The Scent of Time: A Philosophical Essay on the Art of

The Scent of Time: A Philosophical Essay on the Art of Lingering

In his philosophical reflections on the art of lingering, acclaimed cultural theorist Byung-Chul Han argues that the value we attach today to theÂ vita activaÂ is producing a crisis in our sense of time.Â Our attachment to theÂ vita activaÂ creates an imperative to work which degrades the human being into a labouring animal, anÂ animal laborans. At the same time, the hyperactivity which characterizes our daily routines robs human beings of the capacity to linger and the faculty of contemplation.Â It therefore becomes impossible to experience time as fulfilling.
Drawing on a range of thinkers including Heidegger, Nietzsche and Arendt, Han argues that we can overcome this temporal crisis only by revitalizing theÂ vita contemplativaÂ and relearning the art of lingering. For what distinguishes humans from other animals is the capacity for reflection and contemplation, and when life regains this capacity, this art of lingering, it gains in time and space, in duration and vastness.
Country USA
Brand Wiley
Manufacturer Polity
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 9781509516056
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781509516056
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

The Scent of Time: A Philosophical Essay on the Art of Lingering