Oliver Kozlarek 
Multiple Experiences of Modernity [PDF ebook] 
Toward a Humanist Critique of Modernity

Contemporary theories of modernity recognize the plurality or ‘multiplicity’ of modernities. Often the differences are seen as institutional or cultural differences. Although this sort of research is important it cannot be ignored that it does not provide a clear understanding of the ‘human consequences’. The tradition that today is known under the name of Critical Theory, on the contrary, has been interested always first of all in the human consequences. This book wants to follow this ambition. The question it tries to search answers for is: what are the experiences that human beings are making in and within global modernity? Another question is important: what are the affinities and what are the differences. Also Critical Theory was mainly interested in the Western experiences with and within global modernity. The book will challenge this limited view by looking how modernities is experienced in other parts of the world.

About the author

Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Jörn Rüsen ist Senior Fellow am Kulturwissenschaftlichen Institut in Essen und Professor emeritus der Universität Witten/Herdecke. Lehr- und Forschungstätigkeit an den Universitäten Braunschweig, Berlin (FU), Bochum, Bielefeld, Witten/Herdecke. 1994 bis 1997 geschäftsführender Direktor des Zentrums für interdisziplinäre Forschung der Universität Bielefeld, 1997 bis 2007 Präsident/Direktor des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts Essen. Ehrenpromotionen der Universitäten Lund, Brasilia und Curitiba.