The utopian function of art and literature : selected essays /
The aesthetic essays of the philosopher Ernst Bloch (1885-1977) belong to the rich tradition of cultural criticism represented by Georg Lukacs, Theodor Adorno, and Walter Benjamin. Bloch was a significant creative source for these thinkers, and his impact is nowhere more evident than in writings on...
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| Format: | Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English German |
| Published: |
Cambridge, Mass. :
MIT Press,
©1988.
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| Series: | Studies in contemporary German social thought.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | CONNECT |
| Summary: | The aesthetic essays of the philosopher Ernst Bloch (1885-1977) belong to the rich tradition of cultural criticism represented by Georg Lukacs, Theodor Adorno, and Walter Benjamin. Bloch was a significant creative source for these thinkers, and his impact is nowhere more evident than in writings on art. Bloch was fascinated with art as a reflection of both social realities and human dreams. Whether he is discussing architecture or detective novels, the theme that drives his work is always the same -- the striving for "something better," for a "homeland" that is more socially aware, more humane, more just. The book opens with an illuminating discussion between Bloch and Adorno on the meaning of utopia; then follow 12 essays written between 1930 and 1973 on topics as diverse as aesthetic theory, genres such as music, painting, theater, film, opera, poetry, and the novel, and perhaps most important, popular culture in the form of fairy tales, detective stories, and dime novels. -- Back cover |
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| Item Description: | The first essay, Something's missing, was originally published in German in Gespräche mit Ernst Bloch; the other essays are from Bloch's Ästhetik des Vor-Scheins. EBSCO eBook Academic Comprehensive Collection North America |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (xliii, 310 pages) |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-303) and index. |
| ISBN: | 0585364532 9780585364537 |
