Aby M. Warburg and the term of pathos formula in context of his thought

Abstract

(in English): These presented papers focus on "pathos formula" and its evolution in Aby Warburg's thought. Warburg's considerations are complex; he does not focus on a precise time period, but history as a whole, using "Nachleben", a survival of picture schemes, gestures and concepts. Pathos formula oscillates between two polarities: apollonian and dionysian. The Apollonian side stands for sublime Antique while Dionysian stands for ecstatic, instinctive, irrational. It also includes a form of neokantism, inspired by Ernst Cassierer's philosophy. These two polarities have been transformed into his opus magnum, Atlas Mnemosyne. He develops the idea of relationships between human and world as such through the symbol. One of the central aspects of pathos formula is the tension between myth and rationality. The tension of history is represented by images. Atlas Mnémosyné is Warburg's greatest work, made up of 79 plates using the pathos formula. Through images he articulated the tension of history, by gesture and concepts he revealed a suppressed or unconscious memory, which the culture carries with. The pathos formula is highly emotive, expressive, gesture forms, which we can observe through time, Nachleben, and space by migration. Memory is preserved and defines our quotidian

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