Aug 2026· The Journal of Aesthetic Education· Vol 60, pp. 53 - 69· 0 citations· 15 references
Abstract
Abstract:This article builds upon an Aristotelian view of poetic tragedy to make two main points. First, a nihilistic interpretation of Shakespeare’s King Lear misunderstands Shakespeare’s intention of interweaving two plots into one play—the pessimistic story of King Lear and the optimistic story of Edgar. Because the play does not end with the murders of Lear’s daughters and with his own grieving death but with the appointing of Edgar to be the king who had been primed throughout the play for that moment, the play teaches a profound lesson—moral order survives moral chaos. Second, because moral order and moral chaos are evident in the play and in our lives, nihilism is an unsatisfactory explanation of the human experience. Rather, a metaphysic similar to the implied metaphysic of the play (that is, the Chain of Being) better explains our experiences because it can account for both moral order and moral chaos.
This study explores the relationship between the doctrine of justification by faith and the poetry of T. S. Eliot from the perspective of theology and hermeneutics. Building upon Alister E. McGrath’s maintenance in his Justification by Faith that Christian doctrine does not replace religious experience but enables believers to understand its true meaning, this study examines how Eliot’s early poems anticipate the same hermeneutical structure. Through close readings of “So through the evening, through the violet air,” “The Death of Saint Narcissus,” and “Silence,” this paper argues that Eliot consistently portrays human experience as incomplete until it receives meaning from an external source. Expressions such as “The This-do-ye-for-my-sake,” “Come under the shadow of this gray rock,” and “When life is justified” suggest that genuine meaning is bestowed not through autonomous human consciousness but through an external word, grace, and divine declaration. This structure closely corresponds to the Protestant doctrine of extra nos, according to which righteousness comes from outside the self through God’s declaration in Christ. Consequently, Eliot’s early poems should not be regarded merely as psychological or biographical documents preceding his conversion. Rather, they already contain the hermeneutical pattern that reaches fuller theological expression in The Waste Land, Ash Wednesday, and ultimately Four Quartets. Therefore, this study suggests a new possibility for Eliot scholarship by interpreting his poetry through the theological framework of justification by faith.
Yeong-Il Bae· Journal of the T S Eliot Soc...· 0 citations
This paper studies the philosophical conflict between illusion and truth in Life Is a Dream by Pedro Calderón de la Barca, one of the most significant works of Spanish Golden Age theatre. Written during the Baroque period, the play presents a complex exploration of reality, perception, and human existence through the experiences of the protagonist, Segismundo. Imprisoned from birth because of a prophecy predicting his tyranny, Segismundo grows up isolated from society and uncertain of his identity. When he is temporarily taken to the royal court and later convinced that the experience was merely a dream, he begins to question the nature of truth and reality itself. The paper explores how Calderón employs dream imagery, symbolism, and dramatic conflict to blur the boundaries between illusion and reality. Through a philosophical and literary analysis of Segismundo’s psychological transformation, the study investigates themes such as free will, destiny, moral consciousness, and the instability of human perception. By combining theatrical expression with philosophical analysis, Life Is a Dream transcends its historical context and continues to remain relevant in discussions of identity, existence, and human consciousness. The study highlights how Calderón transforms drama into a medium for reflecting upon the deeper uncertainties of human life. The research analysis that Calderón presents life as transient and uncertain, comparable to a dream, while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of moral behaviour and self-awareness. Even in a world where reality appears uncertain, the play suggests that individuals remain ethically responsible for their actions.
Devayani Pandit· Knowledgeable Research A Mul...· 0 citations
The uniqueness of William Golding’s work lies in the solidity and depth of its structure and organization. The writer carefully constructed his works, enriching them with “meaning” through the use of classical literature, symbolism, and mythology. Along with being a creator of myths, Golding is also recognized as an author whose works illuminate truths about human nature. At times, he reveals literary precedents by presenting them in new ways, while at other times he introduces specific details derived from his own experiences and interests. In an interview with the BBC, Golding himself admitted: “If someone replaced the word myth with the word fable, I would actually accept it as a compliment.” According to Golding, allegory is discovered in an environment where myth evolves from former belief into present creation, departing from its original version and transforming itself. It is a form that contains life and experience. Written in 1954 by William Golding, the novel Lord of the Flies remains highly significant today because of the underlying meanings embedded in its subject matter. The work is considered one of the most famous novels about human nature. “Lord of the Flies” is surrounded by myths and contains numerous references to mythological motifs. Besides being exciting and entertaining, the novel carries a profound philosophical meaning concerning human nature, power, fear, and the fragility of civilization. The work also contains plot motifs directly borrowed from myths. “Lord of the Flies” is regarded as one of the greatest modern English novels because of its timeless and socially relevant themes.
Yegana Huseynova· Baltic Journal of Legal and...· 0 citations
ABSTRACT:This essay offers a comparative analysis of Richard Rorty's and Günther Anders' respective accounts of self-contingency, focusing on how each thinker links contingency with freedom and the consequences this has for the concept of the self. While Rorty, from a pragmatic standpoint, frames contingency as a source of strength and self-creation—as seen in his notions of the "strong poet" and "liberal ironist"—Anders, drawing from phenomenological and existential traditions, depicts it as a burden that contributes to powerlessness and existential disorientation. The analysis draws on Rorty's Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity and his lecture Hope in Place of Knowledge, contrasting them with Anders' early philosophical anthropology in The Unworldliness of Man. The focus also lies on certain aspects that – according to Rorty – stand for each of the two traditions. This is in order to identify possible reasons how the linking of the same concepts can lead to such differing outcomes. By re-evaluating Anders' work through a pragmatic lens, this essay suggests that there is a possibility of a more hopeful and action-oriented reading of his philosophy.
Daria-Leona Mac Award· Philosophical Topics· 0 citations
The veil of Isis is a central image in the history of western esotericism, used by the Freemasons, Rosicrucians and Theosophists. At the turn of the nineteenth century, there was an uptick in interest in the veil from German philosophers, especially in its aesthetic dimension: with the veil, Schiller poetically considers the limits of subjectivity, Goethe explores the representation of nature, Kant exemplifies the sublime and Novalis constructs a syncretic narrative. This paper analyses these philosophers and argues that their recurring invocation of the veil of Isis reflects a fraught relationship between reason and its limits, offering an intriguing insight into the precarious status of rationality. I contend that the aesthetic figure of the veil serves a philosophical role as the site where reason grapples with its own boundaries, both critiquing and redefining the limits of reason at the emergence of modern European philosophy, suggesting that the irrational is not an impediment to thought but its very condition.
After enthusiastically agreeing to review Shakespeare in the 'Post'Colonies, I found myself hesitating before reading it. As a citizen of a 'post'colony (South Africa) and a descendant of colonisers, I have been down dark tunnels of outrage and guilt with regards to my ancestors' actions. This tunneling is ethically necessary, but also draining and disturbing. Shakespeare used to be a haven I escaped to from the horrors of the real world, but in academic settings, my passion for Shakespeare has been problematised to the point where I feel naïve and ignorant for simply loving his plays. This book was sure to show me more ways in which Shakespeare was and is complicit in colonial processes and legacies of manipulation, oppression and violence towards the most vulnerable. I prayed I could write something intelligible ... O, what form of prayer could serve my turn?
Lauren Bates· Bakwethu: A Journal of Shake...· 0 citations