Intellectual Milieu Research Articles

Hijacking the hijacking thesis: the conceptualization of christianity in the New Right journal Sezession

Abstract Active for the past 20 years, Sezession is one of the most important journals of the German New Right intellectual milieu. Despite its longevity, and the importance of its contributors, Sezession has not garnered great attention in the study of the German New Right and its use of religious, namely Christian rhetoric. This article takes Sezession and its employment of religious references as a starting point to question the predominant scholarly thesis that the New Right, and the far right at large, instrumentalize Christianity. This study works through the method of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) that considers both a quantitative data analysis of the number of references throughout the timeframe (2011–2018) and a qualitative analysis engaging with the portrayals of Islam and Christianity in the context of the texts. It is concluded that the conceptualization of Christianity allows its writers to present themselves as right-wing liberative Christians seeking to resist their victimization at the hands of the Church and socio-political leitkultur. Arguing that the New Right merely instrumentalize Christianity for a political purpose strengthens their theological self-portrait: being perceived as an illegitimate, inauthentic, and ousted minority—be that in the public sphere or the Church—is part of the infrastructure of their Christian and political character.

The Tangle of Evolution: Walter Benjamin as a Reader of Edgar Dacqué's Natural Philosophy

Abstract: Because Walter Benjamin's main articulation of natural history is speculative and disseminated across a number of major texts, starting with the study of the Trauerspiel and the unfinished Passagenwerk, his engagement with natural history as a corpus of scientific knowledge has not yet received the scholarly attention it deserves. Against the backdrop of the recursive popularity of natural history as a literary genre for assessing "what we are and where we are going"—from Yuval Harari's overarching narrative of homo sapiens to Meike Stoverock's feminist evolutionary history—this essay takes a literal, epistemological, and historically situated approach to natural history as a Weimar-era discipline for investigating human evolution from animal to man. In particular, I provide an account of the thought of Edgar Dacqué, who was a leading geologist and paleontologist of National Socialism, the intellectual milieu in which he worked, the reasons for his popularity; not secondarily, the utility for Benjamin of critiquing this esoteric natural history and thus transferring the fascination with the "grotesque" from the realm of science to that of literature.

The writings of Colin ward and the legacy of anarchism for housing studies

British anarchist Colin Ward (1922–2010) wrote extensively on housing issues. His work offers insights on governmental power and alternative forms of organisation. Whilst Ward’s views have been discussed in social theory his housing analysis has been somewhat overlooked. The article addresses this gap by situating Ward within a post war intellectual milieu as well as housing concerns such as: private property and household autonomy; the role of the state; and tenant participation. The main part of the article explores the relevance of Ward’s work for addressing housing challenges. It is claimed that Ward’s writings offer both a trenchant critique of managerially inspired policies and a set of political interventions that merit consideration. The concluding discussion assesses the value of Ward’s contribution and some of the problematic issues that arise from his analysis.

Early modern Europe’s other real characters

ABSTRACT Histories of the early modern artificial language movement have focused not unreasonably on a series of ambitious, seventeenth-century language planners who set out to design ‘real characters’ or ‘universal languages’. However, there were also practitioners working in fields like music, mathematics, and chemistry who likewise aspired to develop new, more systematic nomenclatures or notations, often also in the hope that such tools would designate things instead of words. Because histories of the artificial language movement do not usually address such projects or do so only insofar as these projects pertain to arguments about the language planners, their nomenclatures and notations constitute early modern Europe’s ‘other’ real characters. This article surveys three cases in which individuals who are not typically considered representatives of the artificial language movement sought to design newer, more systematic means of communication. It compares and contrasts their approaches with those of well-known language planners, both in terms of how they designed their symbols and what they understood their symbols’ primary function to be. In so doing, this article also proposes to reframe the history of the early modern artificial language movement by situating the more famous language planners within a wider and more varied intellectual milieu.

Interview with Keti Chukhrov

This short interview explores the influence of Evald Ilyenkov’s work on contemporary philosopher, art theorist, and writer Keti Chukhrov. The interview focuses on Evald Ilyenkov’s contributions to Soviet culture, dialectics, and epistemology. She reflects on the distinct intellectual milieu of Soviet thinkers like Ilyenkov, Vygotsky, Davidov, and Lifshitz, who established connections between Marx and the broader world culture. The interview also addresses Žižek’s interpretation of Ilyenkov’s cosmology, emphasizing the ethical dimension of Ilyenkov’s communist spirit. Furthermore, Chukhrov touches on Ilyenkov’s critique of cybernetics and its relevance in contemporary discussions about AI and philosophy.

A bibliometric investigation into the intellectual milieu of research on consumer socialization of children

A bibliometric investigation into the intellectual milieu of research on consumer socialization of children

The Origins of Avram Iancu’s High Brow “Heroization”: Iosif Vulcan and the Journal “Familia” (1867–1872)

The present article relies on two papers by the two different authors. The former paper was a talk given in Alba Iulia, at the National Congress of Romanian Historians, in September 2022, by Floarea Pop, the latter was a speech held during the Cluj Academic Days, in October 2022 by Ioan Bolovan. In our opinion, Avram Iancu’s “heroization” was initiated by the Romanian intellectual milieus of the second half of the nineteenth century. Iosif Vulcan and the journal Familia greatly contributed to the creation of the revolutionary leader’s image as a National Hero. Keywords: Avram Iancu, national hero, Iosif Vulcan, Familia journal

Fruits of the Gardens: Ethics, Metaphysics, and Textual Pleasures in Late Qajar Iran

Abstract This article introduces a miscellany notebook in Arabic and Persian, entitled Favāka al-basātin (Fruits of the Gardens), compiled around 1914 in Tehran by Hājj Mirzā Mohammad Tehrāni (d. 1914–21), a learned sugar merchant and bookseller. The notebook covers a broad range of topics on faith, philosophy, and ethics. It frequently draws on the Qurʾan and the Hadith, as well as Stoic proverbs, mostly from the Meditationes (Meditations) of Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–80), which was well received in nineteenth-century Persian advice literature. The text also includes passages from the Thousand and One Nights and sections on modern sciences, such as electricity, gas laws, and liquid dynamics, and a theory of colors explaining the rainbow. The article’s introductory section provides brief biographical background of the compiler of this notebook, the second section presents an overview of its contents, and the final section explores the question of authorial subjectivity and the author-text relationship by putting in perspective the volume’s gradual compilation, its eclectic range of topics, and its fluid structure. Through its diverse reading and writing strategies, this notebook represents an informative and heuristic venue that opens new analytical angles on Iran’s cosmopolitan, multifaceted, and heterogenous intellectual milieu in the late Qajar period.

Precisely Knowing Not: Emily Dickinson and Generative Negation

Abstract: Even recent Emily Dickinson scholarship has tended to receive Dickinson's poems according to a mid-twentieth-century intellectual milieu, whereby affirmations of absurdity and meaninglessness are judged to be the most authentic posture. This essay argues that such readings present an anachronistic projection onto Dickinson's work. Aided by an alternative philosophical and theological archive grounded in her time, we should read the poetic features of Dickinsonian unknowing—distance, darkness, and inscrutability—not in terms of divine absence but as counterintuitive modes of divine presencing.

The Anarchist and the Technocrat: Herbert Read, C. P. Snow, and the Future of Britain

Abstract A conceptual revision occurred at the heart of anarchist theory between the end of the nineteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. As anarchist thinkers grappled with a state transformed beyond recognition by technological change, they reassessed their critique of state power and the rhetorical methods used to expose its inherent violence. Where nineteenth-century anarchists favored organic metaphors to emphasize the monstrosity of the state, twentieth-century anarchists tended to adopt a set of mechanical metaphors. This change focused attention on the idea of technocracy, and informed a more comprehensive assessment of the state's activities. This article analyses this innovation in anarchist political thought, before tracing it through to Herbert Read's critical appraisal of C. P. Snow's influential lecture “The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution,” and Snow's response to Read. Their debate, in which Read challenged Snow's argument that the pursuit of technological and political modernization was essential to maintain the nation's international role and address the social and economic challenges of the mid-century, was a contest for Britain's future. Drawing on his anarchism, Read saw such ideas as an existential threat, with the unthinking promotion of a technological “revolution” imperiling “the tender shoots of all that is human.” Contextualizing Read in his anarchist intellectual milieu, this article recovers a neglected voice in British intellectual and cultural history, the complexities of an overlooked political tradition, and a radical vision of Britain's future that questioned the dominant assumptions of the age.

Exploring the Ideosphere: A Comprehensive Examination of Eastern Philosophical Perspectives and Their Societal Reflections

The intellectual heritage of Central Asia during the 9th to 12th centuries represents a golden age of scientific and philosophical achievement, deeply influencing the trajectory of global knowledge. This article delves into the profound contributions of eminent figures from the Eastern Renaissance, including al-Farabi, Abu Rayhan al-Beruni, Abu Ali ibn Sina, Yusuf Khos Hajib, and Nizamulmulk. These scholars not only advanced various scientific disciplines but also profoundly shaped political and philosophical thought. Through a detailed analysis of their works, the article highlights how these thinkers articulated visions for an ideal state that prioritized human dignity and well-being. Their philosophies underscored the importance of justice, the rule of law, and the moral imperative of governance that serves the common good. By examining their emphasis on creating equitable and enlightened societies, the study sheds light on their enduring impact on both regional and global conceptions of statecraft and societal progress. The article further explores how these scholars' ideas on governance and societal development resonate with contemporary discussions on justice and human rights, offering timeless insights into the role of philosophy in shaping humane and effective political systems. Their legacy, deeply rooted in the cultural and intellectual milieu of their time, continues to inspire modern thought and policy-making.

«Поэт – Отзыв – Услышанность»

The present paper examines Vyacheslav Ivanov’s interpretation of a fragment from a poem by Pushkin where the writer reflects about the poet status, as well as Ivanov’s own reflections from 1924, in order to explore the “poet – listener/receiver” relation. I focus on questions such as the “resonance”, the circulation of ideas, and the “audibility” of the values transmitted by the poet. I begin with discussing Ivanov and Gershenson’ Correspondence Across a Room. Here, my primary objective is to show the circulation of the topoi of Ivanov’s axiological thinking, their use in his works written in emigration and their reception in European intellectual milieu (notably by Alessandro Pellegrini). I particularly focus on the category of Truth and the concept of “schism from Truth”, notably on its historiosophical and metaphysical dimensions as exposed in Ivanov’s hermeneutics. The article sheds light on Ivanov’s methodological instruments (including the function of the Oedipus myth) and the essence of his concept of the poet, with his task of “leaving an unchangeable message to the world”.

Psychological Inquiry and Scientific Methodology in the Enlightenment: Unveiling the Insights of Jean Trembley

This study delves into the intellectual milieu of the Enlightenment era, offering an in-depth exploration of Jean Trembley’s seminal contributions to empirical psychology and scientific methodology. As a fervent prot\'{e}g\'{e} of Charles Bonnet, Trembley’s work, first published in 1781, marked a significant milestone in the development of French-language discourses on empirical psychology’s methodological approaches. This paper conducts a thorough examination of Trembley’s methodological and epistemological underpinnings, elucidating his staunch advocacy for the centrality of psychology and the indispensable role of empirical evidence in scientific inquiry. In particular, the analysis focuses on Trembley’s multifaceted intellectual pursuits, encompassing domains such as mathematics, physics, psychology, aesthetics, theology, and politics. This exploration uncovers a cohesive philosophical thread that underscores his commitment to a form of cognitive morality, deeply rooted in psychological principles. The investigation highlights how Trembley’s work championed the use of experience and the systematic application of cognitive processes like curiosity, attention, imagination, as well as the dynamics of habit formation and the association of ideas, thereby positioning psychology as a crucial cornerstone in the framework of scientific methodology. Ultimately, this article offers a comprehensive evaluation of Trembley’s lasting impact on the field of empirical psychology during the Enlightenment, illuminating his role as a pivotal figure in the evolution of scientific thought and practice during this transformative period in intellectual history.

Bāṇa, Vyomkesh Shastri, Stella Kramrisch: authority and authorship in Hazariprasad Dwivedi's Bāṇabhaṭṭa kī ‘ātmakathā’

AbstractHazariprasad Dwivedi's 1946 novel, Bāṇabhaṭṭa kī ‘ātmakathā’, has long been considered one of the most prominent historical novels in modern Hindi literature, canonised in literary history for its progressive view of the past and for elaborating an autobiographical voice for the seventh-century Sanskrit poet, Bāṇa. However, the many layers of fictive authorship that enfold the main narrative of the text are rarely taken into account. Examination of the metatextual materials of this text reveal, however, that Bāṇabhaṭṭa kī ‘ātmakathā’ is meant to be read in terms of the problem of its authorship, in such a way as to problematise the autobiographical voice that it presents to the reader. In this article, I analyse this material and argue that the actual author of the text, described as an Austrian woman named Catherine, is most likely inspired by Stella Kramrisch. Further analysis shows this novel to be deeply shaped by the intellectual milieu of interwar Bengal, where Dwivedi was a teacher at Shantiniketan and engaged in commenting upon the complex intellectual traditions that existed in part of that world.

Pierre Gassendi: Humanism, Science, and the Birth of Modern Philosophy

Pierre Gassendi: Humanism, Science, and the Birth of Modern Philosophy

Eugenics and Reproductive Technologies in Primo Levi’s Science Fiction: The Importance of the British Interwar Debate

This article examines Levi’s treatment of eugenics in “I sintetici” and “Procacciatori d’affari” from Vizio di forma. The study builds upon Francesco Cassata’s analysis, which established that Levi held complex and conflicting views on the topic. These views mirrored his strong belief in avoiding limitations on scientific research while also revealing his ethical concerns. To further understand this predicament, the study reads Levi’s stories against the debate on eugenics that took place in England in the 1920s-1930. This debate engaged scientists and writers who significantly influenced Levi beyond this subject, including the Huxley brothers and Bertrand Russell. In this intellectual milieu, science fiction emerged as a favoured genre for exploring the intricate facets of eugenics and its ethical ramifications. By undertaking a comparative analysis between these antecedents and Vizio di forma, this study investigates how and why Levi turned to science fiction to articulate his conflicting thoughts on eugenics.

WHEN LIBERTY PRESUPPOSES ORDER: F. A. HAYEK’S CONTEXTUAL ORDOLIBERALISM

This paper embeds the early political economy of Friedrich August von Hayek in the intellectual milieu of German ordoliberalism. The urgency during the 1930s and 1940s to stabilize the disintegrating societal orders is identified as a crucial driver behind the parallelisms between Hayek and the ordoliberals. Their shared theoretical position is that in such moments, liberty can thrive sustainably only after a framework of general and stable rules has been established. Hayek’s proximity to ordoliberalism was most explicitly discernible in The Road to Serfdom and at the founding meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society in 1947, culminating in the shared politico-economic vision of the competitive order. The contextual nature of Hayek’s ordoliberalism surfaced in the years after The Constitution of Liberty when his focus shifted, along with the postwar intellectual and institutional stabilization of the West: from how stable orders enable liberty, to how liberty enables the evolution of orders.

Aimé Césaire’s “Tropical Marxism” and the Problem of Alienation

This article traces Aimé Césaire’s engagement with Marxism through the concept of alienation, which is central to the Marxist-Hegelian tradition. The idea of restoring human creative powers, which take on an alien character under particular historical conditions, deeply shaped Césaire’s analysis of French colonial assimilation, which compelled the Black colonized subjects to identify with French bourgeois culture instead of taking revolutionary action against capitalism. Situating Césaire within the intellectual milieu of interwar Paris, this piece draws out his links with the Marxist intellectual group called the Philosophies, which first published Marx’s 1844 Manuscripts in France in 1929, and with Alexandre Kojѐve’s Marxian reading of Hegel. The concern with alienation would persist in Césaire’s later writings in the 1950s and the 1960s, where the concept is engaged through a theory of culture, defined as the creative life of a collectivity. This theory supplies the conceptual basis for Césaire’s idea of “tropical Marxism,” which he discusses during his trip to Cuba in 1968. Tropical Marxism emphasized the necessity for colonized peoples to integrate Marxism creatively to the particular conditions of their societies and opposed any alien top-down impositions of the doctrine by European communists. By situating Césaire in a Marxist-Hegelian intellectual genealogy, we glean a crucial component of his thinking, going beyond his affiliation with surrealism and his experience with the French Communist Party. We also come to see alienation as a rich concept belonging to the tradition of anticolonial political theorizing.

Charlemagne as David revisited

It was common practice in literate and learned circles at the late 8th-century Carolingian court to give one another personal nicknames. Although this would suggest a world of intimacy and private confidences, these nicknames are also used in the literary and artistic productions of the time. Most notably, Charlemagne himself is called ‘David’, in remembrance of the Old Testament king. While this phenomenon is treated in broad terms in most studies on Carolingian history and culture, as an expression of idealised kingship, the nature of its application and significance in individual instances in literature addressed to Charlemagne has been less well defined. In this article, therefore, I revisit and nuance the idée reçue of Charlemagne as David, the ideal, divinely chosen ruler, the epitome of scholarly learning and wisdom – in short, the image of the king which was actively promoted on the political stage. I consider, as case studies, uses of the David name in the Latin poetry of Alcuin, Angilbert, Modoin, and Theodulf of Orléans. Through close reading of these texts and consideration of the rhetorical strategies of the poet, performance context and audience, as well as the intellectual milieu of the Carolingian court, it is shown that the selected authors make use of David in a consistent and recurrent pattern, which reflects a vision of the king that is unified and unique to the context of a court circle of poets and their literary pursuits.Contribution: This article aimed to contribute to the field of Latin literary studies through analysis of how the name David, when used for Charlemagne, is treated in poems written at and for the court. This image of the king, which is used in a closed context of the poets in question and their audience, has further implications for the status and goals of the poets at court, as well as the influence which Charlemagne had over the literary revival of the period.

The Price of Isolation: Fascism, Vichy and the Holocaust in French History

The historiographical debate about France during the Second World War has long been dominated by two foreign historians. On the one hand, the Israeli intellectual Zeev Sternhell notoriously placed the origin of fascism in France's Belle Epoque and saw Vichy France as the paradigmatic example of a fascist regime in his book,Neither Right nor Left, four decades ago. Year after year, Sternhell, who had studied in Paris, made criticisms of the Parisian intellectual milieu and denounced its egocentrism and provincialism. On the other hand, American historian Robert Paxton reigned over the history of French collaboration with Nazi Germany. Although it raised certain controversies when it was translated into French in 1973, hisVichy Francehas been since accepted as the key reference on the subject, as well as an indispensable pedagogical tool against apologetic views of Marshall Pétain's regime, which enjoy periodic revivals in the country. Despite their age – Sternhell died in 2020 and Paxton is ninety years old – these two historians have remained the unavoidable cornerstones in the discussion on French attitudes during the Second World War – the first as a competitor, the second as a paternal figure.