The symbolism of flowers has always been a significant part of cultures around the world due to their functional meaning in daily life. From their decorative to their aromatic role, flowers and their symbolic meaning trigger emotions, convey wishes and represent thoughts that can not be explicitly expressed. In this regard, an elaborate language based on flower symbolism was developed in many societies, to convey clear messages to the recipient. However, in some cultural contexts, although the flower symbolism has social connotations, it is mainly associated with economic references. As flowers are an essential precursor to fruits, they are inevitably a source of expectations and hence foster a set of hopes and dreams, which can ultimately lead to excitement or disappointment.Through a discourse analysis based on factional narratives, this article explores the parameters through which the symbolism of bifaceted meaning of flowers fictionalises a space that refers to the social reality. This association between the fictional world and social reference has highlighted that writing can profoundly be a means of representing social events through the rhetoric of symbolism. Through a sociological reading approach, this paper aims to analyse how the symbolism of flowers informs the rhetoric of disenchantment that can foster a content-based pedagogy in language learning where silencing practices engender imagery to exercise the freedom of expression.
The symbolism of flowers has always been a significant part of cultures around the world due to their functional meaning in daily life. From their decorative to their aromatic role, flowers and their symbolic meaning trigger emotions, convey wishes and represent thoughts that can not be explicitly expressed. In this regard, an elaborate language based on flower symbolism was developed in many societies, to convey clear messages to the recipient. However, in some cultural contexts, although the flower symbolism has social connotations, it is mainly associated with economic references. As flowers are an essential precursor to fruits, they are inevitably a source of expectations and hence foster a set of hopes and dreams, which can ultimately lead to excitement or disappointment.Through a discourse analysis based on factional narratives, this article explores the parameters through which the symbolism of bifaceted meaning of flowers fictionalises a space that refers to the social reality. This association between the fictional world and social reference has highlighted that writing can profoundly be a means of representing social events through the rhetoric of symbolism. Through a sociological reading approach, this paper aims to analyse how the symbolism of flowers informs the rhetoric of disenchantment that can foster a content-based pedagogy in language learning where silencing practices engender imagery to exercise the freedom of expression.
book”. Published in 1929, when the Sicilian writer was not longer alive, this incomplete novel concluded the project of literary triptych including the novels L’Illusione and I Viceré. What could arouse dismay and abhorrence in its readers was the nihilistic outcome of the plot. In order to explain it, the authors of the present paper show how the political disillusionment, embodied in the novel by the figure of the young journalist Federico Ranaldi, discloses for De Roberto the horizon of European nihilism. Being symbolic of the Italian generation born after the Unification, Ranaldi loses his political ideals when he understands that the politicians have no faith and are no longer right. Disgusted by the conduct of Consalvo Uzeda di Francalanza, the last heir of the ancient “viceroys” of Sicily, now the minister of the Kingdom, Ranaldi is overwhelmed by a radical, pessimistic vision of the world. Thus it is evident that De Roberto was extremely influenced by such philosophers as Giacomo Leopardi, Arthur Schopenhauer and Eduard von Hartmann.
PL
In the correspondence with his mother, Federico De Roberto defined its own novel L’Imperio as a “a terrible book”. Published in 1929, when the Sicilian writer was not longer alive, this incomplete novel concluded the project of literary triptych including the novels L’Illusione and I Viceré. What could arouse dismay and abhorrence in its readers was the nihilistic outcome of the plot. In order to explain it, the authors of the present paper show how the political disillusionment, embodied in the novel by the figure of the young journalist Federico Ranaldi, discloses for De Roberto the horizon of European nihilism. Being symbolic of the Italian generation born after the Unification, Ranaldi loses his political ideals when he understands that the politicians have no faith and are no longer right. Disgusted by the conduct of Consalvo Uzeda di Francalanza, the last heir of the ancient “viceroys” of Sicily, now the minister of the Kingdom, Ranaldi is overwhelmed by a radical, pessimistic vision of the world. Thus it is evident that De Roberto was extremely influenced by such philosophers as Giacomo Leopardi, Arthur Schopenhauer and Eduard von Hartmann.
In 1863, the publication of Vie de Jésus makes Renan part of the movement of “desymbolisation” and secularization of sacred texts. Eliminating the notion of miracles from his writing on religion, Renan anticipates the pattern of Weber and Gauchet’s “disenchantment of the world”. It is thus by the methods of scientific analysis (eviction of miracles and psychological explications instead) that Renan is able to piece together the Messiah’s life, putting forward the idea of an organic Parousia, and making science a new religious ideal.
The paper deals with issues regarding the disenchantment of literature stemming from the instrumental approach in literary studies. It highlights cases of resistance to this disenchantment of literature both in academic and literary works. The instrumental lecture is contrasted with the creative one, which results from opening up to otherness contained within the text. The creation of unassimilated otherness is the drving force of the literary avant-garde, which uses it as a defence against scientific disenchantment. Possible reasons for the feeling of literary disenchantment are discussed in this paper and the validity of such fears is taken into consideration.
The discourse of disenchantment has developed out of the Max Weber’s 1918 lecture where the term, presented as one of the characteristics of the advancing modernization, was invented. The researchers in humanities found it the useful interpretative category and as such it went through various modifications, from friendly acceptance to rejection, depending on historical situation and contemporary intellectual and ideological mood. The article covers the principal twists in the disenchantment concept during the 20th century and demonstrates how the attitudes have reflected the changing view of modernity, including its negative faces. The particular attention is drawn to the Horkheimer-Adorno work on the Enlightenment and the various applications of the concept in the postwar Anglo-American history of the early modern times.
In the early 1744, the so called Confraternity of the Star Cross was revealed in Brno. Its members were subjected to interrogations and imprisoned for various periods. An extensive surviving material on the case enables analyses into the individual actors‘ opinions (i.e. the fraternity members, the officials, lawyers, the queen and the church representatives) and a chan of the Star Cross ce to meditate on interpretations of this phenomenon, which mingled magical elements, alchemy, a desire to understand the secret of the nature, Christian rituals as well as certain „all-remedial“ ideas. In this article, I attempt to place this issue within the context of historical-sociological research on rationalization, disenchantment and secularization and show applicability of the given terms in similar research.
During recent economic crisis 2008 – 2010, the economic policy of internal devaluation in the Baltic States earned the applause of exponents of the neoliberal orthodoxy. How to explain the choice and ability of the Baltic States to maintain the fixed exchange parity? Economists look for conventional costbenefit calculation. The paper advances culturalist NeoWeberian argument, elaborating the concept of “nation neoliberalism” of Henri Vogt and the research of Eric Helleiner on the contribution of national currencies to the modern nation building. Because of the destruction of the national Baltic States by Soviet occupation in 1940, postcommunist transformation in the Baltic States was restitutionally oriented. Hard national currency, modelled after “that old good Litas, Lats, or Kroon” of the interwar time became a central symbol of national identity along with national flag, anthem and coat of arms. This “monetization” of the Baltic identities predisposed indigenous Baltic peoples to embrace the neoliberal model of capitalism and to accept the cost of the defence of currency peg during the crisis. The success was ironically selfdefeating, as it enabled Baltic nations to join European Monetary Union, which conclusively disenchants the money by abolishing national currencies.
Człowiek współczesny nieomal utracił autentyczne doświadczenie sacrum. Na tym polega współcześnie sekularyzacja, w jej wymiarze duchowym. Stanowi to rezultat wielu złożonych procesów, gdyż sekularyzacja w szerszym znaczeniu – jako „odczarowanie świata” – posiada swe początki już w Starym Testamencie. Sekularyzacja to zjawisko zmniejszania się wpływów religii na życie społeczne, to pewien proces w kulturze, w którym wartości religijne, religijna świadomość oraz instytucje religijne, są wypierane zarówno z życia społecznego, jak i indywidualnego, jest więc ona procesem uwalniania się spod kontroli religii i spod wpływu treści religijnych. Autor stawia pytanie o status i miejsce współczesnych kościołów (przede wszystkim) chrześcijańskich w obrębie nowoczesnego społeczeństwa. Analizuje zróżnicowane procesy sekularyzacji i de-sekularyzacji w Europie, USA oraz innych częściach świata. Rozważa także kwestię przyszłości religii światowych oraz wiary chrześcijańskiej, przede wszystkim w Europie i Polsce. Autor dochodzi do następujących wniosków: religie odtwarzają się i trwają pomimo procesów sekularyzacji; religie światowe raczej umacniają swoje wpływy szczególnie poza Europą; chrześcijaństwo, rywalizując z innymi formami religijności czy duchowości, podlega wpływom, przemianom, przybiera formy mniej zinstytucjonalizowane i bardziej zindywidualizowane. Pragnienie absolutu, poszukiwanie najwyższego punktu odniesienia wciąż jest żywe. W dzisiejszym świecie wierzenia religijne nadal są dziedziczone dzięki tradycji, lecz żywa wiara coraz częściej jest pochodną refleksyjnych wyborów. Odnoszenie się do sacrum i do Boga zajmuje ważne miejsce w ludzkiej egzystencji. Opustoszałe niekiedy miejsce „po Bogu” wypełnia bałwochwalstwo i idolatria. Doświadczenie sacrum towarzyszące dotychczas ludzkiemu życiu słabnie pod naporem sekularyzacji, lecz niekiedy także przeobraża się i odradza. Ogłaszany od pewnego czasu zmierzch religii i kres metafizyki nie są definitywne. Ci, którzy sądzili, że w tym względzie do nich należy ostatnie słowo, powinni jeszcze poczekać na werdykt.
EN
Modern man has almost lost his authentic experience of sacrum. This is the modern secularization, in its spiritual dimension. It is a result of many complex processes, because secularization in a broader sense – as "disenchantment of the world" – has its origins in the Old Testament. Secularization is a phenomenon of declining influence of religion on social life, it is a process in culture in which religious values, religious consciousness and religious institutions are displaced both socially and individually. Therefore, it is the process of releasing from the control of religion and the impact of religious content. The article raises questions on the status and place of contemporary churches (mainly) Christian within modern society. It analyzes different processes of secularization and de-secularization in Europe, the USA and other parts of the world. It also considers the future of the world religions and the Christian faith, especially in Europe and Poland. The author comes to the following conclusions: religions recreate and continue in spite of the processes of secularization; world religions rather reinforce their influence, especially outside Europe; Christianity, competing with other forms of religiosity or spirituality, is being transformed, modified, and takes less institutionalized and more individualized forms. The desire for the absolute, seeking the highest point of reference is still alive. In today's world, religious beliefs are still being inherited through tradition, but living the faith is increasingly being derived from thoughtful choices. Referring to the sacred and to God occupies an important place in human existence. Sometimes desolate “place of God" is filled by idolatry. The experience of sacrum in human life is weakening under the pressure of secularization, but sometimes also transforms and regenerates. The end of religion and metaphysics, that is announced for some time now, is not final. Those who thought that the last word, in this respect, belonged to them, should still wait for the verdict.
The review of: Kmita, Jerzy. Magiczne źródło kultury [The Magical Source of Culture]. W: Jerzy Kmita. Dzieła wybrane, red. nauk. Dorota Angutek, Andrzej P. Kowalski. T. XVII. Poznań: Fundacja Instytut im. Jerzego Kmity, 2021.
This article is an attempt to demonstrate the specificity of a relation of a human subject to the institution of law in the form in which it was presented in Franz Kafka’s prose, linking it closely with the writer’s approach to the figure of the father. I indicate that in both cases this relation is based on the feeling of guilt, with no “redemption” possible. However, the difference is that in the first case this is the feeling of guilt towards an anonymous institution of the positive law as such, whereas in the second case guilt as guilt towards the father is of personal nature. In the first case, the problem of “the accused” lies in the fact that the accusation and judgment whether someone is guilty or not has no clearly defined point of reference. It is not guilt towards “someone” – e.g. towards God, the father, the sovereign etc. – but towards law itself. This is law which is the prosecutor and decides on guilt. This, in turn, means that one is guilty before no one. The positive law is the acephalous law, this is the headless law. Therefore, any attempt to prove own innocence towards it is doomed to failure.
The magnitude of Max Weber’s work is overwhelming. However, with it, comes its great insight into the social reality. Reinhard Bendix has called Weber the magical name of the modern social sciences. Agreeing with this claim, The Author of this article takes on one of the fundamental problems of the social sciences – the problematic concept of rationality. This concept remains a key element of the works of Max Weber. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to analyze the intricacies of its definition by the famous German scholar. First comes the analysis of the multiplicity of contexts in which Weber makes the use of the term rationality and the rationalization. Then, after the realization of the impossibility of a precise definition of the rationalization without taking the context into account, the transition to the rationalization of law follows. The look at the division of rationalization of law into various planes on which it can manifest its rationality or irrationality (be it the material or formal aspect) is concluded with the summary, where The Author poses questions about certain issues that require further research.
PL
Skala rozważań Maxa Webera bywa przytłaczająca. Rezultat stanowi jednak źródło znakomitej perspektywy badawczej na rzeczywistość społeczną. Reinhard Bendix nazwał Webera magicznym nazwiskiem współczesnych nauk społecznych. Zgadzając się z tym twierdzeniem, Autor niniejszego artykułu podejmuje się rozważań w zakresie jednego z fundamentalnych problemów nauk społecznych – problematycznej koncepcji racjonalności, stanowiącej kluczowy element prac Maxa Webera. Celem niniejszej pracy będzie analiza zawiłości leżących u podstaw jej definicji. Po pierwsze, zbadana zostanie mnogość kontekstów, w których autor Gospodarki i społeczeństwa posługuje się pojęciem racjonalność i racjonalizacja. Po stwierdzeniu, że właściwie niemożliwe jest precyzyjne zdefiniowanie pojęcia racjonalizacji, bez umieszczenia jej w określonym kontekście, nastąpi przejście do problematyki racjonalizacji prawa. Spojrzenie na typologię racjonalizacji prawa, zgodnie z różnymi płaszczyznami na których system prawa może manifestować swoją racjonalność bądź irracjonalność – w materialnym, czy też formalnym aspekcie. Powyższe zostanie skonkludowane podsumowaniem, w którym Autor zarysowuje wątki winne zbadania w następnej kolejności.
One-third of all adults under the age of thirty in the United States of America are ‘nones’. Nones include atheists, agnostics, and those who answer “nothing in particular” to religious survey questions. In this article the authors examine the rise of the nones, drawing upon the work of Mary Eberstadt, Charles Taylor, and Joseph Bottum. We classify the nones into three groups: naturalists, transcendent spiritualists, and non-transcendent spiritualists. After discussing various challenges for evangelization among the nones, we propose some ideas to address these challenges. Here we draw upon the work of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Jacques Maritain, and Mariano Artigas. Finally, we discuss some cultural concerns and problems that would probably result if the rise of the nones is left unaddressed.
Charles Nodier był jednym z ważniejszych promotorów idei fraternité des arts w latach 1830, ale jego doświadczenie życia i tworzenia w artystycznych kręgach, skupiających zarazem pisarzy, malarzy i kompozytorów, nie ogranicza się tylko do prowadzenia salonu w Bibliotece Arsenału. Już we wczesnej młodości Nodier obracał się w środowisku malarzy, zbuntowanych uczniów Jacquesa-Louisa Davida, którzy na początku XIX wieku stworzyli grupę (sektę) zwaną Méditateurs. To doświadczenie zostawiło swój ślad w dziele literackim Nodiera. Jego powieść Le Peintre de Saltzbourg (1803) zdradza pewne pokrewieństwa z estetyczną doktryną Maurice’a Quai i grupy Méditateurs. Ten zapomniany epizod historii romantyzmu został przywrócony pamięci w 1832 roku dzięki ponownej publikacji powieści w Dziełach Charlesa Nodiera oraz dzięki prasie, która porównała Méditateurs do głośnej wówczas grupy Jeunes-France.
EN
Charles Nodier was one of the leading advocates of the fraternity of artists in the 1830s, but his experience of life and work in artistic circles embracing writers, painters and composers was not limited to his own literary salon at the Arsenal. Already as a young man, Nodier moved in the circle of Méditateurs, a group started at the beginning of the 19th century by rebellious former students of Jacques-Louis David. This experience left its mark on Nodier’s work: his novel, Le Peintre de Saltzbourg (1803) reveals a certain affinity with the aesthetic doctrines of Maurice Quai and Méditateurs. This forgotten episode of the history of Romanticism was brought back to memory in 1832 by the republication of the novel in OEuvres de Charles Nodier, and by the contemporary critics, who compared Méditateurs to Jeunes-France, a popular artistic cenacle of the day.
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