Knowing and Being

Knowing and Being, Volume 1, is a philosophical examination of the transition from modernity to postmodernism. James R Mensch analyzes the systemic failures of modernism as a viable intellectual enterprise, identifying the specific crises that led to its decline. This work of theory explores how postmodernism can function as a defensible project by addressing the problems of anti-foundationalism and pluralism.

The text focuses on subjectivity and knowledge, proposing a reversal of the modernist view of the unitary subject. By adapting Aristotelian concepts to the present age, Mensch presents a model where subjectivity is defined by temporality and the interaction between subject and object. This approach allows for a pluralism of forms while avoiding the skepticism and relativism often associated with postmodernism. The result is a rigorous study of how perspectivism can be maintained without undermining intellectual stability.