Political and Ethical Reflections on Culturally-Based Attitude towards Pain Exemplified by Ernst Jünger’s Essay Über den Schmerz

Authors:

Pages: 199-207
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54664/PDPQ3376

Abstract:

“When there is no dependence of the body, no death, there is probably no perception as well, when there is no pain, there is no pleasure as well, in short: no life.” (List:1997: 505) – with these words E. List explained the necessity of reconsidering the physical dimensions of consciousness. Based on Ernst Jüngers essay Über den Schmerz the present article works out some of the political and ethical implications of the culturally-based attitude towards the pain, emphasising the particular actuality ot the topic. For analysing those aspects it refers to Elisabeth List’s essay Schmerz – Manifestationen des Lebendigen, which provides a deep philosophical insight into the premises of the extensive suppression and rejection of pain in western culture.

Keywords:

discourse about the body; phenomenology; discourse of power; ethics

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