Time, History, and Literature : Selected Essays of Erich Auerbach

**Important essays from one of the giants of literary criticism, including a dozen published here in English for the first time** Erich Auerbach (1892-1957), best known for his classic literary study __Mimesis__, is celebrated today as a founder of comparative literature, a forerunner of secular criticism, and a prophet of global literary studies. Yet the true depth of Auerbach's thinking and writing remains unplumbed. __Time, History, and Literature__ presents a wide selection of Auerbach's essays, many of which are little known outside the German-speaking world. Of the twenty essays culled for this volume from the full length of his career, twelve have never appeared in English before, and one is being published for the first time. Foregrounded in this major new collection are Auerbach's complex relationship to the Judaeo-Christian tradition, his philosophy of time and history, and his theory of human ethics and responsible action. Auerbach effectively charts out the difficult discovery, in the wake of Christianity, of the sensuous, the earthly, and the human and social worlds. A number of the essays reflect Auerbach's responses to an increasingly hostile National Socialist environment. These writings offer a challenging model of intellectual engagement, one that remains as compelling today as it was in Auerbach's own time. Erich Auerbach (1892-1957), Best Known For His Classic Literary Study Mimesis, Is Celebrated Today As A Founder Of Comparative Literature, A Forerunner Of Secular Criticism, And A Prophet Of Global Literary Studies. This Book Presents A Selection Of Auerbach's Essays, Many Of Which Are Little Known Outside The German-speaking World. Pt. I History And The Philosophy Of History: Vico, Herder, And Hegel -- 1. Vico's Contribution To Literary Criticism (1958) -- 2. Vico And Herder (1932) -- 3. Giambattista Vico And The Idea Of Philology (1936) -- 4. Vico And Aesthetic Historism (1948) -- 5. Vico And The National Spirit (1955) -- 6. Idea Of The National Spirit As The Source Of The Modern Humanities (ca.1955) -- Pt. Ii Time And Temporality In Literature -- 7. Figura (1938) -- 8. Typological Symbolism In Medieval Literature (1952) -- 9. On The Anniversary Celebration Of Dante (1921) -- 10. Dante And Vergil (1931) -- 11. Discovery Of Dante By Romanticism (1929) -- 12. Romanticism And Realism (1933) -- 13. Marcel Proust And The Novel Of Lost Time (1927) -- Pt. Iii Passionate Subjects, From The Bible To Secular Modernity -- 14. Passio As Passion (1941) -- 15. Three Traits Of Dante's Poetry (1948) -- 16. Montaigne The Writer (1932) -- 17. On Pascal's Political Theory (1941) -- 18. Racine And The Passions (1927) -- 19. On Rousseau's Place In History (1932) -- 20. Philology Of World Literature (1952). Edited And With An Introduction By James I. Porter ; Translated By Jane O. Newman. Translated From The German. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Erich Auerbach (1892-1957), best known for his classic literary study 'Mimesis', is celebrated today as a founder of comparative literature, a forerunner of secular criticism, and a prophet of global literary studies. Yet the true depth of Auerbach's thinking and writing remains unplumbed. This book presents a wide selection of Auerbach's essays, many of which are little known outside the German-speaking world