – Singularity
  12. Cis: The Rightist Appropriation of Identity Politics and its Boundaries 145
  13. In Need of A Master 165
  14. The Sovereignty of Subversion 187
  15. Total Fidelity? 205
  16. III Post-Political Theology
  17. Das Relative als das Absolute? 221
  18. Theopolitics Today 253
  19. Smashing Words 271
  20. On the Abuses and Uses of Political Theology 285
  21. List of contributors 307
  22. Index 311
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110699241-003

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Table of Contents V
  3. Introduction: Political Theologies in the Era of Immanence 1
  4. I Figurations of the Master
  5. Sklaven ohne Herrn 21
  6. Sovereignty Figures in the History of the ‘Finance Regime’ 35
  7. Im Namen des Vaters 49
  8. Spinoza on the Death of the Master 71
  9. Enmity as Cast Shadow of Love 93
  10. Meister, Väter und Surrogate 111
  11. II Identity – Diversity – Singularity
  12. Cis: The Rightist Appropriation of Identity Politics and its Boundaries 145
  13. In Need of A Master 165
  14. The Sovereignty of Subversion 187
  15. Total Fidelity? 205
  16. III Post-Political Theology
  17. Das Relative als das Absolute? 221
  18. Theopolitics Today 253
  19. Smashing Words 271
  20. On the Abuses and Uses of Political Theology 285
  21. List of contributors 307
  22. Index 311
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