E-Book Overview
This volume explores themes originating from the work of Jean Améry (1912–1978), a Holocaust survivor and essayist—mainly, ethics and the past, torture and its implications, death and suicide. The volume is interdisciplinary, bringing together contributions from philosophy, psychology, law, and literary studies to illuminate each of the topics from more than one angle. Each essay is a novel contribution, shedding new light on the relevant subject matter and on Jean Améry's unique perspective. The ensuing picture is rich and multifaceted, uncovering unforeseen traits of Amery's thought, and surprising correlations that have so far been under-researched. It invites further studies of the Holocaust and its consequences to take their cue from non-neutral first person reflections.
E-Book Content
Jean Améry Beyond the Mind’s Limits Edited by Yochai Ataria · Amit Kravitz · Eli Pitcovski Jean Améry Yochai Ataria Amit Kravitz Eli Pitcovski Editors Jean Améry Beyond the Mind’s Limits Editors Yochai Ataria Tel-Hai Academic College Upper Galilee, Israel Eli Pitcovski Tel-Hai Academic College Upper Galilee, Israel Amit Kravitz Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich Munich, Germany ISBN 978-3-030-28094-9 ISBN 978-3-030-28095-6 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28095-6 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover illustration: Peter Horree / Alamy Stock Photo This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG. The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Acknowledgments We would like to thank Tel-Hai Academic College for supporting this project. v Contents Part I Limits: Bound to the Past 1 1 Jean Améry and Primo Levi: The Differences in Likeness 3 Berel Lang 2 On Historical Objectivity, the Reality of Evil and Moral Kitsch: Jean Améry as a Witness 15 Amit Kravitz 3 Jean Améry and the Generational Limits of Resentment as Morality 35 C. Fred Alford 4 Registers of Undesirability, Poetics of Detention: Jean Améry on the Jewish Exile and Behrouz Boochani on the Manus Prison 55 Magdalena Zolkos 5 The Ethics of Resentment: The Tactlessness of Jean Améry 85 David Heyd vii viii Contents Part II The Mind: Torture and Consequences 103 6 Torture and Torturers 105 Eran Fish 7 Torture: Reading Améry, Rereading Jewish Law 119 Amos Israel-Vleeschhouwer 8 Total Destruction: The Case of Jean Améry 141 Yochai