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Gianni Vattimo
Philosopher, Communist, Catholic, Nihilist
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Thomas Jared Farmer
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2025
About this book
Gianni Vattimo (1936–2023) was among the most significant Italian philosophers of the last fifty years. A controversial figure both at home and abroad, he sometimes described himself paradoxically as a “nihilist” and as a “communist Catholic.” Despite his provocations—and unusually for an academic philosopher—he served two terms in the European Parliament. For decades, Vattimo was at the forefront of developments in continental philosophy, spanning hermeneutics, postmodernity, and the “return to religion.” Drawing on the work of figures such as Heidegger, Marx, Nietzsche, Gadamer, Rorty, and Kuhn, Vattimo constructed his signature concept of “weak thought,” a way of approaching the persistent problems of ideology, violence, and social division after the so-called end of metaphysics.
In this book, Thomas Jared Farmer provides a groundbreaking examination of Vattimo’s life and work. He considers the distinctive contributions that Vattimo made to postmodern thought as well as to recent debates in political philosophy and religion. This book provides an accessible introduction to Vattimo’s overall philosophical project while also contextualizing it through discussions of important intellectual figures, key events in Italian history, and details about his personal trajectory. Authoritative and comprehensive, it is an indispensable companion to the works of one of the most original thinkers to emerge in the second half of the twentieth century.
In this book, Thomas Jared Farmer provides a groundbreaking examination of Vattimo’s life and work. He considers the distinctive contributions that Vattimo made to postmodern thought as well as to recent debates in political philosophy and religion. This book provides an accessible introduction to Vattimo’s overall philosophical project while also contextualizing it through discussions of important intellectual figures, key events in Italian history, and details about his personal trajectory. Authoritative and comprehensive, it is an indispensable companion to the works of one of the most original thinkers to emerge in the second half of the twentieth century.
Reviews
Thomas Jared Farmer's excellent biography of Gianni Vattimo gives an account of his prestigious academic career and turbulent political life, introduces his important theoretical contributions, and reveals their formative effect on twentieth-century postmetaphysical philosophy, religion, and politics. Indispensable.
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After Gianni Vattimo’s sparkling “collaborative autobiography,” Not Being God, his thought comes alive a second time thanks to Thomas Jared Farmer’s carefully researched and lucidly written study. The role of Catholicism in Vattimo’s intellectual biography and the place of religion in his philosophy receive particular attention. To my mind, however, the crucial point is this: “weak thought” (pensiero debole), which Vattimo pioneered, should not be forgotten because today its theoretical practice is more necessary than ever before.
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Gianni Vattimo's thought continues to inform some of the most important discussions of contemporary philosophy and religion. With this groundbreaking intellectual biography, Farmer provides not only a comprehensive overview of Vattimo's life and work but also an insightful interpretive analysis. You can’t really know Vattimo unless you read it!
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Frontmatter
i -
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CONTENTS
vii -
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PREFACE
ix -
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INTRODUCTION
1 -
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I PHILOSOPHY
37 -
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II RELIGION
111 -
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III REFLECTION
155 -
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EPILOGUE
213 -
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CHRONOLOGY
223 -
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NOTES
237 -
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
307 -
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WORKS BY VATTIMO
309 -
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
319 -
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INDEX
349
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
December 23, 2025
eBook ISBN:
9780231564915
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9780231564915
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
