Phenomenological Reviews

Series | Book | Chapter

146545

Place and positionality

anthropo(topo)logical thinking with Helmuth Plessner

Annika Schlitte(Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)

pp. 137-149

Abstract

This paper explores a possible anthropological dimension of place by providing an interpretation of Helmuth Plessner's philosophical approach which proposes to understand it as a twofold "implacement" of man – discussing both the place of man in the natural world and man's specific relation to place that makes him take his place in the natural world. The interpretation follows Plessner's idea of a natural set of stages, developed in his major work Die Stufen des Organischen und der Mensch, leading from inanimate objects to plants, animals, and humans. According to Plessner, each stage differs from the other by virtue of its respective spatial delineation toward, and its position in, the world. With the paradoxical concept of man's "eccentric positionality", Plessner accounts for the exceptional position of man without thereby neglecting, on the one hand, his being part of nature, and, without falling prey to naturalism, on the other. Thus, Plessner offers an interesting perspective on place that also points beyond mere anthropocentrism.

Publication details

Published in:

Schlitte Annika, Hünefeldt Thomas (2018) Situatedness and place: multidisciplinary perspectives on the spatio-temporal contingency of human life. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 137-149

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-92937-8_8

Full citation:

Schlitte Annika (2018) „Place and positionality: anthropo(topo)logical thinking with Helmuth Plessner“, In: A. Schlitte & T. Hünefeldt (eds.), Situatedness and place, Dordrecht, Springer, 137–149.