L'utopia alla prova dell'umorismo. Per una prassi e una poetica del discorso universitario

The volume presents a wide range of critical contributions, written by renowned scholars who investigate diverse aspects of utopia and humour. Differences and affinities are examined and emphasized in order to consider utopianism from unusual, unexpected points of view. The most of the contributions were discussed during the International Conference: “L’utopia alla prova dell’umorismo” (Milano – Università degli Studi 1-2.12.2016). The book is dedicated to Professor Karlheinz Fingerhut, to his researches, his methodologies, his unforgettable, admiringly generous teachings in German Literature and the Didactics of German Literature. He wrote for Our Interdisciplinary Research Group “Utopie in Dialogo” a major essay upon utopian instances and humour in Kafka, which is here published for the first time. The book provides the reader with new insights upon utopianism in several fields including Literature, Psychoanalysis, Philosophy, Poetry, Sociology and brings out some of the intricate relations between the “discourse of the university” (Lacan) and the praxis of a new academic discourse, aware of its own limits and failures as well as of its opportunities in open-access societies: humour and utopianism need investigation in order to develop new standpoints and unexplored perspectives in the Didactics of the Humanities.