Lines and Days IV

Looking back from today’s vantage point, the period of 2027–2020 seems like the moment of an epochal shift that tore the world from its moorings, bringing about a new reality – a turning point before the turning point.

In his notebooks, in which every morning he has been writing down his thoughts, documenting episodes, and commenting on the present for decades now, Peter Sloterdijk has been monitoring this »great mood shift« from the first inauguration of Donald Trump to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic – sometimes from a distance, and sometimes written from the thick of it all.

Sceptical and mirthful, blunt and with an unfailing belief in the world, Sloterdijk assesses the toppling of established political orders, the new fascination with big statesmen like Trump and Macron, analyses the waning mood of the final years of Angela Merkel and the powerlessness of old Europe. Whether it’s at a commemorative event for the anniversary of the Reformation, at a gathering of anti-aging gynaecologists, or engrossed in a text, Sloterdijk navigates the media storms of uproar, offering a glimpse of the contours of a larger context, which will remain well out of sight to any artificial intelligence for a long time to come. A great gift for all fellow thinkers.

This book is part of the series Dated Notes. Since the beginning of the seventies, every morning, Peter Sloterdijk has been writing down his thoughts, experiences, and comments on contemporary events. In this series, the renowned philosopher publishes selected entries from his dated notes.