Description
Discover the compelling insights of *A Theory of the Aphorism*, a brilliant exploration of the aphorism as a literary form that transcends time, cultures, and languages. This engaging text delves into short philosophical sayings that resonate from ancient wisdom to contemporary reflections. The book examines how aphorisms—ranging from Confucius to modern Twitter posts—are often the most profound yet least studied expressions of thought.
This work dives deep into the origins of aphorisms, revealing their evolution and the potent role they play in conveying complex ideas succinctly. Andrew Hui intricately connects literature, philology, and philosophy, encouraging readers to think critically about these concise statements that shape human understanding.
*The Theory of the Aphorism* is a must-have for scholars, philosophers, and anyone intrigued by the power of words. It invites us to reflect on the art of brevity in communication, exploring why influential thinkers like Nietzsche and Buddha opted for brevity to encapsulate their wisdom.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691210759
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Immerse yourself in this groundbreaking literary analysis and rediscover the aphorism's significance in our digital age.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691210759
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
An engaging look at the aphorism, the shortest literary form, across time, languages, and cultures
Aphorisms — or short philosophical sayings — appear everywhere, from Confucius to Twitter, the Buddha to the Bible, Heraclitus to Nietzsche. Yet despite this ubiquity, the aphorism is the least studied literary form. What are its origins? How did it develop? Were the enigmatic sayings of charismatic sages the original 'social media'? And why do some of our most celebrated modern philosophers use aphoristic fragments to convey their deepest ideas? In A Theory of the Aphorism, Andrew Hui crisscrosses histories and cultures to answer these questions and more.
Encompassing literature, philology, and philosophy, A Theory of the Aphorism invites us to reflect anew on the meaning of this pithiest of literary forms.
'The history [Hui] has written is devoted to something more like what we usually call 'sayings'...Buy the premise and you'll enjoy the bit, as David Letterman, an aphorist of sorts himself, used to say.'— Adam Gopnik,New Yorker
'This book is groundbreaking.'— Nigel Warburton,Five Books
'Deeply informative and extremely lucid...Its ideal reader might have been Walter Benjamin.'— Lachlan Mackinnon,Times Literary Supplement
'Fans of dense brevity will appreciate thatA Theory of the Aphorismis packed tight as a walnut...It is replete with small things.'— Willis Goth Regier,World Literature Today
'Irresistible...Lovers of aphorisms wil
This work dives deep into the origins of aphorisms, revealing their evolution and the potent role they play in conveying complex ideas succinctly. Andrew Hui intricately connects literature, philology, and philosophy, encouraging readers to think critically about these concise statements that shape human understanding.
*The Theory of the Aphorism* is a must-have for scholars, philosophers, and anyone intrigued by the power of words. It invites us to reflect on the art of brevity in communication, exploring why influential thinkers like Nietzsche and Buddha opted for brevity to encapsulate their wisdom.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691210759
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled. Immerse yourself in this groundbreaking literary analysis and rediscover the aphorism's significance in our digital age.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691210759
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
An engaging look at the aphorism, the shortest literary form, across time, languages, and cultures
Aphorisms — or short philosophical sayings — appear everywhere, from Confucius to Twitter, the Buddha to the Bible, Heraclitus to Nietzsche. Yet despite this ubiquity, the aphorism is the least studied literary form. What are its origins? How did it develop? Were the enigmatic sayings of charismatic sages the original 'social media'? And why do some of our most celebrated modern philosophers use aphoristic fragments to convey their deepest ideas? In A Theory of the Aphorism, Andrew Hui crisscrosses histories and cultures to answer these questions and more.
Encompassing literature, philology, and philosophy, A Theory of the Aphorism invites us to reflect anew on the meaning of this pithiest of literary forms.
'The history [Hui] has written is devoted to something more like what we usually call 'sayings'...Buy the premise and you'll enjoy the bit, as David Letterman, an aphorist of sorts himself, used to say.'— Adam Gopnik,New Yorker
'This book is groundbreaking.'— Nigel Warburton,Five Books
'Deeply informative and extremely lucid...Its ideal reader might have been Walter Benjamin.'— Lachlan Mackinnon,Times Literary Supplement
'Fans of dense brevity will appreciate thatA Theory of the Aphorismis packed tight as a walnut...It is replete with small things.'— Willis Goth Regier,World Literature Today
'Irresistible...Lovers of aphorisms wil