Critical theory and human nature: Hartmut Rosa’s resonance theory from an evolutionary-anthropological perspective

In one of the major contributions to current Critical Theory in the 21st century, Hartmut Rosa employs the notion of resonant subject-world-relationships to critically analyse structural features of modern societies that systematically undermine stable conditions for such relationships to unfold. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inActa academica (Bloemfontein, South Africa) Vol. 56; no. 2; pp. 116 - 137
Main Author Höffken, Ole
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published University of the Free State 01.12.2024
Subjects
alienation
cultural human evolution
good life
happiness
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
natural human evolution
Political Science
resonance
Social Issues
alienation
natural human evolution
resonance
happiness
cultural human evolution
good life
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Summary:In one of the major contributions to current Critical Theory in the 21st century, Hartmut Rosa employs the notion of resonant subject-world-relationships to critically analyse structural features of modern societies that systematically undermine stable conditions for such relationships to unfold. The specific critical potential of resonance theory is based on its status as an account of the good life, which has to build on an account of human nature. Arguably, the best available account of human nature is given by evolutionary anthropology and psychology – pro- ceeding from a wide notion of evolution as natural and cultural. I propose to complement resonance theory with evolutionary approaches to the question of the good life. Resonance theory can offer crucial refinements of the concept of the good life as pre- supposed by authors working within an evolutionary perspective, while in turn being able to profit from the empirical insights of evolutionary anthropology and psychology.
ISSN:0587-2405
2415-0479
2415-0479
DOI:10.38140/aa.v56i2.8975