Irrevocable: A Philosophy of Mortality

239 Pages·2018·7.504 MB·English

by  Alphonso Lingis

Irrevocable

Irrevocable
A Philosophy of Mortality
ALPHONSO LINGIS
The University of Chicago Press
Chicago and London
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2018 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief
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University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637.
Published 2018
Printed in the United States of America
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 55676- 5 (cloth)
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 55693- 2 (paper)
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 226- 55709- 0 (e- book)
DOI: https:// doi .org /10 .7208 /chicago /9780226557090 .001 .0001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Lingis, Alphonso, 1933– author.
Title: Irrevocable : a philosophy of mortality / Alphonso Lingis.
Description: Chicago : The University of Chicago Press, 2018. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018004724 | ISBN 9780226556765 (cloth : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9780226556932 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780226557090 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Existential phenomenology. | Philosophy, Modern.
Classification: LCC B818.5 .L56 2018 | DDC 128—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018004724
♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48- 1992
(Permanence of Paper).
CONTENTS
PART I : OUTSIDE
Outside / 3
The Weight of Reality / 7
Doubles / 17
Shadows / 23
PART II : CHANCE
Cause, Choice, Chance / 29
PART III : PASSIONS
The Altiplano / 45
Return of the First Person Singular / 53
Aconcagua / 63
Seduction / 75
Truthfulness / 81
PART IV : BELIEF
The Stone Axe / 85
Angels with Guns / 89
vi / Contents
Belief / 97
Performance / 109
Voyage / 117
PART V : JUSTICE
The Future of Torture / 123
Justice / 131
The System / 137
Truth in Reconciliation / 139
PART VI : IRREVOCABLE
The Babies in Trees / 155
Mortality / 161
Dignity / 171
Irrevocable Loss / 175
PART VII : GRATITUDE
Gratitude / 191
Appendix: Philosophy’s Tasks / 195
Notes / 215
About the Photographs / 227
Acknowledgments / 230

PART I
Outside
How could you count the warbles in the grey, colours in the fires, thuds in the bush,
keep record of the morse of cicadas, seeds, sap, stems?
— Tim Winton, An Open Swimmer