Brainless: Scientific Observation and Literary Writing in Gottfried Benn

Abstract

An attentive follower of current scientific debates, the poet Gottfried Benn was highly influenced by modern scientific culture. In his poetological reflections, Benn often refers to scientific methods and concepts. The article sets out to follow the productive interplay between science and literature in Benn’s oeuvre. Instead of reducing Benn’s literature to its science-historical contents, however, the article attempts to show that it is the scientific method that guides Benn in his literary endeavors.