Martin Versfeld (1909-1995) is one of South Africa's greatest philosophers, appreciated by academics and activists, poets and the broader public. His masterful prose spans the tension between disquiet and joy. Detractor of the violent trends of modernity, a critic of apartheid from the first hour, he was among the first philosophers of ecology. At the same time he celebrated the generosity of the world and advocated an ethics of simplicity, drawing on mediaeval theology and Eastern wisdom. His philosophy offered food for thought in dark times of the 20th century, as it still does for us in the 21st century. This first book-length study on Versfeld is an invitation to think with him on justice and exploitation, cultural difference and human nature, religion and the environment, time and connectedness. Free ebook available at OAPEN Library, JSTOR and Project Muse

About the Author
Ernst Wolff is professor of philosophy at the Institute of Philosophy, KU Leuven. Ruth Versfeld works in teacher education and curriculum development in South Africa. Paul van Tongeren is emeritus professor of philosophy at the Radboud University, Nijmegen. Kobus Kruger is emeritus professor of science of religion at the University of South Africa. Marlene van Niekerk, multiple award-winning novelist and poet, is professor of creative writing at the University of Stellenbosch. Antjie Krog, multiple award-winning writer, poet and journalist, is a professor at the University of the Western Cape.

Reviews

This two-part article explores South African philosopher Martin (Marthinus) Versfeld's (1909-1995) interpretation (shown to belong within the discipline of the history of ideas) and application (indicated as modern-critical) of medieval philosophy during his uninterrupted career as a lecturer and professor of philosophy at the University of Cape Town (UCT) from 1937 to 1972. [...] This evaluation is the first of its kind in the developing Versfeld scholarship and takes place against the backdrop of a recent and extensive overview of Versfeld's intellectual legacy and the first monograph on the Capetonian by Leuven philosopher Ernst Wolff (Martin Versfeld: A South African philosopher in dark times, 2021). Johann Beukes, litnet, 2022-10-27, Part
1 and Part
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Book Information
ISBN 9789462702974
Author Ernst Wolff
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Leuven University Press
Publisher Leuven University Press
Weight(grams) 360g