Balthazar

Federico Vercellone, «L'età illegittima. Estetica e politica», Cortina, Milano 2022, pp. 192

Maddalena Mazzocut-Mis — 2023-12-01

Review of the volume «L'età illegittima. Estetica e politica» by Federico Vercellone.

Veganism and betrayal

Silvia Caprioglio Panizza — 2023-12-01

"Veganism and betrayal" by Silvia Caprioglio Panizza.

A collage of us

Anna Toscano — 2023-12-01

Can Ágota Kristóf's narratives, whether in prose, verse, or for the theatrical stage, create shareable imagery? In this contribution we investigate the extent to which Ágota Kristóf's gambling with the strings of her characters can affect us all.

"Non, vous n’êtes pas coupable"

Giulia Zaccaro — 2023-12-01

This article aims to interrogate Paul Ricoeur's relationship with psychoanalysis, and in particular his estrangement from Freud. Freudian thought for Ricoeur would remain a victim of the 'culture of guilt' he claims to deconstruct. Ricoeur turns from a certain point onwards in his philosophical itinerary no longer to theory but to psychoanalytic experience and the transference relation, especially with regard to the work of mourning and melancholia. Beginning with this change of pace, moving towards what the philosopher calls a "culture of compassion", we set out to interrogate other analytic styles, primarily that of Sandor Ferenczi, asking ourselves and Ricoeur what the affective resources of goodness, compassion and mutual recognition might be within an analytic treatment with patients who are victims of childhood trauma.

«Hills like white elephants» by E. Hemingway

Marco Franceschina — 2023-12-01

When faced with E. Hemingway's «Hills Like White Elephants», one cannot but be intrigued by the interpretation task required from the reader: the author omits fundamental information, threatening the understanding of the scene described in the text. This article questions, therefore, what it means to interpret this text, discussing the pervasive idea that interpreting always coincides with the answer to the question "what did the author mean?". Critically developing this point, I will thus affirm that a story such by Hemingway will not only determine a new and more pregnant concept of "interpretation" but will also coincide with the demand for a particular narrative involvement of the reader in the story itself.

«Unearthing the divine horrors»

Francesca Restelli — 2023-12-01

This study looks into H. P. Lovecraft’s masterful craft of cosmic horror, examining his adept fusion of Christian cosmological elements with subversion and mockery, while concurrently forging a unique cosmic framework. Lovecraft subtly weaves Christian themes into his mythos, introducing his eldritch terrors, deities reminiscent of Christian demonology. These entities, residing in abyssal depths, bear distinctly demonic attributes, highlighting the profound influence of Christian cosmology. The enigmatic entity Dagon, rooted in biblical mythology, is a focal point. Its appearances correlate with catastrophic consequences and the underworld, subverting Christian narratives and invoking a sense of dread through an alternative lens. Lovecraft strategically manipulates Christian celebrations, such as May-Eve and All-Hallows, challenging their significance and intensifying readers’ religious discomfort. Lovecraft’s cosmic framework is non-anthropocentric, portraying an indifferent universe inhabited by ancient cosmic entities beyond human comprehension. However, he alludes to an impending chaos, drawing subtle parallels with the biblical Apocalypse. Lovecraft’s narratives interweave Christian cosmology, subversion, and mockery, challenging religious frameworks while invoking terror and fascination, providing a rich tapestry for scholarly analysis in cosmic horror literature.

Quasi-Nothing, yet something

Antonio Lorenzo Sartori — 2023-12-01

The opinion of Friedrich Nietzsche on the theme of subjectivity is well-known: the subject does not exist; it is merely the theoretical hypostatization of a phantom. In Nietzsche's works the subject appears to be something transitory and destined to disappear, as nothing more than a ripple in the vast ocean of the will to power. However, can the question truly be considered closed? In this paper, I will demonstrate the opposite, showing how it is possible to still provide some Nietzschean positive notion of the subject. Initially, a brief excursus will be necessary to outline the main scientific sources employed by Nietzsche in developing his concept of the individual. Secondly, I will focus on certain aspects of the works of two authors who are very different from each other, although akin in spirit, with the aim of making it more evident how one can speak of the individual in Nietzsche's philosophy. These two authors are Baruch Spinoza and Thomas Pradeu. Through Deleuze's famous lectures on Spinoza, I will show how it is possible to postulate an understanding of individuality that is not entirely fixed and monolithic, adopting the concepts of Bauplan, ratio, and strategy. I deemed it important to also dedicate attention to Pradeu for at least two reasons. Firstly, because the theme of Immunology, to which he devoted his most important works, is strictly related to the issues of defining the borders of the individual: a good immune system can work only if there is an individual to protect, opposed to every other external body, understood as enemies. Secondly, because Pradeu too argues that an individual - while maintaining its unity - is never something rigid. Finally, I highlight why it is crucial to speak of the Nietzschean individual. The theme of the individual is pivotal in Nietzsche’s Moral Philosophy: the only possible way to think of an Ethics “beyond Good and Evil” is the path of understanding Ethics as Ethology - to use a Deleuzian term. An Ethics of this kind – focusing on bodily joy to the point that it can even be defined as medical in its nature – can only find its keystone precisely in the question upon what is a body – which in turn is dependent on the question upon what is an individual.