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Max Scheler and Concepts of the Tragic in European Philosophy of the Twentieth Century

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Max Scheler in Dialogue

Part of the book series: Contributions to Phenomenology ((CTPH,volume 118))

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Abstract

This contribution explores the philosophical impact of Max Scheler’s essay On the Tragic (1914) on the development of philosophical understanding of tragedy and phenomenological interpretation of the tragic in the twentieth century. Despite a relatively small and somewhat limited reception of this work in the writings of other philosophers, it has not been completely forgotten and in some cases has even become the centre of a productive philosophical reflection on the phenomenon of tragedy. Starting from Scheler’s concept of the tragic, the authors mentioned in this study (Theodor Haecker, Roman Ingarden, Józef Tischner) did not reproduce Scheler’s theory in their writings, but critically re-think it, creating their own theories of the tragic. Thus, this article concludes that Scheler’s main influence on the development of subsequent twentieth-century philosophy in this and in many other cases consisted exactly in inspiring new forms of creative philosophical criticism, which often gave rise to new ideas and philosophical theories.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Scheler (1914a). Later published version: Scheler (1955b).

  2. 2.

    Scheler (1912). See also Scheler (1914b), Scheler (1915), Scheler (1919), Scheler (1923), Scheler (1955a).

  3. 3.

    Scheler (1976b).

  4. 4.

    Nietzsche (1995).

  5. 5.

    Scheler (1955b, p. 154).

  6. 6.

    Drozdek (2013, p. 277).

  7. 7.

    “Alles, was tragisch heißen mag, bewegt sich in der Sphäre von Werten und Wertverhältnissen.” Scheler (1955b, p. 153). Here and elsewhere translated by the author of this article, unless another translator is indicated.

  8. 8.

    Scheler (1955b, p. 156).

  9. 9.

    Scheler (1955c).

  10. 10.

    Rohner (1987, p. 203).

  11. 11.

    Mayr (1994, p. 17).

  12. 12.

    Haecker (1965, p. 340); Mayr (1994, p. 43).

  13. 13.

    “Das Tragische [ist] im Menschen daheim, in der Mitte der Schöpfung, auf der […] Brücke aus Freiheit und Schwachheit, welche Mensch heißt.” Haecker (1965, p. 400); Mayr (1994, p. 43).

  14. 14.

    Mayr (1994, p. 12).

  15. 15.

    Mayr (1994, p. 12).

  16. 16.

    Mayr (1994, pp. 15–16).

  17. 17.

    Haecker (1961, p. 345); Mayr (1994, pp. 15–16).

  18. 18.

    Mayr (1994, p. 16).

  19. 19.

    Haecker (1965, p. 397); Mayr (1994, p. 45).

  20. 20.

    Mayr (1994, pp. 45–46).

  21. 21.

    Mayr (1994, pp. 47–48).

  22. 22.

    Scheler (1922), Scheler (1938), Scheler (1976a).

  23. 23.

    Tischner (2006).

  24. 24.

    Tischner (2006, p. 7).

  25. 25.

    Tischner (2006, p. 7).

  26. 26.

    Tischner (2006, pp. 9–10).

  27. 27.

    Tischner (2006, p. 61).

  28. 28.

    Tischner (2006, p. 61).

  29. 29.

    Tischner (2006, p. 61).

  30. 30.

    Tischner (2006, pp. 61–62).

  31. 31.

    Tischner (2006, p. 62).

  32. 32.

    Tischner (2006, p. 63).

  33. 33.

    Tischner (2006, p. 64).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Mikhail Khorkov

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, County Kildare, Kildare, Ireland

    Susan Gottlöber

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Khorkov, M. (2022). Max Scheler and Concepts of the Tragic in European Philosophy of the Twentieth Century. In: Gottlöber, S. (eds) Max Scheler in Dialogue. Contributions to Phenomenology, vol 118. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94854-2_8

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