Descartes at War: Curzio Malaparte and Primo Levi.

  • Published In: MLN, 2024, v. 139, n. 1. P. 108 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Capra, Andrea 3 of 3

Abstract

In moments of crisis, René Descartes suggests maintaining a cool attitude of steadfast resolution to regain a vantage point of rationality over a given situation. Curzio Malaparte and Primo Levi's works, particularly through their self-proclaimed Cartesian protagonists, interrogate the feasibility of this stance during World War II. This unexplored Cartesian intertext shows how, despite these authors' differences, Malaparte and Levi both wrestled with overlapping epistemological, phenomenological, and aesthetic concerns as they attempted to make sense of the war's horrors. Unwinding this thread, I argue that Descartes's advice, while reasonable in theory, may not always be possible to follow in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:MLN. 2024/01, Vol. 139, Issue 1, p108
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0026-7910
  • DOI:10.1353/mln.2024.a930288
  • Accession Number:178030116
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