My book Epistemology and Political Thought in Interwar Germany and Austria (1914–1945) offers a new perspective on the emergence of concepts that shaped the world, set against the dramatic background of political upheaval and crisis of scientific knowledge that characterized interwar Germany and Austria.
On the one hand, the political-theoretical certainties of previous generations were rendered suddenly obsolete by the imperatives of total war. On the other hand, the old certainties of a reductive and deterministic conception of scientific knowledge had likewise been destabilized, in this case by the revolutionary discoveries of Relativity Theory and Quantum Mechanics. Among the philosophically literate intelligentsia of interwar Germany and Austria, the juxtaposition of such radical epistemic and political insecurity created fertile ground for the cross-pollination of ideas across disciplines.
Using a network-oriented approach, this book traces key lines of influence, following the development, dissemination, and reinterpretation of concepts from domains of political thought to epistemology and back again. It will appeal to a broad range of readers interested in learning how the ideas of physicist-philosophers like Albert Einstein and Werner Heisenberg shaped the paradigms within which theorists like Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt opened up new horizons for political thought.
My book Haitian Machete Fencing: The Avril Family Method is an original martial arts manual, co-authored with Reginald Turnier and featuring photography by Charles Espey. This book is the result of 20 years of relationship-building and martial arts training in Haiti.
Haitian Machete Fencing is a functional martial art with deep roots in Haiti’s struggle for freedom. Over the course of a ten-year apprenticeship with master fencer Alfred Avril in Haiti, we were privileged to document this art form in ways never before seen by the wider world. Now, in collaborating with his children and other committed students, this book provides a deeper and more technical exploration of Haitian Machete Fencing than anything available so far, while preserving the respect for tradition upon which our teacher always insisted. Lush photography by Charles Espey captures thrilling and informative images of Haitian Machete Fencing in action, as well as lovingly rendered portraits. Oral histories and essays – including an extended interview with Professor Avril that has never before been made public – provide essential insight into the spiritual and cultural significance of this art form.
All royalties from this book benefit the people of Haiti through our nonprofit organization Cultural Capital Haiti.
You can order the hardcover here!
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