The Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences draws attention to an interview with the American philosopher and historian of philosophy Jon Stewart.
What is the point of human life in a world where traditional answers have lost their foundation? In an interview with Peter Daubner, the American philosopher Jon Stewart describes the roots of modern nihilism and reflects on the tension between the cosmic insignificance of man and the infinite value of his life. It deals with Marx’s theory of alienation, criticism of capitalism and the need for radical thinking. He also talks about Søren Kierkegaard’s relationship to existentialism, the transformations of the idea of man and the ecological crisis in the Anthropocene.
Jon Stewart, PhD., Dr. habil. theol., Dr. habil. phil., Prof. h. c., DrSc., is an internationally acclaimed and respected American philosopher and historian of philosophy originally from Dallas, USA. Since 2018, he has been working at the Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava, where he has published his most important and most awarded works. Since 2023, he has also been the editor-in-chief of the journal Filozofia. He specializes in continental philosophy of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially the thinking of G. W. F. Hegel and S. Kierkegaard. His research includes German idealism, existentialism, the philosophy of religion, and the relationships between philosophy, literature, and the history of culture. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. He completed two habilitations at the University of Copenhagen: in theology (Dr. habil. theol.) and in philosophy (Dr. habil. phil.). In 2020, the University of Szeged awarded him the honorary title of professor (Prof. h. c.) and in 2025 the Presidium of the SAS awarded him the scientific degree of Doctor of Science (DrSc.). He is the author of a number of monographs and editor of international scientific publications. He has received numerous international awards for his academic work.
The interview was published by Kapital and was created with the support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Representation in the Slovak Republic.
The Slovak version is freely available here: https://kapital-noviny.sk/jon-stewart-rozhovor/
The English version is freely available here: https://kapital-noviny.sk/jon-stewart-interview/
