This article compares Cioran’s criticism of utopian thought with Jonathan Swift’s parody of utopian fictions. According to Cioran, Gulliver’s Travels symbolizes the vision of a “utopia without hope”. Cioran’s interpretation of Swift’s misanthropy is comparable to a philosophical anamorphosis which uses the deformations of human reason as a mirror; a mirror capable to reflect the real proportions of the “animal rationale”.
CLIL theme: 4028 -- SCIENCES HUMAINES ET SOCIALES, LETTRES -- Lettres et Sciences du langage -- Lettres -- Etudes de littérature comparée
ISBN:978-2-406-08213-2
EAN:9782406082132
ISSN: 2286-136X
DOI: 10.15122/isbn.978-2-406-08213-2.p.0205
Publisher: Classiques Garnier
Online publication: 06-29-2018
Periodicity: Biannual
Language: French
Keyword: Emil Cioran, Jonathan Swift, anamorphosis, parody, skepticism