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The Sacrament Of Language

by Giorgio Agamben
The Sacrament Of Language - Thryft
The Sacrament Of Language - Thryft

Essence of the book: Unraveling the power and origins of the oath.

Recommendation: This fascinating exploration by Giorgio Agamben takes readers on a profound journey into the historical significance and symbolic power of oaths. The book highlights the critical role that oaths play in shaping politics, law, and religion, while unveiling the deep connection between language and humanity. If you're intrigued by the complex interplay between words, power, and identity, "The Sacrament of Language" is a must-read that will challenge and enlighten you.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

The Sacrament Of Language

by Giorgio Agamben
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780745649726
Author: Giorgio Agamben
Publisher: Polity
Date of Publication: 2012-02-28
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Religion, Politics, Philosophy
Related Topics: Theology, Theory, Theory
Goodreads rating: 3.94
(rated by 146 readers)

Description

Oaths play an essential part in the political and religious history of the West as a 'sacrament of power'. Yet despite numerous studies by linguists, anthropologists and historians of law and of religion, there exists no complete analysis of the oath which seeks to explain the strategic function that this phenomenon has performed at the intersection of law, religion and politics. The oath seems to define man himself as a political animal, but what is an oath and from where does it originate? Taking this question as its point of departure, Giorgio Agamben's book develops a pathbreaking 'archaeology' of the oath. Via a firsthand survey of Greek and Roman sources which shed light on the nexus of the oath with archaic legislation, acts of condemnation and the names of gods and blasphemy, Agamben recasts the birth of the oath as a decisive event of anthropogenesis, the process by which mankind became humanity. If the oath has historically constituted itself as a 'sacrament of power', it has functioned at one and the same time as a 'sacrament of language' - a sacrament in which man, discovering that he can speak, chooses to bind himself to his language and to use it to put life and destiny at stake.
 

Essence of the book: Unraveling the power and origins of the oath.

Recommendation: This fascinating exploration by Giorgio Agamben takes readers on a profound journey into the historical significance and symbolic power of oaths. The book highlights the critical role that oaths play in shaping politics, law, and religion, while unveiling the deep connection between language and humanity. If you're intrigued by the complex interplay between words, power, and identity, "The Sacrament of Language" is a must-read that will challenge and enlighten you.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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