The past decades have seen a growing philosophical interest in a number of authors, but strangely enough Saramagos oeuvre has been left somewhat aside. This volume aims at filling this gap by providing a diverse range of philosophical perspectives and expositions on Saramagos work. The chapters explore some possible issues arising from his works: from his use of Platos allegory of the cave to his re-readings of Biblical stories; from his critique and reinvention of philosophy of history to his allegorical exploration of alternative histories; from his humorous approach to our being-towards-death to the revolutionary political charge of his fiction. The essays here confront Saramagos fiction with concepts, theories, and suggestions belonging to various philosophical traditions and philosophers including Plato, Pascal, Kierkegaard, Freud, Benjamin, Heidegger, Lacan, Foucault, Pato1ka, Derrida, Agamben, and }i~ek.
1. Introduction: Proteus the Philosopher, Or, Reading Saramago as a Lover of Wisdom
2. Correcting History: Apocalypticism, Messianism and Saramagos Philosophy of History
3. The Dark Side of History: Saramago, Foucault and Synchronic History
4. Jos? Saramagos Magical Historical Materialism
5. Some Remarks on a Phenomenological Interpretation of Saramagos Cave
6. Death by Representation: In Law, in Literature, and in That Space Between
7. A Contemporary Midrash: Saramagos Re-telling of the Sacrifice of Isaac
8. Female Representations in Jos? Saramago: A Space for Oppositional Discourses from the Canonical Gospels to the Gospel According to Jesus Christ
9. Saramagos Axiology of Gender Difference
10. Saramagos Dogs: For an Inclusive Humanism
11. Traumaticlc$