RICHARD BERNSTEIN, GRADUATE FACULTY DEAN,
RELEASES NEW BOOK

RADICAL EVIL: A PHILOSOPHICAL INTERROGATION

(New York, NY – August 19, 2002) Richard Bernstein, Dean of the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science at New School University and Vera List Professor, will be releasing a new book entitled, Radical Evil: A Philosophical Interrogation in September 2002 (Blackwell Publishing).

At present, there is an enormous gulf between the visibility of evil and the paucity of our intellectual resources for coming to grips with it. We have been flooded with images of death camps, terrorist attacks and horrendous human suffering. Yet when we ask what we mean by radical evil and how we are to account for it, we seem to be at a loss for proper responses.

Bernstein seeks to discover what we can learn about the meaning of evil and human responsibility. He turns to philosophers, such as Kant, who coined the expression 'radical evil', as well as to Hegel and Schelling. He also examines more recent explorations of evil, namely the thinking of Freud and Nietzsche on the moral psychology of evil. Finally, he looks at the way in which three post-Holocaust thinkers – Emmanuel Levinas, Hans Jonas, and Hannah Arendt – have sought to come to grips with evil "after Auschwitz."
Bernstein's primary concern throughout this challenging book is to enrich and deepen our understanding of evil in the contemporary world, and to emphasize the vigilance and personal responsibility required for combating it.

Richard J. Bernstein is Dean of New School University's Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science and Vera List Professor. He is a distinguished scholar, especially renowned for his work on John Dewey and American Pragmatism. A dedicated and beloved teacher, Professor Bernstein has also taught at Yale University, Hebrew University and Haverford College. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale University.

PUBLICATION DETAILS
300 pages
Publication date: September 2002
0-7456-2953-9 hardback $59.95
0-7456-2954-7 paperback $24.95
For further information, contact Blackwell Publishing: Elizabeth Fraza, Sales Project Coordinator, by phone at 781-388-8402 or by e-mail at [email protected]

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The Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science awards M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Anthropology, Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. In addition, interdisciplinary M.A. programs are offered in Historical Studies and Liberal Studies. Teaching and research at the Graduate Faculty, which derive from a progressive political tradition, are grounded in the core social sciences and broadened with a commitment to philosophical and historical inquiry. The Graduate Faculty has an enrollment of about 1,050 students. International students comprise nearly 30% of the student body and come from about 70 different countries. For further information on the Graduate Faculty, call (212) 229-5777 or go to the Web site at www.newschool.edu/gf

New School University, with 7,000 matriculated students and 25,000 continuing education students, is a New York City university comprised of a liberal arts foundation of three schools: The New School, Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, and Eugene Lang College and five professional schools: Parsons School of Design, Mannes College of Music, Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy, Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, and Actors Studio Drama School. New School Online University offers one of the largest selections of online courses in the nation. For further information about admission to New School University, call (877) 528-3321 or go to the Web site at www.newschool.edu.