Catastrophes: A History and Theory of an Operative Concept

Catastrophes: A History and Theory of an Operative Concept
ISBN-10
3110312581
ISBN-13
9783110312584
Category
History
Pages
207
Language
English
Published
2014-04-01
Publisher
Walter de Gruyter
Authors
Nitzan Lebovic, Andreas Killen

Description

Catastrophic scenarios dominate our contemporary mindset. Catastrophic events and predictions have spurred new interest in re-examining the history of earlier disasters and the social and conceptual resources they have mobilized. The essays gathered in this volume reconsider the history and theory of different catastrophes and their aftermath. The emphasis is on the need to distance this process of reconsideration from previous teleological representations of catastrophes as an endpoint, and to begin considering their "operative" aspects, which unmask the nature of social and political structures. Among the essays in this volume are analyses, by leading scholars in their respective fields, concerning the role of catastrophes in theology, in the history of industrial accidents, in theory of history, in the history of law, in "catastrophe films", in the history of cybernetics, in post-Holocaust discussions of reparations, and in climate change.

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