This paper provides a reconstruction of the peculiar role that mathematics plays in Robert Musil’s work, focusing especially on his first novel The Confusion of Young Törless and on his essay entitled “The Mathematical Man”. The analysis shows that the novelty of Musil’s approach consists mainly into two different conceptual operations: on the one hand, he identifies the irrational and passionate aspects of this science; on the other hand, he suggests the use of mathematics and its dual nature to resolve the conflict between the emotional and the intellectual human spheres, which to him represented the fundamental cause of the crisis of the modernity.

Robert Musil: mathematics as the audacity of pure ratio / C. Larese. - In: LETTERA MATEMATICA. - ISSN 2281-6917. - 2:4(2015), pp. 223-228. [10.1007/s40329-015-0074-4]

Robert Musil: mathematics as the audacity of pure ratio

C. Larese
2015

Abstract

This paper provides a reconstruction of the peculiar role that mathematics plays in Robert Musil’s work, focusing especially on his first novel The Confusion of Young Törless and on his essay entitled “The Mathematical Man”. The analysis shows that the novelty of Musil’s approach consists mainly into two different conceptual operations: on the one hand, he identifies the irrational and passionate aspects of this science; on the other hand, he suggests the use of mathematics and its dual nature to resolve the conflict between the emotional and the intellectual human spheres, which to him represented the fundamental cause of the crisis of the modernity.
Settore M-FIL/02 - Logica e Filosofia della Scienza
Settore L-LIN/13 - Letteratura Tedesca
2015
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
s40329-015-0074-4.pdf

accesso riservato

Descrizione: Article
Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 548.78 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
548.78 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1019659
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact