Overview

'The sublime rests precariously on the edge of the abyss.' This volume is a collaboration between wordsmith Olivia Fane and painter John B. Harris. Fane's first essay is on the philosophical understanding of the sublime. The sublime first became a subject of serious philosophical thought in the eighteenth century, thanks to Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant. Fane argues for an interpretation of the sublime as the radically other, and argues that its function is primarily epistemological, in that it reveals to us our own being and finitude. She goes on to show how this tallies with ideas of negative theology and post-modernism. In her second chapter,'A Short Essay on Truth’, Fane suggests that societies and cultures suffer from a ‘hermeneutic circle of knowledge’ — in other words knowledge is based on agreement rather than authentic understanding. She shows how the function of art and religion at their best is to attempt to break through the circle, turning us from sleepwalkers into people who are alive to a truth which is, paradoxically, unknowable. The third chapter, ‘Fear and Longing: A Symposium’ is named after the painting on the book’s cover and is a dialogue between Harris and Fane on the apprehension of the sublime, exploring the syzygy between images and words, intimation and explication.

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9781788360388

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Reviews

Praise for previous books by Olivia Fane 'This book is quite magnificently unexpected, it fair boggles the mind.' Daily Telegraph 'A contentious subject, thoughtfully tackled.' Daily Mail 'This extraordinary story is told very readably.' The Tablet 'Fane writes with clarity, elegance and wit.' Amanda Craig, Independent 'Superbly ingenious - this book will make you think and argue.' Oliver James 'Brings to mind comparisons with early Iris Murdoch.' Claire Colvin, The Times 'Very distinctive.' Hilary Mantel. 'This book is a delight.' Fay Weldon

Praise for previous books by Olivia Fane 'This book is quite magnificently unexpected, it fair boggles the mind.' Daily Telegraph 'A contentious subject, thoughtfully tackled.' Daily Mail 'This extraordinary story is told very readably.' The Tablet 'Fane writes with clarity, elegance and wit.' Amanda Craig, Independent 'Superbly ingenious - this book will make you think and argue.' Oliver James 'Brings to mind comparisons with early Iris Murdoch.' Claire Colvin, The Times 'Very distinctive.' Hilary Mantel. 'This book is a delight.' Fay Weldon

Author Information

Olivia Fane read classics at Trinity Hall Cambridge and has masters degrees in theology, classics and social work. She has published five novels and two other works of non-fiction. oliviafane.com John B. Harris is an artist and illustrator. He describes the painting reproduced on the cover of this book,'Fear and Longing', as 'intensely personal' and relates it to his life-long practice of Transcendental Meditation. His books and films include Beyond the Horizon, Mass, The Rite of the Hidden Sun and The Secret History of the Earth. johnbharris.com

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