Daniel Whistler argues that Hemsterhuis’ philosophy matters and that its exclusion from the canon of modern philosophy has been unjust. This is not just because of its influence on later thinkers, but is primarily because Hemsterhuis’ philosophy contains a rich assemblage of ideas and philosophical practices.

Preface: Reasons to Read Hemsterhuis Part One: Preliminaries §1 Philosophy and Poetry §2 Rupture Part Two: Untimely Demands Chapter One: Socrates and Newton §3 ‘Born Greek’ §4 Geometrical Method §5 A System of Times Chapter Two: Analysis and Poetry §6 ‘Poet-Philosophers’ and ‘Humble’ Analysts §7 Sentimental Certainty §8 The Platonic Sublime §9 The Myth of Prometheus Part Three: A History of Organs Chapter Three: Organs, Instruments and Insects §10 Insectification §11 The Plasticity of Philosophy §12 Perfectibility §13 The Analogy to Morality §14 Organology and Style Chapter Four: Writing after Materialism §15 Diderot Reads Hemsterhuis §16 Hemsterhuis Reads Diderot §17 Palingenesis and the Subversion of Materialism §18 Post-Bonnetian Style Part Four: Time-Images Chapter Five: The Past and the Present §19 The Optimum §20 Epistolary Style §21 Genealogy §22 Irony and Anachronism Chapter Six: The Archaic and the Prophetic §23 Dreams and Shadows §24 In the Style of Hope Conclusion: Four Characters in Search of a Philosophy