Silence, excess, and autonomy

Dennis van den Auweele

pp. 195-207

in: Dennis van den Auweele (ed), William Desmond's philosophy between metaphysics, religion, ethics, and aesthetics, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

Continuing on the value of givenness, Dennis Vanden Auweele argues that a modern project for absolutized autonomy cannot do but dread silence, which signals a hiccup or momentary lapse in the project of logos. And yet, Vanden Auweele shows that silence can be a convalescence that renders human beings receptive to something in excess of finite determination, which can in turn inspire self-determination to new heights.