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The social myth and human domination of nature in Georg Sorel and Stanisław Brzozowski
Södertörn University, School of Culture and Education, Centre for Studies in Practical Knowledge.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7961-9401
2022 (English)In: Studies in East European thought, ISSN 0925-9392, E-ISSN 1573-0948, Vol. 74, p. 93-110Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In this article I aim to bring to the fore a problematic trait of Polish philosopher Stanisław Brzozowski’s (1878–1911) thinking, which is his insistence on the metaphysical importance of human domination of nature through work, technology, and maximization of production. The focal point of the article is Brzozowski’s interpretation of Georg Sorel, with an emphasis on Reflections on Violence and the concept of the social myth. I argue that Brzozowski considers the primary strength of the social myth to lie in its contribution to such domination, because its principal trait is to provide man with a sublime feeling of elevation above nature. Furthermore, this feeling becomes a motive force for struggle against nature. In conclusion, I suggest that the perspective of the sublime is a fruitful path for future critical encounters with Brzozowski’s work. The first part of the article stresses the importance of the sublime in Reflections on Violence. Sorel uses this concept throughout his main work to describe the affective nature of the violence of the social myth, which coordinates the inclinations of the masses towards emancipation. The second part discusses how Brzozowski understands the social myth, law, and nationhood from the perspective of human domination of elemental nature.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2022. Vol. 74, p. 93-110
Keywords [en]
Georg Sorel, Nature, Polish socialism, Social myth, Stanisław Brzozowski, Sublimity
National Category
Philosophy
Research subject
Baltic and East European studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-44964DOI: 10.1007/s11212-021-09411-8ISI: 000635470100002Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85103368778OAI: oai:DiVA.org:sh-44964DiVA, id: diva2:1544892
Part of project
The Relation between Work and Political Emancipation from a Central and Eastern European Perspective: Autocreation, Work and Suffering in Stanislaw Brzozowsk, The Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies
Funder
The Foundation for Baltic and East European StudiesAvailable from: 2021-04-16 Created: 2021-04-16 Last updated: 2022-03-29Bibliographically approved

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Kasprzak, Krystof

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  • apa
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