Review article
https://doi.org/10.31192/np.14.3.5
"Eccentric positionality" in philosophical anthropology of Helmuth Plessner
Ivo Džinić
Abstract
The paper outlines the category of eccentric positionality of the man in philosophical thought of Helmuth Plessner. Using the term positionality, Plessner determined the existence of living beings towards not living beings, and using the category eccentric positionality he tried to precise the specificity of human survival. In the background of these concepts is the idea of possibilities of characterization of specific modes of living bodies and overcoming of ambiguity of human existence as natural and unnatural, in other words physical and not physical. In discussions about the man, starting from Descartes, precisely that was happening. In order to get the concept of man, of imagined from the position of experience, and trying to clarify the aforementioned duality of his description, Plessner started from the phenomenon of life, which cannot be understood through Cartesian alternative of spirit or physical thing. Starting from this principle, he was able to reconcile the two philosophical traditions of understanding men, in what is mostly consist significance of his thought. The fact that Plessner is not the first author who has been using the concept of eccentricity does not diminish the merit of detailed elaboration of this concept as well as its high-quality application in an attempt to understand the human being. "Eccentric positionality", which will eventually infuse all his analysis in the sphere of man, shows the height of Plessner’s philosophical power. Therefore, this paper shows the historical and scientific context of development of this category in thought of this German philosopher.
Keywords
Plessner; anthropology; positionality; eccentric positionality; man
Hrčak ID:
168716
URI
Publication date:
21.11.2016.
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