Borges and Philosophy: Self, Time, and MetaphysicsJorge Luis Borges is acknowledged as one of the great Spanish writers of the twentieth century. On the broader literary scene, he is recognized as a modern master. His fascination with philosophy - especially metaphysics - sets him apart from his contemporaries. Borges appreciated and formulated rigorous philosophical arguments, but also possessed the unique ability to present the most abstract ideas imaginatively in metaphors and symbols. Borges wandered among the great masters seeking a firm purchase that he could not find, and therefore expressed a nostalgia for metaphysics as he lost himself in his labyrinths. Borges and Philosophy traces Borges' philosophical concerns in his tales, essays, and poems and argues that despite his apparent skepticism in philosophical matters, a careful reading of Borges' texts reveals a coherent philosophical path that underlies his work. |
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aesthetic al-Mu'tasim Aleph allegory Angelus Silesius appears archetypes Aristotle Averroes become Bodhidarma Borges observes Borgesian Buddha Buddhism Burgin Cabala Cartaphilus circular concept Dahlmann Danieri death Descartes destiny discussion doctrine dream emptiness English enlightenment esoteric essay eternity example existence experience fact fiction and reality Finally Funes German gnostics Hence Heraclitus Hladík human Hume ideas individual intuitive Jaén Jorge Luis Borges Kant knowledge labyrinth language Leibniz Library literature logical Lönnrot Mahāyāna Massuh meaning metaphor metaphysical mind mirror motion mystical Nāgārjuna Nagasena narrator nature night Nirvana Norman Thomas objects Orbis Tertius Parmenides perhaps philosophical Plato Plotinus poem rational reader reason recalls references Schopenhauer sense sensible world skandhas space Spinoza story substance suggests Sutra symbol takes tale theme theory thesis things thought tion Tlön translation truth Tzinacán ultimate universe wisdom words writing Yu Tsun Zahir