Literary experience and death in Blanchot: genius theory as ontology of language

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show how Maurice Blanchot establishes a contemporary theory of the genius on his analysis of the relationship between literary experience and death. At first, we will specify in which terms it is possible to say that Blanchot formulates a theory of the genius, opposing it to text gender theory. We will also investigate how Blanchot’s thought departs from Hegel, Nietzsche and Heidegger towards the articulation of death and ontology of literary creation. At last, we will analyze how Blanthot’s ontology of literary creation institutes itself on the notion that the fundament of being is actually language negativity itself.