The Doppelganger: Literature's Philosophy (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780823232994)

The Doppelg?nger or Double presents literature as the "double" of philosophy. There are historical reasons for this. The genesis of the Doppelg?nger is literature's response to the philosophical focus on subjectivity. The Doppelg?nger was coined by the German author Jean Paul in 1796 as a critique of Idealism's assertion of subjective autonomy, individuality and human agency. This critique prefigures post-War extrapolations of the subject as decentred. From this perspective, the Doppelg?nger has a "family resemblance" to current conceptualizations of subjectivity. It becomes the emblematic subject of modernity. This is the first significant study on the Doppelg?nger's influence on philosophical thought. The Doppelg?nger emerges as a hidden and unexplored element both in conceptions of subjectivity and in philosophy's relation to literature. Vardoulakis demonstrates this by employing the Doppelg?nger to read literature philosophically and to read philosophy as literature. The Doppelg?nger then appears instrumental in the self-conception of both literature and philosophy.

Author: Dimitris Vardoulakis
ISBN-10: 0823232999
ISBN-13: 9780823232994
Publisher: Modern Language Initiative
Language: English
Published: 07/22/2010
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 02/01/2011
Reference and Research Bk News 02/01/2011 pg. 1