PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE - ALEXIS KARPOUZOS
Subtitle: EXPLORING ONTOLOGY, AESTHETICS AND HERMENEUTICS - A DIALOGUE ON MEANING, TRUTH AND MORALITY
By: Edited by alexis karpouzos
Edition: Cosmic spirit
Publisher: HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Published: 2024
Place of publication: LONDON
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 124
ISBN-13: 9798298251693
Copyright date: 2021
Description: In Philosophy and Literature, Alexis Karpouzos embarks on an ambitious intellectual journey, weaving together the rigor of philosophical inquiry with the imaginative richness of literary expression. This is not merely a book about philosophy or literature in isolation—it is a deeply considered exploration of how the two realms meet, converse, and illuminate one another. Through the lenses of ontology, aesthetics, and hermeneutics, Karpouzos invites the reader into a sustained dialogue on meaning, truth, and morality, a dialogue that is as much about the self as it is about the world. At the heart of this work lies the conviction that philosophy and literature are not separate disciplines but complementary ways of engaging with the deepest human questions. Philosophy seeks clarity, structure, and universality; literature embraces ambiguity, particularity, and the vividness of lived experience. Together, they form a dynamic interplay—logic tempered by imagination, and imagination disciplined by thought.

Ontology — the question of being — forms the foundation of the discussion. Karpouzos asks: What does it mean to exist? Through literary narratives and philosophical reasoning, he examines how human consciousness both experiences and shapes the world, revealing that existence is not static but constantly unfolding in the tension between reality and interpretation.

Aesthetics — the philosophy of beauty and artistic experience — is treated not as a matter of superficial pleasure but as a profound mode of knowing. Karpouzos explores how language, imagery, and symbolic forms awaken our perception and sharpen our ethical sensitivity. In his view, the aesthetic dimension of literature is not merely decorative; it is a vital bridge to deeper truths that reason alone cannot reach.

Hermeneutics — the art and philosophy of interpretation — is where the two disciplines most explicitly converge. Here, Karpouzos examines how we read texts, both literary and philosophical, and how meaning arises in the space between author and reader, text and context, word and world. Interpretation becomes an ethical act, shaped by the values, intentions, and openness of the interpreter.

What distinguishes this book is its dialogical structure. Rather than presenting abstract arguments in isolation, Karpouzos stages them as an ongoing conversation—sometimes between philosophical traditions, sometimes between literature and philosophy, and always between the reader and the text. This approach mirrors the way meaning itself emerges: not from fixed definitions, but from the fluid exchange of perspectives. Drawing on sources as diverse as the ancient Greek philosophers, the mysticism of the East, the existentialists of modern Europe, and the poets who have articulated humanity’s most intimate longings, Karpouzos builds a vision that is at once cosmopolitan and deeply personal. His style is both precise and lyrical, appealing to scholars, artists, and thoughtful readers alike. In an age when meaning is often fractured and truth contested, Philosophy and Literature offers a timely reminder that our search for understanding is most fruitful when reason and imagination work together. The book invites us not simply to consume ideas but to inhabit them—to live, question, and transform alongside them.

This Kindle edition brings Karpouzos’ thought to a global audience, enabling readers to engage with the material at their own rhythm, annotate their reflections, and return to key passages that resonate. It is more than a book; it is a companion for anyone committed to thinking deeply about the human condition, the moral dimensions of life, and the beauty of meaning discovered through words.