Living Well with Pessimism in Nineteenth-Century France

This book explores the emergence of modern pessimism in nineteenth-century France and its aesthetic, epistemological, ethical, and political implications, examining how writers shift the discussion to verisimilitude and how novelists and poets portray characters in lived situations to test the merits or limitations of pessimism. It argues for embracing pessimism as a way of living well in the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 05 February 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This comprehensive book delves into the origins of modern pessimism in nineteenth-century France, exploring its profound aesthetic, epistemological, ethical, and political implications. It investigates how, since pessimism as a worldview cannot be empirically verified, writers on pessimism have shifted their focus to verisimilitude, thereby opening up a rich realm for the cross-fertilization of philosophy and literature. The book traces the ongoing debates on pessimism among French nonfiction writers, who either praised its promotion of compassion or condemned it as a sick and unliveable attempt at renunciation. It then examines how novelists and poets engage with and transform these questions by portraying characters in real-life situations that serve as testing grounds for the merits or limitations of pessimism.

The debate on pessimism that emerged in the nineteenth century continues to resonate deeply in our contemporary world, and this book presents an interhistorical argument for embracing pessimism as a way of living well in the world, aesthetically, ethically, and politically. By examining the interplay between philosophy, literature, and real-life experiences, the book offers a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition and provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities we face in our daily lives.

Weight: 414g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030610166
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021