Philosophizing Brecht: An Introduction for Dark Times / Anthony Squiers -- The Performance of racialized bodies and Brecht's operatic anthropology / Kevin S. Amidon -- Consciousness in Brechtian acting: de-familiarizing the self / Peter Zazzali -- Brecht and film theory: how Brecht's theory and Method impacted the development of "screen theory" / Jeremy Spencer -- Philosophizing with Brecht and Gunther Anders: what Is wrong with moralism? / Wolfgang Fritz Haug -- Philosophizing with Brecht and Plato: on Socratic courage / Anthony Squiers -- Brecht, the popular, and intellectuals in dark times: of donkeys and "Tuis" / Philip Glahn -- Brecht, dialectics and dialogical art: an engagement with contemporary art practices / Jose Maria Duran -- Philosophizing Brecht: an (In)conclusion / Norman Roessler.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Front Matter -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Notes on Contributors -- Philosophizing Brecht: An Introduction for Dark Times / Anthony Squiers -- The Performance of Racialized Bodies and Brecht’s Operatic Anthropology / Kevin S. Amidon -- Consciousness in Brechtian Acting: Defamiliarizing the Self / Peter Zazzali -- Brecht and Film Theory: How Brecht’s Theory and Method Impacted the Development of “Screen Theory” / Jeremy Spencer -- Philosophizing with Brecht and Günther Anders: What Is Wrong with Moralism? / Wolfgang Fritz Haug -- Philosophizing with Brecht and Plato: On Socratic Courage / Anthony Squiers -- Brecht, the Popular, and Intellectuals in Dark Times: Of Donkeys and “Tuis” / Philip Glahn -- Brecht, Dialectics and Dialogical Art: An Engagement with Contemporary Art Practices / José María Durán -- Philosophizing Brecht: An (In)Conclusion / Norman Roessler -- Back Matter -- Index.

This anthology unites scholars from varied backgrounds with the notion that the theories and artistic productions of Bertolt Brecht are key missing links in bridging diverse discourses in social philosophy, theatre, consciousness studies, and aesthetics. It offers readers interdisciplinary perspectives that create unique dialogues between Brecht and important thinkers such as Althusser, Anders, Bakhtin, Benjamin, Godard, Marx, and Plato. While exploring salient topics such as consciousness, courage, ethics, political aesthetics, and representations of race and the body, it penetrates the philosophical Brecht seeing in him the never-ending dialectic—the idea, the theory, the narrative, the character that is never foreclosed. This book is an essential read for all those interested in Brecht as a socio-cultural theorist and for theatre practitioners. Contributors: Kevin S. Amidon, José María Durán, Felix J. Fuch, Philip Glahn, Jim Grilli, Wolfgang Fritz Haug, Norman Roessler, Jeremy Spencer, Anthony Squiers, Peter Zazzali.