R. Musil’s Modern Aesthetics in the Light of the “Aggregation States” of the Soul and the Intellect

Authors

  • Kathrin Rosenfield Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-6746.2020.2.37859

Keywords:

Musil., Essay vs., philosophical system., Modern narrative, Novel

Abstract

This article deals with R. Musils ways of intertwining rational thinking, feelings and the aesthetics in both the authors essays and novels. It shows how his deep understanding of the history of science and his familiarity with the methods of scientific work were transposed to the humanistic domains, challenging the polarization typical of the time that privileged dichotomies opposing rationality vs. feeling, mathematical precision vs. artistic intuition. Musil on the contrary shows how the rigor of mathematical thought is linked to the increasing ability to distinguish more precisely sensations and emotions. Pursuing this endeavor in accordance with the modern rational achievements would help to create a better order in the psychological and moral domain, as well as benefit the whole ethical and aesthetic domain.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Kathrin Rosenfield, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS

Professora titular de Filosofia e Literatura na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) em Porto Alegre, RS.

References

BALZAC, Honoré de. A Comédia Humana. O Pai Goriot. Porto Alegre: L&PM, 1998.

BENJAMIN, Walter. Metaphysik der Jugend (Metafísica da Juventude). In: WALTER. Gesammelte Schriften. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1980. 12 v.

BOURDIEU, Pierre. Die feinen Unterschiede. Kritik der gesellschaftlichen Urteilskraft, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp, 1982.

BUBER, Martin. Ekstatische Konfessionen. Düsseldorf, Gütersloh, 2013. https://doi.org/10.14315/9783641248512 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14315/9783641248512

CANETTI, E. Jogo dos Olhos. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2010.

CORINO, Karl. Robert Musil. Eine Biographie. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt, 2003.

FONTANA, O. M. Erinnerungen an Robert Musil. In: DINKLAGE, K. (ed.). Robert Musil: Leben, Werk, Wirkung. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg, 1960.

GOETHE, J. W. von. Sämtliche Werke. 40 v. Deutscher Klassiker Verlag: Frankfurt, 1989. (Zur Farbenlehre, v. 23).

HARNACK, Adolf von. Der Eros in der Alten christlichen Literatur. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1918.

KAISER; E.; WILKINS, E. Robert Musil. Eine Einführung in das Werk. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer Verlag, 1962.

KLAGES, Ludwig. Vom kosmogonischen Eros. Munich: Eugen Diederichs, 1929.

MACH, Ernst. Die Analyse der Empfindungen. Jena, G. Fischer, 1902.

MANN, Thomas. Contra a concepção engajada, política da literatura de seu irmão Heinrich: Betrachtungen eines Unpolitischen, Berlin, Insel Verlag, 1922 [1918].

MANN, Thomas. Betrachtungen eines Unpolitischen, Berlin, Insel Verlag, 1922 [1918].

MICHAUD, Eric. The Cult of Art in Naz Germany. Stanford University Press, 2004.

MUSIL, Robert. Pour une evaluation des doctrines de Mach. Paris: PUF, 1985.

MUSIL, Robert. Precision and Soul. Essays and Addresses. Eds. and transl.: Burton Pike and David S. Luft. University of Chicago Press, 1990.

MUSIL, Robert. Robert Musil. Eine Biographie. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt, 2003.

MUSIL, Robert. Kleine Prosa und Schriften. Rowohlt: Reinbeck bei Hamburg, 1978.

MUSIL, Robert. Tagebücher, 2 vols. Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1976 (TB I and TB II). Ed. Adolf Frise.

MUSIL, Robert. Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften. Rowohlt: Reinbeck bei Hamburg, 1976 (MoE).

MUSIL, Robert. O Homem sem qualidades. Trad. Lya Luft e Carlos Abbenseth. Rio de Janeiro, 1989.

MUSIL, Robert. O Homem sem qualidades. Trad. João Barrento. Lisboa: Dom Quixote, 2008.

MUSIL, Robert. O Jovem Törless. Trad. Lya Luft. Rio de Janeiro: Rio Gráfica, 1986.

MUSIL, Robert. Uniões. Trad. Kathrin Rosenfield e Lawrence Flores Pereira. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2018.

MUSIL, Robert. Ensaios I. Introdução, notas e tradução de K. Rosenfield. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2020. [No prelo].

RATHENAU, Walther. Zur Mechanik des Geistes. Berlin: Fischer, 1913.

ROSENFIELD, K. R. Musil e W. Benjamin: uma amizade perdida e duas visões do neomisticimo. In: TIMM DE SOUZA, Ricardo et al. (org.). Walter Benjamin: barbárie e memória ética. Porto Alegre: Zouk, 2020. [No prelo]

ROSENFIELD, Kathrin. A Época de Musil em Verbetes. In: MUSIL, Robert. Ensaios I. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2020. [No prelo].

STERN, Fritz. The Politics of Cutural Despair: a study in the Rise of the Germanic Ideology. Berkeley: University of Californi Press, 1974.

WILKINS, E. Musil’s “Affair of the Major’s Wife” with an Unpublished Text. The Modern Language Review, v. 63, n. 1, p. 74-93. https://doi.org/10.2307/3722647 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3722647

WOLF, Norbert Christian; NÜBEL, Birgit. Robert-Musil-Handbuch. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016.

WOLF, Christian. Kakanien als Gesellschaftskonstruktion, Robert Musils Sozioanalyse des 20. Jahrhunderts. Viena: Böhlau, 2012. https://doi.org/10.26530/OAPEN_437166 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26530/OAPEN_437166

Published

2020-07-27

How to Cite

Rosenfield, K. (2020). R. Musil’s Modern Aesthetics in the Light of the “Aggregation States” of the Soul and the Intellect. Veritas (Porto Alegre), 65(2), e37859. https://doi.org/10.15448/1984-6746.2020.2.37859

Issue

Section

Articles