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The Terrible Children of Modernity: An Antigenealogical Experiment
Peter Sloterdijk is among the most acclaimed and widely read philosophers of the past half-century. Called “Germany’s most controversial thinker” by the New Yorker, he has challenged and provoked readers worldwide with extraordinarily ambitious and wide-ranging works of philosophical and cultural critique. In The Terrible Children of Modernity, Sloterdijk offers a magisterial and profound investigation into the vicissitudes of historical change and the nature of modernity.
For Sloterdijk, modernity is defined by its need to break with the past. Moderns are perpetual rebels who seek to sever the ties of tradition and forms of inheritance that bind generations and eras together. With deep philosophical, historical, and literary range, he traces this antigenealogical experiment from the French Revolution onward, from Madame de Pompadour and Napoleon through Nietzsche, Marx, Wagner, the Dadaists, and Deleuze. Acutely aware of the destructive potential of cultural discontinuities, Sloterdijk is no less critical of the “fathers” who condemn change than the “terrible children” who seek a drastic rupture with their predecessors. Equally concerned with the grand sweep of history and our current predicaments, he instead calls for new ways to live together in the intersubjectivity of the human condition. Incisive and daring, breathtaking in its scope, this account of youthful rebellion against tradition asks us to reimagine the ethics of genealogy.
For Sloterdijk, modernity is defined by its need to break with the past. Moderns are perpetual rebels who seek to sever the ties of tradition and forms of inheritance that bind generations and eras together. With deep philosophical, historical, and literary range, he traces this antigenealogical experiment from the French Revolution onward, from Madame de Pompadour and Napoleon through Nietzsche, Marx, Wagner, the Dadaists, and Deleuze. Acutely aware of the destructive potential of cultural discontinuities, Sloterdijk is no less critical of the “fathers” who condemn change than the “terrible children” who seek a drastic rupture with their predecessors. Equally concerned with the grand sweep of history and our current predicaments, he instead calls for new ways to live together in the intersubjectivity of the human condition. Incisive and daring, breathtaking in its scope, this account of youthful rebellion against tradition asks us to reimagine the ethics of genealogy.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
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209 people want to read
About the author
Peter Sloterdijk
130 books588 followersPeter Sloterdijk is a German philosopher, cultural theorist, television host and columnist. He is a professor of philosophy and media theory at the University of Art and Design Karlsruhe.
Peter Sloterdijk studied philosophy, Germanistics and history at the University of Munich. In 1975 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Hamburg. Since 1980 he has published many philosophical works, including the Critique of Cynical Reason. In 2001 he was named president of the State Academy of Design, part of the Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe. In 2002 he began to co-host Das Philosophische Quartett, a show on the German ZDF television channel devoted to discussing key issues affecting present-day society.
The Kritik der Zynischen Vernunft (Critique of Cynical Reason), published by Suhrkamp in 1983, became the best-selling philosophical book in the German language since the Second World War and launched Sloterdijk's career as an author.
The trilogy Spheres is the philosopher's magnum opus. The first volume was published in 1998, the second in 1999, and the last in 2004.
Peter Sloterdijk studied philosophy, Germanistics and history at the University of Munich. In 1975 he received his Ph.D. from the University of Hamburg. Since 1980 he has published many philosophical works, including the Critique of Cynical Reason. In 2001 he was named president of the State Academy of Design, part of the Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe. In 2002 he began to co-host Das Philosophische Quartett, a show on the German ZDF television channel devoted to discussing key issues affecting present-day society.
The Kritik der Zynischen Vernunft (Critique of Cynical Reason), published by Suhrkamp in 1983, became the best-selling philosophical book in the German language since the Second World War and launched Sloterdijk's career as an author.
The trilogy Spheres is the philosopher's magnum opus. The first volume was published in 1998, the second in 1999, and the last in 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 21, 2018
Preocupado por la condición bastarda de la Modernidad, de manera metafórica pero a la vez literal e histórica, Sloterdijk nos introduce en el paso del Antiguo al Nuevo Régimen a través de la historia de los hijos terribles (y bastardos) de la Modernidad: el Capitalismo, el Estado Moderno, el Revolucionario y la Revolución, la corrupción y el posmodernismo. Con un tono áspero, en ocasiones sarcástico y un actitud a la vez crítica y escéptica Sloterdijk caracteriza nuestro época actual como una pugna, inacabada, entre el "futurismo", heredado de la Modernidad, y, el "presentismo" de la posmodernidad.
November 11, 2025
الكتاب مهم. بيفكك او بيحفر بادوات جديدة في مقولات الحداثة ووعودها. اسلوبه مكثف جدا بس للاسف مقدرتش افهم بعض ما يريده المؤلف او كل ما يرمي إليه.
المترجم دا انا مش فاهمه، بيصعب الاسلوب اكتر وبيدور علي الغريب والشاذ من اللغة بدل السهل. هو مفيش حد بيراجع اللي مكتوب.
هو نفس المترجم لكتاب ندامة بروميثيوس. قلت محكمش عليه لان الكتاب كان صغير الحجم. فاستحملت المترجم. لكن هنا كان احساسي طول وقت القراية ايه العظمة دي يا سلوتردايك. ومنك لله يا ناجي
الخلاصة؛ الكتاب عظيم ومحتاج قراءة ثانية بس لما تتوافر معايا النسخة الانجليزية
المترجم دا انا مش فاهمه، بيصعب الاسلوب اكتر وبيدور علي الغريب والشاذ من اللغة بدل السهل. هو مفيش حد بيراجع اللي مكتوب.
هو نفس المترجم لكتاب ندامة بروميثيوس. قلت محكمش عليه لان الكتاب كان صغير الحجم. فاستحملت المترجم. لكن هنا كان احساسي طول وقت القراية ايه العظمة دي يا سلوتردايك. ومنك لله يا ناجي
الخلاصة؛ الكتاب عظيم ومحتاج قراءة ثانية بس لما تتوافر معايا النسخة الانجليزية
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April 8, 2022Una genealogía sobre las genealogías, incluyendo las filosóficas. Riquísimo, denso y extraordinario.
January 24, 2025
This is a dense work but thought provoking. Standing at the crossroads of philosophy, cultural critique, and historical analysis, the book challenges conventional understanding of modernity engaging with its origins, its developments, and its most disconcerting legacies. Sloterdijk, known for his provocative yes often confrontational style, takes on the task of exploring how modernity gave birth to what he calls its "terrible children" — the figures of thought, rebellion, and transformation that have shaped the contemporary world.
Beginning with Sloterdijk’s critique of the genealogical method pioneered by Friedrich Nietzsche and Michel Foucault. He offers an "antigenealogical" experiment, aiming to deconstruct the supposed inevitability of modern intellectual and social developments. In doing so, rather than presenting modernity as progress towards enlightenment, he paints it as a break from older traditions and questions the assumptions that modern thought is built upon.
One of notable strength of the book is its ability to generate critical self-reflection about the world today. Sloterdijk does not provide simple answers or solutions instead he forces the reader to confront uncomfortable truths about how modernity's promises have unfolded in ways that often produce alienation, disillusionment, and cultural fragmentation.
I thought that the translation by Oliver Berghof is generally clear and succeeds in rendering Sloterdijk’s complex ideas into accessible English. However, like myself, some of the book’s more intricate philosophical references might still be challenging for readers unfamiliar with the dense philosophical debates with which he engages.
For readers interested in contemporary philosophy, cultural theory, or critiques of modernity, it provides stimulating exploration of the forces that have shaped the present — for better and worse. Sloterdijk’s work is not for the faint of heart, but it is an invaluable contribution to contemporary thought.
Beginning with Sloterdijk’s critique of the genealogical method pioneered by Friedrich Nietzsche and Michel Foucault. He offers an "antigenealogical" experiment, aiming to deconstruct the supposed inevitability of modern intellectual and social developments. In doing so, rather than presenting modernity as progress towards enlightenment, he paints it as a break from older traditions and questions the assumptions that modern thought is built upon.
One of notable strength of the book is its ability to generate critical self-reflection about the world today. Sloterdijk does not provide simple answers or solutions instead he forces the reader to confront uncomfortable truths about how modernity's promises have unfolded in ways that often produce alienation, disillusionment, and cultural fragmentation.
I thought that the translation by Oliver Berghof is generally clear and succeeds in rendering Sloterdijk’s complex ideas into accessible English. However, like myself, some of the book’s more intricate philosophical references might still be challenging for readers unfamiliar with the dense philosophical debates with which he engages.
For readers interested in contemporary philosophy, cultural theory, or critiques of modernity, it provides stimulating exploration of the forces that have shaped the present — for better and worse. Sloterdijk’s work is not for the faint of heart, but it is an invaluable contribution to contemporary thought.
November 2, 2017
Mooi betoog, maar wel met veel omhaal van woorden. Zoals gewoonlijk hanteert Sloterdijk een nogal barokke stijl. Hij maakt op een mooie gebruik van de metafoor van Nietzsche die stelt dat we na de dood van God naar achteren en naar voren, naar boven en naar beneden vallen. De moderne mens valt volgens Sloterdijk voortdurend naar voren en noemt dat vooruitgang. De moderne mens hecht geen waarde meer aan afkomst of traditie en moet zichzelf steeds opnieuw uitvinden. We zijn allemaal 'bastaarden'. Soms lijkt Sloterdijk een soort conservatisme te bepleiten en soms lijkt hij de moderniteit juist een goede zaak te vinden. Het is daarmee niet altijd duidelijk of dat boek naar voren of naar achteren valt. Het mooie aan dit boek is dat het je laat nadenken over zaken die je normaal gesproken vanzelfsprekend vindt. Het laat je nadenken over moderne waarden als individualisme, autonomie, meritocratie etc. Alleen daarom al is het een geslaagd boek.
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August 29, 2016
April 28, 2025
Kötü öteden beri taraflardan birinin üstün geldiğini ortaya koymaya razı gelmeseydi asla saygın bir konuma gelemezdi elbette. Kendini normal, insani, zaruri bir şey olarak maskelemeyi akıl etmeseydi insanları cezbedemez, kendine bağlayamaz ve ileri itemezdi. Bu kan banyolarını teşvik eden, icra eden ve yorumlayanların özgürlük ve eşitlik, mülkiyet ve ilerleme, insan hakları, anayasa ve aklın iktidarı laflarını ağzından düşürmemesi, hatta bu laflarıyla hepimizi bir anlığına da olsa coşturması, bunların hepsi, onların şeytani retorik dersini başarıyla geçtiklerinin - ve bizim, onların telkin edici laflarına karşı bağışıklık geliştirme konusunda hala ne kadar yetersiz olduğumuzun kanıtıdır.
October 24, 2018
De verschrikkelijke kinderen van de nieuwe tijd (Paperback)
by Peter Sloterdijk
March 9, 2018
Optimismus ist keine Sünde, der Peter Sloterdjik schuldig ist.
Die Analyse legt den Konflikt zwischen Heute und Morgen offen, der ohne Fortzsetzungsverbindlichkeit entstehen muss.
Dennoch, selbst der Zyniker sieht Licht. Mit Verweis auf Sandels Buch Gerechtigkeit: Wie wir das Richtige tun
Die Analyse legt den Konflikt zwischen Heute und Morgen offen, der ohne Fortzsetzungsverbindlichkeit entstehen muss.
Dennoch, selbst der Zyniker sieht Licht. Mit Verweis auf Sandels Buch Gerechtigkeit: Wie wir das Richtige tun
„[…], bestätigt sich erst heute in den Anzeichen einer lokalen Konversion zu post-individualistischen Prinzipien von Anstand und Moral.“
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews