Hermann Broch and Totality-Thinking
February 9, 2018 (3:00 pm - 4:00 pm)
Location: BAC 236
Department of Languages and Literatures
Departmental Seminar Series
presents
Hermann Broch and Totality-Thinking
Elisabetta Beguini, PhD Student, University of Heidelberg
Hermann Broch (1886-1951) started his life in the textile sector and began as a forty year old to study mathematics, philosophy and psychology at the University of Vienna. He didn’t intend to become a writer. Nevertheless he became a writer as soon as he understood that the study of Mathematics, his primary field of interest, has no reference to man; it is an abstract system of knowledge. The idea of man is first expressed by mystical knowledge. According to Broch the way natural sciences investigate the world and observe its rules leaves out the role of man. This is investigated by the humanities and writers. It is only through the union of the sciences, philosophy and mysticism that man can understand the totality of the world. In this sense, Broch promotes totality as the basis of human thought. The talk will focus on his works The Unknown Quantity (1933), The Death of Vergil (1945) and The Guiltless (1950) as examples.
February 9, 3:00 pm; BAC 236
Refreshments will be provided
All Are welcome!