The first and fifth sections of the essay ("Jacob's Dream" and "Surplus: The Case of Kalganov... more The first and fifth sections of the essay ("Jacob's Dream" and "Surplus: The Case of Kalganov") are the revised versions of the paper—Michal Oklot: “Drugoi: Petr Fomich Kalganov"—presented at the American Association for Advancement of Slavic Studies Annual National Convention. Philadelphia, PA. 2008, November 20-23.
Рассматривается вопрос о мистицизме в работе В.В. Розанова «Апокалипсисе нашего времени» (1917-19... more Рассматривается вопрос о мистицизме в работе В.В. Розанова «Апокалипсисе нашего времени» (1917-1918 гг.). Выдвигается тезис о том, что за исторически-автобиографическим фасадом этой последней книги В.В. Розанова скрывается программа мистической онтологии и мистического познания, согласно которой «тайна (энтелехия, понятая Розановым как динамический элемент бытия) познаваема только через миф, мистическое мышление. Вопрос о «мистицизме» Розанова, в свою очередь, ведет к вопросам о языке и недиалектическом знании. Основным текстом, который предлагается как особый «комментарий», разъясняющий мистиче-скую программу «Апокалипсиса нашего времени», является манускрипт «Тайна», над которым Розанов работал в 1890-е годы. Делается вывод о том, что «Тайна» является не только выра-жением мистической теории познания и интерпретации у Розанова, но и формой незавершен-ного философского трактата «О потенциальности и ее роли в мире физическом и человече-ском», который Розанов обдумывал в 1890-е годы. Через опыт параллельного прочтения «Апокалипсиса нашего времени» и «Тайны» выявляются корни поэтики розановского текста, кото-рые ведут к поэтике текстов Платона, Гѐте, Н.В. Гоголя, М.Ю. Лермонтова, Ф.М. Достоевского, Л.Н. Толстого. В заключение делается вывод, что «Апокалипсис нашего времени» принадлежит к мистической ветви модернистской мысли (Э. Блох, Э. Вегелин и Э. Чоран), восходящей к европейскому мистицизму XVI и XVII веков.
Focusing on two modernist thinkers, Vasily Rozanov (1856 – 1919) and Ernst Bloch (1885 – 1976), t... more Focusing on two modernist thinkers, Vasily Rozanov (1856 – 1919) and Ernst Bloch (1885 – 1976), the article examines the ontological and existential implications of their eschatological thinking and its concept of nonlinear time, which negates the future when thinking of what is ahead. Both writers, as discussed in the article, treat life and matter as open and dynamic in their potentiality, filled with hope for transcendence of death and perishing without transcending the material, which in turn redefines our thinking of nature and the social world. These two thinkers, though radically different in terms of their political commitments, as the article demonstrates, meet in the space of Fyodor Dostoevsky's prose, which was an important reference point for their respective eschatological projects.
An attempt is made to sketch a strategy for reading Kronos (2013), Witold
Gombrowicz’s (1904–1969... more An attempt is made to sketch a strategy for reading Kronos (2013), Witold Gombrowicz’s (1904–1969) recently published intimate journal, which he kept in the years 1952–1969. It treats Kronos as belonging to Gombrowicz’s corpus, not merely as a literary sensation or an indiscretion, but as an important artistic and philosophical exhibit, which throws further light on Gombrowicz’s preoccupation with the expression of the body and the existentialist concept of person as presence, one of his Nietzschean strategies for countering metaphysics and its ideal transcendence. The key concepts that bring together the artistic, the autobiographical/somatic, and the philosophical are pain and aging. This reading, in demonstration of the artistic unity of Gombrowicz’s corpus, situates Kronos in the context of the novel Pornografia (1960) and the Diary (1953–1969), which share the major themes of aging and pain.
This article is a commentary on one «thought-image» from Section
Two of Osip Mandel`shtam’s (189... more This article is a commentary on one «thought-image» from Section
Two of Osip Mandel`shtam’s (1891–1938) «Conversation about Dante» (1933).
According to the regime of the proposed commentary, Mandel`shtam introduces in his
image three conceptual dimensions of the commentary itself: historiozophical, ontological, and epistemological; the last mentioned also opens the question of the
poetic image. The question of what unites these dimensions of the commentary is
answered on the inter-textual plane, which includes a hidden, playful polemic with
Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919), whose presence opens the possibility of the «ontological»
interpretation of Mandel`shtam’s image.
The question of Nikolai Gogol’s (1809–1852) alleged ‘realism’ has a long
history in Russian criti... more The question of Nikolai Gogol’s (1809–1852) alleged ‘realism’ has a long history in Russian criticism, ever since the first responses to his art, including those of Vissarion Belinskii (1811–1848). From the last decade of the nineteenth century, this debate continued, but in most cases on the theological or aestheticized-existential-biographical ground characteristic of Russian Symbolism. Lev Shestov’s (1866–1938) scarce responses to Gogol seem to go in a different direction, restoring the immediate context of Gogol’s art, that is, its engagement with the Romantic philosophy of nature and its artistic representation. This article is an extensive commentary on Shestov’s thought on Gogol, and on its indebtedness to, and development of, Romantic aesthetics. Two detours of the commentary lead through Pavel Florenskii (1882–1937) and, particularly, Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919), whose responses to Gogol are shown to deepen Shestov’s thought.
The first and fifth sections of the essay ("Jacob's Dream" and "Surplus: The Case of Kalganov... more The first and fifth sections of the essay ("Jacob's Dream" and "Surplus: The Case of Kalganov") are the revised versions of the paper—Michal Oklot: “Drugoi: Petr Fomich Kalganov"—presented at the American Association for Advancement of Slavic Studies Annual National Convention. Philadelphia, PA. 2008, November 20-23.
Рассматривается вопрос о мистицизме в работе В.В. Розанова «Апокалипсисе нашего времени» (1917-19... more Рассматривается вопрос о мистицизме в работе В.В. Розанова «Апокалипсисе нашего времени» (1917-1918 гг.). Выдвигается тезис о том, что за исторически-автобиографическим фасадом этой последней книги В.В. Розанова скрывается программа мистической онтологии и мистического познания, согласно которой «тайна (энтелехия, понятая Розановым как динамический элемент бытия) познаваема только через миф, мистическое мышление. Вопрос о «мистицизме» Розанова, в свою очередь, ведет к вопросам о языке и недиалектическом знании. Основным текстом, который предлагается как особый «комментарий», разъясняющий мистиче-скую программу «Апокалипсиса нашего времени», является манускрипт «Тайна», над которым Розанов работал в 1890-е годы. Делается вывод о том, что «Тайна» является не только выра-жением мистической теории познания и интерпретации у Розанова, но и формой незавершен-ного философского трактата «О потенциальности и ее роли в мире физическом и человече-ском», который Розанов обдумывал в 1890-е годы. Через опыт параллельного прочтения «Апокалипсиса нашего времени» и «Тайны» выявляются корни поэтики розановского текста, кото-рые ведут к поэтике текстов Платона, Гѐте, Н.В. Гоголя, М.Ю. Лермонтова, Ф.М. Достоевского, Л.Н. Толстого. В заключение делается вывод, что «Апокалипсис нашего времени» принадлежит к мистической ветви модернистской мысли (Э. Блох, Э. Вегелин и Э. Чоран), восходящей к европейскому мистицизму XVI и XVII веков.
Focusing on two modernist thinkers, Vasily Rozanov (1856 – 1919) and Ernst Bloch (1885 – 1976), t... more Focusing on two modernist thinkers, Vasily Rozanov (1856 – 1919) and Ernst Bloch (1885 – 1976), the article examines the ontological and existential implications of their eschatological thinking and its concept of nonlinear time, which negates the future when thinking of what is ahead. Both writers, as discussed in the article, treat life and matter as open and dynamic in their potentiality, filled with hope for transcendence of death and perishing without transcending the material, which in turn redefines our thinking of nature and the social world. These two thinkers, though radically different in terms of their political commitments, as the article demonstrates, meet in the space of Fyodor Dostoevsky's prose, which was an important reference point for their respective eschatological projects.
An attempt is made to sketch a strategy for reading Kronos (2013), Witold
Gombrowicz’s (1904–1969... more An attempt is made to sketch a strategy for reading Kronos (2013), Witold Gombrowicz’s (1904–1969) recently published intimate journal, which he kept in the years 1952–1969. It treats Kronos as belonging to Gombrowicz’s corpus, not merely as a literary sensation or an indiscretion, but as an important artistic and philosophical exhibit, which throws further light on Gombrowicz’s preoccupation with the expression of the body and the existentialist concept of person as presence, one of his Nietzschean strategies for countering metaphysics and its ideal transcendence. The key concepts that bring together the artistic, the autobiographical/somatic, and the philosophical are pain and aging. This reading, in demonstration of the artistic unity of Gombrowicz’s corpus, situates Kronos in the context of the novel Pornografia (1960) and the Diary (1953–1969), which share the major themes of aging and pain.
This article is a commentary on one «thought-image» from Section
Two of Osip Mandel`shtam’s (189... more This article is a commentary on one «thought-image» from Section
Two of Osip Mandel`shtam’s (1891–1938) «Conversation about Dante» (1933).
According to the regime of the proposed commentary, Mandel`shtam introduces in his
image three conceptual dimensions of the commentary itself: historiozophical, ontological, and epistemological; the last mentioned also opens the question of the
poetic image. The question of what unites these dimensions of the commentary is
answered on the inter-textual plane, which includes a hidden, playful polemic with
Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919), whose presence opens the possibility of the «ontological»
interpretation of Mandel`shtam’s image.
The question of Nikolai Gogol’s (1809–1852) alleged ‘realism’ has a long
history in Russian criti... more The question of Nikolai Gogol’s (1809–1852) alleged ‘realism’ has a long history in Russian criticism, ever since the first responses to his art, including those of Vissarion Belinskii (1811–1848). From the last decade of the nineteenth century, this debate continued, but in most cases on the theological or aestheticized-existential-biographical ground characteristic of Russian Symbolism. Lev Shestov’s (1866–1938) scarce responses to Gogol seem to go in a different direction, restoring the immediate context of Gogol’s art, that is, its engagement with the Romantic philosophy of nature and its artistic representation. This article is an extensive commentary on Shestov’s thought on Gogol, and on its indebtedness to, and development of, Romantic aesthetics. Two detours of the commentary lead through Pavel Florenskii (1882–1937) and, particularly, Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919), whose responses to Gogol are shown to deepen Shestov’s thought.
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Papers by Michal Oklot
Ключевые слова: эсхатология, мистицизм, мистическое познание, мистическое мышле-ние, созерцательный мистицизм, недиалектическое знание, поэтика текста, модернистская мысль, европейский мистицизм.
Gombrowicz’s (1904–1969) recently published intimate journal, which he
kept in the years 1952–1969. It treats Kronos as belonging to Gombrowicz’s corpus, not merely as a literary sensation or an indiscretion, but as an important artistic and philosophical exhibit, which throws further light on Gombrowicz’s preoccupation with the expression of the body and the existentialist concept of person as presence, one of his Nietzschean strategies for countering metaphysics and its ideal transcendence. The key concepts that bring together the artistic, the autobiographical/somatic, and the philosophical are pain and aging. This reading, in demonstration of the artistic unity of Gombrowicz’s corpus, situates Kronos in the context of the novel Pornografia (1960) and the Diary (1953–1969), which share the major themes of aging and pain.
Two of Osip Mandel`shtam’s (1891–1938) «Conversation about Dante» (1933).
According to the regime of the proposed commentary, Mandel`shtam introduces in his
image three conceptual dimensions of the commentary itself: historiozophical, ontological, and epistemological; the last mentioned also opens the question of the
poetic image. The question of what unites these dimensions of the commentary is
answered on the inter-textual plane, which includes a hidden, playful polemic with
Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919), whose presence opens the possibility of the «ontological»
interpretation of Mandel`shtam’s image.
history in Russian criticism, ever since the first responses to his art, including
those of Vissarion Belinskii (1811–1848). From the last decade of the
nineteenth century, this debate continued, but in most cases on the theological
or aestheticized-existential-biographical ground characteristic of
Russian Symbolism. Lev Shestov’s (1866–1938) scarce responses to Gogol
seem to go in a different direction, restoring the immediate context of
Gogol’s art, that is, its engagement with the Romantic philosophy of nature
and its artistic representation. This article is an extensive commentary on
Shestov’s thought on Gogol, and on its indebtedness to, and development
of, Romantic aesthetics. Two detours of the commentary lead through
Pavel Florenskii (1882–1937) and, particularly, Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919),
whose responses to Gogol are shown to deepen Shestov’s thought.
Ключевые слова: эсхатология, мистицизм, мистическое познание, мистическое мышле-ние, созерцательный мистицизм, недиалектическое знание, поэтика текста, модернистская мысль, европейский мистицизм.
Gombrowicz’s (1904–1969) recently published intimate journal, which he
kept in the years 1952–1969. It treats Kronos as belonging to Gombrowicz’s corpus, not merely as a literary sensation or an indiscretion, but as an important artistic and philosophical exhibit, which throws further light on Gombrowicz’s preoccupation with the expression of the body and the existentialist concept of person as presence, one of his Nietzschean strategies for countering metaphysics and its ideal transcendence. The key concepts that bring together the artistic, the autobiographical/somatic, and the philosophical are pain and aging. This reading, in demonstration of the artistic unity of Gombrowicz’s corpus, situates Kronos in the context of the novel Pornografia (1960) and the Diary (1953–1969), which share the major themes of aging and pain.
Two of Osip Mandel`shtam’s (1891–1938) «Conversation about Dante» (1933).
According to the regime of the proposed commentary, Mandel`shtam introduces in his
image three conceptual dimensions of the commentary itself: historiozophical, ontological, and epistemological; the last mentioned also opens the question of the
poetic image. The question of what unites these dimensions of the commentary is
answered on the inter-textual plane, which includes a hidden, playful polemic with
Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919), whose presence opens the possibility of the «ontological»
interpretation of Mandel`shtam’s image.
history in Russian criticism, ever since the first responses to his art, including
those of Vissarion Belinskii (1811–1848). From the last decade of the
nineteenth century, this debate continued, but in most cases on the theological
or aestheticized-existential-biographical ground characteristic of
Russian Symbolism. Lev Shestov’s (1866–1938) scarce responses to Gogol
seem to go in a different direction, restoring the immediate context of
Gogol’s art, that is, its engagement with the Romantic philosophy of nature
and its artistic representation. This article is an extensive commentary on
Shestov’s thought on Gogol, and on its indebtedness to, and development
of, Romantic aesthetics. Two detours of the commentary lead through
Pavel Florenskii (1882–1937) and, particularly, Vasilii Rozanov (1856–1919),
whose responses to Gogol are shown to deepen Shestov’s thought.