ACLA 2022: Intermediary Zones Between Philosophy and Literature (original) (raw)

Philosophy and Literature: Two Lines of Fusion

In the article “The Fusion of Philosophy and Literature in Nihilist Thought” (Problemos 2010, 77) I argued that post-metaphysical philosophy should intensify its dialogue with literature to the point of their eventual fusion. In this paper I will start from the conclusions of my previous article and will highlight two possible lines of this fusion: 1) The disappearance of the boundary between reality and fiction. Once we let go of the correspondence theory of truth, as Vattimo recommends, we will arrive at the principled possibility of the truthfulness of any and all narratives. Nihilist thought is characterised by a weakened sense of reality, a renouncement of common sense and naturalism. This condition, described by Nietzsche, where making a distinction between the real world and tall tales is impossible in principle, has several far-reaching epistemological and ethical consequences. 2) In its fusion with literature, nihilist thought seeks for a language to articulate the nothing, to represent the unrepresentable. In the paper I will analyse this pursuit by way of the concepts of postmodernity, the space of literature, and anxiety. I will draw on the views of Maurice Blanchot, Roland Barthes and Jean-François Lyotard. By fusing with literature, nihilist philosophy can continue in a situation where it has nothing to say.

Philosophy and Literature: So Close, yet so Distant

Possible Worlds of Contemporary Aesthetics: Aesthetics Between History, Geography and Media, 2019

I analize the relationship between Philosophy and Literature. First, there is an essencial historical summary, then, I analize the contrasting positions of Derrida and Habermas about this topic. Finally, I use their considerations to give an answer to three fundamental questions regarding the relation between Philosophy and Literature: 1) Is philosophy still able to be a useful tool for describing the truth? 2) Is literature capable to describe contingent realities and not just universal ones? 3) Is it possible to conceive a relationship between Philosophy and Literature without subordinating one to another?

Rethinking the philosophy - literature distinction

Rivista di Estetica 70/1, 2019

Contemporary debates within analytic philosophy regarding the relation between literature and philosophy focus on the capacity of some literary works to engage with philosophical problems. While some philosophers see literature as a welcome contribution to philosophy, or as an alternative to pursuing philosophical questions, some are more sceptical with respect to its capacity to tackle philosophical concerns. As a contribution to this debate, in this paper I look at similarities and dissimilarities between the two practices, with the aim of mitigating some views which see them as too diverse to allow for literary treatment of philosophical issues. As points of contact, I focus on the shared thematic concerns of the two practices, i.e. on the fact that literature and philosophy both deal with issues that humans generally care for. I argue that both practices, despite the stylistic, linguistic and methodological differences in their approach, manage to fulfil ‘the recognition requirement’, namely, recognize and engage with those issues, situations and context of human predicament in the world which are in need of intellectual refinement. I then move on to dismiss arguments which purport to discredit literary treatments of philosophy on the basis of literature’s alleged subjectivity and emotional dimension, which are contrasted with philosophical objectivity and rationality. I end by emphasizing the impact of academic constraints on professional philosophy, in order to suggest that pursuing philosophical concerns is not an invention of the practice, but a natural inclination of reflective, inquisitive human mind.

Literature and Philosophy: Intersection and Boundaries

This paper is inspired by the manuscript of Philip Kitcher’s forthcoming book Deaths in Venice: The Cases of Gustav von Aschenbach, in which he offers a brilliant, philosophically inspired reading of Thomas Mann’s novel, as well as his views on the relationship between literature and philosophy. One of Kitcher’s claims, which is my starting point, is that philosophy can be done not only by philosophers but also within some art forms, such as literature and music. Within the literary text, Kitcher claims, philosophy lies in the showing and the text can influence the way readers think and perceive the world. Due to this claim, I see Kitcher as pertaining to the group of literary cognitivists. He offers some powerful arguments in support of the cognitive value of literature, although his approach is substantially different from the arguments usually put forward in defence of literary cognitivism. In this paper, my aim is twofold: firstly, I want to analyse the relationship between philosophy and literature with the aim of showing that despite some overlap between the two disciplines, we have to keep them separate. Secondly, I want to explore what ramifications this has for literary cognitivism.

« Literature Versus Philosophy », Études lawrenciennes, 2011, n° 42, p. 97-112.

Lawrence's recurrent attacks against Socrates and Plato bear witness to his intention of going back to the ancient quarrel between writers and philosophers. When Plato designs his Utopia, he banishes the poets outside its walls. For him the purpose of life is to seek the ideal essence of things, and all concrete objects are imperfect imitations of this essence. Given the imperfection of the concrete, Literature can be condemned for diverting us even further from the ideal truth, proffering, as it does, mere imitations of imitations. Moreover, it stirs up emotions and enslaves man to his bodily functions instead of elevating him towards abstraction and logic. From Plato onwards, Western culture advocated the absolute superiority of the logos over anything attributed to the body such as senses, passions, and emotions.

New Directions in Philosophy and Literature

2019

This forward-thinking, non-traditional reference work uniquely maps out how new developments in 21st century philosophy are entering into dialogue with the study of literature. Going beyond the fam ...

Philosophy and Literature. Epistemological Issues of an Interdisciplinary Crossing

Estetica. studi e ricerche, 2022

This article starts from the old question of the relationship or rivalry between philosophy and literature to question the current issues surrounding the crossing of these disciplines. I first summarize the philosophical problems posed by the different contemporary ways of crossing these discourse regimes. It then takes stock of the epistemological principles developed in French-speaking philosophy over the last few decades on this issue, before finally questioning the meaning that a properly «poetic» or «literary» thought could embody. Through these points, it is the form of philosophy itself that is interesting: by what methods can we account for another kind of thought, poetic or literary, and what interest is there in philosophizing «with» literature for philosophy in general?

The Philosopher’s Truth in Fiction

Chiasmi International

This interview with David Kleinberg-Levin, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at Northwestern University, concerns his recent trilogy on the promise of happiness in literary language. Kleinberg-Levin discusses the relationship between and among philosophy, phenomenology, and literature. Among others, he addresses questions regarding literature’s ability to offer redemption, its response to suffering and justice, literary gesture, the ethics of narrative logic, and the surface of the text.Cet entretien avec David Kleinberg-Levin, Professeur émérite au département de philosophie de la Northwestern University, est consacrée à sa récente trilogie sur la promesse du bonheur dans le langage littéraire. Kleinberg-Levin examine les relations réciproques et internes de la philosophie, de la phénoménologie et de la littérature. Entre autres, il pose des questions sur la capacité de la littérature à offrir une rédemption, sur sa réponse à la souffrance et à la justice, sur le g...