Vivian Knopf - Attention Book New
'Before the memories return, before one becomes who one is again, one is simply waking up and seeing.' This is how the young philosopher Vivian Knopf describes the radically open, very first state of morning, in which we direct our attention completely outward, away from our own needs. This selfless and clear perception is not only precious and rare, but also holds the key to a good and beautiful life, as Knopf demonstrates using the moral theory of Iris Murdoch. For this important, yet largely forgotten, 20th-century philosopher, cultivating a loving and genuine gaze directed toward others and recognizing reality was a crucial counterpoint to egoism and relativism. This concise and insightful essay offers a completely new perspective on the ethical value of attention, beyond the drive for recognition and nihilism of our present age.