Beniamino Fortis Levi | Freie Universität Berlin (original) (raw)
Monographs by Beniamino Fortis Levi
Peter Lang, Berlin, 2019
In Das neue Denken (1925), Franz Rosenzweig warns against the “danger of understanding the new th... more In Das neue Denken (1925), Franz Rosenzweig warns against the “danger of understanding the new thinking in the sense, or rather the nonsense, of ‘irrational’ tendencies such as, for example, the ‘philosophy of life.’ Everyone clever enough to have steered clear of the jaws of the idealistic Charybdis seems nowadays to be drawn into the dark whirlpool of this Scylla”.
The metaphor of Scylla and Charybdis provides the general guidelines Rosenzweig seems to stick to in developing his ‘new thinking.’ Not only does it constitute an alternative to both idealism and irrationalism, but it also takes shape as a combination of philosophy and Jewish thought — a combination irreducible to each of its terms, and thus representing a tertium datur between them.
Aracne Editrice, Roma, Aug 2012
E laborate nel quadro della teoria dell'immagine, le nozioni di "iconico" e "aniconico" determina... more E laborate nel quadro della teoria dell'immagine, le nozioni di "iconico" e "aniconico" determinano attitudini di pensiero riscontrabili anche in ambiti disciplinari diversi: in generale, l'iconico persegue un ideale di conciliazione e di equilibrio, mentre l'aniconico è votato allo squilibrio e alla rottura di ogni regolarità. Questo volume propone un percorso che estende la portata teorica del binomio iconico/aniconico al di là del suo contesto originario, per applicarlo, come chiave di lettura, all'estetica e alla teoria dell'arte. Ne emerge infine uno scenario caratterizzato da una profonda vena aniconica. B eniamino Fortis, dottore di ricerca in Filosofia, ha studiato a Venezia, Firenze e Berlino. Si occupa di estetica, filosofia dell'arte, teoria dell'immagine e pensiero ebraico contemporaneo.
Edited Volumes by Beniamino Fortis Levi
Philosophy and Jewish Thought. Theoretical Intersections, 2024
The relationship between philosophy and Jewish thought has often been a matter of lively discussi... more The relationship between philosophy and Jewish thought has often been a matter of lively discussion. But despite its long tradition and the variety of positions that have been taken in it, the debate is far from being closed and keeps meeting new challenges. So far, research on this topic has mostly been based on historically diachronic references, analogies, or contacts among philosophers and Jewish thinkers. The contributors to this volume, however, propose another way to advance the debate: Rather than adopting a historical approach, they consider the intersections of philosophy and Jewish thought from a theoretical perspective.
European Judaism , 2023
The close connection between Judaism and the notion of 'relation' can be appreciated by consideri... more The close connection between Judaism and the notion of 'relation' can be appreciated by considering two essays by Martin Buber. In the first essay, he presents Judaism as constantly wavering between a condition of separation and a striving for unity. In the second essay, this Jewish polarity extends also to humankind in general, thanks to the paradigmatic meaning Buber recognises in Judaism.
Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 2022
Das angebliche Bilderverbot, das im Zweiten Gebot des Dekalogs enthalten sein soll, ist eigentlic... more Das angebliche Bilderverbot, das im Zweiten Gebot des Dekalogs enthalten sein soll, ist eigentlich ein Idolatrieverbot. Das heißt, dass das jüdische Gesetz nicht Bilder an sich, sondern Idole verbietet. Gewiss: Manche Bilder werden als Idole verehrt. Es gibt aber auch Bilder, die keine idolatrische Bedeutung haben, und umgekehrt Idole, die keinen bildlichen Charakter aufweisen. Die Untersuchung dieser komplexen Zusammenhänge ist das Hauptziel des vorliegenden Sammelbandes. Von unterschiedlichen theoretischen Standpunkten ausgehend, eröffnen die hier versammelten Aufsätze neue Perspektiven auf das Verhältnis zwischen Bild und Idol.
Articles by Beniamino Fortis Levi
Philosophy and Jewish Thought. Theoretical Intersections, 2024
In his major book "Escape from Freedom" (1941), Erich Fromm analyzes human freedom as essentially... more In his major book "Escape from Freedom" (1941), Erich Fromm analyzes human freedom as essentially dialectical in nature. The reflections developed in this work seem to exert strong influence on Fromm’s interpretation of idolatry, expounded in "You shall be as Gods" (1966) twenty-five years later.
This article focuses on how a philosophical conception like Fromm’s account of freedom provides theoretical guidelines for dealing with a typical issue in Jewish thought, that is, the origin and meaning of idolatry.
Nuovo Giornale di Filosofia della Religione, 2023
Extending the notion of idolatry beyond its literal meaning is a common practice attested in nume... more Extending the notion of idolatry beyond its literal meaning is a common practice attested in numerous examples in the history of thought. However, though extremely widespread on a practical level, this figurative usage has scarcely been theorized from a methodological point of view.
This essay attempts to bridge this gap by interpreting the relationship between the literal and figurative meanings of idolatry through the prism of Giorgio Agamben’s reflections on the so-called paradigmatic method. The form of idolatry emerging from the biblical episode of the golden calf and the conception of ideology expounded by the Frankfurt School will provide a valuable conceptual pair for testing the effectiveness of a paradigm-based method.
International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, 2023
When considered in the field of aesthetics, the Bilderverbot (biblical ban on pictures) is receiv... more When considered in the field of aesthetics, the Bilderverbot (biblical ban on pictures) is received with a variety of attitudes ranging between the extremes of Kant's praise and Hegel's criticism. Despite being at odds with each other, Kant's and Hegel's interpretations suffer from the same theoretical flaw: both assume that the pictures the Bible talks about are representations related to their objects by way of reference. This assumption is proven wrong in the pars destruens of this essay, in which it will be argued that using the notion of 'representation' as a key to the reading of the Bilderverbot is a misconception that leads to an anachronistic and partial view of the matter. The concept of 'gaze,' elaborated by Régis Debray and other scholars of visual studies, is introduced in the pars construens of this essay to show that the biblical prohibition is actually aimed at a different kind of pictures, to wit at presentifications, which, instead of referring to their objects in a representational way, are rather thought to embody and dominate them. In conclusion, through Nietzsche's insights into the reasons behind religious cults, the point is finally made that the notion of 'power' surpasses that of 'representation' in capturing and accounting for the authentic meaning of the Bilderverbot.
European Judaism, 2023
In a brief passage from the third part of Ich und Du, Buber expounds his conception of idolatry a... more In a brief passage from the third part of Ich und Du, Buber expounds his conception of idolatry as an objectifying disposition that contradicts the relational nature of an authentic religious act. I will show that the main categories of Buber's thought-that is, the Grundworte 'ich-du' and 'ich-es'-provide the theoretical coordinates through which Buber understands the antithesis between authentic religion and idolatry as one between relationality and its opposite.
in B. Fortis (Hg.), "Bild und Idol. Perspektiven aus Philosophie und jüdischem Denken", Frankfurt am Main, 19-47, 2022
Dass der jüdische Anikonismus ein Konstrukt, ein historiographischer Mythos ist, darauf ist schon... more Dass der jüdische Anikonismus ein Konstrukt, ein historiographischer Mythos ist, darauf ist schon mehrmals und überzeugend hingewiesen worden. 1 Ich werde deshalb das bereits Bekannte hier nicht wiederholen, sondern mich der weitaus interessanteren Frage zuwenden, wie, d. h. unter welchen Umständen sich ein solcher Mythos entwickeln konnte. Davon ausgehend, dass die Idee eines jüdischen Anikonismus ein Missverständnis ist, werde ich mich dann auf die kritische Analyse der theoretischen Faktoren konzentrieren, die das Entstehen des Missverständnisses in der Moderne-hauptsächlich bei Kant und Hegel-ge ördert haben, sowie derjenigen, die später, im 20. Jahrhundert, zu seiner Beseitigung beigetragen haben. 2
Jahrbuch Selma Stern Zentrum für Jüdische Studien Berlin-Brandenburg, 2020
Bibel – Israel – Kirche. Studien zur jüdisch-christlichen Begegnung, 2018
Was am ‚neuen Denken' wirklich ‚neu' ist -die vielen Facetten, Entwicklungen und Folgen seiner Ne... more Was am ‚neuen Denken' wirklich ‚neu' ist -die vielen Facetten, Entwicklungen und Folgen seiner Neuheit -, ist nach wie vor, und zwar verständlicherweise, ein Schwerpunkt der Rosenzweig-Forschung. Es lohnt sich aber, eine gewisse Aufmerksamkeit nicht nur dem Adjektiv ‚neu', sondern auch dem Substantiv ‚Denken' zu widmen, denn sein Verhältnis zu verwandten Substantiven wie ‚Philosophie' oder ‚Theologie' kann ausschlaggebend dafür sein, wie sich das ‚neue Denken' theoretisch profiliert.
Ágalma. Rivista di studi culturali e di estetica, 16, 2008, pp. 96-114.
L'approccio indicato dalla formula a partire da… costituisce la cifra significativa di un'indagin... more L'approccio indicato dalla formula a partire da… costituisce la cifra significativa di un'indagine tesa ad assumere, come nucleo centrale di riflessione, i presupposti teorici alla base del lessico Ästhetische Grundbegriffe.
in R. Lanfredini (ed.), "Divenire di Merleau Ponty. Filosofia di un soggetto incarnato", Milano 2011, pp. 117-129.
Merleau-Ponty. Percezione, visibilità, pensiero estetico L'entrata nella modernità filosofica si ... more Merleau-Ponty. Percezione, visibilità, pensiero estetico L'entrata nella modernità filosofica si sviluppa attraverso un radicale mutamento di paradigma che, dall'oggettivismo realista della metafisica antica, conduce all'assunzione della nozione di soggetto come fondamento dell'essere.
Iris. European Journal of Philosophy and Public Debate, 6, 2011, pp. 127-138.
Through the analysis of some of the main categories of Greek philosophy and Jewish thought, this ... more Through the analysis of some of the main categories of Greek philosophy and Jewish thought, this essay highlights a general, decisive antithesis between them, i.e. the theoretical opposition between a Greek conceptual-deductive method and a Jewish storytelling attitude. The attention paid by contemporary philosophy to narrative issues can thus be seen as bearing witness to philosophy's need to reshape its speculative processes, and at the same time as proving the topicality of Jewish thought as a viable way to delineate new thinking perspectives.
Critica. Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Kunsttheorie, 2, 2012, pp. 2-18.
The goal of this article is to provide a possible key to the interpretation of some relevant tend... more The goal of this article is to provide a possible key to the interpretation of some relevant tendencies in contemporary aesthetics and art.
Estetica, 2, 2007, pp. 77-94.
Iride. Filosofia e discussione pubblica, 59, 2010, pp. 17-33.
Ágalma. Rivista di studi culturali e di estetica, 17, 2009, pp. 52-62.
Estetica, 2, 2008, pp. 57-76.
Introduzione "[...] nei più tardi testi merleau-pontiani la perdurante attenzione per la fenomeno... more Introduzione "[...] nei più tardi testi merleau-pontiani la perdurante attenzione per la fenomenologia husserliana si coniuga originalmente con un nuovo interesse per la produzione heideggeriana successiva alla Kehre" 1 .
Peter Lang, Berlin, 2019
In Das neue Denken (1925), Franz Rosenzweig warns against the “danger of understanding the new th... more In Das neue Denken (1925), Franz Rosenzweig warns against the “danger of understanding the new thinking in the sense, or rather the nonsense, of ‘irrational’ tendencies such as, for example, the ‘philosophy of life.’ Everyone clever enough to have steered clear of the jaws of the idealistic Charybdis seems nowadays to be drawn into the dark whirlpool of this Scylla”.
The metaphor of Scylla and Charybdis provides the general guidelines Rosenzweig seems to stick to in developing his ‘new thinking.’ Not only does it constitute an alternative to both idealism and irrationalism, but it also takes shape as a combination of philosophy and Jewish thought — a combination irreducible to each of its terms, and thus representing a tertium datur between them.
Aracne Editrice, Roma, Aug 2012
E laborate nel quadro della teoria dell'immagine, le nozioni di "iconico" e "aniconico" determina... more E laborate nel quadro della teoria dell'immagine, le nozioni di "iconico" e "aniconico" determinano attitudini di pensiero riscontrabili anche in ambiti disciplinari diversi: in generale, l'iconico persegue un ideale di conciliazione e di equilibrio, mentre l'aniconico è votato allo squilibrio e alla rottura di ogni regolarità. Questo volume propone un percorso che estende la portata teorica del binomio iconico/aniconico al di là del suo contesto originario, per applicarlo, come chiave di lettura, all'estetica e alla teoria dell'arte. Ne emerge infine uno scenario caratterizzato da una profonda vena aniconica. B eniamino Fortis, dottore di ricerca in Filosofia, ha studiato a Venezia, Firenze e Berlino. Si occupa di estetica, filosofia dell'arte, teoria dell'immagine e pensiero ebraico contemporaneo.
Philosophy and Jewish Thought. Theoretical Intersections, 2024
The relationship between philosophy and Jewish thought has often been a matter of lively discussi... more The relationship between philosophy and Jewish thought has often been a matter of lively discussion. But despite its long tradition and the variety of positions that have been taken in it, the debate is far from being closed and keeps meeting new challenges. So far, research on this topic has mostly been based on historically diachronic references, analogies, or contacts among philosophers and Jewish thinkers. The contributors to this volume, however, propose another way to advance the debate: Rather than adopting a historical approach, they consider the intersections of philosophy and Jewish thought from a theoretical perspective.
European Judaism , 2023
The close connection between Judaism and the notion of 'relation' can be appreciated by consideri... more The close connection between Judaism and the notion of 'relation' can be appreciated by considering two essays by Martin Buber. In the first essay, he presents Judaism as constantly wavering between a condition of separation and a striving for unity. In the second essay, this Jewish polarity extends also to humankind in general, thanks to the paradigmatic meaning Buber recognises in Judaism.
Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main, 2022
Das angebliche Bilderverbot, das im Zweiten Gebot des Dekalogs enthalten sein soll, ist eigentlic... more Das angebliche Bilderverbot, das im Zweiten Gebot des Dekalogs enthalten sein soll, ist eigentlich ein Idolatrieverbot. Das heißt, dass das jüdische Gesetz nicht Bilder an sich, sondern Idole verbietet. Gewiss: Manche Bilder werden als Idole verehrt. Es gibt aber auch Bilder, die keine idolatrische Bedeutung haben, und umgekehrt Idole, die keinen bildlichen Charakter aufweisen. Die Untersuchung dieser komplexen Zusammenhänge ist das Hauptziel des vorliegenden Sammelbandes. Von unterschiedlichen theoretischen Standpunkten ausgehend, eröffnen die hier versammelten Aufsätze neue Perspektiven auf das Verhältnis zwischen Bild und Idol.
Philosophy and Jewish Thought. Theoretical Intersections, 2024
In his major book "Escape from Freedom" (1941), Erich Fromm analyzes human freedom as essentially... more In his major book "Escape from Freedom" (1941), Erich Fromm analyzes human freedom as essentially dialectical in nature. The reflections developed in this work seem to exert strong influence on Fromm’s interpretation of idolatry, expounded in "You shall be as Gods" (1966) twenty-five years later.
This article focuses on how a philosophical conception like Fromm’s account of freedom provides theoretical guidelines for dealing with a typical issue in Jewish thought, that is, the origin and meaning of idolatry.
Nuovo Giornale di Filosofia della Religione, 2023
Extending the notion of idolatry beyond its literal meaning is a common practice attested in nume... more Extending the notion of idolatry beyond its literal meaning is a common practice attested in numerous examples in the history of thought. However, though extremely widespread on a practical level, this figurative usage has scarcely been theorized from a methodological point of view.
This essay attempts to bridge this gap by interpreting the relationship between the literal and figurative meanings of idolatry through the prism of Giorgio Agamben’s reflections on the so-called paradigmatic method. The form of idolatry emerging from the biblical episode of the golden calf and the conception of ideology expounded by the Frankfurt School will provide a valuable conceptual pair for testing the effectiveness of a paradigm-based method.
International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, 2023
When considered in the field of aesthetics, the Bilderverbot (biblical ban on pictures) is receiv... more When considered in the field of aesthetics, the Bilderverbot (biblical ban on pictures) is received with a variety of attitudes ranging between the extremes of Kant's praise and Hegel's criticism. Despite being at odds with each other, Kant's and Hegel's interpretations suffer from the same theoretical flaw: both assume that the pictures the Bible talks about are representations related to their objects by way of reference. This assumption is proven wrong in the pars destruens of this essay, in which it will be argued that using the notion of 'representation' as a key to the reading of the Bilderverbot is a misconception that leads to an anachronistic and partial view of the matter. The concept of 'gaze,' elaborated by Régis Debray and other scholars of visual studies, is introduced in the pars construens of this essay to show that the biblical prohibition is actually aimed at a different kind of pictures, to wit at presentifications, which, instead of referring to their objects in a representational way, are rather thought to embody and dominate them. In conclusion, through Nietzsche's insights into the reasons behind religious cults, the point is finally made that the notion of 'power' surpasses that of 'representation' in capturing and accounting for the authentic meaning of the Bilderverbot.
European Judaism, 2023
In a brief passage from the third part of Ich und Du, Buber expounds his conception of idolatry a... more In a brief passage from the third part of Ich und Du, Buber expounds his conception of idolatry as an objectifying disposition that contradicts the relational nature of an authentic religious act. I will show that the main categories of Buber's thought-that is, the Grundworte 'ich-du' and 'ich-es'-provide the theoretical coordinates through which Buber understands the antithesis between authentic religion and idolatry as one between relationality and its opposite.
in B. Fortis (Hg.), "Bild und Idol. Perspektiven aus Philosophie und jüdischem Denken", Frankfurt am Main, 19-47, 2022
Dass der jüdische Anikonismus ein Konstrukt, ein historiographischer Mythos ist, darauf ist schon... more Dass der jüdische Anikonismus ein Konstrukt, ein historiographischer Mythos ist, darauf ist schon mehrmals und überzeugend hingewiesen worden. 1 Ich werde deshalb das bereits Bekannte hier nicht wiederholen, sondern mich der weitaus interessanteren Frage zuwenden, wie, d. h. unter welchen Umständen sich ein solcher Mythos entwickeln konnte. Davon ausgehend, dass die Idee eines jüdischen Anikonismus ein Missverständnis ist, werde ich mich dann auf die kritische Analyse der theoretischen Faktoren konzentrieren, die das Entstehen des Missverständnisses in der Moderne-hauptsächlich bei Kant und Hegel-ge ördert haben, sowie derjenigen, die später, im 20. Jahrhundert, zu seiner Beseitigung beigetragen haben. 2
Jahrbuch Selma Stern Zentrum für Jüdische Studien Berlin-Brandenburg, 2020
Bibel – Israel – Kirche. Studien zur jüdisch-christlichen Begegnung, 2018
Was am ‚neuen Denken' wirklich ‚neu' ist -die vielen Facetten, Entwicklungen und Folgen seiner Ne... more Was am ‚neuen Denken' wirklich ‚neu' ist -die vielen Facetten, Entwicklungen und Folgen seiner Neuheit -, ist nach wie vor, und zwar verständlicherweise, ein Schwerpunkt der Rosenzweig-Forschung. Es lohnt sich aber, eine gewisse Aufmerksamkeit nicht nur dem Adjektiv ‚neu', sondern auch dem Substantiv ‚Denken' zu widmen, denn sein Verhältnis zu verwandten Substantiven wie ‚Philosophie' oder ‚Theologie' kann ausschlaggebend dafür sein, wie sich das ‚neue Denken' theoretisch profiliert.
Ágalma. Rivista di studi culturali e di estetica, 16, 2008, pp. 96-114.
L'approccio indicato dalla formula a partire da… costituisce la cifra significativa di un'indagin... more L'approccio indicato dalla formula a partire da… costituisce la cifra significativa di un'indagine tesa ad assumere, come nucleo centrale di riflessione, i presupposti teorici alla base del lessico Ästhetische Grundbegriffe.
in R. Lanfredini (ed.), "Divenire di Merleau Ponty. Filosofia di un soggetto incarnato", Milano 2011, pp. 117-129.
Merleau-Ponty. Percezione, visibilità, pensiero estetico L'entrata nella modernità filosofica si ... more Merleau-Ponty. Percezione, visibilità, pensiero estetico L'entrata nella modernità filosofica si sviluppa attraverso un radicale mutamento di paradigma che, dall'oggettivismo realista della metafisica antica, conduce all'assunzione della nozione di soggetto come fondamento dell'essere.
Iris. European Journal of Philosophy and Public Debate, 6, 2011, pp. 127-138.
Through the analysis of some of the main categories of Greek philosophy and Jewish thought, this ... more Through the analysis of some of the main categories of Greek philosophy and Jewish thought, this essay highlights a general, decisive antithesis between them, i.e. the theoretical opposition between a Greek conceptual-deductive method and a Jewish storytelling attitude. The attention paid by contemporary philosophy to narrative issues can thus be seen as bearing witness to philosophy's need to reshape its speculative processes, and at the same time as proving the topicality of Jewish thought as a viable way to delineate new thinking perspectives.
Critica. Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Kunsttheorie, 2, 2012, pp. 2-18.
The goal of this article is to provide a possible key to the interpretation of some relevant tend... more The goal of this article is to provide a possible key to the interpretation of some relevant tendencies in contemporary aesthetics and art.
Estetica, 2, 2007, pp. 77-94.
Iride. Filosofia e discussione pubblica, 59, 2010, pp. 17-33.
Ágalma. Rivista di studi culturali e di estetica, 17, 2009, pp. 52-62.
Estetica, 2, 2008, pp. 57-76.
Introduzione "[...] nei più tardi testi merleau-pontiani la perdurante attenzione per la fenomeno... more Introduzione "[...] nei più tardi testi merleau-pontiani la perdurante attenzione per la fenomenologia husserliana si coniuga originalmente con un nuovo interesse per la produzione heideggeriana successiva alla Kehre" 1 .
Overall view of the main trends in the "iconic turn". Gesamtüberblick über die wichtigsten Ström... more Overall view of the main trends in the "iconic turn".
Gesamtüberblick über die wichtigsten Strömungen im „Iconic Turn“.
The prohibition against idolatry is one of the main precepts of Judaism. However, while everyone ... more The prohibition against idolatry is one of the main precepts of Judaism. However, while everyone in the Jewish tradition would agree on condemning idol worship, agreement is far from being reached about what idolatry is and why it is deplorable.
Considering the theological foundations and aesthetic implications of the ban on idolatry, this lecture explores the reception of the Second Commandment in modern Jewish thought.
Difficilmente la storiografia della scienza -come esempio tra i vari possibilipuò essere al conte... more Difficilmente la storiografia della scienza -come esempio tra i vari possibilipuò essere al contempo anche ricerca scientifica e altrettanto improbabileproseguendo su questa falsariga -è che la storia dell'arte si presenti sotto forma di vera e propria pratica artistica. Al contrario, è precisamente nel superamento della scissione tra descrizione ed esercizio che la storiografia filosofica si distingue da ogni altra ricognizione di carattere storico. Poiché proprio dallo sguardo gettato sulle proprie vicende passate, la filosofia si dimostra in grado di trarre i motivi per i propri sviluppi futuri. Proprio facendo storia della filosofia, cioè, si può fare filosofia.
Daímon. Revista Internacional de Filosofía, Sup. 3, 2010, pp. 249-256.
Embedded within the leading issue of the thinking of the future, Heideggerian Death and Rosenzwei... more Embedded within the leading issue of the thinking of the future, Heideggerian Death and Rosenzweigian Redemption represent two different reference-points which can shed light on human existence. More precisely, the way the future is conceived by Heidegger and Rosenzweig lies at the roots of such relevant issues as mortality, otherness and possibility.
Dass eines der Hauptziele Benjamins in seinem dem Trauerspiel gewidmeten Werk im Versuch liege, d... more Dass eines der Hauptziele Benjamins in seinem dem Trauerspiel gewidmeten Werk im Versuch liege, der barocken dramatischen Form eine autonome Bedeutung zu verleihen und daher Trauerspiel und Tragödie radikal zu unterscheiden, darauf ist schon oft hingewiesen worden.
Vorrei organizzare l'intervento in questo modo: in una prima parte cercherò di delineare la conce... more Vorrei organizzare l'intervento in questo modo: in una prima parte cercherò di delineare la concezione della memoria nell'Ebraismo in alcuni suoi tratti fondamentali. Nella seconda parte passerò dalla memoria in sé alle varie modalità della sua trasmissione, valutando, per ognuna di esse, l'adeguatezza alle caratteristiche prettamente ebraiche emerse nella prima parte. In particolare prenderò in considerazione: la trasmissione attraverso immagini, quella attraverso la parola e, infine, quella attraverso la produzione di un'atmosfera, intesa come dimensione emozionale. Nella terza e ultima parte tratterò di alcuni casi concreti che, secondo me, esemplificano le considerazioni delle prime due parti.
Besides referring to specific philosophical positions, scepticism can also be taken in a broader ... more Besides referring to specific philosophical positions, scepticism can also be taken in a broader sense as a general disposition towards reality and truth. An analogous extension in meaning, however, is also noticeable in what can arguably be regarded as the opposite of scepticism; to wit, idolatry, which signifies the human practice of worship, but can also be generalised to indicate a forma mentis.
In both cases, a change in perspective is involved: from actual philosophical and historical phenomena to the ways of thinking they imply. Rather than scepticism and idolatry, it would then probably be more accurate to talk of sceptical and idolatrous attitudes, with the former posing a relentless challenge to supposedly immovable truths, while the latter are characterised by an uncritical acceptance of their validity.
In this context, philosophical interpretations of Jewish anti-idolatry have certainly made a far from negligible contribution to the debate, promoting a questioning approach against any form of intellectual subjection to dogmas, assumptions, or authorities.
This workshop will focus on the contrast between idolatrous and sceptical attitudes, exploring its various aspects in the light of philosophical and Jewish sources alike.
DECONSTRUCTING IDOLATRY Philosophy, Theology, Visual Studies Idolatry, as a human attitude, c... more DECONSTRUCTING IDOLATRY
Philosophy, Theology, Visual Studies
Idolatry, as a human attitude, can take on different meanings, depending on the context it appears in as well as the perspective it is considered from. In dealing with this broad topic, the conference adopts two different but complementary approaches, each pursued in a dedicated section.
The first group of papers addresses the literal sense of idolatry, that is, the worship of alien deities and/or cult images condemned in the Old Testament – and in Judaism in general.
In the second section, the notion of idolatry is instead understood in its figurative sense. Here the focus is set on modern, secular, demythologized forms of worship, directed to what can be called ‘idols of thought’ – such as dogmas, prejudices, ideologies, etc.
International scholars will show that idolatry is not just a thing of the past, as idolatrous dynamics are still at work in contemporary culture.
Beniamino Fortis ist Philosoph und Postdoktorand am Selma Stern Zentrum. Er hat in Venedig und Fl... more Beniamino Fortis ist Philosoph und Postdoktorand am Selma Stern Zentrum. Er hat in Venedig und Florenz studiert und wurde an der Universität Florenz mit einer Arbeit über "Das Ikonische und Anikonische als Paradigmen der zeitgenössischen Auffassung von Kunst und Ästhetik" (2011, Iconico/Aniconico. Un percorso nell'estetica e nella filosofia dell'arte, Roma 2012) promoviert. In seinen Forschungen befasst er sich mit Fragen der Ästhetik, Bildwissenscha und Jüdischem Denken insbesondere bei Franz Rosenzweig und Hermann Cohen. Am ZJS leitet er die Forschungsgruppe "Bilderverbot und Theorie der Kunst". Zuletzt erschien seine Studie über Franz Rosenzweig: Tertium Datur. A Reading of Rosenzweig's ‚New Thinking' (Peter Lang Verlag 2019).