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Eivind Tjønneland

Historian of ideas and author. Regular critic in MODERN TIMES. (Former professor of literature at the University of Bergen.)
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On the relationship between poetry and philosophy

PHILOSOPHY: In the book The Poetics of Reason, Stefán Snævarr goes against a too strict concept of rationality: To live rationally is not only to find the best means to realize one's goals, but also to make life meaningful and coherent. Parts of this work should enter all disciplines concerned with models, metaphors and narratives.
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The literature on narcissism has exploded

ESSAY: In 2021, there were 1000 publications on narcissism. Narcissism describes a new social normality. This 'self-realization ideology' has now ended up in selfishness and neoliberalism. But what can account for different degrees of narcissism – is it innate character traits, socialization or cultural background?
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How we sense other people and the world

SUBJECTS: Hartmut Rosa points out that today's late modern people react to the flood of information without "developing a stable understanding of what is relevant, of direction and prioritization". But does the well-educated academic here become an ideologue with religion as a weapon against an increasingly purpose-rational world where the economy colonizes the social?
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Criticism as a role-playing game?

LITERATURE: The informal contexts where one could try and fail without having to stand up for every careless word have shrunk. In Eirik Vassenden's 229-page book about the critic, there are no fewer than 317 question marks. We also ask: Do literary scholars necessarily have any advantage when it comes to human knowledge, life experience or social understanding?
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The showdown with woke

WOKE: The crime community is pushing people over to the right, which is growing because people feel alienated by woke and identity politics. Moreover, the left has become more interested in monitoring each other than forming a common front against the right. Is solidarity and compassion for the suffering of others a limited resource?
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"Resilience and resilience become ideals in times of crisis."

MODERNITY: Sociologist Andreas Reckwitz (b. 1970) has increasingly become a provider of premises in the German social debate. MODERN TIMES meets him at home in Berlin, close to the Humboldt University, where he is a professor. Among other things, he talks about three cultural crises: a political crisis, a crisis in terms of recognition, and a crisis of self-realization.
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Structural changes in the public sector

HABERMAS II: The policy is marketed via advertising and propaganda and not through discussion. The audience is affected by echo chambers and filter bubbles. And what does globalization mean for today's public?
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A romantic essayist

POSTHUMOUS ESSAYS: Stian Grøgaard was looking for an authenticity that is difficult to find. At the same time, he takes the reader by surprise and sweeps him away without reservation, apology or warning.
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The citizen's 'autonomy' as a condition for political publicity

PUBLIC: The image of the public in the Enlightenment was an ideal image of enlightened citizens gathered in an audience that discussed – or 'deliberated' – to arrive at the best solution. But what happens when early hair loss, premature ejaculation and simulated disability become therapy texts for the endless frustration of living in one of the world's supposedly richest and best countries?
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Rich full-format MODERN TIMES including the supplement Orientering and Modern Times Review comes out quarterly in early March, June, September and December) with international book reviews (non-fiction) and comments / essays. According to the physical newspaper (and PDF), the articles are published regularly online (see the newsletters).

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