Humanities

11 pages, 198 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“The Triumph of the Ordinary”: Mental Reservation, Racial Profiling and Construction of a Human Social Community in Sherman Alexie’s Ten Little Indians

by Shuangshuang Li

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050102 - 29 Apr 2025

Abstract

In Ten Little Indians, Sherman Alexie presents nine poignant and emotionally resonant stories about Native Americans’ struggle with alienation and stereotypes. Instead of focusing merely on the ethnic identity of American Indians, Alexie writes about a particular group of people sharing similar [...] Read more.

In Ten Little Indians, Sherman Alexie presents nine poignant and emotionally resonant stories about Native Americans’ struggle with alienation and stereotypes. Instead of focusing merely on the ethnic identity of American Indians, Alexie writes about a particular group of people sharing similar circumstances and addresses their common humanity, namely their search for love and respect in urban spaces. Alexie questions the authenticity of Indian identity and asserts that a “mental reservation” exists in the minds of Indian people which significantly influences their perceptions of self and community. Race, as a medium of seeing “the other” permeates U.S. society, especially in the wake of terrorist attacks. However, racial profiling has proven to be an ineffective means of detecting criminals and criminal activities, and has obstructed social relationships, bringing emotions of fear, loneliness and grief to urban Indians. In response to the modernity crisis, Alexie explores the American Indian cosmopolitanism in Ten Little Indians, and envisions a human social community based on reciprocity and mutual respect. His concerns regarding ordinary people’s life experiences and their ways of forming healthy relationships exhibit his considerable hope for “the triumph of the ordinary”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Literature and World Literature: Toward a Global Cultural Community through a New Cosmopolitanism)

18 pages, 463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Wenn dunkel mir ist der Sinn,/Den Kunst und Sinnen hat Schmerzen/Gekostet von Anbeginn“ (“When Dark Are My Mind and Heart/Which Paid from the Beginning/In Grief for Thought and Art”): Hölderlin in the “Hölderlin Tower”—Contemporary and Modern Diagnoses of His Illness, and Literary (Self-)Therapy

by Gabriele von Bassermann-Jordan

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050101 - 28 Apr 2025

Abstract

In 1802, Friedrich Hölderlin experienced his first mental breakdown, which was followed by a second one in 1805. On 15th September 1806, he was admitted to the clinic of Johann Heinrich Ferdinand von Autenrieth in Tübingen who addressed Hölderlin’s illness as “madness” (“Wahnsinn”). [...] Read more.

In 1802, Friedrich Hölderlin experienced his first mental breakdown, which was followed by a second one in 1805. On 15th September 1806, he was admitted to the clinic of Johann Heinrich Ferdinand von Autenrieth in Tübingen who addressed Hölderlin’s illness as “madness” (“Wahnsinn”). On 3rd May 1807, the poet was discharged as “incurable” (“unheilbar”). Until his death on 7th June 1843, he was cared for by the carpenter Ernst Zimmer. From the period between 1807 and 1843, 50 poems by Hölderlin have been preserved, in German studies known as the “Turmdichtung” (“tower poetry”). These poems have long been relegated to the margins of scholarly research. In my essay, I will discuss the modern and contemporary diagnoses, as well as Hölderlin’s literary (self-) therapy of his illness. I am suggesting that Hölderlin’s tower poetry contains a thera-peutic–poetic concept that is intended to serve the treatment of his illness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hölderlin and Poetic Transport)

17 pages, 275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Dark Side of Things: Praxis of Curiosity in La silva curiosa (Julián de Medrano 1583)

by Mercedes Alcalá Galán

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050100 - 28 Apr 2025

Abstract

Curiosity lies at the heart of the sixteenth-century miscellany books, which served as precursors to the essay genre. Among them, a truly exceptional piece stands out: La silva curiosa by Julián de Medrano, published in 1583. This work pushes the boundaries of curiosity [...] Read more.

Curiosity lies at the heart of the sixteenth-century miscellany books, which served as precursors to the essay genre. Among them, a truly exceptional piece stands out: La silva curiosa by Julián de Medrano, published in 1583. This work pushes the boundaries of curiosity to such an extent that it challenges its classification within the genre of miscellany owing to its unconventional and strange nature. Julián de Medrano, the author of this outlandish work, transforms himself into a character and protagonist, defining himself as an “extremely curious” individual. During his extensive travels, he curates a collection of “curious” epitaphs associated with often comical and peculiar deaths, spanning Latin, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Galician, and Italian. In addition to this, La silva curiosa includes an autobiographical narrative, a precursor to the Gothic genre, in which Medrano recounts unsettling encounters with black magic. This work offers a multifaceted exploration of curiosity, taking it to the extreme by narrating the author’s life experiences driven by a relentless pursuit of the curious, which is synonymous with the bizarre, extraordinary, marvelous, and unexpected. La silva curiosa emerges from a time marked by an almost nihilistic void, as the full force of the Baroque era has not yet arrived, and the ideals of humanism are fading away. It stands as a unique document that unveils an unexpected facet of the concept of curiosity within Spanish Renaissance culture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Curiosity and Modernity in Early Modern Spain)

15 pages, 316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“Diversity” Is “The Motor Driving Universal Energy”: Édouard Glissant’s (1928–2011) Relation and Watsuji Tetsurō’s (1889–1960) Fūdo

by Andrea Sartori

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050099 (registering DOI) - 25 Apr 2025

Abstract

This paper critically examines Édouard Glissant’s philosophy of relation through the lens of Watsuji Tetsurō’s theory of fūdo (climate and milieu), arguing that Watsuji’s insights help address some of the tensions and limitations in Glissant’s thought. While Glissant foregrounds relationality as a dynamic [...] Read more.

This paper critically examines Édouard Glissant’s philosophy of relation through the lens of Watsuji Tetsurō’s theory of fūdo (climate and milieu), arguing that Watsuji’s insights help address some of the tensions and limitations in Glissant’s thought. While Glissant foregrounds relationality as a dynamic process of cultural creolization, his emphasis on fluidity and opacity at times risks obscuring the material and environmental conditions that shape human interactions. In contrast, Watsuji’s fūdo provides a framework for understanding relationality as always embedded in specific climatic and spatial conditions, grounding Glissant’s poetics of relation in a more concrete phenomenological and ecological perspective. By integrating Watsuji’s attention to the reciprocal formation of human subjectivity and milieu, this paper argues for a more nuanced articulation of relational identity—one that does not merely resist fixity but also acknowledges the formative role of an (interconnected) place (or places) and environment (or environments). Ultimately, this comparative approach highlights the potential for a deeper ecological and material grounding of Glissant’s thought, offering a corrective to its occasional indeterminacy while reaffirming its decolonial aspirations. In doing so, it contributes to broader discussions on the intersections of environmental philosophy, postcolonial thought, and theories of intersubjectivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Space Between: Landscape, Mindscape, Architecture)

13 pages, 287 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cosmopolitan Ideal in Timothy Mo’s An Insular Possession

by Shenghao Hu and Zengxin Ni

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050098 - 25 Apr 2025

Abstract

Hong Kong-born British writer Timothy Mo’s novel An Insular Possession (1986) focuses on the First Opium War (1839–1842) and critically examines global inequalities. This article explores cosmopolitanism as a potential framework for mitigating cross-cultural conflicts. Instead of embracing cosmopolitanism as an inherently positive [...] Read more.

Hong Kong-born British writer Timothy Mo’s novel An Insular Possession (1986) focuses on the First Opium War (1839–1842) and critically examines global inequalities. This article explores cosmopolitanism as a potential framework for mitigating cross-cultural conflicts. Instead of embracing cosmopolitanism as an inherently positive vision, the novel critiques two cosmopolitan worldviews—British colonialism and the Chinese Tianxia concept—and reveals the potential complicity of cosmopolitanism in consolidating hierarchical world orders. Through the protagonist Gideon Chase, an American expatriate engaged in studying Chinese language and culture, Mo envisions a de-colonial cosmopolitan vision that seeks to transcend the center/margin dynamic and fosters more equitable cross-cultural interactions. Gideon’s ultimate failure to alleviate Sino–British tensions prompts reflections on global justice and underscores the urgent need to establish a cosmopolitan world order marked by peace, mutual respect and tolerance of difference. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Comparative Literature and World Literature: Toward a Global Cultural Community through a New Cosmopolitanism)

12 pages, 205 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Classroom as a “Brave Space” in Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me

by Wendy Rountree

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050097 - 24 Apr 2025

Abstract

In this essay, I utilize Robert Stepto’s “ritual ground” concept and Ray Oldenburg’s “third place” theory to analyze Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me. I posit that Ms. Laverne repurposes an old art classroom as both a “third place” and a “ritual ground” for [...] Read more.

In this essay, I utilize Robert Stepto’s “ritual ground” concept and Ray Oldenburg’s “third place” theory to analyze Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me. I posit that Ms. Laverne repurposes an old art classroom as both a “third place” and a “ritual ground” for her students, and as a result, her students are empowered to create community and find their individual and collective voices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue African American Children's Literature)

12 pages, 209 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nermin Yildirim’s Sakli Bahçeler Haritasi (The Hidden Gardens Map) in the Context of Multiple Personality Disorder

by Nazlı Memiş Baytimur

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050096 - 24 Apr 2025

Abstract

Novels, which take shape in imaginary worlds, are closely connected to life and reality. Psychiatric disorders also belong to life and reality and are part of the content of literary works. Authors sometimes make use of mental disorders to tell a story or [...] Read more.

Novels, which take shape in imaginary worlds, are closely connected to life and reality. Psychiatric disorders also belong to life and reality and are part of the content of literary works. Authors sometimes make use of mental disorders to tell a story or to give depth to fiction. Such disorders, which started to be seen in Turkish literature in the novels of the Tanzimat period, play particularly dramatic roles in texts produced after the 1960–1970s. Psychological disorders include dissociative disorders, one type of which is multiple personality disorder. The person experiencing this type of dissociation develops two or more independent personality systems in response to feelings of anxiety. One of the most important works of recent Turkish literature, Nermin Yıldırım’s Saklı Bahçeler Haritası (The Hidden Gardens Map), first published in 2013, is a novel in which multiple personality disorder plays a significant role. This study attempts to determine how the defining criteria and symptoms of multiple personality disorder are exhibited in the aforementioned novel and how its effects and related issues are conveyed to the reader. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Literature in the Humanities)

12 pages, 219 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leo Africanus Curiously Strays Afield of Himself

by Steven Hutchinson

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050095 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2025

Abstract

The word “curiosity” has an opaque history with contradictory attitudes and connotations acquired ever since Antiquity. This poses an interesting problem in the case of Leo Africanus, who never uses the word in his Cosmographia de l’Affrica yet exhibits curiosity at every turn [...] Read more.

The word “curiosity” has an opaque history with contradictory attitudes and connotations acquired ever since Antiquity. This poses an interesting problem in the case of Leo Africanus, who never uses the word in his Cosmographia de l’Affrica yet exhibits curiosity at every turn as a traveler and a writer. This essay relies on a distinction that Michel Foucault makes regarding types of curiosity: that which produces conventional knowledge (which he rejects) and that which seeks extraordinary knowledge that “enables one to get free of oneself”, resulting in “the knower’s straying afield of himself”. Both as a traveler and a writer, Michel de Montaigne demonstrates that such an attitude was a living reality in sixteenth-century Europe. Montaigne’s many reflections on his “straying afield of himself” provide a bridge to interpreting Leo Africanus’s practices of traveling and writing. Leo’s profession as a diplomat, his economic expertise and his training as an Islamic legal expert all led to his far-reaching journeys, particularly in Islamic Africa but also Asia as of a young age, bringing about his many encounters with historical figures and events while also granting him access to uninhabited nature, as well as every sort of human settlement, from remote villages to great cities. His will to knowledge—curiosity that leads him to ‘stray afield of himself’ by seeking out the unusual and the unknown—proves to be the key to his travel and his writing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Curiosity and Modernity in Early Modern Spain)

12 pages, 217 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

What Are Conservation Humanities? Preliminary Reflections on an Emerging Paradigm

by Graham Huggan and George Holmes

Humanities 2025, 14(5), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14050094 - 22 Apr 2025

Abstract

It is increasingly acknowledged that one of the primary tasks of the humanities today is to engage with environmental issues: all the more so in light of the Anthropocene, which underlines significant—indeed transformative—human influence on the planet, even as it reiterates that humans [...] Read more.

It is increasingly acknowledged that one of the primary tasks of the humanities today is to engage with environmental issues: all the more so in light of the Anthropocene, which underlines significant—indeed transformative—human influence on the planet, even as it reiterates that humans are themselves shaped by ecological processes, at least some of which are beyond their control (N [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Conservation Humanities)

12 pages, 236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From the Abyss of the Middle Passage to the Currents of Hydrofeminism “Getting Wet” with the Ocean in Rivers Solomon’s The Deep

by Chiara Xausa

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040093 - 17 Apr 2025

Abstract

This article proposes a close reading of Rivers Solomon’s 2019 novella The Deep, a recent eco-story about water, memory, and survival. Solomon’s work is inspired by a song called “The Deep” from experimental hip-hop group clipping, a dark science fiction [...] Read more.

This article proposes a close reading of Rivers Solomon’s 2019 novella The Deep, a recent eco-story about water, memory, and survival. Solomon’s work is inspired by a song called “The Deep” from experimental hip-hop group clipping, a dark science fiction tale about the underwater-dwelling descendants of African women thrown off slave ships during the Middle Passage. This imaginative alternate history, or counter-mythology, was invented by the Detroit techno band Drexciya, which, in a series of releases between 1992 and 2002, tells us the story of an underwater realm in the mid-Atlantic, where merpeople and their descendants establish a utopian society in the sea, free from the war and racism on the surface. My analysis uses Saidiya Hartman’s “critical fabulation” to make productive sense of the gaps in the archive of trans-Atlantic slavery that silence the voices of enslaved women, listening to the voices of water to imagine not only what was but also what could be. Moreover, this article examines The Deep through a trajectory that moves from the ocean as a space that reproduces death only to the ocean as a generative force for posthuman and multispecies kinship. Using Black hydrocriticism, hydrofeminism, and econarratology, I will argue that this transition is made possible by the “despatialization” of the ocean—a concept introduced by Erin James—where the ocean is conceived not as a fixed or stable environment, but as a space in constant flux, defying stability, and the subsequent immersion in its waters. Full article

19 pages, 590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Unity and Fragmentation of Being: Hölderlin’s Metaphysics of Life

by Edward Kanterian

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040092 - 17 Apr 2025

Abstract

Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) is widely known as a poet and sometimes described as a poet’s poet (Heidegger). However, more recent interpretations, undertaken by Dieter Henrich, Michael Franz and others, have shown that he was a genuine philosopher as well, who had an original [...] Read more.

Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843) is widely known as a poet and sometimes described as a poet’s poet (Heidegger). However, more recent interpretations, undertaken by Dieter Henrich, Michael Franz and others, have shown that he was a genuine philosopher as well, who had an original conception of the relation between art, poetry and metaphysics, with neo-Platonic and theological roots. This paper reconstructs Hölderlin’s ideas and their relation to those of Kant and Fichte. Hölderlin emerges, on the interpretation offered here, as a metaphysician of life, a poet of the biosphere and as such most relevant to our present-day predicament. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hölderlin and Poetic Transport)

29 pages, 12167 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sacrificial Love (Of Cyborgs, Saviors, and Driller, a Real Robot Killer) in the Comics Descender and Ascender

by Peter Admirand

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040091 - 17 Apr 2025

Abstract

Seeking to examine cases of sacrificial love for another that is empathetic, unconditional, and morally redemptive, I focus on writer Jeff Lemire’s and artist Dustin Nguyen’s heralded comic series, Descender and Ascender (published by Image Comics starting in 2015 and 2018, respectively). In [...] Read more.

Seeking to examine cases of sacrificial love for another that is empathetic, unconditional, and morally redemptive, I focus on writer Jeff Lemire’s and artist Dustin Nguyen’s heralded comic series, Descender and Ascender (published by Image Comics starting in 2015 and 2018, respectively). In the first main subsection, I argue how illustrative fictional cases (some involving robots) can mirror inter-human ethical struggles in our own world and examine what I call the “The R2-D2 and Wall-E Syndrome”. Next, I look at some representative theoretical, literary, and biblical examples of sacrifice, especially regarding morally problematic theories about Jesus’ death on the cross, a classic Western example of sacrificial love. I then provide a brief context for why I chose Descender and Ascender and highlight some of the main themes and characters in the comics. In doing so, I draw from three main examples: the cyborg and mother Effie (Queen Between), the companion robot TIM-21, and the robot Driller (“a real killer”), where I gleam key traits of sacrificial love as empathetic, unconditional, and morally redemptive. I close with how to distinguish unholy and holy forms of sacrificial love and reflect on how the examples of sacrificial love in the comics ultimately complement my reading of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross while adding some stipulations to his oft-quoted saying: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Full article

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24 pages, 4799 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Graffiti, Street Art and Ambivalence

by Graeme Lorenzo Evans

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040090 - 15 Apr 2025

Abstract

The article considers the practice and praxis of graffiti and street art from the perspectives of law enforcement, local government and placemaking, and between the production and consumption of this ambivalent form of cultural expression. The work is based on primary, site-based research [...] Read more.

The article considers the practice and praxis of graffiti and street art from the perspectives of law enforcement, local government and placemaking, and between the production and consumption of this ambivalent form of cultural expression. The work is based on primary, site-based research and visualisation undertaken in Europe, North America and Australia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Law and Literature: Graffiti)

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12 pages, 235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Activism and Strategic Empathy in the Novel Vastakarvaan

by Kaisu Rättyä

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040089 - 15 Apr 2025

Abstract

Ecocritical children’s literature research in the 2020s focuses on eco-activism, especially climate activism. Although the causes of activism have changed, different kinds of dissent are still relevant. This article focuses on Mika Wickström’s novel Vastakarvaan (Against the Grain, published in 2002), [...] Read more.

Ecocritical children’s literature research in the 2020s focuses on eco-activism, especially climate activism. Although the causes of activism have changed, different kinds of dissent are still relevant. This article focuses on Mika Wickström’s novel Vastakarvaan (Against the Grain, published in 2002), which describes a young Finnish student’s ethical dilemma: her eco-anarchist friends are planning an attack on a fur farm that the protagonist’s family owns. It evaluates the novel with new theoretical insights from affective ecocriticism and narrative empathy, and the main concepts that have been explored are youth activism and types of dissent. The analysis is grounded in the concept of strategic empathy, exploring the ways in which emotions and ethical decisions of the protagonist are represented in physical, social, and temporal settings: how types of dissent are presented and how bounded strategic empathy, ambassadorial strategic empathy, and broadcast strategic empathy are presented. The analysis demonstrates how the protagonist’s dilemma is emphasized in different stages of dissent: her decision to participate in the attack or not is debated on different levels of narration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Rebels with a Cause: Representations and Explorations of Politics and Activism in Children's and YA Literature)

13 pages, 2815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

More than Interactivity: Designing a Critical AI Game Beyond Ludo-Centrism

by Hongwei Zhou, Fandi Meng, Katherine Kosolapova and Noah Wadrip-Fruin

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040088 - 15 Apr 2025

Abstract

This article presents our work-in-progress game Sea of Paint, aimed at exploring concerns around contemporary machine-learning-based AI technologies. It is a narrative-driven game with dialogues and a custom-made text-to-image system as its core mechanics. We identify our design approach as non-ludo-centric, as [...] Read more.

This article presents our work-in-progress game Sea of Paint, aimed at exploring concerns around contemporary machine-learning-based AI technologies. It is a narrative-driven game with dialogues and a custom-made text-to-image system as its core mechanics. We identify our design approach as non-ludo-centric, as in, de-emphasizing the importance of mechanical interactions. We argue that contemporary game design language has largely been ludo-centric, where audiovisual and narrative aspects are framed as having somewhat static and complementary roles to rules and mechanics: as context, content, or smoothening and juicing up interactions. Although we do not believe that game design writ large has been ludo-centric, given the diversities of games in both commercial and experimental spaces, we still argue that the entanglement of design decisions across a game’s different aspects have been under-discussed. By presenting our project, we demonstrate how the interrelations across mechanical, narrative and visual aspects help us communicate our critical AI themes more effectively, and explore their potentials more thoroughly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electronic Literature and Game Narratives)

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14 pages, 238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Myth of Melusina from the Middle Ages to the Romantic Period: Different Perspectives on Femininity

by Maria Ruggero

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040087 - 14 Apr 2025

Abstract

My essay aims at considering the mythological figure of Melusina and her literary development, starting from the Middle Ages up to the Romantic period. The main purpose is to determine how this fictional entity, originally regarded as the symbol of nature and its [...] Read more.

My essay aims at considering the mythological figure of Melusina and her literary development, starting from the Middle Ages up to the Romantic period. The main purpose is to determine how this fictional entity, originally regarded as the symbol of nature and its fecundity, has changed over the time in relation to the historical and cultural complex and how this has reverberated in terms of interpretation of the identity of the literary character. I will consider the medieval versions of Jean D’Arras (1392), with some consequent references to Coudrette (1401–1405) and von Ringoltingen (1456), and the German romantic fairytale rewriting of Ludwig Tieck (1800). If the thematic nucleus remains the same, the configuration of the female character changes by reflecting the new Romantic poetics in terms of interest towards femininity, subjectivity and the study of the morphology of the Earth. In particular, Melusina is no longer seen as a mere and passive object, but as a subject who for the first time, hiding in an emblematic cave, reveals to the reader her own interiority and her own truth, totally assimilating herself to the external environment. The conclusion will show how the cultural subtext modifies the interpretation of this atavistic character. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interpretation of Fictional Characters in Literary Texts: History of Literary Criticism, Philosophy and Formal Ontologies)

20 pages, 414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Fourth Sophistic Movement? Mêtis, Rhetoric, and Politics Between Byzantium and Italy in the Fourteenth Century

by Luigi Robuschi

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040086 - 9 Apr 2025

Abstract

This article adopts the thesis formulated by Laurent Pernot, according to which sophists existed in every period of history. By comparing the rhetorical strategies developed by the Second Sophistic authors—in particular Aelius Aristides—with the works of the Late Byzantine politician and literatus Demetrius [...] Read more.

This article adopts the thesis formulated by Laurent Pernot, according to which sophists existed in every period of history. By comparing the rhetorical strategies developed by the Second Sophistic authors—in particular Aelius Aristides—with the works of the Late Byzantine politician and literatus Demetrius Kydones, striking similarities emerge, allowing an argument for the continuity of the Sophistic tradition. Authors of the Second Sophistic did not only contribute to the Byzantine politikòi stylistic models, but provided them with pragmatic approaches to navigating moments of crisis, even at the cost of negotiating and transforming traditional values. This emerges also in Kydones’ attempt to bring together East and West in order to contain the Turkish threat. His efforts mirror those of Aelius Aristides and other members of the Second Sophistic who similarly tried to mediate with the Roman empire. Furthermore, Kydones’ adoption of Greek paideia as a form of “soft power” in the West played a key role in the diffusion of the Sophistic tradition among Italian Humanists, like Leonardo Bruni. This phenomenon is closely linked with the “Sophistic Renaissance” explored by MacPhail and Katinis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ancient Greek Sophistry and Its Legacy)

12 pages, 233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Colors of Curiosity: Ekphrasis from Marguerite de Navarre to María de Zayas’ Tarde llega el desengaño

by Frederick A. De Armas

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040085 - 9 Apr 2025

Abstract

María de Zayas’ Tarde llega el desengaño, the fourth tale in her Desengaños amorosos (1641), is one of the most studied novellas in the collection. The reader’s curiosity may stem in part from the main model for the tale, the Apuleian story [...] Read more.

María de Zayas’ Tarde llega el desengaño, the fourth tale in her Desengaños amorosos (1641), is one of the most studied novellas in the collection. The reader’s curiosity may stem in part from the main model for the tale, the Apuleian story of Cupid and Psyche, which has curiositas as its central motivation. Nevertheless, this essay argues that one of the reasons that the tale has attracted so much attention has to do with the vividness of its scenes, the chromatic design that Zayas uses to write for the eyes and the relationship of these topics to curiosity. The text induces characters and readers to marvel not only at a colorful scene but also to seek to understand the choice of colors in eight impacting ekphrasis in the novella. These colors color emotions and arouse our curiosity regarding scene, symbol, shade, and character. In addition, Zayas alludes to a painting included in one of Marguerite de Navarre’s novellas to further arouse curiosity and visual memory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Curiosity and Modernity in Early Modern Spain)

30 pages, 456 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hölderlin’s and Novalis’ Philosophical Beginnings (1795)

by Manfred Frank

Humanities 2025, 14(4), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/h14040084 - 1 Apr 2025

Abstract

Philosophers and literary scholars have notoriously struggled with the periodization of Hölderlin’s work, showing particular reluctance to situate it within Early Romanticism. But there can be no doubt that Hölderlin’s philosophical work resides within the context of an anti-foundationalist criticism, which students of [...] Read more.

Philosophers and literary scholars have notoriously struggled with the periodization of Hölderlin’s work, showing particular reluctance to situate it within Early Romanticism. But there can be no doubt that Hölderlin’s philosophical work resides within the context of an anti-foundationalist criticism, which students of Karl Leonhard Reinhold leveled at his programmatic deduction from a “highest principle” (oberster Grundsatz) in the early 1790s and intensified following Fichte’s lectures (1794/95) on the Science of Knowledge (Wissenschaftslehre). Novalis belonged directly to the circle of Reinhold students, while Hölderlin gained access to it through Friedrich Immanuel Niethammer, his friend from student days in Tübingen and “mentor” in Jena. Niethammer encouraged both Hölderlin and Novalis to contribute to his Philosophisches Journal, conceived as a forum for discussing the pros and cons of foundational philosophy (Grundsatzphilosophie). Novalis’ Fichte-Studies and Hölderlin’s philosophical fragments from 1795/96 can be read as drafts for such an essay. Both men developed similar critiques of Reinhold’s reformulated, subject-centered “highest principle”, the “principle of consciousness” (Satz des Bewusstseins). They argued that according to Reinhold, self-consciousness is a representation, i.e., a binary relationship that provides no explanation for the certainty of unity associated with self-consciousness. Both postulate a transcendent “ground of unity”, which would address this issue while remaining inaccessible to consciousness. My article demonstrates that both men failed to disentangle themselves from the snares of Reinhold’s model of representation, and both transferred the solution for the problem of self-consciousness onto the extra-philosophical medium of art. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hölderlin and Poetic Transport)

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