Dustin Peone – författare

Contemporary philosophy has adopted an increasingly tragic point of view. Tragedy, though, is only a partial truth of the human condition. Comedy is another partial truth. The nature of human existence is neither wholly the one nor the other, but tragi-comic. Philosophy must be attuned to both despair and laughter if it is to understand its own world. In Making Philosophy Laugh, the philosopher Dustin Peone makes an apology for the comic side of existence and its use in philosophy. He demonstrates the social and moral uses of humor and analyzes its significance for speculative thinking. Folly and irony are shown to be vital facets of dialectical philosophy. The reader is introduced to the comical side of Socrates and Homer, Descartes and Vico, Kant and Hegel, and many others. Finally, a doctrine of the tragi-comic sense of life is presented that does justice to all aspects of human existence and liberates the spirit from the grimness of serious thought.

In Shame, Fame, and the Technological Mentality, Dustin Peone interrogates the modern human condition. Peone argues that shame and fear are constitutive of social order, but that these affects have been undermined by contemporary ideology. This subversion has created a novel breed of shameless and fearless human beings, with myriad social consequences. Peone next demonstrates an associated change in the role of fame in society: where once the desire for fame was tied to immortality through civic virtue, this connection has eroded, and fame is no longer connected to excellence. Finally, Peone analyzes the hegemonic role of technological thinking and its responsibility in accelerating these processes, cautioning against the deification of technology. In response to the technological mentality for navigating the modern world, Peone argues instead for an ethics of prudence and a doctrine of humor.

Dustin Peone argues that memory is the foundation of philosophical thought. This may seem strange to the contemporary reader, but it is something that philosophers themselves have known since before Socrates. Peone advocates a doctrine of “memory as philosophy” that ties philosophical recollection back to the wisdom of the Muses, daughters of Memory, who sing of “what was, is, and shall be.” Part One draws on the work of philosophers from Cicero to Vico to Bergson to articulate the meaning and significance of memory. Peone understands memory not merely in its psychological sense, but as the key to metaphysical and moral thinking. Part Two takes up the philosophical history of memory. Peone gives an overview of its role as both a speculative and technical instrument from ancient Greece through Renaissance Europe. Then with the rise of modernity and the critical philosophy of Descartes, the memory tradition falls into disrepute. Why did this happen? Was it accidental? Is a philosophical system grounded in memory possible after Descartes? In the final chapters, Montaigne and Hegel are analyzed as practitioners of “memory as philosophy” in the modern world.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many new techniques for remaining healthy have been introduced, but there has been little to no public discussion about how to live well. “Social distancing” is good medicine for the body, but the health of the spirit depends on wisdom. When we find ourselves in new and dangerous conditions, we can only look to the past for counsel. In this book, originally published as Plague Literature and now in its second edition, the philosopher Dustin Peone offers reflections on ten literary classics set during plague times. From each work, he draws one central insight that is applicable to our situation today and all future pandemics. These insights are lessons in prudence, taught by the sages of the past. This is a book about how to pursue the good life during a pandemic and what it means to flourish in dark times, not just to survive.“This is a unique and timely work, offering the reader a systematic and historical perspective on the difficult and dangerous conditions of the present time.” —Donald Phillip Verene, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Emory University"An invaluable book, beautifully written in a classical style characterized by clarity and wit."—Brian P. Quaranta, Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, Duke University“Peone’s book offers penetrating and essential insight about what is necessary for human flourishing in pandemic conditions. This should be read by anyone wishing to understand not only how to survive, but how to live well in dark and unsettling times.”—Rebecca U. Thorpe, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Washington