Kafka and the Universal
Kafka’s work has been attributed a universal significance and is often regarded as the ultimate witness of the human condition in the twentieth century. Yet his work is also considered paradigmatic for the expression of the singular that cannot be subsumed under any generalization. This paradox engenders questions not only concerning the meaning of the universal as it manifests itself in (and is transformed by) Kafka’s writings but also about the expression of the singular in literary fiction as it challenges the opposition between the universal and the singular. The contributions in this volume approach these questions from a variety of perspectives. They are structured according to the following issues: ambiguity as a tool of deconstructing the pre-established philosophical meanings of the universal; the concept of the law as a major symbol for the universal meaning of Kafka’s writings; the presence of animals in Kafka’s texts; the modernist mode of writing as challenge of philosophical concepts of the universal; and the meaning and relevance of the universal in contemporary Kafka reception. This volume examines central aspects of the interplay between philosophy and literature.
1123378776
Kafka and the Universal
Kafka’s work has been attributed a universal significance and is often regarded as the ultimate witness of the human condition in the twentieth century. Yet his work is also considered paradigmatic for the expression of the singular that cannot be subsumed under any generalization. This paradox engenders questions not only concerning the meaning of the universal as it manifests itself in (and is transformed by) Kafka’s writings but also about the expression of the singular in literary fiction as it challenges the opposition between the universal and the singular. The contributions in this volume approach these questions from a variety of perspectives. They are structured according to the following issues: ambiguity as a tool of deconstructing the pre-established philosophical meanings of the universal; the concept of the law as a major symbol for the universal meaning of Kafka’s writings; the presence of animals in Kafka’s texts; the modernist mode of writing as challenge of philosophical concepts of the universal; and the meaning and relevance of the universal in contemporary Kafka reception. This volume examines central aspects of the interplay between philosophy and literature.
0.0 In Stock
Kafka and the Universal

Kafka and the Universal

Kafka and the Universal

Kafka and the Universal

eBook

FREE

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers

LEND ME® See Details

Overview

Kafka’s work has been attributed a universal significance and is often regarded as the ultimate witness of the human condition in the twentieth century. Yet his work is also considered paradigmatic for the expression of the singular that cannot be subsumed under any generalization. This paradox engenders questions not only concerning the meaning of the universal as it manifests itself in (and is transformed by) Kafka’s writings but also about the expression of the singular in literary fiction as it challenges the opposition between the universal and the singular. The contributions in this volume approach these questions from a variety of perspectives. They are structured according to the following issues: ambiguity as a tool of deconstructing the pre-established philosophical meanings of the universal; the concept of the law as a major symbol for the universal meaning of Kafka’s writings; the presence of animals in Kafka’s texts; the modernist mode of writing as challenge of philosophical concepts of the universal; and the meaning and relevance of the universal in contemporary Kafka reception. This volume examines central aspects of the interplay between philosophy and literature.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9783110457438
Publisher: De Gruyter
Publication date: 07/25/2016
Series: Interdisciplinary German Cultural Studies , #21
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 333
File size: 4 MB
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Arthur Cools and Vivian Liska, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.

Table of Contents

Kafka and the Universal: introduction Arthur Cools Vivian Liska 1

Section 1 The Ambiguity of the Singular

The Singular Accident in a Universe of Risk: An Approach to Kafka and the Paradox of the Universal Stanley Corngold 13

Philosophy and Ambiguity in Benjamin's Kafka Brendan Moran 43

The Logic of the "Swamp World": Hegel with Kafka on the Contradiction of Freedom Søren Rosendal 66

The Necessary Revision of the Concept of the Universal: Kafka's "Singularity" Arnaud Villani 90

Section 2 Before the Law

Am-ha'aretz: The Law of the Singular. Kafka's Hidden Knowledge Eli Schonfeld 107

Desire and Responsibility: The Case of K. Arthur Cools 130

Derrida-Reads-Kafka Michal Ben-Naftali 145

Section 3 Animals

Of Mammoth Smallness: Franz Kafka's "The Village Schoolmaster" Rodoiphe Gasché 157

Irreducible Pluralities: The Jewish Legacy of Franz Kafka David Suchoff 178

Kafka's Cat-Lamb: Hybridization of Genesis and Taxonomy Anna Glazova 196

Section 4 Modernism

Kafka's Anti-Epiphanies Jean-Michel Rabaté 215

Modernism's Particulars, Oscillating Universals, and Josefine's Singular Singing Lorraine Markotic 238

The Alarm Clock: The Times of Gregor Samsa Galili Shahar 257

Section 5 After Kafka

Reading Kafka: A Personal Story Shimon Sandbank 273

Kafka, Pro and Contra: Günther Anders's Holocaust Book Kata Gellen 283

Dis/Placing Thought: Franz Kafka and Hannah Arendt Birgit R. Erdle 307

Notes on Contributors 321

Name Index 325

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews