"The Trilogie des Wiedersehens" is surely a controversial play: there is no real plot but just a series of characters brought together into the space of an art exhibition. The audience is put in a critical position as they are asked to observe the attitude of the characters towards the works of art on stage as well as to analyze their own attitude towards the play. Taking the title given to the exhibition as a starting point, the main question I want to address is how the Trilogie depicts the effects of capitalism on the way art is experienced by the individual and how the function of the artist has changed with the emergence of a profit-centered society. Confronting the Trilogie with Steiner’s text Real Presences, I will see how the capitalistic process of commodification of reality can be understood in terms of the logic of the secondary, which aims at hampering the directness of art and at stifling its communicative power. In the light of these considerations I will also try to delineate the two opposite options that the play suggests about the development of art in a capitalistic society: either it succumbs to being objectified and turned into intellectual merchandise, or it becomes a means through which the self can transcend his individuality and thus reach a spiritual and moral liberation. Eventually, taking into account Theodor Adorno’s theories about cultural industry, I will try to analyze how some characters in the play seem to warn against the danger, in a society dominated by mechanized production, for the subject to be alienated from their own subjectivity.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Logic of Capitalism as Secondary Discourse against the Autonomy of Art
3. Creation versus Commodification: the new Role of the Artist
4. Mechanization of Culture, Mechanization of the Self
5. Art as Path towards Transcendence and Liberation of the Self
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
The primary objective of this essay is to analyze how Botho Strauß’s play Trilogie des Wiedersehens depicts the impact of capitalism on the individual's experience of art and the evolving function of the artist within a profit-centered society. By exploring the tension between the directness of artistic encounter and the "logic of the secondary," the work examines how capitalist ideologies threaten to alienate subjects from their own subjectivity and suggests potential paths toward spiritual liberation through art.
- The influence of capitalist commodification on artistic perception.
- The role of "secondary discourses" in distorting the meaning of art.
- The ideological conflict between artistic creation and profit-driven mechanization.
- The relationship between the mechanization of culture and the mechanization of the self.
- The capacity of art to act as a tool for transcendence and individual liberation.
Excerpt from the Book
The Logic of Capitalism as Secondary Discourse against the Autonomy of Art
In his essay Der Aufstand gegen die Sekundäre Welt Botho Strauß comments on George Steiner’s book Real Presences. Strauß evokes Steiner’s denunciation of the despotic dominion of the logos over the manifold manifestations of artistic creation and upholds the consequent conviction that real encounters with works of art can only happen through immediate and direct engagement. In his book, Steiner stresses the necessity to “learn anew what is comprised within a full experience of created sense” and “the enigma of creation as it is made sensible in the poem, in the painting, in the musical statement.” In order to do so, he proposes the idea of a city where any discussion about the arts is prohibited. The education system of such a city should then be grounded on “a politics of the primary” and should endorse direct experience of a work of art as opposed to the logical and rational analysis carried out through verbal language. It is most important to point out that the politics of secondary criticism, understood as an intellectual mystification of works of art and of outer reality in general, is also a kern concept of the politics of capitalism. The question of value in a capitalistic society necessarily occupies a controversial position, since capitalism does not recognize value as an inherent quality within reality, but rather understands it as the virtual tension between a product and the demand of the mass of consumers.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the core research question regarding how Trilogie des Wiedersehens reflects the effects of capitalism on art and the artist, while establishing the theoretical framework using George Steiner and Theodor Adorno.
2. The Logic of Capitalism as Secondary Discourse against the Autonomy of Art: This section analyzes how capitalism employs "secondary discourses" and linguistic mediation to distort artistic value and replace direct engagement with intellectual mystification.
3. Creation versus Commodification: the new Role of the Artist: This chapter examines the ideological tension between artistic creation and commercial interests, illustrating how characters like Felix represent the shift toward a profit-oriented, manipulative role of the artist.
4. Mechanization of Culture, Mechanization of the Self: This part explores the symbiotic relationship between mechanized art and the loss of individual inwardness, referencing the cautionary story of the painter Pirosmani.
5. Art as Path towards Transcendence and Liberation of the Self: This chapter discusses how art can serve as a subversive tool to overcome material boundaries and foster a revolution of consciousness, moving beyond the egotistic constraints of capitalism.
6. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the play's assertion that reclaiming a direct, personal dialogue with art is essential for individuals to regain their subjectivity and resist the mechanization of their existence.
Keywords
Botho Strauß, Trilogie des Wiedersehens, Capitalism, Secondary Discourse, Commodification, Subjectivity, Cultural Industry, Artistic Autonomy, Mechanization, George Steiner, Theodor Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, Alienation, Transcendence, Liberation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this essay?
The essay examines the relationship between art and capitalism as presented in Botho Strauß’s play Trilogie des Wiedersehens, specifically focusing on the struggle for subjective authenticity.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The central themes include the commodification of art, the impact of secondary criticism, the mechanization of the self, and the potential for art to serve as a medium for spiritual liberation.
What is the primary research question?
The research question asks how the play portrays the effects of capitalism on the individual's experience of art and how the professional and social function of the artist has been transformed in a profit-driven society.
Which scientific methodologies are utilized?
The analysis employs a literary-philosophical approach, drawing primarily upon George Steiner’s theories on the "secondary," Theodor Adorno’s critique of the cultural industry, and Herbert Marcuse’s aesthetic philosophy.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The body covers the ideological conflict between logical analysis and direct experience, the character-driven opposition between art and commodification, and the broader existential implications of living in a mechanized society.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include capitalism, secondary discourse, subjectivity, artistic autonomy, commodification, and cultural alienation.
How does the author interpret the role of "secondary discourse"?
The author argues that secondary discourse acts as an intellectual barrier that mystifies art, preventing direct sensory-based interaction and forcing art into pre-packaged, commodified meanings.
What significance is given to the character of Kiepert in the play?
Kiepert is used as an example of how individuals utilize secondary discourse to warp the perception of art for personal interest, thereby illustrating the dangerous potential for manipulation in a capitalist framework.
How is the concept of "mechanization of the self" explained?
The author posits that the industrialization of culture and the demand for constant, superficial consumption leads to an "emotional anesthetization," where individuals lose contact with their inner selves and conform to external, ideological patterns.
Does the author conclude that art can still be revolutionary?
Yes, the author concludes that art retains its revolutionary potential if it allows the individual to transcend their mechanized, material existence and engage with a universal perspective, provided it is experienced directly.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Bachelor of Arts (English- German) Alessandra Pennesi (Autor:in), 2018, Kapitalistischer Realismus: Capitalism, Art and Subjectivity in Botho Strauß’s "Trilogie des Wiedersehens", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/906921
