Neo-Stoicism and Skepticism in Part One of Don Quijote
Removing the Authority of a Genre
By (author) Daniel Lorca
Not available to order
Publication date:
15 July 2016Length of book:
168 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9781498522663
This book explains how Cervantes took advantage of neo-stoicism and skepticism to remove the authority of the romances of chivalry, which was a popular genre during his time. It also explains why his strategy, which would have been instantly recognizable during the period, is no longer effective: our current moral systems are significantly different from the moral systems that were influential during Cervantes’s time, and consequently, what used to be self-evident is no longer the case. Therefore, this book may be useful to the literary critic interested in the philosophical foundations of Don Quijote, to the moral philosopher interested in the differences between pre-enlightenment virtue-ethics and current moral systems, and also in the field of the history of ideas. Don Quijote offers a unique opportunity to observe changes in moral thinking throughout time because it is a universal book, discussed extensively throughout out the centuries, and therefore the on-going discussion offers strong evidence to discover how morality has changed, and continues to change, through time.
Lorca sheds new light on the philosophical dimensions of Don Quijote by positing neo-stoicism and skepticism as integrated forces in the work. He demonstrates the impact of late Enlightenment readings on our current interpretation of the novel, as a corrective to excess focus on the legacy of Romanticism. His comparative analysis of the epistemological practices employed by Don Quijote and Marcela enhances our understanding of both characters and of Cervantes’ parody of romance narrative.