"Pro and Contra: Ethical Values in Literature?," Interdisciplinary Workshop, University of Tuebingen, April 23-25, 2009.

A workshop on Robert Musil’s The Man without Qualities and Fedor Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Organisation: Prof. Dr. Sabine Döring, Dr. Catrin Misselhorn, Prof. Dr. Schamma Schahadat, Dr. Irina Wutsdorff Within the framework of this workshop issues concerning the ethical assessment of works of literature will be discussed from a philosophical as well as a literary perspective. Philosophers have recently provided controversial answers to the question whether, if at all, moral criteria should play any role in assessing pieces of art. With regard to literature the following questions ensue: In which way are ethical topoi and issues inscribed in literary works of art? What are the poetological consequences of ethical claims on literature as is predominantly the case in Russian culture. The novels The Brothers Karamazov by Fedor Dostoyevsky and The Man without Qualities by Robert Musil will serve as a primary point of reference. Speakers include: Gottfried Gabriel, Berys Gaut, Peter Goldie, and Matthew Kieran. Participation is free of charge, but the number of participants is limited and registration is required. Please contact: irina.wutsdorff@uni-tuebingen.de for further information.