Emerging Subjectivity in the Long 19th-Century Middle East: Philological Approaches

by Stephan Guth

This volume revisits the "long 19th century" in the Middle East from the perspective of emerging subjectivity as a fundamentally new attitude of the individual vis- -vis the World. Stephan Guth's holistic vision interprets emerging subjectivity as the key operator at the heart of the many aspects of the so-called Arab(ic) "Renaissance" (and corresponding movements in Turkish), like rationalism, critical analysis, political emancipation, reformism, moralism, and emotionalism, but also a new language, new genres, and new concepts.

Guth's thoroughly philological approach demonstrates how a close reading of literary texts from the period, a cultural-psychological interpretation of linguistic phenomena and an etymology-informed look into conceptual terminology can contribute to a deeper understanding of what "modernisation" actually meant, deep inside the human beings' mind and psyche, in their meeting with a rapidly changing world.

Twenty essays on language, literature, and key concepts reflect the author's life-long engagement with the culture of the period in question. The articles are glued together by a guiding narrative that assigns each treated aspect its place in the author's vision (which includes a global perspective).

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3111344819
• ISBN13: 9783111344812
• Release Date: June 2024
• Publisher: de Gruyter
• Length: 517 Pages
• Weight: 2.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.2"