Without mandate: James Bernauer from the ethics of thought to historical memory

Abstract

This special issue of Philosophy and Social Criticism is dedicated to James Bernauer, S.J. on the occasion of his retirement from full-time teaching. It contains original essays from Bernauer’s students, friends, and fellow travelers that were commissioned for the purpose of commemorating this occasion. These essays provide readers with an opportunity to reflect upon Bernauer’s contributions to fields of academic inquiry as diverse as Arendt and Foucault studies, the philosophy of religion, and Holocaust studies. Since our purpose was to honor the life and work of James Bernauer, and not simply comment on it, the contributors to this volume have each attempted to develop and extend, rather than simply rehash and recapitulate, the concerns they find articulated in Bernauer’s publications.