Gaston Bachelard Knihy

Fenomenologický prístup k priestoru v literatúre, najmä v básnickej obraznosti poézie.

Bachelardovo dílo zkoumající poetiku živlů a samotného prostoru nachází završení v této knize, jež se věnuje fenomenologii snění a jeho obrazů.

První český knižní překlad z díla velmi pozoruhodného francouzského filosofa 20. století náleží k sérii prací, v nichž Bachelard sonduje podstatné zdroje lidské imaginace. V této studii si pro svou "konkrétní estetiku" zvolil intimní plameny svíce a lampy, aby sledoval v linii snění jejichpoezii a dobral se "půvabů duše". Ukazuje na četných literárních obrazech rozpětí duchovního zážitku při splývání imaginace a paměti, které jsou podněcovány důvěrným zářením malého světla a poodkrývají ontologii osamělého bytí.

Gaston Bachelard, master dreamer of the elements, animates the waters of the soul with his stirring, fluid imagination. With the subtlety of a poet, he ranges from the surface of water with its reflective narcissism to the very depths where water flows into death. Clear waters, deep water, the Charon Complex, water in combination with other elements, maternal waters, water's morality, violent water, water's voice.

"[Bachelard] is neither a self-confessed and tortured atheist like Satre, nor, like Chardin, a heretic combining a belief in God with a proficiency in modern science. But, within the French context, he is almost as important as they are because he has a pseudo-religious force, without taking a stand on religion. To define him as briefly as possible – he is a philosopher, with a professional training in the sciences, who devoted most of the second phase of his career to promoting that aspect of human nature which often seems most inimical to the poetic imagination ..." – J.G. Weightman,  The New York Times Review of Books

První český výbor z Bachelardových epistemologických prací obsahuje čtyři zásadní Bachelardovy knihy: Nový vědecký duch (1934), Filosofie ne (1940), Aplikovaný racionalismus (1949) a Materiální racionalismus (1953). Ve své epistemologické tvorbě se Bachelard snaží formulovat prostřední pozici mezi extrémy materialismu a idealismu. Tuto pozici označuje jako racionalistickou, oproti uzavřenému karteziánství se má ale jednat o racionalismus otevřený, neustále připravený sebe sama přehodnocovat. Důležitým nástrojem jsou k tomu výdobytky psychoanalýzy, které vědeckému duchu umožňují překonávat epistemologické překážky. V návaznosti na tuto psychoanalýzu začne následně Bachelard rozvíjet druhou stranu svého díla, spisy rozvíjející poetickou imaginaci jako jakýsi protipól komplementární k vědeckému uchopování světa.

Gaston Bachelard employs his deep understanding of the poetry of figures like Poe, Blake, Shelley, and Nietzsche to enhance the imagery of airy elements in his exploration of the imagination. The translations of Bachelard's works into English were initiated by Joanne H. Stroud in 1981, aiming to bring his insights on imagination to a wider audience. Renowned as a pivotal modern French thinker, Bachelard wrote twenty-three books from 1929 to 1962, focusing on the philosophy of science and the imagination of matter. His influence spans various humanities disciplines, including art, architecture, literature, language, poetics, philosophy, and depth psychology. Bachelard's academic career included positions at the College de Bar-sur-Aube, the University of Dijon, and the Sorbonne, where he held the chair of history and philosophy of science from 1940 to 1962. An amphitheater at the Sorbonne bears his name, a distinction he shares with notable figures like Descartes and Richelieu. In 1961, he received the Grand Prix National Lettres, becoming one of only three philosophers to achieve this prestigious honor. His profound impact continues to resonate across the humanities.

In this, his last significant work, an admired French philosopher provides extraordinary meditations on the relations between the imagining consciousness and the world, positing the notion of reverie as its most dynamic point of reference. In his earlier book, The Poetics of Space, Bachelard considered several kinds of "praiseworthy space" conducive to the flow of poetic imagery. In Poetics of Reverie he considers the absolute origins of that imagery: language, sexuality, childhood, the Cartesian ego, and the universe. Approaching the psychology of wonder from the phenomenological viewpoint, Bachelard demonstrates the aurgentative potential of all that awareness. Thus he distinguishes what is merely a phenomenon of relaxation from the kind of reverie which "poetry puts on the right track, the track of expanding consciousness"

Exploring the nature of time, Gaston Bachelard responds to Henri Bergson's theories by presenting a view of experienced time as fractured and interrupted. This work lays the foundation for Bachelard's innovative philosophy of science, emphasizing the importance of human context and the interplay between rationality and the irrational. Through this lens, he challenges conventional perceptions of the physical world and material events, offering a profound rethinking of scientific philosophy.

Set in a world of intrigue and passion, the narrative unfolds around the complexities of human relationships and the struggles of self-identity. Through the lens of its characters, the story explores themes of love, betrayal, and the quest for understanding amidst societal expectations. The emotional depth and vivid imagery create a captivating atmosphere that draws readers into the characters' journeys, making it a poignant reflection on the fragility of life and the enduring power of hope.

The instant -- The problem of habit and discontinuous time -- The idea of progress and the intuition of discontinuous time -- Conclusion -- Appendix A: "Poetic instant and metaphysical instant" by Gaston Bachelard -- Appendix B: Reading Bachelard reading Siloe: an excerpt from "Introduction to Bachelard's poetics" by Jean Lescure -- Appendix C: A short biography of Gaston Bachelard

Passages from Bachelard's major works are introduced here in excerpts selected by Colette Gaudin, a professor of French literature at Dartmouth College and an authority on Bachelard

Exploring the intersection of metaphysics and modern atomistic science, this English translation of Bachelard's sixth book delves into the philosophical underpinnings that shape contemporary scientific thought. The author aims to construct a framework that reconciles the complexities of modern science with deeper metaphysical concepts, offering readers a unique perspective on the nature of reality and knowledge.

Bachelards Interesse gilt den einfachen poetischen Bildern, die den Leser eines Gedichts oder eines Romans beunruhigen, ihn nicht mehr loslassen, »in ihm Wurzeln schlagen«. Woher rührt diese Macht des Bildes? Die Psychoanalyse hat - z. B. mittels der Traumdeutung - versucht, das Bild intellektuell aufzulösen und auf einen verborgenen Wunsch zurückzuführen. »Der Analytiker erklärt die Blume aus dem Dünger«, hält Bachelard dem entgegen; seiner Auffassung nach ist das poetische Bild etwas absolut Ursprüngliches, die Einbildungskraft daher eines der tiefsten menschlichen Vermögen. Um diese These zu untermauern, untersucht Bachelard einfache, zumeist positiv besetzte Bilder des Raumes, die in den Dichtungen aller Sprachen häufig wiederkehren. Zunächst Bilder intimer Räumlichkeit: das Haus, der Schlupfwinkel, die Höhle; sodann die »Häuser der Dinge«: Schubladen, Truhen, Nester und Muscheln; schließlich der Gegensatz von Drinnen und Draußen und das Bild der Rundheit. In unakademischer, selbst wiederum bildhafter Sprache begründet damit Bachelard ein Verfahren vergleichender Literaturwissenschaft, das prinzipiell von jedem Leser nachvollziehbar ist: eine Theorie des »Widerhalls« von Literatur im Geiste des Lesers.

Utilisant les concepts psychanalytiques, l'auteur montre comment, dans la science, le language constitue le véhicule privilégié de l'anthropomorphisme et comment les projections affectives constituent autant d'obstacles épistémiologiques à son développement.