Philologies of the present for the future
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34024/herodoto.2024.v9.20572Keywords:
Philology, History of Classical Scholarship, Racism, Colonialism, CounterphilologyAbstract
This paper explores the multifaceted nature of philology, tracing its roots in Western history from classical Greece to its flourishing in Hellenistic Alexandria and subsequent integration into Europe during the Renaissance and afterwards. Contrary to the prevailing narrative of “philologia perennis,” this account challenges the conventional understanding of philology by highlighting its diverse dimensions beyond textual analysis. The argument grapples with the critical positions defended by scholars as different as James Turner, Sirad Ahmed, Sasha-Mae Eccleston, Dan-el Padilla Peralta, and others. The tension between the two domains of philology and philosophy is then explored in order to emphasize the interconnectedness of wisdom and words. In consideration of figures often overlooked by the history of Classical Scholarship, such as Hannah Arendt, Victor Klemperer, Adorno and Horkheimer, Rachel Bespaloff, Simone Weil, Erich Auerbach, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacob Bernays, Vico, and Spinoza, the present account views philology beyond traditional academic confines, prompting a reflection on philology’s contemporary relevance and its potential future.
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