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    Philosophy Between the Lines: The Lost History of Esoteric Writing
    Unavailable
    Philosophy Between the Lines: The Lost History of Esoteric Writing
    Unavailable
    Philosophy Between the Lines: The Lost History of Esoteric Writing
    Ebook768 pages10 hours

    Philosophy Between the Lines: The Lost History of Esoteric Writing

    By Arthur M. Melzer

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    About this ebook

    Philosophical esotericism—the practice of communicating one’s unorthodox thoughts “between the lines”—was a common practice until the end of the eighteenth century. The famous Encyclopédie of Diderot, for instance, not only discusses this practice in over twenty different articles, but admits to employing it itself. The history of Western thought contains hundreds of such statements by major philosophers testifying to the use of esoteric writing in their own work or others’. Despite this long and well-documented history, however, esotericism is often dismissed today as a rare occurrence. But by ignoring esotericism, we risk cutting ourselves off from a full understanding of Western philosophical thought.
               
    Arthur M. Melzer serves as our deeply knowledgeable guide in this capacious and engaging history of philosophical esotericism. Walking readers through both an ancient (Plato) and a modern (Machiavelli) esoteric work, he explains what esotericism is—and is not. It relies not on secret codes, but simply on a more intensive use of familiar rhetorical techniques like metaphor, irony, and insinuation. Melzer explores the various motives that led thinkers in different times and places to engage in this strange practice, while also exploring the motives that lead more recent thinkers not only to dislike and avoid this practice but to deny its very existence. In the book’s final section, “A Beginner’s Guide to Esoteric Reading,” Melzer turns to how we might once again cultivate the long-forgotten art of reading esoteric works.

    Philosophy Between the Lines is the first comprehensive, book-length study of the history and theoretical basis of philosophical esotericism, and it provides a crucial guide to how many major writings—philosophical, but also theological, political, and literary—were composed prior to the nineteenth century.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press
    Release dateSep 9, 2014
    ISBN9780226175126

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    Reviews for Philosophy Between the Lines

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    • 5/5
      This book, ostensibly about a recherche aspect of pre-Enlightenment rhetoric, is in fact a repository of philosophical speculation. While the subject is the use of disguised meaning in historical texts, the various reasons for employing esoteric subterfuge lead to intriguing digressions on such topics as the modern insistence that theory be consistent with practice, the impact of globalization on speculative thought, and the rise of historicism in recent interpretations of the intellectual past. If for nothing else, it rehabilitates Leo Strauss as something more than a political crank. I loved this book!
    • 3/5
      This took so long time for me to finish. It's really a series of related essays on the topic, with a certain amount of referential overlap that was more obvious to me when I got to the end. The final section on Rationality vs Historicism is quite dry and the arguments given are abstract and not grounded in many examples. I did enjoy learning about the history of esoteric writing.
    • 4/5
      I am convinced. I also appreciate that this book itself is written esoterically. Of course the problem which is considered in the book is that my understanding of the true meaning might be contrary to the author's intention.