FrançaisConference : For an European literary space
2.04 - Position and position-taking: Bertolt Brecht in the literary field of the Weimarer Republic
Author/s : Ingrid Gilcher-Holtey
Other languages :
The concept of “Intervening Thinking” and the theorectical unfolding of his “Epic Theater” are evolved simultanously and permeat each other. What motivated Brecht to tie together literature and politics, literary and political mandate? When and how did the producer of culture develop into an intellectual? How did he exercise the intellectual mandate? The intellectual is, according to a definition of Bourdieu, “a pardox being, which as such cannot be grasped, if one tries to catch it solely through the necessary dualism of autonomy or commitment, pure culture or political culture.” Writers, artists and scientists become intellectuals, “if (and only if)” they are in possession “of a specific authority”, which is endowed to them by an autonomous (i.e. independent from religious, political or economic powers) world, whose specific laws they respect, and “if (and only if)” they exercise this specific authority in political confrontations.” The efficacy of political intervention, its goals and instruments can, according to Bourdieu, find a basis in the logic of the fields of cultural production. Bourdieu thereby connects the analysis of the political position-taking of an author with the analysis of his position in the configuration of the literary field. Relying on the field-theorectical approach of Bourdieu, the essay wants to show the rise and the break-through of Brecht in the literary field, especially in the subfield of theater, and it explains his strategy of “Intervening Thinking”.
[ Back to top ]
Meetings
« Literary field » Network
May 14th-16th, 2008 - Humanities and social sciences in society
Dir. G. Sapiro - Université Paris Descartes
Publications & activities
On Bourdieu, Education and Society, By Derek Robbins
[27.9.2006] - Publications
The Bardwell Press is pleased to announce the publication of a major contribution to Bourdieu studies [...]
Bourdieu and the journalistic field
[14.11.2005] - Publications
Bourdieu and the Journalistic Field is an exciting new text which builds on and extends Pierre Bourdieu's impassioned critique of our media-saturated culture [...]
 |
 |