In Search of Lost Cheekiness an Introduction to Peter Sloterdijk’s “Critique of Cynical Reason”

In the article, “On Search of Lost Cheekiness: An Introduction to Peter Sloterdijk’s ‘Critique of Cynical Reason’” I put forward a critical summary of Sloterdijk’s first major work which established his reputation as a leading German philosopher. My article is structured as follows: Firstly, I analyse Sloterdijk’s understanding of philosophy where I explain that he is concerned with the questions of life, and of values (if we take values not only to refer to general principles, but also include attitudes towards life) and that one could say he is one of Nietzsche’s philosophers of the future, who are the inventors of new values and do not believe in truth anymore. Th e main focus of Sloterdijk’s book lies in the interpretation of the Enlightenment, and our current cultural situation. Hence, I put forward my reading of Sloterdijk’s understanding of the Enlightenment period (part two), which leads me to an analysis of the notion of ‘Cynicism’ (part three). His notion of ‘Cynicism’ represents the attitude towards life which is supposed to be prevalent in the present and which is personified best by the Frankfurt School. Sloterdijk is extremely critical of this attitude and puts forward ‘Kynicism’ as an alternative to ‘Cynicism’. Finally, I critically interpret Sloterdijk’s notion of ‘Kynicism’.