The accusation that poets are liars has reverberated throughout the European tradition with notable persistence, not merely as a commonplace but as a line of thought that invites reflection on the nature of representation and truth in literary discourse. This charge presses us to consider what it means for poetry to imitate, invent, or fabricate, and how such acts relate to philosophy’s long-standing claims to truth.
“The accusation that poets are liars has reverberated throughout the European tradition with a tenacity few commonplaces can rival.”
Historically, figures such as Plato, Aristotle, and Nietzsche have revisited and reframed the critique of poetic lying in increasingly sophisticated ways. Hans Blumenberg likewise looked back on the tradition of literary theory as a continuous engagement with this provocation. Naming the poet as a liar thus reopens fundamental questions about representation and the boundary between fabrication and fact, while simultaneously reaffirming philosophy’s interest in truth. This enduring tension suggests that the allure of poetry lies not in a simple opposition to truth, but in the persistent transgression of clear-cut boundaries between reality and fiction.
“To name the poet a liar is, in effect, to reopen the question of what it means to represent, to imitate, to invent; at the same time, it articulates philosophy’s own ancient claim to truth.”
The seminar format invites examination of lying as a cultural technique rather than a moral defect, exploring when deception becomes legible as a distinct act and when it merges with ordinary fictionalizing that sustains social and political life. It asks how the poetic lie might function as a mode of truth-telling, and where rhetoric shifts into manipulation. By tracing these problematics from antiquity to modernity, the discussion aims to rethink lying not simply as the negation of truth but as a revealing double of truth itself.
“By tracing the history of these problematics from antiquity to modernity, we aim to rethink lying not simply as the opposite of truth but as one of its most revealing doubles.”
Key themes include the relation between aesthetic form and veracity, the roles of the poet, demagogue, and confidence man as figures who inhabit both fabrication and belief, and the continuous negotiation between invention and belief within public life. Through such exploration, the seminar seeks to illuminate how literary and political discourses reveal the fragile boundaries that separate truth from fabrication, and how these boundaries shape cultural understanding of truth itself.
“What it means to lie—and what it means to tell the truth, when both are understood as cultural techniques rather than moral absolutes.”
Авторское резюме: Исследование поднимает вопросы о границах истины и лжи в поэзии и политике, показывая, как художественные формы тестируют веру и доверие общества, не сводя проблему к простой моральной оценке.
More News
- Antonio Brown seeks dismissal of attempted murder charge based on “stand your ground” law
- Gill Cleared! Gambhir Says He's Ready to Go
- Skippylongstocking excels in Harlan’s Holiday Stakes
- No. 1 Kentucky breezes by Wofford in round 1 of the NCAA Tournament
- Ground News – Largest News Aggregator
- Suryakumar Yadav becomes Mumbai's top T20 scorer
- Evidence of burial ground at Tuam mother and baby home
- GROUND Definition & Meaning
- The journey continues: Courtois shines at San Mamés
- Suryakumar Yadav leads as notable names return to India's side for their T20I series