"Er irrt der Mensch, solang er strebt:" Critical Studies on the Subject, the Genius Figure and Faust
Date of Award
2006
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Theory and Criticism
Supervisor
Dr. Jan Plug
Abstract
Ultimately my thesis reflects a dedication to a conceit I have labeled teleology without telos, which I have tried to establish in my readings of history, philosophy, and art (literature). Expressive of this conceit is the complex anthropological relationship Kant outlines between Man, as subject, and Nature—as expressed through history and art. In the writing of history and the production of art, the archetypal figures of the philosopher and the genius respectively express Nature’s indeterminate regulation under the compulsion of the Kantian idea. What is ultimately exemplified here is neither natural necessity, nor humanistic freedom. Rather, Kant offers an intriguing coextensive relationship between Man, as subject, and Nature that inspires both history and art with such excess, however, as to command without end. This thesis has ultimately assayed to express this conceit across disciplines (history, philosophy, and art/literature) through the intersecting themes of the subject, genius, and Faust.
Recommended Citation
Austin, Matthew James, ""Er irrt der Mensch, solang er strebt:" Critical Studies on the Subject, the Genius Figure and Faust" (2006). Digitized Theses. 4646.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4646