Beyond nihilism: Imperfection on the move

Product Description

How to escape from nihilistic despair: the loss of faith in absolutes of God, the True, the Good and the Beautiful, or in our ability to achieve them? Following Nietzsche, we might be glad to be rid of them, rejoicing in ongoing effort to learn and create, even if, or perhaps because, we never achieve perfection. In other words: imperfection on the move. How does imperfection on the move work? What does it mean for religion? For knowledge and truth, for ethics and morality? And for happiness, relationships, trust, and love? It is the purpose of this book to unravel all that. Happiness requires purpose, for a meaningful life, and pleasure. The only hereafter there is, is what one leaves behind at death. The purpose of life could be to make a contribution to what one leaves behind. There is enjoyment in developing and utilising one's talents for that purpose. In this, the self needs the other, and his/her opposition, in order to achieve the highest level of freedom, including freedom from one's own prejudice and myopia. April 2015 The photo on the front cover is of a scultpure entitled 'The pursuit', by Yinka Shonibare copyright c/o Pictoright, Amsterdam 2013

About the Author

Bart Nooteboom read mathematics and econometrics, and obtained a PhD in econometrics, in the Netherlands. After military service he worked for Shell in the Hague and London, then moved to a research institute for small business (EIM) where he ended as scientific director. He moved to Groningen university as a (full) professor of Industrial Organization, then to Erasmus University Rotterdam as professor of Organizational Dynamics, and subsequently to Tilburg University as professor of Innovation Policy. He published 11 books and 350 articles on innovation, entrepeneurship, organization, strategy, inter-firm alliances, collaboration and trust. He won the Kapp prize, Gunnar Myrdal prize, and Schumpeter prize, and was elected member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was member of several advisory committees and of the Scientific Council for Government Policy. Having read philosophy all his life, he started writing it after retirement. In 2012 he published a book 'Beyond humanism: The flourishing of life, self and other' (Palgrave-MacMllan), and in 2014 'How markets work and fail, and what to make of them' (Edward Elar). Since 2012 he writes a philosophy blog: http: //philosophyonthemove.blogspot.nl In March 2015 it had been viewed some 22.000 times in 78 countries. website: www.bartnooteboom.nl