Although Western philosophy has generally appraised weakness negatively as a lack of power or a sign of moral failing, in this book Michael O'Sulllivan joins a number of contemporary thinkers (Ricoeur, Derrida, Agamben, Butler, and Nussbaum, among others) who in their own ways have offered a defense of passivity, vulnerability, and the precariousness of life. Through a wide-ranging exploration of the theme of weakness in philosophy, religion, and literature, O'Sullivan identifies a variety of treatments of this theme and ties them all together in the message that weakness is a core feature of our shared humanity. This book thus provides readers with a great starting point for anyone in the humanities who is in search of a new conceptual mapping of the human.
Scott Davidson, Oklahoma City University, USA ‘Michael O'Sullivan's Weakness: A Literary and Philosophical History makes a significant contribution to scholarship by discussing a much neglected theme of the dialectic of weakness and showing its multifaceted complexity in innovative ways. It is a real tour de force in literary theory and criticism that relates to an impressive array of issues, ideas, and arguments, and offers much for students of literature, literary theory, and philosophy to reflect on and think through. An important book, and definitely worth reading.'
Zhang Longxi, Chair Professor of Comparative Literature and Translation, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong