Electronic Library of Scientific Literature - © Academic Electronic Press
Vol. XII/2003, No. 2
OBSAH/CONTENTS
Štúdie/Articles
Materiály/Matters
Rozhľady/Horizons
Recenzie/Book Reviews
Správy/Reports
Bodo Zelinsky
The perception of the devilish figure of Goethe's Mephisto is not purely negative. In spite of derogation and one-sided perception promoted by the defenders of moral value systems, one should take into consideration another, no less frequent phenomenon: the simplifying and embellishing adoration of the main character. Just like Mephisto cannot be seen as a pure villain, so Faust cannot be seen as an ideal and a role model. In contrast to Milton or Klopstock, Goethe's representative of Hell on earth hardly corresponds to the traditional idea of the unmasked devil depicted in Lesage's Le Diable boiteux (1707), probably the most famous devil-novel of the French literature. In Goethe's texts devil dons the clothes of everyday reality, similar to the 19th and 20th century depictions by for example Dostoyevsky or Thomas Mann, presenting devil as a gentleman in what could be called an adequate dress. Accordingly, Mephisto's it métier is not the absolute evil, but what is called evil by the humans. On the background of the normality, which in the final analysis denies the absolute, the question of the real winner arises, supposing there can be a winner in such a situation, not an unthinkable proposition, especially when Mephisto, as it is known, exchanged the absolute value of the evil for relative normality.
Address
Univ. Prof. Dr. Bodo Zelinsky
Direktor-Lehrstuhl für slawische Literaturwiss.
Slawischer Institut der Universität Köln
Weyertal 137
509 31 Köln
Keywords
Faust and Mephisto as an Antagonistic Couple. Relative Normality of the
Extreme. Ambivalence of the Good and the Evil. Faustian Motif. Goethe.
Milton. Klopstock. Lesage. Dostoyevsky. Thomas Mann.
Ivan Cvrkal
One of the greatest poets and thinkers of the 18th and the first third of the 19th century Johann Wolfgang Goethe was at the same time a clerk, minister, privy councilor, organizer of economical and industrial development, culture, school system, theaters, libraries and science. He was in service of Weimar-Saxon Principate. The study deals with the main period of these activities, from his arrival to Weimar in 1776, being invited by Duke Carl August, until the 1830s. Many secondary works dedicated to this topic tried to present Goethe's personality as a man being tossed around in a trap of contradiction between his activities as a state clerk and between his poet genius, suffering from bureaucratic limitations that restricted his creative flight of thought. The study concentrates on the positive features of these activities which in many cases were a source of inspiration of the poetic creation of J. W. Goethe.
Address
Prof. PhDr. Ivan Cvrkal, CSc.
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava
Keywords
Business Trip as a Trip for Knowledge. Goethe as a Poet and a State
Clerk. Sachsen--Weimar--Eisenach. Jena. Carl-August. Adam Friedrich
Oeser.
Kerstin Kratochwill
In his autobiographical works Canetti plays his game of lying to keep
the secret of his life and identity. In his poetology he wants to save
the ethics and esthetics of lying of mankind in his poetics of
transformation. And on his level of anthropology and philosophy he wants
to fight the esthetical lie of kitsch, which is the evil counterpart of
the individual and creative lie.
This model of the multi-sided "conception of lie" in the work
of Elias Canetti says that lying is to Canetti a positive quality, if
the lies are located on the levels of perception or fiction. Lying has a
negative connotation to him if it's located on the level of anthropology
and means nothing else than kitsch according to the definition of
Hermann Broch. Canetti's "Idea of Lying" is not an opposition
between "Mendacity and Truth", all three levels are permeable
and not strictly separated from each other.
Address
Kerstin Kratochwill
Philosophische Fakultät
Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften
Institut für Neuere Deutsche Literatur
Graduiertenkolleg "Kulturen der Lüge"
Universität Regensburg
930 40 Regensburg
Keywords
Concept of Kitch. Concept of Change. Legitimacy of Literature.
Resposibility of Literature. Aesthetics of the Lie. Myth and Material of
Knowledge. Fictitiousness of the Truth.
Róbert Gáfrik
Hesse's "Siddhartha" is the most effective expression of the yearning for India and of the belief in the wisdom of Indian philosophy in German literature. The present study is an attempt of a philosophical analysis of this work. Attention is also given to Hesse's hermeneutic situation. It shows how the state of indology and the motivation of the writer influenced the rendering of the Indian reality in the narrative. The author of the study assumes that every culture is governed by other concepts. First of all he tries to reconstruct Siddhartha's philosophy of life (Weltanschauung) and then compare it with the concepts of the Indian system of thought. The focus of the analysis is on the problem of human identity, i.e. the body-soul problem, and consequently the most remarkable element of Indian thought, the concept of liberation, or moksha. Hesse refuted the concept of moksha in his work, although he followed the Indian ideas of human identity. The author of the study analyses in details Siddhartha's loving devotion to the world, which is Siddhartha's ultimate answer on the path of spiritual search. The study examines Hesse's confrontation with Indian thought, it points out his insufficient knowledge of the problems of Indian philosophy and draws the conclusion that Hesse's narrative "Siddhartha" is not an expression of Indian thought, despite the milieu in which the story is situated. The image of India it offers is false.
Address
Mgr. Róbert Gáfrik
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava
Keywords
Indian Thought. Body-soul Problem. Liberation. Hermeneutic Situation of
the Author.
Bogumiła Suwara
The study deals with the position of translation in the history of
literature, or in the history of a national literature. The relation of
translation and literature certainly depended on historical changes of
aesthetic models (literature according the principle
"imitatio", romantic model of hermeneutic closeness, modern
model of the literature as a "result of translation"). All the
problems of discursiveness of a national literature are relevant in the
history of translation of the national literature.
Another influence on the position of translation in humanistic thinking
was the reflection of language. The significant caesura from the period
of dominance of linguistic research, in the framework of which
translatology was trying to get the status of an independent discipline,
left its consequences mainly in the communicative research of
translation. However, the linguistic turn in the philosophy lead to
paradoxical blurring of the limits of the translatological theory and
consequently to the present rising of the translation to the level of
the original text. Eventually, the translation, as well as all the
contemporary art and culture is closely linked with all the
uncertainties and complications resulting from their connection with the
reality and life.
Address
Bogumila Suwara, CSc.
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava
Keywords
Translation. Literature. Language.
Ladislav Franek
In his paper Position of the Language in Stylistics Ladislav Franek
introduces a basic problem, dealing at the same time with didactic and
research approach to the style of a literary work. As he emphasizes, on
the contrary of traditional literary historical method, he applies
different point of view which requires appropriate sum of theoretical
knowledge. In this situation the code of language enters a difficult
relationship with the code of literature which shows features of
subjectivity, experientiality and inner dependency of literary
projection in a contentual, thematic and stylistic way. In this sense he
elevates Saussur's dichotomy langue/parole, for it introduced notions of
exactness and verification. Its advantage is the creation of logically
verifiable basis for analysis.
In the other part Franek deals with Slovak research in the area of
stylistics, formerly based largely on Miko's conception of expressive
system. It was aimed not only at capturing stylistic signs of the
individual poetics, but also at respecting the concept of homogeneity in
a general way. The main point was the reconciliation of linguistic and
literary approach. On the basis of this reality Franek compares this
conception with the understanding of style in French stylistics. In
authors opinion the basic difference in relation with various forms of
descriptive stylistics (Ch. Bally) lies in the fact that Slovak research
focused in a high degree and often organically on the area of
"parole". He observes a certain kind of harmonizing of both
the approaches in genetic criticism of L. Spitzer, who gives priority to
the return to the essence of a literary work. In this sense he
accentuates the variety of Slovak analytical and always critical
attitudes (mostly in the 60s and the 70s), which are a good point for
linking up. Similarly, it is necessary to re-evaluate older scientific
contributions in a view of present condition of literature (emphasized
role of "fiction").
In the conclusion the author points out certain shortcomings in the
foreign language teaching that cause decreased interest in the
structured character of Slovak in wider comparative framework. In
accordance with the need of re-evaluation, in the future it is necessary
to move away from the sphere of the relation of language and style to
the sphere of thinking and feeling of a particular cultural reality.
Address
PhDr. Ladislav Franek, CSc.
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava
Keywords
Structural Analysis. Descriptive Stylistics. Genetic Stylistics.
Conceptions of Stylistic Research (France, Slovakia). Updating of the
Subject.
Ján Koška
The material contains full version of the director's speech on the
occasion of the directorial elections at the Institute of World
Literature of Slovak Academy of Sciences (later SAS) on November the
21st 2003. The author was the only candidate. Out of the thirty present
members of the academic community (87%), twenty-six voted for him, three
were against and one abstained from voting.
The text is the election speech and the author presents his vision of
the conception, aiming and management of the Institute. The
characteristics of his scientific approach are his mistrust for the
conventional terminology and his belief in the need of "more then
one language" ("plus d'un langue", a formulation by J.
Derrida). He wants to be a devoted friend and supporter of every real
scientific language, scientific thought.
The most successful scientific branch of the Institute of World
Literature as well as of all the social sciences institutes of the SAS
he considers literary comparatistics (comparative studies). Its strong
position is confirmed by foreign feedback and also by the latest Japan
edition of the basic work of Dionýz Ďurišin, "Theory of Literary
Comparatistics", which was translated into Japanese. This branch
should be basis for his scientific research strategy and for the desire
of the Institute for more profound integration into the European
scientific structures.
An inevitable condition for the success of the Institute is further
development of the comparative theory and practice, re-evaluation of its
subject and implementation of interdisciplinary approaches. An
exceptionally useful source of stimuli and inspiration is the contact
and cooperation with foreign comparative studies centres, such as Centre
of Comparative Studies at the Department of German Studies at the
University of George-August in Götttingen (Zentrum für
Komparatistische Studien). The author reports on the visit of Prof.
Andrea Albrecht from this centre at the Institute of World Literature of
SAS, as well as on the comparative studies conference Spiel-Arten der
Komparatistik which took place a year ago and where the author
represented Slovak comparatistics which is considered to be a
"godfather" of Götingen comparative studies. According to
him, the difference between Slovak and German comparatistics also opens
good perspectives for cooperation. Bratislava comparatistics focuses on
comparison of a literature with another literature, it has a special
detailed theory of literary influence, literary transmission as a change
and it could be shortly characterized as comparatistics of variability.
The author expresses his belief that the main problem of the 21st
century will be the issue of difference and therefore the comparatistics
will become interdisciplinary super-science.
In the author's opinion further successful development of this branch
lies in its cooperation with cognitive and translatological programs of
the Institute and in effective implementation of interdisciplinary
approach. These programs mutually exchange inevitable stimuli with the
comparatistics, so that they can be more successful in integration into
European scientific structures.
The other part of the material deals with the plans in international
scientific cooperation, Ph.D. study program and organization matters.
Among other things the author suggests to organize a series of
conferences and educational courses in the framework of the program of
Marie Curie (MC), dealing with the fundamental problems of
comparatistics and translatology, under a general common name
"Bratislava -- the city on the border of languages and
cultures" or "Bratislava -- the city in the centre".
Address
PhDr. Ján Koška, DrSc.
Ústav svetovej literatúry SAV
Konventná 13
813 64 Bratislava
Keywords
Comparatistics. Interdisciplinarity. International Scientific
Cooperation. Ph.D. Studies.
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