David Farrell Krell is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at DePaul University, Chicago, and Brauer Distinguished Visiting Professor of German Studies at Brown University, Providence, RI. He also teaches at the University of Freiburg, Germany. His scholarly books include The Sea: A Philosophical Encounter, The Cudgel and the Caress: Reflections on Cruelty and Tenderness, The Tragic Absolute: German Idealism and the Languishing of God . He has also published a number of translations, short stories, and three novels.