The Ethics of History
From the Double Binds of (Moral) Meaning to Experience
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4496100 |
|---|---|
| Authors | F R Ankersmit (University of Groningen, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2004 |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 84-102 |
| Publication date | 2004-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | History and Theory (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0018-2656 • E-ISSN: 1468-2303 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1468-2303.2004.00299.x |
| OpenAlex | W2067486569 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 7 |
Fidelities. Now that she has brought it out, she recognizes it as the word on which all hinges.J. M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello, 224. ABSTRACTThe point of departure of this essay is a paradox in traditional conceptions of historical objectivity. This paradox can best be analyzed in terms of the notion of the "double bind": the requirement of historical objectivity is formulated in such a way that it is impossible to satisfy the requirement. The substance of this essay is an investigation of how J. M. Coetzee deals with the moral impasses of this double bind in his most recent novel, Elizabeth Costello (2003). In essence Coetzee forces his way through the double bind by an appeal to a direct experience of the world. The Spinozism implied by this strategy is indicated at the end of the essay. The analysis of Coetzee's novel is preceded by a discussion of Kafka's "Before the Law," since the relevant part of Coetzee's novel clearly is a paraphrase of the Kafka parable. Moreover, insight into the textual double binds in the Kafka parable contributes to an understanding of the moral double binds that are addressed in Elizabeth Costello
Appeal · Epistemology · Objectivity (philosophy) · Paraphrase · African cultural and philosophical studies · Hermeneutics and Narrative Identity · Law · Philosophy · South African History and Culture
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,44 |
| Citation span | 2017 - 2022 (6) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |