Introduction to “Cognitive Cervantes”: Integrating Mind and Cervantes’s Texts

Abstract

En este articulo introductorio se justifica la importancia de incorporar los estudios cognitivos a la critica cervantina, y se presentan los articulos que conforman esta coleccion especial. ********** THE SENSES, FEELINGS, INTERPLAY of minds, development of characters, and their well-defined voices and subjectivities constitute some of threads of narrative fabric woven by Cervantes. This fabric, which seems to never fray or fade with passage of time, leaves modern reader still standing in awe of and behavioral dynamics between master and squire, well as humanity infusing representation of characters in Don Quixote. This special cluster presents a collection of essays that incorporate approaches to study of Cervantes's texts. Cervantes represents first effort to bring together work of scholars examining Hispanic literature, and more specifically Cervantes's writings, in relation to human cognition. (1) With its focus on and its processes, approach facilitates examination of dimension of literary texts, which is particularly salient in Don Quixote and other Cervantine texts. Salvador de Madariaga's Guia del lector del QUIJOTE published in 1926 is perhaps first foray into this dimension of Cervantes's texts. Subsequent studies of Don Quixote have largely been carried out by medical doctors or from a psychoanalytic standpoint and have often centered on its protagonist and his alleged madness, particularly those coming from medical field. (2) essays in this issue, however, focus for most part on Sancho (Jaen, Reed, Wagschal, Wehrs, and Connor) and less central figures; female characters like Marcela and Dorotea (Wehrs); or outsiders (to borrow Amy Williamsen's term) like Zoraida (Wehrs), Ricote (Wehrs, Connor), Maritornes (Wagschal), and even Rocinante (Wagschal). They also consider aspects of novel that have not been sufficiently explored, such as embodiment and intentionality, two main themes that pervade nascent field of Spanish literary studies. Finally, it is important to note that a approach to Don Quixote is especially innovative and relevant to Cervantine studies, not only because it allows us to take a step further in our investigation of novel, but also because of its dialogue with both early modern and present-day knowledge about mind. Such dialogue is made possible by interdisciplinary nature of field. (3) Following a brief discussion of this interdisciplinary nature, I will briefly introduce above-mentioned areas of study (embodiment and theory of mind) and will review, in second half of this introduction, individual essays, highlighting promise each holds for study of Cervantine and early modern texts. Cognitive literary studies is an interdisciplinary endeavor with des to realm (the sciences) as well as to a variety of literary traditions, chiefly English tradition, but also Spanish, French, German, etc. The sciences are not a monolithic enterprise. In fact, they represent a variety of disciplines and areas of study whose focus is understanding of mind/brain. (4) As Howard Mancing reminds us in his overview essay, there are two levels of inquiry and discussion when talking about human cognition: mind and brain, brain being physical organ and its activity. To borrow his description, the is what brain does. In essays, discussion may be taking place on one or both of these levels, and readers should be cognizant of this fact. Therefore, a cognitive scientific or (cognitive) psychological approach will mainly refer to mind or study of mental processes and will make no claim as to neurology of brain. …