Alone with Others: An Essay on Tact in Five Modernist Encounters

Times of crisis expose how we experience social, physical, and emotional forms of distance. Alone with Others explores how these experiences overlap, shaping our coexistence. Haustein introduces tact as a particular mode of feeling one's way and making space in the sphere of human interaction, reconstructing its conceptual history from the late eighteenth century to the present and focusing on three specific periods of socio-political upheaval: the two World Wars and 1968.

Format: Hardback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 09 November 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Times of crisis bring to light the intricate interplay between social, physical, and emotional distances, revealing the multifaceted nature of our human experiences. In her book Alone with Others, Dr. Elisabeth Haustein delves into the complex dynamics that shape our coexistence, exploring how these experiences intersect and mold our interactions with one another.

Haustein challenges conventional notions that equate intimacy with affection and distance with alienation, introducing the concept of tact as a unique mode of feeling one's way and creating space within the realm of human interaction. Tracing the historical development of tact from the late eighteenth century to the present, she focuses on three pivotal periods of socio-political upheaval: the two World Wars and 1968. Through five engaging reading encounters with renowned thinkers such as Marcel Proust, Helmuth Plessner, Theodor Adorno, François Truffaut, and Roland Barthes, Haustein invites readers to reevaluate their approaches to engaging with others, images, and texts, and to assess the relevance of tact in our contemporary world.

Alone with Others is an insightful exploration of the complexities of human connection and the power of tact in navigating the challenges of our times. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme, aimed at making academic research more accessible and inclusive. It may also be available Open Access on the Cambridge Core website.

ISBN-13: 9781009363280