Remembering Agnes Heller

August 15, 2019 10:51 AM

Hungarian philosopher Agnes Heller, who has died 19 July 2019 at the age of 90, was a Holocaust survivor, a dissident under Hungary’s communist regime, and one of the great modern political thinkers. Citation for Prof. Heller written and read by Judith Friedlander. Remembering Agnes Heller on the Philosopher's Zone. NYT obit. FT obit.

What Happened to Hungary? (NYTimes Opinion, 2018)
90. Geburtstag von Ágnes Heller (Deutschlandfunk Kultur, 2018)

Video: Agnes Heller on the Danger of Totalitarianism (2012)
Video: Interview with Deutsche Welle about persecution, escape and freedom (2015)
Video: Agnes Heller on the concept of the beautiful (2018)

Thesis Eleven essays (behind academic paywall)

posted by dmh (2 comments total)

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posted by DreamerFi at 12:16 AM on August 16, 2019

Heller was a fixture in Budapest life - a five foot tall 80 year old ball of fire who never missed a concert, conference, art opening, or late night parties at Jewish alternative spaces like Siraly or Aurora. She was a living link to the generation that survived the Holocaust and the Stalinist years, and was considered the curator of the legacy of her mentor, Marxist philosopher Gyorgy Lukacs. The right wing FIDESZ media regularly went after her as a "Communist" to which she replied "I was kicked out of the Communist Party before any of you were born!"
posted by zaelic at 12:58 AM on August 16, 2019 [5 favorites]